Carl Spackler

Hopefully they can keep things rolling. They played with extreme focus and maximum effort in the tournament. I thought that the tandem of Jakob Bartley and Marcus Jones in the middle was huge in the past 2 games. Absher was just unstoppable the last 2 games, and Grundy made some really big shots and played tough on the interior tonight. Stevens did an excellent job on Baker tonight. Can't say enough about the intensity that the whole team played with in this tournament. Great team effort.

Absher, Grundy, Lewis and Stevens made the All Tournament Team from Somerset.

Final from Danville Christian. Somerset wins the 12th Region All A. Absher had about 30.

71-56 Somerset with 32 seconds to go.

Lincoln is scuffling a bit. They have lost 4 out of their last 5 games.

Great Crossing has been playing really good basketball lately. But this is still a surprising score.

My daughter had volleyball practice, followed by archery practice. So we had to watch on YouTube. It was much less crowded, but it would have been so much fun in person.

Coach Young had a great game plan tonight. And the team executed it very well. Except for about a 5 minute stretch in the 3rd quarter Somerset really controlled the game. Ateny hit 3 loooong 3 point shots to give DCA a chance, but Somerset was money at the free throw line. It will probably be another wild one on Friday night.

Final from Danville Christian Academy in the semifinals of the 12th Region All A Tournament. Aiden Absher and Marcus Jones were huge for the Jumpers down the stretch. First loss against a 12th Region team by DCA since Somerset beat them 2 years ago in the 12th Region Semifinals at Pulaski County.

Yeesh. That's too small for 4 teams in a tournament type setting. They'd be better off scheduling enough time between games to clear the gym.

Any word on this one? There were supposed to be some interviews today.

11th Region Leaders (All stats from the games reported to the scoreboard) Points Per Game 1. (Tie) Caleb Marshall, Lexington Christian Academy 25.2 Amari Owens, Bryan Station 25.2 3. Brady Orem, Great Crossing 22.3 4. Jackson Stephan, Henry Clay 22.2 5. Jake Feldhaus, Madison Southern 21.0 6. Matt Dicken, Western Hills 20.9 7. Jayden Bingham, Model 20.6 8. DeMarcus Surratt, Frederick Douglass 20.5 9. Stephen Franklin, Tates Creek 18.4 10. Taeshawn Adams, Bryan Station 18.2 Rebounds Per Game 1. (Tie) Jake Feldhaus, Madison Central 13.8 Riley Mollett, Model 13.8 3. Jackson Stephan, Henry Clay 10.8 4. Brady Orem, Great Crossing 9.5 5. Tyler Hunt, Lafayette 7.8 6. Jake Mills, Berea 6.7 7. (Tie) Wiley Reed, Berea 6.5 William Sims, Frankfort Christian 6.5 9. Luke Asher, Madison Central 6.2 10. (Tie) Grayson Burton, Madison Central 6.0 AJ Slaughter, Tates Cree 6.0 Stephen Franklin, Tates Creek 6.0 Three Point Field Goals Per Game 1. Caleb Marshall, Lexington Christian Academy 62-134 46.3% 5.2 2. Preston Clouse, Western Hills 43-92 46.7% 3.6 3. Tate Robinson, Frederick Douglass 34-72 47% 3.4 4. Jayden Bingham, Model 26-77 33.8% 2.9 5. Tom Haubenreich, Tates Creek 35-94 37.2% 2.7 6. Grayson Burton, Madison Central 33-86 40% 2.5 7. (Tie) Stephen Franklin, Tates Creek 29-77 37.7% 2.2 Brady Manning, Tates Creek 28-77 36.4% 2.2 Finley Blevins, Berea 26-76 34.2% 2.2 10. Travanti Cooper, Great Crossing 23-74 31.1% 2.1

While those have been UK's 5 best players so far, I'm not sure that you want that group on the floor at the end of a close game. With the offenses ran by the majority of the top teams, having 2 bigs out there at the same time is just inviting open 3 point looks. I think it has to be very matchup specific to have Quaintance and Moreno out there together.

Week 5 in the 11th Region saw several of the post Christmas events finish out on Monday, then most teams were off until the weekend. The top 4 remains unchanged with only Frederick Douglass losing a game out of that group, but it was to an out of state opponent in the Lowcountry Roundball Classic in Charleston, SC. Scott County continued their strong start to the season under Coach Sean Woods, and finds themselves in the top 5. Tates Creek drops a couple of spots after a strong start. Lexington Christian moves into the top 10 with a 3-0 week on the back of another big game from sophomore sniper Caleb Marshall, who has put up a 38 and a 48 point game so far, and is off to a blistering start to the season. This week will see several teams kick off district seeding games as well as top ranked Madison Central facing a couple of the better teams in the 11th. Let’s take a look at this week’s rankings. 1. Madison Central (12-1) Madison Central went 2-0 this week. The began the week with a 71-49 blowout of Hamilton (OH) in the Richmond Car and Truck Center Holiday Classic. Luke Asher led the team in scoring with 25 points. Grayson Burton joined him in double figures with 18 points. Jake Feldhaus finished one point shy of another double/double as he recorded 9 points, but pulled down 17 boards. On Saturday, the Indians were able to get by a good North Oldham squad 73-58 in the Tim Short Automotive Classic and George Rogers Clark. Feldhaus led the way for the Indians with 28 points and 12 rebounds. Grayson Burton hit 5 three pointers and finished with 19 points, while Luke Asher added 11. Central has 3 games this week. They will host regional opponents Henry Clay and Great Crossing on Tuesday and Friday, then travel to Montgomery County to play Bowling Green in the Joe B and Denny Classic. 2. Frederick Douglass (7-3) The Broncos split their 2 games this week, both in The Roundball Classic in Charleston, SC. On Monday, they lost a nailbiter against Concord Academy (NC) 60-58. They bounced back with a 72-45 romp over Prince Avenue Christian (GA) on Tuesday. Stats have not been posted for the games in The Roundball Classic, except for the loss to Concord Academy. In that game DeMarcus Surratt led the team in scoring with 22 points. He was joined in double figures by Thurman Wade who posted 12 points and Tate Robinson with 11. Douglass has 2 games this week. On Tuesday they travel to Paul Laurence Dunbar before hosting George Rogers Clark on Saturday. 3. Lexington Catholic (8-4) The Knights had only a single game last week. They fell to Boyd County 74-60 in the finals of their White, Greer & Maggard Holiday Classic. Four players finished in double figures against the Lions: Hank Woodall had 16, Jacob Holland 13, Max Meagher 12 and Everett Stuart finished with 11. Catholic begins play in the 2A Tournament on Tuesday against Garrard County in Section 5 at Harrison County. If they win, they will play Harrison County on Thursday. 4. Bryan Station (8-4) The Defenders went 3-0 last week. On Monday they picked up a nice win over Caverna in the 3rd place game of the White, Greer & Maggard Holiday Classic 50-49. Amari Owens led a trio of Bryan Station players in double figures with 16 points. He was joined by Torrence Sanford with 12 and Taeshawn Adams with 10. Station followed that win up with an 84-30 dismantling of Berea on Friday. Amari Owens again let the team in scoring with 22, while Taeshawn Adams added 20, and Torrence Sanford finished with 11. On Saturday night the Defenders picked up a road win at Lafayette 59-40. Stats have not been posted for that one. The Defenders have 3 games on the schedule this week. They travel to Montgomery County on Tuesday, then play another road game against Tates Creek on Tuesday. They finish out the week at home against Garrard County on Saturday. 5. Scott County (8-2) Scott County moves up a notch this week to join the top 5. The Cardinals went 2-0 last week. On Tuesday they blew out Paris at home 97-32. Five different players scored in double figures in the romp, led by Montae Washburn with 30. Parker Sanders had 15, Tidiane Faye 14, and Reed Rutledge and Brailyn McNear both finished with 11. On Friday Scott County went on the road and picked up a solid 62-51 win at West Jessamine. Jeremiah Stiefel led the way with 20 points, while Washburn finished with 13, and Phillip Grimes added 11. With the 2 wins, Scott County has exceeded their win total of all of last season, when they finished 6-21. They will look to add to that win total with 3 games in the coming week. On Tuesday they will host Woodford County, followed by road trip to take on Bourbon County on Friday, before facing Belfry on Saturday at Berea College in the Mutt Varney Memorial Classic. 6. Henry Clay (6-5) The Blue Devils split their two games last week. On Monday, they fell to Jeffersontown 66-56 in the finals of the Ashland Invitational Tournament. They were then off until Friday when they went on the road and picked up a 57-49 District win over Sayre. Stats have not been posted for either of those games. Henry Clay has a full slate of 4 games this week. They will host Boyle County on Tuesday before going on the road for a big matchup with Madison Central. They will then travel to Lafayette on Friday before facing Ashland Blazer in a rematch of the Ashland Invitational semifinals on Saturday at Berea College in the Mutt Varney Memorial Classic. 7. Tates Creek (8-5) The Commodores went 0-2 last week, and have now lost 3 out of 4 after winning 7 in a row. On Monday they lost a 63-54 decision to Oldham County in the Richmond Car and Truck Center Holiday Classic and Madison Central. Stephan Franklin was the only player to finish in double figures for Tates Creek with 21 points. He added 8 rebounds in the loss. Tates Creek then fell to Grant County on the road on Saturday 69-55. Franklin was again the only Commodore to finish in double figures with 26 points. The Creeker will try to get back on track on Tuesday when they go on the road for a District matchup with Lafayette. They will then return home on Tuesday, for the first time since December 16th, when they will face Bryan Station. 8. Great Crossing (5-6) Great Crossing had only a single game last week. But in it they picked up a second consecutive nice win in the White, Greer & Maggard Holiday Classic at Lexington Catholic when they downed Marshall County 69-66. Brady Orem was the high point man for Great Crossing in the win with 20 points. Colt Delimpo drained 4 three pointers and had 15, while Graham Swartz finished with 14. The Warhawks have 3 games this week. They start out with a road trip to Franklin County on Tuesday, then travel to Madison Central on Friday. After their matchup with the Indians Great Crossing will be matched up with Woodford County at Berea College in the Mutt Varney Memorial Classic on Saturday. 9. Madison Southern (9-4) The Eagles went 2-0 last week, but it was against some lackluster competition. On Tuesday they beat 2-11 Mercer County for the second time this season 68-52 in the Richmond Car and Truck Center Holiday Classic. Derek Helton led the way in the win with 15 points. He was joined in double figures by Jordan Dunaway with 14 points and Tucker Nobbe with 11. That was followed by a much closer than expected 72-70 home win over a 1-7 Paris team. Derek Helton had 22 points in the win. He was joined in double figures by Luke Daniels with 16, and Bryant Brock with 11. Southern has 2 games in the coming week. They go on the road to play East Jessamine on Tuesday, then will be matched up with Whitley County in the Grace Health Raymond Reed Classic at South Laurel on Saturday. 10. Lexington Christian Academy (8-6) LCA broke their 5 game losing streak in a big way last week as they went a perfect 3-0. The began the week with a 76-53 blowout of North Hardin in their last game in their 2025 Jim Rose Central Bank Classic. Caleb Marshall had another huge game for the Eagles in this one as he went 9-13 from long range and finished with 38 points. The sophomore is averaging 26.1 points per game for the 10 games that LCA has stats posted for. In those games he is a sizzling 52-117 from three point range for 44.4%. He wasn’t the only Eagle that had a big night against the Trojans. Kaleb Pridemore finished with 19 points, while Dawson Farmer finished with 14. LCA followed up the North Hardin win with a 66-45 home win against East Jessamine on Friday, and a 63-37 blowout of Boone County on the road on Saturday. Stats have not been posted for those games. The Eagles have 2 tough games on the schedule in the coming week. On Tuesday they will be on the road against North Oldham before returning home to take on Highlands on Saturday. 11. Sayre (4-9) The Spartans went 0-3 last week, but they were competitive in all 3 losses. On Monday they dropped a 60-55 decision to Bowling Green in the Jim Rose Central Bank Classic at LCA. John Gaines and Sayvion Staley were the leading scorers in the loss with 14 points each. On Friday they lost at home to Henry Clay 57-49. Kenji Berger was the leading scorer in that one with 15 points, while John Gaines added 14. Saturday saw the Spartans run their losing streak to 7 games with a 71-68 loss on the road at Jackson County. Berger was again the leading scorer with 24 points. Caden Jones added 16, and John Gaines finished with 10. The Spartans only have one game on the schedule this week when they will host Nicholas County on Tuesday. 12. Lafayette (3-7) The Generals went 1-1 last week. They began the week with a 70-43 road win over Mason County. Lafayette placed 4 players in double figures in the win. Ben Marsh led the team with 13 points, Josh Pinkleton and Tyler Hunt both finished with 12, and Preston North rounded out the double figure scorers with 10. The Generals then fell to Bryan Station 59-40 at home on Saturday. Stats have not been posted for that game. Lafayette plays twice this week. On Tuesday they will host Tates Creek in a 43rd District matchup. They will then be at home to take on Henry Clay on Friday. 13. Model (4-5) Model had the week off last week. They have been led so far by a pair of seniors. Jayden Bingham leads the team in scoring with 20.6 points per game, while Riley Mollette is averaging a double/double with 167.7 points and 13.0 rebounds per game. The Spartans are back in action with 3 games this week. They will host Lynn Camp on Tuesday before going on the road to play Lee County on Thursday and Menifee County on Friday. 14. Frankfort (3-8) The Panthers turned in a 1-3 worksheet for the week. They went 1-2 in the 4 Banks Classic at Garrard County. They fell to Garrard County 68-66 in a heartbreaker in their first game, were blown out by Anderson County 54-31 in their second game, before bouncing back with an 11th Region win over Paul Laurence Dunbar 53-44. They then went on the road where they dropped a close one to Wolfe County 55-54. A pair of freshmen, Cameron Crocker and Rajon Floyd led the team in scoring with 17 points each against Wolfe County. Frankfort has 2 games this week, both at home. They will play Bluegrass United on Tuesday, then have a rematch with Dunbar on Friday. 15. Paul Laurence Dunbar (4-10) The Bulldogs went 1-2 last week, with all 3 games being in the 4 Banks Classic at Garrard County. They opened play in the event with a 58-41 setback against Anderson County. Tay Blevins was the only double figure scorer for PLD with 14 points in the loss. They were able to bounce back with a 65-55 over the host, Garrard County. In the win the Bulldogs were paced by Cage Taylor, who finished with 22 points. The were unable to build momentum following that win, however. On Wednesday they dropped a 53-44 decision against 11th Region foe Frankfort. They have 2 games in the coming week. On Tuesday they will face Frederick Douglass at home, then go on the road for a rematch with Frankfort on Friday. 16. Berea (5-7) The Pirates went 1-2 last week. On Monday they lost an overtime game to Bourbon County 68-64 in the Railroad Classic at Estill County. They were then blown out on the road at Bryan Station 84-30 on Friday. On Saturday, however, they were able to get a measure of revenge when they won the rematch with Bourbon County 71-64 in the Tim Short Automotive Classic at George Rogers Clark. Stats have not been posted for an of those games. This week the Pirates have 2 home games: Williamsburg on Tuesday, and Harrison County on Saturday. 17. Franklin County (2-8) The Flyers lost their only game last week when they fell on the road to Danville 62-60. They have now lost their last 5 games. Franklin County will try to get back in the win column with 3 games this week, all at home. On Monday they play Henry County, followed by a Tuesday 41st District matchup with Great Crossing. They close out the week with a game against crosstown rival, and district foe Western Hills on Friday. 18. Western Hills (2-10) The Wolverines were only 1-3 last week, but that win snapped a 10 game losing streak. Western Hills lost all 3 games in the East Jessamine Holiday Basketball Tournament. In their opener they lost a close one to Bullitt East 81-77, followed by a 61-53 setback against host East Jessamine. They closed out their play in the tournament with a 76-66 loss to Madisonville-North Hopkins. A different player went over 20 points in each game of the tournament for the Wolverines. Matt Dicken scored 24 against Bullitt East, Bryce Douglass led the team with 26 against East Jessamine, and Preston Clouse hit 6 from downtown and dropped 31 against Madisonville-North Hopkins. On Friday they were able to get back in the win column with a 79-68 home win against Boone County. Clouse hit 5 more three pointers in that one to finish with 23 points. Matt Dicken added 23 of his own, while Calen Higgins scored 17 and Bryce Douglass chipped in with 11. Western Hills has a pair of road games this week. They will travel to Shelby County on Tuesday before having a district matchup with crosstown rival Franklin County. 19. Frankfort Christian (4-7) The Royals split their 2 games last week. On Tuesday they picked up a road win at Bracken County 59-53 in a rematch of a December 22nd game that they lost 68-56 at home. They then fell to Dayton for the second time this season 59-42, this time at home on Saturday. There are 2 games on the schedule of Frankfort Christian this week. On Tuesday they will travel to Danville to play Kentucky School for the Deaf, then stay on the road to play Casey County on Friday.

Week 4 saw a new team take over the top of the rankings in the 11th Region. Madison Central, on the strength of their 72-61 win over Frederick Douglass in the King of the Bluegrass, is your new number one. Although it would have been nice to see the two 11th Region powers battle it out for the Championship, it was still good to get a bonus matchup between these two. I have a feeling that we’ll get to see this game play out 2 more times before the season is over. Lexington Catholic was also able to move up a spot as their strong start continues. Bryan Station has faltered a bit, they will need to find their footing quickly as Tates Creek, Scott County and Henry Clay seem to be coming on. Several of the tournaments, classics or invitationals bleed over to Monday before getting back to regular matchups after the New Year. Here is where we sit going into week 5. 1. Madison Central (10-1) The Indians bounced back from their first loss of the year to defeat Frederick Douglass 72-61 in the 3rd place game of the Gardner Law King of the Bluegrass. The head to head win over the Broncos moves Madison Central into the top spot in the 11th Region for now. The teams meet again on January 23rd at Madison Central. In the win over Douglass the Indians were led in scoring by sophomore Grayson Burton who finished with 19 points. Luke Asher and Jake Feldhaus added 17 points each, and Feldhaus pulled down 13 rebounds to finish with another double/double. Feldhaus was named the Stan Hardin Most Outstanding Player Award, and Luke Asher made the All-Tournament team. Madison Central closed out their week by hosting the Richmond Car and Truck Center Holiday Classic. There they rolled to an easy 73-42 win over Mercer County on Saturday. Luke Asher led the team in scoring with 20 points, while Feldhouse added 12. On Sunday Central Central continued play in the Richmond Car and Truck Center Holiday Classic by defeating another 12th region opponent. This time it was Wayne County 76-54. On Monday, they will play in the finals of their tournament against Hamilton (OH). The Indians will then be off until Saturday, when they will play North Oldham in the Tim Short Automotive Classic. 2. Frederick Douglass (6-2) The Broncos had a 1-1 week in week 4. The dropped the aforementioned matchup with Madison Central to cede first place in the Region to the Indians, but bounced back with a 59-56 win over Don Bosco Prep (NJ) in the The Roundball Classic in North Chaleston, SC. In the loss to Madison Central, Douglass was led in scoring by Tate Robinson who drilled 6 three pointers on his way to a 23 point night. DeMarcus Surratt added 20 points, and was the only other Bronco to finish in double figures. Surratt was named to the all tournament team. Frederick Douglass has 2 games this week, both in The Roundball Classic. On Monday they will take on Concord Academy out of North Carolina, followed by a Tuesday matchup with Prince Avenue Christian from Georgia. They will then be off until January 6th. 3. Lexington Catholic (8-3) After travelling back from Hawaii, the Knights were off until Saturday, when they hosted the White, Greer, and Maggard Holiday Classic. Catholic rolled to a 74-55 win over Paintsville in their first game in the classic. Everett Stuart led the way for Catholic with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. Max Meagher added 14 points, and Ashton Pflugner scored 2 points, but pulled down 10 rebounds. In the second round on Sunday Catholic was able to get by Lyon County 68-65, to move on to the semifinals where they will play North Oldham. The winner of that game will play for the championship on Tuesday, while the loser will play in the 3rd place game. The Knights will then be off until January 6th. 4. Bryan Station (5-4) On Monday the Defenders completed play in the Republic Bank-Sayre School Coach Lankster Classic with a 68-50 win over host Sayre. Station had a pair of players go over 20 points in the game. Amari Owens led the team with 27 points, while Taeshawn Adams finished with 22 points and 7 rebounds. Torrence Sanford joined them in double figures with 10. On Saturday the Defenders took part in the White, Greer, and Maggard Holiday Classic at Lexington Catholic. The picked up a nice 53-40 win over 12th Region contender West Jessamine in their first game. On Sunday, however, the Defenders dropped a close one to North Laurel 55-52. Stats were not available for that one yet. Bryan Station will complete play in the Classic on Monday and Tuesday in the consolation bracket. They will then be off until Friday when they will play Berea at home, followed by a game at Lafayette on Saturday. 5. Tates Creek (8-3) Tates Creek went 1-1 in week 4, with both contests coming in the Richmond Car and Truck Center Holiday Classic. On Saturday the Commodores narrowly fell to Wayne County 66-63. Tates Creek placed 4 players in double figures in the loss: Stephen Franklin led the team with 17, AJ Slaughter and Tom Haubenreich added 13 each, and DJ Searight finished with 11. On Sunday the Commodores were able to put that loss behind them and pick up a win over Mercer County 66-45. Stephen Franklin again was the high point man for Tates Creek with 20. Tom Haubenreich joined him in double figures with 16 points, as did AJ Slaughter with 12. 6. Scott County (6-2) Scott County had one game this week, a 69-47 win over Hopkinsville in the 2025 Boys Gateway Holiday Classic at Montgomery County. In the win the Cardinals were led in scoring by Montae Washburn who tallied 20 points. He was joined in double figures by a trio of teammates: Tidiane Fay had 12 points on 4 threes, while Phillip Grimes and Jeremiah Stiefel both finished with 10 each. Stiefel also grabbed 10 rebounds to finish with a double/double. The Cards have 2 games on the schedule this week. They host Paris on Tuesday, then travel to Nicholasville to play West Jessamine on Friday. 7. Henry Clay (5-4) The Blue Devils went 2-0 last week, as they charged to the finals of the Ashland Invitational Tournament. On Saturday they blew out Cooper 65-42 to put them in the semifinals against host Ashland. In the game with the Tomcats Henry Clay jumped out to a 19-10 lead before holding on to win 66-64 in a thriller. Stats have not been posted for either game. The Devils will play Jeffersontown in the finals of the AIT on Monday. They will then be off until Friday when they go on the road to take on Sayre. 8. Madison Southern (7-4) The Eagles went 0-2 last week, with both losses coming in the Richmond Car and Truck Center Holiday Classic. After a hot start Madison Southern has now dropped 3 of their last 4. On Saturday they lost a close one to Lincoln County 56-53. Derek Helton led the way, going a perfect 3-3 from deep to finish with 20 points in the loss. He also grabbed 9 boards to finish a rebound shy of a double/double. Jordan Dunaway and Bryant Brock joined Helton in double figures with 11 and 10 points respectively. The Eagles will complete play in the tournament on Monday when they will face off with Mercer County, before being off until Friday when they host Paris. 9. Great Crossing (4-6) Great Crossing had a 1-2 week. On Tuesday they dropped a road contest to Cathedral (IN) in Indianapolis 80-74. The Warhawks placed 4 players in double figures in the loss: Brady Orem and Travanti Cooper both posted 17 points, while Colt Delimpo scored 13 and Graham Swartz added 11. Great Crossing then lost their opening game in the White, Greer and Maggard Holiday Classic at Lexington Catholic against a good Caverna squad 63-51. Orem and Cooper again led the team in scoring with 15 and 13 points respectively. Orem also snatched 11 boards to finish with a double/double. Aslam Ismail joined them in double figures with 10 points. The Warhawks were able to snap their 4 game losing streak in the White, Greer and Maggard Holiday Classic on Sunday when they decimated a good West Jessamine squad 70-46. Great Crossing will look to build on that effort on Monday when they will play Marshall County in the consolation bracket of the tournament. They will then be off until January 6th. 10. Sayre (4-6) Sayre had a tough week as they lost all 3 of their games. On Monday, they lost a 68-50 decision to Bryan Station in their own Republic Bank-Sayre School Coach Lankster Classic. John Gaines led the team in scoring with 13 points, while 7th grader Cash Johnson added 10. They then took part in the 2025 Jim Rose Central Bank Classic where they lost to Ryle 58-46, and North Hardin 60-51. The Spartans will try to break a 4 game losing streak on Monday when they complete play in the Jim Rose against Bowling Green. They also have a home game against Henry Clay on Friday, followed by a road game at Jackson County on Saturday. 11. Lexington Christian Academy (5-6) The Eagles went 0-2 last week with both losses coming in their own 2025 Jim Rose Central Bank Classic, 74-51 to Russell and 67-58 to Bowling Green. After a great start to the season LCA has now lost 5 in a row. They will look to break that streak on Monday when they complete their tournament against North Hardin. After a break for New Years they will get back in action on Friday when they host East Jessamine before going to Boone County on Saturday. 12. Paul Laurence Dunbar (3-8) The Bulldogs dropped their only game last week, a narrow 59-55 loss to Harlan in the finals of the Legacy Dribble Drive Challenge. Cage Taylor was the leading scorer for PLD in the loss with 20 points. He was joined in double figures by Cameron Hobson with 14. The Bulldogs have 3 games this week, all in the 4 Banks Classic at Garrard County. They will be matched up with Anderson County on Monday, Garrard County on Tuesday, and then close out 2025 with an 11th Region opponent on Wednesday when they take on Frankfort. 13. Lafayette (2-6) The Generals had only a single game last week as they completed play in the Republic Bank Sayre School Coach Jim Lankster Classic with a 63-40 blowout loss to Wayne County. Josh Pinkleton was the only player in double figures for the Generals. He finished with 12 points. Lafayette has 2 games this week. On Monday they travel to Mason County, and then host Bryan Station on Saturday. 14. Model (4-5) The Patriots won the only game that they played last week when they blew out Casey County on the road 77-44. Riley Mollette was outstanding in the win as he finished 4-5 from three point range and finished with a team high 26 points and 18 rebounds. Jayden Bingham hit 3 from deep and finished with 24 points of his own. Lawson Perry hit 4 out of 6 triples to join them in double digits with 12. As a team the Patriots went 12 out of 17 from downtown. Model is now on an extended break as they don’t have a game until January 6th. 15. Berea (4-5) The Pirates split a pair of games in the Railroad Classic at Estill County in their only action last week. They lost a close 59-56 decision in their opening game on Saturday before bouncing back with a 68-41 blowout of Iroquois on Sunday. Stats have not been posted for those games. This week they complete play in the Railroad Classic with a matchup with Bourbon County on Monday. Later in the week they will travel to Bryan Station on Friday, before again playing Bourbon County, this time in the Tim Short Automotive Classic at George Rogers Clark. 16. Franklin County (2-7) The Flyers lost their only game last week when they went down in overtime to Franklin Simpson in the Capital City Classic. The loss to Franklin-Simpson was the 4th in a row for Franklin County. No stats were available for that game. They have a single game this week when they go on the road on Monday to take on Danville. 17. Frankfort (2-5) Frankfort was off last week. This week they will take a 2-5 worksheet into the 4 Banks Classic at Garrard County where they will play Garrard County on Monday, Anderson County on Tuesday, and close their part of the event with Paul Laurence Dunbar on Wednesday. They will then have New Year’s Day off before hitting the road to play Wolfe County on Friday. 18. Western Hills (1-7) The Wolverines also had last week off. They will try to break a 7 game losing streak on Monday when they play Bullitt East in the 2025 East Jessamine Holiday Basketball Tournament. They will be matched up with either Greenup County or East Jessamine depending on the outcomes of Monday’s games. After that tournament they will play host to Boone County on Friday. Matt Dicken has been great in what has been a tough season so far for Western Hills. The sophomore is averaging 23.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game through the first 8 contests of the season for the Wolverines. 19. Frankfort Christian (2-6) The Royals lost their only game last week with a reported score, 68-56 to Bracken County. A game with Robertson County is listed on the schedule for Saturday, but no score was posted. This week shows 3 games on the schedule when they host Middlesboro on Monday, before going on the road for a rematch with Bracken County on Tuesday. They will then close out the week at home with a game against Dayton.

Looks like a pretty good field.

He played a great game especially considering they played most of the 2nd half and overtime without Josh Lewis and almost the whole overtime without Brock Stevens. Being down 2 ball handlers put a lot of pressure on him, and he handled it like a senior. Freshman Xavier Wooldridge had a huge steal and three point play to put Somerset on top inside of 30 seconds to play. Somerset then played great defense on the last Powell Country possession, and didn't allow the Pirates to get a shot off. Those were 4 fun games to watch. Hopefully I can retire from doing the PA after today. It was fun though.

Pulaski County got by Powell County 73-62, and Somerset came from behind to defeat Bullitt East 70-68 in the Jeremy A. Bartley Winter Classic at Somerset last night. Pulaski was in control most of the 2nd half. Powell County cut it to 6, and had the ball but could get no closer. The Powell County coach didn't use a timeout all night, even when the Maroons made a couple of big runs that ultimately decided the game. Somerset found itself down 21-11 after the first quarter, but got things going after that. They outscored Bullitt East 59-47 the rest of the way. Josh Lewis really got it going from deep, and Abshear was huge down the stretch. The matchups switch today as Pulaski will play Bullitt East at noon, with Somerset taking on Powell County at 245pm.

Week 3 in the 11th Region saw a lot of teams hosting, or playing in holiday tournaments. Frederick Douglass and Madison Central both played in the Gardner Law King of the Bluegrass where both teams made it to the semifinals before losing their first games of the season. While I would have liked to see those 2 teams squaring off in the finals getting a bonus matchup of the 2 isn’t a bad thing. There were a couple of offensive explosions as 2 different players hit 9 threes in a game, one of them going off for 48 points in the process. Tates Creek has moved into the top 5 behind some great shooting from deep, and Madison Southern has surprised so far. Scott County is another team that has exceeded expectations thus far. All three of those teams find themselves in the top 8 this week. Here’s how things stand going into the big Frederick Douglass-Madison Central match up on Monday. 1. Frederick Douglass (5-1) Frederick Douglass was off from last Saturday until Friday when they played undefeated Butler in the Gardner Law King of the Bluegrass. The Broncos were able to deal the Bears their first defeat of they season, while keeping their record spotless in a tight 61-58 victory. DeMarcus Surratt was the key for Douglass in this one, as he finished with 27 points and 9 rebounds. Surratt was efficient as well. He scored those 29 points on 9-12 shooting from the field, and 8-9 from the line. Tate Robinson hit 4 triples and finished with 14 points to join Surratt as the only Broncos in double figures. Another top 25 team, North Laurel, awaited Douglass in the second round. The Broncos were tested again, but were able to get by the Jaguars 74-64. The scoring against North Laurel was much more like what the Broncos have shown the past 2 seasons. Five different players finished in double figures: Tate Robinson led the way with 18, DeMarcus Surratt and Nate Coen finished with 12, Daniel Mpaiana added 11, and Thurman Wade rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10. On Sunday night in the semifinals Douglass dropped a nailbiter 62-59. That will match up Frederick Douglass with Madison Central in the 3rd place game of the tournament on Monday. The Broncos will then be off until after Christmas when they will play Concord Academy (NC) in the Rotary Roundball Tournament is Charleston, SC. 2. Madison Central (7-1) The Indians had a road game with Corbin before they also participated in the Gardner Law King of the Bluegrass. The Redhounds didn’t present much of a problem to Central as they came out of Corbin with a 78-52 road win. The Indians featured balanced scoring in the blowout, with 4 players finishing in double figures. Luke Asher led the team with 19 points, followed closely by Jake Feldhaus with 18. Feldhaus added 12 rebounds to finish with a double/double. Grayson Burton went 4/4 on three pointers and finished with 15 points. Cam Steele added 10 points to round out the double-digit scorers. Madison Central opened up play in the King of the Bluegrass against Trinity, and they were able to come away with a 61-51 win. Feldhaus recorded another double/double with 26 points and 16 boards. Grayson Burton hit 5 more from deep and finished with 16 points, and Luke Asher added 11. The win over Trinity moved the Indians to the second round where they were matched up with Fairdale, the host of the tournament. Central was pushed, but was able to move to the quarterfinals after pulling out a hard-fought 82-76 win. Double/double machine Jake Feldhaus had another one against the Bulldogs with 28 points and 10 rebounds. This time he had a second Indian join him as sophomore Grayson Burton finished with 17 points and pulled down a team high 12 boards. Luke Asher had a big scoring night as well as he poured in 20 points in the win. That win put Central in the semifinals against top ranked St. Xavier. The Tigers jumped out to a 36-22 halftime lead, and held onto hand the Indians their first defeat of the season 70-59. Jake Feldhaus had 18 points and 15 rebounds in the loss. The Indians play in the 3rd place game against Frederick Douglass on Monday. We’ll get a big matchup for the number one team in the 11th region a little bit earlier in the season than we had planned. The Indians will then be off until Saturday when they will host Mercer County. 3. Bryan Station (3-2) The Defenders went 1-2 in week 3. On Tuesday they made the trip to Louisville where they suffered their second loss in a row to Seneca 74-66. Station had a pair of 20 point scorers in the defeat: Taeshawn Adams led the team with 25, while Amari Owens was right behind him with 23. On Saturday Station was able to end their 2 game skid with a 69-30 blowout of Paris in the Republic Bank-Coach Jim Lankster Classic at Sayre. That put them in the semifinals of the tournament where they lost 56-55 to South Oldham. Stats are not yet available for the Paris or South Oldham games. Bryan Station will take on Sayre in the third-place game of the tournament on Monday. They will then be off until Saturday when they will play 12th Region contender West Jessamine in the White, Greer and Maggard Holiday Classic at Lexington Catholic. 4. Lexington Catholic (6-3) In week 3 Lexington Catholic travelled to Hawaii to take part in the Iolani Classic at The Iolani School. The Knights went 2-2 to finish in 6th place in the 16 team tournament. Catholic started off the tournament with an 83-28 dismantling of Kaiser (HI). In the second round the were the team on the wrong side of a blowout. Harvard Westlake, who is ranked in the top 15 nationally, was just too much for Lexington Catholic in an 84-37 beatdown. The Knights bounced back nicely after the Harvard Westlake blowout when they got a solid 58-39 win over Kohala (HI). That put them in the 5th place game where they fell to Mt. Vernon (NY) 63-60. Stats have not been posted for any of the games. Catholic is off until Saturday when they will host the White, Greer and Maggard Holiday Classic, where they are matched up with Paintsville. 5. Tates Creek (7-2) Tates Creek had a big week last week as they went a perfect 4-0 to jump up to 5th in the rankings. Their week started out with a 68-58 home win over Lafayette. Tom Haubenreich paced the Commodores with 21 points in the win. Stephen Franklin and Carson Bell joined him in double figures with 19 and 12 respectively. Creek then went on the road and picked up another 11th Region win as they downed Franklin County 72-46. Haubenreich again led the way for Tates Creek as he exploded for 30 points in the blowout. Stephen Franklin added 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Commodores. The Commodores then took place over the weekend in the Berea Holiday Classic where they went 2-0. In their first game of the event, they went absolutely nuclear on offense, blowing out Adair County 115-89. Tates Creek was on fire from three point range as they drained 29 treys in 57 attempts. Tom Haubenreich was ridiculous in the game as he went 9-14 from deep and finished with 34 points. Brady Manning went 7-14 himself, and added 25 points. Carson Bell added 16, Lucas Salyer kicked in 12 and Stephen Franklin posted a double/double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. On Saturday the Creekers remained hot from downtown as they went 11-23 from deep in a 72-52 win over Frankfort to complete their play in Berea. DJ Searight went a perfect 5-5 on three pointers and led the Commodores with 24 points in the win over the Panthers. Stephen Franklin added 13 and Haubenreich added 12. Tates Creek will hope that the holiday doesn’t cool them off as they are off this week until Saturday when they will travel to Richmond to play Wayne County in the Richmond Car and Truck Center Holiday Classic at Madison Central. 6. Madison Southern (7-2) Madison Southern had a 3-1 week in week 3. They started off with a solid road win at Danville 87-62. Luke Daniels poured in 30 points and Derek Helton added 24 in the blowout victory over the Admirals. That win was followed by 78-62 district win over crosstown opponent Model. The win against Model featured a much more balanced attack on offense for Southern as 5 players finished in double figures. Derek Helton had 14, Tucker Nobbe and Jordan Dunaway both had 12, Blake Bonham added 11 and Bryant Brock finished with 10. From there the Eagles took part in the Berea Holiday Classic. In the event they fell to Adair County 72-67, before bouncing back with a 66-55 win over Frankfort. The stats are not available for either of those games. The Eagles are off until Saturday when they are matched up with Lincoln County in the Richmond Car and Truck Center Holiday Classic at Madison Central. 7. Scott County (5-2) Scott County went 2-1 in week 3. The Cardinals went 6-21 last season, but Coach Sean Woods has them only one victory from matching that total in December. Their week stated off with a 50-43 win on the road over Providence (IN). Montae Washington was the only double-figure scorer for Scott County in the game with 14 points. Six different Cardinals hit three pointers as they went 10-21 as a team. Scott County then went to Montgomery County to play in the 2025 Boys Gateway Holiday Classic. In their first game they picked up a 69-60 win over Nicholas County on Saturday before dropping a 65-51 decision to Covington Holy Cross. No stats have been posted for those 2 games. This week the Cardinals will complete play in the Gateway with a matchup against Hopkinsville on Monday. They will then be off until December 30th. 8. Great Crossing (3-4) Great Crossing had a 1-2 record in week 3. The week started out well enough with a 69-44 blowout of Frankfort on the road. Brady Orem and Travanti Cooper lead the way for the Warhawks with 24 and 20 points respectively. Great Crossing then travelled to play Montgomery County where they couldn’t keep pace with the hosts in a 78-61 loss. Orem paced the Warhawks with 25 points and 7 rebounds in the loss. On Saturday Great Crossing participated in the Berea Holiday Classic where they lost 60-55 to Vestavia Hills (AL). It was again Brady Orem who led the team in scoring, this time with 17. Travanti Cooper added 14, and Graham Swartz joined them in double-figures with 11. The Warhawks have 2 games this week. On Tuesday they travel to Indianapolis to take on Cathedral (IN), and will close out the week against Caverna in the White, Greer and Maggard Holiday Classic at Lexington Catholic. 9. Henry Clay (3-4) The Blue Devils had a 1-1 record in week 3. On Monday they were able to snap their 3 game losing streak with a 68-55 road win over East Jessamine. Jack Hemenway was the leading scorer for Henry Clay in the victory with 28 points. Colton Helton added 13 points for the Devils. That win was followed by another road trip, this time to Walton-Verona, where Henry Clay dropped a 63-53 overtime game to the Bearcats. Hemenway and Helton were again the leading scorers as Hemenway had 18, and Helton again finished with 13. The only action for the Blue Devils until after the calendar flips to 2026 will be in the Ashland Invitational Tournament where they are matched up against Cooper. 10. Sayre (4-3) The Spartans went 1-2 in week 3. Since scoring 66 in their season opening win over Bishop Brossart, Sayre has only broken the 50 point barrier once in their last 6 games. That struggle to score points continued last week. On Tuesday they suffered 52-48 home loss to Franklin County. John Gaines was the only Spartan in double-figures in the game with 11. Sayre bounced back from that loss with a 42-37 win over Wayne County in their own Republic Bank-Coach Jim Lankster Classic. The Spartans then fell in the semifinals of the tournament to Martin County 69-41. This week they will finish out play in the Classic as they will take on Bryan Station in the 3rd place game. They will then take on Ryle on Saturday in the Jim Rose Central Bank Classic at LCA. 11. Lexington Christian Academy ( 5-4) Lexington Christian struggled to a 1-3 record in week 3. The week began well enough with a 65-62 win at home against Paul Laurence Dunbar. That was followed, however, by 3 straight losses. On Friday they lost at home to Vestavia Hills (Al) 56-34. The Eagles then went to Whitley County to play in the BSN Borderline Classic. In their first game they lost 88-83 to Evangel Christian despite a great performance by Caleb Marshall who exploded for 48 points. The sophomore nailed 9 out of 16 three pointers and was 15-25 from the field overall. He is now averaging 26.5 points per game. On Sunday LCA dropped a 73-64 decision to host Whitley County. Stats have not been posted for that game. The Eagles have been playing without freshman Chase Bentley, who was averaging 16.2 points per game through the first 5 games. I’m not sure if he is injured, and if so how bad, but his absence has certainly been noticeable. We’ll see if he can get back in action on Saturday when the Eagles will host Russell in the Jim Rose Central Bank Classic. 12. Lafayette (2-5) The General went 1-2 last week, but they were able to snap a 5 game losing streak with a 70-59 win over Paris in the Republic Bank Coach Jim Lankster Classic. Earlier in the week they dropped a road game to Tates Creek 98-58, and their first round game in the Classic against South Oldham 68-48. Tyler Hunt scored 64 points combined in the 3 games, and has his average up to 19.4 points per game to go along with 9.1 rebounds. Lafayette has a single game this week as they will complete play in the Lankster Classic against Wayne County on Monday. 13. Paul Laurence Dunbar (3-7) The Bulldogs had a 2-2 week in week 3. They dropped their first 2 games of the week, both on the road. On Tuesday they lost a close game at Lexington Christian 65-62, followed by a 59-48 loss at Danville. Things picked up for Dunbar on Saturday when they made the trip down I-75 to play in the Legacy Nissan Dribble Drive Challenge at South Laurel. They opened up play in that event with a 75-56 win over Fleming County. That was followed up by a 54-48 victory over Wolfe County. The Bulldogs will try to run their winning streak to 3 on Monday when they complete play in the Dribble Drive Challenge in a match up with Harlan. That game is the only one on the schedule this week for Dunbar. 14. Franklin County (2-6) The Flyers went 1-3 last week. They started off the week with a surprise 52-48 road win over Sayre. That was followed by a 72-46 blowout loss at home to Tates Creek. They then dropped their first 2 games in the Capital City Classic: 54-36 to Grant County at Western Hills, and 66-40 at home to Eastern. They will complete play in the Capital City Classic on Monday at home against Franklin-Simpson in their only game of the week. 15. Berea (3-4) The Pirates went 2-2 last week. On Tuesday they travelled to Corbin where they lost a 71-57 game to the Redhounds. They then hosted the Berea Holiday Classic. They lost their opener to Breathitt County 61-48 before bouncing back with a pair of wins. On Saturday they blew out Heritage 66-41, and then got by Lee County on Sunday 78-59. They are off until Saturday when they will take on LaRue County in the Railroad Classic at Estill County. 16. Frankfort (2-5) The Panthers had a busy week in week 3 as they played 5 games. The bad news is that they went 1-4 in those games. They lost their first two games of the week at home: 69-44 to Great Crossing, and 56-37 to Vestavia Hills (AL). Frankfort then picked up a 62-54 win over Heritage in their opening game of the Berea Holiday Classic before dropping their next 2 games in the event. Tates Creek blew them out 72-52 on Friday before they lost a 66-55 decision to Madison Southern on Sunday. The Panthers are off this week and will return to action on December 29th against Garrard County in the 4 Banks Classic at Garrard County. 17. Model (3-5) Model turned in a 1-3 worksheet for week 3. They started off the week with a district game against Madison Southern at home. The Eagles proved to be too much for the Patriots in a 78-62 loss. Their week concluded in the Berea Holiday Classic where they dropped their first two games: 53-47 to Magoffin County, and 83-67 against Breathitt County. They did bounce back to pick up a win on Sunday against Heritage 70-47. Model has a single game left in 2025. On Monday they will travel to Casey County to take on the Rebels. They won’t return to action after the Casey County game until January 6th. 18. Western Hills (1-7) The Wolverines lost all 4 games in week 3 to run their losing streak to 7 games after opening the season with a victory over Owen County. All 4 losses were at home. On Tuesday they lost to Nelson County 80-72. That was followed by a 73-61 loss to Grant County. They then hosted the Capital City Classic where they were blown out by Taylor County 86-53, before dropping a 75-70 decision to Danville. Four of their losses in the losing streak have been by less than 10 points, so there is reason for optimism that they can get things headed in the right direction. Western Hills is off this week, and will return to action on December 29th against Bullitt East in the East Jessamine Holiday Basketball Tournament. 19. Frankfort Christian (2-5) The Royals lost both of their games last week. On Tuesday then went on the road to Dayton, where they lost to the Greendevils 77-71. On Thursday they were blown out at home by Casey County 61-35. Frankfort Christian has one game this week. They will host Bracken County on Monday.

Any word on who won the South Oldham/Bryan Station semi-final game? I saw that the winner will face Martin County in the finals tomorrow.

Any updates on the Madison Central/St. Xavier semi-final game?

While Pulaski is in a far better place right now, they only had 46 kids on their roster this past season. Fifteen of them, almost 1/3 were freshmen. Southwestern had 40 on their roster.

Any early updates on this one?

They're very athletic. But a couple of their players, that they have to depend on to handle the ball, are turnovers waiting to happen. They have a hard time protecting the ball. They show flashes of being a really good team though.

If GRC was able to do this to Woodford County it really reinforces how good Madison Central is. They completely eviscerated GRC last week.