EARLE

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.

14th: Leslie County and Lee County If Lee Co. and Leslie Co. were to meet in the first round or drew into the same bracket, one of these teams would have a good shot: PCC, Hazard, KCC, Powell Co., Estill Co.

http://scoreboard.12dt.com/scoreboard/khsaa/kyba6

Didn't say that they had to win a regional championship...just get to the regional tournament and be competitive. There is a huge difference in being competitive and losing in the first game of the district tournament by 17 points (the team they lost to had beaten them by a grand total of 3 points in two games in the regular season, and lost their head coach along the way). Lee County lost 5 of their last 6 games in '05.

Pitino had taken Providence to the NCAA Final Four (1987), before he got to UK. It would be nice to see a 56th district team, maybe two, reach at least the regional semi-finals this year. I think Lee County and Estill County have the talent to get there. And with a good draw or an upset one of them could reach the finals. They (Lee County) have just not won the BIG game in the past is all I am saying. They will have their opportunity in the all "a" and the district. Besides district games, the regular season means nothing. If you don't seed, then even those games mean very little.

1997-'98 started out (7-1) split with all the district teams, lost in the first round of the district tournament to Owsley County. 1998-'99 started out (8-2) split with Wolfe and Owsley, beat Powell twice, lost in the first round of the district tournament to Wolfe County 52-47. Bottom line, this district has seeded for a long time (so most years you know several weeks in advance who you'll be playing). Lee County has been to the regional tournament once in the last 16 years, and that came in '97. They have had several teams good enough to at least get to the region.

Have they been to the regional tournament since Wright has been coaching there? Since there are only four teams in the 56th, then I assume they have lost in the first round of the district with talent every year too. What's the difference?

Seen Lee Co. play several times...same team as last year, everyone else lost more to graduation in the 14th...don't fool yourself it is still really early. It's easy to talk a good game, but until they play a couple of good games when it counts (class "a", district, and region) they are no better than all the other teams from Lee County over the past 16 years.

You said in an earlier post that Lee County was in the cellar... that may have been the case, but not 6 years ago coach Hutchins had them competing in the 14th also. What's the difference? I agree, they are competing in December and January (they did that when Hutchins was there), but the real games don't count until late Ferbruary, early March. That's all I was saying. Lee County was 10-12 points better than Owsley last year. I figure that will be about the spread when Smith is back. They had better hope that Owsley doesn't end up the four seed and them the one. Could be deja vu.

1. Perry Central 2. Hazard 3. Letcher Central 4. Lee County 5. Leslie County / Estill County

Dee Hutchins did a great job at Lee County in the late '90s...until coach Wright gets them into the regional tournament (which is not a given) and wins a couple of games, or wins the class "a" region, I don't think you can consider him that great of a coach or Lee County that good of a team. Last year top to bottom they were better than Owsley County. But lost to them in the all a after leading by a bunch, and then got embarrassed in the first game of the district tournament by an Owl team that had lost their head coach along the way.

I think you hit the nail on the head. Basketball is twice a week and Football is once a week. Baseball is six days out of the week. Basketball and Football games don't get rained out. There are usually no contracts exchanged in baseball, so if a team doesn't show up to play - because "they couldn't get a a bus" then there is no consequences to the school. I think another big reason is the lack of communication between coaches and the media outlets. Coaches don't tend to call in games, and it's usually a day late, at best, getting a score on the khsaa website.

Besides Patrick and Haynes Hazard lacked varsity experience last year. The year before he was on a 30 game winner with 8 or 9 seniors. I don't think he saw as many good pitches to hit last year compared to '04, because Hazard's line-up wasn't as strong. Teams could afford to pitch around him.

Quentin Morgan was the most dominant pitcher in the 14th as a junior, and was one of the top 3 as a sophomore (along with Williams and Sizemore of Hazard). I think Osborne and Couch are the next best. You could throw Stamper and Sparks (lefty) from Wolfe County in the mix too. Hendrix is probably the best hitter, with Osborne, Muncie, and Thomas being the next best.

42nd has to be the toughest district in the state, with the 9th district coming in second (Owensboro, Apollo, Daviess County, Owensboro Catholic). All five teams in the 42nd will probably be in the top 25 at some time during the 2006 season.