coachlee

Given no Johnson or Cager has returned then these three may perhaps be key to returning at the moment, but the lack of the 2 big guns will really hurt Hopkinsville. I would put both CC and UH ahead of Hopkinsville to win the region unless the aforementioned make their way back on the court for the Tigers.

What key 3 guys were back? If two of the three were not both Johnson and Cager, then this score does not surprise me.

West Linn had won the 6A State Championship 3 years in a row until last year when they came in 3rd so as far as Oregon goes they are a powerhouse. But I think Kentucky basketball has more depth, just a gut feeling. They really shot well from the 3 pt line at over 50% making 9. Fern Creek was 1/10 so there was a huge difference there. It was for sure a grind out game for the Tigers and they had 4 players scoring 14 (Wales), 15 (Price & Wickliffe), & 19 (Tony Rogers) to have a really balanced scoring attack. They responded to the pressure of being down by several baskets deep into the 4th quarter before they made a nice run to finish the game.

The drawback for Fern Creek tonight was the turnovers, but beyond that it was a pretty good showing. Two of the top 3 scorers are battling injuries with Wickliffe a shoulder injury and Price an ankle. The PG, Wales, needed to pick up the scoring slack and had 22 on 8 field attempts so he was very efficient. Hitting all of your 3 point attempts helps. Trinity and Fern Creek should each advance to the SemiFinals if they play their games. Cooper and Cov Cath should also. That would make for a Metro Louisville and NKY Final Four. Not saying it will happen, but I believe it has a solid chance to.

They have two kids that likely will be PGs in Division 1 college basketball, they just happen to be of the bigger PG mold and not a quick smaller PG type. Make no mistake, both Johnson & Powell can play the point spot well. They are each young too, when they are in their respective senior seasons they are going to be exceptional if they are not already.

The first three games were all Louisville teams in blow outs versus the out in the state teams and the contests were never in doubt as soon as they were announced with the exception of Fairdale vs Bowling Green. Given the way Fairdale has been playing of late they looked to be the heavy favorite when DeSales beat Bowling Green by 19 a few days ago. This game should be a much closer match-up and I expect the defense of Cooper to slow the game down. It will take a really big game from Fitzgerald, but he has the ability to make it happen.

Whoever wins the game between Seattle Cleveland and Fern Creek has a tough task to turn around from the final 1st round games at 9 PM game on Wednesday to open the 2nd round games at 4:30 the next day. The kids better go home and get some rest for the quick turnaround. I wonder who is the out of state team that would be the most likely to advance deep in the event?

I feel the Top 6 stand out from the rest, but those 6 are really good and could win or be at the top of just about any region in the state.

1. Fern Creek (6-1): After the Trinity loss, Fern Creek went back to business with 2 wins in local games (Whitefield & Male) and one very significant win at the Ramey Showdown Showcase in St. Louis versus the #1 ranked team in Missouri, Webster Groves. Fern Creek entered the contest with their three top players fighting nagging ailments. Ahmad Price has a bad thumb on his shooting hand, Anthony Wales had been battling the flu bug most of the week, and Clint Wickliffe has a banged up shoulder. Wickliffe did not play, but Wales bounced back with 24 and Price added 15 in the upset of Webster Groves. It was the team effort around defense and rebounding that was the catalyst in holding the Statesmen to 10 first half points. Should that focus continue, it makes the Tigers a very tough team. 2. Butler (7-0): The Bears are a solid 2nd in the rankings right now as they easily beat Western and did the same to their Jefferson County traditional school rival Male. Next up for the Bears are holiday tournaments at Warren East and then after Christmas at South Oldham. Butler could very well be in line to enter the New Year with an unblemished record if they continue to play as they have so far. 3 players average double figures (Tolley, Wales, & Pendergrass) and big man Michael Burns might be the most athletic big in the region with his threat to block shots. 3. PRP (5-2): The Panthers went 1-1 this past week as they lost a close one to Valley, 54-57. They easily beat Holy Cross to bounce back after the tough road loss to Valley. Right now there is not a lot of difference between ranked teams in spots 3-6, but PRP should be ahead of the rest with 5 returning starters. Butler escaped with a close win at Valley in the season opener so PRP losing on the Vikings home court is not a indication of anything other than many teams are very competitive in the upper half of this very deep region. 4. Doss (6-2): Doss got back on the winning side with 2 back to back victories against Seneca and Evansville North. Stephon Franklin continues to show why he is one of the best PGs in the city if not the state as he leads his team in many offensive categories. He is scoring at a 14 PPG clip with 4 teammates all getting close to 10 PPG. Gridiron Star Terez Traynor who was transitioning into basketball readiness had an unfortunate foot injury that will sideline him an extended time if not the entire season. Feel bad for this very special young man whose athleticism would have helped Doss when he rounded into basketball form. Everybody needs to wish him speedy recovery as he prepares to play Division 1 football at WKU when he heads off to college. 5. Valley (4-2): The Vikings continue to rebound with another 2 straight wins after opening the season with two losses. We learned something about the Vikings after their midweek matchup with PRP this week that they won by 3. Don't count them out, especially at their home gym where the 6th Regional Championships are always held. Curt Lewis is playing very well and as he goes the Vikings go. Valley heads down to play in the Paducah Holiday event ready to represent the 6th region well against Western Kentucky programs that will be in attendance. 6. Fairdale (5-1): The Bulldogs take this spot convincingly as they jump Iroquois in the rankings in a 92-73 rout and are poised to move farther depending on their showing at the prestigious King of the Bluegrass which they host. They open with Bowling Green and the way Markelo Sullivan is playing they can compete with anyone at the KOB who can't slow him down. Along with Craig Ash, Mark Sullivan & Glenn Queen, this is a talented senior group that has made a statement they are to be reckoned with. They are 5-0 in the region, but soon they will be playing the other top tier teams and then a definitive idea on just how good Fairdale can become will be known. 7. Jeffersontown (4-2): The Chargers won their only game last week against Western and might be ranked a bit high based on only a 6 point win against a team that has only won a single game. Right now the Chargers are changing a culture and winning any game is a step in the right direction. Their only losses are to PRP and Valley so they have earned this spot for the time being. Coach Duncan is the right person for this team and should continue to change the culture to a winning program. 8. Iroquois (4-3): The Raiders beat North Bullitt easily, but had the tables turned against Fairdale to show how much separation there is from the Top 6 teams in the region. Iroquois is still getting great production from Keelan Kennedy and Davarrio Martin, but the lost to Fairdale illustrates that they are several players short from joining the elite in the region. 9. Holy Cross (4-3): Holy Cross beat Sayre, but was turned back by PRP in their attempt to close the gap in District 21. With Driscoll getting 6 PPG and 6 RPG it will not be the production needed to make the Cougars a threat. If they can get nightly double doubles out of the big guy, then perhaps the team will also make strides. They need to find a way to leverage the biggest post player in the region. 10. Bullitt East (3-5): Bullitt East had a good win against Taylor County, but lost on the road against Waggener. The loss was close though, 62-69, and Waggener is undefeated right now. This is Luke Ezell's team, but Thomas Wiseheart is also scoring for the best of the Bullitt County programs again this year. 11. DeSales (2-5): A huge win this week over Bowling Green solidifies this spot just outside the Top 10 in the region. I suspect DeSales will move up as the season continues, but right now they only have 2 wins and they also lost to Elizabethtown this week as well. 12. Moore (2-5): Beat Shawnee, but more impressive was a 13 point loss to Valley on the Vikings home floor. Progress will be coming soon for the Mustangs. 13. Southern (2-3): Lost bad in their only game last week to Manual. 14. Western (1-7): Western got their first win against Atherton of the 7th region this past week. 15. Bullitt Central (6-2): How can a 6-2 team be ranked at #15? They lost to Moore whose only other victory was against Shawnee. 16. North Bullitt (3-4): Lost big to Iroquois last week which is why they are not ranked higher, but they beat Shawnee and the best game they may have played all year was a 1 point loss to Collins from the 8th region. It shows you how one of the last ranked teams in the 6th region if moved to the 8th region may actually be very competitive. 17. Whitefield Academy (2-4): Whitefield may have lost big to Fern Creek, but the kids competed and played hard. There were moments they made some memorable plays. 18. Beth Haven (2-5): A win over Evangel Christian keeps Beth Haven from the bottom spot. 19. Evangel Christian (0-5): Loss to Beth Haven secures the last spot in the rankings.

Ramey Midwest Showdown Showcase held in St. Louis produced a defensive gem for Fern Creek as they beat the defending State Champions from Missouri at the host school's home court which featured a 18-10 halftime score. On Thursday the Webster Groves team ranked 13th in the nation lost to #1 ranked Memphis East on ESPN2. Memphis East is coached by Penny Hardaway and won the game going away. Tonight it was Fern Creek's turn and when they are locked in with defense and rebounding as they were tonight they are capable of beating anyone in the state. Anthony Wales was the leading scorer with 23 and Ahmad Price scored 15. Fern Creek played without Clint Wickliffe and Webster Groves was without Courtney Ramey, the former U of L commit.

Were either Johnson or Cager back? If not, this score surprises me. I would have thought BG would have had a much easier game.

The 6th has some really good backcourts and Sullivan with PG Queen is up there with the best of them.

Those are some big scoring nights. What is his size? I know he is a guard but did not know how tall he is. The Dogs are looking real good and could be a threat to win District this year for sure. We will learn a little more from them in the KOB as they host that fantastic event for high school basketball in the state.

1. Fern Creek (3-1): Fern Creek lost to #1 Trinity on the Rocks home court after leading by 10 at the half. Trinity shot 18 for 19 from the free throw line while Fern Creek was 3/9. That was a major reason why, but the Tigers also failed to rebound on the defensive end and showed some cracks in the armor if they continue those trends in two key areas of play. The Tigers are getting 21.5 PPG from Ahmad Price, 19.5 from Anthony Wales and 12 from Clint Wickliffe to form a strong trio of scoring threats. They have also defeated both PRP and Doss on their home court by double figures to remain the #1 ranked team in the region. 2. Butler (5-0): The Bears scored 100 in their last game against Moore and are now 5-0 after starting the season with a 1 point win versus Valley. The team is led in scoring with 4 individuals all in double figures. Maurice Tolly leads with 17, Jaquay Wales with 14.5, Devin Pendergrass with 12.5 and Michael Burns with 10.5. Butler looks like they will enter the Holiday tournaments with an unblemished record as they face Western High School and Male before the break this week. 3. PRP (4-1): PRP has went on a streak of 4 wins after opening the season with a tough loss to Fern Creek. They have averaged 80 PPG since only scoring 63 in the opener. WIth Valley and Holy Cross on the slate for this week, PRP should enter the Holiday tournaments on a roll. Very balanced scoring with Gerald Gray, BJ Robinson, and Trey Hill leading the way for the Panthers. 4. Doss (4-2): After opening the season with 4 straight victories, the Dragons have lost to Fern Creek on the road by 15 and then a loss to Christian County on a neutral site by 4 points. Neither of those losses are anything to worry about. Doss will be back to winning very soon, led by Stephon Franklin. 5. Valley (2-2): The Vikings have rebounded with 2 straight wins after opening the season with two losses. We will learn much about the Vikings after their midweek matchup with PRP this week. 6. Iroquois (3-2): The Raiders went 1-1 this past week with a tough loss to Doss by 3 points and a win over Manual. A key game against Fairdale looms this week. Two Raiders score over 20 ppg in Keelan Kennedy and Davarrio Martin. 7. Fairdale (3-1): The Bulldogs were not high enough early on and this week an adjustment is made as they have only loss a single game versus 3 victories over 6th region foes. None of those wins have been against the better teams in the 6th, but this week they take on DeSales and Iroquois so we will see if they deserve this #7 spot. 8. Holy Cross (3-2): The Cougars lost their first two, but now have won three this past week. With a game this week against PRP we will be able to tell if Holy Cross is indeed a Top 10 team in the 6th. 9. Jeffersontown (3-2): The Chargers are now 3-2, but have only one victory in the 6th region against Moore by a single point. Western and Spencer County are on the schedule for this week. 10. Bullitt East (2-4): Bullitt East has played some good teams in at least 3 of their losses. But neither of their wins stand out as tough earned victories. They get a chance to get a good win versus Waggener from the 7th region this week and need it to avoid a 5th loss. 11. Southern (2-2): A win over North Bullitt on the road, but a loss to Fairdale indicates that Southern is about right where they deserve to be ranked outside the Top 10. 12. DeSales (1-3): Went 1-1 last week after starting 0-2. Lost bad to a good Oldham County team and beat a not so good Bardstown team. This week a win versus Fairdale will help their cause if they can pull off the win on their home court. 13. Bullitt Central (4-1): Every year they have a record that makes you think they should be ranked higher, but once they play the 6th region teams they never prove that to be the case. Maybe this year is different. 14. Moore (0-4): The Mustangs have played good opponents in 3 of their 4 losses. The other game was a single point loss to Jeffersontown in the season opener. They will get wins soon and as they play Bullitt Central it would move them up in the next rankings. 15. Western (0-5): Tough to get wins when you play in the 6th and your team is still learning a new system without an abundance of talent. Warriors will win soon, but not against Butler this week. 16. North Bullitt (2-2): Started the year with two wins, but then lost two games in a row when they played within the 6th region. They are where they need to be until they can beat someone in the 6th in front of them. 17. Whitefield Academy (2-3): Lost to KCD this past week, but beat Brown. This week they get a shot at Fern Creek, but it could get ugly. 18. Beth Haven (1-3): A really bad loss to Valley, they are just not able to compete in the 6th region. 19. Evangel Christian (0-2): Season got under way this past week with bad losses to both Brown and Collegiate who are not city powers by any means.

They could use the depth, but who do you sit down with that starting 5, all those kids can play. On the other side Fern Creek lost Trey Hill to a transfer to PRP in the middle of their sophomore season. Think if he was still at Fern Creek. He is one of the top players in the 6th region and better than either of those two in terms of being recruited at the D1 level.

Cov Catholic and Scott County are very good too. There is a Top 4 and then there is a little separation. But teams can improve during the year and some do not so the race to Rupp is still wide open. Plus in tourney time one game is all it takes for an upset.

It is a judgement call and for those that like an aggressive man to man style of defense it would not be characterized as riding a guy. The defense is entitled to their position and being up on the ball handler in an aggressive fashion is how you draw an offensive foul like Price did in the first half. Ball handlers hate it because it makes them uncomfortable and they tend to hurry their dribble and use their off hand to create space. It becomes a judgement call when the ref blows the whistle on the person who initiates the contact. The defender has a right to their space too so it becomes a judgement call. This time one went to the defender in the first half and the offense in the 2nd. Very similar plays that can go either way. I did not think either call was a "bad" call, but the FC coach just was backing his guy.

I could see that may help. They have length at the PG spot in Johnson and Powell, but they do not have much depth with a quick smaller guard. In the first half with Johnson out of the game due to foul trouble the Fern Creek press caused a lot of turnovers. Someone asked about video of the foul that sent Price to the bench and caused a T on the coach...I can only describe it as a foul that you hate to see a kid sent to the bench on. He was playing tight defense moving his feet as you teach kids as David Johnson was trying to penetrate. David has a tendency to initiate contact with his off arm when dribbling and had an offensive call on the same play in the first half. This time when there was contact they called it the other way. I would have let it be a no call but it is a judgement on whom initiated the contact and the ref called it on Price this time. It was pretty solid D and I hate kids penalized for playing aggressive defense while moving their feet as they are taught.

Trinity and Fern Creek both had tough games on Friday night and put on an excellent high school basketball game against each other the following night. I think the bigger issue is Adair just rarely plays against elite competition and when they do they will struggle. Mercer may not be elite in terms of a top 10 team, but they have an elite player in Faulkner that can play some great defense. That is not to say Harmon can't look good against elite competition as he showed that on the NIKE EYBL circuit, but I am not convinced that he has much behind him. They may show more as the season progresses, but it will take Harmon having super games to beat the better teams in the state in my opinion.

Jay Scrubb was the real deal tonight with 24 and superb free throw shooting along with hitting multiple 3's. WKU assistant in the gym was very impressed. As mentioned, tale of two halves. David Johnson sat quite a bit of the 1st half with foul trouble and Fern Creek took advantage for a 10 point lead at the break. Trinity came out strong after the break and closed the gap to a tie game entering the 4th. Fern Creek had the same problem with Ahmad Price getting in foul trouble in the 2nd half and he fouled out with 5 minutes to go. The big difference was Trinity won the rebounding battle and points at the charity stripe. Fern Creek was 3 for 9 and Trinity made 18 on 19 from the line. That was the difference and losing Price in the last quarter. He had 19 before fouling out and Anthony Wales led Fern Creek in scoring with 22. Trinity was led by Scrubb with his 24 and David johnson finished with 16. Those are media totals and not officials. No doubt these two teams are the frontrunners from the 6th and 7th regions respectively and will likely meet again as they both will be in the KOB and LIT in January.

I would agree, but as you play holiday tournaments and then if you are able to get to Rupp in March it prepares you for that grind. Especially tough though for sure, and I know that some of the kids are also taking the ACT this morning sandwiched between the games.

Fern Creek by 9 at half but Doss came out on a 7-0 run to start the 3rd quarter and ended up down 5 entering the 4th. Fern Creek pulled away for the 15 point victory at the end. Fern Creek had 69 points from their big 3...Ahmad Price with 27, Anthony Wales and Clint Wickliffe with 21 each. Stephon Franklin led Doss with 16. Trinity is next for Fern Creek tomorrow.

In a tune up for a big weekend of games (Doss/Friday & Trinity/Saturday) Fern Creek looked very good again. Running clock most of the 2nd half and all the FC starters were on the bench before Q3 ended and never returned. Price & Wales led in scoring again with 17 & 15. The entire squad looked good, even the end of the bench. 6'6" freshman, Darius Washington, was very solid and if he keeps improving at the rate he is could be an additional weapon by the end of the season. A name to remember in the upcoming years for sure. The weekend is going to be a test with Doss & Trinity back to back. Doss is at home and road game at Trinity.

I always liked his steady play and scoring ability. Congrats to him. Is he narrowing his college choices at all? I had always hoped he may find his way to Bellarmine and join his former teammate, Ben Weyer. Ben is having great success at Bellarmine and I suspect Brennen would be a good fit there also.

Samuel Weining is #22 and he may have been at Trinity at one time, but he was with DeSales last season and was expected to be the best player on this DeSales team this season. Last year they had Jaxon Burgess who was a very good player and Sam is the heir to that role this season. DeSales figures to be a team in the 6th that falls in the top half of the region, but somewhere between 6-10 is where they will likely stay in the weekly rankings. I do not see them going into the top 5, but also do not see them dropping outside the Top 10. Coach Crews is a great coach. 3 seasons ago they were in the 6th region finals and were 13-4 in regional play. 2 seasons ago they were not very good in the regular season (10-21), but got hot come tourney time and were in the semi finals of the 6th. Last year they were 18-13 and about .500 in regional play. They again made the regional tournament losing in the first round to Fern Creek. This season will be tough to get to the regional tournament as they play in a very hard district with Doss and Butler likely to be there and Iroquois a darkhorse along with DeSales. It is probably the toughest district in the 6th.