I’ve been blessed to see plenty of exciting games in my 10 years covering sports between my hometown in Tennessee and various places in Kentucky. Bowling Green has been home for the better part of that time since I was a student journalist at Western Kentucky University. I’ve seen my fair share of the best and worst events of Hilltopper sports and local prep games. Some games I’ve forgotten about completely and others will live in my memory forever.

So, as we navigate a life without sports for the time being, the Daily News sports staff recently discussed the games we remember most, the athletes we’ll never forget and the moments that changed a narrative. We’ve each been lucky enough to work as scribes for those events so you, the readers, may also remember those nights.

In no particular order, we’ve narrowed down the top five games or events we’ve covered. We’re going to tell you why we believed in its significance beyond an outstanding box score or unbelievable performance. They’re important to us because of the story. Some of our staff’s memories stretch beyond the southcentral Kentucky region, but the story is what makes it stand out in each of our careers.

I’ll start off this four-part series with a mixture of events many of our readers will remember, but the other one has a local connection and a game you weren’t there to see.

First off, let’s talk about Taveion.

Feb. 27, 2020 – Hollingsworth scored 43 in dramatic comeback win

I generally vote against recency bias, but seriously? What Taveion Hollingsworth did against Louisiana Tech is unlike anything I’ve ever seen a player do. Western Kentucky was dead and Hollingsworth single handedly brought it back to life.

What made it crazier was the fact he hit 3-pointers. We all know his jumper is special and ability to score in traffic is a sight to behold, but Hollingsworth has been vocal in the past about a desire to improve his 3-point shot. And on this night, he did it multiple times and in clutch moments.

When he hit the game-tying 3 to force overtime, the roar of Diddle Arena was deafening. Hollingsworth’s heart poured out and touched every person in the building. His celebration with Jared Savage spilled right in front of me on press row, so I saw up close the emotion of Hollingsworth.

WKU won 95-91 in overtime and Lee “Mr. Western” Robertson called it one of the best games he’s seen since 1947. If I ever reach 97 like Mr. Western, I’ll tell the youngsters about the night Taveion scored 43.

2. March 2, 2016 – Region 8 Boys’ Basketball Tournament: South Oldham 81, Owen County 76

To this date, I’ve not covered a game in a venue as special as the Region 8 Tournament at Henry County High School. Before the Bowling Green Daily News, I worked as sports editor at The Oldham Era and the Region 8 Tournament was and remains my favorite event covered besides the NCAA Tournament in 2013.

Owen County was the overwhelming favorite to win the region thanks to a guy named Carson Williams. He and the Rebels defeated South Oldham in the regular season and a rematch came in the first round of the region tournament. I covered South Oldham’s entire season and this was a special group of 3-point shooters under Steve Simpson. They could beat anybody as long as the shots were falling.

Owen County was 19-0 in the region going into the tournament, but everyone knew South Oldham was the team that could pull it off on the right night. South Oldham lost the District 29 title to Oldham County, and it only felt right that fate would put Williams and the Rebels against the Dragons in the first round of the tournament, knowing they were the two best teams.

A standing room only gym was filled with Owen County fans who already made ticket purchases and hotel reservations the next week in Lexington for the Sweet 16. Williams had 38 points, but South Oldham’s defensive team effort kept him from attacking the rim with ease like he did every other night that year.

South Oldham went on to win the region against Anderson County, where ACHS coach Glen Drury waved a white towel in surrender in the final minutes, an indicator to Simpson to call off the dogs and empty the bench. But the first round of that tournament was the championship game. The pageantry around that night is one I think about often.

3. Nov. 17, 2017 – South Warren upsets Bowling Green 28-21 in region final

Hear me out, Purples fans, because I can already hear you groan.

Warren County needed this night for football. And Purples Nation did, too.

This was the night a local team finally contended with Bowling Green. Greenwood has never done it. Warren East isn’t on the schedule and Warren Central had the last memory of a win in a world that’s so distant for its program. South Warren, the new kid on the block that got the football talent from everywhere else, finally did it.

That was the Spartans’ first year in Class 5A and they were finally equals. They each won their respective state titles in 2015 and for two years, people debated which state championship team was better? Would that Purples’ offense have scored on the Spartans’ defense? How many points?

El Donaldson Stadium hadn’t been that packed in a long time and thank the Lord for it, because that season provided a rivalry this town needed. Bowling Green’s dominant run of championships was incredible, but it stops being fun unless a team can truly challenge.

Bowling Green won the regular-season matchup 43-7 and it looked like the status quo. But South Warren’s staff prepared and made it count in the quarterfinal game we all knew would happen. The Spartans won 28-21, but it felt like a wider margin than that.

Beau Buchanan threw three interceptions after going 12 games without a pick. Christian Winn pounded the ground and Bowling Green couldn’t stop the run. I used the word “bully” in a headline because that was what it felt like. Little brother punched back. I received emails from parents from both schools the next day disapproving of that word (And may hear something from them again because none of us have anything else better to do in quarantine, but that’s OK. I don’t care).

That was the night a rivalry was truly born.

4. Nov. 24, 2017 – Franklin-Simpson wins 42-38 shootout over Collins

A very close second behind Russellville’s Rhea Stadium, Shadetree Stadium in Franklin is one of my favorite places for high school football. The stadium rises high above the field and you can’t beat the aesthetics of hedges protecting the sideline.

This game was wild from the start. Franklin-Simpson had the three-headed backfield monster of Tre Bass, Saul Brady and Carlos McKinney and one of the best defenses in Class 4A. Collins had a modern-day Johnny Manziel at quarterback in JR Lucas. No defense was safe unless against Lucas until a play was blown dead.

Lucas completed passes you just didn’t expect a high school quarterback of his small stature to make. He threw for over 400 yards that night and it was a shame someone had to lose that game. Franklin-Simpson ran for 445 yards that night with long touchdown breaks after another.

Collins scored the go-ahead touchdown with 2:41 left and Brady had a long return on the ensuing kickoff to set up McKinney’s game-winner, but it felt like Franklin-Simpson scored too quickly and Lucas had one more trick in him.

Lucas completed a long pass on the drive and threatened to score, but fumbled in the backfield and Cade Harvey recovered. It was the game that set up Franklin’s first of back-to-back state championships.

5. Nov. 28, 2017 – Western Kentucky 67, Marshall 66, OT

How could I not include this?

This was the last game I covered as a reporter for the College Heights Herald. By halftime, I was ready to throw my laptop out of the press box. If we were ranking our top moments, this one is locked in at No. 1 until further notice. I just don’t know what’s going to top that day.

There aren’t enough words to say about that cold Black Friday in Huntington. W.Va., the day I’ll always mark as the day Western Kentucky became a football school.

Luckily, I recently wrote an oral history about that game last fall. Visit our website and search “oral history” and relive why this game is best I’ve ever covered.

There are others that could make this list and there’s always room for debate. But these are the games that always stand out in my mind that I count myself blessed to write about. Now, I’ll be checking my email in case I’ve stirred up angry parents and Marshall fans.{&end}