SnottieDrippen

1- Elizabethtown Panthers- (2-0 Overall) (2-0 Week 1) (1-0 vs. Region) Wins- 73-70 @ DeSales(1-1); 92-58 vs. Taylor County(0-2) Losses- None Upcoming Games: 1/12 v. John Hardin; 1/15 @ Marion County 2- John Hardin Bulldogs- No games played Week 1 Wins- None Losses- None Upcoming Games: 1/12 @ Elizabethtown; 1/15 @ North Hardin; 1/16 @ Bullitt East 3- Bardstown Tigers- (1-1) (1-1) (1-0) Wins- 71-62 v. Marion County(1-2) Losses- 73-56 v. Trinity(1-1) Upcoming Games- 1/12 v. DeSales; 1/14 @ Christian Academy of Lousiville 4- LaRue County Hawks- No games played Week 1 Wins- None Losses- None Upcoming Games- 1/11 v. Highlands Latin; 1/12 @ Washington County; 1/15 v. Hart County 5- Marion County Knights- (1-2) (1-2) (1-1) Wins- 76-75 v. Hart County(2-1) Losses- 71-62 @ Bardstown(1-1); 74-47 @ Madison Southern(1-2) Upcoming- 1/11 v. Thomas Nelson; 1/12 @ Collins; 1/15 v. Elizabethtown 6- Central Hardin Bruins- No games played Week 1 Wins- None Losses- None Upcoming Games- 1/12 v. South Oldham listed as a COVID cancellation 7- North Hardin Trojans- No games played Week 1 Wins- None Losses- None Upcoming Games- 1/11 @ Louisville Collegiate; 1/12 @ Spencer County; 1/15 v. John Hardin 8- Hart County Raiders- (2-1) (2-1) (2-1) Wins- 69-62 @ Campbellsville(2-2); 82-38 v. Caverna(0-2) Losses- 76-75 @ Marion County(1-2) Upcoming Games- 1/12 v. Whitefield Academy; 1/15 @ LaRue County 9- Adair County Indians- (1-0) (1-0) (1-0) Wins- 60-48 v. Nelson County(1-2) Losses- None Upcoming Games- 1/14 @ Foundation Christian Academy; 1/15 v. Wayne County; 1/16 v. Metcalfe County 10- Campbellsville Eagles- (2-2) (2-2) (0-2) Wins- 61-60 v. Evangel Christian(0-3); 67-62 v. Rockcastle County(0-2) Losses- 69-62 v. Hart County(2-1); 56-45 @ Green County(2-1) Upcoming Games- 1/12 v. Green County/Bethlehem (5th Region All A); 1/16 @ Southwestern 11- Washington County Commanders- (2-0) (2-0) (2-0) Wins- 70-57 v. Bethlehem(0-4); 60-54 @ Thomas Nelson(2-2) Losses- None Upcoming Games- 1/12 v. LaRue County; 1/13 v. Caverna (5th Region All A); 1/16 @ Nelson County 12- Taylor County Cardinals- (0-2) (0-2) (0-1) Wins- None Losses- 58-54 Russell County(1-2); 92-58 @ Elizabethtown(2-0) Upcoming Games- 1/12 @ Thomas Nelson; 1/15 v. Burgin 13- Green County Dragons- (2-1) (2-1) (1-0) Wins- 66-46 v. Cumberland County(1-2); 56-45 v. Campbellsville(2-2) Losses- 59-57 @ Metcalfe County(2-1) Upcoming Games- 1/11 @ Bethlehem; 1/16 v. Russell County 14- Thomas Nelson Generals- (2-2) (2-2) (1-1) Wins- 72-69 @ Beth Haven(1-1); 82-50 v. Highlands Latin(1-1) Losses- 77-54 v. Marshall County(2-1); 60-54 v. Washington County(2-0) Upcoming Games- 1/11 @ Marion County; 1/12 v. Taylor County; 1/15 @ Christian Fellowship; 1/16 @ Community Christian 15- Nelson County Cardinals- (1-2) (1-2) (0-1)N Wins- 63-55 v. Cumberland Homeschool Athletic Teams Losses- 76-24 @ Spencer County(3-0); 60-48 @ Adair County(1-0) Upcoming Games- 1/11 v. Christian Educational Consortium; 1/14 v. Breckinridge County; 1/16 v. Washington County 16- Bethlehem Eagles- (0-4) (0-4) (0-1) Wins- None Losses- 90-56 @ Christian Academy of Louisville(2-1); 70-57 @ Washington County(2-0); 62-50 v. Sayre(2-0); 86-37 v. DeSales(1-1) Upcoming Games- 1/13 v. Washington County (5th Region All A); 1/15 v. Breathitt County(barring 1st round All A win); 1/16 @ Edmonson County 17- Caverna Colonels- (0-2) (0-2) (0-1) Wins- None Losses- 57-42 v. Russellville(1-1); 82-38 @ Hart County(2-1) Upcoming Games- 1/13 v. Washington County (5th Region All A) 5th Region Notes: No change in the top seven, despite losses by Bardstown and Marion County. I just can’t bring myself to move up a team who hasn’t stepped on the court yet. I will do my best to remain consistent on this throughout the season. I have a feeling 8-13 or so will be jockeying for position all season. Hart County and Green County were the big movers this week in that range, each jumping two spots, with a case to be made for Green County to move another one or two. Taylor County and Washington County swapped the 11 and 12 rankings. The 5th Region All A Tournament tips off… or flips off perhaps(?) Monday with Bethlehem looking for their first win of the young season at Green County. Campbellsville awaits the winner of that one on Tuesday. Caverna and Washington County square off Wednesday night, and the Finals will be held Friday.

Chalkboard Tchaikovsky is some of your best work.

I’ve been here long enough to remember folks calling for Coach Listerman’s job. Sam Vinson helps a lot, but I’m happy to see H back in the mix regardless.

I know he got an honorable mention, but like last year, I think we’re sleeping on Blake Reed here. He should have 3-4 1st team All-10ths on his resume before he leaves Brooksville.

8 with a parentheses is apparently the “sunglasses emoji” shortcut. Entirely unexpected.

While the inside of 5th Region gyms will look and sound a little different this season, the basketball still promises to be played at a high level. Returning champions, still hungry for victories on the hallowed grounds of Rupp Arena. Bulldogs looking to reclaim their position at the front of the pack. Knights, Tigers, and bears, oh my! There’s young talent, wily veterans, “Stoppers”, “Bucket-Getters”, and “Glass-Cleaners” galore! Then there are folks like me and you, who are just excited to watch our favorite players have the opportunity to suit up again. Excited to cheer on the team. Excited for mediocre popcorn and $1.50 sodas. Excited to catch up with parents who have been going through the same struggle of getting their kids to all of these practices that coach scheduled. Excited that a senior is getting one more chance to play. Excited for basketball, and the rankings that come with it. 1. Elizabethtown Panthers(27-3)- The reigning champs get the nod in the first ranking. Despite missing the opportunity to play in the King of the Bluegrass over winter break, Coach James Haire has put together a challenging schedule for a team looking to not only advance to the Sweet 16, but make a deep run on the state’s largest stage. After falling 66-45 to John Hardin in the 17th District Finals last season, the Panthers never lost again, winning the 5th Region title before the Sweet 16 was cut short. Leading the attack for E-Town is Jaquais Franklin, the Region’s second-leading scorer from a season ago at 21.5 per game, which was also good for 12th on the senior scoring list statewide, but the Panthers have seven other seniors on the roster, making them one of the most experienced teams in the 5th. Of this group, Camden Williams, Khia Sherrard, Alandre Murphy, and Jacob Moberly played in each of the team’s 30 games. The departure of Myles Fields to graduation will leave a nine-point and five-rebound void to fill, but the veteran group should be more than capable of handling the task. Elizabethtown’s record against 5th Region foes has improved each year since the 2017-18 (9-5) season, when Franklin, Williams, and Moberly began to appear on the team’s Varsity Roster, to a (17-2) record last year. With only 11 regional matchups this season prior to post-season play, running the table has to be on the mind of the Panthers, but more important is getting it done when going home is the alternative. Upcoming Games: 1/4 at Desales; 1/8 v. Taylor County 2. John Hardin Bulldogs(30-4)- The Bulldogs lay claim to the number two spot by virtue of Coach Jared McCurry’s, ability to get the best out of his teams. Since the 2014-15 season, when McCurry took the wheel of the program, John Hardin is averaging 24 wins per season, and has tallied back-to-back 30-win seasons. The loss of six seniors, all of which where top-10 scorers for the Bulldogs last season, including the Region’s leading scorer, Evansville commit, Alex Matthews(23), Trevon Harris(15.6) and Preston Murrell(10.4) leaves a lot to make up, but with a group of seniors who have won the 17th District thrice, including last season, along with two Regional titles, Coach McCurry could have exactly what he needs. John Hardin will likely be relying on a pair of talented juniors, Jalen Tyus and Devon Rogers, along with senior, Darius Williams to lead them this season, as no other current Bulldogs played in more than 21 games. Upcoming Games: No Games Week 1 3. Bardstown Tigers (25-9)- All Coach James Brewer did in his 10th year with the school was lead the team to their ninth 19th District title and sixth 5th Region Final under his guidance. The Tigers went undefeated in the district, on their way to the Regional Finals for the first time in five years. Uof L commit, JJ Traynor along with Graduates JaRel Montgomery and Tereylin Calbert and the rest of the graduating class take with them over 60% of the team’s scoring from a season ago. That loss will likely spring JaVaughn Smith, a 47% 3-point shooter, into a more prominent role than his average of just over 15ppg, and the junior transfer from Nelson County, Bryce Riley will look to contribute some of his nearly-16 points per game last season to the Tigers. Upcoming Games: 1/5 v. Trinity; 1/8 v. Marion County 4. LaRue County Hawks (21-9)- Defense wins championships, as they would have you believe. If that is the case, and LaRue County proves to be more than an anomoly, then look out for the Hawks. Boasting the Region’s best scoring defense, LaRue County returns five of their top eight scorers from last season’s 18th District champion and 5th Region semi-finalist team. They do however lose the 5th’s leading scorer in Mark Goode and double-digit scorers Chase Childress and Warner Bryan, the latter of which averaged 12/10 for the season. If the Hawks can muster another season of stifling defense, it could provide enough time for senior, Jeremiah Belton and an experienced group of sophomores to figure out how to best make up for the graduating 45ppg. As for that sophomore group, Carson Childress and Caden Davis stand out due to their scoring and rebounding numbers, while Luke Trumbo and Jaxon Thomas both scored the ball efficiently on limited attempts. Players such as Trumbo and Thomas who capitalize on their opportunities tend to be valuable pieces for teams, and as evidenced by their appearances in 25+ games last season, Coach Paul Childress sees that value. Upcoming Games: No Games Week 1 5. Marion County Knights(22-8)- The 20th District champions grab the 5th spot. After winning 10 straight to finish off the regular season and District Tournament, the Knights lost in the first round of the 2020 5th Region Tournament. Gone are the 19/14 averages of Jamison Epps, and gone are the nearly 40 points and 15 rebounds of the 2020 senior class. What remains for Coach Maze Stallworth is three juniors, Dominic White, Kanyon Scott-Spalding, and Spencer Lucas, who each played at least 25 games last season, along with sophomore Markell Bell. I know, it takes more than four guys to win a region, but the first step is advancing to the district finals and this group is 16-2 against the 20th District in Coach Stallworth’s second year at the helm. Upcoming Games: 1/5 v. Hart County; 1/8 at Bardstown; 1/9 at Madison Southern 6. Central Hardin Bruins (13-15)- The Bruins, like so many at the top of these rankings, are experienced. They return five players with 20+ games played last season, and another five who made at least 12 appearances during the ‘19-’20 campaign. Lead by junior, Hayden Ash, who leads all returners at nearly 9ppg, and was the team’s leading 3-point shooter last season at 44% from range, the experienced Bruins will need to replace five of their top six scorers and rebounders to compete. Coach Matt Nickell, now in his fifth season at Central,and his staff, has their work cut out for them this season, as most coaches do, but the experience and maturity of this team could put them in a position to compete for one of the toughest district championships in the Bluegrass. Upcoming Games: No Games Week 1 7. North Hardin Trojans (12-18)- Coach Mike Cofer is back for his 8th season at North Hardin, and coming off back-to-back 12-win seasons. The Trojans are just four seasons removed from the second of back-to-back 17th District Championships. Without the trio of Naasir Johnson, Josh Moore, and Maxton Campbell, graduates who combined for about 35ppg, North will look to the extremely experienced group of Juniors and Seniors to pick up the slack. Jalen Sharps, a senior in his third season of big contribution will likely be relied upon to fill a large portion of that void, but he will not be alone. Fellow seniors, Trevion Butler and Marcus Scisney, along with junior, Queshaun Davis all averaged more than five points per contest and played in at least ⅔ of the team’s games last season. The Trojans return six players who shot better than 33% from distance last season, with half of those shooting better than 40%. Upcoming Games: 1/8 at Breckinridge County 8. Campbellsville Eagles (15-15)- Following their 20th District runner-up last season, former coach, Anthony Epps stepped away from the program to take his talents to the collegiate level with the NKU Women’s team. Enter Keith Adkins, who is bringing his wealth of knowledge from the college game to Campbellsville after 20 years of NAIA success, where he won Coach of the Year awards, Conference Tournaments, NAIA National Tournament games, and is a little less than four years removed from taking Life University to the NAIA National Championship game. To say he’s qualified to lead the Eagles to prominence is quite the understatement. Campbellsville is coming off a 20th District runner-up, and a 15-15 season, in which 12 of their wins came against 5th Region competition. They lose four of last season’s top seven scorers to graduation, but return impact seniors Arren Hash, Kameron Smith, Tristin Faullkner, and John Orberson. Hash was the team’s second-leading scorer at over 10ppg and is closing in on 1,000 points for his career. Smith appeared in every game for the Eagles last season, averaging 6ppg and 3rpg, while Faulkner, the leading perimeter shooter last season shot 40% from three on 83 attempts. Orbersonis the wild card of the group, appearing in only ten games, but leaving his mark on them, posting nearly 10 points and four rebounds. There is work to be done for Campbellsville to move into the upper-echelon of the region, but they should be considered the favorites to advance to the All “A” State Tournament for the third straight season. Upcoming Games: 1/4 v. Hart County; ⅕ v. Evangel Christian; 1/8 at Green County; 1/9 v. Rockcastle County 9. Adair County Indians (13-18)- Frankly, it’s odd to see “County Indians” here. Growing up in a school where marching band sets the bar for excellence is not an easy task for a high school athlete. More difficult is when that marching band is not only pretty good, but in the conversation for greatest of all time. Think Trinity Football. That is Adair Marching Band. This team, however, has a window to make some noise of their own. Coach Jeff Breeze returns 4/5 of the team’s leading scorers from a season ago, including the top four. Lucas Pooler figures to lead the attack as a junior, as he is the team's leading scorer from last season, but he is far from alone. Fellow junior, Luke Janes, is the team’s leading returning rebounder at a little over 4.5/game to go along with just under 9 points per. Seniors Brice Starks, and Aaron Steele each return with scoring averages above 7 per contest, and the combo of Brady Cundiff and Clay Giles played in all but two of Adair’s 31 games last season. The experience is there, but a lot of AC attention favors 8th grader, Connor Loy, who, as a 7th grader, averaged 8 points and shot 36% from three. There’s more to the game than scoring, but the pieces are here for Adair to justify a ranking inside the top ten. Upcoming Games: 1/9 v. Nelson County 10. Hart County Raiders (14-16)- If you’re beginning to sense a pattern, or a theme, it is because experience in high school basketball, and particularly at the varsity level, is an invaluable quality for a team to possess. The Raiders have plenty of that, with nine players appearing in 10+ games, and six of those appearing in 15+. Seniors Devin Roten, Julian Barbour, and Dustin Butler each made at least 29 appearances last season, and sophomore Clark Rexroat showed up in 24 contests. The quartet combined for 18 points and 10 rebounds per games for Hart County and coach, Justin Line, last season. With roughly 1000 FGA graduating, those named, and a large sophomore class will have a lot opportunity to improve upon last season’s 18th District runner-up. Upcoming games: 1/4 at Campbellsville; 1/5 at Marion County; 1/8 v. Caverna 11. Taylor County Cardinals (14-17)- The Cardinals lose four of the top-five scorers from last season, but return two of three players who appeared in every game last season in seniors Conner Wise and Carson Watson. From a production standpoint, losing Kybrin Smith and Nick Knifley could cause some clunkiness early, but coach Montrelle Irvin will be looking to contend right away. Wise is the leading returning scorer and rebounder at 11/4 last season, and likely will be relied on to keep things moving as the team figures out roles early on. Unlike the teams listed in the top ten, Taylor County is not a super-experienced team. There will be progress to be made in order to reclaim the traditional success. Upcoming Games: 1/5 at Russell County; 1/7 at Foundation Christian Academy; 1/8 at Elizabethtown 12. Washington County Commanders (5-26)- I know, this team won five games last season. I know, not one of those victories was against 19th District foes. But as you know, I value experience, and the Commanders have my attention with 13/16 listed on the roster having some level of experience from last season. The top two scorers, Josh Burkhead(14.7) and Caleb Foster(8) are now seniors. Freshman Beau Baker brings 7ppg and one of my favorite names in the region back for his second round of varsity action, and a plethora of upperclassmen should be ready to aide. Upcoming Games: 1/5 v. Bethlehem; 1/8 at Thomas Nelson 13. Bethlehem Eagles (11-20)- The Eagles are coming off an 11-win season, in which they ran into Bardstown in the 19th District semi-finals. Seven of the team’s top nine scorers graduated, and still, they have a good deal of experience on the roster. Senior Xavier Cheek and junior Camden Porter combined to play in 61 of a possible 62 games last season. Junior Samuel Mudd and sophomore Haydon Osborne each played in 24+ games. Those numbers can be expected to increase where possible. Upcoming Games: 1/4 at Christian Academy of Louisville; 1/5 at Washington County; 1/7 v. Sayre; 1/8 v. DeSales 14. Thomas Nelson Generals (10-19)- There isn’t a ton of information available at this time. As it stands, they return second-leading scorer in junior, Braden Smith, and fourth-leading scorer, Andrew Hogan, also a junior. Upcoming Games: 1/4 at Beth Haven; 1/5 at Fellowship Christian Academy; 1/8 v. Washington County; 1/9 v. Highlands Latin 15. Green County Dragons (5-21)- The Dragons are in a position to be the fastest risers in the region. Coach Keith Young is in the first year of his second stint in Green County. He returns to one of the top players in the 5th, Gunner Bush, who posted 17.2/8.5 averages as a junior last season. He’ll likely be joined on the frontline by fellow senior, Jackson Johnson, who averaged nearly nine points per contest, and is the only returning Dragon to play in each of the team’s 26 games a season ago. Upcoming Games: 1/5 at Metcalfe County; 1/7 v. Cumberland County; 1/8 v. Campbellsville 16. Nelson County Cardinals (12-21)- There are no two ways around it: this Cardinals team is going to look different this year. Coach Trevor Mason is in his first year at the helm, three of the top five scorers graduated, and last season’s leading scorer is now a Tiger. Senior Daevon Livers, along with his 11/5 averages returns as the sole impact contributor to last season’s 19th District runner-up. This is a mature team in terms of age, who has had as many distractions as possible. I always look forward to watching teams navigate their way through some adversity. Upcoming Games: 1/6 at South Warren; 1/9 at Adair County 17. Caverna Colonels (5-23)- First-year coach Blake Button takes over the youngest team, by miles, in the region. Sophomore Kenyan Wood played in every game for the Colonels as a freshman and will presumably be the de facto leader of a team boasting more 7th graders(4) than seniors(2). Upcoming Games: 1/5 v. Russellville; 1/8 at Hart Co. 18. Fort Knox Eagles (9-18)- Administration elected to shut down Winter Sports at Fort Knox in October. My heart goes out to Coach Kip Rambo and the five seniors listed on last season’s roster: Josiah Anderson, Jordan Armstead, Novelle Francis, Peter Omali, and Marquis White.

Yes! At first I thought they were just wiggling, but it all started to make sense eventually. Those folks are super smart over there.

Yeah, the engine cam was where my eyes stayed trained. I wondered if they were shutting off intentionally or if I was watching a failure. Thanks for clarification.

Negative. Going to defer to health officials.

So, out of complete ignorance I ask, did the third thruster burn out on ascent? Would it have provided enough thrust to prevent the bumpy landing?

If Trimble ends up back in the 31st, which I think they should, Owen needs to come back to the 32nd.

This. So how do we account for the fact that four regions have 15 teams while the 9th has 20? Does the 9th have to sacrifice games? The 1st-3rd and 14th Regions all get 16 additional games to prepare for the tournament while, as bulldog mentioned, CovCath is running through Division 3 of the 9th with only 11 "prep" games? All in the name of the All-Region Team? Obviously, I'm thinking of a normal season where COVID isn't a factor(though who knows when we'll get one of those again) and teams have a 30-game schedule. And what happens to the All-A schools who have a midseason tournament to account for?

How? You don't think a coach would be at practice rather than watching to see who their All-Region team selections are going to be? Long live the District Tournament!

Not to make light of the situation again, but Cynthiana used the monolith as part of a "Shop Small Saturday" or something to the effect, with $100 of shop small dollars(coupons) for participating local businesses hidden inside a "monolith" in town. That's certainly one way to do it.

I think Calvin Johnson is the first guy we need to talk to. Maybe it's an all-time great nickname, maybe he's hiding his true identity in plain sight... Or it's just a group of folks wanting to anonymously make the news. Any other guesses would land me in BGP jail.

The Decepticons must have found it. We're screwed.

Isn’t this how Transformers started?

I'm gonna nitpick here then. If we have to hear every day about how many new cases there are, then we can afford to get weekend numbers, on the weekend. The virus isn't stopping until there's a vaccine, the news about the virus is 24/7, yet we hold off on counting weekend numbers so our Monday totals are huge? Factory workers are essential, but collecting data on the 3rd largest threat to the American people can wait until Monday? Someone please tell me I'm misunderstanding this. I know those numbers don't ultimately make much of a difference if any, but it's not good to me optically. EDIT: I believe it said Monday's totals were inflated by the holding of data by the two hospitals.

On the radio today I heard that there could be some variance in that first number due to two hospitals not reporting for a couple days. It was just a headline type comment between segments that elicited no further discussion. I don't believe the results from those two hospitals would have made a huge difference, but that's a failure on their end.

Aren't all practices suspended after tomorrow anyway? I have to imagine JCPS is responding in part at least, to the numbers reported yesterday, and attempting to curtail any future issues. School administration is not a job I want any part of at this time. Regarding my first question, I don't believe I've seen whether this is 5pm EST or CST or local time. Just looking for clarification on that.

Who knew the coin flip would determine whether the game would be played?

I thought it was just me.

The Mustangs controlled the game, holding Williamstown to no more than a handful of shots on goal. I was too busy wallowing in agony to catch the names of the scorers for North, but man can they go. Tough end to the season for the Demons and their 13 seniors. This class was the first members of the first soccer team in the school's history, and, along with Coach Simpkins, put a great many items on their resume, including but not limited to-- becoming the first Williamstown team to win a district title since the 1977-78 girl's basketball team, the first to win an All "A" region title since the 2017 softball team, and the first to win a Regional Tournament game since the 1997-98 boy's basketball team. Heckuva run fellas.

Top 5 ever with the “and 1” call. He will definitely be missed.

No, you said they were middle schoolers, when in fact a couple of them were playing at Rupp. You can see the difference, I'm sure. I was bullish on Ashland last season as well, largely because I don't get many opportunities to watch 16th Region hoops, but thanks to your expert evaluation of their schedule, I feel that we will actually get a true indication of Ashland's proficiency this year.