TIGER AND LAKERS HOST PLAYOFF GAMES
It's the opening night of the high school football playoffs in Kentucky. Here in Murray, Calloway County hosts Russell County and Murray High welcomes Hancock County. The top-seeded Lakers are the distict champion, and welcome a Russell County Laker team that is 4-6. Kickoff time is 7:30 at Jack Rose Statium. The Tigers are gunning for their seventh straight win, and have had two weeks to get ready for Hancock County. Airtime is 7pm on 1340 WNBS with Jeremy Bell and Travis Turner. Here is the schedule for area teams:

Class A playoffs
Ballard Memorial at Caverna
Kentucky Country Day at Crittenden County
Bethlehem at Mayfield (7 p.m.)
Fulton City at Louisville Holy Cross

Class 2A playoffs
Caldwell County at Owensboro Catholic
Todd Central at Trigg County,
Hancock County at Murray
Heath at Fort Campbell

Class 4A playoffs
Hopkins Central at Franklin-Simpson
Russell County at Calloway County
Warren East at Lone Oak
Muhlenberg North at Allen County

Class 6A playoffs
Madisonville at Louisville Eastern
Louisville Seneca at Daviess County
Louisville Ballard at Henderson County
Graves County at Louisville Trinity (6 p.m.).

RACER WOMEN AT WKU
It's opening night for the Murray State women's basketball team as they visit long-time rival Western Kentucky. The Lady Toppers will also be playing in their first official game of the 2008-09 season Friday. The game with the Lady Toppers will be a good test for the Racers, as WKU is one of three teams on the MSU schedule that advanced to the 2008 NCAA Tournament. The Lady Toppers finished the 2007-08 year with a 26-8 mark and earned the regular season and Sun Belt Tournament championships. WKU returns six letterwinners and four starters from a season ago, including Dominique Duck, Arnika Brown, and Kenzie Rich. The trio all averaged more than 10 points in 2007-08. Duck and Brown are strong scorers for the Lady Toppers, averaging over 45 percent from the floor. A key loss from a season ago is WKU’s top scorer, Crystal Kelly. Kelly averaged 22.6 points per game, shot .644, and netted 10.5 rebounds per game. The Lady Toppers are led by eight-year head coach Mary Taylor Cowles. Cowles has a 138-57 record at WKU, her lone head coaching position. Airtime tonight is 7:45 on Froggy 103.7.

RACER FOOTBALL BATTLE COLONELS
The Racer football team closes out the road portion of their schedule at Eastern Kentucky in a noon kickoff. Murray State cannot win the OVC championship this season, but can play a major role in who does. Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee State, the next two opponents on the Racers schedule, are tied with UT Martin for first place in the league standings. Eastern Kentucky enters the game as one of the hottest teams in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Colonels are 6-3 overall and 5-1 in OVC games. EKU is currently in a three-way tie for first place and will take on UT Martin to end the season next week. The offense is ledy reigning OVC Player of the Year Allan Holland who has thrown for 1,790 yards and six touchdowns. He has also rushed for 128 yards and three scores. You can hear the game at 11:30 tomorrow on 1340 WNBS and Froggy.

OVC TEAMS BEGIN PLAY TODAY AND TONIGHT
The OVC basketball season begins today as UT Martin hosts Maryville this morning at 11:30 in a Character Counts game, with hundreds of Martin area high school and middle school students attending. Six other OVC teams play tonight.  Here is the weekend schedule:

Friday
Maryville University at UT Martin, 11:30 a.m. (OVCSports.TV)
Jacksonville State at South Carolina, 6:00 p.m. (SportSouth)
SIU Edwardsville at College of Charleston, 6:00 p.m. (CSS)
Eastern Kentucky at Florida International, 7:00 p.m.
Morehead State at Louisiana-Monroe, 7:00 p.m.
Cumberland at Tennessee State, 7:30 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)
Southeast Missouri at New Mexico, 8:00 p.m.

Saturday
SIU Edwardsville vs. E. Tennessee/Temple, 10:30 a.m./1 p.m. (Charleston, S.C.)
Eastern Illinois at Ball State, 1:00 p.m.
Lyon College at Murray State, 7:00 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)
Austin Peay at Evansville, 7:05 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)
Bryan College at Tennessee Tech, 7:30 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)

Sunday
Tennessee State at Loyola (Md.), 1:00 p.m.
SIU Edwardsville vs. TBA, TBA (Charleston, S.C.)

MSU WELCOMES SCOTS FOR OPENER
Billy Kennedy's Racers open the season tomorrow night at 7 against Lyon College. The Racers will face a team that is 4-1 after a pair of back-to-back overtime wins. The Scots were picked to finish just ahead of Bethel in the Trans South Conference. The Racers Isaac Miles ran into a blind side screen set by George Fotso in pracice Thursday and sat out the rest of the evening, but he is expected to be good to go Saturday.  Nathan Higdon and Darryl Gibson have the call tomorrow night at 6:30 on 1340 WNBS and Froggy 103.7  

SLOTTER COMMITS TO MSU
Murray State Head Men’s Basketball Coach Billy Kennedy announced the signing of Colin Slotter, a 6-5 wing/forward from North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, Ga.  He will join the Racers as a freshman in the fall of 2009. “Colin’s a big athletic wing that can score,” Kennedy said. “He handles the ball extremely well for his size. His ability to finish at the rim is something we really needed.”
 
Slotter averaged 12 points and five rebounds last season as a junior and impressed many with his play over the summer at the Reebok All-American camp and Reebok Summer Championships. He is playing his senior season for head coach Terry Gorsach.  “Colin is an extremely versatile player with size, strength, and speed,” Gorsach said. “He’s a very difficult match-up because he can take an opponent inside and also go outside. He can shoot the ball very well.”  “MSU is getting an excellent basketball player and and a solid young man in Colin Slotter,” Gorsach added.
 
Colin Slotter joins Isaiah Canaan of Biloxi, Miss. and Edward Daniel of Birmingham, Ala. in the Racers class of 2009. “This may be the best class we have signed since I’ve been here,” Kennedy said. “All three kids were players we rated as the best at their positions. My staff and our current student-athletes did a great job in recruiting them to come to Murray State.”

CATS BEGIN TO PROWL TONIGHT
The Kentucky Wildcats open the season tonight when they host VMI.  For a preview, go here http://www.kentucky.com/818/story/590136.html

CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS IN LEXINGTON
Several area Cross Country teams decend upon the Lexington Horse Park tomorrow for the State Cross Country Championships. Both Murray High and Calloway County won regional boys championships in their class to earn a trip to the state.  Both girls teams also qualified.

OLD MCDONALD SIGNS NEW PLAYERS
Murray State head baseball coach Rob McDonald announced the signing of Brandon Eggenschwiler, Jordan Queen and A.J. Smith to National Letter’s of Intent to attend the University and begin playing baseball for the ‘Breds in the Fall of 2009. "I am very happy with our early signees. These are the ideal type of guys we target to play at MSU," said coach McDonald. "They are all three super young men from great families. They will be great additions not only to our program, but to the MSU community."

Eggenschwiler, a 6-0, 180 pound outfielder from Lexington, Ky., is a two-time selection to the Lexington all-city team while playing for Dunbar High School. He hit .385 with nine doubles and 18 RBIs in helping lead the Bulldogs to the 2007 state championship. He was selected to play in the 2008 East-West All-Star Game and is a three-time Dunbar Academic All-Star. "Brandon is considered one of the top hitters in the Lexington area", said coach McDonald. "He is an outstanding student and a quality young man. He will be a great fit in our program."

Queen, a 5-11, 170 pound infielder from Frankfurt, Ky., is a two-time all-Franklin County Team selection while playing for Western Hills High School. Last season, Queen hit .411 with 13 doubles, three triples, five home runs, 33 RBIs and 33 runs scored. He also tied for the team lead with five wins on the mound and earned his second-straight WHHS Most Outstanding Offensive Player award. "Jordan is an energetic and athletic infielder who we are thrilled to have joining our program," said coach McDonald. "We are confident he will continue to develop and thrive at MSU."

Smith, a 6-6, 188 pound right-handed pitcher from Crestview Hills, Ky., earned all-state honors in 2008 after going 7-2 with a 2.21 ERA at Beechwood High School. He struckout 65 in 57 innings. As a junior, Smith went 7-3 with a 2.85 ERA and was named to the All "A" Classic all-tournament team. "The sky is the limit for A.J," said coach McDonald. "He is a quality young man with great potential on the mound. I can definitely visualize him in a ‘Breds uniform."

The ‘Breds open the 2009 campaign on Feb. 20 as they begin a three-game series with South Dakota State. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at Reagan Field.
 

TIGER BOOSTERS TO MEET
The Murray Tiger Booster Club will meet Wednesday, November 19, at 5:30 p.m. at Murray High School.  All coaches, sports representatives, parents, and other interested individuals are encouraged to attend.

ALBERT AND LUDS HONORED
St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols and outfielder Ryan Ludwick won Silver Slugger Awards as announced yesterday afternoon by Hillerich & Bradsby Co., makers of Louisville Slugger. Ludwick and Pujols are the only teammates listed on the National League team.

NATIONAL SPORTS REPORT

Thursday's Results
-------------------

National Football League
------------------------
Jay Feely's 34-yard field goal with 7:10 remaining in overtime lifted the New
York Jets to a 34-31 win over the New England Patriots and into sole
possession of first place in the AFC East. Brett Favre completed 26-of-33
passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns for the Jets (7-3), who have won four
straight games for the first time since 2004. Thomas Jones gained 104 yards on
the ground and added a touchdown, while Dustin Keller had eight receptions for
87 yards. Matt Cassel threw for a career-high 400 yards and three touchdowns
on 30-of-51 passing for New England (6-4), which has dropped two of its last
three outings. Wes Welker caught seven passes for 108 yards, while Benjamin
Watson added 88 yards and a score on eight grabs. Randy Moss hauled in a 16-
yard TD pass with one second left in regulation to force overtime. The
Patriots had won 10 of the past 11 meetings against the Jets coming in.


National Hockey League
----------------------
Stephane Yelle scored twice while Manny Fernandez stopped 27 shots as the
Boston Bruins broke a 12-game losing streak against Montreal with a 6-1
thrashing of the Canadiens at TD Banknorth Garden. Marco Sturm also lit the
lamp twice for the Bruins, winners of five straight and eight of nine. Shawn
Thornton and Milan Lucic also tallied once each for Boston, which hadn't
beaten their perennial rivals since a 3-1 victory on March 3, 2007.

Elsewhere in the NHL:
---------------------
New York Islanders 3, Ottawa Senators 1
Pittsburgh Penguins 5, Philadelphia Flyers 4 (SO)
Detroit Red Wings 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 3
Minnesota Wild 4, Phoenix Coyotes 0
Los Angeles Kings 3, Dallas Stars 2
Toronto Maple Leafs 5, Edmonton Oilers 2
San Jose Sharks 6, Calgary Flames 1


National Basketball Association
-------------------------------
Maurice Williams -- LeBron James' new sidekick this season -- scored a team-
high 24 points with six assists, while James filled the stat sheet with 22
points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, as Cleveland downed Denver, 110-99, at
Quicken Loans Arena. Daniel Gibson, mired in an early-season shooting slump,
broke out with 15 points off the bench on 7-of-11 shooting. Ben Wallace
chipped in with 11 points and six rebounds, while Zydrunas Ilgauskas donated
10 points for the red-hot Cavaliers, who won their sixth straight game to
start the season with a 7-2 record.

Elsewhere in the NBA
--------------------
Chicago Bulls 98, Dallas Mavericks 91
Detroit Pistons 107, Golden State Warriors 102


Top-25 College Basketball
-------------------------
Darren Collison scored 16 points, including two clutch free throws late in the
game, to lead the fourth-ranked UCLA Bruins to a 64-59 victory over the feisty
Miami-Ohio RedHawks at Pauley Pavilion. Neither team ever led by more than
five in the contest, and the Bruins will move on to face Michigan at Madison
Square Garden in the semifinals of the 2K Sports Classic Benefiting Coaches
vs. Cancer. Josh Shipp scored 16 points, and Michael Roll hit three long
distance shots to account for his nine points for UCLA (2-0), which advanced
to the Final Four last season for the third consecutive year. Michael Bramos
had a game-high 22 points for the RedHawks (1-1), who defeated Weber State to
open up their season. Nick Winbush added eight points, and Kenny Hayes had
only two points one day after scoring 24.

=== MLB ===

Cleveland Indians left-hander Cliff Lee has been named the American League Cy
Young Award winner by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
Lee placed first on 24 of 28 ballots cast by two writers from each AL city and
second on four others for a total of 132 points, based on the 5-3-1 tabulation
system, as he became the second straight Cleveland hurler to win this award
and the third in team history. CC Sabathia won last year and Gaylord Perry
captured the honor in 1972. Toronto righty Roy Halladay finished second with
71 points, placing first on four ballots, second on 15 and third on six.


===

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez picked up his 10th Silver
Slugger Award on Thursday, and was among 18 winners honored for being the top
offensive performers at their respective positions. Rodriguez tied Mike Piazza
for second-most Silver Sluggers all-time, while only Barry Bonds, with 12, has
more. Of the American League winners, Minnesota first baseman Justin Morneau,
Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia and Baltimore designated hitter Aubrey
Huff were first-time honorees. The entire AL outfield -- the Rangers' Josh
Hamilton, Cleveland's Grady Sizemore and the White Sox's Carlos Quentin -- won
for the first time. Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter picked up his third straight
award, while Twins catcher Joe Mauer won his second.

===

In the National League, Silver Slugger Award first-time winners were Milwaukee
outfielder Ryan Braun, St. Louis outfielder Ryan Ludwick and Florida
Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez. Outfielder Matt Holliday -- who played for
Colorado in 2008 but was traded to Oakland on Wednesday -- won his third in a
row, as did Philadelphia second baseman Chase Utley. Other NL winners were St.
Louis first baseman Albert Pujols; Mets third baseman David Wright; Atlanta
catcher Brian McCann; and Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano. Pujols won his fourth,
while Wright, McCann and Zambrano each won his second.

===

Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire has signed a two-year contract
extension that will keep him with the club through the 2011 season. Gardenhire
will begin his eighth season as Twins skipper in 2009. He has guided the club
to a record of 622-512, including 88-75 in 2008. Last year's team nearly
reached the postseason, losing a one-game playoff to the Chicago White Sox for
the American League Central crown. The 51-year-old Gardenhire, runner-up to
Tampa Bay's Joe Maddon in the AL Manager of the Year voting, took over as
Twins skipper before the 2002 season and has led the team to four AL Central
titles in his first seven years, posting winning records in six of those seven
campaigns.

===

The New York Yankees announced on Thursday that they have acquired Nick
Swisher and pitcher Kanekoa Texeira from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for
infielder Wilson Betemit and two minor league hurlers. Swisher hit just .219
for Chicago last season as an outfielder and first baseman, but slugged 24
home runs, 21 doubles and knocked in 69 runs in 153 games. Over a five-year
career with the Athletics and White Sox, the 27-year-old is a .244 hitter with
104 homers and 324 RBI in 611 contests. Texeira went 6-3 with 21 saves and a
1.33 earned run average in 51 relief appearances for Winston-Salem of the
Carolina League and Double-A Birmingham last season. Going to Chicago is
Betemit, who hit .265 with six homers and 25 RBI in 87 games for New York in
2008. Also included in the deal were right-handed pitchers Jeff Marquez and
Jhonny Nunez.


=== NFL ===


St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson did not participate in Thursday's
practice in advance of Sunday's game at San Francisco. Jackson did not play
last Sunday against the New York Jets because of a strained right thigh muscle
which has bothered him over the last couple weeks. Jackson was hurt during the
October 19 game against Dallas, despite rushing for 160 yards and three
touchdowns, then missed the following week's contest against New England. He
returned against Arizona on November 2 after being limited in practice and
managed just 17 yards on seven carries. For the season, Jackson has 525 yards
on 128 carries with four touchdowns and has added 25 catches for 259 yards.

===

Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis did not practice on Thursday,
putting his status for Sunday night's big NFC East clash with Dallas in
question. Portis is dealing with a knee sprain he incurred during the
Redskins' 23-6 home loss to Pittsburgh on November 3. Monday, Redskins head
coach Jim Zorn termed Portis as having a "50/50" chance to suit up. But Portis
revealed on Tuesday that he has a second-degree MCL sprain and also did not
practice Wednesday. Zorn said Thursday that Portis is still questionable for
the Cowboys game. Portis' absence would be a big blow for Washington, as the
running back is the second-leading rusher in the NFL this season with 995
yards. Only Minnesota's Adrian Peterson (1,015) has more. Portis has also
rushed for seven touchdowns, and caught 18 passes for 150 yards.


===

Oakland Raiders quarterbacks JaMarcus Russell and Andrew Walter both failed to
fully participate in practice Thursday due to injury. Russell sat out last
Sunday's loss to the Carolina Panthers with a knee injury. The 2007 first
overall pick has six touchdowns and four interceptions in eight starts for the
2-7 Raiders. He was limited in practice Thursday, and it is unknown whether he
will be ready to play on Sunday against the Dolphins. Walter completed 14-
of-32 passes for 143 yards and two interceptions in his start Sunday against
the Panthers. He suffered a high ankle sprain late in the game and was not a
participant in Thursday's practice session. Sunday marked the first start for
the 26-year-old since starting eight games in 2006. Marques Tuiasosopo is the
other Oakland quarterback, and he threw for four yards on 1-of-2 passing
Sunday in a brief stint.

=== NBA ===

The Chicago Bulls signed guard Lindsey Hunter on Thursday, bringing the 15-
year veteran back to the league. Hunter spent last season with Detroit,
averaging 2.4 points and 1.4 assists in 24 games. He played 12 of his seasons
with the Pistons (1993-2000, 2003-08), who selected him 10th overall in the
1993 NBA Draft out of Jackson State. The 37-year-old veteran will help offset
the loss of guard Kirk Hinrich, who is expected to be sidelined for three
months after undergoing surgery for a broken thumb. In 896 career games with
the Pistons, Bucks, Lakers and Raptors, Hunter has averaged 8.8 points and 2.7
assists.

=== TENNIS ===

Nikolay Davydenko of Russia defeated Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro in
straight sets on Thursday to reach the semifinals of the season-ending Tennis
Masters Cup in Shanghai. Davydenko posted an easy 6-3, 6-2 triumph to improve
to 2-1 in round-robin play, joining Serbian star Novak Djokovic in the semis
from the Gold Group. Red Group play will conclude Friday with two-time
defending champion Roger Federer and Frenchman Gilles Simon playing separate
matches for the final semifinal berth. Andy Murray has already qualified from
the Red Group and will try to knock Federer out in a rematch of the U.S. Open
final, won by the Swiss superstar. Simon has already beaten Federer this week
and will try to advance to the final four with a victory over Czech alternate
Radek Stepanek, who joined the field after American Andy Roddick withdrew on
Wednesday with an ankle injury.