49th District

It’s been a three-team race in the 49th District in the past, but things have changed a bit with Oneida Baptist showing they can compete with the big three of Clay County, North Laurel and Jackson County.

The Mountaineers knocked off the Jaguars once this season and played both the Tigers and Generals close during their meetings during their respective meetings.

Clay County will await the winner of Red Bird/Oneida Baptist while North Laurel and Jackson County will square-off in a winner takes all third match-up.

 

The match-ups

No. 2 North Laurel vs. No. 3 Jackson County

These two teams have already split a pair with North Laurel winning, 89-84, during their first meeting with the Generals while Jackson County won the second meeting, 56-54.

The Jaguars are led by Peyton Broughton, who is averaging 25.7 points per game along with Isaiah Collier, 10.5 points per game), Bryson Asher (11.3 points per game, 5.9 rebounds per game) and Kyle Jeffers (8.0 points per game).

Broughton scored 28 points, as four players scored in double figures during North Laurel’s five-point win over Jackson County. Asher recorded a double-double (15,10) while Jeffers scored 24 points and Bayley Rice added 12 points.

Asher recorded another double-double (19,10) during the Jaguars’ loss to the Generals while Broughton was held to only nine points.

Jackson County is led by Jacob Hammonds’ 22.2 scoring average while Zach Lawson is averaging 17.3 points and 6.5 rebounds. Hammonds scored 32 points and 23 points during his two team’s games against North Laurel while Lawson scored 19 points and 21 points, respectively.

 

No. 1 Clay County vs. No. 4 OBI/No. 5 Red Bird

The Tigers will await the winner of Oneida Baptist and Red Bird. Clay County is 2-0 against the Mountaineers, but both games were close with Clay County winning, 76-64, and 73-65.

The Tigers are led by Blake Smith’s 20.5 scoring average while long-range specialist Trey Farmer is averaging 18.1 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per contest. Wes Wolfe continues to dominate in the post with a 12.4 scoring average.

Smith led the way with a 30-point effort during the two teams’ first meeting while Farmer added 16 points and Ryan House scored 12 and in the second meeting, Farmer hit five three-pointers and scored 27 points while Smith followed with 22 points.

Oneida Baptist is led by the region’s most-athletic player, Dejour Frazier, who is averaging 21.9 points per game and teammates Paul Eromesele (12.9 points per game) and Shevon Anisca (12.5 points per game). Thomas Wilder leads Red Bird with a 5.7 scoring average.

 

50th District

The 50th District has been wild and crazy the entire season with no one knowing who would come away with the district’s top seed. For the first time since the district was realigned in 2005-06, neither Corbin or South Laurel will be a No. 1 or No. 2 seed.

Whitley County is the district’s top seed after winning a coin flip over No. 2 seed Williamsburg. South Laurel is the No. 3 seed while seven-time defending 50th District champion Corbin is the No. 4 seed.

 

The match-ups

No. 1 Whitley County vs. No. 4 Corbin

The Colonels are having one of their best seasons in school history and will try to advance to the 13th Region Tournament for the first time since the 2010-11 season. But to do so, they’ll have to unseat seven-time defending district champion Corbin, who split a pair of games with the Colonels this season.

The Redhounds won the first meeting between the two teams, 61-58, while Whitley County won the second meeting, 82-65. James Sasko scored 21 points while Luke Woods added 14 during the two teams’ first meeting while the Colonels connected on 41-of-50 shot attempts, as Sasko led the way with 20 points during his team’s 17-point win in the second meeting.

Sasko leads Whitley County with a 14.9 scoring average while Corey Johnson follows with 10.3 points per game. Levi Barton also is averaging doubles figures in scoring with a 10.0 average.

Corbin’s Andrew Taylor only played four minutes during the team’s first meeting, finishing with only three points, as Kenny Hopper led the way with 20 points. Zach Maguet and Sam Taylor each scored 13 points apiece. In the second meeting, Taylor scored 22 points while Hopper added 14, but Corbin lost by 17 points.

Taylor leads the Redhounds with a 20.8 scoring average while Hopper is averaging 10.6 points per game.

 

No. 2 Williamsburg vs. No. 3 South Laurel

These two teams have played three times this season with Williamsburg coming away with a 47-40 win in the Cumberland Falls Invitational and a 55-51 victory a couple of weeks ago at home.

Corey Shelton led the way for the Yellow Jackets in the Cumberland Falls while Andrew and Skyler Griffith scored 13 and 13 points, respectively. Caleb Taylor scored 12 points and pulled down 14 boards for South Laurel while Ryan Anders added 12 and Jared Grubb was held to only five points.

South Laurel won 59-50 in the two teams’ second meeting, as Taylor scored 19 points and pulled down 11 rebounds while Grubb added 18 points and Anders finished with 15 points and eight rebounds. Skyler Griffith led Williamsburg with 13 points while Fred Massey had 11 points and six rebounds.

Massey added 16 points and 10 rebounds during the Yellow Jackets’ four-point win while Corey Shelton scored 16 points.

Shelton leads Williamsburg with am 18.1 scoring average while Skyler Griffith follows with 14.8 points per game. Andrew Griffith is averaging 13.4 points per game and a team-best 6.2 rebounds per game.

Taylor is averaging a double-double (17.2 points per game, 11.8 rebounds per game) while Grubb leads South Laurel with a 19.5 scoring average.

 

51st District

When it comes to the 51st District, go no further than Knox Central’s domination. The Panthers are winners of seven straight 51st District titles, and they’re favored to bring home No. 8 this week.

Knox Central will go against No. 4 seed Lynn Camp, who went 0-3 against 51st District competition while No. 2 seed Barbourville will face-off against No. 3 seed Pineville.

 

The match-ups

No. 1 Knox Central vs. No. 4 Lynn Camp

The Wildcats went 0-3 during district play, but is 0-5 against 51st District teams this season. They dropped a 72-29 decision to Knox Central during the two teams’ lone meeting.

Injured Dustin Hensley burned the Wildcats for a 22-point scoring effort during the Panther win while Matthew Barger added 14 points and Chad Marsee added 10 points and seven rebounds. Skylar McFarland and Austyn Weddle each scored 10 points apiece in the loss for Lynn Camp.

McFarland leads the way for the Wildcats with a 17.1 scoring average while Weddle is averaging 9.6 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game.

Barger is leading Knox Central with a 23.0 scoring average while Hensley (16.8) and Marsee (12.6) follows.

 

No. 2 Barbourville vs. No. 3 Pineville

The two teams met in Barbourville on Jan. 9 with the Tigers blowing out the Mountain Lions, 84-45. Five players scored in double figures for Barbourville with Wade Liford leading the way with a 20-point, 14 rebound effort. Brently Perry scored 12 points while Markelle Turner (11 points), Zach Deaton (10 points) and Brandon Gray (10 points) followed. Trent Lefers led Pineville with 14 points while Donald Collett was held to only five points.

Perry leads Barbourville averaging 15.6 points per game while Liford is following with a 14.6 scoring average and an 8.7 rebounding average. Gray is averaging 11.5 points while Tate Carter is averaging 10.1 points per game.

Collett leads the Mountain Lions with an 18.6 scoring average while Frederick Carnes is averaging 12.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Tony Hoskins is averaging 10.1 points per game.

 

52nd District

Both Bell County and Harlan County tied for first in district play, but the Black Bears won the coin flip at the district tournament meeting Thursday and will be the No. 1 seed and play No. 4 seed Middlesboro. The Bobcats will square-off against No. 3 seeded Harlan, in what could be a pretty interesting match-up.

 

The match-ups

No. 1 Harlan County vs. No. 4 Middlesboro

The two teams met twice this season with Harlan County cruising to an easy 78-18 victory and a 77-32 win over the Yellow Jackets.Cody Bumgarner led the way with 17 points in the 45-point win while Tyler Miller added 13 points and Treyce Spurlock finished with 12. Middlesboro’s Micah Robbins turned out to be the lone Yellow Jacket player to score in double figures, he finished with 14 points.

Robbins leads Middlesboro with a 17.5 scoring average while Spurlock leads Harlan County with a 12.8 scoring average and Bumgarner (11.0 points per game) and Cameron Carmical (11.8) followed.

 

No. 2 Bell County vs. No. 3 Harlan

The Bobcats handed the Green Dragons two losses this season, 52-48, and 53-43, as Zach Partin scored 18 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in the first meeting.

Partin leads Bell County with a 13.8 scoring average and a 10.5 rebounding average while Drew Parks leads Harlan with a 12.9 scoring average.

 

49th District’s Top Players

1. Blake Smith, Clay County

2. Peyton Broughton, North Laurel

3. Trey Farmer, Clay County

4. Isaiah Collier, North Laurel

5. Dejour Frazier, Oneida Baptist

6. Wes Wolfe, Clay County

7. Bryson Asher, North Laurel

8. Jacob Hammonds, Jackson County

9. Will Sexton, Clay County

10. Kyle Jeffers, North Laurel

 

50th District Top Players

1. Caleb Taylor, South Laurel

2. Corey Shelton, Williamsburg

3. Jared Grubb, South Laurel

4. Andrew Taylor, Corbin

5. James Sasko, Whitley County

6. Skyler Griffith, Williamsburg

7. Andrew Griffith, Williamsburg

8. Fred Massey, Williamsburg

9. Luke Woods, Whitley County

10. Ryan Anders, South Laurel

 

51st District’s Top Players

1. Matt Barger, Knox Central

2. Wade Liford, Barbourville

3. Chad Marsee, Knox Central

4. Jeffrey Adams, Knox Central

5. Brently Perry, Barbourville

6. Tanner Wells, Knox Central

7. Donald Collett, Pineville

9. Markelle Turner, Barbourville

10. Austin Weddle, Lynn Camp

 

52nd District's Top Players

1. Zach Partin, Bell County

2. Cameron Carmichael, Harlan County

3. Treyce Spurlock, Harlan County

4. Cody Bumgardner, Harlan County

5. Drew Parks, Harlan

6. Tyler Miller, Harlan County

7. Micah Robbins, Middlesboro

8. Caleb Hogue, Harlan

9. Donavon Napier, Bell County

10. Victor Morris, Bell County

You would think as a reporter Les would know his stuff but guess he is to infatuated with North

Laurel......Jackson Co is the 2 seed in 49th and Lawson is for sure top ten in the 49th district players....all he has talked about is North....when the kids earn respect man up and give it to them if there is a man available...Clay has dominated this district but all Mr. Les can see is North ......its about the kids not you LES!!!

Edited February 21, 201511 yr by True blue (and gold)

Yeah, that was my mistake on that. But keep on reading brother.

And I'm sorry but did I rank myself somewhere? Lol.

Didn't say you did rank yourself!! All I'm saying is if your goin to be the 13th region reporter then I think you should support every team in the region and give them respect where it's deserved instead of being infatuated with a couple teams or players and giving them all the respect especially if they haven't earned it but you do as you like it just shows what kind of reporter you are and how legit your articles and reports are, the 13th has many good teams and great player's but you only see the ones you want, seriously they are kids so if it makes you feel good then go ahead and keep on keeping on lol

Nice preview Les.

 

I honestly never thought I'd see the day where a Corbin team went into their district tournament ranked/seeded #4 out of 4 overall. I'd have NEVER have seen it coming if it were coming off a year where they were the regional finalist the year before (a position they'd earned) and one where they had a lot of that talent coming back.

 

I don't know if that means people are overlooking them or not, but methinks it's a mistake to discount Coach P or for teams to take anything but the confidence that they can play with and beat Corbin from their earlier games. Thinking that you did it twice so you are guaranteed to do it a third would be at one's own peril. There are times when he's been counted out before, only to end up leaving people saying, "why'd we overlook Corbin"?

 

As a Clay County fan, the OBI game scares me some. The two close contests that weren't blowouts but weren't so close that you think there's no way they might overlook them some, the fact that they have Frazier, that Gritton is back at OBI (at least in some capacity), whatever, something just gives me a weird feeling. As a Clay County fan, I think I'd rather see a first round matchup with North Laurel or Jackson County even.

 

Where is the 49th going to be played?

49th is at North Laurel.

Whitley won both meetings with Corbin!