EARLE

54th district has been blessed with 3-sport athletes, before Quentin you had Lamar Williams and Steve Sizemore at Hazard Al Holland, Jr. at Perry Central Is Olinger playing baseball for Hazard this year?

Leslie County reached the finals of the 14th as 54th district runners-up. I see another 54th district match-up this year in the finals. Leslie 72, Lee 58.

6 of the 8 teams participated in the all "a" classic this year, only Leslie County and Estill County did not. Lee County and Leslie County got a tough draw. They will really earn it (barring some upset in the top bracket) if they win the 14th.

Bill Miller, PRP (1980-2005) -(754-200) W-L -(14) Regional Championships -(10) Sectional Championships -(3) State Championships -(4) State Runner-Up

If not classes, why not do it like softball? Let all 16 regional winners go to the state tourney? Double elimination. Winners keep playing at Applebee's where the championship would eventually be. Losers bracket could be played at UK. The team with the best pitching (deepest staff) would definitely have the advantage in this format. Teams do not get the attention they deserve by making it to the semi-states (which is equivalent to making it to the sweet 16 in basketball).

This is what's on the khsaa site... Mar 31, '06 Jenkins Pikeville - 5:30 PM Apr 1, '06 Perry County Central Perry County Central - 1:00 PM Apr 3, '06 Powell County Powell County - 4:30 PM Apr 6, '06 Phelps - 5:30 PM All "A" Classic Apr 10, '06 Pike County Central Pikeville - 5:00 PM Apr 13, '06 Johnson Central Pikeville - 6:00 PM Apr 14, '06 Holy Cross (Louisville) Pikeville - 5:30 PM Panther Classic Apr 15, '06 Hazard Pikeville - 7:00 PM Panther Classic Apr 17, '06 Lawrence County Pikeville - 6:30 PM Apr 18, '06 Shelby Valley Pikeville - 5:30 PM Apr 20, '06 Paintsville Pikeville - 5:30 PM Apr 24, '06 East Ridge East Ridge - 6:00 PM Apr 25, '06 Shelby Valley Shelby Valley - 5:30 PM May 1, '06 Pike County Central Pike County Central - 5:00 PM May 2, '06 Hazard Pikeville - 5:30 PM May 4, '06 Letcher County Central Pikeville - 5:30 PM May 8, '06 East Ridge Pikeville - 6:00 PM May 9, '06 Lawrence County Lawrence County - 6:30 PM May 12, '06 Boyd County Pikeville - 6:00 PM May 13, '06 Perry County Central Pikeville - 1:00 PM May 16, '06 Paintsville Paintsville - 5:30 PM May 19, '06 Belfry Belfry - 5:30 PM

1. Estill County...10th region champs '05 (4th in state) 2. Hazard...14th region champs '05 3. Letcher Central... Whitesburg regional semi's, Letcher lost in first round 4. Breathitt County...always has a solid team, well coached 5. Powell County...regional runner-up 6. Lee County...always has a solid team, well coached

The 10th region plays great baseball...GRC, Montgomery, Brossart, Bourbon County, Nicholas County, Campbell County, Pendleton County, Mason County Former Coaches from Mac's district include HOFers: Billy K. Anderson, Nicholas Co. (579) wins - 12th all-time Larry Conrad, Bourbon Co. (519) wins - 17th all-time I would say there is some good competition in the 10th every year.

Best in the mountains... 57th - Johnson Central, Paintsville, Lawrence County, Sheldon Clark, and Magoffin County

85 and 83 from 60'6"? JUGS gun? Just curious. The only pitcher in the 14th that consistently threw in the low - mid 80s legitimately last year was Quentin Morgan.

53rd, 54th, and 55th do not seed...any of those teams could have to play each other before the district championship with the blind draw.

Bull was an asst. under his dad before he took the head coaching job. Over the last nine years Wolfe County has appeared in the regional tournament 8 times! Only Perry Central has been there more often. Six of the eight years the Wolves reached at least the semi-finals and were regional runner-up in 2001 to Hazard. In that same span Owsley County won 3 class a regional championships and reached the regional semi-finals twice. Powell County reached the semi-finals twice, and won a regional title (the 56th has not been that bad). I think most teams in the region would be happy to have coach Creech. Don't be surprised if they win the 55th and sneak into the regional semi-finals again. Look at the Riherds scoreboard from past years. The Wolves rarely had a winning record going into the post season.

Hammonds did the same thing in 2000, didn't pitch Craft, KCC loses 3-2 in a game they should have won....it happens to everyone.

If you are playing to win the region you have to make tough choices about pitching. The pitching was not that bad, held KCC to four runs. Coach Combs can't go out and field ground balls, or hit for them. Lee County is always well prepared.

Nothing to do with luck. Hammonds, Todd, and JK Smith could flat out play. Regional champs in 2000, 2002, runner-up in 2001. They played Hazard great games in '03 and '04 in the opening game of the tournament, and all three of the district championship games from 2003-2005 could have gone either way. KCC beat them 4-3 in the regional last year, but if they played 10 times, Lee County would beat them 9. That's just baseball. KCC played a great game, and got a great pitching performance.

1. Morgan, Leslie Co. 2. Osborne, Lee Co. 3. Couch, PCC 4. Muncie, Powell Co. 5. T. Smith, KCC Thomas, Lee Co. Davidson, Buckhorn Hoskins, Hazard Bowling, PCC Stamper, Wolfe Co. Smith, Owsley Co. Haynes, Hazard

RHP- Morgan, Leslie - Couch, PCC - Osborne, Lee - Smith, Owsley LHP- T.Smith, KCC 1B- C.Hall, KCC - King, Powell - Haynes, Hazard 2B- Napier, PCC SS- Hendrix, Leslie - Muncie, Powell - Hicks, Hazard - Stamper, Wolfe 3B- Bowling, PCC - Hoskins, Hazard C- Baker, Leslie - B.Smith, KCC - Bowling, Owsley OF- Thomas, Lee Co. OF- Davidson, Buckhorn *Couch, Osborne, and Smith all are good shorstops too *Muncie, Hicks, Stamper, Davidson, Thomas, both Bowlings, Haynes, Hendrix, and Hoskins all pitch

Was Steve a co-coach with his dad for a couple of years before he retired? I would say he might have 11 years in too. Meehan was helping Combs (Hazard) in 1997, he got the KCC job in 1998, so that would only be 8 years for him as a head coach. I think the rest are right.

1997- Randy McCoy and Joey Thacker coached E. City 1990- Paintsville won the state championship

You are probably right. I would say Dixon is second only to Hammonds in wins and regional titles in the 14th. Meehan hasn't been a head coach as long as Dixon or Combs. I would guesstimate that Combs would probably be third in wins among active coaches, and Meehan fourth. Not for sure.

I think Hammonds has won 6, last coming in 1993. He won four in five years from 1989-1993, with the 1991 team winning the sectional tournament and reaching the final four. Coach Combs, Hazard had a string of regional titles in the mid-'90s with his 1995 team winning the sectional and reaching the final four too. I think Meehan helped him then.

Russell Melton, Leslie County does a great job. #1 seed in the 54th 3 of the last 4 years. Regional runner-up 2003, lost in the semi-finals last year 5-4. Leslie County has to be one of the favorites to win the region in 2006 (8 returning starters). They have been in the thick of things for the past five years.

With Buckhorn much improved (lost to PCC by 4 last night) the 54th district will be tough to get out of. Leslie County, Perry Central, or Hazard would all have legitimate shots at winning three in a row in the 14th if they get out. Alot will depend on the draws in the 53rd, 54th, and 55th since none of these districts seed. There is a possiblility that KCC, LCC, and JBS could all end up in the same half of the bracket in the 53rd, leaving Cordia and Jenkins playing for a spot in the regional tournament. Either Jackson, Wolfe County, or Breathitt County will get to play Riverside for a trip to the regional tournament, the other two will play each other. There are no teams that are a sure thing to get out of the district.

In the 14th - Knott Central is the best place to watch a baseball game with the roofed grand stand. Hazard now has lights and has improved their playing surface. Lee County has the nicest playing surface infield/outfield, lots of TLC there. Honorable mention: Buckhorn, PCC, Estill County, Breathitt County, Leslie County, Cordia, Powell County, June Buchanan (ALC's field) Many nice facilities to play baseball in the 14th.

I think you have to throw Hazard in the mix. They return the majority of their team from 2005 that only lost to PCC (eventual regional champ) 6-4 in the district. Several of their kids played all summer and in the fall. Olinger was a starter on the '04 regional championship team, and is a senior. He may return after sitting out last year.