Sixth Region Week 8 Review: The Butler Bears Roar

The big news in the Sixth Region this week came Saturday night when the Butler Bears took down the previously undefeated Elizabethtown Panthers by a 89-68 margin. Quite a win for the Bears, and perhaps Butler is the best team in the region. I chose not to move them up in the rankings this week because Fern Creek, with wins over Moore and Seneca, certainly did nothing to take away from being ranked in the top spot. Fern Creek and Butler don't play each other until February 14, so I guess we'll just continue to watch some really good basketball being played in the Sixth Region and debate the issue until then.

TEAM RANKINGS

1. Fern Creek Tigers (15-6)

With wins this week over Moore (89-67) and Seneca (53-45), the Fern Creek Tigers have already moved past their 14-win total from last season. And a lot more wins are sure to come. Jaden Rogers continues to lead the Tigers in scoring at 17.1 ppg while Zek Montgomery throws in 14.9 ppg. Darrius Washington leads Fern Creek in rebounding at 7.3 rpg. Fern Creek has games against Lexington Bryan Station and PRP on its schedule this week.

2. Butler Bears (12-6)

Butler got a statement win Saturday night in the Nathan McCurry Classic at John Hardin High School, beating the previously unbeaten Elizabethtown Panthers by a convincing 89-68 margin. It was the Bears’ third win of the week, the prior wins coming against Fairdale (80-59) and Moore (65-62). Beating the then 7-11 Moore Mustangs by 3 one night and then beating the 16-0 Elizabethtown Panthers by 23 the next night shows just what can happen in Kentucky high school basketball. The Bears play just once this week, taking on the Central Yellowjackets on Tuesday.

3. Pleasure Ridge Park Panthers (13-5)

The Panthers went 2-0 this week, beating Moore 84-72 and Fairdale 82-66. Junior Nevin White, who is averaging 9.1 ppg for the season, had a big week, scoring 18 against Moore and 22 against Fairdale. The Panthers have three games against good teams coming up this week, playing DeSales, Oldham County, and Fern Creek.

4. Jeffersontown Chargers (11-5)

The J”Town Chargers won both of the games it played this week, beating Western 81-51 and Central 64-51. Sophomore Brandon Rayzor-Moore, who is leading J’Town in scoring at 14 ppg, had 26 against Western, including hitting 6 out of 7 3-pointers. Up this week for the Chargers are games with Manual and Seneca.

5. DeSales Colts (10-6)

DeSales also went 2-0 this week, but they were both only 3-point victories. The Colts beat Bullitt Central 68-65 and Doss 48-45. Junior Sekou Kalle is averaging a double-double for DeSales, with 15.5 ppg and 11.3 rpg per game, and is shooting 63.3% from the field. The Colts play PRP and Holy Cross this week.

6. Doss Dragons (11-8)

After suffering a tough loss to DeSales by a 48-45 margin, Doss got a nice 58-52 win over North Bullitt. That win moved the Dragons up in the rankings above North Bullitt but the loss to DeSales kept them behind the Colts. Doss takes on Fairdale and Atherton this week.

7. North Bullitt Eagles (15-6)

The Eagles, who eclipsed last season’s 9-win total long ago, went 2-2 this week. The wins were against Franklin County (83-58) and Dixie Heights (78-73), while the losses were to a very good South Oldham team (98-51) and to the Doss Dragons (58-52). The loss to Doss drops the Eagles below the Dragons in this week’s rankings. North Bullitt has two home games this week against Grayson County and Valley.

8. Holy Cross Cougars (12-6)

Holy Cross lost to Metcalfe County 48-47 in the opening round of the All A Classic state tournament when Metcalfe County’s Wyatt Blythe scored with 8 seconds to go to give the Hornets the lead. It was Blythe’s only points of the game. Sam Bearden led the Cougars with 17 points. The Cougars host Christian Academy on Monday before taking on DeSales later in the week.

9. Fairdale Bulldogs (9-8)

Fairdale played and lost to two of the region’s better teams this week, falling to Butler 80-59 and to PRP 82-66. Stephen Moore leads Fairdale in scoring at 19.4 ppg while Charles Ward is grabbing 8.4 rpg. The Bulldogs play Doss and Bullitt East this week.

10. Iroquois Raiders (12-9)

The Raiders started the week with a disappointing 62-56 loss to Valley, bounced back to beat Western 82-72, but then fell to Christian Academy 64-59. Quintel Walter continues to light up the stat sheet, averaging 22.5 ppg. Up this week are games against Bullitt Central and Brown.

11. Bullitt East Chargers (6-13)

Bullitt East had a great 3-0 week this week, starting with a 90-56 win over Whitefield Academy. In a battle of Bullitt County schools on Friday, the Chargers went back and forth with Bullitt Central before defeating the Cougars 52-45. The Chargers ended the week on Saturday with a 71-58 win over Breckinridge County. Bullitt East has a trio of games scheduled for this week, taking on Moore, Fairdale, and Kentucky Country Day.

12. Bullitt Central Cougars (6-14)

The Cougars are playing well but came up short in both of the games they played this week. Desales got the best of the Cougars by a narrow 68-65 margin. The Cougars then fought tooth and nail against Bullitt East but again came up short, losing to the Chargers 52-45. The Cougars face Western and Iroquois this week.

13. Western Warriors (9-10)

The Warriors went 0-2 this week, falling to Jeffersontown 81-51 and to Iroquois 82-72. Western has four players averaging in double figures, led by Neairon Finisson at 16 ppg. Western takes on Bullitt Central and Shawnee this week.

14. Moore Mustangs (7-12)

Moore had a tough week, facing three of the top teams in the region. The Mustangs came up short in each game, falling to PRP (84-72), Fern Creek (89-67), and Butler (65-62). A three point loss to Butler is impressive for the Mustangs, whose schedule softens up a bit this week with a single game against Bullitt East.

15. Whitefield Academy Wildcats (8-8)

The Wildcats have worked their way to a .500 record on the season, going 2-1 this week. After falling to Bullitt East 90-56, Whitefield beat Evangel Christian (77-40) and Richmond Model (71-53). Whitefield will take on Bardstown Bethlehem, St. Francis, and Southern this week.

16. Valley Vikings (3-11)

The Vikings ended their 9-game losing streak with an impressive 62-56 win over Iroquois to start the week. Valley then fell to Male 78-40, but ended the week with a 50-46 win over Southern. The Vikings face Fort Knox, North Bullitt, and Manual this week.

17. Southern Trojans (3-13)

Southern dropped the two games it played this week, falling to Valley (50-46) and North Hardin (57-66). The Trojans have lost six in a row. Southern has a single game on its schedule this week, a Thursday night game against Whitefield Academy.

18. Beth Haven Bearcats (6-10)

Beth Haven had a really good week, going 2-1, with the loss being by a single point. The two wins came against Frederick Fraize (80-67) and St. Francis (77-65). The loss was to Walden by a 89-88 score, a game in which five Bearcats each scored 16 points or more. The Bearcats’ schedule this week shows games against Heritage Academy, Kentucky Country Day, and Fort Knox.

19. Evangel Christian Eagles (2-11)

What a difference a week makes. After losing to Portland Christian by 24 points on January 13 (73-49), Evangel Christian this week bounced back to beat Portland Christian 77-72 in overtime. The Eagles did not fare as well against Whitefield Academy, falling to the Wildcats 77-40. Evangel Christian plays Shawnee and Covington Latin this week.