by

Alan B. Gibson

Let the games begin

It happened at 7:37 Monday night. That’s when the Lady Bulldogs and Lady Wildcats stepped to center court of the Lindle Castle Gymnasium to get this 2011-12 basketball season underway.

Although things didn’t turn out as Lady Dawg fans had hoped, with Clinton County taking a 20 point loss at the hands of Franklin-Simpson, you have to remember that Clinton County is a relatively young squad still.

It will get better as the year progresses and when these young girls get some real-time experience behind them and their confidence begins to build.

Practice necessary, and scrimmages are great, but there’s nothing like time on the floor in real-game situations.

The brightest note of the night Monday came during the junior varsity contest between the two teams, with the JV Lady Dawgs earning an easy victory over Franklin-Simpson.

Says a lot for what we have to look forward to – not only in future years, but as I mentioned just above, as these younger girls gain varsity experience and are able to become real contributors when Coach Darrell Thompson calls on them.

On Tuesday night (too late for press deadline this week), it was the boys’ turn to get the 2011-12 campaign off and running and from there, we don’t hardly sit still until sometime in March.

Yep, let the games begin. Should be a fun year.

NCAA may have spoiled the goods for a lot of kids

Word is still out on a final decision as I write this Tuesday morning, but the NCAA threw a wrench in the works over the weekend in regards to a series of pre-season scrimmages set at Rupp Arena for several high school teams, and in doing so, may have likewise ruined some opportunities for Clinton County down the road.

Fans will remember that a few years back, Clinton County made the Rumble in Rupp appearance in this same scrimmage setting, getting to play on the Rupp floor – a thrill that most Clinton County players would never experience.

Because Rupp is the floor used primarily for games by the University of Kentucky, the NCAA said “no-no” to this weekend’s scrimmage series, and organizers were forced at the last minute to move the event to a Lexington high school floor.

Both the Lady Dawgs and Bulldogs have regular season games scheduled to be played in Rupp this season, and event organizers are meeting this week with the NCAA to hope for some sort of waiver, but it doesn’t look good. Although the NCAA doesn’t govern high school games, it can sanction UK for failure to comply with rules, and probably could even go so far as to say that participating players are to be considered ineligible to go on to the NCAA.

Of course, the NCAA thinks such events lead UK to have an unfair recruiting advantage by allowing high school players to enjoy a game on the same floor as the Wildcats play on. Never mind that for most of these players, whose careers will end their senior year at the district or regional tournament level, it will be one of the highlights of their amateur athletic years.

I’ve said often that in my opinion, the NCAA seldom considers what’s actually best for the kids when they make decisions – and now they’ve even flexed their control down to the high school level. Bet if it were a big television venue and the NCAA coffers were being filled, the bylaw would have a side note.

Lenny Lyles legacy – and the local connection

We’ve mentioned the connection in this space before, but it deserves another mention at this time also.

This comes from local resident Walton Haddix, who pointed out last week that former University of Louisville football and track great Lenny Lyles passed away at the age of 75.

Lenny Lyles was known as the “fastest man in football” during his 1954-57 seasons with the Cards and the decade he played with the Baltimore Colts, with Johnny Unitis.

Lyles, who starred at Louisville Central High School in both track and football, never lost a 100 yard dash race during his years on the track team.

Albany resident and businessman Weldon Haddix (Haddix Funeral Home and Haddix Gas and Electric) was also a highly accomplished track competitor at Berea College, holding the KIAC college rack record for the 100 yard dash for 17 years.

The only defeat Haddix ever suffered in the 100 yard dash, came when Lyles crossed the finish line just a half-step in front of Haddix during a meet in the late 1950s.

Walton Haddix, a brother to former track star Weldon Haddix, noted that both runners crossed the finish line in less than 10 seconds – a time that was practically unheard of in the 1950s.