Bama s Back on Top! Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Images

Transcription

1 Volume 13 Number 12 Bama s Back on Top! Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Images

2 In a showcase moment for the Southeastern Conference, Alabama defeated SEC rival Georgia, in overtime in Atlanta to win the national championship. Georgia led for 40 minutes and 25 seconds. Alabama only led once, when it counted the most, at the end of the game. The score was tied for 19 minutes and 35 seconds. The only previous overtime championship game was the 2002 BCS game when Ohio State beat Miami (FL) in double overtime. This was the lowest scoring of the four CFP title games. Alabama s rally from 13 points down was the fourth largest comeback in the CFP. The top seed has never won since the CFP began. The #4 seed has now won twice. Alabama has won five national championships in the last nine seasons and ties head coach Nick Saban with Bear Bryant for the most national titles by a head coach in the poll era (since 1936). There was only one rushing touchdown in this year s championship game. Alabama freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who started the second half for the Crimson Tide, finished with 14 of 24 passing for 166 yards and 3 touchdowns. He was intercepted once and sacked once. Tagovailoa also ran 12 times for a net 27 yards. He was named the offensive player of the game for his work. Da Ron Payne (#94), a disruptive nose guard, was named the defensive player of the game. An argument could have been made for Mack Wilson (#30) who led the Tide in tackles with 12. Alabama finishes 13-1 for the season; Georgia The Crimson Tide opens the 2018 season in Orlando against Louisville. Georgia will host Austin Peay. The Cotton and Orange bowls will host next year s semifinal games while Levi s Stadium in Santa Clara, California will host the championship. FINAL CONFERENCE BOWL RECORDS Independents 2-0 Big Ten 7-1 Sun Belt 4-1 Big AAC 4-3 Mountain West 3-3 SEC 5-6 Conference USA 4-5 Atlantic Coast 4-6 Mid-American 1-4 Pac

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4 January 2 Corbin girls 50 Wayne County 36 Leslie County girls 62 Harlan 51 Pineville girls 53 Bell County 46 South Laurel girls 60 Williamsburg 34 January 4 Pineville girls 53 Thomas Walker, VA 30 January 5 Middlesboro girls at Bell County Williamsburg girls at Corbin Harlan girls at Letcher Central Clay County girls at North Laurel Knox Central girls at Pineville June Buchanan girls at Red Bird January 6 Centria Metals/Penn Station Shootout at Franklin County: Harlan County girls vs. Elizabethtown and South Laurel girls vs. North Bullitt Whitley County girls at Clay County Jackson County girls at Lynn Camp January 8 13th Region girls All A Classic at OBI Jenkins girls at Harlan County East Jessamine girls at Jackson County Corbin girls at South Laurel Thomas Walker girls at Whitley County January 9 13th region girls All A Classic at OBI Jackson County girls at Clay County Bell County girls at McCreary Central North Laurel girls at Rockcastle County January 11 Lee, VA girls at Harlan County Somerset girls at Knox Central January 12 Red Bird girls at Cordia Bell County girls at East Jessamine North Laurel girls at Jackson County Corbin girls at Whitley County January 13 Oneida Baptist girls at Cordia Harlan County girls at Knox Central Clay County girls at Madison Central South Laurel girls at North Laurel Bell County girls at Tates Creek January 15 Harlan County girls at Clay County Whitley County girls at Jackson County Williamsburg girls at Lynn Camp Barbourville girls at Thomas Walker January 16 Knox Central girls at Corbin South Laurel girls at Hazard Red Bird girls at KY School for Deaf Jackson City girls at Oneida Baptist Barbourville girls at Pineville McCreary Central girls at Whitley County January 18 Williamsburg girls at Barbourville 13th Region Girls varsity basketball schedule Leslie County girls at Clay County Jackson County girls at Corbin Middlesboro girls at Pineville January 19 Bell County girls at Harlan County Red Bird girls at Jackson City Wayne County girls at Knox Central Rockcastle County girls at Lynn Camp Jackson County girls at North Laurel Whitley County girls at South Laurel Harlan girls at Williamsburg January 20 Lady Hawk 1-day Showcase: Harlan County vs. Pike County Central Madison Southern girls at Bell County Clay County girls at Fleming County Hazard girls at Knox Central Corbin girls at North Laurel Lynn Camp girls at Oneida Baptist January 22 Barbourville girls at Berea Harlan County girls at Lee, VA Lincoln County girls at Corbin Oneida Baptist girls at Prestonsburg January 23 Lynn Camp girls at Bell County Jackson County girls at Berea North Laurel girls at Clay County Harlan girls at Middlesboro Corbin girls at Pineville Whitley County girls at Williamsburg January 25 Pineville girls at Harlan January 26 Jackson County girls at Barbourville North Laurel girls at Oneida Baptist Berea girls at Middlesboro Pineville girls at Red Bird Harlan County girls at Whitley County South Laurel girls at Williamsburg January 27 Knox Central girls at Breathitt County Bell County girls at Corbin North Laurel girls at Jenkins Riverside Christian girls at Red Bird January 29 Lee, VA girls at Bell County South Laurel girls at Corbin Oneida Baptist girls at Jackson City Harlan girls at Knox Central Whitley County girls at Madison Southern Jackson County girls at Model Lynn Camp girls at Red Bird Clay County girls at Rockcastle County January 30 Harlan girls at Barbourville Harlan County girls at Middlesboro Somerset girls at North Laurel June Buchanan girls at Oneida Baptist Corbin girls at Williamsburg February 1 Jackson County girls at Owsley County North Laurel girls at South Laurel February 2 Whitley County girls at Corbin Harlan County girls at Harlan Clay County girls at Jackson County Red Bird girls at June Buchanan Leslie County girls at Knox Central Bell County girls at Middlesboro Lynn Camp girls at Pineville Barbourville girls at Williamsburg February 3 Scott Blank Classic at Buckhorn: Jackson County girls vs. Buckhorn and South Laurel girls vs. Knott County Central Corbin girls at Perry Central Lynn Camp girls at Clinton County Knox Central girls at Jenkins Southwestern girls at North Laurel Oneida Baptist girls at Red Bird Jellico, TN girls at Williamsburg February 5 Model girls at Barbourville Letcher Central girls at Harlan County Harlan girls at Leslie County Knox Central girls at Lynn Camp Claiborne, TN girls at Middlesboro Jackson County girls at Oneida Baptist North Laurel girls at Pineville Jackson City girls at Red Bird Williamsburg girls at Whitley County February 6 Harlan girls at Bell County Berea girls at Barbourville Knox Central girls at Clay County Lynn Camp girls at Jackson County Pineville girls at Middlesboro February 8 Bell County girls at Barbourville Harlan County girls at Corbin Clay County girls at Oneida Baptist Pineville girls at Whitley County February 9 Williamsburg girls at Beechwood South Laurel girls at Franklin County Harlan girls at Lynn Camp Owsley County girls at Knox Central Barbourville girls at Middlesboro Cordia girls at Red Bird Jackson County girls at Rockcastle County February 10 Jackson County girls at Bell County Corbin girls at Bell County North Laurel girls at Knox Central Buckhorn girls at Oneida Baptist Middlesboro girls at Red Bird Taylor County girls at Whitley County February 12 South Laurel girls at Clay County Barbourville girls at Harlan Lee County girls at Jackson County Whitley County girls at Knox Central Oneida Baptist girls at Lynn Camp Williamsburg girls at Middlesboro February 13 Barbourville girls at Corbin Pineville girls at Jackson County Bell County girls at Knox Central KY School for Deaf girls at Red Bird North Laurel girls at Whitley County February 15 Lynn Camp girls at Model Clay County girls at Owsley County Leslie County girls at North Laurel J. Frank White girls at Pineville Red Bird girls at Riverside Christian Rockcastle County girls at South Laurel February 16 Whitley County girls at Bell County Harlan girls at Corbin Knox Central girls at Harlan County Lynn Camp girls at Middlesboro Oneida Baptist girls at Owsley County

5 January 4 Pineville boys 69 Thomas Walker, VA 54 January 5 Lynn Camp boys at Barbourville Middlesboro boys at Bell County Williamsburg boys at Corbin Clay County boys at North Laurel Harlan boys at Perry County Central Knox Central boys at Pineville Whitley County boys at Wayne County January 6 Raymond Reed Classic at South Laurel: Whitley County boys vs. Lexington Christian, Clay County boys vs. Rockcastle County, Scott boys vs. South Laurel, Pendleton County boys vs. Corbin, Wayne County boys vs. North Laurel Jackson County boys at Harlan County Dohn Community, OH boys at Williamsburg January8 Red Bird boys at June Buchanan Barbourville boys at Knox Central Middlesboro boys at Lee, VA January 9 Jackson County boys at Clay County Pineville boys at Lynn Camp Corbin boys at Middlesboro North Laurel boys at Rockcastle County Harlan County boys at South Laurel Harlan boys at Whitley County Bell County boys at Williamsburg January 10 KY School for Deaf boys at Oneida Baptist January 11 Bell County boys at Knox Central Oneida Baptist boys at Lynn Camp Clay County boys at South Laurel January 12 Harlan County boys at Clay County North Laurel boys at Jackson County Corbin boys at Whitley County January 13 13th Region boys All A Classic at MHS Hall of Fame Classic at Southwestern: Mc- Creary Central boys vs. Jackson County Tim Short Auto Mall Classic at Corbin: Letcher Central boys vs. Corbin Tates Creek boys at Knox Central South Laurel boys at Pikeville Floyd Central boys at North Laurel Bell County boys at Sayre January 15 Whitley County boys at Cumberland Gap January 16 Knox Central boys at Harlan County Bell County boys at McCreary Central Clay County boys at Perry Central North Laurel boys at Red Bird Jackson County boys at South Laurel 13th Region Boys varsity basketball schedule January 18 Oneida Baptist boys at Lee County Middlesboro boys at Pineville Clay County boys at Red Bird Whitley County boys at South Laurel Lynn Camp boys at Williamsburg January 19 Knox Central boys at Corbin Bell County boys at Harlan County Jackson County boys at North Laurel Barbourville boys at Oneida Baptist January 20 Jaguar Classic at East Jessamine: Corbin boys vs. Lincoln County Tim Short Automotive Classic at Clark County: North Laurel boys vs. Rowan County Williamsburg boys at Jackson County Whitley County boys at Mercer County January 22 Lynn Camp boys at Bell County Frederick Douglass boys at Knox Central Oneida Baptist boys at Riverside Christian June Buchanan boys at Red Bird Harlan County boys at Whitley County January 23 Leslie County boys at Barbourville North Laurel boys at Clay County Harlan boys at Middlesboro Pineville boys at Owsley County Corbin boys at South Laurel Whitley County boys at Williamsburg January 26 Lee, VA boys at Bell County Whitley County boys at Clay County Harlan County boys at Corbin Knox Central boys at Iroquois Red Bird boys at Jackson County Berea boys at Middlesboro North Laurel boys at Oneida Baptist Harlan boys at Pineville Barbourville boys at Somerset South Laurel boys at Williamsburg January 27 Buckhorn boys at Bell County Jackson County boys at Clinton County Burgin boys at Middlesboro Scott boys at Harlan County Dunbar boys at South Laurel Riverside Christian boys at Red Bird January 29 Hazard boys at Barbourville Oneida Baptist boys at KY School for Deaf Lynn Camp boys at Red Bird January 30 Barbourville boys at Bell County South Laurel boys at George Rogers Clark Letcher Central boys at Harlan Pineville boys at Jackson County Whitley County boys at Knox Central Jellico, TN boys at Lynn Camp Harlan County boys at Middlesboro Corbin boys at Williamsburg February 1 Oneida Baptist boys at Pineville Rockcastle County boys at Williamsburg February 2 Whitley County boys at Corbin Knox Central boys at Frederick Douglass Harlan County boys at Harlan Clay County boys at Jackson County Bell County boys at Middlesboro North Laurel boys at South Laurel Lee County boys at Red Bird Jock Sutherland Classic at Lafayette: Corbin boys vs. Mercer County Robbie Davis Memorial at Clinton County: Clay County vs. Pickett County, TN Scott Blank Classic at Buckhorn: Breathitt County boys vs. Barbourville Bell County boys at Jenkins Belfry boys at North Laurel Oneida Baptist boys at Red Bird Harlan County boys at Pikeville Jellico, TN boys at Williamsburg February 5 Middlesboro boys at Claiborne, TN Knox Central boys at Lynn Camp Red Bird boys at North Laurel Jackson County boys at Oneida Baptist Williamsburg boys at Whitley County February 6 Harlan boys at Bell County Corbin boys at Harlan County Williamsburg boys at McCreary Central Rockcastle County boys at Jackson County Pineville boys at Middlesboro Lynn Camp boys at Oneida Baptist February 8 North Laurel boys at Bell County Pineville boys at Harlan Jackson County boys at Knox Central Barbourville boys at McCreary Central Clay County boys at Oneida Baptist Leslie County boys at Williamsburg February 9 North Laurel boys at Corbin Somerset boys at Knox Central Bell County boys at Lynn Camp Barbourville boys at Middlesboro February 10 Petrey & Newcomb Orthodontics Classic at Corbin: Corbin boys vs. Doss Lynn Camp boys at Betsy Lane Pike County Central boys at Harlan County Jackson County boys at Phelps Middlesboro boys at Red Bird Letcher Central boys at South Laurel February 12 Harlan County boys at Cumberland Gap Bell County boys at Pineville Williamsburg boys at Barbourville Harlan boys at North Laurel Madison Central boys at South Laurel February 13 Bell County boys at Barbourville Knox Central boys at Clay County Lynn Camp boys at Harlan Middlesboro boys at Jenkins Oneida Baptist boys at Owsley County Red Bird boys at Pineville Corbin boys at Pulaski County Rockcastle County boys at Whitley County February 15 Bell County boys at Clay County Harlan County boys at Cordia Jackson County boys at Model Williamsburg boys at Pineville Red Bird boys at Riverside Christian Rockcastle County boys at South Laurel Madison Southern boys at Whitley County February 16 Jenkins boys at Barbourville Harlan boys at Corbin Oneida Baptist boys at Leslie County Lynn Camp boys at Middlesboro Knox Central boys at North Laurel

6 Notes of interest around the 13th Region District Tournament Sites 49th District - Oneida Baptist 50th District - Corbin 51st District - Knox Central 52nd District - Middlesboro Tops in the Region (per KHSAA stats) BOYS Scoring: Andrew Taylor, Corbin ppg FG%: Ryan Roger, Clay Co % FT%: Drew Akemon, Jackson Co % 3-point FG s: Chandler Stewart, Corbin - 34 Rebounds: Andrew Taylor, Corbin rpg Team Scoring: Knox Central ppg Team Defense: Bell County ppg Team FG%: Knox Central % Team FT%: South Laurel % GIRLS Scoring: Blair Green, Harlan Co ppg FG%: Carmen Cox, Harlan Co % FT%: Amerah Steele, South Laurel % 3-point FG s: Shelby Phillips, Clay Co Rebounds: Brittney Cupp, Bell Co rpg Team Scoring: Harlan Co ppg Team Defense: Pineville ppg Team FG%: Harlan Co % Team FT%: Harlan Co % Instant replay comes to SEC basketball Birmingham, Ala. The SEC implemented a collaborative process for instant replay in the sport of men s basketball as the conference season began. Under this upgraded system for instant replay reviews, personnel operating from SEC Headquarters will assist the game officials for all monitor reviews in conference games. "The implementation of collaborative replay in men's basketball continues the SEC's commitment to use the best-available resources to support correct outcomes when replay is used, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said. This update to our replay review process is expected to more effectively support the Conference's men s basketball officiating program and build on the positive results we have experienced in football officiating through the use of technology." In June of 2017, the NCAA approved an experimental rule at the request of the SEC that will allow a conference to utilize a collaborative Instant Replay review process for all conference contests in the season. This collaboration will be limited to only those plays that are reviewable under NCAA Playing Rule 11. All reviews will be initiated by game officials, who maintain final decision-making authority. The SEC is the only conference utilizing a collaborative replay process this season. Terry Moore, a veteran NCAA official, will assume the role of Coordinator of Men s Basketball Replay. In the newly-created position, Moore will collaborate with game officials from SEC Headquarters for all monitor reviews during the conference schedule as part of a recently approved NCAA experimental rule. A veteran of the SEC, ACC, Big 12, American and Missouri Valley conferences, Moore has earned officiating assignments in 17 NCAA Tournaments, advancing to the Regional Finals on two occasions. He has 27 years of international officiating experience. For the last 10 years, Moore has been a FIBA Instructor for USA Basketball and is a member of the USA Basketball Official Selection Committee where he oversees the recruiting, training, evaluation, and testing of National and FIBA Certified officials who represent the USA in all FIBA events worldwide. Moore will work closely with SEC Coordinator of Men s Basketball Officials Mark Whitehead and SEC Associate Commissioner for Men s Basketball Dan Leibovitz to implement and manage the collaborative replay process. Does golf have a distance problem? Few amateur golfers would welcome the idea of creating a golf ball that would reduce the distance of their drives, but according to the Wall Street Journal that might be what is coming to the pros who play the game. The issue, at its heart, is how good these professionals have become at driving the traditional golf ball. When Tiger Woods burst onto the scene in 1996, for instance, not a single player could claim a 300-yard drive. However, last year's season featured 43 such players. This is causing issues for courses that have been around for a hundred years that were never designed with this level of play in mind. To combat this issue, many clubs have turned to expanding their courses to help provide more challenge to the best players of the game. The downside to this solution is that the clubs have to pass the costs of expansion, land purchases, development, upkeep, etc. to the average player as they are the ones responsible for the majority of their income. While professionals' wallets won't be affected much, amateurs will feel the hurt, and this could endanger the love of the game among its fans. One idea, proposed by the U.S. Golf Association and endorsed by Tiger Woods, is to create different balls for different levels of the game. Similar to how weight classes work in some sports, the ball would help level the playing field between amateurs and professionals. The game's highest levels would be played with the most challenging balls, and it would bring drive distances back in line with traditional norms. The governing bodies want to be able to include as many people as possible in their sport, and they are willing to think outside the box to accomplish that goal. In addition to golf balls with different weights, some people are even tossing around the idea of a bigger, lighter ball that could let children get the hang of the game without getting frustrated with the standard gear. To really hit the mainstream, however, a prominent club or tournament would need to embrace the idea.

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8 January 1 (Monday) January 4 (Thursday) January 7 (Sunday) January 11 (Thursday) January 14 (Sunday) January 18 (Thursday) January 21 (Sunday) January 22 (Monday) January 25 (Thursday) SEC Women s Basketball schedule for January 2018 Vanderbilt at LSU Alabama at Florida South Carolina at Ole Miss Arkansas at Mississippi State LSU at Missouri Auburn at Tennessee Kentucky at Texas A&M Georgia at Vanderbilt Alabama at Arkansas Texas A&M at Auburn Georgia at Kentucky Mississippi State at LSU Florida at Ole Miss South Carolina at Missouri Vanderbilt at Tennessee LSU at Alabama Kentucky at Florida Arkansas at Georgia Ole Miss at Mississippi State Auburn at South Carolina Tennessee at Texas A&M Missouri at Vanderbilt Arkansas at Auburn LSU at Florida Alabama at Mississippi State Tennessee at South Carolina Georgia at Texas A&M Kentucky at Vanderbilt Texas A&M at Alabama Florida at Arkansas Auburn at LSU Missouri at Ole Miss South Carolina at Vanderbilt Vanderbilt at Alabama Ole Miss at Florida Auburn at Georgia South Carolina at Kentucky Arkansas at Missouri Mississippi State at Tennessee LSU at Texas A&M Missouri at Georgia Alabama at Kentucky Florida at Mississippi State January 28 (Sunday) January 29 (Monday) Arkansas at South Carolina Ole Miss at Tennessee Alabama at Auburn Georgia at Florida Tennessee at LSU Mississippi State at Ole Miss Missouri at South Carolina Texas A&M at Vanderbilt Kentucky at Arkansas Kentucky s Maci Morris battles for a rebound against Texas A&M. Morris had 22 points in the road loss against the #19 Aggies. Morris is 8th in the conference in scoring at 16.5ppg. UK Athletics Photo

9 Tues., Jan. 2 Tues., Jan. 2 Tues., Jan. 2 Tues., Jan. 2 Wed., Jan. 3 Wed., Jan. 3 Wed., Jan. 3 Tues., Jan. 9 Tues., Jan. 9 Tues., Jan. 9 Tues., Jan. 9 Wed., Jan. 10 Wed., Jan. 10 Wed., Jan. 10 Tues., Jan. 16 Tues., Jan. 16 Tues., Jan. 16 Tues., Jan. 16 Wed., Jan. 17 Wed., Jan. 17 Wed., Jan. 17 Tues., Jan. 23 SEC Men s Basketball schedule for January 2018 Auburn at Tennessee Florida at Texas A&M Alabama at Vanderbilt Arkansas at Mississippi State Missouri at South Carolina Kentucky at LSU Ole Miss at Georgia Florida at Missouri Kentucky at Tennessee Arkansas at Auburn Alabama at Georgia LSU at Texas A&M Mississippi State at Ole Miss Vanderbilt at South Carolina Texas A&M at Kentucky Ole Miss at Auburn South Carolina at Alabama Tennessee at Vanderbilt Georgia at Missouri LSU at Arkansas Mississippi State at Florida Florida at Ole Miss Kentucky at Vanderbilt Missouri at Arkansas Alabama at LSU Auburn at Mississippi State South Carolina at Georgia Texas A&M at Tennessee Georgia at LSU Kentucky at South Carolina Ole Miss at Texas A&M Vanderbilt at Mississippi State Arkansas at Florida Auburn at Alabama Tennessee at Missouri Florida at Kentucky Missouri at Texas A&M Tennessee at South Carolina Mississippi State at Alabama Ole Miss at Arkansas Georgia at Auburn LSU at Vanderbilt Vanderbilt at Tennessee Sacha-Killeya Jones rejects the shot of Georgia s Juwan Parker during UK s win over Georgia. Photo by Elliott Hess / UK Athletics Tues., Jan. 23 Tues., Jan. 23 Tues., Jan. 23 Tues., Jan. 23 Wed., Jan. 24 Wed., Jan. 24 Tues., Jan. 30 Tues., Jan. 30 Tues., Jan. 30 Tues., Jan. 30 Wed., Jan. 31 Wed., Jan. 31 Wed., Jan. 31 Mississippi State at Kentucky Alabama at Ole Miss Arkansas at Georgia Texas A&M at LSU South Carolina at Florida Auburn at Missouri LSU at Auburn Missouri at Mississippi State ^Oklahoma at Alabama ^Oklahoma State at Arkansas ^Baylor at Florida ^Georgia at Kansas State ^Kentucky at West Virginia ^Ole Miss at Texas ^Texas Tech at South Carolina ^Tennessee at Iowa State ^Texas A&M at Kansas ^TCU at Vanderbilt Vanderbilt at Kentucky Arkansas at Texas A&M Auburn at Ole Miss Florida at Georgia Missouri at Alabama LSU at Tennessee Mississippi State at South Carolina

10 Lake Cumberland tailwater offers excellent winter fishing! FRANKFORT, Ky. (Dec. 21, 2017) Consistency is a trait all anglers love in a body of water. Most lakes and rivers in Kentucky go through seasonal temperature swings that make fishing tough during the hottest and coldest months of the year. The Cumberland River below Lake Cumberland fishes as consistently as any body of water in Kentucky. The water temperatures of the Cumberland River at Burkesville ranged from 55 degrees Dec. 11 to 53.5 degrees Dec. 14 to around 53 degrees Dec. 18. There is no reason not to do well in winter on the Cumberland tailwater as the water temperature is pretty controlled by Wolf Creek Dam, said Ron Brooks, director of Fisheries for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. The fall and winter are the best time of year for big trout. As long as it is not too cold to be outside, anglers should do well. Population sampling by fisheries biologists this past fall show the Cumberland River recovering nicely from the impact of reduced flows and high water temperatures of the 7-year drawdown to repair Wolf Creek Dam that concluded three years ago. Just a month or so ago, they captured and released two brown trout over 10 pounds in one night during annual population sampling, Brooks said. I caught my biggest rainbow trout ever, at least 22 inches long, earlier this year. Brooks likes winter fishing on Cumberland River because of the quality of daylight. At this time of year, big trout move to the shallows and stay there to feed because the sun is not directly overhead like it is in summer, he said. The fish are a little less spooky. Releases from Wolf Creek Dam predicate the best areas of the river to fish. Anglers must check the generation schedule on the Nashville District webpage of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before planning a trip. On this chart under the Wolf column, the number 45 means one turbine of generation and 90 means two turbines of generation. Releases of more than two turbines means high and swift water for the upper river, making fishing nearly impossible. Brooks fishes in the Bakerton and Crocus Creek area in fall and winter. With normal winter generation schedules, you can have either all morning or all afternoon to fish with good water in this stretch of the river, he said. Most anglers want to fish up by Wolf Creek Dam because they think that is where all of the fish are stocked, but this stretch isn t as impacted by releases as the upper river. This week, for example, most generation occurred in the morning and evening time, with light generation in the afternoon and no generation in the wee hours. Therefore, the Bakerton and Crocus Creek areas would offer the best fishing in the morning because they are 26 and 27 ½ miles downstream of the dam. It takes time for the slug of water from the releases to reach this stretch. The upper river from the dam down to the Rockhouse would fish best in the afternoon during light generation. Cumberland River trout feed heavily when the water first rises from a dam release. This is prime time to catch numbers of trout, but wading anglers must soon move to the bank after the water begins to rise. It does not take long for a wading angler with a mind consumed by catching another trout to get into a hairy situation from high, swift and cold water. Anglers have boat and bank access all along the Cumberland River, some with a fee. The Find a Place to Fish page on the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife website at also provides driving instructions and links to Google maps for each access. The river is coming back to its glory days, Brooks said. I fished Rainbow Run recently and trout were surfacing everywhere. I caught great numbers and every now and then a nice trout. It was like the old days on Rainbow Run. Brooks likes beaded flies with a sinking line for better quality fish in fall and winter. Pheasant tail and Hare s Ear s nymphs with a gold beadhead in sizes 10 and 12 work well. He also likes fishing scuds as well as the Adams wet and Hendrickson wet flies. If the water is low and clear, I drop down to an 18 or 20 size fly, Brooks said. It is amazing how a big fish will eat such a small bug. Anglers using 4-pound test line on spinning gear can catch just as many as those using fly gear. I believe anglers throwing inline spinners catch more trout than fly anglers because they cover more water, Brooks explained. You don t have to be an expert to catch trout on the Cumberland. I saw a couple on a recent trip holding up a huge trout in a boat. They were not expert anglers, but they caught a huge fish just the same. Shake off the winter blues with a fat trout pulling your line. A little planning and extra clothing can lead to the best fishing day of the year. Outdoor Truths I spent my last few days hunting deer in Missouri. The temperatures were the most extreme I have ever encountered. My last morning hunting the thermometer read Gary Miller -7 and the wind chill made it -23. Needless to say, I was not in a tree but in the warm confines of a ground blind. The coldest part of the hunt was getting to and from each blind. One of those enclosures was a hand-made wood structure affectionately called The Condo. The walls and ceiling were packed with insulation, insulated board, and wood siding. Inside were two heaters along with comfortable office type chairs. We had to take our coats off to keep from getting too hot. It was also quiet enough to talk with a somewhat normal conversation tone. The Condo sat over more than 20 acres of beans that had been harvested a few weeks earlier. The remnants made for a large dinner table for the deer, even though a fresh four inches of snow had covered it just before I arrived. It didn t matter to the deer, however. They were not afraid to dig. And each evening that s just what they did. They moved to the fields and dug, scraped, and uncovered morsels of food that was crucial to them making it through what Rick Hill, staff artist for KDFWR, holds a trophy brown trout in excess of 20 inches caught from the Lake Cumberland tailwater near Bakerton in late winter. KDFWR Photo is looking like a very tough winter. The day I left, the thermometer read -15 and I imagine sometime that day, they returned to dig for food. The adaptability of these animals is evident for those who hunt. In the spring, food is everywhere. Deer are able to eat without much effort. Each traveled path will contain some tasty morsel they can use as appetizers before they get to their preferred destination. Or they may choose to stay within a few easy steps of the food. I can imagine if water is close, there is no need to exert much effort. During these times the menu has many choices. In the winter, not only are the choices narrowed, the effort must be increased. The demand for life-sustaining nutrients never takes a break. I ve noticed in my Christian life, there are times everything speaks to me about God. Sometimes, everything I read shouts some new message I had never thought of. There are periods of time when it seems every sermon I hear is just what I needed. Other times it seems the spiritual food I desperately want is scarce, bland, and hard to reach. It is as these times, I can bemoan and blame my new conditions or I can remember there are still fields of food just under the snow. It s not moved. All I have to do is spend a little more time digging. Not only will I get what I need, the extra effort might keep me a little warmer. Gary Miller gary@outdoortruths.org

11 New teams making the playoffs and winning divisions... consistent teams excelling once again records falling young players making their mark and so much more. The 2017 season had it all, including a fantastic finish. Week 17 came right down to the wire as three playoff spots and one division title the NFC South were decided on the last day of the season. Sunday s excitement was due in part to having 16 divisional games played on the season s final day, a tradition instituted in The PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (NFC East) and JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (AFC South) both completed worst-to-first turnarounds and at least one team has won its division the season after finishing in or tied for last place in 14 of the past 15 seasons. Five of the eight divisions were won by a team that finished in third or fourth place in the division last year JACKSONVILLE (AFC South), the LOS ANGELES RAMS (NFC West), MINNESOTA (NFC North), NEW ORLEANS (NFC South) and PHILADELPHIA (NFC East). Each of the 12 teams still in Super Bowl LII contention can look back at the eventful and unpredictable 2017 regular season and appreciate how challenging the road to the playoffs was. Terrific turnarounds highlighted the 2017 NFL season We have to beat good teams no matter what. That s what the playoffs are, says Eagles defensive end CHRIS LONG. Thirteen wins is great, but we have to make it worth something. That means playing our best in the playoffs. Since the 12-team playoff format was adopted in 1990, at least four teams have qualified for the playoffs in every season that were not in the postseason the year before. Eight teams that missed the postseason in 2016 Buffalo (9-7), Carolina (11-5), Jacksonville (10-6), Los Angeles Rams (11-5), Minnesota (13-3), New Orleans (11-5), Philadelphia (13-3) and Tennessee (9-7) accomplished the feat this year, tied with the 2003 season for the most such teams since There are a lot of happy guys in that locker room, a lot of emotions running pretty wild, guys just happy to be a part of it, said Bills head coach SEAN MC DERMOTT after clinching the team s first postseason berth since This is a team; these guys play as a team. We re nowhere near where we need to be, but we are very grateful for this opportunity and it s a well-earned opportunity, and so my hat goes off to everyone involved. The NFL is never short on surprises, and that leads to the excitement witnessed in TERRIFIC TURNAROUNDS Philadelphia (13-3) captured the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the first time since 2004, while the NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS, who finished atop the AFC with a 13-3 record, won their ninth consecutive AFC East title, extending their NFL-record streak. The Patriots are the only team in NFL history with at least 12 wins in eight consecutive seasons. The PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (NFC East) and JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (AFC South) both clinched respective division titles after finishing in last place in At least one team has won its division the season after finishing in or tied for last place in 14 of the past 15 seasons. The teams to go from worst-to-first in their division since 2003:

12 January 1, The Rose Bowl: Richard LeCounte III (2) of the Georgia Bulldogs celebrates Georgia s double overtime thriller over Oklahoma in the 2018 Rose Bowl game. (Photo by Joe Faraoni / ESPN Images)