WKY Sports October

Volume 2, Issue 10

Lyons, Lady Lyons celebrate at Senior Night — Page 19

Whirley sets new shutout record for Lady Marshals — Page 14

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October 2019 • Page 3

14

In the Pitch | Page 4

Featuring recreational and club soccer teams competing around the region.

Participation Up | Page 16 Overall, participation numbers in high school sports are up across the state. Some traditional activities are seeing some decline.

Making Waves | Page 22

19

The McCracken County bass team’s 2019 season got underway in September. Two members are setting new marks for female anglers.

Golf Guide | Page 23

Just getting into golf? As the sport grows at the high school and middle school levels, new golfers are hitting the course for the first time.

Here’s a few terms that may come in handy.

New Approach for Youth Soccer| Page 28 The Marshall County Soccer Association is trying something new for young players.

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PITCH Page 4 • October 2019

in the

Area club and recreational soccer teams have reached the midpoints of their seasons. On the following pages are photos submitted by readers and snapped by the West Kentucky Sports staff. Names are included where submitted.

October 2019 • Page 5

5Cruz Cocke

5Conner Stom

5Dalton Powell, Cruz Cocke and Fisher Beth

5Kyler Hathcock

Page 6 • October 2019

5Jace Dunigan

5Kamden Dunning

5Hugh Thompson

8

7 12

5

October 2019 • Page 7

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October 2019 • Page 11

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October 2019 • Page 13

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DEFENSIVE

DOMINANCE Marshall County goalkeeper Carlen Whirley broke the school’s shutout record in September, and continued to add to her tally through the final weeks of the regular season

October 2019 • Page 15

K

eeper Carlen Whirley broke the Lady Marshals’ shutout record Sept. 7 in an 8-0 win over Ohio County, earning her 25th career perfect performance. Since then, the three-year starter — along with one of the First Region’s stingiest defenses — continued to blanket teams.

On social media following the game, Whirley credited her teammates with the accomplishment.

“It isn’t really just about me at all, but the back five as a whole,” Whirley said. “It has been the same group of defenders for a while… we’ve all worked really hard to get to where we are and to have people call us the best defense in the region.

It’s exciting to know – all that work throughout my years of playing with this group of girls – we really have something to show for it now because the defense doesn’t get recognized a lot for successes.”

Whirley has seven shutouts this season as the Lady Marshals have risen to 7-2-2 overall. She earned eight last season and nine in 2017.

5Loralei Samson (10) & Whitley Watwood (19)

6Sofia Bayer

Against Ohio, sophomore Hope Howard dropped one in front of Carmen Gunn waiting just outside the Lady Eagles’ goal seven minutes into the first half to score. Howard would go on to have three assists on the night, while Gunn picked up a trio a goals.

Marshall’s second goal came two minutes later when Kallen Fuller scored unassisted. Gunn made it 3-0 midway through the half, dribbling down the right side until the keeper came out, leaving the goal undefended. Janie Pagel finished off the first half scoring with 10 minutes remaining on an assist from Chasse Clark.

After the break, Mia Teague, Gunn, Jennifer Devore and Fuller all tallied goals to set up the 8-0 final.

As of presstime, Whirley and the defense amassed 29 shutouts heading into the final week of the regular season.

Page 16 • October 2019

Participation numbers up overall, but some see decline

5Luke Wyatt busts through Ballard Memorial’s line for Marshall County. According to Kentucky High School Athletic Association numbers, football remains the most popular sport state-wide in terms of participation.

Student-athlete participation in Kentucky High School Athletic Association sports and sport-activities reached record levels in 2018-19 as 106,931 rostered participants competed across the KHSAA’s 13 sports and six sport-activities – surpassing last year’s then-record total of 106,241. Thirty-two percent of all student-athletes competed in multiple sports during the 2018-19 academic year, helping total KHSAA participation rise by 7,288 rostered participants from where it was six years ago (an increase of 6.8 percent since the 2012-13 season). 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.

Participation numbers have also been impacted over the last eight years by the addition of six sport-activities (archery, bass fishing, bowling, competitive cheer, dance and esports) and the sport of Field Hockey. KHSAA participation in 201819 was also boosted by the continued growth of the unified and adapted track and field and bowling programs, which had an increase of 128 competitors this past season to bring total participation to 475. Participation numbers submitted to the NFHS do not yet include esports, which was sanctioned for the first time in 2018-19 and featured 70 school squads and 588 participants during the first year of its offering.

Football remains the most popular sport in the state in terms of participation with 13,075 student-athletes across all levels (42 females) playing for 221 schools. Though participation in football dropped by 229 student-athletes from 2017-18 to 2018-19, the 13,075 participants last season are more than

a low of 11,934 in the 2003 season and eclipse the Association’s average of 13,033 football participants from 2002-2017.

Part of the decline in participation numbers can be attributed to a greater push by the Association for accurate roster entry from its member schools.

“Our participation numbers are always based solely on the rosters submitted by the membership,” said KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett.

“For 2018-19, our schools reported 13,033 boys playing football [freshmen, JV, varsity] and an additional 42 girls, down from 13,271 boys with 26 girls in 2017-18. This continues a three-year trend from the all-time high of 14,305 in 2015-16 and certainly follows a national trend in this one sport. While our varsity numbers were TACKETT again only down less than one student per team [11,638 total compared to 11,830 the year prior], it has to be concerning to our schools that non-varsity participation continues to decrease, as this is a predictor of future varsity participation. The consolidation of freshmen and

October 2019 • Page 17

junior varsity programs to one non-varsity program has continued in many areas and likely is a factor in the overall reduction. “It is certainly disappointing to see this decline in participation, but it is not a problem isolated to Kentucky. While the sport has never been safer, in terms of both rules and equipment, the combination of declining school enrollments and many choosing other sports with a perceived lower risk of injury as an alternative, are having an impact on football participation. We also have to look at the bigger picture. Prior to our expansion to additional classes for playoff opportunities, our participant number was 11,934 in 2002-03 before reaching that 2015-16 high of 14,305. So we have to look at this as a long-term problem whose solutions and a resultant increase in participation will likely be longer term and slowly accomplished.�

While overall participation increased from 2017-18 to 2018-19, seven of the As-

Continued from previous page

5State-wide, softball is third in participation among female athletes.

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Page 18 • October 2019

Overall student-athlete participation up across state Continued from previous page sociation’s offerings saw a decrease this past season, including football, basketball, cross country, golf and softball.

“Football is not our only concern point. We have had a 25 percent decline in boys’ golf participation since 2002, from a high water mark of 2,722 boys in 2002-2003 to last year’s low point of 2,035. Girls’ golf has also declined during that same time, from that high mark in 2002-2003 of 1,379 to its lowest level on record of 1,138 in 2018-2019,” said Tackett. “We have to do things at the local and early levels to get more kids at more schools opportunities to address sports in decline like that.”

Among the sports with separate teams for each gender (boys and girls), track and field was the most popular sport in the state with an all-time high of 12,464 participants. Soccer finished close behind track and field with 12,450 participants, followed by basketball at 12,211.

Track and field saw the greatest year-over-year growth in terms of increased participants, with 438 additional student-athletes in 2018-19 versus 2017-18 (an increase of 3.6 percent). Archery ranked second with 218 new participants, while competitive cheer (181), bass fishing (154), dance (145) and swimming and diving (119) each added over 100 new competitors.

“We have seen an increase in swimming participation from 2,889 boys and girls in 2002-2003 to 3,764 this past year. Increasing regions and regular season opportunities has resulted in a resurgence in participation,” added Tackett. “We have to continually look at all of our offerings, not just the micro view of a championship event but overall regular and early round postseason opportunities to see if growth opportunities exist.

Leaving things as they were just because that’s the way they’ve always been done, or because small groups were satisfied with their niche, doesn’t bode well for a statewide entity.”

On the girls’ side, volleyball was the most popular sport with 6,264 participants, followed by soccer (5,847), softball

(5,626), track and field (5,591), basketball (5,273) and competitive cheer (5,081). Overall female participation reached a high of 49,193 rostered participants in 2018-19, an increase of 7.8 percent from 2012-13, with 11,114 multi-sport student-athletes (29.2 percent of all female participants).

Among boys’ sports, baseball was second in the state behind football with 7,143 participants. Basketball ranked third overall at 6,938, followed by track and field (6,873), soccer (6,603), cross country (3,157) and archery (2,597). Overall male participation also established a new record high with 57,738 rostered participants in 2018-19, which marked an increase of 5.9 percent from the 2012-13 season, with 14,744 multi-sport student-athletes (34.3 percent of all male participants).

Competitive cheer was the most popular sport-activity with 5,247 total rostered participants last year, followed closely by archery which topped 5,000 participants for the first time (5,101). Bowling (1,908) and bass fishing (1,606) were third and fourth among sport-activities.

Basketball ranked as the most-sponsored sport across Kentucky with 275 schools offering a team. Volleyball had the second-highest number of teams with 264, followed by baseball (259), track and field (257) and softball (256).

“We are certainly challenged to continue looking for ways to engage students. Without a doubt, participation in schoolbased and school-identifiable interscholastic programs are the number one dropout prevention and academic achievement incentivizing program available to our schools,” said Tackett.

“We must evolve to be relevant and we will continue to analyze trends and look for new and improved opportunities while more thoroughly and constantly reviewing our long-standing offerings to be sure local expansion and growth remain an option. This means addressing the entry level in many cases, and not just the final championship events. We have to be sure we are addressing as many barriers to people getting involved at that first entry level as is possible if interscholastic events are to remain relevant for the long haul.”

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October 2019 • Page 19

Lyon celebrates 2019 senior night

Kate GRAY Lyon County fans celebrated their 2019 senior class Sept. 24. The Lyons and Lady Lyons hosted visiting Paducah Tilghman. The Lady Lyons opened the night with a 4-1 loss to the Lady Tornado. Mary Beth Davis scored Lyon’s lone goal to tie the game early, but the Lady Lyons were unable to rally. In boys action, the Lyons fought back from an early deficit against the Tornado, but fell 7-3. Todd Huddleston, Walker Suitor and Levi Willis scored for the Lyons.

Emily SMITH

Bailey GUESS

Hunter JACKSON

MaKenzie LEWIS

Bill THIEN

Kayden WATTS

Jeremiah WILKERSON

Page 20 • October 2019

Tilghman celebrates senior night

Quinn ATNIP

Andrew DAVIDSON

Sammy LAMBERT

Azel LOAIZA

Maxx BESAW

Joseph GILLITUK

Brennan LARIMER

Emma MASSEY

October 2019 • Page 21

Tilghman celebrates senior night

Jackson MUNDY

Austin SLEDD

Delacia REED

Molly WATKINS Tornado and Lady Lornado teams celebrated their 2019 senior class with a double header against Mayfield on Sept. 12. The boys team tied 1-1 with Austin Sledd scoring the lone goal on a Jackson Mundy assist. The girls won 7-1 over the Lady Cardinals. Kiersa Atnip scored four goals, while Shelby Nickal and Abigail Wurth each scored one. Wurth had five assists on the night, while Nickall had two. Rounding out the scoring was senior Molly Watkins who came out of the goal to earn her first varsity score.

Samuel WHELAN

Page 22 • October 2019

Holmes, Jeffrey

making waves

for Mustang bass anglers

McCracken County High School bass team members Rachel Holmes and Madison Jeffrey finished second overall in the McCracken County High School Open on Kentucky and Barkley lakes on Sept. 7. Jeffrey, a newcomer to the sport in her first competition, finished with the afternoon with the third biggest bass. McCracken’s teams —coached

by Jeff Pierce — finished in the top three spots. For Holmes and Jeffrey, it marks the highest finish for a pair of female Mustang co-anglers. Josh Bartholomew and Matthew Davis finished in first overall for the 5Rachel Holmes (left) and Madison Jeffrey of McCracken County finished second Mustangs, while Paxton Boldry and Justin overall in the McCracken County High School Open on Kentucky and Barkley lakes. Tate finished third. Austin Kendall and Stone The event was held Sept. 7. Jeffrey also finished with the event’s big bass. Below Courtney finished fifth for the Mustangs. right, the anglers with coach Jeff Pierce.

October 2019 • Page 23

Getting your

golfer into the

swing of things

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.

(Continued on Page 28)

Page 24 • October 2019 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.

October 2019 • Page 25 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 26 • October 2019

Getting your golfer into the swing of things Continued from page 25 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.

October 2019 • Page 27

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 way.

Rough: The area of tall grass that surrounds the fair-

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.

Metro creative graphics image

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 28 • October 2019

MCSA takes different approach with developmental soccer players

Story and photos by Jody Norwood

5Corinne Smith boots a pass upfield for Marshall County against McCracken County during a game Sept. 21.

Marshall County Youth Soccer is taking a new approach at developing players.

The association implemented an adjustable roster system this season, allowing coaches and organizers the flexibility to move players between teams. Coordinator Josh Hendrickson said MCSA is trying things out with older developmental players.

“With our older players — our U10, U12 and U14 — we’re doing a developmental academy,” Hendrickson said. “Not only do we play teams from other counties, but we also bring them together to play interleague games.”

On Sept. 21, Hendrickson was helping with a series of games with U10 and U12 players in Calvert City. Those players have rotated onto different teams each week.

“We control the flow of the game, so we’re able to stop the games and correct things,” Hendrickson said. “We’re able to use those games to teach them. It’s upped the level of ability we’ve had to be able to teach them, so it’s not just ‘We’re going to do two practices with them and then go play your games.’ We’re still doing practices, but we’ve added that layer but we’ve been able to develop them in games situations.”

It’s a different approach from the traditional model of ros-

tering a player on a set team for one season. It’s not an unfamiliar one at different levels of sports. High school teams often interchange players between freshman, junior varsity and varsity rosters. Kentcuky’s Olympic Development Program uses a similar method, pulling youth from pools based on team need, player ability and availability.

Hendrickson said larger programs use a similar approach.

For Marshall County players, it gives them a chance to play coed.

“Males have strengths females don’t have and females have strengths that males don’t have,” Hendrickson said. “Being exposed to playing to both genders at these ages as well as when they rotate teams, it teaches them to play with people of different skill sets on a weekly basis.”

Hendrickson said teams still play some games solely based on gender, but the developmental games give them a chance to change things up.

“This is the first season we’ve done it,” Hendrickson said. “[Reactions are] mixed. Some people love it and see the value in it. It’s a change and some people don’t like going away from ‘This is my team.’

“There’s things you learn as you go through it that we’ve had some hurdles in the fall that we can clean up in the spring.”

October 2019 • Page 29

West Kentucky Area Sports Briefs

Page 30 • October 2019

The Trigg County High School bass fishing team opened their 2019 season with a second place finish at the McCracken County High School Open on Sept.

7. The event was held on Kentucky and Barkley lakes.

Murray High School celebrated the 2019 Greatest Show on Turf Weekend with a 58-7 win over visiting Marshall County during the Homecoming event. Murray High alumni from 1959, 1979, 1994, and 2009 returned to their alma mater as part of festivities. The weekend was highlighted by a recognition for the family of the late Dr. Russell E.P. Howard (1967 graduate) for their generous gift of $25,000 to the district. Administrators named the Dr. Russell E.P. Howard Lobby at Murray High School in his honor.

Livingston Central Cross Country Team members competed in McCracken County Sept. 14. Four varsity boys and three varsity girls finished in the top 25.

Those placing were: Jarrett Harris, Micah Davidson, Carson Kitchens and Robert Schmitt; Sheyenna Stytz, Kaydence McCormick and Danielle Starczewski.

The Lady Marshals Golf team finished seventh among the top 15 teams in the state at the Kentucky Golf Coaches Association All State Championships in Lexington in September.

The inaugural competition was comprised of the top 15 teams based on point rankings, as well as the top 21 individuals not on those teams.

Marshall County head coach Aaron Beth said the Lady Marshals had a solid showing finishing seventh overall in team standings. Savannah Howell shot 74 and 78 to finish in ninth place as an individual. Other Lady Marshals were: Megan Hertter (82, 79); Kenley Luksic (94, 90) and Elsie Riley (102,101).

McCracken County ended Mayfiekd’s 31-home game win streak in a 45-35 decision at War Memorial Stadium in September. The loss was only the Cardinals second at home in the last decade.

Franklin Hayes scored three touchdowns through the air and Hunter Bradley scored twice for McCracken County. Diaz Perry, Markeacio Jackson, Kade Neely, Kylan Galbreath and quarterback Jayden Stinson all scored for the Cardinals. Neely led targets on both sides, reeling in eight passes for 112 yards.

October 2019 • Page 31

THE BACK PAGE

By Jody Norwood | Editor

For those who skipped ahead, this month’s issue featured a story on student athlete participation. For those who missed it, turn back to page 16 (don’t worry, this won’t become one of those 1990s ‘choose your own adventure’ books).

Overall, the news is good: numbers are up on average.

The bad news is, for some sports, the numbers continue a downward trend. Golf has seen significantly fewer competitors in the last eight years. Basketball, football and softball have also been shrinking.

Just glancing at the numbers, it looks like more and more students are gravitating toward several sports introduced in the last decade. Archery, bass fishing, esports (video games for those unfamiliar) and dance have seen swelling numbers.

Some coaches of more established sports vent from time to time about the growing offerings taking away potential players. Athletic directors, too, have concerns. Gate fees and concession sales from sports like football and basketball can add up to significant revenue at some schools. Without the same history or consolidated entertainment, some of the newer sports don’t draw the same level of spectators. Or people buying popcorn.

For the student athletes, having the variety is a positive.

Students who wouldn’t otherwise get exposed to activities are getting a chance to find, at worst, an activity to keep them engaged, build their self confidence and give them a reason to go to class. At best, this wave of “new” sport athletes have a chance to further their education through scholarships or maybe even find a different career path once their education is over.

The world of sports, both traditional and new, is growing as interests of student athletes change. It’s good to see Kentucky schools keeping up with the change.

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