Carl Spackler

Somerset picked up a solid 56-48 win at Southwestern last night. Southwestern went on a run right before halftime, then scored the first basket if the second half to take an 8 point lead. Somerset outscored them by 16 over the last 15 minutes to pull away. Very physical game. Somerset really crashed the boards hard and for the most part neutralized the Warriors size.

Madison Central is starting to show a few chinks in the armor. The 11th is wide open.

Week 10 in the 11th Region saw Madison Central get back on track after their surprising loss to Woodford County. We also saw Frederick Douglass and Bryan Station change places in the number 2 spot after the Broncos were able to get by the Defenders at Station. Great Crossing vaulted into the top 5 with a 4-0 week, and all of the teams in Franklin County continued to struggle, except Frankfort who had a 2-0 week. There are some good matchups this week with Madison Central at Lexington Catholic and Frederick Douglass at Lexington Catholic being the highlights of the in-region games. Madison Central at North Laurel, and Great Crossing hosting George Rogers Clark and Covington Catholic. Here's where we are with 2 weeks to go in the regular season. 1. Madison Central (23-2) The Indians bounced back from their upset loss against Woodford County with a 3-0 week, that included a pair of really nice wins. They began the week with a 74-69 win over Montgomery County at home. Grayson Burton led the team in scoring with 25 points spurred by 5 three pointers. Luke Asher added 19, Will Richardson 10 and Jake Feldhaus put up 15 points to go along with 20 rebounds in the win. The team was right back at it the next night when they welcomed in Bell County. The Indians took down the Bobcats in that one 71-57. Jake Feldhaus put up another double/double with 24 points and 13 rebounds. He was joined in double figures Luke Asher who had 17 points, and Grayson Burton who finished with 15. Central finished out their week with a road win against a struggling Collins team 79-52. It was Burton who led the team in scoring against Collins with 27. Feldhaus made it a 3 double/doubles on the week with 18 points and 13 boards, while Will Richardson added 15 points. The Indians have 3 games this week, with 2 of them featuring ranked teams. They begin the week on Monday with a road game at Lexington Catholic, return home to play Western Hills on Tuesday, then go back on the road to take on highly ranked North Laurel on Thursday. 2. Frederick Douglass (13-6) The Broncos were able to move back into the 2nd spot in this week's rankings on the back of a 50-41 road win over last week's number 2, Bryan Station, 50-41. The win over Station was part of a 3-0 week that also included a 55-44 road win against Sayre, and a 79-26 destruction of Huntington Expression Prep (WV) in the Larry Smith Classic at Bracken County. In the big win over the Defenders, Freddy D was led by DeMarcus Surratt who finished with 15 points and 9 rebounds. Dakari Talbert tied him for scoring honors with 15 points as well. The Broncos have will face 3 11th Region opponents this week. They have home district matchups with Sayre and Henry Clay, then travel to Lexington Catholic to face the Knights on Saturday night. 3. Bryan Station (16-6) The Defenders went 2-1 last week. Their offense simply couldn't get on track against Frederick Douglass in a 50-41 home loss. The team struggled shooting the ball as they finished up the game 16-52 from the field for a frigid 30.8% from the field that included going 1-17 from 3 point range. Amari Owens was the lone double digit scored with 21 points, though he was 0-5 from deep. Station didn't dwell on the defeat to Freddy D however, as they posted blowout victories in their other 2 games. On Saturday they blew out Moore 97-77 in the Jock Sutherland Classic at Lafayette. Owens again led the way with 34 points to go along with 9 rebounds. Taeshawn Adams added 27 points in the win. On Sunday Bryan Station took down Sayre 65-42 in a rescheduled district matchup. Amari Owens again broke the 30 point barrier as he finished with 35 points in the win. Taeshawn Adams posted a double/double against the Spartans with 13 points and 12 rebounds. This week the Defenders have 3 district matchups, all on the road. On Monday they travel to Scott County, face Sayre on Wednesday, then conclude the week on Friday at Henry Clay. 4. Lexington Catholic (14-6) The Knights had a 2-1 week last week. They began the week with a 74-65 home win against 43rd District foe Lafayette. Four different players finished in double figures in their win over Lafayette. Hank Woodall led the team in scoring with 19 points, Jacob Holland added 16, Everett Stuart 15, and Max Meagher finished with 13. Catholic followed up that district win with an impressive 70-64 win over state ranked George Rogers Clark at home. Woodall was again the leading scorer with 18 points, while Meagher and Stuart each added 13 points. The Knights did have a bit of a letdown after the 2 big wins to open the week however. On Friday they went on the road and lost to Trinity 60-47. Stats have not been posted for that one. This week will be a tough one for the Knights as they have 4 games with 2 of them featuring the 11th Region's number 1 and 2 teams. On Monday they host the region's number 1 team, Madison Central. They will then play Tates Creek at Bryan Station on Wednesday, take on Lexington Christian Academy on Friday at LCA, then finish up the week by hosting Frederick Douglass in a Saturday afternoon matchup. 5. Great Crossing (13-9) Great Crossing went 4-0 last week to jump into the top 5. The Warhawks have won 5 in a row, and 7 of their last 8. Great Crossing began the week with 3 blowouts of overmatched 11th Region opponents: 86-49 at Western Hills, 90-58 over LCA at home, and 93-63 at home against Franklin County. Brady Orem scored a total of 67 points in the 3 wins. The most impressive performance by the Warhawks, however, came on Friday night when they travelled across town and took down rival Scott County 69-51. Stats have not been posted for that one yet. The Warhawks have another 4 games on the schedule this week, including 2 against opponents ranked in the State Top 10. All 4 games are at home. On Monday they host Frankfort in a district matchup. That will be followed by facing highly ranked George Rogers Clark on Tuesday, Evangel Christian on Thursday, then powerhouse Covington Catholic on Saturday. 6. Henry Clay (13-10) The Blue Devils went 2-1 last week. On Monday they travelled to Paris and dismantled an overmatched Greyhound squad 91-48. Ten players scored in that one for Henry Clay, led by Jackson Stephan with 22 points and 16 rebounds. He was joined in double figures by Isiah Brown with 15, and Jack Hemenway with 10. On Friday they went for their 5th win in a row when they hosted Tates Creek. The Devils were unable to extend their win streak, however, as the fell 64-61 in overtime. Daniel Brown's squad did not have time to dwell on the heartbreaker against the Commodores, as they were matched up with a good Bell County squad in the Jock Sutherland Classic on Saturday at Lafayette. The Blue Devils were able to get back on track against the Bobcats as they came away with a 68-66 win. Henry Clay has not posted stats for the last 2 games. Henry Clay only has 2 games scheduled this week, but they a big ones. On Tuesday the travel to The Farm to take on Frederick Douglass, then return home to face Bryan Station on Friday. 7. Scott County (12-8) The Cardinals went 1-1 last week. On Friday they hosted a struggling Cooper team, and took care of business 67-38. Tidiane Faye led the team in scoring against the Jaguars with 15 points and 11 boards, while Reed Rutledge finished with 11 points. On Saturday night the Cardinals hosted crosstown rivals Great Crossing, and were blown out 69-51. No stats have been posted for that one. This week will bring 3 games for Sean Woods team. On Tuesday they get a home matchup with Bryan Station. Wednesday they travel to Shelbyville to play Collins, then return home to face Tates Creek on Saturday. 8. Lafayette (12-9) The Generals had a 2-1 week last week. On Monday they had their 6 game win streak snapped in a 74-65 road loss to Lexington Catholic. Ben Marsh and Tyler Hunt paced the Generals in scoring against the Knights with 24 and 23 points respectively. The loss of the win streak did not seem to hurt the Generals, however. On Thursday they hosted Rockcastle County and came away with an impressive 68-52 win. Four Generals finished in double digits in the victory. Ben Marsh had 17 points, Tyler Hunt added 15, Preston North 14 and JaArius Lindsey finished with 13. Saturday saw Lafayette host their annual Jock Sutherland Classic, where they were matched up with Central Hardin. The Generals took care of the Bruins 77-61. Four players again scored in double digits in the win: Cooper Kirk had 17, Ben Marsh 16, Hunt 12, and Lindsey finished with 11. The Generals have 3 games this week. On Monday they host Lexington Christian, then go on the road to play Lincoln County on Wednesday, and conclude their week with another road trip, this time to Shelby County. 9. Tates Creek (11-9) The 2 week layoff due to weather did wonders for the Commodores, who had lost 6 straight games. Tates Creek got back on track in a big way last week as they went 3-0 to get back above .500. On Tuesday they went on the road to LCA and snapped their losing streak with a 62-46 win over the Eagles. The Commodores placed 4 players in double figures in the win, led by A.J. Slaughter with 14 points. Brady Manning, Tom Haubenreich, and Hamza Issa added 10 points a piece. Tates Creek continued to struggle from 3 point range, in spite of the win as they were only 7-32 from deep. They made up for it at the line, where they went 19-20. On Friday the Commodores went on the road and picked up a big win over Henry Clay 64-61 in overtime. Stephen Franklin caught fire from deep as he hit 7-11 three point attempts on his way to a 33 point, 11 rebound performance. On Saturday The Commodores won another thriller over Southwestern 69-68 in the Black History Month Classic at Paul Laurence Dunbar. Franklin again led the team in scoring with 17 points, while A.J. Slaughter and Tom Haubenreich each added 16. As a team they seemed to break out of their shooting slump, as they finished a combined 16-36 from three point range. The Creekers will look to remain hot with 4 in-region games this week, including 2 against Dunbar. On Monday they play PLD at Transylvania, play Lexington Catholic on Wednesday at Bryan Station, then have road games against Paul Laurence Dunbar and Scott County on Friday and Saturday. 10. Madison Southern (13-10) The Eagles went 1-2 last week. The week began well for Southern with an 82-51 blowout of Berea. Five players finished in double figures in the win. Zach Adams led the team in scoring with 14. Blake Bonham and Tucker Nobbe each had 13 points, and Derek Helton and Bryant Brock each finished with 10. After the district win over the Pirates, however, the wheels came off for the Eagles. On Thursday they were crushed at home by state power George Rogers Clark 82-49, then were drilled by a good Harlan County team in the Smallwood Classic at Berea, 80-51. Southern will look to get back on track with 3 games this week. On Wednesday they host Bath County, play Rockcastle County at Berea College on Friday, then host Mason County on Valentine's Day. 11. Lexington Christian Academy (12-13) The Eagles finished 1-2 last week. They dropped their first 2 games of the week, 62-46 against Tates Creek, and 90-58 at Great Crossing, to run their losing streak to 5 games. LCA closed out the week with a 64-51 win over Dunbar at Memorial Coliseum to snap the streak. LCA has 2 games this week. On Tuesday they are on the road at Lafayette, then travel to Lexington Catholic on Friday. 12. Model (14-8) The Patriots went 3-0 last week. They destroyed hapless Trinity Christian 83-35, Lynn Camp 74-45 and squeaked by Barbourville 51-50 in the Smallwood Classic at Berea. Riley Mollett had a monster week as he posted 77 points and 59 rebounds in the 3 wins. Included in those totals were a pair of 23 rebound games against Trinity Christian and Lynn Camp. Model has 4 games this week: Monday at home against Pineville, Tuesday at Nelson County, Friday at home against Williamsburg and Saturday at Owsley County. 13. Berea (10-11) Berea went 2-1 last week. The Pirates were blown out at home by Madison Southern 82-21, then defeated Owsley County 75-60, and Gallatin County 55-37. This week they have 3 games on the schedule. They go on the road to play Sayre on Tuesday, host Frankfort Christian on Thursday then travel to Leslie County on Saturday to take on the Eagles. 14. Sayre (8-16) The Spartans had a 2-2 week last week. On Tuesday they dropped a closer than expected game to Frederick Douglass 55-44, picked up a road win at Franklin County 65-52, won at home against Henry County 73-62, the were blown out at Bryan Station 65-42. Sayre hosts Berea on Tuesday, then has tough matchups with Bryan Station on Wednesday and at Frederick Douglass on Friday. 15. Paul Laurence Dunbar (9-15) The Bulldogs split their 2 games last week. They lost to Lexington Christian Academy 64-51 at Memorial Coliseum on Friday, then defeated Central in their Black History Monty Classic 57-53 in overtime. PLD has 3 games this week. They will play Tates Creek on Monday at Transy, travel to Mercer County on Tuesday, then host Tates Creek on Friday in their second matchup with the Commodores in 5 days. 16. Franklin County (7-16) Week 10 was a disaster for the Flyers who lost all the momentum that they had been building with an 0-4 week. They suffered a pair of home defeats, 55-46 to Spencer County, and 65-52 to Sayre, a road loss at Great Crossing 93-63, and in the Smallwood Classic at Berea 93-55 to North Hardin. Franklin County has 4 games this week. On Tuesday they take on Bluegrass United at home, host Johnson Central on Wednesday, play Frankfort a home in a crosstown rivalry game on Friday, then go on the road to face North Oldham on Saturday. 17. Frankfort (8-12) The Panthers had a 2-0 week last week. They picked up a 71-57 win over Frankfort Christian at home, then went on the road and came away with an 82-77 win over Western Hills in overtime. Frankfort has 3 games on the schedule this week, all of them on the road. They will play at Great Crossing on Monday, South Oldham on Tuesday and take on Franklin County in a rivalry game on Saturday. 18. Frankfort Christian (10-13) The Royals went 2-2 last week. They lost a pair of road games: 71-57 to Frankfort and 56-46 to Burgin. They then picked up a 2-0 forfeit against Kentucky School for the Deaf, and beat Trinity Christian 76-46. FCA will play 3 games this week. On Tuesday they host Portland Christian, go on the road to play Berea on Thursday, then return home to take on Lynn Camp on Saturday. 19. Western Hills (4-16) The Wolverines dropped both of their games last week. On Monday they were destroyed by Great Crossing 86-49 at home, then lost an overtime road game at Frankfort 82-77. Western Hills has 3 games this week: on Monday they play Anderson County at home, travel to Madison Central on Tuesday, then stay on the road to take on Whitefield Academy on Friday.

I wouldn't have dreamed that. Casey County actually has more wins against them over that span.

So it should be: #1 Seed Somerset vs. #4 Seed Casey County #2 Seed Pulaski County vs. #3 Seed Rockcastle County With the 47th District Tournament at Casey County. That was a huge win on Thursday for Somerset. Rockcastle is inconsistent but dangerous. I think both Somerset and Pulaski County are better, but both have already beaten the Rockets twice. That old adage about it being hard to beat a team 3 times in a season would certainly be my worry here.

Thank you for the information. I did not know that it worked like that.

Somerset did indeed jump Pulaski in the RPI. But man, they've got a difficult schedule down the stretch: at Clinton County, at Southwestern, at Wayne County, Boyle County and Southwestern at home. Pulaski doesn't have as many games and they aren't easy ones either: Wayne County at home, at Southwestern, and Lincoln County at home.

Solid win for Frederick Douglass. I thought Bryan Station might pull this one out. Too much balance for Douglass.

51-46 Somerset is the final.

Give me Station by 5.

Like the rest of the state, week 9 was pretty much done in by weather. No games involving 11th Region teams were played at all until Friday night. Two games were played on Friday night, while Saturday brought 5 more games. The biggest story of the week was Madison Central going on the road to play good, but unranked (in all but one poll) Woodford County team. That loss broke the Indians 13 game win streak. It might drop them in the polls where they had ascended to the number 1 spot in most cases. They'll remain the region's number one team this week however. Needless to say with so few games, there won't be much movement in the rankings. Here's where we are going in to a week that will hopefully see things getting back to normal in the Bluegrass. Since some of the games that were snowed out last week were district matchups, I imagine they will have to be made up. I'm sure some of those are not actually on the scoreboard yet, so when I give the games upcoming for this week, the results might look much different in next week's rankings. 1. Madison Central (20-2) The Indians were upset in their only game of the week when they took a road loss to Woodford County 72-64. The Yellowjackets are a good team, but this was still a pretty big upset. Jake Feldhaus produced another double/double in the loss with 23 points and 9 rebounds. Grayson Burton (16 points) and Cam Steele (10 points) joined Feldhaus in double figures. Central doesn't have another game on the schedule until Saturday when they will travel to Shelby County to play Collins. 2. Bryan Station (14-5) The Defenders had all of their games wiped out last week. This week they have a huge matchup with Frederick Douglass at home on Thursday. They also have a home game with Sayre scheduled for Friday night. 3. Frederick Douglass (10-6) The Broncos did not get any games in last week. This week they go on the road to take on Bryan Station in round 2 of what figures to be at least a 3 round fight this season. Before that battle with the Defenders Freddy D will play at Sayre on Tuesday in another district seeding matchup.. 4. Lexington Catholic (12-5) The Knights managed to get in one game last week. On Saturday they hosted Lexington Christian and were able to come away with a 68-44 win. The score hasn't been posted on the scoreboard yet, and neither have stats. Catholic has a four game slate this week, and there are some tough matchups in there. On Monday they will get a resurgent Lafayette team at home. State-ranked George Rogers Clark is next on the schedule as they will come to Lexington on Tuesday. On Wednesday they go on the road to take on Paul Laurence Dunbar before finishing up the week with a trip to Louisville to that on the Trinity Shamrocks. 5. Scott County (11-7) Scott County got in one game last week, a 61-49 win over Sayre at home. No stats have been posted for that game yet. The Cardinals don't show anything on the schedule until Saturday when they will host Great Crossing in a crosstown rivalry game. 6. Henry Clay (11-9) Henry Clay was able to get in their game in The Rocket Classic at Sayre on Saturday. The Devils managed to eke out a 59-57 win over Rockcastle County in the event. Jackson Stephan had a nice all-around game for Henry Clay with 24 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. The Blue Devils will look to add to their 3 game win streak with 3 games scheduled this week. On Monday they will travel to Paris to play the Greyhounds. Tuesday will bring another road game, this time at Great Crossing in what should be a good one. On Friday night the Devils get a rematch with Tates Creek at home. Henry Clay won the first game against the Commodores 85-69 in the season opener. 7. Great Crossing (9-9) The Warhawks were unable to get any games in last week. They currently show 5 games on the schedule for this week. On Monday they travel to Western Hill, host Henry Clay on Tuesday, face LCA at home on Wednesday, then Franklin County on Friday, before going across town to take on Scott County on Saturday. 8. Lafayette (10-8) The Generals managed to get in one game last week. On Saturday they travelled to Woodford County where they destroyed Frankfort 62-35. Tyler Hunt led Lafayette in the romp over the Panthers with 19 points and 10 boards. Ben Marsh joined him in double figures with 15 points. Lafayette has 3 games on the schedule for the coming week, and each game should be a test for the surging Generals. On Monday they travel across town to take on Lexington Catholic. They stay on the road on Tuesday then they will make the trip to Stanford to face Lincoln County before returning home to take on another 12th Region foe in Rockcastle County, 9. Madison Southern (12-8) The Eagles posted a win in their only contest of the week. On Saturday they played host to Bracken County and blew out the Polar Bears 91-49. No stats have been posted yet for that game. Southern has 2 games on the schedule this week. On Monday they take on Berea on the road before returning home to host a Woodford County team that just knocked out Madison Central. 10. Lexington Christian (11-11) The Eagles played one game last week where they suffered a 68-44 beatdown at the hands of Lexington Catholic on the road. No stats have been posted for that game. LCA has 3 games on the schedule this week. On Tuesday they will host Tates Creek, travel to Great Crossing on Wednesday, and play Paul Laurence Dunbar on Friday night at historic Memorial Coliseum. 11. Tates Creek (8-9) Tates Creek was idled by the bad weather last week. This week they hope to get back in action with 3 games scheduled. On Monday they will take on Paul Laurence Dunbar at home, before finishing out the week on the road at LCA on Tuesday and Henry Clay on Friday. 12. Model (11-8) The Patriots came away with an 11th Region win last week when they defeated Berea 63-54 at home on Saturday. Four players scored in double figures for Model. Jayden Bingham led the team with 20 points. John Cunningham scored 16, Landon Mayo added 12, and John Bowling finished with 10. The Patriots show 3 games on the schedule for this week. On Monday they play Trinity Christian at home. They will then go on the road to play Lynn Camp on Friday before taking part in The Smallwood Classic at Berea on Saturday where they are matched up with Evangel Christian. 13. Franklin County (7-12) In spite of the cold, the Flyers managed to stay hot last week. They defeated Western Hills 83-79 on the road in their only game last week. That win was the 5th in the last 6 games for Franklin County. Luke McDonald drained 5 threes in 7 attempts to lead the team in scoring with 19 points. He was joined in double figures by Porter Peale with 14, Aaron Jones with 12, and Shalom Moore with 11. Franklin County shows 4 games on their schedule for the coming week. On Monday and Wednesday they will host Spencer County and Sayre respectively. They will then go on the road to take on Great Crossing on Friday before taking part in The Smallwood Classic at Berea where they are matched up with Whitley County. 14. Berea (8-10) The Pirates lost their only matchup of the week 63-54 against district foe Model on Saturday. No stats are available for that game. Berea has 2 games on the schedule this week. On Monday they will play Madison Southern is a district game on home. On Saturday they will host The Smallwood Classic where they will face Gallatin County. 15. Paul Laurence Dunbar (7-14) The Bulldogs were another team that had their whole slate scratched because of weather last week. This week they travel to Tates Creek on Monday, host Lexington Catholic on Wednesday, play Lexington Christian on Friday night at Memorial Coliseum, and finish their week by hosting Central in the Black History Month Classic. 16. Sayre (6-14) The Spartans went on the road to face Scott County in their only action last week, where they fell 61-49. No stats have been posted for that one. Sayre shows 4 games scheduled in the coming week. On Tuesday they will host Frederick Douglass, go on the road to play Franklin County on Wednesday, stay on the road to play Bryan Station on Friday, before returning home to play Henry Clay on Saturday. This has the potential to be a rough week for the Spartans. 17. Frankfort (6-12) The Panthers were destroyed by Lafayette 62-35 on Saturday at Woodford County in their only game last week. Frankfort has 3 games scheduled this week. On Monday they play host to crosstown rival Frankfort Christian. They will then travel to Louisville to take on DeSales on Thursday before concluding the week at home when they will host another crosstown rival in Western Hills. 18. Western Hills (4-14) The Wolverines were able to get in one game last week. In it, they suffered a narrow 83-79 loss to crosstown rival Franklin County. Western Hills has not posted stats for that one. Western Hills has 3 games on the schedule in the coming week. They begin the week at home against Great Crossing, then travel to Nicholas County on Thursday and Frankfort on Friday. 19. Frankfort Christian Academy (8-11) The Royals picked up a win in their only game of the week 86-49 against Robertson County at home on Saturday. No stats have been posted by FCA for that one. The schedule for this week shows 5 games for the Royals: Monday on the road at Frankfort, Tuesday at Burgin, Thursday at home against Kentucky School for the Deaf, Friday at home against Williamsburg, and finally at home on Saturday against Trinity Christian.

I'm working in Atlanta tonight. I was just getting ready to see if I could bring it up steaming to keep tabs on it.

Week 8 in the 11th Region saw Madison Central survive their eagerly anticipated matchup with Frederick Douglass 69-66. The Broncos not only dropped the heavyweight fight to Madison Central, but they suffered a shocking 65-63 loss to Henry Clay to drop to 3rd in the rankings. Bryan Station, the team that moved into that 2nd spot picked up 2 nice wins, one of them televised on the SEC Network. The bad weather erased pretty much any games that were scheduled for Saturday or Sunday, and will likely affect any games scheduled for Monday or Tuesday this week. We had some other movement in the rankings as Lafayette moves into the top 10. Here's where things stand now. 1. Madison Central (18-1) The Indians went 2-0 last week. On Tuesday they tuned up for their big match up with Frederick Douglass by trouncing Lincoln County 71-49 at home. Grayson Burton with 24 points, and Jake Feldhaus with 20 led the team in scoring against the Patriots. Luke Asher produced a double/double with 12 points and a team-high 11 rebounds. Friday night brought the matchup that everyone had been looking forward to, and it did not disappoint. Madison Central jumped out to a lead, then hit their free throws down the stretch, to pull out a 69-66 win over Frederick Douglass in the 2nd meeting between the 2 schools this season. Jake Feldhaus was simply unstoppable against the Broncos as he finished with 32 points (on 11-14 shooting from the floor) and 21 rebounds as he continues to strengthen his case to be Mr. Basketball. The Indians have 3 games on the schedule this week. Tuesday (weather permitting) they travel to Louisville for a rematch with Trinity, who they defeated 61-51 in the first round of The King of the Bluegrass last month. They will then host Paris on Thursday and travel to John Hardin on Saturday where they are matched up with Butler in the Nathan McCurry Classic. 2. Bryan Station (14-5) The Defenders went 2-0 last week and jump past Frederick Douglass for the number 2 spot in the rankings this week. Station has now won 3 in a row, and 9 of their last 10 games. On Tuesday they went on the road and picked up a hard-fought 62-61 win over a good Woodford County squad in spite of going 0-10 from three point range as a team. Amari Owens (25) and Taeshawn Adams (24) combined for 49 of the Defenders 62 points in the win. Adams also grabbed 10 rebounds to record a double/double on the win. Friday night saw a matchup with Scott County at Memorial Coliseum that was broadcast on the SEC Network. The Defenders were able to cruise an 18 point win in that one 58-40. Stats have not been posted for that matchup. Bryan Station has 2 games on the schedule this week, both district seeding matchups. On Wednesday they travel to Sayre, then host Frederick Douglass on Friday in a game that will likely not only decide the number 2 spot in our rankings, but the number one seed in District 42. 3. Frederick Douglass (10-6) Normally a three point loss on the road to the region's number one team wouldn't be enough to see a team drop in the rankings. But paired with another loss to an 11th Region foe and the Broncos went 0-2 last week and have lost 3 out of 5. The week began with a stunning 65-63 upset on the road at Henry Clay. The Blue Devils had been struggling, coming into the matchup losers of three in a row, and 4 out of 5. They may have caught the Broncos looking ahead to their big matchup with Madison Central on Friday. Dakari Talbert led a trio of Broncos in double figures with 16 points in the loss. Nate Coen added 13, and DeMarcus Surratt was held to 12 points. On Friday the Broncos fell behind early, but battled back and had 3 looks at three pointers that would have tied the game and forced overtime. They wouldn't go down, however, and the upset bid fell just short. Talbert again led the Broncos in scoring with 22 points. Tate Robinson added 16, Surratt finished with 12, and Nate Coen 10. The two 12 point games for DeMarcus Surratt dropped his average below 20 points per game for the season. The Broncos need him to get back to that average to be at their best. They'll have 2 chances to get back in the win column this week. On Friday they have a huge road game at Bryan Station before travelling to Woodford County on Saturday. 4. Lexington Catholic (11-5) The Knights were a hot shooting bunch last week, and they needed it to stave off an upset bid from Tates Creek and finish off 2-0 for the week. On Tuesday they were able to survive a double overtime matchup with Tates Creek at home 68-65. Max Meagher (12-16, 27 points) and Everett Stuart (7-7, 20 points) combined to go 19-23 from the field and combined for 47 of Catholic's 68 points in the win. On Tuesday the Knights stepped out of region when they hosted North Hardin. Catholic would continue their hot shooting and had little trouble with the Trojans in an 81-56 blowout. Four players scored in double figures in the win. Hank Woodall, Jacob Holland and Ben Woodall finished with 16 while Max Meagher added 12 points. As a team the Knights shot 23-35 from the floor, 8-11 on threes, and 11-12 from the line. They will look to keep up the hot shooting in a pair of home games this week. On Tuesday they play Lafayette, then take on Lexington Christian on Friday. 5. Scott County (10-7) The Cardinals went 1-1 last week. On Tuesday they went on the road and blew out Sayre 70-39 in a district seeding game. Montae Washburn led Scott County in scoring in that one with 21 points, while Parker Sanders finished with 16 to join him as the only Cardinal players in double figures. Tidiane Faye finished with 6 points and pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds in the win. Friday night saw the Cardinals play on the SEC Network against Bryan Station in a game that was played at historic Memorial Coliseum. They would probably have rather not had the nation watching as they suffered a 58-40 setback at the hands of the Defenders. Stats are not available for that game. Scott County has 3 games on the schedule this week. On Tuesday they have a district seeding game on the road at Henry Clay, return home to host Sayre in another district contest, then will travel to Harrison County on Saturday. 6. Henry Clay (10-9) Not only did the Blue Devils break their 3 game losing streak last week, but they did it in style with a stunning 65-63 upset of Frederick Douglass. In the upset, the game was tied as the clock was winding down. The Broncos inexplicably fouled Jackson Stephan who was attempting a mid-court heave at the buzzer. Stephan stepped to the line and sank 2-3 to clinch the upset. Stephan finished with 24 points and 19 rebounds for the game. He was joined in double figures by Jack Hemenway with 17 and Isiah Brown with 10. The Devils followed up that big win with a 56-38 district seeding victory over Sayre. Jackson Stephan finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds in that one, while Allen Dixon added 12 points. Henry Clay will play 3 games this week. On Tuesday they host Scott County in a district matchup. They will then travel to Mt. Vernon for the Rocket Classic at Rockcastle County. On Friday they are matched up with the host Rockets, then will play Pulaski County on Saturday afternoon. 7. Great Crossing (9-9) The Warhawks split a pair of our of region road games last week. On Tuesday they lost at Ashland Blazer 82-74. Sophomore Brady Orem had a huge game win the loss with 32 points and 14 rebounds. Travanti Cooper added 23 points and Graham Swartz finished with 10. On Thursday they travelled to London and were able to come away with a 63-31 win over South Laurel. Orem had another double/double in the win with 22 points and 11 rebounds, while Cooper finished with 18 points. The Warhawks have 3 games on the docket this week. On Tuesday they go on the road for a district matchup with Western Hills. Tuesday they host Frankfort in another district seeding game, then they will stay at home to take on Lexington Christian on Saturday. 8. Lafayette (9-8) The Generals went 2-0 last week and have now won 5 in a row. On Tuesday they went on the road and were able to come away with a big 55-53 district seeding win over Lexington Christian. Ben Marsh led the team in scoring with 23, while Tyler Hunt put up a double/double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. On Friday Lafayette ran their record in the 43rd District to 4-2 with a 66-57 road win over Paul Laurence Dunbar. Marsh again led the team in scoring with 24 points, Hunt added another double/double with 20 points and 11 boards, and Josh Pinkleton joined them in double figures with 12 points. The Generals have only a single game on the schedule this week. On Tuesday they travel to Lexington Catholic in a District 43 matchup. 9. Lexington Christian Academy (11-10) The Eagles lost a pair of heartbreaker last week to go 0-2 for the week. On Tuesday they lost at home to Lafayette 55-53 in a district seeding contest. Dawson Farmer led the team in scoring with 24 points, while Caleb Marshall added 20 points. LCA then travelled to Owensboro to take part in the Kentucky All A Classic Statewide Tournament at the Owensboro Sports Center. There they were matched up with Newport from the 9th Region. The Eagles came up just short in the first round matchup 45-43 and were eliminated. It was a cold shooting day for LCA as they finished only 16-43 from the field (37.2%) in the loss. Caleb Marshall led the team in scoring with 16 points. The Eagles have a pair of road games this week. On Friday they travel to Lexington Catholic before taking on Great Crossing in an afternoon game at 5:30pm Saturday. 10. Madison Southern (11-8) The Eagles went 1-1 last week. On Tuesday they took part in the MLK Classic at Bracken County where they demolished Fleming County 73-36. Three players finished in double figures for the Eagles in the blowout win. Derek Helton had 19 points, Zach Adams finished with 12, and Blake Bonham added 10. On Thursday Southern hosted Danville in a rematch of a contest that the Eagles won in a blowout 87-62. There would be no blowout this time. Danville flipped the script from December and was able to come out of Richmond with a 59-58 win over the Eagles. Helton again led the team in scoring with 22 points, Landon Adams had 17 and Bryant Brock added 10. The Eagles have 3 games on the schedule for this week. They play at Berea on Tuesday, host Garrard County on Thursday and are at home against Bracken County on Saturday. 11. Tates Creek (8-9) The Commodores went 0-2 last week, and have now lost 6 in a row. On Monday they were able to push Lexington Catholic to double overtime before ultimately falling 68-65. They then travelled to Winchester to take on George Rogers Clark, their 3rd ranked opponent in a row. Tates Creek was unable to pull the upset and went back to Lexington with an 81-64 loss. This week the Creekers will have 2 chances to break into the win column for the first time in 2026. On Thursday they travel to West Jessamine before returning home to host Walton Verona on Saturday. 12. Model (10-8) Model went 3-1 last week. They picked up wins over Frankfort Christian (66-36), Wellspring Guardians (99-22) and Mercer County (50-46) before falling in overtime to Western Hills 93-83. Jayden Bingham had a big week as he tallied 95 points in the 4 games. The Patriots have 2 games this week, both at home. They host Wellspring Guardians on Thursday, then welcome in Berea on Saturday in a district game. 13. Berea (8-9) The Pirates split their 2 games last week. They were blown out on the road at Clay County 83-22, and picked up a road win at Barbourville 54-30. Berea has 3 games on the schedule this week. They host Madison Southern in a district matchup on Tuesday, travel to Louisville to take on Portland Christian on Friday, then have another district game at Model on Saturday. 14. Franklin County (6-12) The Flyers saw their 3 game win streak snapped on the road at Taylor County 79-53 on Tuesday. However, they were able to bounce back to defeat Frankfort 63-51 on Friday in a district matchup. Franklin County has 2 games on their schedule this week and they look to inch towards .500 after a slow start. They travel to Montgomery County to take on the Indians before returning to Frankfort to play at Western Hills in a district game. 15. Paul Laurence Dunbar (7-14) The Bulldogs went 1-1 last week. They picked up a 59-50 win over East Jessamine at home before falling 66-57 at home to Lafayette on Friday. There are no games currently on the schedule this week for Dunbar. I'm guessing they may have had some games rescheduled on Monday or Tuesday because of the weather that we may see on the scoreboard later in the week. 16. Sayre (6-13) The Spartans lost both of their games last week to 11th Region teams in blowout fashion. On Tuesday they lost to Scott County at home 70-39, and on Thursday they lost a road game at Henry Clay 56-38. This week does not look to get any easier for Sayre as they host Bryan Station on Wednesday before taking on Scott County on the road on Friday. 17. Frankfort (6-11) The Panthers split their 2 games last week. On Tuesday they were able to pick up a district win on the road at Frankfort Christian Academy 59-44, before dropping a home game 63-51 to Franklin County. Frankfort has a pair of road games this week when they play at Paris and at Great Crossing. 18. Western Hills (4-13) The Wolverines only had one game last week, a 93-83 overtime loss to Model. They have 2 games on the schedule this week, both district seeding contests. On Tuesday they will take on Great Crossing at home before hosting Franklin County on Friday. 19. Frankfort Christian Academy (7-11) The Royals went 1-2 last week. They were blown out at home by model 66-36, lost another home game to Frankfort 59-44, but bounced back to defeat Trimble County on the road 74-53. FCA has only a single game on their schedule this week. They will host Robertson County on Saturday in an afternoon contest that is scheduled to tip at 2:30pm.

Congratulations to Coach Payne. Hopefully he gets the full support of the parents, boosters and the administration, as well as their patience. This won't be an easy turnaround. The Warriors talent level, facilities, and middle school program are firmly at the bottom of the 3 local schools, as well as their district. It is possible to win at Southwestern, and be a top 10 program year in, year out. But this is a total rebuild.

This is a failure by the leadership at Belfry. Actions have consequences. The leadership just showed their kids that they don't have to be accountable for their actions. It was obvious that the players left the bench area. Every coach, and every player knows what happens if you do that. They chose to do it anyway. If there was anything to the coach and AD at Belfry, they could have used it to teach a lesson. Instead, they popped in a couple of games against some slack out of state competition so that a precious district seeding game would not be affected. Great lesson about accountability there.

I think Payne was on the staff last season. Are you thinking about Tom Greer?

He had some of his best games in college against Ralph Sampson. I remember him talking about how he would try and get in Sampson's head. He would untie his shoe laces when they were lined up next to each other at the free throw lane, that sort of thing.

Hasn't Mayfield only won 2 championships since moving back up to 2A in 2015? They're always a top 5 team in 2A, but it hasn't led to the domination that they displayed in 1A. Pikeville's run of dominance has directly coincided with the move of Mayfield to 2A in 2015, and Beechwood in 2019. Franklin County, for all of the good records and teams that they have produced, has yet to win a title.

The Scotties probably carry the tag of "best program to never win a state championship." They've had some really strong teams over the years. While they might not shed that moniker this season, things seem to be trending upwards in Glasgow.

Somerset's 2025 season ended in a playoff loss at Owensboro Catholic for the 3rd season in a row. The only difference was it came in the 3rd round instead of the semifinals due to redistricting. The Jumpers spent most of the season ranked just behind the "Big 5" of LCA, Beechwood, Owensboro Catholic, Belfry and Mayfield. In spite of being viewed in the 2nd tier of teams, they actually led Owensboro Catholic in the 4th quarter before ultimately falling 27-19 to finish with an 11-2 record. Somerset lost their starting quarterback to an ACL injury in the opening game loss to South Laurel, but installed starting running back Kris Hughes at quarterback. Hughes had played quarterback as a freshman and sophomore, but had not taken a snap their for 2 seasons. Once he was settled on as the quarterback the team took off and won 11 straight with Hughes rushing for 2081 yards and 37 touchdowns while throwing for 1092 yards and 11 touchdowns. He finished his stellar career as the Briar Jumpers all-time leading rusher and broke the record for career touchdowns as well. He will graduate in May, and the quarterback that he replaced, Shannon Lofton has transferred to Boyle County. So finding a quarterback will be key for the Jumpers in 2026. Rising Sophomores Xavier Wooldridge and Alex Decker both have played quarterback in the past, but both played key roles at wide receiver, and in Wooldridge's case running back for the Jumpers last season. If one of those two moves into the quarterback role it will create a hole at a different position. In addition to Hughes, Somerset loses: Jakob Bartely, who led the team with 13.5 sacks; Andrew Lawson, their 2nd leading tackler; Tenner Smith, their interception leader; as well as 7 other seniors that contributed to a 30-11 record over Coach Clay Clevenger's 3 seasons as head coach. The cupboard is not bare for the Jumpers however. As mentioned they return Xavier Wooldridge, who is an exceptional athlete and will be a key part of the offense no matter where he is used. In 2025 he rushed 21 times for 209 yards and 4 touchdowns, caught 27 passes for 418 yards and 3 touchdowns, recorded 32 tackles on defense and returned a fumble for a touchdown even though he missed 2 games due to injury. Corban Cimala will return for his senior season. He was the Briar Jumpers 2nd leading rusher in 2025 when he finished with 708 yards and 9 touchdowns on only 94 carries. He added 57 tackles and 5.5 sacks on defense. Sophomore Alex Decker, who was the team's second leading receiver with 25 catches for 376 yards and 4 touchdowns will return, as will Jon Reynolds, who led the team in tackles with 130 as a junior. Austin Lawless, who recorded 71 tackles and 4 sacks will return at linebacker for his senior season as well. In addition, rising Junior Julian Carroll, who made first team all-state as a punter, and went 58/58 on PATs and 3/4 on field goals will give the Jumpers a huge weapon in the kicking game. Somerset will also return several players who contributed or started on the offensive line and on defense in 2025. The Jumpers had a really nice group of freshmen last season that figure to get a bump in playing time as they move into their sophomore season. In addition, their 8th grade team completed an undefeated, state championship season last fall. They will bring in a talented group, several of which should contribute right away. One of those players is Carter Lawless, the younger brother of Austin Lawless. Carter received an offer from LSU after playing in the Under Armour All-American game last month. The Briar Jumpers have some big shoes to fill, but they have some exciting young players to fill them with. As I said before, getting a handle on the quarterback position will be key. I would expect Somerset to slot in somewhere around 5th or 6th in the preseason polls.

Week 7 in the 11th Region saw Madison Central continue their roll, as they ran their win streak to 11 in a row. It also saw a bigtime matchup between Frederick Douglass and Bryan Station. The Broncos came out of that one with a 63-60 win in the first of what figures to be 3, if not 4 matchups this season. The All A Regional was held at LCA with the homestanding Eagles moving on to the State Tournament at Owensboro this week. Henry Clay continued a rough patch and dropped below .500 on the season, while Lafayette is surging a bit and could go above .500 this week. The top 4 teams remain the same, but we did have some movement outside of that. Here's where things stand going into a week with several big matchups. 1. Madison Central (18-1) The Indians went 3-0 last week, with each win coming in blowout fashion. They opened up the week with 72-46 thrashing of West Jessamine. Three Indians players finished in double figures. They were led by Grayson Burton with 20 points, Jake Feldhaus added 18 points and 9 rebounds, and Luke Asher finished with 17. A crosstown matchup with Madison Southern was next on the agenda, and the Indians ran away with that one as well 91-61. Burton again led the team in scoring with 27 points. Jake Feldhaus was right behind him with 25 points, and 16 rebounds. Luke Asher added 19. Central closed out the week with yet another blowout of a 12th Region team when they smashed Southwestern 80-47. The win over the Warriors ran Madison Central's record to 5-0 against the 12th Region so far this season. Burton again led the team in scoring with 22 points. Three other Indians joined him in double figures. Luke Asher finished with 19 points, Will Richardson 14, and Jake Feldhaus 10. The Indians have three games this week, all at home. They will look to continue to dominate the 12th Region on Tuesday when they square off with Lincoln County. They will then have a pair of 11th Region games. Western Hills comes to Richmond on Wednesday, then they will take on Frederick Douglass in round 2 of what may be a 3 round fight this season. 2. Frederick Douglass (10-4) Freddy D picked up a pair of wins over 11th Region opponents last week. On Tuesday they picked up a huge district win at home over Bryan Station 63-60. DeMarcus Surratt was the only Bronco to finish in double figures, but he had a huge night. The senior finished with 31 points and 6 rebounds. The Broncos were able to pull out the win in spite of being ice cold from three point range as they finished 3-17 from deep. Douglass followed up their big district win with a solid 58-46 road victory over Scott County on Friday night. Stats have not been posted for that one. The Broncos will be on the road for both of their contests this week. They travel to Henry Clay to play the Blue Devils on Tuesday before making the trip down I-75 to face off with the region's number one team Madison Central. 3. Bryan Station (12-5) Bryan Station went 1-1 last week with both games coming against 11th Region foes. On Tuesday they suffered a narrow 63-60 loss to Frederick Douglass in a game that was for the number 2 spot in our rankings. More importantly it was for the first spot in district seeding....for now anyway. Three Defenders finished in double figures in the loss. Amari Owens led the team with 21 points. Taeshawn Adams had a big game with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Torrence Sanford finished with 12 points. Station was able to bounce back from their loss to Freddy D on Friday when they picked up a 45-37 district win over Henry Clay at home. It was again Owens who led the team in scoring with 27 points. He was the only player to finish with more than 6 points in a low scoring game. The Defenders have 3 games this week. They start the week with a road trip to Woodford County on Tuesday. On Friday night they will be matched up with Scott County in a game that will be played at Memorial Coliseum and broadcast on the SEC Network. After spending Friday in front of the SEC Network cameras they will return home to take on Shelby Valley on Saturday. 4. Lexington Catholic (10-5) After suffering a shocking upset to Henry County in the 2A Sectionals last Friday, the Knights were almost upset again this week in their only contest. Catholic needed 2 overtimes to get by Tates Creek 68-65 in a district matchup at home. Max Meagher led the team with 27 points and 7 rebounds, while Everett Stuart finished with 20 points on 9-12 shooting from the field. The Knights have a pair of games this week. On Tuesday the host the North Hardin Trojans before going on the road to play Paul Laurence Dunbar on Saturday. 5. Scott County (9-6) The Cardinals split their two games last week. On Tuesday they picked up a home win over 11th Region foe Henry Clay by a score of 56-50. Three players finished in double figures for Sean Woods squad. Jeremiah led the team with 14 points. He was on target as he finished 5-7 from the field, and 4-4 from the free throw line. He pulled down a team-high 6 rebounds for good measure. Montae Washburn added 11 points and Phillip Grimes finished with 10 for the Cardinals. Scott County dropped their other game last week, 58-46 to Frederick Douglass. Stats have not posted for that game yet. This week finds 3 games on the schedule for the Cardinals. On Tuesday they travel to Sayre in a district matchup. They will then play Bryan Station on Friday night in Memorial Coliseum on the SEC Network. They finish up the week at home against Franklin County in the Dan Cummins Classic. 6. Great Crossing (8-8) The Warhawks went 2-0 last week. On Tuesday they blew out Western Hills at home 73-43. Four players finished in double figures for Great Crossing in that contest. Brady Orem led the team with 18, while Colt Delimpo was right behind with 17 points. Travanti Cooper also finished with 17 points, and recorded a double/double when he added 10 rebounds. Graham Swartz rounded out the double figure scorers with 12 points. The Warhawks then travelled to Northern Kentucky to take on 9th Region opponent Lloyd Memorial. They were able to get by a good Juggernaut team in that one 68-65. Brady Orem had a big night in the win with 26 points and 9 rebounds, while Graham Swartz finished with 21. Great Crossing has 3 tough matchups on the schedule this week. They will go on the road to play Ashland Blazer and South Laurel, then will take on Seneca in the Dan Cummins Classic at Scott County on Saturday. 7. Tates Creek (8-8) The Commodores lost their only game last week when they fell on the road to Lexington Catholic 68-65 in double overtime. Though they were unable to come away with a win, the Commodores seemed to break out of their recent shooting slump, Tates Creek went 13-29 from three point range in the loss after going only 16-67 in their previous 2 contests. Stephen Franklin scored 18 points in the loss, while Jordan Strong added 13, and Brady Manning chipped in with 11. Tates Creek has 3 games this week, all against out of region opponents. On Tuesday they travel to Winchester to take on a ranked George Rogers Clark team. That will be followed by a trip to Northern Kentucky to take on Dixie Heights on Friday. They won't have long to rest after that one, as they will travel to Knightstown, Indiana to play Scott in the Hoosier gym. That game has an 11:30am tipoff. 8. Henry Clay (8-9) The Blue Devils lost a pair of district games on the road last week in their only action. On Tuesday they fell at Scott County 56-50, before dropping a 45-37 decision at Bryan Station. Stats have not been posted for either of those contests yet. Things don't get any easier this week. The Devils have a pair of games with ranked opponents sandwiched around a district matchup at home against Sayre. On Tuesday it will be a road game at Frederick Douglass in a district seeding game, then the game with Sayre on Friday, and finally a road game at Jeffersontown on Saturday. 9. Lexington Christian Academy (11-8) The Eagles hosted the 11th Region All A Tournament last week, and went 3-0 to win the tournament. In the first round they needed overtime to get by a scrappy Frankfort squad 57-50. Sophomores Caleb Marshall and Dawson Farmer led the team in scoring with 20 and 16 points respectively. They then faced Frankfort Christian in the semifinals. They would have little trouble with the Royals in a 84-36 blowout. They then moved to the finals where they were able to take home the trophy with a hard-fought 55-53 win over Sayre. Stats have not been posted for the semifinals or finals. This week LCA will host Lafayette on Tuesday in a district seeding matchup before travelling to Owensboro to take part in the All A Classic State Tournament. They will be matched up with 9th Region Champion Newport in the first round. 10. Madison Southern (10-7) The Eagles split a pair of games last week. On Tuesday they picked up a road win at Sayre 69-58. Four players finished in double figures for Southern. Derek Helton led with 17, Luke Daniels scored 16, Bryant Brock added 11 and Tucker Nobbe finished with 10. On Friday they were hammered in their crosstown rivalry matchup with Madison Central 91-61. The Eagles have 2 games on the schedule this week. On Monday, they will have a 3:30pm tipoff against Fleming County in the MLK Classic at Bracken County. Thursday they will host Danville in a rematch of a game that the Eagles won 87-62 on December 15th. 11. Lafayette (7-8) The Generals had a perfect 3-0 week last week. On Tuesday they picked up a 52-36 home win over Paul Laurence Dunbar in a district seeding game. Ben Marsh and Tyler Hunt led Lafayette in scoring against the Bulldogs with 21 and 18 points respectively. Marsh also pulled down 10 rebounds to finish with a double/double. They followed that district win with a 65-54 win over Bluegrass United. Marsh again led the team in scoring with 22 points. This time, however it was Hunt who recorded a double/double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Coach Vince Sanford's team was able to complete the sweep of their 3 games on Saturday with 70-51 win over Harrison County. The Generals will look to stay hot this week when they play a pair of district seeding games. They travel to LCA and host Paul Laurence Dunbar. 12. Sayre (6-11) The Spartans went 1-2 last week. They began the week with a 69-58 setback against Madison Southern. Kenji Berger drained 5 three pointers and finished with 24 points for Sayre in the loss. On Tuesday they played Model in the semifinals of the 11th Region All A Tournament. They were able to defeat the Patriots 63-56 to move on to the finals. There they would fall to host LCA by a bucket 55-53. The Spartans have 4 games on the schedule this week. They travel to play Louisville Collegiate, host Scott County, play on the road at Henry Clay, then close out the week at home against Henry County. 13. Model (7-7) Both of the Patriots games last week were in the 11th Region All A Tournament at LCA. In the quarterfinals they were able to get by Berea 73-67 before falling in the semifinals 63-56. Riley Mollette recorded 45 points and 23 rebounds in the tournament. Model will play 4 games this week. They will be on the road to play Frankfort Christian, Wellspring Guardians and Mercer County before returning home to play Western Hills on Friday. 14. Franklin County (5-11) The Flyers went 2-0 last week to run their winning streak to 3 games. On Tuesday they hammered Harrison County 81-43. They then picked up a 70-52 win over 11th Region foe Paul Laurence Dunbar. Franklin County will be on the road for all 3 games this week. They travel to Taylor County on Tuesday, then go across town to face rival Frankfort on Friday. On Saturday they will play Scott County in the Dan Cummins Classic at Scott County. 15. Paul Laurence Dunbar (6-13) The Bulldogs went 1-2 last week. They dropped a pair of road games to 11th Region opponents: 52-36 to Lafayette, and 70-52 to Franklin County. On Saturday they hosted Burgin and were able to get back in the win column in a 75-37 blowout. PLD has 3 games this week, all at home. They play East Jessamine on Tuesday, Lafayette on Friday, and finish out the week when they host Lexington Catholic on Saturday. 16. Berea (7-8) The Pirates took part in the 11th Region All A Tournament at LCA last week. There they were defeated by Model 73-67 in their only action of the week. Finley Blevins scored 28 points for the Pirates in the loss. They have a pair of road games on the schedule this week. On Tuesday they travel to Clay County to play the Tigers, then go to Cumberland County on Saturday. 17. Frankfort (4-10) The Panthers lost their only game last week. On Tuesday they took LCA to overtime before ultimately falling 57-50 in the 11th Region All A Tournament. Rajon Floyd scored 18 for Frankfort in the loss. The Panthers did have a game on the schedule against Western Hill on Friday, but no score has been reported on it yet. This week they will take on Frankfort Christian on the road on Tuesday, then host Franklin County on Friday. 18. Western Hills (3-12) The Wolverines lost to Great Crossing 73-43 in the only game that we have a score for last week. There has not been a score reported for the January 16th game against Frankfort. I am unsure if it was rescheduled due to the 11th Region All A Tournament, or just hasn't been reported. This week the Wolverines travel to Madison Central on Wednesday, the go back to Richmond on Friday to play Model. 19. Frankfort Christian (6-9) The Royals split a pair of games last week. They were able to pick up a road win against Williamstown 57-47. William Sims led the team in scoring in that one with 20 points. Frankfort Christian then fell in the semifinals of the 11th Region All A Tournament to LCA 84-36. This week they play Frankfort and Model at home, and travel to Trimble County.

Sounds like DCA got a get right game after scuffling in their last 4 contests.

Bryan Station is playing really good basketball right now. But I'll take Frederick Douglass in a close one.

Stevens played great defense against Baker. I think the development of Marcus Jones, to pair with Jakob Bartley gives Somerset a legitimate presence inside as well. I would think their combined stats from Saturday would be a double/double.

Week Six in the 11th Region saw no change at the top as Madison Central kept rolling at 15-1. It wasn't easy though, as they had a scare against Great Crossing in a game in which they trailed by 14 points. There was a change in the top 4 however, as Lexington Catholic suffered a surprising loss in the 2A Sectional at the hands of an unheralded Henry County team. Henry Clay was able to get back in the top 5 as Scott County had a rough week after impressing early in the season. This week will feature a matchup between the 2nd and 3rd ranked teams in the region when Frederick Douglass takes on Bryan Station. The small schools will be taking part in the 11th Region All A Tournament at Lexington Christian Academy. Here's where we stand after the first full week of 2026. 1. Madison Central (15-1) The Indians went 3-0 last week to push their win streak to 8 in a row, but it wasn't easy. Sandwiched in between blowout victories over Henry Clay and Bowling Green was a narrow, 57-56 win over Great Crossing, in a game in which the Warhawks led by 14 at halftime. The week began with an 83-38 romp over Henry Clay. Jake Feldhaus led the way in the blowout with 32 points, on 12-16 shooting, while grabbing 15 rebounds. Grayson Burton added 15 points in the win. That win was followed by the nailbiter against Great Crossing Friday night. Feldhaus and Burton again led the way with 20 points each, Feldhaus added 12 rebounds for another double/double. The then had a short turnaround as they went to Montgomery County on Saturday to face Bowling Green in the Joe B and Denny Classic. Central was able to get by the Purples without too much trouble in an 83-61 win. Stats have not been posted for that one yet. This week the Indians also have three games. On Tuesday they will play host to West Jessamine, the go across town to take on rival Madison Southern, before returning home to face Southwestern on Saturday. 2. Frederick Douglass (8-4) Frederick Douglass split their 2 games last week. On Tuesday the Broncos went on the road and blew out Paul Laurence Dunbar 80-36. DeMarcus Surratt led 3 Frederick Douglass players in double figures with 27 points. Dakari Talbert finished with 13 while Nate Coen finished with 11. On Saturday the Broncos hosted a very good George Rogers Clark team in an afternoon game. Douglass raced out to a 10-0 lead right out of the blocks. But from there it was all Cardinals as they posted a 63-56 road win at The Farm. Stats were not available for that one. This week the have 2 games on the schedule. On Tuesday they host Bryan Station in a key 42nd District matchup. That will be followed with another district game. This one will be a road trip to play Scott County. 3. Bryan Station (11-4) The Defenders went a perfect 3-0 last week to move back into the third spot in the rankings. On Tuesday they went on the road, and came away with a 73-61 win against Montgomery County. Amari Owens and Taeshawn Adams led the team in scoring with 30 and 21 points respectively. Station stayed on the road on Thursday when they picked up and easy 85-55 win over crosstown rival Tates Creek. Owens again led the team in scoring, this time with 29. Amari Owens added 20, while Chris Owens scored 15, and Torrence Sanford joined them in double figures with 10. The Defenders then returned home on Saturday and raced past Garrard County 74-50 for their 6th consecutive win. Stats are not posted for that game yet. This week will bring 2 big 42nd District matchups. On Tuesday they will take on Frederick Douglass at The Farm in what should decide the 2nd spot in the rankings. That will be followed by a home matchup with Henry Clary on Friday. 4. Lexington Catholic (9-5) Both of the Knights games last week were part of the 2A Section 5 Tournament at Harrison County. On Tuesday they blew out Garrard County 94-67. Catholic was red hot from three point range as they went 15-34 from deep on the night. Stuart Everett drained 7 of those three pointers on 12 attempts to finish with 29 points to lead the team. Max Meagher added 14 points, while Hank Woodall and Jacob Holland finished with 11 points each. The Knights then took on Henry County in the Section Finals on Friday, and things did not go as planned. Henry County came into the game at only 7-8, but they were able to pull the upset 68-67. Max Meagher was the leading scorer in the head-scratching loss with 27 points. The Knights have only one game next week, a District 43 matchup at home against Tates Creek. 5. Henry Clay (8-7) The Blue Devils had a 2-2 week. On Monday, Henry Clay placed 4 players in double figures in a 75-68 home win over Boyle County. Jackson Stephan led the team with 25 points and 14 rebounds. Colton Helton and Richard Goatley both had 15, while Jack Hemenway finished with 12. On Tuesday the Devils went on the road where they were dominated by Madison Central 83-38. Stephan with 17 points was the only player in double figures in the blowout loss. The Blue Devils were able to shake that loss of, and pick up a 53-47 win over Lafayette. They were unable to build off of that momentum, however, as they lost the next night to Ashland Blazer 71-54 at Berea College in the Mutt Varney Memorial Classic. Henry Clay has 2 games on the schedule this week, both on the road. The play Scott County on Tuesday before a district matchup with Bryan Station on Friday. 6. Scott County (8-5) The Cardinals, who had been building some momentum, had a rough week. They went 0-3 for the week. The week began with a 59-44 loss to Woodford County. Scott County had a cold shooting night as they shot on 34% from the field, and failed top place a player in double figures. That loss was followed by a double-overtime setback to Bourbon County on the road. They also took part in the Mutt Varney Memorial Classic at Berea College, where they dropped their matchup with Belfry 47-44. Stats have not been posted for those last 2 contests. The Cardinals will try to get back on track this week as they host a pair of District 42 games. They play Henry Clay on Tuesday, then Frederick Douglass on Friday. 7. Great Crossing (6-8) The Warhawks had a 1-2 week. Both of their losses, however, were narrow defeats to quality opponents. Great Crossing began the week by picking up a District 41 win on the road over Franklin County 64-51. Brady Orem led the team with 17 points, while Travanti Cooper and Aslam Ismail each had 12. They Warhawks then travelled to Madison Central where they jumped out to a 14 point lead, but could not hold on in a 57-56 loss. Orem again led the team in scoring with 24 points, while Graham Swartz added 20. The Warhawks also closed out the week at Berea College in the Mutt Varney Memorial Classic, where they dropped a 56-52 decision to Woodford County. No stats have been posted for that one. Great Crossing will try to build off of those solid performances this week when they host a district game against Western Hills on Tuesday, before going on the road to play Lloyd Memorial on Saturday. 8. Tates Creek (8-7) The Commodores had an 0-2 week and have now lost 4 straight games. They lost a district game at Lafayette 54-53 in a game that saw Tates Creek hit only 6 of 29 three point attempts, and fail to place a player in double figures. That contest was followed by an 85-55 blowout loss at home at the hands of Bryan Station. Shooting was again an issue for the Commodores as they went 10-38 from long range. Tom Haubenreich was the leading scorer with 14 points, while Stephen Franklin joined him in double figures with 13. The Creekers will try to find their shooting eye this week when they play a district contest at Lexington Catholic in their only game of the week on Tuesday. 9. Madison Southern (9-6) The Eagles went 0-2 on the week. On Tuesday, they went on the road where they lost an 81-71 decision against East Jessamine. Four players finished in double figures in the loss. Tucker Nobbe led the team with 14 points, Luke Daniels added 13, while both Jordan Dunaway and Colin Sebastin added 10. Madison Southern then travelled to South Laurel to take part in the Grace Health Raymond Reed Classic where they were matched up with Whitley County. The Eagles were unable to come away with a victory in the event as they suffered a 77-74 setback to the Colonels. Stats have not posted for that one. Southern has 3 games on the schedule this week. They travel to Sayre on Monday, host Madison Central on Friday in a crosstown rivalry game, and then go to Clay County to take part in the Bobby Keith Classic where they are paired with Wayne County. 10. Lexington Christian Academy (8-8) LCA continues to be a streaky team. They started off the season 5-1 before losing 5 in a row. That was followed with a 3 game winning streak before dropping both of their games last week. The week began with a trip to North Oldham where they were absolutely blasted by the Mustangs 82-31. The Eagles went 0-11 from 3 point range and only 13 of 43 overall in the blowout. Dawson Farmer was the only player for LCA that found any success on offense as he finished with 16 points on 8-16 shooting. That loss was followed by a 76-60 defeat at the hands of Highlands as home. Stats are not posted for that one. The Eagles begin play in the 11th Region All A Tournament at home on Tuesday where they have drawn Frankfort. 11. Lafayette (4-8) The Generals split their 2 games last week. On Tuesday they picked up a big district win at homer over Tates Creek in a 54-53 thriller. Ben Marsh led a trio of Lafayette players in double figures with 16 points. Tyler Hunt added 13, while Josh Pinkleton finished with 10. On Saturday the Generals hosted Henry Clay, and were very competitive in a 53-47 loss to Henry Clay. Ben Marsh again led the team with 17 points while grabbing 8 rebounds. Tyler Hunt produced a double/double with 13 points and 11 boards. The Generals have 3 games on the schedule this week, and have an excellent shot to build on the momentum from last week, as all 3 games are at home. On Tuesday they have a district tilt with Paul Laurence Dunbar, play a Bluegrass United on Friday, and finish the week with Harrison County on Saturday. 12. Sayre (5-9) The Spartans were able to break their 7 game losing streak in their only contest last week: a 77-42 thrashing of Nicholas County. Three players finished in double figures in the win for Sayre. Kenji Berger led the team with 16 points. Caden Jones added 12, while Cash Johnson finished with 11. The Spartans host Madison Southern on Tuesday, then will open play in the 11th Region All A at LCA against the winner of the Berea-Model matchup. 13. Model (6-6) The Patriots had a 2-1 week last week. They knocked off Lynn Camp at home 83-65, the split a pair of road games. They lost 88-74 against Lee County before knocking off Menifee County 82-24. Jayden Bingham had a standout week as he went above 10 points in all 3 contests, and scored 70 points for the week. This week Model is matched up with Berea in the opening round of the 11th Region All A Tournament on Tuesday. They also have a game at Clay County in the Bobby Keith Classic on Saturday against Bracken County pending their results in the All A. 14. Paul Laurence Dunbar (5-11) The Bulldogs went 1-1 last week. They were hammered by Frederick Douglass 80-36 at home on Tuesday, but then picked up a road win 57-50 at Frankfort. Taylor Cage finished in double figures in both contests as he posted 10 points against Freddy D and 14 in the win against Frankfort. PLD has 3 games this week. They travel to Lafayette and Franklin County, then host Burgin on Saturday. 15. Berea (7-7) The Pirates went 2-0 last week to reach .500 on the season. They blew out Williamsburg 63-24 and got by Harrison County 51-41, both at home. Finley Blevins led the Pirates in scoring against the Yellowjackets with 16 points. Berea will take part in the 11th Region All A Tournament at Lexington Catholic, where they will open up play against Model. 16. Franklin County (3-11) The Flyers went 1-2 last week, but were able to snap their 8 game losing streak with a 72-52 thrashing of crosstown rival Western Hills. Earlier in the week they were competitive against Great Crossing in a 64-51 loss and Henry County in a narrow 65-64 defeat. Kaevin Russell and Aaron Jones had the standout performances of the week, as they both went for 23 points in the loss to Henry County. This week the Flyers have a pair of winnable home games against Harrison County and Paul Laurence Dunbar. 17. Frankfort (4-9) The Panthers split a pair of home games last week. They got by Bluegrass United 64-54 but lost to Paul Laurence Dunbar 57-50. Toma Washington had 21 points and 5 rebounds against Bluegrass United. The Panthers play Lexington Christian at Lexington Christian in the 11th Region All A Tournament on Tuesday. They are also scheduled to play a district game at Western Hills on Saturday. 18. Western Hills (3-11) The Wolverines were able to go 2-1 last week to break a 10 game losing streak. Sophomores Preston Clouse and Matt Dicken went for 23 each in Western Hills 79-68 win over Boone County, and 31 each against Shelby County in an 83-76 win. Their 2 game win streak came to an end on Saturday at the hands of crosstown rival Franklin County in a 72-52 loss. This week Western Hills plays a pair of district games: at Great Crossing then at home against Frankfort. 19. Franklin Christian (5-8) The Royals went 1-2 last week. They had losses to Dayton (59-42) and Casey County (42-33) sandwiched around a 59-19 win over Kentucky School for the Deaf. Frankfort Christian travels to Williamstown on Monday, then will play the winner of Lexington Christian and Frankfort in the 11th Region All A Tournament at Lexington Christian.