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That would put both right into the heart of the regional championship race.

That tournament run was the greatest perimeter shooting display most likely in Kentucky high school postseason history. They had the best player in each game but ran into some teams that were arguably overall more talented. Felt like they just couldn’t miss and because of that shooting, players stepping up, and superb coaching, they got the job done.

Highlands is both winning the “out of gas” game and keeping their shooting hot.

I type this up as I patiently await the tip-off of the State Finals matchup. You might as well label this entry as the "Boyle County Praise Article," even if their season ended rather ugly at Rupp yesterday. Boyle County's Trip to Rupp The Rebels rightfully ended their season as one of the last 8 teams to be competing in the state. They got their one win of the trip with an opening round victory over Paintsville 70 to 56. Luke Sheperson led the way with 25 with Jagger Gillis getting 19 and Luke Imfeld 17. The Rebels did what they had to defensively, keeping all of the Paintsville shooters mostly in check and winning the game decisively inside. Friday was not so kind to Boyle County. The Rebel defense was futile on the perimeter against the hot-shooting Tomcats of Ashland. The final score was 80 to 44 in favor of Ashland. Top Players Player of the year has to go to Kade Grundy of Somerset who did some remarkable things and set records for the Briar Jumpers. DeAjuan Stepp finished up his career for West Jessamine in impressive style as well. Sheperson and Imfeld stood out for a crowded Boyle County group. And even though a top 5 in this region is tough to do, and it can be argued that's no necessarily what I'm doing, I would be disappointed in myself if I didn't include Jaxon Smith, the heart and soul of the Lincoln County Patriots, who, after a rough start and some delays, hit all cylinders at the end of the season to fall just short of a trip to Rupp. Dennie Webb Coach of the Year discussion this year really should begin and end with Dennie Webb of Boyle County. After an up and down debut season that showed flashes of incredible potential, Webb's 2nd year showed what the Rebels are truly capable of under his leadership. Looking to next year This part is the one I am sure there will be the most discussion on. With Smith back for Lincoln County, the Patriots are going to be just as dangerous as ever. Boyle returns Owen Barnes, Imfeld, and Hagan Webb but loses Gillis and Sheperson. West graduates Stepp but returns Daniel Waters and Gavin Salva. And don't sleep on Pulaski County, who returns Cayden Lancaster, Zach Travis, and Barek Williams. East Jessamine, Danville and Somerset will all have work to do to fill huge holes from graduation. Thanks for another great year. This is truly one of the most exciting regions to cover.

I hold nothing against any out of region team losing at Clay County. That is one of the most difficult environments for a road team in the state. I will take Boyle 65 to 51.

Well the Rebels of Boyle County, who have shown to be by far the most consistently performing team in the region, have cut down the nets at Lincoln County, defeating the hosting Patriots 54 to 48, powered by junior Luke Imfeld and his 20 points. The final four in the region consisted of Lincoln County, Pulaski County, East Jessamine and Boyle County. In the first semifinal game, hosting Lincoln County took down the Maroons of Pulaski County 52 to 47. Tramane Alcorn scored 18, Jaxon Smith scored 14 and as a team the Patriots went 8 for 19 from 3. Barek Williams had 12 for Pulaski and KJ Combs and Cayden Lancaster both had 11. In the second semifinal game, Boyle County decisively defeated the Jaguars of East Jessamine 57 to 41. Coach Webb would go on to get every player on his bench into the game. Luke Sheperson had 16, Hagan Webb had 13 and Luke Imfeld had 12. Owen Barnes also had 8 points and 10 boards. Ben McNew led the Jaguars with 12. The Rebels held East to shooting 14 of 54 from the floor. The championship game was a repeat of the 45th district tournament in which Lincoln County won 62 to 57. The only time Lincoln County has let up over 60 points to the opposition since February 9th was their 68 to 52 loss at Boyle County. Though the Patriots were able to keep Boyle's offense somewhat in check, Imfeld was able to put up a stellar performance and the Rebels decimated the Lincoln perimeter offense, holding them to just 2 of 17 from 3. Boyle now goes on to face 15th region champion Paintsville in the Sweet 16 5:00PM on April 1st. Paintsville is going to Rupp thanks to a two point win over district rival Johnson Central, a team they beat in double overtime to also win the district championship. The Rebels will look to contain sharpshooters Jaxon Watts (40.9% from 3, 8.6 points per game), Braxton Tharp (40% from 3 and 13.2 points per game) and Colby Fugate( 40.7% from 3, leading scorer at 21 points per game) as well as leading rebounder Connor Fugate (6.5 points per game, 10.9 points per game). The winner of that game will face the winner of Knox Central and Ashland Blazer. I will see you all next week as I recap Boyle County's trip to the Sweet 16 and tie up the season in the 12th region.

After Rockcastle County pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the year to end Somerset's season, the 12th Region really didn't see another although plenty of times threatened to upend a contender. We currently are down to the final four in the region. Let's take a look at how we got there. 45th District One of the first themes we will see is Lincoln County, after a somewhat inconsistent year, finding their best version of themselves as they rattle off close win after close win. That started with the district semifinal win over Danville, Patriots 57 Admirals 54. Tramaine Alcorn scored 20 and had 10 rebounds for the double-double. In the other semifinal Boyle County cruised to an 80 to 47 win over Garrard County. Jagger Gillis scored 21, including 12 on 4 made three pointers. In the finals Lincoln avenged an earlier loss to Boyle County by 16 with a five point victory lead by another stellar performance by Alcorn, who had 17 points and 6 rebounds, as well as Jaxon Smith who also scored 17. Lincoln as a team went 8 of 20 from three point range. Jagger Gillis was held under control with only 5 points though the Rebels were buoyed by 13 point performances by Owen Barnes and Hagan Webb. 46th District Mercer County nearly pulled off a mammoth upset of East Jessamine, a team who beat them 54 to 28 earlier in the year. Sam Baughman scored 17 and Evan Hart had 12 in the losing effort as East squeaked by 49 to 47, lead by Zion Thomas with 20 points. West Jessamine cruised to a 61 to 26 win over Burgin. In the finals West and East met for the third time and the Jaguars got the rubber match win at a score of 69 to 55. DeAjuan Stepp had 21 for the Colts, and both Ben McNew and Devin Johnson had 21 for East. The Jaguars went 9 for 19 from three point range. 47th District After the massive upset of Somerset in the district semifinals, Rockcastle County fell to Pulaski County in the finals 64 to 51. Barek Williams had 18, Zach Travis had 14, and KJ Combs had 14 in the win. 48th District The Cardinals of Wayne County had struggled all year, finding themselves near the bottom of the regional rankings. However, they came three points short of a trip to the regional tournament. Southwestern defeated Wayne 74 to 71. Gage Gregory scored 20 in the loss. One seed McCreary County Central won the championship game 79 to 69 over Southwestern. Three Raiders scored over 20 - Kyle Stephens with 24, Trent Conatser with 22 and Trey Davis with 21. Regional Tournament - First Round In an opening game that was back and forth and powered by scoring runs, the Patriots of Lincoln County survived the challenge of the West Jessamine Colts 52 to 50. Brady Weaver stepped up and scored 15 for the Patriots. Pulaski County defeated Southwestern 49 to 40 in the second game, much closer than their previous win over the Warriors 85 to 57. East Jessamine put an end to Rockcastle's run 61 to 54. Zion Thomas had 21 and Ben McNew had 20. Boyle County, coming off their district finals loss, returned to form, easily dispatching the McCreary Central Raiders in the first round's biggest scoring difference, 63 to 49. Regional Tournament - Semi-Finals - Preview Lincoln County takes on Pulaski County in the first game Tuesday on the Patriots' home court. The Patriots' first game of the year was a 67 to 55, also at home. The second semi-final, also at Lincoln County, sees the surging East Jessamine Jaguars square off against the mighty Boyle County Rebels. This is the first time this year that they will face off. The championship game is set for March 27th at Lincoln County.

I think your only chance for an upset is Danville over Lincoln County.

With the wrinkles of this modified season, district tournament play commenced last week after regular season games concluded. This includes an incredible upset that ended the high school career of one of the best players to have lace them up in the 12th. The final rankings are based only on regular season action. End of Regular Season Team Rankings 1. Boyle County – The Rebels finished the regular season with wins over Danville Christian and (narrowly) Garrard County. Hagan Webb scored 18 in the win over Garrard. Boyle faces Garrard again in the district semifinals. 2. Lincoln County - The Patriots picked the right time to get hot. They defeated Somerset 61 to 52. Jaxon Smith scored 15 in the win. They face off against Danville. Lincoln split the regular season series with the Ads, defeating them at home 59 to 51 in the most recent matchup, but losing the first game on the road 63 to 53. 3. East Jessamine – The Jaguars defeated Montgomery County by 7. Devin Johnson scored 29 points, going 7 out of 10 from three point range. East faces off against Mercer County, a team they beat 54 to 28 on February 4th. 4. Somerset – The Briar Jumpers fell to Lincoln County 61 – 52 to end the regular season then fell to Rockcastle County by 4 in the district semifinals to end their season. Mr. Basketball Finalist and Regional Player of the Year Kade Grundy ends the year with an average of 19.3 points per game. 5. West Jessamine – The Colts took the last week off. They face Burgin in the district semifinals. They defeated Burgin 93 to 44 on January 23. 6. Pulaski County - The Maroons ended up not playing last week so they went well rested into their district semifinal but still were almost nearly upset by Casey County. They now face Rockcastle County in the championship tilt. 7. Danville - The Admirals defeated Casey County at home 83 to 73. They face Lincoln County in a win or go home scenario in the district semifinal at Boyle County. They split the regular season series with the Pats. 8. Mercer County - The Titans had the week off. They face off against upstart regional contender East Jessamine in the district semifinals. They fell the first time around 54 to 28. 9. McCreary County Central - The Raiders had no games this last week. They ride the bye into the district finals where they will play the winner of Southwestern and Wayne County. 10. Southwestern – The Warriors fell to Barren County by 3. Their season hangs in the balance as they take on Wayne County in the district semifinals. They defeated the Cardinals 82 to 66 back in January. 11. Rockcastle County - The Rockets defeated Burgin by 22 to end the regular season. They then clinched a regional tournament berth since the 2016-2017 season by defeating Somerset. It is the first time Rockcastle will be in regional tournament play under hometown hero Coach Andrew Cash. There is also a chance Rockcastle could defeat Pulaski for the district title as the Rockets only lost the last matchup by seven. 12. Casey County – The Rebels defeated Foundation Christian before ending their season with a loss to Pulaski County by 5 in the district semifinals. Spencer Baird ends the year with 26.8 points per game (through the final regular season game). 13. Garrard County – The Golden Lions defeated Somerset Christian School before losing to Boyle County by 5, then finishing the regular season off with a 1 point victory over Wayne County. They defeated Danville Christian by 8 in the district first round game. Ethan Cooper had 23 in the postseason victory. They have a rematch against the mighty Rebels of Boyle County in the semifinals. 14. Wayne County - The Cardinals fell to both South Laurel and Garrard County, losing to the Golden Lions by 1. They face Southwestern in the district semifinals. 15. Somerset Christian – Somerset Christian fell to Garrard County, Clinton County, and Adair County. They are not participating in postseason play so their season is over. Luke Atwood finished the year with 15 points per game and Braydon Moore averaged 14.8. 16. Danville Christian - The Warriors fell to Boyle County before soundly defeating Berea 55 – 32. Titus Boyd has 23. Danville Christian’s season came to an end with a district first round loss to Garrard County. 17. Burgin - The Bulldogs fell to Eminence by 2, lost to Rockcastle by 22 and defeated Jackson City by 38. They face off against West Jessamine in the district semifinals. Postseason Schedule 45th District Garrard County defeated Danville Christian 60 to 52 on March 13th. March 15th – Boyle County versus Garrard County & Danville versus Lincoln County. Winners play in title game on March 17th. 46th District March 15th – West Jessamine versus Burgin & East Jessamine versus Mercer County. Winners play in title game on March 17th. 47th District On March 13th Pulaski County defeated Casey County 67 to 62 and Rockcastle County defeated Somerset 61 to 57. Pulaski and Rockcastle play in the title game on March 17th. 48th District March 15th – Southwestern and Wayne County play in the lone semifinal. March 17th – The winner takes on McCreary Central in the championship.

With all the empty spaces on team’s schedules across the region, I wouldn’t be surprised if we had a couple last minute games thrown together for district preparation. I also hold the opinion that too much time in between the last game and the district tournament is not ideal.

7. Danville - The Admirals have continued to show two things: first, that on any given night they can beat any team in the region; secondly, that on any given night they can lose to any team in the region. Danville defeated both Taylor County and Boyle County last week, losing to Lincoln County in the middle. The Boyle County win is huge and shows just how talented this team is. However, this is still the same team that needed overtime to beat Garrard and fell to McCreary Central, albeit early in the year. 8. Mercer County - The Titans fell to Taylor County by 13. Evan Hart had 16 in the loss. They have no games remaining on the regular season schedule. 9. McCreary County Central - The Raiders fell to North Laurel 80 to 39 in their lone game last week. They face Barbourville on the road on Tuesday. McCreary is already locked into a regional tournament spot as they hold the 1 seed in their district. 10. Southwestern – The Warriors fell to Campbellsville before bouncing back to defeat Somerset Christian School. They face Perry County Central this week in their regular season finale. Their district tournament game is already set with their road to the regional tournament blocked by district host Wayne County. Southwestern won the first matchup 82 to 66. 11. Rockcastle County - The Rockets fell to Pulaski County last week before getting a home win against Lynn Camp. Daniel Mullins scored 29 in the loss to the Maroons. They finish the regular season by hosting Danville on Monday. 12. Wayne County - The Cardinals defeated Cumberland County and Russell County but fell to Pulaski County. Mason Burchett is averaging 17.1 points through 20 games. They face South Laurel and Garrard County this week before their district tournament game against Southwestern on the 15th. 13. Casey County – The Rebels had an exciting week with a double overtime win over Danville Christian followed by a buzzer beater victory over Anderson County. They finished the week with a blowout over Frankfort Christian. Spencer Baird’s average currently sits at 26.8. They end their regular season with road trips to Foundation Christian Academy and Danville. They are assured their first winning season since their 1993-1994 campaign. 14. Garrard County – The Golden Lions fell to Anderson County, East Jessamine and Madison Southern this past week. They face off against Somerset Christian School, Boyle County, and Wayne County this week. 15. Somerset Christian – Somerset Christian fell to Adair County and Southwestern this past week before defeating Foundation Christian. They face Garrard County, Clinton County, Adair County and Lincoln County this week. 16. Burgin - The Bulldogs had their first multi-win week of the Troy Lee Thomas era, defeating both Berea and Cloverport. They also fell twice, losing to Barbourville and Williamsburg. Jacob Qualls scored 17 in the win over Cloverport. 17. Danville Christian - The Warriors have not won in almost a full month. That being said, the almost defeated Casey County in double overtime before falling to Trinity Christian, Lynn Camp, and Lincoln County. Ryan Ridge had 23 in the loss to Casey County. They face Boyle County and Berea this week.

The second-to-last week of the regular season featured its fair share of nail biters and standout performances. This was the last full week of games for most teams as they begin to prepare for their district tournaments. Team Rankings 1. Boyle County – The Rebels had two quality wins early in the week with victories against Lincoln County and Bardstown. However, after just defeating Danville by 24 on February 23rd, they fell to Danville 82 to 77 in double overtime. As we enter the final week of regular season play, Luke Imfeld’s average points per game sits at 21.1. They face Danville Christian and Garrard County this week. 2. Somerset – The Briar Jumpers fell to Evangel Christian by 2 in the All A Tournament before getting a road win at Marion County. Kade Grundy currently holds a 19.4 points per game average. Somerset finishes the regular season off Tuesday again Lincoln County. 3. East Jessamine – The Jaguars returned to action over the weekend with a pair of wins over Garrard County and Pike County Central in the Lee’s Famous Recipe Holiday Classic at Madison Southern. Their regular season finale is Monday against Montgomery County. 4. Lincoln County - The Patriots started off the week with a loss to Boyle County but bounced back to the tune of wins over both Danville and Danville Christian. Baylor Mattingly and Tramane Alcorn had 17 in the win over the admirals. They follow up their Danville double with a Somerset double this week, squaring off against both Somerset and Somerset Christian. 5. West Jessamine – The Colts defeated Tates Creek on the road 78 to 76. DeAjuan Stepp scored 25 in the victory. West has no more regular season games on the schedule. 6. Pulaski County - The Maroons had three wins last week, defeating Wayne County, Rockcastle County, and Madison Central. Barek Williams had 26 in the win over Wayne County. They have only one game on the schedule remaining, a home game against Clinton County.

Boyle County finally lost again but remains number one as teams across the region returned to action. About 7 teams seem to be in a spot to make a postseason run, though Mercer County finds themselves in the spot between tiers, hoping they can prime themselves to pull off an upset in the first round of the quickly approaching district tournament. Team Rankings 1. Boyle County – The Rebels suffered just their second loss of the season as they fell on the road at Clay County, notoriously one of the toughest places to play in the state. They also notched district wins against Danville and Danville Christian. Owen Barnes led the way with 20 points against the rival Admirals. Boyle has Lincoln County and Bardstown on the slate for this week. 2. Somerset – The Briar Jumpers had only one game last week, defeating Washington County by 2 in the first round of All A State. Gavin Stevens recorded 24 points. They face Evangel Christian in the next round on March 2nd and also have a road trip to Clinton County scheduled. 3. East Jessamine – The Jaguars went on pause last week and hope to return to action later this week as they are scheduled to face Garrard County and Pike County Central, both games taking place as part of the Lee’s Famous Recipe Holiday Classic at Madison Southern. 4. Lincoln County - The Patriots, though facing lower-ranked competition, came back to action hot. They recorded wins over Danville Christian, Madison Southern, Wayne County, and Casey County last week. They face their first true test since their weather induced layoff this week, battling mighty Boyle County in the rematch of their February 1st contest in which the Rebels won by 10. They also play on the road against an opponent from last week, Danville Christian. 5. West Jessamine – The Colts fell to Paul Laurence Dunbar before repaying the favor to another Lexington school, Sayre. Daniel Waters scored 26 and DeAjuan Stepp had 24 in the win over Sayre. I write this about an hour before the scheduled tip of their last game of the week, a big one at Danville. They face Tates Creek this coming week. 6. Pulaski County - The Maroons returned to action last week with a win over McCreary Central and a 13 point loss to undefeated North Laurel. They face off against Wayne County, Rockcastle County, and Madision Central this week. 7. Danville - The Admirals fell to Boyle County before getting an overtime victory over Garrard County and their second win over Danville Christian this month. They are also slated to play West Jessamine an hour from this writing. They face Taylor County in their lone game on the schedule this week. 8. Mercer County - The Titans defeated Campbellsville and Burgin last week. Evan Hart scored 16 in both. They face Taylor County, Frankfort, and Wayne County this week. 9. McCreary County Central - The Raiders fell to Pulaski County and South Laurel before defeating Russell County. They square off against Clinton County and North Laurel this week. 10. Southwestern – The Warriors defeated Rockcastle County last week before losing to Glasgow on the road. They play Campbellsville and Somerset Christian School this week. 11. Rockcastle County - The Rockets fell to Southwestern and Frankfort last week, but they did pull out a win at Barbourville. They have Pulaski County and Lynn Camp on this week’s schedule. 12. Wayne County - The Cardinals defeated Somerset Christian School and Lynn Camp, falling to Lincoln County between the two. Mason Burchett had 28 in the win over Lynn Camp. They face Cumberland County, Pulaski County, Russell County, and Mercer County this week. 13. Casey County – The Rebels defeated Somerset Christian by 2 but were decimated by Lincoln County. They face Danville Christian, Anderson County, and Frankfort Christian this week.

This might be my boilerplate answer for all regional tournaments, but it’s all about the draw. They will most certainly be my number 1 heading in, barring a late regular season upset. But the question is can they beat 3 top four teams if that’s how the draw works out?

Week 7 saw many teams go dormant in terms of game play thanks to the wintry weather. Even though action was limited, we did see a classic rivalry game give us a jumper in the rankings and some impressive star performances from a couple of the region’s best players. Team Rankings 1. Boyle County – The Rebels returned to action after an extended break, defeating Allen County-Scottsville 86 – 74. Luke Imfeld scored 27. They have a week on the road, facing Danville, Danville Christian, and East Jessamine all away. 2. Somerset – The Briar Jumpers had only one game last week, falling to powerful North Laurel 75 – 69. Kade Grundy scored 27, complemented by Gavin Stevens with 23. They face East Jessamine and West Jessamine this week with Washington County in the first round of the All A in the middle. 3. East Jessamine – The Jaguars jump up the rankings this week thanks to a major win over rival West Jessamine and the dormancy of a couple of other regional contenders. Devin Johnson scored 24 in the victory over the Colts. We will know more about East’s true place in the region this week as they take on number 2 Somerset and number 1 Boyle County before playing Collins at home. 4. West Jessamine – The Colts fell in the second act of their yearly series with rival East Jessamine. They face off against Paul Laurence Dunbar, Somerset, and Danville this week. 5. Pulaski County - The Maroons did not play last week but have McCreary Central and North Laurel on this week’s slate of competition. 6. Lincoln County - The Patriots’ had an off week and return to action this week with Danville Christian, Madison Southern, Wayne County, and Casey County all on the schedule. 7. Danville - The Admirals, like Pulaski County and Lincoln County, have not played since February 9th. They have Boyle County, West Jessamine, and Danville Christian on the schedule this week. 8. Rockcastle County - The Rockets were another victim of cancellations as they were off. They face Southwestern, Barbourville, and Frankfort this week. 9. Casey County – The Rebels were off last week and return to action against Somerset Christian School and Lincoln County this week. 10. McCreary County Central - The Raiders had an off week but have Pulaski County, Clinton County, South Laurel, and Russell County on this week’s schedule. 11. Southwestern – The Warriors were off last week but return to play with Rockcastle County and Glasgow this week. 12. Mercer County - The Titans had a win over Franklin County, led by Evan Hart with 20. This was their first win in February so they remain at twelve but this could be the launching point for a late season surge. They face Campbellsville, Buckhorn and Burgin this week and they have the potential to go undefeated. 13. Wayne County - The Cardinals had a week off last week. They have Somerset Christian School, Lincoln County, and Lynn Camp this week. 14. Garrard County – The Golden Lions defeated Danville Christian 59 -56 on the road. They face Russell County, Taylor County, and Lafayette this week. 15. Somerset Christian – Somerset Christian has Lynn Camp, Wayne County, Russell County, and Casey County this week after no games this past week. 16. Danville Christian - The Warriors fell to Garrard County. Titus Boyd had 20 in the loss. They face Lincoln County, Boyle County, Portland Christian, and Danville this week.

Weather caused many games to be called off last week but the action we did see shows the gap between the top five and the rest of the region increasing. Beyond that, I think it is safe to say that someone unexpected may be able to sneak into the regional tournament as regional opponents continue to beat up on each other. Team Rankings 1. Boyle County – The Rebels remain on top thanks to a 73 to 51 win at Wayne County. Luke Imfeld led the way with 19 points. On the schedule this week are matchups against Madison Southern, Berea, and Frederick Douglass. 2. Somerset – The Briar Jumpers defeated Garrard County at home before a road loss at Bardstown. Kade Grundy has eclipsed 2000 career points and currently sits alone at the top of Somerset’s all-time scoring list. He did not play against Bardstown, severely limiting their chances, though Dylan Burton (23 points) and Gavin Stevens (19 points) tried their best to fill the void. They head to the All A State Tournament this week, facing the Bearcats of Walton-Verona in the first round. 3. West Jessamine – Coach Damon Kelley recorded his 300th career victory as the Colts dominated district opponent Mercer County. DeAjuan Stepp had 28 points, complemented by Brett Bush’s 13. West has round 2 against East this week followed by trips to Montgomery County and Collins. 4. Lincoln County - The Patriots’s woes continued as they fell to Lexington Catholic at home 63 to 45. Baylor Mattingly led the way in the losing effort with 14 points. Lincoln County hosts Mercer County and Danville this week before traveling to Madison Southern. 5. Pulaski County - The Maroons recorded an overtime win in what many believe may be the ultimate road atmosphere – Clay County’s Keith Gymnasium. They are on the road all of next week with scheduled trips to Wayne County, South Laurel, and McCreary Central. 6. East Jessamine –East couldn’t keep the momentum from the previous week and their win over George Rogers Clark as they fell on the road by 10 to Rockcastle County. Ben McNew recorded 17 points and Zion Thomas scored 16. They face archrival West Jessamine for the second time this year before traveling to face Great Crossing. 7. Danville - The Admirals fell 78 to 53 at the hands of Russell County on the road in their sole game last week. Channing Ford led scoring for Danville, ending up with 14 points. They face Garrard County, Frankfort and Lincoln County this week. 8. Rockcastle County - The Rockets had two big wins over East Jessamine and Casey County before falling to Russell County on the road. Daniel Mullins dropped 31 points in the win over East. They face Berea, Garrard County, and Mercer County this week. 9. Casey County – The Rebels bested McCreary Central 59 to 51 before falling by 2 points to Rockcastle County. Spencer Baird is averaging 27.2 points per game. They face Danville Christian, Green County, and Foundation Christian Academy this week. 10. McCreary County Central - The Raiders fell to Casey County before bouncing back with a road win over Southwestern. They face North Laurel and Pulaski County next week. 11. Southwestern – The Warriors defeated Somerset Christian School by nine before falling to McCreary Central. They face Wayne County and Adair County this week before their rematch with Somerset Christian. 12. Mercer County - The Titans remain winless in February with losses to West Jessamine and Nelson County. Sam Baughman and Evan Hart are both averaging right above 11 points per game. They face Lincoln County, Rockcastle County, and Franklin County this week. 13. Wayne County - The Cardinals beat Lynn Camp before falling to Boyle County and Metcalfe County. Brody Weaver recorded a double-double against Lynn Camp, scoring 14 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. They are set to face Southwestern, Pulaski County, and Burgin this week. 14. Garrard County – The Golden Lions lost 71 to 53 to Somerset on the road. Montavin Quisenberry scored 20 points. They face Danville, Rockcastle County, Model, and Danville Christian next week with a scheduled four games over five days. 15. Somerset Christian – Somerset Christian fell to Southwestern by 9 before beating Danville Christian. David Crubaugh nearly had a 20-20 game against DCA, scoring 21 points and recording 18 rebounds. They face Barbourville, Adair County, Frankfort, and Southwestern next week. 16. Danville Christian - The Warriors beat Burgin before falling to Somerset Christian. Titus Boyd is averaging nearly 15 points per game. They face Casey County, Burgin, and Garrard County this week. 17. Burgin - The Bulldogs lost to Danville Christian and Powell County. They have a rematch with the Warriors before playing Wayne County and Cumberland County.

Week 5 saw Boyle County reassert their dominance in the region, several overtime thrillers, and a monumental win against a state power by a potential darkhorse come regional tournament time. The region has three teams continuously swapping the top spot, the next three teams all trying to establish consistency, the next three teams all trying to prove themselves as postseason threats, and everyone else trying to claw out some decent wins. Team Rankings 1. Boyle County – The Rebels remain with only one blemish on their record as they defeated Lincoln County, Southwestern, and Pulaski County. Jagger Gillis dropped 19 points against Lincoln County in the victory. They face off against Wayne County, Clay County, and Danville this week. 2. Somerset – The Briar Jumpers dropped a thriller to Henry Clay but also picked up wins against Wayne County and Somerset Christian. Kade Grundy averaged nearly 22 points per game across those three games. They play Garrard County, Danville (in a rematch of the All A regional championship), and Bardstown this week as they are nearing their journey to the All A state tournament. 3. Lincoln County - The Patriots cooled off majorly this past week, dropping three straight, albeit all games to quality competition. They fell to Boyle County, Danville, and North Laurel. Baylor Mattingly scored 21 against North Laurel with all of his field goals coming from three point range. They square off this week against Lexington Catholic, Casey County, and West Jessamine. 4. West Jessamine - The Colts had an undefeated week, besting Woodford County in overtime before dispatching Wayne County and Model with ease. DeAjuan Stepp recorded 29 points in the overtime victory over the Yellow Jackets from Versailles. West hosts Mercer County and Garrard County this week before traveling to Stanford for a Saturday night showdown against the Lincoln County Patriots. 5. East Jessamine –East did something this past week that no other team in the state has done yet this year – beat the Cardinals of George Rogers Clark. Ben McNew scored 23 points, going 8 of 13 from the field and 5 of 8 from three point range. They also defeated Mercer County and Tates Creek. They travel to Rockcastle County and Pulaski County this week and don’t return home until February 26. 6. Danville - The Admirals have had a pretty solid year all things considered, however, they still are struggling to find their way to their full potential. They lost to Western Hills at home after defeating the Wolverines on the road by 15 earlier in the season, but came back and beat Danville Christian and Lincoln County to finish out the week. Dante Hayden scored 25 in the win over the Patriots. They play Russell County, Somerset, Boyle County and Danville Christian this week. 7. Pulaski County - The Maroons had a week completely on the road and haven’t played at home since January 19th. They fell to Barren County and Boyle County but got the win over rival Southwestern. They travel to Clay County before returning home to play East Jessamine. They finish the week off against Bell County in the Whitaker Bank Classic at Mercer County. 8. McCreary County Central - The Raiders fell to Lynn Camp in their only game last week, a makeup of a January 26th postponement. Kyle Stephens and Trey Davis recorded 10 a piece in the loss. They travel to Casey County and Southwestern this week but there is a monster of an opponent looming after this week in North Laurel. 9. Southwestern – The Warriors lost to Boyle County and Pulaski County. Lukas Maybrier scored 25 points against the Rebels, going 10 of 16 from the field and 5 of 10 from three point range. They play Bryan Station, Somerset Christian, and McCreary Central this week. 10. Mercer County - The Titans fell to East Jessamine and Washington County last week. They face West Jessamine and Burgin in a pair of district games on the road before hosting Nelson County in the Whitaker Bank Classic. 11. Rockcastle County - The Rockets were off last week but return to play this week against East Jessamine, Casey County, and Russell County. 12. Wayne County - The Cardinals fell to Somerset and West Jessamine last week. They host Lynn Camp and Boyle County this week before road matchups against both Lexington Catholic and Metcalfe County. 13. Casey County – The Rebels won on the road twice, defeating Garrard County and Model. They host McCreary Central, Rockcastle County, and Lincoln County this week. 14. Garrard County – The Golden Lions lost to Casey County by 5 before picking up wins against Estill County and Adair County. Ethan Cooper scored 24 in the overtime victory against Adair. They travel to Somerset and West Jessamine this week before returning home to face the Rebels of Boyle County. 15. Somerset Christian – Somerset Christian fell to Trinity Christian, Jackson County, and Somerset last week. The face Southwestern and Danville Christian this week. 16. Danville Christian - The Warriors fell to Danville before recording wins against Christian Fellowship and the Christian Academy of Madison, Indiana. They host Burgin, Somerset Christian, and Danville this week. 17. Burgin - The Bulldogs lost to Bath County by 6 and also fell to Pineville. John Boursaw recorded 26 against Bath County. They play Danville Christian, Mercer County and Powell County this week.

It is getting harder to harder to rank the 12th region as Week 4 proved that there is an extreme level of equal talent among the top tier in the region. Lincoln County came back to action and made a lot of noise and we saw two matchups between teams in last week’s top 5. Team Rankings 1. Lincoln County - The Patriots returned to action last week and did so in red hot fashion, taking care of business against Southwestern, Garrard County, and East Jessamine. Jaxon Smith is averaging 24.7 points per game. They face a week of very tough competition with Boyle County, Danville, and North Laurel on the schedule. 2A. Somerset – The Briar Jumpers dropped a game to Bowling Green at home but prevailed over Tates Creek and Boyle County. Kade Grundy is averaging 18.5 points per game so far this year. They host three games this week, facing Wayne County, Pikeville, and new crosstown opponent Somerset Christian School. 2B. Boyle County – The Rebels defeated West Jessamine in a nail-biter 56 – 53 before falling to Somerset by 4. Luke Imfeld tried his best to pullout the victory against the Briar Jumpers though, recording 37 points. They are scheduled to play Lincoln County, Southwestern, and Pulaski County this week. 4. West Jessamine - The Colts fell to Boyle County and Rowan County but defeated archrival East Jessamine, led by Gavin Salva with 19. They face Woodford County, Wayne County, and Model this week. 5. Pulaski County - The Maroons were off last week but are scheduled to jump right back into the heart of the 12th region with road games at Southwestern and Boyle County. 6. Danville - The Admirals took down Franklin County by 8, led by Ethan Wood with 13, before falling on the road to Clinton County. They are scheduled to play Western Hills, Danville Christian, and Lincoln County, all at home, this week. 7. East Jessamine –East fell to the Colts of West Jessamine in the first edition of this year’s crosstown rivalry and also fell at the hands of the Patriots of Lincoln County. Devin Johnson recorded 18 points in the loss to Lincoln. They square off against George Rogers Clark, Mercer County and Tates Creek this week. 8. McCreary County Central - The Raiders recorded two convincing wins over Somerset Christian and Wayne County as they continue their bid to prove they belong among the top teams in the region. Kyle Stephens is averaging 17.4 points per game through 9 games played. (Wayne County game not yet included.) They play Barbourville and Rockcastle County this week. 9. Southwestern – The Warriors lost to Lincoln County but bounced back to blow out Garrard County. They face off against Boyle County and Pulaski County, both at home, this week. 10. Mercer County - The Titans are still without a signature win, but did get their most action in a week so far this year as they defeated Danville Christian and Whitefield Academy while falling to Great Crossing. Sam Baughman leads the team with 13.4 points per game. They play East Jessamine and Washington County this week. 11. Rockcastle County - The Rockets got two game in against Pineville and Knox Central, both wins. They are scheduled to play McCreary County this week. 12. Wayne County - The Cardinals defeated Casey County and Burgin and fell to McCreary Central. They play regional powers Somerset and West Jessamine this week. 13. Casey County – The Rebels had a mixed week, losing to Wayne County and Metcalfe County but defeating Cumberland County and Lee County. They travel to play both Garrard County and Model this week. 14. Garrard County – The Golden Lions lost to both Lincoln County and Southwestern. They look to recover this week, hosting Casey County and Adair County. 15. Somerset Christian – Somerset Christian fell to McCreary County and Barbourville but defeated Model in overtime, led by Luke Atwood with 23. They play Trinity Christian, Williamsburg, and Somerset this week. 16. Danville Christian - The Warriors fell to Mercer County and Highlands Latin last week. They take on cross city foe Danville before hosting Christian Fellowship and the Christian Academy of Madison, Indiana this week. 17. Burgin - The Bulldogs fell to Wayne County at home in their lone game last week, 58 – 42. They take on Lynn Camp, Bath County and Pineville this week.

Week 3 in the 12th saw a lot of the status quo take place though there was one double overtime upset and a new number one is sitting up top with an undefeated record as the teams take the court for the last week of January. Team Rankings 1. Boyle County – The Rebels remain undefeated as they took down Tates Creek and Corbin last week. Luke Imfeld has shown his dominance on the court early as he is averaging 24 points per game. They take on fellow 12th region contenders West Jessamine and Somerset this week. 2. Somerset – The Briar Jumpers dropped a thriller in double overtime to Pulaski County. 73 to 65. Kade Grundy is averaging 17.1 points per game through 8 games. They did get two wins last week against Madison Southern and Rowan County and go on to play Tates Creek, Bowling Green, and Boyle County this week. 3. Lincoln County - The Patriots did not play last week but look to retake the court this week against Southwestern, Garrard County, and East Jessamine as they play all regional opponents until February 6th. 4. East Jessamine –East defeated Woodford County by 1 lead by Ben McNew with 29. They also bested district foe Burgin 70 -37. They are scheduled to play Garrard County, West Jessamine, and Lincoln County this week. 5. West Jessamine - The Colts fell to Harlan County at home by 2 despite Daniel Waters’ six three pointers. They bounced back with a win over Burgin. They are scheduled to play Boyle County, East Jessamine, and Rowan County this week. 6. Pulaski County - The Maroons defeated Somerset in double overtime but found themselves on the bad side of a blowout to Clark County later in the week. Barek Williams was the leading scorer in the effort over Somerset with 22. They have no games scheduled for this week. 7. Danville - The Admirals had a big week with wins over Belfry, Garrard County and McCreary Central. Dante Hayden is averaging 18.1 points per game. They play Franklin County, Berea, and Trinity this week. 8. McCreary County Central - The Raiders went 2 out of 3 last week, besting Cumberland Homeschool and Cumberland County. They fell to Danville by 8 in the rematch of their earlier season win. Kyle Stephens scored 17 in that contest, followed by Trent Conatser with 15. They are scheduled to play Somerset Christian, Lynn Camp and Wayne County this week. 9. Southwestern – The Warriors lost by 5 to Lynn Camp but bounced back with a convincing win over Wayne County. They scored over 80 in both games with Evan Smith scoring a total of 68 points between the two matches. They square off against Lincoln County, Perry County Central, and Garrard County this week. 10. Mercer County - The Titans have only had two games so far this year but have won both. They defeated Somerset Christian 61- 52. They play Danville Christian, Hart County, and Whitefield Academy this week. 11. Casey County - Casey won over Adair County by 1, Russell County by 2, and blew out Frankfort Christian. Spencer Baird is averaging 25.1 and Ethan Willoughby is averaging 21.9 points per game. They have an action packed week with games against Wayne County, Cumberland County, Metcalfe County, and Lee County. 12. Garrard County – The Golden Lions lost to Madison Southern and Danville last week but bounced back with a win over Danville Christian. Ethan Cooper is averaging 16.4 points per game. They are scheduled to play East Jessamine, Lincoln County, and Southwestern next week. 13. Rockcastle County - The Rockets were off last week but are scheduled to take on Pineville tonight in their lone game remaining on the January schedule. 14. Wayne County - The Cardinals defeated Somerset Christian School and Knox Central but feel to Southwestern. Kendall Phillips is averaging 16.5 points per game. They are scheduled to play Casey County, McCreary Central, and Burgin this week. 15. Somerset Christian – Somerset Christian went winless last week, losing to Wayne County, Frankfort, and Mercer County. Braydon Moore is averaging 17 points per game with Luke Atwood following with 16. They have four games this week – McCreary Central, Russell County, Model, and Barbourville. 16. Danville Christian - The Warriors defeated Caverna and Frankfort Christian before falling to Garrard County. They face off with Mercer County before a scheduled visit to the KCAC Tournament. 17. Burgin - The Bulldogs got their first win of the year, an 81 – 76 victory over L.I.G.H.T. with John Boursaw scoring 30 with 8 made three-pointers. They dropped their two other games of the week to East Jessamine and West Jessamine. They play Eminence and Wayne County this week.

Week 2 in the 12th saw a major upset, several overtime thrillers and a handful of teams on pause. Let’s take a look at this week’s rankings and all the goings-on south of Lexington. Team Rankings 1. Somerset – The Briar Jumpers remained undefeated and took the regional All A Championship over Danville 51 to 48 through a 21 point performance by Kade Grundy. They are scheduled to face Pulaski County, Madison Southern and Rowan County this week. We will have to wait until at least February 15th for their state run in the All A, though their opponent is known. They will open up in the first game in the bracket against Walton Verona. 2. Boyle County – The Rebels started their season off with three wins, besting Spencer County, Garrard County, and St. Xavier. Luke Imfeld is already putting up impressive numbers with 25 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game, and shooting 55.6% from three-point range. They are scheduled to play Henry Clay and Ashland Blazer this week. 3. Lincoln County - The Patriots only ended playing one game last week and it was a blowout victory over Garrard that featured 26 by Jaxon Smith. They are now on a pause from competition with their next scheduled game coming January 26th. 4. East Jessamine - East defeated Scott County by 11 but fell to St. Xavier by 6. Ben McNew remains the team’s scoring leader at 17.2 point per game but he is complemented by Zion Thomas and his 16.2 points per game average. 5. West Jessamine - The Colts had a week with a very big high and very significant low. Behind DeAjuan Stepp’s 25 and Gavin Salva’s 21 points, West knocked off Madison Central by 2 in overtime. However, they followed that up with the early season’s biggest upset between regional opponents in the 12th in a 3 point loss at Southwestern. They face Shelby County, Harlan County, and Burgin this week. 6. Pulaski County - The Maroons defeated Casey County and Russell County but fell to the Colts of West Jessamine. They are scheduled to face Somerset this week. KJ Combs and Barek Williams both recorded 22 points against Casey County. 7. Southwestern – After a rough opening week, the Warriors recorded three much needed wins, including a surprise upset against reigning regional champion West Jessamine. Evan Smith recorded 19 points in a 3 point win over McCreary Central. They face Lynn Camp, Wayne County, and Anderson County this week. 8. McCreary County Central - The Raiders missed out on a chance to remain undefeated in region play as they fell to Southwestern by 3 though Kyle Stephens tried his best, scoring 17 against the Warriors. They did bounce back to defeat Wayne County on the road. A return trip to Danville and a home contest against Cumberland County are on the schedule this week. 9. Mercer County - The Titans had a week with no games but are scheduled to retake the court at Somerset Christian School on Saturday. 10. Danville - The Admirals beat Western Hills and Somerset Christian before falling by 3 to Somerset in the All A regional championship. Dante Hayden is averaging 15.6 points per game followed by Channing Ford and Jalen Dunn, both with 10.6 points per game. They face Sayre, Berea, Garrard County, and McCreary Central in an action packed week. 11. Garrard County – The Golden Lions fell to Lincoln County and Boyle County before bouncing back for an overtime win over Bell County, led by Ethan Cooper’s 25. They face Madison Southern, Danville, and Danville Christian this week. 12. Casey County - Casey won over Somerset Christian but fell to Somerset. They are set to play Pulaski County, Rockcastle County, and June Buchanan this week. 13. Rockcastle County - The Rockets recorded a victory at Wayne County, led by Daniel Mullins with 23. They are on pause and look to return to competition on January 25th. 14. Wayne County - The Cardinals started play last week but could not shake off the rust as they went winless, losing to Rockcastle County, McCreary Central, and Adair County (in overtime). They face Somerset Christian, Southwestern and Knox Central this week. 15. Somerset Christian – Though they fell to Danville by 23, Somerset Christian School climbs slightly in the rankings thanks to their win over Danville Christian. Braydon Moore is averaging 21.5 points per game. They are scheduled to play at Wayne County and to host Frankfort and Mercer County. Picking up a win this week is not out of the question and would be huge for this first time KHSAA competitor. 16. Danville Christian - The lone game last week resulted in a loss to Somerset Christian School. They are scheduled to face Caverna and Garrard County this week. Titus Boyd is averaging 19 points per game. 17. Burgin - The Bulldogs fell to Somerset, Taylor County, and Middlesboro. They face LIGHT (home school team), and both Jessamines this week.

Opening week in the 12th Region saw some tight contests, a near monumental upset, a new number 1 rising to the top, and some cancellations. Team Rankings 1. Somerset - Although the tough part of the Briar Jumper's schedule is sitting out in the future, they start the 2021 season with 3 wins against Rockcastle County, Casey County, and Russell. Kade Grundy starts the year off hot averaging 15.3 points per game alongside 12.3 points per game by Dylan Burton. Somerset starts off their All A Tournament journey with Burgin and also have scheduled games against Corbin and McCreary County this week. 2. West Jessamine - The Colts got an opening victory against Great Crossing but fell to Lafayette in their first away game. DeAjuan Stepp did not disappoint, averaging 26 points through the first two games. West is slated to play Madison Central, Southwestern and Pulaski County this week. 3. Lincoln County - The Patriots split the week with a win over Pulaski County and a loss to St. Xavier. Jaxon Smith averaged 24.5 points per game. They have Garrard County, Madison Central, and Danville Christian this week. 4. Boyle County - All Rebel games were cancelled this week as they await to start their season. They have Spencer County, Garrard County, and St. Xavier on this week's schedule. 5. East Jessamine - East had an undefeated week as they gained victories over Madison Southern and Franklin County. Ben McNew averaged 18.5 between the two contests. They face off a tough week ahead with Newport, Scott County, and St. Xavier all on the schedule. 6. Pulaski County - The Maroons dropped their opener to Lincoln County but bounced back with wins over Southwestern and Pike County Central. They square off against Casey County, Russell County, and West Jessamine this week. 7. McCreary County Central - The Raiders start out 2 - 1 with wins over Danville and Somerset Christian Academy and a loss to Lexington Catholic. They were led in the victory over Danville by Kyle Stephens with 20 and Noah Loudermilk with 19. They are scheduled to play Southwestern, Wayne County, and Somerset this week. 8. Mercer County - The Titans defeated Frankfort Christian Academy and Sam Baughman scored 28. They have had their games in the near future cancelled, including all of this week. 9. Wayne County - The Cardinals have not yet played but are scheduled to play Rockcastle County, McCreary County Central, and Adair County this week. 10. Danville - The Admirals fell to McCreary County Central but defeated Frankfort. They have Western Hills this week before they start play in the All A Tournament. Dante Hayden is averaging 20.5 points per game and Jalen Dunn is averaging 14.5 points per game. 11. Garrard County - Garrard has not yet played but are set to play a tough trio this week in Lincoln County, Boyle County, and Bell County. 12. Southwestern - The Warriors struggled this week. After squeaking by Central Kentucky Home School in overtime, they fell to both Pulaski and Frankfort. They hope to bounce back this week as they take on McCreary County, West Jessamine, and Campbellsville. 13. Casey County - Casey won over Somerset Christian but fell to Somerset. They are set to play Pulaski County, Rockcastle County, and June Buchanan this week. 14. Rockcastle County - The Rockets lost to Somerset and Campbellsville in week 1 and have Wayne County, Casey County, and North Laurel this week. 15. Danville Christian - The lone game last week resulted in a win over Whitefield Academy with Noah Imfeld scoring 18. They are scheduled to face off against Somerset Christian Academy twice this week, once in the All A and once in regular play. 16. Burgin - The Bullddogs fell to Buckhorn and hope to rebound this week heading into the All A as they square off against the favorite Somerset. They also have Taylor County scheduled. 17. Somerset Christian - They lost their first two games this week to McCreary County Central and Casey County. They now have a scheduled back to back week with Danville Christian.

The 12th Region last season played host to a large amount of equity in competition which resulted in a chaotic and exciting regional tournament. West Jessamine, led by DeAjuan Stepp, was crowned regional champions, giving Coach Damon Kelley his second regional title in the 12th and his first since his inaugural season leading the Colts. This season’s 12th Region race features a slew of contenders and two dominant players, Stepp and Somerset’s Kade Grundy. Among the favorite teams are West, Somerset, Pulaski, Lincoln, Boyle, and last year’s surprising darling, East Jessamine. But like East’s success last year, there are plenty of teams poised to break out. Top Ten Players DeAjuan Stepp – West Jessamine. The dynamic, sizeable guard who led the Colts to cut down the nets last year returns with the 12th’s best possible shot at a Mr. Basketball this season. Averaging over 20 points and nearly 7 rebounds per game, Stepp is the centerpiece of a West team looking to repeat. Kade Grundy – Somerset. The heart and soul of Somerset, Grundy is a hard-nosed guard who finds success in a variety of ways, including from beyond the arc. He posted a 36.70% performance from three-point range while totaling an 18.2 points per game average. Luke Imfeld – Boyle County. Boyle County’s premier point producer, Imfeld can do it all. He averaged 15.2 points per game while scoring nearly 2 three pointers a night on top of a rebound average of 5.6. Jaxon Smith – Lincoln County. Smith heads a Lincoln County backcourt that will be asked to carry the water this year. He averaged 13 points per game through stellar court vision and the ability to convert off the drive. Luke Sheperson – Boyle County. The workhorse for the Rebels, Sheperson had a nearly six rebounds per game average and a 12.2 points per game average to be Boyle’s second highest returner in points behind Imfeld. Ben McNew – East Jessamine. The star of the upstart Jaguars, McNew’s 15.9 points per game spurred by a 45.8 three point percentage helped propel East’s offense. KJ Combs – Pulaski County. Boasting an above 40% three point average to complement his overall scoring and rebounding abilities, Combs will play an integral part of the dynamic Pulaski backcourt. Dante Hayden – Danville. Averaging 13.5 points per game last year, Hayden lead the Admirals in scoring and will be asked to carry an even heavier load this year with the departures of Trey Dawson, Darrian Bell. And Aiden Slone. Zach Travis – Pulaski County. Alongside teammate KJ Combs, Travis will be counted on for the Maroons to replicate his scoring from last year and to help power the offense. Dylan Burton – Somerset. The perfect complementary backcourt companion to Grundy, Burton returns with a 12.3 points per game average. Team Rankings West Jessamine – The reigning regional champ returns star Stepp but also features shooters Nate Breeden and Daniel Waters as well as the interior presence of Gavin Salva. With Stepp’s ability to penetrate, the rebounding ability of all four of the above mentioned players, and Coack Kelley’s reputation for brutal defense, the Colts definitely have a shot to repeat. Somerset – Grundy and Burton lead a Briar Jumpers squad set on making both a run at the All A State title and the regional title. Though depth may be questionable, Somerset also has Dakota Acey and (possibly) Kaiya Sheron (if he is not preparing for football at the University of Kentucky) to provide support. Boyle County – The Rebels had a rough go of it last year, never truly finding consistency. This year however they hope to change that through the efforts of Imfeld and Shperson as well as sophomore Owen Barnes, the three returners who averaged double digits in the points column. Pulaski County - The backcourt is buoyed by the tandem of Combs and Travis, however, not to be overshadowed, is wing Caleb Sloan who has proven to be a tough competitor. The Maroons sported the best record in the 12th but lost Grant Oaks and Colton Fraley to graduation. Lincoln County – The Patriots will try to find a way to make up for the graduation of Riley Bodner, Elijah Frye, and Bryston Alcorn, but they have a good start, especially in the back court, with Jaxson Smith and dead-eye shooter Baylor Mattingly. East Jessamine – Zion Thomas and Cam Thompson return alongside Ben McNew return to attempt a repeat of some of the impressive wins the Jaguars notched last year including West Jessamine, Pulaski County, two against Mercer County, and Lincoln County. Danville – Losing 3 of their top 4 scorers, Danille will rely on Dante Hayden to power the offense and hope that sophomore Ethan Cooper, junior Jalen Dunn, and others can step up this year to fill some of the holes left. Wayne County – Sophomore Mason Burchett is the player to watch for a Cardinals squad that lost 4 out of its 5 leading scorers including the dominant Thomas Spencer. Southwestern – The Warriors have a monumental task as they return only one player to average over 3 points last year, Andrew Jones, and will feel the absence of Cole Dysinger. Mercer County – Losing Kaelin Drakeford hurts, but the Titans will look to Sam Baughman to help lead a group of new faces in a district that features strong competition in East and West Jessamine. McCreary County – Coach Wade Davis’ Raiders threatened Wayne County twice with major upsets, including an overtime loss, and nearly upset Southwestern to make it to the regional tournament. Losing some key pieces, they might be one year away from making major noise but they have some solid players in juniors Trey Davis and Noah Loudermilk and sophomore Kyle Stephens. Rockcastle County – The Rockets could never get on a consistent winning streak last year but did show life at times. They turn to impressive freshmen post player Will Bishop to improve on his 12 points per game as well as 7.7 rebounds per game as well as junior Daniel Mullins whose stellar distance shooting helped him surpass 12 points per game last year. Garrard County – Brayden Sebastian may be gone, but the Golden Lions hope Montavin Quisenberry, the superb freshman point guard, alongside backcourt-mate Hudson Cornett can bring them success under new coach Brandon Cooper. Casey County - Though it did not translate into Colonel wins, Spencer Baird lit up the score board averaging 27.9 points per game while also averaging 8.5 rebounds per game. He leads all returners in the 12th in these categories. The Colonels will look to improve on their 3 win mark from last year. Danville Christian – Channing Ford averaged 17.8 points per game last year in a season that saw the Warriors compete very well against similarly sized schools. Burgin – Junior Roleeke Smith will look to aid the Burgin Bulldogs surpass their 4 win total from last year under the leadership of veteran coach Troy Lee Thomas. Kentucky School for the Deaf has not yet filed a roster or schedule with the KHSAA. Somerset Christian School is new to the 12th this year and is slated to appear in January in the 12th region All A against Danville Christian.

Coach Menefee’s most recent position in Kentucky was at Campbell County.

I took another look at the state guidelines and what they said about youth basketball. Per those guidelines, it would be acceptable to have practices June 29 (no restrictions other than less than 50 people). If the KHSAA rolls with that, and eliminates or shortens the dead period, I think we will see open gyms approved, still no scrimmages. But unlike my earlier post, it may not include any “touching” restrictions. But I imagine every school will have a sanitation policy for gyms and balls.

My guess would be the dead period remains untouched and the special dead period is not lifted beforehand. Come July 10th, you will see open gyms with no contact, no sharing basketballs, no groups over 10. That will probably ride out to October 15th when we will witness what the final determination for basketball will be.