Carl Spackler

It seemed like he hit one every time we needed one. Grundy buried a huge corner 3 as well. I thought Wooldridge and Cupp both have the team good minutes off of the bench. It really was a great team effort.

Rockcastle came out fired up and got off to a great start. Somerset did a good job running their offense and started knocking down shots. The Rockets led 15-7 at one point, then Somerset outscored them 51-34 the rest of the way.

Didn't see that the coming.

The 44th District is currently the only district in the state that uses a blind draw, and not seeding, to determine the matchups for the district tournament. That will change next season when the 49th District will also go to the blind draw to determine matchups. For the 2nd year in a row the 2 best teams in the district, Madison Central and Madison Southern will play in the semifinals. Either Berea or Model will advance to the 11th Region Tournament. Seeing which one of the 2 small schools gets to go on to the region will likely be the only drama in the tournament this season. Madison Central is just on another level than the other teams, and it would take a monumental effort for any of the other 3 teams to play within 20 points of the Indians. The games will be played at McBrayer Arena on the EKU campus. Here's how I see it playing out. Semifinals: Berea (14-14) vs Model (18-11) 2/23/2026 8:00PM These two teams have played twice this season, with Model taking both contests. The Patriots defeated Berea in the All A Regional Tournament at LCA 73-67 and at home 63-54 back on January 31st. Model is led by a pair of seniors: Jayden Bingham (21.5 points per game) and Riley Mollette (18.8 points and 14.0 rebounds per game). Berea will counter with a balanced attack that features 5 players scoring between 6.5 and 12.7 points per game. Both teams shoot a lot of threes, but not necessarily well. Berea shoots 31% from three as a team, and Model checks in at 31.7%. Berea also struggles at the line, hitting only 55.5% of their free throws. In the postseason free throws are often the difference. I'll take that a my season for picking Model to get their 3rd win in as many tries against the Pirates and move on to the 11th Region Tournament. I'll take Model 61-57. Semifinals: Madison Southern (18-12) vs Madison Central (27-3) 2/24/2026 8:00PM Madison Southern has a good record. It has largely been built, however, against lackluster competition. The Eagles have a young squad with their 5 leading scorers, and 4 leading rebounders all being underclassmen. The confidence gained through their experience should pay off down the road, but it won't help them against the Indians. Central won the only matchup between these two archrivals by 30 back on January 16th. I will be shocked if it is any different this time. Madison Central 80-48. Finals: 2/26/2026 8:00PM I've picked Madison Central and Model to get this far. I'm certain about by pick of the Indians, but less certain about Model. In the end, it won't matter whether it is the Patriots or the Pirates playing against Central in the finals. I think we'll see a running clock. I'll take Madison Central 96-50. That's the way I see it. Who have you got?

The 43rd District Tournament will be held at Lafayette this season. Lexington Catholic would seem to be a solid favorite here as they went through district play with an 8-0 record and only have one loss to an 11th Region team all season. The survivor of the Tates Creek/Lafayette game is capable of pulling the upset against the Knights as the margin of victory for Catholic in 3 of the 4 games against those 2 teams has been in single digits. Lafayette is at home, that will likely be a factor as well. Quarterfinals: Lexington Christian Academy (12-16) vs Paul Laurence Dunbar (12-18) 2/23/2026 8:00PM When Lexington Christian Academy defeated Sayre to win the 11th Region All A Championship back on January 17th their record stood at 11-8 and they young Eagles seemed to be putting it together. They have won only a single game since, going 1-8 down the stretch. That one win, however, came at the expense of Paul Laurence Dunbar. Sophomores Caleb Marshall (21.1 points per game) and Dawson Farmer (16.2 points per game) are the leading scorers on a team that features only one senior. Dunbar has struggled this season, but except for a blowout against Lexington Catholic, they have played well down the stretch. With LCA being in freefall, I think PLD moves on 62-50. Semifinals: Lafayette (16-11) vs Tates Creek (15-13) 2/25/2026 8:00PM After a 2-6 start, Lafayette has played well going 14-5 the rest of the way. They are powered by senior Tyler Hunt who averages 16.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game and junior Ben Marsh who averages 14.3 points and 6.1 boards per game. Tates Creek has been wildly inconsistent. They had a 7 game win streak early in the season, that was immediately followed by losing 7 of the next 8. The Commodores like to shoot a lot of threes. They average over 30 attempts and 10 makes per game. When they are hitting, they are extremely dangerous. When they're off, they're really bad. I look for this to be a great game as the teams split their 2 previous matchups. I think Lafayette is playing a little bit better basketball right now, and at home I'll take them by 3, 60-57. Semifinals: Lexington Catholic (19-8) vs Lexington Christian Academy/Paul Laurence Dunbar 2/24/2026 8:00PM Lexington Catholic has a balanced attack that features 3 players who average in double figures, and a 4th that averages 9 points per game. They have won all 4 games played against LCA and PLD by at least 24 points. This game will be no different. I'll take Catholic over Dunbar 80-52. Finals: 2/27/2026 8:00PM If my predictions hold we'll see Lafayette facing off against Lexington Catholic here. Catholic has won both meeting between the 2 teams: 78-63 back on December 8th, and 74-65 on February 2nd. I think Lafayette puts up a heck of a fight at home but falls just short. Lexington Catholic 57-51. There are my predictions. Who have you got?

The 42nd District is home to 3 of the top 5 teams in the 11th Region this season. Frederick Douglass has been on a roll, and has to be seen as the favorite but they have lost a game to Henry Clay, and their games with Bryan Station the past couple of seasons have been battles. Luckily for the Broncos, they wouldn't see either of those 2 teams until the finals, when their ticket to the Regional Tournament would have already been punched. Here's how I see what promises to be a great tournament at Bryan Station playing out. Quarterfinals: Scott County (14-13) vs Sayre (11-19) 2/23/2026 7:30PM After finishing 6-21 last season, Scott County brought in former UK player, and college head coach Sean Woods to right the ship. While he hasn't gotten the Cardinals back to a regional and state contender, he has certainly got them on the right path. They have stumbled a bit down the stretch as they are only 2-6 in their last 8 games. But included in those 6 losses are a 4 point loss to Bryan Station and a 3 point loss to Henry Clay. Sayre has had a tough season after graduating a good group of seniors from last season's 17-12 team. Scott County has 2 solid wins in the first 2 matchups between these two teams. I think Sayre puts up a fight, but the Cardinals win 70-58 to move on to the semifinals against Frederick Douglass. Semifinals: Bryan Station (21-7) vs Henry Clay (17-11) 2/25/2026 7:30PM The Defenders have been ranked all season and have wins over Jeffersontown, Caverna, Montgomery County, Woodford County and Danville Christian Academy on their resume. They are led by the high scoring duo of Amari Owens (25.9 points per game) and Taeshawn Adams (17.1 points per game). Henry Clay has not been as consistent, but has wins over both Frederick Douglass and Bryan Station. They are powered by Jackson Stephan, who averages a double/double (20.8 points and 10.7 rebounds). They will be a tough out. But this game is at Bryan Station. I like the Defenders to move to the District Finals 70-60. Semifinals: Frederick Douglass (19-6) vs Scott County/Sayre 2/24/2026 7:30PM Frederick Douglass has been a top 10 team all season. They feature a balanced attack with 5 players averaging at least 7 points per game, with DeMarcus Surratt leading the way at 19.6 points per game. They will be too much for the survivor of the Scott County/Sayre quarterfinal game. I'll take the Broncos to move on 75-53 over Scott County. Finals: 2/27/2026 7:30PM If everything goes chalk we should see our third matchup between Frederick Douglass and Bryan Station here. Last season Frederick Douglass won the first 3 meetings between these 2 teams, but each winning margin was smaller than the last. Finally the Defenders were able to take the 4th matchup to win the District Championship. I could very well see things working out the same way this season. I think Freddy D is a bit better than Station, but playing at home I'll take the Defenders 65-62. There are my predictions. Who have you got.

The 41st District as whole, had a rough season. Only Great Crossing finished the season above .500 and would seem to be a prohibitive favorite to win the Tournament, which will be played at Frankfort High School this season. Here are the games, times and my predictions. Quarterfinal: Western Hills (4-23) vs Frankfort Christian (14-15) 2/23/2026 8:00PM Western Hills comes into this matchup reeling, losers of 10 games in a row, and 13 of 14. They are a young team with their 2 leading scorers being a pair of sophomores: Matt Dicken (20.7 points per game) and Preston Clouse (17.7 points per game). Frankfort Christian finished only a game below .500, but it was against a really weak schedule. They were 0-6 against 11th Region foes. They are led by senior Williams Sims who averages 16.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. If Western Hills hasn't gotten discouraged and packed it in for the season I think they have just enough to slip by FCA and book a date with Great Crossing in the semifinals. Give me Western Hills 58-52. Semifinal: Franklin County (11-19) vs Frankfort (8-17) 2/23/2026 8:00PM These 2 teams have already met twice this season with Franklin County winning both matchups: 66-55 on February 13th, and 63-51 on January 23rd. While their overall record is not good, they do have an 8-4 record in the region. They have went 3-2 in their last 5 games, while Frankfort is on 4 game losing streak. The game is at Frankfort, a crosstown rivalry game, and there's the "hard to beat a team 3 times" thing. I think the Flyers will be able to get that 3rd win, and move on to the 11th Region Tournament 62-57. Semifinal: Great Crossing (18-11) vs Western Hills/Frankfort Christian Academy 2/24/2026 8:00PM Great Crossing is not anywhere near the level that they have been the past 2 seasons. They are however, still a good basketball team as their 9-2 record in region shows. They are led by Brady Orem who averages 22.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. They will be far too much for the survivor of the Western Hills/Frankfort Christian game. Great Crossing will move on to the finals by 20+. Finals: 2/27/2026 8:00PM I've got Franklin County and Great Crossing meeting in this one. The Warhawks have won both meetings between the two teams: 64-51 at Franklin County and 93-63 at Great Crossing. I think it will be closer to the first game with Great Crossing pulling away for a 72-50 win. There are my predictions. Who do you have?

That’s a wrap on the regular season in the 11th Region for the 2025-26 season. The contenders closed things out with some statement wins. Madison Central took down top ranked Covington Catholic. Frederick Douglass got by a Woodford County team that had earlier beat Madison Central, and Bryan Station dealt 12th Region favorite Danville Christian Academy a home loss. Only Lexington Catholic amongst the top 6 teams lost a game last week, and it was a 2 point game at Danville Christian. Going into the postseason there is are 4 teams that are in a tier by themselves: Madison Central, Frederick Douglass, Bryan Station and Lexington Catholic. Henry Clay, Great Crossing, Tates Creek and even Scott County and Lafayette seem capable of springing an upset and sending one of the big 4 home early. It should be a great postseason. As the Joker once said, “And. Here. We. Go.” 1. Madison Central (27-3) The Indians picked up a huge win over Covington Catholic, the state’s top ranked team, 70-60 on Friday night at home. Central jumped out to an 8-0 lead and never trailed in the game. They were able to extend the lead to as many as 20 points in a dominating performance at home. Four players finished in double figures in the win, paced by Jake Feldhaus, who produced yet another double/double with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Luke Asher added 17 points, Grayson Burton had 15 and Cam Steele finished with 11 points and dished out six assists. The Indians used a deliberate pace and forced the high scoring Colonels to play defense while they turned their offense over to get good shots. This resulted in Madison Central shooting 56.2% from the field for the game. They held Catholic 22 points below their average, and was able to keep Mr. Basketball candidate Athens McGillis in check. While McGillis did finish with 20 points, he only went 8-22 from the field, and the Colonels only shot 37.3% as a team. Earlier in the week the Indians made the trip down I-75 and beat South Laurel 73-56. Luke Asher and Grayson Burton each finished with 22 points in the win over the Cardinals. Feldhaus added 16 points and grabbed 11 boards in the win. Madison Central will play Madison Southern on Tuesday night in the first round of the 44th District Tournament at Eastern Kentucky. 2. Frederick Douglass (19-6) While Madison Central’s win over Covington Catholic got most of the attention on Friday night, the Broncos picked up a nice win of their own when they defeated Woodford County 58-52 at Kentucky State University. DeMarcus Surratt led the team in scoring with 24 points. The win over the Yellow Jackets capped off a 3-0 week for Douglass, and ran their win streak to 9 in a row. Earlier in the week the Broncos took down Scott County 71-57. Surratt was the high point man against the Cardinals as well with 20 points. Thurman Wade added 16 points, and Tate Robinson joined them in double figures with 12. On Thursday Freddy D picked up a 61-48 win over Tates Creek at The Farm. Stats have not posted for the Woodford County or Tates Creek wins. The Broncos will play the winner of the Scott County/Sayre matchup on Tuesday at Bryan Station in the 42nd District Tournament. 3. Bryan Station (21-7) The Defenders closed out the regular season with a 3-0 week. They started out the week with a 92-57 win over an overmatched Paris squad. Amari Owens had 25 points, and Taeshawn Adams added 22 in the blowout of the Greyhounds. Station followed that up with a 77-62 home win over Grant County. It was again Owens and Adams leading the way with 23 points each. The Defenders then went on the road to take on 12th Region contender Danville Christian Academy. In a defensive struggle Station was able to come away with a 48-45 win, and deal the Warriors only their second home loss in the last 2 seasons. Amari Owens was the only Defender to finish in double figures as he pumped in 29 points. The Defenders will take on Henry Clay at home in the 42nd District Tournament in a rematch of a game won by the Blue Devils back on February 13th. 4. Lexington Catholic (19-8) The Knights went 2-1 last week. They opened up the week with a 52-50 road loss at Danville Christian Academy. Everett Stuart was the only player in double figures for Catholic as he finished with 28 points. As a team the Knights struggled shooting the ball, finishing at 37.7% from the field and 50% from the line. Catholic quickly shook off the setback against DCA as they went out and demolished Paul Laurence Dunbar the next night 72-44. Four players finished in double figures in the blowout: Hank Woodall had 14, Jacob Holland 12, Everett Stuart 11 and Max Meagher finished with 10. Catholic then closed out the regular season with a 79-40 home blowout of Lincoln County. Stats have not posted for that one. The Knights have a bye in the 43rd District Tournament. They will play the winner of Lexington Christian Academy and Paul Laurence Dunbar at Lafayette on Tuesday. 5. Henry Clay (17-11) The Blue Devils closed out the regular season with a perfect 3-0 week. They started off the week with a hard-fought 56-53 win over Scott County. Jackson Stephan poured in 28 points in the win, and was the only player to finish in double figures. The win over the Cardinals was followed by a closer than expected 64-60 win against Paul Laurence Dunbar. Stephan was again the leading scorer with 25 points. He was joined in double figures by Jack Hemenway and Isiah Brown with 10 points each. The Devils finished off the regular season with a 73-63 win over Lafayette. Stephan scored 22 points in that one. Richard Goatley added 18, and Colton Helton had 15. Henry Clay will take on Bryan Station at Bryan Station in the first round of the 42nd District Tournament on Wednesday. One of the top 5 teams in the region will be going home early in one of the best first round matchups in the state. 6. Great Crossing (18-11) The Warhawks also closed out the regular season with a 3-0 week. They blew out a good Walton Verona team 63-36 on Tuesday. Brady Orem led the team in scoring with 17 points in the win. Great Crossing followed that up with another impressive win over Ryle 75-66. Orem again led the team in scoring with 25 points. Graham Swartz added 19, while Travanti Cooper finished with 15. The Warhawks then closed out their regular season with a 85-57 blowout of Madison Southern on the road. Stats have not posted for the win over the Eagles. Great Crossing has a bye in the 41st District Tournament. They will play the winner of the Western Hills/Frankfort Christian game on Tuesday at Frankfort High School. 7. Lafayette (16-11) The Generals went 2-1 last week. On Monday they picked up a 58-46 win over Sayre. Tyler Hunt led the team in scoring with 16 points. Joseph Chatting finished with 12 points, while Ben Marsh ended up with 11 points and 11 rebounds. On Thursday the Generals went to Henry Clay were they dropped a 73-63 decision to the Blue Devils. Tyler Hunt put up 23 points in the loss. Lafayette then closed out their regular season on Saturday with a 69-49 road win over Frankfort. The Generals started out the season 3-7, but have went 13-4 since the slow start. They will face Tates Creek on Wednesday in the 43rd District Tournament at home. 8. Scott County (14-13) The Cardinals had a rough week last week as they finished up 1-3, although against some strong competition. On Monday they dropped a close one on the road at Henry Clay 56-53. Phillip Grimes, Brailyn McNear, and Montae Washburn all scored 11 points in the loss. Things didn’t get any easier for Sean Woods team as they had to play Frederick Douglass at The Farm the next night. The Cardinals came out on the short end of a 71-57 decision in that one. Grimes had 14 points to lead the team while Washburn added 11. Thursday found Scott on the road at Walton Verona, where they came up just short against the Bearcats, 70-65. Tidiane Faye led a trio of Cardinals in double figures with 18 points. Phillip Grimes had 16 and Montae Washburn finished with 10. The Cardinals, however, were able to right the ship a bit and close out the regular season with a 60-56 win over Oldham County at home on Friday night. Stats have not posted for that game. Scott County will play Sayre in the first round of the 42nd District Tournament at Bryan Station on Monday. The winner will take on Frederick Douglass in the semifinals. 9. Tates Creek (15-13) The Commodores closed out their regular season with a 2-1 week. They picked up a 50-40 win over Frankfort in a game that was played at Transylvania. Stephen Franklin went 5-8 from long range and finished with 15 points, while Ja’Mond Jackson added 12 points to go along with 15 rebounds. The win over the Panthers was followed by a 61-48 loss on the road at Frederick Douglass. AJ Slaughter and Stephen Franklin were the only Commodores to finish in double figures against the Broncos with 14 and 13 points respectively. Tates Creek then closed out with a 78-66 win at home against Western Hills. Stats have not posted for that game yet. The Commodores will take on Lafayette on Wednesday in the 43rd District Tournament at Lafayette. The teams have split their previous two meetings this season. 10. Madison Southern (18-12) The Eagles finished out their regular season with a 3-1 week. They went on the road and picked up a 72-69 win at Bourbon County. Bryant Brock led the way with a 26 point effort. The next night Southern used a more balanced attack to get by Lexington Christian Academy 75-61 at LCA. Landon Adams led 4 Eagle players in double figures with 19 points. Tucker Nobbe finished with 17, while Colin Sebastin had 16 and Jordan Dunaway added 10. The Eagles then returned home and picked up a 64-53 win over Garrard County to run their win streak to 4 games. The win streak was snapped the next night however, when they Eagles were crushed by Great Crossing at home 85-57. Stats have not been posted for that game. For the 2nd season in a row the Eagles have drawn Madison Southern in the blind draw for the 44th District Tournament. The 44th is the last district that does not use seeding to determine the matchups. The game with Madison Central will be on Tuesday at Eastern Kentucky University. 11. Lexington Christian Academy (12-16) The Eagles had 2 games on the schedule for last week, but there has been no result posted for the game with Frankfort on Friday. LCA went 0-1 in the only result posted for the week, a 75-61 home loss to Madison Southern. Caleb Marshall provided the highlights for Lexington Christian as the sophomore nailed 5 three pointers and finished with 32 points. The young Eagles, with only one senior on the roster, have stumble down the stretch, losing 8 of their last 9 games. The Eagles will play Paul Laurence Dunbar in the quarterfinals of the 43rd District Tournament at Lafayette on Monday night. The winner will face Lexington Catholic. 12. Model (18-11) The Patriots closed out their regular season with a 2-1 week. They lost a home game to Franklin County 77-75 in spite of a 39 point performance from Jayden Bingham. Riley Mollette added to 21 points as the seniors combined for 60 of Model’s 75 points. They bounced back from that defeat with an 85-72 overtime win on the road at Estill County. This time it was Mollette who went for over 30, as he finished with 34 points while ripping down 20 rebounds. Jayden Bingham added 25 points in the win. The Patriots finished off the regular season with a 54-45 win on the road a Barbourville. Mollette finished with 25 points and 12 rebounds in the win. Model is matched up with Berea in the first round of the 44th District Tournament on Monday night at McBrayer Arena on the EKU campus. 13. Sayre (11-19) The Spartans went 2-1 last week. They lost at Lafayette 58-46 before finishing out with a 71-59 win at Paris and a 74-51 home win against Western Hills. The standout performance of the week was a 34 point, 7 rebound game by John Gaines in the win over Paris. Sayre will play Scott County in the quarterfinals of the 42nd District Tournament at Bryan Station on Monday. The winner will face Frederick Douglass in the semifinals. 14. Paul Laurence Dunbar (12-18) The Bulldogs closed out the season with a 1-2 week. They dropped a pair of games to 11th Region opponents: 64-60 at Henry Clay and 72-44 at home against Lexington Catholic. They did, however, pick up a nice win in the finale when they went on the road and beat Rockcastle County 62-55. PLD will play Lexington Christian in the quarterfinals of the 43rd District Tournament at Lafayette on Monday. The winner will get Lexington Catholic in the semifinals. 15. Franklin County (11-19) The Flyers went 2-1 to close out the regular season last week. They picked up a 77-75 road win against Model and a 78-54 win at Berea before losing their last game at home to Anderson County 50-42. Franklin County will play Frankfort in the 41st District Tournament at Frankfort on Wednesday. The Flyers defeated the Panthers in their 2 meetings this season. 16. Berea (14-14) The Pirates went 3-1 last week. They won 50-37 at Frankfort, lost at home to Franklin County 78-54, beat Bluegrass United 69-64 and then picked up a road win at Williamsburg 62-44. Berea will play Model in the 44th District Tournament on Monday with a trip to the 11th Region Tournament on the line. 17. Frankfort (8-17) The Panthers stumbled to the finish line of the regular season with an 0-3 record last week. They lost a home game to Berea 50-37, a game to Tates Creek at Transy 50-40, and another home game to Lafayette 69-49. Frankfort will play Franklin County in the semifinals of the 41st District Tournament at home on Wednesday. 18. Frankfort Christian Academy (14-15) The Royals 2-1 last week and came up just short of finishing the regular season with a winning record. The picked up road wins at Lynn Camp 85-69, and Francis Parker 75-58, before losing on the road at Carroll County 68-64. FCA will take on Western Hills in the 41st District Tournament at Frankfort, with the winner playing Great Crossing in the semifinals. 19. Western Hills (4-23) The Wolverines went 0-4 last week and finished the regular season on a 10 game losing streak. The losses were: at George Rogers Clark 80-34, at home to Rockcastle County 79-65, at Sayre 74-51, and at Tates Creek 78-66. Western Hills will play Frankfort Christian in the quarterfinals of the 41st District Tournament at Frankfort on Monday, with the winner playing Great Crossing in the semifinals.

Once Madison Central had them down 20 points in the 3rd quarter I think they had proven their point. The final margin was just window dressing. Madison Central's game plan to turn their offense over and over until they got the shot that they wanted resulted in the Indians shooting 56% from the field, and never really being threatened. That approach is what did Covington Catholic in, not a lack of 3 second calls.

Lincoln County has played a tough schedule. But they're also only 5-8 against 12th Region teams. So that the out of region tests haven't translated to wins against regional opponents.

Week 11 in the 11th Region saw only one of the top 4 teams put up a perfect record for the week. Madison Central suffered their first loss to an 11th Region team when they were upset on the road at Lexington Catholic. The Knights moved up a spot in the rankings after their upset victory as their win was enough to sneak by Bryan Station who was surprised by Henry Clay. Catholic did not get through the week unscathed, however, as they ran into Frederick Douglass and were crushed by the hottest team in the region. While there has been a clear separation between the top 4 teams, and the rest of the region for most of the season. The Blue Devils upset of the Defenders, and Frederick Douglass being pushed to overtime by Sayre, shows that several teams will be capable of knocking out one of the big four in the postseason. Here’s where things stand going into the last week of the regular season. 1. Madison Central (25-3) Last week the Indians had a pair of road games against ranked teams sandwiched around a home matchup against hapless Western Hills. They split the games against Lexington Catholic and North Laurel, and destroyed Western Hills to go 2-1. On Monday Central went on the road and fell to Lexington Catholic 60-56. Jake Feldhaus put up another double/double in the loss, finishing with 27 points and 13 rebounds on only 11 shots from the floor. The Knights were able to limit the damage from the rest of the team, however, as they only scored 29 points combined. Following the loss to Catholic the Indians were able to take out their frustrations on Western Hills to the tune of a 102-54 pummeling. Thirteen different players scored in that one, led by Luke Asher with 21 points. Christian Lawson collected 10 rebounds to lead the team. The Indians finished out the week with a trip down I-75 to London to take on North Laurel. Led by Grayson Burton’s 25 points (on 7-9 shooting from deep), and Jake Feldhaus 15 points and 14 rebounds, Central was able to handle the Jaguars 61-49. The Indians will conclude the regular season this week with 2 games. On Monday they will travel back to London, this time to play South Laurel. Then on Friday they will host Covington Catholic in a battle of top 5 teams. Everyone will have their eyes on that one. 2. Frederick Douglass (16-6) The Broncos ran their winning streak to 6 games with a perfect 3-0 week last week, and they did it in impressive fashion. The began their week with an 81-58 destruction of Henry Clay on Tuesday. Douglass placed 4 players in double figures in the win, led by DeMarcus Surratt with 19 points. He was joined in double figures by Nate Coen with 16, Wade Thurman added 14 points and 9 rebounds, and Tate Robinson with 13. As a team the Broncos shot a blistering 63.5% from the floor. After the big win over the Blue Devils, and with a road matcup with Lexington Catholic looming on Saturday, Douglass hosted Sayre on Friday and came away with a much closer than anticipated 69-61 overtime win. The uneven performance against the Spartans was quickly forgotten, however, as Douglass just blew out Catholic 73-43 the next night. Stats have not been posted for those last 2 games. Freddy D concludes their regular season with 3 games this week. On Tuesday they will be at home against Scott County, followed by Tates Creek at home. They will then close out the regular season with a game against a dangerous Woodford County team at Kentucky State University. 3. Lexington Catholic (17-7) Lexington Catholic went 3-1 last week, including that huge 60-56 win over Madison Central, and move into the 3rd spot in the rankings this week. The Knights had a balanced attack in the upset win over the Indians. Ben Warren led the team in scoring with 15 points, Max Meagher added 13, Everett Stuart and Jacob Holland finished with 10 each. Catholic followed up the Madison Central win with a pair of district triumphs: 60-53 over Tates Creek (in a game played at Dunbar), and 74-35 over Lexington Christian Academy. The win over Tates Creek again featured a balanced attack for the Knights. Everett Stuart led the way with 17 points, Max Meagher had 14, Jacob Holland 11 and Hank Woodall 10. On Friday the Knights ran their record in the 43rd District to 7-0 with a 74-35 blowout of a struggling LCA team. Eleven players scored in that one for the Knights, led by Everett Stuart with 19. On Saturday, however, they ran into a buzz saw against Frederick Douglass. The Knights were no match for the red-hot Broncos and were blown out 73-43. Stats have not been posted for that one. Catholic will finish up their regular season with a 3 game week. On Tuesday they will travel to Danville to take on 12th Region favorite Danville Christian, play at Paul Laurence Dunbar on Wednesday, then wrap things up at home on Friday against Lincoln County. 4. Bryan Station (18-7) The Defenders had a 2-1 week last week, and drop a notch in rankings. That had as much to do with the magnitude of Lexington Catholic’s upset of Madison Central as it did Bryan Station losing a game. Station began the week with a 56-52 road win over Scott County. Torrence Sanford led the team in scoring with 18 points, Amari Owens added 17, and Taeshawn Adams joined them in double figures with 11. In an odd stat, Sanford and Owens went a combined 0-11 on field goal attempts inside the arc, but 10-16 from beyond. Sanford was 6-8, and Owens 4-8 from downtown. Next came a 63-31 beatdown of Sayre. Owens led the team in scoring in the blowout with 20 points. Station appeared to run out of gas in their last game of the week, as they dropped a 70-67 decision in overtime to Henry Clay. Stats have not been posted for that game. The Defenders have 3 games on the schedule to close out the regular season. They will play Paris and Grant County at home, then go on the road to face Danville Christian Academy. 5. Henry Clay (14-11) The Blue Devils split their two games last week. On Tuesday they were blown out on the road by red-hot Frederick Douglass 81-58, before bouncing back to pick up a big win over Bryan Station in overtime 70-67. Jaylen Hill led a trio of double figure scorers against the Broncos with 12 points. Leading scorer Jackson Stephan was held to 11, while Richard Goatley added 11. Stats have not been posted for the win over Bryan Station. The Devils have 3 games this week, all at home. On Monday they play Scott County, take on Paul Laurence Dunbar on Tuesday, and close with Lafayette on Thursday. 6. Great Crossing (15-11) The Warhawks had a gauntlet of a schedule last week, but managed to come out of it with a 2-2 record. They won their first game of the week over Frankfort at home 77-68. Brady Orem had a great game against the Panthers with 30 points and 9 rebounds. Travanti Cooper added 16 points, and Graham Swartz finished with 14. George Rogers Clark came to town on Tuesday, and dominated Great Crossing 83-57. The Warhawks had a tough night shooting from 3 point range, as they finished only 5-24 from deep. After taking Wednesday off, Great Crossing welcomed in Evangel Christian, and picked up a big win 79-72 in double overtime. Four players finished in double figures in the win, led by Travanti Cooper with 23 points. Graham Swartz added 19, Brady Orem finished with 16, and Colt Delimpo chipped in 10. Saturday brought another top 10 team to Georgetown in the form of Covington Catholic. The Warhawks hung in with Catholic much better than they did with GRC, but ultimately fell 83-67. Stats have not been posted for that game. The final week of the regular season features 3 games. The Warhawks will host Walton Verona on Tuesday, stay at home to play Ryle on Thursday, then close things out om Friday at Madison Southern. 7. Scott County (13-10) The Cardinals went 1-2 last week. On Tuesday they pushed Bryan Station to the limit before ultimately falling at home 56-52. Montae Washburn was the scoring leader against the Defenders with 16 points. Tidiane Faye added 11 to join him in double figures. Scott County then went on the road to Collins where the dropped a bit of a head-scratcher 57-51 to the 8-16 Titans, to run their losing streak to 3 games. On Thursday, however, the Cards returned home, and ended their losing streak with a 66-52 win over Tates Creek. Stats have not been posted for that one yet. Scott County has 4 tough games on the schedule this week. They go on the road to play Henry Clay, Frederick Douglass, and Walton Verona, then return home to close out the regular season against Oldham County. 8. Lafayette (14-10) The Generals went 2-1 last week. On Tuesday they took down Lexington Christian Academy 58-51 at home. Tyler Hunt produced at double/double in the win, finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Ben Marsh added 16 points, and Cooper Kirk finished with 12. Lafayette then went on the road where they dropped a 57-42 decision to Lincoln County. Kirk and Hunt were the only Lafayette players in double figures with 18 points each. It was a bad shooting night overall for the Generals as they finished a frigid 15-46 from the field for 32.6%. The shooting didn’t improve a whole lot on Saturday when they travelled to Shelby County. Lafayette shot 37.7% against the Rockets on 20-53 shooting from the field, and only 9-21 (42.9%) from the line. However, they were able to escape with a 55-52 over a struggling Shelby County squad. The Generals will try to get their shooting lined out in their 3 games this week. They will host Sayre on Monday, play at Henry Clay on Thursday, then finish out the season on the road at Frankfort on Saturday. 9. Tates Creek (12-12) The Commodores had a rough week last week as they went 1-3. The week began with a narrow 61-57 win over Paul Laurence Dunbar at Transy. Stephen Franklin had a big game in the win at he went 4-6 from 3 point range, and 8-11 overall from the field on his way to 24 points. The win over PLD was followed by a 60-53 home loss to Lexington Catholic. Franklin again led the team in scoring with 18 points, and was the only Commodore player in double figures. Friday night brought a rematch with Dunbar on the road. This time it was the Bulldogs that came out on top of a 62-57 score that was almost an exact reversal of the game from earlier in the week. Stephen Franklin, with 18 points, and AJ Slaughter with 11 were the only Tates Creek players in double figures. Saturday the Creekers were back on the road at Scott County where they came out on the short end of a 66-52 score. Luke Ratliff led the team with 16 points in the loss. Tates Creek will have another 4 game week to close out the regular season this week. They play at Dixie Heights on Monday, take on Frankfort at Transy on Tuesday, visit The Farm to play Frederick Douglass on Thursday, and wrap up the regular season at home against Western Hills on Saturday afternoon. 10. Madison Southern (14-11) The Eagles split their 2 games last week. On Wednesday they destroyed struggling Bath County 82-36 at home, and lost 60-47 to Rockcastle County in a game played at Berea College. Four players finished in double figures in the blowout of Bath County. Derek Helton had 14 points, Zach Adams and Colin Sebastian each had 12, and Bryant Brock finished with 10. Stats have not been posted from the Rockcastle County game. Madison Southern has a busy week to close out the regular season, with 4 games on the schedule. They travel to Bourbon County on Monday, play at LCA on Tuesday, the return home to close out the regular season with games on Thursday against Garrard County, and Friday against Great Crossing. 11. Lexington Christian Academy (12-15) The tailspin continued for the Eagles last week as they went 0-2. LCA has now lost 7 of their last 8 games. On Tuesday they lost a road game at Lafayette 58-51. Sophomores Caleb Marshall (25 points) and Dawson Farmer (22 points)scored 47 of the team’s 51 points. The Eagles were then blown out by Lexington Catholic on Friday 74-35. Stats are not available for that one. LCA will play 2 games this week to close the season, both at home. They will host Madison Southern on Tuesday, and Frankfort on Friday. 12. Model (16-10) The Spartans went 2-2 last week. They started the week with a 70-56 home win over Pineville. Jayden Bingham led 4 Sayre players in double figures with 23 points. Sayre then went on the road where they lost to Nelson County 66-59. They then returned home where they pummeled 1-25 Williamsburg 66-15. The week ended with a 75-57 road loss to Owsley County. The Spartans have 3 games this week. They host Franklin County on Monday, then travel to Estill County on Tuesday and Barbourville on Friday. 13. Sayre (9-18) Sayre went 1-2 last week. They picked up a 53-46 win over Berea. John Gaines poured in 23 points in the win over the Pirates. The Spartans were then blown out at home by Bryan Station 63-31, before coming close to shocking Frederick Douglass in a 69-61 overtime loss. Sayre has 3 games this week, and has a chance to win all three. They go on the road to play Lafayette and Paris, and close things out at home against Western Hills on Friday. 14. Paul Laurence Dunbar (11-16) The Bulldogs went 2-1 last week. They began the week with a narrow 61-57 loss to Tates Creek in a game played at the Transylvania Sports Complex. PLD followed up that loss with a pair of wins: 61-44 at Mercer County and a surprising 62-57 upset of Tates Creek in the rematch of the game played earlier in the week. The Bulldogs have 3 tough games to close out the regular season. They play at Henry Clay on Tuesday, then host Lexington Catholic and Rockcastle County. 15. Berea (11-13) The Pirates had a 1-2 week last week. On Tuesday they lost on the road at Sayre 53-46, beat Frankfort Christian at home 70-54, then lost at Leslie County 72-60 on Saturday. Berea closes out the season with a 4 game week. They play at Berea on Monday, host Franklin County on Monday and Bluegrass United on Thursday, the take a trip to Williamsburg to close out the season against the Yellow Jackets. 16. Franklin County (9-18) The Flyers went 2-2 last week. They picked up wins over Bluegrass United (78-37) and crosstown rival Frankfort (66-55), and lost at home to Johnson Central (84-82) and were blown out by North Oldham on the road (74-42). Franklin County has not turned in stats since February 2nd. The Flyers have 4 more games this week to finish out the regular season, all on the road. They play at Model, Berea, Owen County and Anderson County. 17. Frankfort (8-14) The Panthers lost both of their games last week. On Monday they hung around with Great Crossing before ultimately falling 77-68. Three freshmen finished in double figures in the loss. Rajon Floyd led the way with 28 points, Cameron Crocker went 5-9 from three point range to finish with 20 points, and Toma Washington added 10 points. Frankfort then dropped a game to their crosstown rival, Franklin County 66-55. Stats have not posted for that one. The Panthers show 5 games on the schedule this week, but it looks like that is not correct. They will host Berea on Monday, then take on Tates Creek at Transy on Tuesday. On Wednesday they should a road game at South Oldham, as well as a home game with Bracken County. Friday they will be at LCA then host Lafayette to finish out the regular season. 18. Frankfort Christian (12-14) The Royals finished last week with a 2-1 record. On Tuesday they picked up a win at home over Portland Christian behind 23 points from 8th grader Jacob Tigges, and 22 from William Sims. On Thursday FCA fell on the road at Berea 70-54, before bounding back with a 74-49 blowout of Lynn Camp. The Royals have 3 games this week as they will try to finish the regular season at, or above .500. They travel to Corbin on Monday for a rematch with Lynn Camp, go to Louisville on Tuesday to play Francis Parker, then make the trip to Carroll County to finish up the regular season. 19. Western Hills ( 4-19) The Wolverines lost all 3 of their contests last week, and have now lost 6 in a row, and 9 of 10. On Monday Western Hills was blown out at home by Anderson County 65-42. They then had the misfortune of encountering Madison Central after their upset at the hands of Lexington Catholic. The Indians took out their frustrations on the Wolverines 102-54. Sophomore Preston Clouse had 23 points in both of those losses. On Friday they lost a close one on the road at Whitefield Academy 61-57. Western Hills has 4 games in the final week to break their losing streak, but they will be the underdog in all of them. They travel to George Rogers Clark on Tuesday, host Evangel Christian on Wednesday, play at Sayre on Friday, then close it down on the road against Tates Creek on Saturday.

When I was at Somerset there wasn't really any issue sharing players. I was a freshman, and the manager, on the 1984-85 team that was the last team to win the 12th Region. Three of our starters: Tony Massey (who had already committed to UK to play football, you wouldn't see a player play basketball their senior year doing that now), Tony Lewis, and Randy Mills were football players. Brad Cummings was one of the first players off of the bench and was also a football player. I played football and baseball and neither of those coaches discouraged you from playing other sports. The football players generally went to the team camp at Transy with the rest of the basketball team and played in the "Dirt Bowl" league during the summer as well.

Somerset's Kole Grundy is committed to Georgia Southern.

Boyle County's records the last 4 years: 2022-23--15-15 2023-24--15-16 2024-25--14-10 2025-26--11-10 Given the athletes that they've had in that time period, they've really struggled.

I think Somerset held Driver to 6 points.

Is Lewis okay?

I think he was saying that, given how bad the upcoming opponents were, it made the decision a lot easier. He sits out a couple of games against lackluster opponents, the school looks like they have "punished" him, and it dies down.

Final from the Briar Patch on homecoming night. Somerset led by 8 at the end of the first quarter, and pretty much kept it between 15-20 the rest of the way. The Briar Jumpers improve to 18-6, and the Rebels fall to 11-10.

54-33 Somerset after 3 quarters.

Somerset leads Boyle County 36-22 at the half. Homecoming night at the Briar Patch.

Even more impressive to win at Clinton County if Grundy didn't play. Marcus has been key for them in so many games this season. It seems like he always finds his way to an open spot on the block anytime someone penetrates and finishes when they get him the ball. He did it twice in a matter of minutes against Southwestern during a Briar Jumper run. Same thing against DCA earlier. He's grown so much as a player.....and just grown period. I remember when he and my youngest nephew would go to the football games with my parents back in 2019 following my older nephew, who was a senior tackle on that team. If me and my daughter tagged along Marcus and my nephew would climb in 3rd seat in the back of my parent's Santa Fe. My nephew is about 6'1" 250 now and Marcus just keeps growing. I don't think we could fit those 2 in the 3rd row seats anymore.

Final from Albany. Somerset goes on the road and knocks off the Bulldogs. Sophomore Marcus Jones wins it on a putback with 5 seconds to go. I'm not sure if it was the final tally, but at one point the foul count was 22 against Somerset, and 5 against Clinton County.

Somerset picked up a 53-51 win on the road at Clinton County tonight. Clinton County was 19-3 coming into the game.

Is this on video anywhere? I haven't been able to find it.

Wayne is playing great basketball right now. Beating them on their home court would be a tall task for any team in the 12th. Brutal stretch for Somerset this week. But if they come out of it healthy, I can't see it doing anything but help them get ready for the postseason, even if they drop a few this week. Pulaski is in an extended tailspin. They are 5-7 over their last 12 games after a great start. They're a young team, and really missing Zak Anderson. Carson Fraley is a great player, but they could have really used another senior leader to go along with him.