article Inside the 15th Region - Season Review/Awards/57th, 58th, 59th, 60th District Preview

[15th Region]

15th Region Overview:

 

The regular season has come and gone and with it everyone's record is reset. Tournament time is here but before we break down the region district by district, let's recap the basketball season the 15th Region saw.

 

Injury and illness seemed to plague the best teams in the region. Johnson Central saw the worst of it early by losing Senior PF Truman Salyer for the year to a football injury before the season began, Kyle Gullett to an ankle injury in the 3rd game of the season (missed 8 games), Patrick Rice (Morehead State University signee) for 6 weeks due to a knee injury from football, and Braxton Blair for 3 games due a variety of illness. The Golden Eagles would bounce back and return to the dominance they have enjoyed under Head Coach Tommy McKenzie as they got healthy at the right time, only losing one game since being at full strength (15-1). The injury bug would next strike Sheldon Clark as standout PG Chase Parsley went down to an ankle injury midway through the season (missed 7 games and counting) and PF German exchange student Marvin Albrecht missed 2 games due to illness. The Cards started the season hot, but the Parsley injury may loom large this week as he is yet to return. Lawrence County was not immune either. They lost one of the top players in the region, Robert Dalton, for the season due to a hand injury and played 7 games without his brother Timmy Dalton due to undisclosed reasons. Shelby Valley saw Senior big man Andrew Newsome miss nearly half the season with a lower leg injury suffered during football as well. Needless to say, the myriad of injuries limited what the best the 15th Region has to offer, but still did not take away from a successful season. Shelby Valley won the All-A and advanced to the state quarterfinal, Lawrence County put up big scoring numbers against out of region teams and saw all 5 starters reach the 1,000 point mark, and Betsy Layne defeated Perry Central in OT during the holiday tournament spree most teams go on. These are just a few of the accomplishments teams from the 15th saw during the regular season. In summary the season played out much like we thought it would with a few surprises. (1) Pike Central lost its best player (Tyler Burnett) to transfer (Boyd County) and had a late coaching change but managed to have an outstanding season under first year coach Keith May when they were expected to be near the bottom of the region. (2) Magoffin County was ranked near the top in the preseason, but underachieved having 3 starters and one role player quit at various points of the season. (3) Johnson Central continued to dominate in the post Shane Hall era, but surprisingly by a wider margin. (4) Betsy Layne refuses to release control of the 58th District even after losing 3 Seniors and their Head Coach. (5) Paintsville is much improved and looking to get to the regional tournament for the first time since 2008.

 

Listed below are the preseason rankings released in November, the final regular season rankings as of today, regular season awards, and district tournament previews from the 57th, 58th, 59th, and 60th Districts. Hope you Enjoy!

 

2014-2015 Preseason Rankings (Released in November):

1. Johnson Central

2. Sheldon Clark

3. Lawrence County

4. Shelby Valley

5. Pikeville

6. Magoffin County

7. Paintsville

8. Betsy Layne

9. East Ridge

10. Prestonsburg

11. Pike Central

12. Allen Central

13. Belfry

14. South Floyd

15. Phelps

16. Piarist

 

2014-2015 Final Regular Season Rankings (Record):

1. Johnson Central (19-8)

2. Sheldon Clark (20-5)

3. Betsy Layne (21-7)

4. Paintsville (15-9)

5. Lawrence County (15-12)

6. Shelby Valley (16-12)

7. Pikeville (17-12)

8. Pike Central (15-12)

9. East Ridge (14-10)

10. Magoffin County (9-17)

11. South Floyd (10-17)

12. Allen Central (12-16)

13. Belfry (6-19)

14. Prestonsburg (6-15)

15. Phelps (9-17)

16. Piarist (5-14)

 

Awards (Based solely on author opinion) :

Player of the Year: Kyle Gullett (Johnson Central)

Coach of the Year: Tommy McKenzie (Johnson Central) / Keith May (Pike Central)

 

All Region 1st Team (Regardless of Position):

Kyle Gullett (Johnson Central)

Braxton Blair (Johnson Central)

Chase Parsley (Sheldon Clark)

Dylan James (Sheldon Clark)

Robert Dalton (Lawrence County)

 

All Region 2nd Team (Regardless of Position):

Mason Blair (Johnson Central)

Trenton Russell (Magoffin County)

Peyton Case (Betsy Layne)

Timmy Dalton (Lawrence County)

Zach Huffman (Pikeville)

 

All Region 3rd Team (Regardless of Position):

Brandon Richardson (Lawrence County)

Luke Daniels (Paintsville)

Hunter Swindall (Shelby Valley)

Charles Daniels (Betsy Layne)

Johnny Miller (East Ridge)

 

Honorable Mention: Austin Chaffins (Lawrence County), Dalton Adkins (Johnson Central), Andrew Newsome (Shelby Valley), Dalton Richardson (Shelby Valley), Austin Hylton (East Ridge), Quinton Hensley (Paintsville), Nathan Copley (Belfry), Dalton Frasure (Prestonsburg), Kaleb Sturgill (Sheldon Clark), Braxton Tibbs (Pike Central), Ethan Blackburn (Pike Central), Ryder Johnson (Pikeville), Devan Horn (Allen Central), Andrew Tackett (South Floyd)

 

 

57th District Preview

The 57th is by far the most difficult in the 15th Region, boasting 3 of the top 5 regional contenders. The completion of regular season play saw 3-Time defending 15th Region Champion Johnson Central tie with talent rich Sheldon Clark at 4-2. This led to a coin flip to determine who would call the coin flip. Johnson Central Head Coach Tommy McKenzie won the flip to call the flip, then won the flip to establish Johnson Central as the District #1 seed and Sheldon Clark as the #2 . Paintsville split with every team in the district to finish 3-3 and earn the #3 seed, while Magoffin County finished 1-5 to fall into the 4th Seed.

 

Tournament Location: Johnson Central High School

Defending Champion: Johnson Central

 

Schedule:

Johnson Central (1 seed) vs. Magoffin County (4 seed) Wednesday 6:30 PM

Sheldon Clark (2 seed) vs. Paintsville (3 seed) Wednesday 8:30 PM

District Championship (Friday 7:30 PM)

Match-Up #1 (Johnson Central [19-8: 4-2 in Districts] vs. Magoffin County [9-17: 1-5 in Districts])

 

Johnson Central defeated Magoffin County twice during the regular season: 70-58 at Magoffin and 86-46 at Johnson Central. In the first matchup Magoffin County Sophomore standout Trenton Russell scored 33 points for the hornets who trailed by as many as 27 in the contest, but got little help as only one other player reached double figures (Jaren Lovely - 10 points). Johnson Central was paced by 15th Region POY and Mr. Basketball Candidate Kyle Gullett as he finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks (Also in double figures for JC were Dalton Adkins with 21 points and Mason Blair with 11 points) . In the second meeting Johnson Central would flex its muscle by putting 12 players in the scoring column, again led by Kyle Gullett who had 25 points, 7 rebounds, 6 blocks, 3 steals, and 2 assist. Joining Gullett in double figures was Dalton Adkins with 15 points and Josh Hitchcock with 12 points. Trenton Russell was the only player in double figures for the Hornets as he poured in 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Magoffin County has struggled against the pressure Johnson Central applies and seems out of rhythm at times on the offensive end. Defensively the Hornets have the same problem the rest of the region has, they have no answer for Kyle Gullett. This will be a tough game for Magoffin County, but it has been done before. In the 2004 District Tournament (played at Magoffin County) a 2-21 Hornet team entered the contest vs. a heavily favored Johnson Central squad. After losing to JC by 16 and 23 during the two regular season meetings, Danny Adams and MC defeated the Golden Eagles 55-54 in the biggest District upset across the state that year. Can History repeat itself?

 

Notes:

(1) Johnson Central only lost one quarter to Magoffin County this season (4th quarter at Magoffin County after building a 27 point lead).

(2) Magoffin County is averaging 19.5 Turnovers against 7.5 for the Golden Eagles in regular season play.

(3) Magoffin County has seen key players such as Jacob Isaac, Jeffery Bolen, Will Porter, and Dalton Peters quit the team since the New Year. Unknown if they will return for districts.

(4) Johnson Central Senior G Dalton Adkins enters post season play 56 points away from the 1,000 point club. Averaging 8.8 ppg during the regular season, will he get there?

 

Prediction:

Johnson Central 85 Magoffin County 63

 

Match-Up #2 (Sheldon Clark [20-5: 4-2 in Districts] vs. Paintsville [15-9: 3-3 in Districts])

This could be the best first round game in the region as the teams split their regular season contest. In the first game a healthy Sheldon Clark squad defeated Paintsville at home 80-58. In the game, Sheldon Clark shot lights out from behind the arc hitting 12 of 17 attempts (11 3's in the second half). Down 8 at Halftime, Paintsville did rally to take a brief two point lead in the third quarter, before SC got hot from behind the arc and the flood gates opened. Sheldon Clark Sophomore All-State candidate Dylan James had 19 points and 10 rebounds in the game, Chase Parsley had 20 and Kaleb Sturgill had 16 as the Cards put three players into double figures. Paintsville was paced by Luke Daniels who had 20 in the contest. The second meeting between the two would produce a much different result as Paintsville would win at home 51-40 (Paintsville was undefeated at home this season). Paintsville was able to control the pace of play and neither team shot well in the game as the score was in the low 20's at the half. Early in the 3rd quarter, Sheldon Clark began to heat up as James and Parsley hit back to back three's to build an 11 point lead. Shortly after, Chase Parsley injured his ankle and has still not returned to basketball. Sensing blood in the water, Paintsville decided to press and outscored Sheldon Clark by 22 points in the final 11 minutes of the game. Frankie Smith and the Cardinals looked lost without their point guard handling pressure and struggled to get shots on goal as Dylan James was double and triple teamed. In the game Dylan James had 16 points and 15 rebounds while Chase Parsley had 10.

 

Having recapped the regular season meetings, there are some questions about the district game. Will Chase Parsley play and will he be effective after missing so much time? Will Paintsville apply pressure and take advantage of their bench or will they try to control the game and allow Parsley to rest on offense? Will Sheldon Clark shoot like they did against Johnson Central at Johnson Central (16 of 38 3's - Dylan James hit career high 8 and Kaleb Sturgill hit career high 6)? This game should be entertaining to watch as either team has a legitimate shot to win.

 

Notes:

(1) Dylan James averages more points on Johnson Central's floor than anywhere other than home (24.7 ppg)

(2) Paintsville has not defeated any opponent (Summer Ball, District play, Regular Season Play) since the Summer of 2008.

(3) Paintsville Assistant Coach Les Trimble returns home (Les started PG for the Golden Eagles when they won the region in 1984 and also coach them from 2001-2005, winning two district titles).

 

Prediction:

Sheldon Clark 66 Paintsville 65

 

58th District Preview

Betsy Layne dominated the 58th District once again, going undefeated but unlike previous years were challenged (South Floyd took them to double overtime). Prestonsburg had high expectations going into the season, but lost Senior 3 sport star Jarredd Jarrell to baseball (he quit early in the basketball season) and struggled to handle pressure without him. South Floyd saw the emergence of Andrew Tackett in the paint as was able to beat the some of the best in the region (Paintsville), but struggled to find consistency. Allen Central played well at times, but needs to shoot great to play with the big boy's in the region. The 58th District does not boast the best teams in the 15th Region, but from top to bottom may be the most balanced. The District Tournament should provided some great contest as there was a 3 way tie for second place between Allen Central, Prestonsburg, and South Floyd (broken by blind draw). Let's look at the match-up's.

 

Tournament Location: South Floyd High School

Defending Champion: Betsy Layne

 

Schedule:

Betsy Layne (1 seed) vs. Allen Central (4 seed) Monday 7:30 PM

Prestonsburg (2 seed) vs. South Floyd (3 seed) Tuesday 7:30 PM

District Championship (Friday 7:00 PM)

 

Match-Up #1 (Betsy Layne [21-7: 7-0 in Districts] vs. Allen Central [12-16: 2-4 in Districts])

In their two regular season meetings Betsy Layne defeated Allen Central 73-58 on the road and 66-56 at home. In the games Betsy Layne Senior's Peyton Case and Lako Daniels controlled the perimeter and paint (Case averaged over 20 ppg from the guard position and Daniels averaged 17 ppg and 15 rbg in the paint respectively). Betsy Layne was able to control the pace of play and slowly built their leads across 4 quarters of play. Allen Central standout Devan Horn scored 41 points combine in the two contest while connecting on 8 total 3's. If he can bring that kind of performance to the District Tournament then Allen Central has a chance to pull the upset but they will still have to account for Daniels in the paint. This will be a tough match-up for the Rebels as Betsy Layne looks to return to the regional tournament for the 8 consecutive year. This game may be closer than expected though, as Allen Central has been playing better of late.

 

Notes:

(1) Allen Central's Devan Horn is one of the state leaders in made 3's, connecting on 112 thus far this season while shooting an impressive 44%.

(2) Long time Betsy Layne Assistant and now Head Coach Greg Keathley looks to continue the 58th District dominance Betsy Layne has enjoyed over the past 5 years.

 

Prediction:

Betsy Layne 71 Allen Central 68

 

Match-Up #2 (Prestonsburg [6-15: 2-4 in Districts] vs. South Floyd [10-17: 2-4 in Districts])

In the past Prestonsburg would be a heavy favorite in this game, but not this year. Having the District Tournament on their home floor is a great advantage for the Raiders of South Floyd as they defeated Prestonsburg 71-50 there in the regular season. Prestonsburg did win an early season meeting between the two 68-61, but they had Senior PG Jarredd Jarrell in that game (since quit to focus on baseball) and shot very well. Prestonsburg does have the best player on the floor in Dalton Frasure who can put a 20 point 10 rebound game up easily, but will struggle if South Floyd applies pressure. Look for the Raiders to be fired up as they have a legitimate shot to return to the regional tournament for the first time since 2011 when they lost to Pike Central in the opening round of the 15th Region Tournament.

 

Notes:

(1) South Floyd and Allen Central are set for consolidation into Floyd County Central in the next two years. Look for that to be motivation for South Floyd as they want to go out with a district championship or two.

(2) Prestonsburg is 2-14 since Jarrell quit. Their only wins came against Allen Central and Piarist.

 

Prediction:

South Floyd 75 Prestonsburg 63

 

59th District Preview

The 59th had been a 3-Team District for 11 years until this season as Piarist was moved from the 58th in an attempt to balance the region. With the addition of Piarist, the District is still a 3 horse race as the Knights have never defeated a 15th Region opponent in program history. In fact, Piarist agreed to take the 4-seed in the District and only played East Ridge in the regular season. East Ridge, Shelby Valley, and Pikeville do not like one another and will provide fireworks in the District Tournament as all games were very competitive in the regular season, with East Ridge pulling out the #1 seed. Outside of Piarist, this tournament will be hotly contested.

 

Tournament Location: Shelby Valley High School

Defending Champion: Shelby Valley

 

Schedule:

East Ridge (1 seed) vs. Piarist (4 seed) Monday 8:00 PM

Shelby Valley (2 seed) vs. Pikeville (3 seed) Tuesday 8:00 PM

District Championship (Thursday 8:15 PM)

 

Match-Up #1 (East Ridge [14-10: 4-1 in Districts] vs. Piarist [5-14: 0-1 in Districts])

Not much to say here. Piarist is known for its high academic standards and treats sports more along the lines of intramurals compared to other schools. Look for East Ridge to roll and establish a running clock early in the 2nd Half as Senior High Flyer Austin Hylton and Senior sharp shooter Johnny Miller will be too much for the Knights. In the regular season East Ridge defeated Piarist 82 to 47 at home.

 

Notes:

(1) Johnny Miller is approaching 2,000 career points for the Warriors.

(2) Look for Austin Hylton to have some high flying dunks in the game as he is one of the best leapers in Eastern Kentucky.

 

Prediction:

East Ridge 88 Piarist 40

 

Match-Up #2 (Shelby Valley [16-12: 2-2 in Districts] vs. Pikeville [17-12: 1-3 in Districts])

This game will be an absolute war. In the regular season the two teams split wins with Pikeville defeating Shelby Valley 67-61 at home and losing on the road 43-59. The two schools have storied basketball programs and compete with one another for players year end and year out. In other words, they just dont like each other and neither do their fan bases. Pikeville has strong inside play with Zach Huffman providing scoring and rebounding at 17.9 ppg and 9.8 rbg but Shelby Valley counters with Hunter Swindall at 17.5 ppg and 6.8 rbg. The front court therefore is a push. In the backcourt Shelby Valley has 5 year player (4 year starter) Dalton Richardson (9.8 ppg) and East Ridge transfer Michael Fields (7.8 ppg). Pikeville Counters with Blaine May (11 ppg) and Ryder Johnson (9.8 ppg). Therefore the backcourt is a push as well. Role players Lamont Wright and Andrew Tackett (Shelby Valley) vs. Wyatt Battaile and Dalton Meade (Pikeville) will likely decide this game. Which one's step up is the question? On paper this should be the best opening round District game in the 15th Region outside of Paintsville vs. Sheldon Clark in the 57th. Both teams like to mix in half court traps and press opportunistically, but with all things being equal the edge would have to go the home team.

 

Notes:

(1) Shelby Valley has not missed the regional tournament since the 1998-1999 season (16 straight years - longest active in the region) but are in real danger of seeing that streak end this season.

(2) Pikeville has a knack for playing well in big games and will have an advantage as they played a more difficult schedule in the regular season.

 

Prediction:

Shelby Valley 71 Pikeville 69 (Home court advantage wins out)

 

 

60th District Preview

The newly revamped 60th District includes, for the first time, Lawrence County but they were not welcomed with open arms. The Bulldogs were predicted to roll through the district after not losing a player and coming up just shy of defeating Johnson Central in the 57th District Championship last season (Overtime Loss), but that was not the case as they went 3-3 in seeded play. Pike Central won the district outright with Belfry and Phelps still in rebuild mode. This District is very top heavy as the two best teams will be heavy favorites, but as the regular season showed, anything can happen. The match-up's are listed below.

 

Tournament Location: Phelps High School

Defending Champion: Pike Central

 

Schedule:

Pike Central (1 seed) vs. Phelps (4 seed) Monday 8:15 PM

Lawrence County (2 seed) vs. Belfry (3 seed) Wednesday 8:15 PM

District Championship (Friday 8:15 PM)

 

Match-Up #1 (Pike Central [15-12: 6-1 in Districts] vs. Phelps [9-17: 0-6 in Districts])

Pike Central won the district out right with a 6-1 record and will play Phelps in a David vs. Goliath first round matchup. Phelps does have home court advantage in a small gym but look for 6'8'' Center Ethan Blackburn and wing player Braxton Tibbs to be too much for the Hornets. In their regular season meetings Pike Central won at home 74-59 and on the road 78-73. Phelps does have a chance, but they will have to handle to pressure and aggressive drives Pike Central is known for (they just don't settle for long 3's). If the Hornets shoot well and can get Pike Central in foul trouble (the charge will be their friend if they can take them), then we may see an upset. But don't expect it.

 

Notes:

(1) Pike Central lost their best player (Tyler Burnett) to Boyd County over the summer but have overachieved under first year Coach Keith May.

(2) Pike Central considered hiring current Phelps Head Coach Bobby Varney over the summer as Kelly Carwile was not renewed. This should provide some extra motivation for Phelps.

 

Prediction:

Pike Central 81 Phelps 70

 

Match-Up #2 (Lawrence County [15-12: 4-3 in Districts] vs. Belfry [6-19: 3-3 in Districts])

Lawrence County was favored to sweep the District but injuries and lack of depth proved too much for year Coach Travis York in seeded play. In the regular season Lawrence County and Belfry split with Lawrence winning at home 96-72 and losing on the road in Overtime 93-95. In the win, the Bulldogs were at full strength and in the loss the Bulldogs were without both Robert (illness) and Timmy Dalton (reasons unknown). This time around Lawrence County will be without Robert Dalton as he is currently scheduled for surgery to repair a broken hand. This should not be a problem for the Bulldogs, but you never know. Belfry has Sophomore sharp shooter Nathan Copely (14.3 ppg, 3.2 made 3FG per game) and Junior swing man Garrett Fannin (17.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg) while Lawrence County has 4 starters averaging double figures with Timmy Dalton leading the way at nearly 23 ppg (If Robert Dalton were in the lineup then all 5 would be averaging double figures). Look for the athleticism of Lawrence County to be too much in this game.

 

Notes:

(1) All five regular starters for Lawrence County are in or very near the 1,000 point club and there are no Seniors on the roster.

(2) Belfry has put up big numbers from behind the arc this season, hitting at least 15 3's in 4 contest. They will need this performance in the District Tournament.

(3) The small court at Phelps will be an advantage for a pressing team like Lawrence County if they can stay out of foul trouble.

 

Prediction:

Lawrence County 88 Belfry 70

 

 

District Championship Predictions:

57th - Johnson Central 82 Sheldon Clark 75

58th - Betsy Layne 70 South Floyd 65

59th - Shelby Valley 73 East Ridge 70

60th - Pike Central 75 Lawrence County 73

 

Agree or Disagree on anything? Feel free to respond!

[Randy Parker]

Excellent work! :thumb:

[Cardinals2745]

I like your work.

 

My gut tells me that Lawrence County will win the 60th over Pike Central.

[15th Region]

I like your work.

 

My gut tells me that Lawrence County will win the 60th over Pike Central.

 

Very true. It's tough to predict but Pike Central has defeated LC when they were at full strength and their size seems to give LC problems. But that's why they play the game! Fun match up nonetheless.

[Cardinals2745]

Very true. It's tough to predict but Pike Central has defeated LC when they were at full strength and their size seems to give LC problems. But that's why they play the game! Fun match up nonetheless.

 

GRC did not get LC at full strength as well since Timmy Dalton did not play against us.

 

I checked the stats and noticed that Timmy Dalton played in only 1 of the 3 games against PCC. PCC won that game at home by 13.

 

Long bus ride from Louisa to Phelps for a district tournament, about 2 hours.

[Cash-Money]

In the notes section of the 57th District 2) it is noted that PAINTSVILLE "has not defeated any opponent (Summer Ball, District Play, Regular Season Play) since the Summer of 2008?

 

This not true... They have 15 wins this year! They defeated Johnson Central, Sheldon Clark and Magoffin Co. in district play.

 

Not sure what point you were trying to make?

 

They have not won a district tournament game since 2012. However, the statement above needs to be re evaluated.

[15th Region]

In the notes section of the 57th District 2) it is noted that PAINTSVILLE "has not defeated any opponent (Summer Ball, District Play, Regular Season Play) since the Summer of 2008?

 

This not true... They have 15 wins this year! They defeated Johnson Central, Sheldon Clark and Magoffin Co. in district play.

 

Not sure what point you were trying to make?

 

They have not won a district tournament game since 2012. However, the statement above needs to be re evaluated.

 

You are correct in your statement. That is an error where my mind was working faster than I can type and I do apologize. The statement was suppose to read that Paintsville has not defeated a team on Johnson Central's floor since 2008. The same floor where districts will be played. That was the point the notes were suppose to make. I also inadvertently called Betsy Layne Coach Gary Keathley Greg Keathley. Hope this clears things up.

[Statstuffer]

Great report 15th Region, one of the best I've read on this site - even with the few errors that have been noted. Should be a fun week and even more excitement next week in the Regional tournament.

[15th Region]

Great report 15th Region, one of the best I've read on this site - even with the few errors that have been noted. Should be a fun week and even more excitement next week in the Regional tournament.

 

Thank you for the kind words!

[Rez]

I really liked Lawrence Co when I saw them last year, and expected they would have a great chance to win the region this year. It seems like they have had a disappointing season. Is that due mostly to injuries, or are they just not as good as I expected?

[15th Region]

I really liked Lawrence Co when I saw them last year, and expected they would have a great chance to win the region this year. It seems like they have had a disappointing season. Is that due mostly to injuries, or are they just not as good as I expected?

 

They are very talented but get little bench support. Foul trouble, teams with size, injuries, and a tough schedule have led to the record they have. When their on they are difficult to beat and always fun to watch.

[Rez]

It looks like Shelby Valley missed the region as recently as 2012-2013.

I believe Belfry has the longest streak, since 2004.

[CBDV]

It looks like Shelby Valley missed the region as recently as 2012-2013.

I believe Belfry has the longest streak, since 2004.

 

 

I believe Belfry has only missed the 15th Region Tournament about 10 times total in the history of the school and 2 times since 1978.

[15th Region]

It looks like Shelby Valley missed the region as recently as 2012-2013.

I believe Belfry has the longest streak, since 2004.

 

You are correct in the statement. The note should have read that Shelby Valley has only missed the tournament once since the 1998-1999 season was completed. Thank you for the correction.