article BluegrassPreps.com's Seventh Region update and rankings - 1/1/18

The teams of the Seventh Region displayed the Region’s depth this week, as multiple teams won holiday tournaments. Trinity went to Roebuck, South Carolina and won the Farm Bureau Insurance Classic; Ballard won the Apollo Fairfield Inn Invitational in Owensboro; Male won the City of Middletown Holiday Classic; and Seneca won the Stultz Pharmacy Holiday Classic at Greenup County. Other teams played well against teams from other regions, including Eastern’s impressive 73-71 win over Owensboro. And Collegiate continues to be the winningest team in the state.

A lot of time will be spent this week looking forward to the Louisville Invitational Tournament to be played January 8-13 at Valley High School, the field for which was announced yesterday. Unfortunately, only five teams from the Seventh Region made the 16-team field.

But there is plenty of basketball to be played before then. For example, this week brings the renewal of the Trinity-St. X rivalry on the hardwood. While not as heralded as the football rivalry, Friday night’s game will be full of emotion and effort. Additional games of note this week include Ballard hosting Pleasure Ridge Park, Manual playing at Fern Creek, and Collegiate hosting the Male Bulldogs.

1. Trinity Shamrocks (11-1)

Trinity traveled to Roebuck, South Carolina this week and won the Farm Bureau Insurance Classic. The Shamrocks started the tournament with a 86-69 win over Florence, SC Wilson, and then beat Covington, GA Newton 70-65. In the championship game, Trinity easily beat Suwanee, GA Peachtree Ridge 72-51. Trinity’s big three (David Johnson, Jay Scrubb, and Justin Powell) are playing well. And when they all play well, Trinity is hard to beat. The Shamrocks play at Collins tomorrow and then resume their long-standing rivalry against St. X Friday night at Knights Hall on the campus of Bellarmine University. Trinity earned the no. 1 seed in the LIT.

2. Ballard Bruins (9-2)

Ballard went 3-0 and won the Apollo Fairfield Inn Invitational this week, beating Mayfield (86-62), Collins (94-63), and Henry Clay (74-63). Ballard’s production continues to be spread among a lot of players, which recently has included junior Alexander Holley, whose presence on the floor gives the Bruins a little more size. The Bruins have an away game at Floyd Central (Indiana) and a home game against Pleasure Ridge Park this week. Ballard is the no. 4 seed in the LIT.

3. Waggener Wildcats (9-3)

Waggener’s 76-73 loss to Newport Central Catholic in the first round of the Jeff and Julie Beyke Classic at South Oldham was its third loss in four games and was cause for concern for the Wildcats. But the Wildcats bounced back to beat St. Xavier for the second time this season, this time by a 65-56 margin, and followed that up with an easy 90-66 win over Moore. Waggener remains in the third spot this week, although Male’s impressive week makes it a close call between those two. North Oldham and Jeffersontown are on tap for the Wildcats this week, who are the no. 6 seed in the upcoming LIT.

4. Male Bulldogs (9-5)

The Bulldogs had a great week, going 3-0 and winning the City of Middletown Holiday Classic. And the three teams they beat in the tournament are quality teams: 7-4 Elizabethtown by a 76-55 margin, 10-4 Owensboro by a 80-76 margin, and 10-3 George Rogers Clark by a 67-53 margin. Male moves up a spot this week and has a pretty good argument it should be even higher. The Bulldogs play Southern and Collegiate during the week before hosting Madison Central on Saturday. Male will enter the LIT as the no. 9 seed.

5. St. Xavier Tigers (8-5)

St. X had a disappointing week at the Jeff and Julie Beyke Classic at South Oldham, although it looked for a short time that it was going to be better. The Tigers led the undefeated Butler Bulldogs 35-25 at halftime in their first game, but then were outscored 36-8 in the second half and lost 61-43. Pierce Kiesler, the Tigers’ leading scorer at 18.4 ppg, was held to 6 points in that one. Kiesler rebounded with 20 points against Waggener, but St. X fell to Waggener for a second time this season by a 65-56 margin. The Tigers face Trinity on Friday night at Knights Hall at Bellarmine. St. X is the no. 12 seed in the LIT.

6. Seneca Redhawks (4-9)

Seneca’s schedule finally lightened up, and the Redhawks went 3-0 this past week. Playing in the Stultz Pharmacy Holiday Classic at Greenup County, Seneca beat Prestonsburg 76-59, Bell County 74-66, and Greenup County 67-49. The Redhawks hope to continue improving on their season record this week when they play at Western on Friday.

7. Manual Crimsons (6-8)

Manual played well at the Lake Cumberland Holiday Hoops Classic, going 2-2. The Crimsons beat East Jessamine 83-65 and Christian Academy 65-59. Its two losses were to good teams – a 60-54 loss to 13-2 Somerset and a 63-53 loss to12-2 John Hardin. The Crimsons have won 4 of their last 6 games and seem to be heading in a positive direction, although they were left out of the field for the LIT. Manual has a challenging match-up with Fern Creek on Friday.

8. Eastern Eagles (5-8)

Eastern continues to get better; after starting the season 1-7, the Eagles have won four of their last five and now stand 5-8 on the season. Eastern opened the City of Middletown Holiday Classic by beating Western 66-50 before falling to George Rogers Clark 61-44. Saving the best for last, Eastern beat Third Region power Owensboro 73-71 on the last day of the tournament. That was a great win for the Eagles, who were led by Myles Goodrich with 21 points. Jacob Robinson, who is averaging 14.8 ppg on the season, contributed 20 points in the win over Owensboro. Eastern plays KCD Friday night before playing Lincoln County in the Patriot Classic at Lincoln County on Saturday.

9. Christian Academy Centurions (4-9)

Christian Academy went 1-3 in the Lake Cumberland Holiday Hoops Classic. After beating Cincinnati Roger Bacon 47-41, CAL dropped games to Wayne County (66-51), Manual (65-59), and Clay County (62-54). CAL faces Christian Academy of New Albany, Indiana on Friday before playing Whitefield Academy in the Whitefield Down Syndrome Classic on Saturday.

10. Atherton Rebels (5-8)

Atherton played in the Henry County Invitational this week, going 1-2 for the tournament. After beating the host Henry County Wildcats 71-52, the Rebels lost to Bullitt Central 64-61 and to Webster County 70-60. The Rebels have a single game this week, a home game against Southern.

11. Central Yellow Jackets (2-7)

Central lost a tough one in overtime against Madisonville-North Hopkins 60-53 in the Central Bank Classic, but then bounced back to win its second game of the season by beating Letcher County Central 61-48. The Yellow Jackets have no games on their schedule this week.

12. Louisville Collegiate Titans (14-2)

Collegiate ran its record to 14-1 before losing 71-64 to Hart County in the final game of the Louisville Collegiate Classic. In earlier games, the Titans had beaten Maysville St. Patrick 67-42 and Whitesville Trinity 73-57. Collegiate continues to lead the Commonwealth in number of wins with 14. The Titans are on the road at Thomas Nelson Thursday before hosting the Male Bulldogs on Friday.

13. Kentucky Country Day Bearcats (6-4)

The Bearcats did not play this week. At 21.3 ppg, Solomon Mathis remains one of the leadings scorers in the Seventh Region. The Bearcats have two road games this week, at Shawnee on Tuesday and at Eastern on Friday.

14. St. Francis Wyverns (6-5)

St. Francis has hit a rough stretch. After starting the season 6-1, the Wyverns have lost their last four games, including three games this past week in the North American Stainless tournament at Carroll County. After losing to Bethlehem 66-52, St. Francis lost to the host Carroll County Panthers 73-66 and then to Frankfort 77-62. The Wyverns will look to regroup this week when they play at Whitefield Academy on Thursday and at Frederick Fraize on Saturday.

15. Portland Christian (4-5)

Portland Christian lost its first two games in the Louisville Collegiate Classic, falling to Hart County (89-68) and Eminence (75-70). But the Eagles rebounded and beat Brown 81-71 on Saturday night. Portland Christian’s Quincy Dye continues to lead the Seventh Region in scoring at a 24.4 ppg clip. The Eagles play Louisville Holy Cross tomorrow night before playing Calvary Christian Friday night and Shawnee on Saturday.

16. Shawnee Golden Eagles (2-7)

Shawnee went 0-2 in the Jeff and Julie Beyke Classic at South Oldham, losing to South Oldham 75-47 and to Moore 63-52. The Golden Eagles will be busy this week, with games against Kentucky Country Day, Iroquois and Portland Christian.

17. Brown Bears (4-11)

Brown lost the three games it played in the Louisville Collegiate Classic, falling to Whitesville Trinity 66-51, Maysville St. Patrick 77-75, and Portland Christian 81-71. The Bears are off this week.

18. Walden Wolverines (1-7)

The Wolverines were off last week. They will be back in action on Saturday when they host Hancock County.

Great work, Smallhoops.

I really wish Seneca would have made the LIT and been rewarded for playing the tough schedule they have taken on. I always have looked beyond the record and judged a team on who they have competed against. I was also pulling for the Collegiate team to make it as the David against the Goliaths. However, to be fair the list of opponents that make up those 14 wins is not as impressive as the willingness of Seneca to take on the tough schedule they did. If Seneca had to miss out, I think Collegiate probably did too. Great job by the new Collegiate Coach just changing the culture to compete. Maybe they can make some noise in the All A Classic.

Good reading on the recap for all the 7th region teams.

Ballard and Trinity will likely meet in the LIT semi-finals unless Butler beats Ballard. Both of those potential games will be great matchups to see if they both advance to meet up.

As is usually the case, I find myself in agreement with @coachlee.

For some reason it wasn’t reported but in the tourney, at S. Oldham, St. X beat Shawnee 67-24.

For some reason it wasn’t reported but in the tourney, at S. Oldham, St. X beat Shawnee 67-24.

Thanks. I had not seen that.

For some reason it wasn’t reported but in the tourney, at S. Oldham, St. X beat Shawnee 67-24.

Thanks. I had not seen that.

I really wish Seneca would have made the LIT and been rewarded for playing the tough schedule they have taken on. I always have looked beyond the record and judged a team on who they have competed against. I was also pulling for the Collegiate team to make it as the David against the Goliaths. However, to be fair the list of opponents that make up those 14 wins is not as impressive as the willingness of Seneca to take on the tough schedule they did. If Seneca had to miss out, I think Collegiate probably did too. Great job by the new Collegiate Coach just changing the culture to compete. Maybe they can make some noise in the All A Classic.

 

Good reading on the recap for all the 7th region teams.

 

Ballard and Trinity will likely meet in the LIT semi-finals unless Butler beats Ballard. Both of those potential games will be great matchups to see if they both advance to meet up.

Agree on all accounts @coachlee. Seneca played one of the toughest in-state schedules and based on their scores probably deserved an LIT bid even with a record that would suggest otherwise. Collegiate had their opportunity--based on my understanding of how the ratings for the LIT work, all they had to do was win their Christmas tournament and they would've been invited, and they came up short. 14-2 record against similar schools is solid but definitely didn't deserve a bid losing at home to an average Hart County team.

Should be a GREAT LIT! Would love to see another Trinity-Fern Creek battle, and Ballard vs Butler in 2nd round should be awesome!

The teams of the Seventh Region displayed the Region’s depth this week, as multiple teams won holiday tournaments. Trinity went to Roebuck, South Carolina and won the Farm Bureau Insurance Classic; Ballard won the Apollo Fairfield Inn Invitational in Owensboro; Male won the City of Middletown Holiday Classic; and Seneca won the Stultz Pharmacy Holiday Classic at Greenup County. Other teams played well against teams from other regions, including Eastern’s impressive 73-71 win over Owensboro. And Collegiate continues to be the winningest team in the state.

 

A lot of time will be spent this week looking forward to the Louisville Invitational Tournament to be played January 8-13 at Valley High School, the field for which was announced yesterday. Unfortunately, only five teams from the Seventh Region made the 16-team field.

 

But there is plenty of basketball to be played before then. For example, this week brings the renewal of the Trinity-St. X rivalry on the hardwood. While not as heralded as the football rivalry, Friday night’s game will be full of emotion and effort. Additional games of note this week include Ballard hosting Pleasure Ridge Park, Manual playing at Fern Creek, and Collegiate hosting the Male Bulldogs.

 

1. Trinity Shamrocks (11-1)

Trinity traveled to Roebuck, South Carolina this week and won the Farm Bureau Insurance Classic. The Shamrocks started the tournament with a 86-69 win over Florence, SC Wilson, and then beat Covington, GA Newton 70-65. In the championship game, Trinity easily beat Suwanee, GA Peachtree Ridge 72-51. Trinity’s big three (David Johnson, Jay Scrubb, and Justin Powell) are playing well. And when they all play well, Trinity is hard to beat. The Shamrocks play at Collins tomorrow and then resume their long-standing rivalry against St. X Friday night at Knights Hall on the campus of Bellarmine University. Trinity earned the no. 1 seed in the LIT.

 

2. Ballard Bruins (9-2)

 

Ballard went 3-0 and won the Apollo Fairfield Inn Invitational this week, beating Mayfield (86-62), Collins (94-63), and Henry Clay (74-63). Ballard’s production continues to be spread among a lot of players, which recently has included junior Alexander Holley, whose presence on the floor gives the Bruins a little more size. The Bruins have an away game at Floyd Central (Indiana) and a home game against Pleasure Ridge Park this week. Ballard is the no. 4 seed in the LIT.

 

3. Waggener Wildcats (9-3)

 

Waggener’s 76-73 loss to Newport Central Catholic in the first round of the Jeff and Julie Beyke Classic at South Oldham was its third loss in four games and was cause for concern for the Wildcats. But the Wildcats bounced back to beat St. Xavier for the second time this season, this time by a 65-56 margin, and followed that up with an easy 90-66 win over Moore. Waggener remains in the third spot this week, although Male’s impressive week makes it a close call between those two. North Oldham and Jeffersontown are on tap for the Wildcats this week, who are the no. 6 seed in the upcoming LIT.

 

4. Male Bulldogs (9-5)

 

The Bulldogs had a great week, going 3-0 and winning the City of Middletown Holiday Classic. And the three teams they beat in the tournament are quality teams: 7-4 Elizabethtown by a 76-55 margin, 10-4 Owensboro by a 80-76 margin, and 10-3 George Rogers Clark by a 67-53 margin. Male moves up a spot this week and has a pretty good argument it should be even higher. The Bulldogs play Southern and Collegiate during the week before hosting Madison Central on Saturday. Male will enter the LIT as the no. 9 seed.

 

5. St. Xavier Tigers (8-5)

St. X had a disappointing week at the Jeff and Julie Beyke Classic at South Oldham, although it looked for a short time that it was going to be better. The Tigers led the undefeated Butler Bulldogs 35-25 at halftime in their first game, but then were outscored 36-8 in the second half and lost 61-43. Pierce Kiesler, the Tigers’ leading scorer at 18.4 ppg, was held to 6 points in that one. Kiesler rebounded with 20 points against Waggener, but St. X fell to Waggener for a second time this season by a 65-56 margin. The Tigers face Trinity on Friday night at Knights Hall at Bellarmine. St. X is the no. 12 seed in the LIT.

 

6. Seneca Redhawks (4-9)

 

Seneca’s schedule finally lightened up, and the Redhawks went 3-0 this past week. Playing in the Stultz Pharmacy Holiday Classic at Greenup County, Seneca beat Prestonsburg 76-59, Bell County 74-66, and Greenup County 67-49. The Redhawks hope to continue improving on their season record this week when they play at Western on Friday.

 

7. Manual Crimsons (6-8)

Manual played well at the Lake Cumberland Holiday Hoops Classic, going 2-2. The Crimsons beat East Jessamine 83-65 and Christian Academy 65-59. Its two losses were to good teams – a 60-54 loss to 13-2 Somerset and a 63-53 loss to12-2 John Hardin. The Crimsons have won 4 of their last 6 games and seem to be heading in a positive direction, although they were left out of the field for the LIT. Manual has a challenging match-up with Fern Creek on Friday.

 

8. Eastern Eagles (5-8)

Eastern continues to get better; after starting the season 1-7, the Eagles have won four of their last five and now stand 5-8 on the season. Eastern opened the City of Middletown Holiday Classic by beating Western 66-50 before falling to George Rogers Clark 61-44. Saving the best for last, Eastern beat Third Region power Owensboro 73-71 on the last day of the tournament. That was a great win for the Eagles, who were led by Myles Goodrich with 21 points. Jacob Robinson, who is averaging 14.8 ppg on the season, contributed 20 points in the win over Owensboro. Eastern plays KCD Friday night before playing Lincoln County in the Patriot Classic at Lincoln County on Saturday.

 

9. Christian Academy Centurions (4-9)

Christian Academy went 1-3 in the Lake Cumberland Holiday Hoops Classic. After beating Cincinnati Roger Bacon 47-41, CAL dropped games to Wayne County (66-51), Manual (65-59), and Clay County (62-54). CAL faces Christian Academy of New Albany, Indiana on Friday before playing Whitefield Academy in the Whitefield Down Syndrome Classic on Saturday.

 

10. Atherton Rebels (5-8)

 

Atherton played in the Henry County Invitational this week, going 1-2 for the tournament. After beating the host Henry County Wildcats 71-52, the Rebels lost to Bullitt Central 64-61 and to Webster County 70-60. The Rebels have a single game this week, a home game against Southern.

 

11. Central Yellow Jackets (2-7)

 

Central lost a tough one in overtime against Madisonville-North Hopkins 60-53 in the Central Bank Classic, but then bounced back to win its second game of the season by beating Letcher County Central 61-48. The Yellow Jackets have no games on their schedule this week.

 

12. Louisville Collegiate Titans (14-2)

 

Collegiate ran its record to 14-1 before losing 71-64 to Hart County in the final game of the Louisville Collegiate Classic. In earlier games, the Titans had beaten Maysville St. Patrick 67-42 and Whitesville Trinity 73-57. Collegiate continues to lead the Commonwealth in number of wins with 14. The Titans are on the road at Thomas Nelson Thursday before hosting the Male Bulldogs on Friday.

 

13. Kentucky Country Day Bearcats (6-4)

 

The Bearcats did not play this week. At 21.3 ppg, Solomon Mathis remains one of the leadings scorers in the Seventh Region. The Bearcats have two road games this week, at Shawnee on Tuesday and at Eastern on Friday.

 

14. St. Francis Wyverns (6-5)

 

St. Francis has hit a rough stretch. After starting the season 6-1, the Wyverns have lost their last four games, including three games this past week in the North American Stainless tournament at Carroll County. After losing to Bethlehem 66-52, St. Francis lost to the host Carroll County Panthers 73-66 and then to Frankfort 77-62. The Wyverns will look to regroup this week when they play at Whitefield Academy on Thursday and at Frederick Fraize on Saturday.

 

15. Portland Christian (4-5)

 

Portland Christian lost its first two games in the Louisville Collegiate Classic, falling to Hart County (89-68) and Eminence (75-70). But the Eagles rebounded and beat Brown 81-71 on Saturday night. Portland Christian’s Quincy Dye continues to lead the Seventh Region in scoring at a 24.4 ppg clip. The Eagles play Louisville Holy Cross tomorrow night before playing Calvary Christian Friday night and Shawnee on Saturday.

 

16. Shawnee Golden Eagles (2-7)

 

Shawnee went 0-2 in the Jeff and Julie Beyke Classic at South Oldham, losing to South Oldham 75-47 and to Moore 63-52. The Golden Eagles will be busy this week, with games against Kentucky Country Day, Iroquois and Portland Christian.

 

17. Brown Bears (4-11)

 

Brown lost the three games it played in the Louisville Collegiate Classic, falling to Whitesville Trinity 66-51, Maysville St. Patrick 77-75, and Portland Christian 81-71. The Bears are off this week.

 

18. Walden Wolverines (1-7)

 

The Wolverines were off last week. They will be back in action on Saturday when they host Hancock County.

@Smallhoops you continue to do amazing work covering the 7th region. Thanks for keeping us all informed!

@Smallhoops you continue to do amazing work covering the 7th region. Thanks for keeping us all informed!

Thanks for your kind words. I really enjoy doing it, although my wife doesn't understand why I need to go to so many high school basketball games.