West Kentucky Sports August 2020

Volume 3, Issue 8

Cross The Seams Fiessinger looks to bring faith-based hitting to Marshall County.

Page 4

Alumni for Owen

Hundreds turn out to show support for Lyon County’s Owen Matthews.

Page 10

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20 ADVERTISERS INDEX: Akridge Farm Supply — p. 17 Brehm Striping ­— p. 17

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Magistrate Bobby Cummins— p. 13

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WCCK/WCBL — p. 21

Lake Barkley CrossFit- p. 22

Wilson Law Firm — p. 7

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August 2020 • Page 5

Batting program focuses on faith, family & future

By Jody Norwood

A local softball phenom is hoping to pass on her love of the sport and faith in Christ.

Abby Fiessinger — a two time All-American honoree who set multiple records at Marshall County High School and Carson-Newman University — has opened Cross The Seams, a baseball and softball hitting program with a spiritual spin on the ball. It is the fifth location following the program of founder Todd Stinson but the first entrepreneurial endeavor for Fiessinger.

It’s a chance for the standout to give back to the community which supported her along her journey.

“I’m not doing this to make a ton of money,” Fiessinger said.

“Todd and I had talked, and Marshall County needed something like this. Whenever I was growing up, I had to drive two hours just to get hitting lessons.

“I love softball. Marshall County softball made me the person I am today. I wouldn’t be as successful as I was without the community and the support they gave me. My hope is to just give back a little bit.”

““[Stinson] felt that God wanted him to go his own way, so he started Cross The Seams,” Fiessinger said. “He started out in Bowling Green. I have gone through every single program he has, starting when I was eight-years old and I finished when I graduated college in May.” Stinson has locations in Kentucky and Tennessee, with the Marshall County site being the furthest west.

“He breaks it down lesson by lesson and determines what each kid should learn — like they should learn their stance before batting — and the progression each kid should go through,” Fiessinger said. “If you come to Cross The Seams in Benton and take your fourth lesson, it looks exactly the same as the fourth lesson at the Martin, Tennessee Cross The Seams.”

The program focuses on the three F’s: faith, family and future.

“It’s the faith in Jesus Christ, your family and the future of your community and yourself,” Fiessinger said. “My goal is to meet a lot of Fiessinger really cool people, influence a lot of really cool people and play a little softball and baseball.”

Right now the lessons are done by appointment.

Fiessinger plans to someday have it available so that players Fiessinger, who recently graduated from Carson-Newcan come by and use the facility as a batting cage to improve man, played for the Lady Marshals from 2011-2016. In adand practice technique. dition to opening Cross The Seams, she recently accepted a Lessons take place in half hour or hour-long increments. position at Marshall County High School as a math teacher.

Cross The Seams is based on the model of Doyle Baseball, which was founded by brothers Brian, Blake and Denny Doyle. The trio all played competitively and coached at various levels.

ANNOUNCEMENTS? SIGNING? ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST?

Spread the news to nearly 3,000 readers in western Kentucky! Send relevant information on player signings, club or program announcements or other items of interest to:

wkysports@gmail.com.

Cross The Seams is located in the same building as The Mat at 2688 U.S. Hwy. 641 North in Draffenville. For lessons, Fiessinger can be reached via email at abbyfiessinger@gmail. com.

Page 6 • August 2020

Getting your

golfer into the

swing of things

Staff Report

Millions of golfers tee off every day across the globe, but for newcomers the tools of the trade and terminology can be as confusing as a double bogey on a par three.

According to the Aspen Institute’s “State of Play: 2018” report, which was compiled using custom data provided by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, 56.5 percent of children between the ages of six and 12 participated in a team sport in 2017. That same year, 49.3 percent of children in that same age group participated in an individual sport like golf or tennis.

A 2017 article by Golf Digest found the overall number of golfers isn’t rising among adults, but more youth are taking part. The article cited a National Golf Foundation’s report on golf participation in 2016, finding “The number of beginning golfers grew to 2.5 million, a nearly 14-percent increase over 2015. That number is an all-time high, breaking the previous mark of 2.4 million set in 2000, when [Tiger] Woods was at rapid ascent.”

For those looking to tee off for the first time, here’s a list of terms that might come up on the course. There’s also a rundown of the game’s most common equipment and terms. n Approach: An approach is a shot hit towards the green from the fairway. n Birdie: A score of one under par on a hole.

n Block: A swing in which the rotation of the forearms is delayed or prevented throughout the hitting area, generally producing a shot that flies to the right of the target. n Bogey: A score of one over par on a hole.

n Bunker: A hollow comprised of sand or grass or both that exists as an obstacle and, in some cases, a hazard.

n Carry: The distance a ball will fly in the air, usually to carry a hazard or safely reach a target. n Chicken Wing: A swing flaw in which the lead elbow bends at an angle pointed away from the body, usually resulting in a blocked or pushed shot. n Coil: The turning of the body during the backswing.

n Connection: A description of a swing in which all the various body parts work harmoniously to produce a solid, fluid motion. n Decelerate: A decreasing of the clubhead speed in the hitting area. n Divot: The turf displaced when the club strikes the ball on a descending path. n Double Bogey: A score of two over par on a hole.

n Double Eagle: A score of three under par on a hole.

n Dormie: The point in match play when a player is up in a match

by the same number of holes that remain.

n Downswing: The swing forward from the top of the backswing.

n Draw: A shot that flies slightly from right to left for right-handed players. n Driving Range: Another term for a practice area. Also known as a golf range, practice range or learning center.

n Eagle: A score of two-under-par on a hole. n Extension: The width of the swing as measured by the target arm on the backswing and the trail arm on the follow-through. n Fairway: A long stretch of neatly maintained grass that is located between the tee box and the green.

n Flange: A portion of the sole of a club such as a sand wedge or putter.

n Fly: The distance the ball carries or a shot that carries over the intended target. n Follow-through: That part of the swing that occurs after the ball has been struck.

n Fore: This is a warning golfers shout when they strike the ball and notice it is heading toward another person on the course. It’s best to yell it early, loud and it can help to include a direction your ball is coming from.

n Green: The area at the end of a fairway where the hole is located. Grass on the green is typically smooth and cut considerably lower than grass on other areas of the course. n Grip: The placing and positioning of the

hands on the club. The various types include the Vardon or overlapping, the interlocking and the 10-finger or baseball grip. There is also the reverse-overlapping grip, in which the index finger of the left or top hand overlaps the smallest finger of the right or bottom hand.

This is primarily used in putting, although some players use this grip when chipping the ball. n Hook: A shot that curves sharply from right to left for right-handed players. n Lay Off: When the swing plane flattens out at the top of the back swing, it causes the club to point to the side of the target and the face to close.

n Lie: As it relates to the ball, the position of the ball when it has come to rest.

n Links: The term for a course built on linksland, which is land reclaimed from the ocean. It is not just another term for a golf course. n Long Irons: The 1-4 irons.

n Mulligan: The custom of hitting a second ball — without penalty — on a hole, usually the 1st tee.

n Par: The Professional Golfers’ Association defines par as the score an accomplished player is expected to make on a hole. Par is either a three, four or five. Parents and coaches of young golfers should not overlook the words ‘accomplished golfers’ in the PGA’s definition of par. n

Putt: A shot taken, typically gently,

while on the green as golfers try to get the ball in the hole.

n Rap: To hit a putt with a short, firm stroke. n Release: The act of freely returning the clubhead squarely to the ball at impact, producing a powerful shot. n Rough: The area of tall grass that surrounds the fairway.

n Round Robin: A tournament format in which players or team play a variety of other teams, the winner being the player or team that accumulates the highest number of points. n Short Game: Those shots played on and around the green, including putting, chipping and pitching, and bunker shots.

n Short Irons: The 8 and 9 irons and the pitching wedge.

n Sky: A high, short shot caused by the clubhead striking the underside of the ball.

Also known as a “pop-up.” n Sweet Spot: The point on the clubface where, if it is struck with an object, the clubface will not torque or twist to either side.

n Tee Box: The area where players tee to start a hole.

n Whiff: A complete miss. Also known as an “air ball.”

Terminology courtesy of the Professional Golfers Association.

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Page 8 • August 2020 Mark your ball It may seem like a simple thing, but it will save you time on the course when all the other golfers are waiting on you to find a Callaway under a tree full of them.

Clubs According to Golf Digest, new golfers often fare better with hybrid clubs over 3-, 4-, & 5-irons.

They also recommend woods that have more loft for beginners.

August 2020 • Page 9 Plastic umbrella Because holding a metal stick during a thunderstorm is never a good idea.

Polo Shirt: Many courses require that male golfers to wear a collared shirt. If your only one is in the hamper, check with the course on their dress code before you go.

UV Protection: Prepare for the sun. A ball cap, sun visor or at the very least a pair of sunglasses will keep you from saluting all day.

Funky face tan lines build character.

Shoes: New to the sport? Hold off on those golf shoes until you’re hooked. A basic pair of sneakers will work for starters, just choose a pair without too much heel.

Page 10 • August 2020

Colton Prow threw out the first pitch in honor of his friend Owen Matthews during the first-ever Post 68 Alumni Night.

ALUMNI OWEN

for

August 2020 • Page 11

Owen Matthews

By Jody Norwood

On a sweltering summer afternoon, several hundred baseball fans lined the diamond at the Lee S, Jones Park in Eddyville to show support for Owen Matthews.

Matthews, a10-year-old Lyon County resident, is battling Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare variation of cancer forming in soft tissue, specifically skeletal muscle tissue and sometimes hollow organs.

Owen’s battle began in mid-September after receiving the diagnosis.

Organizers of the first ever American Legion Post 68 baseball Alumni Night hoped to show Matthews how many people were supporting him along his journey. They also used the event to help raise funds for the family, which has been traveling out-of-state during treatment.

Jay Vincent, son of long-time coach Greg Vincent, said using the event as a fundraising vehicle for Matthews was a perfect fit.

(Continued on Page 13)

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August 2020 • Page 13

Continued from Page 11

“Dad messaged me about a month ago and said we were going to put on an alumni night,” Jay said. “Obviously with COVID, the Legion team didn’t have their full season. And a lot of college guys from the alumni team didn’t get to play. It was a good idea to get everybody back together.

“And then the fundraiser came about for Owen and it became so much more.”

The July 17 event opened with a presentation of colors by Post 68 members, followed by a ceremonial first pitch made

Bobby Cummins

by Owen’s friend Colton Prow. Owen’s sister Sarah Spurlock and alumni team member Gabe Board joined Prow at the mound.

The two teams took the field and battled with rosters alternating each inning.

Homers For Owen — which raised money from donors pledging money for each shot over the fence — was held after the third inning.

Jay’s alumni teammate Tyler Estes said he jumped at the chance to play after social distancing restrictions prevented him from playing since March. He also

shared the desire to make it a fundraising success for the Matthews family.

“As soon as [Jay] mentioned it was a fundraiser for Owen, I was like ‘Yeah, we’re going to get as many people here and raise as much money as we can.’

And they did.

According to Greg Vincent, who helped organize the event, donations were still being made in the days that followed, but they surpassed their goal of $10,000. He estimated the final tally (Continued on Page 17)

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Above: Greg Vincent (right) and Bob Harbison, who organized the first ever American Legion Post 68 Alumni Night, present Sarah Spurlock with a bat signed by former Aces as a gift for her brother, Owen Matthews. A second bat with signatures was auctioned multiple times throughout the night to raise funds for the Matthews family. Alumni team member Bennie Mullins was the first to purchase the bat, donating it back to Post 68 to be auctioned again.

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August 2020 • Page 17

Above: Tyler Estes plows the line to home plate to score a run for the Post 68 alumni team in a game against the 2020 Aces. The game was a first of its kind for Post 68. Opposite page: Peyton Carney (top) releases a pitch for the 2020 Aces. Gabriel Salazar (below left) and Drew Cooper (below right) field hits for their respective teams.

Continued from Page 13 would raise close to $17,000.

Donations were accepted through the night and Post 68 donated proceeds from cession sales. Silent auction items were available throughout the evening, including four all day passes to Venture River Water Park, a, 18-inch two topping pizza from Our Daily Bread, a large pizza from Pagliai’s Pizza in Princeton, a $25 gift card to the Black Patch Grille, two pork packs from The Joint, a $25 gift card to Izzie’s Boutique in Ed-

dyville, a $25 gift card for Oasis and a $25 gift card to Hu-B’s in Kuttawa.

A bat signed alumni team members was auctioned as part of the fundraiser. For Ace Bennie Mullins was the initial winner, donating it back to Post 68 to be auctioned again. The bat would go on to be auctioned multiple times, raising more than $500.

For alumni like Jay, who is now a coach at Lindsey Wilson College, the event was a chance to catch up with old teammates.

Supporting local sports!

“I don’t really get the chance to see [Tyler] play at Western Illinois or getting to see some of these other guys as much as I’d like to,” Jay said. “But it’s like we’re back playing like we used to.”

Estes, who goes to school six hours away from most of his former alumni, said it was a good reunion.

“I never get to see my guys, they’re all off working or going to school or doing their thing,” Estes said. “It’s good to catch up on memories.”

Page 18 • August 2020

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Newcombs heading to MSU HoF

Staff Report Murray State University’s athletics department has announced its 2020 Hall of Fame class, which includes a pair of Marshall County brothers.

According to a release from the university, the sixth and seventh members of the 2020 class feature the first set of brothers, Nick and Patrick Newcomb, to be selected to the Murray State Hall of Fame.

Out of Benton, Kentucky, Nick Newcomb (2007-10) was the first to arrive at MSU to play for Coach Eddie Hunt in 2007.

Patrick Newcomb (2009-13) joined the Racers when Nick was a senior. The Newcomb boys led the Racers to the 2010 Ohio Valley Conference championship along with teammates Cameron Carrico, Chris Griffin and Jared Wolfe The Racers’ dominant win of 18-shots, marked their first OVC title since 1991 and still the program’s most Nick Newcomb and Patrick Newcomb recent championship.

“My reaction was great excitement and the thought that it’s cool that my brother and I are going in together,” Nick Newcomb said. “I figured it would happen and it’s neat that it’s together. I think MSU was a good perfect storm for me. I always thought my strength was my work ethic

and Coach Hunt just let me be me and let me play and I thrived in that environment.

Murray provided me the freedom to be the player that I could be. I loved playing for Eddie, He loves to win and so do I and he knew me very well and how to coach me.

He’s so good to his players.”

After outstanding prep careers at Marshall County High School in Benton, the Newcomb brothers combined for 19 team wins and 11 individual titles at Murray State (three by Nick and eight by Patrick).

Nick won the OVC Tournament individual championship twice (2008 and 2010) and Patrick won it once in 2013 after being runner up in 2012. They produced three OVC Golfer of the Year awards, Nick in 2010 and Patrick twice in 2012 and 2013.

“Obviously, I am very excited to go in with my brother,” Patrick Newcomb said.

“Nick and I were far enough apart growing up that I was the little brother and never really got to join him. So when Coach Hunt was recruiting me, Nick told me that we could do something special together if I’d come to Murray State. I became a Racer and played with Nick for that one season and we won a championship. He’s been a huge part of my career and I can never thank him enough. This is big for our parents as well. Our dad, Monty, and mom, Me-

lissa, are very excited and so are our grandparents.”

Both played in the USGA United States Amateur with Patrick advancing to the quarterfinals in 2012. Nick played in the event in 2006 and the USGA PubLinks Amateur. Patrick won a pair of Kentucky State Amateur titles in 2011 and 2012. He also played in one NCAA Regional after he won the OVC championship in 2013.

The Newcomb’s success in amateur golf led them into the world of professional golf where they still compete today.

They both began their pro journey in the Peach State Tour. In 2013, Nick finished in the top-10 of the money list and also played events on the Dakotas Tour. Patrick played in South Africa on the Sunshine Tour in 2015 and since played 44 events on the PGA Latinoamerica Tour where he won the Honduras Open in 2017. In 2011, Nick played in a pair of Nationwide Tour events and Patrick played in one in 2012 and also qualified for a pair of PGA Tour events, the McGladrey Classic and the Greenbrier Classic in 2014 and 2015.

Patrick Newcomb won his first pro event in 2015 in Paducah, Kentucky at the Irvin Cobb Championship and added an additional Cobb title in 2016. Nick also claimed a Cobb championship in 2018.

August 2020 • Page 21

Beth named head coach of Lady Marshals Staff Report Marshall County Schools have removed thew ‘interim’ status from Lady Marshal head basketball coach Aaron Beth.

Aaron — son of long-time Lady Marshal coach and one of the state’s most successful playcallers, Howard Beth — took over for then head coach Dan Langhi mid-season. Aaron went 11-3 in the final weeks of 2020 before kicking off a four game streak in the postseason. Marshall County captured the Fourth District and First Region titles before their season was ended in early March as part of social distancing efforts.

At the time, the Lady Marshals were slated to play Henderson County in the opening round of the KHSAA state tournament.

Marshall finished the 2019-2020 season 24-9 with the second most productive offense (1,870 points) in the first region. They were perfect is district play, going 5-0 in the Fourth.

Before accepting the position of head girls golf coach at Marshall in 2019, Beth spent five seasons leading Graves County’s Lady Eagles on the hardwood. The run was one of the most successful for the Lady Eagles, going 133-22 overall and winning five district titles.

Your Home for Lyon County Lyons and Lady Lyons Basketball, Marshall County Marshals and Lady Marshals Soccer, University of Louisville Football and Basketball and NASCAR!

Page 22 • August 2020

Participation numbers continue climb Staff Report Student-athlete participation increased for the third-straight year in Kentucky High School Athletic Association sports and sport-activities to reach record levels in 2019-20. A total of 107,166 rostered participants competed across the KHSAA’s 13 sports and six sport-activities according to information submitted by the membership, surpassing last year’s then-record total of 106,931. Football was one of 12 offerings to show an increase from the previous year, breaking a trend of declining participation for the last three years by adding 202 new student-athletes [freshmen, JV, varsity] during the 2019-20 season to remain the state’s most popular sport with 13,277 rostered participants.

“The continued rise in student-athlete participation the last three years emphasizes the importance of school-based athletics in the fabric of the educational experience for these young adults,” said KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett. “The importance of these coach-to-student and student-to-student relationships is only amplified in these uncertain times, as we strive to return to some form of normalcy in our lives.”

Participant counts are cumulative among

all KHSAA rosters and continue an upward trend in participation across the board according to the data submitted to the National Federation of State High Schools (NFHS) in Indianapolis. Overall participation is up 7,523 from where it was seven years ago (an increase of 7.2 percent since the 2012-13 season).

Several KHSAA offerings enjoyed participation growth in 2019-20, led by Volleyball (331), Wrestling (265), and Soccer (229).

Participation numbers have been impacted over the last nine years by the addition and growth of six sport-activities (Archery, Bass Fishing, Bowling, Competitive Cheer, Dance and Esports) and the sport of Field Hockey. The sport-activities of Archery (5,253) and Competitive Cheer (5,131) both topped 5,000 participants during the 2019-20 season.

KHSAA participation in 2019-20 was also boosted by the continued growth of the Unified and Adapted Track & Field and Bowling programs, which accounted for 474 participants last season. Participation numbers submitted to the NFHS do not yet include esports, which was sanctioned for the first time in 201819 and featured 521 student-athletes from 46 member schools participating in Rocket League or League of Legends during the 2019

fall season.

Football retained its spot as the state’s most popular sport in terms of participation with 13,277 student-athletes across all levels (121 females) competing for 224 schools.

Soccer was the second-most popular sport in Kentucky last year with 12,679 participants, followed by Basketball (12,325) and Track & Field (11,348).

On the girls’ side, Volleyball was the most popular sport with 6,593 participants, followed by Soccer (5,949), Softball (5,527), Basketball (5,380), Track & Field (5,141) and Competitive Cheer (4,968). Overall female participation reached a high of 49,458 rostered participants in 2019-20, with 11,207 multisport student-athletes (29.3 percent of all female participants).

Among boys’ sports, Baseball was second in the state behind Football with 7,077 participants. Basketball ranked third overall at 6,945 student-athletes, followed by Soccer (6,730), Track & Field (6,873) and Cross Country (3,138). Overall male participation totaled 57,708 rostered participants, with 14,468 multi-sport student-athletes (33.5 percent of all male participants).

THE # O wen BACK PAGE Tough

By Jody Norwood | Editor

And — finally — there seems to be some hope on the horizon for high school sports.

At a July 28 meeting, the Kentucky High School Athletic Associaiton addressed the future of the 2020 fall sports season. With 17 members voting in favor (and one member abstaining), the Board approved a plan to leave fall sports in the fall and begin official fall practice on August 24 in cross country, field hockey, soccer, volleyball, and football, with the first date of competition set for September 11 for football and September 7 for the remaining fall sports.

“Our board strongly believes in the tremendous psychological advantages formed through the relationships between our student-athletes and their school coaches and school personnel, as well as the strong community values surrounding interscholastic, education-based athletics,” said KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett in a release. “College and professional sports are great, but our unique opportunity to build relationships with our neighbors within one state is not one we take for granted.”

The Board approved adjustments to the postseason format in soccer and the schedule in football, moving the start of the soccer postseason to Oct. 12 in order to condense the first three rounds into two weeks. Each round of the Football postseason was pushed back a week, with the first round games now scheduled for Nov. 13-14 and the finals set for Dec. 11-12. Football teams have the option to add an additional regular-season contest Nov. 6-7 for a maximum of nine regular-season games.

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August 2020 • Page 23

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