Basketball Jones

16th Region Week 8 Review There are no changes to the top five in the regional rankings. Ashland Blazer stays on top. Boyd County remains No. 2 on the heels of a 110-107 double-overtime win against Campbell County. Third-ranked Russell has won 12 consecutive games. Other hot teams: Greenup County has won five in a row, and Rowan County has won three straight. Russell remains tied at No. 3 with Fleming County. Rowan County, now sixth, and Bath County trade places after Rowan beat Bath by 13 this week. The top three is closer than you think, according to the KHSAA web site. At last check, the KHSAA RPI has the top five in the region looking this way: 1. Boyd County .62944, 2. Russell .62147, 3. Ashland Blazer .61196, 4. Morgan County .57283, 5. Fleming County .56790. Even so, there are not a lot of teams in the region that have had a lot of success against successful teams. Regional Rankings: 1. Ashland Blazer (13-7): The Tomcats finished the week 1-1, losing at Huntington (WV), 58-55, snapping a five-game winning streak, and beating Danville Christian, 84-55. The four-time defending regional champs are 5-0 against regional teams, including a nine-point win at Boyd County and a 22-point win versus Fleming County. They are 2-0 versus 64th District opponents. 2. Boyd County (13-4): The Lions went 2-0 for the week with an 83-55 victory at home versus 12-8 Lawrence County and the epic three-point win against 12-9 Campbell County at the Auto Owners/GCH Insurance Classic at Nicholas County. Cole Hicks scored 24 against Lawrence County and Jacob Spurlock added 21. The Lions also have previous wins against 11-5 Pikeville and 13-6 Eastern. They are 3-1 against the region and 1-1 vs. the 64th District. 3. Fleming County (13-8): The Panthers went 2-1 with wins against Bath County and Raceland, giving them just four wins against Kentucky teams with winning records. Adam Hargett with 28 points and Seth Hickerson with 20 led the way against Bath County. The Panthers lost to 12-9 Bracken County by three. They are now 8-2 vs. the region and 3-1 vs. 61st District foes. They don't have a loss to a bad team. Other previous results: Two losses to Mason County, one of them by five, and losses to Owensboro Catholic, Butler, Highlands, Ashland Blazer and Bath County. They beat Russell by 21 at home earlier this season. 3. Russell (17-3): A fifth straight unbeaten week for the Red Devils, who went 2-0 with victories against Menifee County and Raceland. Damon Charles scored 25 points against Menifee. They are 13-1 vs. the region, the loss to Fleming County. Three of those regional wins have come against West Carter. Beat Bath County by nine in December and has also beaten Raceland and East Carter but has not played as tough a schedule as Fleming County. They are 4-0 vs. 63rd District opponents. 5. Morgan County (13-5): The Cougars stopped a three-game skid with a 100-68 win against Lee County. Gatlin Griffith led six scorers in double figures with 22 points. They lost to Magoffin County by four in overtime earlier in the week for a 1-1 showing. They beat Magoffin County by 26 in the third game of the season. They are 3-2 against the region including a 27-point win against Bath County, one of three wins against state teams with a winning record (also Magoffin County and Estill County). 6. Rowan County (10-9): The streaky Vikings won three in a row last week. They waxed West Carter by 41. They defeated Bath County, 69-56, and beat Montgomery County by three for their second and third wins against state teams with winning records. Dashawn Watson (18 points), Jayson Ingles (18) and Colby Wilburn (17) scored 53 of the 69 points vs. Bath County. The Vikings won their first three games of the season, then lost five straight, and lost four in a row around the turn of the new year. Moved to 6-3 vs. the region. Beat Menifee County by 21 earlier in the season and beat East Carter by seven. 7. Bath County (10-5): Finished the week 0-2 with losses to Fleming County and Rowan County. Beat Fleming County by one in overtime earlier in the season. The Wildcats also lost to Russell by nine earlier. They are 2-6 since the 8-1 start. They are now 6-5 against the region. They played Estill County Saturday night while looking for their fourth win of the season against winning Kentucky teams. 8. East Carter (11-7): A 2-0 week for the Raiders, who downed Elliott County and Fairview, which marked just their third win against a Kentucky team with a winning record. Blake Hall had a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds vs. Elliott County. They have won five of their last six and are 8-4 vs. the region, 3-0 against the 62nd District. 9. Raceland (10-9): The Rams went 0-3. Ouch. They fell to Lewis County, Russell and Fleming County, dropping their record to 6-6 against the region. They have just three wins against state teams with winning records: Fairview twice and Johnson Central. They've played three games against district teams and lost all three. They did beat Menifee County. 10. Menifee County (7-12): The Wildcats finished 0-2 with losses to Russell and Greenup County. Their only victory against a Kentucky team with a winning record is against Raceland. They are 4-6 against the region. 11. Fairview (10-9): The Eagles went 2-1, beating Elliott County and Grace Christian (WV) but losing to East Carter. No wins against a KY team with a winning record but they are 8-4 since a 2-5 start. They have beaten West Carter. 12. Greenup County (7-12): The suddenly streaky Musketeers have won four straight games after losing six straight thanks to a rare 3-0 week. They beat West Carter, Lewis County and Menifee County. 13. West Carter (4-13): The Comets went 1-2, losing to Greenup County and Rowan County, and defeating Elliott County. 14. Lewis County (4-14): The Lions stopped a five-game losing streak with a win over Raceland but lost to Greenup County in the next game. The only win against a state team with a winning record is against Raceland. 15. Elliott County (2-17): The Lions finished 0-3 for the week, losing to Fairview, East Carter and West Carter. They have lost 11 games in a row. They lost six straight to begin the season. They have an 0-11 record against the region. 16. Rose Hill Christian (4-13): The Royals went 0-2, losing to Covenant (WV home) and Jenkins. They are 0-7 vs. the region.

Another hundy hundy game tonight, this one between Boyd and Campbell! Epic. That's at least three hundy hundy games this season in the state, two involving Walton-Verona, but I'm sure there have been more. Consider this the beginning of a list of games in which both teams scored at least 100 points: Walton-Verona 102, Evangel Christian 100 (OT) Nov. 30 Walton-Verona 107, Scott 104 (OT) Dec. 12 Boyd County 110, Campbell County 107 (2OT) Jan. 21 Can any BGP sleuths add to this?

Simon Kenton, 55-51.

Newport has won five straight against the 'Breds and won those games by an average of 10 points. The Wildcats have won 6 of 8 against the 'Breds this decade and 10 of 12 since the beginning of the 2017-18 season!

St. Henry 48, Dixie Heights 41 Coach Dave Faust notched career win No. 459 tonight. He needs one win to tie Ken Shields and two to pass him for most all-time in Ninth Region history. The Dave Faust Wins Countdown To Pass Ken Shields (updated) 451 start of season 452 beat Cooper, 53-50 453 beat Conner, 71-61 454 beat Villa Madonna, 81-36 455 beat Ludlow, 86-49 456 beat Scott, 78-69 457 beat Newport Central Catholic, 61-57 458 beat Bishop Brossart, 73-41 459 beat Dixie Heights, 48-41 Record: Ken Shields 460 461 Next scheduled St. Henry game: Jan. 26 at Boone County (according to the KHSAA). The next three scheduled games are at home, according to the KHSAA: Jan. 27 vs. Bluegrass United (Lexington home school) Feb. 2 vs. Lloyd Feb. 3 vs. Holmes. So, which game is he going to break the record?

This might be a near miss but I'm sure somebody here can clear it up: "Gentleman" Jim Connor (Newport Central Catholic, Boone County: 431 wins). Also Thomas More College: 133 wins. His son: Terry Connor (Thomas More College: 58 wins). Did Terry Connor ever coach high school ball? I'm thinking he was not a head high school basketball coach, but what about as an assistant? Can't imagine him getting a college head-coaching job without first being a coach of any kind at the prep level, but it's possible. It goes without saying that Terry Connor has been a pretty good athletic director at TMC.

The region's top six scorers (through Tuesday): Marcus Barker, Doss 22.5 Jacob Hand, Holy Cross 22.1 Jamir Ford, Iroquois 21.1 Jordan Harris, Beth Haven 19.8 Dalton Hicks, Fairdale 19.1 Jordan Williamson, Iroquois 19.1

I hear ya! But you do a nice job though...

True that. At least seven teams have at least one huge win, considering either opponent or circumstances or both. Grant County beat Conner by 27 Collins beat Grant County by 25 North Oldham beat Mason County by 14 and Lyon County by 34! Simon Kenton beat Ashland Blazer by 1 on the road at Ashland's own tournament Owen beat Grant County by 16 Walton-Verona beat Evangel Christian by 2 in that epic 102-100 game early in the season. Anderson beat Collins by 5 by shooting lights-out from everywhere and holding Collins to low percentages everywhere

Ho-hum, just another 27-point win for the Braves over an elite Ninth Region squad. I think the margin of victory is quite shocking, no matter how good Grant County is (which is pretty good!).

Hussey and Bradshaw did not play.

Shocker

Difference in the game, points off turnovers: CovCath, 27-6 (margin of 21 points). CovCath won by 20.

St. Henry 73, Bishop Brossart 41 Coach Dave Faust notched career win No. 458 tonight. He needs two wins to tie Ken Shields and three to pass him for most all-time in Ninth Region history. The Dave Faust Wins Countdown To Pass Ken Shields (updated) 451 start of season 452 beat Cooper, 53-50 453 beat Conner, 71-61 454 beat Villa Madonna, 81-36 455 beat Ludlow, 86-49 456 beat Scott, 78-69 457 beat Newport Central Catholic, 61-57 458 beat Bishop Brossart, 73-41 459 Record: Ken Shields 460 461

The region's top six scorers (through Monday): Caleb Hack, Frankfort 25.4 Noah Sowders, Frankfort Christian 25.1 Jay Rose, Madison Southern 22.6 Jaylen Davis, Madison Central 21.2 Javeon Campbell, Western Hills 21.2 Nick Spalding, Paul Laurence Dunbar 20.8 Note: Hack and Campbell aren't showing up in the KHSAA list of top 50 scorers, so this is a little more accurate and updated. *The KHSAA top 50 list only includes players from teams having two or fewer missing stat reports at compilation time.

The region's top five scorers, according to the KHSAA top 50 list (through Monday): Travis Perry, Lyon County 30.3 TaMarcus Eaves, Madisonville-North Hopkins 21.4 Antonio Williams, Hopkinsville 20.2 Gerard Thomas, Henderson County 19.5 Brady Shoulders, Lyon County 19.1 *Only teams having no more than two missing stat reports at compilation time are included.

Here are the region's top six scorers (through Monday): Zachary Otis, Bath County 28.7 Brevon Ricker, Menifee County 25.1 Zander Carter, Ashland Blazer 23.7 Christian Blevins, Rose Hill Christian 21.0 Tanner Johnson, Fairview 20.1 Jacob Spurlock, Boyd County 20.0 Note: Otis and Blevins aren't showing up in the KHSAA list of top 50 scorers, so this is actually more accurate and updated. Spurlock is just outside the KHSAA top 50. *The KHSAA top 50 list only includes players from teams having two or fewer missing stat reports at compilation time.

No, no. I stand corrected! I got your vibe right. I don't know why I got that backward. Totally missed it on the re-read. Thanks for the truly kind words.

Thanks for spotting that. I appreciate those who read so closely.

I was late on the Jeff Beck tip but once I started listening to him I learned to love him. His records didn't seem as popular as other so-called guitar gods of that time but the feedback and distortion were mind melding on records I heard and I eventually found out that he made all kinds of music. When I first heard Freeway Jam, years after it was recorded, my mind was blown. I immediately went out and bought Blow By Blow. I also liked There & Back, a mellower album that also had a lot of instrumental stuff that's good to daydream to and good to read to. There is a really underrated song on it called The Pump, which I find quite hypnotic. Beck was really good but the guitar player I really like from that long-ago period is Robin Trower.

6th Region Week 7 Review Western remains perched atop the rankings ahead of Evangel Christian, despite Western's loss to Male last week and Evangel Christian's current 10-game winning streak. Strength of schedule does it for Western even though Evangel Christian has the superior KHSAA RPI: .660 to .622. In fact, the top 11 in the rankings remain the same as most of last week's action came at the Republic Bank Louisville Invitational Tournament, which hosted 12 teams from the region. Bullitt East and Doss make incremental moves just outside the top 10. Western, Evangel Christian, Butler and DeSales have yet to lose to a regional foe. Pleasure Ridge Park is 6-1 versus the region and Fern Creek is 4-1. Jeffersontown is 2-2 against the region. Everybody else has at least three regional losses. The best teams with at least three losses against the region according to KHSAA RPI are Fairdale, Holy Cross, Beth Haven and Iroquois, in that order. But they are not ranked in that order here. Regional Rankings: 1. Western (14-4): The Warriors finished 2-1 at the Republic Bank Louisville Invitational Tournament, beating Fairdale, 56-48, and Trinity, 48-42, and losing to surging Male, 69-56, in the semifinals for just their second loss to a Kentucky team. Julius Edmonds posted a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds against Fairdale. Josiah Lawson led with 13 points against Trinity. Western is 5-0 against regional competition and 2-0 versus the 22nd District. 2. Evangel Christian (15-2): The Eagles won their only game of the week, beating Elizabethtown, 73-64, at the RDT Construction New Year's Classic to push their winning streak to 10. They are 5-0 vs. the region and 3-0 against the 23rd District. They have beaten Pleasure Ridge Park. 3. Pleasure Ridge Park (12-3): The Panthers went 1-1 at the Louisville Invitational Tournament. They beat Southern, 92-71, but lost to Central, 59-57. Malachi Hamilton led the team with 17 points and six rebounds vs. Central. PRP is 6-1 against the region and 2-0 vs. the 21st District. 4. Butler (13-5): The Bears went 1-1 at the Louisville Invitational Tournament, losing to Male, 55-49, and beating Seneca by 35. Dayton Williams scored a team-high 12 points against Male. Markel Meriweather scored 15 points against Seneca. Butler is 3-0 vs. the region. 5. DeSales (11-6): The Colts beat Calloway County, 59-52, in their only game of the week at the Kentucky 2A Championship. Crew Gibson had a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds. Brady Cummins led with 14 points. They are 1-0 against regional foes, the win coming against Iroquois. 6. Iroquois (12-7): The Raiders went 1-2 at the Louisville Invitational Tournament, beating Southern and losing to Trinity and Bullitt East. Jordan Williamson scored 22 points against Southern. Iroquois has beaten Holy Cross 7. Holy Cross (13-6): The Cougars went 1-2, losing to Kentucky Country Day and Bullitt at the Louisville Invitational Tournament and downing Moore with 23 points from all-time leading scorer Jacob Hand. Holy Cross is 4-4 vs. the region. 8. Fern Creek (6-9): The Tigers went 1-2 at the Louisville Invitational Tournament, losing to Central and Doss and defeating Atherton. 9. Fairdale (11-6): The Bulldogs went 2-1 at the Louisville Invitational Tournament with victories against Atherton and Beth Haven and a loss to Western. Dalton Hicks scored 20 versus Beth Haven. Fairdale is 4-3 vs. the region and 3-1 vs. the 21st District. 10. Beth Haven (13-5): The Bearcats went 2-2 last week, losing to Moore and Fairdale and beating North Bullitt and Portland Christian. Jordan Harris scored 28 points vs. North Bullitt and 30 vs. Portland Christian and averaged 21.5 ppg. for the week. 10. Jeffersontown (6-7): The Chargers split a pair of games at the L.I.T., beating Bullitt East and losing to DuPont Manual. Brenton Moore had 24 points vs. Bullitt East. 12. Bullitt East (6-11): The Chargers went 2-1 at the L.I.T., losing to Jeffersontown but defeating Lou. Holy Cross and Iroquois. 13. Doss (4-15): The Dragons went 2-1 with a loss to Male and wins versus Fern Creek and Moore, all at the L.I.T. 14. Moore (7-10): The Mustangs went 1-3 for the week, beating Beth Haven and losing to Ballard and Doss at the L.I.T., then losing to Lou. Holy Cross. They have beaten North Bullitt. 15. North Bullitt (9-8): The Eagles lost both games at the L.I.T., dropping contests against Seneca and Beth Haven. North Bullitt is 1-4 vs. the region, the win coming in a split of two games vs. Bullitt Central. The Eagles have beaten just two in-state teams with winning records. 16. Southern (6-12): The Trojans went 1-2 at the L.I.T., beating Atherton and losing to Iroquois and Pleasure Ridge Park. Southern has a win vs. Iroquois and Bullitt Central, the win against Iroquois the only one against a Kentucky team with a winning record. 17. Bullitt Central (2-13): The Cougars went 1-1 last week, losing to Frankfort and beating John Hardin. Bullitt Central beat North Bullitt by 15 on the road earlier in the season but it's the only regional win in four games. 18. Valley (0-11): The winless Vikings were idle last week. They are 0-6 vs. the region. 19. Whitefield Academy (3-12): Played once and lost to Frankfort Christian at home. Has not played a regional opponent.

It was LexCath's fifth game in seven days.

11th Region Week 7 Review A pretty solid top eight is taking shape in the region, which is paced by two of the best teams in Kentucky. Part of me has wanted to anoint Lexington Catholic as a new No. 1, and Frederick Douglass probably deserves more love than I'm giving. Even so, there are no changes to the top four and the bottom six in the rankings. Movement occurs in between. The highlights: Frederick Douglass and Madison Southern are now tied for fifth, Sayre moves into the top 10 up to eighth, and Scott County and Western Hills are also in the top 10. Among individuals, Reece Potter, who is verbally committed to Miami University, had a nice week for Lexington Catholic and Saxton Howard excelled for Lexington Christian. Madison Central continues to get solid performances from several players after losing a key member of the team. Frederick Douglas also is benefitting from the efforts of several quality players. Regional Rankings: 1. Great Crossing (15-3): The Warhawks played once and beat Madison Central, 64-53, at home. Vince Dawson led the way with 18 points. Malachi Moreno had a team-best 13 rebounds. They have won 14 of their last 16 games. Their losses came against state powers Covington Catholic, Warren Central and George Rogers Clark. They have a win against George Rogers Clark and have also beaten Ashland Blazer and Lyon County. They are 6-0 against the region and 3-0 versus the 41st District. The Knights probably deserve the top spot but Great Crossing is here because I think Great Crossing can beat Lexington Catholic head-to-head. If LexCath proves me wrong and beats Great Crossing later this month while not losing to anybody, LexCath goes straight to No. 1. 2. Lexington Catholic (19-1): The Knights played five games in seven days and went 4-1 with the loss coming in the fifth game against Mason County, 40-39, at the Kentucky 2A Championship. They ran their winning streak to 19 straight with wins against Bourbon County, Harrison County, Franklin-Simpson and Calloway County. Reece Potter had 22 points and nine rebounds against Bourbon County. Potter and John Reinhart scored 17 each against Harrison County. Potter scored 18 and Hudson Sparks had 17 vs. Franklin Simpson. Tyler Doyle scored 18 against Calloway County. The Knights are 5-0 against the region and 4-0 vs. the 43rd District. The Knights play Great Crossing Jan. 28 at Franklin County's Gary Moore Classic. They have never met in Great Crossing's four years with a basketball program. 3. Madison Central (9-8): The Indians, who have a 17-point win against once-beaten Warren Central but lost their starting point guard Hagan Harrison, went 1-2 last week. They lost to Ashland Blazer by 13 despite 19 points from Robby Todd and lost to Great Crossing by 11 despite 20 from Jayden West. They beat Wayne County with 23 points from Jaylen Davis at the 11th vs. 12th Region Classic. They are 6-1 against the region, 1-0 vs. the 44th District, and 4-2 since Harrison left the team, giving some confidence to keep them at No. 3 even though they can't be better without Harrison. That said, the losses are piling up and they could easily fall in the rankings with a bad week. 4. Henry Clay (9-8): The Blue Devils lost at Scott County by nine and beat Paul Laurence Dunbar and Bryan Station in a pair of close games. Ten of their last 11 games have been decided by nine points or fewer. Henry Clay's first six losses came against 12-4 Eastern, 13-4 Harrison County, 12-5 Simon Kenton, 12-5 Lincoln County, 12-5 Sayre and once-beaten McCracken County. The loss to Scott County shakes the confidence here but a win over Frederick Douglass will restore it. They have beaten Conner, Highlands and Butler, but the losses are starting to pile too high. They are 5-3 against the region. 5. Frederick Douglass (14-2): The Broncos pushed their winning streak to 11 with victories against Bryan Station, Scott County and Lafayette. Kai Simpson paced the team with 20 points against Bryan Station. Aveion Chenualt led with 22 versus Scott County. Armelo Boone had a team-high 24 vs. Lafayette. They are 5-2 versus the region and 3-0 against the 42nd District. Henry Clay beat them three times last season, including in the 11th Region tournament final, so they are still not ahead of Henry Clay, who they play Tuesday in their big chance to prove me wrong. Only losses are to regional rankings leaders Great Crossing and Lexington Catholic, but they have beaten just three Kentucky teams with winning records. 5. Madison Southern (12-6): The Eagles finished the week 1-1, with a win against Estill County and a loss to West Jessamine at the 11th vs. 12th Region Classic. Zach Hudson dropped in 29 points and Jay Rose had 22 against Estill County. The Eagles have beaten 12-5 South Laurel and handed Pulaski County one of its two losses but they've played just two games inside the region, going 1-1. 7. Lexington Christian (14-3): The Eagles went 3-0 for the week, beating Berea, then taking down Frankfort Christian and Sayre at the 11th Region All "A" Classic. Saxton Howard scored 21 points against Berea and 23 vs. Frankfort Christian. Connor Martin led the way with 25 against Frankfort Christian. The Eagles have won eight of their last nine games. They are 7-1 against the region, 3-1 vs. the 43rd District but have beaten just two Kentucky teams with winning records. 8. Sayre (12-5): The Spartans went 2-1 at the 11th Region All "A" Classic, beating Model and Frankfort and losing to Lexington Christian. Ian Reesor scored 25 points against Frankfort. The Spartans have beaten Henry Clay and are 5-2 vs. the region. 9. Scott County (8-11): The Cardinals went 2-1 for the week beating Henry Clay, then Mercer County at the 11th vs. 12th Region Classic. They lost to Frederick Douglass. 10. Western Hills (7-8): The Wolverines beat Frankfort for the second time this season in their only game of the week. They have other regional wins versus Sayre and Franklin County. They are 7-3 since the 0-5 start, and 3-1 vs. the 41st District. 11. Frankfort (9-7): The Panthers went 1-2 for the week beating Bullitt Central, losing to Western Hills, and falling to Sayre at the 11th Region All "A" Classic. Beat Lafayette but hasn't beaten a Kentucky team with a winning record. They are 4-5 since the 5-2 start. 12. Bryan Station (4-13): The Defenders finished 0-2 for the week, losing to Frederick Douglass and Henry Clay, extending their losing streak to nine. They have just two regional wins, against Western Hills and Lafayette. Another win was a 17-point victory against 12-5 Letcher County Central, which is second in RPI in the 14th District. 13. Paul Laurence Dunbar (6-11): The Bulldogs went 1-2 with a win against Tates Creek and losses to Henry Clay and Central. Nick Spalding scored 22 points in the victory The Bulldogs have just one other win against a regional foe and that came against Brian Station in the season opener. They have not beaten a Kentucky team with a winning record. 14. Tates Creek (6-9): Lost to Paul Laurence Dunbar in the only game of the week. Has lost four of five and hasn't beaten a state team with a winning record. 15. Lafayette 6-12): The Generals split two games, beating Wayne County and losing to Frederick Douglass. Lafayette's only regional win in nine games came against Franklin County. 16. Franklin County (7-7): The Flyers were idle last week. Their only regional win in six games came against Frankfort Christian. 17. Model (5-9): The Patriots lost their only game against Sayre at the 11th Region All "A" Classic. They are 0-3 against the region. 18. Frankfort Christian (7-12): The Royals went 2-2 during a busy week. They went 1-1 at the 11th Region All "A" Classic with a win against Trinity Christian and a loss to Lexington Christian. They followed with a win vs. Whitefield Academy and a loss to Casey County. They are 0-4 against the region. 19. Berea (6-13): The Pirates finished 0-2 last week, losing to Lexington Christian and Adair County. Berea has yet to play a regional game.

2nd Region Week 7 Review The region has developed a clear top five. Now, what to do with those five. University Heights upset the apple cart by upsetting Lyon County, the region's defending champion and top-ranked team, at the Second Region All "A" Classic Tournament. The Blazers had not beaten the Lyons since 2020 and entered play ranked tied for fourth in the region with losses to a pair of teams (Christian County and Madisonville-North Hopkins) that were between them and Lyon County in the rankings. University Heights is 5-2 against the region; Lyon County 6-1. Henderson County (4-1) is the only other team with fewer than one loss against regional competition, but that loss came against University Heights. University Heights and Hopkins County Central have two regional losses. Everybody else has three or more. University Heights might be better than we think. The Blazers now have victories against the top two teams in last week's rankings (No. 1 Lyon County, No. 2 Henderson County). No other regional team can say that. Their six losses to teams with a 78-28 combined record have come by an average of eight points. Their nine wins have come by an average of 25 points. The big question is this: Is University Heights worthy of the top spot with very narrow road losses to Madisonville-North Hopkins (by one point) and Christian County (by two points)? Also, if I put University Heights ahead of Lyon County because of the head-to-head advantage, should I put Madisonville-North Hopkins and Christian County ahead of University Heights using the same logic, even though Lyon County has beaten Christian County, and Madisonville-North Hopkins' only regional loss is to Henderson County? Both Lyon County and University Heights have good arguments for No. 1, so let's put them both there, for now. Regional Rankings: 1. Lyon County (14-5) The Lyons went 0-1 for the week, which can be counted as a disappointment. They were eliminated by University Heights, 74-64, in the first round of the Second Region All "A" Classic Tournament. The Lyons were defending regional and state All "A" Classic champions. That two high-quality teams like Lyon County and University Heights were meeting in the first round of a tournament while Dawson Springs played Fort Campbell in another opening-round game in an event that produced a 4-10 Heritage Christian squad as a finalist is fairly preposterous. Anyway, the Lyons have now gone 5-4 in the last nine games after a 9-1 start. Brady Shoulders, a recently minted 1,000-point scorer, led Lyon County with 28 points against University Heights. He's averaging 19.1 ppg on the season. Travis Perry scored 21, padding the second-highest point total in state history. Perry is averaging 30.3 ppg. 1. University Heights (9-6): The Blazers won the Second Region All "A" Classic, going 3-0 with wins over Lyon County, Crittenden County and Heritage Christian in the final. Lemar Northington scored a team-high 19 points for the Blazers and Quinton Quarles added 10 in the 72-35 rout of Heritage. University Heights, making its 26th state small-school tournament appearance, plays 16th Region champ Raceland in an All "A" Classic first-round contest Jan. 26 at Eastern Kentucky University. The Blazers will be well-tested. They have also beaten Murray and Henderson County. Their six losses have come against regional mates Madisonville-North Hopkins and Christian County plus McCracken County, Bowling Green, Owensboro and Ohio County. 3. Henderson County (12-5): The Colonels defeated Christian County, 54-49, with 17 points from Gerard Thomas, and beat North Hardin, 66-48, at the RDT Construction New Year's Classic at Central Hardin. Thomas is averaging 18.7 ppg. The Colonels have won four games in a row and eight of their last nine. Henderson County beat Madisonville-North Hopkins by 21 on the road in Dec and are 4-1 in regional action, with the lone loss to University Heights. 4. Madisonville-North Hopkins (14-4): The Maroons finished 1-1 for the week with a 65-35 win over Union County and a 61-37 loss to Evansville Reitz (IN) at the Banterra Bank Warrior Showcase in Indiana. Madisonville-North Hopkins has beaten University Heights, Christian County and Hopkins County Central. A home loss to Henderson County is their only regional defeat in nine games. 5. Christian County (10-8): The Colonels went 2-1 for the week. They lost by five to Henderson County despite another double-double, this one for 23 points and 10 rebounds, from Derrell Bateman. They defeated a pair of Indiana squads at the Banterra Bank Warrior Showcase. Bateman leads the team with 17.9 ppg and 10.8 rpg. Christian County has played eight out-of-state teams and has piled up the losses, but the Colonels have beaten University Heights and Hopkinsville. Their in-state losses have come against the likes of Lyon County, Madisonville-North Hopkins, Paducah Tilghman and Bowling Green. 6. Hopkinsville (6-11): The Tigers put up some big numbers while going 1-2 for the week. They lost in a rout to Warren Central and split two games against Indiana teams at the Banterra Bank Warrior Showcase. Antonio Williams had a monster double-double of 17 points and 16 rebounds against Warren Central. KeiMarion Smith led with 18 points. Williams scored 32 and added 17 rebounds in a 99-59 win against Evansville Bosse (IN), stopping a four-game losing streak. Williams is averaging 20.2 ppg and 11 rpg. DeTravious Leavell scored a team-high 26 points, double his scoring average, in a loss against Castle (IN). Beat Owensboro earlier in the season and also beat Webster County. Have losses of 11 points or fewer against Madisonville-North Hopkins, Ohio County, Henderson County and McCracken County. 7. Webster County (7-8): The Trojans beat Trigg County in their only game. They beat Crittenden County by 25 in December but have only three wins against state teams with winning records. 8. Hopkins County Central (7-8): The Storm lost to Apollo in their only contest. They have wins against Trigg County and Union County. 9. Crittenden County (7-10): The Rockets went 1-2 with a win against Caldwell County and a loss to University Heights at the Second Region All "A" Classic. They also lost to Trinity (Whitesville). They have beaten Trigg County. 10. Trigg County (9-8): The Wildcats lost to Webster County in the only game of the week. Beat Union County by 16 earlier in the season. 11. Union County (7-8): The Braves lost to Madisonville-North Hopkins in their lone game. They have beaten Livingston Central. 12. Livingston Central (5-10): The Cardinals lost to Heritage Christian in the only game of the week. They have defeated Dawson Springs, Caldwell County and Fort Campbell. 13. Dawson Springs (6-13): Went 1-1 with a win against Fort Campbell and an overtime loss to Heritage Christian at the Second Region All "A" Classic. Has beaten Caldwell County and Fort Campbell. 14. Caldwell County (3-10): The Tigers fell in their only contest, losing to Crittenden County at the Second Region All "A" Classic. Beat Fort Campbell by one earlier in the season. 15. Fort Campbell (3-10): The Falcons lost their only game of the week to Dawson Springs at the Second Region All "A" Classic.

16th Region Week 7 Review Ashland Blazer is now the only unbeaten team against regional competition after Morgan County lost to Russell and East Carter. Ashland Blazer, Boyd County and Russell are the only teams with fewer than two losses against other regional teams. Ashland Blazer and Russell ended the week riding winning streaks. Morgan County and Fleming County are sitting on two regional losses each. Everybody else has three or more. Four teams, Ashland Blazer (2-0 in the 64th), Russell (3-0 in the 63rd), East Carter (2-0 in the 62nd) and Bath County (2-0 in the 61st) remain unbeaten against district opponents. Among the better individual performances, Rheyce Deboard had a nice week for Ashland Blazer. There are no changes to the top seven, but East Carter and Menifee County switched spots in the back half of the top 10, giving East Carter the biggest ascending move of the week. Regional Rankings: 1. Ashland Blazer (12-6): The Tomcats went 3-0 for the week with home wins against Madison Central (81-68) and Bath County (70-56) and a rout of Raceland. Rheyce Deboard scored a team-high 34 points against Mad Central and had 24 against Bath County. The four-time defending regional champs have won five straight games. They are 5-0 against regional teams, including a nine-point win at Boyd County. 2. Boyd County (11-4): The Lions dropped their only game of the week, losing 81-77 at Letcher County Central. They could have been a little rusty after a 12-day layoff. Nevertheless, they have lost three of four after their 10-1 start. 3. Fleming County (11-7): The Panthers went 2-0 with victories over Rowan County and Augusta and improved to 6-2 in the region. The win against Augusta was just their second against a team with a winning record (they also beat Russell). However, they don't have a loss to a mediocre team. Other previous results: Two losses to Mason County, one of them by just five points, and losses to once-beaten Owensboro Catholic, Butler, Highlands, Ashland Blazer and Bath County. They beat Russell by five on the road last season and by 21 at home this season. 3. Russell (15-3): A fourth straight unbeaten week for the Red Devils, who went 2-0 with victories against Morgan County and Greenup County. Damon Charles scored 22 points against Morgan County and 18 vs. Greenup County. Russell has won 10 games in a row. The Red Devils are 11-1 vs. the region, the lone loss to Fleming County in December. Three of those regional wins have come against West Carter. Beat Bath County by nine Dec. 8 and has also beaten Raceland and East Carter but has not played as tough a schedule as Fleming County. 5. Morgan County (12-4): The Cougars were 1-2 for the week beating Powell County by 16 and losing to Russell by six and East Carter by seven. Preston Hoskins scored 22 in the win. They are 3-2 against the region including a 27-point win against Bath County. 6. Bath County (10-5): The Wildcats lost by 14 at Ashland Blazer and beat East Carter by one. Lost to Russell by nine earlier in the season and beat Fleming County by one in OT. They are 6-3 against the region. 7. Rowan County (7-9): The Vikings snapped a four-game losing streak with a 1-1 week that featured a road win against Lewis County. They lost at home to Fleming County and are 4-3 vs. the region. Still giving them the benefit of the doubt over Raceland because of a 46-20 win vs. Raceland in last year's 16th Region tournament. Beat Menifee County by 21 earlier in the season and beat East Carter by seven 8. East Carter (9-7): The Raiders beat Greenup County by 10 and Morgan County by seven at home and lost to Bath County by just one on the road. They have won three of their last four games and are 6-4 vs. the region but have beaten just two teams with winning records (Morgan County and Bethlehem). 9. Raceland (10-6): The Rams defeated Fairview with 20 points and nine rebounds from Conner Thacker and beat Menifee County by four in OT at the 16th Region All "A" Classic. They were routed by Ashland Blazer. Johnson Central is the only Kentucky team with a winning record that they have beaten, but they are 6-3 against the region. They've only played one district game and lost it. 10. Menifee County (7-10): The Wildcats finished 1-1 while hosting the 16th Region All "A" Classic and have dropped nine of their last 14 games. They beat West Carter with 21 points from Brevon Ricker but lost to Raceland in overtime with 23 from Ricker. They are 4-4 vs. the region with an earlier win against Raceland and 0-3 against the district 11. Fairview (7-8): The Eagles lost to Raceland for the second time this season at the 16th Region All "A" Classic and beat Rose Hill Christian. 12. Lewis County (3-13): The Lions were winless for the second week in a row, going 0-3 against Rowan County, Augusta and Lawrence County. They have lost five straight. 13. West Carter (3-10): The Comets lost to Menifee County by seven at the 16th Region All "A" Classic. 14. Greenup County (3-12): The Musketeers have dropped six straight after losing to East Carter and Russell. 15. Elliott County (2-13): The Lions lost to Powell County and Belfry, pushing their losing streak to seven. Still looking for their first win in eight games against another team from the region. 16. Rose Hill Christian (3-11): The Royals went 1-1 with a win over Covenant (WV) and a loss to Fairview. They are 0-7 vs. the region.