10th Region Tournament Preview

[brooksville]

Mason County

Coach: Brian Kirk
Record: 20-11
District: 39th Champion
Enrollment: 841
Schedule, Roster, and Stats

It has been an interesting season for the Royals.  However, things have mellowed, and Mason County once again finds themselves in the conversation for the 10th Region title.  The home-standing Royals are looking for their 16th region championship and first since 2016.  Oddly enough, the Royals have only cut down the region championship nets one time at The Fieldhouse in the last 20 seasons (2010).  They won in 2016 and 2008 at Montgomery County and in 2009 at Northern Kentucky University. 

They are led by sophomore Jake Feldhaus, son of Royals great and Kentucky basketball Unforgettable Deron Feldhaus.  The 6’6” Feldhaus averages 12.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.  Senior Braylon Hamilton has been a key part of the Royals offense the last three seasons.  This year, he averages 12.9 points. Senior Landon Scilley is a three-sport athlete committed to play baseball at Yale.  On the basketball court, he averages 9.7 points and 4.4 rebounds.  However, over the last six games, Scilley has averaged 17.3 points and 8.6 rebounds.  Braedon Myrick is having a breakout freshman season. While only averaging 9.3 points, he scored 33 points against Fleming County and set the school record of 11 threes.  Other key players are senior Carter McClanahan, who is now fully healthy from injury, and junior big Cole Horch, another three-sport athlete.

Mason County defeated Bourbon County 68-46 on January 30th in Maysville.

Bourbon County

Coach: Derek Robinson
Record: 13-15
District: 40th Runner-Up
Enrollment: 704
Schedule, Roster, and Stats

The Colonels started off strong, winning seven straight games in mid-December. However, they hit a rough patch, losing all three games in the difficult WGM at Lexington Catholic. They won only one game starting after Christmas until early February.  They are looking for their first region tournament win since 2005. 

Bourbon County is led in scoring and rebounding by 6’3″ junior Kade Hilander, who averages 11.7 points and 5.8 rebounds. Hilander was injured against George Rogers Clark in the district championship (he was also injured in mid-December) and took time away from the team in early/mid-February.  Junior Bradley Robinson is second in scoring with 9.8, and sophomore Noah Earlywine comes in third with 8.8 points per game.

Harrison County

Coach: Terence Brooks
Record: 15-14
District: 38th Champions
Enrollment: 868
Schedule, Roster, and Stats

Harrison County hit a rough stretch in December after losing start player Kaydon Custard to a broken hand. They lost nine straight games.  The Thorobreds found their stride after Christmas.  They competed well in the WGM Holiday Classic at Lexington Catholic and routed Fleming County on the third day.  Custard’s first game back was on January 9th vs. Scott, where he scored 31 points in a 76-73 win.  Custard only adds to this Terence Brooks-coached team’s strength, size, physicality, and experience.  However, many players got the chance to develop in Custard’s nine-game absence.

Kaydon Custard is an athletic 6’2” senior guard.  He put up record-breaking numbers as the football quarterback this fall.  On the basketball court, he is averaging 23.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.  He shoots 77.2% from the line and 54.1% from the floor. Senior Elijah Harris is second in scoring with 14.8 points.  6’1” Senior Braxton Grubb, playing for the first time since his freshman year, averaged 6.2 points and a team-leading 6.4 rebounds.  Seniors Mason Smiley and Garrett Wilson average about 10 points each.  6’6” senior Justin Cracraft averages 5.6 and 3.5. Four of Harrison County’s top six players were starters on the baseball team last spring that won the regional tournament

Scott

Coach: Steve Fromeyer
Record: 14-17
District: 37th Runner-Up
Enrollment: 1,112
Schedule, Roster, and Stats

The Eagles are looking to make a run to the region championship game for the first time since 2017, which they won on Jake Ohmer’s miraculous three at the buzzer.  Although they have a losing record, Scott plays a tough schedule and managed wins over Walton-Verona, Boone County, and Holy Cross.  Due to their size and experience, they match up well with Harrison County.

Scott has a balanced scoring team. Their top few players have similar stat lines.  Xarek Sarakatsannis, a 6’4” senior, leads the Eagles with 13.1 points per game and also grabs 4.1 rebounds.  He also shoots 43.5% from three.  Dylan Giffen is second in scoring with 12.6 points and Connor Griffin is third with 11.6 points a game.  Both are seniors.

George Rogers Clark

Coach: Josh Cook
Record: 29-2
District: 40th Champion
Enrollment: 1,649
Schedule, Roster, and Stats

The Cardinals have a chance to do something no team has ever done in history: win the 10th Region Champions five straight times. The only two teams to win it four times are Maysville from 1945-1948 and Clark’s current streak from 2020-2023. They will have to win their quintet of titles without one of the best point guards in the region, Malachi Ashford, who is out for the remainder of the year.

Ashford was averaging 11.9 points per game his sophomore season. Leading the team is senior Reshaun Hampton. Hampton was a key part of Clark County’s state championship run in 2022 and state finals run last season. Hampton is a 5’11” guard averaging 17.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, shooting 40.6% from three, and shooting 78% from the foul line. Second in scoring is 6’2″ senior Breland Morrison with 13.9 points and 5.1 rebounds. Montez Gay is a 6’4″ freshman who leads the team in rebounding with 6.8 and scores 11.3 points a game. JP Gaines has developed into a key player for the Cards. He is a 6’2″ senior with 8.8 points and 5.6 rebounds a game. Expected to pick up some time as guards in Ashford’s absence are juniors Eli Craig and Chase Pace. Also stepping into the PG role is freshman Abrahm Howard, who led the baseball team in hits last year as an eighth-grader. 

While many consider George Rogers Clark to be “down” from their two years of state dominance, they have a record of 29-2, with their only losses being to South Laurel and Great Crossing.  They have a record of 116 wins and 14 losses over the last four seasons. George Rogers Clark defeated Pendleton County on December 7th, 92-47, in Winchester.

Pendleton County

Coach: Mason Monroe
Record: 15-17
District: 38th Runner-Up
Enrollment: 699
Schedule, Roster, and Stats

First-year alumnus head coach Mason Monroe has led the Wildcats to some impressive wins this season.  They are in the regional tournament for the first time since 2020 after avoiding a sweep from Nicholas County in the first round of the district, beating them 57-53.  They have road wins over Paris, Bourbon County, and Montgomery County.

Senior Alex Beyst leads the Wildcats with 16.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.  Senior Austin Kirsch and junior Aden Merrill average a little over 9.5 points per game each.  Kirsch stands at 6’5” and leads the team with 6 rebounds per game.  Senior Hunter Cox adds 9 points and shoots 42.9% from three.

Campbell County

Coach: Brent Sowder
Record: 23-6
District: 37th Champion
Enrollment: 1,557
Schedule, Roster, and Stats

The Camels are picking up right where they left off under first-year head coach Brent Sowder.  The Alexandria team has won nine straight games and is peaking in March, as they have done for the last decade.  Their last titles came in 2018 and 2019 before GRC’s run.  The veteran Camels have five seniors and six juniors on the roster.  Their deep bench and balanced scoring make them a threat to win the region.  They just won their eleventh straight 37th District Championship.

Conor Weinel is a 6’4” senior who leads the team with 15.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.  Senior guards Broc Sorgenfrei and Garyn Jackson average around 12 points each.  Senior Cole Johnson averages 6.9 and 2.1, and scored a 36 on his ACT.  Senior football quarterback Nate Smith averages 5.1 points with 3.5 rebounds. 

Campbell County beat Bracken County 79-33 on January 3rd in Brooksville.

Bracken County

Coach: Terry King
Record: 11-19
District: 39th Runner-Up
Enrollment: 368
Schedule, Roster, and Stats

The Polar Bears have rebounded better than expected this season.  They lost five of their top six players from last season.  That includes who would have been their lead returner, senior Austin Norton, who tore his ACL in the second game of the season.

They are led by senior guard Chase Archibald.  Archibald averages 19 points a game, shoots 47.5% from three, and has made 99 shots from beyond the arc.  Junior Noah Nelson scores 14.6 per game and shoots 38.5% from three. Rounding out the top three scorers is junior Ashton Buchanan, who averages 9.2 points and 4.5 assists.  Sophomore football QB Jackson Whitten leads the team in rebounding with 5.4.