EKC Tourney

Fleming County took the championship with a double up of Morgan Co. 72-36. Morgan beat upstart East Carter in the semi's to get to the final, but the game of the tourney was the semi of Fleming/Rowan. Sound familiar? Well it ought to, and will be. Fleming outlasted Rowan in a nip and tuck affair by the score of 74-71. Troy Steward led the Panthers with 21 while Austin Crisp added 19. This will be a battle as the season progresses.

 

How 'bout those Lions?

Which begs the question, which Lions? Well, for starters, the Boyd version is off to a terrible start with a 79-70 loss to Mason, but by all accounts it was a larger margin most of the way. Then they were dismantled by Ashland on the road 81-59 to get behind the 8ball right out of the gate in the district. And how about those Lewis County Lions? Topsy Turvy start with a lopsided loss to Ashland by 24, win over South Point, OH, then a confusing loss to East Carter in the EKC tourney by 4 only to bounce back with a win over Greenup. They face the Musketeers again tonight in a district battle in the Greenhouse.

And finally how about those Lions from Elliott? They carry a 4-0 record tonight into the start of the Roundball Classic in Summit. Logan Nickell and his cohorts will try to extend that streak tonight against the host Boyd Co. Lions. Should make for a good one. In the event that Elliott prevails, there's a real shot that Coach Adkins bunch could scare double digits before a loss. Wow would that bring the basketball junkies back out of the Sandy Hook woodwork?

 

Boyd County Roundball Classic

A tremendous tournament last year destined to a top tournament in the area for seasons to come, includes local flavor and some matchups that will undoubtedly be a litmus test for some of the regions contenders. Ashland, who started well with a couple of regional wins but got spanked by state powerhouse Montgomery, will again be tested by a little different tempo in Louisville Eastern, led by senior PG Austin Howard. Reigning 16th region champs Fleming will take on Coach Longacre's Fairdale team led by seniors Caleb Longacre and Corey Thomas. Fans will enjoy watching Thomas, the smooth PG from Fairdale who is a terrific scorer. Great matchup with Crisp and Steward and company. Boyd will take on the 3-1 Lawrence Co. Bulldogs on Saturday, a matchup with their former coach Randy Anderson. Rowan will take on the Dragons of Fairland, OH. And of course, the team that will be the most widely watched will be Huntington Prep, who will take on Walnut Hills, OH on Friday and Pickerington Central on Saturday. Should make for 2 days of great basketball.

 

Top 3

Well, this early in the season, weather issues, this ranking will look more like a stab than anything. Just too much basketball left to be played. As of now, however, we are looking like this:

1. Fleming- only loss was a close one to the hand of West Jess without Crisp. Still looking like the top dog. Great test for them tomorrow.

2. Ashland- despite the loss to Montgomery, their hustle will take them a long way in this region. Friley and Miller provide good work, and we'll see how they deal with Eastern tomorrow.

3. Rowan- they have the Fleming monkey on their back, but the Vikings are for real. Thacker and company will be atop this list all season.

 

 

You're probably thinking, top 3? Really? Well, there is no sufficient evidence to support any more. Boyd? Lewis? Greenup? I suppose we could put Elliott in there. They are undefeated, so if we had to, we'd say the Lions. In an hour or so, we'll find out if they are still undefeated.

 

Boyd County 78 Elliott County 45 final