DearToday

We get a rematch of a game that was played three weeks ago. Wayne went on the road and brought it home for district 7 as they knocked off Harlan County 26-2. They ran for 193, and threw for 84. Defensively, they were stifling. Held a team that is predominantly run to -9 yards and only 40 passing. Boyle also took care of business round 1. They got the running clock 52-6 over Whitley County, and didn't give up a TD till a kick return was taken to the house late in the game. They returned two punts for TDs and a lot of people got in the scoring column. A few weeks ago this score was 53-7. Will it be any closer this time around?

Somewhere a man named Fat Pat is going nuts in Hindman!

Yes. Danville has some good young pieces but they are heavily heavily reliant on Meaux. I don’t think they’ll be able to keep up with the Bunnies. And Clevenger will be extra motivated in this one.

⏰?‍♂️?

I agree with you.

Thank you!

15th Region Boys Basketball Preview: First things first.. You know I have to show love for the 15th and the super regional! Thanks to this format, we found our region champion Lawrence County. They lost the first round of district, then dug in deep and made a run. Knocked off a favorite in Johnson Central by 12, had a buzzer beater against Pikeville in OT to win by 1, knocked off Pike County Central by 17, and then took down the region favorites Martin County by 13. They were ultimately beaten by Montgomery in the first round of the Sweet 16, but what a run they had. I’m going to give it my best shot. Anyone with more info and more facts on the 15th please don’t hesitate to chime in! The great part of the 15th is because all of the teams are so close in proximity to each other, most end up playing each other multiple times. We should have a really good idea of where the favorites are and who stands where by the end of the season. From what I remember last year, Lawrence, Johnson Central, and Martin County are going to be the favorites. 1. Lawrence County - The Bulldogs are the kings till they get knocked off. Kaiden Harris (18.8).. back. Gunnar Woods (18.7)... back. Hayden Perry (15.7)... back. Kaden Johnson (10.9)... back. Not only do they bring back tons of scoring, they bring back that gritty edge that led them to go on a run and win the region last year. Although they got blown out by Montgomery County in the Sweet 16, I think a deeper run can be attained this next season based off of their draw. I look for them to repeat. 2. Johnson Central - If anyone is going to unseat Lawrence, it very well could be the Golden Eagles. JC had a very up and down year last year going 15-11, but the plus side is besides one player, their entire team was made up of freshmen and sophomores. Austin Slone and Brayden Shepherd will be a great 1-2 punch and together they averaged 47.4 points per game. Add in guys like Mason Mckenzie and Kyle Rose into that, and you have the makings for a team that is poised to make a deep run. 3. Martin County - The Cardinals had a very disappointed end to last season. They were the favorites all season to come up short at the very end. Gone are Watts and Davis, but the cupboard is not bare. Bryson Dials and Devan Maynard return who put up 14.6 and 9.3 points per game. They also had one of the biggest additions in the 15th over the offseason. Braxton Keathley (34.3!!!) is now wearing Martin County red instead of Prestonsburg red and black. He will be a huge asset to the cardinals and will help in pushing Martin County to the next level. 4. Paintsville - Ethan Cole (19.7), Anderson Lauffer (13.3), and Brock Woods (12.7) are all upperclassmen now. Losing glue guy Jase Kinner hurts, but they bring back more than enough production to make a run at it. Last year they finished 19-9, but seemed like they lost to all the bigger names in the region towards the end of the year. With those three being a year older, it might give them the experience and edge they need to make a run. 5. Pikeville - Pikeville loses Ian Onkst, EB Walters, and Ethan Sykes off a squad that looked like they’d make a real run at it before they lost off a heartbreaker. They do bring back Jason Keene (14.7) and Cole Slone (8.8). Pikeville has a great feeder program and they do things the right way over there. There’s no doubt in my mind Coach Justice will have them playing hard and improving throughout the season. If I’m not mistaken I believe they added Carter Parsons who is a really nice player as well. 6. Shelby Valley - Sometimes at these mountain schools and smaller schools, your talent comes in waves. This may be Shelby Valley’s shot to be a dark horse in the 15th. They bring back top four scorers who averaged over 12 points per game. Can this be enough production to help them make a run? Only time will tell. Gavin Hamilton, Caden Johnson, Brady Johnson, and Jonah Bartley are all solid players. 7. Floyd Central - Besides Lawrence County, no one ended the year hotter than Floyd Central. After a sub .500 regular season and a loss in the first round of districts, the season looked to be short lived. They then went on a run and won the first three rounds of the 15th region, including avenging a loss to Betsy Lane in the district, before losing to Martin Co to end their season. Dylan Boyd and Wesley Buck are both back after putting up 14.3 per game last season. The Jags are another dark horse for me in the 15th. 8. Pike County Central - Jaden Stewart was as good as they come and was well worth the price of admission. In many games he put the team on his back and willed them to victory. Unfortunately, he is gone. Peyton Owens is back as the only other starter to put up double digits. They have added Hall of Fame Coach Al Holland though and I think he will be a great addition for PCC. 9. Betsy Lane - Losing Cameron Pente to graduation hurts, but losing Carter Parsons to transfer hurts just as bad. The Bobcats will have to reload. They’ll look to Brayden Hall (15.0) and Isaiah Allen (8.3) to lead the charge. Last season they won the 58th but fizzled out quickly in the first round of region. They’ll look to increase off of that run. 10. Belfry - The Pirates go into year 2 under coach Brent Perry. They lose a few of their bigger names to graduation, but they bring back Matthew Little who will lead the back court. Carter Jude will also man the point and will be a nice player in the 15th. We will see what kinda strides they make in year two. 11. Phelps - Phelps is coming off a season where they finished two games over .500. They knocked off Belfry in the district before getting drummed by PCC in the district championship. They did win their first round of region, but then got steam rolled by Martin County. 12. Magoffin County - The fighting Hornets are two years off of a sweet 16 run, but are still rebuilding from that solid senior class they had that year. They did manage to win their first round game in the region over East Ridge, but they got edged out by Phelps to finish the year. They look to make a run this season. 13. Prestonsburg - The Blackcats were decimated by graduation and transfers. They return under 10 points per game and 5 boards per game. It’s going to be a tough year P Burg. Hopefully the young guys buy in quick and they right the ship as quick as their football team has been able to. 14. East Ridge - East Ridge had a tough year last year only winning seven games. They lost the first round of district, and then got knocked off by Magoffin in the first round of region. East Ridge isn’t the easiest job in the world and it’s tough to see them advancing much further.

Southwestern vs West Jess possibly?

Yes that's the addition I had heard of!

13th Region Boys Basketball Preview: With the weather turning colder and the first round of the KHSAA Football Playoffs starting, that means the round balls are bouncing in full force. Basketball season is here, and week 1 will be here before we know it. Last year, North Laurel got hot when it mattered and won two OT games, likely upsets, to knock off the region favorites to win the 13th. North Laurel is going to look to repeat with Reece Davidson leading the way after blowing up at the state tournament. The Jaguars only graduate one senior off of a team that made it to the elite 8, so they should be well set to make another run at it. The region did lose a lot of talent by way of transfer, but things are always really competitive in the 13th and it should make for a fun season and a fun 13th region tournament at the end. If I’ve missed anything, chime in and let us know how you feel about the 13th as a whole. Rankings: 1. North Laurel - The only production that North Laurel loses off their team from last year is Kole Jervis, the starting PG who put up 8.1 and 1.7 per game. They’ll need someone else to man the offense, but as long as Reece Davidson is back I don’t think they’ll have any problems finding that. Reece put up 21.6 and 9.4 and should be a sneaky candidate for Mr. Basketball and a sure fire favorite for 13th region player of the year. Jordan Rawlings, RJ Noble, and Corey Cunagin will all step into larger roles for the Jags and I think they’ll have a real chance to make some noise in the Sweet 16 if they make it out of the region. 2. Bell County - If North Laurel is 1A, then I’d have Bell County 1B. Last year I believe they had arrived a year early to the scene. Cameron Hall was the lone senior on the squad and he was a fine player that put up 13.7 and 2.3 per game. Ethan Buell and Blake Burnett may provide the best 1-2 punch from anyone in the 13th this year. They both averaged 17.6 on the year. I think Braxton Ferguson is a kid that can have a breakout year this year. I’ve also heard Bell is getting a monster big man that may just push them over the edge if that comes to fruition. I think there’s a massive drop off from 1 and 2 to the rest of the region, so don’t get after me too bad if this changes a lot during the season. 3. Harlan County - Losing Maddox Huff, Jaycee Carter, and Brody Napier to graduation will be a lot to withstand. However, they do return Trenton Cole and Reggie Cottrell to lead the Black Bears. I’ve enjoyed watching Cottrell these past two seasons, and I think he will have a big senior year. He’s a high energy player who consistently is flying around making plays. They will need more from the likes of Brennan Blevins and Braydon Smith as they look to take on a larger role for the team. 4. Clay County - Clay is another team that loses a lot to graduation with Dezarn, Hooker, Roark, and Jackson. However, they return two big pieces in Adon Grubb (12.1) and Aiden Wagers (11.9). Those two also added 9.8 and 7.0 boards per game. Both are high level players. I’m not sure they will be enough to knock off the Jaguars though. A lot of their success though will ride on Wagers injury he got during football season and if he will be able to comeback and be a force on the court. I think Michael Jones is one of the best coaches in the region and will get the most out of Clay that he can. 5. Corbin - Losing Ryder Akins to GRC is probably a bigger blow than the guys they lost to graduation. He averaged 19 per game and was a stud. They also lost their second leading scorer to graduation and their glue guy in Reynolds. They do return Evan Ellis and he will be primed for a huge season. Pair him with Pietroski and Dawson Farmer, Corbin will have their own big 3. Coach P does a good job with what he has every year, and once they get the football guys up to speed they should be able to make a run to win the district and compete at region. 6. South Laurel - To be honest I probably have them too low. It’s weird seeing SL this low after the years they’ve been putting together. They were primed last year to win it all before being upset in the region finals by crosstown rival North Laurel. I’m pretty sure they lost their entire starting five to graduation. There are tons of places for new guys to step up, and I’m sure they will. Garrison Brown, and Brendan Murphy are two I think will step into larger roles and have a great season for the Cardinals. Coach Davis will get the most out of his guys. 7. Harlan - I got two names; Eli Noe and Jaxson Perry. Freshmen a year ago on a team that only won five games, they are ready to put the region on notice as the favorites in the All A. Noe put up 9.9 and Perry put up 8.2, and I think they will both have big time sophomore years. Izack Saylor is another sophomore that put up 11.7 per game and who will put up a big year. Harlan could be a team like Pineville last year, that makes a run at it their senior season. 8. Whitley County - Whitley is a team that gets closer and closer every year to making the region. Last year they split Corbin in the district games, but lost to them in the district tourney. Could this year be the year they make the jump? I think they got a shot. Led behind Bryson Mahan (16.7) and Riley Fuson (14.9), this will be the year to do it. Both of these young men are also sophomores. There’s a ton of young talent in the region right now, we can only hope it stays. 9. Knox Central - It’s been a tough offseason for the Panthers. Coach Madden had to step away for health related reasons. Then star freshman Grayson Burton enrolled at Madison Central. The good news is Coach Patterson who led the Panthers to many years of success is back at the helm. He’s a guy that understands the scenery and what it takes to win at a place like KC. With Burton and Summers both gone, Evan Hubbard and Hayden Melton are both going to have to step up in big ways. The plus side is the 51st district is ripe for the taking and they should still be able to compete for a district title. 10. Barbourville - The Tigers return Eathan Fisher, Chase Wilder, Andre Simmons, and Albert Moen from last year's squad. Fisher put up 10.7 and 5.4 per game. They lose a lot to graduation but the 51st is a district where you can compete to make the region. I’ve also heard they’ve added a Bell transfer that will help. 11. Jackson County - The Generals lose their top 3 leading scorers to graduation, but they do return their next three. Wyatt Gray, Tansen Truett, and Braxton Coyle should all have bigger roles and better seasons this year as sophomores. They ended the season on a big losing streak, so they have to continue to try to grow as the season progresses. 12. Williamsburg - As always with small schools, your talent comes and it goes. Last year the Yellow Jackets went 0-7 in district in a year they needed to try to find at least one district win. The win-loss record was nice finishing at 17-10, but they weren’t able to make it out of districts. They’ve now lost five to graduation and it’s going to be hard to replace that. Reece Hatcher will get the first shot as an incoming sophomore that put up 6.9 a game. 13.Middlesboro - The Yellowjackets are actually returning most of their production from last year. They bring back Joseph Killion (13.1), Jacob Tinnell (9.8), and Mekhi Young (7.3). These top three should be able to help Middlesboro make a run at the All A. 14. OBI - The Mountaineers bring back Jacob Rogers who put up 15.2 per game as a freshman and Skyler Robets who put up 13.5 as a freshman. Two electric guards who can score points in a hurry. Its tough to say who OBI will have and who they won’t because of the nature of the school, but if they keep all the kids on their roster from last year who didn’t graduate they may be able to make a quick climb in the rankings. 15. Pineville - What a year Pineville just had. They won the 51st district, and then they knocked off Clay County in the region tournament. Those types of years don’t happen often at small schools like Pineville. Unfortunately, they graduated 9 seniors and those were the majority of who they played this year. They are going to be young, young this coming season. Expect them to have growing pains and figure things out as they go. 16. Lynn Camp - It was nice seeing Coach Dinky Phipps out on the floor one last time this past season. I wish he could’ve mustered up some of his magic and made a run. The Campers have added Coach Mckeehan as the new Head Coach, and he looks to build a formidable team and roster with what they have. He does return leading scorer Ethan Chafin to the team. 17. Red Bird - The Cardinals finished winless last year at 0-23. None of their stats got posted so I’m not sure what they have coming and going. They do graduate two seniors, but they bring back everyone else. Here’s to rooting on Red Bird and hoping they can get at least one win this next year!

Foley was a big time name last time when Russell was open. He's a Russell grad and has a lot of ties to the era. When Southwestern was going on the run the last few years they were pulling a lot of Russell Co kids over to SW. There could be nothing there. I think French has done a great job and there'd be no reason to get rid of him IMO, but just saying if they were to I think they'd go back in that direction. And with Southwestern being 1-9 staring 1-10 in the face, he may take it this time around.

Depends on if Southwestern's current coach were to reach out I'd think..

Probably depends which Owensboro shows up. The win over MNH was very impressive. Would've thought they had faired better the first two weeks but I get that's been awhile ago.

Held Boyle to 0 through three in a scrimmage and held North Oldham who was averaging 49 a game to 13.

A Train creeping towards the top five..

Madisonville North Hopkins Bullitt East Simon Kenton Meade County Russellville 49

The Warriors enter this one 1-9. Their lone win, a win over Mercer County. They had played North Laurel and Pulaski County very competitive before losing by 10 to each. Their season finale saw them get blown out by Rockcastle. West Jessamine enters as the one seed and they’re sitting at 7-3. They have won their last four and are playing good ball as of late. In 2019 Southwestern entered the playoffs as the 4 seed and won their next two. Any chance they can rekindle that magic?

Yep. They picked it up because both teams had a team cancel on them. Final was 20-12. Game was played 9/11 just found it on Boyle’s X.

They lost to Boyle at Boyle in a game they both picked up. Believe it was something like 22-14. Boyle got up 20 something 0 and FD got two late.

Boyle beat Great Crossing 14-12 to secure third place.

I really thought Taylor could make a run prior to the season. Crazy to me they finished dead last in their district.

The Jaguars started the year off 2-0 and things looked bright, but then the injury bug bit and things haven’t been the same since. They’ve lost 8 straight, the latest a 21 point set back to Green Co. Pulaski finishes the regular season 8-2, with two losses to Johnson Central and South Warren, but marquee wins over Corbin and at Bell County in double OT. This has been enough to land them at the top in 5A RPI. Who takes this one?

The Wildcats finished 3-7 on the season. Their last game was a 51-46 shootout with Shawnee. Junior Arion Roach leads the team with over 20 TDs combined through the air and on the ground. The Flyers capped another perfect regular season with highlight wins over LCA and the latest a 10 point win over Bowling Green. They’re getting hot at the right time. Kickoff is set for 7PM. Who takes it?

The Colonels enter this one 1-9. They’ve not won since week 1, and their latest was a 36-0 loss to Madison Southern. I know they’ve been decimated by injury this year. Dee Parker is a great running back for them and has been a bright spot on a tough year. The Rebels are 9-1. They’ve not lost since a week 3 hiccup to Lex Cath, and their latest was a 20-13 win at Douglass last night. This game is on Thursday at 7:00. Score predictions?

JC beats Cov Cath: Corbin at Boyle, Highlands at JC Cov Cath beats JC: CC at Boyle, Corbin at Highlands.