article Inside the 13th Region (1-19-15)

[Les]

The more things change, the more they stay the same. There isn’t many changes this week to the Top 10 in the 13th Region.

Two-time defending 13th Region champion Clay County remains unbeaten against 13th Region teams, and survived a battle on the road against South Laurel, winning in overtime, 82-79.

Williamsburg remains the lone team undefeated team in the state while North Laurel continues to struggle after losing to both 49th District foes, Oneida Baptist and Jackson County.

The Jaguars did receive some good news this past week, as Isaiah Collier won his appeal. Collier averaged more than 15 points a season for Jackson County last year.

With that said, let’s take a look at the rankings.

 

1. Clay County (17-3 overall, 9-0 against 13th Region competition) — The Tigers turned in a great comeback effort against South Laurel Friday, as Trey Farmer’s three-pointer with :03 remaining in the fourth quarter sent the game in overtime, and his teammates did the rest, knocking down nine-of-10 shot attempts from the free-throw line, as the Tigers picked up the 82-79 win. Robert Marcum’s managed to hand scrappy Oneida Baptist a 73-65 loss a day later, as Farmer led the way with 27 points and six rebounds. Guard Ryan House was injured during the game, spraining his wrist, but should be back in a week.

 

2. Williamsburg (13-0, 9-0) — The Yellow Jackets remain the lone unbeaten team in the state by upending Jellico, Tennessee on the road, 57-44. Skyler Griffith had 18 points in the win, and led the team with seven rebounds. Things will get a bit tougher this week for Patrick Robinson’s squad, as they prepare for the 13th Region All ‘A’ Classic Tournament. The Yellow Jackets will enter the tournament as heavy favorites.

 

3. South Laurel (9-7, 2-4) — The Cardinals’ 2-4 record against 13th Region teams sin’t pretty, but they are improving every game. South Laurel had two-time defending 13th Region champion Clay County on the ropes before falling in overtime, 82-79. The Cardinals led by as many as five points with less than two minutes remaining, but couldn't hold off a late rally by the Tigers. Jeff Davis’ squad will be battle-tested during its next four games with road games against Knox Central and Whitley County before hosting Corbin and finishing with a road trip to Harlan County.

 

4. Whitley County (13-4, 6-1) — The Colonels continue to put together a successful season, yet they continue to fly under the radar. Whitley County is for real folks. They came back from a large deficit to beat Corbin on its home court this past week. Jerry Overbey’s squad has won six games in a row, and can continue to impress with upcoming games against Williamsburg, South Laurel and North Laurel.

 

5. Knox Central (11-7, 6-1) — The Panthers are finally healthy, which could spell trouble for the rest of the 13th Region. Sharpshooter Jeffrey Adams remains injured, but overall, Knox Central is looking good. James Voight’s squad picked up two impressive 51st District wins this past week by defeating Barbourville, 93-78, and Lynn Camp, 72-29. Matt Barger, Dustin Hensley and Chad Marsee have been on a roll as of late.

 

6. Corbin (11-6, 5-5) — Most would probably have the Redounds a bit lower, but not me. Corbin is 5-5 during its last 10 games, and I know they dropped a 61-58 decision to Whitley County, but just remember the Redounds only lost by three points and was without leading scorer for the second, third and fourth quarters due to a “coaching decision”, according to coach Tony Pietrowski. Look for his squad to begin hitting stride here soon.

 

7. Harlan County (11-7, 4-3) — The Black Bears continue to be a mystery team, I guess you could say. They’ve won three of their last four games, and seem to be rolling at the right time. They won’t be tested much down the road, which could turn out to hurt them in the long run.

 

8. Barbourville (12-5, 6-3) — Barbourville has been playing well of late, and is hoping to build of its 93-78 loss to rival Knox Central. The game was a whole lot closer than the final score indicated, as Wade Liford scored 32 points and pulled down seven rebounds. The Tigers will now prepare for this week’s 13th Region All “A” Classic Tournament.

 

9. Jackson County (10-8, 2-5) — The Generals surprised many by defeating North Laurel Saturday at home. Now it looks as if they’ll sneak into the 49th District Tournament with either a No.2 or No. 3 seed.

 

10. North Laurel (6-11, 1-4) — The Jaguars are struggling, folks. There is no other way to put it. With that said, they did receive some good news when Isaiah Collier won his appeal last week. Now coach Brad Sizemore will have to rally the troops and see what they can do the next six weeks.

 

Player of the Week

Caleb Taylor, South Laurel — The junior center scored 28 points, pulled down 20 rebounds and recorded four blocked shots during the Cardinals’ 82-79 overtime loss to Clay County this past week.