CHRISTIAN COUNTY WILL HAVE A NEW BOYS BASKETBALL COACH NEXT SEASON.

AN EMOTIONAL KERRY STOVALL ANNOUNCED THURSDAY AFTERNOON HE IS LEAVING THE POST TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH HIS FAMILY. STOVALL SPENT TEN SEASONS ON THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY BENCH WITH A RECORD OF 201-99 AND IN 24 YEARS COACHING HAD A MARK OF 367-314.   STOVALL WILL STILL BE INVOLVED WITH CHRISTIAN COUNTY, AS HE WILL STAY ON AS ATHLETICS DIRECTOR.

ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH TYLER SMITHART WILL SERVE AS CHRISTIAN COUNTY’S INTERIM COACH.

IT WAS ALSO A SPECIAL DAY THURSDAY AT UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS ACADEMY AS GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYER KARA MAE CARNEYHAN SIGNED TO PLAY COLLEGIATELY AT MID CONTINENT UNIVERSITY.   

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

THURSDAY’S SCORES:  CHRISTIAN COUNTY EDGED BARREN COUNTY 5-4, WEST CREEK SHUTOUT FORT CAMPBELL 13-0, MADISONVILLE OVER DAWSON SPRINGS 12-0 IN FIVE INNINGS, MUHLENBERG COUNTY OVER MARSHALL COUNTY 2-1, UNION COUNTY OVER HENDERSON COUNTY 6-3, CALLOWAY COUNTY OVER CRITTENDEN COUNTY 13-3 IN SIX INNINGS.

TRIGG COUNTY OVER CALDWELL COUNTY IN THE 2^ND REGION ALL A FINAL 6-2 AND REIDLAND OVER MURRAY 10-2 IN THE 1^ST REGION ALL A CLASSIC.

TODAY’S GAMES:  HOPKINSVILLE AND CHRISTIAN COUNTY WILL MEET IN 8^TH DISTRICT ACTION AT TIGER STADIUM.  WEATHER PERMITTING, FIRST PITCH IS AT SEVEN P-M, WITH THE HERITAGE BANK PRE GAME SHOW AT 6:45 ON NEWSTALK 95.3 FM/1230 AM WHOP AND WHOPAM.COM.

IF THE GAME IS RAINED OUT THIS EVENING, THE PLAN IS TO PLAY A DOUBLEHEADER SATURDAY WITH A 1 P-M GAME AT CHRISTIAN COUNTY AS ORIGINALLY PLANNED AND A SEVEN P-M GAME AT HOPKINSVILLE.

HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL

THURSDAY’S SCORES:  WEBSTER COUNTY EDGED UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS 8-7 IN EIGHT INNINGS, NO REPORT ON THE KHSAA WEBSITE FOR THE HOPKINSVILLE-RUSSELLVILLE GAME, HOPKINS CENTRAL SHUTOUT DAWSON SPRINGS 6-0, LYON COUNTY OVER CRITTENDEN COUNTY 12-5, MADISONVILLE OVER CALDWELL COUNTY 10-5, OWENSBORO CATHOLIC SHUTOUT HENDERSON COUNTY 6-0.

TODAY’S GAMES:  THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY LADY COLONEL CLASSIC IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN AT TIE BREAKER PARK.

TONIGHT’S POOL PLAY HAS CHRISTIAN COUNTY PLAYING ST. MARY AT 6:30, THEN MALE AT 9:30.  HOPKINSVILLE PLAYS BALLARD MEMORIAL AT 6:30 AND MEADE COUNTY AT 9:30.

THE TOURNAMENT WILL CONTINUE TOMORROW WITH POOL PLAY AT 10:30 AM AS CHRISTIAN COUNTY MEETS FRANKLIN SIMPSON AND HOPTOWN PLAYS EDMONSON COUNTY. 

SINGLE ELIMINATION PLAY WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE AFTERNOON SATURDAY.

THE KENTUCKY HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION TOP 25 RANKINGS ARE OUT FOR THIS WEEK.

ST. X IS FIRST, HOPKINSVILLE IS RANKED 16^TH AND HENDERSON COUNTY IS RANKED 17^TH.

THE KENTUCKY SOFTBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION TOP 25 THIS WEEK HAS ALLEN COUNTY SCOTTSVILLE NUMBER ONE, CHRISTIAN COUNTY RANKED 4^TH, OWENSBORO CATHOLIC 6^TH, GREENWOOD 7^TH, BUTLER COUNTY 10^TH, LONE OAK 16^TH, REIDLAND 18^TH, CALLOWAY COUNTY 20^TH, MARSHALL COUNTY 24^TH AND UNION COUNTY 25^TH.

NHL

THE NASHVILLE PREDATORS PLAY THE SECOND GAME OF THEIR WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF SERIES TONIGHT IN ANAHEIM, LEADING 1-0 AFTER WINNING WEDNESDAY NIGHT.  COVERAGE BEGINS AT 9:30 ON NEWSTALK 95.3 FM/1230 AM WHOP.

AN EMOTIONAL KERRY STOVALL ANNOUNCED HIS RESIGNATION THURSDAY AFTERNOON AS CHRISTIAN COUNTY BOYS BASKETBALL COACH.  STOVALL SPENT TEN SEASONS AT CHRISTIAN COUNTY WITH A RECORD OF 201-99 AND IN 24 YEARS OF COACHING, STOVALL'S CAREER MARK IS 367-314.

STOVALL SAID HE IS RESIGNING TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH HIS TEENAGE CHILDREN.  HE WILL REMAIN AS CHRISTIAN COUNTY'S ATHLETICS DIRECTOR.  STOVALL ADDED HE WILL TURN IN HIS RESIGNATION MONDAY AND HOPES TO HAVE THE NEW BASKETBALL COACH IN PLACE BY MID MAY BEFORE THE SCHOOL YEAR ENDS.  ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH TYLER SMITHART WILL SERVE AS INTERIM COACH UNTIL THE NEW COACH IS NAMED.  WE WILL HAVE A COMPLETE REPORT ON KERRY STOVALL'S RESIGNATION ON SPORTS TOMORROW MORNING ON THE WHOP FAMILY OF STATIONS.

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

TRIGG COUNTY DEFEATED UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS 1-0 TO ADVANCE TO THE FINALS OF THE 2^ND REGION ALL A TOURNAMENT.  THE WILDCATS WILL MEET CALDWELL COUNTY WHO DEFEATED LIVINGSTON CENTRAL 12-7.  THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME WILL TAKE PLACE THIS EVENING.

ELSEWHERE:  LOGAN COUNTY OVER RUSSELLVILLE 16-4 IN FIVE INNINGS.

TODAY’S GAMES:  CHRISTIAN COUNTY WELCOMES BARREN COUNTY, TODD CENTRAL TRAVELS TO DAWSON SPRINGS, FORT CAMPBELL HOSTS WEST CREEK, TN., HENDERSON COUNTY HOSTS UNION COUNTY AND MARSHALL COUNTY GOES TO MUHLENBERG COUNTY.

HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL

HOPKINSVILLE WON ITS SECOND 8^TH DISTRICT GAME IN AS MANY DAYS, DOWNING UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS 14-4 IN FIVE INNINGS WEDNESDAY. 

ELSEWHERE:  FRANKLIN SIMPSON OVER LOGAN COUNTY 18-3 IN FOUR INNINGS, CALLOWAY COUNTY SHUT OUT GRAVES COUNTY 4-0.

TODAY’S GAMES:  HOPKINSVILLE PLAYS AT RUSSELLVILLE, UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS HOSTS WEBSTER COUNTY, TODD CENTRAL TAKES ON MCLEAN COUNTY, TRIGG COUNTY AT MAYFIELD, DAWSON SPRINGS AT HOPKINS CENTRAL, CALDWELL COUNTY HOSTS MADISONVILLE, CRITTENDEN COUNTY WELCOMES LYON COUNTY AND LIVINGSTON CENTRAL PLAYS AT MURRAY.

HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS

HOPKINSVILLE DEFEATED CHRISTIAN COUNTY IN BOTH BOYS AND GIRLS PLAY, WINNING THE BOYS MATCHES 6-0, WITH THE GIRLS WINNING 8-1.

CHRISTIAN COUNTY ATHLETICS DIRECTOR KERRY STOVALL HAS CALLED A 3:30 NEWS CONFERENCE THIS AFTERNOON AT THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY.  IT’S NOT KNOWN WHAT THE NEWS CONFERENCE CONCERNS.

WEDNESDAY WAS THE FIRST DAY HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS COULD SIGN NATIONAL LETTERS TO PLAY COLLEGIATE SPORTS.  HOPKINSVILLE HIGH’S CONNER AND DALLAS GATES SIGNED TO PLAY BASKETBALL FOR BRESCIA UNIVERSITY IN OWENSBORO.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

AUSTIN PEAY PICKED UP TWO BASKETBALL SIGNEES WEDNESDAY.  CHRIS FREEMAN FROM MUHLENBERG COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL AND JEROME CLYBURN FROM SANTA FE COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA INKED WITH THE GOVERNORS.  CLYBURN AND FREEMAN JOIN A RECRUITING CLASS WHICH INCLUDES GUARD HERDIE LAWRENCE FROM SUWANEE, GEORGIA.

THE LADY GOVERNORS ALSO HAD A SIGNEE WEDNESDAY.  LESLIE MARTINEZ IS A GUARD TRANSFERRING FROM COLLIN COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN PLANO, TEXAS.  MARTINEZ JOINS A CLASS WHICH HAD THREE SIGNEES IN THE FALL SIGNING PERIOD.

KENTUCKY BASKETBALL COACH JOHN CALIPARI HAD A ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION WITH MEMBERS OF THE LEXINGTON MEDIA WEDNESDAY.  THE LEXINGTON HERALD LEADER REPORTS CALIPARI SAID RUMORS ARE GOING TO COME OUT EVERY YEAR HE MAY GO TO THE N-B-A, BUT SAYS HE HAS THE BEST JOB IN HIS SPORT AND HE CANNOT STOP THE RUMORS.

CALIPARI WAS ASKED IF TERRENCE JONES AND BRANDON KNIGHT WOULD ENTER THE N-B-A DRAFT.  HE SAID HE WAS NOT AT A POSITION WHERE HE COULD SAY WHETHER THEY WOULD GO OR STAY AT UK, BUT SAID IT WOULD BE A NO BRAINER FOR PUTTING THEIR NAMES IN IF THAT’S WHAT THEY CHOOSE TO DO.

RICK PITINO CONTEMPLATED RETIRING AT THE END OF THE BASKETBALL SEASON, HOWEVER A COURIER-JOURNAL STORY SAYS WIFE JOANNE SAID NO TO THAT.  PITINO SAYS SHE TOLD HIM IF HE WON A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP OR GOT TO ANOTHER FINAL FOUR, THAT WOULD BE THE TIME TO RETIRE.  LOUISVILLE IS SET TO ADD A TOP TEN RECRUITING CLASS TO FOUR RETURNING STARTERS THAT WENT 25-10 THIS PAST SEASON.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

MELVIN GOINS HAS USED ALL OF HIS BASKETBALL ELIGIBLITY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE, HOWEVER THE POINT GUARD IS TRYING TO BECOME A FOOTBALL PLAYER.

THE KNOXVILLE NEWS SENTINEL REPORTS GOINS HAS BEEN WORKING OUT AS A DEFENSIVE BACK.  IF GOINS IS OFFERED A SPOT TO PLAY THIS COMING SEASON, HE WOULD HAVE TO GET A WAIVER FROM THE NC-AA TO BE ELIGIBLE. 

GOINS IS TO GRADUATE THIS SUMMER WITH A SOCIOLOGY DEGREE, BUT HE WOULD HAVE TO ENROLL IN GRADUATE SCHOOL TO PLAY THIS SEASON.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

AUSTIN PEAY LOST IN A SLUGFEST TO BELMONT 17-16 WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

NHL

THE NASHVILLE PREDATORS OPENED THEIR WESTERN CONFERENCE STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF SERIES WITH A 4-1 WIN OVER ANAHEIM WEDNESDAY NIGHT.  MIKE FISHER HAD TWO GOALS FOR THE PREDS WHO PLAY THE DUCKS FRIDAY NIGHT AT 9:30.  YOU CAN HEAR THE GAME ON NEWSTALK 95.3 FM/1230 AM WHOP.

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

THE HOPKINSVILLE TIGERS IMPROVED TO 13-1 ON THE SEASON WITH A 9-1 WIN OVER MARSHALL COUNTY TUESDAY EVENING.  THE TIGERS GOT TWO HITS EACH FROM JACK GARDNER AND WINNING PITCHER CLAYTON SMITHSON WHO ALSO STRUCK OUT EIGHT BATTERS IN ALLOWING FOUR HITS.

AT THE 2^ND REGION ALL A CLASSIC: UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS DEFEATED CRITTENDEN COUNTY 16-4 IN SIX INNINGS AND TRIGG COUNTY DEFEATED DAWSON SPRINGS 11-0. 

ELSEWHERE: MUHLENBERG COUNTY OVER MCLEAN COUNTY 10-3 AND UNION COUNTY OVER WEBSTER COUNTY 12-2 IN FIVE INNINGS.

TODAY’S GAMES:  UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS MEETS TRIGG COUNTY IN THE SEMIFINALS OF THE 2^ND REGION ALL A CLASSIC.

HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL

HOPKINSVILLE AND UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS BOTH PLAYED FORT CAMPBELL TUESDAY, WITH THE LADY TIGERS WINNING 13-0 AND THE LADY BLAZERS DEFEATING FORT CAMPBELL 15-0.

NO REPORT ON THE KHSAA WEBSITE FOR THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY-APOLLO GAME.

TRIGG COUNTY DEFEATED RUSSELLVILLE 16-1 IN FOUR INNINGS, DAWSON SPRINGS OVER CALDWELL COUNTY 7-0, MADISONVILLE EDGED HOPKINS CENTRAL 3-1, LIVINGSTON CENTRAL OVER LYON COUNTY 7-3, WEBSTER COUNTY OVER CRITTENDEN COUNTY 6-5.

TODAY’S GAMES:   UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS HOSTS HOPKINSVILLE IN A MAKE UP OF A RAINED OUT GAME FROM MONDAY.  FIRST PITCH AT 5:30, WITH THE HERITAGE BANK PRE GAME SHOW AT 5:15 ON NEWSTALK 95.3 FM/1230 AM WHOP AND WHOPAM.COM.

HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS

HOPKINSVILLE’S TEAMS WERE WINNERS OVER FORT CAMPBELL TUESDAY, WITH THE BOYS WINNING 9-0, THE GIRLS 7-2.  BOTH TEAMS MEET CHRISTIAN COUNTY TODAY AT RUFF PARK.

TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE SPRING SIGNING PERIOD FOR HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS TO PLAY COLLEGE SPORTS. HOPKINSVILLE HIGH STUDENT ATHLETES DALLAS AND CONNER GATES WILL SIGN COLLEGE LETTERS TO PLAY SPORTS AT BRESCIA COLLEGE THIS AFTERNOON.  THE CEREMONY WILL TAKE PLACE AT 1:45 AT HOPKINSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL.

THE KENTUCKY NEW ERA REPORTED TUESDAY U-H-A GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYER KARA MAE CARNEYHAN WILL SIGN A LETTER THURSDAY MORNING TO PLAY COLLEGIATELY AT MID CONTINENT UNIVERSITY.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE COACH RICK PITINO IS HOPEFUL OF BRINGING SON RICHARD BACK TO HIS STAFF AFTER SPENDING THE LAST TWO SEASONS ON BILLY DONOVAN’S STAFF AT FLORIDA.

THE YOUNGER PITINO WAS ON HIS DAD’S STAFF BEFORE GOING TO GAINESVILLE.  LOUISVILLE IS SEARCHING FOR A NEW ASSISTANT AFTER STEVE MASIELLO WAS NAMED HEAD COACH AT MANHATTAN OVER THE WEEKEND.  U OF L ATHLETIC DIRECTOR TOM JURICH SAID TUESDAY THERE IS NO TRUTH TO A REPORT RICHARD PITINO WAS COMING BACK TO BE COACH IN WAITING UNTIL HIS FATHER RETIRES.

MEANWHILE, IT DIDN’T TAKE FORMER ARKANSAS BASKETBALL COACH JOHN PELPHREY TO FIND WORK.  THE COURIER JOURNAL REPORTS PELPHREY WILL REUNITE WITH BILLY DONOVAN AND BE ON HIS STAFF AT FLORIDA.  PELPHREY WAS WITH DONOVAN IN GAINESVILLE FROM 1996-2002.

TENNESSEE VOLS GUARD TOBIAS HARRIS SAYS THERE’S A CHANCE HE RETURNS NEXT SEASON.  THE KNOXVILLE NEWS SENTINEL REPORTS HARRIS HAS SPENT SOME TIME WITH NEW COACH CUONZO MARTIN AND HIS STAFF AND SAYS THEY ARE A GREAT GROUP OF GUYS AND CALLS THEM PRETTY MUCH AMAZING.

FOLLOWING BRUCE PEARL’S DISMISSAL, HARRIS ANNOUNCED HE PLANNED TO TEST THE WATERS OF GOING TO THE N-B-A, ALONG WITH FORMER UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS ACADEMY STANDOUT SCOTTY HOPSON.  HOPSON TOLD THE NEWS SENTINEL TUESDAY HE IS STILL EXPLORING HIS OPTIONS.

AUSTIN PEAY BASKETBALL COACH DAVE LOOS TELLS THE LEAF CHRONICLE HE IS HOPEFUL OF SIGNING TWO NEW PLAYERS TO REPLACE TYRONE CALDWELL AND MARCEL WILLIAMS WHO DEPARTED THE PROGRAM MONDAY.  TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE SPRING NATIONAL SIGNING PERIOD FOR HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS.

COLLEGE BASEBALL/SOFTBALL

BASEBALL:  WESTERN KENTUCKY DEFEATED AUSTIN PEAY 17-6.

SOFTBALL:  SIU-EDWARDSVILLE SHUT OUT MURRAY STATE 11-0, AUSTIN PEAY DEFEATED TENNESSEE MARTIN 5-2.

COLLEGE GOLF

MURRAY STATE FINISHED 7^TH AND AUSTIN PEAY 16^TH AT THE ARKANSAS STATE RED WOLF INVITATIONAL WHICH CONCLUDED TUESDAY.  MURRAY STATE’S CAMERON CARRICO CONTINUED HIS GOOD PLAY, FINISHING SECOND WITH A 137 TOTAL FOR THE TWO DAY EVENT.

NFL

THE TENNESSEAN REPORTS TENNESSEE TITANS WIDE RECEIVER KENNY BRITT WAS ARRESTED TUESDAY ON THREE CHARGES AFTER A CAR CHASE IN NEW JERSEY.  BRITT WAS CHARGED WITH ELUDING A POLICE OFFICER, HINDERING APPREHENSION AND OBSTRUCTING GOVERNMENTAL FUNCTION FOLLOWING A STOP.

A SPOKESMAN WITH THE BAYONNE POLICE DEPARTMENT SAYS BRITT WAS CLOCKED DOING 71 MILES PER HOUR IN A 50 MILE PER HOUR ZONE.  A PASSENGER IN BRITT’S VEHICLE FACES CHARGES INCLUDING MARIJUANA POSSESSION. 

WHEN STOPPED, BRITT DID NOT DENY THE VEHICLE WAS HIS, BUT HE WAS NOT THE DRIVER. NEITHER BRITT NOR TITANS OFFICIALS WERE AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT TUESDAY EVENING.

NHL

THE NASHVILLE PREDATORS BEGIN THEIR RUN IN THE STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS TONIGHT AT THE HONDA CENTER AGAINST THE ANAHEIM DUCKS.  COVERAGE OF THE GAME BEGINS AT 9:30 ON NEWSTALK 95.3 FM/1230 AM WHOP.

CHRISTIAN COUNTY'S BASEBALL GAME WITH CALLOWAY COUNTY SCHEDULED FOR THIS EVENING AT COLONEL FIELD HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO WET FIELD CONDITIONS. 

HOWEVER, THERE IS NO WORD YET ON WHETHER HOPKINSVILLE'S BASEBALL GAME WITH MARSHALL COUNTY WILL BE PLAYED.  IF THEY PLAY IT, THE GAME IS SCHEDULED TO START AT SIX, WITH THE HERITAGE BANK PRE GAME SHOW AT 5:45 ON NEWSTALK 95.3 FM/1230 AM WHOP AND WHOPAM.COM.

ALSO, THERE IS NO WORD ON WHETHER U-H-A WILL PLAY ITS GAME IN THE 2ND REGION ALL A CLASSIC WITH CRITTENDEN COUNTY.

CHRISTIAN COUNTY WILL PLAY ITS SCHEDULED SOFTBALL GAME WITH APOLLO AT LADY COLONEL FIELD AT SIX P-M.