13th Region: Week 11

Week 11 is in the books! Bell County started the week off with a big time statement beating a team many thought could compete for the title in Corbin, by 29. Harlan County won the battle of next best as they knocked off South Laurel in a big time region matchup. South almost had the win to shock the state as they led Great Crossing the majority of their game, but gave up the lead with a minute or two left and could never regain it. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of flooding going on in EKY. With snow coming midweek, I would say a lot of games are going to be cancelled and teams are going to be focused on staying safe and prepping for the district tournaments, but we will see what happens. Without further ado, here are your week 11 rankings. 

Week 11 Rankings:

1. Bell County (22-4): The Bobcats went 1-0 on the week to run their win streak to 10 games. They crushed Corbin by 29 to defend their home court. This was a game that I’d have thought could’ve gone either way, and instead it was a statement win. Blake Burnett went off for 28 on 85% shooting, and Ethan Buell added 23. It was complete domination. Bell is playing the best ball of anyone in the region and has to be the favorite so far to win the 13th. This week they are set to play Knox Central on the road Tuesday, and Whitley County on the road Friday to finish out the regular season. Not sure either game will get played. 

2. Harlan County (21-8): The Black Bears went a perfect 3-0 on the week. The first was a huge win over South Laurel at home by four. Maddox Huff went for 30 and 7 in the win. Reggie Cottrell had a great game too with 9 points and 12 boards. They followed it up with a 51 point win over Middlesboro and 52 point win over Harlan. They finish the regular season up with Knox Central on the road tomorrow. Things are shaping up to be a great district tournament with them and Bell County on a collision course for the district championship. 

3. South Laurel (18-8): The Cardinals went 1-2 this week. The first was a four point loss to Harlan County. Jordan Mabe had 26 and 8 but not much happened outside of him. They rebounded from that loss and played a great game against the state's top team, Great Crossing. Although they ultimately lost by 3, they were up a lot of the game and showed that you can’t write them off for the top of the region either. Mabe had 23 in this game as well, but Moreno grabbed most of the boards as he only had one. They did end the week on a high note with a 5 point win over Jeffersontown. South has Madison Central, Lynn Camp, and Boyd County to finish up the regular season. 

4. Corbin (16-9): The Redhounds went 1-1 this week. I can’t quite figure them out. They were down one in the second quarter to Bell, before Bell blew the game open and beat them by 29. Ryder Adkins had 23, and Evan Ellis had 11 in the loss. As a team they shot 45%, but they couldn’t guard their shadow. I’d have thought they’d have lost to North in their rematch with them, but then they knocked them off by 5. Corbin seems good enough to give anyone a game, but bad enough to get blown out by the top of the region. Consistency is what they’re looking for right now. They finish up the regular season with Clay County, Pineville, and Middlesboro. 

5. North Laurel (16-9): The Jaguars had a decent week going 1-1. They dropped their first game of the week to Corbin by 5. This was the second time they’ve lost to the Redhounds in 8 days. They bounced back nicely with a 53 point win over Lafayette. North has a big game with Pulaski County on the road Tuesday, then they finish the regular season up with Whitley County on Thursday. 

6. Knox Central (19-5): The KC Panthers had a nice week going 3-0 and pushed their win streak to four games. They blew out Middlesboro by 29, beat Leslie Co by 20, and then handled business with Whitley County by 9. The freshman Grayson Burton had 26 points in the win over Whitley. Freshman Hayden Melton had a double double with 11 and 10. Knox has a very busy week this week, with Harlan County, Bell County, Williamsburg, and Harlan on the schedule. They’ll open the district tournament up with Lynn Camp. 

7. Clay County (18-6): The Tigers had a good week going 1-0. They beat district opponent Jackson County by 42 on the road. Jerrod Roark led the way with 18, and as a team they went 12-23 from three. All a recipe for a beat down. Their big game with Hazard was unfortunately cancelled due to the weather. This week they are set to play Corbin, Red Bird, OBI, and Knott Co Central. Could be some big matchups if the weather cooperates. 

8. Pineville (19-7): Pineville had a nice week again going 2-0. They’ve now won five in a row and are playing pretty solid ball going into the district and region. They beat Harlan by 9 in a game that was likely closer than it should’ve been. Sawyer Thompson led the way with 28, but as a team they went a terrible 9-29 from the line. That has to be cleaned up moving forward. They did play much better the next game as they knocked off one of the favorites in the 15th, Johnson Central, on the road by 11. Pineville finishes the regular season up with Corbin, and Somerset Christian School, two formidable opponents. They will open up the district tournament with Barbourville. 

9. Whitley County (18-9): The Colonels went 2-1 this week. They opened the week with two blowout wins over Red Bird and Lynn Camp. They won the two games by a combined 109 points. Twelve players scored against Red Bird so it’s not like they were trying to make a point. They did have a disappointing finish to the week by dropping a 9 point game to Knox Central. The Colonels finish the week with Harlan, North Laurel, and Bell County. It would be huge if they could win two of these games as they get ready to take on Corbin for a birth to the region. 

10. Williamsburg (16-8): The Yellowjackets finished a solid 2-0 this week. The first win was a 14 point win over Harlan. The next was a very low scoring, 2-0 win over Cordia in a forfeit. The Burg is set to play Owsley County, Middlesboro, Knox Central, and Owsley County again this week. Hopefully the rain and snow will hold off so these games can get played. Williamsburg will play South Laurel to open up the district tournament. 

11. Barbourville (15-10): The Tigers went 3-0 this week with wins over Buckhorn, Red Bird, and Middlesboro. They finish up the regular season with Model, Jackson County, OBI, and Casey County. 

12. OBI (13-11): The Mountaineers went 1-0 this week with a win over Middlesboro. They finish the regular season up with Owsley County, Clay County, and Barbourville. 

13. Jackson County (10-16): The Generals had a tough week going 0-2 with losses to Prestonsburg and Clay County. They finish the regular season up with Barbourville and Buckhorn.  

14. Harlan (5-22): The Green Dragons went 1-3 this week with a win over Lee High VA, and losses to Pineville, Williamsburg, and Harlan County. This finish the regular season up with Whitley County, and Knox Central. 

15. Middlesboro (8-17): The Yellowjackets went 0-4 on the week. They lost to Knox Central, Harlan County, OBI, and Barbourville. They finish the regular season up with Red Bird, Lynn Camp, Williamsburg, and Corbin. 

16. Lynn Camp (5-21): The Campers went 1-2 this week with a win over Jackson City, and losses to CCH and Whitley County. This finish the regular season up with Trinity Christian, Middlesboro, and South Laurel. 

17. Red Bird (0-21): The Cardinals lost both games this week to Whitley County and Barbourville. Their last chance to get a win this regular season will be against Middlesboro, Clay County, and Jackson CIty.