article 7th Region Week 9 Review: Finishing the Regular Season Strong

This week saw top-ranked Trinity lose to Henry Clay early in the week but bounce back with two nice wins. Waggener continued to win, and stays at no. 2. Ballard, Seneca, and Central were undefeated this week. With three weeks left in the regular season, things are shaping up for a fun post-season in the Seventh Region.

 

But there is much basketball still to play before we get to the post-season. I spent some time this week focusing on the rest of the regular season, and tried to establish a reasonable goal for each team for the rest of the regular season. I wish everyone good luck in finishing strong and achieving the goal I have set for them.

 

 

1. Trinity Shamrocks (17-6)

 

Trinity went to Lexington on Tuesday and lost to Henry Clay 52-50. It was a close game between two good teams in which Henry Clay was just a little better on that particular night. Trinity rebounded from that loss to beat Madison Central 52-42 on Friday, and then followed that up with a 63-40 win at Woodford County on Saturday. The Rocks play Atherton on Tuesday before facing Lexington Catholic on Friday and Male on Saturday. GOAL: 21 wins. Trinity has won at least 21 games every year since the 2008-09 season.

 

2. Waggener Wildcats (19-3)

 

The Wildcats keep winning, improving to 19-3 this week with two wins. Getting 14 points from Kevion Hudson and JJ Kalakon (who also had 12 rebounds to record a double-double) plus 10 points from Jocobi Hendricks, Waggener beat the Male Bulldogs 66-49. Waggener followed that up with a 77-63 win over Western. Waggener has 2 home games this week, playing Oldham County and Seneca. GOAL: 25 wins. A 25-win season would be a tremendous accomplishment for the Wildcats; 22 wins is the highest single-season win total in Waggener history.

 

3. Ballard Bruins (13-8)

 

Ballard was 2-0 this week and has won 6 of its last 7 games. The Bruins beat Jeffersontown 58-50 before facing St. X Friday night. The Bruins trailed for most of the game before going on a major run the last 6 minutes of the game to beat the Tigers 70-59. Ballard’s schedule shows games against both KCD and Portland Christian on Tuesday and a game with Madison Central on Friday. GOAL: 19 wins. Ballard has won at least 19 games every season since the 1998-99 season.

 

4. Seneca Redhawks (15-7)

 

Seneca went 2-0 this week, going on the road to beat Moore 67-61 before returning home to beat Shawnee 68-47. The Redhawks have won 7 of their last 8 games. Seneca will be busy this week with 3 games, playing Manual and Jeffersontown before a big match-up against fellow 27th district member Waggener on Friday. GOAL: 20 wins. A 20-win season would be Seneca’s first since the 2003-04 season, and only the third since the 1960’s.

 

5. St. Xavier Tigers (13-6)

 

The Tigers went 1-1 this week. Sam Boarman had a huge game in St. X’s 60-52 win over Eastern, scoring 23 points and pulling down 13 rebounds. The Tigers then led Ballard for most of the game and had the lead at 14 a couple of times in the second half before Ballard came back to beat the Tigers 70-59. St. X has 3 games this week, hosting Collegiate and Moore during the week before traveling to play Collins Friday night. GOAL: 19 wins. St. X has won at least 19 games every year since the 2011-12 season.

 

6. Central Yellowjackets (13-4)

 

Central played only once this week, beating the Atherton Rebels 72-44. As a team, the Yellowjackets are shooting 36.5% from 3-point range. Individually, Central is led by Josh Watkins at 14.5 ppg. On Central’s schedule the upcoming week are games against two of the Sixth Region’s top teams, Butler and Jeffersontown. GOAL: 18 wins. Eighteen wins would be the most for a Central team since the 2012-13 season.

 

7. Male Bulldogs (12-8)

 

Male went 1-2 this week. The win was against the Valley Vikings by a 70-65 margin. The losses were to Waggener (66-49) and Christ Presbyterian Academy of Nashville (61-59). The Bulldogs were up by as many as 12 in the 4th quarter against CPA before CPA’s successful run was just enough to beat the Bulldogs. Male will be busy this week, with games against Western, Collins, and Eastern before finishing the week on Saturday with a game against Trinity. GOAL: 20 wins. The Bulldogs last won 20 games in the 2015-16 season.

 

8. Christian Academy of Louisville Centurions (11-12)

 

CAL started the week with a 74-60 loss to Breckinridge County (who now is an impressive 18-2). The Centurions came back from that loss to record two good wins, a 50-41 win over Eastern and a 64-51 victory over Elizabethtown. The Centurions have 3 challenging games this week, playing at South Oldham before having home games against Lexington Christian and Bullitt Central. GOAL: a winning record. A winning record would be a tremendous improvement from last year’s 6-21 season and would be CAL’s second winning season since the 2010-11 season.

9, DuPont Manual Crimsons (8-14)

 

The Crimsons started the week with an easy 65-19 win over Portland Christian, but then lost the other 3 games they played this week. After a close 69-68 loss to Butler in overtime, Manual took a road trip to Western Kentucky and dropped games to Hopkinsville (75-53) and Christian County (66-33). Manual plays Seneca, Western, and South Oldham this week. GOAL: 12 wins. Manual has won 12 games in 14 of the past 15 seasons.

 

10. Eastern Eagles (9-11)

 

Eastern went 0-3 this week. After falling to St. X 60-52 (Jacob Robinson led the Eagles with 19 points), Eastern lost to CAL 50-41 and Dixie Heights 66-56. The Eagles play Pleasure Ridge Park and Male this week. GOAL: a winning record. A return to a winning record after last season’s 11-20 record would be a good step forward.

 

11. Louisville Collegiate Titans (11-9)

 

Collegiate started its week with a 70-62 win over the St. Francis Wyverns. Collegiate lost the other 2 games it played this week, falling to Moore 48-40 and then losing a close one to Franklin County 66-65. Collegiate has a tough match-up against St. X on Tuesday before a re-match with rival Kentucky Country Day on Friday. The Titans will seek revenge in that one for KCD beating them 52-47 in the All A Classic Seventh Region tournament final. GOAL: a winning record. A winning record would be the second in a row for the Titans.

 

12. Shawnee Golden Eagles (10-10)

 

The Golden Eagles fell to Seneca 68-47 on Friday and then on Saturday fell in overtime to Whitefield Academy 58-56. In the upcoming week, Shawnee has a game against the Louisville Tigers, a home school team, before playing Southern and Doss. GOAL: a winning record. A winning record would be Shawnee’s first since the 2008-09 season.

 

13. Kentucky Country Day Bearcats (10-10)

 

KCD represented the Seventh Region in the All A Classic tournament in Richmond this week, falling 67-47 in the first round to Newport. The loss ended KCD’s 4-game winning streak. The Bearcats play intra-district foe Ballard on Tuesday before a re-match with rival Louisville Collegiate on Friday. KCD prevailed 52-47 when the teams played earlier in the All A Classic Seventh Region tournament final. GOAL: 15 wins. A 15-win season would be the Bearcats’ first since the 2013-14 season.

 

14. St. Francis Wyverns (7-11)

 

The Wyverns played well against the Collegiate Titans early in the week and trailed by only 4 in the 4th quarter before the Titans finally prevailed 70-62. St. Francis rebounded with an 82-46 win against Frankfort Christian, but then fell to the Fairdale Bulldogs 74-60. The Wyverns host Eminence on Wednesday before traveling up I-71 to play Villa Madonna on Saturday. GOAL: a winning record. A winning season for the Wyverns would be only the second in school history.

 

15. Portland Christian Eagles (11-9)

 

The Eagles played in lopsided games this week, finding themselves on different sides of the ledger in the two games. Portland Christian lost to Manual 65-19 but bounced back to beat Covington Latin 82-29. The Eagles face a big challenge on Tuesday against Ballard and then play in the Calvary Cougar Challenge on Friday and Saturday. GOAL: a winning record. A winning season would be Portland Christian’s first since the 2012-13 season.

 

16. Atherton Rebels (2-17)

 

Atherton’s long season continued this week with the Rebels losing to Central 72-44. Things don’t look to get easier any time soon for Atherton, who faces Trinity on Tuesday before having games later in the week against Valley and North Oldham. GOAL: win 2 of its last 4 games of the season. It has been a tough season for the Rebels, and winning 2 of its last 4 games, which appears doable, might give the Rebels some momentum going into next season.

17. Brown Bears (6-15)

 

Josiah Bibb’s 23 points and Jai’Rus Bibb’s 21 points were not enough to keep the Bears from losing to Trimble County 75-60. Brown rebounded with a win over Beth Haven (73-52) but then lost to Silver Creek Academy of Sellersburg, IN 72-56. The Bears play North Bullitt on Thursday before traveling to Western Kentucky on Saturday to take on Ballard Memorial. GOAL: 10 wins. A 10-win season would be Brown’s first since the 2004-05 season.

 

18. Walden Wolverines (11-6)

 

The Wolverines beat Eminence on Monday 68-58. On Saturday, Walden played Burgin in the Coach David Feeback Classic and lost to the Bulldogs 67-59. Walden plays at Frederick Fraize this week and then has a home game against Jackson City on Saturday. GOAL: 15 wins. Fifteen wins would be the most in any single season in Walden school history.