by Alan B. Gibson

Odds and ends as we head toward 2012

Although the 2011-12 basketball season is still more than half in front of us, I have always thought of the New Year as the “half-way” point of each season and time to assess where we stand.

Of course, a few congratulations are in store at this point, for both our teams.

First, to our Bulldogs and their hard-fought victory in what turned out to be the deciding game for the Twin Lakes Holiday Classic Championship.

The Dawgs finished the week with a perfect 4-0 run, including a 62-56 victory over Pulaski County to lay claim to the tourney championship and put yet another piece of nice hardware in the trophy case.

That victory sent the Dawgs into the Christmas holiday break with a very, very nice 10-0 record, and prompted Head Coach Todd Messer to make the following comment to me . . . “Christmas turkey is going to taste good at 10-0.” He was right – it did.

Next up for the Dawgs is this week’s South Central Bank-Halton Classic at Allen County-Scottsville High School where we will face four more opponents in four days. This event began Tuesday with Clinton going up against Grayson County and will continue until Friday with the Bulldogs playing once, Wednesday, once Thursday and once on Friday.

Like our own tourney last week, the championship will be determined on a round-robin system with game results seeing teams earning points that will eventually be tallied to award the championship title.

Now for the Lady Dawgs … Big congrats to the girls on hitting the road and picking up back to back wins at the John Hardin Invitational Tournament in Elizabethtown.

Our Lady Dawgs finished the tournament with a nice 2-1 mark and more importantly, a couple of confidence building victories to take into their own Christmas break.

Next up for our girls is this week’s Greenwood Classic in Bowling Green that saw Clinton County face off against Greenwood on Tuesday for the first of what will be a four-game event that ends on Friday.

Once again – a big congratulations is certainly in order for our Lady Dawgs – things are looking up for the season ahead.

What I’m looking for the most is what lies ahead – the 2012 portion of the season, and a few “regular” season games and the All “A” Classic tournament.

Finally, information comes from “up on the square” and the law office of David Cross who informs us that one of last week’s Courier Journal All-State First Team football players has strong Clinton County ties.

Lucas Williams, who is only a junior at neighboring Russell County High School, was named to the C-J All-State First Team as a punter. Seems that Williams began as an accomplished soccer player at Russell County High School, and when the school dropped the sport, the Lakers’ football coach saw Williams kick a football and asked him to be the team’s punter and place kicker.

According to the CJ bio on Lucas that appeared last week, he punted 27 times for 38.6 yards a kick; six landed inside the 20-yard line. Colleges are already after the young kicker.

Lucas is the son of Clinton County High School graduate Bob Williams, and he is the grandson of Bethel Williams who lives in the Upchurch Community of Clinton County and Joan Conner, who lives in the Desda Community of Clinton County.

Congrats to Lucas on this significant accomplishment.

Finally – to all of our readers, we wish you a Happy New Year !