gogold

4 minutes ago, pioneer42 said:

I will be there. I actually sat above their bench last year kinda close to the top. Is their a JV game that day that you know of?? Was last year.

I believe there is one.

1 hour ago, pioneer42 said:

She would have been a great coach at Freed no doubt, but I would bet she has too much Loretto blood in her to want go any where else. I like her style in being a Godly person and her being a deciple. We at GC have the same beliefs and teachings. Do think girls basketball in Tennessee gets an A+ for having good coaches and people in place who love the game and love kids not Just their team but all teams and keeps ball going most of the year with camps, play days and leagues for all ages of kids and schools. A kid now days has multiple opportunities to show their talents and get better if they want to play basketball. 

Amen on all those statements !  Hope to get to see you in person Friday.  There's a usually a few seats behind the girls bench.  That's where my clan sets.   Come on over !

13 hours ago, pioneer42 said:

I knew they knew each other from Freed. Didn’t know the details. Ashley knows quite a few in West Tennessee. Her and one of our players from the 2019 championship team are pretty good friends. I like Ashley. She seems like a great family person with good values. 

I think that playing at Freed and being in the coaches circle, she has got to know a lot of different people.  She respects the style of girls basketball played in west Tennessee and their coaches.  She's easy to get to know and like.  What you see, is what you get with her.  She's a very Godly person and it shows in how she treats people.  She's highly competitive and had good coaches to help her along the way.   She likes beating you better than a fat man likes chocolate cake.  Freed-Hardeman talked to her after Dale left, but she loves coaching girls high school basketball.

5 hours ago, pioneer42 said:

Ashley played at Freed with South Gibson’s last coach I am pretty sure Do know they are great friends and they both played at Freed at some point. Ashley sent one of our players that blew out a knee a letter in 2020. Same player broke her ankle game before Loretto in 2019 at state. Thought that was very classy of her. She is friends with some GC fans and former players. She is obviously a great coach and has built a powerhouse. 

I assume you maybe talking about Carla Wyatt.  She was an assistant coach at Freed for ole Dale Neal when Ashley started as a freshman.  Carla's youngest son has been battling health issues and she stepped away from coaching for the time being.  She was loved by the team when she coached at Freed.   Carla was a really good player for Freed.

13 hours ago, pioneer42 said:

That is what blows my mind. Lawrence County was her home. She does a lot for her girls and treats them really good. Pushing them around days are over. If she stays there a while she will have a major powerhouse. They have a Middle Tennessee type real estate market and have lots of people moving in. Ashley has some history around here too. She played ball at Freed and her and the last South Gibson coach are I think old teammates at Freed and great friends. 

Ashley and Catie were teammates at Lawrence County Highschool.  Ashley played and Freed-Hardeman and Katie at Lipscomb.  They are good friends and ex-teammates.  

5 minutes ago, pioneer42 said:

No doubt. Amazing how these teams have reloaded. Especially Loretto. I agree that they are a different animal. I will be the first to tell you I am really impressed with how Loretto has reloaded. Didn’t think they would be this dominant before the season since y’all lost 3 pretty good players. Same with Westview. Players that have stepped in for both squads are really good players and some are Freshman. From what I understand, y’all’s younger programs are loaded too. Look forward to watching y’all. It is going by too quick. Ours has been out 2 years and we still hate her career is over. It goes by fast. I will post on this site the day of and I will probably wear a red GC pullover and will be easy to spot. Hopefully I will get to meet some of y’all. 

Sounds like a plan.  Would love to meet ya !

40 minutes ago, pioneer42 said:

Appreciate it. I will be there providing I am in good health. I will post on this thread the day of. 

It's always good to see good clean rivals go at it and appreciate good girls basketball.  The last 4 years to see Loretto, Gibson County, Summertown, Greenfield, McKenzie, Westview, Huntingdon, and others in these areas love their teams an good basketball.   Good luck the rest of the way to all.  I will say this is a special Loretto squad.  I've watch Lawrence County basketball for years and seen some state champs and state runners up at Lawrence County High and Summertown High, this Loretto team holds no backseat to any of these great teams and coaches.

Anytime you beat Summertown at their place, it's a very good win.  I'll give Summertown credit, when they got down 20 they could have mailed it in, they bowed their back and played some good basketball to pull within 13.  This Loretto team is really good and they seem to be on a mission.

1 hour ago, pioneer42 said:

Who y’all got tomm.??? Sounds like a nice tournament. Always nice and festive when your winning right??

Knox  Central, Kentucky

Best team we've played so far.  JSS will get after you defensively and the refs let them play.  I think JSS will be in the state this year.  They have speed and then some.  It was a good team for Loretto to play.  We made too many turnovers, but our kids will learn from this and get better.  The first 2 games have been like what will be happening if you get to the Glass House !

This kid is such a hard worker and I'm looking forward to seeing her in that McDonalds uniform !   Congrats Karly !  She's playing some really good ball this year.

29 minutes ago, pioneer42 said:

Amazing what the Loretto’s, Summertown’s, Westview’s and Gibson County’s are doing year end year out with their programs. Hard to win the state and is a blessing when you do, but these four are pretty consistent of having a really good product on the floor. These four have been very consistent the last several years. Loretto will be a handful for a while looks like. Lots of talent there. 

You are oh so right about these programs.  The amazing thing is 3 of them were 1-A last year and they have not missed a beat moving up to 2-A this year.  Good luck moving forward !

 One of the reasons Loretto has been successful this year is because of the team chemistry.  This team knows each other and the system they are coached to run.  Karly is the straw that stirs the drink, but anyone of the other 4 starters can score and this team has no problem with that.  There's no jealously on this team.  They just want the W and if you want to double down on Karly they'll find the open man and she will score.  All of our starters are about double digit scoring average.  This has been a joy to watch them play the game of basketball.   I do not want to discount the bench, because they don't just take up minutes, but they produce when on the floor.

Loretto looking good,  Karly has gone to another level.  The team around her is humming and Coach Rutledge must be feeling good at this point in the season.  

1 hour ago, Jaychapman said:

Fine line on big players from overdoing and not calling enough / she’s had it both ways ( especially at State last year ) got to play with what refs give you - hope she’s finally figured it out 

We can blame refs all we want, but players got to figure out what refs will allow and will not allow.  They can play accordingly and we don't have to make excuses for why we win or why we lose.

25 minutes ago, GHSLadyDevils said:

Prayers up for that young lady! 

Thank  you very much !

Finished strong last week and the Lady Mustangs  had a really great camp.   Our seniors were playing lights out,  Ally Weathers will be really good, reserve guards could start for a lot of teams,  and young post players were playing big since Fisher went down.  Word came back that Fisher has a ACL tear and surgery will be required.  Please keep her in your prayers.

Catie speaks her mind and some people can't handle that kind of personality.  She'll do good things at South Gibson.  I believe Carla Wyatt would have done some good things there at South Gibson if her son had not gotten sick.  We need to pray for her son Brett.  He's struggling with his cancer treatments right now.

18 minutes ago, pioneer42 said:

Good luck to her and prayers for her!! Ours had a torn ACL. Wasn’t a starter, but would have played some. We went undefeated at Bethel beating an elite 8 team Bowling Green that was good and a good Arkansas team. Went to Murray State and varsity went 1-2. Lost both games by single digits and played some higher class teams that were huge girls. Both teams that beat us were tall, athletic and very quick. This is the best summer actually so far Gibson County has had in a while. We haven’t been pushed around this summer like we have in the past. Got a Missouri camp tomm., UTM Friday, MTSU and Missouri next week. MTSU will be interesting. 

Thanks and hope your player has a quick recovery.  We end up our camp games on Friday in Good Hope Alabama.  We'll play some of State of Alabama's top state teams.  I think Rogers and Good Hope is who we will play.

Loretto's having a good week.  Wins over Upperman, Cookeville, Lauderdale County, Deshlar, Notre Dame, and Antioch.  Our post player will get her MRI on Friday, but young post players are really stepping up in her absence.  I really like the way this team is playing right now.

1 hour ago, pioneer42 said:

Gibson County was very impressive. Beat CPA by 15 as we got off to a slow start and was down 8-0 early, but took control of the game before half and was up by 18 with 10 minutes left and played every player but 2. CPA very scrappy and a tough Middle Tennessee team. We beat Goodpasture by 34 but they are very talented and a team that could be dangerous when they figure it all out as they are young. Have three solid players as one sat out quite a bit with an injury but we played the entire team and was in control throughout. Last but not least we beat Ensworth by 15 as we played one of the more solid games I have seen them play. Ensworth was the best team we played as they are loaded most every year and have won multiple titles, much like Riverdale. Gibson County much deeper this year as they have players that have stepped up during spring ball and that is a good thing because it will make players play harder with competition behind them. But will be a fun year. No doubt Loretto will be tough and will likely be the number 1 team in the polls and deservingly. Always tough and got a lot pieces coming back and adding young talent. And they are well coached. 

No surprise here, I knew Gibson was going to be tough and they are well coached.  They put a spanking on some teams today !  Thanks for the update and keep them coming.  It's hard to believe we're already getting basketball going for the new year.  Be safe in your travels.  Our post player is done for the summer and will be getting a MRI when swelling goes down.  We are hopeful only a MCL sprain.

12 hours ago, pioneer42 said:

Headed to Nashville to watch Gibson County in the morning. They are playing a ton and have played really good with their backups. Softball girls have missed a ton and have only played 1 tournament and that is five  players in their rotation. I know they beat Melbourne, AR last week who won title in 2019 and beat Riverside by 25 who was runner up in 2019. I will know more tomm. 

Good luck and keep us updated !

Loretto's  games have been at MTSU and UNA this week.    We beat very good PCA and Webb schools in close games.  I think both of these teams will have a good chance be in the state again.  At UNA we beat Pontonoc, Mississippi team by 52 and Belmont, Mississippi by 50.  We finished up with Lauderdale, Alabama and won by 30.   Loretto looks better than I thought they may at this point.  This could be best team in the last 4 years at Loretto.  Karly and sister Ally will be tough to handle, but Buttrum,  Laney Weathers, and the Clifton sisters Julie and J. B. have all jumped their game.   Our post player Fisher hurt her knee and we hope it's only a sprain, but was playing great before the injury.  This team can get after you defensively and can put up a lot of points on the board.  We head to Lebanon, Summitt, Lauderdale, and Good Hope to finish out summer games next week.  

5 hours ago, buddyball said:

Just Think she still has one more year

Little sister will be with her too !

11 hours ago, tradertwo said:

I can contribute only one thing to this conversation that is fact and not opinion...Evan Russell grew up a Tennessee fan, and always said that given his choice of anyplace to play, it would be Knoxville. He did not have his pick of any school he wanted, but the school he wanted to play for wanted him. Evan is the type of young man who would work and play his heart out for wherever he was, but I can guarantee you that it just means a little more for him to put on that orange jersey and the cap with the big power "T". 

Amen !