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Lincoln, in my opinion, falls below functional on the offensive end without Baird. Though Robbins may be their best offensive weapon, Baird makes the show run. I think that is evident from what can only be labeled a collapse in the second half.

The reign of the Butler Bears has seemingly begun. After this region appeared to be in the hands of the Chargers of Jeffersontown, Butler has quickly asserted themselves as a team to be feared on a statewide basis while the Chargers have faded a bit. Other potential contender candidates have also presented themselves early in Pleasure Ridge Park, Fairdale, WEB DuBois and possibly even DeSales. This week presents some interesting matchups as holiday classics start up this weekend. Rankings: 1. Butler - The Bears are 5-0 as they blew out Central and Bardstown last week. Adrian Wilder had 27 points in the win over Central. They travel to Bullitt East before they compete in the King of the Bluegrass starting on Friday. They open with Frederick Douglass at Fairdale. This is a real fun way to open a real fun tournament. 2. Pleasure Ridge Park - The Panthers got their first loss of the year as they fell to Manual by 6. They host the Christian Educational Consortium this week before hosting the 2025 Mac's Holiday Classic this weekend where they play Shawnee. Neyko Jenkins and Keion Gray are leading the way for the Panthers and seem to complement each other very well with Jenkins running the point and Gray operating at the wing and in the paint. 3. Jeffersontown - The Chargers picked up win number one of the year as they beat Evangel Christian by 11. Damere Clark is averaging 18.3 points per game while Dayvonne Harrison has 17 points per game. Clark, the starting point guard, is also leading the team in rebounds with 5.7 per game. That certain aspect of the game seems to be one of the Chargers' weaker spots and hopefully they can find a way to generate more boards. They face Moore and Collins before heading to play in the legendary Ashland Invitational Tournament this weekend. They open up against Hopkinsville. 4. Fairdale - The Bulldogs got wins over Moore and Franklin County to get back to .500 on the year. Michael Ray Stinnett had 31 in the win over Moore. They are off this week until Thursday when they host the legendary King of the Bluegrass tournament. They open up with LaRue County. 5. WEB DuBois - The Lions blew out Brown but lost to Spencer County by 4. Ja Rye Brown is averaging just over 26 points per game. All of their games have been on the road so far and will continue to be that way until late January. They play Central, Manual, and the LKY Saints (homeschool) before playing Taft (OH) and Augusta in Bracken County's Colby Hause Classic. 6. DeSales - The Colts defeated Barker College Prep out of Australia and Iroquois. Cameron Bischoff is averaging 20 points per game. They face Waggener and North Bullitt before playing in Carroll County's Christmas Classic against Ryle, Gallatin County, and South Dearborn (IN). 7. Fern Creek - The Tigers beat Southern by four before losing to Male by twenty. Jeromey Harmon is averaging nearly 15 points per game. Fern Creek plays Eastern, Central and Shawnee this week. 8. North Bullitt - The Eagles are 3-0 in this young season. They face Barker College Prep of Australia, DeSales, and Bullitt Central this week. 9. Bullitt East - The Chargers picked up wins over Henry County and Bullitt Central. They play Butler and Meade County before heading up 71 to play in the Carroll County Christmas Classic. 10. Southern - Southern fell to Fern Creek by 4 before beating Shawnee. They have Portland Christian and Shelby County this week. 11. Evangel Christian - The Eagles had a hard schedule last week as they lost to Jeffersontown and Spencer County but pulled out the win over Christian County. They play Holy Cross, LCA, and Letcher Central this week. 12. Western - The Warriors have only played two games, albeit both were wins. They have Spencer County this week. 13. Bullitt Central - The Cougars beat Washington County and fell to Bullitt East. They play Iroquois, Kentucky Country Day, and North Bullitt this week. 14. Holy Cross - The Cougars fell to Kentucky Country Day but beat Portland Christian by 1. They play Newcomer Academy and Bardstown this weekend. 15. Moore - The Mustangs got their first win of the year (and right now their only win) as the bested Valley. They play Jeffersontown, Atherton and Marietta (GA) this week. 16, Iroquois - The Raiders are still in pursuit of win number 1 as they play Bullitt Central and Marion County this week. 17. Doss - The winless Dragons have a busy week as they face Thomas Nelson, Nelson County, Collegiate and Henderson County. 18. Whitefield Academy - The Wildcats were off last week and play Highlands Latin this week. 19. Valley - The Vikings had just one game last week, a blow out loss to Moore. They play Atherton and Shawnee before opening up against Brown in Portland Christian's tournament.

The Patriots travel up to Nicholasville to play an early-season matchup between two top five teams in the region.

Many have argued this region is Danville Christian and then everyone else. What we are starting to see through 2 weeks is DCA, Pulaski County, and West Jessamine rising above the fray, though DCA is still the top dog of those 3. Once you get past those 3, it is complete anarchy. These teams are capable of beating each other on any given night and whoever can reach consistency quickest may join the top 3. The pre-holiday tournaments and classics really get into the swing of things later this week. It is an interesting mix this week as there are both some intriguing in-region matchups and some games between teams that are far-flung geographically. Rankings: 1. Danville Christian Academy (3-1) - Ben Mikels scored 19 and grabbed 10 rebounds in a convincing Warrior win over Garrard County. DCA goes to Bracken County this weekend to participate in the Colby Hause Classic where they will square off with host Bracken County and Dixie Heights. It really looks like Coach Busick built this schedule designed specifically for preparation for the All A state tournament as their holiday classics feature All A regional favorites from elsewhere in the state (Bracken in this one and Holy Cross (Louisville) in their post-Christmas event) and they have no other in-region non-All A schools scheduled before the regional All A tournament. 2. Pulaski County (5-2) - It was an undefeated week for the Maroons as they won over McCreary Central, Russell County, Casey County and South Oldham. That McCreary game was an overtime scare where Blake Fraley scored 18, Kam Measel had 17, and Carson Fraley had 16. Pulaski has two road games this weekend as they travel to face Rockcastle County and Somerset. If Pulaski wants to be a contender on the level of DCA, these are two games they should win. However, they are still two true road games against top ten teams in the region. 3. West Jessamine (3-1) - The Colts picked up two convincing victories over Somerset and Dunbar. Their only loss in the young season is to Pulaski County. The game of the week in-region takes place Tuesday at they host Lincoln County. They also host Garrard County later in the week. Gavin Murphy had one of the highlight performances of last week as he had 32 points on 7 made threes in the blowout of Somerset. 4. Lincoln County (3-1) - A huge win over Southwestern on the road was followed up with a convincing win over Sayre at the Patriot Classic. Sawyer Robbins is averaging over 16 points per game. Lane Sergent and Tucker Foster appear to be the two Patriots stepping up the most alongside Robbins and Cash Baird right now as the Patriots still have questionable depth to deal with. They face West Jessamine Tuesday then head to George Rogers Clark for the WinCity Classic where they face Boyd County. 5. Southwestern (5-1) - The Warriors only blemish this year is the loss to Lincoln County. They defeated Boyle County and Madison Southern after that loss. Zachary Hutchinson is averaging over 22 points per game. They face Somerset Christian and McCreary Central this week. 6. Wayne County (2-3) - The Cardinals couldn't manage a win last week as they fell to both Taylor County and Bell County. Wayne has the potential to really compete in the region but they may be the poster child for needing to find consistency. 7. Somerset (2-2) - The Jumpers were blown out by West Jessamine but recovered for a ten point win over Rockcastle County. Brock Stevens scored 24 in the victory. They host Casey County and Pulaski County this week. It will be interesting to see if they can compete against the Maroons. I truly believe they are capable of doing so, but are they at that point just yet? 8. Boyle County (3-1) - The Rebels defeated Dunbar but lost to Southwestern. Seneca Driver is already averaging 16 points per game and it should be fun to see how good he can get the farther we are removed from football season. Boyle hosts Taylor County before they head out to Berea this weekend for that holiday event. They are set to play Morgan County, Russell County and Magoffin County. 9. Rockcastle County (2-2) - The Rockets defeated Danville but fell by 10 to Somerset. Walker Craig is up over 22 points per game in scoring. They host Pulaski County and travel to Casey County. Starting Saturday they are participating in the Legacy Nissan Dribble Drive Challenge at South Laurel where they start with Harlan and Russell. 10. Somerset Christian (5-1) - The Cougars got a huge 1 point win over Garrard County behind the 17 points of Adam Marcum as well as Jack Baker's 15 points. They also had a 42 point victory over Pineville. They host Southwestern before heading to Owensboro for the Southwire Classic. 11. Garrard County (3-3) - The Golden Lions fell to Somerset Christian and Danville Christian before beating Model by 20. They feature four double digit scoring averages and offer a balanced scoring attack. They face Anderson County, West Jessamine, and Estill County all on the road this week. 12. McCreary County Central (2-4) - The Raiders fell to Pulaski County in overtime before winning over Danville and Owsley County by wide margins. The Raiders are poised to quickly rise from this spot but they are going to need to close some big wins. They have Scott (TN), Williamsburg, and Southwestern all on the road this week. 13. Danville (2-3) - The Ads got drummed twice last week against Rockcastle County and McCreary Central. They host Madison Southern and Dunbar this week before traveling to Washington County then starting the Capital City Classic in Frankfort Sunday against Western Hills. 14. Mercer County (1-3) - The Titans picked up their first win of the year as they defeated Model by 8. They host Marion County before heading to the Berea Holiday Classic. 15. East Jessamine (2-3) - The Jaguars picked up their first two wins of the season as they defeated the Richmond Guardians and Trinity Christian. They face Henry Clay and Burgin before heading to South Laurel this weekend for their holiday event. 16. Burgin (2-2) - The Bulldogs defeated Casey County. Hudson Taylor had 21 points. They travel to East Jessamine for a district contest before they play in the Generals Christmas Classic at Thomas Nelson this weekend. 17. Casey County (3-2) - The Rebels fell to Burgin and Pulaski but beat Lynn Camp. They play Somerset, Frankfort Christian and Rockcastle County this week. 18. Trinity Christian (0-4) - The Titans are still winless and have just simply failed to compete with any opponent yet this year. Bath County, Lynn Camp, and Cornerstone Christian are on their schedule this week. 19. Kentucky School for the Deaf (0-1) - The Colonels were off last week.

For all the Louisville folks, is there an explanation to the rough start JTown is having? And also, what is the story behind the Jayden Johnson saga? JTown is 1-2 with their one win being an 11 point victory over an Evangel Christian team that had basically less returning scoring than any other team in the region and whose only win themselves is over a now 0-4 Cumberland County team by 8. I'm just puzzled by this team that was supposed to rip through the 6th region and is coming off a pretty storybook run last year.

I think I can explain some of the Butler disparity. They are good, no doubt, but I think their true ranking is somewhere 20-25, at least currently. I think JTown should be unranked until they prove they are for real. I think when JTown took their two opening losses, Butler shone a little brighter to some folks. I still need to see more results though to say Butler is a top ten team in the state.

I think we will know more about this statement Friday after they play West Jessamine. I think most teams in the top 14 could beat DCA on any given night. DCA is also capable of going undefeated in the region. They are really darn good but I question their depth and I am still unconvinced that they are versatile enough to avoid a loss to an inferior team with a great gameplan.

Yeah, even with that revelation, I wouldn't change the rankings. They are clearly the top team right now. Thank you for updating that though. It wasn't on the scoreboard.

The 6th Region gave us drama right from the start. Reports of Jayden Johnson to Jeffersontown appear to be erroneous as there pictures of him suited up for Wasatch Academy prep school yesterday. Jeffersontown also fell twice right out of the gate. This presumed 2 team race that almost looked like a chase after JTown may very well be a four team race. Rankings: 1. Pleasure Ridge Park - When you take down the champ, you get to be number 1. After a tune-up win over MHG Academy, PRP took down the mighty Chargers of Jeffersontown 72 to 71. This a huge statement win and shows everyone that this is not a Jeffersontown cakewalk. I don't think PRP can claim "favorite" status yet by any means, but they deserve their flowers for this win and no one has a better claim to the top spot in these early stages. PRP has a relatively soft schedule but certainly but they have one of their more challenging opponents this week in Manual. They then play Letcher County Central. 2. Butler - The Bears are 3-0 with wins over Moore, Seneca, and and Spencer County. Santana Anderson had 19 against Seneca and Brayden Wilkins had 22 against Moore. They host Central and Male this week before traveling to Bardstown Saturday. 3. Jeffersontown - The Chargers are 0-2 and no stats are reported yet. There is a cloud of mystery hanging over this team, specifically what their identity will be. When that smoke clears, they will certainly still be a contender but will they be 1 of 1, 1 of 2, 1 of 3, etc...? They have two games against really inferior opponents this week in Evangel Christian and Whitefield Academy but in the middle is the game of the week in the region against WEB DuBois. 4. WEB DuBois - The Lions are 2-1. All games were on the road with wins over Danville and Shawnee and an 8 point loss at Great Crossing. Ja Rye Brown had 33 against Shawnee. Brown, JTown, and Spencer County are on the schedule this week. That Jeffersontown matchup looms large and may be an early bellwether about how good this team is. 5. Fairdale - Fairdale is 0-2 but had two incredibly tough road games. They fell to both Danville Christian and Marshall County on the road. They host Moore and Valley this week before going back out on the road to play Franklin County. Kamari Roberts had 29 in the loss to DCA. 6. DeSales - This is where the line appears right now between the early contenders and the rest of the field. DeSales still has significant work to do not only prove they are the "best of the rest," but if they have any chance at all at contender status. They have dominant wins over Central and John Hardin and a loss to LaRue County. Cameron Bischoff is averaging 24.3 through those 3. They face an Australian team, Iroquois, and Cooper this week. 7. Fern Creek - Fern Creek split the week, falling to Waggener but getting the win over Doss. Khaheem Bryant scored 19 in that opening loss. They have a weird setup this week with games only on Monday and Tuesday as they face Southern and Male. 8. Holy Cross - The Cougars fell to Shawnee but defeated Collegiate. Chris Rumbaugh had 31 in the opening loss. They face Kentucky Country Day, Francis Parker and Portland Christian. 9. Moore - Moore is 0-3 though all 3 losses were to incredibly talented teams in St. Xavier, Butler and Douglass. That Butler game was only a 15 point loss so signs are there that Moore can compete in this region. They just have to go show it. Fairdale, Valley, North Bullitt, and Lewis County makeup the opponents for Moore in what is a busy week ahead. 10. North Bullitt - There is a logjam of teams from Bullitt County next, starting with the 2-0 Eagles. They have defeated Iroquois and Washington County. Nolan Bott and Jordan McKinney are both averaging 16 or more points through the two games. They face the Christian Educational Consortium and Moore this week. 11. Bullitt East - The Chargers are 1-2 with a win over Thomas Nelson. They face Henry County and Bullitt Central this week. 12. Bullitt Central - The Cougars are 2-0 with wins over John Hardin and Valley. Jayden Kearney is averaging 19 through two games. They face Washington County and Bullitt East this week. 13. Southern - The Trojans defeated Gallatin County but fell to Atherton. Fern Creek, Shawnee, and Newcomer Academy are on the schedule this week. 14. Western - The Warriors are 1-0 with a blowout win over Newcomer Academy. They face Shawnee and MHG Prep Academy this week. 15. Evangel Christian - Golden Dotson, Jr. scored 19 in an 8 point win over Cumberland County. JTown, Spencer County, and Christian County now await the 1-0 Eagles this week. 16. Iroquois - The Raiders have lost convincingly to LKY (homeschool team) and North Bullitt. They face Waggener and DeSales this week. 17. Doss - It's an 0-3 start for the Dragons. They face Atherton, Frankfort and Nelson County this week. 18. Whitefield Academy - The Wildcats picked up a win over Portland Christian and are now 1-2. They face Jeffersontown this week. 19. Valley - The Vikings defeated the River City Jags from Indiana and fell to Bullitt Central. 18. Whitefield 19. Valley

If week 1 is indication of anything regarding the year at large then we are truly in for a region filled with parity. Almost everyone took a loss, the chief exception among the top teams being Danville Christian. There were two rather surprising in-region results and we will see those games (and more) cause quite the shakeup in the rankings. Rankings: 1. Danville Christian Academy (2-0) - DCA went undefeated in the opening week, something that not many teams in the region can say. The Warriors defeated Russell County and Fairdale and put up a large number of points in both games. They have scored 159 combined points and only 18 of those came off 3 pointers. Ben Mikels is averaging 27 points and 14 rebounds per game while Geu Leek Ateny is averaging 18.5 and 13, respectively. DCA has their first two games against regional opponents this week as they take on Garrard County and West Jessamine. 2. Pulaski County (1-2) - This should signify that is terribly difficult to rank this region right now. The Maroons got blown out by Madison Central, surprised West Jessamine by beating them by 6 then lost to Eastern by 6 in Louisville. That makes one ugly loss, one quality win (perhaps the best quality win of the week in the region), and one "acceptable" loss. They have a full week this week as they take on McCreary Central, Russell County, Casey County and South Oldham. 3. West Jessamine (1-1) - The Colts defeated Franklin County before dropping the loss to Pulaski. Luk Tut had 22 points in the win over the Flyers. West has a chance to show that was a fluke pretty quickly as they take on DCA this week, sandwiched between matchups against Somerset and Dunbar. West should at least go 2-1 this week and if they don't, either way it says something about this team. 4. Wayne County (2-1) - They were all close games for the Cardinals in week 1 as they beat Barbourville by 3 and Garrard County by 2 but fell to Montgomery County in overtime by 2 in Campbellsville. That Montgomery County game was a widely publicized event given the events in Mount Sterling leading up that game. Kendall Phillips scored 20 or more in the wins. The Cardinals face Taylor County and Bell County this week. 5. Lincoln County (1-1) - The Patriots bested Dunbar in their opener but fell to Green County by 6. Sawyer Robbins and Cash Baird both are averaging in double figures in points and 8.5 or more in rebounds. Bryson McAdoo started the year on a hot streak from 3, going 5 for 9 through the first 2 games. Lincoln faces Southwestern and Sayre this week. 6. Rockcastle County (1-1) - The Rockets won convincingly over McCreary Central by 16 before losing by 17 to Scott County at Great Crossing. There obviously remains a lot of intrigue around this team. Somerset and Danville are on the schedule this week. If they are for real, two conclusory wins this week would help prove that at these early stage. 7. Southwestern (3-0) - The Warriors are undefeated but not necessarily against top level competition. Their closest game was a 21 point win over East Jessamine. Zachary Hutchinson is averaging 22 points per game through 3. They host Lincoln this week before traveling to Boyle County to face a Rebel squad that will probably be close to full strength. They end the week against Madison Southern at Lincoln County's Patriot Classic. 8. Somerset (1-1) - The Jumpers took one on the chin against Danville, losing by 7 unexpectedly. They did pick up a win over Glasgow. Aedyn Absher is averaging 23.5 points per game through those 2. They shot just 37 percent from the field against the Ads. They host West Jessamine and Rockcastle this week. A win against either would definitely bolster their case that they can be a true contender like so many thought in the preseason. 9. Boyle County (1-0) - The Rebels defeated Burgin in their opener. Sawyer Pittman scored 16. They play Whitley County, Dunbar, and Southwestern this week as their schedule slowly cranks up in intensity as football is now over. 10. Garrard County (2-1) - The Golden Lions have three double-figure scorers through 3 in Hunter Caldwell, Samuel Montgomery and David Grubbs. Their only loss is a 2 point squeaker in which they fell to Wayne County. They face Somerset Christian, Danville Christian and Model this week. 11. Danville (2-1) - Now let's not get ahead of ourselves. Danville had a good start last year but quickly faltered. And now here we are again, Danville is 2-1 to start the season with wins over Somerset and Somerset Christian. How good either of those teams are is still open but preseason chatter, including here from yours truly, had both those teams above the Ads. And Danville still has work to do if they want to pass the Jumpers in the rankings for good. Alongside the wins was a blowout loss to WEB DuBois. The Ads face Rockcastle County and McCreary Central this week. Based off results so far, these should be two winnable games for the Ads and would go far in continuing their hot start. 12. Somerset Christian (3-1) - Expectations are still pretty high for the Cougars but they fell to Danville to start the year. They did follow that up with three wins in the KCAC tournament, ending with an OT win against Christian Fellowship. They face Garrard County and Pineville this week. 13. McCreary County Central (0-3) - Nothing has really gone right for the Raiders through week 1. They have Pulaski County, Danville, and Owsley County this week and it would be huge for them to go at least 2-1 and be competitive in the other. 14. Mercer County (0-2) - Mercer's tough road started with losses to Lexington Catholic and Owen County. Tates Creek and Model are on the schedule this week. Hopefully the Titans can break into the win column in at least one of those. 15. Casey County (2-0) - Casey County had two dominant wins over small school competition in Trinity Christian and the Kentucky Christian Knights (a homeschool team). Burgin, Pulaski, and Lynn Camp are on the schedule this week. Being competitive with Pulaski at all would be huge and the other two games are certainly winnable. 16. East Jessamine (0-3) - The Jaguars have a lot of work to do as they start the season winless through week 1. Carter Wolfe and Tyson Duke look to be the core here but they'll need some help to convert their effort into wins. 17. Burgin (1-2) - The Bulldogs got a win over Francis Parker after losing to Boyle and Model. They face Casey County and Dayton this week. 18. Trinity Christian (0-2) - The Titans fell to Casey County and Lynn Camp. They have Louisville Collegiate, East Jessamine and Dayton this week. 19. Kentucky School for the Deaf (0-1) - The Colonels fell to their Tennessee counterparts in week 1. They face Frankfort Christian this week.

I searched all of BGP and haven't found where anyone has mentioned this school yet. The KHSAA doesn't show them assigned to a region and is showing 7 games scheduled for this season, all in Louisville with the most noteworthy being 12/2 against PRP. Looks like they are a private Christian school and play their home games at Church of the Harvest. Anyone have any other information on them beyond that?

I am very intrigued by this one. DCA and Somerset are clearly the best "A" teams right now in the 12th but this very well might tell us who the third team is. Would not surprise me at all if Somerset Christian wins convincingly at home. Danville came out of the gate hot last year but fizzled towards the end of December. How will the tone be set for their December after tonight?

Pendygraft not being on the Lincoln roster really hurts a team already struggling with depth. Coach Jackson has dealt with this kind of situation before (multiple times) where he has to develop players to complement 1 or 2 returning pieces. And he's been successful doing so. That methodical, defense driven approach should benefit them as they try to recover from that setback.

I have always associated that with the weird north-south, narrow construct of the region. McCreary opens with Clinton County. That makes a lot more geographical sense than a team like East Jessamine. It’s hard for Danville to travel to Wayne County on a Tuesday.

It is the first game of the Steve Quattrocchi Era for the Bulldogs of Dunbar. They go on the road to face Lincoln County. This was a blowout last year in favor of the Patriots. Can the Bulldogs make it interesting this season?

It depends on the makeup of your program to some degree (do I have a lot of football players, are we an “A” school, what is our fundraising capacity and ability to travel?). But generically: - mixed first three weeks of December with a couple inferior opponents, a couple even opponents, and one or two superior programs; - pre-holiday tournament that I can win but will need to beat at least one good team to do so; - post-holiday one or two game showcase against top level competition (this may also be the All A or 2A tournament or the LIT etc…) - I try to wrap up all of my district and regional games with 10-14 days left before district tournament; and - Schedule one major program, one minor program, and one equal program to end the year to test out different things for the postseason and have senior night. All of those should be out of region if possible.

The 12-1 Boyle County Rebels host the 10-3 Corbin Redhounds with a trip to the title game for 4A on the line. Corbin is coming off an epic road win over Highlands 35-21, a game they controlled from start to finish. They dominated in the trenches, had some big time, momentum changing plays early on, and executed their game plan perfectly. That win earns them a dance with the mighty Rebels, their only blemish being an early season loss to Lexington Catholic. Boyle crushed their Northern Kentucky foe, Covington Catholic, by a tune of 49-14. Boyle is the better team on paper and it really is decisive, though we saw what that same concept got Highlands. These teams have a few common opponents, sharing in some blowout wins over Whitley County, Lincoln County and Russell County. The one common opponent they diverge on is telling as the Rebels convincingly beat Douglass while Corbin fell by a decisive margin. Boyle has one of the most powerful and balanced offenses in the state, basically evening out in passing and rushing yards, both exceeding 175 per game. Corbin was able to dictate things on the road at Highlands. It is hard to foresee them being able to do the same at Boyle.

I am, of course, shocked that Corbin pulled it off, but I am not surprised in how they did it. They won the big play game, starting with that 54 yarder and the 4th down TD pass to Stevens. They needed to control the game to not allow the Birds to exploit Corbin’s lack of depth. They did that and I think the weather helped. Amazing performance by in the trenches.

I've thought hard on this one. Ryle but with less depth?

See my notes on defense. Mason Salmons is the QB and he's a dual threat. Cam Estep is their playmaker on both sides of the ball as a receiver and deepback. They are going to trend run heavy and show that in a variety of ways but not so run heavy that they are a one-note team. Salmons can throw and he definitely has a few options to throw to, not the least of them being Estep. I think they will lean on the run and clock control to make sure things don't spiral. To me, the "big play game" is where this is won or lost. I don't know if Corbin can absorb something like Highlands getting a defensive touchdown or some 80 yard touchdown run or a kickoff return for a score.

Malachi Brown anchors their line. He is a monster. 8 sacks on the year. Offers from the likes of Alabama, Indiana, Miami (FL), Tennessee, and, of course, Louisville & UK. 6'4, 265. Linebacking core is lead by leading tackler Silas Mahan as well as Malachi Zachery. Then you get to the secondary where you have the likes of super athlete and two way star Cam Estep as well as Zach Thomas. To answer your question, versatility and athleticism everywhere with some real standout talent in Brown, maybe some questions of depth on the line after him.

The Redhounds have had a simply dominant streak since losing 37-34 to Johnson Central on October 3rd. They have been clicking on all cylinders offensively with Mason Salmons being among the most efficient quarterbacks in the state. Cole Stevens has been stellar in the rushing game where Salmons has also contributed. Cam Estep, while also being a dangerous deepback on defense, has proven to be Salmons' favorite receiver. Defensively, they have only let up 46 points over the last 6 games. But now, they face a team in the same orbit as Johnson Central, Highlands. Not only that, but they have to go on the road. I tend to think, based on their competitive games earlier in the year before district play, that a slower pace of play with lower scoring favors Corbin. I think if the pace picks up Highlands may get away from them. That doesn't mean Corbin won't try for some big plays, but I do expect them to not make this a boat race. With all that said, I will go Highlands 35 - Corbin 14. Highlands controls pace of play at home and Corbin can’t hang.

Jeffersontown turned heads last year when they handed Butler the Bears only loss to regional competition in the 6th Region Championship game. They turned even more heads when they took down potential state contender St. Xavier in the first round of the Sweet 16. They nearly continued the magic, losing by 1 to South Oldham in Round 2. Now the 2025-2026 is upon us and the 6th Region looks to pick-up where they left off - a two team race between Jeffersontown and Butler. Much of the region below them has suffered a massive exodus in either graduation or transfers. WEB DuBois joins the 6th region this year and will immediately look to make an impact as they return a solid core and are coming from the pressure cooker that is the 7th. Pleasure Ridge Park and Fairdale look to recover after some big losses to their roster while DeSales, Fern Creek and Holy Cross all have compelling arguments to be competitive in that second tier of teams behind the two frontrunners. Rankings: 1. Jeffersontown: 2024-2025 - 27-7, lost to South Oldham in the second round of the Sweet 16. Camron McDaniels and Prince Kahnplaye have graduated. McDaniels is playing JUCO ball at John A. Logan and Kahnplaye just zipped across on 64 to Georgetown. The Chargers return Dayvone Harrison at point and Larron Westmoreland as their leading rebounder. Damere Clark also returns as a serious scoring threat. Westmoreland is a future Division 1 football player, possibly even a Power 4 player. The 6'4 athletic wing represents the only real size the Chargers have and he isn't in any way a back to the basket type. The Chargers regularly scored in the 80s last year. Watch that continue here as they will be forced to go small and fast. They have a scrimmage on November 19th at Oldham County, for those that may be interested in seeing the offseason progress of the reigning champs. 2. Butler: 2024-2025 - 26-5, lost to Jeffersontown in regional championship game. The runners-up from last year's regional tournament look to remain a contender this year and the road may very well lead to a rematch between Butler and JTown. The Bears lose Michael Jones, their leading rebounder, to graduation but return Adrian Wilder, Henrich Barjolo and a strong backcourt overall. Like JTown, they will look to go fast and small. Jaion Hansberry is poised to fill the shoes Jones left behind as the team's leading rebounder, but he doesn't have a lot of proven help around him when it comes to post play. Circle December 12th as Butler takes on one of the best in the 7th in Male. 3. WEB DuBois: 2024-2025 - 10-19, lost opening game of the 26th district. A big welcome to the 6th region to the WEB DuBois Lions. They come primed and ready to make some noise as they return Ja'Rye Brown (27.3 points per game), Khalil Ogletree (13.7 points per game), and Kenyon Sykes (9.2 points per game). Even though they were 9 games below .500 last year, they played in the fearsome 7th and they return more of a core than pretty much any other team in the top ten in the 6th. That includes the explosive Brown, who immediately becomes a real candidate for player of the year consideration. The Lions represent the "best of the rest" or the start of Tier 2 in the region, which ever way you would like to look at it. 4. Pleasure Ridge Park: 2024-2025 - 24-5, lost by 1 to Butler in the regional tournament semifinals. This was the the other contender in the region last year alongsisde JTown and Butler. PRP has a tougher road to travel this year though as they do with only one returner out of their top 5. That returner is Neyco Jenkins, a junior point guard. They also add guard Brenden Hardman from Holy Cross who shot 43 percent from beyond the arc last year. 5. Fairdale: 2024 - 2025 - 21-11, lost to JTown by 5 in opening game of the regional tournament. The biggest offseason news in the entire region may have been Ferlandas Wright transferring to La Lumiere in Indiana. Michael Ray Stinnett, the coach's son and a deadeye shooter, shot over 43 percent from 3 last year and will look to be the conduit of Fairdale's offensive success this year. They are poised to rack up some wins again this year as they play a relatively soft schedule. 6. Moore: 2024-2025 - 19-11, lost in regional semifinals to JTown. Moses Bedell returns and should be the crux to Moore's success if they are to make a run as good as last year's. Brandon Williams is also a senior and will likely have an enlarged role this year. Also keep a lookout for Sean Anderson II to complement Bedell in the backcourt. Moore is not certainly taking it easy out of the gate as they face St. Xavier and Butler back-to-back to open the year. 7. Fern Creek: 2024-2025 - 16-15, lost in opener of the regional tournament to Butler. Gone to graduation is superstar Noah Glover as well as LeKendrick Morris and Kaden Martin. JD Flippens from Manual and Johnny McFarland from Eastern are incoming, both having played supporting roles at their previous schools. Both will probably be asked to play leading roles for Fern Creek this year. 8. DeSales: 2024-2025 - 18-12, lost to Western in district opener. DeSales may be the most intriguing team to me in the region. They return Cameron Bischoff who averaged more than 18 points per game and shot over 42 percent from beyond the arc. They also return their primary post DaShawn Harris as well as Kaden Childs. They competed with Butler last year the second time around and really got hurt towards the end of the year before being unceremoniously dismissed is the first round of the district tournament by Western. 9. Bullitt East: 2024-2025 - 18-10, lost in opener of the district tournament to Fern Creek. Connor Stinnett is the only returner out of last year's top 7 scorers. Clay Reynolds and Drake Mefford will look to assume starting duties in the back court. Huge questions about depth and size remain though after being so senior-laden last year. 10. Holy Cross: 2024-2025 - 15-12, lost to Fairdale in district tournament opener. Norman Ellis has been elevated to head coach and will face a tough task in year one. Last year's Cougars had four players average double figures in points. Only one, Tresson Ohler, returns. Wade Kramer has graduated, Jordan Jackson has transferred to St. Xavier, and Brenden Hardman is playing for PRP. Holy Cross will look to repeat as All A regional champs but they certainly have some development to undergo. 11. North Bullitt: 2024-2025 - 19-13, lost opener in regional tournament to PRP. Kaylen Alexander and Braxton Sievert have graduated. Guard Alex Eddington and post player Dylan Hornback are the key returners. Hornback was the team's second leading rebounder behind Alexander and has a chance to be one of the better true post players in the region. 12. Bullitt Central: 2024-2025 - 10-18, lost opener in district tournament to Evangel Christian. The Cougars retained their roster almost entirely, the two most important returners being AJ Lee and Trevor Carnes. There is a real chance for them to compete for a spot in the regional tournament this year with what they return. They still play a softer schedule than most of the teams above them but that should certainly allow them to surpass their record from last year. 13. Iroquois: 2024-2025 - 16-15, lost in district semifinals to Butler. D'Anthony Ortiz was the squad's only double-digit average scorer last year. He has graduated as well as the next four leading scorers. It is going to be a complete rebuild for Iroquois. Zimmie Millhouse might be the most experienced part of that rebuild. 14. Southern: 2024-2025 - 11-18, lost to North Bullitt in district tournament opener. Kaevon Ennis is gone as well as Julian Duliba. Elijah Simpson should be the key returner here. The Trojans have given themselves a softer schedule to hopefully ease the rebuild. 15. Western: 2024-2025 - 8-18, lost in opener of regional tournament to Moore. Last year was a roller coaster for Western as they had both streaks of success and drought. They were able to make it to the regional tournament but were a non-factor. Jerrode Hammond is the most significant returner as the majority of the roster looks to turnover. 16. Evangel Christian: 2024-2025 - 9-22, lost to Moore in district semifinals. No team in the region probably suffered a bigger graduation exodus than Evangel Christian. Their most experienced returner only averaged 3.3 points per game last year. 17. Doss: 2024-2025 - 5-23, lost to Iroquois in district opener. Tayveon Coleman is the key returner for a Doss team that never really could get off the ground last year. They are currently on an active 14 game losing streak stretching back to last year. 18. Whitefield Academy: 2024 - 2025 - 12-19, lost to JTown in district opener. Guard Jaxon Morris is back and will look to lead Whitefield again this season. They compete in the 7th Region's All A and they won it last year. Even though that region is tougher in general, it is the easier All A field and Whitefield may again have a chance. 19. Valley: 2024-2025 - 1-27, lost to PRP in district opener. North Hardin Classical was their only win last year. It will be interesting where they can find wins this year as they aren't on the schedule, at least yet. Anthony Gaddie looks to be the focal point for the Vikings if they want to better that record.

The 3A playoffs march on as Central travels East on I-64 to take on the Knights of Lexington Catholic. Led by dual threat QB Brady Wasik, the Knights blanked Western 49-0. Now they get a tougher Louisville team in Central. The Yellowjackets had a much tougher round 1 game as they had to fend off Bardstown at home. Damontre Cherry and Brian Marshall lead the rushing game for Central. The passing game has been very limited. With the way the Knight defense has been, I don’t expect many scores from Central, win or lose. A few big plays and a lack of major miscues for the Knights should be enough for the win.

Corbin showed some offensive inconsistencies early in the year but righted the ship for good after the nail biting loss against Johnson Central. Defensively, they have been right there with the best in the class. I don’t see Lincoln County finding the endzone more than twice, if that.