The new high school season is well underway and the Pirates have already tied their win total for last season. Coming off a 67-55 win at Jackson City last Tuesday, Powell hosted the Cordia Lions last Friday looking for a big win. Powell blew out to 20 point lead, but had to hold on win 73-62.

Both teams started a little slow, but the Pirates took off in the first quarter. Carlisle Creech got hot and scored off some steals to help push Powell up 20-7 when the quarter ended. The Lions then went on a 10-0 run to open the second period. Holding a slim 20-17 lead, the Pirates went on a 16-8 run of their own. Creech and Christian Brewer led the charge, while a three pointer by Cody Morton off the bench boosted the lead to 32-21. Powell held that lead at the half, 36-25.

Powell opened up that lead as the second half got underway. A fast break layup by Creech at the 1:45 mark of the third quarter gave the Pirates a 56-36 advantage. A late flurry by the Lions made it 58-43 as the final frame got underway. The Lions were able to pull to within nine on a couple of occasions, but Brewer helped to pace the Pirates, as the defense began to take control of the boards late in the game. Powell held on to win, 73-62.

Powell was led by Brewer with a game high 26 points and Creech poured in 22 points. Donovan Nolan, a work horse in the lane, pumped in 10 for the home team. The Lions were led by Matt Stacy and Roscoe Montgomery with 14 points each. Adam Spencer added 12 and Marcus Sumner chipped in 11 for the Cordia.

In the JV game Powell held a commanding 24-7 halftime lead. The younger Pirates cruised to the 52-42 victory. The game saw just about every Powell player getting a chance to play and shine. Trey Marcum led Powell with 17 points and Aaron Townsend with 11. Seven Pirates made it into the scoring column. Cordia was led by Jon Stacy with 20 and Marcus Sumner with 11.

Powell played in the Shriners’ Classic at Wolfe County last Saturday afternoon. The Pirates ran into a more experienced and bigger team in Harlan County. The result was a disappointing 76-42 loss. 

Powell, 2-1, will host Bracken County on Saturday on the Bill Orme Court. Game times are 5:30 p.m. for the JV game and 7 p.m. for varsity play.

 

By James Cook, Times Editor

 

Maybe it was an omen.

Just before Powell County and Woodford County were set to tip it off in the Bluegrass Middle School Conference Eighth Grade Tournament last Thursday, some of the gyms lights went out. It was two sets. One right over the Powell County bench, the other over the section where the Lady Pirates fans were sitting. After a 15 minute delay the game began.

The Lady Pirates met the only team that had beaten them in three seasons for the second time. Same Powell County regular season record, zero losses. But the same tournament result. The Lady Tigers used half court game, beat the crushing Powell press and outlasted the home team. Woodford took home the 43-34 semi-final victory. Woodford beat Powell last year in the seventh grade tournament, the Lady Pirates only two loses in three years.

Powell began play as they always do with a smothering full court pressure defense. They ran out to a quick 8-3 lead, but could not quite shake Woodford. Behind the inside play of the Lady Tigers’ Chelsey Ford, Woodford cut the lead to 10-8 at the end of the first quarter.

Powell’s Keeley Rogers picked up the pace in the second period, with a little help from Mackenzie Barnett who came off the bench and some key rebounds by Tristan Curtis. Combined they helped to pace the home team to take a six point lead on at least three occasions in the period. Powell held a 23-17 half time lead, but Woodford was handling the press and the Lady Pirates began to show some signs of fatigue. 

The third quarter became a battle as both teams used a little run-and-gun offense. But Woodford’s guard, Shelby McDonald took control. As Woodford began to force some Lady Pirates turnovers, McDonald either used a fast break to score or set up the offense to find Ford inside. Meanwhile, Powell began to pour on their trademark fast breaks off Lady Tigers’ missed shots. But when the horn sounded to end the quarter, the score stood tied 32-32.

The fourth quarter became a nightmare for Powell.  Following both teams taking turns in giving the ball away, Woodford took a quick lead on a six foot bank shot by Ford. Rogers answered for Powell, nailing a 15 foot jumper. But it would be the last shot Powell would hit.

Woodford outscored Powell 11-2 in the final frame. The Lady Pirates looked to be fatigued as Woodford began to swarm on defense, reject shots and out rebound Powell. The outside game for the Lady Pirates was also silent as they connected on only two three point shots. Woodford used a trio of fresh players to defend outside threat Erica Rogers. The result was a heartbreaking 43-34 loss to end the season.

“We had an awesome season and this I told the girls that I was extremely proud of them,” Coach Sharon Mallory said after the game. “Three years and only lost two games, this is a special group.”

“It will be a long time before anyone challenges this record of three undefeated regular seasons,” Assistant Coach Dana Estep added.

As for the fatigue factor, Mallory agreed it was a problem. “Definitely; He (Woodford Coach) ran them in and out all night long,” Mallory said. While the Lady Tigers was able to play nine players, Powell used seven in a week where the tournament forces the teams to play four games in five days to win the championship.

Woodford (21-3) was led by Ford with a game high 16 points and McDonald with 14. The visitors nailed five treys and were 6-of-12 from the free throw line. The Lady Tigers played Scott in the championship game on their home floor last Friday night.

Powell was led by Keeley Rogers with 14 points and she was the only lady Pirate in double figures. All six of the Lady Pirates that played did score. Powell was held to just 2-of-6 from the charity stripe, all of those coming from Rogers.

“We’re going to give them a week and then start getting ready for the state tournament,” Mallory said. The Lady Pirates have registered to take part in the Kentucky Basketball Academy’s state middle school tournament. The tournament is available to teams that wish to register, but there is no fee to play. Early games will be played at the KBA facility Nov. 13-15 in Lexington. The finals will be played in Rupp Arena on Nov. 27.

 

By James Cook, Times Editor

 

The Powell County Middle School Lady Pirates eighth grade team began their quest for a conference championship Monday night. Powell opened the first round of the tournament hosting the West Jessamine Lady Colts. Despite having size in their favor, the visitors soon found out that speed and defense wins games.

Powell, using their trademark defensive pressure to create their offense, blew West Jessamine away.  The final was 56-17.

Powell opened the game with a smothering defense that helped them jump out to a 34-2 halftime lead.

Powell continued the onslaught, using some starters throughout the second half. West Jessamine, who hit unofficially on only one of 17 shots in the first half, did manage a little offense in the latter part of the game.

But it was way too little, way too late.

Powell was led by Keely Rogers with 20 points and Erica Rogers added 15. The Lady Pirates had six players in the scoring column.

West Jessamine was led by Ashlee Rose with 10 of her teams 17 points. All of thoe came from putbacks late in the game.

Powell was to play this past Tuesday, also at home, as the tournament continued. Their opponent was to be the East Jessamine squad. East Jessamine, the number four seed out of the north division of the Bluegrass Middle School Conference, beat Madison Middle on Monday night.

Barring any upset, the number one seed and undefeated Powell team could be playing in the semi-finals on Thursday night in Stanton. 

That opponent would be the winner of the Clark County-Woodford County game. Woodford County is the only team to beat the Lady Pirates. They accomplished that feat in last year’s first round of the seventh grade tournament.

Powell closed out their regular season by taking one of three games from Estill County last thursday night in Irvine. 

The eight grade team took control early with a 17-3 lead, then never looked back as they won, 59-30.

The only drawback in the game was Powell’s horrendous three point shooting. The Lady Pirates were five of 21 from behind the arc. “I told them to run some plays, but they wouldn’t listen,” Powell Coach Sharon Mallory said after the game when asked about the outside shooting. 

Apparently they began to listen and when the subs came in for a little playing time, the game became a half court game for both teams. But Powell was too strong, once again.

In the seventh grade game, Estill used a smothering defense to win easily. That score was 42-14. 

In the sixth grade game, same type of play from Estill and same result- a win. Estill won that contest 20-9.

 

By James Cook, Times Editor

It was expected to be a border war. The Estill County Engineers were in town to play the Pirates, with the winner taking the district’s number two spot. That would assure them of a first round playoff game at home, more importantly bragging rights for another year. The rain and mud may have been a factor, but Estill’s ability to hold on to the ball made the difference. The Engineers picked up the win over Powell, 42-28.

The game started slow then just got messy as a deluge set in for most of the first half. The monsoon conditions led to both sides having some difficulty holding on to the ball. But Estill held on a little better. 

The Engineers went up 14-0 following a seven yard run by Tyler Cole and then a four yard scoring play. But Powell cut the lead in half with 2:22 to play in the second quarter. Sophomore quarterback Eliot Hale broke loose on a 68 yard gallop into the end zone. The halftime score stood at 14-7.

The Engineers took control early in the second half. Taking advantage of Pirates’ fumbles, the Engineers scored on runs by Cole and Kenton Roberts. Powell finally answered and cut the lead in half again when Hale scored again on a 19 yard run.

The wind began to pick up and so did Powell’s momentum. After Hale’s TD the Engineers fumbled the ensuing kickoff. Powell took the ball down field and scored on a 31 yard jaunt by Tim Hardy. The score was 28-21 as the game entered the final frame.

Estill’s strength and experience began to shine through in the fourth quarter over the young Pirates squad. Roberts added two more touchdowns for the Engineers. The first was a 29 yard scamper into the end zone; the second was a 43 yard rumble. He also added the two point conversion on the final drive to make it 42-21 with 6:11 to play.

Powell just could not catch up. Hardy did add a nine yard TD run with just 17 seconds to play. But the damage had been done. Estill (5-4) claimed the district’s number two seed and a first round playoff home game with the 42-28 victory 

The Pirates (2-7) will take the number three seed and will have to travel when the playoffs begin on Nov. 6.  

Meanwhile both teams will end their regular season this Friday. Estill will travel to Madison Southern, while Powell will travel to West Carter.

“We gave them too much, way too much in the first half,” Powell Coach Tony Burchett said. “We did not execute, but we are still in the playoffs as a number three seed, not a four seed.”

But Burchett did advise his team on what they had to do to beat teams like Estill in the future. “We’ve got to get stronger. We need to work harder in the weight room. That is the only thing holding us back,” Burchett told his team after the game. “We have to stop making silly mistakes. We’ve got to stop making mental mistakes. But I think we’re alright. We’ll go to West Carter, play hard there and then get ready for the playoffs. That game is a winnable game.”

Powell captures sixth district title in eight years

 

 

 

By James Cook, Times Editor

They say the first time you win a championship, it is the sweetest. If that is the case, then the Lady Pirates volleyball team has a sweet tooth. Powell captured their fourth straight district title, their sixth in eight years, as they beat Owsley County 25-19 and 25-14 last Thursday at Estill County. 

In the first set the Lady Pirates led by a few most of the way, and had a set-point at 24-15 but let Owsley run off four straight points before scoring the set-winner.

In the second set the match was close until the midway point. That is when Powell scored five straight points with Angela Hall serving to go up 19-13.  Owsley could get no closer, and Powell wrapped up the title as they scored three straight points with Kelly Gibson serving to win the match.

“I’m proud of these girls and what they’ve accomplished. The district title means a lot to them; they’ve heard from the start that they won’t win much this year, after losing 10 players to graduation,” Powell Coach Ken Jones said. “They’ve worked extra hard to prove all the negative comments wrong, and now they’ve done it, with a 17-8 record and the title. I couldn’t be happier for them.  It’s a very close group and teamwork is what got them the championship.  Even though we’ve got only two seniors on this year’s squad, we’ve got a legitimate shot at the regional title and a trip to NKU for state.”

Powell got to the title game after beating Lee County 25-11 and 25-18 last Tuesday night.

The first set saw the Lady Cats only lead at 1-0. From there on the first server for the Lady Pirates, Melanie Pasley, put in six straight serves for scores. Powell was up 16-6 at end of first rotation and cruised to the win.

Lee went up 9-6 in the second set before the Lady Pirates rallied for six straight points with Kelly Gibson serving to take a 13-9 lead.  Lee got back to within three at 19-16, but Powell’s Angela Hall put in two scoring serves after a missed Lady Cats serve to go up 22-16, and the Lady Pirates went on for the win.

By James Cook, Times Editor

Their hold on the district’s top spot did not last long, but they still have a chance to host a playoff game. The Powell County Pirates traveled to Jackson last Friday night to play the team they were tied with at the top, the Breathitt County Bobcats.

The Bobcats have had a sluggish start, but with a healthy Channing Fugate back in action, it became a no contest early. Channing rushed for three touchdowns in the first quarter, another in the second and caught a pass for a TD to help lead Breathitt to a 63-26 victory. The win gives the Bobcats the top seed in the district.

Fugate’s scoring runs and reception totaled up to 143 yards in the first half. He only needed about 60 to reach the 6,000 yard mark in his high school career. His efforts and a strong showing by the Bobcats helped them to hold a 42-6 halftime lead. Powell’s only first half score came on a one yard run by quarterback Elliott Hale.

The second half was a little bit closer as Breathitt could rest some starters. Powell did manage to score in third quarter when Derek Taulbee scored on a 40 yard run. In the fourth, Austin “Possum” Watkins hit pay dirt on a 27 yard run and D.J. Jones scored on an eight yard scamper. But that was the offense Powell could muster up on a cold, soggy night. 

Breathitt ran a total of 50 plays, picking up 244 yards on the ground off 27 rushes and their air attack was 17-for-23 for 251 yards. Three of those completions were for touchdowns. The Bobcats picked up a total of 495 offensive yards.

Powell rushed 45 times for 251 yards; the passing game was 1-for-5 for 19 yards. That gave the Pirates a total of 270 offensive yards. Powell was led by Taulbee who picked up 118 yards on 13 carries. Watkins ran seven times for 67 yards and Daylan Charles carried the ball eight times for 19 yards. Tim Hardy had seven rushes for 11 yards, Keenan Tiller ran three times for 19 yards and D.J. Jones had two carries for 10 yards. 

Breathitt’s easy varsity win gave them full control of the district standings. Powell will have to knock off Estill County to keep the number two slot and have a chance for a home game in the playoffs. That game will be played in Stanton on Friday as part of the Senior Night festivities set to kick off at 7:30 p.m.

In other Powell County football action last weekend, the Pirates grade school teams took three of four from Nicholas County. The Pirates Red Team won 26-0. The fifth/sixth grade teams played split squad games. In the first game Powell won 22-7 and 6-0 in overtime. The Pirates Black Team lost a heartbreaker, 6-0.

By Kevin Lawson, Special to the Times

The Powell County Pirates Boys Golf Season came to a close with the Pirates participating in the state tournament for the second time in school history. The Pirates qualified for the state tournament by finishing second in the regional tournament held at Paintsville Country Club. Powell County finished second out of 17 teams, the tournament was won by Hazard.  

Leading the way for the Pirates in the regional was sophomore Jimmy Combs with a score of 78, junior Devean Teasley was next with a score of 84, followed by senior Myles Ashley with a score of 86, sophomore Corey Kirkpatrick had a score of 86, and junior Morgan Reed had a score of 88. According to Coach Lawson the conditions were “very cold and tough, it was without a doubt the worst weather we played in all year, our boys responded well and reached our goal of qualifying for the state tournament”.

The state tournament was played at Bowling Green Country Club.  Only 24 teams from the state qualify for the season ending tournament. In order to qualify as a team you must win or finish second in your regional tournament. The Pirates ended up finishing 19 in the state tournament with Morgan Reed leading the way with a score of 82.  Reed missed the individual cut by one shot.  

“We would like to thank the entire community for their support throughout the season,” Coach Lawson said. “And I would like to send a special thanks to the golf team parents for all of their support throughout the year. Also a special thanks to Beechfork Golf Club, Greg Teasley and Darrell Billings for their support of the golf team.”

 

 

The red-hot Powell County Flames youth soccer team went to Menifee County a couple of weeks ago and beat Botts Elementary 7-1. The Powell County Youth Soccer League had a spring and fall season this year, the first ever two season year for the sport and judging on the number of kids who came out to play, it was a good year.