It may not seem like it, but it has now been 11 years since Aaron Harrison had that streak of three straight game-winning shots for Kentucky in NCAA Tournament play that got Kentucky to the national championship game.

It started in the NCAA Sweet 16 when Harrison hit a 3-pointer from the corner with 39 seconds to play to put UK ahead to stay in a 74-69 win over Louisville. The next game against Michigan in the Elite Eight he did it again, but this time only 2.3 seconds remained when he connected from deep to give UK a 75-72 win.

But that wasn’t enough. In the Final Four against Wisconsin, he did it with 5.7 seconds left to beat the Badgers 74-73.

Lexington Herald-Leader columnist Mark Story ranked those as three of the top 10 clutch shots in Kentucky basketball history and they came in three straight games.

Now Harrison and his twin brother, Andrew, are back playing for LaFamilia, Kentucky’s alumni team playing in the TBT chasing the $1 million purse just like they were as starters for the 2014 and 2015 Final Four teams.

Last year Kentucky had a successful TBT debut that included an intense quarterfinal win over The Ville, Louisville’s alumni team, in front of over 13,000 fans in Freedom Hall — the largest crowd in TBT history.

As entertaining as the June matchup was for both Kentucky and Louisville fans, the intense battle was just as important to the Harrisons.

“I think that was the highlight of the tournament, honestly. That was so much fun,” Aaron Harrison said during a call to promote this year’s event. “As a professional, you don’t really get to play that many games with just pride on the line. It’s about money or whatever.”

This game was different and will be again if both LaFamilia and The Ville advance.

“That was just a pure rivalry, and it was just so much fun to be a part of that again,” Aaron Harrison said. “I think that was just like the highlight of my whole summer. I don’t even think I scored that game, but it was just so much fun, like so much energy in there. Just reminded me of being back in school playing them. It was a lot of fun.”

Playing against the Harrisons has not been fun for Louisville. Kentucky was 3-0 against the Cardinals when the Harrisons were at UK and then the twins helped UK beat the Cards again in the TBT.

“I never played in the NBA Finals, but I think that it may be just as intense,” Aaron said about the rivalry. “I wouldn’t say I would compare the NBA Finals to that, just because it’s not as personal. I think people take it so personal between us and Louisville that I think it’s a different type of intensity.

“I wouldn’t compare it to anything, honestly. I think it’s right up there with any rivalry in sports, any two groups of people that don’t like each other. It’s one of the better rivalries in the world, I think.”

If the teams do advance and play again this summer, the game once again will be in Freedom Hall because The Ville presold 4,000 TBT tickets faster than any other team to earn hosting rights.

And if the rematch does happen, Kentucky will be just as inspired to win again as ever.

“Guys that I played with on my team, for the most part, have never lost to Louisville,” Andrew Harrison said. “I think that we want to keep it that way. Keep the dominance going.”

“We’re focused on winning though, we’re not focusing on them,” Aaron Harrison added.“They might not make it to where we are.”

Kentucky will host the Lexington Regional July 18-22 but this year it will be in Memorial Coliseum, not Rupp Arena. The TBT quarterfinals will be July 29, semifinals July 31 and the $1 million championship game Aug. 3.

Andrew Harrison averaged 11.6 points per game in TBT play last year and hit the game-winning 3-pointer against The Ville in the quarterfinals. Aaron Harrison averaged 7.0 points per game and knocked down three or more 3-pointers in multiple games during the 2024 TBT.

•••

Once Ansley Almonor decided to transfer from Fairleigh Dickinson to Kentucky for his senior basketball season, Andreya Flores knew she was going to follow her boyfriend to Lexington.

Flores, a California native, had been a three-year starter on the Fairleigh Dickinson softball team but had her career ended her junior season in 2024 by a knee injury.

They are both “ big sports fans” who thought they understood the passion of Kentucky basketball fans when they came to UK, but were still surprised at the support BBN provided.

“We knew Lexington bled blue and that basketball was a huge part of fans’ lives, which is a little different from where I am from. We have a lot of professional teams (In California) and I am a huge (Los Angeles) Angels fan and have been going to games since I was a little girl,” Flores said. “However, I never experienced love like this for a college team.

“It was quite an experience this year to see how much Kentucky fans care about basketball and we really embraced that. It makes it a whole lot easier to play for someone when you know this (basketball) is their life.”

Flores did an interview on X (formerly Twitter) with some fans before Almonor committed to Kentucky and got “some good, some bad” reaction.

“But here fans have always welcomed me. They were always checking on me and offering to help if I needed it,” she said. “And the fans definitely loved him, which has been awesome.

“You can tell fans appreciate his attitude. He came from a school (Fairleigh Dickinson) where you are the guy and now he just has to embrace a team role. He did that to the best of his ability.

“He didn’t complain about anything. He didn’t even complain to me. He is very grateful to God for just the opportunity to be at Kentucky. If something did not go his way, he just says it is God’s plan and goes about his business.”

Almonor graduated from UK last week – “I always wanted to be a kid that was able to play for Kentucky. To say I’m an alumni from this university, it’s a great feeling” – and now is ready to start training for what professional basketball opportunities might arise.

“I am going to California for an internship and then we will reconnect wherever he goes and let him follow his dream,” Flores said.

•••

The University of Kentucky placed life-sized statues outside of Commonwealth Stadium to honor the first four African-American players – Nate Northington, Greg Page, Wilbur Hackett and Houston Hogg – to play football at the school.

Recently Tom Leach, play-by-play voice on the UK Radio Network for Kentucky football and basketball, suggested on “The Leach Report” that it might be time for basketball to do something similar after a history lesson from former UK All-American Jack Givens, his partner on UK basketball broadcasts.

Givens was sharing memories of his former UK teammate Larry Johnson after Johnson’s passing. He talked about what Johnson meant on and off the court to him and others in the 1970s at UK.

“One of the things I talked about in my book (“They Call Me Goose: My Life in Kentucky Basketball and Beyond”) was a very historic moment for Kentucky basketball. It probably doesn’t mean anything now, but back in those days when we were here it meant a lot,” Givens told Leach.

During Givens’ sophomore season in 1975-76, Kentucky played five African-American players – Johnson, Givens, James Lee, Reggie Warford and Merion Haskins – at the same time. It was the first time that had ever happened.

“I know today that does not probably seem like much, but it was then. Times were changing and changing in a positive way,” Givens said. “But to be able to say it was the first at anything like that was hugely important in Kentucky basketball history. LJ (Larry Johnson) was a part of that, so I just thought I would throw in that significant moment in UK basketball history.”

Leach called it “tremendously significant” when he suggested a statue would be a fitting tribute. He also pointed out it recognized a wide area since Givens and Lee were from Lexington while Johnson from Morganfield, Haskins from Campbellsville and Warford from Drakesboro. Warford was also the first African-American basketball player to graduate from UK.

•••

Former Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston admitted after the Buffalo Bills made him a first-round NFL draft pick that his idol for a long time had been Jalen Ramsey, a seven-time Pro Bowl cornerback who he could now compete against.

Hairston said there was one thing he always loved about Ramsey’s play.

“I love Jalen Ramsey because he plays with so much swagger. You knew he was that guy. You knew not to try him. And I just want to be able to go out there with that same confidence, knowing that if you come at me, it’s not 50-50, that’s my ball,” Hairston said.

“I’m the type of player where I think I have to catch like a receiver because when that ball is in the air, I’m gonna adjust like a receiver and take it back to the house (end zone). And my mindset when I do get an interception is score, make it easy on the offense.”

Hairston returned three of his six interceptions at Kentucky for touchdowns to tie the school record set by Dallas Owens from 1974-77.

The Kentucky standout knows he is fortunate to be playing for Buffalo, a Super Bowl contender led by quarterback Josh Allen. He’ll also rejoin running back Ray Davis, who made a big impression at Buffalo as a rookie in 2024.

“I feel like this team is a Super Bowl ready team, and we’re gonna go out there and attack it. I actually got to watch them play when they came to Detroit (last year). Ray Davis gave me some tickets, and I saw Josh Allen go out there and put on a master class,” Hairston said.

“I was like, ‘Hey, I wouldn’t mind that being my quarterback.’ I’m super excited and super prepared to get to work with him.”

•••

Quote of the Week: “I never got to watch my dad play, but he was still moving very quickly on the court against his kids in his 40s and 50s, so I can only imagine how quick he was in college. RIP to my amazing dad. He will always be the greatest in my eyes,” Laurie Estridge on the passing of her father Larry Johnson, one of the first African-American players to play at Kentucky.

Quote of the Week 2: “I’m all in. I have one more year of eligibility, but my goal is to play in the NBA, so I’m not doing this process one foot in, one foot out,” Kentucky junior Otega Oweh to Aaron Fentress of OregonLive, on his NBA tryout process.

Quote of the Week 3: “Why is Kentucky-Louisville on a Tuesday night in early November? This has Saturday prime time December basketball written all over it. November 11 is the first game of the season for both teams,” Hall of Fame sportswriter Dick “Hoops” Weiss, on the early season date for the Battle of the Bluegrass.

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South Warren junior Layla Ogden has put up jaw-dropping numbers at the plate for the Spartans this season.

The Western Kentucky commit leads the state in both home runs and runs batted in this season — and her work with the bat isn’t even necessarily Ogden’s most important role for the Spartans.

The right-hander is part of a lethal 1-2 pitching combination in the circle for South Warren this season, joining sophomore Courtney Norwood to give the Spartans a formidable pair of arms who have combined for a 23-3 record so far this season.

It’s as a pitcher that most interested WKU in Ogden, but she’s determined to make them take notice of her abilities with a bat in her hand as well. It’s a case she continues to make exceedingly well since committing to WKU in the fall.

“I’ve grown up hitting and pitching my whole life,” Ogden said. “I love pitching, I love hitting. Sometimes I like one more than the other when I’m doing better in one, but I think it’s just a good mix. I think I’m a pretty good pitcher and hitter, and I work at it all the time. I probably spend two hours a day just pitching and hitting. It’s hard, but I want to hit and pitch in college so I just put the work in.

“We’ve been talking about hitting and pitching — that’s why I committed to Western, because I wanted to hit and pitch. The coaches have been so welcoming and I’ve always been a WKU fan, since I was like two months old. My mom works there, so it’s like literally home. I’ve known those coaches since I was little at the WKU camps. That was my first camp I’ve ever been to, so I bleed red. That’s literally my second home.”

Ogden topped the KHSAA state leaderboard as of Monday morning with 17 home runs this season, with teammate McLaine Hudson tied for second with Oldham County’s Jozie Lashley with 16 homers.

Ogden is four ahead of Lashley in RBIs with 56 so far this season. Ogden, batting .522 this season, also has 10 doubles.

“Layla has been on fire offensively this year,” South Warren coach Kelly Reynolds said. “She’s just a strong girl. She’s worked hard in the offseason and then everything’s been kind of coming into place for her right now. We just need her to keep going strong through the end of the season and the postseason.”

The eye-popping RBIs — Ogden is just short of averaging an RBI each game for the Spartans — are a by-product of South Warren’s ultra-productive lineup.

“Layla bats third in our lineup,” Reynolds said. “We’ve shifted her around a little bit. She was fourth and then we moved her up to third. She generates a lot of power and a lot of strength. It’s nice when the two runners in front of her get on so she can build up those RBIs.”

Hudson, a Kentucky commit, leads the state in runs with 61 and fellow junior Kinleigh Russell is sixth with 48 runs scored this year — rest assured, a good many times both of them were driven in by Ogden.

“It just feels like my work has paid off throughout the preseason,” Ogden said. “It just feels nice, leading the state in those categories. And I wouldn’t be leading the state in RBIs if my teammates weren’t getting on base.”

The home runs are more of a solo effort of Ogden, who has shown off easy power throughout her high school career — she has 42 career homers since making her varsity debut back in 2021.

“I would say I’m a power hitter,” Ogden said. “I mean, I don’t feel like I hit home runs every at-bat. I’m just trying to hit line drives, and those line drives turn into home runs. That’s what we all talk about as a team.”

The Spartans have used Ogden at both first base and third base at times during her career, but Reynolds admitted she’s so valuable in the circle that it’s hard to put her anywhere else on the field even though she has the lateral speed and agility to do so.

That athleticism is something Reynolds thinks WKU will have to consider when Ogden joins the program in 2026 after graduating from South Warren.

“I really think they may look at some way to get her in offensively too,” Reynolds said. “In college you don’t see a whole lot of pitchers that are hitters as well, but I think in Layla’s case she could definitely be a benefit for them offensively as well.”

In the circle, Ogden continues to dominate opposing lineups. She is 9-1 in 11 starts for the Spartans, posting a stellar 1.36 ERA through 56 2/3 innings with 72 strikeouts.

Ogden has played a huge role in South Warren (26-3) maintaining the No. 1 spot in the Kentucky Softball Coaches Association state poll and building KHSAA’s top RPI (.70253) number as of Monday.

The postseason is just two weeks away, and the Spartans have high expectations. Among them is a return trip to the Region 4 tournament, hosted at the WKU Softball Complex — Ogden’s future home field. South Warren is the defending region champions.

“It’s so surreal that I’m going to be playing there,” Ogden said. “When we go to region, I feel it a little bit but I feel like when I step on campus and play for them it’s going to be amazing because I’m a big fan.”

Right now, Ogden is focused on helping South Warren reach its ultimate goal of winning the program’s first-ever state championship. This close-knit group of Spartans is the squad Ogden believes can do just that.

“Our No. 1 goal is to win state,” Ogden said. “We’ve gotten close a couple years and we just want to finish.”

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SCOTTSVILLE – Allen County-Scottsville sophomore Payton Hopkins lived the dream of many a ballplayer Thursday.

The Lady Patriots’ starting second baseman walloped a walk-off, two-run home run to lift her team to a a 3-2 comeback victory against visiting District 15 rival Warren East.

It was the team-leading 11th homer of the season for Hopkins, but none have been bigger than the shot she launched against the Lady Raiders.

“Kids, they grow up putting themselves in that situation,” ACS softball coach Brad Bonds said. “That’s something they dream of doing. She’ll replay that in her life for a long time, that one moment. And you’re building these memories as a young student of the game. I’m very proud for her Payton in that moment.”

Down 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh, ACS (22-2 overall, 4-0 District 15) got a one-out rally going when Jacie Rice reached first on a hit-by-pitch. That brought up Hopkins, who crushed a pitch for a blast over the fence in right-center field.

There’s still plenty of time left, but Hopkins couldn’t think of a bigger hit – so far – in her high school career.

“No, I don’t think so,” Hopkins said. “I’ve never hit a walk-off like that, and that was a very important one.”

Hopkins’ home run salvaged the day for the Lady Patriots, who struggled to accomplish much against Lady Raiders starting pitcher Tristen Lindsey. The sophomore right-hander, who held the potent ACS lineup to five hits, was backed by a rock-solid defense that produced a highlight-reel catch in the bottom of the fifth.

East senior center fielder Kenzie Upton made delivered that defensive gem with a full-out sprint to chase down Rice’s leadoff shot deep to the fence. – Upton chased down the drive before slamming into a fence pole. The impact knocked the wind out of Upton, who held onto the ball to record the out.

The next inning, it was Upton’s turn to get victimized when she was robbed of a base hit. ACS left fielder Shiloh Knievel made a diving catch of Upton’s sinking liner for another stellar defensive play.

The Lady Patriots opened the scoring in the bottom of the third when ACS starting pitcher Addison Ausbrooks helped her own cause with an RBI single to center. That was nearly enough offense for the junior right-hander, who held Warren East (19-7, 2-4) to just five hits.

The Lady Raiders knotted the score when Kynleigh Barrick, who led off with a single, came around to score on a wild pitch.

East pushed ahead the next inning when Kaylee Jones reached on a three-base error before Jordan Brooks came through with a two-out RBI single.

ACS threatened in the fifth, but left two runners on – the Lady Patriots had eight stranded base runners in all.

“I do not feel like we hit the ball well,” Bonds said. “A lot of that is attibuted to Lindsey from Warren East. I thought she pitched a great game. She kept us off balance, she spun the ball pretty good. Defensively they are really, really good and we talk about that. They don’t make mistakes defensively, so you have to square the ball up and that’s just something we didn’t do tonight. And we have been doing that, it’s just one of those nights. But fortunately for us, we were able to scratch out a win.

“Ausbrooks through a really good game. Defensively, we worked ourselves out of a few situations. We weren’t necessarily clean, but we worked ourselves out of them and gave ourselves a chance.”

Ausbrooks got the complete-game win, allowing two runs (one earned) off five hits and no walks. Ausbrooks added a 2-for-3 day at the plate, joining Hopkins (2-for-3) as ACS’s lone multiple-hit producers.

Lindsey, who tallied a double for East’s lone extra-base hit, took the loss.

“It’s a strong district,” Lady Raiders coach Jennifer Brooks said. “Coming into it, we had won one against them and they’s won one against us so we were looking to see how it would be tonight before we go into district (tournament) play in a couple weeks.

“I think after this game, we’ve got some things to work on but we’re not hanging our heads and getting down and out. Tristen pitched a great game, Kenzie made a heckuva catch in the outfield.”

East was slated to host Oldham County on Friday. ACS has three game scheduled for Saturday’s Best of the West tournament at Buchanan Park in Bowling Green. The Lady Patriots will face Trigg County, Apollo and Oldham County in the event.

WEHS 000 110 0 – 2 5 0

ACSHS 001 000 2 – 3 5 3

WP: Ausbrooks. LP: Lindsey.

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William Alexander made the most of his Senior Day with Warren East’s baseball program.

Alexander, one of 10 Raiders recognized before Monday’s home matchup against District 15 rival Allen County-Scottsville, delivered the game-winning hit with a walk-off RBI double that capped a three-run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning in East’s 4-3 victory.

“It’s pretty big, just because it’s on Senior Night,” Alexander said. “Any other time it’s probably pretty normal, but it was Senior Night so it ranks up high.”

Alexander stayed hot in the rematch Tuesday at ACS, hitting a solo home run in the Raiders’ 9-0 win.

The Raiders host Apollo on Thursday.

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Even though he grew up in northern Kentucky, Evan Wibberly was not a Kentucky fan.

Instead, he grew up a Cincinnati fan and went to Western Kentucky to play his college football before transferring to Kentucky in January.

However, the offensive lineman already knew plenty about the history of the Big Blue Wall created by the late John Schlarman because he had a high school friend who was Schlarman’s cousin.

“Coming up through high school I even won the John Schlarman Offensive Lineman of the Year award in northern Kentucky,” Wibberly said. “I have kind of always known who Mr. Schlarman was and I’ve had great respect for his family.

“I know about the culture here and that at one point the Big Blue Wall was the team’s identity. I think we can do that again and just try to appreciate his legacy and try to fulfill the things he would want now.”

Wibberly, who started 15 games at center at Western Kentucky, did not ask to wear Schlarman’s No. 65 at Kentucky because he wanted to stay with No. 58.

“We had one of our assistant coaches at Dixie Heights who had his son pass away while he was away at college,” Wibberly said. “Every single year they would decide on one person to wear this number. My freshman year, I ended up being chosen because he (the assistant coach) told me that he thought that I had the most resemblance to his son.

“He was like, ‘You’re a hard worker.’ Those were some of the greatest words that a father could say about his passed son. Since then, 58 has been my number. All four years in high school and my past three seasons at Western, and I’m excited to continue the legacy by wearing No. 58 here.”

Wibberly, a three-star prospect, did not have a Power Four scholarship offer coming out of high school. He redshirted his first season at Western Kentucky in 2022, played in 11 games in 2023 and then started all 14 games at center last year as a sophomore.

Wibberly and Western Kentucky were preparing for the Boca Raton Bowl when he got the call from UK offering him a scholarship. Wibberly talked with WKU coach Tyson Helton about what he should do. Helton told him he should take the offer.

“I have nothing but respect and love for coach Helton. He did wondrous things for me. He’s a great man, a great head coach. After I heard what he had to say, I realized coming to Kentucky was an incredible opportunity,” the UK offensive lineman said.

Wibberly felt he “dominated” opponents at times in high school, but believed it was “part of God’s plan” for him to start his collegiate career at Western Kentucky.

“I firmly believe that good things come to those who wait and I knew that I would be here someday. Even if it wasn’t out of high school, I knew I would be here someday because I believe in my ability and the hard work that I can put in to be able to get to wherever I want,” said Wibberly, who was injured most of spring practice.

Still, making the move to UK and competing in the SEC was a risk. Wibberly was happy at Western Kentucky and appreciated having his college education paid for. He had an apartment close to campus.

“This past (season) I started trying to get better every week,” Wibberly said. “We played against a great defensive line in Alabama. We went to the conference championship, and I felt like every single week I was able to build on what I did previously. I felt like it was a scary jump (to UK), but I was confident because I played against the best D-line at Alabama. I had a good performance against Boston College. I was able to help anchor our offensive line and lead us to the conference championship and a bowl game.

“I loved my years at Western, but it was time to move on. I’m grateful for the time I had there, but I’m also excited to be here at UK and this was the right decision for me.”

He knows his father, Matt, who passed away a few years ago, would be proud of him and is still helping guide his career.

“When times are tough, I just feel like I’m having a conversation with him. I can talk to him at any time, and I know that he’s with me, and he’s brought me through a lot of troubles in the past,” Wibberly said. “He’s gotten me through a lot of hard stuff. He was a basketball player, but he was glad at least that I was able to do something athletically.

“He was a big fan. He might not have played football growing up, but once he found out that I had a love for football, he did all he could to help me. He started being my coach. He started learning things about offensive line play. He started doing all this stuff so that he could understand what it was that I was so emotional about football.

“He might not have played football growing up, but he was always there for me. He came to all my games and he would tell me not to forget what brought me here and that was hard work. Just because you get to a place through hard work doesn’t mean that once you get there that you stop working. You have to consistently do what is hard to do. My dad would say, ‘Let’s just trust God and keep on grinding,’ and that’s what I am going to do.”

•••

Great Crossing center Malachi Moreno is someone that Dennis Johnson, father of UK signee Jasper Johnson, watched play a lot in high school and he also got to see him when the two UK signees played recently at the Nike Hoop Summit.

“Malachi had a great week. I loved that he didn’t go outside of his game. He didn’t try to score 20 points, block every shot. He would come in the scrimmage and block a couple of shots, get two or three rebounds,” Dennis Johnson said. “I think we (Kentucky) will be able to run next season and will be able to use him as a point center if needed.”

Former Wildcat Cameron Mills, UK coach Mark Pope’s teammate on the 1996 national championship team, watched Moreno lead Great Crossing to the state high school championship.

“I know he improved all of his game from last year to this season, but the one thing he intentionally worked on was his outside shooting and you could tell that,” Mills said. “The most impressive thing I saw during the tournament was in the first game in the first quarter when he had a wide-open 3-pointer. It wasn’t that he made it, which was wonderful, but he didn’t second guess himself before he shot it.

“That’s the evidence that he put in the work and knew if he was open, he was shooting. That’s one way he can fit in at Kentucky next year. But for a big guy he also has great footwork, great hands, plays smart.”

Mills knows there will be “growing pains” as freshmen for both Moreno and Johnson.

“But I think both of them are going to fit in very well and I think they both have a chance to be special players,” Mills said.

•••

Vince Marrow knew that cornerback Maxwell Hairston’s Kentucky statistics and combine numbers — had the fastest 40-yard dash at the NFL combine — had impressed NFL personnel.

“All the NFL people I was talking to said he might be in play with pick 18 or 19,” said Marrow, UK’s associate coach and NFL liaison. “I told him and his dad that anything before 25 to 30 is a bonus.”

Hairston ended up being picked 30th by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of last month’s NFL draft.

“The look on his face (when he was drafted) … every time somebody was picked (before him), he would jump up and you would think he got an interception. He celebrated with all of them,” said Marrow, who attended the draft in Green Bay. “I was texting with the Bills and kept telling him that everything was good. I was texting with one of the head scouts (of the Bills) and they didn’t think he was going to get to them.”

Not long after that, former UK running back Ray Davis — a 2024 Buffalo draft pick — texted Marrow telling him that the Bills were going to get Hairston.

“Ray told me, ‘They love him,’ and I said I think he’s going to Buffalo, too,” Marrow said. “I was drafted by Buffalo years ago and just to be drafted into that fraternity and the opportunity of hearing your name being called is a blessing. But to do it in the first round, I think that is just way beyond what you can imagine.

“Maxwell was so excited and so was I. I like all the teams, but I have a special place in my heart for Buffalo. I am very close with those guys and I couldn’t be happier that he is going to Buffalo.”

The Bills received high grades overall from the national media for taking Hairston in the first round.

“They had to get an upgrade at that position and he should start as a rookie. He excels as a man-cover player, which means maybe the Bills will play more of it this season,” CBS Sports’ NFL analyst Pete Prisco said. “The Bills had to get a corner, a young edge and inside player for their defense. They got all three in the first four rounds. That’s good drafting.

“Hairston will be a star. He plays with an attitude that you love at the position.”

•••

Transfer Jaden Williams might be stepping up in competition playing for Kentucky in the Southeastern Conference, but the chance to prove himself is still not the biggest motivation the Wyoming transfer has.

The Inglewood, California, native spent the three previous seasons at Wyoming where he played in 20 games and had 24 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 quarterback sacks.

He picked Kentucky because he liked the “family environment” on his visit and he also said he could feel the “love from the fan base” and how fans cared about the Kentucky football program.

Williams didn’t have any scholarship offers going into his high school senior season when he told his mother he had to get a scholarship so he could attend college.

“She told me I could do it, I could get that scholarship but right before my senior season started she passed away,” the defensive lineman said. “That was my main motivation going into that year, trying to help my family. God put me in that position to be able to get a scholarship to go play football somewhere. I tried to use that opportunity the best I could.”

Unfortunately, his 48-year-old mother suffered a fatal brain aneurysm and passed away. He was 16 and let his mom’s passing provide the inspiration to make 30 tackles in the season’s first five games and earn a scholarship offer from Wyoming.

“You have to trust the process and God’s timing. There are going to be some days where you are stressed and wondering about playing time and stuff. But you have to stay focused on the main goal and just go one day at a time.”

•••

Quote of the Week: “He is going through this draft process, and we’re cheering for him every step of the way — but I know a lot of his heart is back here at Kentucky. If he does return, he will return as the presumptive SEC Player of the Year. Clearly, he’s got a beautiful future ahead of him,” Kentucky coach Mark Pope on Otega Oweh, on podcast with CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein.

Quote of the Week 2: “He doesn’t say much at all. He smiles, he goes to work and he makes plays. You ask him to do anything, he just does it,” UK receivers coach L’Damian Washington, on freshman receiver Montavin Quisenberry.

Quote of the Week 3: “I had a very good grade on him before he ever played a game this year, based on his 2023 film, His 2024 film was a little inconsistent. The more research you do, you find out he’s dealing with a back situation. This is a young, moldable player who is not anywhere near his ceiling. And I believe if he had come out a year ago, he would have been in the first round,” Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane, on drafting defensive lineman Deone Walker of Kentucky.

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William Alexander got the stadium rocking Monday at Warren East High School.

The Raiders’ senior right fielder delivered the biggest hit of the day with a walk-off RBI double to cap East’s three-run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning for a 4-3 baseball victory over visiting District 15 rival Allen County-Scottsville.

All those cheers at the end were for Alexander, even if he couldn’t quite hear the most important ones. His parents, Kelvin and Diana, were up in the press box volunteering as they have all season – dad handles the PA duties, mom runs the scoreboard – but rest assured, both are their son’s biggest fans.

“It feels great,” Alexander said of delivering the game-winning hit. “It feels great to be able to win in front of all your family and friends and everything, and add another win to the table.”

Warren East (7-14 overall, 3-2 District 15) struggled to generate much offense through the first six innings against Patriots starting pitcher Eli Stamper. The right-hander held the Raiders to just six hits through the first six innings as ACS built a 3-1 lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, East got rolling. Pinch hitter Trace Cunningham led off with a bunt single down the third-base line, then Briggs Young drew a walk. The Raiders’ third straight pinch hitter, Maddox Lewis, laced an RBI double to center to score a run.

Stamper got a big out by inducing a fielder’s choice on a ground ball, and ACS third baseman Keegan Towe alertly threw out Young at home plate trying to score. Brenden Bratcher followed with a ground ball that went for an error – the Patriots’ second of the inning – to bring in another run.

Then it was Alexander’s turn – after working the count full, he hit a rocket to right field that banged off the fence to drive in the game-winning run on the Raiders’ Senior Night.

“I was out in front on everything, pretty much all game,” Alexander said. “So I was thinking in that at-bat, sit back and try to drive something the other way. And I caught a change-up out in front and pulled it.”

That it was Alexander who delivered the game-winner came as no surprise to Warren East coach Wes Sanford.

“Will’s been our guy all year long,” Sanford said. “He’s been so consistent at the plate. He’s given you good at-bats almost every at-bat. He had the little nubber to the pitcher in that third at-bat – that’s so unusual for him. It’s not like you can be mad at him for not capitalizing on a situation. It’s great to see him get another chance and then capitalize because he has been our guy offensively all year long.”

ACS (6-17-1, 1-4) got the scoring started in the top of the fifth after Raiders starting pitcher Matthew Escalera matched Stamper through four scoreless innings. Dusty Hayes started the rally with a two-out single, then an errant pick-off attempt allowed Hayes to reach third. Colton Sullivan followed with an RBI single, then one out later Stamper poked another RBI single to center to put the Patriots up 2-0.

The Raiders halved that lead in the bottom of the sixth. Bratcher led off with a single and took two more bases on an error, and one out later Kaiven Hinton stroked an RBI double to center.

The Patriots put together another two-out rally in the top of the seventh when Sullivan came up with a base hit, Towe reached on an error and then Stamper followed with another ground ball then went for an error and allowed the run to score.

Down two runs in the bottom of the seventh, the Raiders responded with three to claim the win.

“I’m happy that were were able to get big knocks whenever we needed them because that’s something we haven’t done,” Sanford said. “Yeah, we didn’t play great – I can guarantee you (ACS coach Brantly Bray) is probably saying the same thing. For us to come through in the clutch is something we haven’t been seeing, so that was good to see tonight at least.”

Escalera earned the complete-game victory, allowing three runs (two earned) off nine hits and no walks while striking out four batters.

Alexander and Hinton tallied two hits apiece for the Raiders, who had nine hits in all.

Sullivan, Wyatt Todd and Hayes had two hits each for the Patriots.

The two teams were set for a rematch Tuesday at Allen County-Scottsville.

ACSHS 000 020 1 – 3 9 4

WEHS 000 001 3 – 4 9 4

WP: Escalera. LP: Stamper.

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The zeros on the scoreboard started to line up a bit for Greenwood in Thursday’s road matchup against District 14 softball rival Bowling Green.

Lady Purples freshman starting pitcher Hadley Morrison was dealing early, with three perfect innings against the Lady Gators.

Did the No. 2-ranked team in the state panic? It did not.

Greenwood broke through for three runs in the fourth, three more in the sixth and added another three-spot in the seventh to claim a 9-0 win.

Trouble did indeed come in threes for Bowling Green on Thursday.

“It’s a game where you try to start with a plan, make quick adjustments and it took us a little bit to make the adjustment tonight,” Lady Gators coach Rodney Bush said. “So we need to improve there, but once we made the adjustment we were fine. I’d just like to see us make the adjustment a little sooner.”

Held without a base runner through the first two innings, Greenwood (21-6 overall, 2-1 District 14) broke through in the top of the fourth. Savannah White led off with a single, but got thrown out by Lady Purples catcher Lola Kate Kingston trying to steal second base.

The Lady Gators kept plugging away, getting two more runners on before Macie Murray delivered a two-out RBI single to score the first run. Molly Spidel followed with an RBI single to right that was misplayed for an error that allowed a second run to come home to cap the three-run rally.

Greenwood doubled its lead in the top of the sixth. Eighth-grader Madilyn Allen led off the inning with a solo home run to left field, then Cali Huff followed with a triple and then scored on Murray’s sacrifice fly RBI. Julianne Parker brought in another run with a sac fly RBI and the Lady Gators led 6-0.

In the top of the seventh, Allen struck again with an RBI double before Huff unloaded on a pitch for her 12th home run of the season – a two-run shot over the fence in right-center that set the final score.

“We just got our timing down and started hitting the ball,” said Huff, who was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs. “I guess it just kind of clicked. We weren’t scoring as much as we thought we should, so I guess that kind of pumped us up in the dugout. We got ready and we just started hitting it.”

Greenwood had the benefit of having ace left-hander Abigail Byrd pitching as it took time to get the offense going. Byrd pitched a complete-game shutout, although the Lady Purples didn’t make it an easy day for the senior who has signed to play collegiately at Northern Kentucky.

Bowling Green (11-7, 1-2 District 14) put runners on in four of the first five innings, stranding a total of five runners including two at third base.

“If you were here at the game, I don’t think you felt like that was a 9-0 game,” Lady Purples coach Penny Reece said. “If you’re watching it online on GameChanger or something, you might think ‘Oh, they almost got run-ruled. It was a blowout.’ It really was not – it was a really good, competitive game going into the sixth inning.

“I thought Hadley did a great job pitching, we made some really fantastic defensive plays. We put the ball in play against one of the best pitchers in the state.”

Byrd picked up the complete-game win, allowing no runs off five hits and no walks while striking out five batters.

Allen and Spidel joined Huff with two hits in the game as the Lady Gators tallied 10 hits in all.

Greenwood was scheduled to host Christian County on Friday, while Bowling Green had a home game set against Edmonson County.

GHS 000 303 3 – 9 10 0

BGHS 000 000 0 – 0 5 1

WP: Byrd. LP: Morrison.

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Bowling Green junior Landon Gilbert provided a boost to the Purples’ lineup in a key two-game series against District 14 rival South Warren.

Gilbert, BG’s third baseman, drove in a run in the Purples’ 8-5 loss at South Warren on Monday.

In the rematch Tuesday at BG’s Harold J. Stahl Field, Gilbert did even more with a 3-for-4 day at the plate. He also drove in the game-tying run in the Purples’ 5-4 win.

“I just try to keep everything consistent, whether it’s tee work or coach-pitch, I just try to take everything up the middle and keep my swing as simple and consistent as I can.”

Bowling Green is back in action Friday at home against Franklin-Simpson.

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Cole Phillips wouldn’t change a thing about his senior year at Legacy Christian Academy.

LCA’s talented captain of the boys’ basketball team led the program to new heights while stacking up an impressive list of individual accomplishments topped off with the highest honor possible – being named the Kentucky Christian Athletic Association Mr. Basketball for the 2024-25 season.

“It’s been life-changing,” Phillips said. “I never imagined what I was able to do this year was ever a possibility. So just to be able to do that and to be able to accomplish that, it’s just unbelievable. I love this team. This is my favorite group of guys that I’ve ever played with. I love this team to death and I’d do anything for them. They believed in me from Day 1 – new team, I got named captain and they believed in me and my ability to lead.”

Now Phillips has set his sights on a new team – on Tuesday in front of friends and family at LCA, he made his commitment official during a signing ceremony to attend Brescia University and continue his basketball career.

The 6-foot-3 Phillips has been a mainstay for the Eagles, but this final season was a special one. In addition to the KCAA Mr. Basketball honor after averaging 29 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 4.9 steals per game, Phillips led the Eagles back to the KCAA state tournament a season after LCA won the state championship.

“My senior year was incredible,” Phillips said. “Last year, coming off a state title run, you have a target on your back. Everybody wants to beat you. We had some new faces, a lot of questions to be answered. But everybody was locked in. Everybody knew the one goal and every day we came in here and we worked for it.”

LCA won 30 games, claimed the season-opening KCAA Tip-Off Tournament (Philips was named MVP), earned all-regional tournament honors and all-state accolades during a season in which he eclipsed the 1,000-point scoring mark (he finished with nearly 1,400 points).

Phillips, who holds LCA’s single-game scoring record of 51 points as well as made 3-pointers in a game (eight) said Brescia sees him as a combo guard capable of scoring from all levels.

The Bearcats, members of the NAIA-level River State Conference, are coming off a 9-17 season under first-year head coach Matt Karn. Brescia won its first RSC tournament game in a decade this past season.

“He built a relationship with me from Day 1, and then coach (Eli) Hays I’ve known since I was 12, and those two are two of the best people that you’ll meet. Coach Karn is a basketball junkie. He’s a genius and to be able to play for him, that’s an incredible opportunity.”

For Phillips, Tuesday was another special day in a senior year absolutely filled with them.

“It feels great,” Phillips said. “This has been a life-long dream of mine. It’s something that everybody dreams of that plays a sport growing up and not many get the opportunity, so to be able to have that opportunity and be able to have a day like this to sign and go play at the next level is truly special.”

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