Bball Legend

They have around 35 kids out. I think they can win 4 games this year. New coaching staff, new field, more positive vibe. It will take some time, but hopefully they will be more competitive than in years past. Michael Prater is a very good player for Morgan. Great all around athlete. But it is a work in progress for sure.

Paintsville 38-13

I knew this would be lopsided. Morgan is way down this year. And this may be the best team Elliott has had since the Faulkner twins and Ferguson days.

It was actually 39-18 at the half. Elliott lead 31-5 after 1 quarter.

Mark "Polo" Easterling has been hired as the new head football coach at Morgan County. My understanding is that he was an assistant on the coaching staff last year.

 

Easterling also had a 4-year stint as the head baseball coach, and has been the head softball coach at MCHS since 2015. He also serves as the school's athletic director.

 

Congratulations, and good luck Coach Easterling! Sounds like you're one dedicated man!

All of this is true, except Polo did not coach any football last year. He was an assistant from 2012-2015 I believe though. I honestly believe he will make a huge impact on the program.

The Morgan Co Middle School coach I believe. Are the assistants from the middle school staff as well? Will he be able to get the kids out? What happens to the middle school program.

No. None of them are middle school coaches. Randy Cline is the middle school coach. Mark was an assistant with Turner for several years, but wasn't last year. John Fugate was the former middle school coach and Turner's assistant for at least 7 years. Fugate coached the middle school team around 2 or 3 years ago for a season or two. Walker Crase is a former Morgan county player, and was an assistant with Lewis county last year. And yes, Mark will be able to get kids to play for him. I expect their roster to increase to between 40-50 kids for next season.

Hearing some assistant coaches in the area may have applied. Other than that no information at all. Anybody heard anything else new?

Mark "Polo" Easterling got the head coaching job. John Fugate and Walker Crase are his assistants.

Super regional is an idea being thrown around about letting every team compete in the regional tournament and either using district tournaments as seeding or regular season play as seeding (option two having no district tournaments). Super regional was done in the 15th Region in 2006 where more than 8 teams were allowed in. You might see it go back to this. You might see the regional tourney pulled from the EXPO center as this is the last year on a ten year contract. You might see teams from other regions brought into this region. You might see districts look very different. Change is likely coming.

 

Was very busy and missed the recap last week, but will make it up with an extended post season preview.

 

Mason Blair should break the attempts record, but that is not was I was referring to. The made 3FG record is what was highlighted (both season and career).

 

Cole Crace is an outstanding scoring option and almost unstoppable against man defense. When a packed in zone is in place you need shooting and that's where Blair gets you. It's hard to say which one is the better scoring option as the defense dictates that on a given night. What you can say is both are very good at putting the ball in the basket.

 

Blair is taking 16 3FG's a game but making almost 6 of those. Using advanced analytics the 10% difference in FG percentage is weighted more toward 3FG as they are worth more points. Think about it. Cole shoots 100 shots and make 60 of them then you get 120 points. Mason shoots 100 3FG and makes 45 of them then you get 135 points. 15% less makes yet 15 more points. Point: One kills you at the rim and one kills you from deep. Johnson Central will need them both doing what they do to win the region as they complement each other. Looking at one as a better option over the other is an incorrect way to approach it as they both score very differently.

Cole is shooting 56% overall, and Blair is shooting 37% from 3's, not 45%. So with what you stated based on 100 shot attempts Cole will get you 112 points and Blair 111 points. Maybe Cole is the better option....

Here is the highlights.

Watch: Half-court buzzer-beater lifts Harlan County over Cordia

Here is the link that I got from WYMT

Watch: Half-court buzzer-beater lifts Harlan County over Cordia

My school is basketball all the way as far as interest in the community.

Actually, we don't have football. There's a group of county school systems in my area that have never had football. Owsley, Lee, Wolfe, Menifee, and Elliott. I think Buckhorn, who is in the Perry County system, had football for a short period a long time ago.

There is some serious talk going on right now in Wolfe county to get football started. I hear they have set aside some money to start youth football there for 2017. May take a few years to actually get it in the middle and high school. But they seem to be serious about getting it going.

Looks good

While I will disagree with the top 4 spots, teams 5 thru 16 look about right. Me personally I would have Elliott, Greenup, Rowan and Boyd. Just based on how they have performed so far anyway.

Russell is the only game in that 2

 

I disagree with that. A 28 point loss and they should have won?? Could they have won? A single digit loss, yeah maybe you can say they should have won. But nearly a 30 point loss....Maybe they are just still trying to sort things out. It's still pretty early in the season and a lot of district, regional games coming up.

Elliott should be the #1 team in the 16th no way Boyd should have lost to the Tomcats.

I think they have been all year. I'd put Boyd at either 3 or 4 behind West Carter and maybe even Rowan.

After Bracken hung with Boyd County who is considered to be the best 16th region team I thought for Sure Russell would lose this one. This 28 point margin of victory is really insane.

It's all about matchups. I really have never been a person who says well so and so beat team A by 3 points and we only lost to team B by 5 so we can hang with them.

Surprised because 16th Region is very weak and Russell was not in top half of teams. Brossart hung tight with Greenup County today and GC supposed to be in top 5 of 16th. Bears lucky they still have two months to turn things around.

Maybe the 16th isn't as bad as we all thought. Myself included. I know there is no dominant team and Elliott, Boyd and West are probably the best the region offers. But Rowan, West Carter, Greenup and Russell aren't terrible teams.

Bracken was #7 in the 10th, Boyd #1 in the 16th...

And there is no doubt several of the 10th region teams would win the 16th this year. Just not a lot of great teams in the 16th right now. A few good players, but it is down now more so now than in years past I believe.

Bracken was #7 in the 10th, Boyd #1 in the 16th...

Until someone from the 16th beats Elliott county I think they are the top team in the 16th. I know most have Boyd ranked ahead of them. I would put Elliott at 1, Boyd 2 and West at 3. West may end up coming out of the 16th. If they would utilize their size advantage more.

Besides the top 3 16th Region teams, the rest of the region is just sort of there.

I agree with that! Maybe Boyd, Elliott, West Carter and Rowan county. Other than that they are very weak.

The 16th region is pretty weak top to bottom. I was just thinking a bracken team that beat Campbell would of got a win.

Elliott county also beat Bracken pretty handily. 15 points I believe.

Since they were down by 3 points with 5 seconds to go, why did the kid take the ball to the basket and not shoot a 3 pointer? The video I watched showed that Bracken county was down by 3 points. Is that correct?

Why the assumption of a whole new staff? Would the guys not want to stay on?

 

What else can people tell us? Schedule? County structure?

Haven't heard anything about the schedule. Pretty sure out of district they will play Jackson co, Bath co. Other than that I don't know. Turner is from Breathitt county, his top assistant is also. The def coach works and lives in Breathitt. I don't think he will be back. I'm pretty sure one or two assistant positions were open all of this past season. No applicants. They do have a very likable AD. I feel like they had to go a different route and this is the only option to get a fresh start for the program.

I hate that for his son who I think will be a senior. If the stipend is correct good luck. I think he was down to 1 or 2 assistants at the most so a new staff will be necessary.

Yes he has a very good kid, and he will be a senior. That is true only had two assistants this past season. So I assume it will be a whole new coaching staff.

2Gs? And they let the old HFC go that was there for 9 years? I'm sorry sounds like he was a very dedicated coach to be there for 2Gs a year...they won't find someone else that will do that unless they are fresh out of college or they are using MC for a stepping stone...setting up the program for failure is what it sounds like to me...maybe there is moreto the story...anyone?

He was not dedicated at all. I know he stayed there 9 years, but he was not a dedicated coach. Not good with the kids at all, hence the low #'s. Morgan finished with 15 players in their last 4 games this season. Not much work done in the off season, where kids should be getting stronger. I am quite certain that Turner made more than $2k a year. He was not involved in the youth football league in the county, which was part of his job duties. He never attended any middle school games, or 3/4, 5/6 grade games.He argued with fans during the games this past season on several occasions.. He called the fans morons on the air, and was reprimanded for it and made to publicly apologize. He lost respect from parents and kids, due to his personal actions. Can't discuss publicly here, but you can imagine. Regardless of the struggles that may continue for a few years this is honestly the best thing to happen to the program. Some of our best football players and athletes in the school refused to play the past few years for him. Having 15 players dressed, not due to injury keep in mind is not what the program needed. A fresh face will do nothing but help. The kids just basically refused to play for him. Several key players and starters from the previous year just said they couldn't stand playing for him anymore.