The Region tournament is finally here, and six teams return from last year, with two newcomers. It will be hard to match the drama of the 2014 tournament, won by South Oldham. Last year's tourney featured six games decided by 8 or fewer points, and three of those went to overtime, including South's 60-57 win over Simon Kenton in the finals. Only Oldham County's 13 point win over Henry County in the first round had a double-digit margin - and even that game was no cakewalk for the victors.

 

The 29th district has won the last four titles....and no team outside the "current" 29th and 30th districts has won the title since the last re-districting....Bullitt East (then in the "old" 29th) won it in 2005.

 

GRANT COUNTY - the Braves successfully defended their 32nd district championship, beating Simon Kenton by 13 in the finals to get revenge for a regular season loss. The Braves lost a game they thought they probably should have won in the first round of the region last year, to Collins, so they come into this tourney hoping to go a little further. In the way is the other Shelby County team, the Shelby County Rockets, who whipped Grant Co, 71-50, back on 1/3/15. But it's hard to see this Grant squad shooting that badly again. The Braves have been one of the best shooting squads in the 8th all season - but that night, they hit just 32% from the floor and only 15 of 31 at the stripe, when they normally excel. The Braves have won 5 of their last 7 and are led by Jordan Saylor's 13.7 ppg and Seth Adkins' 13.0 ppg. Austin Johnson averages 11.1 ppg. Austin Schneider (7.8 rebounds/games) and Jordan Saylor (7.5) are both very active on the glass. Four of the Braves who play the most are hitting over 70% at the line.

 

SHELBY COUNTY - The Rockets have been, historically, one of the most successful teams in the 8th. Since the 1970s, only Oldham County has matched the Rockets' success. Shelby comes in as a runner up after losing in the district finals to Collins by just one point, but the Rockets are lighting their moter at just the right time. Shelby has won 7 of their last 8 and is a different team now that Malik Manica has returned from a knee injury. Shelby hasn't updated their stats online in a long time, but make no mistake - Keenan Cochran is an explosive scorer who leads this team, averaging 13.3 ppg through 18 contests. Watch for James Gordon on the inside; when motivated, he has talents few possess in the region, and he's a force inside. The danger for the Rockets will come if the game against Grant becomes a free throw shooting contest; the Rockets have been erratic at the line at times this year.

 

OLDHAM COUNTY - for the fifth consecutive season, Oldham comes to the dance as the 29th district champions. This year, they are the undisputed favorites - for what that's worth. The last two "favorites" (Collins in 2014 and Oldham in 2013) both failed to win the region. Oldham last won the region in 2011 and 2012, and a 29th district representative has won the championship the last four seasons. The last time a district won five straight regions was from 1985 - 1989, when Oldham County won five consecutive titles, representing the "old" 31st district. This Oldham squad is on the longest current winning streak in the region, having won twelve consecutive games - including five over teams in this year's tournament during that stretch (Collins, Shelby County, Simon Kenton, Gallatin County, and North Oldham). The Colonels are blessed with incredible depth, and they utilize that advantage to the max. Seven different players have led Oldham County in scoring during the current 12 game streak.

 

GALLATIN COUNTY - Jon Jones and the Wildcats return to New Castle after a short, two year, absence. Jones has done a marvelous job re-tooling the Cats after star Koby Carlton went out for the year in the first game of the season. Injuries have bedeviled the Wildcats since then, making re-building difficult. But, after dropping their last five regular season games, the Wildcats rebounded to knock off Eminence in the first round of the 31st district, avenging a January loss. Kaleb Beckham is the leading scorer at over 18 ppg and has sometimes excelled against bit-time opponents; he had 23 against Anderson County and 24 against Simon Kenton. He also had double figure games against Oldham County and Owen County. If Gallatin is to win, though, it will be because a big sophomore class rose to the occasion, perhaps led by Mason Wilson, a talented sophomore point guard who is averaging in double figures and can put up big numbers. (23 vs. Owen, 23 vs. Anderson, 20 vs. North Oldham, for example). Physically, Gallatin would appear to be the odd-man out in this tournament, but never under-estimate the power of good coaching. As always, Gallatin will be one tough out.

 

OWEN COUNTY - 8th region player of the year Carson Williams is scary-good, and 8th region coach of the year Devin Duvall may finally have all the pieces to put together a title run. It won't be easy; the Rebels have to play a North team they defeated by just three in the first round, then beat either Collins or SK in round two (Collins defeated Owen in the regular season). Williams is simply a beast. He's a 6'6" junior(!) who moves like a guard; you forget how tall he really is. Williams, averaging 23.7 ppg and 14.3 rebounds, can hit the jumper or drive, and his post moves are excellent. He simply WANTS the rebound more than his opponent does, and turns that drive into double-double games, one after another. Williams is hitting 70.7% of his shots, yet he is one of the most unselfish players I've seen this year, and he passes the ball very, very well. And oh yeah, did I mention he's a JUNIOR?? The question at the beginning of the season was whether the Rebels had the supporting cast - it appears the answer is YES. Chad McDonald is a scary-good three point shooter, hitting 74 threes at a 42% clip. Vince Toftness has emerged as a potent scoring threat at 11.8 ppg, and shoots the ball well. The remainder of the team has been willing to accept "supporting roles", and it's a well-oiled Rebel machine that rolls into the post-season as 31st district champs for the fourth consecutive season.

 

NORTH OLDHAM - Credit Rob Burton, the Mustangs' first-year coach, with returning North to the region tournament. North hasn't been to New Castle since 2011, and Burton's done it by turning up the heat on offense, and by finding new players who can contribute. New to the program this year is 6'5" senior center Travis Brown, who is still inexperienced/raw, but whose sheer athleticism and energy has turned him from a pre-seaon sub to a player who was starting and posting double-doubles at the end of the year. If he plays well, North is a different team. Jonathan Henry is perhaps the best player you've never heard of, since North has never been to the region with him on-board. Henry averages 23 ppg and nearly 6 rebounds from his guard spot; he is one of the elite penetrators in the 8th region and is hitting 42+% beyond the arc. His brother, sophomore Jalen Henry, is one of young up-and-comers in the 8th. Sophomore three point ace Zach Wheeler is one of the top sixth men in the region and has great range. The issue with North continues to be defense; North has given up over 70 points twelve times this year.

 

COLLINS - The Titans just stay in contention, year after year. One year after a disappointing overtime loss to South Oldham in the semis, the Titans are back with a great defensive-oriented team that takes great pride in shutting folks down. The Titans have won 9 of their last 10, and none of those 10 opponents scored over 58 points. And these haven't been patsies: Eastern scored just 50 points, Grant County 40, Owen County 48, Male 48, and DeSales (the lone loss) 51. The problem may be offense; Collins is averaging just 58 ppg; of the other 7 region tournament teams, only Gallatin County (55.9 ppg) averages fewer (the other six all average over 63 ppg). That said - the old adage is that DEFENSE wins championships, and the Titans have a long list of top-tier opponents who they have vanquished. Only a 68-43 loss to Oldham County stands out as a game the Titans weren't really competitive in. Deion Cochran (16.9 ppg) and Brent Kidwell (13.6 ppg) lead the team, but the Titans simply don't get much scoring elsewhere. Jakson Test (9+ ppg) may be the wild card that tilts the scales in the Titans' favor.

 

SIMON KENTON - 2015 looks suspiciously like 2014 for Trent Steiner's crew. Last year, the Pioneers entered the tourney as the 32nd district runner-up with a 13-13 record. The grumbling from northern KY was noticeable. But the Pioneers got it together in the post-season, upending two district champs (Shelby & Oldham) en route to the finals, where they lost to defending champion South Oldham by just three points in overtime. This year's version of the Pioneers has once again played an aggressive schedule, which hasn't helped their W-L record (15-13). But SK is 3-1 over their last four games, with wins over Anderson County and Campbell County. And Steiner has a starting five that matches up well with anyone in the region. Four of the five starters average in double figures (Matt Mullins 16.7 ppg, Austin Fries 11.2, Jaeger Pracht 10.5, and Noah Robinson 10.3 ppg). Michael Sammons, the fifth starter, averages 7.8 ppg and is the team's premier three point shooter. Timmy Cottrell is solid 6th man, but the Pioneers otherwise don't get much off the bench, scoring-wise. SK is a good shooting team, has size, and hits their free throws at a 71% clip. In short, all the elements are in place for another strong run in the region tournament, but first they must solve Collins' defensive puzzle. The Pioneers scored just 44 points in a seven point loss to Collins earlier this year.

 

In short, this looks like another fun tournament -one NOT to miss.

8th Region boys' tournament has been re-scheduled.

 

First round games will all be played Saturday, 3/7/15:

 

10 am - Shelby Co vs. Grant Co.

 

12 noon - Oldham Co vs. Gallatin Co

 

2 pm - North Oldham vs. Owen County

 

4 pm - Collins vs. Simon Kenton

 

All games live video on The Pegasus Sports Network - PSN (also archived)

Thanks for all you do Colonel Mike! How long have you been covering the 8th region?

I broadcast my first game in the 8th in the 1979-80 school year (although I did some color commentary in the region the year before). I've covered the region ever since on radio / cable tv / back to radio / now the internet.

 

I started covering EVERY GAME of both the boys and girls tournaments in the 1999 season.

 

I truly love this region and the coaches / players in it.

Great article as always. I cannot wait for the tournament to start, the 8th Region never disappoints!

I broadcast my first game in the 8th in the 1979-80 school year (although I did some color commentary in the region the year before). I've covered the region ever since on radio / cable tv / back to radio / now the internet.

 

I started covering EVERY GAME of both the boys and girls tournaments in the 1999 season.

 

I truly love this region and the coaches / players in it.

That's awesome! BTW, you do a great play by play! Good luck in the years to come!

For the first time since 2007, all four district champions won their first round games.

 

Monday semi-finals: 6 pm Oldham vs. Grant and 8 pm Owen vs. Collins

 

Oldham and Collins won the regular season matchups....

 

All games broadcast live (video) on The Pegasus Sports Network - PSN

Oldham County (26-4) vs Collins (24-8) in the final tomorrow at 7 pm.

 

Pegasus Sports coverage begins at 6:30 pm. Live video; also archived indefinitely.

 

These two teams finished the year ranked 1-2 in my top 10, so I guess I'm not surprised both are here.

 

Kudos to Grant County and Owen County tonight. Both gave spirited efforts in defeat. Grant played toe-to-toe with region favorite Oldham County for three quarters - then the Colonels exploded for 30 fourth quarter points to run away to a 70-48 win. Owen played a tough game, too, but could never really solve the Collins defense. Carson Williams had another double-double with 17 points and 15 rebounds, but most of hist points came from the line, where he was 9 of 10. From the field, just 4 of 14 against a tough Titans' D. Owen fans should remember - NONE of the Rebels' starters are seniors....26 wins this year could turn into more next year.