If I'm Mercer County I'm not overlooking anyone anymore after Friday night.

 

I think Mercer learned a valuable lesson at Lafayette. They have responded very well and haven't had a game since where they were just going through the motions. If you don't show up against an average or better team, you risk getting beat. You may not always play your "A" game but it shouldn't be for lack of focus and effort. It is certainly possible that they lose but I don't expect it to be for that reason again.

Much like last year, I really do think that there are probably only three teams (possibly 4) that can put together the required back to back games to win region.

 

That said, there are a few more teams that could put together a great night and, if they catch one of those top 3 on an off night, could crash their party.

So your 12 year 364 day old kid guarding a 14 year 1 day old kid (realistically just 1 year apart) is your explanation for this? I would venture to say that every team in the BGP top 10 right now has a hold back.

 

I was just answering the question about why they're so competitive at middle school state. I should've stated the other obvious thing. That being that most Louisville and Lexington schools don't even play middle school state.

So your 12 year 364 day old kid guarding a 14 year 1 day old kid (realistically just 1 year apart) is your explanation for this? I would venture to say that every team in the BGP top 10 right now has a hold back.

That may be true; but the answer to the original question is correct. Those kids are older and it's extremely apparent in the middle school tournament. It's unfair and it is ridiculous to continue trying to defend it. Holding your kid back to gain an advantage on younger kids is crazy. IMHO

I was just answering the question about why they're so competitive at middle school state. I should've stated the other obvious thing. That being that most Louisville and Lexington schools don't even play middle school state.

 

I've seen LCA, LexCath, EJ Hayes, Jessie Clark (if I remember correctly) out of Lexington play in the state tourney.

 

Farnsley, JCTMS, Noe, Barret, Kammerer, along with other JCPS are all regulars at the middle school state tournament.

 

Then I also understand that most of those middle school players pick and choose where they will attend high school based on certain criteria. Those schools SHOULD be elite at the high school level. That is the true high school advantage for success in those areas of the state, specifically in Louisville.

And some how nobody ever says a word about the hold back winning the spelling bee!

I think that Southeastern Kentucky teams have bee doing this for years, often as standard practice. I think it's more common everywhere now and has/will start to even the playing field. The other dynamic that I've noticed is kids from those areas of the state just tend to mature faster. I see them play middle school then, a few years go by, and they've grown very little compared to most middle school boys from my area. No clue why, but I could give multiple examples.

 

Not a thing wrong with doing it as long as you maintain the proper perspective. If they have a physical advantage and are good enough, challenge them by playing them up whenever possible. If that is done, it will play dividends the last couple years of high school and college - if they're fortunate enough to play after high school.

I meant to say good luck to Casey County tonight as they try to win their first district championship in many moons.

 

Also, good luck to Pulaski County's seniors as they move on in life. That last loss is always the toughest. I still think about mine.

Do kids from Science Hill usually end up at PC? And does much talent come out of that school?

I am an outsider to this region but it seems the Pulaski school system tends to always churn out Middle School teams that compete well or win State tournaments. What happens to these kids as they move on to the HS game? Like I said, I may need some enlightenment but there are many times I peruse the KBA state middle school tourney results and Pulaski seemed to always be in the mix with great teams.

 

You may be thinking of Southwestern (Southern Pulaski Middle) more so than Pulaski (Northern Pulaski Middle). Southern middle won the KBA state tournament 3 years in a row with the current sophomore class (2012, 2013, 2014). Southwestern has been ranked in the top 15 in the state all year long. Next year they could be top 5 in the state with the talent they return. Before that, Southern had a final 4 KBA state team in 2008. In 2012 that team was in the final 4 at Rupp Arena. In 2010 Southern had another final 4 appearance a KBA. In 2014 that team got beat in the 12th Region finals by a very good Wayne Co. team (That Wayne team had a junior class that won KBA state in 2009 6th and 2010 7th). As you can see Southern Pulaski has had a lot of success at the middle school level and it has transitioned into successful high school teams.

 

Northern had a good 8th grade teams in 2012, 2013 that finished in the final 4 (The current junior and senior class). They were also really good in middle school football which translated into 3 class 5A state final appearances and state champions in 2014 in high school. As for basketball, the Pulaski junior class lost Peyton Gover to Southwestern after his dad was let go as Pulaski's head coach 2 years ago. That was a huge loss! Others chose to focus on football. Northern Pulaski had never won the KBA state tournament until this year’s current 8th grade class. They won 6th in 2014, 7th in 2015, and 8th in 2016. They are an extremely talented group but you won’t see them excel at the varsity level for a couple of years.

 

Somerset is an independent school system separate from Pulaski County. Their middle school is Meece Middle. They rarely had a competitive team in KBA middle school state until recently. The sophomore class was the first team to make it to the final four at the KBA. They were state runner up in 7th (2013) and 8th (2014). The first team to win state was this year’s 7th grade team. They won 6th (2015 and 7th (2016). Now Meece did have a very good middle school team in 2008 but they never made it to the final 4. That team lost Taylor Gover to Pulaski and a few others. In 2013 that Somerset team was 12th region runner up despite the transfers out.

Do kids from Science Hill usually end up at PC? And does much talent come out of that school?

 

I've seen some go to Somerset and some go to Pulaski County. Technically, based on location, it's the Pulaski district.

Okay. I didn't know the Powell brothers were originally Pulaski kids. I was thinking back to them losing Taylor Gover to Pulaski County. They also lost DJ Townsend to Rowan County and Daniel Coldiron to Wayne County this year but they don't fall in the losing kids to Pulaski County schools. Are there any others in the past that were Somerset kids that ended up elsewhere? Meece is a mainstay deep in the middle school tournaments and for some reason they have a hard time duplicating that success at the high school level.

Meece has not been very competitive in middle school until recently.

Class of 2013- 12th Region runner-up. Was a final 16 team in 7th grade

Class of 2018- Current sophomore class. Was 7th and 8th State runner up.

Class of 2021- Current 7th grade class. State champions in 6th and 7th.

Other than those 3 classes Somerset has not won many games at the KBA middle school state tournaments.

You may be thinking of Southwestern (Southern Pulaski Middle) more so than Pulaski (Northern Pulaski Middle). Southern middle won the KBA state tournament 3 years in a row with the current sophomore class (2012, 2013, 2014). Southwestern has been ranked in the top 15 in the state all year long. Next year they could be top 5 in the state with the talent they return. Before that, Southern had a final 4 KBA state team in 2008. In 2012 that team was in the final 4 at Rupp Arena. In 2010 Southern had another final 4 appearance a KBA. In 2014 that team got beat in the 12th Region finals by a very good Wayne Co. team (That Wayne team had a junior class that won KBA state in 2009 6th and 2010 7th). As you can see Southern Pulaski has had a lot of success at the middle school level and it has transitioned into successful high school teams.

 

Northern had a good 8th grade teams in 2012, 2013 that finished in the final 4 (The current junior and senior class). They were also really good in middle school football which translated into 3 class 5A state final appearances and state champions in 2014 in high school. As for basketball, the Pulaski junior class lost Peyton Gover to Southwestern after his dad was let go as Pulaski's head coach 2 years ago. That was a huge loss! Others chose to focus on football. Northern Pulaski had never won the KBA state tournament until this year’s current 8th grade class. They won 6th in 2014, 7th in 2015, and 8th in 2016. They are an extremely talented group but you won’t see them excel at the varsity level for a couple of years.

 

Somerset is an independent school system separate from Pulaski County. Their middle school is Meece Middle. They rarely had a competitive team in KBA middle school state until recently. The sophomore class was the first team to make it to the final four at the KBA. They were state runner up in 7th (2013) and 8th (2014). The first team to win state was this year’s 7th grade team. They won 6th (2015 and 7th (2016). Now Meece did have a very good middle school team in 2008 but they never made it to the final 4. That team lost Taylor Gover to Pulaski and a few others. In 2013 that Somerset team was 12th region runner up despite the transfers out.

 

This explains it all. Nice post.

 

Also to add to that, what many don't remember is that this year's PC senior class lost to Pikeville in a close one at the KBA final four in 2011. The championship game between Pikeville and Holmes was shut down at halftime because of an ineligible player for Pikeville, P-ville blowing them out by 20+. That fact being brought up PRIOR to the title game, which should have been a Pikeville forfeit against Northern and had Northern in the title game. No doubt in my mind the Maroons would have won that one. That technicality left another Pulaski/Somerset area championship in Lexington that day.

Do kids from Science Hill usually end up at PC? And does much talent come out of that school?

Most end up at Pulaski but they can go to either I believe. There is a good player or two pop up sometimes but not that often. The better athletes tend to transfer from Science Hill prior to middle school.

I seen that this is only district that is playing there championship tonight. Most districts is just starting tonight. Seems kinda unfair that the home team gets extra day of rest when Casey has to play back to back? They have the whole week to play district why did the AD's of the other schools go along with this or is it the host schools call?