All ‘A’ time and the Dawgs advance

We roundball fans gauge the progress of each season by the point we are in relation to a couple of breaks that occur.

The holiday break comes near the mid-point, in between the beloved holiday tournaments when we get a few days away from the court, and the point we are currently at – the All “A” Classic stretch.

While it’s not really a break in play – as long as you keep winning – it’s a break in the sense that it hits the calendar at about the two-third mark, and it can seriously throw the scheduled games into a whirlwind, depending on how a team succeeds in the tournament.

On Monday night of this week, we went .500 in terms of successes, with our Bulldogs advancing in 4th Region All “A” play, handily defeating Metcalfe County over in the Edmonton Hornet’s Nest, while our Lady Bulldogs fell in opening round play to the Lady Hornets.

Translation – things get busy for the Bulldogs while the Lady Dawgs get some rest and some time to reflect and re-group (hopefully).

The Dawgs will be headed to Elkton Thursday night to take on the Falcons of Monroe County in semi-quarter play of this 4th Region All – A Classic. Monroe County held the bottom bracket bye position.

Of course another trip to the All “A” State in Richmond, Kentucky next week is the goal the Bulldogs have in sight, and to get there, back to back wins will have to be in order, first dispatching the Falcons of Monroe County on Thursday, then the winner of the top bracket semi-finals between Cumberland County and Todd County.

The Panthers defeated Russellville on Monday night to advance to the semi-final round and that matchup against host Todd County, which held the top bracket bye draw.

From there, it gets a little complicated to tell everyone where the championship game will be played. If either Todd County squad – boys or girls, make it to the championship game, both championship games will be at Todd County. If neither Todd County team advances to the championship round, then the final game site goes to any other school with both teams in the final game. If that isn’t a case either, and there are four different schools involved in the championship game, the site goes to the girls’ team in the bottom bracket. In that case, the championship round, both boys and girls, would be either at Metcalfe County or Monroe County, whichever team wins that semi-final game on Wednesday night.

It’s a set system, and you have to have a set system. Problem is – you don’t really know where you are going until about 9:30 Thursday night.

My suggestion is to just drive to the big intersection at Metcalfe County and follow the bus from there.

Bottom line – good luck Dawgs Thursday night – and beyond.

Campbellsville game off the schedule for now – regardless

The upcoming game against Campbellsville, January 21, away, has been removed from the schedule, for now, and maybe for good (this year).

It’s one of those games that is built in and can be removed if either school advances to the All “A” State tournament, but last week the Eagles had to “beg out” of that date in order to make-up a district contest that had been canceled. The schools will look for a date later if neither advances to the All “A” State level.

Thanks to Coach Jamie Miller

We shut football down here once, sold the goalposts and many thought it was likely not ever to return.

A return effort a several years ago was made, and with that, things weren’t going so well for a successful return, through the trial of a couple of head coaches.

Then the district brought in Coach Jamie Miller and now, here we are, a school not only that just closed out a 9-1 record – the best season ever in school history – but one with a gridiron facility and community backing that gives all indications the sport is not only here to stay, but likely one that will be successful in the future.

I’ve long said that the more offerings we can put out in front of the student athletes, the better for all it is. More opportunities to participate in some sort of extra-curricular activity, and more chances to see a student – athlete become successful enough to earn a scholarship to compete at the next level.

Now, after a few weeks of back and forth with school officials, comes word that Miller has decided it’s time to hang up the coach’s whistle at Clinton County High School.

Miller has always been one who has put the welfare of the students and the athletes out in front of his personal benefits, and you can’t ask a coach for anything else as a first goal.

Jamie has been great to work with through the past decade, and I thank him for his candor and willingness to help us here at the Clinton County News, cover and promote the Bulldog gridiron program and boost the student athletes in their high school football careers.

Thanks Jamie – for a great job, and good luck!

Tribute to Coach Haddix

We lost a sports icon last week with the death of Coach Lois Haddix.

Haddix was our first girls’ basketball coach at Clinton County High School when the KHSAA saw fit to bring girls basketball back to the sports offering back in the mid 1970s, when this young writer was still in high school.

We became, and remained good friends during her time on the bench, and in later years.

I will point my readers at this time to a tribute that appears this week as a “Reader’s Write” from my wife Janie Upchurch Gibson, who served as a statistician for the Lady Bulldogs during those premier years, became great friends with Coach Haddix, as well as her daughter, Lady Bulldog standout guard Lora Haddix.

Coach Haddix was a great choice to get this Lady Bulldog program off on the great start that she led it too. She will be sadly missed, but fondly remembered.

I’m in the gym, don’t call me until April!