Sixteen teams will play three games each in the Land of Logan between Christmas and New Years in search of championships in the fifth annual First
Southern National Bank/Roy's BBQ Christmas Classic. Eight girls team will play Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at Russellville High School while eight
boys teams will be in action during the same time frame at Logan County High School.
The top records in the boys bracket belong to defending champion Russellville (6-2), Ohio County (7-2) and Elliott County (8-3). Not far behind are
Union City, Tenn. (6-6) and LCHS (5-6). Rounding out the field are Clarksville Northeast (5-8). Central Hardin (2-7) and Caverna (1-7).
In the girls bracket, Garrard County is 5-1, Logan County 7-3, Russell County 6-3, Russellville and John Hardin each 3-5. Middlesboro 2-5 and Menifee
County 2-6.
The most attactive matchup of the first round finds the Logan County Cougars hosting Elliott County in the tournament opener, at 1:30 p.m. Monday.
Elliott County was one of the most publicized teams in the nation last year and finished in the Final Four in the state tournament.
Timmy Knipp, a 6-7 center, averaged almost 14 points per game as a sophomore on a team that was loaded with high-scoring seniors. He had averaged 30
points an outing through the Lions' first seven games this year, including 48 in a win over Jackson County in the Berea Invitational. The website
College Basketball Recruiting 2011 says, "Knipp is a long and lean athlete that will need to add strength but his skill is very good. He can shoot the
deep three off the catch with time and space, and he likes to attack the rim along the baseline where he displays good touch and body."
The Cougars are a much improved team in Coach Harold Tackett's second season at the helm and have been competitive in most games they've played. The
Cougars were the first local team to reach the finals of the FSNB/Roy's tournament in 2007.
As usual, Logan's side of the bracket is loaded. At 6:30 p.m. Monday, Ohio County faces Northwest. One of Ohio County's wins was by 13 over a
Madisonville-North Hopkins team which won big over Russellville earlier this season. The Eagles have lost to Muhlenberg County in the regular season
and to Marshall County in the Eagle Classic finals. Northwest is 5-4 against Tennessee teams but went 0-4 in a recent tournament at Christian County.
The other three teams in the Cougars' bracket have a combined record of 20-13.
The most lopsided pairing has the Russellville Panthers going against a Caverna team that is being outscored 10 point per game, including a 71-48 loss
to the Cougars. The Colonels' lone win is over Hart County. This game will be at 3 p.m., immediately following the Logan-Elliott game. Last year, the
Panthers beat Mercer County in a 60-59 thriller of a championship game for the first title by a local team in the first four years of this tournament.
Most key players are back from that team. They finished as runner-up to host Paducah Tilghman in the Blue Tormado tournament a couple of weeks ago.
Also in Russellville's bracket is the Central Hardin-Union City game, which will be played at 8 p.m. Central Hardin's wins are over Bardstown and
Louisivlle Atherton. Union City is 1-2 in Kentucky, having lost to Heath and Graves County while beating Murray.
The other three teams in the Panthers' bracket have a combined record of 9-20.
Semifinal games will be played Tuesday with the four trophy games set for Wednesday. If Russellville wins its bracket, which it is heavily favored to
do, the Panthers will play in the championship game at 3 p.m. Wednesday at LCHS. Any wins against the tough teams in their bracket will show how much
Tackett's Cougars have improved over the last two seasons. A place in the finals would be a remarkable achievement but not beyond the realm of
possibility.
Girls Tournament
One of the top records in the girls tournament belongs to the Logan County Lady Cougars. Coach Scot MacAllister's team is 5-1 in the regular season
with the only loss to perennail state power Franklin-Simpson. Logan went 2-2 in the Lady Bomber Shootout at Ballard Memorial recently, beating Fulton
City and Union City and losing to always tough Marshall County and to the host team.
Last year the Lady Cougars went 3-0 in this FSNB/Roy's Classic in a round-robin format. Russellville was also undefeated at 4-0. This year, however, a
champion will be crowned.
The Lady Cougars begin play at 6 p.m. Monday at Russellville's Jim Young Gymnasium against Menifee County, which is 2-6. Menifee's wins are over Estill
County and Bourbon County. They are from the 16th Region in the upper northeast region of the state on the Ohio and West Virginia lines. So is Estill
County.
Also in Logan's bracket are Garrard County, which is the homeplace of First Southern National Bank President Rusty Clark, and John Hardin of
Elizabethtown. Garrard County is 5-1 with its only loss to Louisville Jeffersontown. John Hardin is 3-5. After losing its first five games, JHHS has
beaten Magoffin County, Bath County and Campbellsville. That game will be at 2 p.m. Monday.
The other three teams in the Lady Cougars' bracket have a combined record of 10-12.
Russellville faces an Australian Travel Team at 7:30 p.m.. The foreign team's record isn't available. Coach Dedra Adler's Lady Panthers have won two of
their last three games, with wins over Warren Central and University Heights and a loss to Barren County.
Joining the lady Panthers in the lower bracket are Russell County, which is the newest and eastern-most team in the Fourth Region. The Lady Lakers play
Middlesboro, which is located just above Knoxville. Russell's losses are to Monroe County. Cllinton County and Caverna. One of their wins came against
Owensboro Apollo. Middlesboro has wins over Harlan and Williamsburg. This game will be at 3:30.
The two Kentucky teams in the RHS bracket have a combined record of 8-8.
The girls championship game will be at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at RHS.
Unlike previous years, all of the teams are from far enough distances that they and their fans will spend at least two nights here. They will be eating
in local restaurants, shopping in local stores, buying their fuel and otherwise helping the local economy.