I make a point of not reading the paper, especially the sports page, as I have found for the most part, it is just one person's opinion. However, after having one of our parents tell me that our team had been in their words "trashed" because of our poor showing in the regional tournament, I thought I had better read it myself.

I too found it an extremely negative article. This surprised me because there have been times when our local paper has gone out of its way to support and encourage our student athletes.

The article made it look like Clinton County was an underdog in the contest. They, along with Franklin Simpson, have been rated In the top three in the region the entire year. Where you are rated or where you are seeded in the tournament is not nearly important as how you match up with whom you play. When the NCAA tournament begins, you will hear of many upsets. In truth, in the majority of these "upsets," it was more a matter of how teams matched up instead of whether or not they came ready to play.

I was glad to see Franklin Simpson given credit for playing well. I'm happy for them. I made a point of being positive about both the team and the coach with the Daily News in Bowling Green after the game. Maybe the loss in the district championship game was the wake up call they needed, just like the Russellville boys team a few years ago that went on to the semifinals of the state tournament. It's a shame a team in our own community can't be treated with the same respect.

There's no question Clinton County has a fine ball team with two of the best guards in the state. The article criticized our players for packing it in the lane while the Clinton County supporting cast (minus the Guffeys) hit four 3-pointers the first half.

This was a coaching decision and the players were doing what they were told. At the time I thought it was a good decision because I had never seen these three players even attempt a 3-pointer while scouting them. I was wrong that day, but those same three players did not hit another 3-pointer for the remainder of the regional tournament.

We keyed on the Guffeys and except for a few lapses, I thought our kids did a respectable job on them. I was proud of the effort that Cary, Amy and Rachel made on them the entire game.

Yes, we started the game tight and got worse as the game went on. Our shot selection was excellent; we just couldn't buy a basket, even shots right under the goal were rolling out. Jumping down our players' throats would have only made the situation worse. I knew they were trying their best.

This doesn't just happen to just us as Clinton County only had nine points with two minutes remaining in the first half against Barren County in the regional championship game. I guess some of their "fans" could have tossed in the towel then, too.

Everyone was disappointed in how we played but the people hurt the most were our players. These kids invested a whole lot more than just one morning lost. They have worked for months to get to this point.

It's unfortunate but one constant you will find with every team is disgruntled "fans" who would like nothing better than to run down your kids and your program. For some people, it's always easier to tear something down than to build it up.

I also did not appreciate what I took to be a snide remark about the two freshman girls in the picture where it stated they were moved up to sit on the varsity bench during the tournaments. This was a tremendous disservice to them as they were moved up to help our varsity prepare for tournament play. They earned this right; it was not given to them.

Every coach can tell you that the players on the bench can make or break your team.. How. hard they push their teammates during the season will go a long way in your team's development. These kids should instead be applauded for their contributions.

I accept full responsibility for the fact we did not play well Saturday. It is obvious I made some mistakes and did not have our kids ready to play. Our players should not be criticized for my mistakes.

We have a lot of good kids in both programs at LCHS and Russellville. I think an effort has been made at both schools to have students present a positive image of high school athletics. It's disappointing to see some people do not appreciate their efforts or cannot be a little more understanding when they do not always measure up to expectations.

There have been way too many negative things being written lately. I was disappointed in how this was handled. However, in at least one home, this one, I can do something about; please cancel my subscription to your paper. 1 don't care to read articles where kids are made to think they are a failure. At least they had the guts to be out there trying.