Second half of the season gets even busier

Taking a look at the next couple of weeks of activities for local basketball fans made me realize just how quick this 2014-15 campaign is going.

When I look at my copy of the running results schedule I keep on my computer, it’s hard to believe just how far down we are at this point. We’re just about six weeks into play, and we’ve just got about six weeks in front of us before the post-season rolls around.

I’m certainly no math wiz, but that would translate into something like about halfway finished.

As for the next couple of weeks, we’ll see both our Lady Dawgs and Bulldogs finish up the regular season match ups with our 16th District opponents, move into the All “A” regional tournament play, and hopefully beyond. Again, I’m just talking about the next two weeks here.

A few odds and ends to catch up on for the upcoming portion of the schedule. The Russell County match-ups this Friday night in the Lindle Castle Gymnasium will be of a “flip-flopped” nature in that the boys’ varsity game will be played first with a tip-off of 6:00 p.m., followed by the girls’ varsity game at about 7:30 p.m.

Looking even farther down the road while we’re at it, the CCHS “pink-out” night that serves as a recognition and fundraising event to benefit cancer research has been set for Friday, January 30, during the games against ACSHS. Wear pink to honor cancer survivors and focus awareness to the research efforts.

Basketball sweetheart festivities have been slated for Friday, February 6, during the games against Glasgow.

A note concerning the All ‘A’ regional lineup, you will notice that the championship location is set as a TBA event (to be announced). There is no easy answer, but an attempt to answer where the final round would be played would work like this (information that follows comes straight from our Athletic Director, Mike Beard)

If either Cumberland team is in finals, it is at Cumberland. If both our teams are in finals, it’s at Clinton. If both Todd teams made finals, it’s at Todd. If our girls and Todd boys are in finals and both Monroe teams, it would be at Monroe. If four different schools that are not Cumberland County are in the finals, then we would have to wait and see who wins on Wednesday and Thursday night.

Whew – I’m tired!

A nice, and fitting, tribute

Everyone I have spoke to since last week’s recognition ceremony at the Clinton – Pickett County games have said how much they enjoyed the brief gathering, and how fitting it was.

I’ll have to agree.

A few of us were gathered at center court to pay tribute to a couple of fellows last Tuesday night – namely Kenneth “Chuck” Conner and Keifer Dalton.

Of course it was Keifer who recently broke into the top position for individual scoring in the boys’ basketball division at Clinton County – and his high mark continues to climb with each outing.

Chuck Conner, who had held the scoring record at CCHS for over 50 years, was also at center court to be honored and to present Keifer with the basketball that he scored the record breaking (1,888th) point with during a game in the Gateway Classic Holiday Tournament in Montgomery County.

Both Chuck and Keifer took their turn addressing the crowd and exclaiming how their accomplishments have been logged in as individual records, but in reality neither could have been reached without a team effort.

Head Coach Todd Messer spoke briefly to give a few of Keifer’s accomplishments and accompanying Chuck on the floor were two of his teammate from the early 1960s when the Bulldogs were enjoying some heyday years, Jackie Sewell and Sherman York. To set the record straight, I incorrectly stated the year that Conner graduated – which was 1962.

Conner, Sewell and York are all CCHS Wall of Fame members and Dalton will certainly join them when he becomes eligible – I’m betting on the first ballot.

“I’ve been following Keifer since he was in the seventh grade, and I am so proud of what he has accomplished. I would be honored to be out on the floor with him,” Chuck Conner told me over a telephone conversation earlier that week.

A fun night at the table

Because of a leg injury he is healing from, Chuck Conner wasn’t able to go up and down the steps at the bleachers last week, so CCHS Athletic Director sat him in a chair next to my spot at the official table.

I can’t remember when I’ve had as much fun. Not only did I enjoy hearing some of Chuck’s old stories – some new, some not throughout the night, but it was fun to watch and listen to him as he offered words of encouragement to both the Lady Bulldogs and Bulldogs as they came up to the table to check into the action.

Chuck may be a half-century removed from wearing the blue and white uniform, but his actions and excitement level last Tuesday night only confirms what I’ve said in this very space time and time again.

“Once a Bulldog, always a Bulldog.”