8th Region: Week 1

Basketball season is officially upon us.  The 8^th region teams hit the court running this past week.  One thing is very clear---Simon Kenton is in a league of their own.  They are talented and they are deep.  I really think they will walk through the region very easily.  Unfortunately, everyone is playing for second place this year.  I am going out on a limb and say Simon Kenton will have a chance to cut down the nets in Rupp Arena come march. But for the 8^th region as a whole, I am excited to see which teams will get into the top 10 each week.  I expect a lot of moving and shaking throughout the year.  let's get some popcorn and an ice cold diet coke and enjoy the season.

1.      Simon Kenton- this week they beat two really good teams in Ryle and Mercy.  The gap between Simon and the rest of the region is as wide as the Ohio River.  This week they play West Jessamine and St. Henry

2.      Anderson County- they went 2-0 beating North Oldham and Lincoln County… Simon and Anderson have been 1,2 for the last 20 years… I will keep them at 1,2 until someone proves me otherwise.  This week they have Lex Catholic and South Oldham.

3.      Woodford County- started the year off 3-0 with wins over Bryan Station, Harrison County, and University (Memphis).  Can Woodford steal the crown from Anderson as the best team in the 30^th District this year?  They definitely have the talent to do so.  This week they have Great Crossing Dec 9th

4.      Walton Verona- went 2-1 in the opening week with wins over Conner and Trimble.  They got beat by a really good Highlands team by 3.  Walton has a great culture and tradition.  It will be fun watching them this season.  This week they will take on Lloyd Memorial and Gallatin County.

5.      South Oldham-  just like my preseason poll I had South Oldham outside the top 4 but everyone else had them at 2 or 3.  They opened their season going 0-3 losing to Ryle, North Bullitt, and Dunbar. This week they have Gallatin, Ballard, Anderson , and Central Hardin.

6.      Gallatin County- I had them outside my top 10 in my preseason poll because I didn’t know much about them.  I am told they are a really solid team and I am a believer once I saw them beat a good Spencer County team this past week.  This week they have South Oldham, Carroll County and Walton Verona.

7.      Spencer County-  Started the season 1-2 with a win vs Western Hill and loses to Gallatin and Butler.  This is a very well coached team so I could see them getting better throughout the season.  This week they play Eastern and Oldham County.

8.      Owen County – Started the season off 1-1.  They beat Lex Catholic and beat Western Hills.  Owen and Gallatin will fight for first place in the District throughout the year. This week they have North Oldham and Eminence.

9.      Trimble County-  Was 1-1 last week.  With a big win over Lex Chr and a loss to Walton by 6 points.  The Lady Raiders are a team I want to watch because they could be a team that surprises some folks this season.  They might ruin Owen and Gallatin’s party come tournament time.

10. Grant County- Even though started 0-3,  I am going to keep them in the top 10.  They lost to St. Henry, Dixie Heights and Scott.  All 3 of those teams are very solid.  This week they have Scott County.