Columns Sports

This From the Sidelines column appeared in the April 6 edition of the News Journal: Before this past week I was not aware of the name Freddie Maggard, but I have become very familiar with the Kentucky high school basketball legend since he passed away Sunday at Baptist Health Corbin after succumbing to pneumonia and heart failure. He was 78-years-old. Maggard was a member of the Carr Creek Indians (Knott County) basketball team that won a state championship in 1956. He hit the last second shot that that gave his team the win over Central City in the quarterfinal round, and he hit another last second shot to give them a...

This From the Sidelines column appeared in the March 16, 2016 edition of the News Journal: I was having a discussion with Whitley County tennis Head Coach David Halcomb last week about the upcoming season, and he brought something to my attention that I was not aware of. Beginning in 2016, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association has decided to change the process for determining regional and state team champions. High school tennis players have the chance each year of advancing to state as either a singles competitor, or as part of a doubles duo. In addition to that, if the team as a whole performs well enough in their qualifying...