zebraman

Still think Russell is in the mix. The 63rd is a toss-up and will be an all out battle.

Week 5 further showed us the 62nd and 63rd districts are going to be wars. In the 63rd, Raceland has played 2 district games, one (Russell) was an overtime loss. The other (Greenup) was a triple overtime win. There seems be a lot of parity. However, mix in the rivalry and the heart and these could be wars. Ashland continued to be what we have seen of Ashland this season so far. The circle on their schedule points to a week 6 game with Trinity, which knocked the Tomcats out of the Sweet 16 last season. 1) Ashland (Season: 14-0 This week: 2-0) Ashland continued their dominance over all comers this week as they hosted Union County and Woodford County this week. Ashland sent both teams home with a loss. Porter provided the most offense this week, with 18 and 27 points, respectively. The Tomcats are undoubtedly looking forward to the revenge game with Trinity that is scheduled for week 7. 2) Boyd County (Season: 8-6 This week: 2-0) Following a week 4 glitch in my crystal ball, the Lions are back in the #2 spot, where they should have stayed. In week 5, the Lions hosted Fleming at home and traveled to neighbor Fairview. Boyd won both contests in dominant fashion 3) Rowan County (Season: 10-4 This week: 1-1) Rowan County had an up and down week this week, suffering a loss to Wayne County (8-6) and capturing a 2A Classic win against Mason County, in overtime. In their loss to Wayne, Mason Moore continued his stellar play with a 30 point, 10 rebound night. Moore seems to be elevating his game in an impressive fashion. 4) Raceland (Season: 9-2 This week: 1-0) Raceland only had 1 game in week 5, but it was a big one. Raceland hosted Greenup County to a triple overtime thriller. Pence lead the Rams with 27 points while Gunnur Lewis provided the rebounds with 12. The victory of Greenup was enough to move Raceland up a slot this week. 5) Greenup County (Season: 9-3 This week: 1-1) Greenup County also had a split this week with a win against Letcher County Central and a triple-overtime loss to Raceland. Dryden’s scoring output was decreased this week. However, Carter and Griffin stepped in as needed to put points on the board. The game with Raceland was certainly the most interesting of the week as it is a district game and shows there are some battles in the future. 6) West Carter (Season: 5-6 This week: 1-0) West Carter has only played 1 game since the New Year, a district showdown with Morgan County, which handed the Comets a 20-point defeat in December. The Comets were determined not to let that happen in the New Year. With 27 points from Leadingham, the Comets collected a 19-point victory over the Cougars 7) East Carter (Season: 6-5 This week: 1-0) East Carter hosted Russell during week 5. At the end of the third quarter the Raiders trailed by 10 points and had been outplayed most of the game. However, we play 4 quarters and the Raiders dominated the 4th, beating the Devils by 5 8) Lewis County (Season: 4-9 This week: 1-0) Lewis County broke their 8 game losing streak with a victory over Union County (6-7) at the Marv Meredith Classic. O’Keefe looked very strong in the game as he joined the 30-point club. 9) Russell (Season: 5-6 This week: 2-1) Russell started the week by capturing the championship of the King of the Smokies tournament beating Franklin Road Academy out of Nashville. The Devils followed that up with a 4th quarter meltdown against East Carter and an overtime win at home against Johnson Central. The Devils seem to not be content with only playing 4 quarters in a game as they had their 5th game to go to overtime, which is just less than half of their games. 10) Fleming County (Season: 5-8 This week: 1-2) Fleming County went 1-2 for the week. The Panthers had a win against St Patrick and losses to Bath County and Boyd County. Argo had a memorable game against St Patrick with 23 points and 11 rebounds. 11) Morgan County (Season: 5-8 This week: 1-1) Morgan County split for the week with a victory over Menifee County and a district loss to West Carter. Jake Helton led the Cougars with 22 and 21 points, respectively 12) Bath County (Season: 7-8 This week: 2-0) Bath County went 2-0 in week 5 and certainly found an offensive rhythm, averaging 84.5 points a game this week. Each game the Wildcats had 4 players to score in double-digits and were led by Otis. 13) Elliott County (Season: 5-6 This week: 0-0) Elliott County had a bye week and have not played since the New Year. 14) Fairview (Season: 3-9 This week: 0-2) Fairview went 0-2 for the week with a home loss to Boyd County and a road loss to Symmes Valley (OH). In the Symmes Valley game, Manning went for 28 points and 9 rebounds. 15) Menifee County (Season: 4-10 This week: 0-1) The Wildcats lost their only game of the week, a home game to Morgan County. Menifee was led in scoring by Fugett and Martin for the game. 16) Rose Hill (Season: 2-8 This week: 0-0) Rose Hill has been on bye during week 5.

Very true statements. The Dryden kid seems to be the real deal. Have you seen him live yet? They have been in a steady climb up the rankings as they were first projected like 9-10.

It would appear I had too much egg-nog and that slipped my memory. I think that certainly makes a difference. All things equal, I will fix it next week. Thanks

I certainly understand the Rowan versus Boyd for #2. I may very well have been wrong to switch them. Time will tell. I think we will really start seeing some clarity over the next couple of weeks.

Week 4 is now in the books. Ashland proved this week, not only are they at the top of the heap for the 16th region but they are able to play with good teams from other regions as well. Rowan County continued their winning ways as well. Outside of that, things are still a little jumbled. We look to get a little clearer picture over the next 10 days. 1) Ashland (Season: 12-0 This week: 3-0) This week was a big week for Ashland. Ashland hosted and won the 65th Annual Ashland Invitational Tournament. This was quite a big accomplishment based upon the amount of talent in the tournament. Ashland had wins over Lawrence County, Warren Central, and Louisville Butler. Ashland is approaching one of the best starts in their storied history. 2) Rowan County (Season: 9-3 This week: 2-0) Rowan County traveled to Freeport, FL to bring in the new year. They went 2-0 last week with victories over Winter Park, FL and Troy, AL. Both were low scoring games with Rowan scoring 43 in one game and 39 in the second. Rowan continues to play there this week with a game on the 30th and 31st. 3) Boyd County (Season: 6-6 This week: 1-2) Boyd County spent the holidays close to home as they also participated in the Ashland Invitational. Boyd County started it out on the right foot with a win against Scott County. The ended the tournament with losses to Warren Central and Butler 4) Greenup County (Season: 8-2 This week: 2-0) Greenup County hosted the Stultz Pharmacy Holiday Classic last week. Greenup went 2-0 at the classic with victories over Rockcastle and Portsmouth West (OH). It was much of the same for the Musketeers with Nelson and Dryden providing a one-two punch. Against Rockcastle, Dryden went for 27 points and 15 rebounds. 5) Raceland (Season: 8-2 This week: 1-1) Raceland traveled to the Buckhorn Lake Christmas Classic last week. There were 1-1 while there. They played these games without one of the region’s top players, Kirk Pence. Kyle Broughton did his best to make up the difference averaging 14.5 points a game in the Classic. Raceland had a win against Lee County and a loss to Betsy Layne. 6) West Carter (Season: 4-6 This week: 1-2) West Carter participated in the Mountain Schoolboy Classic last week. They were 1-2 for the week with a victory over Belfry and losses to Magoffin County and Shelby Valley. The Comets had a different leading scorer for each game. Webb (25), Leadingham (17), and Dean (17) each took a turn as leading scorer for the Comets 7) East Carter (Season: 5-5 This week: 1-1) The Raiders visited Greenup for their Holiday tournament. They went 1-1 for the week. The Raiders lost to Rockcastle and recorded a victory against Portsmouth West (OH). The next 10 days should really show us who the Raiders are this year with scheduled games against Russell, Morgan, and West Carter. 8) Lewis County (Season: 3-9 This week: 0-3) Lewis County participated in the Ashland Invitational this week. The Lions suffered losses to Warren Central, Lawrence County, and Christian County. This extends the Lions losing streak to 8 games. O’Keefe continued to be the leader on both ends of the court. 9) Russell (Season: 3-5 This week: 2-0) Russell traveled to Pigeon Forge this week for the King of the Smokies tournament. Russell won over Copper Basin (TN) and Louisville Holy Cross. The impressive piece for the Devils was against Copper Basin, which was 8-1 going into the game, the Devils stingy defense only allowed 16 points in this game. Jadon Argo lead the Panthers in scoring 2 of the games with 10) Fleming County (Season: 4-6 This week: 0-3) Fleming County went to Bath County for the Dan Swartz Classic. The Panthers were 0-3 at the Classic this year. They were handed defeats by Iroquis, Estill County, and Powell County. Dugan taking the honor in the 3rd. 11) Morgan County (Season: 4-7 This week: 2-0) Morgan County participated in the Mountain Schoolboy Classic last week. They were 1-0 at the Classic with a victory over Sayre. The Cougars then had a road game at Fairview that they won in a lopsided way. Helton averages 27 points a game this week for the Cougars. 12) Elliott County (Season: 5-6 This week: 2-1) Elliott County went 2-1 at Bath County’s Dan Swartz Classic last week. They recorded victories over Estill County and Shelby Valley and a loss to Iroquis 13) Bath County (Season: 5-8 This week: 2-1) Bath County hosted the Dan Swartz Classic during week 4. It proved to be a good week for the Wildcats, going 2-1. They won against Powell County and Shelby County but had a loss to Iroquis in the championship game. Otis, Williams, and Brooks provided the scoring this week for the wildcats. 14) Fairview (Season: 3-7 This week: 0-2) Fairview went 0-2 for the week with a home loss to Morgan County and a road loss to Dawson Bryant (OH). Johnson and Manning each took a turn leading the team in scoring with 13 points this week. 15) Menifee County (Season: 4-9 This week: 1-2) Menifee County participated in the Dan Swartz Classic week 4. The Wildcats had losses to Shelby Valley and Estill County and a win over Powell County. Dalton Martin lead the way in scoring this week, averaging just over 22 points a game. 16) Rose Hill (Season: 2-8 This week: 0-1) Rose Hill had 1 game during week 4, hosting Nicholas County. The Royals played well early, with good shooting. However things cooled off in the second half as Nicholas got the win.

One of the premier Holiday Tournaments in Kentucky tips off Friday in Ashland. This year's field included three of last years final 8 teams in the Sweet 16 (Butler, Scott County, Warren Central). The tournament is Dec 27-29 of every year. This following is the schedule for Friday: 2:30 Lewis County versus Warren Central 4:00 Louisville Butler versus Christian County 7:00 Ashland Blazer versus Lawrence County 8:30 Boyd County versus Scott County

With three weeks complete we are starting to see who teams are. There are still a few that are quite baffling and we will need time to see how good they can ne, looking at you West Carter. One thing that is certain is come March, the battle in the 62nd District (East Carter, Elliott County, Morgan County, West Carter) and the battle in the 63rd District (Greenup County, Lewis County, Raceland, and Russell) is wide open and will be a battle the rest of the season. 1) Ashland (Season: 9-0 This week: 3-0) Another week of Ashland looking quite impressive. Ashland went 3-0 this week with victories over BGP Top 20 #9 George Rogers Clark at GRC. Ashland then went through the WV gauntlet of Capital and George Washington, both large division powers in WV. Porter led the way with scoring this week, averaging 19 points a game. This week, Ashland will be hosting the AIT Dec 27-29. This is always a great tournament with great competition. Ashland will look to keep the hardware at home this year. 2) Boyd County (Season: 5-4 This week: 1-4) Boyd started the week off with a victory against 16th region foe West Carter. They then traveled to Las Vegas for the Tarkanian Classic. Boyd County played in the “Eastbay” division of the 200 team tournament. Boyd went 0-4 losing to a team from Arizona, Ft Lauderdale, and 2 Nevada teams. During the tournament, Boyd seemed to have troubles getting the shots to fall. In their 4 games, their FG percentage was: 43.3, 36.6, 38.3, and 34.4. With knowing very little about these teams, hard to evaluate these losses. This week, Boyd will be in the AIT, opening with Scott County. 3) Rowan County (Season: 7-3 This week: 4-0) Rowan County had what we call a good week this week, going 4-0. Rowan earned victories over Menifee, Bath, Butler, and St Henry this week. Mason Moore continued his exciting play, averaging 24 points a game this week. Alderman has also been picking things up for Rowan going double-double multiple times this week. Rowan will look to continue their success in the sunshine state this week, heading to the Hilton Sandestin Beach tournament 4) Raceland (Season: 7-1 This week: 3-1) Raceland started the week taking their first loss of the season in an overtime thriller to Russell. The Rams bounced back from that to win their Derby Classic. The Rams were hardly tested by East Ridge and Leslie County but then got a nice win over talented Lawrence County. The three headed monster of Floyd, Pence, and Cumpton continues to lead the way. Following Christmas, Raceland will head to the Buckhorn Lake Classic. 5) Greenup County (Season: 6-2 This week: 3-1) Greenup County continues their best start in several years this week with a win versus South Point and then a good showing in Alabama at the Cherokee County Invitational. Greenup went 2-1 against 3 Alabama teams. Dryden continues to impress going for 21.75 points per game and 15.25 rebounds per game this week. Following their trip to Alabama, Greenup will be home for the Holidays, hosting the Stultz Pharmacy Holiday Classic. 6) West Carter (Season: 3-4 This week: 1-2) The most confusing thing in the 16th right now is trying to figure out what West Carter is. In their good times, the Comets have looked very good with wins against Russell and Frederick Douglas. But they have had bads as well with an 18-point loss to Morgan County. We will look to figure them out in the coming week. The win against Douglas was certainly a good win for the Comets. Prior to the game, Douglas was #2 in the first RPI ratings of the season put out by the KHSAA. West Carter was impressed enough to give Douglas their first loss of the year. The Comets were led in scoring this week with Tyson Webb, averaging 20 points a game this week. 7) East Carter (Season: 4-4 This week: 2-1) The Raiders went 2-1 on the week this week. They earned victories over Fairview and Lewis County and a loss to Ryle. Thus far, East Carter has been about who everyone thought they would be, winning the ones they should and losing the others. We will get a good look at what the Raiders have when they start digging into district games right after the first of the year. 8) Lewis County (Season: 3-6 This week: 0-3) The Lions continued a losing streak this week as they have currently lost 5 games in a row. Lions have losses this week to East Carter, Montgomery, and Holy Cross. O’Keefe continues to shine for the Lions but he would gladly trade that shine in for some wins. It doesn’t get any easier this week as the Lions will go to Ashland for the AIT, opening with Warren Central 9) Russell (Season: 1-5 This week: 1-2) Russell started the week out, by getting their first win of the season, in an overtime win at Raceland. This game continued their streak of 3 overtimes games in a row. The Devils then went to Rowan County and suffered losses to Fredrick Douglas and Covington Holy Cross. Brady Bell has had streaks that he looked to be the stud that was anticipated, but also a game or two that he seems to go invisible. Russell is better than their 1-5 record indicates, but how much better? That is the big question right now. After Christmas, the Devils will head to Pigeon Forge for a Holiday Tournament. 10) Fleming County (Season: 4-3 This week: 1-1) Fleming County went finished week 3 out with a win and a loss. The Panthers beat Rose Hill behind the scoring of McKee (21), Argo (20), and Lutz (19). They followed this up with a very lopsided loss to rival Mason County. The 28-point loss will certainly sting for a bit. 11) Morgan County (Season: 2-7 This week: 0-4) Morgan County had a big win in week 2 however, they could not carry any of the momentum forward, losing 4 games this week. The Cougars lost to Elliott, Betsy Layne, Prestonsburg, and Shelby Valley this week. They will certainly look to forget this week and move on 12) Fairview (Season: 3-5 This week: 1-2) The Eagles started the week well with a victory against Hannan, WV. Twelve players scored and eleven players grabbed at least one rebound for the Eagles in this game. Following the win, Fairview lost to East Carter and Green, OH. In the Green game, Roy recorded a double double with 20 and 10. 13) Elliott County (Season: 3-5 This week: 2-2) Elliott County had a good district win to start week 3 as they sent Morgan County home with a loss. Elliott then traveled to Raceland for the Derby Classic going 1 and 2 there. Elliott beat Rose Hill and suffered losses to Lawrence and Knox County. 14) Bath County (Season: 3-7 This week: 1-3) Week 3 was a busy week for Bath County. They started with a road loss to Rowan County. They then got comfy in the bus as they played in the Smokey Mountain Classic the next day in Gatlinburg. Bath went 1 and 2 in the classic beating Gordon Central out of Georgia and losing to Claiborne and Cannon County out of Tennessee. 15) Menifee County (Season: 3-7 This week: 2-3) Menifee traveled to Berea for the All A Holiday Classic. They were able to get 2 wins there, beating Monroe County and Red Bird. The Wildcats lost to Estill County and Jackson County in the Classic. Also this week, Menifee lost to Rowan County 16) Rose Hill (Season: 2-7 This week: 0-4) A rough week for the Royals. Rose Hill lost at home to Fleming County and then went 0-3 at the Derby Classic in Raceland. In the Classic, Rose Hill lost to Leslie County, East Ridge, and Elliott County.

The boy has stayed at my house several times, yet, I misspell his name.. ughhhhhh Thank you, won't make that mistake again lol

Week 2 we are starting to see more about what the 16th region has to offer. This week, we saw that, at this point, Ashland seems to be a well-oiled machine that is a level better than the others. However, it is still very early. At this point, there will be 4 or 5 schools that could be standing come tournament time to make a run for the title. Only time will tell. 1) Ashland (Season: 6-0 This week: 3-0) It is VERY early in the week, but all Ashland did in week 2 was pull further away from anyone else in the region. Ashland looked very good this week with victories over Fairview and two West Virginia teams, Spring Valley and Capital. Capital is the number 7 team in the WV large division. They continue an up tempo with deadly shooting. 2) Boyd County (Season: 4-0 This week: 2-0) Boyd County had a couple of good wins this week, over 15th region power Lawrence County and a very good 15th region team in Rowan County. Boyd has a little way to go to catch up to Ashland, at this point. Boyd looks to do just that after a game with West Carter and then a trip to Las Vegas 3) Rowan County (Season: 3-3 This week: 2-1) After a tough first week, Rowan County did in week 2 what was expected of them. The Vikings had winds over Lewis and West Carter and a loss to Boyd County. Mason Moore really got going in the West Carter game with 2 points and 11 rebounds. Chase Alderman had been chipping in with the points as well. 4) Raceland (Season: 4-0 This week: 2-0) Raceland remains unblemished through week 2. However, the schedule has not yet shown us what the Ramblers are capable of yet. Pence, Floyd, and Compton continue to be the three-headed monster for the Rams. We will be able to tell more on the Rams in Week 3 as the host district rival Russell and the Derby Classic this week. 5) Greenup County (Season: 3-1 This week: 2-0) Greenup County is moving on up in the polls after week 2 makes us wonder how good the Musketeers can be. This week Greenup had a big district win over Lewis County and also a win against 6A Dixie Heights. A player to watch out for is region newcomer Rodrell Dryden. In the two games this week, Dryden averaged 20.5 points and 17.5 rebounds. Mixed with Brady Nelson’s success, Greenup County could have a very good year. 6) West Carter (Season: 2-2 This week: 0-2) West Carter had a tough week 2. They had a 15-point loss to Rowan County and then an 18 point loss to Morgan County. Week 3 doesn’t get any easier as the Comets host Boyd County to start week 3. Tyson Webb paced the Comets in scoring this week, averaging 18 points a game. 7) Lewis County (Season: 3-3 This week: 1-2) The Lions had a rough week this week going 1-2 for the week. They advanced in the EKC Tournament with a win over East Carter. Then losses to Rowan County and an important district loss to Greenup County. 8) Russell (Season: 0-3 This week: 0-1) After an early exit from the EKC tournament last week, the Devils have had more practices than games. In their one game this week, the Devils lost in double overtime to WV large division #4 Cabell Midland. I think the end of the season; the devils will be in the mix. However, have to keep them high in the region ratings until they get rid of the goose egg in the win column. 9) East Carter (Season: 2-3 This week: 0-2) The Raiders had losses in both of their games this week. They lost to Lewis County in the EKC tournament and to WV George Washington. GW is the large division #3 in WV. The Raiders will look for improvement this week with a revenge game against Lewis County and a trip to Fairview. 10) Morgan County (Season: 2-3 This week: 1-1) The Cougars split their games this week with a little hot and cold. They lost to Bath County in the EKC, in a game most would have looked for the Cougars to win. They followed that up with an 18-point win against a favored West Carter team. Morgan certainly has the potential to play very well. Time will show us who the real Morgan County team is. 11) Fleming County (Season: 3-2 This week: 2-1) Week 2 was a week that Fleming did what was expected. They beat the teams they should beat and struggled with the team they were thought to struggle with. McKee and Flannery took turns putting the points on the board for the Panthers this week 12) Fairview (Season: 2-3 This week: 2-0) After a very good start for the Eagles in week 1, they opened week 2 hosting the #1 Tomcats. Following that loss, Fairview suffered a home loss to Fleming County. Manning and Smith led the Eagles in points this week. 13) Bath County (Season: 2-4 This week: 2-1) Bath County also got a couple of notches in the win column this week with victories over Morgan County and Menifee County. They ended a busy week with a loss to Belfry. 14) Elliott County (Season: 1-3 This week: 1-1) Elliott County got their first win this week with a victory over Nicholas County. They also suffered a loss at Raceland. Week 3 will be important as they have their first district game against Morgan County this week. 15) Rose Hill (Season: 2-3 This week: 1-2) Rose Hill put another win in the books this week with a victory over Sciotoville. They followed it up with a loss to Portsmouth Notre Dame. Stephan Barker shined in their win with 36 points and 10 rebounds. 16) Menifee County (Season: 1-4 This week: 1-2) Menifee dropped out of the winless club this week when they beat Powell County at home. Menifee also had loses to Fleming and Bath County this week. Ben Rose averaged 17 ppg this week to lead the way for Menifee County.

Week 1 is in the books. While the picture is still fuzzy, we have enough to know it is going to be an exciting year of basketball in the 16th! 1) Ashland (3-0) Ashland started the season off on fire. The pace will be blistering this year out of Ashland. Hudson, Sellers, and Porter are every bit as good as advertised. This week they had wins over Lewis County, Region 15 Power Johnson Central, and Madison Central. 2) Boyd County (2-0) Boyd County had a good win at Russell in what was an impressive environment for the first week of the season. Boyd was calm and just did what they do. Stewart and Webb lead the way for the Lions. They will certainly be in the mix in Morehead. 3) West Carter (2-0) West Carter moves up a spot after an overtime win against Russell and a win against Fairview. West showed the ability to score a bunch of points in a short time period. They have had 5 different players to score in double digits thus far. 4) Rowan County (1-2) Rowan County started rough. They captured a win over Montgomery County, but losses to Campbell County and Fredrick Douglas. Both of these are quality programs and undoubtedly provided Rowan will some insight to some areas to work on for this year. Mason Moore’s 32 point and 17 rebound performance against Montgomery was quite a performance to watch. 5) Lewis County (2-1) Lewis County had a busy week with wins over Mason and Morgan Counties. Their loss came to Ashland. For much of the Ashland game, Lewis was holding close until Ashland got on fire late. The wins move them up 1 spot. 6) Raceland (2-0) Raceland was unblemished through week 1. They put away wins over Dawson Bryant (OH) and Dayton. Neither of these opponents would be listed as top tier, but Raceland did what they needed to do. Austin Compton was impressive to start the season with his 23 points and 12 rebounds against Dawson Bryant. 7) Russell (0-2) Russell slides down a couple of spots with an 0-2 start. Worthy of not, both losses were against 16th region foes that are ranked higher. Russell lost at home against Boyd County and in overtime at West Carter. The system is still working out some kinks, but expect Russell to make noise later in the year. 8) East Carter (2-1) The Raiders had wins over Elliott County and Bath County this week and a loss to 15th region Lawrence County. They look to get scoring for several players and did in the first week. Of note was Hunter Binion’s 19 point and 1 rebound game against Lawrence County. 9) Morgan County (1-2) Morgan County started the season with a win against Bath County and losses to Lewis County and Floyd Central. As expected, Jake Helton is leading the way for the Cougars in both scoring and rebounding. 10) Greenup County (1-1) The Musketeers started off at 1-1 with a win over Menifee County and a loss to Montgomery County. Newcomer Rodrell Dryden is making his presence known early, averaging 16 points and 18.5 rebounds a game over the first week. Brady Nelson is doing as expected, averaging 23.5 points a game in week 1. 11) Fleming County (1-1) Fleming had a loss to Bourbon County and a win against Ripley this week. This week showed the character of the team this week as team captain Johnathan Mayer chase to stay and play instead of going to Kroger Field to accept his player of the year award. That type of team-first mindset will certainly propel the Panthers this season. 12) Fairview (2-1) Fairview got started with some wins as Fairview had a home win against Covenant Christian (WV) and an overtime win against Rose Hill. Fairview has a loss to West Carter this week. Those wins move them up a couple of spots. 13) Elliott County (0-2) Elliott County suffered losses to East Carter and an Australian team this week. They will look to recover and get some momentum in week 2. 14) Bath County (0-3) Bath County did not get the start they wanted. This week, Bath lost to George Rogers Clark, Morgan County, and East Carter. They are off until Dec 13 and will look to make the tweaks they need to get some wins next week. 15) Rose Hill (1-1) Rose Hill got a win over Burgin and an overtime loss to Fairview. Close to finishing out the first week 2-0. Rose Hill will look to continue momentum during week 2. 16) Menifee County (0-2) Menifee went 0-2 this week with loses to Greenup County and Boyd County. Menifee did show they can score some points. However, they also showed they can give points up. They will look to tighten the defense after allows 87 and 96 points in those two games.

One of the biggest joys of basketball is that no matter how hard we try, it is very difficult to get an understanding of who is good and who isn’t until several games are under their belt. Teams that we look at before the season, or after 1 or 2 wins, and think they are unstoppable can quickly show us that they are really not that good as they get punched in the mouth by a team that shocks everyone, yes, we are looking at you, Evansville. Even as the end of the season it can be tough. The 16th last season had a clear cut favorite to cut down the nets at Morehead State. However, Ashland got hot at the right time and added to their vast collection of championships nets. Who will cut down the nets this year? The most accurate method at this point is old-fashioned Rock, Paper, Scissors, but we will try to rank and see where it goes. 1. Ashland Blazer - The defending regional champions are on top of the hill until they get knocked off. Ashland is loaded with young talent at the guard position this season with Villars, Sellers and Elliott County transfer Collin Porter. The tomcats will most likely look to push the pace this season. 2. Boyd County - Boyd County is coming off a 24-11 season and a loss in the regional finals last year. The Lions graduated only 3 seniors and will be bringing back a bunch of talent. Blake Stewart will be the catalyst for the team this year looking to continue a long streak of 20 win seasons. 3. Rowan County - Rowan County had the region’s best record last season at 26-6. They graduated 2 players from last year’s squad so will be bringing back players that are accustomed to winning. Mason Moore will look to continue his high scoring from last year. 4. West Carter - West Carter is coming off of a 16-13 season last year that saw the departure of 2 seniors. This year they will add experience to their fast play. The Comets will have 6 seniors this season and anticipate the experience will lead to more success on the court. 5. Russell - Russell returns just about everything from last year’s 9-18 team, including their top 8 scorers. What is different about Russell this year is the man in charge. Russell brought in Ohio High School Hall of Famer and 350 game winner, Tom Barrick. There is excitement in Russell that has not been present for several years. 6. Lewis County - At 21-10 last season, the Lions are the defending 63rd District Champion. They seek to continue their success and their super Senior Sam O'Keefe will lead the way. O'Keefe is a do it all players for Lewis and the team will follow. 7. Raceland - The Rams at 16-14 last year lost 4 seniors. However, they maintain a nucleus of sharp shooters lead by Pence and Floyd. They will do a lot of work from the 3-point line this year, which has brought them success in the past. 8. East Carter - Brandon Bakers Raiders had quite the wild ride last year, starting the season by losing 12 of their first 14 games, only to won 10 of their last 13. After graduating 2 seniors, the Raiders look to keep the wins going from the beginning this year. 9. Morgan County - The Cougars were 18-12 last season. They graduated 4 seniors and bring back 3. They will try to continue the winning ways these seniors have gotten used to. 10. Greenup County - Robert Amis will be in his second year at Greenup. The first year ended at 11-19 but things are different this year. The athletes are more familiar with the coach and the coach familiar with athletes and opponents. Greenup looks to make some noise in the wide-open 63rd district. 11. Fleming County - The Panthers were 11-19 last season. They graduated 4 and replace them with 4 seniors for this year as well. They will have to do better this season of scoring points Only 2 16th region teams scored less points than them last season. 12. Elliott County - Following last years, 26-4 season, Elliott County looks to continue their winning ways. Things will look different this year with the graduation loss of Korbin Spencer and the transfer loss of Collin Porter, but Elliott County still has plenty of young talent on the roster. The question will be how quick can that talent grow? 13. Bath County - Bath County finished last year at 12-21. They bring in a new platoon of seniors, having lost 6 seniors to graduation, but having 6 seniors this year as well. Last season, Bath had the sharpshooters to put a lot of points on the board in a short time. They look for more consistency in their scoring this season. 14. Fairview - With a different Cooksey at the helm this year, the Eagles look to expand on last year’s 10-20 record. Fairview graduated 3 seniors. Their youth and familiarity with new coach Brett Cooksey, the Eagles should hit the ground running. 15. Menifee County - The Wildcats return the core from last season, losing only 2 seniors. They will be a senior laden class this year with 6 of their players this year being seniors. They scored the fifth most points in region last year, but finished at 9-22. They will look for defensive improvements while keeping their offense powered. 16. Rose Hill - The Royals will continue to be the youngest team in the region this year. The 4-25 team from last year graduated only 1 senior. They hope a little more experience will lead to some additional wins this season. Pre-season Top 10 Players 1. Blake Stewart Senior - Boyd County Senior A 4-year starter and leader for Boyd County. Last year he averages 21.5 points and 7.8 rebounds a game. 2. Mason Moore Junior - Rowan County Mason Moore will lead the Vikings again this year. As a sophomore last season, Moore averaged 20.2 points and 7.8 rebounds. He looks to be an even bigger force with an additional year of experience and muscle. 3. Kirk Pence Junior – Raceland Pence is one of the top clutch players in the region. He is deadly with the ball in his hands. He also does a good job of making all of his teammates better. Pence averages 14 points a game last year and will certainly see that improving this season. 4. Sam O’Keefe Senior - Lewis County O’Keefe is an all-around player and the leader of the Lions. Last season he averages 18.5 points and 7.1 rebounds a game. 5. Tristan Miller Senior – Russell Miller has been one of the top 3-point threats in the region over the last 2 years. This trend will certainly continue. Last year, Miller averaged 14.7 points a game while shooting 42.9% from the arc. 6. Braden Leadingham Senior - West Carter Leadingham is a dual threat with his points and rebounds that he brings to the table each night. Leadingham will be the leader of the fast paced offense, pushing the temple throughout. 7. Cole Villers Sophmore – Ashland After an injury limited his season last year, Villers looks to make the most of this year. Villers averaged 10.4 points a game last year with high success from the 3-point line. 8. Brady Nelson Senior – Greenup County The offense in Lloyd goes through Nelson. Coming off of a year in which he averages 17.7 points and 7 assists a game, if he isn’t doing the scoring, he is getting the ball to someone who can. 9. Jake Helton Senior - Morgan County Helton averaged 16.7 points and 6.8 rebounds a game last year in West Liberty. He will be the leader of the team this year looking to lead in attitude and in performance. 10. Collin Porter Freshman – Ashland Porter a freshman transfer from Elliott County will be the point guard for the Tomcats this year. Last year, at Elliott, Porter averaged 7.7 points a game in varsity play, as an 8th-grader. He has an amazing vision of the court and will put his teammates in a position to score.

Neither of these teams finished the season in the BGP Top 10. However, both spent time in the standings this season and was always hovering close. This should be a very competitive game as these teams seem to match up well on paper. Who wins?

Bardstown got a little playoff revenge last week, defeating Elizabethtown after Etown beat them in the regular season. Desales continued taking care of business. Desales will certainly be the favorite, but there is a reason they play the game. Who wins?

The 3A game of the week takes place in CAM stadium this week, as the Pirates host Ashland's Tomcats. Belfry comes into this week after barely being tested as week. Ashland have to work harder to put Russell away, however, Ashland looked razor sharp last week and looks to continue that. This will be Belfry power against Ashland speed. Who wins?

Fleming County leaves that confines of home traveling southeast to Pine Mountain. Bell County will look to continue their winning ways. They will do this be trying to stop Fleming's pass happy offense. Who wins?

Bardstown will begin their playoff run this week as they host Larue County. The teams played Sept 27 and Bardstown won the game 42-0

Elizabethtown comes in at 8-2. Even more impressive when you see that their 2 losses were to 6A ranked teams. The will be hosting Thomas Nelson this week. Thomas Nelson is one of a handful of teams that are in the playoffs with either 0 or 1 win for the season as they are 1-9. These two teams played Sept 27 at Thomas Nelson with Elizabethtown winning 54-0

This year, round 1 of the playoffs gives us something we have not seen for a while. We have a first round game that could just as easy be a semi-final game. Two of the top teams in 3A are battling early. These teams battled in an instant classic on Sept 27 at CAL with Mercer getting the win 45-42. There is little doubt that this game will be every bit of that intense. If you don't know where to go to watch a game, this is the one to pick.

The season started with many talking about the very difficult schedule the tomcats had. Fast forward to today and the tomcats are sitting at 8-2. This week they open the play-offs with Greenup County. These teams played 2 weeks ago with a 38-7 win for the tomcats. The health of the Musketeers could also be an issue as they had several sitting last week with injuries.

Belfry will look to get the machine that is Belfry Football fired up as the real season gets going. Belfry will be hosting 3-7 Floyd Central. These teams last played on Ovt 4 at Floyd Central with Belfry winning 41-6

Desales 7-3 kicks off their 3A playoff run by hosting Western Hills 3-7. These teams played on Oct 18, also at Desales, with Desales winning 48-13

Bell County looks to continue their perfect season. They come in at 10-0 against 4-6 Garrard County. These teams played Oct 11 at Bell County. The final of that game was 39-0.

Bardstown comes into this week after a tough overtime loss to E-town. Anderson comes in at 4-5. Anderson's last two weeks have been tough to say the least with Lex Cath and Boyle County. Both teams look to right the ship heading into playoffs

In a battle of 5-4 teams, Christian Academy of Louisville hosts Bullitt Central. A common opponent is South Oldham. CAL beat South Oldham 6-0. South Oldham got the best of Bullitt Central 52-0.