15th Region

Jackson played. Looked rusty first 10 plays (had two short gains), then turned into the Jackson of old rest of the way. Broke a 41 yard run and 25 yard run while plowing through tackles. Probably had 125 to 135 yards on 6 or 7 carries. They didn't run him outside any tonight. Was between the tackles.

JC won JV game 6-0.

Both teams played 3 sets of 10 plays from the 20. Huntington opened with 2 TDs in the first 7 plays but JC stuffed them the rest of the way scoring 3 TDs to answer. JC QB Riley Preece ran for 1 TD and threw for 2 TD. JC also had a dropped TD pass in endzone. They are now playing JV. The highly rated lineman for HHS was solid.

JC is scrimmaging Huntington High tonight at Eagle Field. Rescheduled from Saturday when Huntington had travel issues.

Just a scrimmage. Unlikely either team shows much or goes full lineups very long. Don't put much stock in the outcome either way, but a fun matchup that's for sure.

JC picks up nice win on the road. Have now knocked off Scott County and Madison Central in a 7 day stretch. Braxton Kelly picks up another quality win.

JC has been playing well of late as they get healthy. Knocked off Scott County at home and Madison Central in the road. I look for them to be back in the rankings soon.

JC picks up win handing Scott County first loss to in-state opponent. Braxton Kelly gets win with 11 K's in 5 IP (also hit HR). Fox takes loss giving up 4 ER. Two very good teams and great crowd on hand to watch game.

Shelby Valley is indeed open (girls position). Got a future Miss Basketball candidate in 8th grader Cassidy Rowe (former Head Coach Rodney Rowe's niece).

Yes

Two great pitcher dueling it out. Braxton Kelly gets the win giving up 1 unearned run. Perry Central's pitcher goes 3 scoreless innings as well. Two really electric arms on the mound and a great crowd to see the game!

Third straight title game between JC and FS. JC will get back Joe Jackson who missed all of last season (State Championship MVP previous year) and most of the team was young anyway. Look for the Golden Eagles to be much better this year than last.

Excited to see Johnson Central in the mix again this year. They have 3 Division 1 caliber pitchers (Braxton Kelly - Ohio U: Gabe Ferrell - EKU: Tate Meade - Kentucky Wesleyan) and probably a few others who will play at some level or another. Should have a solid year!

Excellent question. I believe most are, but cannot accurately answer you. I would imagine it's like basketball where a very high percentage are.

The Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Association has released it's 2018 Preseason All-State Team. Congratulations to all players who made the team (Follow Link) All State Teams - KHSBCA.ORG From their website you can also see how the association voted for pre-season team rankings. Thoughts?

Way to represent the 15th Region Pikeville!!!!! Mountain teams represent!!!!

No Micky Pearson. I feel Pikeville has the advantage in this OT. Battaile has been best player on floor IMO.

Missed FT could haunt JH. Wyatt Battaile hits his 7th buzzer beater of season to either win or tie.

Not shocked at all. Wyatt Battaile (D1) is a very good player and extremely good athlete who is helping Pikeville dictate their pace. Mix that will a bunch of ball handlers who hit a few shots and you get what we have at the half. In basketball it is easier to slow a game down than speed one up and on a big floor like RUPP Pikeville has more room to spread out the press. The real question is whether Pikeville can continue to score in critical situations. Having seen them a bunch this season, if they manage to have the lead and ball with around 4 minutes left, they will be really tough to beat. Hit FT's well and can put a line up on the floor where everyone can dribble and pass well.

2018 15th Region Champions – Pikeville Panthers – State Tournament Preview The Pikeville Panthers will be making back-to-back state tournament appearances after knocking off Johnson Central in the regional championship for the second straight season. Pikeville opened the season as the favorite to win the region and started strong, winning 14 of their first 17 games to include the All-A regional title. In the All-A championship, senior Cade Byers went down with a broken hand and the Panthers dropped five of their next ten games. The ship was rocky, but Byers would return by regional tournament time. Shorthanded and only going six deep, Pikeville was able to win the 59th District Tournament on rival Shelby Valley’s home floor. It was the third time they defeated the Wildcats on the season. Pikeville advanced to the regional tournament where Cade Byers returned. First they knocked off Pike Central (lost early in season to Pike Central without Byers – beat Pike Central with Byers early in season as well), then defeated Paintsville and finally avenged their worst in-region loss by beating Johnson Central in the regional championship for the second straight year. Wyatt Battaile was named tournament MVP for the second straight year and holds a D1 basketball offer to Mercer. His double-double in the regional championship game cemented his legacy in 15th Region lore and established his team as one of the best in recent years. Quick Reference Guide Head Coach: Elisha Justice Head Coach Career Record: 79-38 (0.6752) (In 2nd Season with Pikeville: 4th Overall) (32-20 while coaching June Buchanan [2015-2016] and 47-18 while coaching Pikeville [2017-present]) Enrollment: 368 Mascot: Panther Colors: Maroon and White Founded: 1915 District: 59th All Time Record: 1619-1106-1 (0.5947)(Tie occurred in 1916: No overtime rule) Regional Titles: (11) 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1974, 1999, 2017, 2018 What to Expect at State Tournament: Pikeville will play a controlled style with little to no press. They can all dribble pass and shoot from deep except Cade Byers (range to 12 feet). Battaile and Byers play well above the rim and are excellent defenders with their ability to contest shots. Evan Rhodes and Christian Billiter will play solid defense and are opportunistic scorers when unaccounted for. They generally sub for one another and get the toughest defensive assignment night in and night out. Conner Roberts has the ability to get hot quick, hitting multiple 3FG’s in a row. He is an extremely talented scorer who can fill it up on a given night. Kyle Watkins will run the show and should be full strength after battling the flu during the regional tournament. He will penetrate to score, but has the ability to find open shooters everywhere. Pikeville likes to be deliberate on offense, but have the player that can get 40 if needed. If they have the lead late, they will run offense until you foul them. In short, they don’t beat themselves. With experience from last season this team could shock the state by knocking off John Hardin. Although they are not deep, they have the athleticism in Battaile and Byers to guard Pearson and ball handling to break any press (can put 5 guards on the floor with Battaile playing the 5). Players to Watch: 1. Wyatt Battaile (Senior) SF 6’3’’ – The only player in the 15th Region with a current D1 offer, Wyatt Battaile can do it all. He can dribble, play way above the rim, shoot from deep, and has a deadly step back mid-range jumper that is un-guardable. This season Wyatt took home 15th Region KABC POY Honors and is considered a Mr. Basketball finalist. He averaged 24.3 ppg and 8.8 rpg during the season. 2. Conner Roberts (Junior) SG 5’10’’ – Roberts is the second best scorer on the team behind Battaile. He makes excellent decisions with the ball and is deadly from deep as a floor spacer on drives into the paint. Averaging 14.1 ppg and 3.5 rpg, Roberts is a player you better account for or he will kill you. 3. Cade Byers (Senior) PF 6’4’’ – Byers is the lynchpin of the team. He can score 20 in the paint if needed or score 0 and set screens all day. Either is fine with him. He plays above the rim, is the best help and weak side defender on the team, and blocks shots a foot above the rim. Byers was out for most of Pikeville’s losses during the season, but when healthy and in the lineup no team in the 15th defeated the Panthers. When he is on the floor, this team is better and there might be a different reason why every night. Byers averaged 5.8 ppg and 6.1 rpg during the season.

Freshman Isaiah May had 32 points and 9 rebounds to lead JC (He only took 13 shots). Jacob Rice had 20 for JC and the only Senior on the team Dalton Collins had 11. Isiah Roblee of Belfry had 21 to lead his team. JC advances to 7th straight regional title game. No other team has been to more in a row in the 15th (Virgie and Pikeville both went to 6 straight). JC Head Coach Tommy McKenzie advances to his 8th title game in only 11 years of coaching.

Johnson Central Lady Eagles defeat Lady Panthers for the right to play region 3 winner. Great game to watch as JC led the entire way except for the first few minutes of the game as Pikeville opened with a made 3FG. The Lady Panthers fought all the way back after trailing by double-digits to tie the game late in the fourth but could not get over the hump. Two big FT's and then a driving lay-up by Kelci Blair (game tied) sealed the win for the Lady Eagles. Alania Castle for JC was named tournament MVP. Congratulations to Pikeville on a tremendous season. Congratulations to JC as they are now 16-3 this calendar season after opening the year 4-9. They knocked off the two regional favorites (Shelby Valley and Pikeville) on their way to this title. Shelby Valley had only been defeated by one other team in the state prior to the JC loss (Murray in All-A State Championship). Other tidbits: (1) JC now has more 15th Region Titles than any other school (10 - was tied with Sheldon Clark at 9). (2) Darrin Rice (JC Head Coach) now has 3 regional titles (2 with JC and one with Sheldon Clark). He is the only coach in 15th Region History to win 15th Region Titles with multiple schools. Took both programs to their only elite 8 appearances as well. (3) Christy Orem (Pikeville Head Coach) has led 3 different teams to regional title games in 3 different regions (11th - Scott County, 16th - Fleming County, 15th - Pikeville) (4) Pikeville has no seniors on the entire roster and Johnson Central has only one senior so both will be very strong regional contenders next season.

Poll has been added to see who BGP community thinks will win the 15th Region this season!

District Tournament Recap: We were able to correctly predict 7 of the 8 regional tournament teams with 2 of the 4 districts being perfect predictions on winners and runner-up’s (57th and 60th). Competitive Balance has been the name of the game this season and didn’t seem to slow down during the first week of the tournament. Let’s see how the district tournaments played out in the 15th Region and look ahead to the 15th Region Tournament. 57th District Recap The 57th District Tournament was hosted by Johnson Central and opened with Paintsville (#1 seed) defeating Magoffin County (#4 seed) by a final of 62-55. The game was competitive throughout as Magoffin County cut the lead to one possession a couple times in the fourth quarter but were never able to get over the hump and take the lead. The Tigers were led in scoring by Mason Moore and Seth Williams (17 points each) and Nick Keeton in rebounds with nine. It was the first time Paintsville made it out of districts since the 2008 season when current Head Coach Landon Slone was still playing. Junior standout Brady Whitaker led the Hornets with 29 points. The second game of the 57th featured Johnson Central (#2 seed) versus Sheldon Clark (#3 seed). The Golden Eagles entered the game having defeated the Cardinals by 30 points and 42 points during the two regular season meetings, but this game was much different. Trey James was a force in the paint early for Sheldon Clark as he scored ten of the first twelve points. Sheldon Clark would lead 17-16 after the first period of play, but found themselves down 33-31 at the half. Johnson Central continued to grind down the Cardinals into the fourth quarter and would finally pull away near the four-minute mark. This game was no blow out, but JC did finally win going away 71-62. Sheldon Clark was led by Trey James with 19 points, 14 rebounds and 9 blocks. Ethan Colegrove (17 points) and Brady Dingess (15 points) were also in double figures. Johnson Central was led by Jacob Rice (25 points) Cory VanHoose (15 points) and Isaiah May (12 points – go ahead 3FG early in 4th – had box and one played against him from opening tip). For Sheldon Clark, the loss marked the second time in the last three seasons they have dropped 20 games. The 57th District Championship featured Johnson Central and Paintsville for the first time since 2008 and the first time at Johnson Central since 2002. The game was highly competitive and would end up going down to the wire. Freshman Isaiah May and Junior Jacob Rice got hot early for the Golden Eagles, scoring 12 and 15 points in the first half respectively as JC built a 35-27 halftime lead. The third quarter was all Tigers as they outscored JC 19-6 to take a five-point lead into the final frame. Isaiah May quickly erased that lead with a pull up jumper, defensive rebound and pull up 3FG midway through the fourth. With 2:45 left to play, Paintsville tied the game at 57 on two Mason Moore FT’s. JC would hold the ball and Jacob Rice would hit the game winner with 2s left, giving JC the 59-57 victory despite being outshot from the FT line 24-6 on their home floor. Isaiah May and Jacob Rice led the Golden Eagles with 17 points each (May 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal: Rice 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 steal). JC also got double figures from Gabe Ferrell (11 points) and Cory VanHoose (10 points) as both made big plays down the stretch. Paintsville was led by Mason Moore (20 points, 6 rebounds), Nick Keeton (13 points, 10 rebounds) and Seth Williams (12 points, 3 rebounds). For Johnson Central it was their third straight 57th District Title (20th overall – most all-time) and the 6th for Head Coach Tommy McKenzie. 58th District Recap The 58th District was hosted by Floyd Central and opened with Floyd Central (1 seed) playing Lawrence County (4 seed). The game was never in doubt after a minutes into the first quarter as Floyd Central would put away Lawrence County by a final of 71-49. J.R. Tackett led the Jaguars with 29 points followed by Jacob Collins and Brady Conn who each had 10 points (Conn had 14 rebounds). The loss marked the third time on the season that Lawrence had fell to Floyd Central although the previous contest was played within five points at Lawrence County. The second game in the 58th was the most competitive on paper in the entire region as Betsy Layne (2 seed) took on Prestonsburg (3 seed). Betsy Layne was 2-1 versus Prestonsburg on the year with their only loss coming in the All-A at the Pikeville EXPO Center in January. The game was low scoring and back and forth until midway through the fourth when Prestonsburg took the lead for good. Betsy Layne just couldn’t get the ball to drop on wide open shots and the Blackcats capitalized. Prestonsburg came away with a 46-39 win and date with host Floyd Central in the championship. The 58th District championship was over by halftime. After a somewhat competitive first quarter, Floyd Central outscored Prestonsburg 30-6 in the second to take a 25-point lead into half. Prestonsburg had no answer for the size and physical play Floyd Central brings. The final score would be 77-52 as the Jaguars cruised to their first district title in the school’s first year of existence. This championship was familiar to the kids from South Floyd as they won the previous two, but new for the kids from Allen Central who had yet to experience a net cutting ceremony. Regardless, both Floyd Central and Prestonsburg advanced to the regional tournament. 59th District Recap Shelby Valley hosted and opened play in the 59th District Tournament with an easy win over Jenkins 72-28. Valley obtained the top overall seed after winning a coin flip with Pikeville (the two tied in regular season head-to-head and point spread matchup’s, both winning by 12 points against the other). Jenkins (winless on the entire season) was no match for Valley’s up-tempo style and the JV for both teams played most of the second half. Like Shelby Valley, Pikeville cruised to victory in their opening game as they took on the three seed in East Ridge. The final score was 78-60 in favor of the Panthers and it was the third blow-out win of the season over East Ridge. The Warriors tried to slow the game, but dominate guard play from Pikeville would not allow and the lead quickly ballooned and stayed steady for most of the contest. The first two games were very predictable. The 59th District Championship saw Pikeville knock off Shelby Valley for the third time this season in stunning fashion. Shelby Valley handled Pikeville by 12 at home just a few weeks earlier (Pikeville defeated Shelby Valley at Pikeville by 12 and in the All-A Championship by 20+) and were looking to cut the nets down in front of their rival. Pikeville’s only loss to Shelby Valley came without Cade Byers and he was out yet again with a broken hand. This was a close game throughout as both teams had 4-5 point leads at one time or another, but were never able to put the other away. Wyatt Battaile hit a step-back jumper to force OT and Pikeville made their FT’s down the stretch to win the game 70-65, maintain their 59th District dominance. 60th District Recap The 60th District tournament was hosted by Pike County Central and opened with Belfry (1 seed) facing off against Piarist (4 seed). This was not much of a game as Belfry did everything possible to keep the score from getting out of hand. The final would end up being 100-46 in favor of the Pirates as Piarist at least showed up for districts this season. The second game of the tournament featured the host school (2 seed) versus Phelps (3 seed). This final score would be Pike County Central 64-46 over Phelps but the game was much much closer. Phelps held an eight-point lead at half time after taking the air out of the ball and controlling tempo (Pike County Central also shot 11% in the first half) and could have been up much more had they hit some easy shots. Pike Central came out in the third quarter red hot, hitting 7 of 8 3FG in the frame and turning an eight-point deficit into a double digit lead. From there the Hawks would cruise to victory, but Christian Mounts and company had the attention of the entire region at halftime. The 60th District Championship would see Belfry knock off Pike Central for the third time this season by a final of 73-67. This was a game Belfry had to play from behind as Pike Central continued the hot shooting from the second half of the Phelps game and built an early 15-point first quarter lead. Belfry would chip away and go into half down single digits on an Isiah Roblee 3FG at the buzzer. The Pirates would finally take the lead early in the fourth and not give it back, forcing Pike Central to watch their rivals cut the nets down on their home floor. 15th Region Tournament Preview Tournament Location: East Kentucky EXPO Center (Pikeville, KY) Defending Champion: Pikeville Schedule: Session 1 Wednesday 28 February 2018: Belfry (60th Winner) vs. Shelby Valley (59th Runner-up) – 6:30 PM Johnson Central (57th Winner) vs. Prestonsburg (58th Runner-up) – 8:15 PM Session 2 Thursday 1 March 2018: Pikeville (59th Winner) vs. Pike County Central (60th Runner-up) – 6:30 PM Floyd Central (58th Winner) vs. Paintsville (57th Runner-up) – 8:00 PM Session 3 Monday 5 March 2018: Semi Final 1 – 6:30 PM Semi Final 2 – 8:15 PM Session 4 Tuesday 6 March 2018: Championship – 7:00 PM (Winner will play Region 5 Champion) Overall Team Rankings Entering the Tournament (Record): 1 – Pikeville (21-9) 2 – Shelby Valley (22-8) 3 – Floyd Central (19-11) 4 – Johnson Central (17-14) 5 – Pike Central (24-8) 6 – Paintsville (19-9) 7 – Belfry (19-12) 8 – Prestonsburg (14-18) Match-Up #1: Belfry [19-12: 17-4 in Region] vs. Shelby Valley [22-8: 20-3 in Region] Belfry and Shelby Valley open the 2018 15th Region Tournament in what should be the first of many extremely good games. Both teams play extremely hard on both ends of the ball but Belfry is slightly more physical and slightly bigger. This game should be a war and come down to who makes the plays late in the game as both teams are difficult to beat when they have a late lead. Previous Match-Up’s: Belfry and Shelby Valley met February 10th at Belfry. Shelby Valley came away with a 73-70 win led by Cody Potter’s 27 points and 12 rebounds (monster in game dunk: 5 made 3FG). Belfry was led by Isiah Roblee (28 points) and Devin Varney (22 points). The Pirates did a good job on Valley standout Blake Burke, holding him to only 10 FG attempts and 13 total points, but it was not enough as Potter was the man on this night. The game was close throughout, but Valley did not give up the lead late when pressured and knocked down their FT’s to ice the game away. The Game: This game will be a lot of fun to watch as two of the best 3FG shot makers in the state will be going at each other in Cody Potter (Shelby Valley) and Isiah Roblee (Belfry). Both could make 10 3FG’s each. On the other wing you will have super athletic guards going at each other in Devin Varney (Belfry) and Blake Burke (Shelby Valley) with both capable of going for 30+ on a given night. In games with so much parody, it usually comes down to role player contributions. Look for Honaker and both Worrix brothers (Shelby Valley) and Blankenship, May and Jessie (Belfry) to truly decide this game as the four big players previously mentioned will likely cancel each other out. Will Belfry make the plays down the stretch or will Shelby Valley ice it late with ball handling and clutch FT’s? Regional Titles: Belfry – (3) 1990, 1991, 1992 Shelby Valley – (7) 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010 (State Title), 2011 Players to Watch: Belfry – Isiah Roblee (22.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg ) Devin Varney (14.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg) Shelby Valley – Cody Potter (16.5 ppg, 8.4 rpg) Blake Burke (15.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg) Prediction: Shelby Valley 65 Belfry 64 Match-Up #2: Johnson Central [17-14: 11-6 in Region] vs. Prestonsburg [14-18: 11-13 in Region] The young Golden Eagles won the 57th District for the third consecutive season and got without a doubt the best first round match-up in the tournament. Prestonsburg enters as the only team in the field with a losing record despite getting hot late in the season and winning six of their last nine contest. The last time Prestonsburg was in the regional tournament they faced Johnson Central were defeated 92-40 in a game that saw them commit four intentional fouls and two technical fouls (Regional Semifinals in 2014). Johnson Central was led by Shane Hall and advanced to the state tournament elite eight that season despite the physical game. The two schools have not played each other since that game. Previous Match-Up: Johnson Central and Prestonsburg have not met since the 2014 regional semifinals where JC won 92-40 (2014). The Game: Look for the pressure and guard play of Johnson Central led by Isaiah May and Jacob Rice to be too much for the young Blackcats. The Golden Eagles will likely pressure from start to finish, looking to push the ball at every opportunity. Prestonsburg will likely play a zone and shoot a lot of 3FG’s from the wings and corners. If they can hit enough they will be competitive, but even if shots are falling early for them, Johnson Central will likely be too much over a four quarter game. Johnson Central has advanced to six consecutive 15th Region Championship games (winning four) and are looking to get back for a record 7th straight time. Regional Titles: Johnson Central – (9) 1972, 1975, 1984, 2000, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 Prestonsburg – (1) 1989 Players to watch: Johnson Central – Isaiah May (14.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg) Jacob Rice (17.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg) Cory VanHoose (12.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg) Gabe Ferrell (11.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg) Prestonsburg – Phil Cornett (11.7 ppg, 1.9 rpg) Austin Endicott (11.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg) Prediction: Johnson Central 80 Prestonsburg 65 Match-Up #3: Pikeville [21-9: 14-4 in Region] vs. Pike County Central [24-8: 17-6 in Region] The Pikeville Panthers are the defending 15th Region Champions and returned every player from last season’s roster. They have won their last three in a row despite dropping six of ten prior to that (when Cade Byers injury occurred). Byers could return by the regional first round, but is expected back by the semifinals if Pikeville advances that far. Pike County Central is led by Phelps transfer Christian Mounts. He is joined by Levard Missick and Seth Conn. Pike Central achieved the most wins in school history this season, but were unable to capture a district title and enter as the 60th runner-up Previous Match-Up’s: Pikeville knocked off Pike Central December 22nd in Hi Tech Holiday Classic at Prestonsburg in overtime by a final of 74-70. Wyatt Battaile (25 points, 5 rebounds, 5 blocks) led four Panthers in double figures. Kyle Watkins (13 points), Zach Hamilton (10 points), and Evan Rhodes (10 points) were the others. Pike Central was led by Christian Mounts (35 points – 11 rebounds) and Levard Missick (14 points – 12 rebounds). Cade Byers did play in this game and Wyatt Battaile hit a 15 foot fade away to force overtime between the two. Pike County Central defeated Pikeville at home this season for the first time in over a decade by a final of 54-52 on February 8th. After Wyatt Battaile hit a fade away 3FG to tie the game with 1.7s left, Pike Central’s Seth Conn (also starting QB) ran the baseline and threw a full court pass that hit Levard Missick in stride where he only had to catch and lay the ball in the basket with his left hand (Missick is left handed). The game was back and forth the entire time with Pike Central making one more play that Pikeville in front of a tremendous home crowd. The Game: Expect yet another great tournament game out of these two. Pikeville has the experience and championship pedigree needed for this stage. Pike Central has the athletes and guard play needed to knock them off as proven earlier in the year. Don’t look for either team to press much or try to force tempo, but rather play a half-court controlled game. This was come down to whoever executes the best and should be a close game either way. Both teams have a closer and big scorer (Battailie – Pikeville: Mounts – Pike Central) who can elevate above the rim and get a shot off any time they want. Expect the ball to go through these two in crunch time. Regional Titles: Pikeville – (10) 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1974, 1999, 2017 Pike County Central - None Players to watch: Pikeville – Wyatt Battaile (24.3 ppg, 8.6 rpg) Connor Roberts (14.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg) Pike Count Central – Christian Mounts (19.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg) Levard Missick (14.2 ppg, 10.9 rpg) Prediction: Pikeville 60 Pike County Central 58 Match-Up #4: Floyd Central [19-11: 12-2 in Region] vs. Paintsville [19-9: 11-7 in Region] Floyd Central has the fewest losses to regional opponents of any team in the field (2). Pikeville beat them in the Traditional Bank Holiday Classic at Lexington Catholic (Floyd Central avenged the loss) and Paintsville beat them at Paintsville by 17 (this is game two). Paintsville is in the regional tournament for the first time since 2008 when their current coach, Landon Slone, was still playing for the Tigers. After losing a heart breaker to Johnson Central in the District Championship (last second shot by Jacob Rice), Paintsville got a tough draw in the bottom bracket of the regional tournament, but have the athletes and system to make a run at Rupp Arena. Previous Match-Up: Paintsville knocked off Floyd Central at Paintsville 73-57 on January 27th. In that game Paintsville played a 2-3 zone most of the time with the block guys shading the corner 3FG’s. Floyd Central took the bait and did not drive or penetrate the gaps, but rather settled for lots of 3FG attempts. Shooting extremely poor from behind the arc allowed Paintsville to build and maintain a large second half lead. The Tigers were led in scoring by Seth Williams (28 points), Mason Moore (14 points) and Nick Keeton (10 points – 11 rebounds). Floyd Central was led by Brady Conn (20 points – 9/13 from field) and J.R. Tackett 11 points as the team shot 7 of 36 from 3FG on the game (23/62 overall – 37%) The Game: Don’t expect another poor shooting night from Floyd Central again and don’t expect the Jaguars to take 37 3FG’s again either. Look for both teams to be content in playing a slow, controlled game, trying to out execute the other although Paintsville will mix in a press from time to time. This game will come down to whether Floyd Central can control Seth Williams and Mason Moore on the perimeter and whether Paintsville can stop Brady Conn inside and J.R. Tackett from penetrating. Look for zone from both teams as possession’s will become very valuable. The game will likely be in the 50’s and if either team has the ball and lead late will be very difficult to beat with their styles. Should be yet another instant classic. Regional Titles: Floyd Central – None Paintsville – (9) 1933, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1995, 1996 (State Title), 1997, 1998, 2008 Players to Watch: Floyd Central – J.R. Tackett (18.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg) Brady Conn (14.1 ppg, 8.9 rpg) Paintsville – Mason Moore (17.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg) Seth Williams (16.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg) Prediction: Floyd Central 58 Paintsville 56 Semi Final 1 Prediction: Johnson Central 72 Shelby Valley 69 Semi Final 2 Prediction: Pikeville 65 Floyd Central 64 Championship Prediction: Johnson Central 77 Pikeville 76 (Double Overtime Thriller) Agree or Disagree? Feel free to respond and discuss!

2017-2018 15th Region Season Review - District Tournament's Preview 15th Region Overview: Practiced started in October, games in November, today we start the greatest tournament in the state of Kentucky. The regular season in the 15th Region was filled with up’s and down’s. Pikeville was dominate until the injury to Cade Byers, Floyd Central and Johnson Central played brutal schedules, Shelby Valley and Paintsville proved to be better than expected. In a region devoid of any superior teams that can compete with anyone in the state, the 15th had plenty of competitive balance amongst its self. The regional tournament will most likely have seven teams with a realistic chance of winning the tournament and advancing to Rupp Arena. Below you will find our preseason rankings revisited, our final rankings, regular season awards and a preview of every district tournament game and how the teams closed out in the final week of the season. 2017-2018 Preseason Rankings (Released in November): 1. Pikeville 2. Floyd Central 3. Johnson Central 4. Pike Central 5. Shelby Valley 6. Belfry 7. Paintsville 8. Magoffin County 9. Sheldon Clark 10. Lawrence County 11. Prestonsburg 12. East Ridge 13. Phelps 14. Betsy Layne 15. Jenkins 16. Piarist 2017-2018 Final Regular Season Rankings (Record): 1. Shelby Valley (21-7) 2. Pikeville (19-9) 3. Floyd Central (17-11) 4. Pike Central (23-7) 5. Johnson Central (15-14) 6. Belfry (17-12) 7. Paintsville (18-8) 8. Sheldon Clark (11-19) 9. Betsy Layne (12-15) 10. Magoffin County (9-19) 11. Prestonsburg (13-17) 12. Lawrence County (8-21) 13. East Ridge (8-19) 14. Phelps (10-20) 15. Jenkins (0-28) 16. Piarist (3-25) Awards (Based solely on author opinion): Player of the Year: Wyatt Battaile – Pikeville Coach of the Year: Jim Hicks – Shelby Valley Top 15 Player Rankings: All Region 1st Team (Regardless of Position): J.R. Tackett (Floyd Central) - Strong Guard with great mid range game. Excellent rebounder from the wing position and the engine that makes Floyd Central go! Christian Mounts (Pike Central) - Outstanding leaper and scorer. Recently surpassed 2,000 career points between Pike Central and Phelps. This kid can get you 30 plus any night. Jacob Rice (Johnson Central) - Three year starter and only a junior. Rice flirts with a triple double almost every night as the do it all guard for JC. He can get 30 or can run the show and make sure everyone else gets theirs. Wyatt Battaile (Pikeville) - Best all around player in the region. Only player to hold a D1 offer. Wyatt plays above the rim and can do it all from anywhere on the floor. Can go get 40 anytime he wants against 15th Region competition. Brady Whitaker (Magoffin County) - Biggest surprise of the season after setting out the previous year. Capable of huge games on any given night. Will try to lead Magoffin County to huge upset. All Region 2nd Team (Regardless of Position): Isaiah May (Johnson Central) - One of the best freshman in the state in a region loaded with great ones. May is the most dynamic player for Johnson Central and he can play inside and out. Set the freshman scoring record at JC this season. Brady Conn (Floyd Central) - One of the best rebounders in the state. A force inside who has also developed a mid range game and is still only a junior. Isiah Roblee (Belfry) - Hit extremely big shots on a big time basis. Multiple buzzer beaters to his credit on the season and the first Belfry player to ever hit 100 3FG in a season. Cody Potter (Shelby Valley) - Long, athletic, shooter who can get 40 on 10 made 3FG's or pump fake, go by you, and dunk. Allows everyone else on his team to have space to operate just by being on the floor. Trey James (Sheldon Clark) - Most dominate force in the region as a true post player. nMultiple dunks per game, multiple triple doubles and the season and just completed oone of the greatest seasons with respect to blocked shots in the history of the KHSAA. Also one of the highest rated freshman in the state with multiple D1 looks already. All Region 3rd Team (Regardless of Position): Mason Moore – Paintsville Blake Burke – Shelby Valley Levard Missick – Pike Central Seth Williams – Paintsville Connor Roberts - Pikeville Honorable Mention: Cory VanHoose (Johnson Central), Gabe Ferrel (Johnson Central), Nick Keeton (Paintsville), Brady Dingess (Sheldon Clark), Austin Endicott (Prestonsburg), Phil Cornett (Prestonsburg), Tyler Maynard (Lawrence County), Cody Maynard (Lawrence County), Grant Orsborn (Betsy Layne), Byron Hammond (Betsy Layne), Jacob Collins (Floyd Central), Evan Rhodes (Pikeville), Kyle Watkins (Pikeville), Dalton Wellman (East Ridge), Cameron Hess (East Ridge), Ethan Cummings (Jenkins), Devin Varney (Belfry), Koleston Blankenship (Belfry), Trey Francis (Phelps), Seth Conn (Pike Central), Skylar Williams (Piarist) 57th District Preview Tournament Location: Johnson Central High School Defending Champion: Johnson Central Schedule: Paintsville (1 seed) vs. Magoffin County (4 seed) Tuesday 7:00 PM Johnson Central (2 seed) vs. Sheldon Clark (3 seed) Wednesday 7:00 PM District Championship (Friday 7:00 PM) Match-Up #1: Paintsville [18-8: 5-1 in Districts] vs. Magoffin County [9-19: 1-5 in Districts] Paintsville closed the season losing three in a row (all on the road, all by five points or less). In two of those games (Belfry and Johnson Central), the Tigers were without the services of their best player in Seth Williams (lower respiratory illness). Williams did return versus Pikeville in the season finale and had his team in position to win up four with the ball and two minutes to play. The breaks did not go Paintsville way, but their regular season work has positioned them well for post season play. Magoffin County closed out the final week of the season 1-1 with a close home loss to Shelby Valley and a home win versus a hot Prestonsburg team. Brady Whitaker continues to play like a man amongst boys as he put up 34 against Shelby Valley, keeping his team within one possession until late in the game. The Hornets have nine seniors that play very hard and play together, showing an ability to close talent gaps through shear effort. Paintsville defeated Magoffin County both times during the regular season. Once on December 7th at Magoffin County by a final of 76-51 and then at home 77-65 on January 27th. Mason Moore led the Tigers in the first game with 27 and Seth Williams led in the second game with 21. Brady Whitaker (Magoffin County) led his team with 20 plus in both contest. If Magoffin County can control the boards and Brady Whitaker can get hot, then the Hornets will have a chance to steal one late. This is a long shot however, as Paintsville has the physicality and rebounding that matches-up well against the Hornets. The game could be close early, but expect the Tigers to pull away with dominate guard play. Notes: (1) Paintsville currently has the longest drought in the 15th Region for regional tournament appearances (outside Piarist who has never defeated any 15th Region opponents). They last appeared in the regional in 2008 when current Head Coach Landon Slone led them to Rupp Arena. (2) Magoffin County has played close with several teams this season to include Perry Central and Morgan County, but just cant seem to put four quarters together. (3) Brady Whitaker scored 44 points against Johnson Central (39 in second half). When he is on, he is difficult to stop. Prediction: Paintsville 71 Magoffin County 59 Match-Up #2: Johnson Central [15-14: 4-2 in Districts] vs. Sheldon Clark [11-19: 2-4 in Districts] The Golden Eagles closed the final week of the regular season going 1-2 with a five-point loss on the road to Floyd Central, a blow-out win at home versus Bath County, and an overtime loss on the road to Pike Central. JC has a four headed monster in Jacob Rice, Isaiah May, Cory VanHoose and quite possibly the most underrated player in the region in Gabe Ferrell as all average well into double figures. JC plays fast, can handle pressure and shoot both inside and out but are also very young and lack any real post presence on offense of defense despite the efforts of long guards playing out of position. Sheldon Clark closed the season strong by going 3-1 in the final week. This was much needed after dropping 11 of their previous 13 prior. This week’s wins came against Betsy Layne (layup at buzzer by Ethan Colegrove to win it), Lawrence County and Huntington St. Joseph Prep all by eight points or less. Their loss came on the road at Shelby Valley by eight as well. No one in the region has an answer for big man Trey James and if the Cardinals can get solid guard play and shooting around him, they will be in every game in the region. It should also be noted that Trey James recorded a record 18 blocks in a game this week to put him at the top of the single game performance line in state history. In the two previous contests against one another, JC defeated Sheldon Clark handily 91-61 January 2nd and 96-54 February 3rd. In both contest, the Golden Eagles pressed full-court and established a fast pace early on. Sheldon Clark struggled to utilize James in the post due to entry pass pressure and full court pressure, wearing down as the games progressed. Couple that with the fact that JC shot the ball well in second contest (school record for made 3FG with 17) and you get two blow-out wins. It is easier to slow a game down than speed one up and that’s what SC will try to do against Johnson Central. In the first contest Johnson Central was led by freshman standout’s Cory VanHoose and Isaiah May with 27 points and 4 steals and 24 points and 9 rebounds respectively. Sheldon Clark was led by Trey James with 18 points, 12 rebounds, 10 blocks and Ethan Colegrove with 17 points. The second game saw JC have three players score 20+ as Rice, May and Ferrell accomplished the feat with VanHoose not far behind at 15 points. Colegrove and James were the only two Cardinals in double figures with 14 and 10 points respectively. Expect this game to start slow and Johnson Central cannot press unless they score. As the game progresses into the second quarter and second half, look for the Golden Eagles pressure and bench depth wear down Sheldon Clark. This game will be much closer than the previous two, but too much pressure and guard play will be the determining factor. Notes: (1) In the first game between the two JC broke the school record for most steals in a game (27) and most turnovers forced (34). In the second game JC broke the school record for most 3FG made (17). Due to this, the scores of the previous contests are likely non-indicative of the outcome we will see. (2) If Sheldon Clark loses it will be their second 20-loss season in the last three years. Prediction: Johnson Central 75 Sheldon Clark 62 58th District Preview Tournament Location: Floyd Central High School Defending Champion: South Floyd Schedule: Floyd Central (1 seed) vs. Lawrence County (4 seed) Tuesday 7:00 PM Betsy Layne (2 seed) vs. Prestonsburg (3 seed) Wednesday 7:00 PM District Championship (Friday 7:00 PM) Match-Up #1: Floyd Central [17-11: 6-0 in Districts] vs. Lawrence County [8-21: 1-5 in Districts] The Jaguars closed the regular season with wins at home over Johnson Central and Belfry after dropping their previous three all on the road. This team is big, physical and athletic with strong guard play from J.R. Tackett and strong inside play from Brady Conn. When they get perimeter shooting they are almost impossible to stop. Lawrence County closed the season with a loss at home versus Sheldon Clark in the final week and have dropped their last six contest going into district play. Playing without one of the Dalton brothers (graduation) and the transfer of Derick Wellman (GRC) has really hurt the Bulldogs and led to the 20 loss season seen this year. This squad plays hard, but are young and lack any real play making ability in critical situations. Floyd Central defeated Lawrence County in both contest this season. 80-38 at Floyd Central on January 24th and 74-69 at Lawrence County on February 2nd. Lawrence County was hammered on the boards in both games and had no answer for J.R. Tackett. If this game was played on a neutral court or at Lawrence County, the Bulldogs might stand a chance, but being played at Floyd Central their odds of winning are microscopic. Look for the game to be controlled early, with Floyd Central pulling away by mid second quarter and maintaining a comfortable lead the entire second half. Notes: (1) Floyd Central has only lost once at home this season (Henry Clay) and are winning by 10.5 more ppg there than on the road. (2) Lawrence County is making it first post season appearance after winning the 60th District the past three seasons (57th District before that). Prediction: Floyd Central 62 Lawrence County 49 Match-Up #2: Betsy Layne [12-15: 3-4 in Districts] vs. Prestonsburg [13-17: 3-4 in Districts] Betsy Layne closed the final week of the season 1-1 with a home loss to Sheldon Clark and a win on the road at Lee County. The Sheldon Clark game had a crazy ending and one that rarely results in a loss. What if I told you with 15s left to play that Betsy Layne had the ball, had a 3-point lead, committed no turnovers and Sheldon Clark did not hit a 3FG but still beat Betsy Layne in regulation by 1 point? That’s exactly what happened with missed FT’s and critical mental errors down the stretch (like throwing the ball in after Sheldon Clark scored, allowing them to foul and stop clock under 5s). Nonetheless, the Bobcats earned a two-seed in the district tournament. Prestonsburg closed the final week going 2-1 with wins over June Buchanan and Jenkins and a loss to Magoffin County on the road. The Blackcats have won five or their last seven games, closing strong after a poor start to the year. This team is scrappy and believes they will make the plays needed to win down the stretch. They are fun to watch. In the three meeting between Betsy Layne and Prestonsburg this season, Betsy Layne won both district seeded games (50-46 at Prestonsburg: 64-61 at Betsy Layne) and lost the All-A game at the Pikeville EXPO 56-68. All three games have been very close, but Betsy Layne has controlled the paint and rebounding battle. Expect no different in this game as this could be one of the best opening games in any district tournament in the region. Both teams are that close to one another. This game will likely come down to either FT shooting or one or two possessions late in the fourth quarter. Whoever wins in those critical situations will win the game. Notes: (1) This is the first time Betsy Layne and Prestonsburg have met in the first round of districts since 2008 when Prestonsburg knocked off Betsy Layne 62-57. Prediction: Betsy Layne 60 Prestonsburg 56 59th District Preview Tournament Location: Shelby Valley High School Defending Champion: Pikeville Schedule: Shelby Valley (1 seed) vs. Jenkins (4 seed) Tuesday 6:30 PM Pikeville (2 seed) vs. East Ridge (3 seed) Tuesday 8:15 PM District Championship (Friday 7PM) Match-Up #1: Shelby Valley [21-7: 5-2 in Districts] vs. Jenkins [0-28: 0-6 in Districts] Shelby Valley closed the season strong going 2-0 in the final week and winning their last seven games in a row to close the regular season. Wins over Magoffin County and Sheldon Clark is how the regular season ended. This team plays very hard and plays unselfish. They will be a difficult out during the tournament for anyone. Jenkins missed out on their best chance for a win in the final week of the season as they fell to June Buchanan 73-79. In fact, Jenkins closed the season with 5 losses in the final week of the regular season. They are too young with too little talent to compete. Shelby Valley hammered Jenkins twice during the regular season by final scores of 76-34 and 73-37. After winning the coin flip for the 59th district top overall seed with Pikeville, Shelby Valley gets a third crack at the Cavaliers. This game should be over early as Valley will want to avoid injuries moving forward. Look for the Wildcats to get the running clock and then let the JV and Frosh play the rest of the game. Notes: (1) Jenkins is one of two winless teams in the Commonwealth this season. (2) The last time Jim Hicks had a Shelby Valley team with this many wins going into the tournament, they advanced to the regional title game before losing to Johnson Central. Prediction: Shelby Valley 85 Jenkins 50 Match-Up #2: Pikeville [19-9: 6-1 in Districts] vs. East Ridge [8-19: 2-4 in Districts] Pikeville has limped down the stretch after losing Cade Byers to injury (could still return by regionals) as evident by another 1-1 week to close the regular season. The Panthers lost on the road to Boyd County by ten then won at home versus Paintsville thanks to big plays late by Wyatt Battaile. This team has plenty of experience and great guard play, but lacks in overall depth and can have cold spells. Pikeville is still, however, a very scary team in the tournament. East Ridge closed the season with a 0-3 week and have lost seven of their last nine games going into the tournament. Losses to Belfry, Phelps and Mountain Mission, VA are not how you want to go into district play and perhaps this young team has just hit the wall. They do have HOF coach Randy McCoy and he will have them a game plan that makes the game at least somewhat competitive. Expect East Ridge to play extremely slow and controlled. Expect Pikeville to play fast and attack, forcing tempo. This game might be close early but Pikeville will put it away down the stretch with ease. In two meeting this season, Pikeville won 85-36 and 82-41 (one with Byers, one without Byers); don’t expect a different outcome in this game as East Ridge just don’t have the fire power. Not to mention Pikeville is a terrible matchup for East Ridge with their guard play. Notes: (1) This is the first losing season for East Ridge under Randy McCoy since his return to Lick Creek (winning records previous 5 years). Prediction: Pikeville 80 East Ridge 57 60th District Preview Tournament Location: Pike Central High School Defending Champion: Lawrence County Schedule: Belfry (1 seed) vs. Piarist (4 seed) Monday 8:15 PM Pike Central (2 seed) vs. Phelps (3 seed) Tuesday 8:15 PM District Championship (Thursday 8:15 PM) Match-Up #1: Belfry [17-12: 6-0 in Districts] vs. Piarist [3-25: 0-6 in Districts] Belfry closed the final week of the season with a 2-2 week as they lost to Floyd Central and Tug Valley, WV (by nearly 60) and got wins over East Ridge and Jenkins. This is an athletic, physical team that is senior dominated. They can play inside, can press and have shooters everywhere to include Isiah Roblee who this week became the first Pirate ever with 100 made 3FG in a season (is already school record holder). Piarist looks at basketball more like a club activity than major sport. They closed the season with three straight losses and would not be competitive with any 15th region school including Jenkins. Don’t look for this game to be remotely close. In fact, Belfry could get worse by playing their key players in the game as every set they run will work, possibly giving false hope moving forward. In two matchup’s this season, Belfry defeated Piarist 76-15 and 75-12 (the two lowest outputs on the season for Piarist). Notes: (1) Piarist elected to skip the district tournament last season and go on a ski trip. They have never defeated any 15th Region opponent in the history of their program dating back to 1993. (2) Belfry won the 60th District regular season outright for the first time in 6 years when they went to the regional semifinals. They have the horses to win the region this season. Prediction: Belfry 90 Piarist 20 Match-Up #2: Pike Central [23-7: 4-2 in Districts] vs. Phelps [10-20: 2-4 in Districts] Strong allegations surround Pike Central going into the district tournament, but the Hawks have had a great season closing the final week with a win in overtime at home against Johnson Central. Pike Central has the most wins in the region at 23 and a roster of athletes that could make a run to Rupp Arena. This team goes as Christian Mounts goes, however. When he is scoring in bunches they are very tough to beat, but when he is off its usually a close game. Phelps, like Pike Central, finished the last week of the regular season 1-0 with a win over East Ridge. Trey Francis is a young and upcoming star as only sophomore and, if hot, can keep his team in almost any game. In two meetings between the schools during the regular season, Pike Central won 70-52 and 80-47. Rebounding and paint control is what Phelps had no answer for. This will likely happen again as Phelps just does not have the size to compete with Pike Central’s athletes. They simply rebound until they get fouled or make a basket. This one could be close early, but the Hawks will pull away late in comfortable fashion. If Francis and Turnmire can get hot for Phelps (and they have before, just ask Belfry about the overtime game this season) it could be close. But this game is not at Phelps, its on Pike Central’s home court. Notes: (1) With a win, Pike Central will advance to the regional tournament for the first time since the 2014-2015 season. Belfry has eliminated them in districts every year prior. Prediction: Pike Central 70 Phelps 53 District Championship Predictions: 57th - Johnson Central 67 Paintsville 63 58th – Floyd Central 70 Betsy Layne 50 59th – Shelby Valley 72 Pikeville 70 60th – Belfry 65 Pike Central 64 Agree or Disagree on anything? Feel free to respond!