PREP SOCCER NOTEBOOK: No district tourney game on Sunday for a change (10/01)

A tradition unlike any other – a high school postseason tournament starting on a Sunday – has come to an end.

Bucking the trend from the past several seasons, neither of the 17th District boys’ or girls’ soccer tournaments will open this coming Sunday. Instead, each tournament’s lone quarterfinal will be held the following Monday evening.

In the boys’ tournament at Elizabethtown’s Doug Smith Memorial Stadium (T.K. Stone Middle School), the fourth-seeded Elizabethtown Panthers (1-3 in district) will play the fifth-seeded Fort Knox Eagles (0-4) in the quarterfinal at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 8. The winner of that game meets the top-seeded North Hardin Trojans (4-0) in the early semifinal at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 9. The late semifinal, at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9, pits the second-seeded John Hardin Bulldogs (3-1) against the third-seeded Central Hardin Bruins (2-2).

The final is set for 5:30 p.m. Oct. 11.

In the girls’ tournament at North Hardin, fourth-seeded North Hardin (1-3) plays fifth-seeded Fort Knox (0-4) in the quarterfinal at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8. The winner of that game meets top-seeded Elizabethtown (4-0) in the early semifinal at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 10. The late semifinal, at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10, pits second-seeded Central Hardin (3-1) against third-seeded John Hardin (2-2).

The final is set for 8 p.m. Oct. 11. Tickets to all sessions for the 17th District tournaments are $6 each.

Pairings and times for the 11th District Tournaments (Meade County) and 18th District Tournaments (LaRue County) have not been posted by the KHSAA.

PINKHAM HONORED AGAIN. Make it back-to-back awards for former Elizabethtown girls’ star defender Halle Pinkham.

A starting true freshman and the 2011 News-Enterprise/Coaches’ Area Co-Defensive Player of the Year, Pinkham was named the Adidas Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week for the second consecutive week Tuesday. Pinkham led a Racer defense that recorded its third-straight shutout last Sunday, playing all 90 minutes as the Racers defeated Austin Peay, 1-0 to open conference play.

LOCAL DUO DELIVERS. Former John Hardin player Macy Higdon and ex-North Hardin player Sarah Castillo both scored in a 3-minute span Wednesday to lift St. Catharine College to a 2-1 win over visiting Mid-South Conference rival University of Rio Grande. Higdon scored on a breakaway, while Castillo pounced on a rebound of a shot that had banged off the crossbar.

In Saturday’s 3-1 win at MSC foe Pikeville, Higdon had the assist on the game’s first goal as her corner kick was headed in.

MORE ALUMNI UPDATES. Former Central Hardin midfielder Samantha Donahue had four goals in her first eight appearances for Midway College (3-4-2). … Former Central Hardin striker Noah Wiersema scored his first collegiate goal Saturday in Covenant College’s 4-1 win over visiting Huntingdon. … Former Elizabethtown midfielder Hannah Kuhn has started every game and has scored once for Oglethorpe University (2-4). … Former Central Hardin striker Lauren Norton has started four times and came off the bench once as a freshman at Kentucky Wesleyan College (0-7). … Former Elizabethtown defender Todd Lucas started in his only appearance for Kentucky Wesleyan (0-9). … Former Elizabethtown star Kaylee Gabhart has made seven appearances, all starts, for Bellarmine University (6-2). … Former Central Hardin defender Brenden Horn has come off the bench seven times for Georgetown College (1-9), which is led by former Central Hardin coach Derek Willis.

Nathaniel Bryan can be reached at (270) 505-1758 or nbryan@thenewsenterprise.com.