First

^^^^:laugh: I hate it when I'm right lol.

Winners today: Wayne in a close one Boyle Mercer in a close one Lincoln

The fact that they are broadcasting 2 Lincoln and 2 Mercer games today must mean they're both going to be winners. GO TITANS!!!!!!!!!

There's a difference in physical and dirty. A lot of Wayne fans' comments have referenced dirty play by SW in their games vs Wayne. I personally have not seen SW play this year but have plenty of times in past years under Coach Wright. I am familiar with their personnel and, outside of Gaskin, they don't seem like a physically imposing team. Also, they seem to play a lot of zone. Usually, the "let them play" scenario benefits teams that play more aggressive defense such as Wayne, Boyle and Mercer. Those 3 play a lot of man - if they can stay out of foul trouble. That's often a problem in the 12th where silly, inconsequential fouls are called. As for the SW - Mercer game, SW will not play man.

Just curious as to who the 5th team is in your top 5 team reference. Sounds like you are including West Jessamine in that group? You say "if" Wayne can get by West and that you think Lincoln will lose to Southwest (which they wouldn't). So, it must be a given that Southwest beats Mercer, right? Personally, I think Boyle and Mercer are the two teams that benefit the most if the refs actually let the teams play. They are by far the two most athletic teams. It plays to their strengths.

Wow, I love it!!!

Bring them on now please!!! So where do the 12th region's finest go? What region gets them?!?!

The 45th was very fortunate. One would also think Wayne got a favorable draw but let's not forget how much trouble they had with West a couple of weeks ago. As for Southwest and Mercer, that should be a good one - and a game that could very well be a preview of next year's regional championship game. Winner gets Lincoln. In my opinion, that may be a more favorable matchup for either team than they would've had on the other side of the bracket. This is going to be crazy!

Final from West Jessamine. Mercer wins the 46th District championship in OT.

Actually, Mercer shot 20-25 in that game for 80%. For the season, Mercer shoots 71%. Had they shot their average, the difference was worth 2 points. East is the one that shot 20-22 for 91%. They were shot 73% on the season for a benefit of 4 points. A comparison of percentages for this game: West shoots 48% FG; 69% FT; 34% threes. Mercer goes 52%; 71%; and 33%. Should be a great game!

I will say what I said before they played the second time. Tyler has to have a really good game for Boyle to win. If he does not, they likely will lose. He did not shoot well against Danville (6/17). A repeat of that type of performance and Lincoln wins. However, it's very rare for Tyler to be off for 2 games in a row. More often than not, he follows those games up with a strong performance. I think he will have a big game tonight. For that reason, I'm giving Boyle the nod in this one.

I really like West's team. Very well coached; very intelligent; lots of balance; and they have improved throughout the year. From Mercer's perspective, looking at the stats from the previous two games tells the story. Faulkner has led Mercer scoring each of those games though it has been balanced. For those 2 games, he has attempted 50% more FG than the next highest player (Hager). For the season, those two have attempted virtually the same amount of shots. On the other hand, Hager has averaged 9 assists in those 2 games. Point being that West always makes it difficult for Hager to get quality looks, but he's a kid who is just as content "assisting." As a result, from Mercer's standpoint, their keys to victory are Faulkner having a good (shooting) game and Dow coming to play. If Faulkner shoots well from the perimeter and Dow has upper teens and 10+ rebounds (which means Hager will likely have 9+ assists again), Mercer should win. The other variables for Mercer are the play of Drew Davis (9 & 9 against East) and Baughman hitting threes. If they can do those things, which will require staying out of foul trouble, I like their chances. If they don't execute, West will win.

Couldn't agree more!

Hagen has been sick a lot lately. He needs to stay well over the next several weeks!

Mercer was up 34-18 at the half. Very impressive defensive effort as they held a 17-9 Woodford team to 17 points below their season average. Woodford's last game was a 63-43 win at West Jessamine. Mercer is a different team when they bring that level of defensive intensity. They have the length and athleticism if they come with the right mentality. Obviously, this game was called by 11th region officials. While I felt there were a few calls that seemed to be examples of home cooking, I wish all of our games were called this way. The referees did not dictate anything about this game. It was actually fun to watch. You rarely noticed the officials!!!

Ugly game. It was tied at the half and Mercer led 39-38 at the end of the third. Lincoln started the fourth quarter with two quick threes and protected the lead in their signature manner. Such a smart, patient, well-coached team. You don't want to trail that team in the fourth quarter.

Some FACTS: 1) First and foremost, the problem with this year's football team was management. This was a problem last year as well but it really manifested itself this year! This is a perfect example of The Peter Principle. By all accounts, Pardue is a fine OC. He was promoted to "management" based on his technical prowess. I know plenty of Boyle folks that felt that was the root cause of the problems he had at Boyle. 2) He contends (in the newspaper article) that he couldn't build a program due to lack of support from the administration. If people knew what was allowed to happen inside that locker room this past year, they would agree the problem wasn't with the administration. The recent "situation" that I'm sure he's referencing regarding the administration's lack of support wouldn't have been an issue at all had he managed the team DURING the season. 3) The assertion that Dennis Davis somehow exerts pressure to benefit his son is absurd. If anyone knows Dennis Davis, you know he would err very far on the other end of that spectrum. The only Mercer folks that would tell you otherwise are those with an axe to grind. It could be that their own son would be a direct competitor for that spot or maybe that they look to stir the pot no matter what. The don't like the powers that be; never have and never will. If you know anything about Mercer football and their current players, the best chance for Mercer to succeed was/is with a healthy Drew Davis at QB. He's the best option, period. Mercer's administration seems to repeatedly get a bad rap for not supporting coaches. There have been references to previous administrators and, to that point, I can't offer a defense. But don't make the current administration bear the cross for past mistakes. The superintendent down to the high school principal and AD's are very supportive of their coaches. Those individuals that do their jobs, and do them the right way, receive plenty of support. Coach Souder and Coach Shope are examples of 2 guys that were given plenty of time to create strong programs. Why were they given that much time? They did it the right way. Before their teams were perennial contenders, they were good "managers." They handled their responsibilities, held kids accountable, and filled their roles in acceptable manners. At the end of the day, in any business, the employees that do their jobs are taken care of by their superiors. Those that don't...

In the game at Lincoln, Bell shot considerably more than Tyler. In last night's game, Taylor had more FG attempts than Conway. Granted, Bell is a more capable scorer than Taylor, but both teams are much better when their primary scorers are getting the touches and leading their team in scoring. I also saw where Bell had 6 assists last night. Saw some highlights on Channel 18. Tyler appeared to be in a zone, hitting from deep. They interviewed him and he was humble and classy, as usual. That's why I like that kid so much. It's rare that the best players are also the good guys but he's both. That will serve him well long after his playing days are over. "You stay classy Hagen Tyler," said in my best Ron Burgundy voice.

Mercer played extremely flat. Poor intensity on defense and poor rebounding. They are used to relying on Dow in the lane to protect the rim and rebound and never seemed to adjust to his absence. Offense wasn't an issue as they scored 81 points but it was their worst defensive effort of the year.

Ah, the 12th region this year...

Wow, that's a very, very bad loss for Mercer. Dow was out but that still doesn't come close to excusing this one.

I said earlier that Tyler had to get 25+ to win.............nice win!

I echo what was said above about Tyler. I think he needs to get in the mid-20's for Boyle to win. 15 or less and I think Boyle loses. Some of his worst games the past couple years have come against Lincoln, and that's no accident. Jeff Jackson's strategy is to do all they can to contain him and let the chips fall where they may. We will see if he is successful again tonight. Tyler did not shoot well in his last game (against Mercer). I don't expect that to happen in successive games. It will likely come down to whether he gets enough quality looks.

My point is that's where the common sense comes in, much like at the end of the game. If maliciousness isn't a factor then the fouls by Mercer in the last minute (to put Boyle on the line) were also intentional. So, if refs started a literal interpretation of the "play on the ball" rule, it would change things drastically.

Yes, I realize that. The first test is whether there was an attempt to make a play on the ball. The ref has to use some common sense though. If they interpret that too strictly, then just about every foul late in a game, to stop the clock and put a team on the line, would also be intentional. Again, some common sense has to be used. There's no question it was the player's intent to prevent the player from getting an easy basket. I remember a play earlier in the first half that was just as "intentional" as it was committed with the same intent and was a hard foul.