Kentucky

Kentucky Played Unselfish Football In Season Debut

Published

2 years ago

September 2, 2024

Kentucky Played Unselfish Football In Season Debut

Mark Stoops on Kentucky’s 31-0 win over Southern Miss

Self-inflicted mistakes plagued Kentucky in 2023. The term “unearned arrogance” was used following celebrations and unnecessary penalties. It may have been a small sample size, but Mark Stoops saw growth from his players who played unselfish football in the season-opening win over Southern Miss.

The Cats were far from perfect. A true freshman got flagged for some after-the-play shenanigans just before halftime. It happens. The Cats committed four penalties for 45 yards, but for the most part, it was a very clean game.

That’s easier said than done. Emotions run high in the first game of the season. They’ve been itching all summer to hit somebody else, then they were forced to wait an extra two hours to kick the ball off. Once they settled in after a couple of drives, the Cats kept their cool when tempers flared and executed.

Kentucky DL Tre’vonn Rybka Showed Growth by Not Retaliating

There is one player in particular that Stoops was proud of Saturday night. Tre’vonn Rybka is an unsung defensive lineman who is being asked to do more this fall, and it starts in between his ears.

“I thought Tre’vonn had a very good game. He’s a guy that has played a lot of football for us. I’d like to see him take another step and I thought this first game showed that. I thought he was disruptive and did his job a lot of times. Those interior defensive linemen are unsung guys, you know. Nobody talks about them because they’re getting they’re doing a lot of dirty work and cleaning things up inside there, and I thought he played very well,” Mark Stoops said Monday.

On one sequence, Rybka made a great move to get to the quarterback, but let Tate Rodemaker slip away. Rather than hang his head, he got back after the quarterback on the following play and recorded a sack.

“I thought he showed a lot of growth because Tre’vonn has a tendency to be — he’s an emotional guy. There was one late hit (by Southern Mmiss) in particular. I don’t think it was called, but there were some things going on after the play, and normally he would respond in a different way, and he was very frustrated by it. But again, that’s the unselfishness we’re looking for. It takes a bigger, stronger man to take that penalty,” Stoops said.

Rybka did not react and draw a penalty of his own. The same could be said about the offensive line near the goal line when Southern Miss was flagged for a late hit. Instead of reacting and pushing back, Kentucky let it slide and took the free first down to get within an arm’s reach of the goal line.

“It was good by our guys not retaliating. I talked a lot about that because early in the year, all the emotions. I’ve watched a lot of football, you see things happening all the time of just being an unselfish football team and being a smart football team and having a high IQ. We’ve got to be that way.

“We cannot beat ourselves. (It’s) football 101. You can’t beat anybody until you stop beating yourself. And I try to beat that into our guys’ heads. It’s hard in today’s world to be extremely unselfish and play for everybody else, but I think we have a really good group, and I think this is a good start to build from.”

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Related Topics:Featured Tre'vonn Rybka (20 - Dickson County)

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Kentucky

Former Kentucky Transfer Portal Target Magoon Gwath Re-Enters Free Agency

Published

14 hours ago

April 6, 2026

Press Room

Former Kentucky Transfer Portal Target Magoon Gwath Re-Enters Free Agency

A familiar name will be back in the transfer portal when the official window opens at midnight. Magoon Gwath is once again testing the free agency market.

Gwath was a player BBN kept a close eye on early in the 2025 transfer portal cycle. Kentucky and Michigan were considered the top potential destinations for the 7-footer when he surprisingly announced a return to San Diego State. When the San Diego Union-Tribune reported his return to the Aztecs on April 1, the lede was “This is not an April Fool’s joke.”

The decision was so surprising because of Gwath’s resume. He arrived in San Diego as an unranked recruit. During his first season with the Aztecs, the 7-footer averaged 8.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and a league-leading 2.6 blocks per game, earning Mountain West Freshman of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Ahead of his return, head coach Brian Dutcher noted that Gwath was taking a pay cut to show his loyalty to the program that gave him a shot. That gamble did not pay off for either side. San Diego State missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time in six seasons, as Gwath’s minutes per game slightly dipped to 19, tallying 8.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per contest in 2025-26.

It’s unclear if Kentucky will take another swing at the lengthy 7-footer during this transfer portal cycle. What is clear is that there will be no shortage of chaos when the free agency period officially tips off at midnight. We’ll be locked in every step of the way.

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Kentucky

Our top 5 Kentucky Derby contenders as Run for the Roses 2026 nears

Published

1 day ago

April 6, 2026

Press Room

Our top 5 Kentucky Derby contenders as Run for the Roses 2026 nears

Arkansas Derby winner Renegade tops our list of the leading contenders for the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby.
Further Ado, trained by Brad Cox, joins the top five after a commanding victory in Saturday’s Blue Grass at Keeneland.

After the final weekend of major prep races, we have a projected field for the 152^nd running of the Kentucky Derby on May 2 at Churchill Downs.

Further Ado (Blue Grass), So Happy (Santa Anita Derby) and Albus (Wood Memorial) clinched their spots in the Kentucky Derby with victories on Saturday.

The top 20 horses on the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard are eligible to run, though there usually are injuries and defections in the weeks leading up to the race.

Buy tickets for Kentucky Derby 152 here

Saturday’s Grade 3 Lexington at Keeneland will offer 20 qualifying points to the winner, though that’s not expected to be enough for any of the competitors to jump into the Kentucky Derby field.

With four weeks to go until the Kentucky Derby, here’s our ranking of the top five contenders:

Owners: Robert and Lawana Low; Repole Stable (Mike Repole).

Trainer: Todd Pletcher.

Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.

Sire: Into Mischief.

Road to Kentucky Derby points: 125 (No. 3)

Career earnings: $1,031,500.

Last race: Won Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on March 28 at Oaklawn Park.

Likely next race: Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 2 at Churchill Downs.

Owner: Wathnan Racing (Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani).

Trainer: Brad Cox.

Jockey: Flavien Prat.

Sire: Into Mischief.

Road to Kentucky Derby points: 150 (No. 1).

Career earnings: $1,017,339.

Last race: Won Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 28 at Gulfstream Park.

Likely next race: Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 2 at Churchill Downs.

Owners: OGMA Investments LLC (Gustavo Delgado); JR Ranch (Ramiro Restrepo); High Step Racing LLC (Randy Guy, Joe Noble, Kevin Avera, Jim Ferreira, Todd Perry).

Trainer: Gustavo Delgado.

Jockey: Javier Castellano.

Sire: Essential Quality.

Road to Kentucky Derby points: 106 (No. 6).

Career earnings: $442,280.

Last race: Second in Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 28 at Gulfstream Park.

Likely next race: Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 2 at Churchill Downs.

Owner: Spendthrift Farm (Eric Gustavson).

Trainer: Brad Cox.

Jockey: TBA.

Sire: Gun Runner.

Road to Kentucky Derby points: 135 (No. 2).

Career earnings: $1,146,328.

Last race: Won Grade 1 Blue Grass on April 4 at Keeneland.

Likely next race: Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 2 at Churchill Downs.

Owner: Danox Co. Ltd.

Trainer: Manabu Ikezoe.

Jockey: Atsuya Nishimura.

Sire: Maxfield.

Road to Kentucky Derby points: Qualified via Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Career earnings: $222,762.

Last race: Won Fukuryu Stakes on March 28 at Nakayama Racecourse.

Likely next race: Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 2 at Churchill Downs.

Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com. Follow on X @KentuckyDerbyCJ.

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Kentucky

Mr. Tim Graham

Published

2 days ago

April 5, 2026

Press Room

Murray
| Jan. 15, 1962 | yesterday

Mr. Tim Graham, age 64, of Dexter, Kentucky passed away on Saturday, April 4, 2026, at his home.
          Mr. Graham was born on January 15, 1962, in Murray, Kentucky to the late Jerry Graham and Janice (Staples) McCuiston. He worked in the construction industry.
          Survivors include two sisters, LaDon Haley Berlin of Evansville, Indiana and Kristi Hopkins and husband Chris of Murray, Kentucky; one niece, Emily Don Hopkins of Murray, Kentucky; three nephews, Adam Haley of Springfield, Illinois, Jason Haley of Evansville, Indiana, and Zachery Hopkins of Murray, Kentucky; one great niece, Audrey Haley of Paducah, Kentucky; as well as one great nephew, Weston Haley of Okawville, Illinois.

          A memorial visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at the J.H. Churchill Funeral Home & Cremation Services. A private family service will be held.
          Expressions of sympathy can be made to the Humane Society of Calloway County, 607 Poplar Street, Suite A1, Murray, Kentucky 42071.
          Online condolences can be made at, www.jhchurchill.com

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