THE Home for High School sports in FroggyLand of Western Kentucky, Froggyland Sports brings High School sports, baseball, basketball, football and more right to you! Home of the Travis Turner Sports Show with articles and archived radio broadcasts. Sponsored by Primary Care Medical Center., high school sports, calloway county, basketball, football, baseball, girls basketball, volleyball, kentucky sports, tennessee sports, prep sports, high school scores, froggy, travis turner, primary care medical center, scoreboard, prep scores

Staci Averill has led the St. Mary Lady Vikings to a number of big-time wins in the First Region All-A Classic, and there's little doubt the Lady Vikings' championship victories would top the list. But even those wins might have to make a litte room for St. Mary's breathtaking roller-coaster of a win on Thursday night, as Casey Kupper's basket before the buzzer lifted the Lady Vikings into Saturday's championship game. We visit with Coach Averill the morning after the see-saw affair, and she talks about the effort her kids gave to survive the end-to-end pressure of Ballard Memorial. Averill discusses Kupper's game-winner and the contributions of the sophomore, and she talks about how important the three-point shooting of Michae Word has been to the St. Mary offense. Word's perimeter accuracy helps balance the floor for the Lady Vikings, as most teams focus on trying to stop the powerful front line of Alex Durbin, Lydia McManus, and Rachel Guess. Averill talks about the job Durbin did creating against the Lady Bomber pressure on Thursday night, as she had seven assists to go with eight points and twelve rebounds. Averill says she asks a lot of different things of the talented sophomore, a player she says has as much athletic ability as any player she's coached. Having the powerful McManus back in the lineup has been huge for St. Mary, and Averill tells us the six-footer can be a tremendous force scoring the ball around the basket. And the blue-collar Guess always comes to play, with her head coach calling her the 'glue' that holds the Lady Vikings together. We get Averill's thoughts on matching up with Murray in the title game, and she says her team must take care of the basketball and hit the glass if they hope to upset the top seed. She also talks about her friendship with Lady Tigers' head coach Rechelle Turner, discussing the legacy they share as part of Marshall County's great basketball tradition. Averill shares how much the All-A Classic means to the St. Mary family, and she talks about how special it might be to coach in the opening title game, and then get to watch her son Wes play in the boys title game if his Vikings arrive there on Saturday night.

Burlin Brower's Heath Pirates entered the season with high expectations coming off an All-A championship season and returning senior forward Jacob Jett, but December saw the Pirates struggle more than a little as they dealt with injury and evolving roles in their rotation. But as we enter the new year, the rotation has settled in around Jett, and Heath has started to play very good basketball...just in time to try and defend that All-A title. Coach Brower joined us on Thursday morning to talk about how well his team is playing, a fact evident in the Pirates' 55-48 win over Hickman County on Wednesday night, and he opens by talking about how well his team is shooting the ball of late, a development he credits to moving the ball well and getting quality shots. The Pirates made 58 percent of their shots against the Falcons, and they got a huge game from Javin Bell, who tossed in 20 points. Brower also praised the defensive effort of his club, most notably the work of Chase Bradley and Jason Armstrong, two players who worked hard to contain Hickman County stars Eric Kerney and Kedrian Thomas. Brower talks about Jett's fine play in his senior season, and he says the multi-talented big forward has proven himself to be a great passer capable of making the game easier for his teammates. As we move our attention forward to Friday night's semifinals, Brower breaks down the many strengths of his foe, Mayfield, and he takes a look at the opposing styles that will be at work in St. Mary's game against Fulton City. Brower shares his keys for his team's success, and he outlines what he believes the Pirates will have to do well to lift the trophy again on Saturday night.

Billie Prince and his Ballard Memorial Lady Bombers have dealt with enough injuries over the last twelve months to last a career, and as the team looks to defend its All-A First Region title, they find themselves dealing with a key injury again. In a conversation held Thursday morning, we ask Coach Prince about his team's hot start to 2012, an impressive stretch built on the rigors of a very difficult schedule before and after Christmas. Prince talks about the change in mentality that put his team back on the attack in wins over Mayfield, St. Mary, and Paducah Tilghman. He also discusses dealing with an ankle injury to sophomore Abbi Denton, and he says while it is a concern, he also knows that Denton will give the Lady Bombers everything she can in the semifinals against St. Mary. Prince breaks down the matchup with the Lady Vikings, and he says it's no secret his ladies will get off the bus intending to bring full-court pressure on Thursday night. He says his club must be able to deal with St. Mary's imposing size up front, and he points to the ability to play at their preferred tempo as a big key. We get Prince's thoughts on trying to defend the championship and win the program's fourth title in five years, and he talks about the importance of his players believing that they can do just that.

Greg Overstreet's St. Mary Vikings rolled into the 2012 Boys First Region All-A Classic as the tournament's top seed, and the Vikings built momentum as they head into the semifinals with a 61-46 win over Murray on Monday night. We catch up with Coach Overstreet to talk about the strengths of his club, and we begin with a look at the trademark intensity and effort his kids bring to the floor each night. Overstreet said that intensity begins with his twin senior leaders, Blake and Reid Vaughan, who bring tougness and tenacity to work for the Vikings every single day. Overstreet also gets to deploy two of the most versatile and mobile forwards in the region, and he talks about the ability Josh Lutz and Elliott Bray have to pass the basketball and run the floor. We ask Overstreet about the talents of sophomore swingman Patrick Hubert, and he tells us that as impressive as Hubert's well-rounded offensive arsenal is, he also really appreciates Hubert's ability and willingness to defend. The Vikings' bench is a huge key to their fast and frenetic pace, and Overstreet highlights the diverse talents that Wes Averill, Mason Vaughan, and Tyler Dome bring to the St. Mary lineup. Overstreet helps us look ahead to Wednesday night's quarterfinals, and he says his team knows they will have their hands full no matter who emerges from the Fulton City-Ballard Memorial battle to meet the Vikings on Friday night. And Overstreet closes our visits by talking about what the All-A Classic has meant to the folks at St. Mary, and he tells us what his team must do well if they hope to win a championship on Saturday night.

We continue our visit with the Paducah Sun's Joey Fosko, with Joe turning his attention to the ladies' side of the First Region All-A Classic. Joe discusses how injuries could effect the tournaments top seeds, as Murray deals with a knee injury to seventh-grader Maddie Waldrop and Ballard Memorial hopes for Abbi Denton's return to the lineup after a painful ankle injury. Joe shares his thoughts on the quarterfinal contests that will decide who joins the Lady Tigers and Lady Bombers in Thursday's semifinals, and he discusses the keys as we get ready for Mayfield v. Carlisle County and St. Mary v. Heath on Tuesday night. Joe says he still sees the top two seeds getting to the final, and he'll tell you who he thinks will eventually punch the ticket to Frankfort. He also shares his thoughts on a pair of big non-district doubleheaders as Marshall County met Paducah Tilghman and Graves County, and he takes us inside the most interesting district races the region has to offer.

The Paducah Sun's Joey Fosko made his most recent visit to the Travis Turner Sports Show, and we open our conversation with Joe by getting his thoughts on the quarterfinal round of the boys First Region All-A Classic. Joe breaks down the top-seed St. Mary Vikings after watching them dispatch eighth-seeded Murray on Monday night, and he discusses the strengths that make Greg Overstreet's team very difficult to handle. Joe then takes us through the remaining three quarterfinal matchups, taking a look at what we can expect from Mayfield-Reidland, Fulton City-Ballard, and Heath-Hickman County. Joe will tell you which teams he favors and why as we get ready for the semifinal round on Friday night.

Our most recent visit with the Racer Insider rolls on, and as we move into our second segment Lindy Suiter fields question from our listeners, including a query about OVC tournament tickets. A search for information on those tickets reveals that all-session tickets are already on sale for $60 at university ticket offices, and we urge Racer fans to start grabbing their tickets now for an event that could be very difficult to get into in March. Lindy then helps us get ready for the coming week in OVC play, and we take a look at the challenges that trips to Morehead State and Southern Illinois-Edwardsville could provide. Lindy says the Racers have become a huge draw on the road, and he says both Morehead and SIUE will be looking to take advantage of the top ten Racers' presence to fill up their buildings this week. And we close this week's conversation with Lindy as he talks about being part of ESPNU's All-Access production, a program that will add to the fabulous attention showered on a team and program that is richly deserving of the national spotlight.

The Racer Insider Lindy Suiter makes his weekly visit to the Travis Turner Sports Show, and Lindy opens up talking about another incredible first in the proud history of Murray State basketball...the Racers entry into the coaches poll top ten. He talks about just how amazing it is to see the Racers ranked tenth in the country, and he discusses the record-breaking crowd that watched the Racers edge Tennessee Tech on Saturday in evening. Lindy calls it the best atmosphere he's ever seen inside the CFSB Center as 8671 fans cheered Murray State to their 18th straight win, now the longest-winning streak in school history. Lindy shares his thoughts on the gritty, gutty effort that kept the Racers perfect, and he highlights all of the heroic efforts that helped get the job done. And as we wrap the first part of our visit with the Racer Insider, Lindy talks about the unbelievable start to Steve Prohm's head coaching career.

Shelby Crouch is the latest Murray High Lady Tiger to score 1000 career points, a milestone the senior attained on December 27, and the 5-11 forward is also in position to finish her career with more than 1000 career rebounds. If she does so, she'll be the first player in Rechelle Turner's 16 seasons to reach both milestones. Crouch's career has been synonymous with winning at Murray, and we talk to her about being part of so many of Turner's 300 career wins. Crouch talks about what it's been like to play for Turner, and she also talks about her role as a leader for the Lady Tigers and the work she's done to mentor young forwards Julie Thiede and Maddie Waldrop. We talk to Crouch about the impact of playing in front of the high-energy crowds in the Crosstown Classic, and she shares her insight on what Murray must do well to come away with a win on Friday night.

Lauren Benson will leave Calloway County with an incredible legacy of winning, and we talk to the senior guard about an unbelievable junior year that saw her earn minutes as a key reserve on a Sweet Sixteen Final Four basketball team and play a prominent role as the third baseman for a Lady Laker softball team that finished third in the state. Benson says the experiences were very special, and she says they were made even more special by being able to share them with friends and family. As we turn our attention to her senior basketball season, Benson talks about her increased role as the team's starting point guard, and she talks about how much she relishes the role of defensive stopper for the Lady Lakers. We get Benson's thoughts on her career-best game at Graves County (15 points, 12 steals), and she talks about what it meant to her team to knock off district rival Marshall County last Friday night. And Benson talks about what it's like to play in front of a Crosstown Classic crowd, and she breaks down the things the Lady Lakers must do well to beat Murray's Lady Tigers.