se7ens

What is the argument for Atlanta? My thought with San Diego is he has a QB to build around there. Atlanta, out of all of them, is the one with the biggest question at QB IMO. Now, is there an argument that either them or Seattle are the most "intact" overall team? Sure.

Vrabel seems to be everyone's pick for heir apparent. I really wish it was Pete Carroll though. That would be hilarious. Belichick goes to San Diego, right?

Agreed, that's who I would guess right now given the information out there.

Lincoln's problem, as stated in the review, at least in my opinion, is there appears to be no one ready yet to come off the bench and fill the roles the top 5 have. Fouls and/or injury could devastate them. With that district, I think DCA is going to get the 1 and Garrard the 5. Danville would be my 4 if I had to guess today leaving Boyle and Lincoln in that 2/3 game. The first edition of this year's Boyle-Lincoln series happens Friday at Boyle and man am I interested to see what happens.

Trinity Christian has been dispatched back to the small school tier for now as they aren’t able to compete with Mercer. Still very interested to see what happens when they face district opponent West Jessamine.

Boyle continues to be the most confusing team in the region. East is also out here proving they are not a team you can discount down the stretch.

Welcome to All A Week! No shake up last week in the top 5 but some teams lower in the rankings jumped up after major wins. There were some thrillers including a double overtime game and some impressive individual performances. Rankings: 1. Covington Catholic - The Colonels blew out district foe Beechwood with Noah Johnson scoring 11 and Caden Miller getting 10 points. They go on the road to face Conner and Holmes this week before playing Sunday at the Cintas Center, home to Xavier University's basketball programs, against Lakota East in the Holiday Hardwood Classic. 2. Newport - Shooting over sixty percent from the field and forty six percent from behind the arc, the Wildcats just decimated Highlands by the tune of 50 points. Newport faces Heritage in the opening round of the All A and, inevitably, will face a district foe in the semifinals. They are certainly likely to make it to the finals on Saturday. They also participate in the Flyin' to the Hoop Classic at the the Trent Arena near Dayton, Ohio against Middletown (Ohio) on Sunday. 3. Cooper - The Jaguars were off last week and go on the road this week to Highlands and district rival Ryle before playing Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy in the Holiday Hardwood Classic at the Cintas Center. 4. Lloyd - Whew! The Juggernauts got a three point win over Beechwood and squeaked by Holy Cross with a one point overtime win. Isaiah Sebastian had 20 points in the win over the Tigers. They host Simon Kenton, Campbell County, and Scott this week. 5. Boone County - Mason Hall and Thomas Williams both scored 20 as the Rebels took down St. Henry by 9. They host Conner this week. 6. Ryle - Anthony Coppola and Landon Lorms both scored 11 as the Raiders beat Dixie Heights by 6. They host Grant County and Cooper this week. 7. Highlands - The Birds got blown out by Newport by 50 and lost a nailbiter to Lexington Christian by 2. Nathan Vinson got 20 in the loss to LCA. They face Cooper, Dixie and Moeller this week. 8. Dixie Heights - The Colonels beat St. Henry but fell to Ryle. Hudson Blank had 19 in the win. They host Highlands this week. 9. Holy Cross - Holy Cross defeated Conner by 3 and lost to Lloyd in overtime by 1. Nathan Rominger had 20 and 19 points in the contests. They start their All A journey against the winner of St. Henry and Ludlow. 10. Beechwood - The Tigers got blown out by number 1 Covington Catholic but came back with a loud bounce back win as they beat Newport Central Catholic 84 to 74 in double overtime. They face Villa Madonna in the opening round of the All A Tournament. 11. Conner 12. St. Henry 13. NCC 14. Ludlow 15. Bellevue 16. Villa Madonna 17. Holmes (congratulations to the Bulldogs on their first win of the season, an epic road win over 10th region Bishop Brossart.) 18. Dayton 19. Heritage 20. Covington Latin

Winter break and the holiday classics have come to an end and the region has returned to a heavy schedule of competition between teams inside the region. There were a few attention grabbing wins this week as two old powers made their presence known and Somerset affirms their stranglehold on the top spot. There are more matchups this week that will continue to provide clarity to the region as well as the All A Tournament, an event that features the top two teams in the region. Rankings: 1. Somerset - The Briar Jumpers decimated Rockcastle County and Casey County to remain undefeated in both the region and district. Indred Whitaker (29) and Ben Godby (23) combined for 52 points in the win over Rockcastle. Over the two games the Jumpers went 26 of 58 from three point range. And as explosive as those offensive figures are, for the year Somerset is averaging just 54 points allowed per game. They face Somerset Christian in their opening game of the All A Classic. 2. Danville Christian - The Warriors took one on the chin to Corbin on the road but picked up a road win over district and city rival Danville as well as a neutral site win over Clay County at Lincoln County's Patriot Classic. Not to be outdone by Somerset, DCA is averaging just 45.5 points allowed per game. They have Trinity Christian as their first round opponent in the All A. Will we be treated to that sensational title matchup between Somerset and DCA? It would take a major upset to prevent it from happening. 3. Wayne County - The Cardinals got a blow out win over Somerset Christian before falling to Boyle County and Warren Central. They face McCreary Central and Lafayette this week. 4. Mercer County - Still missing Owen Barnes, the Titans fell to Bryan Station at home. They are scheduled to play Trinity Christian and West Jessamine this week in two district contests. 5. Lincoln County - Well look who it is. After being as low as number 14 in this poll during their losing streak to start the season, the Patriots have climbed the ladder in workman-like fashion. They defeated Pulaski County and Southwestern before falling to Madison Central. Seth Horton led the way with 15 against the Maroons while Blade Nuckols, Cash Baird, Sawyer Robbins and Sawyer Horton join him as the core scoring five for Coach Jackson. At the beginning of the year the Patriots were pretty much solely dependent on Nuckols. That has changed. And although bench depth is still a major question, there is no doubt the Patriots can put a variety of scoring options on the floor now, something that was not evident at the start of the season. They face Garrard County and Boyle County on the road this week. 6. Pulaski County - The Patriots of Lincoln County took down the Maroons at home, Somerset being the only other team to achieve that this year. Will Blankenship scored 17 in the bounce-back win over Rockcastle on the road. They face Casey County, Southwestern and Tates Creek this week. 7. Rockcastle County - The Rockets had a rough week playing really tough competition as they fell to Somerset, Pulaski County and Fairdale. They face Casey County and Frankfort on the road this week as they hope to return to the win column. 8. East Jessamine - Keelyn Daniel scored 21 as the Jaguars were able to hold off Trinity Christian in a very important district game. They host Boyle County and Garrard County this week. 9. Boyle County - The Rebels are all over the place. After getting just run out of the gym by Lexington Catholic in the 2A sections, Boyle turns around and beats Wayne County and South Laurel, both by double digits. Montavin Quisenberry scored 20 in the win over Wayne County. They face East Jessamine and Lincoln County this week, both winnable games that, if victorious for the Rebels, would go along way to proving they are capable of consistent success. 10. Southwestern - Jarrett Simpson's 14 points got the Warriors past Danville but they fell to Lincoln County in a blow out. They host Russell County this week before going across town to Pulaski. 11. McCreary County Central - The Raiders fell to Whitley County and Knox Central in the 2A sectionals but were able to come out of the week with a win over Somerset Christian. They face Adair County and Wayne County this week. 12. Trinity Christian - It would have been a great win in the district but it wasn't meant to be as Trinity Christian competed with but was unable to beat East Jessamine. They face DCA in the opening round of the All A Classic before taking on Mercer County in district play. A win against either would be massive and there is a case for either or both being possible. DCA's deliberate pace of play should allow the game to unfold at a pace in which Alan Coffman can slowly pick apart the Warrior defense. Preventing offensive rebounds for DCA and limiting turnovers will be paramount. And when it comes to the game against Mercer, they might be getting their district foe at the right time as they may still be without Owen Barnes and relying almost exclusively on Trevor Ellis for offense. And on the other hand, this may be the week that they lose both in blowouts and are dispatched back to the bottom of the rankings with all the other tiny schools. 13. Danville - Braylon Guest scored 28 in a win over Garrard County for the Ads but that came after a pair of losses to Southwestern and DCA. They just have the All A this week which should be them meeting Somerset in the semifinals as the Ads sit back with that first round bye. 14. West Jessamine - The Colts got a blow out win over Burgin last week. They go on the road in the district again, this time going to Harrodsburg to face Mercer County. 15. Somerset Christian - The Cougars lost to Wayne County and McCreary Central. They now face crosstown nemesis Somerset in the All A Classic before hosting Letcher County Central on Saturday. 16. Garrard County - The Golden Lions fell to Anderson County and Danville. They face Lincoln County and East Jessamine this week. 17. Casey County - The losing streak continues for the Colonels as they fall to Berea and Somerset at home. They face Pulaski County and Rockcastle this week. 18. Burgin - The Bulldogs fell to West Jessamine and Berea. They face the winner of DCA and Trinity Christian in the All A and are scheduled to play at Dayton in Northern Kentucky on Saturday. 19. Kentucky School for the Deaf - The Colonels have been off for a few weeks but resume play this week against the homeschooled Wellspring Guardians.

All the talk this week about Boyle falling apart and they come out and beat a regional contender. This reaffirms the Rebels are capable of beating anyone in the region. But they still have a long way to go to prove they can win over quality competition with consistency.

So I cover both the 9th and the 12th. In the 9th, the third best team in the region is Cooper. They have a ton of talent and athleticism, a decent number of football players on the basketball team, the football team made it to the state championship, have dealt with an inconsistent roster and they were thought to be an outside contender but certainly not the very top of the heap. Sound like any other team you know? Where Cooper has been able to count on various different players to step up and fill gaps, Boyle hasn't seen that on a consistent basis and certainly hasn't risen to meet the level of their competition. I still hold out the belief that Boyle could have an absolutely miserable regular season then come out and win the district tournament. They just have too much ability to discount them and I also have to believe Coach Webb is capable of turning that ability into results. Tougher task than initially thought though.

I don't think they stand a chance with a full strength Mercer. I could see them competing with East but could also see it being a blowout - East has some explosive talent but lacks consistency. DCA - the way they play I believe any team in the region ranked 1 through 14 could potentially beat them. Not that they would but that they could.

Trinity Christian plays its next 3 games against top ten teams in the region. I am extremely interested to see if they can compete. Next game is against East Jessamine and there is a very real scenario that is who they will play for a berth to the regional tournament.

Another week of no real shakeups as most teams travelled outside the region to play in holiday events and/or against out of state competition, the results being a lot of close games against similar competition. 1. Covington Catholic - The Colonels travelled to Florida for the Battle at the Villages and went 2-1, ending their trip with a win over the hosting Villages Charter. Athens McGillis scored 21 in that game after being limited earlier in the event due to sickness. Caden Miller put up an impressive 19 points and 14 rebounds. They host district foe Beechwood this week. 2. Newport - The Wildcats won the Ray Furney Holiday Classic over a trio of out of state teams, earning the championship over Fort Wayne BlackHawk Christian. Taylen Kinney had an amazing 49 points in that title game. They host Highlands this week in district play. 3. Cooper - The Jaguars went 2-2 in the White Greer Maggard Holiday Classic at Lexington Catholic including wins over Madison Southern and Washington County. Yamil Rondon averaged over 15 points per game in the event. Cooper is off this week. 4. Lloyd - The Juggernauts defeated Hamilton (OH) 39 to 37 in overtime. They play Beechwood and Holy Cross this week. 5. Boone County - The Rebels made it to the finals of the Henry County Invitational but fell to South Oldham. They travel to St. Henry this week. 6. Highlands 7. Dixie Heights 8. Ryle 9. Holy Cross 10. Conner 11. St. Henry 12. Newport Central Catholic 13. Beechwood 14. Ludlow 15. Bellevue 16. Villa Madonna 17. Dayton 18. Heritage 19. Holmes 20. Covington Latin

The 2nd week of holiday events is history and we are now heading into heavier district play as well as the 2A Sectionals and the All A on the horizon. None of the teams in the top ten made it through the week unscathed with the exception of Boyle County. The fact of the matter continues to be that the region’s talent level is down. Meanwhile the number of teams who can be considered at having a functional chance at the regional title has, in my opinion, swollen to about 9. I believe the region can be currently separated into teams 1-5, 6-9, 10-13, 14 -17, and 18 & 19. The teams inside those pods are pretty even but I think you can definitely see the separation between these groups at this point in the season. 1. Somerset - The Jumpers leave Pineville’s Chain Rock Classic with wins over Middlesboro & Somerset Christian and a loss to Powell County. Indred Whitaker scored 21 in the win over Middlesboro. Somerset plays a pair of road games this week against Rockcastle and Casey County. 2. Pulaski County - The Maroons went 2-1 in the Monticello Bank Classic at Wayne County with the highlight being a thrashing of Harlan (who defeated Wayne County). They face Lincoln County and Rockcastle County this week. 3. Wayne County - The Cardinals fell to Harlan in double overtime but did earn a pair of wins over Tennessee teams in their holiday tournament. They face Somerset Christian, Boyle County and Warren Central this week. 4. Danville Christian - DCA made it to the finals of the legendary Ashland Invitational where they fell to the hosting Tomcats. Emmanuel Dut went for 23 points and 10 rebounds in the semifinal win over Simon Kenton. They face Corbin and rival Danville on the road this week before playing Clay County at Lincoln County in the Patriot Classic. 5. Mercer County - The Titans hosted a holiday tournament in which they lost in double overtime to Franklin County before defeating Shelby County and Western Hills. Trevor Ellis had 23 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Western Hills. They host Bryan Station this week. 6. Rockcastle County 7. Lincoln County 8. East Jessamine 9. Boyle County 10. McCreary County 11. Southwestern 12. Danville 13. Trinity Christian 14. West Jessamine 15. Somerset Christian 16. Garrard 17. Casey County 18. Burgin 19. Kentucky School for the Deaf

Interesting angle here - DCA and Lincoln are better the slower a game is. I would contend that Boyle and Danville are better the faster and more chaotic the game is. I think there is a good chance DCA is the 1 playing the 4 Danville and Boyle and Lincoln are playing each other in the 2/3 game. I know we still have a lot of basketball to play to get there, but that feels like how it will go. Boyle and Danville also both have a ton of room until they hit their performance ceiling, Lincoln a good amount as well, but I think DCA is limited in how much better they can get.

No significant changes in ranking this week as the teams of the 9th mostly participated in holiday events that presented some difficult challenges. One more week of tournament heavy play before we get more in-region games. 1. Covington Catholic - The Colonels had two close ones in the Queen City Classic in Cincinnati, beating Archbishop Hoban of Ohio by 3 and losing to McNicholas of Cincinnati by 3. Brady Hussey had 21 points in the win over Hoban. They travel to Florida this week for the Battle at the Villages. 2. Newport - The Wildcats went .500 in the King of the Bluegrass with wins over Washington County and Spencer County and losses to Great Crossing and Trinity. Great Crossing, the number one team in the state, defeated Newport by just 2. Taylen Kinney averaged 22.75 points per game in the tournament and picked up an offer from Tennessee this week. The Wildcats now travel to Lawrenceburg, Indiana to play in the Ray Furney Classic. 3. Cooper - The Jaguars went 2-1 in the Scott Winter Classic, defeating Oldham County and Dixie Heights but falling to Aiken of Ohio. Andy Johnson is still not back but Shaun Pouncy is and he averaged over 16 points per game in the event. They open with Madison Southern this week in the White Greer Maggard Holiday Classic at Lexington Catholic. 4. Lloyd - Lloyd travelled to Lexington Christian for the Jim Rose Classic where they defeated the host school in their first game behind 24 points from Isaiah Sebastian and 20 points by Anthony Blaackar as EJ Walker was held to just 8. They proceeded to lose the next two games in the tournament to Henderson County and Baylor (TN) but came back home to defeat Belmont of Ohio in a stand-alone game. They host Hamilton of Ohio this week. 5. Boone County - The Rebels defeated Holy Cross behind Maddox Jones’ 20 points before playing in the Capital City Classic in and around Frankfort. They defeated Franklin County in overtime as well as South Oldham before falling to Bryan Station. They play in the Henry County Invitational this week where they open up with Thomas Nelson. 6. Highlands - The Birds hosted the Carespring Holiday Classic where they were blown out by Walton Verona before defeating Ashland by 3 behind Nathan Vinson’s 17 points. They travel to Florida this week to play in the Innisfree Hotels Pensacola Beach Holiday Classic. 7. Dixie Heights - Dixie was another participant in the Scott Winter Classic, earning a win over the hosting Eagles behind Griffin Derry’s 20 point performance before losing to Oldham County and Cooper. They play in the Henry County Invitational this week. 8. Ryle - The Raiders made it to the championship game of the Beth Haven Holiday Classic before falling to the hosting Bearcats. They play a standalone game at Milford (OH) this week. 9. Holy Cross - Holy Cross played two normal games this past week, losing to Boone and defeating Bracken County. They play in Estill County’s Railroad Classic this week. 10. Conner - The Cougars went 1-2 in the Scott Winter Classic, defeating Simon Kenton and losing to Aiken and Oldham County. They play three Ohio schools this week. 11. St. Henry 12. Newport Central Catholic 13. Beechwood 14. Ludlow 15. Bellevue 16. Villa 17. Dayton 18. Heritage 19. Holmes 20. Covington Latin

A week filled with holiday tournaments produced some exciting games, interesting out of region matchups and some standout performances but not a whole lot of surprises. Let’s jump right into the rankings. 1. Somerset - Playing in George Rogers Clark’s WinCity Classic, the Jumpers lost to Rowan County but defeated Lafayette behind Indred Whitaker’s 28 points. They play in Pineville’s Chain Rock Classic this week. 2. Pulaski County - The Maroons fell twice in overtime at the Gateway Holiday Classic, once to host Montgomery County and once to Taft of Ohio. They defeated The Carmel School from Virginia. They are off this week. 3. Wayne County - The Cardinals won the McCreary Invitational with convincing wins over Clinton County and Knox Central and a squeaker in the title game over Clay County. Antajuan Dumphord had 14 points and 10 rebounds alongside Kendall Phillips’ 18 points in the win over Clay. They host the Monticello Bank Classic this week where they open with Harlan. 4. Danville Christian - The Warriors notched a win over district for Boyle County 44 to 33 behind Emmanuel Dut’s 14 points and 9 boards. They play in the legendary Ashland Invitational Tournament this week, opening up with Morgan County. 5. Mercer County - The Titans had a rough week at LCA in the Jim Rose Classic, losing to the host school as well as Henderson County and Deltona of Florida. Trevor Ellis is still averaging a double double. They host their own holiday classic this week, opening with Franklin County. 6. Rockcastle County - The Rockets defeated Greenwood behind Walker Craig’s 20 points but fell to South Laurel and Corbin, all in South Laurel’s Legacy Nissan Dribble Drive Challenge. They play in the Smoky Mountain Classic in Gatlinburg this week. 7. Lincoln County - The Patriots continue to improve from their rough start to the season, getting a 2-1 performance out of the Gateway Classic with wins over host Montgomery County and The Carmel School (VA) but losing to Bishop Sullivan Classic (VA). They play in Madison Central’s Richmond Car and Truck Holiday Classic this week. 8. East Jessamine - The Jaguars got a big win over Southwestern before getting swept out of the bcbs Holiday Classic at South Warren. They play in Campbellsville’s Holiday Classic this week. 9. Southwestern- The Warriors fell to East Jessamine and Madison Central. They play in the Borderline Classic this week. 10. Boyle County - Boyle fell to DCA and Henry Clay. They open up with Western Hills in the Mercer County Holiday Classic this week. 11. McCreary County Central 12. Danville 13. Trinity Christian 14. West Jessamine 15. Somerset Christian 16. Garrard County 17. Casey County 18. Burgin 19. Kentucky School for the Deaf

Agreed. They have the talent to compete for a title but they need to show it first. If they can beat DCA it would be a HUGE step forward.

I feel as confident about these rankings then anything I have assembled in quite some time. The region can continue to be split into three groups - the contenders in the top 7 spots, the next 7 in the middle of the pack, and the final five at the bottom. A new number one has risen to the top this week after defeating last week's top team. Let's get to it. 1. Somerset - The Briar Jumpers are red hot. They blew out Casey County and then proceeded to knock off cross-county rival and previously undefeated Pulaski County. Ben Godby had 18 points and 11 rebounds in the big victory over the Maroons. Godby, Indred Whitaker and Aedyn Absher continue to be the three headed monster for Somerset, making them vulnerable to injuries and foul trouble, but so far so good as the only blemish on their record is that opening loss to Mercer County. They face Rowan County in the first round of the WinCity Holiday Classic at George Rogers Clark. 2. Pulaski County - The Maroons are perfect no more. Before falling to Somerset by 2, Pulaski defeated Wayne County by 14 behind Will Blankenship's 23 points. They travel to Montgomery County for the legendary Gateway Holiday Classic where they start off against the host team. There is a chance they run into fellow 12th region team Lincoln County. 3. Wayne County - The Cardinals fell to Pulaski but defeated Mercer County in overtime before also defeating Danville by 24. Kendall Phillips, Antajuan Dumphord and Seth Farmer are all still averaging double digits in the scoring column. They travel to the McCreary Invitational where they open up with Clinton County. 4. Mercer County - With the loss to Wayne County, the Titans are no longer undefeated against regional competition. Before falling to the Cardinals in overtime they blew out Danville by 31 behind Trevor Ellis' 24 point performance. Ellis also put up 31 against Wayne alongside Owen Barnes' 21 point night. They travel to LCA for the Central Bank Jim Rose Classic where they open against Henderson County. 5. Danville Christian Academy - DCA had two blowout victories over Garrard County and West Jessamine this week. None of the Warriors are averaging more than 14 points per game as their scoring attack remains balanced albeit still led by Titus Boyd. They host district foe Boyle County. 6. Rockcastle County - Pulaski County and Rockcastle County have one obvious thing in common - their only loss is to Somerset. They racked up wins to Boyle, Casey, and Eastern last week. They travel to South Laurel where they open up with Greenwood in the Legacy Nissan Dribble Drive Challenge. 7. Boyle County - So right now I would still tell you I think Boyle County is in the group of seven I think can win the region but that is giving them a lot of leeway with their December results. They are 1 - 5 to start the year with losses to Central Hardin and LaRue County last week. They travel to DCA this week and host Henry Clay and even one win between the two will help keep them up in this tier as they continue to get to full strength after the football season. 8. Southwestern - Jeron Dunbar's Warriors picked up a pair of wins over Somerset Christian and McCreary Central. It was a group effort to take down the Raiders by 1 as Adam Marcum had 13, Zachary Hutchinson 12, and Connor Hudson 10. Hutchinson also had 10 rebounds to give him the double double. They host East Jessamine and travel to Madison Central this week. 9. Lincoln County - The Patriots snap their season starting losing streak with a pair of wins over East and West Jessamine, each win by double digits. Blade Nuckols had 23 in the win over West and Sawyer Robbins had 21 against East. Sawyer Robbins had 12 boards in that East game as well, giving him the double double. They face The Carmel School from Ruther Glen, Virginia to start their trip to Montgomery County for the Gateway Classic. 10. McCreary Central - The Raiders lost a pair of road games to Southwestern and Williamsburg. Peyton Higginbotham and Drew Privett are both in averaging over 12 points per game and over 7 rebounds per game. They host the McCreary Invitational this week. 11. East Jessamine - The Jaguars fell to Lincoln County after blowing out Franklin County at home. They face host team South Warren in the first round of the bcbs Holiday Classic. 12. Danville - The Ads have really fallen to earth after their flashes of brilliance at the start of the year. They fell to Mercer and Wayne. They play in the McCreary Invitational and start with Clay County. 13. Trinity Christian - The Titans defeated Burgin and fell to Holy Cross and Owen County. They host Villa Madonna this week and this, to me, is a must win if they want to stay in this middle of the pack tier and not fall down to the bottom of the region. 14. West Jessamine - The last team of the middle of the pack or the first team of the bottom group, that distinction will continue to become clearer as the season progresses for the Colts. They fell to Lincoln County and DCA. They play in the Capital City Classic Holiday Tournament where they open against Western Hills. 15. Somerset Christian - The Cougars fell to Southwestern, Model and Greenwood. They host Campbellsville this week. 16. Casey County - The Rebels fell to Somerset and Rockcastle. They play Whitley County in the Hoosier Gym in Knightstown, Indiana tonight before playing in the McCreary Invitational. 17. Garrard County - Garrard lost to Estill County and DCA. They open with host Berea in the Berea Holiday Classic. 18. Burgin - The Bulldogs fell to Trinity Christian and Fort Knox. They host Brown this week. 19. Kentucky School for the Deaf - The Colonels fell to their Tennessee counterpart. They are off until January 9th.

Week 3 in the 9th Region is now in the books and we continue to learn more about the makeup of the competition. Covington Catholic and Newport are clearly the two contenders at the moment with Cooper and Lloyd waiting in the wings as they continue to evolve as teams. We then probably four distinct groups below the four favorites - a tier of darkhorses, a tier of "need to continue developing" teams, the NKAC Division 3 teams, and then the remaining two teams. Let's recap last week action and look forward to the week ahead which is dominated with holiday tournaments. 1. Covington Catholic - The Colonels, fresh off their victory over Newport, started their week off strong with dominant wins over St. Xavier of Cincinnati and Newport Central Catholic. Their week ended with what was almost a blow out loss to La Lumiere but they were able to claw back in the game for a respectable 74 to 60 loss. Brady Hussey is shooting lights out from long distance, currently sitting right below 57 percent from three-point range. Caden Miller is leading the way on the glass with 9.6 rebounds per game. And rounding out the fearsome foursome that is currently piloting the success for CovCath are Athens McGillis and Cash Harney, both averaging double digit points per game. The Colonels travel over the river this week to the Queen City Classic in Cincinnati to play Archbishop Hoban out of Akron and McNicholas from Cincinnati. 2. Newport - Another week has passed in which Newport has proven itself to not just be one of the best two teams in the region, but truly one of the best teams in the state. After a true road win at Ryle, the Wildcats defeated mighty Huntington Expression Prep out of West Virginia by 3 at Griffin Elite. Taylen Kinney had 22 in the win over Huntington Expression Prep. Now comes the King of the Bluegrass at Fairdale where they open with Washington County. Newport already has the attention of Northern Kentucky. With a great week at KoB, they will probably get the attention of the rest of the state. 3. Cooper - The Jaguars are not yet at full strength and they have still compiled an impressive set of wins to start the year. Week 3 saw them defeat Simon Kenton and squeak out a win over district foe Conner before falling to Legacy Charter out of South Carolina at Griffin Elite. Isaiah Johnson has been a consistent scoring threat since Andy Johnson's injury as a Yamil Rondon and Chris Rodriguez round out the dominant scorers for this current short-handed iteration of Cooper. If both Johnsons, Rondon, Rodriguez and Jaiden Combs can ever get on the court this same time as well as all the Pouncys, this is a team that can certainly hang with CovCath and Newport. But will that happen? They face Oldham County, Aiken (Ohio) and Dixie in Scott's Winter Classic. 4. Lloyd - EJ Walker scored 29 in a five point victory over NCC and 20 in a loss to IMG Academy of Florida at Griffin Elite. Walker and the Juggernauts get another week of tests as they head to the Jim Rose Classic at Lexington Christian where they open up with the host Eagles. 5. Boone County - The Rebels racked up wins over Augusta and Ryle last week. Maddox Jones scored 49 points between the two games to lead the way for Boone. They travel to the Capital City Holiday Classic where they open up with host school Franklin County. 6. Highlands - The Birds traveled out of region to start the week and fell to Campbell County but bounced back with a pair of wins at home against Oldham County and Tates Creek. Brayden Moeves is up over 20 points per game on the year with Nathan Vinson right behind him at 18.4 points per game. They host Walton and Ashland this week. 7. Dixie Heights - Dixie got a pair of blowout wins over Holmes and Bracken County. Griffin Derry scored 24 in the win over the Bulldogs. The Colonels are going to a holiday event but stay in Kenton County as they play in Scott's Winter Classic against Scott, Oldham County and Cooper. 8. Ryle - The Raiders had a pair of losses this week against Newport and Boone County. Landon Lorms is up over 15 points per game. They travel to the Beth Haven Holiday Classic where they are starting with Bullitt Central and Atherton. 9. Holy Cross - Coach Ricardo Johnson's group is 5 - 1 in his debut season but their schedule is definitely lighter up front. They registered wins last week over Roger Bacon, Trinity Christian and East Carter. They travel to the Railroad Classic at Estill County where they open with Wolfe County. William McElheney is leading the way on the glass at 9 rebounds per game and will face a tough matchup again Wolfe County's Skylar Ritchie who is averaging 8.2 rebounds per game. 10. Conner - The Cougars played in just one game last week and it was a thriller. They fell to district rival Cooper by 1. Finn Louden is averaging over 21 points per game. They play in Scott's Winter Classic against Aiken, Simon Kenton and Oldham County. 11. St. Henry - The Crusaders had a pair of close games on their home court as they fell by four to Scott and won by four over Villa Madonna. Andrew Reis had 25 in the win over Villa. They play in Sayre's Jim Lankster Classic this week against Bluegrass United, Sayre, and Green County. 12. Newport Central Catholic - The Thoroughbreds really play a comprehensive schedule where they face small schools in their district like Dayton and Bellevue as well as the regional contenders like CovCath, Lloyd, Newport, and Cooper, and teams out of state of a certain significance. Last week saw a pair of losses to Lloyd and CovCath but a win over Ludlow. They face St. Charles of Columbus, Ohio, and Archbishop Hoban of Akron at the Queen City Classic. 13. Beechwood - The Tigers played just one game last week and it was a win over New Richmond of Ohio. They face Williamstown and Cincinnati Country Day next week. 14. Ludlow - Disclaimer - teams 14 through 18 are all NKAC Division 3 teams and they are all beating each other and the division is dripping with parity. Ludlow had a trio of home games last week, convincingly defeating Bellevue before falling to Villa and Newport Central Catholic. They open with Bryan Station in the Capital City Classic in Franklin County this week. 15. Bellevue - The Tigers fell to Anderson County and Ludlow. They host Dayton before traveling to Bell County for the Redmond Auto Group Holiday Classic. 16. Villa Madonna - The Vikings fell to Heritage and St. Henry but bested Ludlow. Henry Thole had 21 points and 27 rebounds in the win over the Panthers. They travel to Trinity Christian this week. 17. Dayton - The Greendevils defeated Calvary and Roberston County before falling to Raceland. They have one scheduled game in December remaining, a road trip tonight to Bellevue. 18. Heritage - Heritage defeated Villa and Calvary this past week. This host Whitefield Academy this coming week. 19. Holmes - The Bulldogs may not belong this low but to get out of this position they are going to have to win a game. They fell to Dixie this past week. They are off this week. 20. Covington Latin - The Trojans defeated St. Pat's on the road. They are off this week.

Yes, I think there’s a possibility that in January you see Danville and Lincoln flipped. But Lincoln has to snap that losing streak first and start to build some consistency. Losing the pieces they did, especially the point guard they had, means that a tough December should be no surprise as they try to find their footing.

I truly believe those days will return. It's a cyclical thing and when it comes to urban schools like Holmes, Newport, to some extent Boone County, etc.., that cycle can be really exaggerated. You see some of that in Louisville as well (on the girls' side, Iroquois infamously went from 33-1 state champion to not being able to field a team for a bit). Holmes has had this a bit to - not as dramatically but there have been some losing seasons in between the epic success. Same thing has happened on the girls' side at Holmes - feast or famine.

Though there were a lot of good games featuring 9th region teams this week, there were only a few interesting contests between teams both from the 9th region. However, those games were good. None stood out more than Covington Catholic versus Newport, a matchup between the two hands-down best teams in the region (at least for now). I believe we can look at the region early on as distinctly segmented - 1 & 2 in a group of their own, 3 beside themselves at the moment, 4 through 7 as the other legitimate teams to make a run, 8 through 12, maybe 13, as the last group before you get to all the other schools competing in the 9th. 1. Covington Catholic - They came, they saw, they beat the Newport Wildcats on their home court. Their earlier game in the week was a blowout win over St. Henry. Brady Hussey, Caden Miller and Athens McGillis represent the three headed monster racking up the most offense for the Colonels and it was no different against Newport. Cash Harney, Luke Carroll and Nolan Ruthsatz round out the top contributors, at least this early in the season. They host St. Xavier of Ohio and NCC this week before facing La Lumiere of LaPorte, Indiana later in the week. 2. Newport - Sure, the Wildcats are no longer undefeated. But they have certainly opened the season impressively. Before falling to CovCath, Newport defeated Boone and Dixie. Taylen Kinney is up to 19 points per game and DeShaun Jackson is the other double digit scorer for the Wildcats at 13 points per game. They face Ryle and Huntington Expression Prep of West Virginia this week. 3. Cooper - We haven't seen the Jaguars at full strength yet and with Andy Johnson's hand injury, I don't know when we will. They defeated St. Xavier of Ohio but fell to Elder of Ohio earlier in the week. Yamil Rondon has played in all four games this year and has been impressive. Coach Sullivan will continue to work in the football guys but this team won't be the peak version of itself until Johnson returns. 4. Lloyd - The Juggernauts defeated Villa and Ryle on the road last week, averaging over 80 points as a team between the two games. EJ Walker had 21 against Villa and Isaiah Sebastian had 21 against Ryle. They face NCC and IMG Academy of Florida this week, the latter being the perfect setup for a lot of up and down basketball. 5. Ryle - The Raiders crushed Holmes before their undefeated record was blemished by losses to Lloyd and Central Hardin. Landon Lorms continues to lead the way with 16 points per game. They square off against the mighty Wildcats of Newport this week before playing rival Boone. 6. Boone County - The Rebels had just one game last week, a road loss to Newport by 13. There are no moral victories, but that kind of performance can be considered representative of a team that isn't a favorite to win the region but can certainly compete with anyone in the region on any given night. Mason Hall sits at 18.2 points per game. Boone plays Augusta and Ryle this week. 7. Highlands - The Birds split their week, defeating St. Henry but falling to St. Xavier of Louisville. Both games were on the road. They face Campbell County, Oldham County and Tates Creek this week as they do not play another 9th region team until January. 8. Dixie Heights - Dixie got a nice win over Conner behind Griffin Derry (22 points) and Hudson Blank (20 points) but could not hang around with Newport. The Wildcats held Dixie to just 24 points. Dixie has it much easier this week with games against Holmes and Bracken County. 9. Holy Cross - Nate Rominger scored 27 in the sole contest for Holy Cross, a win over Bishop Brossart. They face Roger Bacon of Ohio, Trinity Christian and East Carter this week. 10. Conner - The Cougars fell to Dixie Heights before participating in one of the best games of the week, a double overtime thriller that found them on the wrong side of a 81 to 76 score to Mariemont of Ohio in the John Turner Classic at Newport. Overall the John Turner Classic gave us a slew of great games, this one being chief among them. Landon Warner had 25 for Conner. They face Cooper on the road this week. 11. St. Henry - The Cru host Scott and Villa this week after a pair of losses to CovCath and Highlands. 12. Newport Central Catholic - NCC failed to compete with Scott, came back for a blowout win over Bracken County, and saw Caleb Eaglin finish with just one point as they lost to Campbell. No word yet if that is injury related. They face Lloyd, CovCath, and Ludlow all on the road this week, a tough prospect if they have to do it without Eaglin. 13. Beechwood - The Tigers split road games to the 37th district, falling to Scott in a blowout but bouncing back to take down Brossart. They host New Richmond this week. 14. Ludlow - The Panthers defeated Heritage and Calvary Christian. They hope to keep their conference record spotless as they host Bellevue and Villa. The finish the week off with another home game, that one against NCC. 15. Bellevue - The Tigers opened the year with a pair of conference wins over Calvary Christian and Villa Madonna. Noah Frommeyer had 37 against Calvary. They face Ludlow and Anderson County this week. 16. Villa Madonna - The Vikings defeated Dayton before falling to Lloyd and Bellevue. They face Heritage, Ludlow and St. Henry on the road this week. 17. Dayton - The Greendevils fell to Villa but defeated Heritage. They face Calvary, Robertson County and Raceland this week. 18. Holmes - The Bulldogs have yet to find the win column, losing this past week to Williamstown and Ryle. They face Dixie Heights and Frankfort this week and their prospects at either of those games giving them a win are bleak. 19. Heritage - Heritage lost to Dayton and Ludlow on the road. They face Villa and Calvary this week. 20. Covington Latin - The Trojans defeated the Kentucky School for the Deaf 46 to 21. Matthew Bier had 14. They face St. Patrick on the road this week.

Week 2 featured some surprising results and really reinforced that the region is down across the board this year as really no one went unscathed. The one exception to that is the undefeated number 1. As always, when we go through the rankings view it as a tiered journey. Currently I believe we sit at three tiers - the contenders, the dark horses, and everyone else. 1. Pulaski County - The Maroons start out 5 - 0. Their schedule is incredibly similar to last year's so far and they have replicated the undefeated results this year. Will Blankenship, Ethan Idlewin and Zak Anderson all averaging double figures. Blankenship is also off to a blistering pace behind the arc, going 13/26 through the first 5 games. They host Wayne County and Somerset this week. Note - Carson Fraley has yet to appear in a boxscore yet for the Maroons. 2. Somerset - Things are rolling down in the Patch after that opening season loss to Mercer. Somerset had a perfect week last week with wins over West Jessamine, Rockcastle County, and Danville. The Danville win came on the road in convincing fashion as they defeated the Ads by 19. They face Casey County and Pulaski County this week, the latter being another road test. 3. Wayne County - The Cardinals fell to Taylor County before coming back with a blow out victory over Southwestern. Antajuan Dumphord is averaging over 17 points per game as well as over 9 rebounds per game. Kendall Phillips also joins Dumphord in the over 17 points per game club. Seth Farmer rounds out their double digit scorers as he is over 12 points per game. They face Pulaski, Mercer and Danville this week. 4. Mercer County - The Titans stumbled this week, losing to Western Hills before defeating Jackson County. The Titans struggled from long distance against Western Hills, making just four out of nineteen three point shots. Trevor Ellis continues to average a double-double and Owen Barnes of course is contributing (and is currently the second leading scorer), but it is John Perry who has risen into that third leading scoring spot at 8 points per game that may help the Titans achieve consistent offensive success as a viable third scoring threat. Mercer plays Danville and Wayne County this week. 5. Danville Christian - DCA had a split week, falling to Evangel Christian before defeating Lincoln County by 12. Titus Boyd was limited to just 11 points against Evangel but came roaring back to form with 23 in the victory over the Patriots. They face Garrard County and West Jessamine this week, two games that should be easy wins if they expect to be a contender in the region. 6. Rockcastle County - The Rockets defeated Danville but fell short to Somerset by the tune of 2 points. Walker Craig is up over 22 points per game and Connor Hunt is putting in work down low, averaging 12 points per game and 8 rebounds per game. They face Boyle County, Casey County and Eastern this week. 7. Boyle County - Consistency isn't going to be there for the Rebels for a while still, but they are starting to show flashes of what they will be later in the season. They lost in a close one to Southwestern but convincingly defeated Harrison County behind Demauriah Brown's 18 points in his debut for the Rebels. Montavin Quisenberry also played in that game after not playing in the Southwestern loss. Rockcastle, Central Hardin and LaRue County await them this week and if the Rebels are truly now at full strength it could be a very fun week. 8. Danville - This is where we exit the contenders and enter the dark horses. Danville, after that initial success of week 1, got swept in week 2, losing Rockcastle, McCreary Central, Paris (in overtime), and Somerset. Those are four good teams and the Ads competed in each, but they just could not grab a win out of the pack. Most of the time this would cause a team to tumble out of the top ten. However, I still think Danville is at the top of the group of teams that constitute spots 8 through 12 this week, even if one of them is McCreary. Their search for consistency may be a long one, but there is success to be found if they can achieve it. 9. Southwestern - The Warriors opened the week with a win over Boyle but proceeded to lose to Greenwood and Wayne County. Zachary Hutchinson scored 23 in the win over Boyle. They face Somerset Christian and McCreary this week. 10. East Jessamine - The Jaguars achieved two blowout wins over Wellspring (homeschool) and Burgin. They host Franklin County and Lincoln County this week. 11. McCreary Central - I wanted to move the Raiders up higher after their blowout win of Danville, but that represents their sole win of the year so far. Now they have had a tough schedule, and that includes the loss to number 1 Pulaski earlier in the week, but they definitely need to improve on defense as they have seen some of their opponents pour on the offense. They travel to Williamsburg and Southwestern this week. 12. Trinity Christian - The Titans fell to Frankfort but crushed Robertson County and bested Casey County. It is likely that the fringes of the top ten represent the ceiling this year for Trinity Christian, but that is still a cool place for such a new member of the KHSAA to be. Just ask DCA who jumped from this very level to being a regional contender. Alan Coffman is averaging 16 points per game. They face Burgin, Holy Cross (Covington), and Owen County this week. 13. West Jessamine - The Colts continue their rebuild as they fell to Somerset and Sayre by convincing margins. Sawyer Thornton had 17 in the loss to Somerset. They face Lincoln County and Danville Christian this week. This also represents the start of the last tier, teams that really don't have the capability at making serious noise this year. 14. Lincoln County - And here is another storied program far beyond the top ten. The Patriots are without a win so far but they travel to Nicholasville twice this week - once to East Jessamine and once to West Jessamine - and if they can control the pace of either game they might be able to come out with a win. 15. Casey County - Casey defeated Burgin before falling to Pulaski County and Trinity Christian. They face Somerset and Rockcastle this week. 16. Somerset Christian - The Cougars got two huge wins over Garrard County and Williamsburg. Jack Baker and Ethan Warren are both at 16 points per game. They face Southwestern, Model and Greenwood this week. 17. Garrard County - Somerset Christian, Bryan Station and Whitley County all got the best of the Golden Lions this past week. They face Estill County and DCA this week. 18. Burgin - The Bulldogs lost to Casey County and East Jessamine. They face Trinity Christian and Fort Knox this week. 19. Kentucky School for the Deaf - The Colonels fell to Covington Latin and the Atlanta Area School for the Deaf. They face the Tennessee School for the Deaf this week.

This is the first weekly review of the year and accounts for 11/27 through 12/3. We will get back on a normally scheduled reviews starting Monday - so some of this will obviously change as we take into account this week's games. Everyone knows headed into this year that the spotlight is on Newport and Covington Catholic. We will see have some clarity on where they currently stand when compared to each other as they play on the 9th. But the first week of play really shouldn't dissuade anyone from the notion that these are the top two teams. Cooper may eventually make a credible claim but after them we have a slew of teams jockeying for position and I expect to see spots four through nine shakeup a good amount from week to week, especially this early in the season. 1. Newport - The Wildcats had a big week right out of the gate. Their opening win was a decisive blowout against district foe Dayton. That game saw Taylen Kinney score 24 points, going a perfect three for three from beyond the arc. But the big splash of the week was the victory over nationally touted Richmond Heights of Ohio in the Ohio Valley Hoops Classic in Mason, Ohio. Taylen Kinney again stood out, scoring 27. As a team, the Wildcats went 7 of 12 from three point range with Kinney, Noah Silverton, and Jabari Covington all connecting from long distance. Week 2 features games against Boone County, Dixie Heights, and their fellow contender, Covington Catholic. 2. Covington Catholic - Speaking of the Colonels, they opened with back to back wins over Simon Kenton and Western Heights of Australia before falling to Great Crossing, who many consider to be the best team in the state at the moment. Caden Miller recorded a double-double in each of the first three games, nabbing an astounding 17 boards in the opening game against the Pioneers. Brady Hussey and Athens McGillis, alongside Miller, led the way in the scoring column for the Colonels in the opening week. Week 2 has them facing St. Henry and the mighty Wildcats of Newport. 3. Cooper - Coach Sullivan's Jaguars went 1 - 1 in the opening week with a victory over St. Henry and a loss to Delaware Christian of Ohio in overtime. Andy Johnson averaged 25 points between the two games as well as averaging 10 rebounds. Jaiden Combs will return from the gridiron to help fill out the roster for Week 2 (spoiler alert - Andy Johnson ends up a scratch for their first game of week 2 as Combs returns). Week 2 features contests against two legendary Cincinnati schools, Elder and St. Xavier. 4. Ryle - Week 1 had the Raiders go undefeated over three games with victories over South Oldham, Holy Cross, and Gallatin County. Landon Lorms led the Raiders in scoring each game with 21, 21 and 16 respectively. Anthony Coppola also scored 21 in the win over Holy Cross. The Raiders are certainly pouring in the offense early and if they can keep that up, they may be up in the rankings to stay and be a threat to get out of the very competitive 33rd district. Week 2 features the Raiders playing Lloyd and Central Hardin. 5. Lloyd Memorial - The Juggernauts got both their first week games in over the weekend at the Ohio Valley Classic, losing to Sycamore and defeating Goshen, both from Ohio. EJ Walker averaged 16, leading them in scoring both games as well as 10.5 rebounds. They square off against Villa Madonna and Ryle in week two. 6. Boone County - The Rebels are probably the darling of week 1 as they go 3 - 0 with wins over Newport Central Catholic, Highlands, and Tates Creek. Mason Hall has been spectacular early, with his feature performance being a 26 point night against the Bluebirds in a blowout victory. Week 2 features just one game for the Rebels against Newport on the road. 7. Highlands - The Bluebirds took one on the chin from Boone on the road, but Week 1 also featured wins over Scott and the Cincinnati Trailblazers homeschool squad. Nathan Vinson scored 50 over the first two games before taking on a very limited role against the Trailblazers. Brayden Moeves put on quite a performance with 21 points in the opening game but went 2 for 10 from 3 point range in the loss to the Rebels. The Bluebirds have the talent to be a serious threat to make a run in the postseason, but they are going to have to develop their depth as the season progresses. Week 2 has the Birds on the road to take on St. Henry and St. Xavier (KY). 8. Dixie Heights - The Colonels opened up with a tough 24 point loss to Campbell County but recovered with a win over Simon Kenton. It was a dismal shooting night against the Camels as they went 35 percent from the field but flipped the script against the Pioneers, shooting 57 percent and holding them to 44 points. Week 2 has the Colonels hosting Conner and Newport. If they can contain both of those squads it will go a long way to seeing if they are legit, especially defensively. 9. Conner - The Cougars were out manned by visiting Henry Clay by the tune of 75 to 48 but bounced back with an exciting three point win over St. Henry on the road. Finn Louden scored 33 in the victory. Conner has Dixie Heights and Mariemont (OH) in Week 2. 10. Holy Cross - So this is where the dropoff happens. Holy Cross defeated the Cincinnati Trailblazers and fell to Ryle in Week 1. There are some bright spots in Latonia but this should still be viewed as the start of the rebuild. Nate Rominger is one of the standout sophomores in the region and he showed it these first two games. It will be fun to watch him develop his game throughout the year. 11. St. Henry - The Cru couldn't get it done at home, losing to both Conner and Cooper. However, they did participate Riverview Meat Tip-off Classic in Harrison County and defeated Doss. Andrew Flanagan had 25 in the win. They play CovCath and Highlands in Week 2. 12. Newport Central Catholic - Something to watch for with the Thoroughbreds based on the (very small sample sized) Week 1 results - they lost to Boone County by double digits when Caleb Eaglin and Ian Mann scored 43 of the team's 58 points. They routed Dayton by 30 and Mann & Eaglin accounted for just 33 of their 84 points. I know that win isn't competitive and it is just two games, but I am concerned that if the 'Breds rely on Mann & Eaglin almost solely, they aren't going to go far. The two Luhns and Vinny Petroze offer good supplemental options. We will have to stay tuned to see if they are able to consistently produce offense to complement the two leading scorers. They square off against Scott, Bracken County, and Campbell County in Week 2. 13. Beechwood - So I think this starts the fourth tier of the competition in the region. Can teams 13 through 19 beat some of the teams higher than them on a given night? Sure. Do I expect it? Not at all. Beechwood opened with a loss to Grant County though Jack Sullivan stood out with his 20 points. They came back with a win over Bracken County. They travel to Scott and Brossart in Week 2. 14. Ludlow - The Panthers fell to Trimble County in overtime and defeated Bracken County. Spencer Brandenburg scored 29 in the loss, Elijah Perrin scored 29 in the win. They face Heritage Academy and Calvary Christian, both conference opponents, in Week 2. 15. Villa Madonna - The Vikings competed with but fell to Bishop Brossart by 5 and lost to McNicholas of Cincinnati on the road. They face Dayton, Lloyd and Bellevue in Week 2. 16. Bellevue - The Tigers did not play in Week 1. Two conference games against Calvary and Villa are on the Week 2 schedule. 17. Dayton - Rough start for the Green Devils as they fall to Newport, NCC and Highlands Latin. They face conference opponents Villa and Heritage in Week 2. 18. Holmes - The Bulldogs fell to Pendleton County and Nicholas County. Week 2 has them playing Ryle and Williamstown. 19. Heritage - The Eagles beat Brown and lost to Berea. They face Ludlow and Dayton, both conference foes, in Week 2. 20. Covington Latin - The Trojans did not play Week 1 and have just the Kentucky School for the Deaf on the schedule for Week 2.