zebraman

Good write up. Thank you.

Is there an informational thread somewhere about what size and type and such avatars are acceptable? Edit: Nevermind, somehow I figured it out. Woo-hoo!

The best prediction for Kentucky is what neighboring states are doing. Looks like Tennessee has 3 plans, all 3 start practice Aug 30 and first game Sept 18. Differences are how many games and how the playoffs work.

Just thinking, if Kentucky were to expand their playoffs, we would have to add schools from other states lol.

Here is the link to Indiana's statement. It allows reopening to start July 1. Look to see something similar from KHSAA. https://ihsaa.org/Portals/0/ihsaa/documents/news%20media/2019-20/050620.pdf?ver=2020-05-06-155818-543

Here is the link to Ohio's notice of allowing activity. Look to see something similar from the KHSAA. https://ohsaaweb.blob.core.windows.net/files/BulletinBoard/20200521AdministratorUpdate.pdf

I think you will see a proposal along the lines with what Ohio and Indiana are implementing.

Zack Klemme is reporting that Brett Cooksey has resigned as head coach at Fairview to take a teaching position and assistant basketball coach at Russell.

Just my 2 cents, the most rare gem in the 16th region for quite sometime has been a skilled big man. There have been a few but by and large most teams play with a big man in the 6'3" to 6'4" range. A good team already, adding a 6'9" skilled man will give a significant advantage over most in the 16th.

The most talked about "flaw" of Ashland last season (if a team that is 33-0 has a flaw worth talking about) was lack of a inside presence. A 6'9 talented center seems to fit that bill quite nicely.

Ashland was slowing down some at the end of the season. Struggled several games at the end. However, since tournament time they have been a well-oiled machine. They were not challenged in the regional tournament. The scores were not as bad as Coach Mays called off the dogs. This Ashland team is amazing with their movement of the ball. These teams share one common opponent, Butler. Ashland beat Butler Dec 29 67-58. Elizabethtown lost to Butler on Juan 25 89-68. However, tournament time, so throw that stuff out the window. Survive and advance is the name of the game.

The Boys of the 16th region, after having 3 days off will pick back up at Ellis Johnson arena. The action tips off at 6:30 this evening. For those unable to attend, there is a web broadcast of both games at www.facebook.com/mytowntv Boyd County vs Lewis County The Regional semi-finals kicks off this evening at 6:30. The first game of the night features Boyd County and Lewis County. Boyd County is 19-14 overall and 15-4 against 16th region teams. Lewis County is 17-15 overall and 12-9 against 16th region teams. These teams have played one time this year, on Jan 21 at Lewis County. In that games, Lewis County edged Boyd out 66-64. Lewis was led by Mr Everything, Sam O’Keefe, who had 26 points and 12 rebounds. Boyd County was led by their Mr Everything, Blake Stewart, with 31 points and 10 rebounds. Both teams will look to get more from the charity stripe as both teams shot For Lewis County to win, they will need O’Keefe to be his normal self and will need a solid effort from Kolby McCann and Logan Liles. In the last meeting, Lewis shot 29.4% from the 3-point line. They will look to create better shots from behind the arc to improve that percentage tonight. For Boyd Count to win, they will need Blake Stewart to give the normal Blake Stewart play. They will also need Carson Webb to step up. Boyd County has an advantage in guard play and will need to get as much out of that as they can. Webb and Stewart can do that. This should be a competitive game and one that is fun for the fans to watch. I will lay my prediction down that the Lion will win.  Cheesy, I know, but had to say it. Boyd County 68 Lewis County 62 Ashland vs Rowan County The last game of the night will feature the regional favorites and last remaining undefeated team, no matter what state the losses came in, Ashland Tomcats. Ashland is 31-0 overall and 17-0 against 16th region teams. They will be playing Rowan County. Rowan is 26-7 overall and 17-2 against 16th region teams. Rowan’s only regional losses are to Ashland and Boyd County. These teams have played one time this year on Feb 11 at Rowan County. In that game, Ashland won 68-62. Rowan County was led by their one two punch of Mason Moore and Chase Alderman. Moore had 31 points and 13 rebounds. Alderman has 10 points and 8 rebounds. Ashland was led by Villers with 28 points. Hudson provided the rebounding with 8 rebounds. Hudson and Sellers each also had double digit scoring. For Ashland, the last couple of weeks of the regular season, they looked like a tired team. That included the Rowan County game. Thus far in the tournaments, Ashland has shown no indication of fatigue. Thursday night, they played a Russell team that was within 5 points only a couple of weeks ago. Thursday, Ashland beat them by 20 and it could have been 30. To win, Ashland needs to be relaxed and their normal high energy. They will also need the shots to fall. In the previous Rowan County game, they were 52.6% from the 3-point line. For Rowan County to win, Mason Moore will need to be Mason Moore and Chase Alderman will need to stay out of foul trouble and dominate the paint. He certainly has the potential for 10-15 rebounds and some of those giving put back points. If he is able to be a force in the paint for most of the game, it gives Rowan their best chance to move on. Ashland 74 Rowan County 66

16th Region Tournament Preview All games of the 16th Region tournament are played at Ellis Johnson Arena on the campus of Morehead State University. Ashland comes in as the defending champion and the odds on favorite to win this year. They sit at 30-0 but have been tested, especially late in the season with West Carter, Boyd County, Rowan County and Russell as teams that have been beat by 6 points of less by the Tomcats. The Comets in particular, would like another shot at the Tomcats after a loss that was a hard pill to swallow. District Champions Rowan County (25-7 overall, 16-2 in region) West Carter (17-12 overall, 14-8 in region) Lewis County (16-16 overall, 11-9 in region) Ashland (30-0 overall, 16-0 in region) District Runner-ups Bath County (16-16 overall, 12-10 in region) East Carter (11-15 overall, 10-10 in region) Russell (12-15 overall, 7-11 in region) Boyd County (18-14 overall, 14-4 in region) Game 1 Wednesday March 4 6:30 Lewis County vs Bath County Previous Meeting: Feb 20 – Lewis County got the win over Bath County at Bath County 64-61 This game will certainly be one of the more competitive first round games. These teams played less than 2 weeks ago in a tightly contested ball game. There is no reason to suspect anything else. Lewis County comes in with some momentum, fresh over of a #4 seed to champion run in the 63rd district. Same O’Keefe, the 16th region representative for Mr Basketball has been on sire as of late, averaging 27 points and 11 rebounds a game in the district tournament. In the game two weeks ago, O’Keefe had 27 points and 9 rebounds against Bath County. Bath County depends on a couple of different players for their scoring. Jacob Patton and Zachary Otis are both capable of putting up big numbers. In the district tournament, Patton averaged 25 points a game. Otis averaged 15 to go with it. This will be a battle without a doubt. Prediction: Lewis County 70 Bath County 62. Game 2 March 4 30 minutes after game 1. West Carter vs Boyd County Previous Meeting: Dec 16, 2019 – Boyd County won 61-54 at West Carter These two teams had one previous meeting but that meeting was a lifetime ago, way back in mid-December. Both teams have improved and changed many things. However, the people are the same. Boyd County is led by their 4-year starter Blake Stewart. Stewart does whatever his team needs him to do to win. He can score 20+ points or he can pull down 10+ rebounds, doing both in the district tournament. The Comets have some star power as well with Braden Leadingham as a force all season long. However, with the districts it was other talent stepping up as Tyson Webb averaged 24 points a game. Prediction: Boyd County 70 West Carter 64 Game 3 Thursday March 5 6:30 – Ashland vs Russell Previous meetings: Ashland won both meetings Feb 14 at Russell 51-46 and Jan 10 at Ashland 70-30 The question is which Russell team steps onto the court. Ashland saw the worst of Russell on Jan 10 in a game that was 23-4 at the end of the 1st quarter. It ended as a 40-point game, and could have been worse. However, in the Valentines matchup, the Devils shows they can be a force too, suffering a 5-point defeat. The Tomcats have had some difficulties in the later part of the season, undoubtedly fatigue and the stress of an unblemished record have had a part of that. Porter averaged 25 points a game in district and sees the court about as well as any player in the state. In fact, the Ashland team in general in artistic in the way they move the ball around the court and make their opponent try to catch up. Prediction: Ashland 72 Russell 54 Game 4 Thursday March 5 30 minutes after game 3 - Rowan County vs East Carter Previous Meeting: Rowan County won at East Carter on Feb 13 63-56 The last of the first round games will have the Raiders and the Vikings battling. Rowan County has gotten from Mason Moore what they expected for the season. He is a high scorer and the leader that the team needs. They have gotten more than expected from Chase Alderman. Alderman has been what Rowan needed to have a good year. In the previous game Moore had 24 points and 8 rebounds. Alderman had 17 points and 6 rebounds. Both will look to continue solid production. East Carter has spread their scoring out. In the previous contest, Micah Adams had 16 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Raiders. In the district tournament, Treven Tussey and Donovan Damron each took a turn as leading scorer for the Raiders. Prediction: Rowan County 65 East Carter 55 Semi-Finals are played Monday, March 9 at 6:30 and 8:00 Championship is Tuesday March 10 at 7:00

Do you anticipate any losses to prep schools anytime soon? There is some amazing young talent there.

The real tournament starts!! Regular season is out of the way now the real fun starts. 1) Ashland (Season: 28-0 This week: 2-0) Ashland finished the regular season flawless. According to local historians, this is the first time it has happened in the 16th region since the 1920’s. Ashland has certainly exceeded expectations. When watching them live, what I was most impressed with is the collective vision on the court and their ball movement. Opposing teams seems to spend a lot of time trying to “catch-up to the ball” this allows for many uncontested shots. The Tomcats finished the season with wins over West Carter and Rose Hill. The West Carter game was harder than anticipated. The Tomcats needed a half-court shot at the buzzer for the win. Now, they are “Going to Cracker Barrel!” 2) Rowan County (Season: 23-7 This week: 2-0) Rowan County was 2-0 for week 12. The Vikings finished the regular season strong winning 11 of their last 12 games. This week Rowan recorded wins over Bath County and Mason County. Heavy favorites to win their district, the Vikings are looking to make a run close to home in the regional tournament. 3) Boyd County (Season: 17-13 This week: 1-2) Boyd County was 1-2 for the last week. Important to note that the Lions didn’t schedule cupcakes to end the season. Boyd had a win against East Carter and losses to George Rogers Clark and Huntington High (WV). Boyd is certainly looking ahead to their next battle with rival Ashland. 4) Raceland (Season: 18-8 This week: 1-1) Raceland went 1-1 for the week. The Rams had a win over Paintsville and a loss to highly ranked Cabell Midland (WV). Leading scorer, Kirk Pence has been back on the court while still being rested some to allow healing for the tournament. Their Wednesday night battle with Russell will be a game to see. 5) Greenup County (Season: 21-9 This week: 3-0) Greenup County had a roller coaster week for week 12. On the court, they went 3-0 with victories over Fairview, St Patrick, and Fleming County. However, this week, Greenup’s challenges came from off the court. The school system self-imposed penalties and suspended 2 coaches and a player for the rest of the season. The player was one of the top rebounders in the state as well as a threat from anywhere on the court. What impact this will have on the team will show in time as the team still has talent on it. 6) Bath County (Season: 15-15 This week: 0-3) Bath County has been on a steady climb up the rankings over the last several weeks. During week 12, they certainly stumbled across the finish line. The Wildcats were 0-3 for week 12 with losses to Rowan County, East Carter and Lewis County. The Wildcats will look to forget about the week and regain momentum when it means the most. 7) West Carter (Season: 15-12 This week: 1-2) West Carter was 1-2 this week. West had a home win with Tolsia and losses to Ashland and Elliott. The Ashland loss was a difficult pill to swallow. The Comets led most of the game but allowed a 4th quarter comeback and a buzzer beater for the loss. 8) East Carter (Season: 10-14 This week: 1-1) East Carter finished week 12 1-1. They had an overtime win with Bath County and a road loss to Boyd County. The Raiders will look to get the wheels rolling again as they finished the regular season losing 8 of their last 9. 9) Russell (Season: 11-14 This week: 2-0) Russell finished the regular season 2-0 for the week. The devils had wins over Elliott County and Belfry. Tournament time could be interesting for the Devils. They had shown flashes of some awesome play. However, those flashes all too often haven’t been long enough to get the wins. 10) Lewis County (Season: 14-15 This week: 2-0) Lewis County was 2-0 for the week. Lewis had wins over Augusta and Bath County. Lewis is the #4 seed in the district tournament but is very dangerous. It would not be shocking to see the Lions win the tournament, that is how close these good teams are. One thing for certain, not a lot of love lost between Lewis and Greenup. As a result the district game between the two on Tuesday will be a war. 11) Fleming County (Season: 10-20 This week: 1-1) Fleming County was 1-1 for the week. Fleming has a win against Morgan and a loss to Greenup County. Fleming plays Bath in district. They are 0-2 against Bath in the regular season. 12) Elliott County (Season: 8-13 This week: 1-1) Elliott County was 1-1 for week 12. Elliott lost to Russell and then had a win against West Carter. The win against West Carter is what Elliott County will build on as they will look to get another win against the district’s #1 seed. 13) Menifee County (Season: 11-19 This week: 1-2) Menifee County went 1-2 for the week. Menifee beat Lee County this week and had losses to Estill and Fairview. 14) Morgan County (Season: 9-17 This week: 0-1) Morgan County went 0-1 for the week. The Cougars lost in a game with Fleming County. 15) Fairview (Season: 8-17 This week: 1-1) Fairview was 1-1 for the week. The Eagles had a home win against Menifee County. Their loss was a road loss to Greenup County. Terrick Smith had quite a game with 33 points and 6 rebounds against Menifee County. 16) Rose Hill (Season: 6-21 This week: 1-1) Rose Hill was 1-1 on the Week. The Royals had a win against Hannan (Ashton WV). They lost a road game to Ashland. 61st District Preview Games will be played at Bath County starting on Feb 25. 6:00 #4 Menifee vs #1 Rowan County 7:45 #3 Fleming County vs #2 Bath County Finals Feb 28 Rowan County is the heavy favorite for this district going 6-0 against district rivals in the regular season. Prediction: Champion: Rowan County Runner-up: Bath County 62nd District Preview: Games are played at Elliott County. First round play is Feb 25 and 26th. Feb 25 7:00 #4 Morgan County vs #1 West Carter Feb 26 7:00 #3 Elliott County vs #2 East Carter Finals Feb 28th Prediction: Champion West Carter Runner up: Elliott County 63rd District Preview Games are played at Greenup County High School. First Round is Feb 25 and 26. Feb 25 7:00 #4 Lewis County vs #1 Greenup County Feb 26 7:00 #3 Raceland vs #2 Russell Finals Feb 28 Prediction: Champion Russell Runner-up Lewis County 64th District Preview Games are played at Boyd County Middle School. First Round games are Feb 24 and 25. Feb 24 7:30 #4 Rose Hill vs #1 Ashland Feb 25 7:30 #3 Fairview vs #2 Boyd County Finals Feb 27 Prediction: Champion Ashland Runner-up: Boyd County

Totally agree and have had that exact conversation. The thing is, our region has been missing dominant big men. Any more, if a school has a 6'4" or 6'5" that can jump they are in great shape. I also think that Dryden could have a much bigger impact as a post player. With that said, I will add a disclaimer, that as a coach, I have ZERO career wins, far less than the number that Coach Amos has.

Like or dislike of Raceland is irrelevant. The 4-6 slots are pretty certain to be Raceland, Greenup, and Bath. So looking at them, Greenup beat Bath, Bath beat Raceland and Raceland is 1-1 against Greenup. A lot of evenness between these three. Looking at total records, Raceland is tied for second best record in the region. All in all, I gave Raceland a slight edge over the other 2.

Week 11 was a busy week in the 16th region as the rescheduling from “flu games” came into play. The Tomcats kept winning and is 26-0. Rowan and Boyd County both have shown they are on the top tier as well and look for the change to be the one that gives Ashland it’s first loss. Bath County continues to rise, playing very well as of late. Everyone is just looking forward to getting to the tournaments and playing the real season very soon. 1) Ashland (Season: 26-0 This week: 3-0) A new week but more of the same results for the Tomcats this week. Ashland was 3-0 for the week with wins over Rowan County, Bath County, and Russell. Something to watch for Ashland is in recent games, the Tomcats have just looked tired. There is always the possibility that illness and such is coming into play and will correct itself but certainly something to watch for. 2) Rowan County (Season: 21-7 This week: 2-1) Rowan County was 2-1 for week 11. The loss in the anticipated battle with AP #1 Ashland. Rowan battled but ended up with a 6-point loss. Mason Moore has been playing lights out. This week, Moore averaged 27 points and 10 rebounds a game, including a 31/10 games against Ashland. 3) Boyd County (Season: 16-11 This week: 2-0) Boyd County was 2-0 for the week with wins over East Carter and Huntington Prep Regional team. Blake led in scoring for the week with Gibbs leading the team in rebounding this week. 4) Raceland (Season: 17-7 This week: 2-1) Raceland started the week with a chance to end with a tie for the District #1 seed. However, Lewis County came to Ramland and got the win which put Raceland in a tie with Russell for the #2 seed. Raceland then finished the week with close contests with East Carter and Rose Hill. Raceland’s leading scorer, Kirk Pence has been sidelined the last couple of games with an ankle injury. Indications are that he is healing and they anticipate him being ready to go in time for the tournament. 5) Greenup County (Season: 18-9 This week: 2-1) Greenup County was 2-1 for the week with wins at Rose Hill and with Symmes Valley (OH). Greenup also had a road loss to Elliott County this week. Dryden has been the rebound king this week with 18, 15, and 16 rebounds in the games this week. 6) Bath County (Season: 15-12 This week: 2-1) Bath County was 2-1 for the week this week. Bath had wins over West Carter and Fairview. The Wildcats only loss was to AP #1 Ashland. Williams, Otis and Patton continue to show that each is capable of a big night anytime the Wildcats step on the court. 7) West Carter (Season: 14-10 This week: 1-2) West Carter was 1-2 this week. West has a home win against Lewis County this week and road losses to Russell and Bath County. Leadingham led the Comets this week with 16 points and 8 rebounds for the week. 8) East Carter (Season: 9-13 This week: 0-3) East Carter had a rough week this week, finishing at 0-3. East had losses to Raceland, Boyd County, and Rowan County. The Raiders are currently on a 7 game losing streak. But worthy of note, the Raiders are in a very difficult stretch on their schedule, playing the top teams in the region. 9) Russell (Season: 9-14 This week: 1-2) Russell went 1-2 for the week. Russell had a home win against West Carter and losses to Ashland and WV large division top 5 Cabell Midland. The encouraging thing for the Devils is that they seem to be coming together and playing better basketball at the right time. A 5 point loss to Ashland was certainly better than the 40 point pounding the Tomcats game them a month ago. 10) Lewis County (Season: 12-15 This week: 1-1) Lewis County had a very busy week 11. They went 3-1 for the week with wins at Raceland, at Fleming and home with Fairview. The Lions also lost at home to West Carter. A little accolade this week, as Lewis County’s Sam O’Keefe was named the 16th Region Mr Basketball Finalist by the KABC. O’ Keefe is a solid player and a solid young man. Congrats to him. 11) Fleming County (Season: 9-19 This week: 1-2) Fleming County was 1-2 for the week. They had home losses to Lewis County and Sayre this week. However, what the Panthers will focus on is the breaking of the 21 games losing streak to rival Mason County. That was a big win by Fleming against a very good Mason County team. 12) Elliott County (Season: 7-12 This week: 1-1) Elliott County was 1-1 for week 11. Elliott lost to Menifee County and then followed that up with a win against a very good Greenup County team. Whitley had quite the week scoring 30+ points in both of these games. 13) Menifee County (Season: 10-17 This week: 1-1) Menifee County went 1-1 for the week. A home win against Elliott County and a home loss to Prestonsburg. 14) Morgan County (Season: 8-16 This week: 1-2) Morgan County went 1-2 for the week. A win at Powell County and losses to Magoffin and Rowan County. Jake Helton led the offense for the Cougars this week, averaging 22 points a game. 15) Fairview (Season: 7-16 This week: 1-2) Fairview was 1-2 for the week this week. The Eagles had a home win against St Patrick from Maysville. They also has losses to Lewis County and Bath County. 16) Rose Hill (Season: 4-20 This week: 1-2) Rose Hill was 1-2 on the Week. The Royals had a win against Portsmouth Notre Dame. Their two losses were to Raceland and Greenup County. The Royals showed some good play this week. Their loss to Raceland was a 2-point loss in which the Royals put up a shot at the buzzer in an attempt to tie. In the Greenup County game, the Royals gave Greenup all they wanted for the first half until Greenup started pulling away late.

Games in the 16th Region were few and far between. As a result of the flu outbreak several games were cancelled this week. The region looks will have a chaotic finish as the scheduling gets completed. 1) Ashland (Season: 23-0 This week: 0-0) Ashland did not have any games during week 10 due to the flu outbreak. 2) Rowan County (Season: 19-6 This week: 1-0) Rowan County has some cancellations and only ended up playing one game this week, against Menifee County. It is fair to say that Mason Moore was feeling good as he led the game with 37 points and 14 rebounds. 3) Boyd County (Season: 14-11 This week: 1-0) Boys County was 1-0 for the week with their only contact being a Senior night game against Fairview. The Lions were dominate with 19 from Stewart. There was 10 different Lions that got in the scoring column for this game. 4) Raceland (Season: 15-6 This week: 1-1) Raceland was one of the few teams that played 23 games this week. Raceland had a win against Menifee County and a loss in the 63rd district to Greenup. Raceland has 1 district game left, against Lewis County. With a Ram win, they will finish tied for the #1 seed with Greenup. A loss to Lewis and Raceland will finish tied with Russell for the 2/3 seed with a 3-3 district record. 5) Greenup County (Season: 16-8 This week: 1-0) Greenup County’s only game of the week was a big one. The Musketeers avenged an earlier loss to Raceland 72-69. With that win, the Musketeers will await the Raceland Lewis County game. A Raceland loss secures the #1 seed for the tournament which will be held at Greenup. A Raceland win and it will be a tie for the #1 seed. 6) West Carter (Season: 13-8 This week: 1-0) West Carters lone game was against Elliott County. The 62nd district matchup was won by the comets. Leadingham led the Comets with 22 points in the win. 7) Bath County (Season: 13-11 This week: 0-0) Bath County did not play any games this week. 8) East Carter (Season: 9-10 This week: 0-1) East Carter has one game this week, a district matchup with Morgan County at home. The Raiders couldn’t get it done and got the loss to Morgan. The Raiders are currently sitting at 4 straight losses. 9) Russell (Season: 8-12 This week: 1-0) Russell’s only game of the week was a home game against Lewis County. The Devils had a huge worth quarter for a lobsided win. The player of the game was certainly Max Cantrell. Cantrell finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds. However his biggest contribution was being man to man on O’Keefe. 10) Lewis County (Season: 9-14 This week: 1-1) Lewis County went 1-1 for the week with a win versus St Patrick and a loss at Russell. The Lions had trouble getting traction against their district foe. With the loss to Russell, the Lions will be the #4 seed in the district tournament. However, it is worthy of noting, the Lions are a very dangerous team. When O’Keefe gets rolling and a few of their other weapons get going, it would not be farfetched to see this team moving on. 11) Fleming County (Season: 8-17 This week: 0-2) Fleming County was 0-2 for the week. The Panthers had losses to Robertson and Harrison County. The Panthers have had trouble getting points on the board in the last 4 games being held to less than 50 points in each of the losses. 12) Elliott County (Season: 6-11 This week: 0-1) Elliott County’s only game of the week was a district loss to West Carter. They will get one more shot at the Comets in the regular season coming up. 13) Menifee County (Season: 9-16 This week: 0-2) Menifee County went 0-2 for the week with Losses to Rowan and Raceland. Both of the losses were close games against upper level teams. The Wildcats seem to be improving significantly in the later part of the season. 14) Morgan County (Season: 7-14 This week: 2-0) A good week in West Liberty as Morgan County went 2-0 for the week. The Cougars won at East Carter and at home against Nicholas County. 15) Fairview (Season: 6-14 This week: 0-1) Fairview traveled next door to play at Boyd County this week. Manning and Smith had 24/22 respectively but it wasn’t enough as Boyd got the win. 16) Rose Hill (Season: 3-18 This week: 1-0) Rose Hill avenged an early season loss this week as they defeated Covenent Christian (WV) 64-52.

The question for a while has been can any region teams beat Ashland. The general consensus was that the Tomcats were on a level all of their own. This week, Boyd County showed us the answer to that is yes, it can happen. Did it happen, no, the Tomcats did enough to win. However, the Lions showed they can compete. With the question answered that yes a region team CAN beat the Tomcats, we are still left with the question of WILL any region team beat the Tomcats? Time will tell 1) Ashland (Season: 23-0 This week: 3-0) Ashland maintained their view fro, the top of the hill for the state this week. However, it wasn’t without challenges. Ashland had one of their toughest games of the season at rival Boyd County. In the end, the Tomcats pulled off the win with a huge second half by Colin Porter. Ashland also had wins over East Carter and Fairview in week 9. 2) Rowan County (Season: 18-6 This week: 3-0) It was a very good week to be a Viking! Rowan county went 3-0 for the week. That recorded victories against Russell, Fleming County, and Greenup County. Mason Moore’s play for the week was quite impressive as well. Moore, leading the Vikings, averaged 26.7 points and 10.7 rebounds for the week. 3) Boyd County (Season: 14-11 This week: 2-2) Boyd County split their games for week 9. The Lions had wins over Morgan County and Rose Hill while losses to Ashland and Mason County. The thing Boyd will remember from the week is that Ashland is not unbeatable. The Lions will look back to that film and will certainly be waiting on the district tournament for a chance to accomplish the task. 4) Raceland (Season: 13-5 This week: 0-1) Raceland only had 1 game during week 9. The Rams suffered a home loss to West Carter. Out of Raceland’s 5 losses, 2 of them are to West Carter. Pence was the leading scorer for the Rams with 25, 9 of those coming from the free-throw line. 5) Greenup County (Season: 15-8 This week: 2-1) Greenup County went 2-1 during week 9. They had a win against Bath County. Then the Musketeers have a home overtime win in a very important district match-up with Russell. Greenup’s loss of the week came to Rowan County. An unexpected shining star for the week was 8th grader Zander Carter. Carter drilled 2 important 3-pointers in the Russell win enroute to his 22 point night. 6) West Carter (Season: 13-8 This week: 3-0) West Carter went 3-0 for week 9. The Comets recorded wins over Raceland, East Carter and Menifee County. The win over East Carter has the Comets sitting in a good spot for the #1 seed in the district tournament. Leadingham lead the Comets in scoring this week with 19 points a game. 7) Lewis County (Season: 9-13 This week: 2-0) Lewis County went 1-1 for the week with a loss to Lawrence County and a win over St Patrick. The Loins will be looking to inject themselves back in the district race as they face Russell and Raceland in their next 2 games. 8) Bath County (Season: 13-11 This week: 1-1) Bath County went 1-1 on the week. The Wildcats has a win against Rose Hill and a loss to Greenup County. Williams, Patton, and Otis continue to take turns with the scoring crown. Either of the three is capable of scoring points in bunches. 9) East Carter (Season: 9-9 This week: 0-2) East Carter went 0-2 for the week. The Raiders lost to Ashland and then suffered a road loss to West Carter. East will look to wrap up the #2 district seed with a victory in a week 10 matchup with Elliott County. 10) Russell (Season: 7-12 This week: 0-2) Russell went 0-2 for the week, for the second week in a row with losses to Rowan County and Greenup County. The Greenup County game has to sting as little as the Devils were up 5 points with 17.5 seconds left in the game, only to lose in overtime. Jachimczuk had a notable performance in the Greenup game scoring 35 points. 11) Fleming County (Season: 8-15 This week: 1-2) Fleming County was 1-2 for week 9. They had a win over Estill County and losses to Menifee and Rowan County. Similar to Bath, Fleming had a trio that took turns leading the scoring this week with Flannery, Lutz, and McKee. 12) Elliott County (Season: 6-10 This week: 0-1) Elliott County is in a lull in their schedule and played only 1 game during week 9. The Lions lost on the road at Ironton (OH). 13) Menifee County (Season: 9-14 This week: 1-1) Menifee County went 1-1 for the week with a win over Fleming County and a loss to West Carter. Worthy of note, the Wildcats ended above 500 for the month of January, going 5-4. 14) Morgan County (Season: 5-14 This week: 0-2) Morgan County again went 0-2 during week 9. The Cougars lost to Boyd County and to Lawrence County. Jake Helton averaged 20 points a game this week. 15) Fairview (Season: 6-13 This week: 1-1) Fairview went 1-1 for the week. They had a win against Covenant (WV) and a loss to Ashland. Smith led the eagles with just over 21 points per game. 16) Rose Hill (Season: 2-18 This week: 0-3) Rose Hill was 0-3 for the week. The Royals lost in home games to Bath County and Ironton St Joe (OH) as well as a road loss to Boyd County. Wilburn was the scoring punch for the Royals this week at over 21 points per game.

Congrats to the winners and finalists for a job well done.

Week 8 was pretty exciting up in our little neck of the woods. Something happened this week that has not happened in many years. A school from the 16th region is currently the AP #1. The BGP ranking has then at #5. Either way, they are a force. Things are really heating up in week 8 and 9 with district contests. The 62nd and 63rd continue to be a pick ‘em for any of the seeding games. Literally, any of the 4 can win it. 1) Ashland (Season: 20-0 This week: 2-0) Ashland is the current AP #1. This has not happened since 1971. Week 8 did not show a true test with blowout wins over Rose Hill and Greenup County. This week, the Tomcats have 3 games in 4 days. Lovers of the sport in the 16th have Jan 29 circled on the calendar as the Tomcats will go to Boyd County 2) Rowan County (Season: 15-6 This week: 2-0) Week 8 was smooth sailing for Rowan County. The Vikings were 2-0 with wins over West Carter and Lewis County. Mason Moore scorched the nets last week going for 27 in one game and 26 in the other. The Vikings are very dangerous when Moore lights it up. 3) Boyd County (Season: 12-9 This week: 1-1) Boyd County got a bit more of a handful this week in their game at Lewis County than they were expecting. Lewis County pulled off the home upset over Boyd County. In Boyd’s other game of the week, they defeated Morgan County. In the loss to Lewis, Blake Stewart was in his zone, finishing with 31 points and 10 rebounds. 4) Raceland (Season: 13-4 This week: 2-0) Raceland had a big district win during week 8, beating Russell on the road. Kirk Pence found the rims at Russell to be to his liking as he scored 28, to secure an important win. That win puts the Rams at 4-1 in district and in good shape to secure the #1 seed. In their other game of the week, the Rams beat Portsmouth West at home. Floyd gave the Rams 22 points in that win. 5) Greenup County (Season: 13-7 This week: 0-3) Week 8 was a week to forget for the Musketeers. They went 0-3 for the week. Greenup had home losses to Ashland and Wheelersburg (OH) and a district road loss to Lewis County. Nelson and Dryden continue to lead the team, however, Zane and Zander Carter showed that they also can score points when needed. 6) West Carter (Season: 10-8 This week: 0-2) West Carter also had a rough week this week. The suffered a road loss to Rowan County. Following the loss, the Comets went to the All-A state tourney. There they played a very good Owensboro Catholic team and suffered a first round exit. Leadingham went for 20 points in the Rowan County game. Against Owensboro Catholic, the Comets struggled for much offense as no players hit double digits in scoring. 7) Lewis County (Season: 8-12 This week: 3-1) Lewis County had a very busy week 8. The Lions played 4 games this week, going 3-1. Their lone loss, a road loss to Rowan County. The captured a neutral site win against Scott as well as home wins against Boyd County and Greenup County. The Greenup game was their first district win. The Lions certainly cannot be counted out of the district race. 8) East Carter (Season: 9-7 This week: 0-1) East Carter had a quiet week this week with only one game scheduled. The Raiders hosted Lexington Christian and suffered the defeat. The Raiders are certainly looking at a road game to West Carter and home game with Morgan coming up soon. 9) Russell (Season: 7-10 This week: 0-2) Russell went 0-2 for the week. They suffered a Friday night home loss to Raceland and followed it up with a Saturday road loss to Bath County. In the Bath County game, the Devils looked to work the middle a little more. Bechtel finished with 16 points and 7 rebounds. Cantrell had 11 points and 10 rebounds. 10) Bath County (Season: 12-10 This week: 1-1) Bath County went 1-1 on the week. They started with a home overtime loss to Montgomery County. The Wildcats followed that up with a home win against Russell. Patton lead Bath in points for the week with 21 against Montgomery and 20 against Russell. 11) Fleming County (Season: 7-13 This week: 1-1) Fleming County split their games for the week. The Panthers had a road loss to Paris and a home win against Nicholas County. 12) Elliott County (Season: 6-9 This week: 1-0) Elliott County played only one game this week, but it was important. The Lions had a district game against Morgan County in the very tight 62nd District. The Lions pulled off the win. 13) Morgan County (Season: 5-13 This week: 0-2) Morgan County continued to struggle this week, dropping both games. The Cougars suffered home losses to Elliott County and Magoffin County. The Cougars will look to right the ship with upcoming district games. 14) Menifee County (Season: 8-13 This week: 2-0) Menifee County went 2-0 for the week. Both games for the week were on the road as Menifee went to Powell County and to Rose Hill. Ben Ross had quite a week, especially in the Powell County game going for 17 points and 15 rebounds. 15) Fairview (Season: 5-12 This week: 1-0) Fairview played only one game for the week. The Eagles went on the road for a win at Rose Hill. Terrick went for 28 points in their win. 16) Rose Hill (Season: 2-15 This week: 0-3) Rose Hill was 0-3 for the week. The Royals lost in home games to Ashland, Fairview and Menifee County. Wilburn was a bright spot with his 17 points against Ashland.

The two that surprised me the most were the 4A finals in Johnson Central beating Boyle and regular season Russell beating Greenup County 42-0. That was also the halftime margin. I don't think anyone saw that big of a margin coming.

The big event of the week in the 16th region for week 7 was the all-A tournament in Raceland. The tournament saw some good basketball and ended with the Comets of West Carter holding the nets. The Region wished the Comets well as we get back into the slate of district games that are scheduled for week 8. At this point, in the 61st district, Rowan County and Bath County would be favored to head to the regional tournament. In the 64th, Ashland and Boyd are heavy favorites. In the 62nd and 63rd, who knows? Those two districts are totally up for grabs. 1) Ashland (Season: 18-0 This week: 1-0) Ashland had only one game during week 7. The doubters had said, “Wait until they play a team with a good big man” or “Wait until they have an off shooting night” The Tomcats had both of those Friday night and still came away with an unblemished record. 2) Boyd County (Season: 11-8 This week: 2-1) Boyd County went 2-1 for the week. They recorded victories over Greenup County and Spring Valley and a loss to Johnson Central. Gibbs had a notable night for the Lions against Johnson Central with 21 points and 10 rebounds 3) Rowan County (Season: 13-6 This week: 1-0) Rowan County had a light load this week with only 1 game on the schedule. The Vikings had a road game with Fleming County during week 7. Moore and Alderman led the Vikings offense, with a strong performance over the Panthers. 4) Raceland (Season: 11-4 This week: 0-2) Week 7 was not kind to Raceland. Starting the week with only 2 losses, they added 2 mote losses. The Rams lost at home in the All-A finals and also lost on the road to Bath County. Pence put in 23 points against the Comets 5) Greenup County (Season: 13-4 This week: 1-1) Greenup County split during week 7 with a home loss to Boyd County and a road win at Huntington St Joe. Dryden had quite the week with not one, but two 20/20 nights. He has 21 points and 20 rebounds against Boyd County as well as 23 points and 25 rebounds against Huntington St Joe. 6) West Carter (Season: 8-6 This week: 3-0) West Carter had a good week 7! The Comets were 2-0 for the week, capturing the Regional All-A crown while doing so. The Comets games were both played at Raceland as they had wins over Bath County and Raceland. The Comets got their scoring from different sources this week, in one game Callihan was the leading scorer with 19 points in the Bath County game it was Webb and Leadingham with 17 points a piece 7) East Carter (Season: 9-6 This week: 2-0) East Carter went 2-0 for the week. They had a road win against district rival Morgan County and a home win against Rose Hill. The most important numbers at this point is that after the first go through of district opponents, the Raiders are 2-1. 8) Russell (Season: 7-8 This week: 2-0) Russell went 2-0 for week 7. It was a road week for them as they went to Vanceburg for a big district win and Westwood for a win against Fairview. A big piece for Russell that could make a big difference is the expanded role of Chuck Bechtel. The 6’5 senior as some size and strength in the middle that the devils haven’t had. As his game conditioning improves so to will his playing time. 9) Lewis County (Season: 6-11 This week: 1-1) Lewis County had only 1 game on the schedule for week 7, a home district game to Russell. O’Keefe put up 21 points in an attempt to defend their house but in the end, Lewis County took the loss this week. Through the first round of district games, the Lions are 0-3. However, don’t count the Lions out. They are a good team with a lot of talent. 10) Bath County (Season: 11-10 This week: 2-1) Bath County went 2-1 this week. The Wildcats started the week with an All-A Semi-final loss to West Carter followed by wins against Fleming County and Raceland. This was a good week for Bath as they start getting some momentum. 11) Fleming County (Season: 6-12 This week: 0-3) Week 7 is one to forget and move on for Fleming County. The Panthers went 0-3 for the week. They lost at home to Rowan County and Bath County and on the road to Pendleton County. 12) Morgan County (Season: 5-10 This week: 0-1) Morgan County only had 1 game this week as they hosted East Carter. The Cougars were overpowered and had a 20-point loss. The Cougars finish the first time through with each district opponent at 0-3. However, do not sleep on them in the 62nd district. 13) Elliott County (Season: 5-9 This week: 0-1) Elliott County lost in their only game of week 7. It was a road loss to Raceland. Worthy of note in this game was Elliott’s ability to control the tempo. Elliott held Raceland to only 36 points, which is 25 points less than their second lowest scoring game. The Lions lost to Raceland 36-30. 14) Menifee County (Season: 6-13 This week: 1-1) Menifee County went 1-1 for the week. Menifee recorded a win over Lee County and had a loss to Wellspring Guardian. 15) Fairview (Season: 4-12 This week: 1-1) Fairview split in week 7, going 1 and 1. The Eagles were happy to stay at home this week with a home win against Green, OH and a home loss to Russell. The Eagles were led in scoring this week by Smith with a 19 ppg average 16) Rose Hill (Season: 2-12 This week: 0-2) Rose Hill was 0-2 for the week. The Royals lost to East Carter and Johnson Central.

Week 6 saw a definite flex of the muscles by Ashland. The Tomcats are now 17-0 and are approaching one of the best starts in their history. At this point, a legitimate question is can any 16th region team beat them. The answer is that any team can be beat any night. However, at this point it looks like it would require an off night for the tomcats and a great night for their opponent. 1) Ashland (Season: 17-0 This week: 3-0) Week 6 was a great week for the Tomcats. They started off by getting a little revenge against the team that put them out of the Sweet 16 last year, Trinity. After that win, they came home for rivalry weekend, defeating Russell and Boyd County. Porter had a very good week with points and with assists. The team as a whole has an amazing court vision and excel in ball movement. 2) Boyd County (Season: 9-7 This week: 2-1) Boyd County went 2-1 for the week. They recorded victories over Fleming County and Rose Hill. The Lions finished the week with a loss to Ashland. The Lions were paced by Blake Stewarts 19 points a game this week. Austin Gibbs took care of the rebounding averaging 9.6 rebounds a game this week. 3) Rowan County (Season: 12-6 This week: 2-1) Rowan County spent the week competing in the 2A Championship. They went 2-1 for the week with wins over Mason County and Pendleton County. Their run for the 2A Championship ended with a loss to Bourbon County, which is 15-2 for the season. The Vikings have a quite formidable 1-2 punch with Moore and Alderman. Moore averaged 21 points and 11.6 rebounds for the week. Alderman was 15.6 points and 7 rebounds for the week. 4) Raceland (Season: 11-2 This week: 2-0) Raceland continued doing what they have done all season, winning. The Rams were 2-0 for Week 6. They recorded a win over district foe Lewis County and a win in the All-A classic against rival Fairview. Kyle Broughton joined the usual attack of Pence/Floyd/Cumpton scoring 17 points and 11 rebounds in the Fairview game. 5) Greenup County (Season: 12-3 This week: 3-0) Greenup County had a very good week, going 3-0 this week. Greenup started off with a visit to Russell in what was a fantastic game for fans to watch. With several 4th quarter lead changes, the Musketeers left with the key district win over Russell. Greenup then recorded wins over 2 Ohio schools. One of those games, against St Joseph Altercrest, the Musketeers put 109 points on the board, with points from 14 different players. 6) West Carter (Season: 8-6 This week: 3-0) West Carter was certainly slow out of the gates, losing a few early games that were somewhat surprising. However, the Comets seem to have hit their stride. The Comets have won 5 in a row. They went 3-0 this week with a win over East Carter and then 2 wins in the All-A Classic. Currently, they are sitting in the Championship game awaiting the other semi-final winner. Webb and Leadingham continue to pace the Comets. 7) East Carter (Season: 7-6 This week: 1-1) East Carter finished week 6 with a win and a loss. The Raiders were in district play with a win at Elliott County and a loss to cross-county rival, West Carter. Micah Adams led the Raiders in scoring this week with 16 points a game average. 8) Lewis County (Season: 5-10 This week: 1-1) Lewis County went 1-1 during week 6. The Lions had a win over Elliott County and a loss to district rival Raceland. Week 7 will be a big week for the Lions with district games against Russell and Greenup County. A notable performance this week was O’Keefe’s game against Elliott County. O’Keefe went for 39 points and 13 rebounds. That is not a bad day at the office! 9) Russell (Season: 5-8 This week: 0-2) Week 6 was a week that Russell will be happy to put behind them. They went 0-2 for the week with a big home loss to district rival Greenup County and an absolute beat down to a very good Ashland team. The Ashland game aside, Russell seem to be a “Close, but not quite” team as they have had troubles finishing. The team has the talent to be a sleeper team come tourney time but will have some adjustments to get there. 10) Fleming County (Season: 6-9 This week: 1-2) Fleming county went 1-2 again this week. The Panthers had a win over Bracken County and losses to Boyd County and Augusta. The Panthers offense continue to come from Argo/McKee/Maher, depending on the night. 11) Morgan County (Season: 5-9 This week: 1-1) Morgan County only had 1 game this week with an early exit from the 2A Championship Tournament. The Cougars had a 5-point loss to Magoffin County. They will use the rest and preparation time to get ready for a couple of key district games with East Carter and Elliott County coming to town soon. 12) Bath County (Season: 9-9 This week: 2-1) Bath County went 2-1 this week. The Wildcats had a home win against Menifee County. They then suffered an All-A Semi-final defeat to West Carter. Jacob Patton had a good week this week with a double-double and leading the Wildcats in scoring for the week. 13) Elliott County (Season: 5-8 This week: 0-2) Elliott County went 0-2 for the week. The Lions had losses to East Carter and Lewis County this week. 14) Menifee County (Season: 5-12 This week: 1-2) Menifee County went 1-2 for the week. Menifee recorded a win over Fairview and had losses to Bath County and West Carter. Fugett averages 18 points a game this week. 15) Fairview (Season: 3-11 This week: 0-2) Fairview went 0-2 for the week with losses to Menifee County and Raceland this week. Terrick Smith had a 27-point night against Raceland in the All-A. 16) Rose Hill (Season: 2-10 This week: 0-2) Rose Hill was 0-2 for the week. The Royals lost to Boyd and Bath Counties. Kenny Wilburn had a nice night against Boyd County with 18 points and 12 rebounds.