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Just wondering what you guys think about the 8th region. I think it should be a pretty fun an competitive year. Here is my two cents for what it is worth. 29th - I think this is probably the toughest district in the region this year. Oldham and South both return a lot of talent from last year. South also returns some key guys from injury. I think the winner of the region could come from those two. I know North Returns talent and is always solid. I just think they lost too much pitching off last years team. 30th - Another tough district that I think is wide open this year. All 4 teams are capable of winning that district. I think Anderson and Collins are a little down from the past few year but will still be very solid. Collins probably has the best number 1 in the district with McDonald. I think Shelby maybe the team to beat in the district this year. They have a lot of talent returning off of a very solid team last year. Spencer also returns a lot of talent and could be a tough out in the first round with Lambdin on the heel. 31st - This district is interesting to me. They are typically the weakest in the region but have some good players and teams returning. Owen is probably the favorite this year with the addition of Dunaway from Trimble which gives them another good arm to add to everyone returning. Henry has pretty much their whole team back from a team that nearly shocked South in the first round of the region last year. Carroll has been the best in the district the last couple of years. They lost one of their big pitchers but returns the other one a long with a lot of talent. Gallatin has a new coach and pretty much returns their whole team. 32nd - I think this is Simon's to lose. They lost talent to graduation but do return some pitching and have a lot of young talent to choose from. They also have experience from two previous deep regions runs. Grant lost their stud from last year. Walton Verona has some returners back but I am not sure there pitching is there to be a legit region contender. Williamstown had their best season in a while last year and were fairly young. Your thoughts?

By Terry Boehmker NKy Tribune sports reporter Simon Kenton sophomore guard Ally Niece was voted Division I Player of the Year by Northern Kentucky girls’ basketball coaches for the second consecutive year. Simon Kenton sophomore Ally Niece Niece is averaging a team-high 21.2 points and shooting 49.4 percent (179 of 362) from the field for the Pioneers who have a 22-5 record going into the 8th Region tournament this week. She also surpassed the 2,000-point mark in career scoring this season. The other Player of the Year awards will go to Newport Central Catholic senior guard Ansley Davenport in Division II and Bellevue senior guard Kira Ross in Division III. Davenport was the top scorer on the NewCath team that won the 9th Region All “A” Classic and made it to the semifinals of the small-school state tournament. Ross led her Bellevue team to its first Division III conference title since 1981 by averaging 13 points and nine rebounds per game. The recipients of Coach of the Year awards will be Tommy Sorrell of Bellevue and Bev Smith of Silver Grove in Division III, George Stoll of NewCath in Division II and Beau Menefee of Campbell County in Division I. The top players selected in each division will be honored during the coaches association awards banquet at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 7 at Receptions in Erlanger. Winners of the Defensive Award, Miss Hustle and Academic Award in each division will also be recognized. Here are the top players in each division chosen by the coaches with the Player of Year listed first along with the other award-winners: DIVISION I Ally Niece (Simon Kenton), Lexi Held (Cooper), Mallory Schwartz (Ryle), Anna Clephane (Scott), Jenna Martin (Notre Dame), Carly Lange (Ryle), Brooke Davis (Dixie Heights), Kaela Saner (Boone County), Taylor Gambrel (Conner), Lexi Stapleton (Scott), Taylor Clos (Campbell County), Taylor Jolly (Campbell County). Defensive Award – Mackenzie Schwarber (Campbell County) Miss Hustle – Lexi Held (Cooper) Coach of the Year – Beau Menefee (Campbell County) DIVISION II Ansley Davenport (NewCath), Hailey Ison (Walton-Verona), Brianna Adler (Highlands), Ally Johnson (Beechwood), Dajah McClendon (Holy Cross), Emily Schultz (Brossart), Tyrah Englemn (Holmes), Zoie Barth (Highlands), Jynea Harris (Holmes), Kylia Orr (Newport), Shamaya Behanan (Lloyd), Morgan Simpson (Walton-Verona). Defensive Award – Dajah McClendon (Holmes) Miss Hustle – Laila Johnson (Holmes), Olivia Schalk (NewCath) Coach of the Year – George Stoll (NewCath) DIVISION III Kira Ross (Bellevue), Lexie Aytes (Villa Madonna), Courtney Schmits (Bellevue), Lindsey Trimnell (Dayton), Megan Downard (Dayton), Haley Warndorf (Ludlow), Haley Turner (Ludlow), Madison Perry (Villa Madonna), Reagan Atwood (Bellevue), Rebekah Fryman (Calvary Christian), Reba Sanders (Dayton), Brooklyn Smith (Silver Grove), Sarah Ernst (Villa Madonna). Defensive Award — Megan Downard (Dayton) Miss Hustle – Haley Turner (Ludlow), Abby Hengge (Villa Madonna) Coaches of the Year – Tommy Sorrell (Bellevue), Bev Smith (Silver Grove)

In a fractious year such as this when voter turnout figures to be very low, I can't think of a better time for the Libertarian Party to make a run for legitimacy. All that is needed is 5 percent of the vote, which should be attainable in such a year as this. I see a lot of people upset with the available options from the D and R side, and a great deal of frustration overall with the process. It's what drove me into the Independent camp about 6-7 years ago. I couldn't muster myself to cast a vote in 2008, and that didn't seem right. In '12, I went ahead and went with Gary Johnson so at least I could feel better about myself. The best way to show your frustration is for a mass amount of people to cast protest votes so as to get a viable third party into the mix that could call the other two sides out on how they've both mucked it up so badly. Even if you don't agree with all of his positions, by getting a third party a seat at the table you can hold the D's and R's feet to the fire.

We know that earlier in the school year the Purples won the 5A State Championship on the gridiron. Some feel there is a chance that the Purples basketball team (mostly Juniors!) can do the same. Anyone know of some schools in the bluegrass that has captured both football and basketball championships in the same year? Crazy thought: It MAY happen this year AND next year!