D Wolf

We may be saying the same thing - but he coached Tilghman in 2020. He was only the Associate head coach for McCracken in 2021. Only one season at McCracken (but I think he may have been hired by McCracken in late-2020).

It sounds like Mr. Grant is referring to the 2nd Region champions - Lyon County. Travis Perry is scoring 27 per game for them this year, and his dad is the coach. His dad has been the coach for three years, and took over for a coach named Jeff Embery. I think his dad is maybe a physician in the Lyon County area? This is just stuff that I am seeing on Riherds. I don't have any first-hand knowledge on how Coach Perry took over for the previous coach. But when I was on Riherds I noticed how many points a game Lyon is putting up. Crazy! Quite a contrast from the 35-28 1st Region final. Surely they are the highest scoring team in Kentucky. Or at least Top 3.

Two pretty exciting games at the CFSB Center on Friday night. I wanted to provide a quick preview. I'm not sure I will be able to provide a preview of the finals on Saturday afternoon as I have to run kids all around town on Saturday. But here's my semifinal preview: McCracken County vs Mayfield - Friday at 6 - A nice and unexpected win for the Cardinals over Calloway County on Monday! Calloway relies a lot on the three-point shot, and they were not falling that night (credit to the Mayfield defense). Mayfield seems to be peaking at the right time, but it will be a much taller task on Friday night. I think the Mustangs are a considerable favorite, and one interesting thing will be to see if Ian Hart gives it a go (I have not yet heard anything on this). Even without Hart, the Mustangs have lots of firepower led by Center Jack McCune and Guard Brant Brower (Region 1 Player of the Year). I think the Cardinals can keep this one close for a couple quarters, but ultimately the Mustangs will pull away. Murray vs Paducah Tilghman - Friday at 7:30 - I really expect this to be a good one. If you can make it to the CFSB Center for this one - I don't think you'll be disappointed. Earlier in the season Murray went to Otis Dinning, and pulled out the 62-55 win. However, PT was without their leading scorer, Jayvion Powell, who scores 17 points per game. He has been very hot as of late. There are some other personnel notes to this game - Tilghman's defensive stopper (Jequan Warren) was out during the district tournament, but could be available Friday night. He is one of the best defenders in the 1st Region. On the Murray side - Mason Grant was playing for Graves until January, and is now a key contributor for the Tigers. The contrast in this game is that Tilghman is the quicker team that relies a lot on creating defensive havoc while Murray has a size advantage and a little better shooting. I think this game comes down to which team gets the style that they want. I'm going to call this one a toss up. What an awesome time of year!

Remember all those predictions I made for the district tournaments last week? I was just messing with you all. There was mayhem in the 1st Region as all of the top seeds lost, and all of the 2nd seeds won. I guess the most surprising was Tilghman's upset over McCracken to stop the Mustangs' 51-game 1st Region winning streak, and also snap the 14-game winning streak over the Tornado. Here are my preview of the quarterfinal games Monday and Tuesday: Calloway County vs Mayfield - Monday at 6. The Lakers just keep getting better, and I think they are a favorite in this game. But the Cardinals have a lot of talent too, and I think this could be a tight one. Fulton County vs McCracken County - Monday at 7:30. It's a little weird to say that McCracken was the district runner-up and Fulton County was their district champion. The Pilots have been hot as of late, but I think that the Mustangs should win this one. Graves County vs Murray - Tuesday at 6. I think this game is the most interesting quarterfinal to me. One tidbit to this game is that Mason Grant was one of the top scorers and rebounders for Graves, and then transferred to Murray in January. I have a feeling Coach Frick really wants this one, but I simply think that the Tigers have too much firepower. I think it could be close, but I feel like Murray will come out on top here. Paducah Tilghman vs Carlisle County - Tuesday at 7:30. If Tilghman can hold Hayden to under 70 I think they will be good. Ha! It was the first game of the year that Hayden scored 70 at home to knock off the Tornado. A lot has happened since then, and Big Blue was missing 2-3 of their key guys. I think Tilghman should win the rematch. Here are my rankings of these eight teams with a bit of commentary: 1. McCracken County - I don't know what the status of Ian Hart is - he had a boot on his foot in the district finals. Hart is one of their top scorers and rebounders and having him for the regional tourney would be a huge plus. Region 1 Player of the Year Brant Brower had a bad game against Tilghman with some foul trouble, and I honestly don't expect that to happen again in Regionals. 2. (tie) Murray - I had a lot of trouble deciding between Murray and Tilghman as the second favorite so I just called it a tie. Murray was able to beat Tilghman on the road earlier this season, but PT was without Jayvion Powell, and he is a difference maker. But I think that Murray is totally healthy now (English is back) and they have had an excellent season. A Tigers regional title would not be a surprise to me at all. 2. (tie) Paducah Tilghman - I mentioned the Hart injury above for McCracken, but Tilghman is also without one of their key players - Jequan Warren. He is an exceptional defender, and I do not know if he will be available this week for the Tornado or not. The 1-2 scoring punch of Powell and Shaw is very hard to defend. If the Tornado can cause havoc on defense this week then they have a possibility of cutting the nets down in Murray. 4. Calloway County - This is as hot of a team as any in the 1st Region. They shoot the three early and often, and if their shots are falling then they can beat anybody in this region. This is a sleeper pick to win it for sure. 5. Graves County - This is Coach Frick's last run, and don't ever count out a team with scorer Drew Thompson - he can fill it up! 6. Mayfield - If they can guard the 3-ball then they have a shot at upsetting the Lakers. 7. Fulton County - Congrats on the 1st District championship! 8. Carlisle County - Maybe Garrett Hayden simply likes to play against Tilghman. They may need to put two defenders on him if he gets hot.

We now know the eight teams who will be in the First Region tournament as all of the district tournament finals are set. Here are the district finals matchups: 1st District - Tues night - Carlisle County at Fulton County. They split the regular season. I give the Comets a slight edge, but the game is in Fulton and could go either way. 2nd District - Tues night - McCracken Co vs Paducah Tilghman (at St. Mary) - McCracken won both meetings. The first one was very close, and the second one was a big Mustangs win at home. McCracken is a definite favorite here. 3rd District - Mon night - Mayfield at Graves County. Mayfield swept the season series, but both wins were in Overtime. I think this one is honestly a toss up - especially at the Eagles Nest. 4th District - Tues night - Murray at Calloway Co. - the Tigers are a definite favorite here, but the Lakers are the host. I think this one could be close, but the Tigers should pull this one out. Final rankings: 1. McCracken Co. (24-2) - W 48-47 at Murray, W 57-21 at St. Mary (2nd District tourney) McCracken was down 47-44, but was able to score the final four points of the game at Murray. McCracken is the definite favorite to win the 2nd District and 1st Region tournament. It looks like one of their top scorers and rebounders (Hart) has been out again, but even without him I think the Mustangs are the favorite in the 1st region. 2. Murray (22-5) - L 47-48 vs McCracken, W 70-64 at Carlisle Co., W 81-42 CFS (4th District tourney) Narrow loss to McCracken Monday night. One item to note - Murray has gotten healthy, and also have a transfer from Graves County who has joined their team mid-season. I think a McCracken/Murray final in the 1st Region could be a barn burner. 3. Paducah Tilghman (18-8) - W 83-75 vs Calloway Co., W 83-64 CCA (2nd District tourney) Defense optional in Tilghman's win over Calloway. Remember the first game against the Mustangs came down to the wire. Can PT end their losing streak to McCracken? I think it will take one of their guards having a huge night (Shaw, Powell are the most likely). 4. Calloway Co. (16-13) - L 75-83 at Tilghman, W 60-43 vs Marshall Co. (4th District tourney) Great win for the Lakers over the Marshalls. This team has been improving all year and I think they are a sleeper pick for the 1st Region tournament. 5. Marshall Co. (17-12) - L 49-58 vs Webster Co., L 43-60 at Calloway Tough loss to end the Marshalls season. But they have a lot of young talent, and should make some noise next season. 6. Mayfield (16-6) - L 47-50 at St. Mary Can the Cardinals complete the sweep of Graves on Tuesday night? Should be a good one. 7. Graves Co. (14-14) - W 66-55 at Carlisle Co., W 66-53 vs Ballard Mem. (3rd district tourney) Drew Thompson had been hurt, but I believe he's back. This is Coach Frick's last tourney run with the Eagles. 8. St. Mary (15-15) - W 49-44 at Dawson Springs, W 50-47 vs Mayfield, L 56-57 vs CFS, L 21-57 vs McCracken (2nd District tourney) Great season for Coach Denson and his team! 9. Carlisle Co. (15-10) - L 55-66 vs Graves Co., L 64-70 vs Murray, W 50-42 Fulton City (1st District tourney) I think the Comets are a slight favorite for the 1st District title - Garrett Hayden needs to have a big game. 10. Fulton Co. (11-12) - W 69-64 vs CCA, W 57-35 vs Hickman Co. (1st District Tourney) 11. CCA (15-14) 12. Hickman Co. (11-15) 13. CFS (Christian Fellowship) (12-18) 14. Ballard Memorial (10-17) 15. Fulton City (2-24)

It's starting to feel like there is McCracken, and then there is everybody else. BUT! - the Murray Tigers have an opportunity on Monday to pull an upset and give the Mustangs their first regional loss in a long while. Here are my rankings for this week: 1. McCracken Co. (22-2) - W 68-58 vs Calloway Co., W 59-37 vs Tilghman, W 73-55 vs Graves Co., W 62-48 University Heights Mon at Murray, Thur at Hopkinsville. Make that 14 straight against Tilghman - that's very impressive. That game was close for 2.5 quarters, and then the Mustangs pulled away pretty easily. I got to see that game, and this McCracken team has very good size and definitely shot the ball very well in that game. I definitely think that the Mustangs are a favorite for their trip to Murray, but I have a feeling it might be close. 2. Murray (20-4) - L 50-53 at Marshall Co., W 67-43 at Hickman Co. Mon vs McCracken, Thur at Carlisle Co. I did not expect the loss at Marshall, but remember that the Tigers have been without one of their leading scorers are rebounders (English) for a couple weeks now. Can they upset McCracken on Monday??? Grant Whitaker needs to have a huge game for the Tigers to have a shot. 3. Paducah Tilghman (16-8) - W 47-28 at St. Mary, W 60-57 at Graves Co., L 37-59 at McCracken, W 76-64 at Marshall Co. Tues vs Calloway Co. Three very nice wins and a bad loss at McCracken by 22 points. Tilghman did not shoot the ball very well in that game - they were 5 for 20 from the charity stripe. Can the Tornado somehow beat the Mustangs in the districts or region? I'm just not sure that they can. There is a noticeable size difference between those two teams - Tilghman plays four guards with not a lot of height. This team can win games with their press and the havoc they cause on defense, but McCracken seemed to have the ball handlers to counter that strategy. 4. Calloway Co. (15-12) - L 58-68 at McCracken Co., W 70-50 vs Fulton Co.,W 65-56 vs Marshall Co., L 59-83 Greenwood I'm already thinking ahead to the Calloway/Marshall matchup in the 4th District tourney. The Lakers swept the season series, but both games were pretty close. I think you have to give the edge to the Lakers, but this will be the most interesting game for a trip to the 1st Region tourney. 5. Marshall Co. (17-10) - W 53-50 vs Murray, W 72-48 at CFS, L 56-65 at Calloway, L 64-76 vs Tilghman Tues at St. Mary Awesome win for the Marshalls early in the week, but then they couldn't follow it up with a win against either the Lakers or the Tornado. 6. Mayfield (16-5) - W 50-43 vs Carlisle Co., W 81-45 at Fulton City, W 74-68 vs Graves Co. Tues at St. Mary Nice sweep of Graves for the Cardinals! They have officially made the 1st Region tourney (bye to the championship game). 7. Graves Co. (12-14) - W 88-41 vs Fulton City, L 57-60 vs Tilghman, L 55-73 at McCracken, L 68-74 at Mayfield Tues at Carlisle This team is reeling as of late, but I still expect them to make the 1st Region tourney 8. Carlisle Co. (14-8) - L 43-50 at Mayfield, W 64-46 vs Liv Central, W 37-33 vs Fulton Co., L 51-53 at Crittenden Co., Tues vs Graves Co., Thur vs Murray The Comets got the number one seed for the 1st district - that's huge! 9. St. Mary (13-13) - L 28-47 vs Tilghman, W 60-34 vs Ft. Campbell, W 52-47 at Ballard Mem., W 73-58 vs CCA Mon at Dawson Springs, Tues vs Mayfield, Thur vs CFS Three nice wins for the Vikings this week! 10. Fulton Co. (8-11) - L 50-70 at Calloway, L 33-37 at Carlisle Co. Mon at Fulton City, Tues at CCA Fulton County vs Hickman County in the districts. Who you got? 11. CCA (13-12) 12. Hickman Co. (10-13) 13. CFS (9-16) 14. Ballard Memorial (8-16) 15. Fulton City (2-20)

This one will be pretty short and sweet, with only a flip-flop of Graves and Mayfield in my rankings. The winter storm came in early Thursday and wiped out most of the weekend's games. Here are my rankings: 1. McCracken Co. (18-2) - W 40-33 vs Marion (IL) Mon vs Calloway Co., Thur vs Tilghman, Fri vs Graves Co., Sat Univ Heights Have not heard any news on the injury of their top scorer and rebounder Ian Hart. But even without them they have still won all games in the 1st region. 2. Murray (19-3) - W 70-57 at CFS, W 78-51 at Calloway Co. Tu at Marshall Co., Thur at Hickman Co. Sat vs Mayfield The Tuesday game at Marshall could be a little tricky. 3. Paducah Tilghman (13-7) - No games Mon at St. Mary, Tues at Graves Co., Thur at McCracken Co., Sat at Marshall Co. A busy 4-game week for the Tornado. Remember that their home game against the Mustangs was tied 37-37 with two minutes left. But this will be a much tougher test on the road. 4. Calloway Co. (13-10) - L 51-78 vs Murray Mon at McCracken Co., Tues vs Fulton Co., Fri vs Marshall Co., Sat Greenwood A very key game Friday versus Marshall. The Lakers won the first one. 5. Marshall Co. (15-8) - W 52-49 vs Caldwell Co. Tues vs Murray, Thur at CFS, Fri at Calloway Co., Sat vs Tilghman A very busy week for the Marshalls against some very good teams. How many wins can they get? 6. Mayfield (13-5) - W 63-61 at Graves Co., W 58-44 at Fulton Co. Tues vs Carlisle Co., Fri at Fulton City, Sat vs. Graves Co. Great win against the Eagles on the road! The rematch is Saturday, and I have a feeling Graves wants some revenge. 7. Graves Co. (11-11) - L 61-63 vs Mayfield, W 63-50 at Ballard Mem. Mon vs Fulton City, Tues vs Tilghman, Fri at McCracken, Sat at Mayfield The news out of Graves is that Coach Josh Frick has resigned, but will finish coaching through this season. He had an excellent tenure with the Eagles beginning in 2014, and with a 1st Region Championship in 2017. We wish Coach Frick well in his next endeavor 8. Carlisle Co. (12-6) - W 67-61 vs Hickman Co. Tues at Mayfield, Fri vs Fulton Co., Sat at Crittenden Co. Does anyone know why their leading scorer Hayden is out? I don't have any contacts in their program. Remember that he scored 70 in his first game of the year. I hope that he is ok, and the he returns soon. 9. Fulton Co. (8-9) - W 58-54 vs St. Mary, L 44-58 vs Mayfield Mon vs Ballard Mem., Tues at Calloway Co., Fri at Carlisle Co. Such a key 1st District clash on Friday. This game will decide the number one seed in the district tournament. I predicted the first matchup wrong so I will not make a prediction for this one. 10. CCA (12-10) - W 85-58 vs Fulton City Fri vs CFS, Sat at St. Mary 11. St. Mary (10-12) 12. Christian Fellowship (9-12) 13. Hickman Co. (8-12) 14. Ballard Mem. (6-14) 15. Fulton City (2-17)

A number of outlets are reporting that Josh Frick, the coach of Graves County, has resigned. He is coaching through the end of the season. It looks like he has been there since 2014, and definitely has had some success in past years. This is a solid basketball program and it will be interesting to see who they hire.

Some interesting results this week. Here are my rankings: 1. McCracken Co. (17-2) - W 63-39 at St. Mary, W 53-32 at Graves Co., L 36-73 at Bowling Green Tu vs Marion (IL), Fri vs Tilghman, Sat at Warren Central. The Mustangs did not have much trouble at Graves but then the loss to Bowling Green by that margin surprised me. I didn't get a chance to watch that game, and I haven't yet looked at the stats yet to see if anyone else was missing. Remember that their leading scorer and rebounder (Hart) is out right now. I will keep the Mustangs here in my top spot until someone from the 1st Region knocks them off. 2. Murray (17-3) - W 62-55 at Tilghman, W 54-45 Danville Christian, L 40-46 Pikeville Tues at CFS, Fri at Calloway, Sat vs Cairo (IL) A very good win at Tilghman early in the week, and then also a pretty good showing in the All A Classic. It was tough to face Pikeville (eventual champion) in the quarters, but they gave them a very good game. I look for Murray to continue to take care of business and land the one seed in the 4th District. 3. Paducah Tilghman (13-7) - L 55-62 vs Murray, W 64-46 vs Mayfield, W 57-43 vs Marshall Co. Thur at St. Mary, Fri at McCracken, Sat Madisonville A tight loss against Murray, and then two very nice wins at home. Jequan Warren gets things started for this team with his defense. Does PT have a shot to pull off the upset at McCracken on Friday? I have the feeling their best shot was the previous game when they played the Mustangs in Otis Dinning, but we'll see. 4. Calloway Co. (13-9) L 58-63 at U Heights, L 64-71 vs Christian Co., W 82-65 vs Ohio Co. Fri vs Murray I never really know which Lakers team is going to show up. A very nice win against a good Ohio Co. team, but before that a surprising loss against the Colonels. If the very good Lakers team shows up then they have a shot at knocking off Murray on Friday. 5. Marshall Co. (14-8) - W 73-42 vs CFS, L 43-57 at Tilghman Tu vs Caldwell Co., Thur vs Hopkins Co Central, Fri at CFS The game at Tilghman was really tight through three quarters until the Tornado pulled away in the fourth. This Marshalls team has a lot of talent and I still think can be a regional contender. 6. Graves Co. (10-10) - W 81-31 vs Ballard Mem., W 80-37 at Hickman Co., L 32-53 vs McCracken Co. Mon vs Mayfield, Tu at Ballard Mem., Fri at Mayfield I think the Eagles have a solid chance of locking up the number one seed in the 3rd District this week. But we'll see. 7. Mayfield (11-5) - L 46-69 at Tilghman, W 54-39 vs Ballard Mem. Mon at Graves Co, Tu at Fulton Co, Fri vs Graves Can the Cardinals upset Graves this week? If they are able to hold Drew Thompson in check then they have a shot. 8. Carlisle Co. (11-6) - L 50-60 at Fulton Co., W 60-52 at Fulton City, W 52-49 vs Trigg Co. Mon vs Hickman Co., Thur at Ballard Mem. Fri vs. Ballard Mem., Sat vs CCA Even with the loss at Fulton Co - I still think the Comets have the best shot at the 1 seed in the 1st District. 9. Fulton Co. (7-8) - W 60-50 vs Carlisle Co., L 62-70 at Hickman Co. Mo vs St. Mary, Tu vs Mayfield, Fri at Fulton City A good win against the Comets at home. Can they also get them on the road though? 10. CCA (10-10) - W 61-58 at Ballard Mem. W 61-58 vs St. Mary, W 59-56 at CFS Mon vs Fulton City, Fri vs Hickman Co., Sat at Carlisle Co. Nice three-win week for CCA! They seem to be improving as the year goes on. 11. St. Mary (10-11) 12. CFS (9-11) 13. Hickman Co. (7-14) 14. Ballard Mem. (6-13) 15. Fulton City (2-15)

Some interesting games this week with McCracken going to Tilghman and pulling one out. Also, Calloway won away at Marshall. Here are my rankings: 1. McCracken Co. (15-1) - W 72-55 vs Christian Co., W 62-36 vs Carlisle Co., W 43-38 at Tilghman, W 51-46 vs Henderson Co. Tu at St. Mary, Fri at Graves Co., Sat at Bowling Green! The combination of McCune, Brower, and Tilford was just too much for Tilghman. And remember that one of their best players, Ian Hart, was out with injury. I don't know the details of his injury, but it is my understanding that he will most likely return this season. I was at the Tilghman game, and was impressed with the Mustangs' size - even their guards are big. They play solid defense, and execute well in the half court. I think the Saturday game at Bowling Green will be a big test for them - especially without Hart. 2. Murray (15-2) - W 80-53 vs CFS Mon at Tilghman I think that they should be a favorite at Tilghman on Monday, and then the All A State Tourney. Mark your calendars for February 14th for their home game against McCracken. That reminds me that I need to get a Valentine's gift for my wife. 3. Paducah Tilghman (11-6) - W 77-64 at Hopkins Co. Central, L 38-43 vs McCracken Co., L 46-61 Ohio Co. Mon vs Murray, Tue vs Mayfield, Fri vs Marshall Co. The positive thing is that Otis Dinning sure was rocking Friday night - one of the students was a DJ in the student section. Tilghman led for most of the game, and it was tied at 37 all with one minute remaining. McCracken executed in the half court down the stretch, and PT had some near misses. This team basically plays a bunch of guards, and then Landon Fitzgerald in the middle. A really tough week for PT this week, but all of the games are at home. All 3 games will be challenges for the Big Blue. 4. Calloway Co. (12-7) - W 91-57 at CFS, W 64-61 at Marshall Co. Mon at Univ Heights, Fri vs Christian Co., Sat vs Ohio Co. I did not expect the win at Marshall. This team started the season pretty slowly, and are now hitting their stride. I've said this too many times, but which two teams will come out of the 4th District. The 1 seed in that district is very important. 5. Graves Co. (8-8) - W 71-49 Vienna (IL), L 53-63 at Massac Co. (Superman Classic) Mon vs Ballard Mem., Tues at Hickman Co., Fri vs McCracken Co. This team has had some recent struggles, but anytime Drew Thompson is on the floor they have a chance to win the game. Will be an interesting test for them Friday at home against the Mustangs. 6. Marshall Co. (13-7) - W 66-48 at Union Co., W vs Fulton City 63-28, L vs Calloway 61-64, W vs Mayfield 66-53 Tues vs CFS, Fri at Tilghman Can the Marshalls ruin Tilghman's Homecoming Night? I honestly think they have a shot if Cole Mills has a big night. 7. Mayfield (10-4) - W 57-48 vs Fulton Co., W 71-56 at CCA, L 53-66 at Marshall Co. Tues at Tilghman, Fri vs Ballard Mem. The Cardinals definitely should make the Regional Tourney coming out of the 3rd District. They have a shot at pulling the upset Tuesday night. 8. Carlisle Co. (9-5) - L at McCracken Co. 36-62 Mon at Fulton Co., Fri at Fulton City, Sat vs Trigg Co. Two district clashes for the Comets this week. I predict two wins. Hopefully, they are healthy now. 9. St. Mary (9-9) - W 75-41 vs Fulton City, W 50-47 vs Crittenden Co. Tu vs McCracken Co. ,Fri at CCA, Sat at Livingston Central Congrats to Coach Denson on a new addition to his family. Can the Vikings hang with the Mustangs on Tuesday? 10. Fulton Co. (6-7) - L 48-57 at Mayfield, W 74-55 vs Fulton City Mon vs Carlisle Co., Fri at Hickman Co. This looks like the other team that will come out of the 1st District. I'm assuming that they will take care of business at Hickman on Friday. 11. Christian Fellowship (8-9) 12. Ballard Mem. (5-10) 13. CCA (7-10) 14. Hickman Co. (5-10) 15. Fulton City (2-12)

A little bit of a light week with some COVID reschedulings. Congrats to Murray Tigers on their winning the 1st Region All A. 1. McCracken Co. (11-1) - W 59-49 Evansville Central Mon vs Christian Co., Tues vs Carlisle Co., Fri at Tilghman Brant Brower (coach's son) scored 28 points in the win over Evansville Central. This team just keeps cruising along. 2. Murray (14-2) - W 87-52 CCA, W 68-32 St. Mary, W 67-40 Mayfield Tues vs CFS Good luck to the Tigers in the state All A. I honestly think they have a decent shot. It seems like the 1st Region All A was pretty easy for them. None of the scores seemed very competitive. 3. Paducah Tilghman (10-4) - W 70-59 vs Graves Co. Tues at Hopkins Co. Central, Fri vs McCracken Co., Sat Ohio Co. I talked at length last week about their matchup with the Mustangs, but the game was postponed until this Friday due to Tilghman having COVID issues within their school. Before that, a very good win over Graves. Can the Tornado snap the 15-game losing streak against McCracken? They most definitely will be an underdog. 4. Marshall Co. (10-6) - W 44-26 vs Trigg Co., W at Graves Co. 71-66 Mon at Union Co., Tu vs Fulton City, Fri at Calloway, Sat vs Mayfield Great win for the Marshalls at Graves in a game that was a continuation of the night the tornadoes struck Western Ky (Dec 10). Cole Mills is most definitely a 1st Region player of the year candidate. 5. Graves Co. (7-7) - L 59-70 at Tilghman, L 66-71 vs Marshall Co. This week - Superman Classic at Massac Co. (IL) Good luck to the Eagles in the Superman Classic! They had a tough week this week, but no shame in those losses. I got a chance to see Drew Thompson this week, and he certainly can light it up. A pure scorer. 6. Calloway Co. (10-7) - L 57-61 Mason Co. (2A State Tourney) Mon at CFS, Fri at Marshall Co. I've said this before, but it is definitely a shame that one of Murray, Marshall, and Calloway will not make the Regional Tourney. It will be a dogfight between the 2 and 3 seeds in the District Tourney. The Lakers definitely have the talent to make it out of the district. 7. Mayfield (8-3) - W 58-43 Fulton Co. W 60-51 Carlisle Co. L 40-67 Murray Tu vs Fulton Co., Fri at CCA, Sat at Marshall Co. Runner up finish in the All A. I think this team could move up in the rankings over the next few weeks. 8. Carlisle Co. (9-4) - W 49-39 Ballard Mem., L 51-60 Mayfield Tu at McCracken, Fri vs Hickman Co., Sat at Ballard Mem. I think still the clear favorite in the 1st District. You will see this team in the Regional Tournament. 9. St. Mary (7-9) - W 87-44 Hickman Co., L 23-68 Murray Mon vs Fulton City, Sat Crittenden Co. I'm predicting two wins for the Vikings this week. 10. Fulton Co. (5-6) - L 43-58 Mayfield Tu at Mayfield, Thur at Ballard Mem., Fri vs Fulton City 11. Ballard Mem. (5-10) 12. Christian Fellowship (7-5) 13. CCA (6-9) 14. Hickman Co. (4-10) 15. Fulton City (2-8)

It feels like the Mustangs are the clear number one, and then there's not much separation between numbers two through six. Here are my rankings for this week: 1. McCracken Co. (10-1) - W 47-34 vs Marshall Co., W 78-48 vs Callaway (MS) Tues vs Calloway Co., Fri at Tilghman The Mustangs jumped out to an early lead against the Marshalls and then cruised to the victory. By my count that's 42 straight wins against 1st Region competition (last loss in March of 2019). That's pretty crazy and pretty awesome! See below where I talk about the McCracken at PT matchup. 2. Murray (11-2) - L 63-64 vs Graves Co., W 71-65 Madisonville Tues vs CCA (All A Classic) Disappointing loss at home to Graves, but then a very good bounce back to beat Madisonville on a neutral court. This is the team to beat in the 1st Region All A Classic. 3. Graves Co. (7-5) - W 64-63 at Murray, L 47-49 vs St. Mary Tues at Tilghman, Fri vs Marshall Co. I went ahead and penciled the Eagles in for my second ranked team and then they lost at home to St. Mary. Should we chalk that up to the difficulty of two games in two days? Maybe so. I feel like this team goes the way of Drew Thompson, who is averaging 20 points per game. 4. Paducah Tilghman (9-3) - W 88-60 vs Union Co., L 69-81 Hopkins Co Central Tues vs Graves Co, Fri vs McCracken Co. A good opportunity to get a home win on Tuesday versus Graves. Also, can you believe it has been five years since Tilghman beat McCracken? This was a sport that I thought the Tornado could compete with the Mustangs, but it looks like I was wrong. McCracken has won 15 straight, and they will be a considerable favorite when they visit Otis Dinning on Friday night. Tilghman has some speed and athleticism, but the Mustangs have size and shooting. Can the Tornado spring the upset at home? I'm just hoping for an exciting game. 5. Marshall Co. (8-6) - L 34-47 at McCracken Co., L 52-58 Caldwell Co. Tues vs Trigg Co., Fri at Graves Co. The Marshalls have struggled as of late, but I still think this is a team that can make some noise in the 1st Region Tourney. Another exciting Friday night game in the Region, and I think the Marshalls will give the Eagles all they can handle. 6. Calloway Co. (9-6) - W 54-51 vs Carlisle Co, W 59-45 Webster Co. Mon Hopkins Co Central (2A Section 1 Finals), Tues at McCracken Co., Fri at CFS Two very good wins for the Lakers this week, and I think this team is rounding into form. Tough back-to-back with the Section 1 Finals, and then at McCracken. Just getting one of those wins would be impressive. 7. Carlisle Co. (8-3) - L 51-54 at Calloway Co. Tues at Ballard Mem. (All A Classic) I still think the Comets are the clear favorites in the 1st District. Can they make some noise in the All A? 8. St. Mary (6-8) - W 49-47 at Graves Co. Tues vs Hickman Co. (All A Classic) What a win at Graves for the Vikings! Coach Denson has this team getting better and better each week. McCracken and Tilghman do not want to see this team in the District semis. 9. Mayfield (6-2) - W 57-55 at Ballard Mem., W 51-42 at Crittenden Co. Tues vs Fulton Co. (All A Classic) A dark horse to win the All A Classic. 10. Ballard Memorial (5-8) - L vs Mayfield 55-57 Tues at Carlisle Co. (All A Classic) This is a young team that keeps getting better. This should be a very interesting All A Classic tourney. 11. Fulton Co. (5-5) 12. Community Christian Academy (4-7) 13. CFS (6-5) 14. Hickman Co. (4-8) 15. Fulton City (2-8)

Lots of Holiday Tourneys this week. Here are my rankings: 1. McCracken Co. (8-1) - W 69-55 Beechwood, W 53-38 Garrard Co., W 48-28 Lloyd Mem. Tues vs Marshall Co., Thurs vs U Heights, Sat vs Callaway (MS) The Mustangs keep rolling. They are the Central Bank Classic Champions. Will be interesting to see if the Marshalls can keep it a close game on Tuesday. 2. Murray (10-1) - W 74-63 Miller Career Academy (Mo), L 47-49 Lee (AL), W 74-50 Arilington (TN) Mon vs Graves Co., Fri at Christian Co., Sat Curie (IL) Home game against the Eagles will be a good test for Murray. 3. Paducah Tilghman (8-2) - W 87-36 Jacksonville (IL), W 64-54 Marion (IL), L 63-69 Springfield SE, W 62-34 Marion (IL) Tues vs Union Co. (2A Section 1) I would think that Tilghman is most likely the favorite for the 2A Section 1 Tournament. There are some other solid teams too, but will be interesting to see if PT can win Section 1, and advance to Owensboro. 4. Marshall Co. (8-4) - W 73-53 Taylor Co., W 72-53 Madison So., W Butler 44-39 Tu at McCracken Co, Sat at Crittenden Three solid wins for the Marshalls this week! Cole Mills is averaging 16 points per game so far this season. 5. Graves Co. (6-4) - W 72-69 Deltona (FL), W 60-47 Grant Co., L 52-66 Science Hill (TN) Mo at Murray, Tu vs St. Mary, Fri vs Mayfield, Sat at Henderson Co. A busy week for the Eagles with four games on the slate. Friday's game at home against the Cardinals is a key district clash. 6. Carlisle Co. (8-2) - L Butler Co. 39-54, W Tecumeseh (IN) 57-48 Mon at Calloway, Fri vs Fulton Co., Sat at Livingston Central. Monday's game against the Lakers will most likely have some impact in the rankings for next week. This should be a very close game in my opinion. 7. Mayfield (4-2) - L 46-53 Sayre, W 51-33 Meade Co. Tues at Ballard Mem., Fri at Graves Co., Sat Butler Co. Two key district games for the Cardinals this week. It looks like Graves and Mayfield will be the top two in the district, but Ballard Memorial has a young team that is improving each week. 8. Calloway Co. (7-6) - L 59-75 at Ashland Blazer, L 66-74 Boyd Co. W Teays Valley 75-70 Mon vs Carlisle Co., Thurs 2A Section semifinals The Lakers will play the winner of Trigg Co & Webster Co. in the 2A Section semifinals. Should be a very interesting tournament. 9. St. Mary (5-8) - L 58-66 Ludlow, L 33-46 Butler Co., L at Apollo 64-72 Tu at Graves Co. Thurs vs CCA Three tough losses for the Vikings this week. Can they spring an upset at Graves on Tuesday??? 10. Ballard Mem. (4-7) - W 72-60 CFS, L at Crittenden 51-57 Tues vs Mayfield, Thur vs Pope Co. Fri vs CFS Nice win over Christian Fellowship this week. Another busy week upcoming with three games. 11. Christian Fellowship (5-4) 12. Hickman Co. (4-7) 13. Fulton Co. (4-4) 14 Fulton City (2-6) 15. CCA (3-7)

Great to see Mayfield, Graves and Marshall get back to some action this week! A few small changes in my rankings: 1. McCracken Co. (5-1) - W Fulton Co 68-44 Tues vs Beechwood A very balanced team led by Ian Hart scoring 15 points a game. Coach Brower's son is also scoring 14 per game. 2. Murray (8-0) - W Henderson Co. 73-39. This week: West KY Hoops Classic Grant Whitaker is one of the favorites for Region 1 player of the year with 19 points per game 3. Paducah Tilghman (5-1) - W at North Hardin 70-67 This week: IL Route 13 Christmas Tourney Junior Jayvion Powell has made a big leap this year - he's scoring 22 points per game. Remember that the only loss that PT has so far this year was without several of their key players. 4. Graves Co. (4-3) - L Hopkins Co. Central 75-78, L Owensboro Catholic 54-72, W vs Bradford (TN) 67-42 This week: Daytona Beach Sunshine Classic Some tough games for the Eagles after their pause due to the tornado that struck their community. This week they're in Daytona Beach! 5. Marshall Co. (5-4) - went 1-2 in games in the Northwest Florida Shootout This week: Tu at Taylor Co. It will be interesting to see the Marshalls when they get into district play. They have the firepower to knock off the Murray Tigers. 6. Carlisle Co. (7-1) - W at St. Mary 51-47 This week: Independence Bank Classic Congrats to the Comets for winning the first ever St. Mary Christmas Tourney! 7. Mayfield (3-1) - W Cloverport 88-39, L Caldwell Co. 43-53, W N. Bullitt 53-51 This week: Henderson Chevy Classic It was really nice to see the Cardinals get some games in, and they came away with two wins. They will be a sentimental favorite in the 1st Region. 8. Calloway Co. (6-4) - L at Massac Co. 61-65, 2 wins in Murray Bank Classic This week: Ashland Invitational I still think this is a team that can make the Regional tourney, and can even make some noise there too. 9. Christian Fellowship (5-3) - w Hickman 59-44, W Dresden (TN) 66-60 Tues vs Ballard Memorial Two great wins this week for the Eagles. Can they stay in the Top 10? 10. St. Mary (5-5) - W Livingston Central 75-60, L Carlisle Co 47-51 This week: Independence Bank Classic This team appears to be getting better and better each week. Can they challenge McCracken or PT in their district? 11. Hickman Co. (3-5) 12. Ballard Mem. (3-6) 13. Fulton City (2-4) 14. Fulton Co. (4-3) 15. CCA (1-7)

Somewhat of another light week for the 1st Region with a few programs needing to cancel games after the devastating weather on 12/10. Hopefully, they can get back to normal sometime soon. Here are my rankings: 1. McCracken Co. (4-1) - W vs St. Mary 73-46, L at Evansville Reitz 53-59 This week: Action Sports Shootout Very tough opponent in Evansville Reitz. I'm already looking forward to the McCracken at Murray game, but it isn't until Valentine's Day. 2. Murray (7-0) - W vs Marshall Co. 46-31, W Calloway Co. 61-48, W Apollo 72-43 This Week: Tues vs Henderson Co. Two impressive wins by decent margins over the Marshalls and the Lakers. Murray has established itself as the 4th District favorite for sure. 3. Graves Co. (3-1) - No games for the Eagles this week, and I hope they can get back to it soon. 4. Paducah Tilghman (4-1) - W at CCA 73-32, W vs St. Mary 60-51, W vs Meridian (IL) 88-52 This Week: Wed at North Hardin The win over Meridian was this program's 2000th in school history. According to the PT Facebook page - they are only the 2nd program in state history to reach this milestone. 5. Marshall Co. (4-1) - L at Murray 31-46 This week: Northwest Florida Shootout Tough loss to the Tigers this week, and I expect this team to bounce back quickly. They are very talented. 6. Carlisle Co. (6-1) - W vs Fulton City 86-49, W at Hickman Co. 61-49, W Ballard Memorial 72-48 This week: St. Mary Christmas Classic The Comets are the clear favorite in the 1st district. 7. Mayfield (1-0) - My heart goes out to this community. 8. Calloway Co. (4-3) W Union Co. 78-62, L Murray 48-61, W vs CFS 80-58 This week: Tues at Massac Co., Murray Bank Hardwood Classic This is a dangerous Lakers team, and I look for them to continue to get quality wins this year. 9. St. Mary (5-4) - L at Tilghman 51-60, L at McCracken 46-73, W vs Ballard Mem. 43-40, W vs Liv Central 73-67 This week: St. Mary Christmas Classic This team definitely gets the award for the busiest team in the 1st Region! 10. Ballard Memorial (2-6) - W vs Hickman 72-49, L at St. Mary 40-43, L vs Carlisle 48-72 First time I've had the Bombers in my Top 10! Very impressive win against the Falcons. 11. CFS (4-3) 12. Fulton Co. (4-2) 13. Hickman Co. (3-4) 14. Fulton City (2-4) 15. CCA (0-7)

Not a lot of games this week because of the awful tornadoes that hit our area. Please pray for Mayfield and all of the other communities that were impacted. Accordingly, there was not a lot of change in these rankings: 1. McCracken County (3-0) - No games this week Tues at Mayfield, Thur vs St. Mary, Fri at Marshall Co. This is a very balanced scoring team led by Hart and McCune. The game at Marshall on Friday will be the Mustangs' first big Regional test. 2. Murray (3-0) - W vs Muhlenberg Co. 59-54, W at Univ Heights 57-39 Tues vs Marshall Co., Fri vs Calloway Co., Sat vs Apollo Very nice win for the Tigers over a good Muhlenberg team. Whitaker is scoring 23 points per game. Tuesday's game against the Marshalls is #2 hosting #4 - should be a good one. 3. Graves County (2-1) - W vs Calloway 71-45 Thur vs Ballard Memorial, Fri vs Tilghman Drew Thompson is scoring 24 points per game for the Eagles. The game Friday against Tilghman will tell us where these two teams are in this young season. 4. Marshall County (4-0) - W vs Carlisle Co 72-41 Tues at Murray, Fri vs McCracken Cole Mills is playing very good for Marshalls right now scoring 16 points per game. Two games for Marshall this week and they are doozies - #2 Murray and #1 McCracken. 5. Paducah Tilghman (1-1) - W vs Hickman 75-38 Mon at CCA, Tues vs St. Mary, Fri at Graves Co., Sat vs Meridian (IL) Tilghman is starting to get their football players back and that is really helping the team. Right now three guards are holding things down nicely - Arthur, Powell and Shaw. As the football players return there will be more size. Can PT pull the upset at Graves on Friday? 6. Carlisle County (2-1) - L at Marshall 41-72 Tu vs Fulton City, Sat vs Ballard Memorial Good chance for the Comets to pick up two wins this week. 7. Mayfield (1-0) - W vs Fort Campbell 60-26 Tues vs McCracken, Thur at Hickman Co., Sat vs Fulton City Good win to start the season for the Cardinals. I hope that things can get back to normal soon for this team. I am not sure what the future holds for them with what has happened to their community. 8. Calloway County (2-2) - L at Graves Co. 45-71 Fri vs Murray This has been a tough schedule so far for the Lakers. 9. Hickman County (2-1) - L at Tilghman 38-75 Tues at Ballard Mem., Thur vs Mayfield, Fri vs Dresden (TN) Kelen Johnson is scoring 20 points per game for the Falcons. 10. St. Mary (2-2) - W vs Ft Campbell 59-21 Tues at Tilghman, Thurs at McCracken Co., Fri/Sat St. Mary Classic I look for this inexperienced team to get better and better this year. 11. Fulton Co. (3-2) 12. CFS (2-2) 13. Ballard Memorial (1-3) 14. Fulton City 2-3) 15. CCA (0-4)

Very early in the season, but I did make a few ranking changes: 1. McCracken County (3-0) - W vs CCA 93-44, W at Calloway 60-33, W Highlands 63-57 Friday vs Hopkinsville, Sat Ken-Tenn Classic A couple of very impressive wins here that has solidified the Mustangs' spot as the First Region favorite. The comeback win over Highlands showed a lot about this team. 2. Murray (1-0) - W Robertson Co. 82-53 Tues vs Muhlenberg Co., Thurs at Univ Heights, Sat Ken-Tenn Classic A very interesting test for Murray on Tuesday against one of the favorites from Region 3 - Muhlenberg Co. This will tell us where the Tigers are so far in this season. 3. Graves County (1-1) - L CAL 64-76, W Marion, IL 59-52 Tues vs Calloway, Friday at Marshall, Sat Ken-Tenn Classic The loss against Christian Academy of Louisville is not a bad one since that is one of the stronger teams in the Louisville area. Friday's game at Marshall will have a big impact on the rankings for next week. 4. Marshall County (3-0) - W Ballard Mem. 74-42, W Massac Co (IL) 76-41, W Owensboro 69-60 Tues vs Carlisle, Fri vs Graves, Sat vs Fulton City I really didn't know how the Marshalls would do without Zion Harmon. The early results are in, and they are doing just fine. A couple very impressive wins - the big win over Massac was somewhat surprising, and Owensboro is a very good team too. 5. Paducah Tilghman (0-1) - L at Carlisle Co 79-84 Tues vs Hickman Co., Fri at Christian Co., Sat at Caldwell Co. I feel a little bad for dropping the Tornado in the rankings since they were definitely short-handed in their game against the Comets (congrats to the PT football team on their 2nd place finish in 3A tournament!). However, they did allow a player to score 70 points on them. But I look for the Tornado to climb back up the rankings once they get Cam Marshall and others to join the team after football. 6. Carlisle County (2-0) - W vs St. Mary 49-46, W vs Tilghman 84-79 Tues at Marshall, Fri at Hickman, Sat at CCA Garrett Hayden!!! 70 points!!! I'm just gonna leave it at that. 7. Calloway County (1-2) - L McCracken Co. 33-60, W Trinity (Whitesville) 99-85, W Owensboro Cath 54-44 Tues at Graves, Fri vs CFS, Sat Ken-Tenn Classic I really expected the game against the Mustangs to be a pretty close one, but it wasn't. However, a very good bounce back win against Owensboro Catholic. The season is very young, and I still expect to hear a lot from the Lakers this season. 8. Mayfield (0-0) - Thurs Fort Campbell, Sat - Ken Tenn Classic I've heard they look really good in practice. 9. Hickman County (2-0) - W Livingston Central 78-47, W at St. Mary 52-51 Tues at Tilghman, Fri vs Carlisle, Sat vs CFS Two very nice wins for Hickman County. I think they could be right there for the 1st District title. 10. Fulton County (2-1) - W CCA 67-64, W CFS 63-56, L Lake Co. (TN) Mon vs S. Fulton (TN), Tues Halls (TN), Fri CCA 11. St. Mary (1-2) 12. CFS (2-1) 13. Ballard Memorial (1-2) 14. CCA (0-4) 15. Fulton City (2-1)

A very wide open region this year. I practically could have chosen any order for teams 1-4. I think that as many as six teams have a shot of winning the First Region. Here are my preseason rankings: 1. McCracken County - there will be very big shoes to fill with the loss of Region 1 Player of the Year Noah Dumas. Forward Ian Hart is the leading returning scorer averaging 12 points and 5 boards. The Mustangs will have quality depth, and look for Brant Brower to make a big production leap this year. Other players to watch are Jack McCune, Cason Tilford, and Max Blackwell. 2. Murray - The duo of Grant Whitaker and Trey Boggess will be as good as any duo in this region. Whitaker scored 20 points per game last year, and is probably the favorite for Region 1 Player of the Year. The question is who else will step up for the Tigers, but they have a good core of youth. 3. Paducah Tilghman - Would you believe me if I told you that PT has not won the Region since 2010? That's quite a drought for this storied program. The Tornado will need to replace the scoring of Eli Brown, but Mian Shaw should improve on his 14 PPG average from last year. Shaw is very tough to keep out of the lane, and he also is a decent shooter. PT also has some other experience returning with PG Tragen Arthur, Forward Landon Fitzgerald, and dual-sport stars Cam Marshall and Brian Thomas. This team may get off to a slow start with several players not joining the team until after their state championship football game. 4. Graves County - I flipped some coins on ranking these Top 4 teams and the Eagles lost my coin tosses. Drew Thompson averaged 21 points a game last year, and is returning for an additional year. Mason Grant is an athletic guard who averaged 12 points and 4 boards last year. This will be a very dangerous team, and they look to the the class of the 3rd District. 5. Marshall County - Zion Harmon is now playing basketball for the WKU Hilltoppers, and now there must be some others to step up. The Marshalls have several capable candidates in Quinn Smith, Cole Mills, Colby Schroader and others. I look for this team to develop all year under Coach Birdsong, and they will be right there at the top of the Region at the end of the year. 6. Calloway County - This team shoots the three ball very well, and so consider them a threat every single night. They are led by Senior Matthew Ray who averaged 14 points and 9 boards last year (and shot 41% from deep). The 4th District is strong once again this year and it's a shame that one of Murray, Marshall or Calloway will not make the regional tourney. The one-seed will be very important in this district (but CFS is strong too!) The Lakers have the tools to be dangerous in the year-end tourneys. 7. Carlisle County - Garrett Hayden averaged 18 points and 5 rebounds last year and returns to hopefully lead the Comets to another 1st District title. 8. Mayfield - a young and inexperienced team, but Mayfield always has great athletes. Look for Sam Stone to be the leader. 9. Hickman County - sort of a surprise team for me last year, and Coach Holt has done a very good job. Could they upset the Comets to take the 1st District championship? 10. St. Mary - the Vikings always have great multi-sport stars and the ones to watch this year are Cade Fleming and Daniel Willett. The Vikings are having to replace several talented Seniors this year. 11. Christian Fellowship 12. Fulton County 13. Ballard Memorial 14. Community Christian 15. Fulton City

PT’s Coach Thompson coached for his alma mater at Crittenden for a few years. He was an OC before that. Pretty young - probably in his mid-30s

The RB for Glasgow is Stockton. Any relation to the Stockton who played basketball for the Cats many years ago???

Has anyone checked on TilghmanPride? I’m a big, big fan!

I looked back and these four teams were in my Top 5 rankings in all weeks but one, and that was in the middle of the season when the Marshalls were really struggling. And most weeks these teams were 1 - 4. I really do expect two very good games Friday night: Game 1 5:30 Friday: Murray (16-7) vs Paducah Tilghman (18-5) - Both teams had pretty easy games in the quarterfinals. The Tornado beat Carlisle County 75-45 with Eli Brown scoring 18 points along with Mian Shaw with 15. The Tigers beat Mayfield 61-46 and Grant Whitaker scored 29 points while C. McCallister had 16. These teams met back on January 19 in Murray with the Tigers coming out on top 56-52 - I believe the game was close throughout. I really think this will be a close game, and I keep coming back to the poor performance that Tilghman had in the 2nd District Championship. So I'll go ahead and take the Tigers in a close one - I think it will depend on which team's scorers show up tomorrow night. Game 2 8:00 Friday: McCracken County (20-6) vs Marshall County (12-9) - Remember when I said that the Graves vs Marshall game would come down to if the Eagles could contain Zion Harmon. Well he scored 37 points on only 19 shots (5/9 from three and six rebounds). This game pits the two best players in Region 1 against each other - Harmon and Noah Dumas. They are 1A and 1B in my book. Harmon is most definitely the better scorer of the two, but Dumas does so many different things for the Mustangs. I sometimes am a broken record, but remember that the Mustangs are so far undefeated in 1st Region play, and that's the reason that I give the slight edge to McCracken. No matter the matchup of Harmon vs Dumas - I think that the Mustangs have the better supporting cast. But once again - if McCracken can't somewhat contain Harmon then the Marshalls definitely have a good chance of getting to the 1st Region title game. Should be two very good games - hope yall can make it out!

For the most part, the teams we thought would make the Regional tournament did so. Here is a quick preview of the quarterfinals: Game 1 5:30 Monday: Carlisle Co. (14-11, 1st district champs) vs Paducah Tilghman (17-5, 2nd district runner-up) - A very disappointing showing by the Tornado in the 2nd district championship game. It was at their home gym, and I really thought it would be a tight game. But it really wasn't as the Mustangs jumped out to an early lead and won by 26 points. However, I think the Tornado is the favorite in this quarterfinal matchup since they beat the Comets pretty handily earlier in the year. It is worth noting that it appears that the Comets are playing their best basketball at the right time - they beat Fulton County 54-37 to win the 1st District title. Game 2 8:00 Monday: Murray (15-7, 4th district champs) vs Mayfield (11-8, 3rd district runner-up) - The Tigers also appear to be peaking at the right time with an impressive 61-46 win over the Marshalls in the 4th district championship. They are the favorite in this matchup as they beat the Cardinals 74-50 earlier in March. As for the Cardinals - they only lost by one point in the 3rd district championship against Graves County. The combination of DeAngelo Brooks and Colby Kennemore scored 44 of the Cardinals 68 points in that game. Game 3 5:30 Tuesday: McCracken Co. (19-6, 2nd district champs) vs. Fulton Co. (9-9, 1st district runner-up) - I think that Noah Dumas really likes to play his neighbor school Tilghman. He's averaged 21 points in his two matchups against the Tornado, and that's not even mentioning the stifling defense that he has played. The 2nd district championship was never really close, and this makes me think that McCracken is the 1st Region favorite. The Mustangs are definitely the favorite in this matchup against Fulton County, and remember that no 1st Region team has beaten them yet this year. For the Pilots - remember that they had an impressive win over Graves County earlier this month. Game 4 8:00 Tuesday: Graves Co. (18-5, 3rd district champs) vs. Marshall Co. (11-9, 2nd district runner-up) - I think this one is a toss-up, and I believe it will really come down to whether or not the Eagles can contain WKU-commit Zion Harmon. If Harmon has a big game then I think the Marshalls will advance to the semi-finals. The Eagles have won 14 out of 15 games, and are led by Drew Thompson scoring 21 points per game. This one is probably the most interesting quarterfinal game, and I think it should be a close one.

The four districts will have their Championships either Monday or Tuesday of this week. Here are my rankings, and there is not much separation between teams 1st through 5th. 1. McCracken Co. (18-6) - W vs CCA 100-43 This week: Tues 2nd District Championship vs Tilghman The Mustangs have won four straight 2nd district titles, and I believe that they are the 1st Region favorites this year. Remember that they are unbeaten in 1st Region play. The Mustangs have had sort of a light schedule the past couple weeks so they should be well-rested as tournament play begins. 2. Paducah Tilghman (17-4) - W at McClean Co. 48-27, W vs St. Mary 74-55 This week: The Tornado played McCracken on January 12, and their 2nd matchup was cancelled. They get the benefit of the 2nd District Championship played at Tornado Alley. The Mustangs have had Tilghman's number for several years, but I really think this will be a close game. Eli Brown will need to have a good game for the Tornado to pull this one out. 3. Marshall Co. (11-8) - W vs CFS 69-58 This week: Mon 4th District Championship vs Murray The Marshalls swept the Tigers this year, but the last game was only a two-point win at home. Mr. Basketball candidate Zion Harmon will need to come up big in postseason play for the Marshalls to have a chance in the regional tournament. He is averaging 23 points per game and is shooting 40% from three-point land. 4. Murray (14-7) - W vs Calloway Co. 61-47 This week: Mon 4th District Championship vs Marshall Co. Very nice win for the Tigers over Calloway. Will be a very interesting matchup on Monday night - this game is probably a toss up. Sophomore guard Grant Whitaker is averaging 21 points per game for the Tigers. 5. Graves Co. (17-5) - W vs Ballard Mem. 75-46, W vs CFS 69-58 This week: Tues 3rd District Championship vs Mayfield The Eagles are favored for the 3rd District title - they have beaten Mayfield by 11 points twice this year. Transfer Drew Thompson is scoring 20 points a game for the Eagles - he is shooting 41% from downtown. 6. Calloway Co. (7-12) - L vs Murray 47-61 Excellent season for the Lakers, and they return a good class of Juniors for next year. 7. Mayfield (11-7) - W at Ballard Memorial 71-37 This week: Tues 3rd District Championship vs Graves Co. Can the Cardinals spring the upset against Graves County on Tuesday night? They'll need some hot shooting from Colby Kennemore! 8. St. Mary (13-14) - W vs. Livingston Central 67-54, L at Trigg Co. 70-72 (2 OT), W vs Fulton Co. 60-30, L at Tilghman 55-74 Awesome season for the Vikings - they win the prize for most games played in the 1st Region, and that's even with a 2-week COVID shutdown. They graduate a stellar Senior class led by Parker MacCauley (19 pts per game), Bryce Haas, and Jack Bell. 9. Fulton Co. (9-8) - L at St. Mary 30-60, W vs Hickman Co. 65-58. This week: Tues 1st District Championship vs Carlisle Co. I struggled whether to put the Pilots or the Comets as the #9 ranking. I really think the 1st Districty championship is a toss up. The Pilots have had some impressive wins as of late. 10. Carlisle Co. (13-11) - W vs. Fulton City 66-44, L vs Crittenden 45-66, W vs Fulton City 58-30 This week: Tues 1st District Championship vs Carlisle Co. See commentary for Fulton Co above. The Comets did sweep the season series against the Pilots but I feel like Fulton County is playing better basketball right now. Should be a tight game! 11. Christian Fellowship (19-9) 12. Hickman Co. (9-15) 13. CCA (5-22) 14. Ballard Memorial (3-25) 15. Fulton City (0-16)

I may sound like a broken record, but this region is WIDE OPEN. I think there are at least five teams that have a shot at the region title - maybe even a couple more. Here are my rankings: 1. McCracken County (17-6) - W vs University Heights 59-57, W vs CCA 87-49 This week: Tues at Fulton County I still think the defending champion Mustangs are the favorite to win the 1st Region. They have a balanced scoring attack with four averaging double figures - Noah Dumas, Ian Hart, Ian McCune, and Brant Brower. 2. Paducah Tilghman (15-4) - W vs Ballard Memorial 70-26, W vs Carlisle Co. 79-53, L at Bowling Green 47-57 This week: Tues at McClean Co. A ten-point loss on the road against AP #8 Bowling Green is really not too bad of a result. The last time the Tornado won the 2nd District Championship was in 2016, and that's quite a drought for Tilghman. 3. Marshall Co. (10-8) - W vs Murray 51-49, W vs St. Mary 71-49, W vs Calloway Co. 62-52 This week: Tues vs Hopkins Co Central. Awesome week for the Marshalls with two big District wins! Now they have the #1 seed in the 4th District tourney, and they get to watch Murray and Calloway battle it out in the semis. Zion Harmon averaged 24 points in the three games this week. 4. Murray (13-7) - W at Calloway Co. 52-47 (OT), L at Marshall Co. 49-51, W at Mayfield 74-50 I dropped Murray one spot this week because they had a tough two-point loss at Marshall. But don't get me wrong this is still a very dangerous team that is capable of winning the 1st Region tournament. 5. Graves Co. (15-5) - W at CFS 82-55, L at Fulton Co. 76-80, W vs Henderson Co. 72-68 This week: Mon vs Ballard Memorial, Tues vs CFS A surprising, disappointing loss for the Eagles at Fulton County that snapped their ten-game winning streak. But the Eagles are still the favorite to win the 3rd District, and I think this is another team that has a shot at the 1st Region title. 6. Calloway Co. (7-11) - L vs Murray 47-52 (OT), W vs Trinity (Whitesville) 84-65, L at Marshall 52-62 This week: Mon at Hickman Co. I think that Murray is a favorite to beat the Lakers in the 4th District semis, but not by a lot. The Lakers can really shoot the three, and if they get hot from downtown they could get to the 4th District finals, and keep the Tigers out of the regional tourney. That semifinal game will most likely be pretty intense. 7. Mayfield (10-7) - W vs Hickman Co. 66-62, W vs Livingston Central 66-55, L vs Murray 50-74 The Cardinals will most likely be one of the teams that make it out of the 3rd district. 8. St. Mary (11-12) - W at Ballard Memorial 66-31, W vs Liv Central 69-54, L at Marshall 49-71, W vs Ballard Memorial 83-47 Mon at Liv Central, Tues at Trigg Co., Thurs vs Fulton Co. I think the Vikings have a shot at the upset against the Tornado because they have played them tight early in two previous games. But they will have to play almost perfectly to get that win. 9. Fulton County (8-7) - W at Fulton City 74-50, W vs Graves Co. 80-76, W vs Hickman Co. 81-59, W at CCA 80-48 This week: Tues vs McCracken Co., Thurs at St. Mary What a week for the Pilots!!! Four wins which included a 22-point win over Hickman County and also an overtime win versus Graves. When's the last time the Pilots beat Graves County? I have no idea. 10. Carlisle Co. (11-10) - L at Hickman Co. 65-73, L at Tilghman 53-79, W at Fulton City 67-26 Tues vs Fulton City, Thurs vs Crittenden Co. The Comets are still the #1 seed in the 1st District tourney and will face winless Fulton City in the semifinals. They're the #1 seed in the tourney, but not sure they're the favorite. 11. Christian Fellowship (18-7) 12. Hickman Co. (9-14) 13. Community Christian Acad. (5-18) 14. Ballard Memorial (2-23) 15. Fulton City (0-14)