13th Region: Week 8

Week 8 is in the books! Bare with me for the 4-6 rankings. South Laurel has beaten North Laurel twice, North Laurel split with Clay County with the latest NL winning big, and Clay won a tight one over South Laurel. You could put those three teams in a bag, shake it up, and then draw each one out. Harlan County continues to roll and has a huge showdown with Bell County within the district. Corbin is finding their footing and has all the makings as a dark horse to compete for the region. The Pineville and Knox Central game should also be very interesting. Here is the week 8 rankings. 

Week 8 Rankings:

1. Harlan County (16-5): Harlan County had no hangovers after their 2A loss in the championship game, and they went 2-0 on the week. They let Pikeville and Breathitt County both hang around for about half the game, before going on runs and putting them away in the second half. When The Black Bears get hot, they can put you away fast. They beat Pikeville by 21 and Breathitt by 19. In the Pikeville game Maddox Huff hit five 2s, five 3s, and five free throws to end up with 30. Jaycee Carter also had a great game and added 25. Harlan County has a huge show down tomorrow with Bell County, and then they play Scott County on Saturday at Pineville in the Gem City Classic. 

2. Bell County (16-4): The Bobcats are still red hot after going 3-0 this week. They’ve not lost since their last game to Harlan County in the 2A. Ethan Buell led the way with 23 going 9/10 from the field for the 40 point win over Harlan Ind. He also led the way with 26 in the 33 point win over Madison Southern. They get a chance to avenge their last loss and reach the top of the rankings as they travel back to HC for a showdown Tuesday. They finish the week out with Middlesboro, and Knoxville Ambassadors TN. 

3. Corbin (11-5): Corbin has now extended their win streak to three games. The latest was an 18 point win over district rival Whitley County that moved them to 3-0 within the district. Connor Middleton went for 23 and 6 in the win. Ryder Adkins added 21 and 7. Corbin is starting to get hot at the right time and look to be a tough out, especially if they can win the district. Corbin has a busy week with Somerset tonight, Williamsburg Tuesday, South Laurel on the road Friday, and Evangel Christian Saturday. If they can win the South Laurel rematch, they will likely lock up the 1 seed for the district tournament. 

4. : South Laurel (12-6): The Cardinals bounced back after a rough stretch and went 2-0 on the week. Their first win was a district win over Williamsburg where they pulled away to eventually win by 22. Jordan Mabe put up 22 in the win, and Colton Rawlings added 15. Max Fullmer also added in 13. They then went and beat Rockcastle on the road by 14. This week they play Whitley County and Corbin in district matchups, then end the week with Bourbon County. They need to win the game with Corbin to avoid the 2 seed. 

5. North Laurel (12-6): The Jaguars had a big week going 2-0 with two district wins. This now puts them at 5-1 within the district. They beat OBI by 28 to begin the week. Reece Davidson had a really nice game with 28 points and 24 boards! Jordan Rawlings also added in 17, and freshman Corey Cunagin had 10. Their biggest win of the week was a rematch with Clay County. They dropped their first matchup in OT, but won the rematch in dominating fashion by 15. This week North travels to Boyle County on Tuesday, and then they finish the week with Trinity on Sunday. 

6. Clay County (13-4): Clay is honestly probably a little low having only four losses on the season. What’s tough is their most recent loss to North Laurel. They could’ve essentially locked up the top seed in the district with the win but that didn’t work out in their favor. They dropped the rematch by a score of 63-78. Ethan Jackson led the way with 21. Grubb, Dezarn, and Wagers only combined for 21 points. It will be tough for them to knock off the top teams of the region with that outcome. Clay should roll through this week with Middlesboro, Jackson County, and Leslie County on the schedule. 

7. Pineville (14-6): The Mountain Lions had the All A this week. They won their first game over Bishop Brossart by 31, in a game many probably thought was a toss up. Sawyer Thompson dominated in all facets of the game and had a triple double. Jeremiah Beck had a nice game with 18, and Ashton Moser had 17. This trio is starting to heat up at the right time. Their next game with Lyon County was tight throughout, before Lyon eventually pulled away for a 9 point win. Moser had 22 and Thompson had 15 in the loss. Pineville goes on the road to play Knox Central tomorrow in a huge district game. They wrap the week up with Tri-Cities Christian Academy, and then Belfry on Saturday. 

8. Knox Central (13-4): The Panthers split their games this week. The first was a 15 point win over district and cross town rival Barbourville. Grayson Burton led the way as he usually does with 21 in the win. Tydus Summers added in 14. They dropped their second game to Tates Creek by 11. Tydus Summers led the way this tie with 26, and Grayson Burton added in 16. Knox has a huge district game tomorrow with Pineville. They wrap the week up with Lynn Camp, and Tri-Cities Christian Academy TN. 

9. Whitley County (13-6): The Colonels went 1-1 on the week ending a three game skid. They got beat in their first game of the week by Corbin by 18. Bryson Mahan had 26, and Levi Jackson added 11 in the loss. They bounced back nicely with a 59 point win over Cordia. Competition amps up this week with South Laurel on Tuesday, Williamsburg on the road Friday, and Owsley County at home on Saturday. 

10. Barbourville (11-7): The Tigers went 1-1 on the week. They played Knox Central tough before eventually losing by 15. Jasper Hubbs had 14, and Riley Corey had 14. Barbourville will have to beat either Knox or Pineville if they plan on making the region. They did rebound with a 47 point win over Casey County. This week they have Lynn Camp and Berea on the schedule. Two very winnable games. 

11. Williamsburg (12-5): The Yellow Jackets went 1-1 on the week with a loss to South Laurel and a win over Mount Pisgah Christian Academy TN. They play Corbin and Whitley County this week. 

12. Jackson County (8-9): The Generals went 1-0 on the week with a win over OBI. This week they play Red Bird, Bourbon County, Clay County, and Casey County. 

13. OBI (7-9): The Mountaineers went 0-2 on the week with losses to North Laurel and Jackson County. They are off this week with no games on the schedule. 

14. Harlan (3-18): The Green Dragons went 1-2 on the week with losses to Bell County and Prestonsburg, but beat Middlesboro. This week they are currently off.  

15. Middlesboro (4-9): The Yellowjackets went 0-1 on the week with a loss to Harlan. They play Red Bird, Clay County, June Buchanan, and Bell County this week. 

16. Lynn Camp (4-15): The Campers went 2-0 on the week with wins over Red Bird and Cordia. They play Barbourville, Knox Central, and Trinity Christian this week. 

17. Red Bird (0-13): The Cardinals lost to Lynn Camp last week. This week they play Middlesboro and Jackson County.