The first shot

Woodford County

I just completed my first week at the Woodford Sun. It's been a whirlwind and I don't really feel like I have my feet on the ground, but as I reflect on the last week, a few observations come to mind.

I'm impressed with Woodford County High.

I've attended a football, soccer and volleyball game. I've also received notes from several of the winter sport coaches. The athletic department exudes a commitment to excellence and it seems to filter down to every program. I look forward to watching the teams compete.

The football team looked pretty good last Saturday against Bardstown. The offense can certainly put some points on the board. I like the way head coach Chris Taylor spreads out the field. If Carter can continue to churn out rushing yards like he did Saturday, the field will really open up for Duckworth's passing game. The future also looks bright. I was really impressed with Garrahan last week. The sophomore backup signal caller was poised in the pocket and made good decisions with the ball. It will be interesting watching him develop over the next 3 seasons. The defense will likely hold the key to Woodfords' success. From what I understand, they graduated a lot of key player and the inexperience showed at times. They seemed vulnerable to the power running game. Bardstowns' big fullback wrecked havoc on the Jacket's D-line early in the game. It's fortunate that Woodford jumped out to the big early lead and took the Tigers out of their running game. Still, the D played well in spurts against Bardstown, especially in the second quarter.

I have to admit that I'm not an expert on soccer. Having played hockey half my life, I view the game through that lens. That said, I thought Woodford looked solid against Tates Creek. In the second half, they controlled the field. I would like to see them generate more scoring chances though. It seemed they were often stymied once they got in close.

UK

I often find myself amused at sports talk radio in this town. I've heard people talking 10 wins for the Cats.

Puleeeze.

UK looked pretty good in their first two games and I think they have a pretty decent defense, but I have yet to swig the blue cool-aid. I am going to reserve judgement until they actually play a strong opponent, which won't happen until Oct. 4 when Cats face Alabama. Let's face it. Norfolk State was a cream filled pastry and Louisville has unproven receivers and a bunch of ju-co transfers on defense.

We'll see what happens when they get into the SEC schedule. I'm thinking more of a seven or eight win season, unless one of the quarterbacks really steps up, but I'll reserve the right to reevaluate in October.

OSU vs. Southern Cal.

Honestly, I couldn't care less.

Yes, an early season matchup between one and five gives the folks at ESPN something to yammer about all week, but it comes so early in the season that the game won't likely have a big impact on the BCS championship.

Besides, I'm so over OSU. I really wish the NCAA would pass a rule banning them from the championship game until they prove themselves worthy. Two years watching them get blown up by an SEC team is about enough for me.

But if they make it past the Trojans, I'll probably be subjected to the scenario once again.

The Buckeyes have a relatively easy road to the BCS championship because they don't have to worry about a Big Ten championship game, and the Big Ten hasn't exactly lived up to its "BIG" label over the last few years.

Baseball

I have to give props to my Rays.

They finally beat the Boston at Fenway to stay 1 1/2 up on the Sox. They even did it by coming back in the ninth.

It's good to see Kazmir pitching well. He provided a stop in the Yankee series last week and pitched well last night.

I have to admit that I'm only a casual baseball fan, but after watching year after year of Tampa Bay futility, it's fun to see them enjoy some success.