wildcat2004

kwright, i could not have said this any better. i am so proud of these young ladies and the many ways they use their God-given talent to represent their school, community and fans. these young ladies have been through a lot together over many years of basketball, and i definitely could not imagine finding a group of young ladies more deserving. Good luck Monday night, Lady Cats! We are there for yall all the way! Go get 'em! I'll take my Lady Cats by 3

Though the number of students at the game was smaller than most would have hoped, the students who did come definitely made their presence known. I've been in a lot of gyms over the years, but no other comes anywhere close to the atmosphere at Ralph Benson Memorial Gymnasium. From the band playing to the student section cheering to the dedicated fans encouraging the players, the atmosphere couldn't get any better for a high school girls' basketball game. The pep bus is a great idea, and I could just see the excitement of the student section when the idea was presented. I definitely agree that it would be great if we were able to provide transportation to all those students that were eager to come Monday night. The Lawrence County student section does a great job encouraging the Lady Cats, so hopefully they'll pack Siegel out Monday night cheerin for our girls!

Never once did I doubt the number of times the Golden Eaglettes have won the 8AAA Championship or the tradition at Shelbyville, but that gives them no right to any more respect than any other team in 8AAA. The young ladies on every other team in the district, region, and state work hard to earn their respect the same as the Eaglettes. Oh, and where in my 'public address' did you find me calling Shelbyville the Lady Eagles?

First, I said that Lawrence County didn't show up to play. If I blamed the loss on anything in the post, it was the under par Lady Cat performance. I never said the officiating took this game away; I said the officiating in ALL of the games I watched in the tournament (4 of the 6 that have already been played) was inconsistent. I never said that the officiating lost the ballgame. If you read my previous post and somehow got that I was making excuses for Lawrence County losing, you were imagining something. I said they didn't play as a team, most of the players didn't play defense, and we missed crucial free throws. If you find me blaming Shelbyville or the officials in that sentence, let me know, because I'm not sure how... I find it so funny that you think Lawrence County 'disrespected' Shelbyville so badly when they beat them on their home floor. You act like they are the National Champions and Lawrence County ripped the goals out of the walls or something. All I saw from the Lady Cats after the win at Shelbyville was a group of young ladies that were excited because they won a big district game. I guess to 'respect' Shelbyville and act classy, the Lady Cats should have been upset that they beat them and shown no emotion at all. I also love how everyone thinks the problem was that Lawrence County was 'overconfident,' yet every single Shelbyville supporter that has posted is already banking on a Riverdale-Shelbyville rematch for the Region championship. Sounds to me like the pot's callin the kettle black... I'm not saying the Region championship won't be a rematch, but it just seems a little 'overconfident' to think both teams will advance through two games to make it that far. Last time I checked, when it comes to tournament time, you take ONE game at a time, not three. I was never taking anything away from the Lawrence County girls in my post, either. I would never do that; the girls just had a tough night. It happens and you move on.

yes, i'm sure Shelbyville did want to make a statement after Lawrence County beat them at the Grill, BUT what is the excuse for still shooting to draw a foul with .4 seconds left on the clock against Franklin County? the answer is no class...plain and simple the team that showed up to play won...bottom line. Lawrence County didn't play as a team, few players even tried to play defense, and we couldn't buy a FREE throw. And, the quote in the Times-Gazette by Burkey must be a joke - Apparently he wasn't watching the same game, because anytime a Lawrence County player got within 2 feet of Jarrell, she was whining to the refs about them holding, all the while wrapping and hooking her arms around them. This was only if the ref didn't call a foul on the Lady Cat player before Jarrell was given the chance to whine. Every single time she was guarded, the expression on her face changed...every time she went to the free throw line, she acted as if the 'foul' had injured her. At the district tournament, I watched four girls' games and one boys' game, and the officiating in every game was inconsistent and just plain horrible. You'd think by the time tournaments rolled around, we'd have some refs that knew a little about the rules of basketball.

It's never an upset if the so-called underdog has all along considered itself the better team. Good luck Lady Cats!

In my opinion, Lawrence County beating Shelbyville would not be an upset. However, this is a #3 seed playing the #1...a #3 seed that many never thought would play a second district tournament game, but they've 'upset' some just to make it where they are. Whether anyone thinks it's an upset or not, the Lady Cats possess everything it will take tomorrow night. Their determination along with tremendous talent and tenacious 'd' will be a huge factor in tomorrow night's game. Good luck Lady Cats! Lawrence County by 3

Most definitely! Lawrence County is so proud of the way these young ladies responded tonight! Congratulations, ladies! You've proven A LOT of people wrong that never thought you'd make it past the first round of district, yet you'll host the first round of REGION now! I am so proud of each and every one of you girls - get some good rest, stay healthy, and prepare to take home a district championship Monday night!

Lawrence County's Ashley Moore - She usually draws the toughest player on the opposing team to guard, due to her extremely tough defense. You can count on her taking AT LEAST one charge per game, usually more, depending on if the officials make the call. She has never been afraid to step in a take a hit, even from players a whole lot bigger than her. She's definitely a tenacious defender each and every game!

Channel 2 Sports Extra did a great job showcasing these young coaches and the way basketball inspired their friendship. It's great to see positive coverage of these two teams, as well!

Last night, the fans and students at Lawrence County High School had the wonderful opportunity to recognize three amazing young ladies for their talent and contributions to the Lady Cat program over the past four years. Ashley Moore, Andrea Bennett, and Cori Jones continue to make Lawrence County proud, as they have since before they put on their first Lady Cat jerseys. From the days of playing soccer and softball together to playing for Tennessee Express to having an undefeated eighth grade season and guiding the E.O. Coffman Lady Panthers to another middle school state championship, these three ladies have worked hard, overcome adversity, and achieved goals many doubted could ever be accomplished. I am so very proud of each of these young ladies. Thank you, Ashley, Cori, and Bennett for the hard work and dedication, as well as the entertainment, you have blessed Lawrence County with over the past four years. Congratulations on all you have already accomplished, but remember it's not over yet! One more regular season home game awaits you, as well as the start of district tournaments! Good luck this week! I love you all!

great pics, coacht!

The point of my post was not to pretend Savannah did not end up with 25 points. In my previous post I said that while Ashley Moore was guarding Savannah Hill, Savannah was held to 5 points.

Ashley Moore definitely deserves a spot on this team; she has done the 'little things' throughout this season and her basketball career. Yes, she can score, but almost always she defends the opposing team's biggest threat (last night against Lincoln County, she held Savannah Hill to 5 points while she was guarding her). She also takes countless charges, which can turn the whole momentum of a game around. Ashley misses very few block outs, which sometimes doesn't get noticed because other players get the rebound, but without her blocking out, another player would have the shot at ripping the ball down instead. This young lady is truly a leader on the floor and most definitely deserves this honor.

Good luck to the Lady Cats tonight! This team has the capability of beating anyone; they just need to add one more game to the w column tonight. These young ladies step up in big games, so hopefully tonight will be no different! Again, good luck Lady Cats! My prediction: Lawrence County by 7

It shouldn't matter how 'tight' a game is whether a technical foul is called or not. If a player says something inappropriate or acts inappropriately, the player should receive a technical, regardless of team or the score of the game. Again, congratulations to the Lady Cats!

Congratulations to the Lady Cats on a MUCH deserved win! Each and every Lady Cat played a vital role in this win! Fan support, including the student section support, stayed strong behind these young ladies throughout this hard-fought battle! Keep up the hard work, intensity, and amazing heart; there is no telling how many more people you will shock! We are all so very proud of all of you! wildcatbasketball_3: We are all very glad your prediction was right! Good luck to the Lady Cats on Tuesday night as the Coffee County Lady Raiders come to town!

The absolute answer to this question is 'yes, it CAN happen,' AND it will happen if the Lady Cats play to their full potential. Overall, Lawrence County can beat anyone in this district. It will simply come down to the team that shows up at Shelbyville tomorrow night. kwright, I agree that taking care of the ball is the absolute key to this game. Hopefully, our ball handling and protection after gaining rebounds has continued to improve, and our defense will continue to be another key factor. If these young ladies play with the intensity and heart I know they possess, you will most definitely be looking at the #1 & #2 teams in 8AAA. Good luck, Lady Cats!

Congratulations to the Lady Cats on a good district win last night! Good luck next week, ladies!

I never said that this call changed the outcome of the game, nor did I ever say that both teams didn't play great. I try to never blame a game on officiating, and this is no different. The girls have some areas of improvement to work on, and they will come out ready to play again. Both teams played well, and I agree, both teams played with great class in a very hard-fought game. Never once was I using that call as an excuse for the loss. I just did not think this was a call that should ever be made by any qualified referee. I also understand that officials do make mistakes. This topic has been stretched far enough. Bottom line - I am so very proud of the intensity and heart that the Lady Cats played with last night. Keep it up, ladies! Good luck Friday night at Franklin County!

Yes, I knew that the ball was inbounded from the baseline. That doesn't change the fact that the Lawrence County player dribbled it in front of the Lincoln County bench before the timeout was called. The other part of your post is completely contradictory. You are blaming Hill's time on the floor for her lack of scoring, yet you say you aren't taking anything away from Lawrence County. Hill was held to 11 points due to the tenacious defense of the Lady Cats. Either way, it is over until Round 2 on February 6, and a lot of good basketball takes place between now and then. Good luck Lady Cats!

well, you say you were sitting right behind the coach; apparently, the coach was blocking your view because every other person in the gym saw the Lawrence County player dribble the ball BEFORE the time out was charged.

The Lady Cats played probably what I would consider their most complete game as a team last night. While they still made some of the small mistakes, they put together a great defensive effort, holding Savannah Hill to 11 points, 7 of which came from the free throw line. Just like after every game, these young ladies have some things to improve upon, and you can bet they will be in the gym working hard for the next two days to prepare for another huge district battle on Friday night. I know there is not a single team in the district that this group of talented young ladies cannot beat. I try to never blame any game on the refs, so I am not blaming this game on the officiating alone. The calls were inconsistent throughout the game, however I am guessing the TSSAA has made a new rule stating that AFTER the ball has been inbounded, the OPPOSING team's coach can call a timeout. I wasn't aware this could happen, but last night, AFTER the Lawrence County player had already dribbled the ball, the referee allowed the Lincoln County coach to call a timeout. I won't sit around and blame this loss on the three 'neutral' officials; the Lady Cats still have room for improvement, but I am so proud of the way the girls stepped up and played as a team. Keep your heads up, ladies! You have nothing to be down about...there are still BIG games left to win. Good luck Lady Cats!

The Lawrence County Lady Cats defeated Dunwoody (GA) this morning, and will now play the winner of the Georgetown (TX) vs. Mill Creek (GA) game (which is being played now). Congratulations to the Lady Cats on the win & good luck tomorrow afternoon, ladies!

Congratulations Brianna, Lindsay, Christy, and Chelsea!!! Keep up the hard work on the field and in the classroom!