11th Region: Week 8

It was a busy week for most of the teams in the 11^th last week.  The headliner was Great Crossing squaring off with Male.  Frederick Douglass had two matchups against regional top 5 teams when they hosted Madison Central and Henry Clay.  And Saxton Howard had a game for the ages for Lexington Christian Academy.  For the most part, the games were chalk this week, with the higher ranked teams winning.  There seems to be a clear separation between the top three teams in the rankings and the rest of the region. Let’s take a look back at the week and see how the action affected the rankings.

1. Great Crossing (16-4)

The Warhawks had only a single game last week, a matchup with state-ranked Male in the Dan Cummins Shootout at Scott County.  Great Crossing was able to pull out a 60-58 win, but it wasn’t easy.  Male led most of the game behind the hot three point shooting of Jayson Gasaway and freshman Jordan Mitchell, who combined for 36 points on 7-14 three point shooting.  The Warhawks battled back, however, with a balanced attack that placed 4 players in double figures.  Gage Richardson led the team in scoring, while Malachi Moreno and Vince Dawson scored 14 each, and LJ Holman added 12.  Moreno sealed the win with an emphatic block of a Cornelius Barnett shot to end the game.  Moreno had another impressive game as he pulled down 14 rebounds, and blocked 6 shots to go along with his 14 points.  The Warhawks, who are now 12-1 against Kentucky competition, have 2 games this week.  They will face Western Hills at home on Tuesday, and travel to Covington Catholic on Saturday, in what should be a good one.

2. Frederick Douglass (15-2)

The Broncos went a perfect 3-0 last week, and really solidified their spot in the rankings with double digit victories over regions top 5 teams Henry Clay and Madison Central.  They opened the week with a 66-54 home win over Henry Clay.  Jaunte Jenkins and DeMarcus Surratt poured in 17 points each in the win.  Logan Busson just missed double digits with 9 points, while grabbing 14 rebounds.  On Friday, they hosted Madison Central.  Douglass proved to be too much for the Indians and won 80-63 behind a huge game from Surratt, who ended up with 27 points.   They rounded out the week by destroying a struggling Paul Laurence Dunbar team 91-35.   The Broncos are off until Friday, but they have two big games once they get back in action.  On Friday, they host regional number three Bryan Station, in what will be the 3^rd matchup with the Defenders since December 30^th.  That game will be followed by another game with a state-ranked foe, when they will travel to Woodford County to take on DuPont Manual on Saturday. 

3. Bryan Station (17-3)

The Defenders also had a 3-0 week last week.  On Tuesday they blew out Mercer County at home 74-50 behind 26 points from Amari Owens, and 18 from Taeshawn Adams.  Station followed that up with a 75-home win over Madison Southern on Wednesday.  Rashaad Faulkner led the Defenders in scoring in that one with 21 points, while Adams added 19, and Owens scored 15.  They completed their week with their 3^rd win in 4 nights on Friday in an 84-57 win over a struggling Scott County team.  The Defenders have 2 games this week, both at home.  On Tuesday they take on Sayre, before that huge matchup with Frederick Douglass on Friday. 

4. Henry Clay (13-4)

The Blue Devils split their two games last week.  On Tuesday, they lost a road game to regional number two Frederick Douglass 66-54.  That game was followed by a trip to Berea where Henry Clay was able to snap their two game losing streak with an easy 76-43 win over the Pirates.  Sunday brought another easy win for the Devils as they raced by Lafayette 91-68 to break the Generals 5 game win streak. Henry Clay has four games on the schedule this week, all at home.  The big one is a Thursday matchup with Madison Central that will decide who is the number 4 team in the rankings next week.  In addition to the game with Central, the Devils host Scott County on Tuesday and Dunbar on Friday, before closing out a busy week with Sayre on Saturday. 

5. Madison Central (14-5)

The Indians went 2-1 last week.  Their week began with a 45-42 road win over Lincoln County in a defensive struggle.  Jake Feldhaus was the only Indian to reach double figures, as he finished with 14 points and 9 rebounds in the win.  Thursday night proved to be a little bit easier for Central as they breezed past an overmatched Western Hills team, on the road, 90-68.  Five players finished in double figures for Madison Central in this one, led again by Feldhaus who poured in 20 points while pulling down 10 rebounds.  Joining him in double figures were Luke Asher with 15, Cam Steele with 13, while Will Richardson added 12 and Joe Powers scored 11.  The next night the Indians went back on the road where they were handed an 80-63 defeat at the hands of powerhouse Frederick Douglass.  Feldhaus had a great game against the Broncos with a game high 35 points and 12 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough for the Indians to pull off the upset.  The Indians have 4 games on their slate for this week.  In addition to their big road game at Henry Clay on Thursday, they travel to Rockcastle County on Monday and host a pair of Louisville teams.  On Tuesday they take on Trinity before welcoming in Evangel Christian on Friday.

6. Sayre (13-5)

The Spartans went 2-1 last week.  On Monday, they travelled to Scott County and came away with a 77-58 win over the Cardinals.  Jaxson Howard led the way in the win with 23 points and 13 rebounds in another double/double performance.  Thursday found Sayre in Owensboro to take part in the All A Classic State Tournament.  In the first round, the Spartans raced by Louisville Holy Cross 71-49.  The win over Holy Cross featured a pair of double/doubles for Sayre.  Howard had 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Brock Coffman ended up with 26 points and 14 boards.  Chase Parker joined them in double figures with 16 points.  In the quarterfinals the Spartans came up just short against a good Owensboro Catholic squad, playing in their hometown, 56-50.  Howard and Coffman again both contributed double/doubles against the Aces.  Howard finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Coffman added 18 points and 11 boards.  Sayre has three games this week, all against 11^th Region foes.  On Tuesday they travel to Bryan Station, before returning home to take on Scott County.  They finish off the week on the road at Henry Clay on Saturday. 

7. Lexington Catholic (11-8)

The Knights went 3-0 last week to move back above .500 for the season, and run their winning streak to 4 games.  On Monday, they hosted Evangel Christian, and came out on top 62-45.  Three players finished in double figures for Catholic.  Max Meagher led the team with 12 points, while Jacob Holland and Hank Woodall added 10 each.  Thursday saw them blow out a reeling Tates Creek squad 80-52.  In the win Ryan Harward sank 6 three point baskets to finish with 20 points.  Jacob Holland drained 5 threes of his own to add 15 points.  The Knights finished out the week by blowing out Johnson Central, in the Dan Cummins Shootout at Scott County, 70-42.  Catholic has 3 games next week, all against 11^th Region teams on the road. On Tuesday they travel to Lafayette to take on the resurgent Generals.  Friday brings a matchup with Lexington Christian, before finishing up with a rate Sunday regular season game against Dunbar.

8. Franklin County (9-8)

The Flyers went 2-1 last week, picking up a couple of rivalry wins before dropping one to Dixie Heights.  On Wednesday Franklin County made the short trip across town to take on archrival Western Hills.  They were able to come away with a hard-fought 55-49 win to move above .500 for the year.  David Chong led the way for the Flyers with 16 points and 8 rebounds, while Kaevin Russell added 14 points, and Broderick Redden kicked in 13.  Friday brought another rivalry game, this time at home against Frankfort.  Franklin County secured bragging rights in round one against the two local teams with a 53-43 win over the Panthers.  Russell and Chong tied for scoring honors against Frankfort with 14 points each, while Redden added 13 points and 12 rebounds.  After the two wins against crosstown rivals, the Flyers ran out of gas against a tough Dixie Heights squad, and dropped a 70-42 decision to the Colonels.  Franklin County has another 3 game week this seek. On Tuesday they travel to Lexington to take on Lexington Christian Academy.  The weekend finds them in a rematch with Western Hills at home on Friday, and a trip to Lebanon where they will be matched up with Taylor County in the H&W/Dukes Sports Showcase at Marion County.

9. Frankfort (13-6)

The Panthers dropped their only game of the week 53-43 to crosstown rival Franklin County.  The loss was their third in a row, and fourth in the last 5 games.  They will look to right the ship this week with four very winnable games.  On Tuesday they host a 1-16 Shelby County squad.  Thursday finds them at Frankfort Christian, a team that they defeated by 51 in their season opener.  Then they travel to Hancock County where they will take part in the Commonwealth Hancock County Shootout.  They will be matched up with Francis Parker on Friday night, and then Louisville Collegiate on Saturday.

10. Madison Southern (9-11)

The Eagles had a 1-2 week in week 8.  The week started off well on Tuesday with a 66-48 home win against Somerset.  Casen Nobbe was unstoppable against the Briar Jumpers with 33 points and 7 rebounds,  on 10-14 shooting from the field, and 10-11 from the line.  He was joined in double figures by Micah Whitaker with 19 points.   The next night Southern had to make the trip to Lexington to face regional number 3 Bryan Station.  The Eagles stayed in the game with the Defenders, but ultimately came up short in a 75-66 loss.  Casen Nobbe again led the team in scoring, this time with 30 points.  He ended up going 0-5 on two point attempts, but made up for it by going 5-8 from three point range, and 5-6 from the free throw line.  On Friday night, they hosted Bell County, but were just overmatched by the Bobcats in a 71-38 defeat.  Nobbe did not play against Bell County and the Eagles struggled to score.  No one scored in double figures for Southen, who finished 14-43 from the field.  Madison Southern has three games in the coming week.  On Tuesday they host Berea, before going ton the road Tuesday to take on the Golden Lions of Garrard County.  On Saturday the will play Lafayette at Woodford County at 1230pm.  It is unclear if Nobbe will be available this week.

11. Lafayette (8-11)

The Generals had a 2-1 week.  After an 0-6 start to the season Lafayette is now 8-5 over their last 13 games.  Although they had their 5 game win streak snapped on Sunday against Henry Clay in a 91-68 loss, they still had a productive week.  On Tuesday they blew out LCA at home 78-34 before getting by Paul Laurence Dunbar 65-61 on Friday.  No stats have been posted for any of their 3 games so far.  The Generals have 3 games this week.  On Tuesday they are at home against Lexington Catholic, before hosting West Jessamine on Friday.  On Saturday they will be matched up with Madison Southern in a game at Woodford County.

12. Tates Creek (8-11)

The Commodores went 1-2 last week.  On Tuesday they dropped a close at home to George Rogers Clark 51-46.  Stephen Franklin posted a double/double in the loss with 17 points and 10 rebounds.  Thursday saw Tates Creek lose their seventh game in a row in an 80-52 thrashing at the hands of Lexington Catholic.  Franklin was again a bright spot for the Commodores as he poured in another 17 points and added 7 rebounds.  The Creekers were finally able to break their skid, and win their first game of 2025, on Saturday in the Rocket Classic at Rockcastle County. There they defeated a pretty good Knox Central team 75-64.  The Commodores only have one game this week.  On Thursday they will go on the road to play Paul Laurence Dunbar. 

13. Berea (7-10)

The Pirates split their two games last week.  On Friday they suffered a 76-43 blowout at the hands of Henry Clay, before bouncing back with a 76-41 win over Frankfort Christian.  Berea has 3 games on the schedule this week.  They will make the trip across town on Tuesday where they will take on crosstown rival Madison Southern.  They then return home on Thursday against Barbourville before closing out the week with another home game, this time against Portland Christian. 

14. Model (8-10)

Model went 1-1 in week 8.  On Friday night they picked up a 67-41 home win against Burgin.   Riley Mollette led 4 Patriots in double figures with 29 points.  He also pulled down 18 rebounds in the game.  Marcello Zorzi added 10 points and 13 boards to join Mollette in posting a double/double.  Joining them in double figures were Harrison Parkhurst with 12 points and Travis Kidd with 11.  Saturday saw Model hit the road to take on Nicholas County where they dropped at 63-58 decision to the Blue Jackets.  There are 3 games on the schedule this week for Model.  They travel to Williamstown to take on the Demons on Tuesday before returning home to host Bluegrass United on Thursday and East Carter on Saturday.

15. Lexington Christian Academy (8-10)

Lexington Christian Academy also went 1-1 in week 8.  On Tuesday they went on the road to Lafayette where they were destroyed by the Generals 78-34.  The Eagles were without their best player, Saxton Howard in the loss to Lafayette. They were able to break their 3 game losing streak on Thursday when they were able to get back in the win column with a 96-84 win at Meade County.  Saxton Howard returned against the Green Wave, and may have turned in the game of the year in the 11^th Region, if not the state.  Howard poured in 53 points for LCA.  He was able to produce those 53 points on only 28 field goal attempts.  He finished the game 11-19 on 2 point attempts, 5-9 from behind the arc, and 16-20 from the line.  Caleb Marshall and Chase Bentley added 16 each for the Eagles.  LCA has 3 games this week.  They travel to Nicholas County on Monday before returning home to take on Franklin County on Tuesday and Lexington Catholic on Friday. 

16. Scott County (5-12)

The Cardinals has a 1-2 week in week 8.  On Monday they lost a home game to Sayre 77-58.  No one was able to break the double figure barrier for Scott County, although 6 players scored at least 6 points.  They were led by Phillip Grimes, Colton Helton, and Reed Rutledge with 8 points each.   They then had to go on the road to take on a very tough Bryan Station squad, and they were no match for the Defenders in an 84-57 defeat.  The Cards had a frigid night shooting the ball against Station, finishing 20-68 from the field for an icy 29.4%.  Scott County was able to put the 2 rough outings behind them on Saturday, however, when they picked up a thrilling 75-73 overtime win over Bourbon County in their own Dan Cummins Shootout.  Ben Glenn led a balanced Scott County attack with 17 points.  Montae Washburn and Colton Helton added 15 each, and Phillip Grimes rounded out the double figure scorers for the Cards with 13.  After the rough shooting game against Station, Scott County was on fire against Bourbon.  They finished 29-52 overall and 9-21 from three point range.  Scott County has three games on the schedule this week.  They are on the road against Henry Clay and Sayre, before stepping out of the 11^th Region to take on Harlan County in the Gem City Classic at Pineville on Saturday.

17. Western Hills (5-12)

It was simply a lost week for the Wolverines, as they dropped all 4 games that they played.  They have now lost 7 of their last 8.  On Monday they were beaten at home by Bluegrass United 73-65.  Javeon Campbell paced the Wolverines against BU with 18 points and 6 rebounds.  Elijah Thompson added 15 in the loss.  That loss was followed by a close loss to crosstown rival Franklin County 55-49 at home.  Still reeling from those 2 losses the Wolverines were blown out at home by Madison Central 90-68, before going on the road on Saturday at Ryle.  They were unable to get past the Raiders in an 81-65 defeat to complete the winless week.  Things don’t get any easier this week when they will hit the road for 2 games.  Tuesday they have the unenviable task of breaking their losing streak against Great Crossing before getting a rematch with Franklin County on Friday.

18. Paul Laurence Dunbar (2-15)

The Bulldogs continued to struggle in week 8, when they went 0-3, all on the road,  to run their losing streak to 6 games.  On Tuesday they were blown out by Woodford County 77-45.  Friday they dropped a close one to Lafayette 65-51 before being embarrassed in a 91-35 blowout against Frederick Douglass.  PLD will try to get back on track this week with a four game schedule.  Tuesday they are at home against West Jessamine, and will then host Tates Creek on Thursday.  The Bulldogs will then go on the road to take on the Henry Clay Blue Devils on Friday before returning home against Lexington Catholic on Sunday.