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Page 4 Clinton County Clinton News County - Big News Blue Preview Thursday, November 22, 2012 Bulldogs Continued from page 3 tion. If you are not the one seed, right off the bat you have a difficult game.” Messer said there are just as many similarities as there are differences in this year’s and last year’s team. Scoring will be different, as well as the dynamic of the team, but Clinton County will dress the same respectable group of young men that will give pride to the spectators in the crowd. “We lost great players last season. I’m not saying that los- ing Wayne (Stearns) Wendell (Maupin), Sawyer (Stalcup), and Derek (Albertson) hasn’t put a void, in some ways, but we are also returning kids who have experience,” Messer said. “Keifer and Colby have to step up their game even more than they did last year. Colby a fantastic season last year. He led us in scoring with 15 points per game He has to continue to do that and he has to work to improve his all-around game. Now he is going to be one of the two primary threats that people have to match up with.” This year, as in the past two years, Keifer Dalton will take the role as point guard for the Bulldogs. Just a sophomore, his leadership value is that of a senior with the previous year’s experience under his belt. “He will be turned loose more to be more offensively aggressive,” Messer said. “He has to continue to improve his shooting to where people have to guard him head-to-head from the three point line in.” Also playing a huge role on this year’s team will be Senior Ryan Beard and Sophomore Joe Davis. “Last season they played in every basketball game we had and played big minutes,” Messer said. “They are different players than Sawyer and Wayne, but they have great value that will make positive contributions in a differ- See BULLDOGS, page 5 Head Coach Todd Messer will begin his seventh year as head coach at Clinton County. Assistant Coaches will be Mike Beard, Nick Irwin, Leighman Messer and Storm Burchett. Senior Ethan Cook will provide outside shooting for Clinton County this season, as well as senior leadership to the Bulldogs. Quick Mart Shell #1 1014 Tennessee Rd. • Albany, KY Phone (606) 387-7080 HAVE A GREAT SEASON PLAYERS, COACHES & CHEERLEADERS! GO BIG BLUE! 606-387-4121 Custom Accessories - PPG Paint - Stihl Complete Line of Body Shop Supplies Your Local Independent Insurance Agent JAMIE SPARKS 606-387-5060 Auto • Home • Farm • Life Business • Watercraft 104 South Washington St. • Albany, KY Special Low Rates For Manufactured Homes On Permanent Foundations! GOOD LUCK DAWGS AND HAVE A GREAT SEASON! Proud Supporter of Clinton County Basketball! • Houseboat Rentals • Pontoon Rentals • Lodging • Dockage Good Luck Players, Coaches & Cheerleaders! Grider Hill Marina & Resort www.griderhillmarina.com Rick Mercader - General Manager Dr. Shirley Catron, M.D., P.S.C. 701 Burkesville Rd. • Albany, KY 606-387-0675 GO BIG BLUE!
Thursday, Thursday, November November 22, 22, 2012 2012 Clinton County Clinton News County - Big News Blue Preview Page Page 5 Bulldogs Continued from page 4 ent way.” A senior for the Bulldogs, Frank England has entered the starting lineup and will provide a positive aspect to Clinton County’s game plan this season. “He has played lights-out this summer and so far in practice his confidence level is at the height that we’ve waited on it to be,” Messer said. “He is as gifted a kid as we’ve had. He is athletic, Lance Claywell came off the bench last season and added a spark to the Bulldogs’ offense. Claywell is a sophomore this season. WELDON HADDIX Funeral Home 502 Cross St. • Albany, Kentucky 42602 606-387-6461 Good Luck Bulldogs, Lady Dawgs & Cheerleaders! Weldon Haddix & Mary Lee Stearns got great spring off the floor and can cause some mis-matches by stepping out to the perimeter. I like the kids that we are replacing what we lost with.” Messer said he could go down the entire lineup on his bench and feel confident with whoever is on the floor at any given time. “As a whole, they are the most talented group that we’ve had. Each one of those kids gives us something,” Messer said. “Ethan Cook has a heart the size of Texas. He knows all the things we expect out of our schemes. He will be a stabilizing player on the floor. You know when he is on the floor, he will do the right thing and put the basketball where it needs to be.” Scoring for this year’s team will be somewhat different according to Messer. He said there probably won’t be one dominate player scoring as many double digit points for each game, however, the accumulation of everybody scoring will make them a threat. “I think we will have seven, eight, nine kids come into the game and give us six or seven points, which adds up just as quick as one guy getting 14 points,” Messer said. “The sum of our parts will make us just as good as we were last year ... we are just doing it a different way. We could virtually play a different-type rotation each game. I can put a line up on the floor that is my best against pressure. I have another line up that is probably my best offensive line up ... if somebody wants to grind us out in the half court or if someone wants to spread us out across the floor, I have a line up for that.” Messer said the versatility of his players could make the game harder on him as a coach, but once he finds what he needs during the game, the players will do the rest. “What’s going to make us better is all these kids realize they are competing for minutes,” Messer said. “It makes practices a whole lot more competitive and by it being competitive it makes each player better and makes the team better.” This season, Messer said he believes his defense will hold its opponents to the low 50s during each game. “We’ve got great quickness. We are going to be able to press a lot,” Messer said. “I think this year we may even be a passinglane-reading team. We should be able to get a few more easy ones where we pick the pass off and get a layup.” The chemistry for this year’s team is similar to last year’s team in that each player’s focus is for the good of the team. “We still have very unselfish kids, but to a degree, we may be too unselfish,” Messer said. “With this group, the cohesiveness is just as good as it was last year, but I haven’t seen the aggressiveness that I saw last year.” Bulldog basketball brings in a good crowd during the winter months and Messer doesn’t expect anything less this season. “I would hope everyone is as excited as the coaches and players are,” Messer said. “I think we are at the point to where we have elevated expectations to where there is already a bug of excitement of what our potential might possibly be. The culture building activity that we had at the start of the year when the whole district came together, we focused on school pride, team pride. I think it was a big asset and made everyone realize that regardless whether its a sport or its a classroom assignment, or a school activity, we all represent our community. How we carry ourselves is the impression we want to give other counties and teams. The support we had last season was incredible.” One aspect of the home games TAKE YOUR BEST “SHOT” BULLDOGS & LADY DAWGS! 723 Burkesville Road • Albany, Kentucky 42602 Phone: 606-387-6421 • J.D. Mullins - Administrator Our People, Our Community, Our Hospital! Proud Supporters of Clinton County Basketball! that should give a slight advantage is the cheering section or the “6th Man” for the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs. “Our cheering section we had at the home games in the end zone, have really made an impression on teams. I’ve heard several coaches say they wished they had that at their school,” Messer said. “I think what has happened last year we’ll continue to build upon that. I think one of the reasons that worked last year was because we were successful and our kids were fun to watch from a peer stand point, as well as an adult standpoint. Our kids were such great kids, they were easy to pull for.” Messer’s goals for this season are not in any way a step down from last year’s 20 plus win season. He expects to win 20 plus more for the third season in a row, win the All “A” for the third time during his seven years, be contenders for the district title and take another step in the regional tournament. “It’s time to get over the hump and find a way mentally for our program to take out that big name team,” Messer said. “I expect for our program to be so hard-nosed, that one night, when something is against you, you find that one extra play that you are going to go get just because you want it more than the other guy. If that happens, I think there will be an increase in our crowds, and over the course of the next couple of years we are going to win this region. We are going to do something that everybody in our community will be proud of and that’s what it’s all about.” Clinton County will bring back some familiar faces on the bench in 2012-2013 with assistant coaches, Mike Beard, Leighman Messer and Nick Irwin. “My staff is as good as you will find in the state of Kentucky,” Messer said. “I can read them and they can read me. I feel confident that we can go head to head with any other staff in the state.” A new face on the bench this season will be Storm Burchett. Burchett is a former player at Clinton County High School and played for Messer all four years of his high school career. “We are excited to have Storm on our staff. He’s played recently enough that the kids in practice remember how hard that kid worked,” Messer said. “When he was a player, he was hard-nosed, he was driven, he was team oriented ... he wasn’t the most athletic, but he got the job done. I think the thing he will bring to us is the desire to make the team better. He will be able to talk in common language, maybe better so than myself or the other coaches. Anytime you can help former players start in a career its a thrill for you as a head coach.” WE ARE BULLDOGS! Good Luck To ALL PLAyers & coAches! Go dAWGs! Grand rental Station Pennycuff Sales & Rentals 210 Burkesville Road Albany, KY 42602 606-387-6406 606-387-6407 fax 800-543-7368 www.pennycuff.com Your BeSt Stop For everYthinG to rent Clinton County Board of Education Engagement Rings, Wedding Bands Sterling Silver, Fossil, Crystal Gifts, Artcarved Class Rings Yankee Candles & More! Charlotte Bernard, Superintendent Ned Davis, Chairperson Paula Key, Vice Chairperson Board Members Goldie Stonecipher, Junior Cecil & Kevin Marcum Go Lady Bulldogs & Bulldogs Coaches & Cheerleaders Jewelry & Gifts 1015 Tennessee Rd. • Albany, KY 606-387-6217 Go Big Blue! Christmas Open House Friday, December 7th!
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