ApolloFan98

As we enter the final week of the regular season, Owensboro Catholic sits atop the standings after another big win over Owensboro. They do have the head to head loss to Ohio County and the Eagles are sitting at 12-0 against regional competition. However, their overall body of work isn't quite as impressive as the Aces. Owensboro continues to struggle finding a consistent lineup. Ji Webb missed both games this past week and his status moving forward is unknown. The Devils will need to look within, if they expect to make a run. Butler County is a team to watch. They have one of the states top scorers in Ty Price and are starting to turn the corner. The Region could really use his star power at the Sportscenter in a few weeks. 1.Owensboro Catholic Aces (24-3) – SAME Wins – Muhlenberg Co, Owensboro & Warren East The Aces continued to tear through the regular season this week with some big wins. Brian Griffith also continued his tear. He averaged 26 ppg in the 3 wins, scoring 31 against Warren East on Saturday. In the big district game against Owensboro, the Aces went unchallenged in a 66-46 win. That earns them the #1 seed in the 9th district tournament next week. They finish the season with Breck Co and Evansville Reitz. 2.Ohio County Eagles (22-6) – SAME Losses - Whitesville Trinity, Butler County & Meade County The Eagles have won 5 of 6, including a huge 4th quarter comeback against Butler County. Elijah Decker had 29 second half points in the win to finish with 36. Decker joined the 1000 point, 500 rebound club as well. He put up 25 ppg last week to power the Eagles to 3 3rd Region wins. They finish the season this week with tough games at Owensboro and at home against South Warren. 3.Owensboro Red Devils (14-9) – SAME Losses- Bowling Green & Owensboro Catholic The uneven season continued last week for the Devils. Without Ji Webb, Owensboro dropped both games by double digits. They are running out of time to start coming together as a team but we all know the ceiling is very high if they ever do come together. The Devils finish the season with tough games against Ohio County and Henderson County. 4.Mclean County Cougars (20-7) - UP 1 Wins – Daviess Co, Trigg Co & Logan Co The Cougars have reeled off 4 straight wins. 3 of those coming last week in huge games from Jaxon Floyd. Floyd joined the 1000 point club while averaging 23 ppg in the wins. They finish the regular season against Hopkins Central and Butler County this week. 5.Butler County Bears (18-9) – DOWN 1 Wins – Edmonson County, Losses - Ohio Co & Hopkinsville It's easy to see Butler County is playing its best basketball here at the end of the season. They had won 7 of 8 entering the week and pushed Ohio County to the end, before falling on a last second 3. They got a tough district win against Edmonson Friday before falling to Hoptown on Saturday without Ty Price in the 4th quarter. Price was electric again last week, putting up 36 ppg moving his season average to right at 31 ppg. The Bears finish the season against Ft Campbell and Mclean this week. 6.Hancock County Hornets (15-10) – UP 2 Wins - Apollo, Cloverport & Breck Co The Hornets have been up and down all season but have now won 4 straight games. They were able to clinch the #1 seed with a win over Breck on Friday. Evan Ferry led the way with 18, while Cole Dixon added 17. The win helps the Hornets avoid a tough play in game in the first round. They will finish the season against Henderson County and Grayson County. 7.Edmonson County Wildcats (15-11) – DOWN 1 Wins – Allen Co, Losses - Butler Co & Green Co The Cats came into the week with a lot of momentum, but could not lock down the district's number one seed against Butler County on Friday. They will now await a coin flip to see who they get in the first round. They will finish the regular season against Russellville and Breck County. 8.Whitesville Trinity Raiders (14-13) – UP 1 Wins - Mclean County, Losses – Edmonson County The Raiders bounced back this week and now have won 4 of their last 5 games. They opened the week with a loss to Ohio County but reeled off 3 straight wins to close the week. Landon Huff is coming alive, as he scored 23 ppg in the 4 games last week. He scored his 1500th career point and set a new career high with 33 vs Union County. They finish the season with Lyon Co and Todd Co. 9.Meade County Greenwave (8-15) – DOWN 2 Losses - Central Hardin & Ohio Co The Waves had their 4 game win streak snapped this week with tough losses to Central Hardin and Ohio County. They found out they will be playing Breck County in the 11th District Tournament via Hancock's win on Friday. They finish the regular season with Grayson Co, North Bullitt and Fairdale. 10.Daviess County Panthers (10-13) – DOWN 1 Wins – Apollo, Losses - Mclean Co The Panthers battled Mclean Co to a 1 point loss before bouncing back against Apollo on Friday. Gage Phelps continued his tremendous season, putting up 20 ppg last week. The Panthers will get Owensboro in the first round of district, after the results on Friday night. Before then, they close the season with Grayson and Union Co. 11.Breckinridge County Tigers (9-15) – UP 2 WIns - Grayson Co, Losses – Hancock Co The Tigers bounced back to open the week with a win over Grayson County. Mercer Rogers and Lane Taul led a balanced attack with 12 each. They dropped the district game with Hancock Friday to set up a 1st round match-up with Meade. They have Owensboro Catholic and Edmonson County this week. 12.Muhlenberg County Mustangs (6-20) – SAME Wins - St Mary, Losses – Owensboro Catholic & Madisonville The Mustangs are showing signs of life even in their losses. They pushed very good Owensboro Catholic and Madisonville teams before falling short. Kanyon Johnson had 20 on Saturday to lead them past St Mary. The Mustangs close the season with Apollo and Hopkinsville before getting Mclean County in the 10th District. 13.Grayson County Cougars (8-17) – DOWN 2 Losses - Breck County & Whitesville Trinity The Cougars continued to slide this past week and have now lost 5 of their last 6. They will await the flip between Edmonson and Butler County to see who they get in the district tournament. Before then, they close the season against Meade County, Daviess County and Hancock County. 14.Apollo Eagles (4-22) - SAME Losses – Hancock Co, Daviess Co and Whitesville Trinity Apollo continued its struggle this week, losing 3 more games. They finish the season with Muhlenberg. 15.Cloverport Aces (6-20) – SAME Wins- Cannelton, Losses - Hancock The Aces picked up their 3rd straight win against Cannelton before falling to Hancock on Wednesday. Cole Weatherholt put up 19 in the win. They finish the season with Ft Knox and Christian Foundation. DISTRICT PAIRINGS 9th - #1 Owensboro Catholic vs #4 Apollo, #2 Owensboro vs #3 Daviess County (at Owensboro) 10th - #2 Mclean County vs #3 Muhlenberg County --- #1 Ohio Co (bye) 11th - #1 Hancock County vs #4 Cloverport, #2 Meade County vs #3 Breck County (at Cloverport) 12th - Flip for #1 seed with Butler Co & Edmonson Co -- #3 Whitesville Trinity & #4 Grayson County

The Owensboro Sportscenter is a classic place to watch a game down here in the 3rd. The action has been a little down the past few years but as far as venue goes, they don't get much better than the Sportscenter.

With 2 weeks left in the regular season, the region still has a couple of big matchups left. Owensboro Catholic hosts Owensboro this Friday in a rematch of an instant classic from a few weeks ago. Owensboro is still trying to find the chemistry with the addition of Ji Webb and departure of AP Mitchell. Ohio County gets Owensboro next week ahead of district tournament season. The 11th and 12th district seeding is still in play with big games on Friday. The 1st round matchups will become clear this week. 1.Owensboro Catholic Aces (21-3) – UP 1 Wins – Daviess Co The Aces went unchallenged in a big district win over Daviess County Friday night. Parker Gray hit 9 3's and led all scorers with 29. Brian Griffith added 21. They will look to lock down the #1 seed in district play this week as they host OHS on Friday. They will also have games against Muhlenberg County and Warren East this week. 2.Ohio County Eagles (19-6) – DOWN 1 Losses - Collins The Eagles dropped their lone game this week at the Sportscenter to a good Collins team. While they have a big win over Owensboro Catholic this season, they are still looking for that signature win outside the region. They have 3 road games this week against Trinity, Butler and Meade. 3.Owensboro Red Devils (14-7) – SAME Wins - Apollo Owensboro got Ji Webb in the lineup last week but lost AP Mitchell this week. He is no longer on the team roster. How the Devils navagate their chemistry over the next few weeks will determine if this will be a successful season or not. They have a chance to avenge a disappointing loss to Catholic on Friday. Before then, they will travel to Bowling Green on Tuesday. 4.Butler County Bears (17-7) – UP 2 Wins – Grayson County The Bears have reeled off 5 straight wins and 7 of their last 8. It looks like this young team may be turning the corner just in time for postseason play. They notched another district win over Grayson on Friday. Lawson Rice was listed for a major double double with 23 points and 23 boards. They have Ohio County, Edmonson County and Hopkinsville this week. The schedule will be a bit of a step up in competition for the Bears so it will be a nice test before the postseason. The Friday game against Edmonson will be for a share of the district #1 seed. 5.Mclean County Cougars (17-7) - SAME Wins – Breck County & Christian Foundation, Losses - Whitesville Trinity The Cougars hosted 3 games at the Sportscenter this past weekend and survived an upset to Breck County on Friday, winning by 1. Saturday, they were upended by Whitesville Trinity. They will host Daviess County and Trigg County before traveling to Logan County this week. 6.Edmonson County Wildcats (14-9) – UP 1 Wins – Whitesville Trinity & Campbellsville The Wildcats have won 3 straight games and can lock down the district's #1 seed at Butler County on Friday. In the district win against Trinity, Braxton Highbaugh led the way with 16. On Saturday, Tyler Anderson scored 17 against Campbellsville. They have Allen County, Green County and the big district game against Butler on Friday. 7.Meade County Greenwave (8-13) – UP 4 Wins - Cloverport & Hancock County The Waves have reeled off 4 straight wins and appear to be peaking at the right time. They moved to 4-2 in district play with blowout wins over Cloverport and Hancock County. In the 24 point win over the Hornets, Cade Scott led the way with 36 points! Meade will have to wait to see how Hancock fairs this week to determine if they will play Breck County or Cloverport in the district tournament. They have games against Central Hardin and Ohio County this week. 8.Hancock County Hornets (12-10) – DOWN 2 Wins - Union County, Losses - Meade County While the Hornets were blown out at the hands of Meade County on Friday, they bounced back with an 18 point win over Union County on Saturday. Kaleb Keown had 22 points and 11 boards, while Devyn Powers added 21. They will need to get wins over Cloverport and Breck County this week to lock down the 1 seed in district. If they stumble, they will have to go to a coin flip with Meade. 9.Whitesville Trinity Raiders (11-12) – DOWN 1 Wins - Mclean County, Losses – Edmonson County The Raiders ended their 5 game losing streak this Saturday with a nice win over Mclean County at the Sportscenter. Landon Huff led the way with 26 points in the win. It looks as if Trinity will take on Edmonson or Butler County in the first round of district, depending on the result of that game on Friday. They will have games against Ohio County, Union County, Grayson County and Apollo this week. 10.Daviess County Panthers (10-13) – DOWN 1 Wins – Evansville Day, Losses - Owensboro Catholic The Panthers opened the week with a tough setback against Catholic but bounced back with a win over Evansville Day on Saturday. Gage Phelps won player of the game honors with 19 points. They have games against Mclean and Apollo this week. 11.Grayson County Cougars (8-15) – DOWN 1 Losses - Butler County In the Cougars dropped another district game to Butler County on Friday. They host Breck County on Tuesday and travel to Trinity on Friday. 12.Muhlenberg County Mustangs (5-18) – SAME Wins - Breck Co, Losses – Butler County and Mclean County The Mustangs dropped a tough game to Henderson this past week. They will look to get back on track this week with games against Owensboro Catholic, Madisonville and St Mary. 13.Breckinridge County Tigers (8-14) – SAME Losses – Mclean County The Tigers nearly took down Mclean at the Sportscenter on Friday, before falling 56-55. They have lost 6 of 8. The Tigers have Grayson and Hancock this week. 14.Apollo Eagles (4-19) - SAME Losses – Owensboro & Logan County Apollo was blown out in 2 losses this week. They have Hancock, Daviess and Trinity this week in regional action. 15.Cloverport Aces (5-19) – SAME Wins- Francis Parker and Valley The Aces got 2 straight wins this week! The stats were not posted in the wins but the Aces will look to keep the momentum alive with games against Cannelton, IN and Hancock County this week.

The 3rd Region continues to struggle against top competition from around the state. Ohio County fell short against Bowling Green. Catholic ran out of legs against Holy Cross. Owensboro continued to be inconsistent with a road loss to Madisonville. The region has not scored a win at Rupp since Owensboro's 2015 State Championship and unless something picks up over the next few weeks, that streak may continue into 2024. Owensboro probably has the highest ceiling of any team in the region, but has to find the right lineups. Ji Webb earned a start on Friday so that is something to watch over the next few weeks. The Devils finish the season with Bowling Green, Owensboro Catholic, Ohio County and Henderson County. Those games should tell you a lot about where they are. 1.Ohio County Eagles (19-5) – SAME Wins – Calloway County & Hancock County, Losses - Bowling Green The Eagles fell short in their biggest test of the week against Bowling Green but bounced back with wins over Calloway and Hancock County. Elijah Decker and Parker Culbertson continue to lead the way for the season. Decker is putting up 16.6 ppg while Culbertson is at 14.7 ppg. The Eagles will travel to Trinity tomorrow before closing the week at the Sportscenter against Collins. 2.Owensboro Catholic Aces (20-3) – SAME Wins – Grayson County, Cumberland County, University Heights, Losses - Covington Holy Cross The Aces opened the week with a regional win over Grayson before traveling to the All-A State Tournament. They opened with an easy win over Cumberland County and looked to be on track for another easy win over University Heights, as they led by 17 heading into the 4th quarter. UHA however, stormed from behind to take the game into 4 overtimes before Catholic prevailed. Unfortunately for the Aces, the game played well past midnight and they had to come back for an afternoon tip against a tough Covington Holy Cross team. The Aces just didn't have the legs to keep up and fell short in the semifinals. Parker Gray, Luke Biekman and Brian Griffith led the Aces balanced attack through the tournament. The Aces host Madisonville tomorrow and travel to Daviess County on Friday. 3.Owensboro Red Devils (13-7) – SAME Wins - Daviess County & Hopkinsville, Losses – Madisonville Owensboro got Ji Webb back in the lineup this week, which should be a big addition for them down the stretch. That being said, finding minutes for everyone will be a challenge for Coach Drake. The team will need to avoid the friction of splitting minutes because the ceiling for them is sky high. Ji led the Devils in the big district win over Daviess County Friday with 18. Carbon led the way on Saturday at Hoptown with 22. Owensboro will host Apollo in their lone game this week. 4.Mclean County Cougars (15-6) - SAME Wins – Muhlenberg County The Cougars held off Muhlenberg County on Friday to pickup another district win. This is a preview of the first round matchup we will be getting in a few weeks. Mclean has won both regular season meetings. The Cougars will host Webster County tomorrow and have weekend games at the Sportscenter against Breck County, Whitesville Trinity and Christian Foundation. 5.Butler County Bears (16-7) – UP 2 Wins – Allen County, Muhlenberg County, Whitesville Trinity and Christian Educational The Bears reeled off 4 straight wins this week. Justin Castlen stepped up with 26 points in the win over Allen County. In the 3 wins that followed, Ty Price averaged 33 per game. The Bears host Ft Campbell tonight, travel to Grayson County on Friday and then get WEB Dubios on Saturday at the Sportscenter. 6.Hancock County Hornets (11-9) – SAME Losses - Ohio County The Hornets battled Ohio County in their lone game last week but came up 5 points short. They travel to Cloverport tonight and Meade County on Friday night before finishing the week against Union County on Saturday. 7.Edmonson County Wildcats (12-9) – DOWN 2 Wins – Grayson County, Losses – Todd Central The Wildcats dropped a tough overtime game to Todd on Tuesday but bounced back with a nice district win over Grayson County. Braden Wall led the way with 23 while Highbaugh added a double double with 17 and 11. They host Breck tomorrow and Whitesville Trinity on Friday. 8.Whitesville Trinity Raiders (9-6) – SAME Losses – Meade County & Butler County The Raiders struggles continued into this week, as they have now lost 4 straight games. They will look to get back on track this week with tough games against Ohio County, Edmonson County and Mclean County. 9.Daviess County Panthers (9-12) – SAME Wins – Bluegrass Blazers, Losses - Owensboro & Webster County The Panthers got some bad news on Dylon Talbott this week. His appeals have been turned down and he will not be eligible to play this season. They did get Jack Payne back in the lineup on Friday which should be a big lift for the Panthers in the final few weeks of the season. The Panthers have Muhlenberg County, Owensboro Catholic and Evansville Day this week. 10.Grayson County Cougars (8-14) – SAME Wins - Apollo, Losses - Owensboro Catholic & Edmonson County In the Cougars win over Apollo, Spencer Langdon knocked down 5 3's to finish with 17. The Cougars could not maintain that momentum as they fell to Edmonson County on Friday. They have home games against Meade County, Butler County and Trigg County this week. 11.Meade County Greenwave (6-13) – UP 2 Wins - Whitesville Trinity & Breck County, Losses – Hart County The Waves are showing signs of improvement late in the season. Coach Tripure always seems to have his teams playing at their best come district tournament time. Cade Scott and Garrett Hardesty each scored over 20 in the big district win over Breck Friday. Hardesty had 22 in the win over Trinity back on Tuesday. They will look to keep it going against Grayson County, Hancock County and Cloverport this week. 12.Muhlenberg County Mustangs (5-17) – SAME Wins - Breck Co, Losses – Butler County and Mclean County The Mustangs ended their 5 game losing streak with a big win over Breck County on Saturday. Madox Jernigan led the way with 27, while Kadin Ray added a double double with 14 and 11. The Mustangs have Daviess County and Henderson County this week. 13.Breckinridge County Tigers (8-13) – DOWN 2 Wins - Cloverport, Losses – Meade County & Muhlenberg County The Tigers struggled this week against a couple of teams previously ranked below them in Meade and Muhlenberg County. Since picking up a signature win against Owensboro a few weeks back, the Tigers have struggled a little bit. They will look to get back on track against Edmonson County and Mclean County this week. 14.Apollo Eagles (3-15) - SAME Wins - Trigg County, Losses – Grayson County & Allen County Apollo got a nice OT win over Trigg County this week. Zjahn Tutt poured in 27 in the win. They have Union County, Owensboro and Logan County this week. 15.Cloverport Aces (3-18) – SAME Losses - Breck County and Brown The Aces have games against Hancock County, Meade County, Francis Parker and Valley this week.

I wish I had seen this earlier! I would have expected a toss up. Ohio County is a real strong team in our region due to the physicality and ability to play position less basketball most of the time. It makes them a matchup problem inside the 3rd. Outside the 3rd, I am not sure they do that as much, especially to a team like Bowling Green. When it comes to our region you have them, Tim Riley's Aces and Owensboro. The Aces are so well coached and play with a ton of heart, so they are a tough game for just about anyone. Owensboro is the team that I think has the highest ceiling. It just seems like they struggle to get the right lineup on the floor at times. The Devils "Basketball Bennie" lineup is Carbon, Moss, Webb, AP and Ethan Pendleton. If they make that their primary lineup and use the other kids in spot duty, lookout.

Ohio County moves to the top spot this week after a somewhat convincing win in the Owensboro Sportscenter last Tuesday. The Eagles have now won 7 of their last 8 games and have moved themselves into the role of regional favorite for the time being. They do have a late season game against Owensboro, on Valentines Day. It still looks to be a 3 team race for the regional title. 1.Ohio County Eagles (17-4) – UP 1 Wins – Owensboro Catholic & Mclean County It was a huge week for the Eagles. They opened with a convincing 12 point win against Owensboro Catholic. They jumped out early and never looked back. Parker Culbertson was smooth as silk from the field, scoring 27. On Friday, they became the 1st team to punch their ticket to the 3rd Region Tournament, as they knocked off Mclean County. This makes them 4-0 in district play and gives them the #1 seed. Elijah Decker scored 14 to lead the Eagles. They have 3 home games this week against Bowling Green, Hancock County and Calloway County. 2.Owensboro Catholic Aces (17-2) – DOWN 1 Wins – Apollo, Losses - Ohio County The Aces ran into a buzzsaw last Tuesday night in the form of the Ohio County Eagles. From the outset, it looked like Ohio County were out to make a statement that they were the best team in the region. Catholic made a late push but it was not enough, as they fell 76-64. The Aces bounced back with a district win in a huge second half effort against Apollo. Parker Gray led the way with 15. They have Grayson County tonight and open the All-A State Tournament against Cumberland County on Thursday. 3.Owensboro Red Devils (11-6) – SAME Losses – Evansville Bosse The Devils put an end to their 3 game losing streak, with a track meet win over Bosse 94-92. AP Mitchell led the way with 36 points. Mitchell is starting to become a force for Coach Drake in the paint. He has a division 1 level frame and as he gets more experience under his belt, you can expect him to be a big difference maker in the post season. The Devils have road games at Madisonville, Daviess County and Hopkinsville this week. 4.Mclean County Cougars (14-6) - SAME Wins – Edmonson County, Losses - Ohio County The Cougars fought for a double overtime win against Edmonson County to open the week. The team trailed by 1 late in the double overtime before Cruz Lee hit the game winning 3 pointer. Gunnar Revelett led the team with 18. On Friday, they led late against Ohio County and had 2 free throws to make it a 3 point game with under 20 seconds to play. Unfortunately, they missed the front end of a one in one and could not hold off the Eagles. Revelett again led the way, with 17. They are at Muhlenberg County on Friday. 5.Edmonson County Wildcats (11-8) – UP 2 Wins – Butler County, Losses – Mclean County The Wildcats have now won 5 of their last 7 games, with one of those losses coming to Mclean County on a buzzer beater in double overtime. They got a big district win over Butler County on Friday. The Cats placed 4 players in double figures in a balanced effort. Braden Wall had a double double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. They are at Todd Central tonight and host Grayson County on Friday. 6.Hancock County Hornets (11-8) – UP 2 Wins – Whitesville Trinity & Meade County It was a good news bad news week for the Hornets. They scored impressive back to back wins over Whitesville Trinity and then a district win against Meade on Friday. Against the Raiders, Devin Powers led the way with 18 while Kaleb Keown recorded a double double with 17 points and 11 boards. Keown kept it going against the Waves, scoring 27. The Hornets look to keep the momentum alive this week as they travel to Ohio County on Friday. 7.Butler County Bears (12-7) – SAME Wins – Green County, Losses - Edmonson The Bears continue to be inconsistent in the results this season. Ty Price and Lawson Rice both had big weeks again, but the Bears dropped another district game to Edmonson on Friday. Price is up to 30 points per game, while Rice is sitting at 19 points and 11 rebounds per contest, but the Bears have to start finding ways to be more consistent down the stretch if they want to reach their potential. They have Allen County, Muhlenberg County and Whitesville Trinity this week. 8.Whitesville Trinity Raiders (9-6) – DOWN 3 Wins –Cloverport, Losses – Hancock County, Grayson County and Hopkins County Central It was a tough week for the Raiders, dropping 3 of 4 games. While they opened the season with 6 seniors, they have been battling injuries lately and that has shortened the bench for Coach West. They will look to bounce back this week with games against Meade County and Butler County this week. 9.Daviess County Panthers (8-10) – SAME Wins – Meade County & Warren East, Losses - Henderson County The Panthers have now won 4 of their last 5 and will hopefully get some guys back in the lineup soon. No one has competed as hard as Daviess County this year. Even in games where they have been under maned they continue to battle. Gage Phelps has upped his season average to right at 19 points per game to lead the Panthers. They have the Bluegrass Blazers, Owensboro and Webster County this week. 10.Grayson County Cougars (7-12) – UP 1 Wins - Whitesville Trinity The Cougars bounced back with a nice 13 point home win over Whitesville Trinity this week. Jack Logsdon led the way with 15. Its a tough week for the Cougars as they ahve Owensboro Catholic tonight, Apollo tomorrow and a district game against Edmonson on Friday. 11.Breckinridge County Tigers (7-11) – DOWN 1 Wins - Apollo, Losses – Central Hardin The Tigers opened the week with a nice 14 point win over Apollo. Hunter Barr had a double double with 15 points and 11 boards. They dropped a game to Central Hardin on Friday. They have Cloverport, Meade and Muhlenberg this week. 12.Muhlenberg County Mustangs (4-15) – SAME Losses – Bowling Green & Mayfield The Mustangs continue to play a gauntlet schedule and while they look to be improving, its hard to see it in the results. Kanyon Johnson has came on strong as of late, as he scored 21 in both losses last week. The Mustangs have Butler County & Mclean County this week. 13.Meade County Greenwave (4-12) – SAME Losses – Daviess County and Hancock County The Waves dropped a pair of games this week. Peyton Johnson leads the way with 13 points per game on the season. The Waves have Hart, Whitesville Trinity and Breck County this week. 14.Apollo Eagles (3-15) - SAME Losses – Breck County and Owensboro Catholic Right now, Apollo just isn't deep enough to compete consistently. The Eagles have games against Grayson County, Trigg County and Allen County this week. 15.Cloverport Aces (3-16) – SAME Wins – Whitesville Trinity & Dawson Springs The Aces have games against Breck County and Brown this week.

3rd Region Mid- Season Scoring Leaders 1. Ty Price – Butler County – 29.8 ppg 2. Kenyatta Carbon – Owensboro – 22.8 ppg 3. Brian Griffith – Owensboro Catholic – 22.5 ppg 4. Lawson Rice – Butler County – 19 ppg 5. Gage Phelps – Daviess County – 18.5 ppg 6. Elijah Decker – Ohio County – 16.9 ppg 7. Jaxon Floyd – Mclean County – 15.9 ppg 8. Kaleb Keown – Hancock County – 15.4 ppg 9. Hunter Barr – Breck County – 15.3 ppg 10. Jack Logsdon – Grayson County – 15.2 ppg

4.Mclean County Cougars (13-5) - SAME Wins – Grayson County The Cougars scored a 63-49 win over Grayson County in their lone game this week. Gunnar Revelett led the way with 17 while Cruz Lee finished with 15. The Cougars host Edmonson County Tuesday and look to stay alive in the race for the 1 seed in the district as they host Ohio County on Friday. 5.Whitesville Trinity Raiders (9-6) – SAME Wins –Edmonson County & Crittenden County, Losses – Evansville Christian Trinity fought their way out of a rough stretch with back to back wins to close out their week. Landon Smith had 20 vs Crittenden while Landon Huff and Nolan Mills led the way in the district win over Edmonson County with 13. They have 4 big road games this week as they travel to Hancock tonight, Cloverport tomorrow, Grayson on Friday and Hopkins Central Saturday. 6.Butler County Bears (11-6) – SAME Wins – Grayson County, Losses - Greenwood Ty Price continues to be the talk of Western Kentucky high school basketball as he scored 35 in a losing effort to Greenwood and put up 40 in a district win over Grayson County. Price took another unofficial visit to Auburn over the weekend. He has had recent visits with Oklahoma, Indiana and Louisville as well. Price is averaging 29.8 points per game on the season. The Bears host Green County Tuesday and travel to Edmonson Friday. 7.Edmonson County Wildcats (10-7) – SAME Wins – Metcalfe County & Apollo, Losses – Whitesville Trinity The Wildcats have now won 4 of their last 5 games. Xander Bass led the Cats over Metcalfe with 18 while Braxton Highbaugh continued his great season with a 17 point, 13 rebound double double. They did drop a district game to Trinity on Friday but bounced back with a blowout win over Apollo on Saturday. They are at Mclean Tuesday and host Butler Friday. 8.Hancock County Hornets (8-7) – DOWN 1 Wins – Tell City, IN, Losses – Muhlenberg County The Hornets ended their 3 game skid with a win over Tell City on Tuesday. 6 Hornets reached double figures in the win. Right now, Hancock just need to find more consistent depth to give this team some energy late in games. They host Trinity tonight and Meade on Friday. 9.Daviess County Panthers (6-9) – UP 1 Wins – Breck County & Apollo The Panthers got a couple of hard fought wins this week. Tuesday they knocked off Breck County by 12. Houston Oberst led the way with 18. Friday, they survived an upset bid from Apollo, winning 54-53. Gage Phelps finished with 19. The Panthers have games against Meade, Henderson and Warren East this week. 10.Breckinridge County Tigers (6-10) – DOWN 1 Losses – Daviess County & Bethlehem The Tigers could not sustain the momentum built last week as they dropped games to Daviess County and Bethlehem. They will look to get back on track as they host Apollo and Central Hardin this week. 11.Grayson County Cougars (6-12) – SAME Losses – Butler County & Mclean County The Cougars were blown out in 2 games this week, including a 72-57 district loss at Butler County Friday. River Blanton scored his 1000th career point as a bright spot. They host Whitesville Trinity in their lone game this week. 12.Muhlenberg County Mustangs (4-13) – SAME Wins – Hancock County, Losses – Ohio County Kanyon Johnson led the Stangs to a regional win over Hancock County on Tuesday, scoring 19. Kadin Ray has been a double double machine all year, as he added 13 points and 11 boards. They dropped a district game to Ohio County Friday. Muhlenberg will travel to Bowling Green Tuesday before hosting Mayfield on Friday. 13.Meade County Greenwave (4-10) – SAME Wins – Shelby County, Losses – North Oldham The Waves opened their week with a nice 65-61 overtime win against Shelby County on Tuesday. Cade Scott led the way with 15 while Peyton Johnson added 13. The Waves host Daviess County Tuesday and travel to Hancock for a district contest on Friday. 14.Apollo Eagles (3-13) - SAME Wins – Hopkins Central, Losses – Daviess County and Edmonson County Zjhan Tutt continues to be the bright spot for the Eagles, as he led them to a nice win over Hopkins Central on Monday. He finished with 25. The Eagles showed a lot of fight against Daviess County before coming up 1 point short on Friday. Apollo has Breck County and Owensboro Catholic this week. 15.Cloverport Aces (3-14) – SAME Wins – Cannelton, IN The Aces scored a win over Cannelton in their lone game this past week. Thaddeus Hall had a monster game with 22 points and 15 boards. Cole Weatherholt added 19. They have Trinity and Dawson Springs this week.

At this point in the season, Tim Riley's Owensboro Catholic Aces have done enough to earn a state ranking. They have nice, high profile wins over Bowling Green, Evansville Memorial and now Owensboro. The Owensboro win was the most exciting regular season game the region has seen in quite some time. Ohio County will get their shot at the Aces in a high profile game on Tuesday. As we move past the mid-season point, sign me up for as many games as we can get between these 3 teams. 1.Owensboro Catholic Aces (16-1) – SAME Wins – Evansville Memorial, Owensboro & Cane Ridge, TN The Aces proved they are a top 25 team in the state of Kentucky with another impressive stretch of wins last week. On Tuesday they beat a very good Evansville Memorial team by 16. They followed that up on Friday with an overtime district win over Owensboro in an instant classic. The Aces were down by double digits through most of the second half but battled back to tie the game late. Tutt Carrico battled thru back spasms to lead the Aces throughout. Brian Griffith had been limited to 7 points mid-way through the 4th quarter but finished with 21. Luke Beickman scored all 14 in the 2nd half and overtime and Waryn Ebelhar had his best game of the year to finish with 12. The Aces kept the momentum Saturday, knocking off Cane Ridge, TN by 24. Brian Griffith finished with 21 to lead all scorers. Catholic hosts Ohio County in another highly anticipated regional matchup on Tuesday before traveling to Apollo on Friday. 2.Ohio County Eagles (15-4) – SAME Wins – John Hardin & Muhlenberg County The Eagles kept running off wins last week, moving to 3-0 in the 10th district. They blew out John Hardin on Tuesday and followed that up by beating Muhlenberg by 17 on Friday. Elijah Decker led the way with 16 vs the Mustangs. Ohio has a big week, as they travel to Owensboro Catholic on Tuesday and Mclean on Friday. A win over Mclean would give them the #1 seed in the district and punch their ticket to the 3rd Region Tournament. 3.Owensboro Red Devils (10-6) – SAME Losses – Owensboro Catholic The Devils dropped their 3rd straight game on Friday to Owensboro Catholic. It was the 2nd heartbreaker in a row for the Devils. They looked to be hitting on all cylinders through 3 quarters and even led by 19 during parts of the 2nd half. Turnovers allowed the Aces to get back into the game and missed free throws ended up helping the Aces win it. The Devils look to get back on track this week against Union County and Evansville Bosse, IN this week. 4.Mclean County Cougars (13-5) - SAME Wins – Grayson County

Right now, the Owensboro Catholic Aces are the class of the Region. They have shown the most consistency through the first 6 weeks of the season. Ohio County and Owensboro have both shown that they can compete with anyone in the state on a given night. As we get into the back half of the season, any matchup between these 3 teams will be worth the price of admission. That starts this Friday, as the Aces travel to the Devils Den. 1.Owensboro Catholic Aces (13-1) – SAME Wins – Hancock County, Mclean County & Meade County The Aces captured the All-A 3rd Region Crown this week, as Brian Griffith led the Aces to the crown. Owensboro Catholic was able to overcome upset minded Hancock County who were just a regulation free throw away from the upset. Griffith leads the team with 23.6 points per game. It’s a big district week for the Aces, as they take on Owensboro on Friday. They also have Evansville Memorial and Cane Ridge, TN scheduled this week. 2.Ohio County Eagles (13-4) – UP 1 Wins – Franklin Simpson & Daviess Co, Losses – West Creek, TN The Eagles are looking to get on a run of consistency in the back half of the season. They got a nice blowout win over Daviess County on Friday but followed it up with a tough loss to West Creek. Elijah Decker continues to lead the way with 18.1 ppg. The Eagles have John Hardin and Muhlenberg County at home this week. 3.Owensboro Red Devils (10-5) – DOWN 1 Losses – Breck County and McCracken County The Devils had a tough week. They were upset by the Fighting Tigers on Tuesday and had a late lead before falling at McCracken County on a last second shot on Saturday. They are off until their big showdown with Catholic this Friday. 4.Mclean County Cougars (12-5) - SAME Wins – Cloverport, Losses – Owensboro Catholic & Oldham County The Cougars are struggling to find wins against good competition. They have lost their last 3 games against teams with winning records. They will look to get on track this week at Grayson County. 5.Whitesville Trinity Raiders (7-5) – SAME Wins –Muhlenberg County, Losses – Breck County The Raiders have lost 3 of their last 5 and are looking for more consistency as they enter into the back half of the season. Landon Huff and Nathan Hernandez both have been consistent double digit scorers but production from elsewhere has been a bit inconsistent. They are at Evansville Christian and host Edmonson in a district tilt this week. 6.Butler County Bears (10-5) – SAME Wins – Apollo & Herritage Christian The Bears continue to gain wins over lesser competition but have struggled against upper level teams at times. Ty Price continues to lead the region at 28.8 ppg while Lawson Rice is sitting at 19.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per contest. The Bears have Greenwood and Grayson County this week. 7.Edmonson County Wildcats (7-6) – UP 2 Wins – Hancock County The Wildcats ended their 5 game losing streak with an impressive 69-62 win over Hancock County this week. Braxton Highbaugh, Braden Wall and Will Alexander were all over 20 points in the win. Highbaugh also added 10 boards for the double double. The Wildcats have 4 games scheduled this week against Central Hardin, Metcalfe County, Whitesville Trinity and Apollo. 8.Hancock County Hornets (8-7) – DOWN 1 Losses – Owensboro Catholic & Edmonson County The Hornets had some momentum going into this week and were a regulation free throw away from being All-A regional champions. Unfortunately, they could not keep that momentum as they followed that up with a loss to Edmonson County. The Hornets travel to Muhlenberg County tonight and Tell City tomorrow. 9.Breckinridge County Tigers (6-8) – UP 2 Wins – Owensboro & Whitesville Trinity, Losses – Nelson County It was an up and down week for the Tigers as they sandwiched wins against Owensboro and Trinity with a loss to Nelson County. Hunter Barr led the Tigers over the Devils with a 15 point 14 rebound performance. Mercer Rogers scored 21 against Owensboro as well. The Tigers have Daviess County and Bethlehem this week.

Owensboro Catholic remains in the top spot this week with a couple of double digit wins for Coach Riley and the Aces. Owensboro stays right on the heels of the Aces this week and have a tough matchup against McCracken County coming up this week. The Devils and Aces will face off for the first time next Friday. Ohio County stays in the mix in the top 3 but need to find more consistency as we head to the 2nd half of the season. Outside of those three teams, there is a big drop off heading into the heart of the schedule. 1.Owensboro Catholic Aces (10-1) – SAME Wins – Fleming Co & Edmonson Co The Aces pick up 2 more wins this week, as Brian Griffith continues to be a scoring machine. He is putting up 22.7 per game so far this season. Parker Gray and Tutt Carrico are also averaging double figures. Catholic is off until Saturday at Meade. 2.Owensboro Red Devils (10-3) - SAME Wins – Whitesville Trinity & Mclean Co The Devils picked up 2 top 5 3rd Region wins this week. Kenyatta Carbon is starting to hit his stride at 22.2 points per contest. Ethan Pendleton has been a welcome addition back to the team as he also averages double figures. Jonathan Moss, Talas Taylor, Cayman Powell and Jalen Rogers have shined in moments for Coach Drake thus far. The Devils are at Breck Co and at McCracken Co this week. 3.Ohio County Eagles (11-3) – SAME Wins – UHA & Union Co, Losses – Henderson Co It was an up and down week for the Eagles as they scored a nice win over UHA but followed it up with a double digit defeat to Henderson. They closed the holiday tournament season with a win over Union. Elijah Decker is putting up 18.4 ppg while Parker Culbertson is at 14.9 ppg. The Eagles have Franklin Simpson, Daviess County and West Creek, TN this week. 4.Mclean County Cougars (11-3) - SAME Wins – Shoals, IN & Dawson Springs, Losses – Owensboro The Cougars had wins against lesser competition in Shoals, IN and Dawson Springs but faded against Owensboro, losing by double digits. Jaxon Floyd leads the Cougars with 17 ppg. Gunnar Revelett and Brodie Cline are also scoring in double figures. They have Cloverport and Oldham County this week. 5.Whitesville Trinity Raiders (6-4) – SAME Wins –Carlisle Co, Losses – Owensboro The Raiders split a pair of games this week and continue to play a tough schedule. Landon Huff and Nathan Hernandez lead a tough bunch of seniors, both scoring in double figures. They have Muhlenberg County and Breck County this week. 6.Butler County Bears (8-5) – SAME Wins – Hart Co, Losses - Cooper Ty Price led the way with 27 against Hart County. As of last week, Price led the state in scoring at 29 ppg. The Bears have Apollo and Herritage Christian this week. 7.Hancock County Hornets (8-5) – UP 2 Wins & Losses not reported… The Hornets went 2-1 in St Petersburg Florida this week. Their stats and results were not reported. Senior Devyn Powers scored his 1000th career point on the trip. The Hornets have the All-A Classic this week. 8.Daviess County Panthers (4-8) – DOWN 1 Wins – Bullitt Central, Losses – Clinton County & South Warren Gage Phelps had 26 in the Panthers lone win in Grayson County last week. Phelps is right at 20 ppg on the season. The Panthers host Ohio County in their lone game this week. 9.Edmonson County Wildcats (6-6) – DOWN 1 Losses – Meade County and Owensboro Catholic Edmonson has lost 5 straight games. Braden Wall and Braxton Highbaugh lead the team with 12.4 ppg. They are at Central Hardin in their lone game this week. 10.Grayson County Cougars (5-8) – UP 1 Wins – Glasgow & Nicholas County, Losses – South Warren The Cougars got some better results as they hosted their own Holiday Classic. 8th Grader Jack Logsdon had a big week with 18 and 30 in the 2 Cougar wins. Grayson has Todd Central, Muhlenberg County and Franklin County this week. 11.Breckinridge County Tigers (4-7) – DOWN 1 Wins – Warren East, Losses – Chattanooga School of the Arts & Caverna The Tigers dropped their lone game this week to Cooper. Hunter Barr leads the team with 16.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. They have games against Owensboro, Nelson County and Whitesville Trinity this week. 12.Meade County Greenwave (3-7) – UP 1 Wins – Edmonson County & Losses – Fleming County Peyton Johnson led the Waves to a big win over Edmonson this week. Johnson scored 22 in the win. He leads the team with 14 ppg. The Waves have Elizabethtown and Owensboro Catholic this week. 13.Muhlenberg County Mustangs (2-10) – DOWN 1 Losses – Union County, Greenwood and UHA The Mustangs are still trying to find their way after a rough start to the season. They dropped 3 more games this week. They will try to get on track against Whitesville Trinity, Grayson County and Barren County this week. 14.Apollo Eagles (1-9) - SAME Wins – Allen County Scottsville, Losses – Greenwood Apollo was much more competitive this week. Zjhan Tutt has been a bright spot for the Eagles putting up 25 in their first win of the season. They have Butler County, Henderson Co and Garrard County this week. 15.Cloverport Aces (2-12) – SAME Wins – Cornerstone Christian, Losses – Whitefield Academy & Francis Parker Cole Weatherholt and Dorcey Emery led the Aces to their 2nd win of the season this week over Cornerstone Christian. Weatherholt scored 15 and Emery had a double double with 14 points and 13 rebounds. The Aces have Mclean County and Francis Parker this week.

This review and rankings will be a shorter, "Holiday Edition" but we will get back to the more in depth rankings and reviews for next weeks countdown. Owensboro Catholic jumps back into the top spot after an impressive showing in Madisonville last week. Coach Riley has the Aces playing really well to start the season. Ohio County had a surprising slip up against Caverna which drops them a few spots this week. Owensboro finally got big man, Abdul Mitchell eligible this week and he immediately went for 21 points against Hopkinsville. He should help give Coach Drake and extra dimension. Right now, it looks like a three team race for the top spot as there is a drop off starting at number four. 1.Owensboro Catholic Aces (8-1) – UP 1 Wins – Webster County & Bowling Green, Losses - Madisonville The Aces host Fleming County and Edmonson County this week at the Sportscenter. 2.Owensboro Red Devils (8-3) - UP 1 Wins – North Hardin & UHA, Losses - Hopkinsville The Devils have Whitesville Trinity and Mclean County this week at the Sportscenter. 3.Ohio County Eagles (9-2) – DOWN 1 Wins – Chatanooga School for Arts & Owensboro Knights Homeschool, Losses - Caverna The Eagles will be in Henderson this week for the Henderson New Years Tournament. 4.Mclean County Cougars (9-2) - SAME Wins – Bethlehem & Union County, Losses – Hopkins Central The Cougars have Shoals, IN, Owensboro and Dawson Springs this week. 5.Whitesville Trinity Raiders (5-3) – SAME Wins – Evansville Day School, Losses – South Spencer The Raiders have Owensboro and Carlisle County at the Sportscenter this week. 6.Butler County Bears (7-4) – UP1 Wins – Cloverport, Union County & Hopkins Central The Bears have Cooper & Hart County at the Sportscenter this week. 7.Daviess County Panthers (3-6) – UP 1 Wins – Metcalfe Co, Losses – Taylor County Daviess County will be in Grayson County this week at the Holiday Classic. 8.Edmonson County Wildcats (6-4) – DOWN 1 Losses – Southwestern & Taylor County The Wildcats have Meade County and Owensboro Catholic at the Sportscenter this week. 9.Hancock County Hornets (6-4) – SAME Wins – Graves County, Spring Hill, TN & Bluegrass Blazers Homeschool The Hornets will be in St Petersburg Florida this week. 10.Breckinridge County Tigers (4-6) – SAME Wins – Warren East, Losses – Chattanooga School of the Arts & Caverna The Tigers have Cooper this week at the Owensboro Sportscenter. 11.Grayson County Cougars (3-7) – SAME Losses – Warren East, Chatanooga School of the Arts & Caverna The Cougars host their own New Years Holiday Tournament this week. 12.Muhlenberg County Mustangs (2-7) – SAME Wins – Wolfe County, Losses – Montgomery County The Mustangs will be at the Henderson Holiday Classic this week. 13.Meade County Greenwave (2-6) – SAME Losses – Metcalfe County & Southwestern The Waves have Edmonson County and Fleming County at the Sportscenter this week. 14.Apollo Eagles (0-8) - SAME Losses – Walton Verona & East Jessamine Apollo will be in Henderson for their New Years Classic. 15.Cloverport Aces (1-10) – SAME Losses – Union County, Butler County and Bethlehem The Aces will be at the Whitefield Academy Holiday Classic this week.

Ohio County moves to the top of the region this week as they leapfrog the undefeated Aces. The Eagles have been the most impressive team through the first 3 weeks of the season, with their only loss coming to a top team in Lyon County. The Aces are right there with Coach Tim Riley but style points cost them the top spot this week. Keep your eye on Owensboro, who are starting to get in basketball shape. If they can get their big guys eligible in the next few weeks, they will have the deepest roster in the region. 1.Ohio County Eagles (7-1) – UP 1 Wins – Greenwood & Muhlenberg Co Ohio County has started the season 2-0 in district play which puts them in the drivers seat for the first round bye in the 10th district tournament. Elijah Decker continues to be tremendous with 31 against Greenwood and 21 against the Mustangs. Parker Culbertson pitched in 19 and 20 in each contest this week. Right now, Ohio County is looking like the class of the region. The Eagles host their own holiday tournament this week. 2.Owensboro Catholic Aces (6-0) – DOWN 1 Wins – Whitesville Trinity & Daviess County The Aces stayed unbeaten this week and advanced in a tough All-A first round matchup against the Trinity Raiders. Junior big man, Jody Hopgood had nice games in each win this week. If Hopgood can develop into a consistent paint presence for Coach Riley, it will give the Aces a dimension that many did not think they would have. They play Webster County in the Madisonville Holiday Classic this week. 3.Owensboro Red Devils (6-2) - SAME Wins – Evansville Central, Evansville Harrison and Apollo The Devils are starting to find their grove with nice wins against strong Indiana competition. They also moved to 2-0 in district play over Apollo. Kenyatta Carbon is starting to get his basketball legs under him with 27ppg in his last 3. Ethan Pendleton also has played well. The Devils are still waiting for a few more players to get eligible before they will be at full strength. The Devils will be at the Madisonville Holiday Classic this week. 4.Mclean County Cougars (7-1) UP 1 Wins – Muhlenberg Co & Edmonson Co Coach Lynam has his Cougars off to another fantastic start. There are not many coaches who have maximized their talent as well as Coach Lynam in his years at Hancock and Mclean County. He has been getting balanced efforts from Brodie Cline, Cruz Lee, Gunnar Revelett, Evan Ward and Jaxon Floyd. The Cougars will host their own Holiday Classic this week. 5.Whitesville Trinity Raiders (4-2) – DOWN 1 Losses – Owensboro Catholic & Webster Co The Raiders had a challenging week against 2 good teams in Owensboro Catholic and Webster County. Senior Landon Huff continues to lead the way with 15 points per game. They will look to get back to their winning ways with a tough Indiana schedule this week at the Owensboro Sportscenter. They will play Evansville Day, Evansville Reitz and South Spencer this week. 6.Edmonson County Wildcats (6-2) – UP 1 Wins – Hart Co & Todd Central, Losses – Mclean Co Coach Johnson has his Wildcats playing really well to start the season. Braden Wall and Will Alexander are both in double figures through the first 8 games. They will host their own holiday classic this week. 7.Butler County Bears (4-4) – DOWN 1 Losses – Breck Co & Russell Co The Bears continue to get huge efforts from Price and Rice but have been struggling in the win department, having lost 4 of their last 5. Ty Price is at 32 ppg while Lawson Rice is putting up 22 points and 12 boards per contest. The Bears travel to the Mclean Co Holiday classic this week. 8.Daviess County Panthers (2-5) – UP 3 Wins – Hancock Co, Losses – Owensboro Catholic Daviess County has shown a ton of fight through their first 7 games. Playing without 3-4 potential starters, Coach Hayden still has his group competing every time out. Gage Phelps and Evan Hillard have both been tough early on. Once the Panthers can get Jack Payne back, it should give this team a lift. They’re at the Edmonson County Holiday Classic this week. 9.Hancock County Hornets (3-4) – DOWN 1 Wins – Cloverport & Breck Co, Losses – Daviess County & South Warren The Hornets are off to an inconsistent start but have enough talent to break out at any time. They have 4 players in double figures with Keown, Ogle, Powers and Dixon. PG Evan Ferry is sitting at 8 assists per game as well. They host their own holiday tournament this week. 10.Breckinridge County Tigers (3-4) – SAME Wins – Butler Co, Losses – Hancock Co The Tigers saw their 3 game win streak come to an end with a district loss to Hancock County on Friday but upset Butler County back on Tuesday to even out their week. Big man Hunter Barr is off to a great start averaging a double double with 15 points and 10 rebounds per game. The Tigers head to the Ohio County Christmas tourney this week. 11.Grayson County Cougars (3-4) – UP 1 Wins – Adair County, Losses – Central Hardin The Cougars split games this week while still struggling to score the ball consistently. River Blanton is the only Cougar in double figures at 16 ppg. They will head to the Ohio County Holiday Tournament this week. 12.Muhlenberg County Mustangs (1-6) – DOWN 3 Losses – Mclean Co and Ohio Co The two time defending region champs are off to a real tough start. The lack of varsity experience, combined with some guys out of the lineup and a very difficult schedule have made it tough on the Mustangs. They are at the Montgomery County Holiday Classic this week. 13.Meade County Greenwave (2-4) – SAME Wins – Bullitt Central, Losses – North Hardin The Waves got their second win of the season to close their week. Peyton Johnson hit 5 3 pointers to finish with 23 against Bullitt Central. The Waves will head to Edmonson County this week for their Holiday Classic. 14.Apollo Eagles (0-6) - SAME Losses – Owensboro & Campbellsville It’s another tough year for the Eagles. Looking at their schedule, it’s becoming harder and harder to find their first win. They’ll head to the Western Hills Holiday Classic this week. 15.Cloverport Aces (1-7) – SAME Losses – Hancock Co Cloverport dropped another district game this week. They will travel to the Mclean County Holiday Classic this week.

The 3rd Region is off to a bit of an uneven start overall but it appears that the talent level is certainly deeper this year than in recent years. While Owensboro waits to see if Ji Webb becomes eligible, Owensboro Catholic's depth and Ohio County's physicality look to be the best early on. Senior laden Whitesville Trinity is more than just a good story. They are playing well out of the gate. Throw in superstar players like Ty Price and Lawson Rice down in Butler County and the region has the makings to be very competitive this season. 1.Owensboro Catholic Aces (4-0) – UP 1 Wins – Hancock Co (78-67) & Apollo (61-46) The Aces stayed unbeaten this week with 2 big time performances from Brian Griffith. He scored 23 against Apollo and 30 against Hancock County. Coach Riley is using ball pressure and depth to offset the lack of size on the roster. The Aces have Whitesville Trinity and Daviess County this week. 2.Ohio County Eagles (5-1) – UP 1 Wins – Grayson Co (66-47), Mclean Co (66-48) & Hopkinsville (69-58) The Eagles have been consistent in their 5 game winning streak, scoring in the upper 60’s of each of their wins. Elijah Decker and Parker Culbertson continue to lead the way for Coach Decker. The role players continue to shine. Carter Young, Bo Morse, Carson Kennedy, Walker Lindsey and Cooper Allen have all made early contributions. The Eagles have road games at Greenwood and Muhlenberg this week. 3.Owensboro Red Devils (3-2) – DOWN 2 Wins – Daviess Co (88-62), Losses - Warren Central (41-80) & Heritage Hills, IN (73-75 2OT) Owensboro has played the toughest schedule in the region out of the gates and it shows in the results. Warren Central was a buzz saw for the Devils back on Tuesday, while Heritage Hills, led by Indiana commit Trent Sisley battled the Devils into 2 overtimes before Owensboro came up short with several players fouling out. Kenyatta Carbon and Jonathan Moss each lead the team with 13 points per game. Owensboro has Evansville Central, IN, Evansville Harrison, IN & Apollo this week. 4.Whitesville Trinity Raiders (4-0) – UP 2 Win – Todd Central (57-54) & Butler Co (74-72) The Raiders were challenged by very good competition this week, but they answered the call. Seniors Landon Huff, Nathan Hernandez and Landon Smith led the Raiders to wins this week. A road district win over Butler County really stands out for this group. They host Owensboro Catholic Tuesday and Webster County on Friday. 5.Mclean County Cougars (5-1) UP 1 Wins – Crittenden Co (67-54) & Herritage Christian (58-44), Losses – Ohio Co (66-48) The Cougars are a bad 4th quarter against Ohio County away from a 6-0 start. The Cougars were right with Ohio County on Friday before falling apart in the final frame. Jaxon Floyd leads the way to start the season with over 18 points per game. The Cougars have another key district game as they host Muhlenberg on Tuesday. They travel to Edmonson on Friday. 6.Butler County Bears (4-2) – DOWN 2 Wins – Daviess Co (82-74), Losses – Whitesville Trinity (72-74) Ty Price and Lawson Rice continue to fill up the stat sheet to open the season. Price is putting up 33.7 points per game, while Rice is scoring 22.7 and pulling 12.2 rebounds per contest. The Bears had a disappointing home district loss to Trinity on Friday but will look to bounce back with road games against Breck Co and Russell Co this week. 7.Edmonson County Wildcats (4-1) – UP 4 Wins – Muhlenberg Co (58-57) & Grayson Co (47-39) The Wildcats are off to an impressive start, having won 4 straight. Will Alexander had 16 in both wins this week, including the big district win over Grayson County. On the Season, Alexander and Braden Wall are both in double figures scoring, while Braxton Highbaugh, Boden Bates and Tyler Anderson are all right near 10 points per game. They will try to keep the streak going this week against Hart Co, Todd Central and Mclean Co. 8.Hancock County Hornets (1-2) – DOWN 1 Losses – Owensboro Catholic (67-78) The Hornets couldn’t overcome the ball pressure and Brian Griffith in their only game this week against Owensboro Catholic. They will look to get their season on track with 4 home games this week. They face Cloverport, Daviess County, Breck County and South Warren. 9.Muhlenberg County Mustangs (1-4) – DOWN 2 Losses – Edmonson Co (57-58), Murray (52-55) & Evansville Bosse, IN (88-58) Muhlenberg struggled against very good competition this week. They are also battling some guys in and out of the lineup with injury and illness. Madox Jernigan continues to be a bright spot at 19.2 points per game. The Mustangs have big district games at Mclean County on Tuesday and at home against Ohio County on Friday. 10.Breckinridge County Tigers (2-3) – UP 2 Losses – Whitesville Trinity (46-55), Wins – Cloverport (87-43) & Meade Co (47-40) The Tigers reeled off their first wins of the season this week, both inside the 11th district. Hunter Barr is right on the doorstep of averaging a double double in the first 5 games, putting up 14.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. They have games this week against Butler and at Hancock County. 11.Daviess County Panthers (1-4) – DOWN 1 Losses – Butler Co (74-82), Owensboro (62-88) & Warren East (69-79) Right now they Panthers have 4 potential starters on the sidelines with injury or eligibility issues. This team will look quite a bit different if they can get those guys back into the fold. In the meantime, Gage Phelps continues to carry the load at 20.4 points per game on the season. They will have a pair of road games this week at Hancock County and Owensboro Catholic. 12.Grayson County Cougars (2-3) – DOWN 2 Losses – Ohio Co (47-66) & Edmonson Co (39-47) The Cougars have lost 3 straight as they are struggling to score the ball. They are getting solid production out of River Blanton and Jack Logsdon, but have struggled to be consistent. They have 2 games outside the region this week as they face Central Hardin and Adair County. 13.Meade County Greenwave (1-3) – SAME Wins – Cloverport (80-21), Losses – Breck Co (40-47) The Waves scored their first win of the season this week over Cloverport. Peyton Johnson led the way with 20. They have North Hardin and Bullitt East this week. 14.Apollo Eagles (0-4) - SAME Losses – Owensboro Catholic (46-61) & Bethlehem (59-70) Apollo has really struggled to string together long periods of success in games for the past few years and that looks to be the case early on this year. Zjhan Tutt and Eli Masterson have given productive minutes but they need more consistency around those guys. They host Owensboro and Campbellsville this week. 15.Cloverport Aces (1-6) – SAME Losses – Breck Co (43-87), Meade Co (21-80) & Ft Campbell (53-75), Wins – Foundation Christian (52-36) Cloverport got their first win of the season this week, led by Cole Weatherholt’s 19 points. Dorcey Emery and Conner Lagadinos both scored in double figures. They have Hancock Co and North Hardin Classical this week.

1.Owensboro Red Devils (2-0) - SAME Wins – Hancock Co (76-71) & Evansville Christian (71-53) The Devils have to be excited about the balanced scoring to start the season. While the football kids are still transitioning to basketball shape, young stars like Jonathan Moss and Dayshawn Sanders carried the load in the season opening win over Hancock County. It is good to see Ethan Pendelton and Jeremiah Goodwin back in the lineup for Owensboro. They will face a gauntlet of a schedule this week with games against Warren Central, Daviess County and Herritage Hills with Indiana commit Trent Sisley. 2.Owensboro Catholic Aces (2-0) – UP 1 Wins – Greenwood (72-53) & Butler Co (75-67) As expected, Brian Griffith is off to a big start with 28 and 18 points in each of Catholic’s wins. Coach Riley will use several players to try to replace the loss of Ji Webb. Parker Gray, Tutt Carrico, Luke Bieckman, Noah Johnson and other have already shown they are going to be very capable in their roles. There was a lot of buzz around the area about the Butler County matchup and the Aces were able to use their physicality and depth to defeat the Bears. The Aces have Hancock County and Apollo on the schedule this week. 3.Ohio County Eagles (2-1) – DOWN 1 Loss – Lyon County (81-52), Wins – Breck Co (68-42) & Thomas Nelson (63-29) Ohio County has to be encouraged by the start from their two big time players, Elijah Decker and Parker Culbertson. Both players have been over 20 points in the Eagles wins. Carter Young, Cooper Allen and Carson Kennedy have all contributed as well. The Eagles have Grayson County, Mclean County and Hoptown on the schedule this week. 4.Butler County Bears (3-1) - SAME Wins – Bluegrass Blazers (78-48), Russellville (79-55) & Metcalfe County (87-57), Losses – Owensboro Catholic (75-67) Ty Price and Lawson Rice have certainly lived up to the hype to start the season. Price is putting up 33 points per game while Rice is at 26 points and 14 boards per contest. In the loss to Catholic, the Bears struggled with turning the ball over and depth. They have proven to have the superstars to compete at the highest levels of the region. Now they just need to find the role players to give solid minutes. Daviess County, Whitesville Trinity and Russell County are on the schedule this week for the Bears. 5.Mclean County Cougars (3-0) UP 2 Wins – Cloverport (63-31), Meade County (56-36) & WEB DuBois (63-45) Sophomore Gunnar Revelett has been a pleasant surprise so far for the Cougars. Mclean has shown off its depth early with Cruz Lee, Jaxon Floyd and Brodie Cline playing very well. They will look to continue their hot start with games against Crittenden, Ohio County and Heritage Christian. All district games will be key in the 3 team district. They will travel to Ohio County on Friday. 6.Whitesville Trinity Raiders (1-0) - SAME Win – Daviess County (66-61) The Raiders showed off their senior leadership on Friday, holding off a tough Daviess County team on the road. Landon Huff led the way in the scoring column, as he will through the season but Nathan Hernandez, Landon Smith and Nolan Mills made big plays to keep the Panthers at bay. The Raiders have Breck County, Todd County Central and Butler County, in a district matchup, this week. 7.Hancock County Hornets (1-1) – DOWN 2 Losses – Owensboro (76-71), Wins – Perry Central, IN (74-54) The Hornets battled Owensboro right until the end in their season opener and bounced back with a solid road win over in Perry Central to open the season. Kaleb Keown is off to a great start with back to back double doubles. He scored 29 against the Devils and followed that up with 25 more against Perry. Hancock hosts Catholic on Tuesday as their only game this week. 8.Muhlenberg County Mustangs (1-1) – DOWN 2 Losses – Christian Co (51-46), Wins – Caldwell Co (51-49) The Mustangs are likely better than the 8th team in the region but there are more unknowns on this team than the ones ranked above them. Madox Jernigan is not one of those unknowns as he averaged 20 points per game in the first 2. Kadin Ray and Kanyon Johnson have given key minutes through the first week. They will continue their tough schedule this week as they play Edmonson County, Murray and Evansville Bosse. 9.Daviess County Panthers (1-1) - SAME Wins – Edmonson Co (63-60), Losses – Whitesville Trinity (66-61) The Panthers are fighting injury and eligibility issues to open the season but the lineup they are putting on the floor has shown a lot of fight thus far. Gage Phelps has put up 20 points per game in the first two while Jack Payne is right at 15 points per game. Cole Burch continues to be sidelined in a walking boot, while Denver Dickens should be ready to go soon. The Panthers are awaiting word on transfer swing man Dylon Talbott as well. They have Butler County and Warren East this week. 10.Grayson County Cougars (2-1) - SAME Wins – Breck Co (72-62), Bullitt Central (60-47), Losses – Campbellsville (61-46) The Cougars have opened the season getting huge contributions from a pair of 8th graders in Jack Logsdon and Kadin Hanshaw. River Blanton leads the team in scoring at 16 per game. Ohio County and Edmonson County are on the schedule this week. 11.Edmonson County Wildcats (2-1) – UP 2 Losses – Daviess Co (63-60), Wins – Nelson Co (57-41) & Cumberland Co (56-48) The Wildcats are a rough finish against Daviess County away from being off to a 3-0 start this year. Braxton Highbaugh has led the way to start the year with 15 points and 9 boards against the Panthers. They have pair of road games this week at Muhlenberg and Grayson. 12.Breckinridge County Tigers (0-2) – DOWN 1 Losses – Grayson Co (72-62) & Ohio Co (68-42) The Tigers are off to a slow start but will look to get jump started this week with games against Whitesville Trinity, Cloverport and Meade County. 13.Meade County Greenwave (0-2) – DOWN 1 Losses – Floyd Central, IN (61-21) & Mclean Co (56-36) Scoring has been tough early on for the inexperienced Waves. They will look to get their first win of the season this week against Hart County, Cloverport and Breck County. 14.Apollo Eagles (0-2) - SAME Losses – Evansville Christian, IN (55-44) & Webster Co (69-34) Scoring the basketball consistenly has been a problem for the Eagles the past few seasons and looks to have carried over into this year as well. They have Owensboro Catholic and Bethlehem on the schedule this week. 15.Cloverport Aces (0-3) - SAME Losses – Mclean Co (63-31), Beth Haven (90-29) & Christian Educational (90-49) The Aces have Breck County and Meade County in district play this week.

One thing to note from last year's game was the loss of Trey Miller and Kanye Johnson during the game. Both were significant blows to the Devils. The offense really changed after they had to shuffle the OL with the loss of their best lineman. Also, as soon as Kanye exited the game on the backend of the defense, FD hit that back breaking pass play. To be clear, I thought it FD was the best team on the field last year and I do not think those injuries would have changed the outcome but it most certainly made it a lot tougher on Owensboro. For Owensboro to have any shot to win this game, I think they will need a 14-7, 10-7 type of outcome. If Douglass can put a couple of touchdowns on the board, I just don't know if the Devils offense can keep up. Goodwin at RB last week was a nice wrinkle, as Bryant was for FD. I will be curious if the Devils have any other new wrinkles this week? They have game breakers everywhere in Winstead, Hampton, Rogers and Pendleton. It is just a matter of finding ways to feature them without getting away from who they are. Defensively, the Devils are a lot more than just Goodwin. They play pretty darn good as a complete unit. Miller has really came on strong up front, eating up blockers and helping the much improved LB corps. Hines playing both ways doesn't seem to have slowed him down. Zach Clark is as good as a rover as you're going to find in the state of Kentucky. Ask Dekel Crowdus about that match-up a couple years ago. Owensboro has proved to be a pretty strong unit against 2 very good 6A teams in St X and Henderson this year. I believe they'll need to be even better to pull the upset here.

The Boogeyman is the best football player in the state IMO. I think him and that front line play well but I think over the game Male finds just enough offense to get the win.

Atwell is one of the best kept secrets State wide. I think he becomes more of a state wide name after this game. I think its going to be a close game but I love the power running game that Catholic has and I think it could be very effective against an LCA team giving up close to 150 yards on the ground and chew up some clock and limit the number of possessions LCA has. Give me the Aces in a 38-35 win in this one.

On a state level, the 3rd Region has been a bit of an afterthought since Owensboro won the state championship in 2015. That could change this season, as the Red Devils should have enough talent to consistently field a top 25 team. Behind them, you can expect the region to be deeper than recent years which should provide some run district races and create some excitement come tournament time. 1. Owensboro Red Devils – 22-8 – Regional Semifinalist – Coach: Rod Drake The Red Devils are coming off a regional semifinal upset loss to Mclean County last season but looked poised to be the clear cut team to beat in 2023. Kenyatta Carbon returns as the favorite to win the 3rd Region Player of the year. His biggest competition to that award may be on his own team as former Owensboro Catholic star Ji Webb has transferred into the program. Freshman point guard Jonathan Moss has also transferred into the program, coming over from Daviess County. There are still some questions around the roster, as several football players who contributed as sophomores are rumored to return to the team. Jerimiah Goodwin and Ethan Pendleton would be welcome additions for Coach Drake. On paper, the Devils look to be massive favorites to win the region. 2. Ohio County Eagles – 18-8 – Lost in 10th District – Coach: Paul Decker While Ohio County suffered a first round tournament defeat last season, both of their district foes in Mclean and Muhlenberg went on to play for the regional title. Coach Decker will return several key contributors from a team that stayed in the top 5 of the region all year. The Eagles will be led by 6-5 junior Elijah Decker and 6-2 senior Parker Culbertson. Both young men averaged double digit scoring a year ago. Expect guys like Bo Morse, Carson Kennedy and Carter Young to get plenty of time in the lineup. 3.Owensboro Catholic Aces – 17-13 – 9th District Runner Up – Coach: Tim Riley The Aces will have to overcome some unexpected departures from the lineup this season. Both Ji Webb and Kijarius Barber have transferred out of the program. The good news for the Aces, is the cupboard is far from bare. Guards Brian Griffith and Parker Gray will return to the lineup. Griffith averaged almost 19 points per game last season while Gray put up 13 per contest. Expect role players like Tutt Carrico, Reid Clark, Deuce Sims and Luke Beickman to log more minutes this season. You can also expect Coach Tim Riley to get the absolute most out of his lineup and the Aces to be competitive with the top teams in the region. 4. Butler County Bears – 16-11 – Lost in 12th District – Coach: Calvin Dockery The Bears come into this season having lost 3 starters and 6 total seniors but the optimism is still very high in Butler County. They return two of their top 3 scorers in Brody Hunt and Lawson Rice who combined for 26 points and 12 boards per game last season. Sophomore point guard Ty Price has also come over from South Warren. Price is a highly touted prospect who averaged 17 points per game a year ago. The Bears have also added some multi-sport athletes to the roster who should help with depth. This has a chance to be the best team that Butler County has fielded in several years. 5. Hancock County Hornets – 15-17 – Regional Semifinalists – Coach: Mike Orr The Hornets peaked during the postseason last year, and return all of their key production. Kaleb Keown averaged close to 16 points per game while leading the region in rebounding with 9 boards per contest. Devin Powers and Ryan Ogle both averaged over 14 points per game and point guard Evan Ferry was right at double figures with 10 per game. Depth was an issue for Hancock last season but they have added some athletes from the football team that should help with that issue. The Hornets will be heavy favorites in the 11th District and could make some noise at the regional tournament. 6. Muhlenberg County Mustangs – 18-12 – Regional Champions – Coach: Aaron Morris Aaron Morris takes the reigns of the program from Kyle Eades who stepped down after 2 straight 3rd Region titles. Coach Eades helped bring the winning tradition back to a proud basketball county and now Coach Morris will try to turn the roster over and keep the winning going. The Mustangs graduated 6 of their top 7 scorers and almost all of their varsity experience from back to back regional championship teams. Kadin Ray, Maddox Jernigan and Chandler Moore are the top returning players from last season. Expect Jernigan and Moore to take step forwards to lead the team. While there are some unknowns with experience, the Mustangs should be right there competing for another district title this season. 7. Mclean County Cougars – 21-11 – 3rd Region Champions – Coach: Darren Lynam McLean County returns 4 of its top 6 players from the first ever 3rd Region Finals appearance last year. They will be led by star senior guard Jaxon Floyd who averaged 14 points and 3 assists last year. Senior Cruz Lee and Evan Ward also returns with a couple years of varsity experience. Junior Brodie Cline who averaged 6 points per game as the 6th man last year will be elevated to a full time starter this year. Sophomore Gunnar Revelett will start at center this year for the Cougars. Mclean County have had 3 consecutive winning seasons in a row under Coach Darren Lynam after not having back to back winners since 1985. They are primed to make it 4 in a row this year. 8. Whitesville Trinity Raiders – 16-16 – 12th District Runner Up – Coach: Nathan West It is not very often that a school with under 50 boys has a senior class of 6 contributing players but that will be the case for the Raiders this season. They will return almost everyone from last season, led by All-Region candidate Landon Huff (15 points per game & 8 rebounds per game). Point Guard Nathan Hernandez (11points per game) had a tremendous back half of the season also returns. Key contributors Landon Smith, Gavin Howard and Nick Goetz expect to play major roles again this season. The Raiders expect to compete for a 12th District Title and try to win a couple of games at the Sportscenter. It is easy to pull for a school of less than 100 students that competes against the big boys. 9. Daviess County Panthers – (11-17) – Lost in 9th District – Coach: Neil Hayden The Panthers are a bit of an unknown heading into the season but they do return some solid production from last year’s team. Senior Cole Burch will lead the way, coming off a season where he averaged 14 points and 8 rebounds per game. Junior guard Gage Phelps broke out last season and will expect to take another step forward off his 10 point per game average. Jack Payne, Houston Oberst and JR McCain will provide varsity experience. Sophomore guard Jaxon Brown had a great summer and expects to be a breakout candidate this season. Senior Denver Dickers comes over from Whitesville Trinity and was a 3 year starter for the Raiders. Coach Hayden has some pieces to work with. If he can get this team to gel, the Panthers should be able to push for a spot in the regional tournament field. 10. Grayson County Cougars – (14-15) – 12th District Champs – Coach: Travis Johnston The Cougars are coming off and up and down season but return plenty of production to push for another district title this season. 6-5 senior River Blanton returns off a season where he averaged 15 points and 7 rebounds a game. He will have solid senior experience around him in 4 year starters Dillon Horn and Brayden Childress. The player to watch is 8th grader Jack Logsdon. Logsdon made starts as a 7th grader last year and already looks to be a key contributor. The Cougars should go 7-8 players deep and be talented enough to compete against anyone in the region. 11. Breckinridge County Tigers - (7-20) – Lost in 11th District – Coach: Jeff LeGrange The Fighting Tigers are coming off a couple rebuilding years but look primed to get back to their winning ways this season. They will return some very sold depth led by their two leading scorers, 6-8 Hunter Barr and sophomore scoring guard, Mercer Rogers. Coach Legrange also expects senior Lane Taul to be a key contributor. Multi sport athlete Wyatt Burnett should help add some much needed depth. The Tigers should have an opportunity to compete for a district title and get back to the Sportscenter after a couple down seasons. 12.Meade County Greenwave – (11-17) – 11th District Champions – Coach: Jeff Tripure The Waves come off a season where they were playing their best basketball at the end of the year. Coach Tripure always seems to get the most out of his talent. Meade will have to replace almost all their varsity experience off last year’s team as they only return two players who logged key minutes last year. They will be depending on Garrett Hardesty and Peyton Johnston to take big steps in their junior year. Once the other talent comes up to speed, the Waves should be able to compete in a wide open 11th District. 13. Edmonson County Wildcats – (15-13) – Lost in 12th District – Coach: Brad Johnson While the Wildcats will have to replace 6 seniors off last year’s team, they will return 2 of their top 4 scorers in Braden Wall and Braxton Highbaugh. Wall and Highbaugh also led the team in rebounding. Seniors Tyler Anderson and Zander Bass will also return to provide some varsity scoring experience. Coach Johnson will have 8 seniors to work with as the Wildcats will try to close the gap in a very talented 12th District. 14. Apollo Eagles – (2-26) – Lost in 9th District – Coach: Mark Starns It has been a rough couple of years for the Eagles having only won 15 games over the past 4 seasons. It appears that several key athletes from the football program have come over to join the basketball program. While there were rumored to be several departures from the team, for at least right now, that does not appear to be the case. Once Eli Masterson gets healthy, Apollo should expect to be improved from last year’s rough season. 15. Cloverport Aces – (4-21) – Lost in 11th District – Coach: Jason Hurst While Cloverport will have to replace their leading scorer off last years team, they do return some scoring experience in seniors Cole Weatherholt and Nathan Poole. Poole also led the team in rebounding last season. While the door is open for a 2nd team in the 11th district, they Aces will have an uphill battle to reach their first regional tournament in some time. ALL REGION PRESEASON TEAM Kenyatta Carbon – Owensboro – 20.3 ppg Ji Webb – Owensboro – 18.6 ppg // 9 rpg (at Owensboro Catholic) Brian Griffith – Owensboro Catholic – 18.4 ppg Ty Price – Butler County – 17.2 ppg (at South Warren) Landon Huff – Whitesville Trinity – 14.7 ppg // 8.3 rpg Elijah Decker – Ohio County – 13.5 ppg // 8.8 rpg Kaleb Keown – Hancock County – 15.3 ppg // 8.7 rpg Cole Burch – Daviess County – 13.6 ppg // 7.9 rpg Jaxon Floyd – Mclean County – 14.1 ppg Parker Culbertson – Ohio County – 12.2 ppg HM - Devin Powers & Ryan Ogle (Hancock), River Blanton (Grayson), Parker Gray (Owensboro Catholic) & Brody Hunt (Butler)

It is not debatable that the best BBQ in town is Old Hickory. Moonlite is great to get the buffet because of all the sides that you can get but for straight BBQ its Old Hickory and its not really close. If OHS plays well then I think they win by two touchdowns. Carbon could have played last week but was held out for precautionary reasons as OHS was going in as a huge favorite. Getting Goodwin back has help transform the defense to what was expected before the season started. He had 5 sacks last week and I think 8 in last two games. He completely wreaks havoc.

Such an interesting matchup. MC schedule is not what I would call a great schedule and Danville is not what Danville usually is but will have the best player on the field. To me it comes down to if Danville can hold up some up front and stop the power running game that MC has used to be undefeated. I think it goes down to the wire and Brown makes a couple big plays and Danville gets out with a 21-14 win.

Since 2018 OHS is 7-0 vs Graves and only 2 of those have been close. OHS is 5-0 vs Graves at Rash Stadium with the average score being 40.6 to 9.6. I think this one goes about the same way with the Devils winning 42-7.

Butler County is a team to keep an eye on here. They haven't really played anyone but if they can go on the road to beat Hancock this week I think they will deserve some Top 10 consideration.

OHS gets to the 2nd round of playoffs and that is about it. There is really something missing with this team offensively and the secondary is not nearly as good as it has been and will get torched by either Bowling Green or South Warren. Just don't see this getting fixed this season.

Should be a good one, I think Apollo gets most of their players back this week which should help them on the offensive and defensive lines. I think Apollo finds a way to get one in the win column this week with a 28-24 victory.