mooremiller31

Congrats to Isaiah for this awesome award. This makes the 3rd KY Gatorade Player of the Year for Madison Central. Isaiah joins Marquis Estill and Dominque Hawkins as Indians that have won the award.

Also, this marks the 3rd year out of the last 4 that Gatorade Player of the Year was not Mr. Basketball.

I believe what he said was he was 99% done but that would be a decision he would make with a fishing pole in his hand.

As I posted in another thread, I don't expect this job to be officially posted or officially open for a while. Don't look for it to be posted anytime soon.

I have a feeling this is going to the 3rd time in the last 4 years that Mr. Basketball and the Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year are going to be different. It’s a bad look.

2016 - Mr. Basketball - Carson Williams

Gatorade POY - Quentin Goodin

2018 - Mr. Basketball - Trevon Faulkner

Gatorade POY - CJ Frederick

2019 - Mr. Basketball - Dontaie Allen

Gatorade POY - ???

I think this will be a GREAT game. People who have not seen Campbell County will be pleasantly surprised by just how good they are. The Camels are not a team that is talked about much statewide or really at all outside of the 10th Region or Northern Kentucky area but they are really good. Both these teams were at Rupp last season so the experience is there. I'll take CC in a close one with Jolly and Wilson willing their team to victory like they have all season.

Throughout the season the Scott County Cardinals were labeled as the team to beat not only in the 11th Region but in the entire state of Kentucky. The Cardinals began the season on a tear blowing past any team in their way. The first big test came when Scott County traveled to Myrtle Beach to play in the prestigious Beach Ball Classic. While in South Carolina the Cardinals suffered their first loss of the season, a 1 point loss to Westchester, California out of Los Angeles, a top 10 team in the country at the time. Perhaps their biggest loss at the time was that of senior Mr. Basketball candidate Michael Moreno. Michael suffered a broken foot in a quarterfinal win for the Cardinals and most people thought the end of the run for the Cardinals was near.

After the loss of Moreno the Cardinals ripped off an impressive 15 game winning streak once they returned to the bluegrass state. Scott County entered the final regular season game looking to go undefeated against in state competition with arguably the hardest schedule in Kentucky. Unfortunately, for the Cardinals Paul Laurence Dunbar ended the in state streak and gave these Cardinals their first in state regular season loss since December of 2016! The Cardinals entered postseason play as the 1 seed in the 42nd District and finally got big man Michael Moreno back. In the district championship against a top 5 Henry Clay team the Cardinals fell in a close game in which the Blue Devils seemed to finally crack the Scott County code they had struggled with for so long.

The road got no easier for the Cardinals entering the always tough 11th Region tournament. As a district runner up, Scott County had to travel to Madison Central to begin regional tournament play. The same Madison Central team who had a 13 point 4th quarter lead on the Cardinals earlier in the season they let slip away. Most people around the state of Kentucky viewed this game as the best 1st round Regional tournament matchup anywhere! The Cardinals managed to get by the Indians and Moreno looked to finally have returned to form in his best game since returning from injury. Next up Scott County had to take on a talented Frankfort team who many had picked as a sleeper in the 11th Region tournament. The Panthers had been at the top of the region all season and came in with a top 10 state ranking. Frankfort led by 6 at the half and the game was tied with 2:30 left but as they always do the Cardinals found a way to win and advance to the 11th Region Final for a rematch with Henry Clay. After a back and forth 1st period that ended in a 14-14 tie the Scott County defense clamped down and the rout was on. The Cardinals claimed their 3rd straight 11th region championship with a 20 point win over Henry Clay.

The Cardinals enter the state tournament with a 32-3 record and a state #1 ranking. The first game will be a rematch of last year's state championship game with Covington Catholic. All year these Cardinals have answered the bell in good times and bad. I truly believe this is the year this Cardinals group wins the last one and cuts down the nets in Rupp Arena.

KEY PLAYERS

Guard - Diablo Stewart - 15.1 ppg

Guard - Glenn Covington - 13.7 ppg

Guard - Bryce Long - 10.8 ppg

Forward - Michael Moreno - 15.1 ppg 8.6 rpg

PREDICTION: Scott County over Trinity in the State Championship

People get their feelings hurt way to easy these days.

Come on over to Kansas City we can find a place for you!

I am sure I could I guess all I should have said is we have the best 4 teams left based on how the regular season went.

My guess is he would not have made that shot if it was not for that shoot around. Some of the posters hate Mason so much they just try to dream up stuff against Mason. Mason is no different than other then that region teams. Trying to find a way to win our next game!!!

:clap:

Don't want to rain on a great game but just a couple questions, did Mason Co

walk on the inbounds can't tell if the ref had it as a spot or if he had the run of the baseline? Also on the radio broadcast Danny Weddle said Mason had a shoot around during the day of the game at the Fieldhouse how should that be allowed when no other team can shoot around at the region gym the day of the game? Great win for Mason and seemed like a gutzy call by Coach Kirk to survive and advance.

I feel like most teams have a shoot around the day of the game usually before they get on the bus. Mason just happens to be the host of the regional tournament. I don't think its an unfair advantage. Are they supposed to bus the team to another location to "shoot around"?

You're not wrong. Plus, I'm admittedly biased.

All good Deuce I know all to well about the Frankfort allegiances. Proud Flyer basketball alum!! Wishing you guys the best!

It doesn't really matter. But typically most like when the two best teams play in the championship.

I think the argument can be made these are the top 4 teams in the region but I wouldn't go as far as to say Frankfort and Scott County are the top 2. Just look at the results this season:

Frankfort defeated Henry Clay and Woodford County in December and lost to Woodford County and Franklin County in January.

Henry Clay lost to Frankfort in December, lost to Scott County in January and February, and defeated Scott County and Woodford County later in Februrary.

Scott County beat Henry Clay and Woodford County twice but then lost to Henry Clay a week ago.

Woodford has beaten Frankfort and lost to everyone else albeit in close games.

Point is I think the matchups are actually evenly "seeded" based on current results. Frankfort is a champion playing a runner up and Henry Clay is a champion playing a runner up. If I were to seed the Region based on current and recent results I would go:

1. Henry Clay

2. Frankfort

3. Scott County

4. Woodford County

51-41 Frankfort after 3.

48-39 Frankfort under 2 in the 3rd.

Frankfort leads 31-29 at the half. PLD was up 24-14 early 2nd quarter and the Panthers turned it on.

Gadd and O’Bryan take turns hitting 3s. Frankfort leads 31-29 with less then a minute left in the 2nd quarter.

28-26 Frankfort. Juanya Frank has gotten hot for the Panthers.

24-20 PLD 4:22 left in the 2nd quarter. Tillman and Frank both have 2 fouls for Frankfort.

Just noticed that the Scott County at Madison Central game will be streamed live as well on YouTube.

WBON-TV | Wallingford Media Group or on the WBONTV YouTube page.

So it’s come to this! The final 8 left in the toughest region in the state. Everyone knows if you can get through this gauntlet and make it to Rupp Arena you can chase a bigger dream. One team has dominated this region all year but over the last week we’ve seen that it’s not an open and shut case as we all previously thought!

Paul Laurence Dunbar vs. Frankfort

The Panthers enter this matchup as the 41st District champions and with a school record 27 wins. The Panthers have been ranked towards the top of the region all year long and have lived up to the hype thus far. The three headed monster of Juanya Frank, John Tillman, and DeJuan Davis lead this Panther squad as they look for their first regional tournament win in 15 years.

Dunbar enters as the 43rd District Runner Up but nobody is over looking the Bulldogs. In the past week PLD picked up wins over Scott County and Lafayette. For the first time all year the Bulldogs are healthy and most of that is on senior guard Jared Gadd who willed his team into the regional tournament with an epic performance against Lafayette in the district semi finals.

This is an interesting matchup with some underlying story lines. Coach Scott Chalk spent 9 years at Frankfort High in the late 90s and early 2000s and helped lead the Panthers to 3 straight district titles before departing. Coach Chris OBryan is in his first year at Frankfort and has his Panthers setting records left and right! I expect this game to be one of the best first round region games in all of Kentucky.

Scott County vs. Madison Central

This game is a rematch of an earlier game where Scott County defeated Madison Central after trailing by 16 points in the second half. Another absolute beast of a game in the 11th Region tournament, this is one that should come down to the end.

Scott County enters as 42nd District Runner Up and having lost 2 of their last 3 games. Back for the Cardinals is senior big man Michael Moreno who wasn’t available the last time these two teams met. When the cards are shooting the ball well they are nearly impossible to beat. As shown in their recent losses though when the outside shot isn’t falling the Cardinals are susceptible to being beat.

Madison Central enters as champions, again, of the 44th District. You would be hard pressed to find a team that has played a tougher schedule in the state then the Indians. Led by big man and Mr. Basketball finalist, Isaiah Cozart, the Indians are one of the toughest defensive teams in the Region.

This is another game I expect to come down to the wire. Can the Cardinals get back on track and prove they are the best team in the region and the state? Or will the Indians and Mr. Cozart exact revenge and move on in their quest for a Region title?

Madison Southern vs. Henry Clay

Madison Southern enters this matchup as runners up of the 44th District. This game will be a y’all task for the Eagles as they have yet to show all season they can play with or beat a team they aren’t supposed to. Head Coach Austin Newton will get a taste of his first Region tournament and hopefully help build experience for the Eagles in future years.

Henry Clay enters as the champions of the 42nd District and quite possibly the hottest team in the state of Kentucky. The Blue Devils have a balanced attack led by Marques Warrick, Keaston Brown, and Harris Hawkins. In what should be a good warmup for the Blue Devils they will look to continue their winning ways against Madison Southern.

This is the only first round game I don’t expect to be close. Look for the Blue Devils to roll in this one.

Woodford County vs. Lexington Christian Academy

The Yellow Jackets come in to their final 11th Region tournament as the runners up of the 41st District. Woodford County has been a tough team all year long and challenged some of the big dogs but never could quite get over the hump. Brandon Cromwell and Anthony Tabor are going to need to be big for the Jackets to win this one.

LCA enters the Region tournament as the 43rd District champions for the 3rd straight year. Senior Kyle Rose, a Mr. Basketball finalist, passed Taveion Hollingsworth as Lexington’s all time leading scorer last week and looks to continue his high scoring ways this week.

This game has potential to be a really close contest but I feel like the Eagles are just playing too well right now. Look for LCA to pull away in the 4th and win this game.

PREDICTIONS

Paul Laurence Dunbar over Frankfort

Scott County over Madison Central

Henry Clay over Madison Southern

LCA over Woodford County

Scott County over Paul Laurence Dunbar

Henry Clay over LCA

Henry Clay over Scott County

All Region Team

Kyle Rode - LCA

Isaiah Cozart - Madison Central

Marques Warrick - Henry Clay

Diablo Stewart - Scott County

Juanya Frank - Frankfort

Harris Hawkins - Henry Clay

Glenn Covington - Scott County

John Tillman - Frankfort

Brandon Cromwell - Woodford County

Ben Johnson - Lexington Catholic

Players of the Year

Isaiah Cozart and Kyle Rode

Coach of the Year

Daniel Brown - Henry Clay

For anyone interested in watching some of these games but can't make it out in person the following games will be streamed live online.

Woodford County at Lexington Christian Academy will be on PrepSpin via YouTube

Paul Laurence Dunbar at Frankfort will be on Facebook Live via the Frankfort Plant Board's page.

I was told the officials will be from the 9th Region.

Frankfort’s gym is more then capable to host.

People tend to look past the fact that Scott County scored 84 points in the Dunbar loss. Its not like they struggled to score.

GCR should blow by them.

Have I missed this running joke as to why you always put "GCR" instead of GRC?