North Laurel was without the services of Jake Allen (finger injury), and held on to knock off a surprising harlan squad by four points. Marcus Carson led North Laurel with 16 points while eighth grader Peyton Broughton scored 12.

Picked North to win that region. Thanks for the info. Les. Look forward to more this season as I am keeping my eye on North.

Broughton is a top-notch player. Almost had a triple-double during his first varsity game. 12 points, 10 rebounds and seven steals is pretty darn good. Former Laurel County coach Chuck Broughton is his Great Uncle. North might hit some bumps in the road with Alken out. Once he gets back, they're gonna be hard to beat.

When is Alken going to return?

Will no more Monday but I believe at least three weeks.

With or without Allen, the score surprised me.

North does usually start slow though.

Harlan could be quite a bit better than expected. They have some athletes and a big senior class.