15th Region

Give me a backcourt of your chosing from around the state and put them on Cole and Mason's team against the same schedule. Do you think they would put up the same numbers, better numbers, or worse numbers? Honest question as I don't know. Then we could compare apples to apples. Those two are tough to guard against double and triple teams and they have played against some talented players like Tim Dalton (3 times) Gage Hughes (2 Times) Dylan James (2 times) Jaren Lovely and Trenton Russell (2 times) etc. Is the competition the same? No it is not. But I know Mason averaged around 15ppg for his AAU team this summer and started with Tim Dalton and Tavieon Hollingsworth on a team that went to the national championship. He had big scoring games against some of the best in the nation and was good enough to lead that supremely talented team in scoring. Match him with an ultra athletic guard in Cole Crace who is averaging 21, 7, 7 with several in game dunks this year and you have one tough backcourt regardless of where they play or who they play.

Here is a trivia question for you: (1) Without looking it up, can you name the 6 Mr. Basketball winners from the 15th region and the year they won the award? (2) What region in the state has the most Mr. Basketball winners all time?

Tim can make a push for sure and will get alot of votes with his recent play. Tough to take it away from Hollingworth with the state tourney MVP. Cool thing is Tim Dalton, Taveion Hollingsworth, Mason Blair were all starters on M.A.T.T.S. Mustangs AAU team that made it to the national championship game for large division. That team was loaded with talent. Tim and Taveion may finish 1/2 in Mr. Basketball voting.

It certainly does. He is now #1 again at 38.5 ppg per max preps. Crazy that the 15th Region has two of the top 14 scorers in the nation! Tim Dalton (he wants to be called Tim insted of Timmy per the Ashland Daily report after last night) is a special talent and should be considered a strong candidate for Mr. Basketball. He was 24/35 from the field with 3 Dunks in his 60 point game. Almost had a triple double too!

This would be a great idea. Would promote better scheduling too!

Crazy high score for no overtime. Timmy is a phenomenal player.

I completely agree. One team that is more than capable of winning the region will be left out.

Ping Pong balls. They will put three in a container with a 1, 2, 3 on them then draw for seeding. Alphabetical order will determine draw order. Johnson County, Salyerville, Sheldon Clark are the official names they go by and thus the draw order. This is just for 57th District and the second tie breaker. Head-to-head is the first tie breaker. I know the 60th district, for example, uses point spread as the 2nd tie breaker. If its a two way tie they flip a coin.

Overview: Not much change at the top in the region this week but we did see a few surprising upsets as Paintsville knocked off Lawrence County in Louisa and Prestonsburg downed South Floyd at Hi Hat. The top tier teams are getting primed to make a deep post season run and the region has two of the top ten scorers in the nation in Timmy Dalton and Mason Blair (per maxpreps). 1. Johnson Central (19-6) – The Golden Eagles went 2-0 in week ten with wins over Magoffin County and Breathitt County. In the Magoffin game, Mason Blair was electric as he scored 47 points and brought his team back from a 14 point deficit to start the final frame. In fact, JC outscored Magoffin County 41-25 in the final period. If JC can defeat cross town rival Paintsville on the road in week eleven, a three-way tie and subsequent draw will determine the top overall seed in the 57th district. (Sheldon Clark, Magoffin County, and Johnson Central all split regular season games with one another). Johnson Central finished undefeated at home on the season and will face Pike Central, Paintsville, and Ashland on the road in week eleven. Their six game win streak is currently the longest active streak in the region and Mason Blair is currently 10th in the nation in scoring (2nd in KY) per maxpreps. 2. Sheldon Clark (16-11) – The Cardinals went 2-1 in week ten with wins over Cabell-Midland, WV and Paintsville and a loss to Huntington, WV. With the Paintsville win, Sheldon Clark assured at least a share of the 57th district regular season title (4-2 in seeded games) and will either flip with Magoffin County or draw with Magoffin County and Johnson Central for the top overall seed. This is still the most complete and physical team in the region as they will face Prestonsburg in week eleven. 3. Pikeville (14-7) – The Panthers went 1-1 in week ten with a win over Allen Central and a loss on the road to Harlan County. Pikeville is fun to watch, plays very hard, and be a real factor come post season play. The Harlan County loss snapped a six game win streak as the Panthers will look to lock up the 59th district with huge home games against East Ridge and Shelby Valley this week. The Panthers will close week eleven with Pike Central at home. 4. Magoffin County (15-8) – The Hornets went 1-1 in week ten with a win over Betsy Layne at home and a loss versus Johnson Central on the road. In the JC game, Magoffin County was 30/51 from the free throw line, allowing the Golden Eagles to erase a 14 point 4th quarter deficit. Rumors have it Magoffin will soon welcome back sophomore sharp shooter Brady Whitaker (quit earlier in the season) as they prepare for districts on their home floor. Magoffin is assured at least a share of the regular season 57th district title with Sheldon Clark (both 4-2) as the only game left to be played is between JC and Paintsville. In all likelihood we are looking at a three way tie for the top overall seed. Magoffin will face Knott Central, South Floyd, and Prestonsburg in week eleven. The Knott Central game is a rematch of the WYMT Classic in which the Hornets knocked off the Patriots 68-63 at Perry Central. This game will be played in Salyersville where the Hornets are undefeated in their new gym. 5. East Ridge (15-8) – The Warriors were 2-0 in week ten with wins over Phelps and Shelby Valley. Head Coach Randy McCoy was not seen on the sidelines in the Shelby Valley win as some health concerns were addressed but came back negative. Expect the legendary Head Coach back on the sidelines this week as East Ridge faces Belfry and Pikeville. It should also be noted the Magoffin County game scheduled for this past Saturday was cancelled and no make-up date has been set at this time. 6. Lawrence County (17-9) – Timmy Dalton is currently third in the nation in scoring per max preps (literally 3 point away from being number 1 – top in KY) and the Bulldogs have won four or their last five. A surprising loss to Paintsville at home in week ten drops the Bulldogs down a spot though. They have secured the top spot in the district tournament and will be a factor in the regional tournament. Week eleven will see them battle tested some more as they travel to Greenup County and Boyd County. 7. Pike Central (13-11) – The Hawks went 1-1 in week ten with a big district win on the road versus Belfry and a loss at the Pikeville EXPO to a very good Rowan County squad. Pike Central’s strength is the play of Eads and Wallace on the inside, but if their backcourt play continues to improve they could make some noise in the region. Pike Central will have Johnson Central, Menifee County, and Pikeville in week eleven. This will be a good pre-test for their post season aspirations. 8. South Floyd (14-10) – The Raiders have won four of their last five but a surprising loss to Prestonsburg at home in week ten moves them down a few spots. They are tied with Allen Central for the top overall seed in the 58th district tournament and will face Hazard, Magoffin County, and June Buchanan in week eleven. This team has good guards and physical big’s. They will be a factor in the regional tournament. 9. Belfry (10-14) – Belfry went 1-2 in week ten with losses to Pike Central and Tug Valley, WV at home. They did defeat Phelps in blowout fashion between the aforementioned games. Belfry has excellent guards and they play very hard. In some stretches they struggle to score and rebound putting themselves in behind the proverbial eight ball. The Pirates will be in the 2/3 game in the 60th District as they will face Pike Central. Week eleven will see them play Greenup County and Boyd County on the road. 10. Shelby Valley (14-10) – The young Wildcats went 1-2 in week ten with losses to Harlan Independent and East Ridge and a three point win versus Phelps. They have not been playing well after a mid-season surge, losing four of their last five games. They will have Pikeville and Jenkins in week eleven are currently looking at a spot in the 2/3 game in the 59th district. 11. Paintsville (7-14) – When the Tigers shoot the ball well, they have the ability to play with anyone in the region. This was evident in week ten as they knocked off Lawrence County on the road in a game Timmy Dalton went for 47 points. The Tigers would lose their second game of the week as they hosted Sheldon Clark, but were tied going into the fourth before scoring no FG’s and only five points in the frame. The guard play and defense in solid for this club, but they go long periods of time without scoring. Paintsville is locked into the 4 seed in the 57th District (0-5 in seeded play) with one game left against Johnson Central. 12. Phelps (10-16) – Tough week for the Hornets as they went 0-4 to include two blow out losses to Belfry and Fairview. Phelps did play East Ridge and Shelby Valley very well and could have won the games with better 4th quarter play. Christian Mounts continues to lead this young Hornets. With his athletic ability and scoring prowess, don’t be surprised if they shock the region in the district tournament. Phelps is currently in the 4 seed in the 60th. 13. Allen Central (10-15) – Allen Central has won three of their last four (only loss to Pikeville) and currently sits tied with South Floyd for the 58th District top seed (both finished seeded district play at 4-2; split with each other). The Rebels will have Jenkins and June Buchanan in week eleven and should pick up two more wins. 14. Prestonsburg (6-18) – The Blackcats pulled a shocker in upsetting district rival South Floyd on the road in week ten. Trailing by one with less than 2s to play, Prestonsburg inbounded the ball to the volleyball line and got a straight away 3FG off over multiple defenders (ball inbounded from halfcourt). The ball was true and the net rang up for the win at the buzzer for Wesley Hager. This was a very good win for an improving team, but only the 6th win on the season. Prestonsburg would play Lawrence County very tough on the road the next night as well, losing by only 13. This late surge in play might be enough to get the Blackcats out of the district and to the regional tournament. 15. Betsy Layne (3-21) – The Bobcats knocked off district rival Prestonsburg at home in week ten and are slowly getting better as the season moves along. The problem is that the talent gap to begin the season was too vast to overcome and make Betsy Layne a factor. You never know though as they could pull a major upset in the weak 58th district. 16. Piarist (1-20) – The Knights are struggling and not expected to be any factor the rest of the season. Agree or Disagree?

Cole Crace and Mason Blair from Johnson Central have to be one of the better backcourts in the state as well. I would say they have the best numbers of any backcourt in the state.

Correction. Just talked to some people and it seems JC might have picked up Henry Clay and South Laurel. Sorry for the confusion. Again this is just the rumor.

From what I have been told they are one game short right now. Harlan County and Lexington Catholic declined to renew their contracts. JC has Capital, South Charleston, Belfry then district play with Boyd County, East Carter, Greenup, Ashland, and Rowan County. One of the teams they got to replace Harlan County and Lexington Catholic in the non-district schedule (nothing confirmed yet) is Tates Creek. I know they have reached out to many many teams for a home and home 2 year contract and you would be surprised who said no or who said we will play one year only but at our place. Very few will give the return game and Matney has always said he would play anyone that was willing to sign a two year deal and come to JC at least once.

Very good analysis. The Horn twins will be back as well as Bingham on the line. Like you said though, the receivers are the big question mark. They have some tall fast kids coming in from the middle school but they will probably need a year to adjust to the Varsity level with respect to strength. Geordan Blanton is impossible to replace. Kids like that rarely come along for any program.

Overview: The 57th district has been extremely fun this season and week nine did not disappoint. Timmy Dalton and Mason Blair continue to be top 20 in the nation in scoring per max preps. The top of the region is beginning to separate its self from the rest as post season rapidly approaches. Although difficult to do this season, we are back to traditional rankings after nine weeks of play. 1. Johnson Central (17-6) – The Golden Eagles went 3-0 in week nine with wins over Lawrence County, Belfry and Sheldon Clark. In the Lawrence County game, Mason Blair went for a school record 58 points (his 2nd 50 point game against the Bulldogs this season). In the Sheldon Clark game, Blair went for 37 points and 10 rebounds while Cole Crace dropped in 31 points (It was the third time the teammates have scored at least 30 points in the same game). Mason Blair also became the only member of the 2,000 point club at Johnson Central in the win against Sheldon Clark. An impressive feat in such a short period of time as Blair only scored 48 points as a freshman in limited minutes. JC is on an upward trend of late but are still in the 2/3 game in 57th District seeding. The Golden Eagles will host Magoffin County in week ten. If they defeat the Hornets and then Paintsville to close district play, there will be a three way tie for first between Sheldon Clark, Johnson Central, and Magoffin County. If Magoffin County knocks off JC, then the district is set. Magoffin County will play Paintsville and Johnson Central will play Sheldon Clark. 2. Sheldon Clark (14-10) – Don’t let the record fool you as the Cardinals are the most balanced team in the region and perhaps the best team in the region. They are rated below Johnson Central simply based the most recent head-to-head meeting. Sheldon Clark gets balanced scoring from all five starters, play physical, and have plenty of depth on the bench. Week nine saw them go 2-1 with wins against Belfry and Hazard, and a loss on the road to Johnson Central in an instant classic. The Cardinals will have Cabell Midland, WV, Huntington, WV, and Paintsville in week ten. 3. Pikeville (13-6) – Pikeville is on a five game win streak (longest in the region outside Johnson Central – 4) as they continue to impress. They are 4-0 in their seeded district games (59th District) and are about to get Kobe Brown eligible after he sit out his full year (transferred from Shelby Valley – plays PG). The Panthers schedule has improved but is still somewhat soft. They have a chance to get their second quality win in Harlan County on the road in week ten (other quality win was against Magoffin County: Shelby Valley and East Ridge should be considered good wins just to clarify). 4. Magoffin County (14-7) – The Hornets defeated Paintsville in their only game of week nine. The district win put them in first place in the 57th at 4-1 with one game to play. They meet Johnson Central is a huge matchup this Thursday with the overall number one seed on the line. If they win, the Hornets get Paintsville in the first round of districts. If they lose, they will likely draw with Sheldon Clark and Johnson Central to determine seeding as all three will share the regular season district title. 5. Lawrence County (16-8) – The Bulldogs went 3-1 in week nine with their only loss coming to Johnson Central in a game that saw Mason Blair and Timmy Dalton combine for 102 total points (Blair 58; Dalton 44). Mr. Dalton has been on a tear this season and in week nine actually increased his nation leading scoring average above 38 points per game (max preps). Timmy is also averaging double figure rebounds and nearly 6 assists per a game as well. The surprise with Lawrence County is that their younger kids, to include Jared Wellman, have also become major contributors. This Bulldog team should be considered the top sleeper in the region as they could knock anyone out of the tournament on a given night. 6. East Ridge (13-8) – The 15th Region All-A champs went 1-1 in week nine to include an opening round loss in the All-A state tournament to Russellville. Their win was against a weak Grundy, VA just across the mountain. Ball control is key for East Ridge and will keep them in almost any game within the region. It will be interesting to see how the 59th district shakes out with seeding, but as it stands now, East Ridge would face Shelby Valley in a first round game. The Warriors have Phelps, Shelby Valley, and Magoffin County is week ten. 7. Shelby Valley (13-8) – After winning five in a row, Shelby Valley dropped both their games in week nine (Pikeville & Belfry) and both were at home and by double figures. The Wildcats are young and still show inconsistency in the overall team play. One consistent spot has been freshman Cody Potter’s perimeter shooting. It is yet to be seen if this young squad can compete with the top tier teams in the region come tournament time. 8. South Floyd (13-9) – The Raiders got back to their winning ways in week nine, going 3-0. With size and great guard play, South Floyd is the class of the 58th District and will be a tough out in the regional tournament. J.R. Tackett and Brady Conn continue to lead this squad as they should extend their win streak into week ten. 9. Belfry (9-12) – The Pirates have lost five of their last six but had a very difficult week nine as they played Johnson Central, Sheldon Clark, Lawrence County and Shelby Valley. Valley was their only win. They are currently in the poll position in the 60th district as they own the tie breaker with Lawrence County (point spread) in head to head action as they two teams split. Belfry has great guard play and are a very scrappy bunch. 10. Pike Central (12-10) – The Hawks went 1-1 in week nine and have yet to hit their stride on the season. Belfry and Rowan County in week ten could get them rolling toward district play as they have the athletes to knock someone off in this region. 11. Phelps (10-12) – The Hornets went 2-2 in week nine and are not the same Phelps of old. Christian Mounts has the ability to keep them in games and they will be no easy out in the district tournament for any 60th District team. Phelps will have East Ridge, Shelby Valley, Fairview and Belfry in week ten. Not an easy week to say the least. 12. Paintsville (6-13) – The Tigers have dropped eight in a row and ten of their last eleven. It doesn’t get any easier as Sheldon Clark and Lawrence County are on the schedule for week ten. Paintsville could be looking at a 20 loss season. 13. Allen Central (9-14) – A loss the Phelps followed by wins over Jackson City and Prestonsburg were the results for Allen Central in week nine. When they shoot the ball well, Allen Central can hang with a lot of teams in the region. 14. Prestonsburg (5-16) – Prestonsburg lost to Allen Central and Phelps in week nine but are still in position where they could pull an upset in the district tournament and sneak by into the regional tournament. As it sits now, the Blackcats would face the Rebels of Allen Central in the 2/3 game of the 58th District Tournament. 15. Betsy Layne (2-18) – The Bobcats got an upset win against Phelps in week nine and have been much more competitive in their games compared to early season results. You could see Betsy Layne pick up a few more wins as the season winds down. 16. Piarist (1-19) – Piarist dropped three more in week nine. The Knights can’t wait for the super-regional to get here fast enough. Agree or Disagree?

They had a heck of an AAU team in M.A.T.T.S Mustangs. Advanced to the 17u large division national championship were they lost. All three started the whole AAU season for that team and were fun to watch!

Congratulations of Mason Blair of Johnson Central for joining the 2,000 point club! Mason has committed to play basketball at UPike.

Mason Blair with 37 points 10 rebounds and Cole Crace with 31 points 5 rebounds to lead the Golden Eagles. Sheldon Clark was led by Ethan Osborne with 17 points, Dave Cantrall (16 points), Dylan James (15 points), Shawn Moore (13 points), and Bradley Dalton (13 points).

Game is on live stream two. This link might help: Livestream 2

Game is tonight. Girls tip first at 6. Boys follow.

Watch JC and Mason Blair take on Dylan James and Sheldon Clark live at Eastern Kentucky News - WYMT The girls game before the boys is also live. Thought some might be interested as alot of points should be scored.

How Geordan Blanton is only Honorable Mention is beyond me. 4A POY of the year. Mr. Football finalist by the AP, All Area POY, BGP All State Team, CJ All State Team, LHL Class of the commonwealth All State Team. I mean, the AP selected him as a Mr. Football finalist yet he was not good enough to make 1st or 2nd team. Maybe I'm missing something here.

I agree that the Scott, WV loss was a bad one, but its just one game of many for the Cardinals. I don't have them as the top team this week, but in the top tier (which implies they could be the top team on a given night). I do agree that Pikeville is playing very well of late and could very well be the top overall team at this moment. This region is very competitive among itself and very fun to watch. I really like Wyatt Battaile at Pikeville. Kid plays well on both ends of the floor!

Please consider these prior to play Monday evening as they do not reflect those contest.

Overview: With the increasing difficulty to rank the 15th Region, a new way to classify teams has been devised. The 57th District still looks strong, Timmy Dalton continues to lead the nation in scoring per max preps, and a few teams are getting hot late. Lets see what the region holds after 8 weeks of play. Tier 1 (Teams within this tier are considered interchangeable on a given night and have distinguished themselves as the primary contenders for the regional title. These teams should be considered favorites above lower tiers – they are in no particular order). Sheldon Clark (12-9) – The Cardinals have plenty of depth and senior leadership as they went 2-1 in week eight with wins against Johnson Central at home and Ambassador Christian at Williamson, WV. They did lose to Scott, WV at Williamson, WV in a game they controlled for almost 31 minutes. This team is big, physical, and athletic and will could easily win the region. Magoffin County (13-7) – The Hornets went 1-1 in week eight with a win over Belfry at home and loss on the road to Pikeville. Magoffin County is still undefeated on their new home floor as Trenton Russell and Jaren Lovely continue to lead the way. They will very difficult to beat in districts at home. Johnson Central (14-6) – The Golden Eagles went 1-2 in week eight with losses on the road to Knott Central and Sheldon Clark. Mason Blair seems to have recovered from his recent scoring slump as he put 33 and 36 following a 23 point performance vs. Sheldon Clark. Blair also became the school’s all-time leading scorer vs. Mingo Central. In week nine JC should see Cole Crace reach the 1,000 point club as JC faces Lawrence County, Belfry, and Sheldon Clark. Pikeville (11-6) – Perhaps the hottest team in the region, the Panthers went 2-0 in week eight with double digit wins over both Magoffin County and East Ridge. Wyatt Battaile is a dynamic player on both ends of the floor and when point guard transfer Kobe Brown gets eligible (sitting out the full year – will be available in early February), this team will have all the pieces to contend. This could be Pikeville’s year. Tier 2 (Teams within this tier have shown the ability to knock off tier 1 teams and should be considered the top sleepers in the region. With improvement or tier 1 decline, they could jump up. These teams should be considered interchangeable and favorites over lower tier’s – they are in no particular order). East Ridge (12-7) – The reigning All-A champs went 2-1 in week eight with their only loss coming to a red hot Pikeville squad. They will face Russellville in the All-A state tournament followed by Phelps. East Ridge is solid and own one win over the tier one teams. On a given night they could knock anyone out with their tempo control. Lawrence County (13-7) – The Bulldogs picked up wins versus Phelps, South Floyd, and Paintsville in week three in convincing fashion in week eight. In the South Floyd game both Timmy Dalton (49 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists) and Jared Wellman (21 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) went for triple doubles. The team is young, but with Timmy Dalton they always have a chance to knock off a top tier team. Shelby Valley (13-6) – Shelby Valley is playing well right now and have the quality wins they were missing earlier in the season. They have won five in a row heading into a big showdown with 59th district foe Pikeville. The Wildcats could make a claim as a top tier team with a good showing in week nine. South Floyd (10-9) – The Raiders have plenty of talent and size but have hit a mid-season slump, losing three of their last five. South Floyd is still a heavy favorite in the 58 district despite a surprising loss to Allen Central in seeded action. Jackson City, Jenkins, and Betsy Layne will help them right the ship in week nine. Tier 3 (Teams within this tier are solid and could knock off a tier 2 team on a given night. They should be considered heavy underdogs versus a tier 1 team and not serious contenders for the regional title but favorites over lower rated tiers – they are in no particular order). Belfry (8-9) – The Pirates are on the cusp of moving up to tier 2 as they own wins over two teams in that classification. Having lost two in a row does not help however. The road gets no easier as they face Lawrence County, Johnson Central, and Shelby Valley on the road before hosting Sheldon Clark in week nine. With a good showing this week you should see them rise to tier 2, but it will be very difficult. Pike Central (11-9) – The Hawks have lost two of their last three and play uninspired basketball at times. They have talent and size, but cant seem to put it together for an entire game. This team will have a chance to come out of the 60th district with a late season push. Paintsville (6-11) – The Tigers are very good defensively but struggle to score the ball at times. If their young talent, gets hot they could pull and upset. Paintsville will have Russell, Magoffin County and Greenup County in week nine. It gets no easier as the have lost six in a row and eight of their last nine overall. Phelps (8-10) – The Hornets have the best player no one ever mentions in Christian Mounts. He is a skinny guard, but can absolutely sky on his dunks. Phelps is playing better of late and could claw to .500 by seasons end. Tier 4 (Teams within this tier are devoid of great talent and need much improvement to be competitive with higher rated tiers – they are in no particular order). Prestonsburg (5-14) – The Blackcats picked up two wins in week eight with wins over Betsy Layne and Allen Central. They have a punchers chance to advance to the regional tournament, but cannot contend with higher rated tiers. Allen Central (7-13) – The Rebels picked up a shocking win versus 58th District rival South Floyd in week eight and have been playing much better. Their young talent will mesh well next year with South Floyd’s upperclassmen (Floyd County Central) but they might still find themselves in the regional tournament as the 58th is very weak. Betsy Layne (1-17) – The Bobcats narrowly lost to Prestonsburg, but are still a few years away from being competitive with the tier’s above them. Tier 5 (Teams in this tier have little to no chance to defeat any 15th region opponent). Piarist (1-16) – No wins in the near future for the Knights. They will make their first trip to the region next year, however, along with everyone else. Agree or Disagree?

Correct! He is Eddie's son and his non-identical twin brother (Jarrett) is also on the team. Mason and Jarrett are 1st Cousin's to former JC point guard Braxton Blair as well. Braxton recently won his first boxing tournament after playing 1 year for Alice Lloyd College on the hardwood.