ApolloFan98

Due to Christmas, this will be an abbreviated review this week. Merry Christmas to all! 1. Butler County Bears (5-4) – SAME – Losses (88-61 Lou Trinity, 93-74 Harlan & 76-61 Frederick Douglass) - This week at the Southwire Classic at the Owensboro Sportscenter 2. Daviess County Panthers (8-3) – SAME – Wins (84-61 Todd County Central, 63-45 Bethlehem & 77-61 WKY Trailblazers) – This week at the FB&T Classic at Franklin Simpson 3. Ohio County Eagles (5-4) – SAME – Wins (63-42 Christian Co, 64-47 North Harrison, IN), Losses (61-58 Danville, IN) – This week at the Ashland Invitational Tournament 4. Owensboro Red Devils (4-4) – SAME – Wins (77-35 Russellville), Losses (72-68 Warren East & 62-60 South Warren) – This week at the Henderson Classic 5. Mclean County Cougars (10-2) – SAME – Wins (43-32 Hancock Co, 64-43 Rock Creek, IN), Losses (Apollo 46-41) - This week at the Southwire Classic at the Owensboro Sportscenter 6. Apollo Eagles (8-3) – UP 2 – Wins (70-50 Whitesville Trinity, 64-38 Evansville Day, IN & 46-41 Mclean Co) – This week at Logan Co Holiday Classic 7. Owensboro Catholic Aces (3-3) - UP 2 – Wins (66-55 West Creek, TN & 78-60 Hopkinsville), Losses (70-67 OT Madisonville) - This week at the Southwire Classic at the Owensboro Sportscenter 8.Grayson County Cougars (5-4) – DOWN 2 – Wins (85-65 Ballard Memorial), Losses (69-63 Carlisle Co & 73-63 St Mary) – This week at the H&H Hoopfest in Logan Co 9. Muhlenberg County Mustangs (4-5) – DOWN 2 – Wins (43-36 Cascade, TN), Losses (100-60 Gatlinburg Pittman,TN & Westmoreland,TN) - This week at the Henderson Classic 10. Edmonson County Wildcats (6-5) – UP 1 – Wins (78-59 Bluegrass Blazers & 85-63 Knights Christian), Losses (68-50 Bethlehem) – Campbellsville Classic at Campbellsville 11. Breckinridge County Tigers (5-5) – DOWN 1 – Wins (70-42 East Ridge), Losses (59-58 Marion Co & 51-47 Henry Co) – This week at the Southwire Classic at the Owensboro Sportscenter 12. Meade County Greenwave (4-5) – SAME – Wins (74-43 East Ridge, 47-44 Campbellsville), Losses (73-53 LaRue Co) – this week at Daytona Beach New Years Classic 13. Hancock County Hornets (4-7) – SAME – Wins (66-48 Whitesville Trinity), Losses (63-28 Daviess Co, 61-59 Breck Co, 43-32 Mclean Co) - This week at the Southwire Classic at the Owensboro Sportscenter 14. Whitesville Trinity Raiders (1-9) – SAME – Losses (70-50 Apollo, 86-74 Evansville Day & 66-48 Hancock Co) – This week at Burgin New Years Classic 15. Cloverport Aces (0-9) – SAME – Losses (88-55 Edmonson Co & 77-43 Francis Parker) – This week at the Ray Zellar Classic at Whitefield Academy

Butler County stays on top this week even after suffering a bit of a disappointing defeat in Indiana on Saturday. Daviess County is starting to show they are the team many thought they would be to open the season and appear to be the top contender to the Bears early on. Ohio County finally had all hands on deck and got a big district win over Muhlenberg on Friday. We will see if they can stay healthy and continue to pickup wins. Owensboro had a great week and are quick to let everyone know to not count the Red Devils out. Mclean County sports a great record but they have several wins against lesser competition. They will need to beat some better teams to make a bigger jump in the coming weeks. 1. Butler County Bears (5-1) – SAME – Wins (82-50 Breck Co & 93-59 Russellville), Losses (74-67 Evansville North, IN) The Bears suffered their first setback of the season on Saturday to a tough Evansville North squad. Lawson Rice had a big week with double doubles in the two wins. He scored 31 and pulled 19 boards against Russellville. Ty Price is at 26.2 ppg in his first 8 games. The Bears open the King of the Bluegrass tournament on Wednesday against Louisville Trinity. 2. Daviess County Panthers (5-3) – SAME – Wins (63-28 Hancock Co & 61-46 Owensboro Catholic) Daviess County got 2 blowout wins this week, including a 9th district win to move to 2-0 in the early season. Balance has been the key for the Panthers, as 4 plays continue to score in double figures. Gage Phelps leads the team with 17 ppg. Jonathan Moss and DeAaron Watkins both are putting up 13.1 per game while Jaxon Brown is scoring 11.1. The Panthers head to Edmonson County to play in the Rafferty’s Classic this week against Todd County and Bethlehem. 3. Ohio County Eagles (3-3) – SAME – Wins (71-63 Muhlenberg Co), Losses (67-61 Greenwood) The uneven start for the Eagles continued this week with a loss to Greenwood but a bounce back district win over Muhlenberg. Ohio now has a leg up in the district standings which would earn them a bye into the regional tournament. Elijah Decker scored 24 in the big win while Carter Young chipped in 20. The Eagles play Christian County tonight at the Sportscenter before traveling to the Gibson County shootout in Indiana. 4. Owensboro Red Devils (3-2) – UP 3 – Wins (55-36 Muhlenberg Co & 52-48 Apollo) It was a good week for the new cast of Owensboro Red Devils. They were impressive in a double digit win over Muhlenberg County before getting their first district win against Apollo on Friday. Dayshaun Sanders and Keaton Hughes are both leading the way. Sanders is putting up 18 per game while Hughes is putting up 15 points and 10.2 rebounds. The Devils play Russellville at South Warren on Thursday. 5. Mclean County Cougars (8-1) – SAME – Wins (59-54 Apollo, 51-46 Franklin Classical, 63-39 Ft Knox & 52-49 Highlands Latin) The Cougars padded their record with several wins against lesser competition this week. They did open the week with an impressive win over an up and coming Apollo team. Gunnar Revelett continues to score in the 20’s, averaging 21.5 ppg. Brodie Cline is putting up 16.8 per game. Mclean will head to the Commonwealth Classic this week against teams like Evansville Day, IN, Hancock Co, Whitesville Trinity and Apollo. 6.Grayson County Cougars (4-2) – SAME – Wins (74-56 Bethlehem) Grayson County scored a win in their only game this week but the young Cougars seem to be improving every time out. Freshman Jack Logsdon leads the way with 20.5 ppg. Spencer Langdon is putting up 16.7 and Brody Armstrong is also in double figures with 11.2 ppg. The Cougars will head to the St Mary Christmas Classic with the likes of Carlisle Co, Dawson Springs, Logan County and St Mary’s. 7. Muhlenberg County Mustangs (3-3) – DOWN 3 – Losses (55-36 Owensboro & 71-63 Ohio Co) The Mustangs had a tough week against good competition. They fell to the Red Devils early in the week in the Heritage game at Central City gym before falling in district action to Ohio Co. Madox Jernigan continued his nice start, putting 18 ppg on average in the two defeats. The Eagles head to the Smokey Mountains this week to play in their Christmas Classic. 8. Apollo Eagles (5-3) – SAME – Wins (64-45 Allen County Scottsville), Losses (59-54 Mclean Co & 52-48 Owensboro) The young Eagles continue to battle in the early season. They opened the week with hard fought losses to Mclean County and Owensboro before getting their 5th win on Saturday. The program hasn’t won over 5 games in a year since 2018 but they will get there with 1 more victory this season. Tate Powers led the way in the win with 17 points. They will play in the Commonwealth Holiday Tournament this week against Whitesville Trinity, Evansville Day, Hancock Co and Mclean Co. 9. Owensboro Catholic Aces (1-2) - SAME – Wins (54-43 Meade Co), Losses (61-46 Daviess Co) The Aces are starting slow with scheduling due to the amount of football kids coming onto the roster. Solly Smith made his debut on Friday and played well in defeat. Luke Beickman scored 21 in the win over Meade on Saturday. The Aces will head to the Madisonville holiday tournament this week. 10. Breckinridge County Tigers (4-3) – UP 2 – Wins (61-59 Hancock Co OT), Losses (82-50 Butler Co) The Fighting Tigers fell short against Butler to open the week but bounced back to hold off the upset bid from Hancock County on Friday. Breck got 20 from Mercer Rogers to secure the district win. They will travel to LaRue County for the Magnolia Holiday Classic this week. They open play against Marion County. 11. Edmonson County Wildcats (4-4) – UP 1 – Wins (81-64 Bluegrass Blazers & 88-55 Cloverport), Losses (63-60 Barren Co) The Wildcats got back on track this week with a couple of wins to open the week before falling to a good Barren County team on Saturday. Josh Decker is leading the way with 12 points and almost 10 boards per game. Wyatt Gravil, Layne Ashley and Will Alexander are all in double figures in the early part of the season. They will travel to Edmonson County for the Rafferty’s Classic this week. 12. Meade County Greenwave (2-4) – DOWN 1 – Losses (55-53 Hart Co & 54-43 Owensboro Catholic) It was another tough week for the Waves with 2 losses. Garrett Hardesty is off to a good start at 15.4 ppg. Hayden Shouse is scoring 14 per game. Meade travels to LaRue County for the Magnolia Holiday Classic this week. They open play with East Ridge on Wednesday. 13. Hancock County Hornets (2-4) – SAME – Wins (64-32 Cloverport), Losses (63-28 Daviess Co & 61-59 OT Breck Co) The Hornets battled before falling short in district action against Breck County on Friday. They did pickup a district win over Cloverport to open the week. Alex Madden and Dylan Morris scored 16 each in the win. They will play in the Commonwealth Holiday Classic this week and open play against Mclean County this week. 14. Whitesville Trinity Raiders (1-6) – SAME – Wins (79-76 Portland Christian), Losses (85-29 WEB DuBois) The Raiders got their first win of the season last week against Portland Christian. Hayden Aull scored 26 in the win. JP Payne finished with 17 and Connor Hatfield scored 14. They will open play in the Commonwealth Classic against Apollo on Tuesday. 15. Cloverport Aces (0-6) – SAME – Losses (64-32 Hancock Co, 88-55 Edmonson Co & 77-43 Francis Parker) The Aces will look for their first win in the Ray Zellar Christmas Classic at Whitefield Academy this week. Cole Weatherholt leads the way for the Aces with 15.4 ppg.

Outside Butler County, it has been a bit of a disappointing start for the top of the 3rd Region. Early season favorites Daviess County and Ohio County have both suffered tough setbacks early on. The Eagles need to get healthy and Daviess County needs some time to gel with their new pieces. Muhlenberg County has positioned themselves in the top 5 with a solid start, led my Madox Jernigan. The Apollo Eagles have shown some early season flashes with a very young group and will look to eclipse their highest win total in 5 years with 2 more victories. There are still a lot of questions about the middle of the pack teams that should sort itself out over the next few weeks. 1. Butler County Bears (3-0) – SAME – No games this week Butler County had to both games that were scheduled this week canceled. They will host Breck Co and Russellville before traveling to Evansville Bosse to take on North in the Bosse Winter Classic. 2. Daviess County Panthers (3-3) – UP 1 – Wins (73-60 Owensboro), Losses (72-68 Ev Central & 79-72 Caverna in OT) Daviess County erased a long losing streak to Owensboro on Friday behind 20 from Gage Phelps. The Panthers put 4 players in double figures in the win. They struggled to bounce back on Saturday with an overtime loss to Caverna. Jaxon Brown put up 33 in defeat. They will host Hancock County and Owensboro Catholic this week. 3. Ohio County Eagles (2-2) – DOWN 1 – Wins (57-34 Franklin Simpson), Losses (72-57 Grayson Co) The Eagles have opened the season a little slower than most expected. They have been battling some nagging injuries out of the gate that have slowed them down. They were without Carson Kennedy against Grayson County but they also did not play up to par. They got a nice bounce back in over Franklin Simpson behind a big game from Elijah Decker. They host Greenwood before opening district play against Muhlenberg on Friday. 4. Muhlenberg County Mustangs (3-1) – UP 3 – Wins (61-54 McLean Co) The Mustangs scored a big district win over Mclean County in their lone game this week. Madox Jernigan led the way with 18 while Madix Brannon added 16. Jace Sommers was also in double figures with 10. Muhlenberg hosts Owensboro before traveling to Ohio County on Friday for another big district game. 5. Mclean County Cougars (4-1) – SAME – Wins (63-53 Evansville Day), Losses (61-54 Muhlenberg Co) The Cougars fell to Muhlenberg to open district play but bounced back with a win over Evansville Day on Saturday. Gunnar Revelett is off to a big start, putting up close to 23 points per game. Mclean hosts Apollo on Tuesday before playing Franklin Classical out of Tennessee on Friday. 6. Grayson County Cougars (3-2) – UP 3 – Wins (72-57 Ohio Co & 77-64 Edmonson Co), Losses (91-69 Adair Co) Grayson County opened the week with an impressive win over Ohio Co. Spencer Langdon led the way with 17. Brody Armstrong added 15 while Jack Logsdon and Kadin Hanshaw were also in double figures. Friday, they opened district play with a win over Edmonson County before falling to Adair to close the week on Saturday. The Cougars have Bethlehem and Thomas Nelson scheduled this week. 7. Owensboro Red Devils (1-2) – UP 1 – Wins (64-50 Warren Central), Losses (73-60 Daviess County) It was a bit of an uneven week for the Devils. They scored a nice win over Warren Central to start the week but were beat by double digits by district rival Daviess County. Dayshawn Sanders has been a big bright spot for the Devils as he is scoring right at 25 points per game. OHS travels to Muhlenberg on Tuesday before hosting Apollo in district action on Friday. 8. Apollo Eagles (4-1) – UP 2 – Wins (55-49 Owensboro Catholic & 44-36 Marion Co), Losses (65-61 Dawson Springs) It was a great week for the Apollo Eagles. On Friday they honored all of the past regional championship teams and followed that up by beating Owensboro Catholic to erase a nearly 3 year 9th district losing streak. On Saturday, they defeated Marion County. The Eagles are getting big contributions from the freshman class, led by Tate Powers at 14 points per game. Luke Jarboe leads the team in scoring at 15.5 ppg. The Eagles have a tough week, traveling to Mclean on Tuesday, Owensboro on Friday and Allen County on Saturday. 9. Owensboro Catholic Aces (0-1) - DOWN 5 – Losses (55-49 Apollo) The Aces were expectedly slow out of the gate against Apollo. Luke Beickman led the way with 14 in the loss. The Aces travel to Daviess County on Friday before hosting Meade County on Saturday. 10. Breckinridge County Tigers (3-2) – UP 2 – Wins (70-55 Whitesville Trinity & 59-44 Meade Co) The Fighting Tigers scored a big district in over Meade County on Friday. They got balanced production with 4 in double figures. Chase Hardesty led the way with 13. Lance Poole, Jonah Miller and Mercer Rodgers all chipped in. They also scored a win to open the week against Trinity. They will look to keep it going this week at Butler County on Tuesday before returning home for another district game against Hancock County. 11. Meade County Greenwave (2-2) – DOWN 5 – Wins (78-37 Cloverport), Losses (59-44 Breck Co) Meade opened district play with a win over Cloverport but could not make it 2-0 against Breck Co. Peyton Johnson scored 21 in the win over the Aces. The Waves will look to bounce back with road games at Hart County and Owensboro Catholic this week. 12. Edmonson County Wildcats (2-3) – DOWN 1 – Losses (54-50 Franklin Simpson, 77-64 Grayson Co) The Wildcats have lost 3 straight after starting the season 2-0. Josh Decker has been a real bright spot, putting up 14.2 points per game and 11 rebounds per game. The Cats have the Bluegrass Blazers, Cloverport and Barren County scheduled this week. 13. Hancock County Hornets (2-4) – SAME – Wins (52-41 John Hardin & 47-36 Whitesville Trinity), Losses (Knights Christian 56-49) The Hornets got their first wins of the season over John Hardin and Whitesville Trinity. Dylan Morris and Alex Madden have both been in double figures through the first 6 games. They are at Cloverport tonight, Daviess County tomorrow and Breck County on Friday. 14. Whitesville Trinity Raiders (0-5) – SAME – Losses (70-55 Breck Co & 47-36 Hancock Co) It’s been a tough start to the season for the young Raiders. Hayden Aull lead the team in scoring at 15 per game. They will play in the Portland Classic this weekend. 15. Cloverport Aces (0-6) – SAME – Losses (78-37 Meade Co, 38-36 Foundation Christian & 68-39 FT Campbell) It’s been a slow start for the Aces who are still looking for their first win of the season. Cole Weatherholt leads the way for Cloverport at 13.5 points per game. They have Hancock County, Edmonson County and Francis Parker scheduled this week.

I've been down sick since the trip back to Lexington Friday but I wanted to stop in and send congrats to Mayfield on the state championship! I didn't think we were going to get it in the first half but it turned out to be the game I expected it to be! I was glad the state got to see the Aces team that I saw all season in that 2nd half.

Injuries and Eligibility issues have been the biggest story for the region through the first week of the season. Play of the year candidate Elijah Decker has started the season on the sidelines but hopes to be back soon. DeAaron Watkins missed the first game against Henderson due to some paperwork issues but the issues were cleared up after a game and his impact immediately showed for Daviess County. Butler County has embraced the regional favorite role and sure looked the part through the first week. They grabbed a nice win in the Marshall County Hoopfest over Massac County, IL. Ty Price has been as advertised and his supporting cast looks to be even better than expected this season. If these performances continue, expect the Bears to crack the top 25 sooner rather than later. 1. Butler County Bears (3-0) – SAME The Bears backed up all the preseason talk in the first week of the season. They picked up wins over South Warren, Massac County IL and Christian County to open the season. Ty Price picked up where he left off, averaging 26.3 points per game in the 3 wins. The Bears supporting cast has been just as strong, as they are putting 3-5 guys in double figures through the first 3. The Bears host Owensboro Catholic Tuesday before closing the week at Whitesville Trinity in district action. 2. Ohio County Eagles (1-1) - SAME The Eagles have opened their season shorthanded as senior leader Elijah Decker is nursing an injury and has not been able to go. Carson Kennedy opened the season with 21 points against Breck to lead the Eagles to a win. Saturday they could not overcome a good Hopkinsville team as they lost 54-72. The Eagles will look to bounce back with home games against Grayson and Franklin Simpson. 3. Daviess County Panthers (2-1) - SAME While the Panthers were a little shorthanded in an opening season loss to Henderson, they sure bounced back nicely with two blowout wins against Whitesville Trinity and South Warren. Gage Phelps has been as advertised early, averaging 17 points per game. DeAaron Watkins scored 19 against South Warren and Jonathan Moss has averaged nearly 11 points per game through the first week. Daviess County hosts Evansville Central, IN Tuesday, Owensboro Friday and Caverna on Saturday. 4. Owensboro Catholic Aces (0-0) - SAME The Aces are expected to start a little slow with half of their roster returning from football and Solly Smith still not fully eligible to go. They open at Butler County and Apollo this week. 5. Mclean County Cougars (3-0) – UP 1 The Cougars are 3-0 to open the season. Gunnar Revelett looks the part, putting up 22 points per game through the first week. Brodie Cline has made a smooth transition from QB1 to scorer, putting up 17 per game. Mclean scored wins over Cloverport, Todd Central and Russellville. They open all important district play on Friday at Muhlenberg County before facing Evansville Day on Saturday. 6. Meade County Greenwave (1-1) – UP 1 Meade opened the season with a disappointing 53-47 loss to Floyd Central but bounced back with a nice 75-59 win ove Bullitt Central. Garrett Hardesty scored 23 in the win. Hayden Shouse, Peyton Johnson and Michael Blackman all scored in double figures against the Cougars. The Wave open district play on Friday at home against Breck County. 7. Muhlenberg County Mustangs (2-1) – UP 3 The Mustangs opened with a disappointing loss to Hopkins Central but bounced back well with wins over Logan County and Northeast, TN. Madox Jernigan had monster games in the wins scoring 29 and 25 in each. Isaac Coats and Jace Sommers are also in double figures though the first week. The Stangs open district play as they host Mclean County on Friday. 8. Owensboro Red Devils (0-1) – DOWN 2 The Devils lost a close on at Waggner to open the season. Dayshawn Sanders scored 28 in the loss. Keaton Hughes and Michael Acton both scored 11. The Devils may start slow while gaining varsity experience for the bulk of their roster but they are still a talented group. They travel to Warren Central on Tuesday and Daviess County on Friday. 9. Grayson County Cougars (1-1) – DOWN 1 The Cougars opened the season slow against Breck County but put together a huge 4th quarter to secure a 69-66 win over Breck County. They could not follow that up however, falling to Bullitt Central 86-78 on Thursday. Jack Logsdon and Spencer Langdon each had 20 in the win over Breck. They have 3 road games this week at Ohio County, Edmonson County and Adair County. 10. Apollo Eagles (2-0) – UP 1 For the first time since the 2013-2014 season, the Eagles are 2-0. They scored wins over Hancock County and Union County to open the season. Luke Jarboe, Tate Powers and Kobe Kelly are scoring in double figures through the first 2 games. The Eagles are going to shoot the 3 this season. They have shot 46 in 2 games at a 37% clip. They will look to keep it going against Dawson Springs, Owensboro Catholic and Marion County this week. 11. Edmonson County Wildcats (2-1) – UP 1 The Wildcats opened the season with a nice 59-43 win over Allen County Scottsville. Joshua Decker led the way with 14. Will Alexander nearly pulled a triple double with 10 points, 10 boards and 8 assists. They followed that up with a 67-65 win over Ft Knox before falling 70-54 to Cumberland County this weekend. They are at Franklin Simpson Tuesday before returning home to open district play against Grayson County on Friday. 12. Breckinridge County Tigers (1-2) – DOWN 3 The Fighting Tigers have showed a ton of fight through the first week of the season. They battled Grayson County and Ohio County before giving away in close losses. They secured their first win on Friday against Cloverport. Mercer Rogers and Lance Poole are both in double figures after 3 games. They host Whitesville Trinity on Tuesday before opening district play Friday at Meade County. 13. Hancock County Hornets (0-3) - SAME The Hornets expected to start a little slow after losing all of their production from a year ago. The Hornets lost close games to Apollo, Brown and South Spencer, IN to start the season. Dylan Morris and Alex Madden are both averaging double figures through the first week. They will look to grab that first win this week as they get John Hardin, Whitesville Trinity and Knights Christian. 14. Whitesville Trinity Raiders (0-3) - SAME With a huge turnover in the roster, Coach West knew the Raiders were going to be in for a rebuild. They opened the season with losses to Knights Christian, Daviess County and Logan County. They will look for that first win this week with games against Breck, Hancock and Butler County. 15. Cloverport Aces (0-3) - SAME The Aces suffered losses to Mclean, Beth Haven and Breck County this week. Cole Weatherholt put up 13 points per game on average in defeat. They will have Meade County, Foundation Christian and Fort Campbell this week.

I mean, we were interviewing a Coach and players from Owensboro Catholic. The focus was more on them than Mayfield for the interviews. I would hope the players believe they’re going to win the game. Not sure what else you would expect? We’ve talked about Mayfield all week outside just this show yesterday. We will do the same today at KSBar. That said, we’re obviously going to lean Catholic. There is no disrespect to Mayfield here. Phenomenal program and an absolute rabid fan base (which I personally love). Safe travels to everyone this morning! I do think this game is going to be a close one. I’m going to stay homer and go Catholic 35-28 but I do have some concerns about slowing down Starks. The time for talk is about over. It’s time for the main event!

If you missed the show, you can listen back on iTunes or Spotify with the links below. https://open.spotify.com/episode/4tS07tFEBUoanNZVt0d2dU?si=YxoMK_LSRkirBbRNRPNgDw https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/live-at-5/id1698513726?I=1000637117344 We will have a pregame show live at KSBar tomorrow from 12-1 central time if anyone wants to come out. The show will obviously be Owensboro Catholic heavy but it should be a good time!

We've got a very Owensboro Catholic heavy Live at 5 today with interviews with Coach Jason Morris as well as Tutt & Vince Carrico and Brady Atwell. I think folks will enjoy it! If you can't listen live, I'll post the replay here this evening. https://owensbororadio.com/player/?playerID=606

The weather forecast for Friday certainly doesn't favor Owensboro Catholic. I hope it changes before then.

I don't know that I have heard Atwell's arm strength called into question? I just know what I have seen from him the past 2 seasons. He is a big kid who is VERY strong and can escape pressure and make any throw you need within that offense. I have seen him throw guys open more often than not. The rapport he has with his receivers is about as good as I have ever seen on a high school level. He goes through his progressions well and stands tall under pressure when he needs to. I'm looking forward to seeing if he can be the same guy I have seen all season vs a very good Mayfield defense.

Boy, am I looking forward to this one! I have had the pleasure of getting to call 7 of the 14 victories for the Aces this season and they sure have been a lot of fun to watch. I believe Brady Atwell to be the best QB in the state but I do think he needs to prove that to a lot of people on Friday. That is including college coaches. The fact he only has one offer tells me that some people think he can only put up these video game numbers against lesser competition. We're going to find out on Friday. I have a ton of respect for Mayfield and that program. I have even more respect for them after taking down LCA and Beechwood in back to back weeks. That said, I think a lot of people in this thread are underrating Owensboro Catholic. Outside of a city rivalry game against Owensboro, they have not been challenged this year. It's hard to deny how they have handled every single opponent with relative ease. I think the matchup of the game will be Starks vs the Owensboro Catholic run defense. The Aces front 7 have been a bit underrated this year. They are led by Vince Carrico who is one of the states top tacklers. Lyon, Cartwright and Evans are the 3 down lineman who completely dominated Somerset in while the game was still in doubt on Friday. Those 3 guys do not get enough credit. I know Starks will be the best back Catholic has seen, but I thought the run defense was great in games against Long from Greenwood, Burris from Henderson and Winstead & Hampton from Owensboro. This should be a great matchup to watch. As far as the Owensboro Catholic offense, Atwell obviously makes everything go. Tutt Carrico is a big bodied kid who is about as athletic as they come. He is close to setting the state's single season TD reception record and he has been unstoppable in the playoffs. If you try to give him too much attention, the Aces can shift their focus to Noah Rhinerson, Warren Ebelhar or Duce Sims. The backs can all catch the ball as well. Miles Edge and Eli Blair can be big time players if called upon. I know statistically it looks like Catholic can't run the ball much but I think that is more choice than ability. When they want to go heavy, they throw Tutt and Vince Carrico in the backfield with Atwell they can absolutely go power run if they need to. This game could go either way. I think the big game experience for Mayfield is a major advantage. Knowing the Catholic kids, I do not think they will get wide eyed at Kroger, but you just never know. Even if the Mayfield defense plays well, I think they will need to score more than 35 to win it. I'll wait until later in the week to make my prediction.

I guess I could have scrolled more to see that image. The building I referenced is showing #28 on the map. The entrance to the lot is off of Hermitage Drive which is a block over. Just FYI. Sometimes parking on college grounds is a pain. Not much parking on that side from my experience.

There is an entrance on College Drive right off of Frederica that you could drop him off at and then you could circle back to the lot where the KWC Softball field is. The lot is only about 100-200 yards away from the gate if you think he could walk that. If you get there later and that lot looks full, there is a building that used to be a church at 3300 Frederica that I park in sometimes and walk around the building that has access to College Drive on the backside. You can just walk around the building and it ends up pretty close to that gate as well. Hope that is as clear as mud for you guys!

The Owensboro flagship WVJS will have an audio stream tonight if anyone wants to listen. https://owensbororadio.com/player/?playerID=603 Owensboro has faired pretty well against this level of competition in this round in years past. I don't expect tonight will be much different. Evan Hampton is an absolute monster and I am predicting another big time game from him tonight. Owensboro 48 - Atherton 19

I had heard Green County may be without a pretty good player this week due to an ejection? Is that true?

I've been MIA with a lot of KWC stuff this weekend but I had to stop in to this thread and say congrats to the Devils. If I can call the OHS program out for the lack of wins like this, I have to give credit when they get one. Following it from a distance, it sounded like they executed a tremendous game plan. Coach Fallin and his staff deserve a ton of credit. I was told by a lot of people that Winstead at MLB was a big difference maker for the Owensboro defense. That's the thing about the Devils. They have talent everywhere and sometimes a slight adjustment here or there can move the needle big time. Look's like we're going to have 2 teams in the city with deep playoff runs to cover! That's always a treat. Congrats to all the Devils faithful who I was told were VERY loud on Friday!

1. Butler County Bears (22-11) – Regional Semifinalist – Coach Calvin Dockery The Bears return their top 4 scorers from a year ago and are led by one of the best players in the state in junior Ty Price. Price averaged 31 points per game last season and is being recruited by several division 1 programs. Lawson Rice also returns. Rice averaged a double double last season with 18 points and 11 rebounds per game. Justin Castlen and Trevor Deweese both made big contributions last season and expect to take another step forward this year. The Bears and Price will be featured in many high profile events this season including the Marshall County Hoopfest, King of the Bluegrass and the Evansville Bosse Holiday Classic. This team has all the making to bring Butler County its first ever regional championship. 2. Ohio County Eagles (23-9) – 10th District Runners Up – Coach Paul Decker Ohio County is coming off a disappointing end to their 2021-2022 season. After being upset in the 10th District Championship game, they drew the eventual regional champions in Owensboro. The Eagles came up 10 points short and their fantastic season came to an end. They return a nice core from last year’s 20 win team led by senior swingman Elijah Decker. Decker scored 17 points per game last season and has been a major contributor for the Eagles since 8th grade. Carter Young emerged last year as one of the better players in the region. Coach Decker will need him to take another step forward this year to help replace some of the production lost by the graduation of Parker Culbertson. Carson Kennedy and Bo Morse gave great minutes last year and will be big contributors to this year’s starting lineup. The Eagles will play a tough schedule with holiday tournaments at Gibson Southern Indiana and Ashland. This group will be motivated to erase last season’s tough finish and should be at the top of the region all season long. 3. Daviess County Panthers (13-15) – Lost in 9th District – Coach Neil Hayden More than any other team in the region, the Daviess County Panthers won the offseason. Jonathan Moss returned to the program from Owensboro. DeAaron Watkins came over from Madisonville and Jackson Lee came over from Breck County. Watkins brings a paint presence that will immediately give Daviess County one of the best front courts in the region. Add Moss and Watkins to returning senior guard Gage Phelps, and the Panthers have one of the best starting lineups in the region. Phelps is coming off a season where he averaged 18 points per game. Houston Oberst was a weapon from beyond the arc last year and adding Watkins and Moss should open him up even more. Late in the season, Jaxon Brown and Ayden Ayer emerged as scoring threats and they expect to take another step forward this season. On Paper, the Daviess County Panthers have one of the most talented rosters in the region. If they can put it together on the floor, expect these Panthers to in the mix for a 3rd region title until the very end. 4. Owensboro Catholic Aces (28-6) – 3rd Region Runner Up – Coach Tim Riley While they Aces will have to replace 31 points per game production in lost seniors Brian Griffith and Parker Gray, Coach Riley still returns a very nice core of players. They will be led by much improved guard Luke Beickman. The Aces are expected to make a state title run in football, but when that run comes to an end, Kiser Frick and Tutt Carrico are also expected to be big contributors on the hardwood. Solly Smith is a foreign exchange player who logged very good junior varsity minutes last year and is one of the more under the radar players in this region. With all Tim Riley coached teams, the schedule for the Aces is tough. They may have slow start with a high number of football kids coming in late but come tournament time, Owensboro Catholic should be right in the mix for a regional title. 5. Owensboro Red Devils (19-11) – 3rd Region Champs – Coach Rod Drake The Devils are coming off another 3rd Region Championship season but will have to replace nearly all of their varsity production from last year’s team. Owensboro will have to replace 9 of their top 10 scorers from a season ago. Dayshawn Sanders is the top returnee, coming off a great postseason run. Sanders was a star during the 3rd Region Tournament last year and expects to carry a lot of the scoring load early on. Will Hume brings some varsity experience back and should be a key contributor. Keaton Hughes and Courtland Howard will give the Devils a solid presence in the paint. The tradition of the Devils tells you that they will bounce back and again compete for another regional title but they have a lot of unknowns at the varsity level. It will be interesting to watch and see how Coach Drake puts all the pieces together this season. 6. Mclean County Cougars (21-9) – Lost in 10th District – Coach Darren Lynam Coach Darren Lynam has turned Mclean County Basketball into a perennial 20 win program. While they will have to replace some key seniors, they return guards Gunnar Revelett and Brodie Cline who both averaged over 12 points per game last season. Juniors Landon French and Jax Lee will be expeted to take steps forward this season. The 10th district is always a gauntlet with Ohio and Muhlenberg, but Coach Lynam has put Mclean County in the conversation for a district title every year he has been at Mclean. Expect the same in 2024. 7. Meade County Greenwave (8-19) – Lost in 11th District – Coach Jason Tripure Coming off a rebuilding year, the Waves have much higher expectations this season. They return almost all of their key production from last season. Cade Scott unfortunately suffered an injury during football season that will likely keep him out for a good portion of basketball but top scorers Garrett Hardesty and Peyton Johnson return. Both Hardesty and Johnson averaged double figure scoring last season. Sophomore Hayden Shouse is expected to take a big step forward this season, while seniors Ryan Dycus and Tevor Ling will add key minutes. The Waves enter the 23/24 season as favorites to win the 11th District title and return to the Sportscenter. 8. Grayson County Cougars (9-20) – Lost in 12th District – Coach Travis Johnston Grayson County graduated 2 of its top 3 scorers, but return a young lineup that should have Cougar nation very excited. Jack Logsdon turned a lot of heads this summer and is coming off a 13 point per game season as an 8th grader. Kadin Hanshaw and Spencer Langdon are two more freshman that are ready to break out this season. Junior guard Tayden Logsdon comes over from Caverna where he put up almost 14 points per game and should give Coach Johnston another solid scorer. Grayson County will be young, but this group has a ton of potential. 9. Breckinridge County Tigers (12-18) – 3rd Region Semifinalists – Coach Jeff LaGrange The Tigers are coming off an impressive postseason run last year that took them all the way to the semifinal round at the Sportscenter. Mercer Rogers will be the top returnee to the program, coming off a 12 point per game season. Three sport athlete Wyatt Burnett should give the Tigers a big bodied scorer who can lock down the block defensively. Sophomore Jonah Miller and junior Brayden Carmen bring varsity experience back and are expected to take even bigger roles this season. The Tigers expect to contend for an 11th district title and will be heavy favorites to return to the Sportscenter in March. 10. Muhlenberg County Mustangs (8-23) – 10th District Champions – Coach Aaron Morris The Mustangs will have to replace 2 of its top 3 scorers from a year ago but do return all region candidate Madox Jernigan. Jernigan put up nearly 14 points per game a year ago. Jace Sommers and Isaac Coats return experience from last year’s team. As always, Muhlenberg will play a very difficult schedule that should have them ready for tournament action. Coach Morris should have them in the mix for another 10th district title. 11. Apollo Eagles (5-23) – Lost in the 9th District – Coach Ryne Tinsley This once proud program has fallen on hard times over the past 5 seasons. Since winning the regional title in 2018, Apollo has not won more than 5 games in a year. Coach Ryne Tinsley takes over and will bring a very good staff with him. While the Eagles will be very young, they are expected to improve the win total this season. Junior guard Kobe Kelly will be the only experienced player returning from last year’s team. Transfers Luke Jarboe and Landen Bratcher are expected to be big contributors. Apollo has a nice batch of freshmen in Eli Williams, Tate Powers, Max Johnson and Landon Henning who Coach Tinsley will be depending on to lay a new foundation for the program. While change is not expected overnight, the Eagles are expecting to start moving this program back in the right direction. 12. Edmonson County Wildcats (18-13) – 12th District Champions – Coach Trey Tinsley New Coach Trey Tinsley steps in for Coach Brad Johnson who retired after guiding the Cats to a 12th district title a year ago. Coach Tinsley and the Cats will have to replace a bulk of the team’s production after losing 8 seniors. Senior Will Alexander is the team’s top returning player, averaging 10 points per game last season. Junior Joshua Decker is the only other player returning who logged key minutes last season. Wyatt Gravil comes over from Warren East and will add some size and production to the lineup. Coach Tinsley will look to find consistent production to complement Alexander while trying to find a path to overcome Grayson and Butler County in the 12th district. 13. Hancock County Hornets (18-12) – 11th District Champions – Coach Josh Roberts The Hornets will have a new look this season on the roster and on the sidelines. Coach Mike Orr retired at seasons end and Coach Roberts has stepped back into a program he once coached to a district title back in 2014. He will have his work cut out for him, as the Hornets will have to replace 8 seniors and nearly all production from last year’s team. Dylan Morris is the lone Hornet returning that logged key minutes last year. This year’s group will have an uphill climb in the district, but Coach Roberts has proven that he can maximize the talent in Hawesville. 14. Whitesville Trinity Raiders (14-16) – Lost in District – Coach Nathan West When a school the size of Whitesville Trinity loses a senior class like they lost last season, you can expect a rebuild. Especilly when replacing seniors like Landon Huff, Nate Hernandez and Landon Smith. Those guys were the core of this program for the past 4 seasons. They will turn to a young group to start the new chapter, led by Juniors Hayden Aull and Connor Hatfield. Coach West has done a great job of building this program but you can expect a rebuilding year for the Raiders this season. 15. Cloverport Aces (7-22) – Lost in District – Coach Jason Hurst The Aces will look to build on last season’s 7 win year. They will return top scorer Cole Weatherholt and his 13 points per game. Junior Dorcey Emery will look to take a bigger step forward with the loss of seniors Thaddeus Hall and Connor Lagadinos. The schedule is set up for the Aces to make a run at a double digit win season. Preseason 1st Team All-Region Ty Price – Butler Co – 31.2 ppg Lawson Rice – Butler Co - 18.1 ppg & 11.3 rpg Elijah Decker – Ohio Co – 17.3 ppg & 7.7 rpg Gage Phelps – Daviess Co – 18 ppg DeAaron Watkins – Daviess Co – 11.4 ppg & 7.7 rpg Preseason 2nd Team All-Region Madox Jernigan – Muhlenberg Co – 13.9 ppg Jack Logsdon – Grayson Co – 13.3 ppg Garrett Hardesty – Meade Co – 13.4 ppg Luke Beickman – Owensboro Catholic – 9.8 ppg Jonathan Moss – Daviess Co – 8.6 ppg Preseason 3rd Team All-Region Tayden Logsdon – Grayson Co – 13.5 ppg Mercer Rogers – Breck Co – 12.2 ppg Carter Young – Ohio Co – 9.7 ppg Peyton Johnson – Meade Co – 11.2 ppg Gunnar Revelett – Mclean Co – 12.5 ppg

Its certainly possible that North Hardin will win but this is a much different Daviess County team that they will face on Friday night. With Luke Floyd shifting to QB and settling into that spot over the past couple of weeks, the DC offense looks like a different unit. The defense has been playing much much better because they aren't always having to be on the field. If North Hardin comes in and plays sloppy, as they sometimes do, I could see the Panthers stealing one at home.

I am not sold on the Owensboro Catholic secondary or pass rush much at all. As long as North Hardin can stay out of their own way, they should be able to put up points and could make it interesting. I just think the sloppiness gets in the way and Atwell finds a way to outscore them. Catholic has a ton of weapons and I think that will be the difference.

Feels like this is a huge game for Owensboro Catholic. I would think they are favored by a couple of touchdowns but I will be curious to see how their defense holds up against Boykins and that pass game. There is a chance it could be a shootout. With the weather looking somewhat clear, I will roll with Atwell to do enough to clear the Aces playoff path and secure that #1 spot in RPI for 2A. Catholic 48 - N Hardin 34

LCA at Mayfield in Round 3 could/will be must see. I think LCA is the best team in 2A but that trip helps even the playing field a little bit. What if Green Co beats Taylor Co on Friday? Does anyone think the class bump win could push them ahead of LCA in the RPI? Green is only .03 points behind. I have attempted to calculate RPI on my own but after an hour an a migraine, I gave up hope.

Yea, I hate bringing up officials as a reason for a win or a loss and I am sure the Devils could have played much better but this is pretty bad. That ball is out at the 3-4 yd line. Rough for the OHS kids.

I can't believe no one has mentioned the go ahead TD call as of yet. OHS punches the ball out on the 3 yard line and it rolls out of the end zone but the official ruled it a TD. I love our officials and realize they have an insanely difficult job, but I would have like to have seen the game settled with that call being corrected. After seeing Madisonville vs Apollo, I thought the game could be close. I expected OHS to find a way to win it. They could be in for another tough week with that Henderson offense coming in. Its my understanding that RPI splits the 3 way tie, but the two teams left comes down to head to head. If that is true and Graves beats McCracken and OHS loses to Henderson, the Devils could end up with the 3 seed. Wild turn of events.

I'll be watching to see if this plays into the overall RPI of Owensboro Catholic in 2A. They close the season at North Hardin and IF they were to win, they will finish 10-0. I wonder if the hit NH will take from the 3 forfeits will impact the 2A RPI finish?

I came here to get a little more info on this matchup, knowing I could depend on @Purple88. Fantastic thread. This should be a great game. I expect it will come down to who is the best in the 4th quarter! BG 28 - SW 20