Sports Talk: The Perfect Season

As a correspondent sports writer for The Casey County News, I write an weekly editorial column for the publication. Published Apr. 9 , 2014.  
Needless to say, Monday night was a let down to many of us. But, even before the game was underway I began thinking about the idea of a "perfect season". What do we consider that to be and would it be all it's cracked up to?

The Cats came into the season with their fans loving them and everyone else hating them just as much or more than usual. All eyes are always going to be on the pre-season number one, but let's face it... Unless you are in the Big Blue Nation, you pretty much despise it. While everyone else hated on Kentucky, we had the highest of high hopes for our Wildcats and between having the best recruiting class of all time and being the preseason number one, there was no reason not to have our sights set high.
 
The "40-0" idea was the idea of perfection. A perfect season. Obviously that was wiped off the table immediately, but looking back... Despite the losses and despite coming up one win shy of the ninth national title, aren't the imperfections what allow the BBN to thrive?
 
We went from the top, to being the NCAA's joke. No, that stretch of going 5-5 prior to the NCAA Tournament (including not just one, nor two, but THREE Florida losses) was far from 'fun'. But it gave the true blue fans a chance to hang with their team and stand behind them despite the fingers that were pointing and laughing.
 
And guess what? We got the final laugh. No, we did not win number nine, but the national tournament showed the college basketball world there is a method to the UK madness and the flaws and imperfections of the regular season were all just part of a bigger picture and part of what a young team has to go through.
 
I couldn't help but sometimes think of our own Rebel basketball squad from this past season when UK had some of their rough games and rough patches. "Freshman mistakes," we often heard--from Stallworth and Calipari. Despite the talent of a player, sometimes, their early experiences at "the next level" involve growing pains. UK had a lot of those this season, just like we saw from our Rebels; but between those freshmen mistakes and growing pains there were those shining moments. In the case of both teams, CCHS and UK, in the post-season we saw kids grow up. There were still moments of frustration and "What were you thinking?!", but then the moments when natural talent came into balance with the motive of playing for your TEAM came together to shine. Those moments outweighed all of the rest.
 
The Wildcats proved they were what they cracked up to be during the NCAA tournament. Sure, we lost in the end, but if we had one perfect season after another, it would be easy to live in this state and stand behind UK season after season. But these are the seasons that test how thick the blue in your veins really runs. The finish to this season should make all TRUE BLUE fans very proud to be a part of the BBN--even more proud than they would have been had the team come home with a championship--because that would make it easy to claim your Wildcat allegiance.
 
Congrats to all teams and fans on a fun March Madness--and thanks Kentucky schools for keeping the fun alive for us fans to the very end for three seasons in a row now!

Sports Talk: Farewell to the BCS!

As a correspondent sports writer for The Casey County News, I write an weekly editorial column for the publication. Published Jan. 8, 2014.  
After 16 years, it has come to an end, and it was the perfect show for closing the curtain on the BCS...and I’m an Auburn fan!

Ok, so probably not as hardcore of a fan as those who were heartbroken in the stands on Monday night, but I’ve chanted, “War Eagle” in my day. My older brother attended the school’s veterinary program which made my family begin following the Tigers more closely about eight years ago.  I’ve thoroughly enjoyed their play this season and particularly their last minute victory over Alabama.
 
However, I admit that going into Monday’s game, there was a part of my completely fine with Auburn falling to Florida State—primarily for one reason really: SEC. I’m not anti-SEC; however, like many, I get tired of the people who are SEC obsessed. I know it’s not a blanket statement, but it’s definitely the common trend for UK fans to love everything SEC and one can’t help but say that stems from the fact UK’s football team is regularly at the bottom of the conference. Loving the SEC allows UK fans to do two things: (a) have something to cheer for—an entire conference and (b) have an excuse for losing.
 
With the SEC having dominated the BCS for the past seven years, I couldn’t help but want to end the BCS with a change-up in which conference the trophy was going to. Besides, with Florida State’s victory they earned a perfect season. Because of Auburn’s one season loss, even with the national title, they would not have had a perfect record. Florida State got it all this season: Heisman, perfect record and a national championship. You’ve got to be excited for them for that.
 
Beyond the winner of Monday night’s game, since I was semi-impartial to who it would be, what I was most happy with was the game itself: it was the perfect championship game. There were changes in the lead, exciting moments for both sides, big game-changing plays, and an outcome that was determined in the final minutes of play.
 
No matter if you loved or hated the BCS, if you love college football, it’s the end of an era and there is always something a little sad about that. I’m glad Auburn and Florida State could give us a climactic ending with the fireworks one hopes to see. (Because, let’s be honest, not every BCS National Championship game has been exciting… As an Ohio State fan, I know this to be oh-so-true, sadly…)
 
Honestly, I’m mainly sad that college football has come to an end again. But there is a lot of change to look forward to in 2014… The Governor’s Cup moving to the end of the season, a new Cardinal coach and the first year of the four-team play-off for the national title. But for now, we will just focus on basketball (and cheer for the Colts and Bengals).

Way to keep it classy, Ladies--both on and off the tennis courts

As a correspondent sports writer for The Casey County News, I write an weekly editorial column for the publication. Published May 8, 2013. 

Living in the basketball-centric state that we do, it is always exciting when Casey County has a successful basketball team. District titles are always a major celebration and even runner-up is an accomplishment. Regional titles are a whole other ball game of excitement.

Sometimes our other sports teams’ and programs’ accomplishments get overlooked due to the fact they are simply not basketball. As someone whose primary sport while attending CCHS was track and field I know this. Regional titles got (get) some recognition and a pat on the back. Other state qualifiers may get noted in an article in the paper. Those who place at state are known by some and those who earn runner-up and state champion titles are celebrated but often time lost in the late school year hub-bub.

But despite the sport, regional titles and state berths are huge and I hope even those who do not closely follow the boys and girls tennis programs (or are not necessarily tennis fans) recognize this with what they’ve accomplished this season. Casey County, year in and year out, has stand-out tennis teams from the boys and girls side of the house. Repetitively do they have winning records and are ranked top in the 12^th Region.

The boys’ team earned the regional runner-up title after only sending a single player to state last year—and that player having graduated.

The girls, made school history with Casey’s very first regional title. What an amazing accomplishment. To top it off, all six girls who competed made it to the semifinal round of the tournament, earning an outright bid to compete in the state tournament.

That team of girls has worked hard for two solid seasons to earn their first regional title. Having not lost a single player after the 2012 season ended, they built off of the regional runner-up title they earned last year after going 11-2 during the season.

I have also been told that the young ladies who make up the tennis team are not only stellar at how they perform on the court with a racket, but they are also superb with how they perform in the classroom with the books. The entire team—not just the regional team—is made up of students with 3.5 or better GPAs. Both seniors, Tylyn Leigh and Allie Tinsley, carry over a 4.0 GPA.

Congrats to the entire team on being phenomenal all around and best of luck to you at sectionals, state, and the road ahead!

Sports Talk: Champions, again... sort of...

As a correspondent sports writer for The Casey County News, I write an weekly editorial column for the publication. Published Apr. 10, 2013. 

Sorry all of your hard core Wildcat fans… one more week of Cardinal love from this sports fan.

On one hand I can understand those that call themselves “true blue” fans who will never cheer for Louisville… because that was me on Monday night, the true Buckeye fan that would never find herself cheering for those dirty Wolverines.

But stinkin’ Michigan being the opponent or not, my reason for staying up late when I had to wake up extra early to work in Louisville in the morning was 100% to do with cheering on the Cards.

Albrecht gave me a scare, but Louisville’s stamina really seemed to win out. When Michigan looked tired, the Cards never seemed to. That and, of course, Hancock’s sweet streak there at the end of the first half. What a cool and unique thing to see a non-starter earn the MVP for the Final Four.  No doubt his performance deserved it.

What is unfortunate for the die hard UK fans, is they miss out this awesome feeling.

In 2011 Bellarmine University won the NCAA Division-II championship. In 2012 the Wildcats took the DI crown and this year it’s the Cardinals… and, if we’re lucky, those Lady Birds will have done it on Tuesday night.

 A year ago I stayed up extra late cheering on the Cats and this year it was the Cards.  I loved seeing the Cats win the title last year, as that is what I grew up with as a child admiring and knowing: UK was the basketball powerhouse.

In high school when I realized that certain people in our state cheered for Louisville and were against the Cats, I kind of found it strange. Why live in Kentucky and cheer for the team that wasn’t as good?

But my seven year tenure in Louisville came on the coattails of Pitino’s hire at the school. Between following the team more closely, seeing them improve, gaining many hardcore Cardinal fan friends, watching many games wearing red, and now continuing to spend time working in that city on a weekly basis, I too have come to understand why it’s so easy to live in this state and love the Cardinals.  

It’s fun to see the kids you’ve been watching for awhile capture this moment. A fan that gets to experience a championship through different teams in back-to-back years must be rare, so I will relish the moment, knowing it may not happen again too soon.

Go Cards!

Memories of a Championship

As a correspondent sports writer for The Casey County News, I write an weekly editorial column for the publication. Published Mar. 6, 2013. The Casey County Lady Rebel basketball team captured the 47th District title the week before.

I found myself slightly surprised when I heard the piece of news that came with the Lady Rebels’ win over Somerset Saturday night that gave them the 47^th District title…. It is only the second time in school history for the team to have achieved back-to-back titles.

“Really?” I thought.

Then I paused for a moment and realized it was my junior and senior years at Casey the Lady Rebels took back-to-back titles.

Well, no wonder my thoughts on Casey’s ability to claim titles is a bit exaggerated… I have experienced some great luck around the team, so in my mind winning is the only option, right?

We won in 2003, my junior year.

We won in 2004, my senior year.

I was M.I.A. from Casey County and Lady Rebel basketball for the next seven years while living in Louisville.

I returned and began writing in 2012 to see us win.

Now we win in 2013.

From my perspective, it’s been FOUR straight district titles for the Lady Rebels.

So my initial thought of not being able to believe that back-to-back titles were so rare was not out of a sense of arrogance for our team (although, we always have rocked…let’s be honest), but just out of the fact I couldn’t believe that the only two times it had happened were in my most recent Lady Reb experiences.

The ’03 and ’04 wins came within the 45^th District, as Casey County did not migrate to the 47^th District until ’06.

The 2003 victory was 58-44 win over Boyle County. It was led by a lone senior, Amanda Wethington, along with a strong class of juniors.

In 2004, when those juniors became seniors, Meagan (Murphy) Davidson, Kelli (Warner) Gould, Beth (Patterson) Littlejohn and Tabitha (Yaden) Wesley led the team in a triumph over Danville, 57-46.

Seeing the joy and true sense of accomplishment and victory in the faces of this year’s Lady Rebel team brought back the flood of memories from my on ’03 and ’04 experiences.

While I chose to give up my uniform after my sophomore year, I did stay on the Lady Rebel squad to travel as a manager, as my heart was still in the center of the special team composed of most of my best friends. I was on the bench when the final buzzer rang and were officially champs. I even found a piece of my 2004 net while reminiscing this weekend.

While I got in my car for a quiet drive home with my husband on Saturday evening, I wondered about the special bus ride home the Lady Rebels were having.

Did they have a caravan of cars behind them and in front of them?

Were they singing, laughing and acting a fool? It’s funny how something so simple like that made the night that much more special… Coach didn’t care how crazy we were. For that night, the team earned it. 

Once in city limits, the bus would take us on a lap around the town for congratulations, hootin’ and a hollerin’ from parents, fans, classmates and friends. Back at Casey’s gym we’d continue to celebrate.

Usually by then we had picked out whose house (whichever parent would have us) we would head to for closing out the night. Usually other friends would join us here as well and it would be a late, late night

I’m not quite up on the current traditions for celebrating a district title, but whatever they may be, I hope those girls had a blast on Saturday night with each other, with their coaches and parents, and with all of their best friends and fans.

I can guarantee you that no matter how long basketball stays in your life or how close in touch you keep with those teammates in the future, the memories of celebrating this accomplishment will stay with you.

Now, I just hope my good luck streak with the Lady Rebels and district titles continues…and I have not just jinxed it instead!