4th Region: Week 5

[DragonFire]

1) Warren Central (10-1) - 1/3 71-41 W #6 South Warren    
Previous Rank: 1    
This Week: 1/7 at #7 Barren County, 1/10 vs. #3 Greenwood    
    
2) Bowling Green (9-3) - 1/3 71-67 W at #3 Greenwood, 1/4 63-66 L Woodford County    
Previous Rank: 2    
This Week: 1/7 at #6 Warren East, 1/10 at #5 South Warren    
    
3) Greenwood (11-3) - 1/3 67-71 L #2 Bowling Green, 1/4 69-75 L Calloway County (at Bowling Green)    
Previous Rank: 3    
This Week: 1/7 at Elizabethtown, 1/10 at #1 Warren Central, 1/11 vs. Whites Creek (TN)    
    
4) Clinton County (14-0) - 1/3 68-54 W #12 Metcalfe County    
Previous Rank: 4    
This Week: 1/6 vs. #18 Foundation Christian Academy    
    
5) South Warren (9-4) - 1/3 41-71 L at #1 Warren Central    
Previous Rank: 6    
This Week: 1/7 vs. #10 Franklin-Simpson, 1/10 vs. #2 Bowling Green    
    
6) Warren East (8-4) - 1/3 55-57 L at #7 Barren County, 1/4 71-64 W Hart County (at Allen County-Scottsville)    
Previous Rank: 5    
This Week: 1/7 vs. #2 Bowling Green, 1/10 vs. #13 Allen County-Scottsville, 1/11 vs. Rockcastle County (at Greenwood)    
    
7) Barren County (6-7) - 1/3 57-55 W #5 Warren East    
Previous Rank: 7    
This Week: 1/7 vs. #1 Warren Central, 1/10 at #12 Glasgow    
    
8. Cumberland County (7-4) - 1/3 60-55 W Jackson County (TN)    
Previous Rank: 8    
This Week: 1/6 at #14 Metcalfe County    
    
9) Russell County (8-6) - 1/2 66-64 W Adair County (at LaRue County), 1/4 68-83 L at LaRue County    
Previous Rank: 9    
This Week: 1/7 at East Jessamine    
    
10) Franklin-Simpson (3-7) - 1/3 49-79 L Green County    
Previous Rank: 10    
This Week: 1/7 at #5 South Warren, 1/10 vs. North Hardin    
    
11) Logan County (4-6) - 1/3 71-61 W at Ballard Memorial    
Previous Rank: 13    
This Week: 1/7 vs. Edmonson County, 1/10 at #16 Russellville, 1/11 at Hopkinsville    
    
12) Glasgow (3-9) - 12/30 71-84 L at Taylor County, 1/3 74-64 W at #11 Allen County-Scottsville, 1/4 59-67 L University Heights (at Bowling Green)    
Previous Rank: 14    
This Week: 1/7 at Adair County, 1/10 vs. #7 Barren County    
    
13) Allen County-Scottsville (4-8) - 1/3 64-74 L #14 Glasgow    
Previous Rank: 11    
This Week: 1/7 at Westmoreland (TN), 1/10 at #6 Warren East    
    
14) Metcalfe County (5-7) - 1/3 54-68 L at #4 Clinton County    
Previous Rank: 12    
This Week: 1/6 vs. #8 Cumberland County    
    
15) Monroe County (5-6) - No Games    
Previous Rank: 15    
This Week: 1/6 at #16 Russellville    
    
16) Russellville (3-7) - 1/3 71-79 L at Christian County    
Previous Rank: 16    
This Week: 1/6 vs. #15 Monroe County    
    
17) Todd County Central (1-13) - 1/3 37-43 L at Jo Byrns (TN), 1/4 40-83 L Ballard Memorial    
Previous Rank: 17    
This Week: 1/7 vs. Henderson County    
    
18) Foundation Christian Academy (7-3) - 1/3 58-42 W Mt. Pigsah Christian (GA), 1/4 67-25 W at Knoxville Christian (TN)    
Previous Rank: 18    
This Week: 1/6 at #4 Clinton County, 1/9 at Dayspring Academy (TN), 1/10 at Metro Christian Academy (TN)    

Notes:

-The opening night for the 14th District yielded mostly expected results.  To be sure, it was expected that Warren Central and Bowling Green would win.  After all, Warren Central has never lost at home to South Warren and Bowling Green has dominated their series with Greenwood for the better part of two decades now.  The margin in the Warren Central/South Warren tilt may have been a bit of a surprise. Central trailed once - at 3-2.  They regained the lead on the subsequent possession, and following a three point miss by South Warren on their next possession, the Spartans never again had the ball with a chance to so much as even tie the game.  Central shot 11/25 from three, 54.9% from the floor, and pummeled the Spartans to the tune of a 71-41 victory that featured a running clock.  Central raised their record to 10-1, and continue to look dominant.  To date, the only game they've played decided by fewer than nine points was the loss to PRP where they were missing a starter, lost another within three minutes, and another still in the third.  For South, they've now dropped three of their last four after a strong 8-1 start, and it doesn't get any easier as weather may wipe out their next game to be followed by their nemesis they've never beaten - Bowling Green.

-Speaking of Bowling Green, the majority of the night they flexed their might against Greenwood. The Purples never trailed in the game, scoring the first seven, and led by as many as 16, that coming in the second quarter.  But Greenwood battled, hanging around, and after trailing by nine entering the fourth, made their move.  A 7-0 run got them within three after Bowling Green started the quarter with a free throw, and after two possessions of trading two pointers for Pettus threes, Greenwood clawed within one at 61-60.  But that would be all they could do, as the Purples scored on their next possession, and after weathering a few possessions by Greenwood with a chance to tie or draw back within 1, ultimately used a 9-2 run that included a Deuce Bailey breakaway dunk to put it away.  It represents a crucial road win within the district - always tough to come by - and given that they have never lost to South Warren and haven't lost at home to Greenwood since 2009, puts Bowling Green in strong position. Joseph Hurt had 20 to lead the Purples, with Idlett posting 17 (continuing a strong start to the year for Idlett, who has been a deadeye from three).  Banks had 13 and Deuce had 11 to get four in double digits.  Nick Simpson had 25 for Greenwood, Asher Pettus added 16. The Gators dropped to 11-2 with the loss (and dropped to 11-3 following a loss the next day) - they face a tough challenge at Warren Central this coming Friday.

-Outside the 14th District, the highest profile intra-district matchup was between Warren East and Barren County.  As described last week, a lot rode on this game.  East was going for a season sweep, while Barren County was looking to take advantage of the door that was opened for them when Glasgow shocked the Raiders in December.  The Trojans held home floor for this matchup, where they've been highly successful against East.  Barren County jumped out to a 9-2 lead right away, and led by as many as 8 in the first quarter.  The lead swelled to 9 in the second quarter, and settled in for a 29-23 lead for Barren County after Ian Manion knocked home a three with seconds remaining.  The lead bounced between 3-6 points most of the third before the Raiders scored five in a row to tie the game at 40, setting the stage for a tense, back and forth final quarter.  Warren East took their first lead on a Gravil layup with 7:40 left in the game, pulling ahead 43-42.  It was the first of six lead changes in the fourth, and at the 3:55 mark, Kaleb Prince got a steal and layup to give East their largest lead at 52-48.  They would not score again until the final seconds of the game.  Barren County took the lead with just over a minute left on a Reece layup.  East was patient with the next possession, but threw the ball away with 30 seconds left, and Hardy converted on the other end to make it 55-52.  A Bratcher miss was followed by a foul with 5.4 seconds remaining, and a Trojan free throw to completed an 8-0 run that proved decisive.  Bratcher hit a three to make it 56-55, and after 1/2 free throws were made, there was not enough time for East to get an attempt off to tie.  Barren County got 14 from Spillman and 12 from Hardy, while Warren East was paced by Brenden Bratcher's 26 (4/8 from three) and Kaleb Prince's 12. The loss leaves East needing all kinds of help if they hope to challenge for the top seed in the district  First, and foremost, they cannot lose a district game again.  They're highly unlikely to be challenged by AC/S, meaning their January 17th meeting with Glasgow (at East) will be key.  They will need Glasgow to win one against Barren County AND drop at least one other game.  The 1 seed is critical as AC/S is unlikely to challenge any of these teams, and being in the 2/3 game is very detrimental.   East has found themselves in that game each of the last two years, narrowly escaping in 2023 and getting bitten last year.  Meanwhile, the 1 seed has advanced in the 15th every year since 2009.  For Barren County, they just need to make like Al Davis said - win baby win.  

-Clinton County advanced to 14-0 with a 68-54 home win over Metcalfe County, and moved to 4-0 in district play with it.  The Bulldogs have not played a murderer's row of teams by any stretch of the imagination, but they have also not won by less than 10 points yet.  They also have not allowed more than 55 points in a single game, or scored less than 61.  This could be a record setting year for the Bulldogs, and I'm not sure there's a loss on their schedule other than what they might see in the All "A".

-Speaking of the All "A", the region tournament allegedly gets under way this week.  I'm skeptical that the games scheduled for tomorrow get played - there are three of them - and it will be interesting to see what that does to the schedule, as all are scheduled for this week.  One matchup would see easily the largest mismatch we will see this whole year, when Foundation Christian visits Clinton County.  The winner of that would play the winner of Cumberland County at Metcalfe County.  Cumberland County will be favored, but they have lived dangerously most of the year.  Eight of their 11 games this year have been decided by five poitns or less.  That's not the type of game you want to be in on the road.  Metcalfe County has had a rough go of it this year, but they do still have some talented scorers.  On the top of the bracket comes teams I frankly expect to be sacrificial lambs in the finals.  Russellville hosts Monroe County, where the Falcons will be favored, and the winner will take on Todd County Central, who have been unspeakably bad this year.  The semifinals and finals will take place at Todd County Central on Thursday and Friday.  To say that Clinton County is favored would be grossly underselling it.  

District Matchups:
--13th District - 1/10 #11 Logan County at #16 Russellville (All A Results may require rescheduling)
--14th District - 1/10 #3 Greenwood at #1 Warren Central, 1/10 #2 Bowling Green at #5 South Warren
--15th District - 1/10 #13 Allen County-Scottsville at #6 Warren East, 1/10 #7 Barren County at #12 Glasgow
--16th District - 1/6 #8 Cumberland County at #14 Metcalfe County (All "A" matchup - will not count towards district standings)

Other Game To Watch:
-If it gets played, I'm highly interested in the meeting of #6 Warren East and #2 Bowling Green on Tuesday.  It would be the first matchup of these two since Warren East left the district three years ago.  This old rivalry has been owned by Bowling Green for years, with the Purples winning 56 in a row from the Raiders, and leading the series 91-41.  Frankly, I don't expect East to win or maybe even definitively challenge.  But it's another important benchmark to determine how close some of these teams are to challenging, and honestly, it's just nice to see this game back on the schedule.  

 

[Purple88]

Thought BG ran out of gas vs a good Woodford team.

South has never beaten BG in basketball and desperately would like to.  They will likely get this done prior to Greenwood beating BG on the gridiron.  Warren Central looks really tough now and can anyone other than Bowling Green stand a chance vs them?  Honest question.

Nice Work Clinton County!

[DragonFire]

2 hours ago, Purple88 said:

Thought BG ran out of gas vs a good Woodford team.

South has never beaten BG in basketball and desperately would like to.  They will likely get this done prior to Greenwood beating BG on the gridiron.  Warren Central looks really tough now and can anyone other than Bowling Green stand a chance vs them?  Honest question.

Nice Work Clinton County!

On the question of what happens first, South beating Bowling Green in basketball or Greenwood beating Bowling Green in football.... man, I honestly don't know.  Neither are particularly close to happening in recent times.  South Warren has been within single digits of Bowling Green on the hardwood five times out of the last 23 meetings, and only once in the last nine.  It has been ten years since it was decided by a single possession margin.  Greenwood football has the disadvantage of only getting to play them 1-2 times a year, but it has been ages since they were truly close (20 years since a single digit/one possession margin, though they were quite competitive in 2021 postseason matchup).  I guess it almost has to be South Warren due to opportunity, but neither of them are particularly likely to happen.  It honestly blows my mind that South has beaten Warren Central in basketball, and I was there to watch it with my own two eyes.  If the Spartans could ever break through to the region tournament, then maybe some things might start to roll downhill for them, but that's pretty tough when you almost certainly will have to beat Bowling Green or Warren Central to get there, and you're a combined 1-65 against them. 

As for who can knock off Warren Central, I'll probably have a better answer for that after the Greenwood game on Friday.  From my vantage point currently, my answer would be no, I don't see anyone other than Bowling Green knocking them off.  Central will get one player eligible this week that should join the rotation, and another towards the end of the month, so it's important to remember that Central isn't even whole yet.  Bowling Green in many ways isn't either, but the other teams, I think we've already seen the guys they're going to have.  When it comes to Central, they've got probably the most length in the region (though Greenwood did seem to have some strong length from what I observed Friday).  They're tough to deal with on the boards (as Male found out), they position well inside making them tough to deal with at the rim, and they're shooting 41.9% from three as a team, which is an incredible rate.  We'll see if the three rate holds up, but for reference, the state title team shot 38.2%, and it isn't as if this edition has shot a small amount.  They've attempted 253 threes, and they compose roughly 42% of their attempts.  If Central hits at that rate... I definitely don't think anyone other than Bowling Green can beat them.