article 12th Region Week 1 Review: Seeking Clarity

Seems that Week 1 took forever to get here, and after one week there are still many unanswered questions in the 12^thRegion. A couple of key matchups in Week 2 should provide some clarity on this balanced and competitive region. Here is a look at the week 1 results, rankings, and upcoming match-ups:

1. Wayne County– Only one game in week 1, but Wayne justified their preseason #1 ranking as they won convincingly at Garrard County 85-50 after trailing early on. Tuesday’s game at Lincoln County should provide a good indication of where both teams stand.

2. Danville– The Admirals also only played one game this past week, an easy victory at home over Richmond Model 91-57, but also had some impressive performances in preseason scrimmages. Up a spot, Week 2 brings an early chance to validate the new ranking as they host West Jessamine on Tuesday.

3. West Jessamine– A couple of easy home wins over Bluegrass United and Bourbon County along with a grind-out 76-72 road win over Pulaski County gets the Colts off to a solid start as they try to prepare for a challenging December schedule. Danville is up next.

4. Lincoln County– The Patriots drop a couple spots, more due to the performances of the two teams that surpassed them than their own underperformance. A tough 53-37 home loss to Lafayette followed by road wins over Rockcastle County and Somerset (in double OT) sets up a Week 2 showdown with Wayne County.

5. Mercer County– The Titans hold on to their #5 spot despite two opening week losses, both on the road in early season showcases – to Sheldon Clark 61-49, and to Knott County Central 87-72 in OT. A Week 2 win on Monday in Garrard County might help validate the preseason position.

6. Boyle County– No games in week 1, so it’s difficult to move them from their original ranking. With both Hotchkiss and Smith dealing with injuries, it may be a slow start to the season; it’s wait-and-see mode for now.

7. Pulaski County– A strong opening road win over McCreary Central 87-52 was followed by a competitive neutral court (Southwestern) loss to West Jessamine in which they led going into the 4^thquarter. Only one game on the slate for the Maroons this week, they host Casey County on Friday.

8. Garrard County– After a strong opening half against Wayne County in their season opener, Garrard endured a nightmarish 3^rdquarter and succumbed to a 85-50 beat down, but bounced back with a neutral site win over Buckhorn less than 24 hours later. Garrard hosts Mercer on Monday night.

9. East Jessamine– The Jags move up a few spots with opening week victories over Sayre, Berea, and Southwestern, just what the doctor ordered for a young team with a new coach. Frederick Douglass and Boyle County are up next, which should provide some clues about how competitive the Jags will be this season.

10. Somerset– A nice road win at Russell County, 60-47, was backed by a home loss in overtime to Lincoln County. The Briar Jumpers travel to Boyle County on Tuesday.

11. Casey County – A season opening road loss to Clinton County was followed by back-to-back victories over Southwestern and Richmond Model. The Rebels play at Pulaski County this week.

12. Southwestern– Opening week losses to Casey County and East Jessamine get the defending Region Champs off to a rough start, but without a senior on the roster a slow start is not surprising. The Warriors get another opportunity for their first win with a road trip to McCreary on Tuesday.

13. Rockcastle County– The Rockets lost their home opener to Lincoln County, 59-48, and have road tilts at Estill County and Somerset this week.

14. McCreary Central – The Raiders took it on the chin in a home loss to Pulaski County, 87-52, but bounced back nicely with a 93-52 win over Jackson City.

15. Burgin– A 3-0 start for the Bulldogs included easy wins over Danville Christian and Christian Fellowship and a nice 81-75 win over Lee County in the Berea Tip-off Classic.

16. KSD– Home tournament losses to Ohio School for the Deaf (SD), South Carolina SD and Arkansas SD.

There are some nice early season regional games this week. Mercer/Garrard last night was an OT Thriller. Here are some marquee games for tonight: Wayne Co. @ Lincoln Co, West Jessmaine @ Danville and Somerset @ Boyle Co.

ttt