ApolloFan98

If Somerset can use the power run for 3-4 yards at a time and run the clock to limit possessions while ending their drives with points, this will be a 4 quarter game. The size and power up front will be a very interesting test for the Owensboro Catholic defense. Outside the Owensboro game, I don't think the Aces D gets enough credit for how they have played this year. The outliers are the tacking against smash mouth run attacks in Hancock and Mclean. They marched the ball between the 30's but couldn't put points on the board. On the other side, this Owensboro Catholic offense is the real deal. It all starts up front with that massive OL. JP Carrico is getting offers from everywhere and it would not shock me if he doesn't end up at Notre Dame when all is said and done. With clean pockets, Carothers has been a surgeon. He has not thrown an interception since the first half of week 5. Woodward and Thomas have really came on strong late in the season after being banged up early. Ebelhar is a nice security blanket in this offense, similar to his brother last season. Combine them with Xavier Maddox, who is a top 20 WR in the state and this has become a very consistent group. If they need to run the ball, they can certainly do that too with a number of backs. Miles Edge showed what he could do early in the season at Bowling Green. If they need it, Coach Morris has it in his back pocket. The whole game hinges on Somerset grinding clock and finishing with points. If they can't do that, it could be a long night. I think I will go somewhere in between and say 35-21 Aces in a good one!

I cannot speak for Owensboro Catholic, but I believe you guys should have some room on the opposite end as us in the press box. I have watched a few games and you guys do an excellent job with that stream. I shouted it out yesterday on Live at 5. Safe travels and we will see ya tonight!

There was some conflict over who "won" the DC - Eastern scrimmage but I believe Moss had around 30-35. He is in for a monster season, without a doubt. From what I have heard, Apollo struggled some but had several guys out of the lineup. I heard that Owensboro looked really good this past weekend and a few that I have talked to said to expect them to surprise people.

I don't think JT is a downgrade at all. It just forces him to go both ways and he becomes the most important player on both sides of the ball. That could be tough against an opponent like Bowling Green. If anyone on the team can do it, it would be him!

I hate that Max will likely have to miss this game with the injury. I would've liked to have seen what he could do against Bowling Green. That said, JT is plenty capable. He was electric in his start against Owensboro Catholic. He put Apollo on his back, making some incredible throws outside the pocket. He came in with zero reps last week and threw 2 TD's against Barren. I believe Badger will go. Landon Bratcher has had a big time season and Eli Williams is coming off his best game of the year. While it will take a monumental effort, Apollo does have some special talent on the offensive side that could keep them in it. The defense has been better late in the season but this is a massive step up in class for Apollo. They will need to find a way to get some stops to keep it close. I really like Apollo's secondary but I worry about the run defense against the Purples. It will take their best effort of the season to keep this one close. Coach Edge will have a great game plan. It will come down to the kids executing it. We are going to learn a little more about where Bowling Green is on Friday.

Yes, that is a monster number on a good team in Greenwood. The Gators haven't given up more than 33 all season, so maybe the 49 was a tad ambitious on my part. I just don't know if a one dimensional team can sustain drives against Owensboro's defense. That said, even if they can pick up a few first downs and run clock, it could be hard for O to reach 49. 35-14, 42-14 is probably more probable after giving it some thought. This offense is just so explosive! Keep in mind, I also said the Bowling Green Graves game would be close... ?

This will be a good playoff test for the Aces secondary and pass rush but I do not expect this one to be be close. Dre'mail Carothers has thrown more touchdowns than incompletions in 3 of his last 4 games. Since settling into this offense week 5, his stats are video game level, completing somewhere around 80% of his passes for 2200 yds and 31 touchdowns to only 1 interception. Owensboro Catholic 56- Crittenden Co 21

Completely forgot the discussion about this game. If Greenwood can find a way to pickup some first downs on the ground and run some clock, they could keep it somewhat interesting. The 33-19 result against South Warren tells me they can compete in this game if things go their way. That said, being one dimensional against the Devils front 7 is going to be tough sledding. If they can't extend drives, this one is going to get ugly. I'll say Owensboro stays hot... OHS 49 - Greenwood 14

Its always tough to judge OHS vs the teams in the east. I do think the Devils are the most balanced team in 5A between offense and defense. Their schedule after the first 2 losses has not been real tough, but they absolutely dominated solid programs in Owensboro Catholic, Apollo, Madisonville and Henderson. I think the defense is what sets them apart. Woodford, Cooper, Scott Co, Pulaski have all given up pretty big numbers from time to time this season even though I realize Cooper has played a much more difficult schedule. I also wouldn't sleep on things coming together for Bowling Green. Atherton would be my unknown in 5A. While there is solid balance across the class, I would argue this is as down as 5A has been across the board in the decade I've been covering the area. If the Devils run into a team that can stack the box enough to take away Hampton and have the secondary to limit Dillard in the quick passing game, they could maybe slow down this offense. I'm just not sure that defense exists in 5A. The fun thing is, we're about to find out.

On Paper, this is the deepest 3rd Region in the last decade. It is especially loaded at the top! Expect both Daviess County and Grayson County top be ranked in most pre-season top 25's. Both programs feature multiple players that will play at the next level. They faced off in one of the more memorable 3rd Region Championship games a year ago and expect to meet there again if the draw would allow. Behind them, there are several programs with great individual players who could be talented enough to play the spoiler come late February. This should be a very entertaining year in the region! 1.Daviess County Panthers (25-7) – 3rd Region Champions – Coach Neil Hayden Daviess County enters the season with maybe the highest expectations in school history. The Panthers return Chattanooga commit, Jonathan Moss. Moss put the team on his back in the 3rd Region Championship last season, scoring 29 against Grayson County. He scored 19.5 points per game last year and is the favorite to repeat as player of the year. McKendree commit, DeAaron Watkins also returns off his 15.9 ppg and 10.3 rpg junior season. While the Panthers lost 3 big seniors in Jaxon Brown, Aydan Ayer and Joseph Varble, they gained the services of transfers Michael Acton, Davyn Randolph and Lamontae Ratcliff. Acton put up 19.3 in his sophomore season at Owensboro and expects to be a major contributor for Coach Hayden this season. Daviess County will play a high profile schedule this season while looking to sharpen themselves for another run at Rupp Arena. You should expect the Panthers to be a preseason top 20 program in Kentucky. 2.Grayson County Cougars (26-7) – 12th District Champions & 3rd Region Runners Up – Coach Travis Johnston Grayson County made a great run at a 3rd Region title a year ago but fell short after a tough 2nd half against Daviess County. The Cougars are poised to make another run and are expected to be preseason top 25. Western Kentucky commit Jack Logdson returns as a junior. Logsdon had a phenomenal season a year ago and really came on strong down the stretch. He put up 21 ppg and 6.8 rpg. He will be joined by returning double digit scorers in Brody Armstrong (16 ppg) and Spencer Langdon (14.6 ppg). Both players have added to their already expansive games over the summer. Jagger Mardis comes over from LaRue County and should give Grayson one of the best scoring rosters in the state. Mardis put up 16.2 ppg last season while shooting a red hot 51.3% from the field. Coach Johnston has set up an incredible schedule for the Cougars this season with appearances in the Marshall County Hoopfest, King of the Bluegrass and the Gary Force Clash at Greenwood against Ensworth, TN. Grayson County fans should expect an action-packed season! 3.Apollo Eagles (16-12) – Lost in 9th District – Coach Ryne Tinsley It has been 7 seasons since Apollo last reached the regional tournament. The expectations have returned this season as the Eagles will field one of the tallest and deepest rosters in the region. Coach Tinsley has been re-building a once proud program from the ashes over the past few seasons. 6-11 center, Landon Henning, returns off a double-double season a year ago. Sharpshooter Tate Powers also returns after leading the Eagles in scoring last season. Kayden Green, Max Johnson and Sam Butterworth will give the Eagles experience, size and depth along the frontcourt. Eli Williams returns at shooting guard after an injury plagued season a year ago. Apollo will have to replace steady point guard Kobe Kelly but expects to do so in the form of transfer Carlos Cruz. Cruz comes in as a versatile 6-5 point and expects to be a big contributor. Apollo again takes a step up with scheduling this year as they have become more competitive. The 9th district will be tough at the top, but Apollo expects to not only compete for a district title but a regional title as well. 4.Meade County Greenwave (18-10) – 11th District Champion – Coach Travis Hackert A new era of Meade County basketball begins this year, as Coach Jason Tripure moves over to the girls program after a 10-year run as the boys Coach. Enter Travis Hackert, who enters with a ton of expectations. Coach Hackert comes in with high profile Division 1 assistant experience at NC State and UNC Wilmington. He will inherit a nice roster led by versatile big man Hayden Shouse. Shouse has drawn the attention of several small colleges and has already received a couple of division 1 offers. After a 21.5 ppg and 8.7 rpg season a year ago, it's easy to see why colleges have taken notice. Guards Ayden Medley and Cam House both put up double digit scoring numbers a year ago. House, just a freshman, expects to take a big jump this season. The Wave roster is made up of all juniors and seniors outside of House, and they will be looking for some key role players to step forward around the big 3. Meade will be heavily favored to win the 11th district. Expect them to be a tough out at the Sportscenter come regional tournament time. 5.Owensboro Catholic Aces (19-11) – 9th District RUP – Coach Tabor Shadowen While there will be some big changes this season for Owensboro Catholic, the winning expectations stay the same. Coach Tim Riley leaves the program after a tremendous run, including taking the program to its first regional title. Former Apollo PG Tabor Shadowen takes over and the cupboard is far from bare. The Aces will have to replace Eastern Illinois signee Luke Beickman and double-digit scorer Waryn Eblhar, but versatile guard Solly Smith is back to bring leadership on the floor. Junior swingman Jake Murphy will eye a breakout season, coming off some nice performances last year. Senior Dylan Hagan also brings experience from last year. Catholic expects to have a lot of late arriving football contributors, led by Dremail Carothers. Carothers had a great tournament season last year and expects to be a key piece for Coach Shadowen this year. He is often overlooked on the hardwood because of his impact as a Quarterback for the Aces. That said, he could be one of the most underrated players in the area. The 9th District will be tough, but the Aces have not missed the regional tournament once over the past 10 seasons. 6.Muhlenberg County Mustangs (16-11) – 10th District Champions – Coach Aaron Morris The tradition rich Mustangs are looking to repeat as 10th district champions this season. They will need to replace the production lost from graduates Gunnar Revelett and Jace Sommers who both scored double figures last season. Kason Morris is the leading scorer returning for the Mustangs. He will be joined by Issac Coats and Gavin Groves who logged solid minutes for Coach Morris last year. Muhlenberg will be looking for growth out of the middle of their roster to hit their celling this year. Freshman Ivan Sparks is a legacy name in Muhlenberg County and he will look to make his mark on this program soon. The Mustangs should be right there at the top of a very competitive 10th district again this season. 7.Ohio County Eagles (10-21) – Lost in 10th District – Coach Matt Brigance Coach Brigance and the Eagles hit the reset button a year ago, playing a lot of young and inexperienced varsity kids. While they will still field a very young roster, the Eagles expect to take a major jump forward this season led by seniors Tate Abney and Ryan Durham. Both players led the team in scoring a year ago. Senior Alex Quisenberry is also back after shooting 38% from beyond the arc last season. Coach Brigance expects this to be a very good shooting team. Transfer guard Manny Suarez comes in with a ton of buzz. As talented as the region is, many expect Suarez to push to be an all-region type of player. Factor in the seniors, the transfer guard with the young up and coming Eagles, and it would not be out of the question to see Ohio County competing for a 10th District Championship and 20-win season. 8.Edmonson County Wildcats (14-11) – Lost in 12th District – Coach Brad Meredith Coach Meredith helped lead Edmonson County to winning season after being hired late and inheriting a roster that was ravaged by transfers. He will look to build on that this season. The Cats will have to replace leading scorer Kollin Doyle who averaged double figures a year ago, but they do return seniors Blayne Deweese and Owen Ruth. Each scored double figures last season. Brayden Wright also looks to step forward after putting up 8.6 ppg. Edmonson has their sights set on returning to the regional tournament and should be favored to do so behind Grayson County in the 12th district. 9.Mclean County Cougars (16-12) – 10th District RUP – Coach Darren Lynam The Cougars are coming off an up and down season a year ago but if you have followed Coach Lynam’s career, he has far more ups than downs. He seems to be very high on this seasons group and expects to compete in a tough 10th District. While the Cougars will have to replace leading scorer in Jax Lee, they return a lot of their production after that. Camden Baird is the teams top returning scorer. Braxton Floyd and Layden Bozarth are expected to take steps forward. Jaelin Groves adds size and experience to the front court as he led the team in rebounding a year ago. Sophomore Brooks Lynam will look to carve out his role on this roster as a possible 5th starter. Mclean County should be right there competing for a spot in the regional tournament this season. 10.Owensboro Red Devils (12-15) – Lost in 9th District – Coach Rod Drake There is not a team in the region with bigger questions than Owensboro. The Red Devils lost nearly all their production from last year’s team after Michael Acton transferred to Daviess County. Keylin Payton, Kade Arnold and Cameron Day bring some experience from last years team but they will need to take major steps forward. Demarcus Ganaway Jr, who is the quarterback on the football team, is expected to be a major contributor. The Devils will be awaiting several talented football players decisions on basketball before they really know what they have. Owensboro expects to be playing until the final few weeks of football season, so expect the questions to continue into December. They will have their work cut out for them in a very tough 9th District. 11.Breckinridge County Tigers (19-9) – 11th District RUP – Coach Jeff LaGrange Coach LaGrange and the Tigers are coming off an impressive season that saw them reel off 9 wins in 10 games in the middle of the year. The Tigers will need to find a way to replace the heart and soul of the team, Mercer Rogers. They also lost leading rebounder Brayden Carmen to graduation. Senior Jonah Miller is the teams top returning scorer. Miller emerged last season to average 10 ppg. Ryan Nottingham and Jake Flood bring varsity experience and expect bigger roles this season. Freshman Benjamin Grimes enters the program with strong Breck County bloodlines. The Tigers should be in the mix to return to the regional tournament again this season. 12.Butler County Bears (17-15) – 12th District RUP – Coach Dustin Barnett Coming off their best 3 season run in school history, including their first ever 3rd Region title 2 years ago, Butler County will turn this page this season. Coach Calvin Dockery has guided the Bears program since 2012 but he stepped down after last season. Enter Middle School Coach, Dustin Barnett. Coach Barnett had a ton of success developing the future of the program and will now make the transition to the varsity level. Butler County graduated a historic senior class led by UT Martin signee, Ty Price and WKU signee, Lawson Rice. Senior Curtis Murphy will step into a leadership role this year, as he is the lone returner on the roster with varsity experience. While there are a lot of unknowns heading into the season, Butler County is now a program that expects to win. 13.Hancock County Hornets (11-17) – Lost in 11th District – Coach Josh Roberts The Hornets enter the season having to replace a bulk of their supporting production from last season. They return Jr guard Keegan Wilson. Wilson led the Hornets with 13.7 ppg a year ago. Outside of Wilson, Hancock will have to find some consistent production. They have athletes Cooper Jones, Jack Roberts and Tyce Boling on the roster. Coach Roberts should have the Hornets competing for a spot in the regional tournament in a wide-open 11th District. 14.Whitesville Trinity Raiders (7-22) – Lost in 12th District – Coach Nathan West The Raiders will be looking at a bit of a re-build this coming season. They lost their top 3 scorers to graduation. It will be a youth movement in Whitesville this winter, as the Raiders do not have a senior on the roster. Ian Roby is the top returning scorer at 8.2 ppg. Cale Boarman, Harrison Barnett, Grant Howard and Easton Howard logged several varsity minutes last season and will look to contribute more this year. Coach West hopes his team can compete in a 12th District topped by Grayson County but somewhat wide open after that. 15.Cloverport Aces (0-17) – Lost in 11th District – Coach Zach Critchelow Coach Zach Critchelow takes over a program that did not have a win last season. The Aces will return their top scorer in Hunter Bradley. Bradley averaged 7.4 ppg. Waydon Poole, Bryce Decker along with seniors James Fuqua and Kamden Sandage will look to get Cloverport back in the win column this season. ALL REGION PRESEASON 1st TEAM – (2024/2025 KHSAA Eligible players only)* POY - Jonathan Moss – 19.5 ppg – DAVIESS COUNTY Jack Logsdon – 21 ppg - 6.8 rpg – GRAYSON COUNTY Hayden Shouse – 21.5 ppg - 8.7 rpg – MEADE COUNTY DeAaron Watkins – 15.9 ppg - 10.3 rpg – DAVIESS COUNTY Michael Acton – 19.3 ppg – DAVIESS COUNTY Jagger Mardis – 16.2 ppg – GRAYSON COUNTY ALL REGION PRESEASON 2nd TEAM Ryan Durahm – 17.9 ppg – OHIO COUNTY Brody Armstrong – 16 ppg – GRAYSON COUNTY Dremail Carothers – 8.3 ppg – 6 rpg – OWENSBORO CATHOLIC Landon Henning – 10.4 ppg - 9.9 rpg - APOLLO Spencer Langdon 14.6 ppg – GRAYSON COUNTY

I would think Badger would be the only possible return next week. Pure speculation on my part but I do know there is no chance for Milburn. He had a pretty nasty break. Hopefully he can make it back by baseball.

Coach Jones has done a great job with Grayson County considering the adversity they have faced. That said, OHS is going to win this game by as many as they want. I am on record taking the Devils to win 5A and that march starts tonight.

I am catching strays!! I appreciate your support @jester270 ? I feel like we've been very pro Apollo on 1027 down the stretch. Heck, Vic even laid out a scenario where they could host a playoff game in round 3 with an upset of Bowling Green. In all seriousness, Coach Edge is one of the best and I know he has poured his heart and soul into the Apollo program. I would love nothing more than see a win for the Eagles tonight! Apollo 38 - Barren 34

I think I am the only one who thinks this game could be closer than the predictions. I realize BG has been playing a completely different level of competition but it seems like Graves County has been playing better in the back half of the season and they are a well coached program. Guess we will find out soon.

Appreciate you @Purple88! We will be there every Wednesday, so come on up! We plan to come up for some of the first game on Saturday. If you see us, come by and say hello! I loved the respectful, yet confident tone from Coach Morris. If you don't believe you can compete at the Bowling Green level, you have already lost. While it will be an extremely tall task, I expect the Aces to be prepared.

The debut episode of the Jason Morris Coaches Show is tonight if anyone wants to tune in. We will be live from Old Hickory in Owensboro at 6:30 central time. https://owensbororadio.com/player/?playerID=2265

Excellent! Thank you for doing all my pregame prep for me, HA! Great work as always!

Should be a great test for the Aces! Does anyone know if this is being streamed anywhere?

The James Green stream is video only. No Audio. Looking forward to watching this one. Once OHS worked some early kinks out last week, their offense looked impressive. The OL needs a lot of work, but getting QB Ganaway Jr out of the pocket seemed to work well. WR Morris returning to the team after injury(DNP last week) is big. Him and Dillard are as good of a 1-2 WR punch as you will find. Combine those weapons with Evan Hampton, and OHS should have a very dangerous crop of skill players. Getting a late scrimmage vs a program as good as South Warren is a great final tune up for St X next week.

The city will be exciting for sure! I love the Wallace fit at DC. No disrespect to last years regime but he gets them back in the Coaching tree that had the most success in school history. He will do well there. DMarc at OHS will be fun. The small details that are already starting at Owensboro should have the Devils fanbase re-energized. I can't wait to see their new brand of ball. Coach Edge will have his best team he has had at Apollo. I think he is often overlooked when it comes to talking about the job he has done there. He has had to turn the page from some staff and I know he has had a lot to navigate in that department. There aren't many Coaches in our area that gets kids to college like he does. That needs to be talked about more. Now you can add in real talent across the board, led by QB Max Johnson. It will be exciting to see what the Eagles do the next couple seasons. When you talk about Coaching staffs, you have to talk about Owensboro Catholic. Coach Morris has been an excellent CEO of not only the football program but all of the sports programs at Catholic. He is moving into a new role as Dean of Students, but as AD, he has certainly put his stamp on the Aces athletics programs. While the football program have upgraded their schedule, I do not expect the program to take a step back. If anything, the scheduling should help them as long as they can stay healthy through that early gauntlet. Going from Atwell to Carothers is a luxury that any program in the state would love to have. They also have Peyton Morris waiting in the wings. He would start for most programs as a freshman. While the playoff path may be a little tougher, counting the Aces out of 2A would be a mistake.

Being the new "Voice of the Aces", I am a little bummed that the games are being moved but I am sure that Bowling Green will be great hosts. I am looking very forward to seeing the 2025 version of the Aces. This young group coming up is loaded with talent. We are working on some exciting things for the Aces on KNews this upcoming season. I know this is going to be confusing with the ApolloFan handle (that I have had for about 25 years now?) but the Aces have always been very welcoming to me and their sports programs have been excellent across the board. I am looking forward to the opportunity!

Always!!?

How could I forget the Apollo Eagles? If they can keep the team together, I would expect them to be in the mix to return to the regional tournament for the first time since winning it in 2018. Coach Tinsley has done an excellent job of laying a foundation in his first two years. Landon Henning and Tate Powers expect to have big summers.

When we left the Owensboro Sportscenter after the 3rd Region Championship game, most folks assumed that we may see a future Championship rematch between Daviess County and Grayson County. While that may be the case, the winds of change has already started to blow through the region. With the news of Tim Riley stepping down at Owensboro Catholic, it will be interesting to see if that has any ripple effects within the region. There is a lot of buzz about Bradley Payne possibly being among the top choices to replace Riley. If Daviess's loses a top assistant, would that impact their bid to repeat as champs? The Owensboro Catholic job should dominate the conversation early this offseason. Butler County will be looking to replace Coach Calvin Dockery, who stepped down after the season. They will also be turning the page from a group of seniors that led the Bears to their first regional title in 2024. Can the next group sustain the winning culture that program has established over the past 3 seasons? Meade County will return a nice core of talent in 2025/2026. They will also have a new Head Coach, in Travis Hackert. Hackert certainly comes with an impressive resume. Hayden Shouse, Cam House and Ayden Medley provide a great foundation of talent for Coach Hackert to start with. There will Championship expectations in Grayson County. Jack Logsdon has emerged as one of the top players in western Kentucky. Brody Armstrong and Spencer Langdon are both coming off tremendous seasons. There have been talk of a major addition to the roster as well. Even if that doesn't pan out, the Cougars will enter the season as a team to beat next year. Will there be any player movement in or out of the region? That is always something to watch as summer basketball fires up. Who lands the Owensboro Catholic and Butler County jobs will be great talking points as well. The 3rd Region has gone a decade without a win at Rupp but that could change in 2026 as long as the top talent stays put.

Game 7 of the Sweet 16 First Round will match the Champions of the 3rd Region, 25-6 Daviess County against the 11th Region Champion, 31-4 Great Crossing. The War Hawks are making their 2nd straight trip to Rupp while Daviess County is back at state for the first time since 2011. The 3rd Region has gone 10 years since winning in the Sweet 16. The last win for the region was the 2015 State Championship from Owensboro. Great Crossing comes in as the heavy favorite in this match-up, as they have won 23 straight games. They have not lost since December 28th. The War Hawks are led by Mr Basketball, Malachi Moreno. Moreno is averaging 21.5 points per game and nearly 15 boards per contest. The War Hawks go about 6-7 players deep, putting 3 in double figures. Along with Moreno, Vince Dawson is scoring 18.1 ppg while LJ Holman is scoring 11.3. Great Crossing is 6th in the state in team scoring at 75.9 ppg while leading the state in field goal percentage at a 55.2%. They rank 11th in rebounding at 34.6 boards per game. Daviess County enters the Sweet 16 having won 8 of their last 9 games. They handled the best the 3rd Region had to offer on their path to state. They are led by Jonathan Moss and his 19.6 points per game. Moss is a dynamic guard, that is just as good passing as he is scoring. He is joined by swingman DeAaron Watkins. Watkins scores 16.2 points per game while pulling 10.5 rebounds. Seniors guards Jaxson Brown and Ayden Ayer are hard nosed on both ends of the floor for Coach Hayden. That duo, along with Jospeh Varble are playing their best basketball of the season. The Panthers will want to stay out of foul trouble, as they only go 6 deep with Kaden Payne off the bench. Daviess County ranks in the top 50 in scoring at 68.3 ppg. They shoot it 51% from the field, good for 13th in the state. From the line, there is noboby better than their 80.4% percentage and they rank 23rd in 3 point percentage at 38.2%.