13th Region Boys Basketball Week 2:

With week 2 in the books we will look and see how it all falls! North still sits on the top of the mountain. Bell is a close second. Clay County may be the dark horse to prove it’s actually a three horse race. Whitley looks to make it out of the 50th this year. And more!

Rankings:

1. North Laurel (5-1) -The Jaguars finished the week 3-0 and the winners of the WYMT Classic. They beat Perry County Central by 17, before being taken to the wire with Hazard and pulling away by 11 to win in OT. They finished up the week and the tournament with an 8 point win over Knott County Central to take home the gold. Reece Davidson continues to be a Mr. Basketball contender, and put up 19 and 13 in the win over PCC. This week North Laurel will compete in the King of the Bluegrass. They open up with Lyon County on Friday at 9:00 PM. 

2. Bell County (4-0) - The Bobcats thrashed Harlan and Middlesboro, before winning a tight one at home over Wayne County. This moves them to 4-0 on the year. Blake Burnett had 26, Ethan Buell 20, and Jaxon Thomas 18 in the win over Harlan. The Wayne Co game was tight with a final of 73-70, but there are no stats for that one yet. This week Bell will travel to play in the Alpha Invitational in TN, where they will begin against Dobyns-Bennett TN on Thursday at 7:00. 

3. Clay County (5-0) - The Tigers went 2-0 on the week and may be showing that they are a true threat to win the region outside of the big 2. They beat South Laurel at home by 6, before traveling to Corbin and getting a win on the road by 4. Aiden Wagers led the way with 19 and 11, while Adon Grubb put up 14 and Jacob Rogers put up 12. A win at Corbin is always a big win. This week they will look for another win over the 50th district as they take on Whitley County on the road Tuesday. 

4. South Laurel (1-2) - The Cardinals had a tough week going 0-1. They traveled to Clay County and were knocked off by 6 points. Kaden Taylor had 16, Kaiden McQueen had 13, and Brendan Murphy put up 11. As a team they only had 12 boards. This week they look to get back in the win column with Wayne County at home Tuesday, Owen County Saturday, and then Fleming County at home on Sunday. 

5. Whitley County (4-1) - Whitley Co took their first loss on the season, a 3 point setback to Boyle County. However, they did respond well with a 13 point win over Jackson County and an 11 point win over Clarkrange TN. Is this the year that Whitley finally makes it out of the 50th district? Time will tell. The Colonels got the chance to make a big statement this week with a game Tuesday against Clay County. They wrap the week up with Green Valley Christian NV, Bethel OH, and LCA on Sunday. 

6. Corbin (0-2) - The Redhounds are off to a rough start on the year. They started things off with a 4 point loss at home to Clay County. Then went on the road the next day in the Pride of the Mountains and got run off the court by 31 to Tri-Cities Christian Academy TN. Evan Ellis and Eli Pietrowski combined for 50+ of their 65. Things will not get any easier as they host Madison Central at home on Monday. They’ll face Berea at home Tuesday, and then Russell and East Jessamine to round out the week. 

7. Harlan County (1-1) - The Black Bears get their first win of the year as they knocked off Belfry by 3. Trenton Cole led the way with 21, Reggie Cottrell had 14, and Brennan Blevins had 10. Harlan Co is a team I think will only get better as the year progresses. This week they take on Central-Wise VA, and Tennessee Bristol TN. 

8. Knox Central (2-2)  - The Panthers has stayed consistent keeping their record at .500 through two weeks. They lost their opening round game to Knott Co Central of the WYMT Classic by 2, but bounced back nicely with a 19 point win over Leslie County. Evan Taylor led the way against Leslie with 21, and Hayden Melton added 11 and 14. The Panthers get most of this week off till they play Wolfe County on Saturday in the Legacy Nissan Dribble Drive Challenge. 

9. Jackson County (4-1)- The Generals finally dropped one on the year, a 13 point game to Whitley County. They did, though, have a nice 14 point win over Breathitt County. In the win over Breathitt, Brennan Combs led the way with 21, and Wyatt Gray added 12. They’re in for a busy week as they take on OBI at home Tuesday, Barbourville at home on Thursday, and Union City TN on the road Saturday. 

10. OBI (3-1) - The Mountaineers find themselves in the top 10 this week. They went 1-0 on the week, knocking off Barbourville by 7 on the road. Tommy Branstutter (15.8), Skyler Roberts (14.5), Aden Gregory (11.8), and Michael Cunningham (10.2) are leading the way for them this year. They get the chance to move higher this week with games against Jackson County, Pineville, and Ashland Blazer. 

11. Middlesboro (4-2) - The Yellow Jackets beat Lynn Camp and J. Frank White Academy TN, but got destroyed by Bell County. This week they will play Williamsburg, Pineville, Harlan, Letcher County Central, and Harrison County which should give us more of an idea of how the bottom of the rankings shake out. 

12. Pineville (1-2) - The Mountain Lions won a 1 point thriller over Williamsburg but lost to Somerset Christian School. They play Middlesobor, OBI, Green Valley Christian, and Clarkrange this week. 

13. Harlan (0-4) - The Green Dragons dropped two more games this past week, by 40 and 20. This week they play Lynn Camp, Middlesboro, and Rockcastle County. 

14. Barbourville (0-2) - The Tigers dropped a 7 point game to OBI last week at home. This week they will go to Jackson County, then play Clarkrange TN, and Smyrna TN. 

15. Williamsburg (0-3) - This week they dropped a 4 point game to Middlesboro and a 1 point game to Pineville. This coming week they can move forward as they paly Middlesboro, Jellico TN, and McCreary Central. 

16. Lynn Camp (2-3) - Lynn Camp dropped all three this week to Middlesboro, Buckhorn, and Casey County. This week they play Harlan, Trinity Christian, and Thomas Walker VA.

17. Red Bird (0-4) - Red Bird dropped their lone game to Owsley County. This week they will play Cordia at home.

Bump.