Bulldogs

LEXINGTON - Doron Lamb couldn't get Georgia off his mind. Neither could the rest of his teammates. “We were focused this whole week about Georgia, because they beat us last time,” Lamb said following Kentucky’s 66-60 triumph over the Bulldogs Saturday at Rupp Arena. “They are a great team and showed it today, but we came out with a win.” As for getting revenge against the Bulldogs, Lamb said the win was a little sweeter than any ordinary victory.

“I'd never played in my life,” the Burgin senior hitter said. “But it seemed like it would be a fun sport, something I'd never done before.” Four years later, Monson has become a key player on a Burgin team which is setting at 17-6, won the All “A” regional title this year, won a district title last year and has gone 14-1 against regional competition this season. It really wasn't a scenario Monson pictured when the Bulldogs were just playing a jayvee schedule her freshman year.

LEXINGTON - The George Rogers Clark High School boys basketball team concluded play in the Fifth-Third Bank Holiday Classic on Friday night with a 73-55 loss to Louisville Male. The Bulldogs will take on host Lexington Catholic tonight in the finals. The Knights escaped with a 64-59 win over Mason County. Clark (9-2) didn't attempt a free-throw as Male committed just two fouls during the entire four quarters of play. "Male played well," Clark coach Scott Humphrey said.

Kentucky linebacker Sam Maxwell knows what life is like playing in the Southeastern Conference, especially the Eastern Division. "Trying to get to the top is a battle," he said. "Every game from here on out has got to be a win. Every game is tough. " Five of the six teams in the East - Kentucky, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee - each have two losses. All six teams, including Vanderbilt, which has lost three times against league foes, have a shot at playing in the SEC championship game.

ATHENS, Ga. - This time, it was Georgia pulling off the improbable comeback. Takais Brown scored 20 points, Sundiata Gaines had 19 and the Bulldogs overcame a 17-point deficit to hand Kentucky its second straight Southeastern Conference loss, beating the Wildcats 78-69 in overtime Wednesday night. Georgia (12-6, 4-2 SEC) bounced back from a disheartening loss Saturday at No. 12 Alabama, in which the Bulldogs squandered a 19-point lead and were beaten on a disputed shot at the buzzer.

LEXINGTON - Micah Johnson remembers the feeling after Kentucky stunned Georgia two years ago. "I just remember the excitement and pandemonium from the fans," Johnson said earlier this week. The Cats' 24-20 triumph in 2006 was part of the team's late-season turnaround that produced back-to-back bowl appearances. In that same span, Johnson and his teammates have won 19 of their last 28 games, including six in nine attempts this year. Kentucky coach Rich Brooks said the win over the Bulldogs two years ago was one that helped transform the program into a consistent conference contender.

STANFORD - Tyson Stewart hasn't had a lot of experience sitting on the bench, and he didn't want to start doing it in college. Union College offered the Lincoln County lineman an opportunity to play right away, and that's why Stewart is signing with the Bulldogs tonight. "At the other schools I was looking at, I'd be sitting on the bench for a couple years," Stewart said. "I haven't really had to sit before, so I wanted a place I could come in and contribute. " Union was 4-7 last year, 3-6 in the Mid-South Conference, in Tommy Reid's second full season as head coach.

East Jessamine's Daniel Gainey poured in 28 points lead all scorers as the Jaguars defeated Burgin 73-70 last Tuesday night. The Jaguars outplayed the Bulldogs for most of the game, but Burgin made a run late and East had win the game on the charity stripe to get the home win. The game was one of the more physical contests the Jaguars have played all year. Some of that can be attributed to a new philiopshy for the team. "Our mindset now is to win," East Coach Chris O'Bryan said.

The 1-7 East Jessamine Jaguars visited the 8-2 Dunbar Bulldogs Tuesday in heavy rain, losing 8-0. Last year's state champion Bulldogs controlled the ball most of the game, as they young East team which was missing three starters due to injury struggled to build an offensive attack.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Wesley Carroll threw for two touchdowns and Mississippi State forced a season-high six turnovers in a 31-14 victory over No. 14 Kentucky on Saturday. Kentucky (6-3, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) has lost two straight since knocking off then-No. 1 LSU in triple overtime. A loss to Florida last Saturday dashed the Wildcats' national championship hopes, and the Homecoming loss to the Bulldogs likely knocks them out of the SEC title race, too. Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson was sacked three times and threw three second-half interceptions.

Maggie Taylor ripped a bases loaded triple in the top of the seventh inning Thursday to break a tie and lift Lincoln County to a 5-1 win over host Mercer County. Gabby Gabriel allowed one unearned run on two hits with 11 strikeouts and two walks to pick up the victory for the Patriots, who moved to moved to 2-3 on the year and beat Mercer for the first time since 2008. It was scoreless until Kristen Meece drove in Taylor in the third inning to make it 1-0. Mercer answered in the bottom of the inning when Megan Hilbert triple and scored on a Lincoln error with two outs.

LEXINGTON - Madison Central didn't hit the panic button. The Indians could have pushed the stop button on the season numerous times in the quarterfinals of the Sweet Sixteen State Tournament Friday afternoon at Rupp Arena, but declined on the option and kept its state championship hopes alive in the event's first overtime contest this season. Instead of folding after falling behind seven points in the second quarter and connecting on just seven field goals in the first half, Central regrouped and escaped with a 65-61 triumph over Covington Holmes in overtime.

Carlie Harrison and Maddie Haney were freshmen the last time the East Jessamine girls earned a trip to the 12th Region tournament. If the Lady Jags can bottle their performance from Harrison and Haney's senior night Thursday and unpackage it in a week and a half, they'll be headed back to the region tournament again this year. East (15-7) defeated district foe Burgin (13-11) at home 66-58 on Thursday; the Lady Jags and Lady Bulldogs will meet again on the same court in the 46th District semifinals later in February.

Jennifer O'Neill dribbled at the top of the key with less than 20 seconds remaining in the Cats' game against Georgia Sunday, looking for the open door to shoot what would have been a game-tying three-pointer.  But in a change of pace for the UK team known for its pressure defense, the Bulldogs forced a turnover by O'Neill and managed to pull out a 75-71 victory in front of 7,016 at Memorial Coliseum.  The Cats had won 34 games in a row on their home turf, dating back to last season.

BURGIN - Yes, Mason Myers has a bigger role for Burgin this season. But he hasn't let it get to him. Myers was one of a very few experienced players on the Bulldogs' roster when the season began, and he has moved into the starting lineup for the first time. However, he said more responsibility and more playing time do not equal more pressure as far as he's concerned. “As a basketball player, I dont really think of it as a pressure kind of thing,” Myers said. “It's what I love to do, so i don't feel pressure at all when I'm out there.

Editor's Note: This is one in a series of previews of area high school girls basketball teams. BURGIN - In one sense, you could say that nothing has changed with the Burgin girls. In another sense, however, that isn't quite true. It is true that the players who will do the heavy lifting for Burgin are an experienced lot, with a good working knowledge of coach Chris Myers' system and well-established roles within it. But the one new thing they'll be asked to do might make all the difference in how successful the Bulldogs can be this season.

NICHOLASVILLE - The Burgin volleyball team left here with something to build on, but that wasn't what the Bulldogs came for. Burgin was for an upset win that would give it a third straight district championship, but West Jessamine denied that with a four-set victory Thursday night in the 46th District Tournament championship at East Jessamine. The Bulldogs' consolation prize came in the way they delayed that defeat with a stirring rally in the third set of their 25-11, 25-21, 25-27, 25-14 loss.

BURGIN - Summer Burke doesn't do quite so much pulling on her ponytail these days, which is a good sign for the Burgin volleyball team. The Bulldogs' junior setter has learned to keep on a more even keel this season, not letting a bad play get her too down and just focusing on what happens next. It was not like that the previous two seasons, and Burke laughed about her bad habit, which she called her “ponytail flip.” “I just know there's another play and I just try to do better on the next one. That's my mindset this year,” she said.

ELIZABETHTOWN - Mercer County won a shootout 4-2 over John Hardin to win the Lady Bulldog Classic Sunday and avenge an earlier loss. Coach Tony Brown said the Titans “controlled most of the game” against John Hardin but could not score. Regulation play ended 0-0. In the shootout, Mercer goalkeeper Amanda Howard made two stops and John Hardin missed another attempt while Shannon Murray, Howard, Erika Khert and Samantha Travillian all had goals for the Titans. Mercer won its first match Sunday 5-0 over North Laurel as Murray had two goals while Travillian, Michell Roby and Madeline Bartley each  had one goal.

BURGIN - Austin Shewmaker is the ultimate utility player. The Burgin senior is capable of playing seemingly any position on the baseball field, just as he seems to be capable of playing virtually every sport his school offers. And in both cases, that's just the way he likes it. Shewmaker is in the final season of the last of his three sports:¿baseball, basketball and cross country. And as usual, he's wearing a number of hats for the Bulldogs, including that of a leader on a very young team.