16th Region Week 10 Review

Comebacks highlight top rivalries….Boyd KOs Ashland in OT thriller…. Russell bedevils Raceland…. And the Vikings vault over the Panthers….

A neutral fan could watch them do this dance forever. If you have a vested interest, you'd probably like an outcome that's a little easier on the old ticker.

The first encounter was like watching an experienced fisherman battling a stubborn catch. Boyd County ran it out, Ashland reeled them back in, the Lions ultimately prevail by six.

Ebbs and flows are never stronger than within the confines of a spirited rivalry. 

The shoe was mostly on the other foot for the rematch, as Boyd County found itself behind by twelve nearing the midway point of the fourth quarter. Unlike the Tomcats a few weeks earlier, the Lions were able to successfully haul their catch into the boat.

Highlights:

 

It had everything…  #1 vs. #2 in the region, a festive atmosphere set by a packed house, a double digit comeback, overtime, and the stars were luminous. Zander Carter threw up a game high 30 points, showcasing an aggressive full court arsenal, with Jacob Spurlock on his heels with 28 points distributed between contested transition buckets, NBA range threes, and a floater that forced OT.

Clockwise from top left: Boyd's Jacob Spurlock, Boyd coach Randy Anderson, Ashland's Zander Carter, and Ashland coach Ryan Bonner. Photos by Matt Jones for the Daily Independent.

Both were back in action the following day, and what transpired bolsters the belief that the Lions and Tomcats have the right stuff. 

Mettle on display, Ashland dusted itself off, hit the road, and throttled North Laurel in Lexington. 

With no time to rest on their laurels - north or south - the Lions smoked region darkhorse Rowan County by 36 to consolidate its top ranking within the 16th. 

Barring an all-time upset, they'll see one another next with a district title on the line. 
 

In Other News...

Rowan rocks Fleming | Before getting wrecked in Summit, the Vikings posted one of the most impressive results of the week, a 79-61 win over a fellow second tier contender in Morehead. The only team to beat the Panthers by a wider margin so far is consensus top five ranked Lexington Catholic. The win moves Rowan past Fleming in the regional rankings and levels the district standings between the two.

Russell rallies past Raceland | Unable to buy a bucket, the Devils looked dead in the water with under two minutes to go in the 3Q and trailing the Rams by 15. Russell came alive with a 23-2 run covering six minutes of game action to complete a thrilling comeback win. I've said it before, but it bears repeating… you never know what to expect when two 63rd district teams get together. That district's tournament is going to be wild.

Lewis County's skid | The Lions will compete as hard as anyone in the region, but effort alone hasn't gotten it done lately. Points and timely stops have been scarce during their current seven game losing streak, the program's longest since 2019.

 

District Standings

61st: t1. Rowan County (4-1) | t1. Fleming County  (4-1) | 3. Menifee County (2-3) | 4. Bath County (0-5)

62nd: 1. Morgan County (4-0) | 2. East Carter (4-2) | 3. West Carter (2-3) | 4. Elliott County (0-5)

63rd: 1. Greenup County (3-0) | 2. Russell (4-1) | 3. Raceland (1-3) | 4. Lewis County  (0-4)

64th: 1. Boyd County (3-0) | 2. Ashland (1-2) | 3. Fairview (1-2) | 4. Rose Hill (0-1)

 

Sixteen For the 16th (Rankings)

1. Boyd County Lions

Record: 20-4

Weekly Results: beat West Carter (85-39) | beat Ashland (85-79) | beat Rowan County (87-51)

 

2. Ashland Tomcats

Record: 15-7

Weekly Results: beat George Washington (WV) (76-68) | lost to Boyd County (79-85) | beat North Laurel (73-39)

 

3. Rowan County Vikings

Record: 14-8

Weekly Results: beat Menifee County (81-44) | beat Fleming County (79-61) | lost to Boyd County (51-87)

 

4. Fleming County Panthers

Record: 16-7

Weekly Results: beat Bath County (90-76) | lost to Rowan County (61-79) | St. Patrick (59-24)

 

5. Morgan County Cougars

Record: 13-6

Weekly Results: lost to Knott County Central (58-69) | beat East Carter (60-56)

 

6. Russell Red Devils

Record: 13-7

Weekly Results: beat Elliott County (70-49) | beat West Carter (91-52) | beat Raceland (58-65)

 

7. East Carter Raiders

Record: 12-10

Weekly Results: beat Elliott County (61-39) | beat Greenup County (59-51) | lost to Morgan County (56-60)

 

8. Greenup County Musketeers

Record: 12-11

Weekly Results: beat Lewis County (51-35) | lost to East Carter (51-59)

 

9. Raceland Rams

Record: 12-10

Weekly Results: beat Bath County (84-52) | beat Lewis County (64-54) | lost to Russell (55-58)

 

10. Lewis County Lions

Record: 5-12

Weekly Results: lost to Greenup County (35-51) | lost to Raceland (54-64) | lost to Lawrence County (71-54)

 

11. West Carter Comets

Record: 7-13

Weekly Results: lost to Boyd County (39-85) | lost to Magoffin County (56-77) | lost to Russell (52-91)

 

12. Menifee County Wildcats

Record: 8-14

Weekly Results: lost to Rowan County (44-81) | beat Bath County (61-54)

 

13. Bath County Wildcats

Record: 5-16

Weekly Results: lost to Raceland (52-84) | lost to Fleming County (76-90) | lost to Menifee County (54-61) 

 

14. Fairview Eagles

Record: 7-17

Weekly Results: lost to Huntington Expression Prep (WV) (74-99) | beat Rose Hill (86-47) | lost to Grace Christian (WV) (60-71)

 

15. Elliott County Lions

Record: 2-18

Weekly Results: lost to East Carter (39-61) | lost to Russell (49-70)

 

16. Rose Hill Royals

Record: 5-10

Weekly Results: lost to Fairview (47-86)

 

Get To The Point (High Scorers For The Week)

Zander Carter (Ashland) - 35 against George Washington (WV) and 30 against Boyd County 

Seth Hickerson (Fleming County) - 29 against Bath County 

Brevon Ricker (Menifee County) - 29 against Bath County 

Jacob Spurlock (Boyd County) - 28 against Ashland 

Evan Goodman (East Carter) - 27 against Greenup County 

Christian Large (Raceland) - 25 against Lewis County