Holiday Basketball Action

Thursday night:
LC LadyPats 48 vs. Corbin 42

Friday night:
LC LadyPats 49 vs. LCA 63

LC Boys 62 vs. Clay Co. 46

Saturday (Dec. 20th)
LadyPats 50 vs Newport Central Catholic 25

Monday (Dec. 22nd)
LadyPats (7-2) 49 vs. Clay Co. 38

LC Boys (5-1) 47 vs. Henry Clay 65

Tuesday (Dec. 23rd)
LadyPats (8-2) 58 Owensboro Catholic 28

LC (5-3) 66 vs. Danville 68

Saturday (Dec. 27th-Florida Tournment)

LadyPats (9-2) vs. 59 A.C. Mosley 46

LC (6-3) 60 vs. Okeechobee Florida 40

Monday (Dec. 29th)

LadyPats (9-3) 33 vs. Stonewall Jackson (VA) 45

*Lincoln played a great first half, but struggled to score in the 2nd half. The game was tied at the half and was close most of the 3rd quarter. LC seemed to of lost their edge when their leader Kendra Brown picked up her 4th foul midway through the 3rd quarter. It is evident that she is the key to their success. She is a rare high school talent, and they have to keep her on the court to compete with upper echelon schools like Stonewall. Lincoln trailed 30-29 entering the 4th quarter.

*Jessica Upchurch 9pts, Patterson 7pts, Brown 7pts, Smith 5pts, Henderson 3pts, Harris 2pts

LC Boys 56 (6-4) vs. Gateway (Fl.) 63 2-OT

Tuesday (Dec. 30th)

LadyPats 40 (10-3) vs. North Broward 30

Pats 44 (6-5) vs. Cocoa Beach 48

*Please post any scores or updates... Thanks

The Jessamine County Sweep is Complete

Honestly, I am a little tired of the double headers. I like it when both teams have their night to be the main event.

Anyway, same as the last two. Boys played the first game and the girls played the second game. The opponent, East Jessamine.

The boys got off to a rough start, trailing a big part of the first half. Ethan Spurlin put the Pats up with less than a minute to go, when he converted on layup where he was fouled. Spurlin went to the line and made the free throw to put the Pats up by 2. LC then got a big stop and and another bucket by Spurlin to put them up by 8pts with 8 seconds to go.

East Jessamine inbounded the ball and quickly scored, and drew a foul on the shot, cutting the lead to 2 pts with three seconds to go. East missed the free throw and Ethan Spurlin grabbed rebound and got fouled. Spurlin missed the front end of a 1 and 1, but luckily there wasn't enough time left for East to get off a game winning shot.

The boys tried to give the game away. They missed the front end of two 1 and 1 situations, committed a foul on a shot (up by four pts) with less than ten minutes to go in the game. The good news is they escaped with the win against an undefeated regional foe, 55-53. This team has to get better in two key areas, rebounding and turnovers.

scoring rundown:

Ethan Spurlin-19
Skyler Gilbert-9
Colby Long-10
Dillon Allison-10
Trevor Edgington-5
Tre Owsley-2

LC- 4-1
East- 3-1

The LadyPats continued their winning ways, defeating East Jessamine in the second game of the double header, by a score of 42 to 32. Lincoln County has limited their last two opponents to a combined score of 57 pts. That's some great defense.

This is the third straight double header sweep for the school. The boys and girls are off to an amazing start.

Get The Brooms Out Again

Lincoln County easily completed is second straight boys/girls double header sweep Tuesday night in Stanford. Both squads totally dominated Wayne County.

The boys played game one and won 58-37. Ethan Spurlin led the way with 26 pts. He has been a quite a roll, going for 35, 25, 26 in his last three games. Skyler Gilbert also had a nice game, pitching in 10 pts.

The girls took care of of the Lady Cardinals in the night cap, 38-25. Both teams are 3-1 now, and will play another double dip on Friday night against East Jessimane.

LC Holds Off West Jessimane

The Lincoln County boys picked up their second win of the weekend, defeating West Jessimane 66-49 in Stanford on Saturday night.

The Pats were led in scoring by senior Ethan Spurlin. Spurlin followed up his 35pt effort in Rockcastle with a 25 point game against West. Senior guard Trevor Edgington was also in double figures with 11.

It was a four point game heading into the fourth quarter. LC dialed up the defense and knocked down four big three pointers. Two by Edginton and junior guard Colby Long added two more. The win puts LC at 2-1 after the first week of the season. LC's next game will be Tuesday night against another regional foe, the Wayne County Cardinals.

Encouraging Football News

Before coming to Lincoln County last year, Coach Settles was the architect of a very successful Bullit East football program. A program he pretty much built from the ground up.

Well...... Bullit East is playing in the 4A state championship game in Louisville next week. Ironically enough, they would've been playing Boyle County if they hadn't got beat in the state semi's (the same round LC lost in last year) last night by Bell County. They will be playing an undefeated Bell Co. squad for the state championship.

So, it is more than obvious that Coach Settles knows how to build a program. We are very fortunate to have him in Lincoln County.

Pats Sweep the Rockets

The boys and girls ventured to Mt. Vernon Friday night for a title 9 double-header. The boys played the first game and the girls played the second game. The outcom...a sweep.

The boys won 70-56. The Pats got a huge effort from senior Ethan Spurlin, who led the team with 35 pts. The win pushes the Pats to a 1-1 record.

The girls won a battle, playing a second straight tough match up to start the season. Traveling to Rockcastle County to battle the defending 12th region champions just a couple of days after playing the second ranked team in the state is a good way to see where you stand early on. It is obvious that the Pats are for REAL.

The Lady Pats knocked off the defending champs, in overtime 50-43. Big, big win to start the season. The Lady Pats are now 2-1.

Lady Pats Nearly upset #2 Lexington Catholic

Wow, if this is any indication, Patriot basketball fans are in for a spectacular season. The Lady Pats battled the second ranked team in the state Tuesday night in Stanford, and nearly pulled off the shocker losing 52-50.

I'm not big on moral victories, but I would call this one. Great game for the Lady Pats.

In other basketball news, the Boys lost 58-50 to the Russell County Lakers, in Russell Springs.

Upcoming Games

Lincoln County Lady Pats: @ PC Monday night, Lex. Catholic Tuesday night, @ Rockcastle Co. Friday night

Lincoln County Patriots: @ Russell Co. Tuesday night, @ Rockcastle Friday night, West. Jessimane Saturday night.

Good luck to both teams...

Two Pats Make All-Area Team

Two Lincoln County seniors made the Advocate Messenger All-Area team. Senior lineman Chase Marcum and Senior QB/HB/LB Trey Edwards made the team on defense as a linebacker.

Three more Pats made honorable mention. Those three were Skyler Gilbert, Ben Harris and Rob Conatser. Congratulations to all of these fine young men, and good luck in all you do.

Click below to view the entire team:

http://www.amnews.com/public_html/?module=displaystory&story_id=46021&format=html

Basketball Season is Near

I expect both teams to be very good. The middle school is already off to an amazing start, the middle school girls were awesome.

The girls will be one of the favorites in a very difficult 12th region. The two-time defending champs will be a contender too.

Everyone post their predictions and thoughts on the upcoming season. We will preview the region and upcoming season(s) more as the season approaches.

A Long Trip to End A Long Year

The 1-8 Lincoln County Patriots will make the longgggggg trip to Hopkinsville this Friday night to play the Hopkinsville Tigers.

Hopkinsville, led by Head Coach Dixie Jones, enters the contest with a 5-4 (1-2 District) record. The Tigers ventured to Lincoln County last year, the season finale for both teams, and lost. This is the only the second time the two schools have met.

This is a long trip, but get out and support the seniors one last time. Gas prices have went down, the weather has been unusually warm and you will get to see a new place. I doubt many have been to Hop-town. They have a very nice stadium and a lot of football tradition. It's a long drive but an easy one.

The only common opponent is Mercer County. Hopkinsville beat Mercer, in a very close contest, and Lincoln lost badly to Mercer County.

Good luck seniors.

Pats Fall 53-20

Lincoln went on the road for the third straight week, and lost to the Scott County Cardinals 53-20. The Pats trailed 20 to 0 after the 1st quarter, and never recovered.

The LC rushing attack was in full force, Trey Edwards and Skyler Gilbert both ran for over 100 yards. Gilbert ran for one touchdown, and caught two through the air. Trey Edwards started the game at halfback, and moved over to quarterback in the second quarter. He ignited the offense, throwing a td pass in the second quarter and adding one more in the second half.

On to Hopkinsville...

LC visits Scott County....Again

The 1-7 Lincoln County Patriots will travel to Georgetown this Friday night to play the Scott County Cardinals. This marks the second straight year that the Pats will travel to Scott County. You know, the good old we come to your place two straight years scheduling, where the road team is awarded (I hope at least) some of the gate.

Anyway, the scheduling this year was really bad. Finishing the season with four straight road games is craziness. That's one thing I would like to see changed before next season. I assume the old regime was having a hard time filling out the schedule and just agreed to take an away/away series to do so, against a quality opponent.

This is going to be another very tough match up. Scott County is quite possibly the best team the Pats have played all year. They ranked in the top five in 6A in almost every poll you look at. They enter the contest with a 6-2 record (3-0, district). The only common opponent between the two is Tates Creek. The Pats lost to Tates Creek in the second week of the season and the Cardinals just recently beat Tates Creek 34-20.

I hope to see a better crowd up in G-town this week, I was ashamed of the turnout last week in Somerset. Lincoln County Patriot fans are too faithful to quit on the season, get out and show the seniors how appreciative you are of their careers at Lincoln. Go to the game this Friday.

The kickoff is set for 7:30 pm. One side note, last year the Scott County band did a halftime Halloween show. It pretty much rocked, so if you go stay in your seats at the half and see if they do it again. You won't be disappointed.

Pats Get Blown Out

Lincoln lost 54-27 to Pulaski County. Not much good to take away from this game, after the first quarter. The Pats led 13-12 after the first and did score again until the fourth quarter. They trail 54-13 going into the fourth quarter.

The team played with little effort on the defensive side of the ball, and the offense never could get going because of fumbles and penalties. The lost puts the Pats at 1-7, with road games against Scott Co. and Hopkinsville still to come.

Better luck next week, people please get out and support this team. The crowd tonight was awful. I know it was bad weather and all....... but that was one of the worse crowds I have ever seen for an LC road game.

Trey Edwards Receives Statwide Recognition

Lincoln County's Trey Edwards has been named the 5a high school football Primetime Performer of the Week. Edwards picked up 193 yards and 3 td's in leading Lincoln County to their first victory of the season last Friday night against Garrard County (40-20).

Primetime Prep Performers are chosen weekly on tomleachky.com. Good work Trey, hopefully we will see more of the same this week.

We Can't Even Get Our Own Article

It has been a rough year for Lincoln, but man, this is a new low. Evident ally the Advocate Messenger doesn't think enough of the Patriots to give them their own game preview anymore.

Instead, they are grouping the Pats in with Casey County now. Talking about how they can both be spoilers. Come on, times are bad.... but Casey County. The same Casey County team that was blown out by Garrard. You know the rest of the story.

http://www.amnews.com/public_html/?module=displaystory&story_id=44984&format=html

Oh well, if the A.M. thinks Lincoln Football is on the same level as Casey County it just shows how much they know about football. Lincoln would beat Casey by five or six touchdowns, not that it matters or will happen.

The Big Road Machine Heads to Somerset

Lincoln County will be going on the road for the second straight week this Friday night when they visit the Pulaski County Maroons in Somerset at 7 pm. The road game is the second in a stretch of four to end the season. The Pats finish the season with Pulaski County, at Scott County and the finale against Hopkinsville in Christian County. Man, that is some serious travelling, good thing those gas prices have dropped back under $3.00 a gallon.

Pulaski County enters the contest 4-3, 3-1 in district play. The Maroons have been somewhat of a disappointment. They were considered an early season dark horse to make some noise in class 5a, but have been unable to get there defense on track. They are giving up 35 points per game and are scoring 34.

They have a very explosive offense. They, like seemingly every other team in KY, run the spread offense. They have a dual threat QB that can beat you with the arm and the legs. Hopefully the Pats will figure out a way to bottle him up like they did twice last year. PC is coming off a bad loss to Wayne County and probably have the memories of two (the only two games they lost all season) games where they were manhandled by the Pats last year. I fully expect PC to bring their best game.

On the other hand, it appear that the Pats (1-6, 0-3) have discovered their identity with Trey Edwards moving to HB. They loaded up the ole' wishbone and rammed it right down Garrard's throat last weekend. They had numerous strong runs right up the middle with Tanner Edgington, Skyler Gilbert and Edwards. Sprinkle in a little Julian Calhoun and you have quite the formidable rushing attack. The Maroons are suspect against the run, so LC may be able to do some damage on the ground. Especially if the muddy field happens, which is looking more and more likely.

The key to victory is line play on both sides of the ball. The O-line has to block like it did last week, by far the best they have looked all season. They whipped Garrard County up front. The defensive line has to do the same, DOMINATE the line of scrimmage and find a way to get pressure in the passing game. It will be important to get pressure with the lineman, because they will need all the help in secondary they can get.

Go Pats.

Pats Blast Golden Lions

No matter how bad things are, it feels good to know that Lincoln County is STILL better than Garrard County. The Pats got their first victory of the season for first season Head Coach Mike Settles, 40-20 in Lancaster on Friday night.

Lincoln got on the board first, and keep the lead all night. The Pats, lead by two Drew Jackson to Skyler Gilbert passing scores, took a 20-6 lead into the locker room at half-time. LC dominated the line of scrimmage all night. LC held Garrard to 15 yards rushing and ran for 284 yards.

The big gainer for LC was senior QB/HB (do-it-all) Trey Edwards. Edwards gained 193 yards rushing and picked up 3 TD's. Lincoln also got good rushing performances from Skyler Gilbert and Tanner Edgington. Edgington played great on both sides of the ball. He ran hard and hit hard for the Pats. Gilbert, as usual, lead the team in tackles. Seniors Wes Camel, Rob Conatser and Ben Harris also had impressive games on defense.

It was great to see the team get a win. The kids and coaches deserved it. They have worked hard and fought hard all year. That being said, this was by FAR the hardest the team has played all year. They brought the fight to Garrard County from the opening kickoff (when LC won the toss and elected to receive). LC controlled the line of scrimmage on offense and defense. It was easily the best game that the O-line has played all year.

A great win... LC came in as the underdog, and beat Garrard County BADLY. The game wasn't close.

I heard Larry Vaught, on the PBK Scoreboard Show on WPBK-FM, after the game talking about some area scores. When he was told that LC beat GC 40-20, he said he was schocked, he said he expected the score to be the complete opposite.

Just remember Patriot fans, no matter how bad things are, it could always be worse-Garrard County. Hopefully, this will be the first of many wins for Coach Settles at Lincoln County.

Pats Get Hammered: 58-20

Another BAD loss for the Pats. It was bad from the opening kickoff. South Laurel returned the opening kickoff 90 yds to go up 7-0, and rolled on to a 58-20 victory in Death Valley spoiled the 2008 version of senior night.

Senior Drew Jackson and Austin Hinds split time at QB. They combined to go 6/21 on the night. The Pats opening night starter at QB (who has been injured) returned to the line-up tonight in a familiar position. Tre Edwards lead the Pats in rushing, finishing with 83 yards and two touchdowns.

Overall the team did an awful job of locating the ball, and tackling the ball carrier in the first half. South Laurel basically scored at will.

Hopefully the boys will get the elusive first "W" of the season next week in Lancaster.

Senior Night

Friday night is senior night at Death Valley. It sure would be nice for these seniors, who have had great careers, to get their first win of the season in their last regular season game at Death Valley.

The Pats will be playing the South Laurel Cardinals, in a very important district game. South Laurel enters the game with an 2-3 record (0-2) in district play. This game is important for making the playoffs. I know, it seems a bit unrealistic to be talking playoffs when you are 0-5, but the truth of the matter is that the winner of this game will probably secure the last seed in the district, and make he playoffs.

South Laurel is a high scoring team, averaging over 44 pts per game. However, they give up a lot of points too, allowing opponents to score over 40 pts per game on them. They like to air it out, which should play into LC's favor. Having already faced some other pass happy offenses this season in Anderson County (scrimmage), Washington County and Southwestern Pulaski. The Pats should be able hang a few points on SL.

The keys to the game, in my opinion, are limiting turnovers and running the football. The Pats have some decent running backs, the problem is that they have got behind early in games and have had to get away from the running game in order to try to catch up. If they Pats can come out and get the running game on track, not turn the ball over, they have a chance to pull this one out. Here's hoping they do just that...

Early Turnover Costly

Lincoln County couldn't get their first victory of the year on homecoming, falling to the Rockcastle Rockets 35-13. The Rockets came into Death Valley with revenge on their mind, losing to the Pats 12-2 last year.

Lincoln County stopped Rockcastle on downs, on their first drive of the game. LC took over, and started putting together a nice drive until a costly fumble not only cost them the possession, but it cost them 6 points. The Rockets scooped up the loose ball and returned it for the games first score. They never looked back, peeling off 35 straight to lead 35-0 at half time. (Field Position killed the Pats, they keep giving RC the ball in good position to score.)

The second half was a different story, basically controlled by the Pats. They played with great effort, even trailing by 35 points the team didn't quit. Julian picked off a pass and returned it for the first score of the game for LC. Calhoun added another score late in the 4th quarter on a 76 yard td run. Calhoun had an excellent game on offense and defense.

The Pats really played a solid second half, and have something to hang their hats on shutting out the Rockets in the second half after giving up 35 in the 1st. A big reason for the defensive effort was the outstanding performance of senior linebacker Skyler Gilbert, who finished with 20 tackles and a forced fumble. (I think he just got another tackle.)

The Pats are now 0-5 with only one home game left. Next week is senior night. The Pats will host South Laurel, at team that likes to throw the ball and a team that scores a ton of points. The Pats still have games at Garrard Co., Scott Co., Hopkinsville and Pulaski County.

Get out and support this young team.

Rockcastle visits Death Valley

The Rockcastle Rockets will visit Death Valley this Friday night at 7:30. Both teams will be trying to shake a losing streak, the Rockets enter the contest 3-2 (losers of two straight) and the Pats are 0-4, searching for their first win of the season.

Rockcastle got off to a good start this season for first year coach Scott Parkey, but have struggle lately. LC has struggled for their first year coach too, unable to get a win in the young season. This a border county rivalry, and usually is a good game. Hopefully the Pats will continue to get healthy, and build off their first half performance from last week and put together a solid full game performance.

The key is health. The Pats are a competitive squad when they are full strength. The bad part is they haven't been full strength for a while.

Past LC Stars at Commonwealth

Forgot to mention last week, two of LC's finest played at Commonwealth Stadium last night for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. Of course, I am speaking of Trent Calhoun and Braxston Miller.

They are both red-shirt freshman for WKU, and are already contributing. Calhoun made a big play in the second quarter last night for the Hilltoppers, downing the ball on the UK 1 yard-line. He also had a tackle on another punt, getting a pretty good hit on Dicky Lyons.

Miller was the only WKU player to make the effort to chase Derrick Locke on the 100 yard kick return. He came from the complete other side of the field and didn't give up. Both have a very bright future.

Miller had some interesting quotes about the Cats (comparing them to Alabama, WKU has played both teams) in the Advocate Messenger.

per the Advocate Messenger:

Despite the numbers between the two teams that indicate a possible close encounter next week, former Lincoln County standout Braxton Miller said Kentucky “wasn’t even close” to Alabama.
“To me personally, I didn’t think Kentucky was that good,” Miller said.

Pats Fall to Warriors

The Patriots got off to an impressive start, Friday night in Somerset, against Southwestern Pulaski. The Pats controlled the clock and the scoreboard for much of the first half, leading 6-0 with less than two minutes to go in the second quarter. That's when they fell apart.

The Pats allowed the Warriors to score a late touchdown and take the lead 7-6 leading into the locker room. (Easily the best half the team has played all year.) The Pats looked like a different team coming out the locker room. They went three and out. The bad part was the "out". The punt was a low snap, the punter bobbled it when he finally picked it up, he was met head-on by a SW defender and fumbled the ball. Southwestern took over on the six yard line and punched it in to go up 14-6 and never looked back.

LC wasn't able to get much going after that. They had a couple nice drives, but none that led to points. The big news was injuries. Chase Marcum left the game due to injury, and senior QB Tre Edwards seemed to take a big hit late in the game. The game really changed when Marcum left it. One bright spot was the return of Rob Conaster, he had an excellent game on defense moving back to his old spot at defensive end.

LC ran the offense out of the shot gun formation most of the night. It was effective at times, but there were way too many dropped passes. One thing that confused me was the lack of carries for Calhoun and Alcorn.

LC comes back home to play the 3-2 Rockcastle Rockets next week.

Lincoln Co. @ Southwestern

This game was supposed to be played last week, but a change in the schedule moved it to this Friday in Somerset at a special time of 7 PM. Most games start at 7:30, so take note of that.

Coach Settles and the Patriots will make the short trip south this Friday night to play the Southwestern Warriors at the "Reservation". This is always a tough team, especially on their home turf. They have very active fan base. So Patriot fans, load up the wagons and head down to Somerset Friday night.

The Warriors enter the contest at 2-2 (1-1 district). They are coming off a 35-21 loss to Mercer County last week. Mercer County is the only common opponent between the two. This is SW's third district game. They defeated South Laurel in a shoot out earlier this season to claim their first district win of the season. They defeated Somerset, in a blow out, to earn their other victory. Their other loss was to Danville.

They are averaging 30.5 points per game and giving up 33 per game. They run a wide open offense and have a very talented QB. Lincoln County is averaging 14 points per game and allowing opponents to score 39 per game.

LC's defense is going to have to really step their game up to slow down the Warrior offense. Hopefully they will do so, and this will be the week the Pats get their first win.

Interesting Concept

I was listening to the Lincoln County Coach's Recap on WPBK last night. Very cool show, live from Applebees in Danville. Coach Settles made the point that he is building a "program" . I have heard many say this lately, and to be honest I never gave it a lot of thought. But it makes sense.

The past couple of years, the team was very good. But there was really no "program". No JV games, no freshman games, etc. The question is why? Why did the old coach, who had a very successful varsity team, not implement a strong program from the ground up? The middle school and little league program were never directly linked to the high school. It appears that is a top priority for Coach Settles and his staff, and I am a big believer in it. I think creating the culture of a prideful, winning program starts at an early age and I think Coach Settles (given time) will make it happen.

Now, the only thing is how come no one was bringing this up the past couple of years? Hum... probably because the team was WINNING. Why were they winning? One word, TALENT. The past couple of seasons, the team has had some great talent. Two D-1 players and some great senior leadership. To sustain that kind of success, you have to develop from the ground (little league) up (high school varsity team).

OUCH!!!

Lincoln County-0

Mercer County-47

The Pats had -41 rushing yards. That's all you need to know. LC is idle next week, then they travel to Southwestern Pulaski the following week. Hopefully better luck there. The off week will give the team some valuable practice and healing time.

District Battle

This week marks the opening of district play for the Lincoln County Patriots (0-2). The Pats need a big victory to get the season on track, and this Friday, when the Pats host the Mercer County Titans (1-1), will be a perfect chance to do so.

Mercer enters the contest 1-1. They are coming off a big win against another district foe, Pulaski County, last weekend. The Titans totally dominated that game, blowing out PC 38-7. According to most, these were supposed to be the two favorites to win the district, since they both returned so many players. The final score is misleading, PC was playing without their QB (who is their best player).

Mercer County is a hard team to get a grip on. They entered the season with high expectations, returning numerous seniors from last season squad. They opened up in the Bob Allen Pig Skin Classic in Danville against Madison Central, where they got thumped 25-0 by Madison Central. They followed that up with beat down on PC. So, which is the real team? One thing we do know is they will play Jagger's ball. Run, run, run and run some more. And play hard nose defense. The old cliche, three yards and a cloud of dust applies here.

This is an important game, a win for Mercer puts them at 2-0 in the district and off to a great start for the top seed in the playoffs. A win the Pats puts them at the top, and gets them going in a positive direction. Mercer will be gunning for the Pats who beat them twice last year, including a beat-down in the playoffs.

Nothing would be better than the boys getting this first "W" for Coach Settles this Friday night in Death Valley against the Mercerburg Pioneers... I mean Scotties .... I mean Titans.

LC Falls to Tates Creek

The Pats fell to Tates Creek 34-13 Saturday night in the Governor's Bowl. The loss puts the Pats in a 0-2 hole to start the year, with district rival Mercer County (1-1) coming to Death Valley next Friday night.

The injuries just keep adding up for LC, a couple of key players were injured Saturday. Quarterback Tre Edwards left the game with an ankle injury and fellow senior Rob Contaster almost missed a lot of the second half with a dislocated elbow.

LC was led in rushing, for the second time this season, by freshman Jerril Alcorn who finished with 60 yards (on limited rushes).

Governor's Bowl 2008

The Lincoln County Patriots will play in their second bowl game, of the young season, this weekend when they venture to Versailles to play in the 2008 Governor's Bowl at Woodford County High School. The Pats will play the Tates Creek Commadores at 5:30 Pm, the first game of a double-header that will feature Bardstown and Woodford County in the second game.

This will be LC's second consecutive appearance in the bowl. Last year the Pats narrowly escaped with a victory over Bardstown, a win that helped propel the team on a great run and a fantastic season. Hopefully, this game will have the same outcome and effect on the season.

Both squads, LC and Tates Creek, enter the contest at 0-1. Tates Creek lost their home opener, against Campbell County, 31-14. Tates Creek is a 6a program coached by Mike Harmon. TC finished last year with a record of 2-9, losing in the first round of the 6a playoffs to Henry Clay.

This should be more of the same for the Pats. They faced a spread offense in their scrimmage, and in their first game against Washington County. They defended it very well in the first half against Washington County last Friday night. However, after halftime, it was a different story. The Pats allowed Washington to rack up yards up the gut. Tates Creek shouldn't show them anything they haven't seen, the experience of the past two weeks should be very beneficial this weekend.

Everyone make the trip up and watch the boys try to make it 2-0 in the Governor's Bowl.

Everyone Go to Applebees Tonight

If you were looking for the Coach Mike Settles show on 102.9 WPBK FM Saturday morning, you never found it. It wasn't because Tim Estes overslept after the long night on Friday. It was moved to Tuesday, September 2. It is going to be a live remote at Applebees in Danville.

Applebees, WPBK FM and the Lincoln County football boosters have arranged a deal that allows the show to be aired live at Applebees in Danville, with a portion of the money made being donated to the Lincoln County football.

Load up the family, and head over to Applebees for dinner and a coaches show. Hopefully it is a big success tonight, and it will become a weekly thing.

Game One

Friday night is the start of a new regime in Lincoln County football history, when the Lincoln County Patriots play host to the Washington County Commanders in the PBK Death Valley Bowl. The school is coming off its most successful season in recent history, finishing 11-3 and a state-semifinal loss to Highlands (the eventual 5a state champion).

But this is a new season, and with the new season comes a new head coach. Lincoln's coach from last year decided to move on to Boyle County. His departure opened he door for the new Head Coach of the Lincoln County Patriots, Mike Settles.

Settles left a very successful program, Bullit East-in which he basically built from the ground up, to take the Lincoln County job. He retained some key coaches from last years squad and added a couple of young, talented newcomers (Craig Yeast and Bobby Leffew). It appears that he has assembled a VERY impressive staff.

The team returns many players from last years squad, but will have to replace senior leaders Levi Rogers, Ryan Young, Devon Denson, Noah Keeton and so on... It appears they have the right type of kids to do so lead by senior QB Tre Edwards. Edwards has served as the backup QB the past few years. He has also played halfback, safety, punter, punt returner and receiver. He is a very versatile player, and will be a key to this years offense.

However, in my opinion, will not be the most important factor in the offense. To me, the key is the big boys up front, and most importantly the health of the lineman. The question is not the ability. When healthy, the line play should be the biggest strength of the team. But, there are big question marks leading up to first game concerning the health status of the o-line. Hopefully, they will be ready to go.

Washington County is coming off a 4-7 campaign. They lost 43-14 in the first round of the playoffs last year to Bardstown (a team LC defeated in week two). Washington, a 2a team, is coached by Mark Perry. They run a wide-open offense spreading the ball around the field, mainly from the shotgun formation. LC has fared well against offenses like this in the past, keeping the offensive in front of them will be key.

All that being said, my prediction is:

LC 26
Washington 18

Lincoln Loses a True Patriot

Sad news for Lincoln County and central Kentucky sports fans. One of the biggest high school fans and statistician's in the area passed away this weekend. Lincoln County stat man, and former Garrard County, Tom Hurt passed unexpectedly passed away this past Saturday in his home doing what he likes to do best, working with statistics.

Hurt passed away working on statistics proudly sporting a Lincoln County shirt. Hurt has been keeping statistics for over 40 years and was well-known throughout the area. If there was a big sporting event, he was there.

I thought WPBK FM had a very nice piece on Hurt yesterday, during their news broadcast. They played an interview of Tom before the sweet sixteen appearance two years ago. Tom said that Lincoln making the sweet sixteen was a dream come true to him and that he hoped to be able to keep stats in the same chair that Bill Keightly sit in. It was awesome to hear someone genuinely appreciate something so much.

He spent the majority of his time in Garrard County, but came over to Lincoln the last couple of seasons. He also did some broadcasting for WRSL FM and was elected to the 12th region Hall of Fame in 2004.

Thanks Tom, you will be missed...

Advocate MESSenger Football Preview

The Advocate Messenger football preview came out today. I give them credit, they do a good job previewing the local schools. But, in this case, I see one huge blunder.

How was Chase Marcum left off the top ten players in the area list? I know he is injured, but in my opinion, he is/was one of the better lineman in area the last couple of years. Two Pats did make the list, seniors Tre Edwards and Tre Owsley. http://www.amnews.com/public_html/?module=displaystory&story_id=43313&format=html I gotta give them props for that, but...

Besides that, it looks as if they feel the Pats will be around a .500 squad. Three people picked them to be 6-4, the other three picked them to be 5-5. Danville was picked as the preseason best team in the area, or at least the team with the most wins.

LC vs Anderson County Scrimmage

The Pats ventured to L-burg tonight to scrimmage the mighty Anderson County Bearcats. It was a good test for the team, a week before the "real" thing gets started in the Death Valley Bowl against Washington County. Anderson, a very formidable 5a opponet, had a solid season last year, going a perfect 10-0 in the regular season, and return many players off that team.

The teams opened up in the ten play format. Basically each squad got to run ten plays, then the ball was turned over to other team and they were given ten plays. Each team ran thirty plays in this format. Twenty by the varsity, and ten by the JV. It was very vanilla and hard to get a feel for. But, it served its purpose. Gave the boys some experience, and let them hit somebody beside wearing a different color jersey. Anderson scored one touchdown during this session of the scrimmage. LC did not score. Both defenses played very well, Anderson set their only score up on a long pass play, where the defender for LC was not lined up correctly (at least it appeared that way).

Next, the teams played a legit quarter. 12 minutes were put on the clock, and the 1's played the 1's for both squads. LC opened up on offense, after the Anderson kicker booted the ball deep into the end zone, on their twenty yard-line. Tre Edwards had a couple nice plays, via run and pass, to move the ball near midfield. Then, junior Julian Calhoun broke about a fifty yard run. By far, the most exciting play of the nigh. Reminded a lot of another running back, who currently is a CB for WKU. Anderson returned the ensuing kickoff all the to the Pats one yard line, and punched it in from there. That was about it. The second quarter opened up with the JV units on the field.

Basically, both starting units scored. Once again, LC's defense appears to be their strength. Very solid outing, really only gave up the long pass play and the kick return. The offense was hard to judge. They obviously didn't show a lot tonight, not wanting to tip their hand a week before the season starts. The glaring weakness, on offense, was the line play. Which, with all due respect, is playing without three potential starters. They HAVE to get Chase Marcum, Ben Harris and Tre Owsley on the field. At leas one or two of the three would help. The offensive line got outplayed pretty badly.

I was very impressed with Edwards and Calhoun. Some of the young kids looked very promising too.

Rumor Has It... (new baseball coach)

Rumor has it, after a long coaching search, Lincoln County has decided to hire Kalen Gibson as the new baseball coach. Gibson appears to be inexperienced, as a head coach, but has an impressive resume as a player.

Gibson is from the bluegrass state. He is a graduate of Webster County High School. He went on to pitch for the University of Kentucky after high school. He pitched for UK for three seasons, then transferred to Murray State University. Gibson went 12-9 in his career at UK, and 4-8 at Murray State. (complete collegiate statistics) http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/G/Kalen-Gibson.shtml

Gibson was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 36th round of the 2002 draft. But, obviously elected to attend UK.

Hopefully, Gibson's playing experience will pay off and he will get the baseball program on track.

News and Notes

*First and foremost, congrats to the block "L" helmet. Patriot Sports Talk has decided that this is the best uniform and would appreciate seeing it on the field this year. Those who are in power, make it happen (or don't, it's really up to you). I must admit, I voted for the old school patriot dude, but I can live with block "L". The patriot dude in the three-point stance is classy, and very cool.

*Lincoln County should be close to naming a new baseball coach. Rumors have circulated that the process of hiring a new coach is underway. Personally, I would like to see them hire a coach who plans on being around the program for a while. The program could be successful, like football and basketball, if it gets the support it needs. They need someone who really understands the summer travel team circuit. This is where a lot of developing and experience comes from. I would like to see Lincoln do something similar to what Paul Morse has done with the Morse Academy. Maybe they can find a coach who is familiar with that sort of thing?

*The football team is scheduled to scrimmage Anderson County next Friday, the 22, at Anderson County High School. This is a good chance to get a look at the team before the opening game on the 29th. This should be a challenging tuneup for the Pats, Anderson County returns many starters from a very successful 2007 squad.

Marcum Getting Some Statewide Respect

Lincoln County senior lineman Chase Marcum is regarded as one of the best lineman in the area. Evidently, he is regarded as on of the best lineman in the state. Check out these rankings out, Marcum's name appears if you scroll down toward the bottom and find the lineman rated as three's. It is laid out by state.

http://jimstefani.wordpress.com/2008/07/07/class-of-2009-top-offensive-linemen/

Glad to see Chase getting some respect.

Pats Open the Season in the Top 10

Bluegrasspreps.com, one of the more reliable Kentucky high school sports sites, has released its preseason football rankings. The Lincoln County Patriots open the season in the top 10, checking in at 10th.

There were three teams from LC's district ranked in the preseason rankings. Mercer at eight, and Pulaski County at seventh. What does this mean? It means Lincoln County figures, in the eyes of experts from around the state, to be in contention to repeat as district champions, but will be in very difficult company. Pulaski County and Mercer County both return numerous starters, it's going to be an exciting season.

Highlands, defending 5a state champion and the team who eliminated Lincoln County last year, is the preaseason number one team in 5a. Well derserved in my opinion. Here is the rest of the 5a rankings: http://www.bluegrasspreps.com/php/5a.php

Ex-Lincoln County Head Coach Larry French's Boyle County Rebels are ranked third in 4a, Danville opens at two in 2a. One team that caught my eye, mainly because I can't wait for football to start, was Bell County. They will open their season in the PBK Bank Death Valley Bowl against Garrard County. They open the season holding down the two spot in 4a.

Preseason rankings don't mean a lot, it's what your ranked at the end of the season that matters. However, these early rankings do give a little perspective to where the expectations could/should be for the upcoming season. And, satisfies the appettite of football lovers like me for one more day leading up to opening kickoff.

Yeast joins LC staff

The rumors have been circulating, and they now appear to be true. Ex-UK star (and Harrodsburg High School) Craig Yeast has joined the Lincoln County coaching staff.

This is big news. He joins ex-UofL (and Boyle County) star Bobby Leffew as newcomers to first year coach Mike Settles.

http://www.amnews.com/public_html/?module=displaystory&story_id=42714&format=html

I love seeing some "local legends" change uniforms and become Patriots. It appears Coach Settles has put together a great staff, mixing some of the guys from the old staff with some new people.

I am excited about the season.

Let's Get it Started

The blog has been on summer vacation. HOWEVER, football season is right around the corner and Patriot Sports Talk is preparing to get their blog on.
The founding fathers are in the think-tank, as we speak, getting ready for opening kick-off in Death Valley. Washington County... be prepared to go 1-1 (this has been corrected thanks to a fellow blogger) in the PBK Death Vally Bowl.

There is a lot to be excited about. The Coach Settles era has arrived, and is rolling full steam ahead. The staff he has surrounded himself with seems to be a good mix of the old regime and some young "A-List" celebrities. (Leffew and Yeast??)

Anywho, there will be much more to come in the following weeks. If you got any ideas or comments about the upcoming season (or about the blog) let us know.

Keeton to sport a year round tan in Florida

All of the ladies that read this site will be happy to know that Noah Keeton will be sporting a year round tan from now on. Noah accepted a scholarship to play basketball for Rollie Massimino at Northwood University in West Palm Beach, Florida. Keeton had a standout career for the Patriots and will look to further it in college. He is a great guy and deserves this as much as anybody. We wish Noah the best and hope that he has a great future there. This is a great opportunity for Noah and everyone should be proud that Lincoln County is producing athletes of this caliber. Look for Keeton on ESPN in the near future.....

Young to Lindsey Wilson??

I have heard that Ryan Young has decided to continue his basketball career next year. Rumor has it that the senior guard from Lincoln County is going to play for the Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders. It is great to see him get a chance to continue his basketball career. He was the floor general for the Patriots for the better part of the past four years.

Young is a hard worker and exceptional athlete. I am sure he will excell at LW.

Baseball Season

This has been a very successful sports year. Hopefully the success can be carried over to baseball now. Most feel the team is poised to have a very good year.

Baseball games occur more frequently, and I don't get a chance to see much of them. Anyone who does, please update. Post the scores or highlights of the game on here.

Good Luck Bat Pats

Predictions?

If you get on the KHSAA web site they have the rosters of each of the teams in the tournament. These also include the stats for all of the players on each team. I looked at Shelby County and South Laurel and Hazard. It looks, from the stats, like we will match up with any of these teams. I thought we proved during the region that we can play any style that other teams want to throw at us.
I really enjoyed the predictions that we did during the football season, and I thought we should try that with the state tourney for the boys. So lets have it. Do your research, and then tell everyone what you think will happen in the first game, second game, the entire tournament.

For me, give me Lincoln 65 to Shelby 56 in the first round. Think it will be Lincoln and Hazard in the second round and I like Lincoln 62 over Hazard 58. Dont like Lincoln's chances on Saturday morning, probably see Mason County or Paducah Tilman. But wouldn't it be great to be in Rupp on Saturday morning.
Also, you can change your predictions after the first game, if you dont like what you see.

Sweet Sixteen Rd. 1 Preview

Thursday, March 20
Session three
approx. 1:30pm tip off

Lincoln County:

27-5
22-2 since December (losses to Dunbar and McCreary Central)
average 71 pts per game
give up 56 pts per game
Played a good early season schedule
Defending 12th region champs
common opponents: Boyle County (W 3x's), Madison Central (W),

Shelby County:

23-8
Six game winning streak
average 63 pts per game
give up 53 pts per game
common opponents: Boyle County (W), Madison Central (L)

Back 2 Back 2 Rupp Tee Shirts available at Patriot Sports on Friday 3/14 @ noon

Tee Shirts with the 2008 design ( getting to be an every year thing ) will go on sale at Patriot Sports beginning at noon on Friday. Shirts will be $12.00. Just like last year there will also be a special commemorative 12th Region Champion shirt being sold at the High School, not sure what they will be charging for their shirt.

12th Region Updates

The Lincoln County boys and girls have both advanced to the second round of the regional tournament. Both were very impressive in their opening round games.

The Lady Pats defeated Wayne County Monday night, in Stanford, 50-40. The game was very close throughout. The Lady Pats finally pulled away in the fourth quarter, outscoring Wayne 15-4. The next opponent is the Casey County Lady Rebels. These two met a couple weeks ago in Liberty, and played a very close, competitive contest. The two will meet in the 12 region semi-finals Friday night in Stanford at 6 pm.

The boys were also victorious in their first round game. They defeated the Southwestern Pulaski Warriors last night at Pulaski High School in the first round of the boys 12th region tournament.

Lincoln had troubled acclimating to the slow style Southwestern was trying play. It was a 6 pt game at half time, and the lead gradually grew from there the rest of the game. Southwestern never got it any closer, and the Pats finally won by a final margin of 54-36.

Junior Ethan Spurlin led the Pats in scoring and rebounding. He, unofficially, scored 24 pts and pulled down 14 rebounds. He was unstoppable in the post, and really benefited by some nice drive and dishes from the Patriot back court.

They will move on to play the host school, Pulaski County, next Monday night at 6 pm. Everyone put on their red and get out to the games this next week. There is a good chance both of these teams could be playing in the Sweet Sixteen.

Also don't forget to listen to Patriot Sports talk, immediately after the game(s) Friday and Saturday night on 102.9 Fm and on the web at WPBKFM.com. Game recaps, fan interaction, Patriot Sports 12th region trivia contest and coach interviews. Don't miss it.

Senior Trio Adds to Growing List, District Champs

The amazing trio of Daniel Ralston, Noah Keeton and Ryan Young added one more accolade to their growing list of achievements at Lincoln County High School last night. They finally won the 45th district championship, surprisingly it was the first district championship for the Pats since 2004.

The Patriots dominated nearly the entire game, with Keeton and Young leading the way. Young scored a game high 30 pts, Keeton added 21. The Pats played most of the night with junior Ethan Spurlin in foul trouble. Tre Owsley and Skyler Gilbert filled in nicely and gave the Pats the inside balance they needed to pull out the win by a final count of 72-54.

The team now heads into region play. The region tournament starts next Wednesday night at Pulaski County High School. The draw for the tournament pairings will be held tomorrow afternoon.

Lincoln Girls Victorious in 45th District Title Bout

The Lincoln County Lady Pats won the 45th District Championship tonight, in Stanford, 72-57. The Lady Pats maintained a double figure lead most of the night, leading by as many as 21 at one point in time.

The win improves the Lady Pats' record to 23-6, and puts the team in the top half of the 12th region tournament bracket, assuring them a first round game against a loser from another district. The draw for the 12th region tournament is Saturday. WPBK FM (102.9) will air live coverage of the pairings. The 12th region girls tournament will be at the Lincoln County gym.

Three LadyPats were selected to the 45th District All-Tournament team. They were sophomore Jessica Upchurch, sophomore Nikki Bustle, and senior Savannah Lane.

Don Story has led the Lady Pats to the 12 region tournament all three years as head coach. The last time the region was held in Stanford, three years ago, was Story's first year. The team was eliminated by Rockcastle County that year.

The LadyPats will be one of the favorites to win the championship, on their home court, and advance to Diddle Arena for a Sweet Sixteen appearance. Everyone get out and support the girls next week. The tournament will start next Monday, March 3.

We'll post game times as soon as they are available.

Patriot Sports Talk Call-In Show

Patriotsportstalk.com will be hosting a postgame call-in show after every round of the girls 12th region tournament. The show will be called Patriot Sports Talk and will be hosted by Brad Smith and Vance Mitchell.
The first show will be on Monday night at the conclusion of the 12th region tournament action. The show will be on 102.9 WPBK FM. The show is geared toward interaction from the audience, so please call in and be part of the fun.
Here is the link to the WPBK home page, there is an article about the new show on there. http://www.wpbkfm.com/

WPBK is the official home of Lincoln County Patriot sports action, tune in and catch all the Patriot action live as they follow the Patriot squads on their quest to the state tournament.

District Tournament

The basketball season starts over this week. The district tournament starts tonight, at Lincoln County High School, with boys basketball action. The Danville Admirals will play Kentucky School for the Deaf in the "play-in" game for the oppurtunity to move on in the 45th district tournament. The winner of this game will play the number one seed, the Lincoln County Patriots. Here is how the boys tournment lays out.

Monday: Danville vs. KSD
Wednesday: Lincoln Co. vs. winner of play-in game
Garrard Co. vs. Boyle Co.
Friday @ 7:30: Boys district championship.

The girls tournament action will get underway Tuesday night. The LadyPats too have the top seed. They will be hosting Garrard County Tuesday night in the opening round. Here is the girls schedule.

Tuesday: Lincoln Co. vs. Garrard Co.
Danville vs. Boyle Co.
Thursday: Girls championship

If you notice, the girls and boys both have their own night to cut down the nets this year.

Everyone needs to get out to the games this week and support the teams. They are having two of the finest seasons in the history of the school. The boys enter the district tournament with a 22-5 record. And are one of the favorites to win the region. http://www.kentucky.com/289/story/327273.html (look at #15)

Even the Advocate Messenger cannot deny the Pats, http://www.amnews.com/public_html/?module=displaystory&story_id=38638&format=html picking them as their favorite too.

The girls enter the district tournament with a record of 21-6, and have a great shot a sweet 16 run. They have the advantage of playing the rest of the season (district and region) on their home court. Hopefully we will be seeing them play a lot more games at home this season.

Welcome Coach Settles!!!!!!!!!

Patriot Sports talk would like to welcome Coach Mike Settles to PATRIOT Country. I have heard nothing but great things about Coach Settles and I am excited about the future of LINCOLN football. Mike Settles was selected as coach of the year in 2005. He is a great defensive mind and believes in hard work in the weight room. I also heard that he is recruiting some top level assistants to bring to the program as well, and it's not Stonebreaker or anyone mentioned earlier. Let's all get behind him and support him in any way we can. Thanks to all parties that made the hiring of Mike Settles possible.

Basketball Update

It's tournament time, and Lincoln County is on a roll. The Boys and Girls basketball teams are having great seasons. Both squads have 21 wins. I can't remember a time when the school had more success than now. Both teams sporting 1 seeds and home court advantage in the upcoming district tournament.

The coaching duo of Jeff Jackson and Don Story are doing great things with the Lincoln County basketball program. The success doesn't end there, the middle school had the most successful teams in the history of the league too. All three grades (6,7,8) went undefeated in conference play and made deep tournament runs. The 7th grade made it to the final four and the 8th advanced to the sweet sixteen. Coach Eric Ralston and his staff are doing a great job.

The Lady Pats improved their record to 21-5 last night, with a win over region foe McCreary Central. A chance for regular season win number 22 will come Friday night, when they travel down to Liberty for battle with Casey County. This is a preview of two of the better teams in the region, and a good tune up for the upcoming tournaments. The Lady Pats have the district and region tournaments on their home floor, so a sweet sixteen trip is not outside the realm of possibilities for this young Patriot squad.

The boys ran their record to 21-4 on Saturday night with nice road win against Somerset. The Pats will play their final regular season home game tonight against the Dunbar Bull Dogs.

Dunbar brings an impressive 17-6 record into Patriot Palace. They are 8-5 within their region, which is regarded as the toughest region in the state. They are currently ranked 12th in the Rating the State power rankings. Oddly enough, LC has fell out of the rankings despite winning three games this week. This will be a good game for LC heading into tournament time. Dunbar has the type of talent they will test LC and get them ready for a deep tourny run.

This is the last regular season home game for these great seniors. Everyone get out and support this kids tonight. If you can't make it to the game, 102.9 WPBK will be carrying the game live.
Pregame starting at 7:15, tipoff around 7:30.

It Ain't Physics, Bring Back the Mascot

All this talk of the search for a new football coach got me thinking. A football coach ain't all this school is missing.

Every great team is represented by a symbol that is identifiable to all who see it.Western Kentucky University is known as the Hilltoppers. Their mascot has received nation wide fame over the past few years. Numerous commercials on national television. Great exposure for a rather unknown small university located in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Teams are recognized for their mascot, or mascots. Heck, UK has two. The famous Wildcat, and fun and goofy Scratch. USC has the Trojan Horse, Notre Dame has the Leperchaun and so on and so on.High school sports teams don't always showcase their beloved mascots. It is very rare in this day and age. It's time for change!

Those who have followed the Pats for years probably remember the good ole days when their mascot attented every football game. The majestic white horse galloping down the hill onto the track (which ironically is now in such bad condition a horse could not eat off of it) bring school spirit and pride to all. People from afar wondering who or what could being jockeying this creature of freedom, fans chanting, yankee doodle went to town being blasted (heard at least ten feet from the bleachers) by the band. All this in anticipation of the PATRIOT. The one and only mascot of Lincoln County High School. Who was behind the mask, the mystery is unknown; unless you were a member of the FCA or took Physics at LCHS or looked real closely at the man on the horse.

It didn't matter who the man on the horse was, or if this story is true. Mascots are cool, and entertaining to kids and wives who pay no attention to the game. Mascots are for all the people watchers out there, who need something to do when the game gets boring. We all know one or two.

SARCASM, some get it. Some don't

Can the Lincoln County Patriots win a State Championship???

What does everyone think? I think it should be our goal in every sport. What does it take to get to that level? Can Lincoln get there? I believe it takes a special combination all aspects of the game coming together in the same year. I truly believe Lincoln has had years in the past where they were better than the eventual state champion in their respected class, but one of the aspects fell apart. For example, Bell County won the 3A state championship in 1991, and Lincoln County smashed them in scrimmages at camp that same year. So does that make Lincoln County the State Champion, no, because they didn't put the whole year together. One of the wheels fell off that kept them from making it.
Here are my thoughts on what it takes to make it: 1. Talent, you have to have it. 2. Great coaching, talent won't matter if it's not focused. 3. Discipline, have to stay focused on and off the field throughout the year. 4. Committment, from all parties involved. 5. Easy path in the playoffs, this matters because two top notch teams could beat each other up before you get to them, you only have to battle one. 6. Leadership, someone has to step up and carry the torch. 7. Heart and Desire, without a doubt, uncontrollable and most neccessary, it must come from within.

Lincoln County Patriots extend record to 18-4

The Patriot basketball team has gone 4-0 over the last 4 games against Danville, Wayne, Monticello, and Mercer. Lincoln now sits at 13-1 in the region, with the only loss to McCreary. McCreary lost last week to Rockcastle, who Lincoln plays this Friday in Lincoln County Lightning Arena. This has been a great year, and I hope it only continues as we look to invade Rupp for the second straight year. Ryan Young has already eclipsed 1000 career points this season and Noah Keeton and Daniel Ralston aren't far behind. It is really something to have three guys make this milestone in the same year. I understand that the school board has approved plans to turn the ridge behind Death Valley into a Mount Rushmore type of memorial to Young, Keeton, and Ralston.

Lincoln's new coach????

Here we go true Patriot fans, who will Lincoln's next coach be? Who will lead us to the coveted state championship that we all want to bring home to Standing Fort. Drop some knowledge on who you are for and what you think.....

Lincoln Eagles win Salt River Conference Tournament

As if we didn't have enough to be cheering about, we can now talk about how promising the future of Lincoln Basketball is going to be. Our own Lincoln Middle School 7th and 8th grade boys won the Salt River Conference, giving us a glimpse of what is soon to come at the high school level. Congratulations to these teams and their coaches, and if anyone has any details please add them.

Central Kentucky Sports

Central Kentucky Sports was at the Madison Central game the other night and I wanted to encourage everyone to visit their site www.ckysports.com. It is a great site, and Lincoln is featured as their game of the week with videos and pictures. Their February issue of their magazine will feature a two page spread on our Lincoln County Patriots, and only costs $3.00. Coach Jackson gets some good pub on their website, plus Ryan Young is their cover model. I thing I need to say is that Ryan Young is going to have to get a haircut if he is going to be our poster boy. Maybe he thinks he looks like Tom Brady with that flowing head of hair, JUST KIDDING! If I were the coach they'd all look like skinheads, so that might not be the answer either. Go Patriots.

Basketball is HUGE right now!

The mighty Patriots downed a great squad in Madison Central Saturday night 75-59. The Patriots fell behind early as the Indians took a commanding 18-5 lead, but Jackson's boys showed heart and fought back for the big victory. Lincoln is now undefeated in District and Region play and they run their regular season mark to 14-3. Tonight they will face another tough opponent in McCreary Central, that brings a 18-2 overall record in to the matchup. The Patriots have 5 common opponents so far this season, with Lincoln going 5-0 against Pulaski, West Jessamine, Wayne, Danville, and East Jessamine, and McCreary Central going 4-1. McCreary lost to West Jessamine 64-60 and Lincoln beat them 55-49. Lincoln scored a total of 382 points against those 5 common teams and had 276 points scored on them, McCreary scored 367 points and had 273 scored on their defense.
The Patriots are currently ranked 16th in the state (here is the link to Cantrall's rating the state http://media.kentucky.com/smedia/2008/01/27/22/080128Cantrall4pdf.source.prod_affiliate.79.PDF, let's keep on rolling and go back to Rupp. Good luck Patriots.

Jackson and the boys defeat Garrard

Garrard County fought hard and hit just about every shot they took, but Lincoln relied on the Lincoln County Lightning of Young, Ralston, and Keeton to defend their home arena. The Patriots were trailing at halftime, but with renewed vigor they outscored Garrard 23-4 in the final period to win 69-53. Young played his usual game to earn player of the game. I was glad to see Ralston dial his shot in from long range, he went 4-5 from behind the 3-point arc. Congrats to the Patriots.

Patriots smash both Boyle girls and boys

It was electrifying in Patriot Arena last night. First Don Story's girls got things rolling with a win, then Jeff and the boys held off a fight with the Ronnie Bottom dwellers, and then the pep section finished the tri-fecta by yelling "spell loser" to the Boyle pep section. It was awesome. One of the highlights to the game was the pep section's dorky basketball team, outfitted in retro uniforms that were mostly too tight. They made fun of themselves and it was great. E-Spur was a little rusty in his return, but still played well enough with his rebounds and defense. Skyler Gilbert gave some great minutes off the bench, but I would still love to see him play a little more aggressive. I think that is the strength of his game. Trevor Edgington offered up some nice offense, stepping up because Ryan Young was double-teamed most of the game. Noah Keeton impresses me every game with his tenacity to want to score, and he continued that last night. Daniel Ralston dialed in his 3-point game and played great defense to make me say he was the player of the game. Great job Patriots and keep it up.
Please post your thoughts on the game.

Coach French and Boyle County

Let's hear it folks, our local radio station 102.9 WPBK had a call in show about it so now let's hear your thoughts and comments on Coach French leaving Lincoln to be the Boyle County head football coach. I have stated my comments before and I will state them again...This is the LINCOLN County program not the FRENCH program. If his heart is not here then he needs to go. I don't think we should beg anyone to stay here. I don't care if Joe Paterno was talking about leaving, I'd wish him the best and we'd move on. We should worry about who is going to lead us to a state championship. If that's French, then let's back him and move on. But if it's not, we will get someone else and back that person. That being said, I do support French and what he's done for the Lincoln County program and I hope he stays, but I will not beg him. We played football here before French and we were pretty successful at it.

Brummett, Walls named All-State

After a great season with the football Patriots making it to the semifinals, two of their seniors have been named to the All-State team. Walls made it on the offensive line second team, and Brummett followed with honorable mention for his play at linebacker. Congrats to those guys.
There was a listing on the Lexington Herald website with Brummett and Ryan Young making second team all state and Walls making honorable mention. I apologize for any confusion and will do more investigating to give credit where it's due.

Lincoln runs record to 8-3 with win over Boyle

Impressive win by the boys without Ethan Spurlin. We have Boyle at home in 2 weeks, we need to pack the gym and beat them by 40. Come on PST bloggers everyone is excited about Lincoln basketball but us. I look for Lincoln to win a bunch of games in the next 2 months. They are definitely the class of the 12th Region. And with the girls playing so well so quickly, I think there may be a shot at both teams going to the Sweet Sixteen.