Sir!

Can we wait to compare CovCath to BG and HC until Fern Creek is done and dusted and we have a winner in BG/HC game?

Maybe Mabika on the back end of a ball from Collin Rose.

Fan support at the game... sorry, couldn't help myself.

These would have been my two pre-season picks to meet in the finals, but they get each other in the semis. They seem pretty even on paper: BG 19-2-3 (lost by 1 to Dunbar and So. Warren) HC 22-2-1 (lost by 1 to Dunbar and St. Henry) BG 94 goals for 20 against HC 93 goals for 18 goals against BG post season 33 goals for 4 against HC post season 25 goals for 6 against BG 12 clean sheets HC 13 clean sheets BG Maher #1 (14.33 w/ OAS 7.74) HC Maher #3 (13.87 w/ OAS 7.46) I haven't seen either team play this year. Who do you think has the edge?

I don't know much about #26 Fern Creek (Maher Rating 8.11). They are in SW Jefferson County and played played a fairly weak schedule out of Region 6 with OAS of 0.85. Lost to North Oldham, Ballard and Dupont Manual the first three games of the season. Tied #9 Oldham County mid-season. Beat #19 North Hardin 2-1 and #27 Henderson County 1-0 in last two games in states. Stats in Henderson County game looked pretty even. They look like a solid Top 20 team, but are definitely the dark horse in the final 4. Forward/winger Kornell Hilliard (51 goals, 13 assists) and midfielder Jacob Teasley (20 goals, 41 assists) look like their best players. They both play club ball for the KY Fire Jr team that Dale Helfrich coaches with a couple Trinity boys on the team. No doubt Jeremy can get some intel. The rest of the cast of players sounds fairly multi-cultural. Hopefully I can get down to the semi-final games Wednesday (having served duty passing out candy on Saturday). My only request if I came down would be that Fern Creek play their backup keeper for at least a portion of the game. I'd love to hear the announcer say "now in goal for the Tigers, Ringzing Tamang." Keep rolling CovCath!

CCH shots 15 to Trinity 5 SOG 9 to Trinity 2 Fouls 13 to Trinity 4 Sounds like CCH had the upper hand most of the night.

CCH shots 15 to Trinity 5 CCH SOG 9 to Trinity 2 CCH fouls 13 to Trinity 4 Sounds like CCH had the upper hand most of the night. Great job Colnels. On to Fern Creek next..

CCH out shooting Trinity 11-1 thus far. Sounds pretty dominant.

Awesome! Keep the updates coming.

#1 Bowling Green beats #59 Rowan County 7-1. Bowling Green with 18 shots and Rowan County with 2 shots. Bowling Green was up 4-0 at half and added 3 more goals in the first 4 minutes of the second half to go up 7-0 with 36 minutes remaining. BG goals by Don Aviles, Dominique Anzuruni (3), Gilio Aviles, Chandler Simpson, and Arif Smajlovic. Goal for Rowan County by Jake Eldrige halfway through the second half to break up the shut-out. Bowling Green moves on to face the winner of #3 Henry Clay vs #74 Perry County Central.

Both teams have a lot of respect for each other. I'm guessing first half ends 0-0 as they feel each other out, but things open up second half. Expect both CCH and Trinity to get more aggressive in the second half but I still think it's a 1 goal game, either 2-1 or 3-2.

I'm guessing the issue with the grass field at Bowling Green Tuesday night was made much worse because it had already been tore up in boys BG-Daviess County game on Monday night in the rain. Same field, I'm assuming. Not sure where they played tonight, but Owensboro Catholic beat BG 4-0. I'm sure they could have done without the drive Tuesday, but it looks like it worked out OK for OC.

Bowling Green played the 5th hardest KY schedule based on AOS and only allowed one goal by a team outside of the Maher Top 20 all year. They lost six regulars from last year's title team including defenders Matt Higdon and Alex Ballard (who had a great game in last year's final). But they also return 9 who played in the title game including GK Ryan Hughes who is starting between the pipes for his third straight year. BG has 12 shut-outs on the year, including 7 of the last 8 games, so their defense looks like it's gelling at the right time of the year. BG is another team that I haven't seen play this year, but based on what they have back and how they've been doing I'd have to put them right there with CCH, Trinity and Henry Clay in terms of teams with top notch defenses.

Henry Clay would be on the list too, if they reported stats. They've given up 18 goals in 24 games for a 0.75 GAA. They play the 8th toughest KY schedule based on AOS. I haven't seen Henry Clay play this year... does 6'5" UK commit Aime Mabika anchor their back line?

Serve one to Litzler, released from the back of the stack on a near post run to receive a driven ball (just off tbe ground) 8 yds in front of the goal. Serve one to Wessels stepping out off the near post to redirect a driven ball head height 4 yards out from the near post. Serve a ball short of the near post to be flicked on to the far post. Give the ball to Day in the corner and let him make something happen off the dribble. Something, anything, but continuing to serve a flighted ball to the back post where 2 or 3 Colonels contend with an equal number of defenders (and a GK who has started at the back third of his goal) to try to get up and head a ball down on frame. Maybe the odds are about to start paying off for CCH on corners, but I'd hedge bets and add a couple new looks.

Final was 3-0. Great season for SK. Good luck to the Valkyries the rest of the way out. Coach Jaclyn Puntillo is a class act and reps SH well.

Should be a great game and I honestly think it could go either way... my best guess is Trinity 3-2 in regulation. The winner probably gets a very manageable Henderson County in the semi-finals before seeing Henry Clay or Bowling Green for an epic state final game. Keys for this game, IMO... For Trinity: 1) Greg Fischer can destroy either with his distribution or with his ability to get a rocket off from the top of the box. He's got great vision and distributes with a variety of bend and weight to put team mates in play with the ball in optimal position. He's got a hammer for a left foot but if you overplay him he'll cut it back and hurt you with his right, 2) Trinity is also strong in the air on corners and set pieces, both offensively and defensively. If CCH gives up too many opportunities Trinity will hurt them. On the flip side, with a couple more days to prepare, I'd be disappointed if CCH didn't add new wrinkle or two to get more production out of their offensive corners... they can't expect to get as many as they have the last three games and their scoring efficiency has to go up on these opportunities. Otherwise, just give it to Day in the corner and let him slash and dish. For CCH: 1) their back line is quick and shuts down through balls well - #22 Darpel and #2 Flynn in particular. Massie might lose a foot race with the other three backs, but he's not slow and uses his size well, 2) Brice Day can penetrate and unbalance defenses to set up team mates as well as anyone I've seen this year. He's got a knack for finding soft spots and when he gets explosive dribbling and going vertical he is downright scary. If Day can create and the rest of the CCH attacking cast can finish CCH should score at least 2.

Based on the semi-final game it looks like 3 might have been missing who regularly got time during the season - a frosh, a soph and a Jr. Not sure if they were on vacation, hurt or just did not play. Not sure if that's "more than a few" or if it had any impact on outcome of the game. I do know that for my HS coach missing any games for a vacation would have earned a player some time on the bench and would have forfeited any chance they had to be a captain the following year. Not to mention the grief they'd have gotten from other players.

^turf

I was kidding... lighten up Francis.

Ahhhh.... shut-outs are over-rated. Just score one more than the other team and keep on playing! There are a bunch of teams that haven't given up a goal since the first round of Regionals!

Very nice. Roll on CCH.

Key match-up: Day defensively on Caswell Fuller in midfield. Day doesn't get as much credit for his defending as he should. A ton of MoCo offense goes through Fuller and he's very quick. Shut down Fuller and the CCH back line can take care of Shkrabba and Bowling. Prediction: CCH 3-0 ...CCH scores at least one off a corner and shuts down MoCo on its corners and set pieces.

At least one local NKY club tried to work one weekly session of functional training into their program breaking out forwards, midfielders, and backs to work on position specific training in a structured way. Not sure how long that lasted. When it's delivered in team training context functional training focuses on key positions in a specific game-related context training both the technique (the "how" mechanics) and the tactics (who, when, where, why... reading cues and clues to make the right decision). Too often a finishing session looks like what many teams do for their warm-up shooting drill, with no technical instruction and no tactical decisionmaking. For those teams maybe success will come when the opposition finally lets the boys start from three lines at midfield with a ball at their feet. Obviously not CCH I'm talking about here... just a pet peeve of mine.

Congrats to CCH on winning the Region. Fun game to watch. For Ryle Matt Roe was a warrior in midfield winning a lot of balls and initiating a lot of Ryle's counter-attacks. CovCath had more good chances but a high percentage off corners and in the run of play were air delivery to the back post (or beyond) where finishing was less than clinical. I was a little surprised that on a blustery night CCH didn't keep the ball on the carpet a bit more and/or ask Day to penetrate the box on the dribble - particularly from the right side. In the end job accomplished, but hopefully the offense finds their early season groove for next week's game(s). Defensively over the three Regional games I thought Darpel stood out among a strong CCH backline and Romes did everything required in goal. As strong as CovCath can be with the ball in attack, it feels like their defense really delivered Regionals for them. Keep rolling for NKY!