8th Region Week 12 Review/District Preview

By: Adrian Woj Burner

 

Well, here we are. The best time of the year, stands are packed, bands are rocking, fans are loud, and players are playing with their season and possibly their career on the line. It is some of the best basketball you will see all season, and I am not sure that many other areas do it better than the 8th! We will kick off District Tournament play this week, and this time next week we will know what teams are in the regional tournament, and probably the first-round matchups of this year’s tournament.

Player of the Week

This week’s player of the week is yet again Teagan Moore. This week he averaged 34.5 ppg, 6 rpg, while shooting 61% from the field, 40% from 3, and a scorching 88% from the line. These averages include a 43-point performance in a big win over Simon Kenton to end the regular season. He was 14/16 from the line in this game.

 

Game(s) of the Week

I couldn’t decide between the two, so I decided to just go with both. The first game will be Grant County and Walton-Verona. This game was played 2 weeks ago and came down to the final buzzer with a layup by Aaron Gutman as the time rang out to give the Bearcats the win.

The next game is South Oldham and Oldham County. These games are always classics, the stands are completely full, student sections are all the way up into the second floor of bleachers, and the teams are playing as hard as they can. Their first matchup this season was nothing short of this, with Oldham County sneaking by with a 2-point win.

Both games are in the semifinals of their District Tournaments, meaning a regional appearance is on the line. They both have the potential to be some of the better games the region has seen all season!

 

District Previews

This week should be full of surprises, when district tournament play begins, we never know exactly what will happen. We will see some upsets, some blowout losses, and some players playing at the highest level they ever have. With the depth of our region this year, it is anyone’s game. There is probably 9ish teams playing this week that have hopes of holding up the regional championship trophy in 2 weeks, however none of their paths will be easy.

 

29th District

This preview will be shorter as there are only 3 teams, and just 1 game that already has teams set in place. The outlook on this tournament is simple; it is North Oldham’s district to lose. They have been nothing short of spectacular all season and have already clinched an appearance in the regional tournament after obtaining the 1-seed in their 3-team district. However, the other game should be a classic. This tournament will be played at North Oldham High School, with the first-round matchup being Tuesday night.

Oldham County vs South Oldham

It sounds like a broken record, it seems that every single year these two teams square off at some point in the postseason, whether it be in the district semi-finals, district championship, or even regional championship. In their matchup earlier this season at Oldham County, the Colonels squeezed out a tight win in a phenomenal game! Oldham County comes into the game on a slight 2-game losing streak, however it wasn’t for the lack of strength in their opponents. The Colonels are led by ones of the best players in the region, Max Green. On the year he is averaging 23.6 ppg, shooting 47.2% from the field, 38.2% from 3, and a scorching 91% from the line. South Oldham is coming in with all the momentum, currently on a 6-game winning streak. The Dragons are led by sophomore Julian Miles who on the year is averaging 17.7 ppg, shooting 49.6% from the field, 39.9% from 3, a d 71.8% from the line. Miles also leads their team in rebounding with 5.1 rpg.

 

30th District

Well, this one will be good, and I am not sure that it was expected where it is at right now. Collins, being one of the best teams in the region and top-20 team in the state obtained the 4-seed in this district, which tells you all that you need to know about it. We expected a slight 3-team race this year within the district, however Anderson County snuck in and pulled off a huge upset over Collins giving them the 3-seed. Collins now must win 2 games to play in the regional tournament, something that they are yet to fail to do in their 13-year of school history.

Collins vs Shelby County

These two teams had a great matchup earlier in the year with Collins sneaking away with a single digit win, however these teams are in completely different spots as I write this today. Shelby County has had a very rough stretch since the beginning of 2023, going just 3-13 in the stretch. They did however pick up their first win in 10 games to close out the season. They are led by Dillon Ritchey who is averaging 16.8 ppg, shooting 42% from the field, 38.6% from 3, and 73% from the line. On the other hand, Collins has been spectacular all year. If there is one word to describe this team, it is consistent. However, they have lacked that consistency the last few games losing 3 of their 6 losses on the season in their last 3 matchups. The team revolves around Kenyon Goodin, who is in my opinion the most underrated player in the region. He is averaging 19.8 ppg, shooting 56.1% from the field, 43.8% from 3, and 83.6% from the line. I would imagine that this game will be a repeat of their late-season matchup, and it will be all Collins from the tip.

 

31st District

This is relatively known as the “small-school” district; however, they seem to always have on team capable of making some noise in the region. This year it will be Owen County. They have been nothing short of dominant this year within the district, winning all 12 of their matchups against district opponents. Although it is Owen’s tournament to lose, the second bid to the regional tournament is wide open. Gallatin County will have the bye on the other side of the bracket and will face the winner of Eminence and Henry County. I would say Eminence and Gallatin have close to the same chances of making the region, but if Henry County were to pull off the upset it would shake some things up.

Trimble County vs Carroll County

On paper, this game looks like it should be all Trimble County. However, this matchup is shaking up to be a very interesting one. Neither team has much to look forward to, as the winner faces Owen County in the semifinals, however this is a huge rivalry, and I am sure neither team will be giving up in this one. After only winning one game before the new year, the Panthers have somewhat found their groove in the new year. They are 6-9 since Jan. 1st, but their last 2 games they have lost by an average of 66 points, giving up 100 points in both. Trimble County has had an overall successful season, coming just 1 game short of a .500 winning average this year. They are led by JT Wilcoxson, averaging 22.9 ppg, shooting 52.1% from the field, and grabbing 10.1 rebounds per game.

Eminence vs Henry County

Just like the game before, on paper this game should be domination by Eminence. But, just like the matchup above this is a huge rivalry game and they have played each other close for years. Under Coach Gabbard, the warriors have surpassed all expectations and need the regular season with a 16-12 record. Eminence is led by Josh Ruzanka averaging 18.8 ppg, shooting 56.2% from the field, 42.3% from 3, and 68% from the line.

 

32nd District

This has the potential to be the most entertaining of all the games. It is almost guaranteed that there will be at least 2 high-level games, with the 3rd having the chance of being a close one if Williamstown comes to play.

Simon Kenton vs Williamstown

This was the game that I said had the potential to be close, and an upset is not out of the equation. A few weeks ago, I would not have said this, but this Simon Kenton’s recent struggles, they are nowhere near guaranteed a win in this one. After a 17-8 start, the Pioneers are not sitting at 19-10 after dropping 2 of their last 4 games. Simon Kenton is led by Travis Krohman, coming into the postseason averaging 15.5 ppg, shooting 44.8% from the field, 39.7% from 3, and 78.1% from the line. Williamstown has had a very up-and-down season. Thy ended their season going 1-4 in their last 3 games. They are led by Colton Feagan, averaging 19.9 ppg, shooting 49.4% from the field, 42.5% from 3, and 85.1% from the line.

Walton-Verona vs Grant County

This is possibly the best game of all the first-round district matchups within the region. Two of the best teams in the region, who have a history of extremely close matchups in the postseason. Both teams have high hopes of making a big run in the regional tournament, however only one of them will even be in it. This one will be special, and I am expecting a great game! Their regular season matchup was won by Walton-Verona thanks to a buzzer-beating layup by Aaron Gutman. Grant County is coming into the game on fire, on a 3-game win streak including a huge win over a top-20 team in Mason County. They are led by Dylan Hammonds, averaging 26.3 ppg, 13.5 rpg, and shooting 53.7% from the field and 78.7% from the line.

 

 

Rankings

This week will be a little different. Instead of breaking down their performance last week, I will be posting an outlook on their postseason.

 

1 – North Oldham Mustangs (23-5)

The Mustangs hopes are simple; win their second consecutive regional tournament. After losing their District Championship last year to Oldham County, they bounced back and won the entire region. They wound up losing in the elite 8 of the state tournament and are probably even eying a state title. They have played in my eyes the toughest schedule in the region and have won many games against opponents ranked in the top-20.

I am sure that they are planning on winning a district title, which would be only their 3rd in school history. However, this championship might not be as easy as many people would think. Oldham County played them in the regular season in Goshen and forced them into overtime, before the ‘Stangs pulled away in OT. South Oldham will not be an easy opponent either, having great experience in these types of games, and are a team full of shooters.

They have already clinched a regional appearance with a 1st round bye in their district. North Oldham will play the winner of Oldham County and South Oldham in the 29th District Championship.

 

2 – Grant County Braves (24-6)

Grant County has not had a great history in the regional tournament. They are looking to change that this year, with one of their better teams ever. Since 2000, they only have 5 wins in 12 regional appearances, and have not appeared at Rupp Arena. If I were to guess, they have high hopes on making a run in the regional tournament and winning it all at “The Roy”, but it will not be an easy path. They must defeat district rival Walton-Verona in the 1st round of the 32nd District Tournament to even appear in the regional tournament. They only have 3 district titles since 2000, and I believe that they are eying this week as a great time to pick up their 4th.

 

3 – Collins Titans (22-6)

Collins is yet to miss the regional tournament in school history, and they will have to play some good basketball to get back there for the 13th straight time. They will start off their postseason with a play-in matchup against Shelby County. If I were to guess, this game will be all Collins. It was played close earlier this year, but their last matchup was the opposite of that. Assuming they win that game, they will go on to square up against Spencer County.

I would imagine that Collins has the same hopes as the team above: a regional title. Coach Gaither has 3 titles in his 12 seasons as the Titans head coach, and they have all the talent needed to make it 4 this year. As long as they can make it out of their district, put Collins down as a top contender for the regional title.

 

4 – Owen County Rebels (23-7)

The Rebels were kind of a wild card to begin the season, losing 2 of their key contributors to graduation over the offseason, but they did not lose Teagan Moore. He is on pace to have possibly the greatest career statistically in 8th Region history. Owen County is yet to lose a game within their district this year, and I would imagine that this will not change during the postseason. They have only had 1 game this year against a district opponent that was within single digits, and Moore did not play in that game. With Moore playing, they are yet to have a game within 15 points. Obviously, a district title is circled on their calendar, but the Rebels should be looking at a chance to win the region. They have had some losses to teams in the region, but also have some very big wins, including an early season win over Grant County. I do not see them winning the region, but it is not out of the equation.

 

5 – Spencer County Bears (21-7)

Spencer County has been slightly quiet in the region, not getting a ton of talk. However, they obtained the 1 seed in the loaded 30th District, but it might not have been the best year to get it. They will now face the winner of Collins and Shelby County, which should be Collins. So now after getting the 1 seed, they will face a top-20 team in the state in the semifinals of their district tournament. Not a great break for the Bears, but they will not back down from the challenge.

Spencer County is looking to pull off what in some ways would not be an upset, but realistically it would be. If they are to do that, they will be looking to grab their 2nd district title since 2000. If they make an appearance in the region, the Bears will need to put their history in the tournament aside and make a run. Since 2000 they have only 3 regional wins, in just 2 appearances.

I personally do not expect them to make it out of the district, but they still should have high hopes.

 

6 – Simon Kenton Pioneers (19-10)

Good old SK, they have been one of the best teams in the region at time, and then a very mediocre team in the region at times. One thing is certain, they will play some defense. However, that comes with many uncertainties, such as their talent outside of Krohman and Dynes and their offensive consistency.

I would expect SK to win their first game of the district tournament against Williamstown and make an appearance in the region, but I am not sure that they have the consistency to make a deep run in the regional tournament. SK has been known for their postseason struggles at the regional level since joining the 8th in 2005, not winning a single championship while being the biggest school enrollment wise.

Simon Kenton should have their goals this postseason set with a district title and possibly a regional title, but I am not 100% convinced that they will have it in them to get it.

 

7 – Walton-Verona Bearcats (20-10)

The Bearcats are an extremely fun team to watch night in and night out. Currently they are averaging 77.5 points per game this season and always have 5 shooters on the floor. There have been many nights where they have shot lights out and put-up 100+ points, but with that comes many nights where they can’t hit a shot and struggle to keep up offensively.

Walton-Verona defeated Grant County just 2 weeks ago, and they are looking to do the same this week in the semifinals of the 32nd District Tournament.

I would guess that WV has their minds set on a District Title, and possibly winning a game or two in the region. Personally, I believe these goals are very obtainable if they are hitting shots. They proved last week that they can defeat Grant County in a low scoring game, but I would imagine that they would prefer more of a “shootout” type of game.

 

8 – Woodford County Yellow Jackets (15-12)

Woodford County is low in the rankings, but I still would put them as a strong regional contender. They did not lose much to graduation last summer, and they were in the regional championship just last season. The main common factor in last year and this year is that they still have Jasper Johnson on their roster. Johnson is ranked highly in his class and is a 4-star D1 recruit with multiple offers from college basketball powerhouses.

The Yellow Jackets will face Anderson County in the semifinals of the 30th District Tournament. Woodford County defeated them earlier this season by 33 points, holding them to just 26 points. I do not expect it to be as much of a blowout as earlier this season, but I still believe the Woodford County will come out in this game as winners and be back in the regional tournament.

 

9 – Oldham County Colonels (15-14)

The Colonels have had some recent struggles and is making their game against South Oldham look a lot more interesting than I would have expected a few weeks ago. Currently on a 2-game losing streak, they are looking to turn this around with a win vs South Oldham in the semifinals of the 29th District Tournament. This would clinch the Colonels back in the regional tournament, something that they have done 19 times since 2000.

They are the winningest team within the teams currently in the region, but I do not see them making it back to Rupp Arena this year. However, it is still not out of the equation. The unanimous #1 team in the region (and top-3 in the state) North Oldham struggled to beat Oldham County in an overtime thriller earlier this season. Oldham County has proved that they can compete with the best, but I just do not see them putting together that many games to win the regional tournament.

 

10 – South Oldham Dragons (16-11)

Just like Oldham County, South Oldham has a great history of regional appearances and wins. After a couple years of struggles, they are looking to get this younger group back into the regional tournament and make some noise.

If I were to judge this teams’ realistic goals in the next couple weeks, it would be to defeat South Oldham to advance to the District Tournament, compete with North Oldham in the championship, and then possibly win a game in the region.

This squad has some youth, so just getting the postseason experience under their belt would be huge for the next couple of years.

 

11 – Anderson County Bearcats (19-9)

Anderson County had an unexpected, phenomenal start to begin the season, and in the last month or so they have come back down to Earth. In their last 8 games they are just 3-5, so they are not bringing in the greatest momentum to the postseason.

They will play Woodford County in the semifinals of the 30th District Tournament and are looking to pull off the upset and make an appearance in the regional tournament.

Ultimately, I do not see the Bearcats making it out of the district, but if they do I could see them as a district runner-up and a first round exit in the regional tournament.

 

12 – Eminence Warriors (16-12)

This is where the talent of teams really begins to decline, but one of them will be in regions. The 31st District has 5 of the last 7 spots in the regional rankings, meaning that only 1 team is ranked out of this. Eminence got the 3-seed and are on the same side as Gallatin County and Henry County in the tournament. Being on this side, they have a decent chance at making it to the region, something that they have only done 2 times since 2000.

I expect Eminence to defeat Henry County, but it might be closer than expected. After that, there will be an absolute toss-up of a game between them and Gallatin County. They split the season series, both winning their home game. I am excited to see how this game pans out on a neutral court (Trimble County), and which team wants a bid to regions more.

 

13 – Williamstown Demons (14-15)

It sounds extremely easy, one win and you’re in the regional tournament. However, facing Simon Kenton in that one game is not an easy feat. They faced the Pioneers earlier this season and lost 48-63. The Demons are looking to turn that around and pull off the upset and get in the regional tournament for just the 2nd time since 2000.

I think Williamstown’s goal should be simple, beat SK. Such a win like that will be almost program changing, and by far the biggest accomplishment in Coach Cheeseman’s career. With SK’s recent struggles, it is not out of the equation.

 

14 – Gallatin County Wildcats (11-17)

Going into the season we all expected some early season struggles bringing in 4 new starters, but it hasn’t got much better throughout the season. However, they are in a pretty good to get back into regions for the 9th time since 2000.

They will face the winner of Eminence and Henry County, and in the 4 matchups with the 2 teams they are 3-1 (the 1 loss being to Eminence).

Their goals in my eyes would be to get into the District Championship, compete with Owen County (I’m assuming), and possibly compete in a regional game.

 

15 – Trimble County Raiders (14-13)

With Trimble County getting the 4-seed, they wound up on the same side of the bracket for the 31st District Tournament as Owen County. This was obviously not ideal, as Owen has been nothing short of dominant all season within the district.

The Raiders will face Carroll County to kick off the tournament, and if they are to win that game they would face Owen County in the semifinals.

I would imagine that the Raiders plan to beat Carroll County, and then hope that their home court advantage will assist them to compete with Owen County.

 

16 – Shelby County Rockets (10-18)

The 2nd half of the season has been nothing but disastrous for Shelby County. With the loss of star guard Amouri Downs (not sure what happened to him, he is no longer on the roster) they have struggled and are struggling to strain together any momentum.

They will face inter-county rival Collins in the first round of the 30th District Tournament.

I do not see them pulling off this upset but competing with Collins would not be a terrible note to end their let-down season on.

 

17 – Carroll County Panthers (7-20)

After a bad start to the season, the Panthers found something in the second half.

They will start off the postseason against rival Trimble County, and with the game being played on TC’s home court I personally do not like Carroll's chances in this matchup.

However, they should be looking to upset them. If they can do that it will be a great move in the right direction to end the season.

 

18 – Henry County Wildcats (3-25)

Henry County’s season has been nothing short of disastrous, but they are looking to turn it around in the next week.

They will play Eminence in the first round, a team they have competed with, but are yet to beat them. I personally do not see them winning this game, but a win would be great for the team's morale going into the offseason.

 

Note: 

PSN (Pegasus Sports Network) will cover all of the 29th District tournament games this week, girls and boys.

I will post all streaming services within the region when I am informed of them. If you do not want to post your own, shoot me a message and I can do it for you!

Great job as usual. Thank you for all you do.

Very well done!  Moving Grant above Collins is a bold move Cotton, ?.

The 31st District Tournament will be streamed by Raider Gameday on YouTube.

I like seeing Grant get the attention they’ve earned. Although they are ranked below Collins in the BGP top 20 ranking. 

34 minutes ago, bigapplekid said:

I like seeing Grant get the attention they’ve earned. Although they are ranked below Collins in the BGP top 20 ranking. 

This is the first week that they have been ranked over Collins in the region, and the first week all season that Collins has not been in the #2 spot. 

Also, welcome to BGP!

4 hours ago, Colonel-Rebel Fan said:

Very well done!  Moving Grant above Collins is a bold move Cotton, ?.

Honestly they are about the same. Grant County has a few more wins against highly ranked opponents, but Collins beat Grant by 20 earlier in the season. 

11 minutes ago, Adrian Woj Burner said:

This is the first week that they have been ranked over Collins in the region, and the first week all season that Collins has not been in the #2 spot. 

Also, welcome to BGP!

I agree with the ranking. And thank you! 

Tournament Schedules:

29th District (At North Oldham High School)

Oldham County vs South Oldham: 2/21, 7:30PM

Championship, North Oldham vs TBD : 2/24, 7:30PM

 

30th District (At Woodford County High School)

Collins vs Shelby County: 2/20, 8:00PM

Spencer County vs TBD: 2/21, 8:00PM

Woodford County vs Anderson County: 2/22, 8:00PM

Championship: 2/24, 8:00PM

 

31st District (At Trimble County High School)

Trimble County vs Carroll County: 2/20, 7:30PM

Eminence vs Henry County: 2/21, 7:30PM

Owen County vs TBD: 2/22, 7:30PM

Gallatin County vs TBD: 2/23, 7:30PM

Championship: 2/24, 8:00PM

 

32nd District (At Simon Kenton High School)

Simon Kenton vs Williamstown: 2/21, 7:00PM

Walton-Verona vs Grant County: 2/22, 7:00PM

Championship: 2/24, 7:00PM

 

Had 2 good start-up games last night to begin the postseason, now we will really ramp it up tonight with 4 games, 1 game in each district. 

Oldham/South Oldham will be tonight, as well as Spencer County vs Collins. This is a HUGE game. 

Alright, every District Championship is set, other than the 31st. 

29th District: North Oldham vs Oldham County (7:30)
30th District: Collins vs Woodford County (8:00)
31st District: Owen County vs Eminence/Gallatin County winner (8:00)
32nd District: Grant County vs Simon Kenton (7:00)

I know that streaming will be provided for the 29th and 31st. The 32nd might, but I am not 100% sure if 859 Insider will be back or not. I was told the 30th was being streamed on NFHS.