8th Region Warrior

Yes but did not feel as if Spencer has beaten anyone either, I would agree that 6,7,8 could all change spots really, first 3 are pretty solid choices after that a crap shoot really.. And I really believe that North Oldham will be in that conversation of 5-6 after they adjust to Henry being back.

Wanted to apologize, I wrote up about 3 pages for the Christmas Break and when I posted the article it only did the first 2 teams, lost the whole thing, so instead of re-doing the 2 weeks, I am doing an extra one for next week. I wanted to thank Guru again for wiping the article clean from BGP, I am sure that some saw it and thought what the?? Here are my rankings, more to come Monday, once again sorry. I really do it for the kids, and some had monster games over the break, I will mention those next week. Here are my thoughts on top 10 1. South Oldham 2. Collins 3. Oldham County 4. Anderson County 5. Simon Kenton 6. Walton Verona 7. Gallatin County 8. Spencer County 9. Willimastown 10. Grant County

Scott County usually play's at Myrtle Beach Tourney "Beach Ball Classic, and has the Toyota Classic, maybe that is why?

Love Gilliam's heart and defense, been a starter (2) years and now a sub, I hate it for her as she has won a region with Simon as a starter. One of the reasons why I hate new kids arriving, unfair to the ones who have sacrificed, she will be fine because she is a great kid and teammate

Thought it cost them the region last year, beat Collins and Owen by 30 plus and Ally was still in those games, that long trip back to Simon and her legs were shot in the final

Better have an answer for that extended 2-3 zone South used in regional final or it will be a long night again. I think it should be a 3-5 point game either way

What a head scratching week for basketball in general. Early season games will definitely make you start wondering, do I really know this team? Imagine coaches, they probably played 2-3 times this week, with some being in Classic's Saturday, quick turn around, would love some of my football coaching buddy's worry about 3 games instead of just 1. Here are some thoughts and insights 1. South Oldham- Previous rank #1- Hard to move someone that does not lose. I know some other teams have impressive wins, but the Dragons will be tested this week. Be careful 8th region teams in what you ask for. The Dragons again are scoring the basketball. They are the most unselfish team out there and fun to watch. They got wins over Grant where they made (19) 3's, Aaron Franklin with (7) of those, made (15) 3's against Spencer, and beat Ryle to go 3-0 this week. They have a big one looming with Anderson on Thursday but better not over look Cov. Holy Cross Tuesday on the road. 2. Oldham County-Previous rank #3- The colonels move up a spot with win at Anderson, impressive to say the least. Also got win against Grant and Trimble, 3-0 not to bad. They have Madison Central this week before hosting their tourney. Will be a test of how good their guards are as Feldhaus teams always defend. They got big games from Henderson, Larimore and Jones showing they have alot of different ways to beat you. 3. Anderson County-Previous rank #2-The Bearcats drop a spot losing to Oldham at home. However a great win against Valley where Penny went for 32 points. I worry about them handling pressure outside their 2 guards, one of the things Oldham exploited. They have to make FT's in big spots, it cost them some games last year, (Mercer and Lincoln at home) 4. Collins Titans-Previous rank #5- The Titans got some good wins this week, and in doing so put up some points. Jacob Feltner with (6) made 3's against Franklin, and a win over crosstown Shelby in a no brainer impressive. They had to battle the next day and lost to John Hardin where they struggled to score. Finding balance on both ends huge for the Titans. 5. Simon Kenton- Previous rank #4- The Pioneers lost to Mason in a good game, had some guys out so I contemplated not moving them with Collins, but some closer contests with Walton, and Ryle had me wondering. They did win them games and Walton was a district seed game. Conner and Shelby Co this week will tell us a lot about the Pioneer's, I am hearing that Kelch and Hawkins have played well, as the other cast is coming along too. 6. Walton Verona-Previous Rank #14- What about these Bearcats, they got some style points from me, they beat Gallatin Co, lost to Simon in a good game. They may not be here next week but as of now I like them at #6. Miles is having a good year for the Bearcats around 16ppg. They have Eminence, Villa Madonna and Highlands this week. 7. Gallatin Co-Previous Rank #7- Well the Wildcats didn't move in our ranking. They lost Walton by 2 in a thriller, beat Henry on the road for a district seed win, they have 2 more big ones with Carroll and Owen this week. Wilson had 28 points in the win at Henry and is averaging (20) per game. 8. North Oldham-Previous Rank #6- Playing without an all region guard is not easy, but hopefully experience is being gained by others. The Mustangs with Henry are better than #8, they lost to Male and Bardstown at home this week. Zach Wheeler had 14 points in both losses, his productivity will increase when he is not targeted the whole game. They have Atherton and Trimble this week. 9. Grant County-Previous Rank #9- Well the Braves did not move in ranking, they got beat down by the 29th district in Oldham and South Oldham, but the Braves are better than most thought they would be. They got a big district seed win against Williamstown also. They have Harrison and Buckhorn coming up. 10. Spencer County- Previous Rank #8- These Bears are fun to watch, they will beat some people they should not, but their physical strength is what will hurt them down the stretch, it comes with being a young player. They got beat badly against Bullitt East and South Oldham, both older teams. They got a win against Danville also. The got Western Hills and J-town this week hoping to get back on track. 11. Shelby County-Previous Rank #10- A new coach, football making late run, means learning and improving in December, I remember Louisville Central going 0-13 in December and playing for a championship in Rupp, not saying that happens here. Just know it will take some time. They had losses to CAL, and Collins. They have Simon on Friday with a week to prepare for them. 12. Carroll County- Previous rank #16- Big win over Owen boosts them up in the ranking, the did the lose to a Indiana team also. Big week to stay in this spot, Henry and Gallatin coming up. 13. Owen County- Previous Rank #11-They got some wins against Williamstown, and Trimble. Both were close games and they lost to Carroll, which was a seed game. They have Gallatin this week and Henry, big games for all those teams. 14. Williamstown-Previous rank #13- The Demons dropped a spot after losing some close contests this week. They lost to Grant and Owen in heart breakers and defeated Eminence. They have Highlands and Lloyd Memorial this week. 15. Eminence- Previous Rank #15- stayed the same, but got a huge win over Henry, lost to Williamstown, along with CAL. They have 3 guys in double digit scoring with Kemryn Jenkins 26ppg slate. 16. Henry County- Previous Rank #12- lost to Gallatin, and Eminence this week, 0-2 in the district, have Owen and Carroll this week with a chance to get caught back up. Big week for the Wildcats 17. Trimble County- Previous rank #17-Lost 3 this week to Oldham, Eminence, and Owen. Was a good game against Owen, and they are being competitive with who they should be, hope the Raiders get a win over the Christmas break, they have North Oldham and St. Patrick this week.

Simon by 7, too much depth

Mercer by about 11, too many weapons on offense, however they struggle defensively, if Mason makes shots it could be interesting

I love the input guys, will come out with new rankings Monday, keep em coming

Unless they have to play these teams, why would you? Does Jefferson County make their schedule?

Sorry Spencer Bears, I put Bearcats, dang it!

Inside the 8th region this week, saw some of our teams step outside the region to test their kids and see the talent in other regions. I always enjoy when they play other regions, as the 8th always seems to get a bad rap when mentioned across the Bluegrass, as of late. Ranking's for week #1 are below. 1. South Oldham- Not much changed here, except I truly think Jo Griffin could make a run at the POY in the region, he is a true complete player. The Dragon's got wins over region rival Shelby County with Jo Griffin posting 31 points in the win, and also defeated a CAL team that was missing some players due to winning a football championship. Size worry's me for South as Shelby hung with them most of the game because of a post presence. The Dragon's play Spencer, Grant and Ryle this week, so will be extra busy trying to keep the #1 spot. 2. Anderson County-The Bearcats hang tight at #2 winning in Double OT against East Jessamine and throttling Model from the 11th region. Winning a challenging first game on the road will pay dividends for the Bearcats later on. They are tough at home! Got games against Oldham County and Valley this week, both who are really guard oriented and will be a hard team to beat. 3. Oldham County- The Colonels got 25 from Jackson Gibson, and defeated North Hardin at home, North was playing without their all region player who is not ruled eligible yet. They lost to a very good Valley team, who could win the 8th region in my opinion and throttled a Magoffin team that some have favored to win their region. The Colonels go on the road to Anderson County this week, so a big game considering Anderson put them out of the region last year. They also open up district play against Trimble and round out Saturday against Grant in the Ronald McDonald Classic. 4. Simon Kenton- The Pioneers come in at #4 with a loss to start the season at Mason Co. The Pioneers led most of the game and was missing some football guys, Cottrell I believe and still hung tough. The blew out Ludlow, for their first win of the year. Simon opens district play this week against Walton Verona and have Ryle also early in the week. 5. Collins- The Titans come in at #5, they have (3) guys averaging double figures in Cochran, Feltner and Turner. Dominque Turner is averaging around 17ppg after the first 2 games. The Titanss got a hard fought win against the boys from Warsaw, (Gallatin Co.) and suffered their first loss to an old nemesis in Coach Jason Couch and the Bullitt East Chargers. The Collins Titans will face crosstown rival Shelby County this week in a big district game, they will also face Franklin County, and John Hardin. Needless to say we will know a lot about the Titans after this week. 6. North Oldham- The Mustangs come in at #6, they only played (1) game this week, and got a convincing win against Frankfort. I am hearing the Jalen Henry has to sit out at least 7-8 games for discipline issues, so this week may start getting interesting as they play Male, and Bardstown. 7. Gallatin Co-The Wildcats are in at #7 and made one of the biggest moves this week. Jon really likes the hustle these kids play with. They got (2) wins against Eminence and Williamstown, while losing in a close one with Collins. They are led in scoring by Wilson's (19) ppg and Rassman's (16ppg) thus far. The Wildcats have Henry County and Walton Verona this week. 8. Spencer County-The young Bears got (2) wins this week over 2 out of region teams in KCD, and Desales. They also lost to an out of region team in Franklin Co. Wheeler is a joy to watch, he takes and makes big shots. Wheeler was named MVP of the Legend Classic, in their win over Desales. They lack a big man and that worry's me for them as they get into district play. They have South Oldham, Bullitt East and Danville this week. Can the young Bearcats steal a couple wins? 9. Grant Co- Moved up a lot of spots in my first weeks poll. Congrats to Coach on his first win! Got 2 wins, against Ryle and Fleming County, while losing to Larue County. They will be tested this week as they play Williamstown, South Oldham and Oldham back to back, WOW. The Braves will be tested this week for sure. Williamstown is huge for seeding later on. 10. Shelby Co- Even thought the Rockets have lost all 3, they have played a rough schedule and are getting used to football boys being back. They lost to Mercer County, South Oldham and Clay County. They had a chance to beat Clay, but missed several shots at the horn. Shelby will play CAL and Collins this week. If they can keep their spirits up I like their chances at some wins this week. 11. Owen County- Got a win over Western Hills, lost to Loyd Memorial and Mercer Co. They are adjusting to losing a lot off that team but Coach Duvall will right the ship as the season goes on. The Rebels have Trimble, Carroll, and Williamstown this week, as they should be tested. Nolan Tackett (20.5ppg) and Cameron McNally (17.5ppg) both are having great years thus far. 12. Henry County- Almost in my top 10, the Wildcats got a win at Western Hills, and lost to North Bullitt. They have Gallatin Co, and Eminence this week, (2) teams that have become the rivals of each other. Hinkle having a good start for the Wildcats, has a chance to be on the all region team by seasons end. 13. Williamstown-The Demons lost both games, Cov Cath not to shabby, and Gallatin Co. They will have to make shots to win games and have struggled in the first 2. They have a big week coming up, Grant, Eminence and Owen, all regional teams. 14. Walton Verona- The Bearcats are 1-2 with losses to Dixie Heights, and Beechwood, and their win against Cov. Holy Cross. They are young and have a chance to move up this week, it doesn't get easier with Gallatin and Simon this week. 15. Eminence-The Warriors are 1-1, got Coach Brown his first win, they lost to Gallatin and hammered Trimble. They have Henry, Williamstown and CAL all this week. Welcome to the crosstown rival with Henry Co, Coach Brown. 16. Carroll Co- The Panthers are 1-1 with a win against Trimble, and a loss to Lloyd Memorial. They have Owen and Southwestern Indiana this week. Owen is a big seed game in the district. 17. Trimble Co- The Raiders went 0-3 this week. They had Carroll Co on the ropes, also lost to Bullitt Central and Eminence. It does not get easier as they got Oldham Co, and Owen Co this week.

Yes our grades get printed every Friday

According to how many classes they are having for example, our school has (5) classes, some others may have (7), they have to be passing 3 of the 5 at our school according to KHSAA, however I know coaches that do not allow an (F) period.

Jones played? Thought she was out? Harmeyer can flat fill it up are you talking about her instead?

I have watched Campbell, and Scott both are really good and could win most regions, the Northern Ky area is stout for sure

She is but not Ally, as of yet

Simon has (3) all region guards and Neice will be best player on the floor, the freshmen for Ryle is good but lets not get carried away

In the 8th would love to see this 29th Oldham South Oldham North Oldham KCD 30th Shelby Eminence Henry Collins 31 Anderson Western Hills Frankfort Franklin 32 Owen Trimble Carroll Gallatin

You could be right, they have size that no one else can match, I think the draw is ultra important. You have the 29th district which will have 2 really good teams come out, and Anderson, beating (2) of those on your path is really tough. Can Simon handle pressure, limit TO, and make shots, if so a tough out they will be

What about the forward from Lafayette that plays for EYBL?

They had a lot of kids at different times not playing, and worked on younger ones improving. So you probably didn't see them even close to full strength

Totally agree JJ, and they look lost at all of the EYBL events, they just seem to fade into the background. In Atlanta this summer I wondered the exact same thing, why in the world are these kids getting out of our state, and I like 2 of those coaches alot. I aksed one this summer, and he was watching the Epps Ky Premier team, I asked about some of the kids on the EYBL team and his comment was we can not get that kind of player?

Conner won by 1 I think? Was down double digits and fought back in it, good competitive scrimmage I was told