Dead period ends, expect to see a ‘crank-up’ in high school sports

With the end of the “dead period” last week, teams can begin to gather, hold team meetings and even do some practicing in anticipation of next month’s start of the 2022-23 school year and the 2022-23 fall sports season.

That said, local sports activities in these dog days of summer are pretty limited. Some golf teams are beginning to get fired up, football can practice with helmets only, depending on heat index numbers, and you can expect to begin hearing about some volleyball activity soon.

In regards to volleyball this coming season, the situation with bleacher and flooring at the high school being replaced this late summer and fall will likely alter the location of games and practice sessions, but a definite schedule of the work being done on both hasn’t been released as of this writing.

There is some travel team baseball and softball being played, despite the temperatures out there, and, of course, there is always our two lakes, Lake Cumberland and Dale Hollow Lake, for boating and water sports activities.

Officials of the Year named, 4th Region gets one

Names were released last week from the KHSAA as to the winners of the annual KHSAA Official of the Year for six of the 10 sports that use officials.

Only one official of the six winners and nine additional finalists named were from the 4th Region.

Russell County swimming and diving official Joseph Phillips was named Official of the Year in that category, but with Clinton County not competing in those sports, most here are unfamiliar with Phillips around the pool.

Regardless, congrats anyway, in the name of good sportsmanship.