thomas_corhern

Wilson Central is not in the Mid South Classic. Dec. 19-22 Thursday’s times and matchups have not been set at Upperman High Tues. 2:30 p.m. Cleveland boys/Cascade Tues. 4 p.m. Forrest girls/Oneida Tues. 5:30 p.m. Clarkrange boys/Collierville Tues. 7 p.m. Upperman girls/Bradford Tues. 8:30 p.m. Upperman boys/Oneida Wed. 2:30 p.m. Losers — UHS girls/Bradford vs. Forrest/Oneida Wed. 4 p.m. Losers — UHS boys/Oneida vs. Clarkrange/Collierville Wed. 5:30 p.m. Winners — Shelbyville girls vs. Clarkrange/Clinton Co. (Ky.) Wed. 7 p.m. Winners — UHS girls/Bradford vs. Forrest/Oneida Wed. 8:30 p.m. Winners — UHS boys/Oneida vs. Clarkrange/Collierville Fri. 3:30p.m. TBA Fri. 5 p.m. Girls final Fri. 6:30 p.m. Boys final at Jackson County High Tues. 2:30 p.m. William Blount girls/Cumberland Co. Tues. 4 p.m. Clarkrange girls vs. Clinton Co. (Ky.) Tues. 5:30 p.m. Shelbyville boys/Clinton Co. (Ky.) Tues. 7 p.m. Jackson County girls/Baylor Tues. 8:30 p.m. Jackson Co. boys/Oliver Springs Wed. 2:30 p.m. Losers — White Co. boys/Bradford vs. Pickett Co./Cumberland Co. Wed. 4 p.m. Losers — JCHS girls/Baylor vs. William Blount/Cumberland Co. Wed. 5:30 p.m. Losers — Shelbyville boys/Clinton Co. (Ky.) vs. Jackson Co./Oliver Springs Wed. 7 p.m. Winners — JCHS girls/Baylor vs. William Blount/Cumberland Co. Wed. 8:30 p.m. Winners — Shelbyville boys/Clinton Co. vs. Jackson Co./Oliver Springs at Cookeville High Tues. 3:30 p.m. White County boys/Bradford Tues. 5 p.m. Oliver Springs girls/Goodpasture Tues. 6:30 p.m. Cookeville boys/Moore County Tues. 8 p.m. Cookeville girls/Pickett County Tues. 9:30 p.m. Pickett Co. boys/Cumberland Co. Wed. 2:30 p.m. Losers — Cookeville boys/Moore Co. vs. Cleveland/Cascade Wed. 4 p.m. Losers — Cookeville girls/Pickett Co. vs. Oliver Springs/Goodpasture Wed. 5:30 p.m. Winners — White Co. boys/Bradford vs. Pickett Co./Cumberland Co. Wed. 7 p.m. Winners — Cookeville boys/Moore Co. vs. Cleveland/Cascade Wed. 8:30 p.m. Winners — Cookeville girls/Pickett Co. vs. Oliver Springs/Goodpasture

But you guys all need to remember that while the Tennessean is the major paper in the region, it's still primarily the Nashville newspaper (which doesn't explain the Franklin-Siegel incident that was mentioned since it was a local game for them, but follow me on this...) Advertising space is the first and foremost importance of any newspaper, taking up its place before anything else can go in the newspaper. The Titans and the Predators are the professional teams in that city, have larger fan bases than any one high school and thus will bring in more readers and money to the paper than a high school story, so they'll have more importance than preps. After all, it's still a business and it's money that puts the paper on the newsstands and the front porch every day. Do we see nationally televised high school games on a nightly basis? And then, based on how much advertising they have, their page quantity is determined. It's not as simple as just adding another page or two. If the ad money doesn't support it... Then the sheer quantity of high school games in counties that they cover is impossible to send a reporter out to every single game. So they are then at the mercy of whoever sends the scores in, as it has been previously stated. I've seen Associated Press box scores on college games make the same mistakes — it happens and they're really not out to sleight anyone, honest. Their goal is to represent as many games as they can, and right now everyone is still in the early stages of the season. Yes, district play has begun, but the races haven't even heated up yet, so the meat-and-potatoes of the season is still to come. A lot of people don't really get into basketball until the football bowl season is complete, especially since a lot of state teams go elsewhere to play tournament games until the new year, and it's like looking for a needle in a haystack to get results from those games.

The thing is with Upperman's girls is that it's not the same player putting up huge numbers every night. It's been Karissa Dyer a couple of nights, Chelsey Taylor here and there, then Lashay Davis putting up a huge night every other game. And that's with Kelsey McDaniel, one of their top shooters, on the bench after getting injured at the Cookeville Thanksgiving Classic. Any one player — starter or bench — can come up and have a big game. Their defense has been phenomenal this season. I still remember them holding DeKalb County to two points in the entire second half a couple of weeks ago. I've seen a lot of girls' basketball — grew up in Shelbyville before coming to the Upper Cumberland area for college — over the years and I can't remember the last time I saw that happen. Granted, it was DeKalb County with the issues they're having this season, but they've been doing the same with their other district foes too. Great coach with outstanding talent and a deep bench. It's hard to overlook. However, they aren't invincible. Macon County nearly showed that last week taking them to overtime before the Lady Bees broke away at the line. But as it has been said, this is a team that needs to be seen to be truly believed. The Mid-South Classic next week will be as good of an opportunity as any.

Region 4-2A Team Superlatives MVP — Matt Madison, Westmoreland Offensive MVP — Kyle Payne, York Institute Defensive MVP — Lee Evans, Smith County Most Outstanding Linebacker — Matt Anderson, Westmoreland Most Outstanding Defensive Lineman — Dustin Wright, York Institute Most Outstanding Defensive Back — Jacob Bass, Smith County Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman — Jessie Johnson, York Institute Most Outstanding Running Back — (tie) Jonathan Evans, Smith County; Keith Meisenberg, Jackson County Most Outstanding Tight End — Dustin Williams, Upperman Most Outstanding Receiver — Teddy Kowalski, Westmoreland Most Outstanding Quarterback — Ty Fields, Upperman Most Outstanding Return Specialist — Tez Hembree, Smith County Most Outstanding Punter — (tie) Jarred Cannon, Smith County; Cody Campbell, York Institute Most Outstanding Kicker — Jake Hackett, Smith County Offensive Assistant Coach of the Year — (tie) Chuck Gentry, Smith County; Brian Chambers, Upperman; Roy Stucker, York Institute Defensive Assistant Coach of the Year — Vic Wheaton, York Institute Coach of the Year — Jackie Kelly, Westmoreland First Team Austin Freeman, Westmoreland Nick Urell, Westmoreland Kyle Rippy, Westmoreland Jordan Rippy, Westmoreland James Summers, Westmoreland Steven Newhouser, Westmoreland Patrick Sanders, Smith County Justin Draper, Smith County Corey Rigsby, Smith County Matt Harville, Smith County Josh Gregory, Smith County David Smith, York Institute Michael Bishop, York Institute Cody Hamby, York Institute Shane Beaty, York Institute Tyler York, Upperman J.T. Burgess, Upperman Justin Qualls, Upperman Devin Wright, Jackson County Derek Loftis, Jackson County Randy Toombs, Cannon County Jim Parker, Cannon County Second Team Kelly Brown, Westmoreland Eric Downs, Westmoreland Chase Kowalski, Westmoreland Garrett Brooks, Westmoreland Josh Bane, Smith County Chris Fariss, Smith County Jeremy Robinson, Smith County Lance Wright, York Institute Ethan Asberry, York Institute Cory Allen, Upperman B.J. Hanus, Upperman Kendrick Bean, Jackson County Marcus Woolbright, Jackson County Will Parker, Cannon County