D Wolf

I moved the Mustangs back to the 1 spot with Calloway's 20-point loss to Ohio County. There are some good rivalry games coming up this week! Key games this week: Tues - Tilghman at Murray, Ballard Memorial at Graves Co., Fulton Co. at Carlisle Co. Fri - McCracken Co. at Tilghman (Region 1 Game of the Week), Calloway Co. at Murray, Graves Co. at Mayfield Sat - Marshall Co. at Tilghman, Graves Co. at St. Mary 1. McCracken Co. (21-2) - W 76-62 vs University Heights, W 70-44 vs St. Mary, W 55-51 at Graves Co., W 84-64 vs Poplar Bluff (Mo) The best news for the Mustangs is that I believe they are now full-strength. Connor Miller returned early in the week and then Ian Hart returned later in the week. The Mustangs can lock up the 2nd District number one seed by beating Tilghman on Friday - this is my Region 1 Game of the Week!. 2. Calloway Co. (18-5) - W 52-47 vs Graves Co., L 49-69 at Ohio Co. Ohio County is an excellent basketball team, but I did not expect the Lakers to have a 20-point loss. They will host Murray on Friday for a key 4th District matchup. The Lakers are the only team that remains undefeated in 1st Region play. 3. Paducah Tilghman (17-6) - W 61-57 at Mayfield, W 70-49 vs Massac Co. (IL), W 66-59 at Marshall Co., W 78-59 at Todd Co. Central What a week for the Tornado! Four games and four wins, and two of the wins were on the road against tough 1st Region foes. Jayvion Powell makes a big difference being in the lineup. Tilghman will get another shot at the Mustangs on Friday, and they will need to do a much better job on McCracken's McCune to have a decent chance in that one. 4. Murray (12-8) - L 43-65 Evangel Christian (All A Classic) There was a Grant Whitaker sighting at the All A Classic! I did not expect this, and very happy to have him back. The Bellarmine commit was one of the best Region 1 players last year, and we will see how long it takes to get him up to speed. 5. Mayfield (16-5) - L 57-61 vs Tilghman, W 65-45 at Ballard Mem., W 58-55 Hopkins Co. Central The Cardinals will host the Battle of the Birds on Friday. Graves is getting better and better, and I expect this will be a close game. 6. Marshall Co. (17-6) - W 79-49 at CFS, L 59-66 vs Tilghman, W 45-43 vs St. Mary After the hot start the Marshals have cooled off a little bit. To show how balanced this region is - Marshall is the only Region 1 team to beat the Mustangs this year, and I have them ranked 6. This is a senior-led team that is very dangerous. They have a rematch with Tilghman on Saturday night. 7. Graves Co. (8-16) - W 69-48 at Hickman Co., L 47-52 at Calloway Co., L 51-55 vs McCracken, L 60-67 at Union Co. This is the best 8-16 team in Kentucky! The Eagles led the Mustangs for the first three quarters before the Mustangs went on a run to pull out the win late in the game. This is a team that I expected to get better as the season goes on, and they will be a tough matchup in the 1st Region tourney. 8. St. Mary (10-12) - L 44-70 at McCracken Co., W 80-60 at Livingston Central, L 43-45 at Marshall Co. If there is such a thing as a good loss - the Vikings narrowly lost to Marshall on the road this week. Do the Vikings have the firepower to knock of Graves Co. on Saturday? 9. Ballard Memorial (17-7) - W 82-68 at CCA, L 45-65 vs Mayfield, W 69-32 vs Fulton City The Bombers also get a shot at the Eagles this week, and they lost on a buzzer-beater earlier this year. 10. Carlisle Co. (10-10) - W 91-46 vs Fulton City, W 67-65 at Trigg Co. I think that the Comets still have the edge in getting the first seed in the 1st District tournament - very key! 11. Hickman Co. (7-14) 12. Fulton Co. (10-7) 13. Community Chirstian Acad. (11-11) 14 Christian Fellowship School (5-14) 15. Fulton City (3-16)

Let's talk about the 4th District real quick. I have Calloway, Murray and Marshall at numbers 1, 3, and 4 in my rankings below and one of those teams is going to be left out of the regional tourney unfortunately. The number one seed is so important, and it looks like Calloway has the edge for that as of now. I think a Murray/Marshall semifinal matchup would probably go down to the wire. Key games this week: Mon - McCracken Co. at University Heights, Tilghman at Mayfield Tues - St. Mary at McCracken Co., Graves Co. at Calloway Co., Massac Co. (IL) at Tilghman Thurs - Murray vs Evangel Christian Fri - Tilghman at Marshall Co. (1st Region Game of the Week), McCracken at Graves Co., Mayfield at Ballard Mem. Here are my rankings: 1. Calloway Co. (17-4) - W 87-38 at Christian Fellowship, W 56-46 vs Marshall Co. The Lakers are 9-1 in their last 10 games with the only loss coming in OT against Lexington Catholic. They seemed to be in control against the Marshals with the key district win at home. 2. McCracken Co. (17-2) - W 58-52 at Christian Co., W 70-39 at Carlisle Co., W 62-52 vs Tilghman, L 48-61 vs Bowling Green I predicted that Tilghman would have trouble with Jack McCune and I think I was right. He had 26 points and 9 boards. He was 8-11 from the field, 2 for 2 from downtown, and 8 for 8 from the line. Saturday's game was a disappointing loss to a very talented Bowling Green team. Remember that the Mustangs are without two key players right now - Miller and Hart. 3. Murray (12-7) - W 77-34 vs Christian Fellowship Seven wins in a row for the Tigers, and good luck in the state All A Classic. It is my understanding that Grant Whitaker may not play this season as he is dealing with his wrist injury. That's a shame as I predicted that he would be the Region 1 player of the year. I still think that Murray has the talent to repeat as regional champs! 4. Marshall Co. (15-5) - W 69-31 at Caldwell Co., L 46-56 at Calloway Co., W 74-24 at Fulton City Tough loss on the road to the Lakers, but the Marshals will get a chance to turn the tables at home in a couple of weeks. A key game this Friday against Tilghman - Marshall should definitely be the favorite in that one at home. Friday's game is my Region 1 Game of the Week. 5. Tilghman (13-6) - L 52-62 at McCracken Co. The Tornado does not look as good without Powell in the lineup as he has missed the last two games. They struggle to score at times without him. It is my understanding that he will be returning soon, and they have three tough games this week. The first region games are Monday at #6 Mayfield and Friday at #4 Marshall - can Tilghman pull both these games out? 6. Mayfield (14-4) - W 49-38 at Fulton Co., W 59-56 at Muhlenberg Co. Two solid wins for the Cardinals this week. I think that Calloway and McCracken has somewhat separated themselves, but there is not much difference in teams ranked 3 through 6. Mayfield can get a chance to move up by beating the Tornado on Monday. 7. Graves Co. (7-12) - L 52-65 Vienna (IL). W 93-25 Century (IL), L 54-55 Carterville (IL) The Eagles have played as tough of a schedule as anyone this year, and their record shows that. This is still a very dangerous team that can hang with anyone in the 1st Region. 8. Ballard Mem. (14-6) - W 63-47 vs Hickman Co., W 69-62 at Fulton Co. Two 1st District opponents for the Bombers this week and two wins! 9. St. Mary (9-10) - W 79-49 at Fulton City, W 88-68 vs CCA The Mustangs better not take the Vikings lightly on Tuesday or they could find themselves in a very close game. 10. Carlisle Co. (8-9) - L 39-70 vs McCracken Co., L 60-65 at Hickman Co. I thought about dropping down the Comets, but I still think they are the 1st District favorites. 11. Fulton Co. (10-6) 12. Hickman Co. (6-12) 13. Community Christian Acad. (8-10) 14. Christian Fellowship School (4-12) 15. Fulton City (3-13)

I think it should be a good one, and sorry for missing that as a key game this week. The Mustangs are currently missing their starting PG (Miller) and also starting Center (Hart). I am not sure when they will return, but hopefully soon. If those 2 players are out then I think I would give a slight edge to Bowling Green. If they are back then I think it should be a very even game, but maybe with a slight edge to the Mustangs being at home.

This region is officially WIDE OPEN! Key games this week: Mon - McCracken Co. at Christian Co. Tues - McCracken Co. at Carlisle Co., Mayfield at Fulton Co. Fri - Marshall Co. at Calloway Co. (Region 1 Game of the Week), Tilghman at McCracken Co. Sat - Carlisle Co. at Ballard Mem. Here are this week's rankings: 1. McCracken Co. (14-1) - L 53-57 at Marshall Co. Tough loss at Marshall this week, but it is important to point out that the Mustangs were without their starting PG Miller and also their starting Center Hart. I think they are still the Region favorite, but the margin is very thin over the Lakers and others. 2. Calloway Co. (15-4) - W 59-52 Desales, L 52-56 Lex. Catholic (OT) One win and one loss this week, but still the most impressive week for any of the 1st Region teams. The Lakers made it to the 2A semifinals and took Lexington Catholic to Overtime. I thought long and hard about moving the Lakers into the first slot, but I gave the Mustangs a very slight edge. This Friday they will host the Marshals in a very important 4th district matchup. Getting the 1 seed in that district will be extremely important! 3. Paducah Tilghman (13-5) - W 70-65 at Graves Co., W 56-40 vs Russelville It was a close game, but winning on the road against an improving Graves team was a very good win. Do the Tornado have enough firepower to knock off the Mustangs on the road this Friday? Both Powell and Shaw can really score, but I think that McCracken is a clear favorite in this one. I just don't think that Tilghman have the personnel to keep McCune in check. Hopefully the Tornado can keep it a close game. 4. Marshall Co. (13-4) - W 57-53 vs McCracken Co., L 50-56 vs Graves Co. I was all set to move the Marshals into my Top 2, but then a very disappointing loss to Graves at home. However, the Marshals picked up the biggest win of the week by knocking off the Mustangs! I think these results show how balanced this region is. The Marshals will get another chance to move up in the rankings when they travel to Calloway on Friday. It's my 1st Region Game of the Week (TM). 5. Murray (11-7) - W 101 - 61 vs CFS, W 62-41 St. Mary, W 47-31 at Mayfield (All A Championship) Congrats to the Tigers on winning the 1st Region All A Classic! Best of luck to them in the state tournament. Has anyone heard anything on Grant Whitaker? I look for Murray to climb up the rankings once he returns to action. 6. Mayfield (12-4) - W 54-43 vs Fulton Co., W 61-51 vs Ballard Mem., L 31-47 vs. Murray The game against Murray was very close for 3 quarters, but then the Tigers pulled away. I still think this is a very dangerous team and they are the favorites in the 3rd District. 7. Graves Co. (6-11) - L 65-70 vs Tilghman, W 56-50 at Marshall Co. What an impressive win for the Eagles at Marshall! I've said all along that I think this team will improve considerably as the season progresses, and I don't think any of these teams want to see them in the 1st Region tourney. The Eagles are playing in the Superman Classic in Massac Co, IL this week against some tough Illinois competition. 8. St. Mary (7-10) - W 69-52 at Carlisle Co., L 41-62 Murray A very nice win at Carlisle! 9. Ballard Memorial (12-6) - W 79-52 vs Hickman Co., L 51-61 at Mayfield A very interesting game for the Bombers on Saturday when they host Carlisle Co. 10. Carlisle Co. (7-7) - L 52-69 vs St. Mary A disappointing home loss to the Vikings, but I still think they are the 1st District favorites. 11. Fulton Co. (9-4) 12. Community Christian Acad. (8-8) 13. Hickman Co. (5-11) 14. Christian Fellowship School (4-9) 15. Fulton City (3-10)

We have the 1st Region All A Classic beginning on Tuesday. Here are the key games for this week: Tuesday - McCracken Co. at Marshall Co., Tilghman at Graves Co., St. Mary at Carlisle Co. (All A), Ballard Mem. at Hickman Co. (All A) Friday - Calloway Co. vs DeSales (2A State Tourney), Graves Co. at Marshall Co. Here are this week's rankings: 1. McCracken Co. (14-0) - W 52-47 vs Hopkinsville, W 63-62 vs Owensboro I did not expect for both of the Mustang games this week to be nail-biters, but both of them came down to the wire. Jack McCune hit the game-winning shot as time expired to knock off Owensboro. It's important to note that the Mustangs are playing without Ian Hart right now, and he is their 2nd-leading scorer. I have heard that he will return hopefully in a couple of weeks. The game Tuesday at Marshall will not be a cakewalk! 2. Calloway Co. (14-3) - W 77-64 at Carlisle Co., W 75-54 Union Co., W 66-58 Tilghman (2A Sectional Championship) The Lakers repeat as the Section 1 2A Champions! It is my understanding that the Tornado led much of the game, but Calloway got hot from deep in the 4th quarter and pulled the game out. This team seems to be getting better and better, and remember that 3 of their top 4 scorers are Sophomores led by Eli Finley. 3. Paducah Tilghman (11-5) - W 69-57 at Hopkins Central, W 61-50 at Webster Co., L 58-66 Calloway Co. Two solid wins against 2nd Region foes and then they came up short in the 2A Championship game. Tilghman won pretty easily against Graves earlier in the year, but I think this game will be much tougher at the Eagles nest. 4. Murray (8-7) - W 66-57 at Graves Co., W 84-38 vs Cairo (IL) I have not heard anything recently on Grant Whitaker, and it is my understanding that the Bellarmine commit has a wrist injury. I still think that the Tigers are a favorite in the All A Classic along with Mayfield. 5. Mayfield (10-3) - W 66-45 vs Ballard Mem., W 73-32 vs S. Fulton (TN), W 51-39 at Graves Co. A convincing win against the Bombers early in the week and then the Cardinals won the Battle of the Birds over Graves. The Cardinals are the All A Classic 2 Seed and will most likely have a rematch against Ballard on Friday night if the seeds hold true. 6. Marshall Co. (12-3) - W 67-42 at Hopkins Central I will admit that there is not much at all that is separating the rankings 3 through 6. The Marshals have a big chance to jump up in the rankings if they can knock off the Mustangs on Tuesday night. That one is my Region 1 Game of the Week (TM) 7. Graves Co. (5-10) - L 57-66 vs Murray, L 39-51 vs Mayfield A good chance on Tuesday for the Eagles to get a signature win over Tilghman! I expect that the game will be pretty close. 8. St. Mary (6-9) - W 74-51 vs Dawson Springs, W 60-47 at CCA The Vikings go to Carlisle on Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the ALL A Classic. That should be a barn-burner! 9. Ballard Memorial (11-5) - L 45-66 at Mayfield, W 95-64 vs CFS The Bombers will get a second try to beat the Cardinals in this week's ALL A. 10. Carlisle Co. (7-6) - L 64-77 vs Calloway, W 65-58 vs Fulton Co. A nice 1st district win over Fulton County this week. On Tuesday they play St. Mary - that one is a tossup. 11. Fulton Co. (9-3) 12. Hickman Co. (4-10) 13. Community Christian Acad. (7-7) 14. Christian Fellowship (3-7) 15. Fulton City (2-10)

I didn't make any changes this week since it is hard to judge these teams in the Holiday tourneys. Especially if they are playing out-of-state teams. Key games this week: Tuesday - Murray at Graves Co., Tilghman at Hopkins Central (2A Sectional tourney), Calloway Co. at Carlisle Co., Mayfield at Ballard Mem. Thursday - McCracken Co. vs Hopkinsville Friday - Marshall Co. at Hopkins Central, Carlisle Co. at Fulton Co. Saturday - Mayfield at Graves Co., McCracken vs Owensboro This week's rankings: 1. McCracken Co. (12-0) - W 59-45 Highlands, W 64-54 Beechwood, W 55-42 South Oldham The Mustangs just keep rolling along and it is my understanding that they are the last undefeated team in Kentucky. So far this year I would have Jack McCune as my Region 1 Player of the Year - he's been the best player on the best team. The Saturday matchup against Owensboro could be a little interesting. 2. Paducah Tilghman (9-4) - W 68-45 Jacksonville (IL), W 56-34 Carbondale (IL), L 59-69 Marion (AR), L 55-59 at Marion (IL) Two wins and two losses for Tilghman against tough competition in the Illinois Route 13 Tournament. It's possible that we could see Tilghman against #3 Calloway on Saturday in the 2A Sectional, but they will both have to get through some tough 2nd Region teams first. Tilghman plays at Hopkins Central on Tuesday and that will be a challenge on the road. 3. Calloway Co. (11-3) - W 58-37 vs Louisville Collegiate, W 67-47 vs Webster Co., W 71-61 St. Benedict (TN) The Lakers are the champions of the Murray Bank Classic! Could they possibly repeat as champions of the 2A Sectional this week? They have an easier road to the finals than Tilghman does. 4. Murray (6-7) - L 49-75 St. Xavier (OH), L 54-69 Larue Co., W 61-42 (GA) As I have said - I am giving the Tigers this ranking based on the expected (soon) return of Grant Whitaker. A tough test for the Tigers at Graves on Tuesday. 5. Marshall Co. (11-3) - L 38-60 Spain Park (AL), W 75-68 Ballbrook (OH), W 49-48 South River (MD) Admittedly, there is not much separating teams 2 through 6 on these rankings. I'm ready for some 1st Region vs 1st Region games to sort these rankings out. Teams 3 - 5 are all in the 4th District. Will the Marshals be the team left out of the 1st Region Tourney? I'm not so sure. 6. Mayfield (7-3) - W 48-20 Mount St. Charles (RI), W 56-39 Faith Christian (FL), L 37-45 Lipton (TX) The Cardinals are the only team in the 1st Region that beat a team from Rhode Island and Florida this week! Two tricky district matchups this week - Tuesday versus Ballard, and Saturday at Graves. You can throw out the records when the Cardinals and Eagles get together. 7. Graves Co. (5-8) - L 64-71 St. Benedict (TN), W 74-61 White Creek (TN), L 53-56 Dyer Co. (TN) Two decent chances for the Eagles to make some noise this week! On Tuesday they host Murray, and then on Saturday they host Mayfield. 8. Ballard Mem. (10-4) - W 48-32 Steelville (IL), L 64-65 Jersey (IL), L 50-69 Pinckneyville (IL), W 76-45 Meridian (IL) Who thought that the Bombers would be 10-4 at this point in the season? I sure didn't! Things will start to get a little tougher now that they get into their district matchups. 9. St. Mary (4-9) - L 61-63 Bardstown, L 51-86 Butler, L 55-73 Central It sure seems like the Vikings will play any team, anywhere. I look for the Vikings to make some noise next week in the All A Classic! 10. Carlisle Co. (6-5) - L 47-75 Evansville Day, L 40-57 Trinity (Whitesville) A tough test on Friday for the Comets at Fulton County. I think they are a favorite in this one, but not by much. 11. Fulton Co. (7-2) 12. Community Christian Acad. (7-5) 13. Hickman Co. (4-9) 14. Christian Fellowship (2-6) 15. Fulton City (2-8)

Merry Christmas to everyone! Here are this week's rankings: 1. McCracken Co. (9-0) - W 69-49 v Augusta, W 53-47 v Henry Clay. This week - South Oldham Xmas Tourney The Mustangs are one of five unbeaten teams against Ky competition this season! They will get a very tough test against Highlands tomorrow. Jack McCune scored 23 points against Henry Clay! I was looking forward to see what their game against Mason County would be like, but the weather cancelled the plans. 2. Paducah Tilghman (7-2) - L 56-90 v Louisville Ballard, W 67-55 v Moore. This week - Illinois Route 13 Xmas Tourney I think that Coach Overstreet knew that the Tornado would be overmatched against an elite Ballard team. Jayvion Powell continues to lead the way for the Tornado, but a name to watch is Freshman Miles Woodfork. He is their 3rd leading scorer and seems to be playing a bigger role each week. 3. Calloway Co. (8-3) - L 47-87 v West Jessamine, W 72-41 Waggener, L 48-69 Henderson Co. This week - Murray Bank Classic Not a great week for the Lakers, but they remain unbeaten against 1st Region foes. It will be interesting to see if the Lakers can win the Murray Bank Classic. I was surprised by the 20-point loss to Henderson County. 4. Murray (5-5) - W 57-39 vs Mayfield, L 53-81 Louisville Ballard. This week - Smokey Mountain Winter Classic I will be honest that the main reason for moving the Tigers up this week is the expected return of Grant Whitaker. I still think at the end of the season this will be one of the top two teams in the 1st Region. A very nice win (without Whitaker) this week over Mayfield. 5. Marshall County (9-2) - W 46-36 v Harrison Co., W 75-45 Deltona (FL), W 56-45 Camden Central (TN). This week - Smokey Mountain Winter Classic The Marshals remain my biggest surprise of the season so far. They have a balanced scoring attack - five players average between 7 and 12 points per game led by Alex Staples and Wade Moore 6. Mayfield (5-2) - L 39-57 at Murray. This week - KSA Events Holiday Classic The Cardinals get to go to Orlando this week!!! I'm jealous. 7. Graves Co. (4-6) - L 42-61 at Hancock Co., L 53-54 Spring Hill (TN). This week - Murray Bank Classic I still think this team will probably be a contender by the end of the season. Cole Mills has just recently returned to action, and he may end up being their leading scorer this season. 8. Ballard Memorial (8-2) - W 66-51 Livingston Central, W 75-66 Fulton County, W 51-46 St. Mary Congrats to the Bombers on winning the St. Mary Christmas Classic! You might notice that I have three 3rd District teams 6th, 7th, and 8th in my rankings. Only two of those will make the 1st Region Tourney. 9. St. Mary (4-6) - W 82-41 vs Ft. Campbell, W 59-42 vs Carlisle Co., L 46-51 vs Ballard Mem. This week - City of Middletown Holiday Classic A bit of a slow start for the Vikings, but that was a nice win over Carlisle last week. I have a feeling this team is headed up in my rankings. 10. Carlisle Co. (6-3) - L 42-59 at St. Mary, W 69-51 Fulton County. This week - Independence Bank Classic To win the 1st District you typically have to knock off the Comets, and I don't think this year will be any different. 11. Fulton Co. (7-2) 12. Community Chirstian Acad. (7-5) 13. Hickman Co. (2-8) 14. Christian Fellowship (2-6) 15. Fulton City (0-7)

After this week I think this region is wide open. McCracken is the clear favorite right now, but the Marshals (my #5 ranking) gave them all they wanted Friday night in a very close game. Key games this week: Mon - Mayfield at Murray, McCracken v Augusta (Mason Co Invitational), Tilghman vs Louisville Ballard (Rumble on the River at Otis Dinning), Tues - Calloway Co. vs West Jessamine (Central Bank Classic), Murray vs Lou. Ballard (Rumble on the River) My rankings: 1. McCracken Co. (7-0) - W at Mayfield 55-37, W at St. Mary 67-33, W vs Marshall Co. 48-44 I need to give some credit to Jack McCune. He is averaging 19 points and 7 rebounds for the Mustangs, and he also leads the team in 3-pointers made for the season. Coach Croft from Mayfield described him as a "matchup problem." Remember that the Mustangs went undefeated in the region last year before being upset by Tilghman in the district tourney and Murray in the regional tourney. Can they repeat their Region 1 regular season unbeaten streak? 2. Paducah Tilghman (6-1) - W vs CCA 89-63, W at St. Mary 59-46, W vs Graves Co. 82-53 The Vikings played Tilghman very tough and led most of the game before the Tornado pulled away in the 4th quarter. Jayvion Powell is scoring 23 points per game in an impressive start to his season. Tilghman will get a very tough test against Louisville Ballard tonight in the Rumble on the River. If you are in the Paducah area Monday or Tuesday night - check out some impressive basketball hosted by Tilghman at Otis Dinning Gym. 3. Calloway Co. (7-1) - W at Dresden (TN) 64-40, W vs Murray 50-34 I'll be honest - I don't know if Tilghman or Calloway is the better team right now. And remember that we possibly will see those two teams battle it out for the 2A Sectional title in early January. I expected the Murray/Calloway game to be a nail-biter, even with Whitaker missing the game. However, Calloway won it pretty easily. Eli Finley is playing excellent basketball right now. 4. Mayfield (5-1) - L vs McCracken 37-55, W at Hickman 66-50, W vs Marshall Co. 70-58 A very nice win for the Cardinals over the Marshals! This is a team that I expect will get better and better as the season goes on - they added several football players to the team a week before they began games. Also, this team has a very balanced scoring attack. 5. Marshall Co. (6-2) - W vs Murray 59-45, L at McCracken 44-48, L at Mayfield 58-70 I think it's very possible that the Marshals simply ran out of gas with a tough game at McCracken Friday night and then a visit to the Cardinals on Saturday. This team still has been the biggest surprise for me so far this year and I think they are a contender in Region 1. They are led by several seniors and they also have a very balanced scoring attack. 6. Murray (4-4) - L at Marshall Co. 45-59, L vs Calloway Co. 34-50 I still think this is one of the best two teams in the region once Grant Whitaker returns. Remember that he was my favorite for Region 1 Player of the Year. I do not know a timetable for his return - it is my understanding that he has a hand/wrist injury. I expect that when Whitaker returns the Tigers will climb back up these rankings. 7. Graves Co. (3-4) - W at Ballard Mem. 73-71, L at Tilghman 53-82 Awesome buzzer-beater by Lukas Pigg to knock off the Bombers. This is another team that I believe will get better as the year goes on. Cole Mills just joined the team and he will help the Eagles moving forward. 8. Ballard Memorial (6-2) - W at Hickman Co. 64-56, L vs Graves Co 71-73, W Livingston Central 66-51 Tough loss at the buzzer to Graves, but they had a solid win over Hickman County earlier in the week. 9. Fulton Co. (7-0) - W vs Cairo (IL) 80-50, W vs Caldwell Co. 71-63 The Pilots are one of only two undefeated teams in the 1st Region, but they have played a pretty light schedule so far this year in terms of competition. I'm interested to see if they are a true contender for the 1st district title. 10. Carlisle Co. (5-2) - W at Fulton City 733-34, W Dawson Springs 90-56 Never count the Comets out for the 1st District title! 11. Hickman Co. (2-6) 12. St. Mary (3-5) 13. Community Christian Acad. (5-5) 14. Christian Fellowship (1-6) 15. Fulton City (0-6)

I expect McCracken will win this one too - especially at home. But I think the Marshals have a chance to keep it pretty close - they've been playing really well!

There are a few changes in my below rankings. A couple surprise teams so far in the 1st Region - the Marshalls and the Bombers! Key games this week: Tues - McCracken at Mayfield, Murray at Marshall, Tilghman at St. Mary, Ballard Mem. at Hickman Thurs - Mayfield at Hickman, Graves at Ballard Mem. Fri - McCracken at Marshall, Graves at Tilghman Sat - Murray vs Calloway (at Murray St.), Marshall at Mayfield Here are the week 2 rankings: 1. McCracken Co. (4-0) - W at University Heights 58-46, W vs Pope John Paul (TN) 76-54 The Mustangs are rolling so far with McCune (21 ppg) and Hart (19 ppg) leading the way. Yes they are big guys, but these two also lead the way in three pointers made so far this season. Two tough road tests for the Mustangs this week - Tuesday they go to Mayfield and Friday they are at Marshall. I think they are a favorite in both of those games, but both opponents are undefeated so far this year. 2. Murray (4-2) - L vs University Heights 53-60, W Muhlenberg Co. 55-52, L Clarksville Academy (TN) 49-62 I feel a little wrong for dropping the Tigers due to losses without Grant Whitaker. But I did it anyways. He has a hand (or wrist) injury and I do not know when he is expected to return. If you think about it - missing Whitaker is probably a good opportunity to develop some other guys. And it's not like they will need a lot of time to get him some experience with the team. If you are in the Murray area on Saturday night - make sure you check out the game against Calloway at Murray State. 3. Tilghman (3-1) - W at Henderson Co. 63-59, W at Christian Co. 62-61 Two good wins for the Tornado on the road against some pretty good 2nd Region teams. I thought this team would be a two-man show, and it looks like that is correct. Powell and Shaw are scoring 24 and 19 points per game respectively. And in the three games that both Powell and Shaw both played - the rest of the team only scored an average of 18 points combined. The Tornado will host Graves on Friday, and that could be a tricky one. 4. Mayfield (3-0) - W vs Fulton City 70-12, W at Fort Campbell 72-29, W S. Gibson (TN) 56-46 Not much in the way of tests yet for the Cardinals. But we will know what they're made of after this week. They host the Mustangs on Tuesday and then the Marshals on Saturday. 5. Calloway Co. (5-1) - W at Graves Co. 55-46, W vs West Carroll (TN) 76-46, W vs Trinity Christian 69-62 I have to admit that I struggled ranking these 3 to 5 teams in my preseason ranking, and I honestly may have had the Lakers too low. But Tilghman and Mayfield have not yet done anything wrong to lose their rankings. Eli Finley (Soph) is scoring 28 points per game and I am looking forward to seeing him play. The Lakers had an impressive win at Graves and they have some tough tests this week. 6. Marshall Co. (5-0) - W at Carlisle Co. 84-53, W at Graves Co. 74-59 One of the big surprises in the 1st Region so far this year! Wade Moore is leading the way with 15 ppg, but the Marshals have a pretty balanced scoring attack. Who made the Marshals schedule this year??? They're half-crazy but I like it! Tuesday they have Murray, Friday they have McCracken, and Saturday they have Mayfield. 7. Ballard Memorial (4-1) - W at St. Mary 70-45, W at CFS 92-58, W vs Pope Co (IL) 82-54 The other surprise in the region so far this year! The wins they had this week didn't surprise me, but the margins of victory were impressive. The Bombers sure are scoring some points! Jace Birney is scoring 19 points per game and Jerrico Wilson is scoring 11. 8. Graves Co. (2-3) - L vs Calloway Co. 46-55, L vs Marshall Co. 59-74 A little bit of a disappointing start for the Eagles, but I look for this team to get better as the season progresses. I didn't think I would be real interested in the Ballard Memorial game, but now this appears to be a key game in the 3rd District 9. Carlisle Co. (3-2) - L vs Marshall Co. 53-84, W vs Hickman Co. 70-66 (OT), W vs CCA 83-79 (2OT) Two very nice wins in Overtime for the Comets this week. I still think they are the favorite in the 1st district, but not by much. 10. Fulton Co. (4-0) - W vs Halls (TN) 65-34, W vs CCA 57-48 Great start so far this season! 11. Hickman Co. (1-4) 12. St. Mary (2-3) 13. CCA (3-4) 14. CFS (0-5) 15. Fulton City (0-4)

It's tough to know these early opponents so I was hesitant to make lots of changes in my rankings. Here are this week's key games and the Week 1 rankings: Key games this week: Tues: Calloway at Graves, Marshall at Carlisle, Murray vs UHA, Tilghman at Henderson Co., Ballard Mem. at St. Mary Thurs: McCracken at UHA Fri: Marshall at Graves, Hickman at Carlisle, Murray at Muhlenberg Co., Tilghman at Christian Co. Week 1 Rankings: 1. Murray (3-0) - W vs Hickman Co. 80-49, W vs Hopkinsville 73-53, W Montgomery Bell Academy 55-49 No Grant Whitaker (hand injury) but no problems. A very impressive win against a solid Hopkinsville team. Lincoln English is holding the fort down with 17 ppg, and I also need to mention Z. Carman with 11 rebounds per game. 2. McCracken Co. (2-0) - W vs CCA 90-46, W Charleston, MO 76-72 I expected Ian Hart (22 ppg) and Jack McCune (19 ppg) to lead the way for the Mustangs. Connor Miller also had an excellent game against Charleston, Mo. 3. Tilghman (1-1) - W vs Carlisle Co. 79-50, L New Madrid, Mo 54-61 I talked about the guard tandem of Shaw and Powell, and they have lived up to the billing so far. The Carlisle game was very close at half, but the Tornado pulled away in the second half. Interested to see if any of the bigs for Tilghman can step up this season. 4. Mayfield (0-0) - Coach Croft anticipated a deep run by his football guys and he was correct. Great football season by the Cardinals - came up just a bit short. An inspirational season! 5. Calloway Co. (2-1)- W vs Livingston Co. 79-50, W at Hopkins Co. Central 69-55, L Massac Co. 68-74 Sophomore Eli Finley is averaging over 30 points per game. I am moving him up in my Region 1 PoY rankings. 6. Graves Co. (1-1) - W vs Hickman Co. 70-56, L Evangel Christian 51-72 A comfortable win over Hickman. The Eagles have two interesting 1st Region matchups this week. They host Calloway on Tuesday and then Marshall on Friday. We will get a good idea of where they are after this upcoming week. 7. Marshall Co. (3-0) - W vs Crittenden Co. 66-29, W vs Clarksville Acad. 68-59, W vs Christian Academy Louisville 57-49 Wade Moore is leading the way with 15 PPG. The Marshals also have two Region 1 matchups this week. They travel to Carlisle on Tuesday and then to Graves on Friday. 8. Ballard Memorial (1-1) - W vs CCA 84-73, L at Lawrenceville, IL 56-69 The win against CCA will be important in these Region 1 rankings. Jace Birney scored 27 points in that game. 9. Carlisle Co. (1-1) - W at St. Mary 56-53, L at Tilghman 50-79 I did not expect the Comets to go to St. Mary and get the win. Another chance for an upset when the Marshals visit this week. 10. Hickman Co. (1-2) - L at Murray 49-80, L at Graves 56-70, W vs St. Mary 64-59 I had the St. Mary Vikings rated pretty highly in my preseason rankings and maybe I didn't give the 1st District the respect it deserves. Kelen Johnson is scoring 18 points per game for Hickman Co. 11. St. Mary (1-2) 12. Fulton Co. (2-0) 13. CCA (1-2) 14 Christian Fellowship (0-2) 15. Fulton City (0-2)

No 1st Region love???

Lots of talent in the 1st Region this year! I think the cream of the crop is Murray and McCracken, but at least three or four teams behind them have a shot at a regional title this year. Here are my rankings: 1. Murray (26-7) - I had trouble deciding between Murray or McCracken for the 1st Region favorite, but the Tigers are the defending champion, and return my favorite to be Region 1 Player of the Year in Grant Whitaker (17.5 PPG). The senior is a Bellarmine commit and can score from pretty much anywhere. The Tigers did lose some key players from last year (Bogess & Gill) but still return plenty of production in Lincoln English (8.2 ppg & 6.6 rpg) along with Zavion Carman. 2. McCracken County (26-4) - Coach Dustin Roberts becomes the second ever coach for McCracken County after the retirement of Coach Brower. Coach Roberts is a longtime assistant at McCracken and I assume the transition will be very smooth. The Mustangs will not be lacking in size this season! Jack McCune is 6-5 and is the returning scorer and Ian Hart averaged 14 PPG last year before a foot injury midway through the year. Also, lots of hype for 6-6 Freshman Jackson Klope. The Mustangs also return sharpshooter Carson Purvis who averaged 7.3 PPG. It will be interesting to see who takes over the point guard duties, but the Mustangs have plenty of options there. 3. Paducah Tilghman (20-9) - In my opinion the Tornado returns the top guard tandem in the region with Jayvion Powell (16.5 ppg) and Mian Shaw (14.2 ppg). Powell is more of a slasher whereas Shaw is more of a shooter, but they can both score the basketball. Otherwise there is not a lot of returning production for the Tornado. Look for them to run a lot of four-guard offense as they do not have a lot of experienced size. Guard Jamie Harris is a player to watch along with 6-4 Center Omari Williams. One other name to watch is Freshman guard Myles Woodfork. He was a standout at the middle school level, and it will be interesting to see if he's ready to contribute this season. 4. Mayfield (17-8) - Coach Croft basically returns his entire team that made it to the semifinals of the 1st Region tourney last year. They had a very balanced scoring attack and look for Nolan Fulton and Sam Stone to lead the way. 5. Calloway County (17-14) - This is most definitely a sleeper team to win the region with two sophomores leading the way - Eli Finley (16.2 ppg) and Jonah Butler (9.3 ppg). These sophomores are getting better and better and that's why this team has a lot of buzz this year. The Lakers shoot a ton of threes and when they are falling - good luck beating them. Looking forward to the 4th district matchups with Murray this year. 6. St. Mary (15-15) - Coach Chase Denson returns four of his top five scorers and I look for them to improve on their even record from last year. The leader is PG Luke Sims who averaged 12.7 ppg last year, and is a very good shooter. 7. Graves County (15-15) - the Eagles have a new coach in Jason Holland, who came from South Warren. Lukas Pigg is a sharpshooter who most likely will lead the way for the Eagles. The 3rd District is wide open and look forward for these Eagles to challenge Mayfield for that title. 8. Marshall County (17-12) - former coach Terry Birdsong had a late retirement and the Marshals brought in longtime assistant Sawyer Donohoo. Not a lot of production returning here so that's why I have them at 8th in my preseason rankings. However, this is a big school with a lot of basketball history. Senior Wade Moore (9 ppg) should lead the way for the Marshals. 9. Ballard Memorial (10-17) - Jace Birney scored 17 ppg last year as a Freshman and should improve upon that this year. All five starters return and the Bombers should make a leap from last year's 10-win season. 10. Carlisle County (15-12) - This will be a young team for Coach Brian O'Neil but he is most definitely one of the top coaches in the 1st Region. This team is once again the favorite in the 1st District. 11. Community Chirstian Academy (15-14) 12. Hickman Co. (11-15) 13. Christian Fellowship (12-18) 14. Fulton County (12-13) 15. Fulton City (2-25) D Wolf's Top 10 Players: 1. Grant Whitaker - Murray 2. Jack McCune - McCracken 3. Jayvion Powell - Tilghman 4. Ian Hart - McCracken 5. Eli Finley - Calloway 6. Mian Shaw - Tilghman 7. Luke Sims - St. Mary 8. Jace Birney - Ballard 9. Lincoln English - Murray 10. Carson Purvis - McCracken

Tilghman was 20-9 last year, and I think they are probably the 3rd favorite (behind Murray and McCracken like JP said). They have two very good guards in Jayvion Powell (16.5 ppg) and Mian Shaw (14.2 ppg) returning. But they don't have much else in terms of production coming back, and they have no experienced size. Murray has Grant Whitaker (17.5 ppg) back and I think he is committed to Bellarmine. McCracken has two solid bigs returning in Jack McCune (13.2 ppg) and Ian Hart (14 ppg) returning. Remember that Hart missed most of the second half of the season with a leg injury. I would expect that the five names above will be the main ones in the running for Region 1 PoY. There are a few others who people are talking about. There's a player from Calloway that I've heard about but I have forgotten his name.

Sorry - 1 min left in 3rd

Tigers up 21-14. 1 min left in 4th Q

7-7 at the half. Malachi Rider is back and has gotten several runs. He looks pretty good. But J. White has gotten the majority of the RB action

PT with 7-0 lead. Early 2nd Q

If you have a dinner reservation at 8:30 - I think you’ll be ok

Wonder when we will see M. Rider back? I like it when the put Rider and White in the backfield together!

Did anyone see the PI by Tilghman late in the 4th quarter? My friend was there and said it was a really tough call for PT.

I had heard 3 to 6 weeks on Rider so I know he will be out this week. I keep hearing that he will be back for playoffs, and I am not sure if he will try to make it back before then - it sounds too soon for the Union County game so then he might as well wait until playoffs after that I believe. I believe the injured LB was back for the Trigg game, and I do not know anything on the injured OL.

I was at the game. The RB Malachi Rider got injured - some sort of arm injury that seemed pretty bad. There was an OL named Fox that got injured (knee/leg I think). And then there was a LB with last name of Adams. I agree with T Pride - Henderson was very physical and it was a physical game.

(hat tip to Joe Tracy on this one) McCracken is hiring long-time assistant Dustin Roberts. I had heard through the grapevine that it was down to Coach Roberts and Coach Shumpert, but in the end they decided on Roberts (Bubba Wells was another name that I had heard was consdered). Coach Roberts has a very close relationship with Coach Brower as I understand it. I assume not much will change with how the Mustangs play. Feel free to leave any insight that you have on Coach Roberts. All that I know is that he is a long-time assistant, and was key for what the Mustangs did with their offense. D Wolf

Per Eric Chumbler, McCracken County boys basketball coach Burlin Brower is retiring. He coached for a total of 13 seasons with a 313-128 record, and 4 regional titles. Will be interesting to see who the Mustangs turn to next.