12th Region Boys Basketball Week 2 Review

Week 2 in the 12^th saw a major upset, several overtime thrillers and a handful of teams on pause. Let’s take a look at this week’s rankings and all the goings-on south of Lexington.

Team Rankings

1. Somerset – The Briar Jumpers remained undefeated and took the regional All A Championship over Danville 51 to 48 through a 21 point performance by Kade Grundy. They are scheduled to face Pulaski County, Madison Southern and Rowan County this week. We will have to wait until at least February 15^th for their state run in the All A, though their opponent is known. They will open up in the first game in the bracket against Walton Verona.

2. Boyle County – The Rebels started their season off with three wins, besting Spencer County, Garrard County, and St. Xavier. Luke Imfeld is already putting up impressive numbers with 25 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game, and shooting 55.6% from three-point range. They are scheduled to play Henry Clay and Ashland Blazer this week.

3. Lincoln County - The Patriots only ended playing one game last week and it was a blowout victory over Garrard that featured 26 by Jaxon Smith. They are now on a pause from competition with their next scheduled game coming January 26^th.

4. East Jessamine - East defeated Scott County by 11 but fell to St. Xavier by 6. Ben McNew remains the team’s scoring leader at 17.2 point per game but he is complemented by Zion Thomas and his 16.2 points per game average.

5. West Jessamine - The Colts had a week with a very big high and very significant low. Behind DeAjuan Stepp’s 25 and Gavin Salva’s 21 points, West knocked off Madison Central by 2 in overtime. However, they followed that up with the early season’s biggest upset between regional opponents in the 12^th in a 3 point loss at Southwestern. They face Shelby County, Harlan County, and Burgin this week.

6. Pulaski County - The Maroons defeated Casey County and Russell County but fell to the Colts of West Jessamine. They are scheduled to face Somerset this week. KJ Combs and Barek Williams both recorded 22 points against Casey County.

7. Southwestern – After a rough opening week, the Warriors recorded three much needed wins, including a surprise upset against reigning regional champion West Jessamine. Evan Smith recorded 19 points in a 3 point win over McCreary Central. They face Lynn Camp, Wayne County, and Anderson County this week.

8. McCreary County Central - The Raiders missed out on a chance to remain undefeated in region play as they fell to Southwestern by 3 though Kyle Stephens tried his best, scoring 17 against the Warriors. They did bounce back to defeat Wayne County on the road.  A return trip to Danville and a home contest against Cumberland County are on the schedule this week.

9. Mercer County - The Titans had a week with no games but are scheduled to retake the court at Somerset Christian School on Saturday.

10. Danville - The Admirals beat Western Hills and Somerset Christian before falling by 3 to Somerset in the All A regional championship. Dante Hayden is averaging 15.6 points per game followed by Channing Ford and Jalen Dunn, both with 10.6 points per game. They face Sayre, Berea, Garrard County, and McCreary Central in an action packed week.

11. Garrard County – The Golden Lions fell to Lincoln County and Boyle County before bouncing back for an overtime win over Bell County, led by Ethan Cooper’s 25. They face Madison Southern, Danville, and Danville Christian this week.

12. Casey County - Casey won over Somerset Christian but fell to Somerset. They are set to play Pulaski County, Rockcastle County, and June Buchanan this week.

13. Rockcastle County - The Rockets recorded a victory at Wayne County, led by Daniel Mullins with 23. They are on pause and look to return to competition on January 25^th.

14. Wayne County - The Cardinals started play last week but could not shake off the rust as they went winless, losing to Rockcastle County, McCreary Central, and Adair County (in overtime). They face Somerset Christian, Southwestern and Knox Central this week.

15. Somerset Christian – Though they fell to Danville by 23, Somerset Christian School climbs slightly in the rankings thanks to their win over Danville Christian. Braydon Moore is averaging 21.5 points per game. They are scheduled to play at Wayne County and to host Frankfort and Mercer County. Picking up a win this week is not out of the question and would be huge for this first time KHSAA competitor.

16. Danville Christian - The lone game last week resulted in a loss to Somerset Christian School. They are scheduled to face Caverna and Garrard County this week. Titus Boyd is averaging 19 points per game.

17. Burgin - The Bulldogs fell to Somerset, Taylor County, and Middlesboro. They face LIGHT (home school team), and both Jessamines this week.