Eddie

Well said coach. Who was the kid who pitched for Ravenwood? I thought she was pretty good.

My brother played for Louis Thompson at Lebanon. He and his teammates would do anything, and I mean ANYTHING, for the man. He inspires young men to be the very best they can be. If we had more leaders like "Louie", we'd have better citizens in this world.

I didn't realize it until I looked it up, but Icelyn's 29 was a season-high. She also had a 27 point night vs. White County during the regular season. She's averaging 20.4 per game. Insell is getting another good one.

Icelyn Elie finished with 29 points (including two 3-pointers) and 10 rebounds, despite fouling out with 1:40 to play. LHS guard Shay Coggins was 13-of-14 at the line, including 9-of-10 in the fourth quarter.

Will Coach Goolsby bring his three and four wide shotgun package to Macon County?

Del, will they allow you to shoot from inside the dugout? If not, perhaps stacking a couple of those plastic milk boxes would make for decent elevation. In a pinch, you might grab a plastic bucket from the dugout and flip it over.

UPDATE -- The Easton Synergy arrived three days after making the order. He loves it. Been taking a lot of dry cuts with it, using a heavier wood bat for inside drills. At $129 delivered, I think we swung a pretty good deal, saving roughly $100.

Thanks for the comments as well as the links. VERY HELPFUL exchange of ideas! I took the plunge and ordered the Easton online from Just Bats.Com. Took him to the cage today (inside) and hit many buckets of whiffle and rubber balls with a wood bat.

Sorry guys -- I miss-typed. The easton bat in question is a 2008 model. Keep the reviews coming.

My son is moving up from the youth leagues to junior high baseball and he wants a new bat. I think this will be a big step for him as he had been using a drop-10 in the Dixie "O-Zone" League. I found what appears to be a pretty good deal at Just Bats on an Easton Synergy: BSN1. It's a 31"-28 oz. two & 5/8's barrell for $129 delivered. I understand it's a 2008 model, but I'm not willing to pay $300 - $400 for a bat until I know he can make regular contact at this level. My first car cost $375. What do you guys think about this model?

I predict a sellout. Will ADVANCE tickets be available? I'd hate to be stuck in line outside waiting to purchase tickets.

What is the status of Tuesday's night game vs. Lebanon. LHS was up 61-29 in the first half when the roof sprung a leak. They sent everyone home.

Several mid-state FB coaches as well as dozens of officials visited with Brenda Wednesday. Thanks to all for your concern. His striped shirt was displayed next to the casket. Here's what the OVC commissioner had to say . . . "Our deepest condolences go out to Charlie??™s family," said Dr. Jon A. Steinbrecher, Commissioner of the Ohio Valley Conference. "Charlie did a tremendous job as an OVC football official and he will be greatly missed."

Twenty-five year OVC and 30-year TSSAA football official Charlie Kolbe, 64, of Lebanon died Tuesday, Dec. 30 after a long battle with Alzheimer??™s Disease. A native of Lebanon, he was beloved by his officiating pals and former football teammates at Lebanon High. Ligon & Bobo Funeral home is handling the arrangements. Visitation Wednesday, Dec. 31 2-8 p.m. and Thursday from 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. Service at 11 a.m. Thursday. Burial at Wilson County Memorial Gardens. He leaves behind his wfie of 41 years Brenda Locke Kolbe, two sisters and four brothers.

Please allow me to echo the sentiments of 2priceless. MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone on these boards. Have a safe and enjoyable time with the family. Thanks as always to Coach T for making this community of fans possible. PEACE!

Fomer Mt. Juliet High QB Levi Brown was at the controls Sunday night for Troy in an overtime loss to Southern Miss in the New Orleans Bowl. Brown was the Sunbelt Conference Newcomer of the Year.

Bring back Ralph Overton!

Does it takes fewer teachers to handle the student body on a four block day than it would for a 5 or 6 period day? Seems to me block might be a money issue. Also, with new requirements for 28 credits to graduate, the block schedule allows for a possible 32-credits in 4 years. Couldn't some students earn their 28 by Christmas of their senior year and graduate early -- thus hurting the average daily attendance? How is in-school lifting handled in Sumner and Rutherford counties?

You've raised an excellent point. Sumner County administrators have figured out a way for their kids to earn 28 credits in four years and still have an in-school athletic period. Can't Wilson County folks figure this one out? If programs are going to be competitive -- THEY MUST GET IN THE WEIGHTROOM.

Has there ever been talk of moving the varsity games from Boyce Smith Field to the "new" school. The playing surface seems very good, but the press box, rest rooms, concessions are certainly lacking. Does everyone in town (junior pro, etc.) play at Boyce Smith?

Corky played point guard for Belmont and stayed on as an assistant for a year or two under Coach Bandy before going into property management, then insurance. At Belmont, he was in charge of making sure former Father Ryan star Reggie Little went to class. Kip has retired from education and now does free lance work as a consultant to school systems. Speaking of Easterly, he went to Alabama-Huntsville and had a pretty good career, spent a lot of time recovering from injury. Remember Malcolm Manier? He was a JUCO All-American in Cincinnatti and went on to play two years at D1 Georgia State. Former Blue Devils Leon Love and longrange shooter Jamie Shannon both wound up at D2 Lincoln Memorial. Leon coaches the Wilson Central 9th graders now.

Here's a few guys from the 70s and 80s -- shooting guard Kip Puryear (Class of 73) who played at MTSU; point guard Corky Cross (Class of 75) who played at Belmont; forwards Nathanial McCarver & William Jennings (72) who helped take the Blue Devils to the 1972 semifinals of the state at Vandy -- I think both went to Juco; current Wilson Central coach Troy Bond who played at TSU. Several former Gibbs players were standout football guys -- LoHarrel Stevenson DE at MTSU; Danny Watkins Little AA LB at UT-Martin; Richard Rhodes 2-year starter in secondary at Cincinnati; Vincent Harris -- TE @ MTSU and TSU. The land for the new LHS has been purchased. Today's big hang-up is between the county commission and the school board is over funding the construction project. Commission has gone on record as opposing Hewlet-Spencer and the guaranteed maximum price. Several old-timers wanted a new building constructed on the existing LHS campus. Almost all the commission prefers hard bids. School board is in love with H-S for some reason. Much bickering and NO TURNING OF DIRT. If they started tomorrow -- it would be two, maybe three years before the kids could move in.

What will the Blackman coaching staff look like now that Shad is back? Will any of the present assistants be staying? Will Robbins go with him?

Looking from the outside, it appears there have been several coaching changes at MCHS over the past 10-15 years. Someone please list the head coaches over this time and how long each man stayed.

E5 King has an iron-clad contract at Watertown and cannot escape. In fact, they've got him in irons.