15th Region

35-0 one play into 2Q!

28-0 JC. Still 1Q.

Final: 36-0 JC wins!

No official statements have been made in reference to a coaching change?

Even though the state tournament is postponed, today Martin County would have faced Owensboro Catholic. Wanted to post their tournament preview so the players, coaches and community could get their due coverage in the media. It has been 37 years since Martin County earned the right to play in the state tournament and I believe they had an excellent chance to win a game as the one of the mountain representatives!

2020 15th Region Champions – Martin County Cardinals – State Tournament Preview Season Overview: Martin County opened the season against a tough schedule, going 5-8 coming out of December. The team was still trying to figure its identity and players were still discovering their ultimate roles. Expectations had been high going into the season and tempers were flaring in the stands and on the bench. The Cardinals were able to weather the storm, right the ship, and ended up being better for it. It’s also important to note that early on the competition level was extremely high as Martin County played in the King of the Bluegrass and Lexington Catholic Tournaments. This competition level would prepare them for a post season run 37 years in the making. They would close the season white hot and are currently on a 13 game win streak (15 of last 16). The seasons journey would see many milestones for the Cardinals. They would go undefeated in their new gym and cut down the 57th District nets, ending a four-year regional tournament drought. Trey James would cross the 1,000-point mark and 1,000-rebound mark while committing to Wake Forest University and breaking the KHSAA all-time shot block record held by Isaiah Cozart (Madison Central). Brady Dingess would hit the 1,000-point mark and take home 15th Region Tournament MVP honors. Ethan-Smith Mills would cross the 1,500-point mark. Braxton Maynard would also hit the 1,000-point mark. Freshman 6th man Parker Davis would throw down his first career dunk and then add to his total. Overall the team saw many milestones, but none greater than returning to Rupp Arena for a community that has lost two of the sports figures, had a shortage of water and is economically struggling with the lack of mining. Quick Reference Guide Head Coach: Jason James Head Coach Career Record: 71-86 (0.4522) (Currently in 1st Season at Martin County: 5th Overall) (49-74 while coaching Sheldon Clark [2016-2019] 22-12 while coaching Martin County [2020-present]) Enrollment: 505 Mascot: Cardinal Colors: Red, White, and Columbia Blue Founded: 1973 (Consolidation of Inez and Warfield into Sheldon Clark – Renamed Martin County with new school opening in 2019-2020 calendar year) District: 57th All Time Record: 22-12 Sheldon Clark final record = 651-664 (0.4951) Regional Titles: 1: 2020 [sheldon Clark won (1) in 1983] Record Previous 5 Years (As Sheldon Clark): Overall (72-80) vs. 15th Region (45-41) 2018-19 10-20 (Lost 57th District) 2017-18 11-20 (Lost 57th District) 2016-17 19-12 (Lost 57th District) 2015-16 9-22 (Lost 57th District) 2014-15 23-6 (Lost Regional Semifinal) What to Expect at the State Tournament: The Martin County Cardinals will do what they have been doing. They will play solid half-court defense with Trey James anchoring the middle of the paint and guards pressuring the ball on the perimeter, often switching all screens. With James in the middle, the defense is kinda like a one-man zone with the four guards forcing everything to the paint. As long as James is not in foul trouble, it forces teams to score from the 12 to 17-foot range and that is tough to do in today’s game. They will also put Ethan Smith-Mills on the other team’s best player and have him either face-guard or give zero help. This team will press on an emergency basis only. On offense the Cardinals will look to run opportunistically, but typically run sets to get attack the middle and corners of the defense. Outside shooting is not a problem as every player can knock down triples outside James. The Cardinals typically go six deep and rarely beyond that. When Parker Davis comes in, look for traps on ball screens and the occasional 1-3-1 zone with James in the middle. This team never panics and has a belief in themselves rarely seen. They are well coached and well drilled in their style. They trust one another and play unselfishly. In short, this is a team that does not beat its self and does not let runs take them out of their game. They are fun to watch. Martin County Starters 1. Brady Dingess (Sophomore) PG 6’1’’ – Brady Dingess is perhaps the most improved player in the region and the steady force behind Martin County’s run to Rupp Arena. He is smooth with the ball and never changes his demeanor on the court regardless of the situation his team is in. Dingess took home 15th Region Tournament MVP honors, posting impressive games throughout the tournament to include the game winning steal and layup in overtime to beat Pikeville (Regional Semifinals). Dingess plays a lot like James Hardin with his ability to draw fouls by getting into the defender on dribble drives. He shoots it well in all three phases (inside, midrange, 3FG and FT’s). Dingess is the engine that makes the team go! He enters the state tournament leading his team in scoring at 16.5 ppg and assists at 4.3 apg. 2. Braxton Maynard (Senior) G 5’11’’ – Maynard is the heart of the team and a player that plays with a lot of passion. Last season he was forced to play the point guard (Dingess played at Paintsville) and gained valuable experience both handling the ball and running the offense. This experience has allowed Martin County to have two excellent ball handlers on the floor at all times, as Maynard can take people off the dribble and set up the offense. But that is Maynard’s secondary roll on this squad. He plays with a ton of confidence and has been the guy who has hit the big shot or got the big rebound for his team. He enters the state tournament 10.2 ppg and 3.1 rpg. 3. Ethan Smith-Mills (Senior) SF 6’2’’ – Smith-Mills is a Martin County native who is the best on ball defender on the team. Night in and night out, he gets the assignment of guarding the best player on the opposing squad. Smith-Mills is a lefty who has the ability to shoot from deep and he usually finds himself open in corners. He is capable of scoring the ball as he proved by scoring over 1,500 points at Allen Central, Floyd Central and now Martin County. Expect to see him face guarding someone full court and scoring when open. Smith-Mills enters the state tournament averaging 9.5 ppg and is second on the team in rebounding averaging 4.7 rpg. 4. Jordan Dalton (Junior) G 6’2’’ – Junior guard Jordan Dalton provides toughness, clutch shooting and the ability to feed the post for the Cardinals. He has a knack for knocking down big triples, can handle the ball in certain situations and has the shown the ability to effectively guard post players. Typically, Dalton shares the court with sixth man Parker Davis, but during Martin County’s tournament run has played key minutes down the stretch. Dalton is the best passer when it comes to feeding the post and often goes high low to James. If you forget about Dalton, he has the ability to hurt you similar to death by a thousand cuts. 5. Trey James (Junior) F 6’10’’ – The Wake Forest commit is the most disruptive defensive force in the entire state with his ability to block and alter shots at the rim. He already holds the state record for blocks in a career and still has a year to increase those numbers. James plays above the rim and can scores best when fronted by the opposing team (over the top entry passes on the seal). His defensive presence allows Martin County guards to apply lots of pressure on the perimeter, forcing teams to beat them from 14-17 feet. When this team is at its best, James flirts with a triple double in points, rebounds and blocks.

2019-2020 15th Region Tournament Preview District Tournament Recap: We were able to correctly predict 6 of the 8 regional tournament teams with one of the districts being perfect on winner and runner-up (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. What is different about this year’s regional tournament is that Johnson Central will not be a participant for the first time in ten years, breaking their streak of eight straight regional championship game appearances as they lost in the first round of districts to cross-town rival Paintsville. This should be one of the best regional tournaments in years as the draw could set up one of the biggest nights in 15th Region semifinal history. Upsets happen, however, as survive and advance is the name of the game this week. Below we break down the 15th region tournament and every quarterfinal game. 15th Region Tournament Preview Tournament Location: Appalachian Wireless Arena (Pikeville, KY) 2019 Champion: Johnson Central Schedule: Session 1 Wednesday 4 March 2020: Pikeville (59th Winner) vs. Belfry (60th Runner-up) – 6:30 PM Martin County (57th Winner) vs. Prestonsburg (58th Runner-up) – 8:15 PM Session 2 Thursday 5 March 2020: Lawrence County (58th Winner) vs. Paintsville (57th Runner-up) – 6:30 PM Phelps (60th Winner) vs. Shelby Valley (59th Runner-up) – 8:15 PM Session 3 Saturday 5 March 2020: Semi Final 1 – 7:15 PM Semi Final 2 – 8:45 PM Session 4 Saturday 7 March 2020: Championship – 7:00 PM (Winner will play Region 3 Champion) Overall Team Rankings Entering the Tournament (Record): 1 – Martin County (19-12) 2 – Shelby Valley (24-7) 3 – Paintsville (15-13) 4 – Pikeville (16-11) 5 – Lawrence County (20-11) 6 – Phelps (21-10) 7 – Belfry (10-18) 8 – Prestonsburg (9-18) Match-Up #1: Pikeville [16-11: 11-6 in Region] vs. Belfry [10-18: 5-13 in Region] Pikeville is playing their best basketball at just the right time, winning the 59th District Championship for the fourth consecutive time albeit by a combine two points over both East Ridge and Shelby Valley. The fact that Pikeville still won the 59th District despite losing three 1,000 point scorers to graduation and then losing their starting back court and two of their best overall players to injury is somewhat amazing. This is one the better coaching jobs in the region. Belfry steam rolled rival Pike Central in the district opener then lost a competitive battle to Phelps in the district championship. It was the third time Phelps has beat Belfry this season. The Pirates play hard and are coached hard, but sometimes to a fault. They occasionally over pursue the ball and give up easy run-outs. Belfry shoots a lot of 3’s and when they are on can hang with anyone. Previous Match-Up’s: Pikeville defeated Belfry 77-73 at home on January 14th. Rylee Sammons led all scorers with 33 points. Belfry was led by Tyler Chaffins (30 points) and freshman Sal Dean (25 points). It was a back and forth contest that Pikeville sealed with late FT’s. The Game: This game should be somewhere in the high 60’s in scoring. Belfry will press and run and gun. Pikeville will adapt to their style of play look to take advantage of their size. Expect it to be close early with Sal Dean knifing to the basket with Pikeville pulling away in the mid third quarter, eventually wearing down Belfry. For the Pirates to win this contest they will need to hit 3’s early and stay hot. Regional Titles: Pikeville (11) - 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1974, 1999, 2017, 2018 Belfry (3) – 1990, 1991, 1992 Players to Watch: Pikeville – Rylee Sammons So. 6’6’’ (16.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg), Grayson Harris Sr. 6’0’’ (12.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg) Belfry – Sal Dean Fr. 5’10’’ (16.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg), Tyler Chaffin Jr. 6’1’’(11.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg) Prediction: Pikeville 68 Belfry 59 Match-Up #2: Martin County [19-12: 15-2 in Region] vs. Prestonsburg [9-18: 4-14 in Region] Martin County has won ten in a row and finished the season undefeated in their new gym with a district championship. Trey James alters every teams game plan with his ability to protect the paint and Brady Dingess has been playing like a true point guard this season and is one of the most improved players in the region from last season to this season. Match that with excellent guard play from Braxton Maynard and Ethan Smith-Mills and great athleticism off the bench from freshman Parker Davis and you get a team that is talented and playing hard and playing together. Martin County is definitely the team to beat. Prestonsburg shocked the region by winning their district opener over Betsy Layne in double overtime despite losing two of their top three players in the last week of the regular season (quit team). Betsy Layne had defeated Prestonsburg twice during the regular season. The Blackcats are the lowest rated team in the tournament, but did start off the season hot, opening 6-1 before finishing with only nine wins. This team is small and scrappy outside 6’6’’ freshman Ryan Rose and has overachieved to make it this far. They are well coached, but simply out manned at several positions. Previous Match-Up: Martin County defeated Prestonsburg on the road 82-49 February 18th. Trey James scored 21 points (12 rebounds) and Brady Dingess had 18 points as Martin County put four players in double figures with two others scoring nine points each. Prestonsburg was paced by Adam Slone with 21 points and 8 rebounds. The Game: A lot of what Prestonsburg does is based on flex cuts and getting to the rim out of a patterned offense. Trey James will take this away and make them hit 15-17-foot jump shots consistently to stay in the game. Martin County will force feed the middle and look to go inside out for 3’s. They will also run off missed / blocked shots for quick buckets. In summary, this is a bad match-up for Prestonsburg. In fact, this is probably the best team in the field vs. the worst team in the field. Don’t expect this game to be very close. Regional Titles: Martin County – None (Former school Sheldon Clark won one regional title in 1983) Prestonsburg – 1989 Players to watch: Martin County – Trey James Jr. 6’10’’ (15.2 ppg, 11.4 rpg), Brady Dingess So. 6’1’’ (16.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg) Prestonsburg – Adam Slone Sr. 6’1’’ (14.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg), Ryan Rose Fr. 6’6’’ (7.4 ppg, 6.0 rpg) Prediction: Martin County 65 Prestonsburg 45 Match-Up #3: Lawrence County [20-11: 14-6 in Region] vs. Paintsville [15-13: 13-3 in Region] Lawrence County has been the best dark horse in the region all season long and come into the tournament with their first ever 58th District title and the reigning COY in Chandler Thompson. This team has five very good starters that can all dribble, pass and shoot, but lack a lot of firepower off the bench. Paintsville is very similar in that they go six deep off their bench, but have welcomed back junior Jaxson Watts from injury (clavicle). The Tigers advanced to the regional tournament after defeating crosstown rival Johnson Central in what should be considered an upset. JC was the pre-season regional favorite. Paintsville boast two very good players in volume scorer Colby Fugate and post warrior Nick Keeton. Fugate is hot and cold as shown by the district tournament (scored 31 against Johnson Central in semifinals and 6 against Martin County is championship). If he gets hot, Paintsville goes to another level. Previous Match-Up’s: Paintsville defeated Lawrence County on the road 61-56 in overtime on December 10th. Lawrence County took an eleven-point lead into the fourth quarter before seeing Paintsville come all the way back and force overtime before finally winning. Nick Keeton led the charge, scoring at will down low as Lawrence County put a box and one on Colby Fugate, allowing him the space to operate. Overall, Lawrence had the game in hand for most of the contest, but tried to take the air out of the ball too early. The Game: This should be a great game! Both teams have very little support from their benches and will play a half-court game with one another. Lawrence County will have no answer for Nick Keeton down low, but Paintsville will not be able to stop both Cody Maynard and Tyler Maynard. They will have to choose one or the other with both capable of scoring 30 plus. This game will come down to fouls, game control, FT’s and whoever makes the big play late. Look for Colby Fugate to try to take over late (which he is capable of) with Lawrence County right there in the end. Regional Titles: Lawrence County (1) - 2016 Paintsville (9) - 1933, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1995, 1996 (State Title), 1997, 1998, 2008 Players to watch: Lawrence County – Tyler Maynard Sr. 6’3’’ (21.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg), Cody Maynard So. 6’1’’ (15.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg) Paintsville – Colby Fugate So. 6’5’’ (22.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg), Nick Keeton Sr. 6’4’’ (15.4 ppg, 12.4 rpg) Prediction: Paintsville 62 Lawrence County 61 Match-Up #4: Phelps [21-10: 12-4 in Region] vs. Shelby Valley [24-7: 18-4 in Region] Phelps has been the darling of the 15th Region this season and has twenty wins for the first time in over ten years, but it was against a very weak schedule. Shelby Valley has played every game this season on a 15th Region court except one and that game was in Williams, WV right across the river from Belfry. The Wildcats also lead the region in wins with 24 and have the best player in the region in Cody Potter. Phelps easily won the 60th district over Belfry (back to back champions) and have one of the better players that no one knows about in Trey Francis who has averaged a double-double from the wing position two years in a row. Shelby Valley had a disappointing loss in the district championship to Pikeville after defeating them three times earlier in the season, but are a very talented team. Previous Match-Up: The two teams did not play this season. The last matchup was in the regional tournament last season that saw Shelby Valley demolish Phelps 59-33. The Game: Shelby Valley is very good and should be focused and motivated for this game. Phelps will have no answer for Cody Potter and no one that guard Keian Worrix. Trey Francis will do his thing for the Hornets and could keep them close for a while. In the end, Shelby Valley has too much over all talent and will wear down Phelps who has not seen the level of play Shelby Valley has from a 15th Region opponent (Phelps best regional win is against Betsy Layne). Regional Titles: Phelps (1) – 1988 Shelby Valley (7) – 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010 (State Title), 2011 Players to Watch: Phelps – Trey Francis Sr. 6’3’’ (18.1 ppg, 12.7 rpg), Dominick Francis Jr. 6’3’’ (13.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg) Shelby Valley – Cody Potter Sr. 6’6’’ (24.9 ppg, 9.8 rpg), Keian Worrix Jr. 5’5’’ (7.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg) Prediction: Shelby Valley 65 Phelps 51 Agree or Disagree? Feel free to respond and discuss!

In the 15th Region: Prestonsburg (8-17) over Betsy Layne (17-11) in double OT. This is a big upset locally considering two of Prestonsburg's starters quit last week (Top overall scorer at 15.1 ppg and 3rd leading scorer at 9.4 ppg) and Betsy Layne had beat them twice in the regular season with those starters playing. Betsy Layne was a very talented squad.

Luke Hale - Martin County Grayson Whitaker - Magoffin County Two best 8th graders in 15th region! Both contribute on varsity level.

2019-2020 15th Region Season Review - District Tournament's Preview 15th Region Overview: 2019-2020 Preseason Rankings (Released in November): 1. Johnson Central 2. Shelby Valley 3. Pikeville 4. Martin County 5. Paintsville 6. Lawrence County 7. Betsy Layne 8. Phelps 9. Prestonsburg 10. Magoffin County 11. East Ridge 12. Belfry 13. Pike Central 14. Floyd Central 15. Jenkins 16. Piarist 2019-2020 Final Regular Season Rankings (Record): 1. Martin County (17-12) 2. Shelby Valley (23-6) 3. Johnson Central (17-11) 4. Paintsville (14-12) 5. Pikeville (14-11) 6. Lawrence County (18-11) 7. Phelps (20-10) 8. Betsy Layne (17-11) 9. Magoffin County (15-14) 10. East Ridge (10-15) 11. Belfry (9-17) 12. Pike Central (8-20) 13. Prestonsburg (8-17) 14. Floyd Central (7-21) 15. Jenkins (1-22) 16. Piarist (0-1: Did not field a team and took a forfeit loss) Awards (Based solely on author opinion): Player of the Year: Cody Potter (Shelby Valley) Coach of the Year: Jason Sanson (Phelps) All Region 1st Team (Regardless of Position): Cody Potter – Shelby Valley Isaiah May – Johnson Central Colby Fugate – Paintsville Trey Francis – Phelps Trey James – Martin County All Region 2nd Team (Regardless of Position): Cory VanHoose – Johnson Central Rylee Sammons – Pikeville Tyler Maynard – Lawrence County Nick Keeton – Paintsville Jordan Frazier – Betsy Layne All Region 3rd Team (Regardless of Position): Keian Worrix – Shelby Valley Cody Maynard – Lawrence County Brady Dingess – Martin County Aden Barnett – Magoffin County Isaiah Salyer – Magoffin County Honorable Mention: Bryson Hackney (Johnson Central), John King (Johnson Central), Braxton Tharp (Paintsville), Braxton Maynard (Martin County), Randy Bailey (Magoffin County), Chase Sartin (Lawrence County), Adam Slone (Prestonsburg), Graham Burchett (Prestonsburg), Brady Robinson (Betsy Layne), Chase Mims (Betsy Layne), Ethan Smith-Mills (Martin County), Eli Sykes (Shelby Valley), Eli Rose (East Ridge), Bryce Adkins (Pike Central), Jacob Young (Pike Central), Sal Dean (Belfry), Dominick Francis (Phelps), Kaden Robinson (Shelby Valley), Grayson Harrison (Pikeville), Nick Robinson (Pikeville), William Slone (Floyd Central), Brandon Little (Floyd Central), Payton Rose (Jenkins) 57th District Preview Tournament Location: Martin County High School Defending Champion: Johnson Central Schedule: Martin County (1 seed) vs. Magoffin County (4 seed) Tuesday 7:00 PM Paintsville (2 seed) vs. Johnson Central (3 seed) Wednesday 7:00 PM District Championship (Friday 7:00 PM) Match-Up #1: Martin County [17-12: 5-1 in Districts] vs. Magoffin County [15-14: 1-5 in Districts] The Martin County Cardinals are the hottest team in the 15th Region! They have won eight in a row and ten of their last eleven to include going 3-0 against Betsy Layne, Prestonsburg and Pikeville in the final week of the regular season. The Pikeville game was closer than expected as the Cardinals found themselves down four points with less than one-minute play, but found a way to win late with clutch play we have become accustomed to. Magoffin County picked up a ton of momentum two weeks ago with a shocking road win over Johnson Central, but finished the season with a thud, losing three in a row. Two of the three losses were by double figures to teams that have losing records (East Ridge and Pike Central). This team is balanced with respect to their line-up. They have three average to above average guards and functional big men who can score and defend. When the Hornets put it all together, they are a tough team to stop but consistency has been the issue. Martin County beat Magoffin County in both head-to-head meetings this season, winning at Salyersville 76-57 and at Inez 61-52. The later of the games, the one on Martin County’s home court, was much closer than the score indicated as Magoffin County was up four with the ball with 2-minutes to play before losing the lead late. In both contests, late game defense by Magoffin County and rim protection by Trey James of Martin County has been the difference. In the district game, Magoffin will need to be hot from the outside to build a lead and then hope their guards can handle the pressure late and hold on for the win. For Martin County, they just need to do what they have been doing. Keep James under the rim for defense and make teams beat them with mid-range jump shots. Expect this game to be close for a while, with Martin County pulling away and winning late in the 8-12-point range. Notes: (1) Martin County/Sheldon Clark has not advanced to the regional tournament under current Head Coach J.J. James (last appearance was in 2015 under then Head Coach Frankie Smith). This season is the first winning season for Coach James. (2) Magoffin County freshman Aden Barnett is a scoring machine who has game and strength well beyond his years. This kid will likely shatter the Hornets all-time scoring record as he is very close to 1,000 points already. (3) The last time these two teams met in the district tournament was in in 2017 when a heavily favored Sheldon Clark was upset after leading by double digits late. Magoffin County won at home on a FT with 1s left to play 54-53. Prediction: Martin County 63 Magoffin County 55 Match-Up #2: Paintsville [14-12: 4-2 in Districts] vs. Johnson Central [17-11: 2-4 in Districts] Johnson Central and Paintsville is one of the best rivalries in the state! The two schools are separated by less than a mile geographically, and compete for the athletes from the same talent pool year in and year out. This creates disdain between the fan bases and makes for a packed house every time these two meet. Johnson Central finished the final week of the regular season strong, winning three of four games with their only loss coming in overtime to Shelby Valley by one point. Junior standout Isaiah May has scored 25 points, 40 points and 24 points in his last three games respectively. Match this with double digit output by his junior running mate Cory VanHoose and one might deduce that JC is playing their best basketball of the season at just the right time and top to bottom has the most talent in the region. Paintsville closed out the regular season going 1-1 with a one-point win on the road at Pikeville and a seven-point loss on the road at Raceland. In both games Nick Keeton carried the load for the Tigers and hit some milestones as he is now a member of both the 1,000 point and rebound club. Paintsville continues to rely on the play of Colby Fugate, Nick Keeton and Braxton Tharp as those three produce 90% of every major stat for the team. If they can get some help from the other starters and bench they are tough to beat, but that has been hit and miss of late as they are 4-4 in their last eight games. The two teams split meetings this season with both winning at home. In the first game, Paintsville edged JC 62-60 at home after trailing most of the game by double digits. A late 3FG by Baron Ratliff was the difference as JC missed at the buzzer for the win. The second meeting was taken by JC as 57-47 in a game they could have won by 20 plus had they made layup’s and free throws. Isaiah May and Cory VanHoose led the way with 24 and 18 points respectively as JC never trailed after the first minute of the game. Expect the district match-up to be a defensive battle and low scoring until late when teams start fouling. The star combinations of May/VanHoose (JC) and Fugate/Keeton (Paintsville) will likely cancel each other out in the stat columns, leaving the role players and bench as the difference. In the last regular season game, JC got 16 points from Bryson Hackney and 19 points off the bench from Rylee McKenzie. In short, JC has a big advantage in the department and John King will be a mismatch for any big Paintsville uses to guard him. JC has a higher caliber supporting cast and thus a larger margin of error in the contest, thus they should win and advance to the regional tournament. Notes: (1) Johnson Central has been in 8 straight 15th Region championship games, but this season is the first time they were below .500 in the 57th District play since 2007-2008 (3-5) when they finished 11-17 in the regular season. JC lost to Paintsville four times that season. (2) JC holds the all-time series edge over Paintsville 66-60 and is 18-4 against the Tigers dating back to 2010. (3) There will be four 1,000 point scorers on the floor in Isaiah May, Nick Keeton, Cory VanHoose and Colby Fugate and three of them are not yet seniors. Prediction: Johnson Central 62 Paintsville 58 58th District Preview Tournament Location: Prestonsburg High School Defending Champion: Floyd Central Schedule: Lawrence County (1 seed) vs. Floyd Central (4 seed) Tuesday 6:00 PM Betsy Layne (2 seed) vs. Prestonsburg (3 seed) Tuesday 7:30 PM District Championship (Friday 7:00 PM) Match-Up #1: Lawrence County [18-11: 7-0 in Districts] vs. Floyd Central [7-21: 1-6 in Districts] Lawrence County closed out the regular season losing to both Pikeville and Johnson Central at home while Floyd Central ended on an uptrend, winning three of their last four games, despite winning only seven contest all season. Lawrence County has five quality starters and plays a five out offense that can be tough to matchup with. Every player can dribble, pass and shoot. In their last regular season game, they were without 20 ppg scorer Tyler Maynard (status unknown) but still put up a fight against regional power Johnson Central. Floyd Central has struggled to find an identity all season, but are peaking at the right time and playing well down the stretch! They have an athletic big in Brandon Little who plays above the rim and guards who have been playing very well of late. Look for the game to be fast paced and high scoring with moments of sloppy play. These teams will go at each other! Lawrence County has something to prove after being knocked out of the district tournament on their home floor by a six win Floyd Central team last season. There is a chance you could see a repeat this year as well, but it will be difficult as no one in the district was able to beat Lawrence all season. Notes: (1) Both Floyd Central (Alan Jo Moore) and Lawrence County (Chandler Thompson) are in their first season as Head Coaches. (2) Chandler Thompson was named KABC COY by his peers this season. Prediction: Lawrence County 72 Floyd Central 67 Match-Up #2: Betsy Layne [17-11: 4-2 in Districts] vs. Prestonsburg [8-17: 1-5 in Districts] According to Head Coach Brad Short, this Betsy Layne team is the best squad he has ever coached. They finished the season on a down note, however, losing two of their final three games with the one win being a three-point contest at home over East Ridge. Betsy Layne has some really athletic kids that can play at all three levels of the game (beyond 3FG, midrange, at the rim), but lack any production at all from their bench. If they get in foul trouble, production really drops off. If they get going, they can beat any team in the region. Prestonsburg opened the season 5-1 before losing twelve in a row. They finished the final week losing their last three contest and saw two of their three best players quit the team in Graham Burchett and Gunner Williams (leading scorer). It is unclear if they want to or will be welcomed back for districts. The Black Cats closed the season on a bad note and are trending in the wrong direction but sometimes the district tournament has a way of bringing out the best in everyone. Look for this game to be closer than expected early as both teams are long standing rivals. As the game progresses, the lack of firepower from Prestonsburg will see them slowly tail off. Prestonsburg does have the advantage of playing at home and could get hot for stretches, but will be worn down by the consistent play of Betsy Layne. Notes: (1) Prestonsburg Head Coach Brent Rose is the former Head Coach of Betsy Layne where he saw great success many years ago. (2) Betsy Layne is young and talented and should be good next season as well. Prediction: Betsy Layne 66 Prestonsburg 52 59th District Preview Tournament Location: Jenkins High School Defending Champion: Pikeville Schedule: Shelby Valley (1 seed) vs. Jenkins (4 seed) Monday 8:00 PM Pikeville (2 seed) vs. East Ridge (3 seed) Tuesday 8:00 PM District Championship (Thursday 7PM) Match-Up #1: Shelby Valley [23-6: 7-0 in Districts] vs. Jenkins [1-22: 0-6 in Districts] Shelby Valley has the most wins in the region and ended the season on a four game win streak to include 3-0 in the final week. They were able to knock off Johnson Central in the final game despite Head Coach Jim Hicks being out with the flu. It avenged an early season loss and saw Keian Worrix go for 27 points to include three FT’s that won the game. Jenkins has won only one game in the last two seasons and have struggled to be competitive despite having a decent player in senior guard Payton Rose. With the decline in the economy it’s tough for such a small school to be competitive in any sport. This game will not be close and the entire Shelby Valley bench will get playing time. Don’t put too much stock in any numbers and Jim Hicks will likely let his starters play about a half. Notes: (1) Shelby Valley leads the region in wins for the second straight season heading into post season Prediction: Shelby Valley 85 Jenkins 50 Match-Up #2: Pikeville [14-11: 4-3 in Districts] vs. East Ridge [10-15: 2-4 in Districts] Pikeville has battled the injury bug all season, but seems to finding a way despite not having their starting back court. Although Pikeville did lose its final two games of the regular season, it lost them to Paintsville and Martin County by a combine two points and should have been the first team to defeat Martin County on their home floor after leading by four with under a minute to go. They rely heavily on sophomore standout Rylee Sammons who has transitioned to handling the ball against pressure and in the half court due to the aforementioned injuries. East Ridge is playing their best basketball right now and have won three of their last four games. In the regular season they lost at home to Pikeville 54-62 and on the road 69-85. The Warriors ability to shoot the three can keep them in the game, but they will struggle to rebound and keep Pikeville out of the paint. This game could produce the only district upset in the region, but don’t look for that to happen. Pikeville has too many weapons and are too physical for East Ridge at every position. Expect this game to be close throughout with the deep shot keeping East Ridge close until late with Pikeville hitting clutch free throws down the stretch. Notes: (1) East Ridge has not been to the regional tournament since 2015-2016. Pikeville has not missed the regional tournament since 2014-2015. Prediction: Pikeville 53 East Ridge 51 60th District Preview Tournament Location: Belfry High School Defending Champion: Phelps Schedule: Phelps (1 seed) – Bye (Piarist did not field team) Belfry (2 seed) vs. Phelps (3 seed) Tuesday 8:15 PM District Championship (Thursday 7:00 PM) Match-Up #1: Belfry [9-17: 1-3 in Districts] vs. Pike Central [8-20: 1-3 in Districts] In the 60th District, Piarist did not field a team and thus Phelps gets a bye into the District Championship game and thus the regional tournament. The Hornets finished the season with 20-wins for the first time since the 2007-2008 season when they went 20-7 and won the 60th District. The Hornets are a scary team that is playing very well at just the right time. Another team that might be peaking coming down the stretch is the Pike Central Hawks. Overall they have had a disappointing season going 8-20, but have won two of their last three to include a win over their biggest rival in Belfry. This team plays very hard and plays together believe it or not. They are just not very talented but don’t show frustration or lack of effort on the floor making them easy to cheer for. Belfry opened the season 6-2, but finished 3-15 to include losing their last four games going into districts. They do have a bright spot in freshman Sal Dean (Transfer from Charleston, WV). Dean is a quick guard who is an excellent dribbler and scorer that prefers to attack the basket. When his defense catches up to his offense he could be an incredible player. Overall Belfry plays a fast pace on both offense and defense. They like to run and gun and shoot a lot of 3’s. They are coached hard and play hard. The two teams played each other twice within a five-day span in the regular season, splitting both contests. Belfry won the first game at home easily 68-52 and Pike Central shocked them the following week 67-65 on a full court pass and tip-in with 1s on the clock in what was an amazing play. Belfry has more firepower and will be playing at home in this game. Expect it to be close with Belfry wearing down Pike Central late. This will be a great atmosphere as both fan bases do not like each other. Notes: (1) Belfry is looking to get back to the regional tournament after being knocked out of districts by Phelps last season. (2) Pike Central has been to the regional tournament three consecutive seasons. Prediction: Belfry 62 Pike Central 54 District Championship Predictions: 57th – Martin County 56 Johnson Central 55 58th – Lawrence County 71 Betsy Layne 68 59th – Shelby Valley 67 Pikeville 60 60th – Phelps 65 Belfry 62 Agree or Disagree on anything? Feel free to respond!

Overview: Martin County reaches the top spot, becoming the third team this year to attain the ranking. Prestonsburg and Betsy Layne see two players hit the 1,000-point mark while Johnson Central continues with their up and down season. Magoffin County and Floyd Central pick up surprise district wins on the road despite being the #4 seeds in their respective districts. The district tournaments are set as the teams go into the final week of the regular season. Listed below are the rankings and recap’s after eleven weeks of play. Rankings (overall record): 1. (Up 3) Martin County (14-12) – The Cardinals are playing the best basketball in the region and deserving of the top overall spot. They have won five in a row and seven of their last eight, are undefeated at home and knocked off both Paintsville and Shelby Valley in week eleven. Martin County’s rise up the ranks marks the third team this season to hold the top overall spot as they are peaking at the perfect time led by Wake Forest commit Trey James. In week twelve, the Cardinals will look to keep rolling as they travel to Betsy Layne before closing out the season with Prestonsburg and Pikeville at home. Martin County is the top overall seed in the 57th District Tournament and will play Magoffin County. 2. (Down 1) Shelby Valley (20-6) – The Wildcats went 1-1 in week eleven with a road loss to Martin County 48-53 and a dominating win over Floyd Central 73-42. The two games were polar opposites for Mr. Basketball candidate Cody Potter (recently named 15th Region POY) as he went 8/27 against Martin County while battling the flu, then dropped 39 points and grabbed 18 rebounds against Floyd Central in three quarters of play. Shelby Valley is the only 20-win team in the regular season and has only played one game all year that is not on a 15th region court. They are the top seed in the 59th District and will play Jenkins in the opening round, but prior to that close the season with Huntington Prep Regional and Magoffin County at home, then Johnson Central on the road. 3. (Down 1) Johnson Central (14-10) – The Golden Eagles had a tough week eleven losing to district rival Magoffin County 58-57 on a last second lay-up and then getting blown out at Scott County 61-88 in a game where they did not win a single quarter. The Magoffin County loss put JC at 2-4 in the 57th District and bought them a ticket with Paintsville in the opening round next week. It is the first time Johnson Central has had a losing record in the 57th District since the 2007-2008 season when they finished 14-19 overall (JC was 3-5 in 57th District regular season that year). This team is extremely talented but seems to lack an identity despite having what will likely be two 2,000 point scorers in junior standout’s Isaiah May and Cory VanHoose. Make no mistake, however, as this team is more than capable of winning the regional title. They will look to get back on track in week twelve with four games. They travel to Prestonsburg, Floyd Central and Lawrence County and host Shelby Valley in what will be Flat Gap throw-back night where the team will wear jerseys of one of the schools consolidated into them in 1968-69. 4. (Down 1) Paintsville (13-11) – After opening the season 4-0 in district play, the Tigers lost their last two district contests on the road at both Johnson Central and Martin County and find themselves in the two seed. This means they will face Johnson Central in the opening round of the 57th at Martin County. In week eleven, Paintsville went 1-1 with a blowout win at home against Floyd Central and a double digit loss at Martin County. They will close the season on the road at Pikeville and at Raceland in preparation for the tournament. In order for them to reach their full potential, they will need to get higher level play from someone not named Colby Fugate, Nick Keeton or Braxton Tharp as those three have been carrying the team in every statistical category by a lot. 5. (-) Pikeville (14-9) – The Panthers are quietly playing very well down the stretch despite losing their starting backcourt to injury earlier in the season. In week eleven they knocked off East Ridge on the road in a preview of their 59th District matchup and then beat a stout Lawrence County team on the road 59-57 in a tightly contested game. Rylee Sammons and Grayson Harrison have stepped up their game and this team plays a controlled style that makes it difficult to speed them up. In week twelve they will close the regular season at home versus Paintsville and on the road at Martin County. Two very difficult games to get them ready for a post season run. 6. (-) Lawrence County (18-10) – The Bulldogs went 1-1 in week ten with a win at home over Prestonsburg and a loss at home to Pikeville. They have the second most wins in the region behind Shelby Valley, have locked up the top overall seed in the 58th and a date with Floyd Central in the opening round and in his first year, have the 15th Region COY in Chandler Thompson. Lawrence County has been and will continue to be the best dark horse to win the region as they have a talented starting five. They will look to sharpen their skills with only one game in the final week and that is a home contest against Johnson Central. 7. (-) Phelps (17-10) – The Hornets keep on rolling and have now won seven in a row. They destroyed both Letcher Central 60-28 and Belfry 72-48 in week eleven and have earned the top spot in the 60th District. With Piarist cancelling their season, this means Phelps is the first team in the regional tournament. The Hornets will face Pike Central, Prestonsburg and Betsy Layne to close out the season as they look to continue their magical run. Can Trey Francis get them to 20 wins for the first time in over thirty years? We will see. 8. (-) Magoffin County (15-12) – The Hornets went 3-1 in week eleven to include a surprise win over their biggest rival Johnson Central 58-57 on a Randy Bailey lay-up with 2.4s to play. It was the first win in district competition for the Hornets as they are locked into the four seed and will face Martin County at Martin County in the opening round. Magoffin parlayed the JC win into wins over Morgan County and Jenkins, but dropped a road game at East Ridge in another head scratcher. This team is very balanced and has a very good backcourt to compliment functional post play. They will be a tough out in the tournament. The Hornets close the season with Shelby Valley and Pike Central on the road. 9. (-) Betsy Layne (16-9) – Betsy Layne saw high flying dunker Jordan Frazier reach the 1,000-point mark in his junior season as they went 2-1 on the week. Betsy Layne was able to beat Letcher Central and Knott Central (4OT), but also lost to a scrappy Belfry team at home. The quadruple overtime game was not only rare in that we don’t see them that often, but in that Betsy Layne did not have a player with more than five rebounds despite all the missed shots from both teams. The win over a solid Knott Central team is a good sign moving into the tournament as Betsy Layne will close out the season with Martin County, East Ridge and Phelps. 10. (-) Belfry (9-13) – Belfry had a good week, going 2-1 with wins over Pike Central and Betsy Layne and a loss at home to Phelps. The Phelps loss was by 24-points and was the second loss to the Hornets in a three game span. This is after years and years of Belfry beating Phelps and you have to wonder if some built up frustration was let out. Belfry is locked into the 2/3 game in the 60th District and will face Pike Central in the opening round. The Pirates close out the season with four games to include Pike Central, East Ridge, Floyd Central and Russell. 11. (-) East Ridge (9-14) – The Warriors went 2-1 in week eleven with wins over Pike Central and hot Magoffin County team and a loss to Pikeville in a preview of the opening round of the 59th District tournament. This teams shoots a lot of three’s and if they are hot are capable of competing with the better teams in the region. East Ridge closes out the regular season with Belfry and Betsy Layne. 12. (-) Prestonsburg (8-14) – The Black Cats broke their 12 game losing streak in week eleven with a win over Menifee County on the road as they went 2-2 the past seven days. Prestonsburg was also able to pick up as win at home against Powell County, but had a head scratching loss to rival Floyd Central at home thus putting them in a tie for the #3 seed in the 58th. They had defeated Floyd Central on the road by double digits earlier in the season. One bright note is that senior guard Adam Slone reached the 1,000-point mark during the week. Prestonsburg will close out the regular season with Johnson Central, Martin County and Phelps. Three tough games and they will not be favored in any. 13. (-) Pike Central (6-19) – The Hawks went 0-2 in week eleven with losses against Belfry and East Ridge. They are locked into the 2/3 game in the district as Phelps is the top overall seed. They will face Belfry in the opening round of the 60th District tournament and host them for the final time this week in what should be a heated rivalry game despite the records. Pike Central will also have Phelps and Magoffin County at home as they close out the regular season. 14. (-) Floyd Central (5-20) – The Jaguars picked up a shocking win on the road at Prestonsburg in week eleven, winning 66-57 over their biggest rival. Braden Moore scored 17 points in the win as Floyd Central put four players in double figures. The Jags finished in a tie for 3rd place in the 58th District with Prestonsburg and will await the tie breaker scenario to play out before finding out if they will get Betsy Layne or Lawrence County in the opening round. They have Jenkins, Johnson Central and Belfry in the final week. 15. (-) Jenkins (1-20) – Jenkins went 0-3 in week eleven with losses to Rye Cove, VA (a game that was winable), Letcher Central and Magoffin County. They have three games on the schedule for week twelve and could potentially get a win at home against Lee County (lost by one point on the road earlier in the year). They are the 59th District host and will face Shelby Valley in the opening round. 16. (-) Piarist (0-1) – No season, no games played. Piarist has forfeited the entire season to include the opening round of the 60th District Tournament against Phelps. Agree or Disagree?

Overview: Sickness and cancellations were rampant in the 15th Region this week as several teams played a limited schedule, did not compete altogether or were even unable to practice. With District tournaments looming, coaches are scrambling to fill their schedules and prepare their teams both physically and mentally. Listed below are the rankings after ten weeks of play. Rankings (overall record): 1. (-) Shelby Valley (19-5) – The Wildcats remain in the top spot after a 2-0 week ten that included two 30 plus point wins over Pike Central and Jenkins (both on the road), pushing the current win streak to five games. Mr. Basketball candidate Cody Potter continues to lead the way, scoring nearly 25 ppg and grabbing just under 10 rpg while shooting 42% from beyond the three-point arc. Mix this with Kaden Robinson (13.0 ppg) and Elijah Sykes (11.3 ppg) and Shelby Valley has a potent lineup that can score both inside and out. Week eleven will see Shelby Valley face Martin County on the road and Floyd Central at home. 2. (-) Johnson Central (14-8) – The Golden Eagles were forced to cancel both their contests during the week due to sickness in the school district. Like many surrounding districts, the Johnson County Board of Education cancelled school and all extracurricular activities and events to include practices. JC lost a home game versus Perry Central and a road game at Belfry despite having no players sick. They also lost valuable practice time as they were not allowed to condition on school grounds during this time as a precautionary measure. JC will be back in action this week as they finish out district play with Magoffin County at home then travel to Scott County on Saturday. JC will likely be in the 2/3 game in the 57th District opener and face either Paintsville or Martin County depending on the outcome of their game. 3. (-) Paintsville (12-10) – The Tigers went 1-0 in week ten with an 83-68 win on the road at Belfry. The game was never in doubt as Paintsville jumped out to an early 20-point lead and then subbed generously throughout the game in both the early and late stages. Colby Fugate and Nick Keeton both went for 20 plus in the game. Paintsville has two games on the schedule for week eleven as they play their fourth and final home game versus Floyd Central then travel to Martin County for a game that will determine the top overall seed in the 57th District. 4. (-) Martin County (12-12) – Martin County is back at .500 for the first time since December 19th and has won five of their last six games to include going 2-0 in week ten. The Cardinals were able to knock off Lawrence County and Magoffin County by nearly identical scores (defeated LC 61-53 and MC 61-52). In the Magoffin County game, the Cardinals trailed by seven at half time and trailed by two midway through the fourth, but were able to remain undefeated at home. Freshman Parker Davis hit the go ahead 3FG late in the contest to give Martin County the lead for good. The Magoffin County win sets up a winner take all district show down with Paintsville on Valentine’s Day with the top seed in the 57th on the line. Week eleven will also feature Shelby Valley at home. For Martin County, it will be a difficult task to remain at or above .500 this week after fighting their way back. 5. (-) Pikeville (12-9) – Pikeville lost their only game this week against a 20-win South Laurel squad 65-67 in overtime. Late in regulation, Sophomore Rylee Sammons had a point blank shot to win the game on what looked to be a no-call foul. Despite the loss, the Panthers showed they are still a force to be reckoned with despite being down their entire backcourt for the rest of the season. East Ridge and Lawrence County come calling in week eleven. 6. (-) Lawrence County (17-9) – The Bulldogs have won seven of their last eight to include a pair of 20-point wins over 58th District foes Floyd Central and Betsy Layne in week ten. Lawrence County has locked up the top overall seed in the 58th and will face Floyd Central in the opening round of the tournament. This team continues to just roll along and under the radar, but might shock someone in the regional. Week eleven will see them host both Prestonsburg and Pikeville. 7. (Up 1) Phelps (15-10) – The Hornets are having one of their best seasons in the past 20 years, are in first place in the 60th District and have a current five game winning streak to include going 2-0 in week ten. Wins over Hurley, VA by 26-points and Belfry by 15-points mark a drastic change in the guard on the Pike County border. Trey Francis continues to lead the charge as he is currently averaging 17.3 ppg and 12.0 rpg from the wing position. In week eleven the Hornets will face Letcher Central and Belfry on the road. 8. (Down 1) Magoffin County (12-11) – The Hornets dropped their only game of week ten to Martin County 52-61 in a game they led by seven at the half, by three after three and by two (with the ball) under four minutes to play. This team is talented and balanced, but seems to find a way to lose late rather than win. They have four games on the schedule in week eleven to include Johnson Central, Morgan County Jenkins and East Ridge. They will be favored in all but the JC game. If they lose to JC then will be locked in the four seed in the 57th and will either face Martin County or Paintsville in the first round of districts. 9. (-) Betsy Layne (14-8) – The Bobcats went 1-1 in week ten with a dominating win over Floyd Central and a beat down loss to Lawrence County at home by 20. This locks the Betsy Layne into the 2/3 game in the 58th District where they will face Prestonsburg. The Bobcats still have issues when going to the bench, but are experimenting with different lineup’s in what they hope will lead to sustained play over the course of a game. They will have Letcher Central, Belfry and Knott Central all at home in week eleven. 10. (-) Belfry (7-12) – After a promising start to the season, Belfry has now lost ten of their last eleven games to include four in a row. In week ten, the Pirates lost to Paintsville at home and Phelps on the road by identical 15 point margins. Freshman point guard Sal Dean is exciting to watch on the offensive end, but plays very little defense to include leaking out for easy buckets rather than grabbing defensive rebounds. Play like that is a microcosm of the season for Belfry, they cannot seem to pull in the same direction. This team has athletes and shooters and if they figure it out could shock someone in the tournament. In week ten they will play on four consecutive nights against Pike Central, Phelps, Betsy Layne and Henry Clay 11. (Up 1) East Ridge (7-13) – The Warriors won their only contest in week ten by knocking off Letcher Central 75-60 on the road. Hot shooting behind the arc was the recipe for success as the team knocked down 57.1% of their attempts in the game. Pikeville and Pike Central come calling in week eleven as East Ridge looks to gain momentum going into the post season. Pikeville will be their opening district game in the 59th. 12. (Down 1) Prestonsburg (6-12) – Like Johnson Central, Prestonsburg did not play a contest in week ten due to illness/cancellations from other opponents. They drop a spot due to East Ridge picking up a win and holding the head-to-head win between the two as well. In week eleven, the Black Cats will face Lawrence County, Menifee County and Floyd Central as they look to break the longest active losing streak in the region (11 games: Jenkins won last week). 13. (-) Pike Central (6-17) – Pike Central was dominated in their only contest in week ten as Shelby Valley steam rolled them at home 37-68. The good news on the season is that this squad could still get the top overall seed in the 60th district is they win out and then win the tie breaker. That scenario begins this week as they face Belfry on the road in a heated rivalry game (the next two district games will be the following week). It’s important to note that the top seed in the 60th District gets a bye into the regional tournament as Piarist is not fielding a team this season. 14. (-) Floyd Central (4-18) – The Jags dropped both contests this week and have now lost eight in a row and eleven of their last twelve overall. It does not get any easier in week eleven as Floyd Central travels to Paintsville, Shelby Valley and Prestonsburg. It is unlikely FC gets another win until they face Jenkins in week twelve. To say the least, it has been a difficult season for first year head coach Alan Joe Moore. 15. (-) Jenkins (1-17) – The Cavaliers picked up their first win of the season by knocking off June Buchanan 60-52 on the road. This was an impressive turn around considering JBS had beaten Jenkins at home by 26-points earlier in the season. In their other contest this week, Jenkins was doubled up by Shelby Valley 36-72. Jenkins has an excellent chance to get another win in week eleven as they host Rye Cove, VA, a team that beat them 67-69 on the road in week four. Jenkins will also face Letcher County, Magoffin County and OBI in week eleven. 16. (-) Piarist (0-1) – Season cancelled long ago. Still waiting to hear whether or not they will compete in districts. All signs say no. Agree or Disagree?

Sweet sixteen ticket books (all games) went on sale this past Friday. Go through Rupp Arena Ticket office directly to purchase. Call them and they can take your order over the phone.

Overview: Two players reached the 1,000 career rebound mark, another sophomore scored hit the 1,000 career point mark, Martin County takes down Johnson Central, again, and Paintsville drops its first game to 15th Region competition. Listed below are the rankings and recap after nine weeks of play. Rankings (overall record): 1. (Up 2) Shelby Valley (17-5) – Mix a 2-0 week nine record and the fact every top team below them took a loss and you get Shelby Valley returning to the top spot this week. The Wildcats were able to knock off Belfry and East Ridge in blow out fashion behind back-to-back 30-point 10-rebound performances by Cody Potter. In week ten, Shelby Valley will travel to Pike Central and Jenkins where they will be heavy favorites. It’s unlikely they will be challenged until the final game of the regular season versus Johnson Central. 2. (Down 1) Johnson Central (14-8) – The Golden Eagles opened week nine on the road with their second loss of the season to Martin County in a game they led with less than two minutes to play. They closed the week at home by handing cross-town rival Paintsville their first loss against regional competition in form of a double digit win. The Paintsville game could have been much worse as JC was very inefficient on offense, missing lots of easy, uncontested, shots. Standout Junior Isaiah May posted games of 23 points and 10 rebounds and 24 points 5 rebounds 6 assists in both games respectively. Cory VanHoose posted an 18 point 10 rebound performance against Paintsville. JC has no inside presence and really plays five guards most of the contest. This makes teams like Martin County bad match-ups against them if they those teams are able to play with the lead. Johnson Central is still very talented and will be a factor come post season. In week ten they will most Perry Central (defeated them 78-58 earlier in the season at Belfry) then travel to Belfry. 3. (Down 1) Paintsville (11-10) – The Tigers went 1-1 in week ten with an 84-73 win over Magoffin County and a 47-57 loss at Johnson Central. In the Magoffin County game, Colby Fugate posted 38 points and Nick Keeton dropped 34 points and 15 rebounds. Collectively those two players almost beat Magoffin by themselves. The Johnson Central loss was the first of the season against regional competition for Paintsville. They will look to bounce back against Belfry in week ten. The top seed in the 57th district will likely be determined when Paintsville and Martin County face each other on Valentine’s Day. 4. (Up 1) Martin County (10-12) – Martin County opened the week at home with a huge win against rival Johnson Central and were poised to get to either the number one or two spot in the region. Following the win, however, the Cardinals lost a head scratcher to Beth Haven, WV. A team they had defeated 87-53 at home earlier in the season. They would close out the week with a dominating win at home over Belfry where they remain undefeated on the season. The up’s and down’s of this team are hard to figure out but we do know they have a ton of talent despite having a losing record. This was evident as junior standout Trey James not only signed to play basketball with Wake Forest, but also picked up his 1,000 career rebound ball. In week ten the Cardinals will face Lawrence County, Magoffin County and Somerset. Three tough games. It’s hard to predict this team, but don’t be surprised if they win all of them. 5. (Down 1) Pikeville (12-8) – The Panthers went 2-0 in week nine and drop a spot with the big wins and movement above them (primarily Martin County knocking off Johnson Central for the second time this season). Despite losing their backcourt to injury, Pikeville has found a way to win ball games, knocking off Magoffin County and Madison Central at home. Rylee Sammons has returned and scored 21 against Madison Central so there is good news on the injury front. In week ten, Pikeville will face South Laurel as they close out a three game home stand. 6. (-) Lawrence County (15-8) – The Bulldogs have the second most wins in the region and have won five in a row to include a 3-0 week nine. The only head scratcher during the win streak is that it took overtime to knock off a weak Floyd Central team at home. A worse Floyd Central team than the 5-win squad that eliminated them on their home floor in districts last season. During this week, Cody Maynard became the third sophomore this season to hit the 1,000-point club (fifth sophomore in the last two seasons in the 15th Region). Week ten will be challenging as the Bulldogs face Martin County at home and Floyd Central and Betsy Layne on the road. Lawrence County is currently in the top spot in the 58th District with only Betsy Layne having a chance to overtake them. 7. (-) Magoffin County (12-10) – The Hornets went 1-2 in week nine with losses to a hobbled Pikeville team and Paintsville on the road and a win at home over Floyd Central. In the Paintsville game, Magoffin featured a 3-2 zone that allowed for lots of open shots with no inside presence as well. Magoffin got themselves down by over 20 points before switching to man and a making a “too little, too late” furious comeback. This team will likely finish last in a loaded 57th District, but is still very talented and capable of beating anyone on a given night. Week ten will see them face Martin County on the road where no one has beat them all season. 8. (-) Phelps (13-10) – The Hornets went 3-0 in week nine with wins over Riverview, WV, East Ridge, KY and Twin Valley, VA as they completed the tristate sweep. Trey Francis recorded his first career triple double in the Twin Valley game with 26 points, 15 rebounds and 10 steals. Francis also crossed the career 1,000 rebound mark this week from the guard position. Phelps will host Hurley, VA and travel to Belfry in week 10 as they look to take control of the 60th District and get a bye into the regional tournament (top seed plays Piarist who forfeited the season). 9. (-) Betsy Layne (13-7) – The Bobcats have won four in a row after losing four in a row to include going 3-0 in week nine with wins over Pike Central, Prestonsburg and Lee County. Along with Lawrence County, Betsy Layne is tied for the top seed in the 58th District. This seed will likely be determined this week as Betsy Layne host Floyd Central and travels to Lawrence County in week ten. 10. (Up 1) Belfry (7-10) – The Pirates jump one spot as they swap positions with Prestonsburg after defeating them 80-66 at home. Despite the win, Belfry did go 1-2 in week nine with losses to Shelby Valley and Martin County. Capital, WV transfer Sal Dean continues to lead this team despite being so young. He is fun to watch and is currently averaging 16.9 ppg on the season. Belfry plays hard and is expected to be a factor in the regional tournament as the 60th District is very weak. Belfry has a tough week ten as they host both Paintsville and Johnson Central and travel to district rival Phelps. 11. (Down 1) Prestonsburg (6-12) – The Black Cats went 0-3 in week nine and have now lost 11 games in a row after opening the season 6-1. They were competitive against 58th District rival Betsy Layne in a key district game late, but got down big mid-way through the third. This team is young and has a ton of potential, but can’t seem to close out quality teams down the stretch. In week ten they will hopefully get back on the win train as they host East Ridge and travel to Knox Central. They are expected to go 1-1. 12. (-) East Ridge (6-13) – The Warriors went 1-2 in week nine with losses to Phelps and Shelby Valley in non-competitive games and win over Jenkins by more than 30-points. This team shoots a lot of threes and when they are on can play with any team for a quarter or two. Consistency is the biggest challenge they have. In week ten they will face Letcher Central and Prestonsburg away from home as they close out a four game road trip. 13. (-) Pike Central (6-16) – The Hawks were 1-2 in week nine with a win over Floyd Central and losses to Betsy Layne and Buckhorn. The Betsy Layne game was closer than expected (54-57) as this scrappy team continues to improve game by game. In a weak 60th District, they could surprise someone in the opening round of the tournament. This week they have Shelby Valley and Letcher Central. 14. (-) Floyd Central (4-16) – The Jaguars dropped all three games in week ten, losing to Pike Central, Lawrence County and Magoffin County. Surprisingly, the Lawrence County game went into overtime (on the road) as Floyd Central lost 76-78. Last season a five win Floyd Central knocked off Lawrence County on their home floor in the 58th District opener. This could be a first round district matchup this season as well. Could history possibly repeat its self? 15. (-) Jenkins (0-16) – The Cavaliers dropped their only game of the week by losing to East Ridge 42-75. They will not offer much resistance in week ten as they face Magoffin County, June Buchanan and Shelby Valley. Week eleven will be the next best chance for a victory. 16. (-) Piarist (0-1) – The season has been cancelled and the winner of the 60th district regular season crown will get a bye into the district championship and subsequent regional tournament. Currently that team is Phelps with a 2-0 District record. Agree or Disagree?

Johnson Central currently has 31 players in the 1,000 point club. All can be found on their official athletics website jcgoldeneagles.com (Boys Basketball > More >Team Files > Official Record Book) . Currently Juniors Isaiah May and Cory VanHoose both have over 1,000 with May over 1,500. Both are on pace to hit the 2k mark by careers end with May breaking school record. Both scored 1,000 in their sophomore campaigns.

Overview: Johnson Central traveled to the top ranked team in the state, Paintsville advanced to the All-A quarterfinal, Martin County big man Trey James signed with Wake Forest and Colby Fugate became the fourth sophomore in the last two seasons to hit the 1,000-point mark. No changes in the rankings after eight weeks of play. See below for a recap of the past weeks action! Rankings (overall record): 1. (-) Johnson Central (13-7) – The Golden Eagles remain in the top spot after a 2-1 record in week eight. They were able to knock off Magoffin County 66-53 on the road powered by 22 points from Isaiah May and 21 points from Cory VanHoose (Bryson Hackney notched 10 rebounds) and East Ridge on the road 87-62 in a game where all varsity players except one scored at least 1 point. Johnson Central dropped their final game of the week to highly ranked Covington Catholic on the road 52-80, snapping their six game win streak. In the Cov Cath game, Isaiah May led the way with 19 points as the Colonels jumped out to a 31-10 first quarter lead. JC played even with them the rest of the way until the benches emptied giving us the final score. In week nine, JC will likely determine their 57th District fate as they travel to Martin County and host Paintsville in pivotal seeded contest. If JC wins both you could see a three way tie at the top by seasons end. If they lose either, they are almost certain to be in the 2/3 game. 2. (-) Paintsville (10-9) – The Tigers went 1-1 in week eight with both games being played in the All-A State tournament. They defeated Harlan Independent 67-60 in the opening round before falling to Hazard 39-48 in the quarterfinals. Colby Fugate continues to be a volume scorer for Paintsville has he became the fourth sophomore in the past two seasons to reach the 1,000-point mark in the 15th Region (Isaiah May – Johnson Central (2019) / Cory VanHoose – Johnson Central (2019) / Brady Dingess – Martin County (2020)). Like Johnson Central, the Tigers are all 57th in the week nine as they host Magoffin County and then travel to Johnson Central for one of the best rivalries in the state. The Magoffin County should be interesting as in the previous meeting, Paintsville erased a 13-point deficit in the final 3:30 with Fugate on the bench. 3. (-) Shelby Valley (15-5) – The Wildcats dominated in their only game of the week as they beat a depleted Pikeville squad 67-42. Kaden Robinson paced three players in double figures with 27 points. Shelby Valley will travel to Belfry before hosting East Ridge in week nine. They will likely not be tested again in the regular season until the final game when the travel to Johnson Central. Look for them to reel off eight plus wins in a row as we come down the stretch. 4. (-) Pikeville (10-8) – Pikeville lost their only game of the week to the hands of 59th District rival Shelby Valley 42-67. Grayson Harris was the only Panther in double figures as he posted 20 points in the loss. Pikeville has been hit by the injury bug in a major way. In the first game of the season, Zac Lockhart broke his leg. In the All-A Laithan hall tore his ACL and ruptured his meniscus (Martin County game). Now Rylee Sammons has a scratch to his eye and concussion like symptoms (reportedly) suffered in the Shelby Valley game this past week (did not play in second half). The mash unit is gaining valuable experience with their bench and will look to get back on the win train this week as they host both Magoffin County and Madison Central. 5. (-) Martin County (8-11) – Martin County won their only contest of the week as they traveled to Floyd Central and picked up a 69-47 win. Junior standout Trey James dominated the smaller competition and also had a big week as he committed to Wake Forest University and Head Coach Danny Manning. Outside Johnson Central, this team is probably the most talented in the region one through seven. In week nine they put that talent to the test as they host Johnson Central and travel to Beth Haven, WV before hosting Belfry. They are undefeated in the new gym and should see a packed house for the JC game. As it stands right now in the 57th District, Martin County would face JC in the opening round on their home floor. This could be a preview of things to come. 6. (-) Lawrence County (12-8) - The Bulldogs are quietly plotting along and are well established as the best dark horse in the region and favorite in the 58th District. They picked up two more wins in week eight by knocking off both Prestonsburg and Phelps both on the road. They have a full slate in week nine as they open a four game home stand against a hot Lewis County team, then welcome in both Morgan County and Floyd Central. The will be favored in every contest and push for what could be a 20-win season in Head Coach Chandler Thompsons first year. 7. (-) Magoffin County (11-8) – The Hornets were 1-1 in week eight with a home loss to Johnson Central 53-66 and a road win over Morgan County 63-53. The Johnson Central game was bizarre to say the least. Halfway through the first quarter Johnson Central was leading 11-8 and Magoffin County had the ball. As Magoffin worked the ball into the front court (full court man defense with no trap) a bench warning was issued as Magoffin County believed the ball handler was being fouled (did not turn the ball over, offense was not disrupted). It was odd they were even upset. Immediately following the bench warning Magoffin inbounded the ball and the bench did not stop complaining. A technical foul was issued. This infuriated Head Coach Scott Castle and he gave the official about 60s of pure grief before he was issued an additional technical foul (Coach and official were so close, face-to-face, you could not have put a note book between their lips). Johnson Central hit all four technical FT’s, got the ball back and Isaiah May hit a 3FG to cap a seven-point possession and give JC a 10-point lead (potential 10-point swing as Magoffin had the ball before all this happened). Take that one moment away and Magoffin played JC to a three-point game the rest of the way. JC entered the fourth quarter leading by 22, but it was bizarre to see a game turn so quickly in the first quarter for what appeared to be very little. What had been a close game, with good flow, had a moment that put Magoffin down 10 points and they never got any closer. The Hornets will travel to Pikeville and Paintsville before hosting Floyd Central in week nine. They are still looking for their first district win in the tough 57th. 8. (-) Phelps (10-10) – The Hornets lost their only contest at home in week eight, dropping one to Lawrence County 55-69. Phelps is still the favorite in the 60th District as they host River View, WV, East Ridge and Twin Valley, VA in a tristate trifecta in week nine. They will be favored in all three games, but East Ridge could give them a run with the way they shoot the ball. Phelps is a solid team in the 15th Region this season. 9. (-) Betsy Layne (10-7) – The Bobcats broke a four game losing streak in week eight as the dominated Floyd Central 83-53 at home. This team continues to have four players averaging 9.6 ppg or higher and are dangerous to any team on a given night. Pike Central, Prestonsburg and Lee County are all on the docket for week nine. Betsy Layne will be favored in all of those contest. 10. (-) Prestonsburg (6-9) – The Black Cats have dropped eight in a row after a week eight loss at home to Lawrence County 54-66. Prestonsburg has Belfry, Betsy Layne in a rivalry game and Breathitt County in week nine. All three are games they could win. Hopefully this team can get back on a winning track after opening the season 6-1. 11. (-) Belfry (6-8) – The Pirates dropped their only contest of the week as they fell to Knott Central on the road 54-68. That makes six losses in a row after a promising start to the season. Belfry will host Prestonsburg and Shelby Valley before traveling to Martin County in week eight. Only the Prestonsburg game is considered winnable. 12. (-) East Ridge (5-11) – The Warriors were 0-1 in week eight with a 25-point home loss to Johnson Central 62-87. Don’t expect a win in week nine either as they travel to Martin County before hosting Paintsville. East Ridge schedule down the stretch is brutal as they only have one more winnable game and that is against Floyd Central. 13. (-) Pike Central (5-14) – The Hawks had their first undefeated week in a long time, going 1-0 with a win at home over Jenkins 66-20. They will close out their current five game home stand with Betsy Layne and Floyd Central before traveling to Buckhorn. They will not be favored in any contest, but will play hard in all of them. 14. (-) Floyd Central (4-13) – The Jags were 0-3 in week eight, but only got beat 5 points by Knott Central at home 54-59 in their closest contest. They will be on the road against Pike Central, Lawrence County and Magoffin County in week nine. They will have a chance in the Pike Central game as in an earlier meeting they lost 49-50. 15. (-) Jenkins (0-15) – Jenkins dropped both games this week, but got very close against Lee County on the road, losing 66-67. Their next realistic chance for a win will come in a few weeks with Rye Cove, VA comes to town. They will also host Lee County in the regular season finale. They should get at least one win this year. 16. (-) Piarist (0-1) – Season has been cancelled for Piarist. Only question left is if they will show up for districts to get the profit sharing from the tournament. Agree or Disagree?

Overview: Paintsville is the hottest team in the region and 2020 All-A Champions, Cody Potter and Colby Fugate put on a show against one another, Johnson Central is playing their best basketball of the season, handing a top tier out of region team their first home loss and Pikeville has been bitten by the injury bug in a huge way. Read more to see the rankings in the 15th Region after seven weeks of play! Rankings (overall record): 1. (Up 1) Johnson Central (11-6) – The Golden Eagles return to the top spot after a 3-0 week seven that included wins over 2A Champion Lawrence County, Boyd County on the road and Rose Hill Christian. The Boyd County win was the Lions first loss at home on the season and arguably the best win for any team in the region this week (Paintsville over Shelby Valley is only other win in the conversation). Johnson Central has lost twice in region (OT loss at home to Martin County after leading by seven with 3:30 to play / loss at Paintsville by two after leading by six with 3 minutes to play), giving away leads when they were up with the ball. JC is starting to close out games and play their best basketball of the year. Top to bottom, this is the most talented team in the region. They will put their current four game win streak to some serious tests in week eight as they play three games on the road against Magoffin County, East Ridge and highly ranked Covington Catholic. 2. (Up 1) Paintsville (9-8) – The Tigers are the hottest team in the region and the 2020 All-A Champions for the first time since 2008 (9th All-A Regional Title overall – most in 15th Region History). Paintsville has now won six in a row after a 1-7 stretch and are the only undefeated team against regional competition. They have a strong claim for the top spot as they continue to squeak out wins. In week seven they defeated East Ridge 69-65, Betsy Layne 64-46, Phelps 31-28 and Shelby Valley 57-55. In the Shelby Valley game, the Tigers trailed by 13 late in the 3rd quarter before Colby Fugate got hot and lead his team to a late seven-point lead. Fueling the 20-point swing, Fugate finished with 34 points. Paintsville has played in a lot of close games and seem to have a knack for turning in on late and erasing big leads. Earlier in the year they were down 13 at Magoffin County with less than four minutes to play and won, they were down 11 points at Lawrence County entering the fourth quarter and won, they were down 6 to Johnson Central with 3:30 to play, didn’t have the ball, and won. But winning is the bottom line and they have been doing exactly that. This week, the Tigers will play in the All-A state tournament where they open Thursday night with Harlan Independent. Paintsville will be favored and will likely face Hazard in a second mountain match-up in the quarterfinals. The Tigers are also scheduled to face Magoffin County at home this week as they look to push their district record to 4-0 in the 57th. 3. (Down 2) Shelby Valley (14-5) – The Wildcats went 2-1 in week seven with a narrow win over Prestonsburg 61-57, a blowout win over Pikeville 66-52 (ended first quarter up 22-1) and a loss in the All-A Championship to Paintsville 55-57 after leading by 13 late in the 3rd quarter. Valley has the best player in the region in Mr. Basketball candidate Cody Potter (dropped 34 points in the All-A championship game) and great compliment pieces. They have the fewest losses of any team in the region and most wins of any team in the region. With the loss in the All-A championship they will also play every game this season on a 15th Region floor (minus one game in Williamson, WV) unless they advance to Rupp Arena. Right now, Valley seems to be struggling to close out teams late and some of that can be attributed to late FT’s and uncharacteristic turnovers. Shelby Valley will be fine moving forward as every good team seems to have lull’s at some point in a season. Week eight will have the Wildcats host rival Pikeville in a seeded 59th District contest that will see a packed house as usual. Expect another a battle despite Pikeville being undermanned. 4. (Up 1) Pikeville (10-7) – Pikeville was 2-1 in week seven with a home win over Belfry 77-73, an overtime win over Martin County 78-71 in the All-A quarterfinals and a loss in the All-A semifinals to Shelby Valley 52-66 in a game they trailed in 22-1 at the end of the first quarter. Pikeville has been bitten by the injury bug and are a skeleton crew of what was expected at the start of the season. Starter Zac Lockhart suffered an injury in the first game and has missed the entire season. Starter Laithan Hall suffered what many think is an ACL/meniscus injury (unconfirmed) early in the Martin County game as is likely done for the year. Starter Rylee Sammons suffered a cornea scratch against Shelby Valley and did not play in the second half (forced to wear protective eye patch while healing). Still Pikeville has a winning record and beat one of the more talented teams in the 15th in Martin County. The younger players will have to continue to step up as in week eight they play Shelby Valley on the road in game they will likely be double digit underdogs in. 5. (Down 1) Martin County (7-11) – Martin County was 1-1 in week seven with a dominating win on the road over Magoffin County and a loss in OT to a depleted Pikeville squad in the All-A classic (Pikeville was without starter Lockhart [injury], lost starting PG Hall early in the game [injury] and only played one starter half of the fourth quarter and most of overtime [sammons – two other starters cramped up and did not return]). Martin County has plenty of talent and the best defender in the region in 6’10’’ Trey James, but can’t seem to put win streaks together. They will dominate a team one night and lay an egg the next. They have lost 20 games in both of the previous two years and are in danger of having another losing season when expectations were a regional title. They have shown the ability to play with and beat some of the best in the region as they knocked off Johnson Central on the road in OT, but lack consistency. The good news is there are plenty of games left in the season and this is still a very good team that no one wants to play come tournament time. In week eight they will travel to Floyd Central where they should win easily. If this team pulls it together coming down the stretch, you could see them cutting down the nets and heading to Rupp Arena in March. They have a ton of potential. 6. (-) Lawrence County (10-8) – The Bulldogs were 0-2 this week with a loss on the road the Johnson Central and a loss in the 2A State Championship to Bourbon County. No shame in losing to either opponent as both are quality competition. Lawrence County continues to play a five-out dribble drive offense and shoot a lot of 3FG’s. This works great with their personnel as Tyler and Cody Maynard are two of the best scorers in the region. Look for the Bulldogs to get back in the win column in week eights as they travel to Prestonsburg and Phelps. The Prestonsburg game has major implications in the 58th District seeding. 7. (-) Magoffin County (10-7) – The Hornets were 2-1 in week seven with a district loss at home to Martin County 57-76, a home win over Letcher Central 81-71 and a road win over Belfry 68-54. This young team is led by freshman Aden Barnett and can be very dangerous when they are hitting from beyond the arc. The loss to Martin County put them at 0-2 in the 57th District and makes the upcoming week eight game against Johnson Central huge for seeding. Magoffin will also travel to Morgan County and Paintsville in week eight. We should have a good idea where this team will fall in the 57th District by week end as they will have played six of their eight seeded games. Make no mistake, however, as no one wants to play this team in the first round of the district tournament. 8. (Up 1) Phelps (10-9) – Phelps went 2-1 in week seven with wins over Pike Central (60th District seeded game) and Jenkins and a low scoring loss to Paintsville 28-31 in the All-A Classic. Trey Francis continues to lead as one of the few players in the region to average a double-double (Trey James, Nick Keeton) and almost willed his team to a win over Paintsville. The Hornets are the favorite in the 60th District this season and are above .500 this late in the season for the first time in a long time. In week eight Phelps will host Betsy Layne and travel to Belfry for another huge District game. 9. (Down 1) Betsy Layne (9-7) – The Bobcats lost their only contest in week seven as they were defeated by Paintsville 46-64 in the All-A Classic. The loss marks the fourth in a row after a five game win streak. Jordan Frazier did not play in the game after injuring his ankle against Johnson Central, but will hopefully return this week (no updates on injury at this time). In week eight, Betsy Layne will a tough Phelps team on the road then host Floyd Central in a key 58th District game. 10. (-) Prestonsburg (6-8) – Prestonsburg has lost seven in a row after such a promising start to the season. In week seven they lost a head scratcher 46-48 on the road to Pike Central and almost beat Shelby Valley in the All-A before falling 57-61 with some careless turnovers and missed free throws late in the game. Adam Slone and Gunner Williams are excellent players as they continue to lead what will be a scary team for anyone to play in the post season. Lawrence County at home is the only game scheduled for week eight and it will have huge seeding implications in the 58th District. Can this Jekyll and Hyde team figure it out coming down the home stretch. 11. (-) Belfry (6-7) – The Pirates had a tough week seven, dropping both contest to Pikeville and Magoffin County in what were competitive games until late. They have now dropped five in a row and have a record below .500 for the first time this season. Huge games loom this week as they host 60th District rivals Pike Central and Phelps before traveling to Knott Central. The top seed in the 60th District regular season virtually gets a bye into the regional tournament as they will face Piarist in the opening the round. This is a big week for Belfry. 13. (-) Pike Central (4-14) – The Hawks went 1-2 in week seven, snapping their six game losing streak with a win at home over Prestonsburg. This team plays very hard and believe it or not, plays together. Despite their lack of talent, Pike Central is fun to watch and easy to cheer for. In week eight they will travel to Belfry (their biggest rival) and host Jenkins. Don’t be surprised if they go 2-0. 14. (-) Floyd Central (3-11) – The Jags dropped both games in week six with losses to East Ridge on the road and Letcher Central at home. The good news is they played much better in both games and seem to be finding an identity midway through the season. Knott County, Martin County and Betsy Layne will be tall tasks in week eight. 15. (-) Jenkins (0-13) – The Cavaliers went 0-3 in week seven with double digit losses to June Buchanan, Phelps and Jackson City. They will face Pike Central and Lee County on the road in week eight as they are still looking for their first win of the season. One bright spot has been senior Payton Rose who is averaging nearly 17 ppg this season. 16. (-) Piarist (0-1) – The Knights have yet to play a game this season and have none scheduled for the remainder of the regular season. It is yet to be determined if they will play in the post season. Agree or Disagree?

Review does not take into account any games played Monday (13 January 2020).

Overview: Paintsville makes huge strides in the ranking with key 57th District wins, Shelby Valley takes their worst loss of the season on the road, Isaiah May goes off against Pikeville, Lawrence County captures the 2A Section 8 title and Phelps climbs the rankings with key wins. After six weeks of play, we are starting to see the ranking shake out for the 15th Region. Listed below are where teams stand as we head into the All-A Classic in week seven. Rankings (overall record): 1. (-) Shelby Valley (12-4) – Shelby Valley went 2-1 in week six with wins over Betsy Layne 83-57 and East Ridge 61-41, before getting blown out by South Charleston, WV at the Hatfield McCoy Shootout 33-54. The South Charleston game is currently the only game on the schedule the Wildcats will play outside a 15th Region arena and in the game Shelby Valley only attempted four FT’s with Cody Potter scoring only six points. The surprising loss does not knock Valley off the top spot this week as they prepare for the All-A in week seven, opening with Prestonsburg. They are expected to cut down the nets and represent the 15th Region. 2. (-) Johnson Central (8-6) – The Golden Eagles went 2-1 in week six with a blowout win over Pikeville 75-58, a loss on the road to Paintsville 60-62 and a win on the road at Betsy Layne 63-59. In the Pikeville game, junior standout Isaiah May went for 35 points and 10 rebounds in three quarters (took only one shot in fourth quarter with big lead) as he wowed the crowd making six consecutive three’s and a rim rattling dunk in the first half. In the Paintsville game, JC struggled to find an offensive identity as very little ball movement, screens, etc. led to a lot of one-on-one play and standing as they the Golden Eagles lost a 10-point half time lead and 6-point lead with under three minutes to play. The stagnant offense continued in the Betsy Layne game, but six late FT’s by May to go along with a 26-point performance by VanHoose sealed the win. Johnson Central has lost to Paintsville and Martin County, but remains ranked ahead of them as they have a better overall record and have had six and seven point leads late (under four minutes) in both games, before failing to secure the wins. Top to bottom, this team has the most talent in the 15th region, they will be a factor in post season. 3. (Up 4) Paintsville (5-8) – The Tigers went 2-0 in week six with huge district wins over Martin County 57-48 and cross town rival Johnson Central 62-60. They are in 3-0 in the 57th and are playing their best ball of the season as they jump four spots in the rankings. Paintsville controlled the Martin County game for most of the contest and stole one late against Johnson Central after trailing most of the game (late 3FG Baron Ratliff was the difference for the Tigers). The Tigers still have a losing record overall, albeit against a difficult schedule, and only have seven games and the All-A left on their schedule as they strive to get above .500. Week seven will seem the open the All-A with East Ridge in a contest they will be favored in. 4. (Down 1) Martin County (6-10) – The Cardinals went 0-1 in week six with a loss to Paintsville 48-57 as Brady Dingess returned face his team from last season. Dingess led the way for Martin County with 26 points while Trey James posted four points and 10 rebounds against a very physical Nick Keeton from Paintsville. Dingess is leading the team with 16.2 ppg while James is averaging another double-double with 13.3 ppg and 10.7 rpg. In week seven, the Cardinals will travel to Magoffin County before opening the All-A with Pikeville. Sitting at 1-1 in the 57th District, the Magoffin County looms large for seeding purposes. 5. (Down 1) Pikeville (8-6) – The Panthers went 2-1 in week six with a blowout loss to Johnson Central 58-75 and easy win over Jenkins 79-53 and tight win out of state versus Tug Valley, WV at Williamson in the Hatfield / McCoy Classic. Rylee Sammons, Grayson Harris and Laithan Hall are all averaging double figures this season, but the physicality some teams possess make it difficult at times for the Panthers. This week Pikeville will host Belfry before opening the All-A Classic with Martin County in what should be a great game. 6. (Down 1) Lawrence County (10-6) – The Bulldogs went 2-0 in week six by defeating Floyd Central and Magoffin County, capturing the 2A Section 8 Title along the way. They advance to the 2A State Championship where they will face Bourbon County in week seven. Also in week seven, the Bulldogs will travel to Johnson Central and Floyd Central (58th District seeded game this time). Lawrence County continues to be led by Tyler Maynard (21.8 ppg), but has all five starters averaging 7.2 or ppg. If they can get production from the bench, this team should be considered the best dark horse in the region. 7. (Down 1) Magoffin County (8-6) – The Hornets were 1-2 in week six with losses to East Ridge and Lawrence County (2A Section 8 Championship) and a narrow win against Morgan County 54-49. Magoffin was unable to capitalize on good play from the Mountain School Boy Classic and seems to have digressed a bit in the mid-season. Freshman Aden Barnett continues to led the way, averaging 18.1 ppg, as Magoffin County has four players averaging double figures to include 8th grader Grayson Whitaker. If this team can find its consistency, it will be a factor come March. In week seven, Magoffin host Martin County and Letcher Central, before traveling to Belfry. 8. (-) Betsy Layne (9-6) – The Bobcats went 0-2 in week six with losses on the road to Shelby Valley 57-83 and at home to Johnson Central 59-63. They played well against JC in a back and forth game until a late Jordan Frazer ankle injury and key made FT’s by the Golden Eagles did them in. In week seven, Betsy Layne will play in the All-A as they drew a bye in the first round. 9. (Up 2) Phelps (8-8) – The Hornets are back to .500 after a 2-1 week that included wins over Prestonsburg and Wayne, WV and a loss the Mingo Central in a closely contested game (lost 43-45 at Williamson, WV). Trey Francis is posting strong numbers again this season (19.5 ppg / 12.5 rpg) as he leads the region in rebounding from the SF position. The Hornets travel to Pike Central in an important district game and then open the All-A Classic with Jenkins in week seven. 10. (Down 1) Prestonsburg (6-6) – After opening the season 6-1, Prestonsburg has dropped five in a row to include a week six loss at Phelps 54-65. This young squad has hit the midseason wall, but will hopefully bounce back in week seven as they travel to Pike Central then open the All-A with Shelby Valley. 11. (Down 1) Belfry (6-5) – Like Prestonsburg, Belfry opened the season strong with 4-1 record out of the gates. They are currently on a three game losing streak to include a 45-57 week six loss to Mingo Central, WV (Heated Rival) at the Hatfield / McCoy Shootout. Week seven gets not easier as the Pirates will travel to Pikeville then host Magoffin County. 12. (-) East Ridge (4-9) – The Warriors went 1-2 in week six with a surprising win on the road at Magoffin County 65-60 and losses at home to Shelby Valley 41-61 and Scott, WV 72-80. This team can play with anyone in stretches, but inconsistency dooms them in the long run. Week seven will see East Ridge face Floyd Central at home before opening the All-A with Paintsville. 13. (-) Pike Central (3-12) – The Hawks lost both contest in week six, falling to Magoffin County 47-52 (2A Classic) and Mountain Mission, VA 55-59. This team is getting more competitive each week and will have a chance to gain ground in the 60th district in week seven as they travel to Phelps before hosting Prestonsburg and Leslie County. You could see the five game losing streak snapped this week. 14. (-) Floyd Central (3-9) – The Jags lost their only contest in week six in the form of a 54-76 blowout to Lawrence County in the 2A Classic. In week seven, Floyd Central will travel to East Ridge and them host Lawrence County again, but this time it will be for district seeding. This young team has a tough schedule, but wins will come later in the season. 15. (-) Jenkins (0-10) – The Cavaliers were 0-2 in week six with losses to Pikeville and OBI in blow out fashion. June Buchanan, Phelps and Jackson City are on the docket for week seven. The next legitimate chance for a win will not come until mid-February. 16. (-) Piarist (0-1) – No games have been played and word is that Piarist will not field a team this season. Agree or Disagree?

Overview: Johnson Central drops from the top spot despite Isaiah May dropping 39 points, Shelby Valley shows early dominance in the 59th district, Martin County takes control of the 57th and asserts themselves as contenders and Paintsville almost drops out of the top ten. Lots of big games are on tap this week as we look at the rankings after five weeks of play! Rankings (overall record): 1. (Up 1) Shelby Valley (10-3) – The Wildcats are the new number one team in the 15th Region! In their only contest of week five, Shelby Valley knocked off their biggest rival and fellow 15th Region contender Pikeville by a final of 63-59 in what was a back and forth game. Cody Potter and Kaden Robinson both went for 20 plus in the game (Potter 27 / Robinson 23) and a combine 12/20 from deep. In week six, Shelby Valley will host Betsy Layne, travel to East Ridge and then face South Charleston, WV at the Hatfield McCoy shootout. They will be favored in all three games. 2. (Down 1) Johnson Central (6-5) – The Golden Eagles were 0-2 in week five, losing both contests in overtime. Leading by 7 with less than four minutes to play against Martin County, JC was unable to close the deal and fell at home 48-51 (Seth Williams DNP – ankle). They followed this up with an 81-83 overtime loss on the road at Russell after leading by 5 with less than two minutes to play. In the Russell game, Isaiah May had a huge night with 39 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists (hitting a 3FG at buzzer to force OT). JC’s inability to close games has cost them the last two contests and it will not get easier any time soon as they are in the middle of 5 games in 7 day’s stretch. Week six will see them host Pikeville then travel to Floyd Central, Betsy Layne and Paintsville. They might have to play without Isaiah May and Seth Williams as well (both suffered sprained ankles in Russell game – May finished Russel game hobbled, Williams did not). Make no mistake that JC has the most talent in the region and will be a major factor down the stretch as they figure things out. 3. (Up 1) Martin County (6-9) – Martin County picked up a huge win against 57th District rival Johnson Central in overtime 51-48 (Trey James 15 points 17 rebounds 8 blocks), then fell to Knott Central on the road for the second time this season 53-59 (Brady Dingess DNP – reason unknown). The JC win was the first time Martin County has beat Johnson Central in over three years and puts the Cards in the driver’s seat for the top seed in the toughest district in the region. Week six will see another huge road district game, as Martin County travels to Paintsville. Despite the losing record, the Cardinals showed they are in the mix as a favorite to win the region this season. 4. (Down 1) Pikeville (6-5) – The Panthers lost a heart breaker to their biggest rival in week five as they fell to Shelby Valley 59-63 at home. Grayson Harris scored 23 for the Panthers as Rylee Sammons struggled with stiff defense, scoring only 7 points. Pikeville will be road warriors in week six as they travel to Johnson Central, Jenkins, Magoffin County and the Hatfield / McCoy Shootout in Williamson, WV (TBD). 5. (-) Lawrence County (8-6) – The Bulldogs quietly continue to go about their business, picking up another quality win on the road against Belfry in the 2A Classic 86-73. Floyd Central and Morgan County are on the docket for week six as Lawrence County will likely remain unbeaten in 58th District play. This team remains the favorite dark horse as they continue to develop their bench. 6. (Up 2) Magoffin County (7-4) – The Hornets are rapidly moving up the rankings and are right behind Lawrence County as the best dark horse to win the region. This is a complete team with three solid guards, excellent post defenders and two solid bench players that are starting to put things together. They play fast, press and are fun to watch and easy to cheer for. In week five, the Hornets beat Pike Central 52-47 then dominated Betsy Layne 92-64 as freshman Aden Barnett dropped a 32-point triple double. Can the Hornets keep rolling in week six? They will open the 2A Classic with Morgan County before hosting Pikeville. The Pikeville game will let us know if they are ready to take the next step and show they can beat one of the top four teams. 7. (Down 1) Paintsville (3-8) – The Tigers went 0-2 in week five and have now dropped 7 of their last 8 games. They have played a difficult schedule, so it’s hard to gauge where the stack up against top tier 15th Region competition, but the fact remains this team is very close to being 0-11 (two one point wins and one overtime win – two wins came off amazing 4th quarter double digit comebacks). In week six, Paintsville will play two very important district games as they host both Martin County and Johnson Central. They will not be favored in either, but don’t be surprised if they win these rivalry games. 8. (-) Betsy Layne (9-4) – The Bobcats went 1-1 in week five with a 64-63 win on the road against their biggest rival Prestonsburg and a head scratching blow-out loss to Magoffin County 64-92 the very next day. It’s likely Betsy Layne laid an egg against Magoffin after such an emotional win, but Magoffin is also much improved this season. Betsy Layne has a very difficult week six as they travel to Shelby Valley and then host Johnson Central. Like Magoffin County, this week will let us know if Betsy Layne is a pretender or contender. 9. (-) Prestonsburg (6-5) – The Blackcats opened the season 6-1 but have dropped four in a row after losing to Betsy Layne 63-64 in week five. The home district loss could loom huge for 58th district seeding later in March. Prestonsburg will lick its wounds and get back to action on the road against Phelps in week six. It should be a great game. 10. (-) Belfry (6-4) – After opening the season 3-0, Belfry is 3-4 in their last seven games. Week five saw them eliminated from the 2A Classic by Lawrence County 73-86 (2nd loss to Lawrence County this season). Belfry is coached hard and plays hard, but struggles to sustain runs and stop runs. In short, they play stretches of alternating good and bad basketball. If they can weed out the bad, they are dangerous. Week six will see the Pirates play a heated rivalry games versus Mingo Central, WV in Williamson, WV at the Hatfield / McCoy. It should be intense as these two fan bases do not like each other regardless of record. 11. (-) Phelps (6-7) – The Hornets went 1-0 in week five with a win on the road at Twin Valley, VA and have now won two in a row. They have a tough week six as they host Prestonsburg before taking on Mingo Central, WV and Wayne, WV at the Hatfield / McCoy shoot-out in Williamson, WV. Trey Francis continues to lead this team as they should be in the 15th Region Tournament come March. 12. (-) East Ridge (3-7) – East Ridge went 1-0 in week five with a win over Jenkins in a 59th District contest. The Warriors will travel to Magoffin County, host Shelby Valley and then travel to the Hatfield / McCoy in week six (TBD). This team is really missing Eli Sykes (transferred to Shelby Valley) as they struggle to guard in the post. 13. (-) Pike Central (3-11) – The Hawks have dropped four in a row and ten of their last eleven after losing to Magoffin County 47-52 in the 2A Classic. This team plays hard and believe it or not is fun to watch with their effort. They sneak up and beat someone before seasons end that you don’t expect. Week six will provide no opportunities, however, as they are off. 14. (-) Floyd Central (3-8) – The Jags did not play in week five and will play two difficult opponents in week six as they host Lawrence County in the 2A Classic and then Johnson Central. This young squad will continue to grow against and hopefully get valuable experience moving forward as they will not be favored against either opponent. 15. (-) Jenkins (0-8) – Jenkins lost their only week five contest to East Ridge 71-99 but did snow improvement as they led 26-22 at the end of the first quarter. They will face Pikeville and OBI in week six and will be heavy underdogs in both. 16. (-) Piarist (0-1) – The Knights season is not looking good as they have still yet to play or report a game. At this point, it seems they are not competing in basketball this season. Agree or Disagree?

JCs Isaiah May with 39 points and 12 rebounds. Also hit three a buzzer to force OT. Nice win for Russell. Shot the ball well and played very hard.

Overview: Harvest Prep, OH defeated the top two teams in the region by double digits, Martin County and Paintsville continue to struggle in Holiday Tournaments against good competition and Magoffin County might be a surprise dark horse in the 57th District and regional tournament. Below are the rankings in the 15th Region after four weeks of play! Rankings (overall record): 1. (-) Johnson Central (6-3) – The Golden Eagles were 2-1 in week three with wins over Perry Central 78-58 and Sayre 74-72 and a loss to a Harvest Prep, OH 66-81. In the Sayre game, JC led by 27-points midway through the third quarter, before squandering the lead and holding on late with free throws. Isaiah May (over 21 ppg – teams leading rebounder) and Cory VanHoose (over 17 ppg) continue to carry the load for JC as they head into district play. In week five, they will host Martin County in a huge 57th District contest before traveling to Russell. JC will be favored in both games. 2. (-) Shelby Valley (9-3) – Shelby Valley went 2-1 in week three with wins over West Carter 60-58 (Cody Potter tip in win at buzzer) and Perry Central 77-60 (trailed in 2nd half before pulling away) and a loss to Harvest Prep, OH 65-87 (CJ Anthony for Harvest Prep scored 46 points on gym record 10 made 3FG’s – game played at Belfry). Mr. Basketball candidate Cody Potter continues to show out, averaging 26 ppg and 9.9 rpg while shooting nearly 44% from deep, but has been getting steady help from Kaden Robinson and Eli Sykes who are both averaging double figures. Along with JC, Shelby Valley has separated themselves from the rest of the region at this point in the year. In week five, Shelby Valley will have a showdown with Pikeville and a full week to prepare. 3. (-) Pikeville (6-4) – The Panthers won the Pikeville Invitational this week with wins over Scott 78-65 and Southern 77-57 in what might have been the weakest field in tournament history. Rylee Sammons (16.2 ppg) and Laithan Hall (10.9 ppg) lead the team through week four. A Huge test looms for this young Panther squad as they host Shelby Valley in week five. They will be underdogs at home. 4. (-) Martin County (5-8) – Martin County went 1-2 in the Traditional Bank Classic in week four with losses to Lexington Catholic 55-81 and Dunbar 29-49 and a win over Madison Central 57-45. In the Madison Central game, senior guard Braxton Maynard (returned to team after leaving last week at KOB) got hot in the 2nd half, hitting multiple long range shots to help the team pull away. Overall Martin County has lost seven of their last nine as they enter district and regional play. Week five will let us know if the tough early season schedule has paid off as they travel to regional favorite Johnson Central for a key 57th District showdown. They will also travel to Knott Central where they lost by double digits earlier in the year. 5. (Up 1) Lawrence County (7-6) – The Bulldogs went 1-2 in week four with losses to Ashland and Scott County and a win against Lewis County in the Ashland Invitational Tournament. Despite losing three of their last four, Lawrence moves up one spot as they played well at times against some of the better teams in the state and those teams below them have done little to help their cause. Week five will see Lawrence County face Belfry in the opening round of the 2A Championship. 6. (Down 1) Paintsville (3-6) – The Tigers went 1-2 in week four with losses to Beechwood 50-57 and Louisville Central 59-64 and a win against Cooper 41-40 (breaking a five game losing streak). Paintsville’s three wins are by a combine seven points (five-point win was in overtime after trailing by double digits in the fourth quarter). The Tigers could easily be 0-9 on the season as they are led by Colby Fugate’s volume scoring and Nick Keeton and Braxton Tharp’s rebounding and defense. It will not get any easier in week five as Paintsville travels to Montgomery County before facing Oldham County at GRC. This team will need to develop more bench production and find an identity to compete with the top teams in the region. 7. (-) Betsy Layne (8-3) – The Bobcats went 3-0 in week four with wins over Raceland, Owsley County and Buckhorn all by double digits. This team has five solid starters and is developing their bench well. This team will face two stiff challenges on the road in week five as they travel to Prestonsburg and Magoffin County. The Prestonsburg game is huge for seeding in a competitive 58th District. 8. (Up 3) Magoffin County (5-4) – The Hornets made the biggest jump in week four as they went 2-1 with wins over Whitley County and West Carter and a loss to a very good Harvest Prep team in which they only trailed by 4 at the half. The Hornets have three solid guards who can all dribble, pass and shoot in Aden Barnett, Isaiah Salyer and Grayson Whitaker, a lock down defender in Mason Lovely, a solid big man in Randy Bailey and two excellent role players coming off the bench to include Lucas Litteral. In short, this is a complete team who could be scary when the figure out how to win and gain their full confidence. The Hornets will open the 2A Classic with Pike Central before hosting Betsy Layne in week five. There is plenty to be excited about from this squad and only one is a senior! 9. (Down 1) Prestonsburg (6-4) – The Blackcats went 0-3 at the Sunshine Classic in Daytona in week four. They will be back in action in week five with a huge home game against Betsy Layne that should see a great crowd. This game is pivotal for seeding in the 58th District and will have a tournament atmosphere. 10. (-) Belfry (6-3) – The Pirates went 2-1 in their own Mountain School Boy Classic in week four with wins over Perry Central and Twin Valley, VA and a loss to West Carter. Capital, WV transfer Sal Dean is leading the team in scoring at 14.0 ppg as Belfry is now the favorite in the 60th District. In week five, Belfry will begin the 2A Classic in a rematch with Lawrence County (lost 81-94 at Lawrence County in week two). 11. (Down 2) Phelps (5-7) – The Hornets went 1-1 in week four with a loss to Sayre 57-60 and a win over Whitley County 60-49 (both games at the Mountain School Boy Classic at Belfry). Trey Francis continues to lead the way as he is averaging 18.8 ppg and 10.6 rpg. This team is heavy in upper classmen and will be difficult to beat in the 60th District. Week five will see an easy win as they travel to Twin Valley, VA. 12. (-) East Ridge (2-7) – The Warriors lost their only contest in week four in the form of a 49-63 outcome versus Harlan County. East Ridge has three players currently averaging double figures with Eli Rose and Isaac Woods both at 12.0 ppg. Week five will likely see another win as East Ridge will travel to Jenkins for a 59th District seeded game. 13. (-) Pike Central (3-10) – The Hawks went 1-3 in week four with a 50-49 win over Floyd Central on the road. The team plays hard and works to together on the floor, but have lost a majority of their games by double digits. In week five they face Magoffin County in the 2A Classic. Magoffin County beat them 19 points earlier in season. 14. (-) Floyd Central (3-8) – The Jaguars were able to pick up a win over Pisgah, AL in week four at the King of the Smokies Tournament at Pigeon Forge, TN. This young squad will be back in action again in week six as they have no games scheduled for week five (They drew a bye in the 2A Classic and await their opponent). 15. (-) Jenkins (0-7) – Jenkins did not play in week four and will host East Ridge in a 59th District contest in week five. Payton Rose is averaging 15.9 ppg as one of the few bright spots for the Cavaliers. They will most likely have only one more legitimate chance to pick up a win this season and that will not come until mid-February. 16. (-) Piarist (0-1) – The Knights have yet to play an official contest and it is still unclear if they will participate in any games this season. Early indications say they will not. Agree or Disagree?

Overview: Week three saw Shelby Valley’s Cody Potter drop 48-points and join the 2,000-point club, Johnson Central’s Isaiah May average nearly 30 and 10 in a dominant performance in Gatlinburg and Paintsville and Martin County struggle with top tier competition. Listed below is a break of play in the 15th Region after three weeks of competition. Rankings (overall record): 1. (-) Johnson Central (4-2) – In week three, the Golden Eagles went 2-1 at the Smoky Mountain Classic in Gatlinburg, TN. Stellar play from junior guard Isaiah May got the attention of East Tennessee coaches as he dropped 32, 32 and 23 in three games in the tournament (also averaged 8 rebounds and 3 assists during the trip). In opening game, the Golden Eagles were knocked off by Union, VA on a buzzer beating three from the top of the key by a final of 70-73. In the second game, JC defeated Oneida Baptist 82-76 as May poured in another 32 points to go with 12 rebounds. The final game saw JC defeat Bell County 64-61 as May (23) and junior 1,000-point scorer Cory VanHoose (24) led JC against a very physical squad. In week four Johnson Central will travel to Belfry for the Mountain School Boy Classic where they will play Harvest Prep, OH, Perry Central and Sayre in that order. 2. (-) Shelby Valley (7-2) – The Wildcats went 4-0 in week three with a home win over Pike Central and wins over Wolfe County (previously undefeated), Betsy Layne and Morgan County in the Hi-Tech Holiday Classic at Prestonsburg. The average margin of victory for the week was 22.5 points with the closest game being a 16-point win over Morgan County. During the Betsy Layne game, Mr. Basketball candidate Cody Potter scored a school record 48 points on a school record 12 made 3FG’s. Potter also joined the 2,000-point club for Shelby Valley. The accolades were bitter sweet for the Wildcats, however, as senior Jacob Caudill broke his hand on an attempted dunk attempt when he fell to the ground after being pushed (no foul called – video clearly shows hard contact). It is unclear if he will return as surgery is scheduled. The competition will pick up a bit in week four, but not much, as Shelby Valley will travel to the Mountain School Boy Classic at Belfry where they face West Carter, Harvest Prep, OH and Perry Central. They will be favored in every game. 3. (-) Pikeville (4-4) – Pikeville remains in the three spot after three weeks of play despite going 2-2 over the past seven days. The Panthers demolished Jenkins by 40 points then won their opening game in the Smoky Mountain Classic over Livingston Academy, TN 77-68. That win was followed by losses to Saltillo, MS 33-49 and Logan, WV 51-61. In the losses, Pikeville struggled to get separation from the defense with the dribble or pass and attempted to use physicality to get open. This led to offensive fouls and early foul trouble in general. In the end, the inability to get open looks and increase in foul trouble took the Panthers out of their game. In week four, Pikeville will host the Pikeville Invitational where they open with Covington Scott. 4. (-) Martin County (4-6) – After opening the season 3-1, the Cardinals have lost five of their last six games to include three in a row at the prestigious King of the Bluegrass Tournament in Louisville. In the two tournaments Martin County has played, they are combined 1-5 with their only win coming against Harlan Independent in the WYMT Classic. Brady Dingess has been leading the offensive charge while Trey James has been anchoring the defense with his rebounding and shot blocking. It only gets tougher moving forward, as the third tournament of the season has the Cardinals opening the Traditional Bank Classic at Lexington Catholic with Lexington Catholic. To compound matters, senior Braxton Maynard (averaging double figures) has reportedly quit the team. If they can hold it together, the Cardinals will be more than battle tested come post season. 5. (-) Paintsville (2-4) – The Tigers went 1-3 in week three and could easily be 0-6 on the season. Before going to PRP this week (where Paintsville suffered losses to PRP, Seneca and Glasgow), the Tigers stole a victory on the road in a heated 57th district matchup with Magoffin County. In the Magoffin County game, Paintsville trailed by 12 points with just under four minutes to play as standout Colby Fugate picked up a technical foul for hitting an opposing player in the head with the ball (followed a common foul called on Paintsville). Fugate was benched the remainder of the game and the Tigers offense came alive as they outscored Magoffin County 17-4 down the stretch to win 61-60. Fugate continues to lead the Tigers in scoring, but as a volume scorer, dropping 35 in a loss following the Magoffin win. Despite the losses, Paintsville remains at number five this week with a head to head win versus Lawrence County on the road in overtime (week two). Week four will see the Tigers travel to Lexington Catholic for the Traditional Bank Holiday Classic where they open with Beechwood in what should be a very competitive game. If they continue to struggle, look for them to drop in the rankings. 6. (-) Lawrence County (6-4) – The Bulldogs almost won the Derby Classic at Raceland in week three, falling just short to the host school 58-68 in the championship. Nonetheless, the Bulldogs went 3-1 in week three with wins over Belfry (undefeated at the time – on the road) and Elliott County / Campbell County in the first two rounds of the Derby Classic. If Lawrence County can continue to build depth from the bench, they will be a scary team come post season. In week four, Lawrence will travel to Ashland for the A.I.T. where they open with the host school. They will be substantial underdogs in the game but could get hot and give the Tomcats a scare. 7. (-) Betsy Layne (5-3) – The Bobcats went 2-2 in week three with wins over Morgan County and a solid Wolfe County team and a loss to Shelby Valley (all games in the Hi-Tech Classic at Prestonsburg). This young squad really gets up and down the floor as is a fun team to watch. They will need to continue to develop their bench if they want to compete with the upper echelon teams in the region. In week four, Betsy Layne will travel to Buckhorn for a Christmas tournament where they open with Raceland. 8. (-) Prestonsburg (6-1) – The surprise team of the year so far might be Prestonsburg. In week three they went 3-0 with wins over Floyd Central, Morgan County and Pike Central. The competition is not top notch, but the Black Cats do have a win over Knott Central. It will be interesting to see how the team develops moving into the new year and beyond. In week four, Prestonsburg will travel to Dayton, FL for the Sunshine Classic where they open with Archbishop McCarthy, FL. 9. (-) Phelps (4-6) – The Hornets went 0-3 in week three with losses to Forest, FL, Muscle Shoals, AL, and Livingston Academy, TN in Gatlinburg. The teams they played were very good and thus we will not drop the Hornets in the rankings. Phelps did almost pull out a win over Livingston, TN, falling 65-67 on a last second shot. Trey Francis continues to lead the way as he is averaging a double-double (points and rebounds) for the favorite in the 60th district. The Hornets will be at the Mountain School Boy Classic at Belfry in week four where they take on Sayre and Whitley County. 10. (-) Belfry (4-2) – After opening the season 3-0, Belfry wen 1-2 in week three with losses to Lawrence County at home and Whitley County at the Kentucky Bank Challenge at Rowan County. They picked up a win over St. Francis at Rowan County as well. Balanced scoring from Sal Dean, Austin Hager and Tyler Chaffin has been the calling card so far this season. The Pirates play hard and should continue to get better as the football players round into basketball shape. In week four, Belfry will host the Mountain School Boy Classic where they play Perry Central, Twin Valley, VA and West Carter. They will have a chance to win every game. 11. (-) Magoffin County (3-3) – Magoffin County is a young and talented team that is still learning how to win. They have good guard play, good size and post play and an excellent coach. In week three they lost a 12-point lead to Paintsville with less than four minutes to play due to poor free throw shooting and what is best described as “nervousness” when Paintsville started pressing. They should figure this out moving forward and it showed as they bounced back with a 57-38 win over Pike Central and an 80-40 win over Jenkins following that loss. In week four, Magoffin County will travel to Belfry for the Mountain School Boy Classic where they face Whitley County, West Carter and Sayre. They will have a chance to win every game. 12. (Up 1) East Ridge (2-6) – The Warriors went 1-3 in week three with losses to Grundy, VA, Raceland and Knox Central and a win over Rose Hill. The Raceland and Knox Central games were not competitive. They open with Harlan County in the Hyden Bank Classic in week four. The Warriors could be in for a long year. 13. (Down 1) Pike Central (2-7) – The Hawks were 0-3 in week three and have dropped six in a row. Losses to Shelby Valley, Magoffin County and Prestonsburg rounded out a week to forget in the Hi-Tech Classic at Prestonsburg. In week four, Pike Central will travel to Floyd Central in a winnable game, before making the short drive to Pikeville for the Pikeville Invitational where they open with Southern. 14. (-) Floyd Central (2-5) – The Jags went 1-1 in week three with a loss at home to rival Prestonsburg in a seeded 58th District game and a win over Jenkins. Week four will see them face Pike Central at home in what should be an even contest before traveling to Pigeon Forge for the King of the Smokies Tournament after Christmas. 15. (-) Jenkins (0-7) – Jenkins was 0-4 in week three but did get close to a win against Rye Cove, VA, losing 67-69 on the road. The other three games during the week were all loses by 40 or more points. Jenkins is off until the new year (Week five), but it will be much longer until they have a legitimate chance at a win. 16. (-) Piarist (0-1) - The Knights have yet to play a game this season and it is still unclear if they have fielded a team or not (loss by forfeit). Their schedule continues to dissolve on the KHSAA website as they have only four games listed for the remainder of the season. Agree or Disagree?

Overview: The top two teams in the region clashed in a game that did not disappoint, Belfry opens hot and remains the lone undefeated team in the region, and stars showed out in week two. Listed below are the rankings and breakdown of the week that was in the 15th Region! Rankings (overall record): 1. (-) Johnson Central (2-1) – The Golden Eagles won their only contest in week two as they knocked off Shelby Valley (#2 ranked team in the region) on the road by a final of 56-53. Cory VanHoose paced three players in double figures with 17 points (Isaiah May 13 points, John King 11 points). In the game JC junior Bryson Hackney played exceptional defense on Mr. Basketball candidate Cody Potter, holding to him only one main FG as his primary defender (3/14 FG overall). JC was able to take control of the game in the fourth quarter on back to back 3FGs by Isaiah May as he went on a personal 8-0 run in a 40s span. From there, JC was able to hold on for the win despite some mistakes down the stretch. JC will travel to Gatlinburg in week three for the Gatlinburg-Pittman invitational where they open with Union, VA. 2. (-) Shelby Valley (3-2) – The Wildcats went 1-1 in week three with a dominating road win over Floyd Central 80-60 and a home loss to Johnson Central 53-56. In the Johnson Central game, Kaden Robinson paced the scoring with 18 while Cody Potter posted a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds despite a poor shooting night (only 3 made FG’s). This game featured the top two teams in the region and did not disappoint. Expect Valley to get better and make adjustments to JC’s defense when the two meet later in the season. Shelby Valley will host Pike Central then travel to the Hi-Tech Signs and Graphix Holiday Classic at Prestonsburg in week three (face Betsy Layne, Morgan County and Wolfe County). Week three will likely see four blowout wins. 3. (-) Pikeville (2-2) – The Panthers have their football players back and saw the return of big man Cade Byers (limited minutes) in week two. The result was a 1-1 record with a 59th district win over East Ridge 85-69 and loss to Bowling Green at Jackson County in the PRTC Classic by a final of 45-62. In the East Ridge game, Sophomore Rylee Sammons led with way with 27 points (6 made 3FG’s) but the big news was the injury to Zac Lockhart as he suffered what was reported as a broken leg (unconfirmed – prognosis unknown). Like Johnson Central, Pikeville will travel to the Gatlinburg-Pittman invitational where they open with Livingston Academy, TN. Before they leave they will host Jenkins in their second district game early in the season. 4. (-) Martin County (3-3) – The Cardinals went 1-2 in week two winning their opening game in WYMT Mountain Classic over Harlan Independent 65-51 before falling to fourth place by losing to both Hazard 40-52 and Knott Central 72-84. Trey James posted double-doubles in the first two contest, but the Cardinals were led in scoring by Brady Dingess in both games. Martin County has a ton of talent that will take some time to gel. The schedule gets no easier in week three as the Cardinals host Perry Central before traveling to the King of the Bluegrass tournament at Louisville Fairdale where they open with the host school. 5. (-) Paintsville (1-1) – The Tigers defeated Lawrence County on the road 61-56 in overtime in their only contest in week two. Despite trailing by 13 at halftime and double digits early in the fourth, the Tigers found a way to get the game into overtime and win going away. Paintsville was led in scoring by Braxton Tharp (18 points), as three Tigers hit double figures (Nick Keeton 17 points 14 rebounds / Colby Fugate 16 points on 18 shots). Paintsville has three very good players and will need to develop their bench to move up the rankings. Week three will see them play a huge district game at Magoffin County before going to the Derby City Jam at Pleasure Ridge Park where they open with the host. It will be a challenging week for the Tigers as they will only be favored in the Magoffin County game. 6. (Up 1) Lawrence County (3-3) – Despite going 1-2 in week two, the Bulldogs jump a spot with their win over Betsy Layne 87-73. The two losses came in the form of a 56-61 overtime contest to Paintsville and a 71-92 beat down at Boyd County. In the Paintsville game, Lawrence County failed to stay aggressive late and looked as if they were playing not to lose rather than playing to win. This allowed Paintsville to get back into the game and win late. Tyler Maynard continues to lead the way (averaging 18.5 ppg thus far) as the Bulldogs are currently one of two teams in the region with four players averaging double figures (Betsy Layne). In week three, Lawrence County will travel to Belfry before going to Raceland for the Derby Classic. 7. (Down 1) Betsy Layne (3-1) – The Bobcats dominated Lee County at home 93-50 before losing a seeded 58th District game to Lawrence County on the road 73-87 in week two. Like Lawrence County, Betsy Layne boasts four players averaging double figures led by high flyer Jordan Frazier at 18.5 ppg. The balanced scoring will be needed in week four as the Bobcats have four games. Phelps will be at home, then the Hi Tech Holiday Classic at Prestonsburg will match Betsy Layne against Morgan County, Shelby Valley and Wolfe County. 8. (-) Prestonsburg (3-1) – The Blackcats kept the momentum rolling in week two as they opened with a 65-61 win over Magoffin County, but came back to earth with a head scratching 61-77 loss on the road to East Ridge. Gunner Williams, Adam Slone and Graham Burchett led the Prestonsburg scoring in that order as Brent Roses squad plays a lot of players. Week three will see Floyd Central (58th District seeded game) on the road followed by Morgan County and Pike Central in their own Hi-Tech Holiday Classic. The Black Cats will be favored in all three contest this week. 9. (-) Phelps (3-3) – The Hornets are at .500, but only went 1-1 in week two with a loss to Hazard 55-61 and a win over Harlan Independent 80-55. The other win was a forfeit posted in advance for a contest versus Piarist scheduled for Tuesday of week three. Trey Francis is averaging 22 points and 11 rebounds early in the season and looks to keep it going in week three as his team travels to Gatlinburg for the Smoky Mountain Classic where they open with Forest, FL. 10. (Up 1) Belfry (3-0) – Belfry opened week two hot, going 3-0 (played no games in week one). The Pirates knocked off East Ridge, Letcher Central and Bath County (only road game). Thus far Austin Hager and Sal Dean have led the way for the Pirates by both averaging over 14 points a game. Mark Thompsons squad will look to keep it rolling in week three as they host Lawrence County before traveling to the Kentucky Bank Challenge at Rowan County where they face Lawrence County and St. Francis. 11. (Down 1) Magoffin County (1-2) – The Hornets lost to Prestonsburg 61-65 in their only contest during week two. Randy Baily paced four Hornets in double figures, as Grayson Whitaker posted a career high 11 points (8th grader). The Hornets are young, but will need to get more production and minutes from their bench to be a factor later in the season. Their style is fun to watch and will be tested in week three as they host Paintsville, Pike Central and Jenkins. If this Hornet squad wants respect, they will have a chance to get it versus Paintsville in a huge 57th District game. 12. (-) Pike Central (2-4) – The Hawks struggled in week two, going 0-3 with a home loss to Grundy, VA and two double digit losses in the WYMT Classic to Clay County and Knox Central. Pike Central will be on the road in week three against Shelby Valley, Magoffin County and Prestonsburg (Hi Tech Holiday Classic). They will not be favored in any of the games. 13. (-) East Ridge (1-3) – The Warriors lost their first two games of the week on the road to Belfry and Pikeville by exactly 16 points. They were able to bounce back with a surprise win at home over a hot Prestonsburg team 77-61. So far this season, East Ridge has three players in double figures with a fourth averaging 9.7. This team has some talent and should improve as the year goes on. Week three will see the Warriors travel to Grundy, VA, host Piarist (if the show up), then travel to the Derby Classic at Raceland. 14. (-) Floyd Central (1-4) – Floyd Central were defeated 60-80 in their only game in week two. It will be a few years before the Jag’s are competitive with the better teams in the region. Week three will see Prestonsburg and Jenkins come to the den. At least one win is expected and the Prestonsburg game should field a great crowd in a seeded district game. 15. (-) Jenkins (0-3) – The Cavaliers lost to Jackson City 51-80 in their only contest in week two. It seems another long year is in the works. Week two will see Rye Cove, VA, Pikeville, Magoffin County and Floyd Central on the docket as Jenkins has a four game road trip. Don’t expect any of the games to be competitive. 16. (-) Piarist (0-1) - The Knights have yet to post a score for any game, but have already forfeited against Phelps on Tuesday of this coming week. Only seven more games remain on the schedule. Agree or Disagree?

Great game between top 2 teams in 15th. JCs defense was difference on Potter. JCs Isaiah May got hot late, leading his team from 8 down to five point lead. JC held on from there. Both teams played very hard and will meet again in final game of regular season. Hats off to Bryson Hackney for great defense on Potter. Held him to only two made FGs I believe.