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Monday, Oct. 19, 2009

It's win or go home in soccer, volleyball

Region tournaments begin this week

No more lose and stay alive, it's one and done from here on out as region tournaments start around the state in soccer and volleyball.

In girls' soccer, four ranked teams will enter the 13th Region tournament at Tates Creek and only one will advance to the sub-sectionals next week.

The No. 14 Commodores got a surprise opponent in No. 9 Woodford County, which was upset in the district finals by Anderson County.

The Commodores, whose only loss this season is to No. 6 West Jessamine, beat Woodford 1-0 in their regular-season matchup on Oct. 7.

Creek has won six in a row. The two-time defending region champion Jackets have fallen in three of their last four games.

No. 23 Henry Clay, which made it to the region finals last season, tied No. 19 Anderson County in their regular-season game on Sept. 23.

Anderson has won six of its last seven games.

In the 14th Region, which will be played Monday and Wednesday at Bellevue Field in Madison County, it looks like No. 5 Lexington Catholic and No. 6 West Jessamine are on a collision course for a third straight region title game.

The Knights probably have mixed feelings about the old adage "third time's a charm" this week. After playing the Colts twice already this season, Catholic will hope it can beat West three straight times.

But Catholic also will hope it can topple the Colts on its third straight try against them for a region title. West has won the previous two championships.

Whichever team wins the 14th Region will play host to the winner of the 13th Region tournament next week in the sub-sectionals.

Boys soccer

No. 21 Madison Central hasn't lost a game since the first one of the season, and they're going to get a big test in the 14th Region Tournament this week at Lexington Catholic.

The Indians will meet No. 17 Paul Dunbar in what may be a low-scoring affair. Neither team has given up more than 13 goals all season.

No. 23 Lexington Catholic will take on Model in the other semifinal game. The Knights have won eight of their last nine games, including three in a row.

Model won three in a row before falling in the district title game.

Even after losing the championship game of the 25th District to Franklin County in a shootout, No. 3 Woodford County would still have to be given a slight edge to win the 13th Region at Sower Soccer Field in Frankfort.

The Jackets come in having lost only one of their last nine games, but the Flyers have played Woodford close each time.

Both will have to get through upstart city teams that knocked off higher ranked opponents to get here.

Woodford, which has 12 shutouts this season and has given up just 10 goals, will meet Tates Creek in the first semifinal. The Commodores upset No. 9 Henry Clay in the district tournament. Franklin County, which has won four in a row, will face Sayre.

The 13th Region winner will play host to the 14th Region winner in next week's sub-sectionals.

Volleyball

No. 6 Henry Clay will have to navigate a rough, rocky road if it has plans to avenge two straight losses to district rival and ninth-ranked Paul Dunbar and get back to the state tournament.

Dunbar would like to make it three straight wins over Henry Clay and earn a return trip to the state tourney.

The Devils will have to topple Bryan Station in the first round of the 11th Region volleyball tournament at Franklin County, then they may face a No. 15 Lexington Catholic team that has knocked off several top 25 opponents this season and has won 14 in a row.

Henry Clay has won four of its last five, with its only losses in the state coming to Dunbar.

The Bulldogs, who have won five in a row, get Madison Central in the first round and could meet Lexington Christian in the next.

The semifinals are Wednesday at 6 and 7 p.m. The championship game is Thursday night at 7.

The winner moves on to the state volleyball tournament at Northern Kentucky University, starting on Oct. 30. The 11th Region champion will face the winner of the 14th Region in the first round at 2:15 p.m.