Lady Dawgs are Champions – II

Winning any tournament is always a plus, but you’ve go to know that winning your own tournament is especially sweet – especially when the competition is good.

“Kinda feels like a district (tournament) final, doesn’t it” was the way game official Rian Craft described it during one of the early time outs Sunday afternoon as head coaches Darrell Thompson and Tim Pyles were talking with their teams in the final game of the Clinton County Best of the Lakes Holiday Classic.

The round-robin event doesn’t necessarily always shape up this way, but as it turned out this year, that final game Sunday afternoon turned out to be just like you would always want a tournament to work out – for all the marbles.

Both Clinton County and Wayne County had picked up three wins in the three-day event leading up to Sunday’s last game, and both squads clearly wanted to leave the Lindle Castle Gymnasium with the championship title.

For the Lady Dawgs – there was even more at stake – ending the holiday season with their win streak still intact.

Of course the congrats goes out to our Lady Dawgs who will now take a few days off with a still unblemished 14-0 record and the second championship title of the season, and more hardware to put inside the CCHS trophy case.

Coach Thompson’s Lady Dawgs finished the championship game with a 53-49 hard earned win, and with that a few days of rest.

A flu-bug and stomach virus has been floating through the squad during the past couple of weeks, and regardless of an upcoming important game against 16th District foe Russell County this Saturday, Thompson said he thinks the best thing for his team is a break from the hardwood.

‘Win, lose or draw, I’m giving them three days off after this” Thompson said before the start of Sunday’s championship game with Wayne County. “Right now, all we’re doing is passing the bug around and around and they need to be apart for a few days.”

Rest up girls – you’ve earned it. And again, congratulations on a couple of hard-earned titles.

Another fantastically-hosted event

Hats off again to coach Thompson and Athletic Director Mike Beard and CCHS Principal Sheldon Harlan and the entire staff who once again managed to pull off a fantastic tournament that seemed to be enjoyed by everyone from the four communities that brought teams here.

It’s always good to hear favorable comments from the coaches and parents that come with the teams, and this year’s event seemed to be enjoyed by everyone.

As holiday tournaments go – if we have to have them, at least Clinton County can host good ones.

Bulldogs have a tough run in the Gateway

Playing in the Gateway Holiday Classic in Montgomery County, the Bulldogs picked up two quick losses over the weekend against a couple of very nice teams.

Going up against 10th Region powerhouse Mason County in the first game, followed by a matchup against Lexington Lafayette in the next game, the Bulldogs were handed back to back defeats.

A third game against Madisonville-North Hopkins set for Monday afternoon came after this week’s holiday adjusted deadline.

While there were other tournaments out there that could have offered easier competition, facing tough teams was a plan that Coach Todd Messer hopes will have big benefits later in the season as the team gets ready to head into the upcoming All ‘A’ Classic run and then the post-season tournament stretch.

The traditional powerhouse teams from our own region like Warren Central and Bowling Green won’t play Clinton County during the regular season, so looking for other ways to give the Bulldogs games against top level teams becomes the next option.

Busy stretch just ahead

Although a few days off will be enjoyed, by the end of the week, it’s right back into the schedule and from this weekend until March, there isn’t much breathing room.

The next six outings include five double-header nights with four games against 16th District opponents as well as a renewed Border Wars matchup against cross-state rival Pickett County, Tennessee.

Then comes the All ‘A’ tournament run and all of that is in the next three weeks.

Happy New Year. I’ll see you courtside in 2015