Back-to-back winners rare in 11th

Everybody knows that winning the 11th Region boys’ basketball title is a difficult chore, so it should be no surprise to learn that repeating as 11th Region champ is tougher than in any other region. At least that’s what recent hoops history tells us.

Paul Dunbar was the last boys’ team to go back-to-back in the 11th. The Bulldogs did it in 1993-94. Eleven of the other 15 regions have had repeat winners since 2000, led by Warren Central’s six-peat from 2002-07. The other four regions have had a repeat champ in the last 10 years.

Nobody has won three consecutive 11th Region crowns since the old Dunbar did it in 1963-64-65. Fourteen of the other 15 regions have had a three-peater in the last 20 years. Only the 12th Region has gone longer than the 11th without a three-peat. Monticello did it in the 12th in 1958-59-60.

If defending state champ Scott County is going to win the 11th again (that’s Matt Walls and Jordan Lee shown above celebrating the Cards’ region title last March), it will have to earn it. The Cardinals are rated No. 3 in the state, but they play No. 2 Bryan Station in the district finals on Friday night, and their competition in the region will also include No. 1 Lexington Catholic, No. 10 Dunbar and No. 17 Madison Central. And don’t think tonight’s district finals isn’t important. The Scott County-Bryan Station loser might have to play the first round of the region on Lexington Catholic’s or Madison Central’s home floor.

Here’s a rundown on each region’s most recent back-to-back winners and three-peaters:

• 1st: Graves County (1997-98); Marshall County (1987-88-89)
• 2nd: University Heights (2004-05); Madisonville (1987-88-89)
• 3rd: Muhlenberg North (1998-99-2000)
• 4th: Warren Central (2002-03-04-05-06-07)
• 5th: North Hardin (2001-02-03)
• 6th: Pleasure Ridge Park (2004-05-06)
• 7th: Male (2001-02-03)
• 8th: Oldham County (2000-01-02)
• 9th: Highlands (1997-98-99)
• 10th: Mason County (2002-03-04)
• 11th: Paul Dunbar (1993-94); Dunbar (1963-64-65)
• 12th: Boyle County (1998-99); Monticello (1958-59-60)
• 13th: South Laurel (2006-07); Clay County (1984-85-86-87-88-89-90)
• 14th: Perry Central (2004-05); Knott Central (1991-92-93)
• 15th: Paintsville (1995-96-97-9
• 16th: Ashland (2001-02); Boyd County (1998-99-2000)

Scott County avoids upset; June Buchanan doesn’t

Defending state champ Scott County avoided Henry Clay’s upset bid and beat the Blue Devils 75-62 in the 42nd District semifinals. Henry Clay trailed 58-57 with three minutes left and had the ball, but Scott County forced a turnover and went on a 17-5 run to survive. Ge-Lawn Guyn, a transfer from Henry Clay, led the winners with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Scott County’s Jordan Adams is shown at left, squeezed by Henry Clay’s Daquon Gordon and Brian Nichols (photo by Matt Barton).

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Defending 14th Region boys’ champ June Buchanan was eliminated by Letcher County Central 71-59 in the 53rd District semifinals. Charlie Banks fired in 28 points to lead the way. June Buchanan star Clark Stepp had 14 points in his last high school game. The Crusaders beat Letcher Central twice in close games during the regular season.

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McCreary Central, rated the third best team in the 12th Region, made an early exit on its home floor in the 48th District. Southwestern (5-21) beat McCreary Central 56-55 behind Trevor Jones’ 22 points. The Raiders (24-5) beat Southwestern (by 26 and 5 points) during the regular season.

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Defending 8th Region champ Oldham County was eliminated by North Oldham 60-54 in the 29th District semifinals.

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Boone County, rated the third best team in the 9th Region, was ousted by Conner 61-51 in the 33rd District semifinals. Boone County beat the Cougars twice (by 26 and 6 points) during the regular season.

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Holmes, favored to repeat as 9th Region champ, blasted Beechwood 78-51. Arrez Henderson’s 14 points led a balanced attack as Holmes ran its record to 27-2.

Region faves look strong in district play

Some highlights from the second night of district play . . .

Mason County, No. 4 in the state and No. 1 in the 10th Region, opened district play by beating St. Patrick 94-53. UK signee Darius Miller’s 22 points put him over 2,000 points in his career. St. Pat’s Chris Owens also joined the 2,000-point club.

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Shelvin Mack had 27 points, 7 assists, 7 steals and 6 rebounds in barely two quarters of action as No. 2 Bryan Station rolled past Sayre 103-44. The Defenders led 59-22 at halftime.

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Paul Dunbar, rated 10th in the state, was impressive in beating Tates Creek 73-50. The Bulldogs led by 13 at halftime, and never let Tates Creek closer than 11. All five Dunbar starters scored in double figures. De’Andre Webb (shown at right in photo by David Stephenson) led the way with 16 points.

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Scotty Hopson had 31 of his 35 points in the second half as University Heights Academy slipped past host Hopkinsville 85-81 in a district semifinal. The Blazers’ opponent in the finals will be Christian County, which beat Fort Campbell.

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Paintsville, rated tops in the 15th Region, looked strong in its first tournament test as it smashed Sheldon Clark 103-50. Landon Slone’s 30 points and 10 rebounds paced the winners. J.D. VanHoose hit 8 three-pointers on his way to 24 points, and also had 10 rebounds. Blake Bundy had 12 assists and 10 rebounds.

*****

Warren Central’s reign as 4th Region champs is over. The Dragons lost to Bowling Green 61-57 in the district semifinals. Bowling Green had to rally from an 11-point halftime deficit. Billey Williams led the winners with 19 points.

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The top two teams in the 16th region — Elliott County and Rose Hill — passed their first district tests. Evan Faulkner’s 22 points led Elliott County past Morgan County 68-52. Rose Hill had an easy time beating Boyd County 72-53. Sophomore Dakotah Euton had 14 points and 8 rebounds for the Royals.

*****

Defending girls’ state champ Lexington Christian Academy fell to arch-rival Lexington Catholic in the 43rd District semifinals. Natalie Novosel’s 23 points and 10 rebounds led No. 2-ranked LexCath. Anna Martin’s 21 points led LCA.

*****

This week in Kentucky high school sports history

1960

Lafayette is voted No. 1 in the UPI ratings on the day it loses to No. 3 Dunbar in the opening round of the district tournament . . . Lafayette star Jeff Mullins narrows his college choices to UK, North Carolina State and Duke. “I would rather go to Kentucky, but I would also like to go to a school away from home,” he says. Lexington Herald columnist Billy Thompson advises Mullins to play for the Cats. “You can make a reputation quicker in basketball at the University of Kentucky than at any other school. The Wildcats may be national champions again in a couple of years . .Being a Lexingtonian and Kentuckian, I am sure that you want to see Lexington and (UK) haul in the honors,” Thompson writes . . The day after the district tournament, Dunbar assistant Norman Passmore helps mark the 100th anniversary of the Midway church where he is pastor . . . Former Henry Clay and Transylvania star Al Prewitt, now basketball coach at Henry Central, is in Central Baptist Hospital with what is believe to be hepatitis . . . Wayne County stretches the state’s longest winning streak to 20 in a row with a win over Pine Knot in district play. Darrell Bell’s 33 points pace the winners . . . Almo, Hazel, Kirksey, New Concord and Lynn Grove play their last games. They will be consolidated into Calloway County next school year.

1970

Mason County star Ronnie Lyons, the state’s leading scorer, pours in 48 points as the Royals beat Maysville in the district finals . . . Defending 15th Region champ Maytown, with star Pat Tallent in foul trouble, is upset by Betsy Layne 97-90 in district play. Bill Newsom has 45 points for the winners . . . John Von Lehman has 24 points and 23 rebounds to lead No. 1 Covington Catholic past Holmes for the Colonels’ fourth district title in a row . . . Tates Creek, coached by Louis Stout, beats Lafayette for the district title. Dwaine Parsons has 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Commodores . . . Frank Chenault’s 24 points spark Paris past Harrison County for the district title. Mac Whitaker has 22 points for Harrison County.

1980

Ervin Stepp has 37 points in his last high school game as Phelps loses to Elkhorn City in the district tournament. Stepp finishes the season with 1,502 points in 28 games for a national-record 53.6 scoring average . . .Woodford County’s Daryl Campbell hits two free throws with one second left in a 63-61 overtime win against Frankfort in district play . . . Marion County’s girls run their record to 24-0 with a district championship . . . Bryan Station’s 5-foot-5 Leroy Byrd has 21 points, 5 assists and 5 steals as the Defenders beat Henry Clay for the district title . . . Scott County’s Keith Lewis has a school-record 45 points against Williamstown . . . . Paris, which lost twice to Harrison County by a combined 45 points during the regular season, stuns the Thorobreds 63-61 in overtime as Dana Brack and Elgin Downey score 18 points apiece . . . Pulaski County’s girls, led by Debbie Dixon’s 15 points, knocks off defending state champ Laurel County 48-43 in overtime in the district finals. Both teams boast 27-4 records . . . Leslie Nichols has 29 points as Henry Clay’s girls beat Bryan Station for the district title.

It’s tournament time

Three months of basketball preliminaries are over. Now comes the business of determining state champions. District tournaments tip off across Kentucky on Monday. About 550 boys’ and girls’ teams start the post-season. By the end of this week, that number will be pared to 356 who’ll advance to regional tournaments.

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11th Region teams dominate the top of Dave Cantrall’s ratings as we head into tournament time. Lexington Catholic, Bryan Station and defending state champ Scott County are 1-2-3 in the boys’ ratings. Paul Dunbar and Lexington Catholic 1-2 in the girls’ ratings. Only three regions — the 8th, 12th and 13th — don’t have a boys’ team in the top 25. Only three regions — the 1st, 14th and 15th — don’t have a girls’ team in the top 25.

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Cantrall’s picks for the boys’ Sweet Sixteen: 1st Region–Paducah Tilghman; 2nd–University Heights; 3rd–Owensboro; 4th–Greenwood; 5th–Adair County; 6th–PRP; 7th–tie between Jeffersontown and Male; 8th–Anderson County; 9th–Holmes; 10th–Mason County; 11th–Lexington Catholic; 12th–Lincoln County; 13th–South Laurel; 14th–Hazard; 15th–Shelby Valley; 16th–Elliott County.

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Cantrall’s picks for the girls’ Sweet Sixteen: 1st Region–Calloway County; 2nd–Henderson County; 3rd–Ohio County; 4th–Franklin-Simpson; 5th–Elizabethtown; 6th–Butler; 7th–Manual; 8th–Shelby County; 9th–Notre Dame; 10th–Montgomery County; 11th–Paul Dunbar; 12th–Casey County; 13th–Clay County; 14th–Perry Central; 15th–Johnson Central; 16th–Rowan County.

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District boys’ elimination games that bear watching: Highlands vs. Newport Catholic (Monday); UHA vs. Hopkinsville (Tues.); Owensboro vs. Daviess County (Tues.); Bowling Green vs. Warren Central (Tues.); Manual vs. St. Xavier (Tues.); Henry Clay vs. Scott County (Wed.); Elizabethtown vs. North Hardin (Thur.);

Nation’s top 50 basketball prospects

RISE magazine has released its late-season top 50 national basketball prospects. Scotty Hopson (left) of University Heights, whose commitment to Mississippi State is shaky, is No. 12. UK signees DeAndre Liggins (right) of Findlay Prep (Nev.) is No. 27, and Darius Miller (far right) of Mason County is No. 31.

Player | School | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | College

1. Samardo Samuels | St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark, N.J.) | PF | 6-9 | 270 | Louisville

2. Tyreke Evans | American Christian (Aston, Pa.) | PG | 6-4 | 204 | Undecided

3. Jrue Holiday | Campbell Hall (North Hollywood, Calif.) | SG | 6-4 | 195 | UCLA

4. Brandon Jennings | Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) | PG | 6-2 | 165 | Arizona

5. Greg Monroe | Helen Cox (Harvey, La.) | PF | 6-10 | 233 | Georgetown

6. B.J. Mullens | Canal Winchester (Canal Winchester, Ohio) | C | 7-1 | 255 | Ohio State

7. DeMar DeRozan | Compton (Compton, Calif.) | SG | 6-6 | 207 | USC

8. Al-Farouq Aminu | Norcross (Norcross, Ga.) | PF | 6-8 | 205 | Wake Forest

9. Ed Davis | Benedictine (Richmond, Va.) | PF | 6-8 | 215 | North Carolina

10. John Riek | The Winchendon School (Winchendon, Mass.) | C | 7-2 | 222 | Undecided

11. Delvon Roe | St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) | SF | 6-7 | 220 | Michigan State

12. Scotty Hopson | University Heights | SF | 6-5 | 195 | Mississippi State

13. Malcolm Lee | J.W. North (Riverside, Calif.) | PG | 6-5 | 175 | UCLA

14. William Buford | Libbey (Toldeo, Ohio) | SG | 6-5 | 190 | Ohio State

15. Devin Ebanks | St. Thomas More (Oakdale, Conn.) | SF | 6-8 | 185 | Indiana

16. Elliot Williams | St. George’s (Collierville, Tenn.) | SG | 6-4 | 175 | Duke

17. Luke Babbitt | Galena (Reno, Nev.) | SF | 6-9 | 215 | Nevada

18. Tyler Zeller | Washington (Washington, Ind.) | C | 6-11 | 220 | North Carolina

19. Iman Shumpert | Oak Park-River Forest (Oak Park, Ill.) | PG | 6-2 | 180 | Georgia Tech

20. Kemba Walker | Rice (New York, N.Y.) | PG | 5-10 | 172 | UConn

21. Ty Walker | New Hanover (Wilmington, N.C.) | C | 7-0 | 220 | Wake Forest

22. JaMychal Green | St. Jude (Montgomery, Ala.) | PF | 6-8 | 205 | Alabama

23. Mike Dunigan | Farragut (Chicago, Ill.) | C | 6-9 | 253 | Oregon

24. Willie Warren | North Crowley (Fort Worth, Texas) | SG | 6-3 | 197 | Oklahoma

25. Trey Thompkins | Wesleyan (Norcross, Ga.) | PF | 6-8 | 220 | Georgia

26. Rashanti Harris | New Hope (Columbus, Miss.) | PF | 6-8 | 240 | Undecided

27. DeAndre Liggins | Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) | SF | 6-6 | 180 | Kentucky

28. Drew Gordon | Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) | PF | 6-8 | 235 | UCLA

29. Henry Sims | Mount St. Joseph (Baltimore, Md.) | C | 6-10 | 235 | Georgetown

30. Chris Singleton | Dunwoody (Dunwoody, Ga.) | PF | 6-8 | 205 | Florida State

31. Jerime Anderson | Canyon (Anaheim, Calif.) | PG | 6-1 | 165 | UCLA

32. Darius Miller | Mason County | SF | 6-7 | 200 | Kentucky

33. Anthony Jones | Yates (Houston, Texas) | PF | 6-10 | 200 | Baylor

34. J’Mison Morgan | South Oak Cliff (Dallas, Texas) | C | 6-10 | 260 | LSU

35. Travis Releford | Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.) | SG | 6-4 | 204 | Kansas

36. Mike Rosario | St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) | SG | 6-2 | 178 | Rutgers

37. Sylven Landesberg | Holy Cross (Flushing, N.Y.) | SG | 6-5 | 195 | Virginia

38. Sean Mosley | St. Frances (Baltimore, Md.) | SG | 6-4 | 222 | Maryland

39. Yancy Gates | Withrow (Cincinnati, Ohio) | PF | 6-8 | 230 | Cincinnati

40. Kevin Jones | Mount Vernon (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) | PF | 6-8 | 215 | West Virginia

41. Eloy Vargas | American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) | PF | 6-10 | 205 | Florida

42. Kenny Kadji | IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) | C | 6-10 | 255 | Florida

43. Xavier Gibson | Northview (Dothan, Ala.) | PF | 6-9 | 225 | Florida State

44. Kris Joseph | Archbishop Carroll (Washington, D.C.) | SF | 6-7 | 190 | Syracuse

45. Larry Drew Jr. | Taft (Woodland Hills, Calif.) | PG | 6-0 | 170 | North Carolina

46. Jeff Withey | Horizon (San Diego, Calif.) | C | 7-0 | 215 | Arizona

47. Terrence Jennings | Notre Dame Prep (Fitchburg, Mass.) | C | 6-10 | 230 | Louisville

48. Tony Mitchell | Swainsboro (Swainsboro, Ga.) | SF | 6-6 | 185 | Alabama

49. Tony Woods | Rome (Rome, Ga.) | C | 6-10 | 230 | Wake Forest

50. Scott Suggs | Washington (Washington, Mo.) | SG | 6-6 | 220 | Washington

Pre-season “top 50″ baseball prospects

Six Lexington players made the Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Association pre-season all-state “top 50 prospects” for the 2008 season. Tates Creek pitchers Alex Blodgett and Corey Kingsley; Henry Clay shortstop Jonathan Craycraft and centerfielder Cameron Flynn; Lexington Catholic pitcher Nick Maronde; Dunbar outfielder/pitcher Chad Richie, and Lexington Christian pitcher/outfielder Robbie Ross were among those selected.

Here’s the top 50, in alphabetical order. (Players are seniors unless noted):

• Evan Bennett, Clark County
• Chris Berry, Trinity (jr.)
• Alex Blodgett, Tates Creek
• Sean Bouthilette, Elizabethtown
• Daniel Bracken, Fern Creek
• Jordan Burk, Shelby County
• Clint Cashen, Corbin
• Jarred Clarkson, Shelby County (jr.)
• John Cole, Somerset
• Nick Consigli, Manual
• Zach Cox, PRP
• Jonathan Craycraft, Henry Clay
• Jeremy Dobbs, Daviess County
• Tyler Dunaway, Eastern (jr.)
• Cody Elliott, Beechwood
• Mike Estes, Male
• Cory Farris, Boone County
• Cameron Flynn, Henry Clay
• Drew Freeman, Estill County (jr.)
• Tyler Gilliland, Christian County
• Billy Grant, Marion County
• Chase Green, West Jessamine
• Tim Hayes, Lawrence County
• Tyler Hinerman, Greenup County
• Logan Helms, Boyd County
• Kiley Jones, Eastern
• Corey Kingsley, Tates Creek
• Luke Maile, Covington Catholic (jr.)
• Nick Maronde, Lexington Catholic
• Brandon Martin, Harrison County
• Austin Messersmith, Seneca
• Lucas Mohon, Barren County
• Mike Moseby, Hancock County
• Brandon Napier, Perry Central (jr.)
• Matt Nicholas, Dixie Heights
• Zach Osborne, PRP
• Tanner Perkins, Rockcastle County (jr.)
• Ryne Pinkston, Henderson County
• Josh Reynolds, Calloway County
• Chad Richie, Dunbar
• Logan Robbins, Apollo
• Matt Robertson, Mercer County
• Robbie Ross, Lexington Christian
• Derek Self, Caverna
• Skyler Shown, Apollo
• Adam Sigler, Franklin-Simpson
• Isaac Vaughn, Henderson County
• Daniel Webb, Heath
• Jordan Williams, Christian County (jr.)
• Chad Wright, Heath

This week in Kentucky high school sports history

1957

Arthur “Goose” Cole has 55 points to lead Camargo to a 122-86 rout of Sharpsburg. West Virginia is interested in the 6-6 senior who is averaging 28.5 points . . . University High gets 22 points from Lanny Cox and 17 from Herky Rupp but loses to Powell County to finish the regular season 0-16 . . . MMI has four starters foul out and has to finish its game against Henry Clay with just four players on the court. Two nights later MMI is whistled for a technical foul for having six players on the court for more than two minutes against Cynthiana. Referees don’t realize it until a Cynthiana players tells one of the officials, “We’ve got too many men to guard.” . . . Lafayette finishes the regular season 20-2 after beating Russell County. Billy Ray Lickert has 22 points for the Generals. Ralph Richardson has 34 for Russell County . . . Breathitt County, led by Bobby Deaton and Doug Cundiff, upsets Flat Gap . . . Louisville Central, considered a state title contender, loses to St. Xavier 42-41 in the first round of district play. Fred Spatz hits the winning shot for St. X.

1967

Jim McDaniels has 40 points to lead No. 2 Allen County past No. 1 Owensboro 67-65 in front of 7,000 fans in Owensboro. Reed Brown’s 18-footer is the game-winner for Allen County, which also gets 12 points from Jim Dinwiddie . . . Washington County, in its first year after the consolidation of Fredricktown, Mackville and Springfield, has a 20-0 record in boys’ basketball before falling to Bardstown . . . Hazel Green is favored in the 12th Region. The Bullfrogs are led by Richard Tuttle and Charles Elza . . . Kenny “Keno” Trivette, a 5-10 guard, is averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds for Pikeville. He is the son of legendary Pikeville coach John Bill Trivette, who retired in 1960 . . . Dunbar’s Dave Covington hits a 30-foot shot at the buzzer to beat Breathitt County 72-70 . . . Grant Robinson’s layup in the closing seconds lifts Bryan Station to a 63-62 win over Harrison County in a Mid-State Conference game . . . Greg Austin and Mike Livisay combine for 41 points as Lafayette beats Frankfort Good Shepherd . . . Fire destroys Betsy Layne’s gym shortly after the team finishes practice.

1997

No. 1 Lexington Catholic takes a 27-0 record into the regular-season finale against defending state champ Paintsville. The host Tigers pull the upset, 82-78, as J.R. VanHoose has 38 points, 12 rebounds and 7 blocked shots. Todd Tackett adds 25 points. David Graves and Steve Searcy have 20 apiece for LexCath. VanHoose, a 6-foot-10 junior, is being recruited by Indiana, Florida, Tennessee and Kansas. But he says, “There’s no hurry. You never know what’s going to happen.” . . . Corbin’s Amber Payne scores a school record 48 points against Pineville . . . Jonathan Beasley’s 25 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists power Anderson County over University Heights Academy . . . Lafayette scores 70 points in the first half of a 112-85 win over Breathitt County. The Generals are 8 points shy of the school record . . . Covington Catholic swimmer Nate Dusing sets a national high school record in the 100 butterfly (47.10 in the state meet. Henry Clay, led by junior Stefanie Rulis, wins the state’s combined team title . . . Joe Carr Jr. of Woodford County wins his fourth individual state wrestling title and finishes his career with a record of 242-7. Henry Clay’s David Moore and Dan Carman also win state titles.

Boys’ district draw: Scott County vs. Henry Clay

Defending state basketball champ Scott County will face Henry Clay in the semifinals of the 42rd District boys’ basketball tournament on Feb. 27. Bryan Station and Scott County tied for the district top spot in the regular season, but Bryan Station won a coin flip to determine No. 1 seed in the district tournament.

No. 3-rated Scott County struggled to beat Henry Clay 81-77 in early January, and had to battle to beat the Blue Devils 90-79 a couple weeks ago. Henry Clay played both those games without 6-foot-6 senior star Victor Moses, who was sidelined with a broken foot. Moses (shown at right) is supposed to be back on the court for the district. No. 4-rated Bryan Station, which will host the 42rd District, will face Sayre in the other semifinal.

The big game in the girls’ 43rd District will match defending state champ Lexington Christian Academy against 2005 and 2006 state titlist Lexington Catholic in the semifinals on Feb. 26 at Henry Clay. LexCath swept the regular-season games with LCA, winning 74-68 in December and 57-50 in January.

Boys’ 42nd District at Bryan Station

• Feb. 26: Bryan Station vs. Sayre, 8 p.m.
• Feb. 27: Henry Clay vs. Scott County, 8 p.m.
• Feb. 29: Finals, 8 p.m.

Girls’ 42nd District at Bryan Station

• Feb. 26: Henry Clay vs. Sayre, 6:15 p.m.
• Feb. 27: Bryan Station vs. Scott County, 6:15 p.m.
• Feb. 29: Finals, 6:15 p.m.

Boys’ 43rd District at Henry Clay

• Feb. 25: Lexington Christian vs. Lafayette, 8 p.m.
• Feb. 26: Paul Dunbar vs. Tates Creek, 8 p.m.
• Feb. 27: Lexington Catholic vs. LCA-Lafayette winner, 8 p.m.
• Feb. 29: Finals, 8 p.m.

Girls’ 43rd District at Henry Clay

• Feb. 25: Lafayette vs. Tates Creek, 6:30
• Feb. 26: Lexington Catholic vs. Lexington Christian, 6:30
• Feb. 27: Paul Dunbar vs. Lafayette-TCreek winner, 6:30
• Feb. 29: Finals, 6:30

Lafayette names Sayre football coach

Lafayette didn’t have to look far to find a new football coach. Robbie Sayre, an assistant the last seven years under Mike Harmon, will take over as boss of the Generals.

Harmon is leaving Lafayette to become head coach at Tates Creek, where he was an all-city lineman. Sayre was a teammate of Harmon’s at Tates Creek, and was an all-city defensive back.

But Sayre, 33, has Lafayette in his blood. His dad Gordon played for the Generals in the early 1960s, and his mom Marilyn is also a Lafayette graduate.

“This can be one of the most competitive programs in the state,” Sayre said. “We’ve got good support and great kids, and they have a feeling now that they can win.”

Sayre doesn’t forsee any big changes. “We’ve won 18 of our last 22 games here, so we’re not going to scrap it. Like the old saying goes, ‘If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.’”

Lafayette has also hired new soccer coaches. Chris Grimm, 26, will take over the boys’ program. Grimm (shown at left) has been a Generals’ assistant the last four years. Laura Oppegard, 23, is the girls’ new coach. Oppegard (shown at right) played for Lafayette in 2001 and ‘02, and went on to play at Murray State. She was an assistant at Graves County last season.