While attending a recent high school basketball game matching Augusta and St. Patrick, I was reminded of a wild matchup between the longtime rivals 17 years ago today. That game in the Panthers Den on Feb. 11, 2009 resulted in an extremely rare occurrence due to the whims of Mother Nature, which you can read about elsewhere in the sports section.

In today’s blurb you’ll also find wrap-ups of the Super Bowl, as well as Kentucky’s second come-from-behind victory over Tennessee this season.

Seahawks ‘D’ too much for Patriots

Super Bowl LX will not go down as one of the most exciting ever played, by any stretch of the imagination. It did prove one old axiom however; defense wins championships. The Seattle Seahawks gave New England quarterback Drake Maye little room to breathe from the outset of the game, and never relented.

With the score 9-0 at intermission, one had to wonder if the Patriots would dent the scoreboard in the second stanza, which would’ve been the first shutout in Super Bowl history. They were able to manage to tally a pair of touchdowns, with one coming after the game was long decided.

One could surmise early on that the Patriots were simply no match for the Seahawks, and the deceiving final score of 29-13 was much closer than what actually occurred during the mismatch. Seattle’s bruising running back Kenneth Walker III rambled for 135 yards on 27 carries and earned MVP honors, the first running back to claim the award since Denver’s Terrell Davis led the Broncos to a 34-19 win over Atlanta 27 years ago in Super Bowl XXXIII.

Walker had ample assistance but little competition for MVP honors. Kicker Jason Myers booted a Super Bowl record five field goals for the Seahawks, and if there was a way that a unit could be called “MVP” that would have gone to the dominating Seattle defense.

More often than not, a quarterback is named MVP, but Sam Darnold’s performance was less than spectacular, completing 19 of 36 pass attempts for 202 yards and one score, a 16-yard strike to AJ Barner early in the fourth quarter, the first touchdown of the night. Darnold wasn’t flashy but he got the job done without committing a turnover, something New England’s young QB, Drake Maye, struggled with all evening. Maye looked bewildered and bedraggled during the majority of the game, and threw a pair of interceptions (one a Pick-6) to go with a lost fumble while being pressured by the Seahawks’ stifling defense.

It was not all Maye’s fault; the Patriots’ offensive line was abysmal at best. They couldn’t open holes for the running game – 79 yards on the ground — and allowed six sacks as well. Maye was the team’s leading rusher, scrambling for 37 yards.

After the game, there were undoubtedly a lot of folks muttering to themselves for not placing a bet on the Seahawks, which could have won by a larger margin if Darnold and the offense had converted more effectively in the red zone. It was still a no-doubter, thanks to their complete domination of the line of scrimmage.

Varied reactions to Super Bowl halftime show

The halftime show has been discussed and debated ad nauseum, partially because the game was less than thrilling. Bad Bunny, an artist this old guy was not familiar with whatsoever before the Super Bowl, was the headliner, but he was joined by several surprise guests, including Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin.

My opinion of the performance – which I am certain y’all are on the edge of your seats waiting to hear – is that it was, well, something. I have to give credit for it being energetic to say the least, and much like the hype and production of everything surrounding the Super Bowl, it was certainly over the top.

As for the music, it is definitely not my cup of tea, but his message of love being more powerful than hate is to be commended. It also demonstrated his deep love for Puerto Rico, and showed in detail several aspects of life in his native land.

It was also rather amazing at just how quickly the field was set up – and subsequently torn down for the second half — for the extravagant performance. But that’s just the way of the National Football League; the enterprise never ceases to find a way to make tons of moolah and have us talk about the event for days upon days.

Cats follow familiar formula vs. Vols

The resurgent Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team continues its push after rallying from a 14-point halftime deficit to knock off Tennessee for the second time on three weeks. The victory comes after the Cats erased a 17-point deficit in Knoxville for a victory on Jan. 17. It also marks eight wins in their last nine games, and vaulted them back into the top 25 for the first time since early in the campaign.

The 74-71 win Saturday night in a rowdy Rupp Arena also came in front of coach Mark Pope’s former teammates from the 1996 national champions. The current team wore a throwback version of the denim uniforms worn by the “Untouchables” to honor one of the greatest teams in school history.

The victory had to feel extra special for Pope, who a month or so ago was getting tons of heat from the Kentucky fanbase for the team’s uninspiring play and an 0-2 SEC record. But now Pope is 4-0 against Tennessee in his first two years leading the program, and all is right in Lexington.

The next challenge awaits in Gainesville Saturday afternoon, when Kentucky faces the Florida Gators with first place in the Southeastern Conference on the line. The defending national champions played a robust nonconference schedule and play at Georgia tonight. The Gators enter that rivalry contest 8-2 in the SEC, and Kentucky is 8-3.

We’ll have much more to say about the UK-UF matchup in Saturday’s column, and I’m also planning a “bonus” Friday piece this week as well.

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“Troubles are only mental; it is the mind that manufactures them, and the mind can gorge them, banish them, abolish them.” – Mark Twain