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Nicholas was down 3 with 5 seconds left and shot a layup instead of 3 and the clock ran out.

Nicholas continue to not rise up to the step up in competition.

I saw the Head Coach didn’t receive a T but a player did and then Bracken left the floor. Apparently an assistant was ejected earlier in the game.

2 weeks left until the postseason. Time to jockey for position. Due to the weather and many cancellations, you are seeing teams playing 3-4 games this week. Several playing 3 days in a row. Some changes from last week as teams hit their stride for the postseason. 1. Ashland (15-5) L vs. Johnson Central 94-85 W vs. Flyght Academy (OH) 88-55 This Week: Monday 2/9 at Martin County Wednesday 2/11 at Morgantown (WV) Saturday 2/14 at George Washington (WV) 2. Boyd County (17-6) W at Russell 76-73 L at Pikeville 85-73 This Week: Wednesday 2/11 at Martinsburg (WV) Friday 2/13 at Conner Saturday 2/14 at Newport 3. East Carter (14-4) W vs. Greenup County 67-64 This Week: Tuesday 2/10 vs. Morgan County Thursday 2/12 at Rowan County Friday 2/13 vs. Lewis County 4. Lewis County (12-8) W vs. Raceland 77-62 W vs. Greenup County 71-51 This Week: Tuesday 2/10 at West Carter Thursday 2/12 at Greenup County Friday 2/13 vs. East Carter Saturday 2/14 vs. Fairview 5. Russell (14-5) L vs. Boyd County 76-73 This Week: Tuesday 2/10 at Raceland Saturday 2/14 at Greenup County 6. Raceland (13-8) L at Lewis County 77-62 W vs. Fleming County 62-49 This Week: Tuesday 2/10 vs. Raceland Thursday 2/12 at Fairview Friday 2/13 vs. Greenup County Saturday 2/14 at Bath County 7. Elliott County (11-7) W vs. Morgan County 70-65 This Week: Monday 2/9 vs. West Carter Wednesday 2/11 at Morgan County 8. Morgan County (10-9) W vs. Greenup County 77-60 L at Elliott County 70-65 This Week: Monday 2/9 at Fairview Tuesday 2/10 at East Carter Wednesday 2/11 vs. Elliott County 9. Rowan County (9-11) W vs. Bath County 80-52 This Week: Monday 2/9 at Greenup County Tuesday 2/10 at Menifee County Thursday 2/12 vs. East Carter 10. Greenup County (8-11) L at Morgan County 77-60 L at East Carter 67-62 L at Lewis County 71-51 This Week: Monday 2/9 vs. Rowan County Thursday 2/12 vs. Lewis County Friday 2/13 at Raceland Saturday 2/14 vs. Russell 11. West Carter (10-9) Idle all week This Week: Monday 2/9 at Elliott County Tuesday 2/10 vs. Lewis County Thursday 2/12 vs. Bath County Friday 2/13 vs. Fleming County 12. Fleming County (7-9) W vs. Bath County 81-62 W vs. Menifee County 83-31 L at Raceland 62-49 This Week: Monday 2/9 vs. Bracken County Tuesday 2/10 vs. St. Pat Thursday 2/12 at Scott Friday 2/13 at West Carter 13. Bath County (6-15) L at Fleming County 81-62 L at Rowan County 80-52 W at Casey County 45-39 This Week: Tuesday 2/10 vs. Bracken County Thursday 2/12 at West Carter Saturday 2/14 vs. Raceland 14. Menifee County (3-18) L at Fleming County 83-31 L vs. Lynn Camp 50-26 This Week: Tuesday 2/10 vs. Rowan County Thursday 2/12 at Jackson City Friday 2/13 vs. Bracken County 15. Fairview (1-12) Idle all week This Week: Monday 2/9 vs. Morgan County Tuesday 2/10 vs. Rose Hill Thursday 2/12 vs. Raceland Saturday 2/14 at Lewis County

Spencer was without 17 PPG in Seawright.

Nicholas benefits from being taller and more athletic than the small schools they play and the struggling district they are in. Won the All-A but their best win so far is probably Bourbon County and that was the first week of the season. They haven’t been competitive with a step up in competition.

Jerrod Calhoun needs to be the first call. UC alum who built Youngstown up and now has Utah State at 19-3.

Cats fall to 11-12 this season. Wes Miller seems to be on his way out. What needs to be done to fix the Bearcats? Who would you like to see the coach?

1. Ashland (14-4) W vs. Montgomery County 79-68 2. Boyd County (16-5) W vs. Huntington Expression 77-73 3. East Carter (13-4) Idle all week 4. Russell (14-4) Idle all week 5. Raceland (12-7) Idle all week 6. Lewis County (10-8) W vs. Belfry 73-68 7 Morgan County (10-8) W at Rowan County 97-95 8 Elliott County (10-7) Idle all week 9. Greenup County (8-9) Idle all week 10. Rowan County (8-11) L vs. Floyd Central 75-67 L vs. Morgan County 97-95 11. West Carter (10-9) Idle all week 12. Fleming County (5-8) Idle all week 13. Bath County (5-13) idle all week 14 Menifee County (3-16) Idle all week 15 Fairview (1-12) Idle all week A look at the week ahead: Monday 2/2: Morgan Co. vs. Greenup Co. Tuesday 2/3: Russell vs. Boyd Co. Lewis Co. vs. Greenup Co. Morgan Co. vs. Rowan Co. Wednesday 2/4: Ashland vs. Johnson Central Fleming Co. vs. Bath Co. Thursday 2/5: East Carter vs. Magoffin Co. Raceland vs. Lewis Co. Elliott Co. vs. Morgan Co. Friday 2/6: Ashland vs. George Washington (WV) Greenup Co. vs. Russell Morgan Co. vs. West Carter Rowan Co. vs. Bath Co. Fleming Co. vs. Menifee Co. Fairview at Tolsia (WV) Saturday 2/7: Ashland vs. Flyght Academy (OH) Boyd Co. at Pikeville Russell vs. Dawson-Bryant (OH) Raceland vs. Fleming Co. West Carter vs. Rowan Co. Bath Co. at Casey Co. Menifee Co. vs. Lynn Camp

Sears has been practicing and playing JV. Let’s not act like he’s just been out of basketball.

Sears was ruled eligible today.

If Sears gets eligible, trust me you’d hear about it online.

It was a week of movement and teams showing they are ready to take the next steps toward postseason. Outside of the top 2, the 16th about as even as it gets. Anyone from 3-10 can be beaten on any night but how fun is that?! 4 weeks until the district tournament. With weather moving in, let’s see if anything gets played this week. For now, let’s get to it. 1. Ashland (13-4) W vs. Great Crossing 82-74 W at Boyd Co. 93-86 The reigning champs reclaim the throne at #1 with a victory over previous #1. The Cats started the week by defeating the defending state champions. They had four in double figures led by Elijah Neel with 24. The big one was Friday night when #1 and #2 battled with the Tomcats beating Boyd at their own game. Elijah Neel again led the Cats with 30 points and 11 assists. Tomcats sweep the season series with two more matchups likely when it matters most. 2. Boyd County (15-5) L vs. Ashland 93-86 After the grind of 3 games in 3 days, the Lions spent the week preparing to host rival Ashland. In a fast paced, high scoring game, Ashland defeated the Lions for the second time this season. Jacob Spurlock finished with 44 points and 14 rebounds in the loss. 3. East Carter (13-4) W at Bath Co. 69-47 W at West Carter 61-60 Is East the 3rd best team in the region? Maybe not. Are they playing the 3rd best basketball in the region right now? Absolutely. Winners of seven in a row and a 4-0 mark in the tough 62nd district has Coach Brammer’s Raiders all the way up to #3 this. 4. Russell (14-4) W at Lawrence Co. 80-70 L vs. Lewis Co. 59-56 All season I have had the Devils in the 3 spot and said I believed on the right night, they could take down 1 or 2. I still believe that but after a home loss to Lewis on Friday night, they fall to #4 this week. 5. Raceland (12-7) L vs. Morgan Co. 71-66 W vs. KY Country Day 57-41 L vs. Lyon Co. 74-50 The Rams ventured to Owensboro for the All-A State Tournament but had a tune up at home against Morgan County. The dropped that by 5 to the Cougars before winning in the opening round in Owensboro against the 7th Region representative KCD. On Friday they fell to one of the top teams in the state, Lyon County. Two district games loom this week if they can get them in. 6. Lewis County (9-8) L vs. Powell Co. 86-80 W vs. Elliott Co. 67-57 W at Russell 59-56 Here come the Lions. After a shaky start to the season, they are finding their footing. Two huge regional wins this against teams previously ranked ahead of them. With two scorers like Puente and Bivens, they can hang with anyone. 7. Elliott County (10-7) W at West Carter 59-43 L at Lewis Co. 67-57 W vs. Wolfe Co. 76-52 The Lions are a tough team to figure out. They can have a dominating win at West Carter, they fall to Lewis County. Outside of Adkins and Crabtree, Junior Ian Griffith is rising as 3rd option for the Lions. 8. Morgan County (8-8) W at Raceland 71-66 The cougars are about as up and down as you can be and their record shows it. Only one game this week but they made it count going on the road and winning at Raceland. Asher Gamble had 23 in the win and the Cougars hit 12 threes. 9. Greenup County (8-8) W at Bracken Co. 81-58 Only one game this week for Coach Sutton’s group after their second was cancelled because of weather but they travelled to Brooksville and had an easy win. 4 games scheduled this week, let’s see how many they play. 10. Rowan County (8-9) W at Bath Co. 70-36 For the first time maybe all season, the Vikings rise in our rankings. Only game this week was a dominant performance on the road at district rival Bath County. Cam Cross is still averaging 25 and game and the Vikings are getting the services of Grant Rose back after being injured all season. 11. West Carter (10-9) L vs. Elliott Co. 59-43 L vs. East Carter 61-60 The free fall continues for the Comets. 7 straight losses for Coach Webb’s group including two home district losses. 12. Fleming County (5-8) L vs. Madison Southern 73-36 One game and it wasn’t one the Panthers want to remember. Getting thumped by Madison Southern. Panthers still have a good chance to get to Morehead in a terrible district but the rebuild is still on. 13. Bath County (5-12) L vs. East Carter 69-47 L vs. Rowan Co. 70-36 Times are tough in Owingsville and getting tougher. Losing 9 of 10 with the one win being against Menifee County. 14. Menifee County (3-16) W vs. St. Pat 51-33 L at Bourbon Co. 70-34 L vs. Jackson City 64-40 Wildcats get the rare win this week with a good win against St. Pat. Not only a win, but dominating win on a neutral floor. 15. Fairview (1-12) W vs. Rose Hill 70-55 The Eagles have a victory! It’s been a long road but the last winless team have a win against Rose Hill. A look at the week ahead: Monday 1/26: Raceland at Portsmouth West (OH) Greenup Co. vs. Lewis Co. Elliott Co. vs. Morgan Co. Bath Co. vs. Bluegrass United Menifee Co. at June Buchanan Tuesday 1/27: East Carter vs. Morgan Co. Russell vs. Fleming Co. Elliott Co. at Lawrence Co. Greenup Co. at Wheelersburg (OH) Menifee Co. vs. Rowan Co. Fairview at Notre Dame (OH) Wednesday 1/28: Lewis Co. vs. Raceland Thursday 1/29: East Carter vs. Greenup Co. Bath Co. at Bourbon Co. Friday 1/30: Ashland vs. Paintsville Boyd Co. at Paris Fairview vs. East Carter Morgan Co. vs. Lewis Co. Rowan Co. vs. Fleming Co. West Carter at Magoffin Co. Saturday 1/31: Boyd Co. at Male Russell at Huntington Expression Raceland vs. Greenup Co. Lewis Co. vs. Belfry Fleming Co. vs. Elliott Co. Rowan Co. vs. Morgan Co.

Times are very tough in Maysville. Is help on the way or is this a complete rebuild?

The former Pineville head coach takes over a rebuild in Morehead.

Just a resignation or is he going somewhere else?

1. Boyd County (15-4) W vs. Fairview 112-28 W vs. Henry Co. 77-62 W vs. Bell Co. 61-53 W vs. CAL 66-57 The 2026 2A State Champions. A big congratulations to the Lions. They started the week with a dominant district victory over Fairview then followed with a 3-0 run in Owensboro capped with a win over CAL in the finals. Jacob Spurlock took home MVP honors while Gunnar Woods, Ethan Rardon, Caleb Rimmer, and Malachi Payne took home all-tournament. They will rest up before the big 1 vs 2 showdown at home vs. Ashland on Friday. 2. Ashland (11-4) W at Champmanville (WV) 78-56 Tomcats had a 1-0 weeks traveling across the border to Chapmanville and came home with a convincing win. Two big games ahead as the defending state champions come to A-Town on Monday then the showdown with Boyd on Friday. 3. Russell (13-3) W at West Carter 82-47 W vs. Raceland 83-57 After being upset by Morgan the week earlier, Coach Cooksey’s Devils sent a message this week with two dominant performances against region opponents. The balanced attack saw five players in double figures against West and four against Raceland. 4. East Carter (11-4) W vs. Elliott Co. 54-47 W at Morgan Co. 65-56 It is time to put some respect on the Raiders. Winners of five straight including two region wins this week. They beat a good Elliott team before they survived in OT on the road at Morgan. They have almost quietly snuck to an 11-4 record with three players (Burton, Menix, and McGuire) averaging double figures. The rivalry game with West looms on Friday. 5. Raceland (11-5) W at Greenup Co. 58-54 L at Russell 83-57 A 1-1 week against region completion for Coach Bryan’s Rams. Started with the important road district win over streaky Greenup before a road loss to Russell. They drop a spot this week. Home tune up against Morgan before they represent the 16th region in Owensboro at the All-A State Tournament. 6. Elliott County (8-6) L at East Carter 54-47 This is where the rankings get challenging. All the teams in this bunch don’t seem to want to make their statement. The Lions have the potential to be a sneaky team come postseason or they can lose in the first round of district. They will go as Lake Adkins goes. 7. Lewis County (7-7) W at Rowan Co. 78-55 W at Portsmouth (OH) 65-55 The Lions have won three straight which warrants a jump this week. This week will really tell us how dangerous the Lions are with games against Powell, Elliott, and Russell. They show well and we can see them making noise in the 63rd. Julian Puente continues to shin averaging 25 PPG. 8. Morgan County (7-8) W at West Carter 70-56 L vs. East Carter 65-56 Another team that is up and down. One week they look like they’re faking off after defeating Russell and the next they fall at home to East Carter. Big week ahead as they play two teams ahead of them (Raceland and Russell). 9. Greenup County (7-8) L vs. Raceland 58-54 W at West Carter 72-58 Another team that is hit or miss. Sometimes they look like they should be in top 6 but they’ve lost three of four with three winnable games this week to right the ship. 10. West Carter (10-7) L vs. Russell 82-47 L vs. Greenup Co. 72-58 L vs. Morgan Co. 70-55 The Comets are like Tom Petty, free fallin’. After winning six in a row and sitting at 10-2, they’ve lost five in a row and all three this week were at home. They have plenty of time to right the ship but three big challenges including the game with East awaits. Nathan Webb is still shooting 55% from three. 11. Rowan County (7-9) L vs. Lewis Co. 78-55 W at Fleming Co. 62-56 The Vikings come in at 11 this week because honestly someone has to be the best team in the 61st and right now it is them. Two more winnable games this week for the growing Vikings. Cam Cross continues to lead them at 24 PPG. 12. Fleming County (5-7) W at Bath Co. 49-46 L vs. Rowan Co. 62-56 W vs. Mason Co. 77-39 A 2-1 week for Coach Biggs Panthers including a district road win. They will continue to get better and as I mentioned before, their district is one of the worst in recent memory. 13. Bath County (5-11) L vs. Fleming Co. 49-46 W vs. Menifee Co. 61-40 L vs. Casey Co. 59-55 Coach Gambrel’s Cats had three home games this week and went 2-1 with the win being over 2-14 Menifee. Issac Ulery dropped 30 in that victory. Their best win is still St. Pat and that isn’t good. Tough sledding this week against East and Rowan. 14. Menifee County (2-14) L at Bath Co. 61-40 W vs. Fairview 62-54 The young Cats found a way to win the 14/15 battle with Fairview. Senior Canaan Fugett led them with 18 in the victory. Four games this week with some possible wins if they play well. 15 Fairview (0-12) L at Boyd Co. 112-28 L at Menifee Co. 62-54 The Eagles continue to show up and battle and they should be commended for that. The wins haven’t come but they will at least do that. Good chance this week against Rose Hill. A look at the week ahead: Monday 1/19: Ashland vs. Great Crossing Greenup Co. at Bracken Co. Fleming Co. vs. Madison Southern Menifee Co. vs. St. Pat Tuesday 1/20: Russell at Lawrence Co. Bath Co. vs. East Carter Raceland vs. Morgan Co. West Carter vs. Elliott Co. Lewis Co. vs. Powell Co. Fairview at Rose Hill Wednesday 1/21: Lewis Co. vs. Elliott Co. Menifee Co. at Bourbon Co. Thursday 1/22: Raceland vs. Kentucky Country Day (All-A State) Friday 1/23: Boyd Co. vs. Ashland Russell vs. Lewis Co. West Carter vs. East Carter Elliott Co. vs. Wolfe Co. Fairview vs. Greenup Co. Bath Co. vs. Rowan Co. Menifee Co. vs. Jackson City Saturday 1/24: Russell vs. Morgan Co. Greenup Co. at Lucasville Valley (OH) West Carter at Floyd Central Rowan Co. vs. Augusta Fleming Co. vs. Bracken Co. Menifee Co. vs. Robertson Co.

GRC wins 63-57.

Why is a big rivalry like GRC-MoCo on a Thursday instead of a Friday or Saturday?

First week of 2026 started the 16th Region off with a bang. First thing, we’re starting with a change at the top. I have held Ashland there due to their head to head win over Boyd but a month is long enough. The Lions are playing some great basketball. Some congratulations are in order. The Boyd County Lions are the 2A Section 6 Champions and the Raceland Rams are the 16th Region All-A Classic Champions. A wild week in the 16th and some changes in our ranking show it. 1 Boyd County (11-4) W vs. Rowan Co. 99-47 W vs. Powell Co. 77-73 A 2-0 week, a championship, and the top spot in our ranking makes for a big week for the Lions. They will head to Owensboro and the 2A State Tournament next weekend. Mr. Basketball candidate Jacob Spurlock poured in 32 in the win over Powell and surpassed 3000 points for his career. They will tune up for Owensboro Tuesday against Fairview. 2 Ashland (9-4) W at Greenup Co. 69-53 L at GRC 79-59 W vs. Henry Clay 71-54 The Cats have been on top of our rankings all season and for good reason but their rivals are just playing better basketball at this moment. Ashland took care of business on the road at Greenup County on Tuesday with Caleb Clarke and Alijah Owens combining for 54 points between them. Thursday they fell on the road against GRC in a game they were never really in. Saturday night they avenged their loss in the AIT to Henry Clay. 3 Russell (11-3) W vs. Bath Co. 88-39 W vs. Greenup Co. 96-65 L at Morgan Co. 64-60 The Devils looked to be rolling before an upset loss at Morgan County on Saturday. Thy did pick up a district win over Greenup on Friday night. Coach Cooksey has a balanced group with four players averaging double figures and three averaging over 5 boards a game. I still believe this is a team that on the right night, can find themselves cutting the nets down at Morehead State. 4 Raceland (10-4) W vs. West Carter 64-58 W vs. Elliott Co. 66-58 For the 3rd time in 4 years, the Rams cut down the nets as the 16th Region All-A Champions. They avenged their loss in last year’s finals to Elliott County. Jonah Arnett is averaging 20 PPG while shooting 44% from behind the arc. 5 Elliott County (8-5) W vs. Morgan Co. 67-48 L vs. Raceland 66-59 The Lions jump a spot this week after going 1-1. They defeated Morgan County easily in the semi-finals of the All-A before falling to Raceland in the finals failing to repeat as champions. Lake Adkins and Tyssen Crabtree pace the Lions attack averaging double figures with Crabtree averaging a double-double. Three huge regional games this week will see if the bump is rankings is justified. 6 East Carter (9-4) W vs. Prestonsburg 76-61 W at Fleming Co. 79-60 W vs. West Carter 55-40 The Raiders make a big jump after a 3-0 week and winning 6 of their last 7. The biggest win of course comes defeating rival West Carter. They will play the two teams that bookend them this week with a chance to stake their claim in the district and region. 7 Morgan County (6-7) L vs. Elliott Co. 67-48 W vs. Russell 64-60 Coach Griffith’s Cougars had the biggest non-championship win of the week with their victory over Russell. Are they finally hitting their stride after an up and down season so far? If they are hitting 3’s, they can hang with anyone. 8 West Carter (10-4) L at Raceland 64-58 L at East Carter 55-40 An 0-2 week drops the Comets down to #8. A tough loss in the All-A semi-final to Raceland carried over into a loss at rival East Carter. After a hot start, they might be coming down a little bit. Three big region games this week to get back on track or show they have some work to do. 9 Greenup County (6-7) L vs. Ashland 69-53 L at Russell 96-65 Another team that struggled this week. 0-2 against two of the top teams in the region. Coach Sutton has a team with a bright future and some senior leadership that will continue to be up and down as they grow. Two teams ahead of them on the schedule with a chance to climb up the rankings. 10 Lewis County (5-7) W at Mason Co. 92-64 The Lions had a 1-0 week with a win at the historic Fieldhouse. 37 points from Daylen Bivens paced them. He and Julian Puente are carrying the Lions who will continue to get better as Coach Tackett’s teams always do. 11 Rowan County (6-8) L vs. Boyd Co. 99-47 An 0-1 week for the Vikes and it was a big 0-1 falling to Boyd by 52 in the 2A Sectionals. The Vikings were champions of that last season. They will continue to grow and get better and appear to be the best team in one of the weakest regions in the state. 12 Fleming County (3-6) L vs. East Carter 79-60 The Panthers haven’t played many games but they will make up for that in 2026. They are continuing to replace almost every contributor from their team last season. Two district games this week to see if they can rise up in the very weak 61st district. 13 Bath County (4-9) L at Russell 88-39 The Wildcats have lost 6 in a row and their 4 wins are still against teams with a combined 5 wins (St. Pat has 4 of them). They haven’t been competitive in any of their 9 losses. Two district games to see if they can turn it around. 14 Menifee County (1-13 L vs. Model 82-24 L at Dayton 63-48 The Wildcats are very young and very inexperienced. They have some young talent coming up but they’re taking some big lumps this season. They were never in the game with Model and were down as many as 22 to Dayton. Two winnable games this week against Bath and Fairview. 15 Fairview (0-10) Idle week The Eagles took the week off after falling in the All-A. They come back on Tuesday against Boyd County and will battle Menifee on Saturday for the 15th spot in our rankings next week. A look at the week ahead: Monday 1/12 Tuesday 1/13 Boyd Co. vs. Fairview West Carter vs. Russell Greenup Co. vs. Raceland East Carter vs. Elliott Co. Rowan Co. vs. Lewis Co. Bath Co. vs. Fleming Co. Wednesday 1/14 Lewis Co. vs. Elliott Co. Greenup Co. vs. West Carter Thursday 1/15 Friday 1/16 Boyd Co. vs. Henry Co. (2A State) Russell vs. Raceland West Carter vs. Morgan Co. Fleming Co. vs. Rowan Co. Bath Co. vs. Menifee Co. Saturday 1/17 Ashland at Champmanville (WV) Elliott Co. vs. Russell Morgan Co. vs. East Carter Lewis Co. at Portsmouth (OH) Fleming Co. at Mason Co. Bath Co. vs. Casey Co. Menifee Co. vs. Fairview

Lions will play Powell for the 2A sectional.

Devils keep rolling.

Happy New Year 16th Region. School will be back in session this week and with that, teams will be back on a regular schedule and some important matchups await. Let’s get to it… 1. Ashland (8-3) W vs. Simon Kenton 58-49 L vs. George Washington (WV) 63-58 Tomcats have dropped 2 of their last 3 but they will stay at the top until someone from the 16th knocks them off. Tomcats would finish 3rd in their own AIT with Elijah Neel and Caleb Clarke taking hot All-Tournament honors. The Cats hosted GW out of West Virginia on Saturday and fell at home by 5 in a game they led with under a minute to go. Three big games this week will see where they stand going into 2026. 2. Boyd County (9-4) W at Lexington Catholic 74-60 L vs. Daviess Co. 86-78 W at Parkersburg South (WV) 96-62 W at Fleming Co. 99-55 The Lions had an impressive run in one of the marquee tournaments in Kentucky at Lexington Catholic with a second place finish falling to a top 10 Daviess County team by 8. The Lions would play their 5th game in 5 days traveling to West Virginia to blow out Parkersburg the next day. The 2A sectionals got under way on Saturday with an easy 44 point win over Fleming County. Malachi Payne had 27 points and 7 assists in the championship loss to Daviess. 3. Russell (9-2) W vs. Ryle 55-50 W at Lewis Co. 66-63 The Red Devils hold steady at #3 after a couple of impressive victories. They finished off a 3rd place finish at LCA with a close win over a good Ryle team and got a tough road region win at Lewis County. Burgess and Cordial paced the Devils with 18 and 17 in the Ryle win while Jagger Prickett exploded for 26 at Lewis. Many thought they might rebuild after their recent departures but Coach Cooksey has a team that can come at you in many ways and can contend. 4. Raceland (8-4) Idle week The Rams took the last week of 2025 to rest and gear up for the All-A Regional Tournament. After back-to-back titles, they will look to avenge their loss in the finals last season. They will get a game West Carter team at home in the semi-finals on Monday night. Jonah Arnett paces the Rams at 21 PPG while shooting 47% from 3. 5. West Carter (10-2) W vs. Marion Co. 73-68 W vs. Menifee Co. 96-40 6 straight victories for the Comets has them dreaming of an All-A Classic title. They went to Owingsville and won the Dan Swartz Classic and entered the All-A with a convincing 56 point victory over Menifee County. They will play Raceland Monday night in the semi-finals. Nathan Webb continues to light it up averaging 18 PPG and shooting 56% from three. 6. Elliott County (7-4) W vs. Betsy Layne 50-42 W at Belfry 75-67 L vs. Johnson Central 68-55 W vs. Fairview 80-39 The Lions are coming into form. The defending All-A region champions are building momentum to defend their title this week. They would finish runner-up in the Mountain Schoolboy Classic at Belfry only falling to Johnson Central in the finals. They began All-A play with an easy 41 point victory over Fairview on Saturday. They will play Morgan County on Monday at Raceland. 7. East Carter (6-4) W vs. Low Country Prep (FL) 79-43 L vs. Horizon Christian Acad. (GA) 75-71 The Raiders took on Georgia and came back to Kentucky 2-1. I love seeing teams travel out of state and prove how good the basketball is in the bluegrass. Burton, Menix, and McGuire are a three headed monster all averaging double figures for Coach Brammer. 8. Greenup County (6-4) W at East Jessamine 65-59 L vs. Bullitt East 58-54 L vs. McCreary Central 62-54 W at South Point (OH) 44-42 Musketeers had a busy 4 game schedule this week going 2-2. Coach Sutton has a group that is a mix of senior leadership with some exciting youth. If they are hitting shots, they can contend in the tough 63rd district. 9. Morgan County (5-6) W vs. Lake Oconee Academy (GA) 62-52 L vs. Goshen (OH) 69-43 L vs. James River (VA) 79-56 The Cougars spent the week playing teams from 3 different states and going 1-2. That is what Christmas break is for, playing teams you usually wouldn’t play. So far, they are living and dying by the 3. They had a bye in All-A and will play the defending champs Elliott County on Monday night. 10. Lewis County (4-7) W vs. Doss 63-34 L vs. Russell 66-63 The up and down season for the Lions continues. Julian Puente and Daylen Bivens are a lethal 1-2 punch but to get where they want, someone else will need to step up. The Lions showed what they are capable of by playing 3rd ranked Russell to a 3 point game on Saturday night. 11. Rowan County (6-7) W vs. Ludlow 70-54 W vs. Mason Co. 98-78 The Vikings have won 3 in a row. Granted those 3 wins haven’t been against top flight competition but as inexperienced as the Vikings are, you take what you can get. Some big wins are out there this week in the 2A against Boyd or at home on Friday against Floyd Central. 12. Fleming County (3-5) L vs. Boyd Co. 99-55 Coach Biggs lost all 5 starters and is rebuilding his Panthers and it is showing. They are a completely different team than years past. Last year they could out shoot anyone, this year they are only shooting 27% from 3. A winnable game this week at home against East Carter. 13. Bath County (4-8) L vs. Harrison Co. 62-46 L vs. Powell Co. 91-33 In mid December, the Cats won 4 of 5. Since then, they have dropped 5 straight and haven’t been competitive in any of those losses. Only one game this week against Russell. 14. Menifee County (1-11) L vs. Russellville 62-27 L vs. John Hardin 82-42 W vs. Heritage Hopkinsville 75-64 L vs. West Carter 96-40 The Wildcats finally got win #1 against Heritage Academy out of Hopkinsville in double overtime. They drew West Carter in the first round of the All-A and lost pretty handily. Freshman Brodey Parks is a bright spot leading the team in scoring at 13 PPG. 15. Fairview (0-10) L vs. Elliott Co. 80-39 The Eagles are still searching for that first win. They drew Elliott County in the first round of the All-A and fell. They take the rest of the week off before playing Boyd on January 13th. A look at the week ahead: Monday 1/5: Raceland vs. West Carter (All-A) Elliott Co. vs. Morgan Co. (All-A at Raceland) Tuesday 1/6: Greenup Co. vs. Ashland Boyd Co. vs. Rowan County at Estill Co. (2A) Russell vs. Bath Co. Fleming Co. vs. East Carter Thursday 1/8: Ashland at George Rogers Clark 2A Championship at Estill County All-A Region Championship at Raceland Friday 1/9: Russell vs. Greenup Co. Lewis Co. at Mason Co. Rowan Co. vs. Floyd Central Menifee Co. vs. Model Saturday 1/10: Ashland vs. Henry Clay at Berea College Morgan Co. vs. Russell Menifee Co. at Dayton

Hard to get excited about a Top 10 pick with Duke and Zac doing the picking.

7th/8th place game at The Dan Swartz Classic at Bath County.