Kickoff time for Danville’s football game Friday at Lexington Christian has been moved up 30 minutes to 7 p.m.
The move allows former LCA and current Mercer County coach Paul Rains join his son Austin, an LCA linebacker, for his senior night ceremony, then get to Harrodsburg in time for Mercer’s game against Boyle County, which is scheduled for 8 p.m.
Semifinal games that are now scheduled for Thursday in the girls 15th Region soccer tournament have been moved from Somerset to Boyle County’s Rebel Stadium.
That decision was made this morning after it was determined that heavy rain that has fallen since Tuesday night and was expected to continue into Thursday would make Somerset’s Clara Morrow Field unplayable.
The games will be played on Boyle’s artificial turf, beginning with Mercer County vs. Somersat at 6 p.m. and followed by Pulaski County vs. Boyle County at 8 p.m.
The championship game, which has been pushed back to Saturday, could also be played at Boyle. Boyle girls coach Brian Deem said a decision will be made by noon Friday as to whether the field at Somerset will be playable for Saturday’s final. If not, it will be moved to Boyle.
The boys and girls 15th Region soccer tournaments were postponed tonight due to thunderstorms, and semifinal games in both tournaments have been pushed back to Thursday.
The Mercer County and Lincoln County boys teams were pulled off the field during warmups at Danville’s Reynolds Field when officials spotted lightning in the distance, and Danville officials called the two scheduled games after a delay of about 45 minutes as lightning and rain moved in.
The delay was not so long in the girls tournament at Somerset’s Clara Morrow Field, but the result was the same as the games were called before the Mercer-Somerset game began.
The forecast for Wednesday is for continued rain, colder temperatures and high winds, but no games will be played today.
Both tournaments will now begin on Thursday, with games at the same time they were scheduled for Tuesday. The championships in both tournaments will be Saturday, with both games starting at 7 p.m.
Here is the revised schedule:
15th Region Tournaments
BOYS
At Reynolds Field, Danville
Thursday, Oct. 20
Semifinals
Mercer County (15-2-2) vs. Lincoln County (13-5-1), 6 p.m.
Pulaski County (6-13-1) vs. Danville (9-8-1), 8 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 22
Championship
Mercer County-Lincoln County winner vs. Pulaski County-Danville winner, 7 p.m.
GIRLS
At Clara Morrow Field, Somerset
Thursday, Oct. 20
Semifinals
Mercer County (16-3-1) vs. Somerset (7-12-1), 6 p.m.
Pulaski County (15-5) vs. Boyle County (14-2-3), 8 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 22
Championship
Mercer County-Somerset winner vs. Pulaski County-Boyle County winner, 7 p.m.
Someone has dropped the soccer ball, because the local boys and girls regional tournaments are being played simultaneously rather than concurrently this week.
The two 15th Region tournaments, which consist of only three games each, have utilized an alternating schedule for the past several years, with one tournament playing on Monday and Wednesday and the other on Tuesday and Thursday. For reasons that are not completely clear but that are completely unacceptable, that isn’t happening this week at Danville (boys) and Somerset (girls).
There’s no reason why the coaches within the region can’t put their heads together and agree long before next year’s playoffs on a rotating, alternating schedule that can be used every year for as long as the current alignment lasts. That won’t help matters this year, but it will allow them to avoid repeating a situation that can only hurt them at the gate.
Rant’s over now. Here are the schedules for this week’s regionals:
BOYS SOCCER
15th Region Tournament
At Reynolds Field, Danville
Tuesday, Oct. 18
Semifinals
Mercer County (15-2-2) vs. Lincoln County (13-5-1), 6 p.m.
Pulaski County (6-13-1) vs. Danville (9-8-1), 8 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 20
Championship
Mercer County-Lincoln County winner vs. Pulaski County-Danville winner, 7 p.m.
* * *
GIRLS SOCCER
15th Region Tournament
At Clara Morrow Field, Somerset
Tuesday, Oct. 18
Semifinals
Mercer County (16-3-1) vs. Somerset (7-12-1), 6 p.m.
Pulaski County (15-5) vs. Boyle County (14-2-3), 8 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 20
Championship
Mercer County-Lincoln County winner vs. Pulaski County-Danville winner, 7 p.m.
* * *
VOLLEYBALL
12th Region Tournament
At Wayne County
First Round
Monday, Oct. 17
Garrard County (9-20) vs. Casey County (20-14), 6 p.m.
Pulaski County (27-8) vs. McCreary Central (30-7), 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 18
Lincoln County (22-10) vs. Burgin (24-9), 6 p.m.
Wayne County (27-10) vs. Southwestern (29-8), 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 19
Semifinals
Garrard County-Casey County winner vs. Pulaski County-McCreary Central winner, 6 p.m.
Lincoln County-Burgin winner vs. Wayne County-Southwestern winner, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 20
Championship
Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.
Here are tonight’s final scores from around the Advoplex:
And here are next week’s area games (all games Friday, Oct. 21):
Three weeks ago, Lincoln County was just about done. The Patriots were 0-5 and 0h-so-close to going off the rails.
But look at them now, sitting at 3-5 and in a first-place tie in District 5A-7. It’s an impressive about-face, and it gives considerable meaning to their home finale tonight against Southwestern, the very team they are tied with. With only one district game remaining after tonight, the winner will have the inside track to the title and the home playoff games that go with it.
This is a game Southwestern will be expected to win, because right from the start the Warriors looked like the team to beat in this district. But the very fact that Lincoln finds itself in such a game after its dismal first half is an achievement in itself.
Which is not to say that the Patriots couldn’t prevail. They’re getting better by the week these days, especially when it comes to running the ball, and they’re facing a team that has seen its share of trouble this season with the sudden resignation of coach Dale Anderson. That happened just over three weeks ago as well, and former Casey County head coach Andy Stephens has gone 3-0 as interim coach since Anderson stepped down.
Southwestern can light up a scoreboard with the best of them, so Lincoln will have its hands full tonight in Death Valley. But now that the Patriots are on the rise, who knows how high they’ll climb?
Another team on the rise is Garrard County, which is coming off its second overtime win of the season and has a chance to effectively lock up the 3A-5 title and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a home win over Western Hills. Look for the Golden Lions to take care of business and start pointing toward the postseason.
Elsewhere, Danville’s bid to bounce back from a disappointing loss to Somerset could be hurt by pass-happy Middlesboro, whose offense specializes in what the Admirals’ defense isn’t that good at stopping; Boyle County has had two weeks to stew over its loss to Lexington Catholic, and Marion County will have to pay a price for that; Mercer County has a good chance to make it three wins in a row by winning at Taylor County; and Casey County should get back on track in a non-district game at struggling Metcalfe County.
The predictions:
Last week: 3-2; season: 34-6 (.850).
The postseason begins Monday in boys and girls soccer and volleyball. Here are the district tournament schedules for Advocate-area teams:
BOYS SOCCER
29th District
At Danville
Monday, Oct. 10
First Round
Taylor County vs. Boyle County, 6 p.m.
Garrard County vs. Marion County, 8 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 11
Semifinals
Taylor County-Boyle County winner vs. Mercer County, 6 p.m.
Garrard County-Marion County winner vs. Danville, 8 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 13
Championship
Semifinal winners, 6 p.m.
30th District
At Lincoln County
Monday, Oct. 10
First Round
Monticello vs. Pulaski County, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 11
Semifinals
Monticello-Pulaski County winner vs. Somerset, 6 p.m.
Lincoln County vs. Southwestern, 8 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 13
Championship
Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.
———
GIRLS SOCCER
29th District
At Boyle County
Monday, Oct. 10
First Round
Taylor County vs. Danville, 6 p.m.
Marion County vs. Garrard County, 8 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 11
Semifinals
Taylor County-Danville winner vs. Mercer County, 6 p.m.
Marion County-Garrard County winner vs. Boyle County, 8 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 13
Championship
Semifinal winners, 6 p.m.
30th District
At Somerset
Monday, Oct. 10
First Round
Wayne County vs. Somerset, 6 p.m.
McCreary Central vs. Pulaski County, 8 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 11
Semifinals
Wayne County-Somerset winner vs. Lincoln County, 6 p.m.
McCreary Central-Pulaski County winner vs. Southwestern, 8 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 13
Championship
Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.
———
VOLLEYBALL
45th District
At Lincoln County
Monday, Oct. 10
Semifinal
Boyle County vs. Casey County, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 11
Championship
Boyle County-Casey County winner vs. Lincoln County, 7 p.m.
46th District
At Burgin
Wednesday, Oct. 12
Semifinals
Mercer County vs. Burgin, 6 p.m.
Danville vs. Garrard County, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 13
Championship
Danville-Garrard County winner vs. Mercer County-Burgin winner, 7 p.m.
Here are tonight’s final scores from around the Advoplex:
And here are next week’s area games (all games Friday, Oct. 14):
It just seems right that Danville and Somerset are in the same district again. After all, this is almost certainly the oldest rival Danville has, with the history of meetings between the two schools going back to their very beginnings.
The Admirals and Briar Jumpers haven’t played in every one of the last 100 years, but they have played in many, if not most of them. And while their shared history is dotted with a few stains of bad blood, those days seem to be long gone, as evidenced by the fact that the teams have played six times in the eight years since they were last required to play as district rivals.
Tonight they play their first district game against each other since 2002, and like so many of the Danville-Somerset games before it, it comes with subplots. Both teams are trying to establish themselves as the team to beat in District 2A-7, Danville will be trying to avenge two lopsided losses to Somerset in the last two seasons and Somerset is looking to stop a current three-game losing streak.
And even though both teams still have to deal with Lexington Christian and Middlesboro, neither of those teams is setting the world on fire, so it looks more and more like this game will be the one that decides the district championship.
That might also be the case tonight in Paris, where Garrard County plays Bourbon County in a matchup of the only teams that haven’t yet lost in 3A-5. Garrard is on a role but will have its hands full with Bourbon star Kentayvous Hopkins, the state’s leading rusher at 305 yards per game.
And while there will be no district title on the line tonight in Liberty, Casey County and Wayne County are still playing for something. If the rest of the race in 3A-4 shakes out as expected (that is, if Casey can’t beat Corbin and Wayne can’t beat Bell County), the loser of this game will face a first-round playoff game at defending 3A champion Central.
Elsewhere, Lincoln County could strengthen its bid for one of the top two spots in 5A-7 and extend its winning streak to three games with a victory at South Laurel, and Mercer County could build its first winning streak since the start of the 2010 season with a home win over Marion County. Boyle County is off.
The predictions:
Last week: 5-0; season 31-4 (.886).
Brian Deem is returning to the Boyle County softball program as the Lady Rebels’ head coach, the Advocate’s Hal Morris reported today.
Deem, who previously coached the team for one season and has also worked as an assistant coach at Centre College, replaces Chris Lemonds, who became Boyle’s athletic director in 2009 and resigned as softball coach after the 2010 season because of the demands of his AD position.
Deem is also Boyle’s girls soccer coach.
