article 16th Region Week 8 Review: Typical January

[Cubster]

You often hear the term "Tuesday Nights in January" in coaching circles. Translation: strange scores in January. The excitement of December turns into the grind of January leading to the pinnacle of the season: the postseason. Russell turned a 39 point loss in December to Bath County into a 16 point win. Bath County notched an upset over West Carter in the All A regional. Fairview pulled a mild upset over Raceland as well. Rowan County survived a couple tough games but one constant remained Elliott County steamrolled its way to another All A regional title.

 

1. ELLIOTT COUNTY (15-2) The Lions had two convincing wins over Fairview and Bath County to punch their ticket to Richmond this week. Korbin Spencer and his supporting cast continue to put up big numbers on a nightly basis. Morgan County could provide a test on Tuesday before the Lions take on Danville in the state All A Classic Thursday.

 

2. ROWAN COUNTY (17-2) Mason Moore was the catalyst as the Vikings needed strong fourth quarter surges to notch road wins over Russell and Lewis County. This team has not always been pretty in their wins this season but they have notched a region best 17 wins. The Vikings will take on West Carter and Fleming County this week.

 

3. MORGAN COUNTY (14-7) The torrid three-point shooting of Blake Evans has carried the Cougars lately. A slow start hampered the Cougars in their 2A state quarterfinal loss to Glasgow. Jake Helton had a big game in the loss. The Cougars face their biggest test of the season against district rival Elliott County. The Cougars, though ranked #3 in the region, have yet to notch a district win.

 

4. BOYD COUNTY (12-8) The Lions made a nice jump back into the region top four with wins over Lewis County and Ashland sandwiched around a loss to always tough Huntington High. Blake Stewart's game continues to improve as the season draws closer to the postseason. The Lions hope to continue their surge this week as they take on Spring Valley and Mason County.

 

5. LEWIS COUNTY (11-9) The Lions dropped three games this past week and also encountered some injuries along the way. After a tough loss at Boyd County, the Lions fell to Rowan County and Hazard. Leading scorer Sam O'Keefe and senior guard Cameron Ruckel suffered concussions and sat out considerable time. The Lions hope to heal up in time for a district seed game Friday as they host Raceland.

 

6. WEST CARTER (11-6) The Comets bounced back from an All A loss to Bath County with a solid win at Greenup County. The deep and balanced Comets have been consistent for most of the season. This week presents three challenges with Raceland, Rowan County, and an improving East Carter on the slate.

 

7. ASHLAND (9-8) The Tomcats continue to be an enigma. They were thoroughly outplayed in a loss at Boyd County Friday night. Devaunte Robinson and Hunter Mays are feeling the strain of being the focal point of opposing teams defensive game plans. A third option needs to emerge down the stretch. Ashland will take on East Carter and Fairview this week.

 

8. EAST CARTER (5-11) Don't call it a streak. The Raiders are riding a nice three-game winning streak. Jordan Brooks continued his fine play and got help from Micah Adams and Hunter Binion in wins over Fleming County and Greenup County. There are two interesting matchups on tap this week with Ashland and West Carter.

 

9. FLEMING COUNTY (9-11) The Panthers fell twice last week at East Carter and a tough home loss to Boone County. Caleb Saunders went off for 37 points in the overtime loss to Boone County. A three-game week awaits the Panthers as they take on Menifee County, Rowan county, and Estill County.

 

10. BATH COUNTY (9-13) The Wildcats went 2-2 during a grueling four-game week. An upset win over West Carter propelled them in to the All A finals before running into a red-hot Elliott County squad. The win ended with a loss at Russell in Flatwoods. Senior Chandler Otis poured in 35 points in the loss vs Elliott County. He is one of the region's underrated players. The Wildcats hope to inch closer to .500 this week with games against Greenup County, Estill County, and Nicholas County.

 

11. RUSSELL (6-12) The Devils continue to stay on the verge of breaking into the Top 10. They played Rowan County down to the wire and notched a nice home win over Bath County. Tristan Miller and Brady Bell each had nice games last week. This week the Devils travel to Ohio power Wheelersburg and try to break an 11-game losing streak to Greenup County on Friday.

 

12. RACELAND (8-8) The Rams notched a big win over Phelps on Saturday to hopefully jump start their season. A team with offensive firepower hopes to improve defensively over the the next few weeks leading into postseason play. They will be tested with games at West Carter , Lewis County, and Portsmouth West (OH).

 

13. FAIRVIEW (7-11) The Eagles can be a dangerous team as evidenced in their win over Raceland. Noah King has become one of the region's most explosive scorers. They are looking for that signature win down the stretch. Rose Hill, Ashland, and Hannan (Wva) provide the competition this week.

 

14. GREENUP COUNTY (6-13) The Musketeers are mired in a seven-game losing streak. Scoring has become the major issue as it has recently been Brady Nelson and little other scoring help. The Musketeers hit the road for games at Bath County and Russell before returning home for a matchup with Minford (OH).

 

15. MENIFEE COUNTY (7-14) The Wildcats have proven they can score the basketball but defending has been a problem. Travis Trimble has been a leader all season for the Wildcats. This week the Wildcats get two chances to dent the win column with games against Fleming County and Rose Hill.

 

16. Rose Hill (2-19) The Royals effort has not waned but the wins are still few and far between. Kenny Wilburn is having a strong junior season for the Royals. A matchup with Fairview is followed by a winnable game against Menifee County this week.

[All the Right Moves]

Nice breakdown. Got to see Elliott Co on Friday night and they are all that and a bag of chips but I still think 2-12 is a true toss up. Districts and region are wide open...until you play Elliott.