Mason County with pair of statement wins

 

The top team in the 10th Region since early January, Mason County solidified that ranking last week with a pair of Region wins. On Tuesday the Royals led host Montgomery County by 2 at halftime and by 3 after 3 quarters, but started the 4th quarter on a 9-0 run to eventually pull away for a 59-43 win. Dorian Henry continued his season-long tear by scoring 25 points on 10-15 FG shooting & grabbing 10 rebounds. Friday night saw George Rogers Clark visit The Fieldhouse and control the first half, taking a 5-point lead to the halftime locker room. But the Royals dominated the 2nd half, outscoring the Cardinals 40-21, thanks in large part to the hot perimeter shooting of Ryan Johnson. The senior guard drained 7 of 8 triples on his way to scoring a game-high and career-high 27 points. Henry contributed 18 points & 8 rebounds on 5-6 FG shooting and 8-9 FT shooting. Antwavon Williams' play was key as well. The junior point guard drew the defensive assignment of GRC leading scorer Damion King, who finished with 7 points on 2-15 shooting. With the 2 wins, Mason stands at 22-2 overall and 10-0 in the Region, having scored victories over all of the Region's Top 10 teams, save Harrison County and Bishop Brossart. The Royals will travel to Cynthiana on Thursday and then entertain the Mustangs on February 17th.

 

Wilson returns to Camels

 

Campbell County started its week with a tough home loss to Harrison County on Tuesday night by a score of 76-72. Senior guard Blake Losey led the Camels in the loss with 21 points, with Cole Hegyi adding 18 points and Dre Jackson 17 points. Friday night's game was refreshing for the Camels, as they welcomed the return of junior big man Matt Wilson, who'd been sidelined for several games with a high-ankle sprain. Wilson scored 15 points & grabbed 9 boards in a 72-56 home win over Fleming County. Jackson's 26 points on 10-14 FG shooting & 5-8 3pt. shooting led the way for Aric Russell's club. Losey had another solid performance with 16 points, and then finished a strong week the next night when he scored a team-high 25 points in leading Campbell over visiting Grant County 76-57.

Indians, Breds, Mustangs each finish 2-1

 

Montgomery County's week started with the previously mentioned 59-43 home loss to Mason County, the team's second loss to the Royals on the year. The Indians finished strong, though, with a pair of weekend road wins, beginning with a 67-64 triumph over Madison Southern. Montgomery hit 11-24 3's in the game and were led in scoring by Sam Hodgsen's 14 points, Cody Parsley's 11, and Shelby Combs' 10. Montgomery sealed the #1 seed in the 40th District Tournament on Saturday with a 65-53 win over Paris. Junior guard Caswell Fuller paced the Indians with 27 points. Combs contributed 11 points & 10 rebounds, while junior guard Art Walker scored 13.

Meanwhile, Harrison County's week was somewhat the opposite of Montgomery's. The Thorobreds ended the week with a 63-51 road loss to 8th Region power Collins, but prior to the loss, Larry Kendall's bunch earned a pair of wins. In Tuesday night's 76-72 win at Campbell County, the trio of Trenton Thompson (27), D.J. Jenkins (23), and Zack Pulliam (15) combined to score 65 of the team's points. On Friday in Cynthiana, the Breds used a strong 2nd quarter to push back pesky Bracken County by a score of 85-72. Four players reached double figures, led by Thompson's 24 points & 12 rebounds. Jenkins added 17, Pulliam 15, and senior guard Jordan Kenney finished with 11.

 

Mike Code's Bishop Brossart Mustangs also enjoyed a 2-1 week, starting off with a convincing 83-45 home win over Bracken County on Tuesday. Junior forward Jackson Crawford was outstanding, scoring a team-high 26 points on 12-16 FG shooting. Jonathan Zink had a nice night as well, finishing with 18 points & a team-high 7 rebounds. The Mustangs fell hard at home two nights later to 9th Region power Newport Central Catholic by a score of 68-40, but regrouped to post a Friday night 54-46 win over visiting Augusta. Zink scored 15 & grabbed 8 rebounds to lead Brossart. Spencer Hackworth hit a quartet of 3-balls to finish with 14 points, while Crawford chipped in with 12.

 

Scott, GRC both win 1 and lose 1

 

Bishop Brossart wasn't the only 10th Region squad to take one on the chin versus a 9th Region top-dog. Brad Carr's Scott Eagles visited one of the state's hottest teams in Covington Catholic on Tuesday and fell 83-46, with only Darian Witherspoon registering double figures (13 points). The Eagles fared much better in Friday night's road contest with Conner, winning 82-74. Blake Schneider scored 22 points and Jake Ohmer 21 to lead the Eagles. Witherspoon added 18 points (9-11 shooting) & 7 rebounds, while Vinnie Duimlao tossed in 13.

 

George Rogers Clark won an overtime 82-76 shootout at Anderson County on Tuesday, despite yielding 51 points to Bearcats scoring sensation Austin Cummins. The Cards were able to offset Cummins' career night with a balanced attack. Damion King poured in 34 points on 12-22 shooting, while his back court partner Braxton Greene tallied 18. Jyles Anderson contributed 12 points and Jerryd Jones scored 11. For the game, GRC hit 31-62 from the field. Scott Humphrey's team was upset-minded at Mason County on Friday, leading 33-28 at intermission, but could not hold off the Royals' scorching hot perimeter shooting in a 68-54 loss. Jones was a bright-spot for GRC, scoring 17 points on 8-10 shooting. Greene was the other double figures scorer with 13.

 

Pendleton wins 3 of 4

 

Keaton Belcher's Pendleton County squad entered last week on a 6-game losing streak, but broke that in Monday's 73-51 win at Robertson County. Sophomore guard Michael Antrobus poured in 28 points, including 6 triples, while Hunter Lea added 15 points & 7 boards. Two nights later the Wildcats won on the road again, this time at Walton-Verona, by a score of 56-42. Antrobus was hot again, draining 7-14 3's to finish with a team-high 25 points. Lea chipped in 11 points to go along with another 7 rebounds. Pendleton's only home game of the week was also its only loss of the week, a Friday night defeat at the hands of Sayre, 56-42. Back on the road Saturday, Belcher's team dominated Williamstown 91-55. Wade Browning's 22 points led the way, with Antrobus adding 18, and Tanner Pugh 10. The Wildcats connected on 14 of 27 3-point attempts in the contest.

Augusta loses Snapp for season

 

Augusta lost its rematch with Bishop Brossart on Friday, 54-46, but the bigger loss was the ACL tear suffered by junior forward Camryn Snapp. Snapp went down with the injury in the Class "A" State Tournament loss to Owen County and will miss the remainder of the 2014-15 season. While the Panthers have repeatedly proven to be a team that cannot be counted out, this is undoubtedly a tough blow. We wish young Mr. Snapp a speedy and full recovery.

Paris falls twice

 

Paris lost both of its games last week, starting with Wednesday's 92-73 road loss to state-ranked Bryan Station. Koebe Garrard had a monster night in defeat, scoring 20 points & pulling down 19 rebounds. Jamaal Washington scored 17 points and Jekobi Wells added 14. The Hounds fell again, this time at home, on Saturday to Montgomery County by a score of 65-53. Garrard scored 14 and Wells had 13 points & 13 rebounds, but the Greyhounds struggled from the floor, hitting just 34% of their FG attempts, including 2-16 from beyond the arc. With the loss, Terence Brooks' club will be the 3-seed in the 40th District Tournament and will again face George Rogers Clark in the opening round.

Rest of the 10th goes 5-13

 

The remaining 7 teams in the 10th combined to go 5-13 last week. Bracken County played on the road in all 3 of its games last week, falling 83-45 to Bishop Brossart and 82-75 to Harrison County. The Polar Bears wrapped up their week in nice fashion, however, with a 56-50 win over 16th Region foe Greenup County. Senior forward Cole Todd scored a career-high 17 points in the victory, with Austin Craword and Jacob Hamilton scoring 15 points and 14 points respectively.

 

Nicholas County started its week with an 86-73 home win over Berea, shooting nearly nearly 60% from the floor. Tyler Newton paced the jackets with 19 points. Elijah Barnett added 17 and Ben Duncan 16 in the victory. The team's two other games were both losses: 60-49 at home to Sayre and 59-47 at Morgan County.

 

Robertson County lost the aforementioned 73-51 home contest to Pendleton County, then dropped another one at Menifee County by a score of 81-68. The Black Devils finally snapped their 9-game losing streak in Saturday's 77-60 road win at St. Francis. Freshman Mason Burden scored 31 points & gathered 11 rebounds in the win, while Dawson Cooper contributed 23 points & 14 boards. Junior guard Cameron Bowles pitched in with 13 points.

 

Fairview upended St. Patrick in Maysville 60-47 on Saturday, but the Saints notched a win earlier in the week: a 66-35 triumph at Dayton. Andrew Sticklen had 14 points & 13 rebounds. Ben Swolsky finished with a team-high 15 points and Chase Burton added 12.

 

Silver Grove took part in a pair of road contests, losing first at Bellevue on Tuesday 65-36. The Big Trains rebounded for a 71-56 37th District win at Calvary Christian on Friday, led by Christian Pollitt's 22 points & 11 rebounds. Anthony Turicous led the team in scoring with 23 points, while Randy Kuntz added 13.

 

Speaking of Calvary Christian, the Cougars came up on the short end in all 3 of their games last week--all 3 of which were played at home. Villa Maddona took care of Calvary 56-39 on Monday. Aikeem Riley's 21 points & 10 rebounds were impressive, but not enough in the 71-56 loss to Silver Grove on Friday. The most lopsided loss was Saturday's 62-27 contest with Beth Haven.

 

Bourbon County currently owns the longest losing streak in the 10th (5 games), with 2 of those losses taking place last week. Ameryon Blackburn's 18 points were not enough in a 63-52 road loss to Western Hills on Tuesday. A second 11th Region foe, Woodford County, defeated the Colonels on Friday night 64-47.

 

3 District Tournaments Set

 

The 38th District held its draw last Friday, with Pendleton County and Harrison County managing to avoid each other in the opening round for the first time since mcpapa was a toddler. Well, maybe it hasn't been that long. Anyway, the Breds will square off with Nicholas County, while the Wildcats will take on host Robertson County.

 

The 39th District held its draw last Wednesday, and county rivals will square off in the opening round. Augusta will face Bracken County to start the tournament. St. Patrick has the unenviable task of being paired with Mason County. The Fieldhouse and its illustrious popcorn will be the site and food of choice for this year's tournament.

 

The 40th District seeding was finalized this past week. When the District Tournament tips off, top-seeded Montgomery County will face #4 seed, and host, Bourbon County. George Rogers Clark, the #2 seed, will put its Ale-8 on the line with Paris and its Mingua Beef Jerky. I don't really know if Mingua Beef Jerky is in Paris, but it's somewhere in Bourbon County.

 

The 37th District pairings have yet to be finalized. The Scott/Bishop Brossart game on Friday in Alexandria will determine a great deal, if not everything, in terms of seeding. If the Eagles win, they will secure the top seed, Campbell County would be #2, Bishop Brossart #3, Silver Grove #4, and Calvary Christian #5. If the Mustangs win, however, there would be a 3-way tie for first, choas will ensue, and TAC will be removed from the front row. In all seriousness, I don't know what will happen if there's a 3-way tie. Mustang or TAC or I gotta go to work or somebody smarter than me will have to tell you.

 

This Week's Top 10

 

1. Mason County (22-2)

2. Scott (13-10)

3. Montgomery County (13-9)

4. George Rogers Clark (18-7)

5. Harrison County (13-12)

6. Campbell County (18-7)

7. Bishop Brossart (12-9)

8. Paris (14-7)

9. Augusta (16-8)

10. Pendleton County (11-15)

Seeding plans on KHSAA site for 37th district says blind draw.

If Scott beats Brossart on Friday night they will get the #1 seed. If they lose Scott, Brossart and Campbell will have a blind draw.

I can't see any way Scott is #2 in the 10th region. They have many games in which they were blown out and two of those games were at home to Mason and GRC. My choice for #2 would be GRC.

I can't see any way Scott is #2 in the 10th region. They have many games in which they were blown out and two of those games were at home to Mason and GRC. My choice for #2 would be GRC.

 

Both games in December had 5 players out due to the flu or injury. GRC game wasn't a blowout. Tied at the half. Cards pulled away by 14 in second half. The Mason game however was not close from the start. But they just like most 2-10 in the region have been consistently inconsistent.

I can't see any way Scott is #2 in the 10th region. They have many games in which they were blown out and two of those games were at home to Mason and GRC. My choice for #2 would be GRC.

 

A case can be made for a lot of teams at #2 & you make some good points that don't appear to be in Scott's favor.

 

I would point out that Scott was without Schneider for both the GRC & Mason County games. To their benefit, they are fresh off a road win at Montgomery County & beat Harrison County on a neutral floor without Schneider.

 

GRC is solid and they have a good resume. The win at Scott, even without Schneider, is their best win within the 10th. There are two losses to Montgomery County & one at Harrison. What GRC doesn't have is a bad loss IMO & that works in their favor.

 

I think Montgomery would be solidly at #2 were it not for the recent home loss to Scott--a game that really could have gone either way.

 

My personal opinion is that Campbell County & Harrison County have the most talent in the 10th, along with Mason County. But both of those teams have struggled with consistency.

 

So while I do defend these rankings, I absolutely respect the differing opinions others may have. As we've seen all season long, after Mason County, none of these teams can definitively say they belong ahead of the others.

The records of each team within the Region are very telling. You've got Mason County at 10-0. Brossart is next at 8-3. Then you have a bunch that have lost 4 or 5 games.

 

Also, most of the teams have battled injuries to some degree. Presently and for the rest of the season, Augusta is without Snapp, who I believe to be their top player. Scott played a lot without Schneider. GRC played some without Greene, Campbell without Wilson, even Mason County has had some of late. I'm sure there are others.

 

All of that, in addition to the parity of teams 2-9, make ranking this bunch a mess at times.

I think 2-6 have created a small bit of separation from 7-9.

While those three small schools could beat one of the teams above them (as has happened on a couple occasions), I think they would be clear underdogs to the teams ahead of them.

I think 2-6 have created a small bit of separation from 7-9.

While those three small schools could beat one of the teams above them (as has happened on a couple occasions), I think they would be clear underdogs to the teams ahead of them.

 

I think you are correct. Augusta is hampered with the unfortunate loss of Snapp and Paris has fallen off. Brossart may be the best of the bunch but will have to reach another level to come out of the 37th District.

Both games in December had 5 players out due to the flu or injury. GRC game wasn't a blowout. Tied at the half. Cards pulled away by 14 in second half. The Mason game however was not close from the start. But they just like most 2-10 in the region have been consistently inconsistent.

 

Final score to me is what counts and it said Mason by 30+ and GRC 14 at Scott. Plus, not mention that they got blown out recently by CovCath by 30 with everyone there, Boone by 42, Holmes by 20, Simon by 14. Those are pretty significant butt whippings. I don't know what Scott will do in the post season, but if they are the #2 team in the 10th, then IMO Mason will walk thru the regional.

If they lose Scott, Brossart and Campbell will have a blind draw.

 

If this happens, when would the draw take place?