Friday, October 31, 2008

Friday's game

The Woodford County Yellow Jackets will face Whitley County tonight at Community Stadium.

The team will also honor its 17 seniors this evening.

This is a big game for the Jackets. An Ashland loss would create a three way tie for the second spot in the district. Non-district wins figure into the tie-breaker and the Jackets want to win out to increase their chances at a higher seed.

Woodford also needs to prove it can stop the run. Whitley runs an offense similar to West Jessamine. The Jackets struggled to stop the Colts early, but knuckled down and played a strong second half. Whitley has the leading rusher in state 5A, so the Yellow Jackets are in for another challenge.

Woodford County is coming off the bye week - and it couldn't have come at a better time. The team seemed mentally out of sorts in their last game against West Jessamine and were also fighting through a number of injuries. The time off should have them healed up and mentally sharp.

The Jackets need to take advantage of their freshness and the emotional energy generated from senior night and jump on Whitley early. Woodford should be able to move the ball on the Colonels and put points on the board. The D just needs to make some good stops and contain the run. If they can do that, I look for a Jacket win.

Woodford 42 Whitley 28

Last week's column

Some moments defy the odds.

Sometimes the little guy rises up to whip the bully.

Sometimes 9=8.

This morning – I believe.

Consider this: Before the season began, the odds of the Tampa Bay Rays winning the World Series stood at 200-1. Only five teams were considered longer shots. The favorite…? The Boston Red Sox.

Last night I sat on the edge of my bed, heart pounding, as the Rays held on to beat the mighty Red Sox 3-1 to advance to the World Series.

I’m not sure you can comprehend the momentousness of that win if you haven’t lived through the dark history that was Tampa Bay baseball.

Trust me, I know first hand.

For 15 years I called the Tampa Bay area home, and for three years I lived in the shadow of Tropicana Field. Most of the time, that was a pretty expansive shadow, filled with lost causes, broken promises, and obnoxious Red Sox and Yankee fans.

But this year was different.

At the beginning of the season, Rays’ manager Joe Madden had t-shirts printed up.

9=8.

Huh?

Clearly, this is a mathematic impossibility.

But is it?

The genesis of the idea was nine players going hard for nine innings equals one of eight playoff spots.

9*9=1/8

But in its simpler form, the equation really represents the possibility of the impossible.

In the beginning, nobody REALLY believed. Oh sure, we all thought that this would be a better year for the Rays. Then again, how hard would it be for a franchise that had NEVER won more than 70 games to get better?

As the year progressed, people started to buy in, but there were always those nagging doubts. There was always this sense that at some point, the Rays would start to be … well … the Rays.

But at each critical juncture, this team – the team with the smallest payroll in Major League Baseball – kept proving our doubts wrong.

Admit it, when Boston came back from seven down in game five, you thought the Rays were finished. The big boy had let the upstart get a little taste of the glory, but now it was time to swat him away. When Boston waltzed into the Trop for game six and beat an intimidated looking Rays club, you gave Tampa Bay a sympathetic nod, and wrote them off.

Fairytales don’t really exist.

The mighty prevail.

9=9

But the Rays forgot to consult the mathematicians and they refused to believe their unlikely story would have anything other than an unlikely ending. And in a final twist of fate, Rocco Baldelli, once the face of the franchise – diagnosed early in the season with a rare muscle disorder and expected to never play again – drove in the winning run.

That’s the thing about these Rays.

They defy the odds.

They give hope to the little guy.

They prove that 9=8.

Quick Shots

I saw it. Just for few flickering moments it flashed before my eyes. A Wildcat offense! Two big passing plays salvaged a pretty miserable offensive game for UK. If the Cats can build on that momentum and maintain some kind of consistent offensive attack to go along with a really strong defense, they could still end up having a pretty good season. Too bad they have to go down to the Swamp to face the Gators next.

Congrats to the Woodford County Lady Jackets’ soccer team on winning the district championship. I really enjoy watching the girls play. They compete with speed, determination and grit. But more than that, I just like them. They have a fun-loving likable personality that just makes me want to root for them. I look forward to watching them progress through the post season.

Quote of the week

"I'm probably going to hit a few pigs when I fly home, and Hell is serving ice water tonight. No one thought we'd be here. And here we are, we just knocked off the beasts of East, the defending champions." - Rays reliever Trever Miller

Puck to the head


This week’s puck to the head flies at all of the UK fans (and I use the term loosely) who left the stadium before the end of the Arkansas game. I hope the action in the parking lot was more interesting than the Wildcats’ amazing come from behind win.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Georgetown bound

The Woodford County Lady Jacket soccer team beat Boyle County 3-0 tonight to win Section Four and advance to the state semi-finals.

After a hard fought scoreless first half, Brandi Levi scored the Jackets first two goals, both beautiful hard angled shots from about 1-foot off the goal line, near the right sideline. Taylor Kelley scored the third Woodford goal.

The Yellow Jackets won on heart, battling through emotional and physical fatigue after their upset victory over third ranked West Jessamine last Monday.

Lindsay Vance played a phenomenal game in net for the Jackets, making several big saves. With Woodford up 1-0, Vance stuffed a penalty kick after a Jacket player was called for a handball (a horrible call…clearly unintentional) in the box.

Woodford County not only had to battle a tough Rebel team and their own exhaustion, but they also had to overcome horrible officiating. The ref lost control of the game early in the second half due to inconsistent and blatantly bad calls. The Jackets did a great job of keeping their heads and fighting through things they could not control.

The Yellow Jackets shut out a Boyle County team that had scored 104 goals this season.

Woodford County will face Highlands next Wednesday at Toyota Stadium. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Woodford lost to Highlands (17-3-4) twice this season. The Yellow Jackets fell 1-0 back in August and then lost a heartbreaker on Sept. 30 3-2 on a last minute penalty kick.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Lady Jackets advance in state tourney

The Woodford County Lady Jacket soccer team advanced to the elite eight in the girls' state soccer tournament, upsetting third ranked West Jessamine 2-1 tonight.

They will face Boyle County (21-1-1) for the opportunity to advance to the state finals on Wednesday night at Community Stadium in Versailles.

Brandi Levi scored the first goal for the Jackets and Stephanie Patterson put in the game winner.

West Jessamine jumped out to the early 1-0 lead on a goal by Arin Gilliland. Levi scored late in the first half and the teams went into the locker room knotted at one.

Woodford dominated the second half, allowing only one Colt shot on goal. Patterson put the game away with a great individual effort with about 10 minutes remaining. She drove into the West Jessamine box, pulled the ball back and drove toward the goal when the Colt defender bit on the move. Patterson drove a perfect shot into the left corner of the net.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Yellow Jacket football notes

The Woodford County Yellow Jackets had the week off. The bye came at a good time for the Jackets. After an emotional loss to Ashland, Woodford didn't play very well against West Jessamine and were just glad to get out of Nicholasville with the W. The break will also allow some players with nagging injuries get back to 100%.

Before Friday's games, Woodford's was tied at fifth in the state in passing offense with Prestonsburg High School. The Jackets have amassed 1,872 yards through the air this season, for a 267 yard average.

Brian Station is going to be a team to watch as playoff time rolls around. The 4-4 Defenders beat Ashland Paul Blazer last night 28-14 in Lexington.

Wildcats travel to the Swamp

For the briefest moment, I saw it last week - A semblance of a Kentucky offense. Was it for real, or some kind of optical illusion generated by the a strange convergence of atmospheric conditions at Commonwealth Stadium? UK fans had better hope it was for real if their beloved Cats have any shot at beating the Gators.

UK faces the Florida Gators today. Before you read any further, for the sake of full disclosure, know that I am a long time Gator fan. That being said, this game scares me a little. Over the years, UK has always played Florida tough and in the topsy-turvy world that is SEC football, anything could happen. The Cats have the players on the defensive side of the ball to slow down the Gators.

Unfortunately for UK, injuries will hurt their effort Saturday.DT Myron Pryor (high ankle sprain) is out, and others — CB David Jones, S Marcus McClinton, and LBs Braxton Kelley, Johnny Williams and Micah Johnson — missed days of practice this week and are uncertain. (courtesy of the St. Petersburg Times)

The big question is whether the offense can generate enough to keep Tim Tebow off the field. If the offense can’t put some drives together and Florida gets a bunch of touches, it will get ugly for the Cats. In order to pull off the upset, Kentucky will need to play flawless defense, win the time of possession game, take the Gator faithful out of the game and hit on a few big plays.

That being said, I don’t think they will pull it off. Florida is just too good and I think they played their clunker game against Mississippi. The Gator offense ranks first in the SEC, averaging 38.5 points per game. I do think the Cats have a shot at covering the 26-point spread, but look for the Gators to emerge with the win.

Florida 34- Kentucky 14

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Last week's column

A reprint of last weeks Woodford Sun SlapShots column.

The first part of this week’s SlapShots column is an open message to Woodford County High School quarterback Steven Duckworth.

Feel free to listen in. I think there’s a little something here for all of us.

Steven-

A few weeks ago you got to experience the thrill of being the hero. You led your team to a big win and tied a state record in the process.

I was most impressed with the way you handled yourself. You showed maturity and true leadership, sharing the credit with your teammates.

Last week you saw the other side of the coin.

Breakdowns.

Mistakes.

A loss snatched from the clutches of victory.

I could see it in your eyes. You blamed yourself. You threw the burden of an entire team on your young shoulders, and I could see you straining under the pressure.

But your coach said it best.

“As we won as a team, we lose as a team.”

It’s a lot easier to share credit than blame, isn’t it?

But the coach was right. The loss wasn’t all your fault, any more than your record setting performance against Franklin County was all your glory. The loss belongs to the Woodford County Yellow Jackets, not Steven Duckworth.

I guess I felt your pain a little more personally than some. You see - I’ve been in your shoes. I’ve stood in my crease with horns blowing and fans cheering as the referee fished a last minute game-winning goal out of the net behind me.

I’ve felt the weight of a loss on my shoulders. I’ve fought back the tears as I watched the opponent celebrate, and I’ve struggled to look my teammates in the eyes in the locker room.

But as you know, this is not the end of the story. Next week you take the field and the real measure of your character will be shown in your response.

I want to share a little something that I hope will help.

When I was about 10-years-old, my mom gave me this marble plaque. It leaves a little to be desired as a decorator item. It’s kind of ugly and it’s all off balance, so it has this annoying tendency to tip over with a loud smack at inopportune times. But I’ve held on to that piece of marble for 31 years, not because of its aesthetic value, but because of the wisdom of the words printed on it.

“Babe Ruth struck out 1,330 times … keep swinging.”

Did you catch that? One of the greatest baseball players of all time struck out 1,330 times. That’s 1,330 failures. 1,330 letdowns. 1,330 miscues.

More often than not, success has more to do with persistence than anything else.

When you fall down, you gotta get back up.

When strike out, you gotta swing again.

When you throw three interceptions, you drop back and throw one more time.

Don’t let those mistakes haunt you.

Just keep swinging.

Quick Shots

One of the things I enjoy about being a reporter is that I don’t have to make big decisions. I just get to sit back and criticize other people’s decisions with my 20-20 hindsight.

Some may question Yellow Jacket coach Chris Tracy’s decision to put the ball in the air on third-and-five holding a three point lead with time running down. But I think Tracy made a pretty good defense of his decision during a radio interview after the game.

“We’re a passing team, that’s what we do. It (the interception) is no different from a power running team putting the ball on the ground.”

I can’t believe it, but I actually overestimated the University of Kentucky. I picked them to win, but their offense is even worse than I thought. The defense played well, but any defense will run out of gas when the offense can’t stay on the field. Four straight three-and-outs doomed the Cats.

Quote of the week

“I’m proud we didn’t let the fans get in our heads. They were saying some nasty things out there.”

-Woodford County lineman J.R. Leach after the Ashland game

Puck to the head

This week’s puck to the head flies at all of the dog owners out there who think their dogs don’t need to be on a leash in public parks, represented by the owner of the border collie and Irish setter running all over Heartland Park in Lexington. I especially enjoyed the part where the collie nearly tripped me as I was running.

Friday, October 17, 2008

A win's a win

A lethargic Woodford County team struggled early, spotting West Jessamine a 21-14 half-time lead, but rallied in the second half to come out with a 37-28 win.

The defense played an abysmal first half. The Colts ran up and down the field on the Jackets and were it not for two recovered fumbles by Woodford, the score could have been worse. But the Jacket D rose to the challenge in the second half. They played with more discipline and intensity, and held the West Jessamine option offense in check.

While the Jackets struggled to stop the Colt running game (an all too familiar theme), they were able to force 6 turnovers. They recovered four fumbles, including one in the end zone after a bad West Jessamine punt snap that resulted in a safety, and two second half interceptions.

The offense did enough to get by. They played well in spurts, but quarterback Steven Duckworth never really got into a rhythm. His highlights included a beautiful sideline pass to Chris Jones on the Jackets’ first drive of the second half and a nifty scramble on a broken play for the first score of the game.

The Yellow Jackets clearly suffered an emotional hangover after last week’s loss to Ashland Paul Blazer. Woodford never showed much emotion apart from the early part of the third quarter when they put the game out of reach. The offense looked particularly flat in the fourth quarter.

Bo-Sox in drivers seat?

I've heard several people say the Red Sox comeback win against the Rays last night puts them in the drivers seat in the ALCS.

I don't think so.

Granted, there is the danger of the Sox getting in Tampa Bay's head...with all the past come from behind series wins, but here are three reasons I think the Rays will pull it out.

1. Home field. The Red Sox have to win two at the Trop. No easy task. That makes it a little different dynamic than going home to finish out a series. The Rays battled all season to win the AL East and earn home field, and this is where it pays off.

2. Ray resilience. The Rays have battled back all year. All year people have expected them to fold under pressure. Most recently, in the final stretch when Boston had virtually moved into a tie for first. The Rays responded and took two from the Bo-Sox, after getting wacked in the first game of the set. This team has proven it can respond to adversity and I think they will again.

3. A bold coaching move. Joe Madden shuffling his pitching rotation to start Kazmir last night proved brilliant on two levels. First, Kazmir threw a gem...6 innings of shutout ball. Secondly, it allowed Sheilds to rest. He will pitch at the Trop in game six instead of Fenway. in Boston, Shields is 0-3 with a 10.12 ERA in his career, but 19-8 with a 3.25 ERA at home.

UK v. Arkansas

I have to admit, I'm flummoxed on this one. UK has shown nothing offensively and there isn't any reason to think they are suddenly going to figure it out this week. Arkansas is coming off a big win versus Auburn, and although they were pretty sorry early in the season, Petrino seems to have the Razorback offense progressing each week. I was surprised at the amount of yardage they ran up against a pretty darn good Auburn offense. The Wildcat defense is good enough to shut down the Razorbacks, but if they spend the whole game on the field like they did last week, fatigue could become a factor. UK has had its share of struggles with Petrinos system, which is similar to what he ran at Louisville. Granted, Arkansas doesn't have the athletes that those Cardinal teams featured. My brain says to give a slight edge to the Hogs simply because they seem to be moving forward and UK is not, but my gut says UK will eek it out at home.

I'm going to call it a toss up...give UK the home field advantage and a three point win 17-14.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

District Champs!

The LadyJacket soccer team won the 25th District championship tonight, beating Anderson County 2-1 in the fourth overtime period.

The win also means the 13th Regional tourney will be played at Woodford.

The first half of the game was a physical defensive contest. Neither team generated more than a couple of scoring chances, and the first 40 minutes ended in a 0-0 tie.

The Jackets struck just 1:15 into the second when Brandi Levi put a low header past the Bearcat keeper off a Stephanie Patterson corner kick.

The goal opened the game up a bit, with the Yellow Jackets pressing the attack in the Anderson zone. Katrina Ott nearly put Woodford up by two when she drove one on net from about 20 yards out and hit the post.

Anderson tied it with 6:42 remaining in regulation off a corner kick that the Jackets couldn't clear.

Levi nearly gave Woodford the win with about 40 seconds left. She spun free of a Bearcat defender and drove into the box, but put her shot just wide.

The exhausted Yellow Jackets finally closed out the win with 1:23 remaining in the final OT period. Patterson got a free kick just outside the Anderson box. She arched the ball perfectly across the goal mouth where Levi shook free and nudged the ball in off her hip.

Levi earned tourney MVP honors with her effort. Patterson, Ott and Kayla Washington made the all district team.

Woodford vs. West Jessamine

The Yellow Jackets (4-3) travel to Nicholasville Friday night for a match-up against the West Jessamine Colts.

Woodford will look to bounce back from a heartbreaking loss to district rival Ashland Blazer.

The Colts have a record of 1-5 and are coming off a 55-6 thrashing at the hands of Boyle County.

This game may be just what the doctor ordered for Woodford quarterback Steven Duckworth. Despite a strong performance against Blazer, (26 of 35 for 325 yards and 4 touchdowns) Duckworth needs a confidence boost after throwing three late game interceptions. Duckworth seems to have a pretty good head on his shoulders, and I don’t think the bad decisions last week will stay in his mellon, but facing a less stout defense this week certainly won’t hurt. The Colts D is no match for the high-flying Yellow Jacket passing attack. West Jessamine gives up an average of 29 points per game and should provide Duck a good opportunity to steady his confidence.

West Jessamine runs an option offense and that could pose problems for the Woodford defense. In all fairness, most offenses have caused problems for the Jacket D. During the Blazer and Johnson Central games, Woodford County got caught up chasing the ball instead of staying in their defensive lanes. That lack of discipline will kill them against the option. The Jackets need to stay in position, maintain their lanes and make solid tackles. The Yellow Jackets should be able to utilize their speed against the Colts, and that gives them something of an advantage.

Woodford has shown the ability to bounce back all season, and I expect the same this week. Coach Chris Tracy said he was a bit concerned that the Jackets may come out a little sluggish after the emotional game last week, but I look for them to get rolling in the second half and take home a win.

Woodford 49 West Jessamine 14

You gotta play each game

The Woodford County High School boys' soccer team learned that one the hard way on Tuesday.

After putting together a tremendous regular season, losing only one game, earning the top seed in the district, and rising to #9 in the state, the Yellow Jackets saw their entire season implode in a span of 80 minutes.

Franklin County beat Woodford 3-1 in the first game of the district, abruptly ending what should have been a long post season run for the Jackets.

The Flyers went up 1-0 in the first half and extended the lead to 3-0 before the Jackets finally on the board in 77th minute.

Evan Sizemore netted the lone Woodford goal.

Not to take anything away from Franklin County, the Yellow Jackets learned the hard way that they can take no team or game for granted.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Woodford boys' soccer team ends regular season with 2 wins

The Yellow Jackets wrapped up the regular season with two more wins, beating Scott County 8-0 last Thursday and taking down Rowan County yesterday 2-nil.

Woodford ends the season with a record of 14-1-2 and a perfect 5-0 district mark. They hold the ninth spot in the most recent (Sept. 30) state rankings.

The Jackets will begin what they hope will be a long post-season run on Tuesday. They will open up district tournament play against the winner of the Franklin County-Frankfort game. The game will take place at Sower Field in Frankfort and is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Tough loss

Woodford County fell to Ashland Paul Blazer 54-44 tonight. It was a back and forth game featuring plenty of offensive fireworks.

The game kind of went how I expected, although a lot more points were put up than I anticipated.

Once again, the Yellow Jackets struggled to stop the run. Surprisingly,the Tomcats, who rarely threw the ball in previous games (averaging just 35 yards in the air), also found a passing game with their freshman QB. I'm not sure what the final stats were, but the Blazer QB was 6 for nine with about 70 yards in the first half and threw two TDs in the second.

Midway through the 4th, it looked like the Jackets would prevail. Holding a 7 point lead, the defense got the big play it was looking for when Austin Grubbs recovered a fumble and Woodford converted the good field position into a field goal to take a 10 point lead.

But Ashland drove down the field on their next possession and cut the lead to 4 (missed extra point).

On the Yellow Jacket's ensuing drive, Woodford quarterback Steven Duckworth ran the ball twice, and then on third and five, threw an interception. His receivers were well covered and he was trying to get the ball to his check-down receiver (the "safe" play), and the Ashland DB read his eyes jumped the route. He took the ball into the end zone, but an Ashland block in the back penalty temporarily spared the Jackets. A Tomcat TD pass moments later gave them the lead.

With Ashland up three, Duckworth had the Jackets driving, but threw another interception, which was run all the way back for another Tomcat score.

Duckworth ended the game with interception number three.

It would be easy to blame the Woodford quarterback, but he really played an exceptional game up to the last few minutes. As the Coach Chris Tracy said, you win as a team and you lose as a team. Duck was pretty upset after the game and put most of the blame on his own shoulders. If nothing else, he is a stand up kid.

Other than the last 3 minutes, Duck had a great game. At one point, he'd completed something like 17 straight passes. He orchestrated an outstanding drive at the end of the first half when he led the Jackets down the field for a TD in 39 seconds.

Ashland was running a delayed blitz late in the game and Woodford wasn't picking it up, forcing Duck to make hurried decisions. The defense made a lot of mistakes as well, chasing the ball instead of staying in their lanes and failing to finish tackles.

Injuries also plagued the Yellow Jackets. Jordan Carter was still dealing with an ankle sprain from last week. Bobby Neal went down with a leg injury in the third quarter and was in and out the rest of the game. Colin Smith also tweaked an ankle.

Next week the Jackets will try to bounce back when the travel to West Jessamine.

Friday, October 10, 2008

UK vs. South Carolina


Well...I am going to have to pick the Cats this week...as much as I hate to.

I get a certain satisfaction in tweaking UK fans. It's really great fun. You should try it sometime.

But the Wildcat defense showed me enough last week to believe they are for real. I don't see South Carolina moving the ball against UK.

Then again, the Big Blue probably won't move the ball a whole lot either. I'm thinking of calling them the Big Blue Blunder. But in their defense, UK did generate offense in spurts against Bama. South Carolina also runs an aggressive defensive system and UK's screen passes may negate that to some degree. If Dickey Lyons can make a few big plays, they should be able to outpace the Cocks. I also expect the defense to put some points on the board.

UK has never beat Spurrier. But this is not the Gators coming into Commonwealth Stadium, so I'm going to go with UK.

Cats 19 Gamecocks 7

Woodford County vs. Ashland Paul Blazer preview

The Woodford County Yellow Jackets will face Ashland Paul Blazer on Saturday at Putnam stadium in Ashland. The game will begin at 6:00 p.m.

Woodford holds the number 11 spot in the 5A football poll. Paul Blazer sits at 13.

I see this as a key game for the Jackets. The winner will sit in the drivers’ seat, controlling its own destiny in terms of snagging the second seed in the district.

The big question is can Woodford stop the run.

The Yellow Jackets have not fared well against teams that run the football, and make no mistake about it, the Tomcats run the ball. I imagine they are chomping at the bit knowing Woodford County gave up over 650 yards on the ground to Johnson Central two weeks ago.

Paul Blazer averages 289 yards per game on the ground. They rarely put the ball in the air, putting up only 35 yards per game. So it’s pretty simple…stop the Tomcat ground attack and win the game. But as we say two weeks ago, knowing what a team is going to do doesn’t always mean it can be stopped.

Running back Rashard Carter holds the key to the Tomcat offense. He averages 130 yards per game. The two game Paul Blazer lost were the only two that Carter was held under 100 yards.

The Jackets are rolling on the offensive side of the ball. Nobody has really stopped them this season and they boast the sixth ranked passing offense in the state. But Ashland’s defense has played well against the pass. They sit at number 15 in the state in passing defense, allowing only 63 yards per game.

That number could be a little misleading though. The Tomcats have not faced a passing offense like Woodford’s.

I see this as a close game that could go either way. Ever the optimist, I’m going to give a slight edge to Woodford. I do think Blazer will move the ball against the Jackets, but they are not as physical as Johnson Central, and I don’t see them running over the Jackets like the Golden Eagles did. I look for the defense to make just enough stops to keep the offense in the game. The Yellow Jackets should continue to roll and I have a feeling the fact that Woodford can score quickly will pay off at the end of the game.

My pick:

Woodford 31 Paul Blazer 28

Duckworth gets some love

Woodford County quarterback Steven Duckworth got a some love from the Herald-Leader today. They ran a little blurb about him tying the state record for number of completions in one game.

I talke to Duckworth last Monday and he said exactly what I expected, giving most of the credit to his teammates.

"This is not a record I can claim for myself," he said. "The O-line had to block and the receivers had to catch. The record will have my name on it, but I look at it as a team effort."

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Last week's column

A reprint of my column printed in the Woodford Sun on Oct. 9.

Metalsmiths use extreme heat to purify metal, and the gunk that comes out isn’t pretty.

But the final product possesses a beauty unimaginable when simply looking at the raw ore.

The heat of athletic competition can also force some ugly gunk out of participants, and like metal refined by fire, sometimes the athlete ends up a better purified version of himself in the end.

I saw this process play out during the Woodford County – Johnson County football game.

Early in the third quarter with the Yellow Jackets trailing 40-20, Woodford senior wide receiver Alex Forkner dropped a short pass from quarterback Steven Duckworth. As the ball fell to the ground, a Golden Eagle defender drilled Forkner, knocking him hard to the turf.

Forkner, taking exception, sprang up and shoved the offending Johnson Central player.

The yellow flag flew, fluttering to the ground as the ball had only moments before.

The referee assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Forkner, pushing the Woodford offense back, and ultimately stalling the drive and killing momentum gained from the Jacket defensive stop minutes before.

“Get him off the field,” coach Chris Tracy yelled.

The next time I saw Forkner, he was sitting alone on a bench behind the Yellow Jacket sideline.

Eyes downcast.

Forlorn.

Yeah, the hit was a tad late. Probably unnecessary. But the whistle had not blown and the hit was within the rules.

Forkner was in the wrong.

And he knew it.

After the game, the Yellow Jackets gathered at midfield and I was standing next to Alex. J.R. Leach offered up a post-game prayer. There were some words of encouragement from the coach. A few words from Duckworth.

Then Forkner spoke up.


No excuses.

No self justification.

No whining.

Just a sincere apology from a young man who knew he’d messed up.

Moments like that fuel my love for sports. In the blink of an eye, I saw a high school student take a step toward adulthood. I saw an athlete purified by the heat of competition. Some ugly stuff came out, but a better version of Alex Forkner walked of that field that night.

Quick Shots

Oregon State’s upset win over number one ranked USC serves as a poignant reminder - you’ve got to play the games.

UK fans are feeling pretty good about their Cats. Kentucky is off to a nice 4-0 start and looked pretty good against Western Kentucky. But I watched part of the Alabama Georgia game, and I have a feeling the Wildcat bubble is about to burst.

I know not too many people in these parts care, but I’m really excited about the fact the hockey season starts this week.

This shouldn’t surprise me, but Terrell Owens is still an idiot. After having the ball thrown or handed to him 20 times (representing a third of their offensive plays) in the Cowboys’ loss to the Redskins, Owens implied the problem with the Dallas offense was that they didn’t get the ball to him enough.

A little message to NASCAR driver Carl Edwards – life is not a video game. Edwards intentionally bounced off the wall after flying past Jimmy Johnson on the final lap of the Camping World RV 400 in Kansas. Edwards hoped the wall would redirect him and prevent him from sliding sideways going into the finish.

"I always wanted to try that," Edwards said. "Now I know it doesn't work quite the same as a video game."

Quote of the Week

“I used to tell my quarterbacks, ‘You’ll only throw seven interceptions this season.’ They’d say, ‘That’s great. Is it the routes you run or the way I read the defense?’ I’d tell them, ‘No, when you get to six, you’re not playing any more.’ That they understood.”
-Lou Holtz


Puck to the Head

This week’s puck to the head flies at Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador for his little tirade upon learning of seven time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong plans to go for win eight next year.

Contador races for the Astana cycling team and won the Tour de France in 2007. Since Armstrong announced his plans to compete in next year’s tour, many speculate he may join Astana because of his ties with team leader Johan Bruyneel.

Apparently Contador believes his past performance entitles him a lifetime top-spot on Astana.

“I think I’ve earned the right to be a leader of the team without having to fight for my place,” he said. (Insert whiney voice for better effect.) “And with Armstrong, some difficult situations could arise in which the team would put him first, and that would hurt me.”

PULEEZE!

I’ve long believed that the push to take competition out of sports – you know, not keeping score and other such silliness – and rewarding every child just for showing up creates entitlement minded, self-indulgent brats.

I’ve often wondered if it would filter up to the pro ranks.

I guess it has.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Duckworth ties state record

Woodford County quarterback Steven Duckworth tied a Kentucky state record with his 40 completions against Franklin Co. last Friday night. He's tied in the record book with Steven Sizemore of Hazard who completed 40 passes against Jenkins in 2000.

This is a pretty awesome accomplishment, but I'm sure Duckworth would be quick to spread the credit to his receivers and offensive line. The thing that impresses me about this kid more than his prowess on the football field is his maturity and sense of team.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

A small sip of blue Kool-Aid


I have to admit, the UK defense is for real. The Cats did give up a lot of rushing yards; Glen Coffee rushed for 218 yards, but they kept Bama out of the end zone and that's what counts in the end. It's a shame UK doesn't have the offense to go with the defense. Rickey Lyons Jr. is fun to watch, but the rest of the receiving corps pretty much sucks. Hartline may well develop into a good quarterback. He showed some nice flashes in the game, but also shows some inexperience at times. He could probably develop really fast if he had more than one target to throw to.

I kept hearing commentators talking about how Alabama didn't play well. I have to think some of that was the UK D. Some of it may have been a little letdown after the Georgia game.

I have to say this, I got a little frustrated with the ESPN guy talking about how Alabama should drop in the polls. He gave Kentucky no respect and acted like Bama should have walked over Kentucky like Oklahoma did to Baylor.

We all know that I am no UK apologist, but I can recognize a good football team when I see one, and I do think UK has a good football team. Not great...but a solid mid-tier SEC team.

MY UK prediction

Sorry UK fans. I just don't see it.

I may well be wrong about this, but I don't buy into the Kentucky hype. Their 4-0 record proves nothing. We will see what UK is all about today.

I don't expect the Cats to score more than 10 points against the Alabama defense. The UK offensive line will struggle against the Tides D line. Besides Dickey Lyons, the Cats receiving corps is awful with dropped passes and bad routes.

On the defensive side of the ball, UK should fare better, but we really haven't seen them tested either. I was pretty impressed with the way Alabama hung points on a pretty good Georgia team.

I don’t think Alabama will suffer a letdown. They’ll be playing in front of a raucous home crowd coming off a big win.

In my mind it all ads up to the UK loss.

If the Cats pull it off…I promise I’ll take a big chug of Big-Blue Kool-Aid.

My call:
Alabama 21-UK 10

Woodford Co. 38 Franklin Co. 14

Yellow Jacket quarter back Steven Duckworth found a groove last night against the Flyers and put up career numbers as Woodford County rolled to a 38-14 win over visiting Franklin County on homecoming.

Duckworth completed 40 of 49 passes for 416 yards and four touchdowns and one interception.

The Jackets got off to a quick start, blocking a Flyer punt after forcing Franklin three and out on their first possession. Duckworth took advantage of the short field, throwing a 12-yard strike to Nick Vanderpool.

But the Flyers took the ball and drove it right up the field to tie the score and it looked like the defense might struggle again.

Franklin briefly took a 14-10 lead midway through the second quarter.

Woodford clung to a 17-14 lead at the half, but pulled away in the second and cruised to on for the win.

Steven Peavler, Bobby Neal and Alex Forkner caught the other three Duckworth TD passes. Duck also ran for one.

In what was probably the play of the game, wide receiver Chris Jones laid an awesome block to spring Peavler on his touchdown catch.

The defense really stepped it up in the second half and shut down the Flyer attack. They got a good push up the middle and spent a good portion of the second half in the Flyer backfield.

Flyer quarterback Sean Thompson injured his leg in the first quarter. He missed one series, but came back, gutted it out and finished the game. The injury clearly hampered his mobility and made the Woodford pass rush that much more effective.

Woodford coach Chris Tracy told me last week that he wanted to shut the Franklin running game down and make them one-dimensional, and that’s exactly what the Yellow Jackets did. Even early in the game when Franklin was moving the ball, Woodford had success in containing the run. After the Jackets scored on their opening possession of the second half, the Flyers virtually abandoned the run, allowing the Woodford D-line to tee off on the Franklin QB.

The Jacket D forced the Flyers to turn the ball over on down in four straight series in the second half.

Woodford running back/linebacker Jordan Carter injured an ankle late in the first half. He said he could come back if needed, but with Woodford holding a lead, Tracy held him out as a precaution. Tracy said he expects Carter to be ready to go next Saturday against Ashland Paul Blazer.

Friday, October 3, 2008

A few more football notes

Woodford County ranks 15th in the state in passing offense with an average of 214 yards per game. Apparently the Johnson Central game was not included in this weeks stats, although the Jackets were a little above their average with 276 yards.

The Jackets are ranked eighth in the state 5A poll as of Sept. 30.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Woodford County Franklin County preview


The Yellow Jackets will try to bounce back after literally getting run over by Johnson Central last weekend when they face 4A Franklin County (3-2) Friday.

Woodford (3-2) will come into the game with plenty of motivation. This weekend marks homecoming and that always seems to get the crowd into the game early. The Jackets also have revenge on their minds. Woodford County was undefeated when they traveled to Franklin County last year, and the Flyers upset them 17-14.

"We owe them one," Yellow Jacket coach Chris Tracy said. "But the most important thing is getting off the snide now."

The Yellow Jackets will face a mirror image in Franklins' offense. The Flyers run an identical system, and that should help the Woodford defense. Several of the Jacket players said they had a difficult time preparing for Johnson Centrals' power running game because they had no way to replicate it in practice.

Franklin comes in with a balanced offensive attack, averaging 146 yards per game rushing and 182 through the air. If you take out the loss against Lafayette, their passing average jumps to over 200 yards per game.

Despite Franklin’s high-powered passing attack, Tracy said Woodford will key on stopping the run and forcing the Flyers into a one-dimensional attack.

Defensively the Flyers do a good job stopping the run, allowing an average of only 86 yards per game. They are a little more vulnerable through the air, allowing an average 126 yards passing.

This game will say a lot about Woodfords' character. Can they bounce back after getting steamrolled by Johnson Central?

I think this team has a pretty strong psyche and they are definitely tight in the locker room. There was no finger pointing or blame-game after the loss last week.

I look for Woodford to play tough tomorrow night. I expect the Jacket defense to really come out hard after getting embarrassed last week and I think they will shut Franklin down. Woodfords' D can create turnovers in bunches, as we saw when they played Bryan Station, and I could see Franklin getting frustrated early and falling victim to the turnover bug. On the offensive side of the ball, nobody has been able to really stop Steven Duckworth and crew and I don't think Franklin will fare any better.

My pick:
Woodford 42 Franklin Co. 17

Lady Jacket soccer

The Lady Jackets won 4-0 last night over Owen County.

It was an odd game. Woodford lost 3-2 to sixth ranked Highlands the night before in N. Kentucky and didn't get home until after midnight. They were also playing their fourth game in eight days. The team was tired and it really showed on the field.

But despite their weariness, the Yellow Jackets still dominated the game. It was strange to see a team totally control a game without any real intensity.

Woodford played a lot of players and most of the starters were on the bench by half time. Callie Reichenbach and Rachel Edenstrom notched their first varsity goals.

The loss in Highlands was a tough one. The Jackets held their own in a hostile stadium after a long bus ride. Highlands got the winning goal with under a minute left.

Coach Dave McIver said that it was one of the best high school soccer games he's seen and he was very proud of his teams' effort.

"I think it gives them a confidence that they can play with anybody in the state."

The Lady Jackets have one more game on Saturday at 1 p.m. against a good South Laurel team (11-3-1 and undefeated in their region).

The district tournament will take place in Anderson County the week of Oct. 13.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

American League East standings

Yankees
Red Sox
Blue Jays
Orioles
Rays

No, that isn't the order of finish in the regular season. The list represents payroll from highest to lowest.

Yankees: $209 million
Red Sox: $133 million
Blue Jays: $98 million
Orioles: $67 million
Rays $44 million

In fact, in all of Major League Baseball, only the Florida Marlins had a lower payroll than the Rays.

You can see the whole list here.

It doesn't happen often, but sometimes the little guy does finish first.