Normalcy, and straight into meat and potatoes

We have finally moved past the holiday stretch that played havoc with normalcy in scheduling, and back into regular games – and what a way to jump back into the business of basketball.

Before this first eight day stretch back is over, our Lady Dawgs and Bulldogs will have played in four games that represent three of our biggest rivalries of the season and three match-ups against district opponents.

After Friday night’s hosting games against the Hornets of Metcalfe, only one more 16th District regular season meeting will be in the future for the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs, that being the January 21 hosting of the Lakers and Lady Lakers.

In between this week and that final 16th District game with Russell County, we run through the All “A” Classic regional games.

Whew! That’s what I’m talking about – normalcy.

Great Pickett crowd – on the blue side

I’m not certain, but I certainly think that perhaps the Clinton County crowd was larger Saturday night when we settled into the Pickett County gym for the annual “Border Wars” match-ups with the Bobcats and Lady Bobcats.

With PCHS fans filling that section of end zone bleachers also, it’s perhaps a little misleading as to the size of the Pickett crowd, but in any event, it was a great representation of fans from both of our communities.

Watching the interactions between the fans, in the stands before the games as well as in the lobby before and after as well, it again was clear that the relationships between these two communities runs deep – friend wise as well as blood wise.

While both sets of fans were clearly behind their teams during the action on the floor, the fellowship between the two communities was also enjoyed throughout the night and was important as well.

An important matchup for both communities. Now I’ll step down from my soapbox on that subject.

A different kind of scouting?

Local fans who were in The Castle for the Bulldog’s Twin Lakes Holiday Classic might have recognized a couple of the fans who came to watch a Clinton County Bulldog game that week.

On the floor in their striped officials uniforms, two of the refs working the Pickett County game came across the state line to one of our tournament games to watch us play.

Don’t know that I’ve seen officials scout a team before.

Thanks Nick for a great job

January 1 marked the end of the tenure for Nick Irwin in the position of Athletic Director for Clinton County High School.

Nick will stay on as an assistant coach with the boys’ basketball program, but for a list of reasons he has chosen to step down from the position of Athletic Director.

While Brett and I work closely with the coaching staffs of each sport, and in particular with the head coaches, all things considered, we have more interactions with the Athletic Director than anyone else.

I’ve been around Nick since he was wearing middle school uniforms and often, I treat him more like a son than a professional counterpart – and I apologize to him for that – but I will say I couldn’t be more proud of the way he jumped straight into the job, did the best he could do with what he is given to work with, put in the hours to get everything done, and did it all while keeping in mind what we are all working for when we deal with our local athletic programs – making the smoothest road possible for our student athletes.

Thanks Nick for a job well done – and for a great friendship.

In the meantime-I’m in the gym until March