The road to Rupp goes through the Eighth District.

 

Every year since 2002, the Second Region champion has hailed from District 8. In fact, in 2011 when Christian County won the school’s first state title, they didn’t even win their own district. They advanced to the region tourney as a runner-up to University Heights.

 

It appears that streak will be safe for another year as Christian County has been ranked number one in the state for most of 2016, while Hopkinsville took the Colonels to overtime a few weeks back.

 

The Colonels (24-2, 6-0) haven’t lost to a Kentucky school all season and haven’t lost a game since the calendar switched to 2016. They are looking for their first district title since 2010.

 

Frankie Smith won KABC Coach of the Year honors in his first season with the Colonels. Smith was hospitalized over the weekend with an illness but is expected to coach their tourney opener against Fort Campbell Tuesday.

 

The Falcons (1-21, 0-6) are the only team in the region to have never won a district title and haven’t won a district game since 2009.

 

Christian County beat the Falcons 83-30 and 94-59 during the season.

 

One of the more interesting first round matchups in the state features Hopkinsville and University Heights.

 

The Tigers (17-11, 4-2) are the four-time defending district and region champion. They play a UHA team that they beat by just seven points a few weeks ago. UHA (12-16, 2-4) features the top two scorers in the Second Region in Tray Hollowell and Kyky Tandy.

 

Last year, UHA pulled off a first round upset of Christian County in the district tourney.

 

The district championship will be Friday at 7pm.

 

Meanwhile, Madisonville (19-7, 6-0) is looking for their seventh straight Seventh District title. They play cross-county rival Hopkins County Central (8-16, 1-5) Tuesday night at 6.

 

Madisonville beat Hopkins Central 93-82 and 83-64 in the regular season. The Storm will be looking for their first district title in seven years.

 

In the other semifinal game, Caldwell County (10-15, 4-2) will face Dawson Springs (8-20, 1-5) Tuesday at 7:30. The Tigers beat Dawson twice during the regular season by scores of 71-32 and 76-66.

 

Caldwell won a district title in 2007 in their first season after moving from the Fifth District.

 

Meanwhile, Dawson Springs hasn’t won a district tourney game since 2006 and haven’t won a district title since 1959.

 

The boy’s title game will be played Friday at 7pm.

 

In the Sixth District, Webster County feels like they have enough to challenge the bigs for a region title.

 

The Trojans (24-4, 3-0) are the number one seed in the three-team Sixth District which means Webster is already into next week’s region tournament.

 

Webster County is seeking their first district title in four years.

 

Henderson County (11-15, 2-1) has won the last three district titles and hasn’t had a losing season since 2000. Both of those streaks are in jeopardy.

 

The Colonels are battling injury and inexperience as they open play Tuesday against a dangerous Union County team coached by former Henderson skipper Mark Starns.

 

The Braves (13-15, 0-4) lost to Henderson County 81-42 and 68-51 during the regular season. Union County is looking for their first district title since 2000.

 

The championship is Thursday.

 

Trigg County will be seeking history when the Fifth District Boys’ Basketball Tournament begins Monday night in Eddyville.

 

The Wildcats (18-7, 6-0) have won three straight district titles, the last two under head coach Payton Croft. Trigg has never won four straight district titles and would become the first team to do so in the Fifth District since Lyon County won titles from 1999-2002.

 

They will face Crittenden County (5-23), who lost all six of their district games but enter the postseason having won three of their last five.

 

Trigg easily won the two regular season matchups between schools that have met for the district title the past two years.

 

This game kicks off the tournament Monday at 6pm.

 

The 7:30 nightcap features two-seed Lyon County (12-15, 4-2) and three-seed Livingston Central (6-20, 2-4).

 

The Lyons have lost five of their last six games but beat Livingston 60-38 and 50-45 during the regular season.

 

The Cardinals enter the postseason on a seven-game losing streak and have lost 16 of 18 overall.

 

Monday’s winners meet in the title game Thursday night at 7.

 

CLICK HERE FOR THE SECOND REGION STAT LEADERS

 

Second Region Rankings

 

1. Christian County - The Colonels have not lost to a Kentucky team all season and are rolling into the postseason.

 

2. Hopkinsville - The Tigers have scuffled late against solid competition but should be ready for an anticipated third meeting with Christian County

 

3. Madisonville - The Maroons have been playing well down the stretch now that they have found a workable rotation.

 

4. Webster County - The Trojans feel like they have the team to challenge for the region title but don't have a win against any of the top three teams in the region.

 

5. Trigg County - The Wildcats enter the postseason on a four-game winning streak and have won nine of their last 11. Those losses were to Hopkinsville and Christian County.

 

6. University Heights - The Blazers feature the best 1-2 scoring punch in the region but defensive issues and lack of depth have hurt them in recent losses.

 

7. Henderson County - The Colonels have battled through a youth movement and could have enough to upset Webster County in the district tourney.

 

8. Union County - The Braves could pull off a district upset of Henderson County on their home floor.

 

9. Caldwell County - The Tigers are playing well down the stretch.

 

10. Lyon County - The Lyons have lost five of six but should advance to the region tourney due to the district tourney being on their home floor.

 

11. Hopkins County Central - The Storm have been mercurial all season.

 

12. Dawson Springs - The Panthers earned brownie points last week when they added Christian County to their late schedule

 

13. Livingston Central - The Cardinals have lost seven straight and 16 of 18 games.

 

14. Crittenden County - The Rockets have won just five games but three of those have come in the last two weeks.

 

15. Fort Campbell - Football season starts in five months.

Edited February 22, 201610 yr by The Scribe

Christian vs Hoptown

 

Henderson vs Webster

 

Trigg vs Lyon

 

and my upset district special

 

Hopkins Co Central vs Dawson Springs