What a great All “A” 4th Region tourney
If you didn’t get out to last week’s All “A” Classic Fourth Region Basketball Tournament at The Castle last week, well I’m sorry.
You missed some fantastic basketball action from start to finish in both girls’ and boys’ play.
Cumberland County’s Lady Panthers outlasted the Metcalfe Lady Hornets to lay claim to the championship title on the girls’ side, with our own Clinton County Bulldogs coming from behind down the stretch to earn the championship trophy in boys’ play.
After a two-year absence from the All “A” Classic State Tournament, the Bulldogs will make a return to the 16 team final lineup as the 4th Region All “A” Classic representative.
This year’s State Tournament is being hosted in the Corbin Arena in Corbin, Kentucky, January 25-28.
As far as the draw goes, Clinton County got a good placement in this year’s tournament bracket, playing in the bottom set of brackets (anywhere opposite of Lyon County and Travis Perry is a good place to be).
The Dawgs finished last week’s tourney win with a 10-8 record and will face Raceland High School out of the 16th Region in far eastern Kentucky.
The Rams ended last week’s All “A” 16th Region run with a fairly easy trio of games, none of which were really close wins, Rose Hill Christian (64-37),  West Carter (62-44) and Menifee County (75-62).
Clinton County’s opening round game is set to tip at 4:00 p.m. central time next Thursday.  A win would pit the Dawgs against the winner of Williamsburg (Region 13) and Murray (Region 1) in a Friday, 7:00 p.m. central contest.
Clinton County is making it’s seventh appearance in the boys’ division in the All “A” Classic State Tournament, with the last trip being our 2021 run that saw the Dawgs give up a heart-breaking loss to St. Henry in the championship game.
Overall, Clinton County’s boys have a 5-6 record in the tourney with six appearances as the 4th Region Champion.

Appreciating the officials
You can make up your own holidays and special dates if you want, and the KHSAA did just that last week with its Winter Officials Appreciation Week (I recognize a Half Birthday and of course there is Father’s Day Month).
During last week’s All “A” Classic, I announced prior to the semi-final and championship games the special Official’s Recognition notice, along with the names of each referee working the game, and each time, the crowd responded with a nice round of applause.
While we often berate and blame the officials for making questionable, silly and just bad calls during a game, for the most part, these folks are good people who are doing more than most of us to make sure our high school players get to play the games.
Long-time official Larry Hammer told me prior to one of last week’s tournament games that they certainly don’t “do it for the money,” but rather for the camaraderie with the coaches and table officials, and to do their part in making sure the games can be played for the student athlete’s benefit.
Still, I’m quick to remind them when I see a player take an extra step or two without hearing a whistle . . . “there is no hopping in basketball.”

Media brothers – Dennis gets it right on top
Clinton County native and longtime Gibson family friend Dennis Sells became a fellow member of the local media family several years ago.
After moving and settling in neighboring Cumberland County, Sells became a leader in that community and a well recognized radio personality, doing the play by play for Cumberland County High School basketball on WKYR.
I’ve long enjoyed exchanging barbs with Dennis since he became a Panther supporter and he takes it all in fun and usually throws a few back my way as well.
A few weeks ago, Dennis reached a milestone when he finally “got it right” up on top, and like myself over a decade ago, decided to do away with the thinning hair completely and join the shaved head club.
At last week’s All “A” Classic 4th Region Basketball tournament at The Castle, I walked over to Dennis’ radio table and spent a few minutes catching up with my “little friend” and congratulating him on getting it right with the new look.
He said he loves the look and will never go back to having hair on his top knot.
After all God made a few perfect heads, and he put hair on the rest.