Ace Weekly

Football finals

By Jonathan Morris

Excitement around the state continues to build as the match-ups are set for the 46th KHSAA State Football Finals set for this weekend at Papa John1s Cardinal Stadium in Louisville. Six of the eight teams are making return trips to the State Finals, including Boyle County which is making its sixth consecutive trip to a state championship. Following is the schedule for this week1s state football finals:

Friday, December 3
Class A Championship
Danville vs. Beechwood, 12pm
Class AA Championship
Owensboro Catholic vs. Belfry, 3:30pm
Saturday, December 4
Class AAA Championship
Boyle County vs. Highlands, 11:30am
Class AAAA Championship
St. Xavier vs. Scott County, 3:30pm

Gates to Papa John1s Cardinal Stadium will open one hour prior to kickoff, 11am on Friday and 10:30am for Saturday. General admission tickets are on sale at any of the eight participating schools for an advance purchase price of $7. Tickets are also available (credit card orders only) through the KHSAA for $7 through today.

At the gate, general admission single session tickets will be $9 each or an all-session ticket (one ticket to each of the four games) will be available on Friday for $25. A limited number of reserved seating for the four games remains in the Brown & Williamson Club Level for $40 each (sold as a package only). Parking lots will open 3 hours prior to kickoff. There will be a parking charge of $5 per car.

For the first time in the history of the Association, all four championship games will be broadcast live across the Commonwealth through Insight Communications.

In addition, Comcast Sports Southeast will air Friday1s games live and the Saturday1s games on a tape-delayed basis (due to a prior scheduling conflict) outside of the Commonwealth. Games will be seen throughout the southeast in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, West Virginia, Virginia, Arkansas and Mississippi.

Earl Browning and Gary Gupton will handle play-by-play and color commentary. Extra Sports 1580-AM of Lexington will serve as the flagship station of the Rawlings/KHSAA Football Radio Network. Gary Ball, Rick Shaw, Bill Ransdell and Louis Stout will be calling all the action. In addition the radio broadcasts of the games will be streamed on the KHSAA website (www.khsaa.org) in partnership with iHigh.com and the IBN Radio Network.

Should watching the high schoolers play ball and spark your dreams of glory past, the Lexington Horsemen will hold open tryouts in Rupp Arena on Saturday, December 11.

Kickers will begin registration at 8am.

All offensive and defensive linemen will begin with registration at 9:30am.

Running backs, receivers, linebackers, defensive backs and quarterbacks will begin with registration at 12:30pm.

All interested players must be at least 19-years-old and are encouraged to call 859/422-7277 before December 11 if they wish to tryout. On December 11, players will register at the security entrance behind Rupp Arena, off of Cox Street. The tryout fee is $65, payable only by cash, check or money order, and will be collected at registration on December 11. Players need to bring turf or tennis shoes as well as workout clothes (shorts, t-shirts, etc.) Participants will be tested in the 10-yard dash, 40-yard dash, pro-shuttle, vertical jump and position specific evaluations and will be weighed and measured. Any players who have video of themselves are encouraged to bring it to the office before tryouts or bring it to the tryout. For more information on the tryouts, contact the Horsemen office at 859/422.7277.

Just as well the Horsemen will enter a new league. They will be joining 11 teams spanning from South Dakota to Alabama who have come together to form United Indoor Football, an indoor football league played in small to mid-size markets throughout the United States.

“This new league afforded us the opportunity to maintain our established rivalries and meet our business objectives,” said, Van Florence, President of the Horsemen.

United Indoor Football boasts three former league champions and five former conference champions. These 12 teams are considered some of the strongest indoor football teams in the country. Most of the teams in the UIF have at least four years of previous operating experience and have a proven track record of success both on and off the field.

The owners and operators firmly believe, “We're not working to be the biggest; we're working to be the best. You will see over the coming months and years, a professionally-run league that will benefit not only our owners, but also our loyal fans, corporate sponsors, and you in the media. The teams of the UIF are committed to provide the highest quality of family-affordable entertainment while still competing at the highest level of indoor football in the world."

The teams will compete in three four-team divisions with the regular season beginning March 17, 2005 . Teams will play a 15-game schedule to be concluded in mid-July with playoffs to follow. n

SPORT Football finals By Jonathan Morris Excitement around the state continues to build as the match-ups are set for the 46th KHSAA State Football Finals set for this weekend at Papa John1s Cardinal Stadium in Louisville. Six of the eight teams are making return trips to the State Finals, including Boyle County which is making its sixth consecutive trip to a state championship. Following is the schedule for this week1s state football finals: Friday, December 3 Class A Championship Danville vs. Beechwood, 12pm Class AA Championship Owensboro Catholic vs. Belfry, 3:30pm Saturday, December 4 Class AAA Championship Boyle County vs. Highlands, 11:30am Class AAAA Championship St. Xavier vs. Scott County, 3:30pm Gates to Papa John1s Cardinal Stadium will open one hour prior to kickoff, 11am on Friday and 10:30am for Saturday. General admission tickets are on sale at any of the eight participating schools for an advance purchase price of $7. Tickets are also available (credit card orders only) through the KHSAA for $7 through today. At the gate, general admission single session tickets will be $9 each or an all-session ticket (one ticket to each of the four games) will be available on Friday for $25. A limited number of reserved seating for the four games remains in the Brown & Williamson Club Level for $40 each (sold as a package only). Parking lots will open 3 hours prior to kickoff. There will be a parking charge of $5 per car. For the first time in the history of the Association, all four championship games will be broadcast live across the Commonwealth through Insight Communications. In addition, Comcast Sports Southeast will air Friday1s games live and the Saturday1s games on a tape-delayed basis (due to a prior scheduling conflict) outside of the Commonwealth. Games will be seen throughout the southeast in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, West Virginia, Virginia, Arkansas and Mississippi. Earl Browning and Gary Gupton will handle play-by-play and color commentary. Extra Sports 1580-AM of Lexington will serve as the flagship station of the Rawlings/KHSAA Football Radio Network. Gary Ball, Rick Shaw, Bill Ransdell and Louis Stout will be calling all the action. In addition the radio broadcasts of the games will be streamed on the KHSAA website (www.khsaa.org) in partnership with iHigh.com and the IBN Radio Network. Should watching the high schoolers play ball and spark your dreams of glory past, the Lexington Horsemen will hold open tryouts in Rupp Arena on Saturday, December 11. Kickers will begin registration at 8am. All offensive and defensive linemen will begin with registration at 9:30am. Running backs, receivers, linebackers, defensive backs and quarterbacks will begin with registration at 12:30pm. All interested players must be at least 19-years-old and are encouraged to call 859/422-7277 before December 11 if they wish to tryout. On December 11, players will register at the security entrance behind Rupp Arena, off of Cox Street. The tryout fee is $65, payable only by cash, check or money order, and will be collected at registration on December 11. Players need to bring turf or tennis shoes as well as workout clothes (shorts, t-shirts, etc.) Participants will be tested in the 10-yard dash, 40-yard dash, pro-shuttle, vertical jump and position specific evaluations and will be weighed and measured. Any players who have video of themselves are encouraged to bring it to the office before tryouts or bring it to the tryout. For more information on the tryouts, contact the Horsemen office at 859/422.7277. Just as well the Horsemen will enter a new league. They will be joining 11 teams spanning from South Dakota to Alabama who have come together to form United Indoor Football, an indoor football league played in small to mid-size markets throughout the United States. “This new league afforded us the opportunity to maintain our established rivalries and meet our business objectives,” said, Van Florence, President of the Horsemen. United Indoor Football boasts three former league champions and five former conference champions. These 12 teams are considered some of the strongest indoor football teams in the country. Most of the teams in the UIF have at least four years of previous operating experience and have a proven track record of success both on and off the field. The owners and operators firmly believe, “We're not working to be the biggest; we're working to be the best. You will see over the coming months and years, a professionally-run league that will benefit not only our owners, but also our loyal fans, corporate sponsors, and you in the media. The teams of the UIF are committed to provide the highest quality of family-affordable entertainment while still competing at the highest level of indoor football in the world." The teams will compete in three four-team divisions with the regular season beginning March 17, 2005 . Teams will play a 15-game schedule to be concluded in mid-July with playoffs to follow. n