1. Lou. Trinity: 13-2 (6A Champ)
2. Cooper: 14-1
3. Paducah Tilghman: 15-0 (4A Champ)
4. Ryle: 12-3
5. Bowling Green: 13-2 (5A Champ)
6. Boyle Co: 12-1
7. Franklin Co: 13-1
8. Lex. Frederick Douglass: 9-5
9. Christian Academy-Louisville: 12-3 (3A Champ)
10. Ft. Thomas Highlands: 11-3
11. Corbin: 12-2
12. Covington Catholic: 11-3
13. Lou. St. Xavier: 7-5
14. Lou. Manual: 10-2
15. S. Warren: 12-2
16. Beechwood: 14-1 (2A Champ)
17. Woodford Co: 10-2
18. Great Crossing: 10-4
19. Ashland Blazer: 11-2
20. Lou. Male: 9-3
And here is the Power Eleven for the teams in our end of the Commonwealth:
3. Paducah Tilghman: 15-0 (4A Champ)
29. Union Co: 12-3 (3A Runner-Up)
34. Graves Co: 9-3
39. Madisonville-N. Hopkins: 7-4
43. Mayfield: 9-3
68. Henderson Co: 4-7
75. Murray: 8-4
81. McCracken Co: 6-6
102. Caldwell Co: 5-7
103. Hopkinsville: 3-7
116. Crittenden Co: 4-7
The MaxPrep rankings go back to 2004. This season is the first in which Tilghman finished at the top of the Power Eleven rankings. It is also the first time that a Power Eleven team has finished in the MaxPreps Top Ten since Mayfield did it in 2017. And it's the only time (going back to 2004) where a Power Eleven team has finished in the MaxPreps Top Five. So it seems clear that this year's Tilghman team is the best football team in our section since at least 2004. Congratulations to everyone at Tilghman!
And now, on to basketball season!
Over in Prince George's County, Maryland, Navy leads Army 21-10 with 14:54 left in the 4th quarter.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best ideas from the early 2000's was the idea of giving Army and Navy a Saturday afternoon to themselves. I always feel better about myself as a fan after watching Army play Navy.
ReplyDeleteThis is only the second time in history that the Army-Navy game has been played in the D.C. area -- the last time was in 2011. The Mids lead 31 to 13 with 3:44 left. Given that Army was 11-1 going into this game, this has to go down as one of the greatest wins for the Navy since the 1960's.
ReplyDeleteArmy commits its third turnover of the day, and Navy takes over with 3:35 left in the game. The Mids are going to win this game for the first time since 2021, and only the third time since 2015. Navy will lead the all-time series 63-55-7, mainly on the strength of 14 wins in a row from 2002 to 2015.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, in Champaign, Illinois, the number-1 Tennessee men's basketball team leads Illinois 26 to 25 with 2:05 left in the first half. As usual, the Illini are tough at home. Ken Pom has the Vols winning this one 74 to 71, so it should be close all the way.
ReplyDeleteNavy finishes off Army, and wins with surprising ease 31 to 13. At the half, UT leads Illinois 31 to 30.
ReplyDeleteI saw a guy on the Internet today who said the reference version of Beethoven's Ninth is the 1958 recording of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Ferenc Fricsay. I'm listening to it now, and it is very well done.
ReplyDeleteHere's my view on Beethoven's Ninth. You have to decide if you like the interpretation by Wilhelm Furtwangler. If you do, then you will probably end up like a lot of Furtwangler fans and conclude that his version of Beethoven's Ninth is on a level by itself. That's where I am. But if you don't like Furtwangler -- and many people don't -- you should go with a solid performance from one of the Central European orchestras (like the Berlin Philharmonic) under one of their many other great conductors.
ReplyDeleteAs a general matter, I personally love the mid-century recordings done by the American orchestras under conductors like Eugene Ormandy and Leonard Bernstein. But I always feel like their versions of Beethoven's Ninth is a bit thin. To me, Beethoven's Ninth is the single greatest work of art that exists -- better than any statue, better than any painting, better than any novel or play. If the aliens showed up and wanted one example of what human beings can do, I would go with Beethoven's Ninth. So when you listen to it, you should have a transcendent experience. It should feel the way church is supposed to feel. The mid-century American orchestra's, in my opinion, did not have the type of faith in Beethoven that you need to pull this off. In 1958, the Berlin Philharmonic, under the direction of Ference Fricsay, did. And if you pay attention, you will be able to tell the difference.
ReplyDeleteNow Furtwangler, in my opinion, goes even further and really pushes the boundaries of art and spirituality as far as they can go -- for me, there is literally nothing like one of his versions of Beethoven's Ninth. But not everyone feels that -- Furtwangler is a very divisive figure for many reasons -- and I would never criticize anyone who prefers a more conventional (but still very Germanic) approach. So I strongly recommend Fricsay's 1958 recording.
ReplyDeleteDave Hurwitz of Classics Today has an outstanding channel on YouTube where he gives advice on which classical recordings you should have. I agree with almost all his choices, although he and I disagree on Furtwangler. A few years ago, he did a video listing his favorite versions of Beethoven's Ninth. Here were the key points that he made.
ReplyDeleteFirst, don't buy a version that uses period instruments -- the Ninth actually sounds better with modern instrumentation.
ReplyDeleteNext, he recommends the 1958 Ferenc Fricsay recording that I just heard. Hurwitz believes this is the best version of the Ninth ever recorded, and it is very good.
ReplyDeleteThen, he recommends the version done by Karl Bohm and the Vienna Philharmonic in 1957. He says that you must avoid the version done by the same conductor and orchestra in 1977.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard this version.
DeleteHurwitz usually wears a tee-shirt or a sweatshirt in his videos, but when he does a video on Beethoven's Ninth, he wears a tie. I agree with that approach.
ReplyDeleteFinally, he recommends a version done by Gunter Wand and the NDR Symphony Orchestra in 1987. I've never heard this version either, but I'm sure it's great.
ReplyDeleteWith 11:21 left in the game, Illinois leads Tennessee 50 to 44.
ReplyDeleteIn men's basketball, Western Kentucky beats Murray State in Bowling Green, 81 to 76 in overtime. The Toppers have now won four games in a row, and seven of their last 8. Their record is 7-3, and they are at 110 on Ken Pom. Murray State falls to 6-3 on the year, and they are at 103 on Ken Pom.
ReplyDeleteIllinois leads UT 52 to 46 with 9:59 left. The Vol fans have been mocking Ohio State online, and making a lot of noise about how UT is going to beat the Buckeyes in next week's football playoffs. But as the basketball team is now learning, teams from the Midwest are not easy to beat in the Midwest.
ReplyDeleteBut Tennessee fights back! The Vols now lead 57 to 56 with 6 minutes left.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, in Lexington, Kentucky, the University of Kentucky men's basketball team defeats the University of Louisville men's basketball team by a score of 93 to 85. The Cats now lead the all-time series 40 to 17.
ReplyDeleteLamont Butler earns a place in Kentucky lore as he goes 10-10 from the field and 6-6 from 3-point range. He scores 33 points as the Cats run their record to 10-1.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, Illinois leads UT 60-59 with 2:45 left in the game. Given the personalities of these two teams, the last 2:45 could take awhile.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm listening to the Fantasia on Christmas Carols by Ralph Vaughan Williams. I'm listening to the recording with Richard Hickox conducting the City of London Sinfonia, Roderick Williams as the baritone, and the Joyful Company of Singers as the chorus. I really love this piece of music.
ReplyDeleteAll tied at 62 with 1:38 left. Illinois ball.
ReplyDeleteBut UT steals the inbounds pass and dunks to go up 64 to 62!
ReplyDeleteWith 1:08 left, we've gone to the monitor.
ReplyDeleteWith 18 seconds left, UT has the ball and a 64-63 lead. They shoot an airball, but a UT player grabs the rebound and is fouled. Of course, Illinois had only been called for 4 fouls in this half, so the Illini will have to foul at least twice more to put UT on the line.
ReplyDeleteZakai Zeigler, who has been at Tennessee since the late 1990's, goes to the line and misses the front end of a one-and-one. Illinois staggers around in the offensive zone for awhile, and with 5 seconds left the officials call a foul on Zeigler. That's his fifth foul and Illinois will go to the line with a chance to take the lead.
ReplyDeleteBall don't lie, however, and Illinois misses the first free throw. One more coming.
ReplyDeleteIllinois makes the second FT, and we are tied at 64 with five seconds left.
ReplyDeleteIn the last five seconds, Jordan Gainey drives the length of the court and MAKES A LAYUP AT THE BUZZER. Tennessee beats Illinois 66 to 64 thanks for 23 points from Jordan Gainey. That's a huge win for the Big Orange, who remain undefeated and who will stay at Number One in the AP Poll next week.
ReplyDeleteTennessee won the College World Series, they are in the College Football Playoff, and they are Number One in the country in men's basketball. These are good times on Rocky Top.
ReplyDeleteAt the half from Madison Square Garden, UConn (7-3) leads Gonzaga (7-2) by the score of 43 to 40.
ReplyDeleteWith 7:49 left, UConn leads 65 to 59. To be honest, I just expect UConn to win every time.
ReplyDeleteUConn still leads 75 to 70 with 41 seconds left.
ReplyDeleteUConn defeats Gonzaga 77 to 71. Going forward, I'm going to treat UConn as the favorite to win the national title until they are eliminated.
ReplyDeleteUK (10-1) is currently ranked 11 on Ken Pom: 8th in offense, 45th in defense, and 137th in luck.
ReplyDeleteArkansas (9-2) is currently ranked 39th on Ken Pom: 56th in offense, 22d in defense, and 76th in luck.
Washington lets New Orleans score a touchdown on the last play of the game, but the Saints lose when their effort at a two-point conversion fails. Washington wins 20-19 to run its record to 9-5. Washington hasn't been 9-5 since 1992.
ReplyDeleteTwo huge games this afternoon: the Lions are hosting the Bills and the Eagles are hosting the Steelers. The Eagles lead 10-3 in the first half, but the Lions trail 21-7 as they are getting the full Buffalo experience.
ReplyDeleteDetroit scores to cut Buffalo's lead to 21-14 with 3 minutes left in the first half. Philly scores to go up 17-3 with 9 minutes left in the first half.
ReplyDeletePittsburgh has closed to within 17-10 with 1:26 left in the first half. Detroit has a successful goal line stand against Buffalo and still trails 21-14 with less than a minute before halftime.
ReplyDeleteHalftime: Detroit 14 - 21 Buffalo
ReplyDeleteWith 37 seconds left in the first half, Pittsburgh kicks a field goal to narrow Philly's lead to 17-13.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, we have a huge high school game in Louisville, where St. X is hosting Great Crossing in a showdown between the top two teams in the Commonwealth.
ReplyDeleteHalftime:
ReplyDeleteDetroit 14 - 21 Buffalo
Philadelphia 17 - 13 Pittsburgh
St. X leads Great Crossing 22-17 at the end of the first quarter.
ReplyDeleteDetroit 14 - 28 Buffalo (8:25 left in 3d)
ReplyDeletePhiladelphia 20 - 13 Pittsburgh (8:06 left in 3d)
Washington has clinched a winning record for the first time since 2016.
ReplyDeleteIn 2016, Washington went 8-7-1. This is the first time Washington has won nine games since 2015, when Washington went 9-7. Washington hasn't won 10 games in a season since 2012.
DeleteSt. X leads Great Crossing 37-34 at the half.
ReplyDeleteEvery year, there are a few games where the Bills decide to show us what they can really do. Today is one of those games, as Buffalo is crushing Detroit 35-14 in Detroit late in the third quarter. Coming in to this game, the Lions were 12-1, but they have been no match for the Bills.
ReplyDeleteDetroit 21 - 35 Buffalo (end of 3d)
ReplyDeletePhiladelphia 27 - 13 Pittsburgh (13:10 left in 4th)
I am now very confident that the Eagles are going back to the Super Bowl
After three quarters, St. X leads Great Crossing 58 to 46.
ReplyDeleteDetroit 28 - 38 Buffalo (12 minutes left in the 4th)
ReplyDeletePhiladelphia 27 - 13 Pittsburgh (4:46 left in the 4th)
Mike Tomlin is a genius coach, but the Steelers just don't give him enough weapons.
Detroit 35 - 45 Buffalo (8:02 left in the 4th)
ReplyDeletePhiladelphia 27 - 13 Pittsburgh (2:56 left in the 4th)
The Eagles are at Pittsburgh's 11 yard line, so that score line could get even better for Philly.
St. X smashes Great Crossing 72 to 58 (Final).
ReplyDeleteThe Eagles roll 27 to 13. They have now won 10 games in a row.
ReplyDeleteBuffalo rolls over Detroit 48 to 42 in a game that wasn't really that close. Bills (11-3) are two games behind Kansas City (13-1) with three games left.
ReplyDeleteHere are the standings in the NFC East:
ReplyDeletePhilly: 12-2
Washington: 9-5
Dallas: 6-8
Giants: 2-12
Here's the AFC East:
ReplyDeleteBuffalo: 11-3
Miami: 6-8
Jets: 4-10
New England: 3-11
Per NFL.com, the Dolphins' playoffs probability is 6 percent. I thought, after losing to Houston yesterday, it would be 0 percent, but I was wrong.
DeleteHere's the AFC North:
ReplyDeletePittsburgh: 10-4
Baltimore: 9-5
Cincy: 6-8
Cleveland: 3-11
And here's the AFC South:
ReplyDeleteHouston: 9-5
Indy: 6-8
Jacksonville: 3-11
Tennessee: 3-11
Green Bay crushes Seattle 30 to 13, and the NFC West standings look like this:
ReplyDeleteLos Angeles: 8-6
Seattle: 8-6
Arizona: 7-7
San Francisco: 6-8
Here's the AFC West:
ReplyDeleteKansas City: 13-1
Denver: 9-5
San Diego: 8-6
Oakland: 2-12
Here's the NFC South:
ReplyDeleteTampa Bay: 8-6
Atlanta: 7-7
New Orleans: 5-9
Carolina: 3-11
And that leaves the NFC North:
ReplyDeleteDetroit: 12-2
Minnesota: 12-2
Green Bay: 10-4
Chicago: 4-10
If the NFL still operated under 1977 rules, this weekend would be the first round of the playoffs, which would look like this:
ReplyDeleteNFC:
Philadelphia (12-2) v. Minnesota (12-2)
Detroit (12-2) v. Los Angeles (8-6)
AFC:
Kansas City (13-1) v. Baltimore (9-5)
Buffalo (11-3) v. Pittsburgh (10-4)