Knight Owl

I thought it was late in real time, hudl video confirms clock was at zero and Metzger still had ball in his hands.

Wow. Beechwood somehow loses after leading by 5 with 2 seconds. Metzger with 3 at buzzer to tie it up, though it shouldn't have counted.

Coach Hart was quoted in NKY Tribune article that McCormick is out for the year.

I wanted to move Newport up more, but I would expect every team ranked ahead of them to beat them if they played head-to-head, even Holy Cross who they just beat (the stat that sticks out from All A Final, HC 0-10 from 3-point range, Newport 5-9). Newport will get plenty of chances to play these teams in the coming weeks, so we will see. With the way they defend and get out in transition, I think they can beat anyone on the region except Cov Cath, especially if they are able to hit some 3s. I think Amontae Lowe is the best player in the 9th region outside of the 3 seniors vying for Player of the Year (McGillis, Blaackar, Louden).

9th Region: Week 7 It was another fun week in the 9th Region. I was able to watch a lot of games (both in person and online) and it is time to combine Tiers 2 and 3. Cov Cath is clearly above the rest of the region, but I think any team in the 2-9 range could beat any other team. I also think that one (or both of) my Tier 4 teams (Cooper and St. Henry) will get an upset victory in the region sooner than later. (Tier 1) Cov Cath looks like they are going to roll through the region with not much resistance. Highlands actually kept the game closer than expected given how well Cov Cath shot the ball, but I can’t see any 9th region team beating the Colonels this year. I think Highlands is a clear #2 right now, but they could have easily lost to Dixie earlier in the week. Lloyd moves up to #3 despite losing their only game of the week to Great Crossing. Holy Cross drops to #4 after their loss to Newport, but I still expect them to pile up wins with improved 3-point shooting. No changes with Ryle (#5), Dixie (#6), and Conner (#7). Newport (#8) jumps Beechwood (#9) with the All A Regional Tournament Championship, and they could continue to climb in the rankings in the coming weeks. Tier 4 teams Cooper and St. Henry remain in their own Tier for now. Tier 1: The Favorite 1. Covington Catholic (16-1) [last week 1; preseason 1] Cov Cath continues to dominate, blowing out Walton and Holmes before beating rival Highlands by 20. I think Athens McGillis (23.8 ppg) is starting to separate himself as the favorite for 9th Region Player of the Year, as he continues to put up big numbers for the clear best team in the region. Braeden Myrick (17.9 ppg) and Donovan Bradshaw (11.4) both are playing well and scoring in double figures, while Cash Harney (9.1 ppg) is contributing in multiple ways and scoring more of late. Tough upcoming week for the Colonels as they play St. Xavier (OH), McNicholas (OH), Trinity (Louisville), and Centerville (OH). Mon, 1/19 St. Xavier (OH) at Cintas Center; Tues, 1/20 McNicholas (OH) at CCH; Fri, 1/23 Trinity at CCH; Sat, 1/24 at CCH Tiers 2/3: Good/Solid Teams that are Not Cov Cath 2. Highlands (14-2) [last week 2; preseason 3] Highlands escaped Dixie with a victory early in the week before falling by 20 to Cov Cath. I feel pretty good about the Bluebirds in the #2 spot, and I think they should feel pretty good about losing by only 20 to Cov Cath (who continues to shoot lights out from 3), which just goes to show how much separates the Colonels from the rest of the 9th Region. The Bluebirds continue to show great balance - Finn Bouldin (13.4 ppg) Nathan Rickard (11.2 ppg), Owen Ebert (11.0 ppg), Vincent Listerman (9.9 ppg), and Tayden Lorenzen (12.8 ppg). Highlands has three games this week, including Cooper and two district games (Bellevue and NewCath). Wed, 1/21 Cooper at Highlands; Thurs, 1/22 at Bellevue; Sat, 1/24 at Newport Catholic 3. Lloyd (10-4) [last week 4; preseason 7] Lloyd lost their only game of the week at home (68-65) to defending State Champion Great Crossing. 9th Region Player of the Year candidate Blaackar had another big game, going for 33 points and is now averaging 23.6 ppg. Sophomore Jason Kabeya and senior Isiah Golsby are also in double figures. Three games this week, including a big one at home against Beechwood. Mon, 1/19 Newport Catholic at Lloyd; Fri, 1/23 Beechwood at Lloyd; Sat, 1/24 at Ludlow 4. Holy Cross (15-3) [last week 3; preseason 2] Holy Cross got two wins in the All A Regional Tournament (including a good one against Beechwood), before getting upset in the final by Newport. I moved the Indians down another spot as they continue to struggle from the 3-point line in their losses. In their three losses, Holy Cross is a combined 5 of 42 (including 0 for 10 against Newport) from the 3-point line. Congrats to Luke Arlinghaus (18.9 ppg) on scoring his 1,000th point, who continues to lead Holy Cross in scoring with Nate Rominder (14.1 ppg) and Brady Gabbard (14.9 ppg) also scoring in double figures. The Indians were planning on being in Owensboro for the All A State Tournament so no games scheduled this week. No Games 5. Ryle (10-6) [last week 5; preseason 4] Ryle seems to be getting better each week. They destroyed a pretty solid Grant County team (64-26) and beat district rival Cooper by 20. Ryle has three double-digit scorers, AJ Davis (11.8 ppg), Holden Smith (17.2 ppg), and Anthony Coppola (12.2 ppg). The Raiders get Oldham County on Monday before facing another district rival Conner on the road. Mon, 1/19 Oldham County at Cintas Center (OH); Fri, 1/23 at Conner 6. Dixie Heights (12-5) [last week 6; preseason 6] Dixie lost their only game of the week to Highlands at home. Dixie led throughout most of the 2nd and 3rd quarters but could not close it out. Dixie is led by Max Rubemeyer (16.4 ppg), Tyson Metzger (11.8 ppg), and Hunter Seng (10.4 ppg). The Red Colonels have two home games this week, facing off against Beechwood and Tates Creek. Tues, 1/20 Beechwood at Dixie Heights; Fri, 1/23 Tates Creek at Dixie Heights 7. Conner (9-6) [last week 7; preseason 5] Conner blew out district rival Boone County in their only game of the week. Louden continues to lead the region in scoring, averaging 24.4 ppg (through 15 games) while Tyler Warner (12.1 ppg) is also scoring in double figures. Just one game again this week, but it is a big one as they get Ryle at home in a district battle. Fri, 1/23 Ryle at Conner 8. Newport (11-4) [last week 9; preseason 9] Congrats to the Wildcats for winning the 9th Region All A Tournament, which included an epic championship game with Holy Cross. Junior Amontae Lowe (22 ppg) was the best player on the floor and scored 25 despite being face-guarded the whole game. It’s the first time this year I’ve seen Newport and I was impressed. They played great defense, took care of the basketball, were really good in transition, and made open shots (5 of 9 from 3-point line). They have several other players making contributions, including Keegan Farrel (9.6 ppg, 6.4 rebounds), Irvan Nichols (8.5 ppg), and Davae Andrews-Glover (7.4 ppg). Newport will head to Owensboro for the Kentucky State All A Tournament this week, beginning with Lexington Christian. Thur, 1/22 Lexington Christian at Owensboro Sportscenter; TBD at Owensboro Sportscenter 9. Beechwood (12-5) [last week 8; preseason 8] The Tigers had two blowout wins to start the All A Regional Tournament before falling to Holy Cross by 11. I thought Beechwood played well in the game but struggled to find any rhythm on offense, with the Indians face-guarding and playing a box and 1 on Topmiller, holding him to 16 points on 4-16 shooting. Beechwood will have to find scoring options (other than Topmiller, 20.0 ppg) with second leading scorer Owen McCormack out for the year. A really tough week ahead for the Tigers as they face Dixie and Lloyd on the road. Tues, 1/19 at Dixie; Fri, 1/23 at Lloyd Tier 4 10. Cooper (2-13) [last week 11; preseason 11] Cooper went 0-2 on the week, falling to South Dearborn (IN) and Ryle. The Jaguars (through 14 games) are led by Julian Knuckles (11.1 ppg), Elijah Philpot (10.9 ppg) and Cole Stanton (11.3 ppg). Cooper has just one game this week, a big district matchup at Ryle. Fri, 1/23 at Ryle 11. St. Henry (6-9) [last week 11; preseason 10] The Crusaders beat Ludlow before falling to Newport in the All A Regional Tournament. St. Henry is led by sophomore Tyler Detzel (8.2 ppg) and junior Blake Stevens (8.2 ppg). St. Henry has three home games this week. Wed, 1/21 Holmes at St. Henry; Thurs, 1/22 Newport Catholic at St. Henry; Sat, 1/24 Boone County at St. Henry The Rest 12. Newport Catholic (4-11) NewCath got blown out by Beechwood in their only game of the week. This week the Breds get Lloyd, St. Henry, and Highlands. 13. Holmes (4-10) Bulldogs lost by 70 to Cov Cath this week. This week the Bulldogs will look to get wins against Bellevue, St. Henry, and Williamstown. 14. Boone Co (5-11) The Rebels lost their only game this week against Conner. Three games this week, including a district battle at Cooper. 15. Ludlow (6-9) Ludlow went 0-2 on the week. The Panthers have Villa, Heritage, and Lloyd this week. 16. Dayton (12-4) The Greendevils were 2-1 this week, beating Portland Christian and Trinity Christian and losing to Holy Cross in the All A. This week the Greendevils play Heritage on the road (game against Newport likely cancelled). 17. Bellevue (5-9) The Tigers lost to Newport in their only game of the week. This week Bellevue plays Holmes, Highlands, and Carroll County. 18. Heritage (2-14) Heritage lost to Beechwood and beat Landmark Christian. The Eagles have Dayton and Ludlow this week. 19. Villa Madonna (3-12) Villa went 0-2 on the week. The Vikings play Ludlow and Calvary Christian this week.

I think that Holy Cross wins it this year over Newport in the final. Beechwood won the A last year, knocking off St. Henry, NCC, and Holy Cross, before upsetting the heavy favorites Newport in the championship game. The Tigers have their work cut out for them if they want to repeat, especially with the favorite Holy Cross likely waiting for them in the semifinals if the Tigers can get past New Cath.

9th Region: Week 6 Another week with lots of movement in the 9th Region rankings. The one certainty is that Cov Cath is the best team. (Tier 1) Cov Cath shot the lights out, was completely suffocating on defense, and put a running clock on a pretty good Beechwood team. I still think that Highlands and Holy Cross (Tier 2) belong in their own Tier, but this could change in the coming weeks as Tiers 2 and 3 may need to be combined. After losing to Lloyd at home, Holy Cross needs to bounce back and win the All A 9th Region tournament to show that they are really one of the top 3 in the region. Highlands has a chance to solidify itself in the top 3 this week, with big games against Dixie (who has been flying under the radar at 10-4) and Cov Cath (#1). Tier 3 teams continue to shuffle around. Right now Lloyd is at #4 with recent wins over Holy Cross and Ryle, while Ryle is at #5 with recent wins over Highlands and Beechwood. Dixie is back in the #6 spot, with Conner at #7, Beechwood at #8 (they have lost 4 in a row), and Newport at #9 rounding out the Tier. Tier 4 teams Cooper and St. Henry remain in their own Tier for now, though Cooper could easily have a few more wins and may move up in the rankings in the coming weeks. Tier 1: The Favorite 1. Covington Catholic (13-1) [last week 1; preseason 1] Cov Cath dominated their only game of the week, blowing out an undermanned Beechwood squad. Athens McGillis looked every bit like the 9th Region Player of the Year, scoring 30 points, including 24 in the first half. Braeden Myrick continues to show that he might be the best shooter in Kentucky, averaging 17.7 ppg while shooting 52.2% from 3-pt range (on 47 made 3s). Three games this week, including a big Friday night matchup with Highlands on the road. Tues, 1/13 at Holmes; Wed, 1/14 Walton Verona at CCH; Fri, 1/16 at Highlands Tier 2: The Contenders 2. Highlands (13-1) [last week 3; preseason 3] Highlands had three relatively easy wins this week, including a blowout of Bishop Brossart (who just beat Campbell County). Despite their loss to Ryle, I think the Bluebirds are playing well and the addition of Lorenzen combined with their deep roster has them looking good as the #2 in the region (subject to change, since every time I move a team up they get beat). The Bluebirds continue to show great balance - Finn Bouldin (14.1 ppg) Nathan Rickard (10.8 ppg), Owen Ebert (11.5 ppg), Vincent Listerman (9.7 ppg), and Tayden Lorenzen (13.1 ppg). Highlands has a tough week beginning with Dixie on the road and Cov Cath at home. Tues, 1/13 at Dixie Heights; Fri, 1/16 Covington Catholic at Highlands 3. Holy Cross (13-2) [last week 2; preseason 2] Holy Cross went 1-1 on the week, getting beat by Anthony Blaackar and Lloyd at home before rebounding in a blowout win over Holmes. I moved the Indians down one spot with the loss. Luke Arlinghaus (18.9 ppg). Nate Rominder (14.1 ppg), and Brady Gabbard (14.9 ppg) continue to lead for Holy Cross. This week the Indians have the 9th Region All A Tournament at Holy Cross, beginning with either Dayton or Villa. Wed, 1/14 Villa/Dayton at Holy Cross; Fri, 1/16 TBD at Holy Cross; Sat, 1/17 TBD at Holy Cross Tier 3 4. Lloyd (10-3) [last week 4; preseason 7] I think Lloyd has been the biggest surprise of the 9th Region. They beat Holy Cross on the road and also picked up a win against Scott this week. 9th Region Player of the Year candidate Blaackar was dominant, scoring 30 and 31 in the two games, and is now averaging 22.8 ppg. Sophomore Jason Kabeya and senior Isiah Golsby are also in double figures. Lloyd stays home this week with two out-of-region games against Brossart and 2025 State Champion Great Crossing. Tues, 1/13 Brossart at Lloyd; Sat, 1/17 Great Crossing at Lloyd 5. Ryle (8-6) [last week 5; preseason 4] Ryle had a great week going 3-0, beginning with a win at Beechwood. Senior Anthony Coppolla had a monster game against Beechwood, scoring 25 points, with 4 made 3-pointers. If Ryle shoots the ball well, they can play with anyone in the region (except probably Cov Cath). Ryle has three double-digit scorers (through 12 games), AJ Davis (12.8 ppg), Holden Smith (16.8 ppg), and Anthony Coppola (10.1 ppg). The Raiders have three games again this week, beginning with two home games, including a big district matchup with Cooper, before heading on the road to face Henry County. Tues, 1/13 Grant County at Ryle; Fri, 1/16 Cooper at Ryle; Sat, 1/17 at Henry County 6. Dixie Heights (12-4) [last week 7; preseason 6] Dixie went 2-1 on the week, blowing out Scott and East Central (IN) and falling to Simon Kenton on the road. No stats have been posted for their games this week. Dixie (through 12 games) has been led by Max Rubemeyer (15.3 ppg), Tyson Metzger (12.9 ppg), and Hunter Seng (9.5 ppg). The Red Colonels have only game this week, but it is a big one, facing off against Highlands at home. Tues, 1/13 Highlands at Dixie Heights 7. Conner (8-6) [last week 7; preseason 5] Conner needed a long 3-point shot to beat Cooper in their only game of the week. Louden is averaging 24.3 ppg (through 12 games) while Tyler Warner (12.6 ppg) is also scoring in double figures. Just one game again this week as they go on the road to face Boone County in a district battle. Fri, 1/16 at Boone County 8. Beechwood (10-4) [last week 6; preseason 8] Tough week for the Tigers who have now lost 4 in a row. They lost to Ryle at home by 12 (after leading at halftime) and got blown out by Cov Cath. Beechwood has dealt with some injuries as they were down two starters in the Cov Cath game (it would not have changed the outcome), including second leading scorer Owen McCormack. Beechwood sophomore Dylan Topmiller leads the Tigers with 19.9 ppg, while Owen McCormack (12.9 ppg) is also in double figures. Let’s hope they can get their injured players back soon as the 9th Region All A Tournament is this week, beginning with Heritage. Mon, 1/12 Heritage at Holy Cross; Wed, 1/14 NCC at Holy Cross; Fri, 1/16 TBD at Holy Cross 9. Newport (8-4) [last week 9; preseason 9] Newport won their only game of the week, beating Woodward (OH) by 1. Junior Amontae Lowe (22 ppg) did not play in the game, let’s hope he’s back on the court this week. Keegan Farrell is also in double figures for the Wildcats at 10 ppg. Newport will look to make some noise in the 9th Region All A Tournament this week, beginning with Bellevue. Tues, 1/13 Bellevue at Holy Cross; Fri, 1/16 TBD at Holy Cross Tier 4 10. Cooper (2-11) [last week 11; preseason 11] Cooper went 0-2 on the week, falling to Simon Kenton by 20 and losing to Conner on a buzzer beating 3-pointer. I think Cooper is better than their record shows, and will get a win against a team ranked in the top ten sooner than later. The Jaguars are led by Julian Knuckles (11.8 ppg), Elijah Philpot (10.9 ppg) and Cole Stanton (10.2 ppg). Cooper has just one game this week, a big district matchup at Ryle. Fri, 1/16 at Ryle 11. St. Henry (5-8) [last week 11; preseason 10] The Crusaders went 3-0 on the week, getting wins against Villa, Calvary, and Gallatin County. St. Henry is led by sophomore Tyler Detzel (8.9 ppg) and junior Blake Stevens (8.2 ppg). St. Henry has the 9th Region All A Tournament this week, beginning with Ludlow. Tues, 1/13 Ludlow at Holy Cross; Fri, 1/16 TBD at Holy Cross The Rest 12. Newport Catholic (4-10) NewCath went 2-1 on the week, beating Holmes and Bellevue and losing to Ryle at home. This week the Breds have the 9th Region All A Tournament at Holy Cross, beginning with either Beechwood or Heritage. 13. Holmes (4-9) Bulldogs went 0-2 on the week, falling to NCC and Holy Cross. This week the Bulldogs only have one game, at home against Cov Cath in a district matchup. 14. Boone Co (5-10) The Rebels lost their only game this week against Ryle. Just one game this week, a district battle against Conner at home. 15. Ludlow (6-7) Ludlow won their only game of the week against Bellevue. The Panthers have the 9th Region All A Tournament at Holy Cross, beginning with St. Henry. 16. Dayton (9-3) The Greendevils were 2-1 this week, beating rival Bellevue and Menifee County. This week the Greendevils have the 9th Region All A Tournament at Holy Cross, beginning with Villa. 17. Bellevue (5-8) The Tigers went 0-3 on the week, falling to rival Dayton, NCC, and Ludlow. have the 9th Region All A Tournament at Holy Cross, beginning with Newport. 18. Heritage (1-13) Heritage went 0-3 on the week. The Eagles have the 9th Region All A Tournament at Holy Cross, beginning with Beechwood. 19. Villa Madonna (3-10) Villa went 0-3 on the week. The Vikings have have the 9th Region All A Tournament at Holy Cross, beginning with Dayton.

Beechwood was in control early, maybe up 5 at the half and probably should have been more. Ryle totally dominated the 2nd half, played lockdown defense, and made their free throws to close it out. Beechwood gave Ryle several wide open looks and Ryle made them pay. Overall Ryle shot the ball really well (maybe 9-17 from 3). I think Coppolla had about 25 points and made about 5 3-pointers. I think a lot of it had to do with the Ryle defense, but Beechwood looked completely out of sync on offense in the 2nd half. Topmiller missed several open looks and had a really poor shooting night. If Ryle shoots the ball as well as they did tonight they will be tough to beat. I think Beechwood will be just fine, though they will have to play better on the defensive end to beat good teams.

9th Region: Week 5 We welcomed the new year with some surprising results that continue to shake up the 9th Region rankings. (Tier 1) Cov Cath keeps on rolling and I still don’t expect them to lose a game within the 9th Region. (Tier 2) Highlands and Holy Cross both suffered their first losses of the season, though I’m keeping them in their own Tier for now as I think they will consistently be the next two best teams in the region. Tier 3 teams could be ranked using a random number generator at this point; (#5) Ryle beat (#3) Highlands, (#4) Lloyd beat (#5) Ryle, then lost to (#7) Conner, who lost Walton Verona, (#4) Beechwood fell to Woodward (OH), who lost to Scott last week (Beechwood beat Scott by 30 earlier in the season), (#9) Newport almost beat Evangel Christian, who just beat (#2) Holy Cross, (#8) Dixie continues to play well, beating a good Clay County team and barely losing to a very good Larue County. Cooper and St. Henry remain in their own Tier rounding out the top 11, but wouldn’t be surprised if one or both join Tier 3 at some point during the season. Tier 1: The Favorite 1. Covington Catholic (11-1) [last week 1; preseason 1] Cov Cath dominated every game in their tournament in Florida, with an average margin of victory greater than 35 points, before the expected blowout of undermanned Newport Catholic. Athens McGillis and Braeden Myrick continue to fill it up, averaging 23.2 ppg and 18.5 ppg, respectively, with Donovan Bradshaw chipping in 11.5 ppg. Just one game this week, a big district battle at home against Beechwood. Fri, 1/9 Beechwood at CCH Tier 2: The Contenders 2. Holy Cross (12-1) [last week 2; preseason 2] Holy Cross finally suffered their first loss of the season to a good Evangel Christian team, before getting two easy wins over Ohio opponents. I’m not worried about Holy Cross as I think their loss was due more to cold shooting (3-16 from 3-pt range), which happened to a couple of teams this week. Luke Arlinghaus (18.9 ppg). Nate Rominder (13.3 ppg), and Brady Gabbard (16.0 ppg) continue to put up big numbers for Holy Cross. The Indians have three home games this week, including a big matchup against Lloyd, a district game against Holmes, and Campbell County on Saturday. Tues, 1/6 Lloyd at Holy Cross; Fri, 1/9 Holmes at Holy Cross; Sat, 1/10 Campbell County at Holy Cross 3. Highlands (10-1) [last week 3; preseason 3] Highlands had two blowout wins in Florida this week before finally losing their first game of the year at Ryle. I don’t know if it was the travel, but Highlands looked out of sync against Ryle and gave up a half-dozen or more easy transition or fast break layups. The Bluebirds have 5 double-digit scorers - Finn Bouldin (15.9 ppg) Nathan Rickard (11.2 ppg), Owen Ebert (10.2 ppg), Vincent Listerman (10.3 ppg), and Tayden Lorenzen (12.7 ppg). Highlands will look to back in the win column with three out-of-region games this week, including an interesting matchup at Lexington Christian on Saturday. Tues, 1/6 at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (OH); Thurs, 1/8 Brossart at Highlands; Sat, 1/10 at Lexington Christian Academy Tier 3 4. Lloyd (7-3) [last week 5; preseason 7] I have Lloyd in the #4 spot due to their win over Ryle last week, despite falling by 15 to Conner this week. They also beat a young Oldham County team by 20. 9th Region Player of the Year candidate Blaackar is averaging 21.5 ppg, while sophomore Jason Kabeya and senior Isiah Golsby are also in double figures. Lloyd has a big game Tuesday at Holy Cross and stays on the road to face Scott on Friday. Tues, 1/6 at Holy Cross; Fri, 1/9 at Scott 5. Ryle (5-6) [last week 6; preseason 4] Ryle continues to confound me. They lost to a good Russell team before beating (#3) Highlands at home. I think they are a top 5 team in the region but need to be more consistent. Ryle has two double-digit scorers (through 10 games), AJ Davis (12.9 ppg) and Holden Smith (17.6 ppg), with Anthony Coppola and Grace Nsuti chipping in 7 ppg. The Raiders have three games this week, including a big road matchup against #6 Beechwood on Tuesday and a district battle against Boone County on Friday. Tues, 1/6 at Beechwood; Fri, 1/9 Boone County at Ryle; Sat, 1/10 at NewCath 6. Beechwood (10-2) [last week 4; preseason 8] I’ve moved the Tigers down a few spots as they struggled (3-20 from 3-pt range) at home against Woodward (OH) in their only game of the week. Beechwood sophomore Dylan Topmiller leads the Tigers with 20.3 ppg, while Owen McCormack (12.8 ppg) is also in double figures. A tough week for Beechwood to get back in the win column as they stay home to face #5 Ryle then go on the road to face Cov Cath in a big district matchup. Tues, 1/6 Ryle at Beechwood, Fri, 1/9 at Cov Cath 7. Conner (7-6) [last week 8; preseason 5] Conner had been rolling with five straight wins (including a Monday win against #4 Lloyd) before falling on the road to Walton Verona. Louden is averaging 24.3 ppg (through 12 games) while Tyler Warner (12.6 ppg) is also scoring in double figures. Just one game this week as they go on the road to face #10 Cooper in a district battle. Fri, 1/9 at Cooper 8. Dixie Heights (10-3) [last week 7; preseason 6] Dixie went 1-1 on the week, losing to LaRue County by 2 at the Railroad Classic and beating St. Henry by 15. Dixie is one of the few teams I haven’t seen play yet this year, but I think they could be ranked as high as #5 in the region based on their performance so far this year. Dixie (through 12 games) has been led by Max Rubemeyer (15.3 ppg), Tyson Metzger (12.9 ppg), and Hunter Seng (9.5 ppg). The Red Colonels have three out-of-region games this week, going on the road to face Scott and Simon Kenton before coming home to face East Central (IN). Wed, 1/7 at Scott; Fri, 1/9 at Simon Kenton; Sat, 1/10 East Central (IN) at Dixie 9. Newport (7-4) [last week 9; preseason 9] Newport went 2-1 on the week, beating Boone County and Scott and losing to Louisville (OH). Junior Amontae Lowe continues to put up big numbers, averaging 22 ppg, while Keegan Farrell is also in double figures at 10 ppg. Newport only has one game this week, Woodward (OH) at home. Wed, 1/7 Woodward (OH) at Newport Tier 4 10. Cooper (2-9) [last week 11; preseason 11] Cooper only had one game last week, an 11-point loss to Hopkinsville in Ashland. The Jaguars are led by Julian Knuckles 11 ppg and Cole Stanton 10 ppg. Cooper has two games this week – on the road at Simon Kenton and a big district matchup against Conner at home. Tues, 1/6 at Simon Kenton; Fri, 1/9 Conner at Cooper 11. St. Henry (2-8) [last week 11; preseason 10] The Crusaders went 0-2 on the week, getting blown out by a tough South Oldham team and falling to Dixie by 15. St. Henry is led by sophomore Tyler Detzel (8.8 ppg) and junior Blake Stevens (8.2 ppg). St. Henry gets a home matchup with Villa before going on the road to face Calvary Christian. Tues, 1/6 Villa at St. Henry; Thur, 1/8 at Calvary Christian The Rest 12. Newport Catholic (2-9) NewCath went 1-3 on the week, beating Madisonville-North Hopkins and losing Russell County and East Jessamine at a holiday tournament, before losing by 40 to Cov Cath. This week the Breds get Holmes and Ryle at home and Bellevue on the road. 13. Holmes (4-7) Bulldogs went 0-2 on the week, falling to Roger Bacon and Walton Verona. This week the Bulldogs go on the road to face NewCath and Holy Cross. 14. Boone Co (4-9) Tough week for the Rebels as they went 0-4. Just one game this week, a district battle at Ryle. 15. Ludlow (5-6) Ludlow lost their only game of the week against Rowan County. The Panthers get Bellevue at home this week. 16. Bellevue (5-5) The Tigers went 1-2 on the week, falling to Calvary Christian and Augusta and beating Heritage. Three games this week, including a matchup against rival Dayton on the road. 17. Dayton (7-2) The Greendevils were 2-0 this week, beating Frankfort Christian and St. Patrick. This week the Greendevils will have three games, including a Monday matchup with rival Bellevue at home. 18. Heritage (1-10) Heritage went 0-3 on the week. The Eagles will look to get back in the win column this week with three games on the road. 19. Villa Madonna (3-7) Villa went 1-1 on the week. The Vikings have three games this week, including a road matchup against St. Patrick.

The shakeup in Tier 3 continues - Lloyd avenges an earlier season loss with a win over Ryle on Sunday, then falls to Conner by 15 today. Both Finn Louden and Anthony Blaackar putting up big numbers.

Beechwood will need to be at their best to beat Holy Cross, especially how well Arlinghaus and Gabbard are playing. They will likely match up in the All A Regional in a couple of weeks.

9th Region: Week 4 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! This time of year we get lots of games outside the 9th Region with teams playing in holiday tournaments. It’s also a good time to take stock of where teams are as most teams have played about 10 games and football players have settled back into basketball form. No changes at the top – (Tier 1) Cov Cath began the week with a 20-point win over state-ranked North Oldham in the consolation game of the King of the Bluegrass and is now in sunny Florida, where they posted a 68-point win over one of the local teams in the opening round of the tournament. (Tier 2) Highlands and Holy Cross continue to show they belong in the statewide rankings as they remain undefeated. I have moved Ryle out of Tier 2 as they prove to be a tough team to rank, with wins over Sayre and Elder, but losses to Paintsville and Lloyd. Tier 3 now includes Beechwood, Lloyd, Ryle, Conner, Dixie, and Newport. I think any team from this Tier could be any other team from this Tier on any given night. I’m keeping Cooper and St. Henry in their own Tier as they continue to play difficult schedules – congratulations to both Coach Holthaus and Coach Sullivan who were able to get their first wins at their new schools and will look to build some momentum going into the New Year. 1. Covington Catholic (9-1) [last week 1; preseason 1] Cov Cath beat state-ranked North Oldham by 20 and blew out a team from Florida in their opening round matchup in Sarasota. The Colonels will play a few more games in Florida (hopefully against some better teams) before facing off against New Cath on Saturday. Through nine games, 9th Region Player of the Year candidates Athens McGillis and Braeden Myrick are averaging 24.8 ppg and 17.1, respectively, with Donovan Bradshaw chipping in 11.9 ppg. Mon-Tues, 12/28-30 TBA at Sarasota (FL); Sat, 1/3 New Cath at CCH 2. Holy Cross (10-0) [last week 2; preseason 2] Holy Cross improved to 10-0 on the season with a huge win over state-ranked Montgomery County on the road and a blowout win over Taylor (OH). Luke Arlinghaus has been on fire and averaged more than 30 ppg over his last few games and is now scoring 19.4 ppg. Nate Rominder (13.3), and Brady Gabbard (17.0 ppg) are also averaging double figure ppg. The Indians have another big game this week facing Evangel Christian at Bellevue and playing two Ohio teams this weekend. Tues, 12/30 Evangel Christian at Bellevue; Fri, 1/2 Middletown (OH) at Holy Cross; Sat, 1/3 at Purcell Marian (OH) 3. Highlands (8-0) [last week 3; preseason 3] Highlands had two blowout wins this week. With Lorenzen back, Highlands now has 5 double-digit scorers - Finn Bouldin (16 ppg) Nathan Rickard (11.1 ppg), Owen Ebert (10.5 ppg), Vincent Listerman (11.4 ppg), and Tayden Lorenzen (11.2 ppg). Highlands plays at least one more game in Mississippi, before going on the road to play Ryle on Saturday. Mon-Tues, 12/29-30 TBD at Freeport (MS); Sat, 1/3 at Ryl 4. Beechwood (10-1) [last week 6; preseason 8] I’ve moved the Tigers up to #4 despite seeing their undefeated season finally coming to an end on Sunday against Harlan County in Campbellsville, where they defeated a very good Pleasure Ridge Park (PRP) team and Bardstown. Beechwood also got a last second layup from Ryan Smith to beat Walton at Home on Tuesday. Beechwood sophomore Dylan Topmiller (21 ppg) continues to impress with 26 points against PRP (including going 6/6 on free throws in the final 19 seconds) and 29 against Walton. Owen McCormack (13 ppg) is also in double figures for the Tigers. Only one game this week as they stay home to face Woodward (OH) on Friday. Fri, 1/2 Woodward (OH) at Beechwood 5. Lloyd (6-2) [last week 5; preseason 7] The Juggs stay put in the #5 spot with impressive wins over Fern Creek, North Hardin and Ryle. 9th Region Player of the Year candidate Blaackar is averaging 20 ppg, while sophomore Jason Kabeya and senior Isiah Golsby are contributing 11 ppg each. Lloyd has a big game Monday against Conner and stays home to play Oldham County on Friday. Mon, 12/29 Conner at LCA; Fri, 1/2 Oldham County at Lloyd 6. Ryle (4-5) [last week 4; preseason 4] Ryle went 2-2, beating Elder (OH) and Lexington Sayre and losing to Paintsville and Lloyd. Senior Anthony Coppola has missed the last few games with some kind of injury, let’s hope he gets back on the court soon. Ryle has two double-digit scorers (through 7 games), AJ Davis (15 ppg) and Holden Smith (15 ppg), with Anthony Coppola chipping in 7 ppg. The Raiders continue to play tough games – this week they play Russell (who has been ranked in the state) and Highlands. Mon, 12/29 Russell at LCA; Sat, 1/3 Highlands at Ryle 7. Dixie Heights (9-2) [last week 7; preseason 6] Dixie went 3-0 on the week, beating Fern Creek, Breathitt County, and Clay County. The Red Colonels seem to flying under the radar and quietly picking up wins against solid teams, so it wouldn’t surprise me if they start moving up in the rankings. Dixie (through 10 games) has been led by Max Rubemeyer (16 ppg), Tyson Metzger (14 ppg), and Hunter Seng (10 ppg). The Red Colonels get Larue County in the championship game of the Railroad Classic at Estill County on Monday, before playing St. Henry at home on Friday. Mon, 12/29 Larue County at Estill County; Sat, 1/2 St. Henry at Dixie 8. Conner (6-5) [last week 8; preseason 5] Conner now has four consecutive wins with Louden back in the lineup, including three good wins this week against Nicholas County, Bowling Green (last year state runner-up), and Russell (who has been ranked in the state). Like Dixie, the Cougars could start moving up in the rankings with quality wins. Louden is averaging 25 ppg (through 9 games, no stats posted for last two wins), while Brady Bushman (10 ppg) and Tyler Warner (12 ppg) are scoring in double figures. Another tough week ahead for the Cougars as they face Lloyd and Walton Verona. Mon, 12/29 Lloyd at LCA; Sat, 1/3 at Walton 9. Newport (5-3) [last week 9; preseason 9] Newport went 2-2 on the week, beating Cooper (68-66) and Lebanon (OH) and losing to Simon Kenton and Evangel Christian. Junior Amontae Lowe returned from injury this week and is averaging 22 ppg, while Keegan Farrell is also in double figures at 10 ppg. Newport gets Boone County and Scott at Bellevue this week. Mon, 12/29 Boone County at Bellevue; Tues, 12/30 Scott at Bellevue 10. Cooper (2-8) [last week 11; preseason 11] Congrats to Coach Holthaus and the Jaguars on their first wins of the season over Paintsville (who beat Ryle) and St. Mary. Cooper also narrowly lost to Newport and got blown out by a very good Henry Clay team in Ashland. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Jaguars beat a couple of the teams ranked in front of them and find themselves in Tier 3. The Jaguars are led by Julian Knuckles 13 ppg and Cole Stanton 12 ppg (through 8 games). According to the Massey ratings, the Jaguars have played the 5th most difficult schedule in Kentucky. Cooper’s only game this week is against Hopkinsville in Ashland. Mon, 12/29 Hopkinsville at Ashland; 11. St. Henry (2-6) [last week 11; preseason 10] Congrats to Coach Sullivan and the Crusaders on their first wins of the season over Ludlow and Louisville Holy Cross. St. Henry is led by sophomore Tyler Detzel (10 ppg). St. Henry faces a tough South Oldham team on Monday and goes on the road to play Dixie Friday this week. Mon, 12/29 South Oldham at Henry County; Fri, 1/2 at Dixie 12. Newport Catholic (1-6) NewCath went 0-1 on the week, losing on the road to McNicholas. This week the Breds go against Russell County at East Jessamine on Monday and get Covington Catholic on the road on Saturday. 13. Holmes (4-5) Bulldogs went 0-1 on the week, falling on the road to Raceland. This week the Bulldogs get Roger Bacon (OH) and Walton Verona at Bishop Brossart. 14. Boone Co (4-5) Just one game this week, a win over Heritage at Bellevue. The Rebels continue play at Bellevue with games against Newport and Calvary Christian. 15. Ludlow (5-6) Ludlow went 1-2 this week, beating Bath County and losing to St. Henry and West Carter. The Panthers get Rowan County this week. 16. Bellevue (4-3) The Tigers went 1-0 on the week, blowing out Williamstown. Bellevue gets Calvary Christian, Heritage, and Augusta this week. 17. Dayton (5-2) No games this week. This week the Greendevils will get St. Patrick and Frankfort Christian. 18. Heritage (1-7) Heritage went 0-1 on the week, falling to Boone County by 5. The Eagles get Calvary Christian (2X) and Bellevue this week. 19. Villa Madonna (2-6) Villa went 0-2 on the week, losing to Ballard Memorial and Caldwell County. The Vikings get Fulton City and Cincinnati Country Day this week.

Per Beechwood Basketball Facebook - "The Beechwood Tigers are 8-0 to start the season for the first time in our programs 94 year history. The Tigers win 64-63 over Walton Verona on a Ryan Smith buzzer beater. Sophomore Dylan Topmiller leads with 29 pts and Junior Cole Coppage with 13 pts and one incredible game winning assist."

I agree. I think Pendleton should be higher. I haven't seen Nicholas Co play, but I'd have Pendleton at 4 or 5, maybe even ahead of Scott.

9th Region: Week 3 Another week of thrilling games in the 9th Region - Cov Cath won some big games and lost to Male in the King of the Bluegrass, Beechwood outlasted Finn Louden and Conner in overtime, and Highlands and Holy Cross continue their undefeated Decembers. Athens McGillis continues to score in bunches against some of the best teams in the state and is now averaging 25 ppg. Finn Louden looked good in his return after missing a few games with an injury and is now averaging almost 30 ppg. Lloyd and Anthony Blaackar struggled some in their only game of the week, but did manage a 4-point win over Cooper. No changes in the first three Tiers this week. Cov Cath remains the clear #1 and regional favorite in Tier 1. If Cov Cath is going to compete for a state championship they are going to have to find a way to get Cash Harney and some of the other supporting cast more involved. I’m keeping Ryle in Tier 2 despite an underwhelming performance against Newport (who was without Amontae Lowe) and a loss to DeSales. The Raiders will have to play better to compete with Elder this week. I expect Holy Cross and Highlands to start getting some votes in the state rankings as they continue to pile up wins against solid teams. The balance of both these teams is impressive. Tier 3 remains the same. #5 Lloyd was almost upset by Cooper on the road and #6 Beechwood went 4-0 on the week, including a thrilling overtime win against #8 Conner. #7 Dixie fell just short against a good Danville Christian team and #9 Newport hung around against #4 Ryle without their star player Lowe. I made some changes in the bottom part of the rankings; winless Cooper moves ahead St. Henry with close losses to Campbell County and Lloyd. Tier 1: The Favorite 1. Covington Catholic (7-1) [last week 1; preseason 1] Cov Cath got a 40-point win over Simon Kenton at home to start the week, before going 2-1 in their first three games of the King of the Bluegrass, beating Lee (AL) by almost 50 and state-ranked North Laurel by 4. They fell to state-ranked Louisville Male by 8, though they led for most of the game before falling behind in the 4th quarter. The Colonels will meet North Oldham on Monday in the 5th Place game. Through eight games, 9th Region Player of the Year candidates Athens McGillis and Braeden Myrick are averaging 24.8 ppg and 19.0, respectively, with Donovan Bradshaw chipping in 11.8 ppg. It is notable that Cash Harney is only averaging 6 ppg (maybe easing way back into basketball after the long football season). After facing North Oldham in the KOB, Cov Cath heads to Sarasota, FL for a holiday tournament against tough competition. Sat, 12/27-29 TBA at Sarasota (FL) Tier 2: The Contenders 2. Holy Cross (8-0) [last week 2; preseason 2] Holy Cross improved to 8-0 on the season blowing out both Brossart at home and Bertie (NC) in Montgomery County, and had two close wins over North College Hill and Scott County. As expected, Holy Cross continues their balanced attack with Luke Arlinghaus (14.1ppg), Nate Rominder (15.0), and Brady Gabbard (14.7 ppg) all averaging double figure ppg. Big game on Monday this week as the Indians face Montgomery County on the road, and will also play Taylor (OH) next Saturday at Xavier University. Mon, 12/22 at Montgomery County; Sat, 12/27 Taylor (OH) at Xavier 3. Highlands (6-0) [last week 3; preseason 3] Highlands welcomed back Tayden Lorenzen and picked up wins over Oldham County and state-ranked Ballard. With Lorenzen back, Highlands now has 5 double-digit scorers - Finn Bouldin (15 ppg) Nathan Rickard (14.3 ppg), Owen Ebert (11.7 ppg), Vincent Listerman (10 ppg), and Tayden Lorenzen (12 ppg). Highlands hosts Cincinnati Trailblazers and goes on the road to play Tupelo Christian (MS). Tues, 12/23 Cincinnati Trailblazer (OH) at Highlands; Sat, 12/27 Tupelo Christian at Freeport 4. Ryle (2-3) [last week 4; preseason 4] Ryle went 1-1 for the second week in row, winning an ugly home game against Newport 45-30 and losing to DeSales at Carroll County. Ryle has two double-digit scorers (through 4 games), AJ Davis (17 ppg) and Holden Smith (13 ppg), with Anthony Coppola chipping in 7 ppg. The Raiders continue to play tough games – this week they play Elder and Paintsville at Scott and head to Lexington to play Sayre on Saturday. Mon, 12/22 Elder at Scott; Tues, 12/23 Paintsville at Scott; Sat, 12/27 vs. Sayre at Lexington Christian Academy Tier 3 5. Lloyd (3-2) [last week 5; preseason 7] The Juggs stay put in the #5 spot with a close win on the road at Cooper, who held 9th Region Player of the Year candidate Blaackar to 7 points (15 below his season average). Lloyd goes to Carroll County on Tuesday to play against Fern Creek and then to Lexington to face North Hardin. Tues, 12/23 Fern Creek at Carroll County; Saturday, 12/27 North Hardin at Lexington Christian Academy 6. Beechwood (7-0) [last week 6; preseason 8] The Tigers survived at Pendleton County (61-54) before pulling out a big home win against Conner in overtime. Beechwood also had two blowout wins in Berea over Lee and Mercer County. Beechwood sophomore Dylan Topmiller introduced himself to the 9th region with 30 points against Conner and is averaging 21 ppg (48.5% 3FG), with seniors Owen McCormack (13 ppg) and Quinten Knasel (11 ppg) also chipping in (through 5 games). Another busy week ahead with four games, including facing Walton Tuesday in Fort Mitchell and Pleasure Ridge Park (one of the top teams in the 6th region) in Campbellsville on Friday. Tues, 12/23 Walton Verona at Beechwood; Fri, 12/26 Pleasure Ridge Park at Campbellsville; Sat, 12/27 TBD at Campbellsville; Sun, 12/26 TBD at Campbellsville 7. Dixie Heights (6-2) [last week 7; preseason 6] Dixie went 2-1 on the week, beating Conner by 11 (Louden did not play in this game) and Augusta by 30, before falling to Danville Christian by 3. Dixie (through 6 games) has been led by Max Rubemeyer (17 ppg), Tyson Metzger (15 ppg), and Hunter Seng (10 ppg). The Red Colonels are at Carroll County and Estill County this week where they face Fern Creek and Breathitt County. Mon, 12/22 Fern Creek at Carroll County; Sat, 12/27 Breathitt County at Estill County 8. Conner (3-5) [last week 8; preseason 5] Conner lost two tough road games against teams just ranked ahead of them (Dixie and Beechwood) and to state-ranked Montgomery County by 1 point on the road. Louden did return against Beechwood and put up 27 points and almost helped Conner secure the comeback (they trailed by 13 at the half), before falling 72-70 in overtime. Louden also had 35 in the loss to Montgomery County and is averaging almost 30 ppg, while Brady Bushman (11 ppg) and Tyler Warner (13 ppg) are scoring in double figures. Another tough week ahead for the Cougars as they face Nicholas County and Bowling Green in holiday tournaments. Mon, 12/22 Nicholas County at Montgomery County; Sat, 12/27 Bowling Green at Lexington Christian Academy 9. Newport (3-1) [last week 9; preseason 9] Newport went 1-1 on the week, blowing out Calvary Christian before falling by 15 at Ryle. Junior Amontae Lowe, who did not play in the Ryle game, is averaging 21 ppg, while newcomer Davae Andrews-Glover is scoring 9 ppg. Newport has 3 games this week, including Scott Holiday Tournament games against Simon Kenton and Cooper. Mon, 12/22 Simon Kenton at Scott; Tues, 12/23 Cooper at Scott, Sun, 12/28 Evangel Christian at Bellevue Tier 4 10. Cooper (0-6) [last week 11; preseason 11] Bad news and good news for Cooper this week. The bad news – they fell to 0-6 on the year with two home losses. The good news – they played Campbell County tough and only lost by 5, and had a really good shot to beat Lloyd before falling by 4. The Jaguars are led by Julian Knuckles 15 ppg. I can’t imagine there is another team in Kentucky that has played a more difficult schedule than the Jaguars thus far, and things don’t get much easier with games against Paintsville, Newport, and Henry Clay this week. Mon, 12/22 Paintsville at Scott; Tues, 12/23 Newport at Scott; Sat, 12/27 Henry Clay at Ashland; 11. St. Henry (0-5) [last week 10; preseason 10] Only 1 game this week for the Crusaders, an ugly home loss to Walton Verona (initial schedule had Villa?). Through 4 games, St. Henry is led by sophomore Tyler Detzel (10.5 ppg) and senior Caden Kunstek (9 ppg). St. Henry will look to get their first win of the year (and first for Coach Sullivan as a Crusader) at home against Newport. Tues, 12/23 Ludlow at St. Henry; Sat, 12/27 at Henry County The Rest 12. Newport Catholic (1-5) NewCath went 1-1 on the week, getting their first win against Taylor before falling to North Catholic (PA). Just one game this week on Monday at McNicholas. 13. Holmes (4-4) Bulldogs went 2-2 on the week, beating Heritage and Prestonsburg and losing to Brossart and West Carter. Just one game this week at Raceland. 14. Boone Co (4-5) Tough week for the Rebels as they went 1-3, winning a close home game against Augusta before losing three straight at a holiday tournament in Clinton County. Just one game this week against Heritage in the first game of the Bellevue Holiday tournament. 15. Ludlow (4-5) Ludlow went 2-1 this week, beating Dayton and Williamstown and losing to Campbell County. The Panthers get St. Henry and West Carter this week. 16. Bellevue (3-3) The Tigers went 1-1 on the week, blowing out Villa Madonna and losing by 20 to Pendleton County. Bellevue gets Williamstown next Sunday in their Holiday tournament. 17. Dayton (5-2) Dayton went 2-1 on the week and moves up in the rankings with a close loss to Ludlow and wins over Frankfort Christian and Villa. This week the Greendevils will get St. Patrick and Frankfort Christian. 18. Heritage (1-6) Heritage went 0-4 on the week. The Eagles go to Bellevue Sunday to play Boone County. 19. Villa Madonna (2-4) Villa went 0-2 on the week, losing to Bellevue and Dayton. Just one game this week against Ballard Memorial on the road.

9th Region: Week 2 Week 2 in the 9th Region was full of good games and bad weather, with several teams having games cancelled. The top teams remain undefeated, with Cov Cath beating up on rebuilding Cooper and St. Henry, Holy Cross beating Ryle in a back-and-forth battle, and Highlands winning big in both their games. The biggest news of the week is the addition of Tayden Lorenzen to the Highlands already deep roster, though there is still some speculation about when he will be suiting up in games. Other big news is that Conner star and 9th Region Player of the Year candidate Finn Louden missed games this week with an injury, no word on the injury or how long he is expected to be sidelined. The top five in the rankings remain unchanged and I’ve grouped the teams based on Tiers. Cov Cath remains the clear #1 and regional favorite in Tier 1. I’m moving Ryle up into the Contenders Tier 2 with Holy Cross and Highlands. I expect the games between these three teams to be tightly contested and will be interested to see if one of them can separate from the others in the coming weeks. Lots of movement in Tier 3, with the biggest riser of the week Beechwood (maybe @Honey Badger was on to something), moving up to 6 just behind Lloyd with a blowout win at Scott and a 6-point victory at Brossart. I have Dixie at 7 just in front of Conner, who continues to slide without Louden in the lineup, although a 2-point loss shorthanded at Campbell County seems like a moral victory. If and when Louden returns, I expect the Cougars will find their way higher in the rankings. The final team in Tier 3 (at #9) is Newport, who we may be underrating and has a big opportunity this coming week at Ryle. I have St. Henry and Cooper as the Tier 4 teams. Both have played difficult schedules so I don’t think we will know how good or bad these teams could be until later in the year. Tier 1: The Favorite 1. Covington Catholic (4-0) Cov Cath again dominated their games, overcoming a sluggish start to beat St. Henry by 40 and beating Cooper by 30. A matchup at state-ranked Louisville Eastern was cancelled. Through five games, 9th Region Player of the Year candidates Athens McGillis and Braeden Myrick are averaging 21.8 ppg and 19.0, respectively, with Donovan Bradshaw chipping in 11.5 ppg. This week the Colonels get Simon Kenton at home before going to the road to play in the King of the Bluegrass tournament. Tues, 12/16 Simon Kenton at CCH; Fri, 12/19 Lee (AL) at Fairdale (KOB) Tier 2: The Contenders 2. Holy Cross (4-0) Holy Cross only played one game, but it was good one. A long Arlinghaus 3-pointer with less than 10 seconds helped the Indians secure a win at Ryle. As expected, Holy Cross scoring is balanced with Luke Arlinghaus (15.2 ppg), Nate Rominder (14.8), and Brady Gabbard (12.8 ppg) all averaging double figure ppg. Two games were cancelled/rescheduled due to the snow. Holy Cross has another busy week (weather permitting), beginning with a home game against Brossart. Tues, 12/16 Brossart at Holy Cross; Wed, 12/17 North College Hill (OH) at Mt. St. Joseph; Sat, 12/20 vs. Bertie (NC) at Montgomery County 3. Highlands (4-0) Highlands got blowout wins over Lafayette and Oldham County at Scott County this week. Finn Bouldin (15 ppg) leads a balanced scoring attack (through 3 games), with Nathan Rickard (14.3 ppg), Owen Ebert (11.7 ppg), and Vincent Listerman (10 ppg) also in double figures. Highlands hosts Oldham County (again?) and plays state-ranked Ballard on Saturday at McNicholas. Fri, 12/19 Oldham County at Highlands; Sat, 12/20 Ballard at McNicholas 4. Ryle (1-2) Ryle went 1-1 on the week, falling by 1 to Holy Cross before beating Lloyd by 14. Ryle has three double-digit scorers, AJ Davis (18.7 ppg), Holden Smith (11.3 ppg), and Anthony Coppola (10.3 ppg). The Raiders tough early-season schedule continues with a home game against Newport, then heading to Carroll County to play Louisville DeSales. Wed, 12/17 Newport at Ryle; Sat, 12/20 vs. DeSales at Carroll County Tier 3 5. Lloyd (3-2) The Juggs stay put in the #5 spot despite falling by 14 at Ryle, before rebounding with a blowout win over Boone County. 9th Region Player of the Year candidate Blaackar is averaging 22.2 ppg. Only 1 game for Lloyd this week as they will go on the road to play Cooper. Thurs, 12/18 atCooper 6. Beechwood (3-0) Biggest mover in Week 2. The Tigers shot the lights out to beat Scott by 40 in Taylor Mill, before shooting poorly and coming from behind to beat a scrappy Brossart team by 6 on the road. Beechwood is led by sophomore Dylan Topmiller (19 ppg) and seniors Owen McCormack (13 ppg) and Quinten Knasel (11 ppg). Busy week ahead with four games, including facing Conner Thursday in Fort Mitchell. Mon, 12/15 at Pendleton County; Thur, 12/18 Conner at Beechwood; Sat, 12/20 Lee County at Madison Southern; Sun, 12/21 Mercer County at Berea 7. Dixie Heights (4-1) Dixie had double-digit wins against NewCath and Ludlow this week. Dixie (through 4 games) has been led by Max Rubemeyer (16.8 ppg) and Tyson Metzger (15.8 ppg). Tough week ahead for the Red Colonels with Conner at home, before heading to Bracken County to play Augusta and Danville Christian. Tues, 12/16 Conner at Dixie; Fri, 12/19 Augusta at Bracken County; Sat, 12/20 Danville Christian at Bracken County 8. Conner (2-2) Conner lost by 2 at Campbell County in their only game of the week. In addition to Louden’s 28.5 ppg (through 2 games), Brady Bushman (12.2 ppg) and Tyler Warner (11.2 ppg) are scoring in double figures. Let’s hope Louden’s injury isn’t too serious and that he can get back quickly. Another tough week ahead for the Cougars as they go on the road to face Dixie and Beechwood, before heading south to play state-ranked Montgomery County. Tues, 12/16 at Dixie; Thurs, 12/18 at Beechwood; Sat, 12/20 at Montgomery County 9. Newport (2-0) Only one game for the Wildcats this week, a blowout home win at Holmes. Two games were cancelled due to weather. Junior Amontae Lowe is averaging 25 ppg, while newcomer Davae Andrews-Glover is scoring 12.5 ppg. Newport gets two road games this week, a matchup with Calvary Christian and a big game in Union against Ryle. Mon, 12/15 at Calvary Christian; Wed, 12/17 at Ryle Tier 4 10. St. Henry (0-4) Another tough week for the Crusaders. They were blown out by Cov Cath on Tuesday, then had their matchup with New Cath at Hoosier gym cancelled due to snow (I didn’t hear anything about this game, so assuming it was cancelled). The Crusaders are led by sophomore Tyler Detzel (10.5 ppg) and senior Caden Kunstek (9 ppg). St. Henry will look to get their first win of the year (and first for Coach Sullivan as a Crusader) at home against Villa Madonna. Fri, 12/19 Villa at St. Henry 11. Cooper (0-4) Cooper played only one game this week, falling to Cov Cath by 35. The Jaguars are led by Julian Knuckles 15 ppg. I can’t imagine there is another team in Kentucky that has played a more difficult schedule than the Jaguars thus far, and things don’t get much easier. They have home games against Campbell County and Lloyd this week. Tues, 12/16 Campbell County at Cooper; Thurs, 12/18 Lloyd at Cooper; The Rest 12. Newport Catholic (0-3) NewCath fell to Dixie by 20 and had their game at Hoosier gym with St. Henry cancelled. NCC goes on the road to face Taylor (OH) and North Catholic (PA) at McNicholas next weekend. 13. Holmes (2-2) This week the Bulldogs lost to Newport by 30 and beat Villa by 17 on the road. Busy week ahead with four games, including a home game against Heritage, then at Brossart, before heading to Raceland to play Prestonburg and West Carter. 14. Boone Co (3-2) Tough week for the Rebels as they were blown out by Scott and Lloyd. This week the Rebels face Augusta at home and then go to Clinton County to play Madisonville-North Hopkins, Atherton, and Clinton County. 15. Ludlow (2-2) Ludlow fell to St. Bernard by 1 and Dixie by 15. This week the Panthers get road games against Dayton, Williamstown, and Campbell County. 16. Bellevue (2-2) The Tigers went 2-0 on the week, blowing out Heritage and Williamstown. Bellevue gets Villa and Pendleton County on the road this week. 17. Heritage (1-2) Heritage went 0-1 on the week, losing by 30 in Bellevue. The Eagles go on the road to play Holmes, Frankfort, and Berea this week. 18. Villa Madonna (2-2) Villa went 1-1 on the week, winning big against Williamstown (61-27), before falling to Holmes. The Vikings have four games this week, facing off against Bellevue at home before going to the road to face Dayton, St. Henry, and Ballard Memorial. 19. Dayton (3-1) Dayton went 1-1 on the week, falling to Calvary Christian before beating Trimble County by 20. This week the Greendevils will stay home to play Ludlow, Frankfort Christian, and Villa.

This is a great recap @Bballjunkie! The 8th Region is going to be fun to watch this year.

I know NewCath is down but I'm a little surprised by this outcome. Going to be really interested to see how Scott / Beechwood game goes this week.

It was a great first week of basketball in the 9th Region. The top teams easily handled their business, new-look St. Henry and Cooper struggled, and Lloyd showed they could still be a contender with a strong week of games. I’m going to wait at least one more week to move teams around much, but Lloyd is definitely trending up (moved from 7 to 5) and I’m not sure we know too much about St. Henry or Cooper based on the quality of teams they had to play. 1. Covington Catholic Cov Cath showed why they are the heavy favorite in the 9th as they dominated in their two games, including a 20-point victory at Lexington Catholic. Through two games, 9th Region Player of the Year favorite Athens McGillis is averaging 27 ppg, while newcomer Braeden Myrick is averaging 19.5 ppg with 9 made 3-pointers. After two home games against rebuilding St. Henry and Cooper, CCH has another big road game at state-ranked Louisville Eastern. Tues, 12/9 St. Henry at CCH; Thur, 12/11 Cooper at CCH; Fri, 12/12 at Eastern 2. Holy Cross Holy Cross went 3-0 on the week. After a blowout home win, the Indians easily handled Cooper and Conner on the road, who was without Finn Louden with an injury. We will know a lot more about how good the Indians are this week as they have road games against Ryle and Campbell County and will play Taft (OH) on Saturday in Newport. Tues, 12/9 at Ryle; Thur, 12/11 at Campbell County; Sat, 12/13 vs. Taft (OH) at Newport 3. Highlands Highlands had two blowout victories and look every bit like the contender we expected. Only one game this week as they play Lafayette in the Billy Hicks Classic at Scott County on Wednesday. Wed, 12/10 Lafayette at Scott County 4. Ryle Ryle only had 1 game this week, falling by 13 to a tough South Oldham team. A big week ahead for the Raiders with home games against Holy Cross and Lloyd and a matchup with Winton Woods (OH) at Newport on Saturday. Tues, 12/9 Holy Cross at Ryle; Wed, 12/10 Lloyd at Ryle; Sat, 12/13 vs. Winton Woods (OH) at Newport 5. Lloyd The biggest mover in Week 1. The Juggs had big home wins against Pendleton County and Simon Kenton, before falling to state-ranked Ashland Blazer by 4 at Highlands on Saturday. No stats have been posted by KHSAA, but I’ve heard that 9th Region Player of the Year candidate Blaackar averaged more than 20 ppg for the week. Lloyd will go on the road this week to play Ryle and Boone County. Wed, 12/10 at Ryle; Sat, 12/13 at Boone County 6. Conner Conner had two good wins to start the week (over Simon Kenton and St. Henry) but struggled badly at home against Holy Cross without Finn Louden. Not sure how long Louden (he averaged 28.5 ppg through first two games) is out with injury, but this will be a different team if he misses significant time. Tough week ahead as the Cougars go on the road to face Campbell County and play Elder (OH) at Newport. Tues, 12/9 at Campbell County; Sat, 12/13 Elder (OH) at Newport 7. Dixie Heights After a home loss to Campbell County (60-56), the Red Colonels got big wins at Walton Verona and vs. St. Joseph’s (Australia). Dixie gets NewCath at home this week and goes on the road to play Ludlow. Tues, 12/9 NewCath at Dixie; Fri, 12/12 at Ludlow 8. Beechwood Only one game this week for the Tigers, a blowout home win against Gallatin County, who only managed 15 points in the game. This week Beechwood has two out-of-region road games against Scott and Bishop Brossart. Wed, 12/10 at Scott; Thur, 12/11 at Brossart 9. Newport Only one game for the Wildcats this week, a blowout home win against Community Christian Academy. This week Newport will have Holmes on the road and will welcome Walton Verona on Saturday in the John Turner Classic. Tues, 12/9 @Holmes; Sat, 12/13 Walton @Newport 10. St. Henry Tough week for the Crusaders. They were blown out by Highlands in the opener, then fell by 10 points to both Conner and Sayre. Things don’t get any easier this week as they head to Park Hills to face Cov Cath on Tuesday, before facing off against Newport Catholic at the Hoosier Gym (which sounds like an amazing experience). Tues, 12/9 at CCH; Sat, 12/13 NCC at Hoosier Gym 11. Cooper Tough week for the Jaguars as well. New coach Justin Holthaus was welcomed with a 30-point home loss to a very good DuPont Manual team, a 20-point home loss to regional contender Holy Cross, and 58-point loss at #1 ranked (KY) St. Xavier. Looks like another tough week ahead, the Jaguars go to Park Hills to play Cov Cath on Thursday and then head to Louisville to play DeSales on Saturday. 12. Newport Catholic NewCath fell to Walton Verona (68-55) and Scott (60-46) in their two games this week. Busy week of travel ahead for NCC as they go to Dixie on Tuesday, Oldenburg Academy (IN) on Friday, and the Hoosier Gym on Saturday to play small-school rival St. Henry. 13. Holmes This week the Bulldogs beat a struggling Gallatin County (65-50) in Covington and lost to Pendleton County at Great Crossing. The week ahead will see Holmes will face a tough home game against Newport, before going to the road to Villa and Mason County. 14. Boone Co The Rebels had a nice opening week, notching wins against Ludlow (66-64 in OT), Bellevue (61-51), and Menifee County (67-43). We will find out how much Boone as improved this week as they face off at home against Scott and Lloyd. 15. Bellevue The Tigers struggled in the opening week, falling to Boone and Gallatin County (who lost by 60 to Beechwood). Bellevue gets Heritage and Williamstown this week. 16. Heritage Heritage went 1-1 on the week, getting a home win against Eminence before losing at Bourbon County. The Eagles get Bellevue and Calvary Christian this week. 17. Ludlow Ludlow went 2-1 in the first week, getting wins over Oyler (OH) and Carroll County and losing to Boone in OT. This week the Panthers get home games against St. Bernard (OH) and Dixie before going on the road to face Fleming County at Mason County. 18. Villa Madonna Villa went 1-1 on the week, getting blown out at Bishop Brossart (75-40) before getting a road win at Williamstown (50-31). The Vikings get Williamstown again this week and will host Holmes in Villa Hills. 19. Dayton Dayton got two wins in week 1, beating Robertson County (58-50) at home and Williamstown (56-36) on the road. This week the Greendevils will hit the road to play Calvary Christian, Trimble County, and Trinity Christian.

Welcome to Week 1 in the 9th Region! A lot of good games this week, including a matchup of two of the top 5 teams in the 9th Region. Cov Cath, Lloyd, Cooper, and Ryle also face off against teams ranked as among the best in Kentucky (based on KSR rankings) on Saturday. We will also find out how good the new-look Cooper and St. Henry squads look as they are thrown right into the fire with some difficult week 1 games. Key Week 1 Matchups: Monday (12/1) Simon Kenton at Conner 7PM Pendleton County at Lloyd 730PM Tuesday (12/2) Highlands at St. Henry 730PM Campbell County at Dixie 730PM Scott at Holmes 730PM Wednesday (12/3) Gallatin County at Beechwood 730PM Ludlow at Boone County 730PM Thursday (12/4) Holy Cross at Cooper 730PM Friday (12/5) Conner at St. Henry 730PM Simon Kenton at Lloyd 730PM NewCath at Scott 730PM Saturday (12/6) #23 Ashland Blazer vs. Lloyd at Highlands 3PM Cooper at #1 St. Xavier (Louisville) 4PM #2 Covington Catholic at Lexington Catholic 430PM Holy Cross at Conner 230PM South Oldham at Ryle 730PM Preseason 9th Region Top 10 1 1. Covington Catholic 22. Holy Cross 33. Highlands 44. Ryle 55. Conner 66. Dixie Heights 77. Lloyd 88. Beechwood 99. Newport 110. St. Henry 1 1.

Thanks for posting! A lot of agreement with this list and the Northern Kentucky Boys Basketball Coaches Association, which also put out their top 10 teams/players last week https://linknky.com/sports/basketball/2025/11/17/nkgbca-weighs-in-with-top-10-teams-players/ 1. Cov Cath (unanimous) 2. Holy Cross 3. Highlands 4. Conner 5. Ryle 6. Campbell County (10th region) 7. Simon Kenton (8th region) 8. Lloyd 9. Dixie 10. Beechwood Top ten players 1. McGillis 2. Blaackar 3. Louden 4. Harney 5. Davie (10th region) 6. Rominger 7. Coppola 8. Gabbard 9. Listerman 10. Bilton (8th region)

Both Blaackar and McGillis are amazing players and you are probably right that McGillis has a better resume. Though I do think it is hard to compare some of their numbers based on the different styles of play. McGillis averaged 20 ppg (46%) but took a lot more shots, while Blaackar averaged 15 ppg shooting at almost 60% clip. You mentioned a couple of games where Blaackar struggled, but Lloyd did play some other pretty good teams where Blaackar did well, for example 16 points against St. Xavier and 19 points in a win against Ashland Blazer. I just think that McGillis overall numbers (mainly scoring) may not look as impressive this year because Cov Cath has Harney, Bradshaw, and now Myrick to go along with several other really talented players. I think McGillis and Myrick both could score 20-25 ppg and maybe more early in the season before the football guys come back. I heard that both scored 25+ in their first scrimmage this year. I'll be really interested to see how Lloyd and Blaackar do without EJ Walker and some of the other talented players that graduated. While I know that Lloyd has a few pretty talented sophomores, right now KHSAA website only has four total players listed on Lloyd's roster (Blaackar, Golsby (Sr.), Lewis (Sr.), and Coleman (Jr.)). I just think that Blaackar is not going to have a lot of help and going to put up monster numbers (25+ ppg) and be named the region player of the year.

9th Region Preseason 1st and 2nd Teams and Player Watch List Despite the loss of several talented players to graduation, including region co-players of the year Lloyd’s EJ Walker (South Carolina) and Cooper’s Andy Johnson (UIC), and (Newport’s Griffin Starks and James Turner), the 9th region returns a lot of really talented players. I’ve created a list of the top 10 players, divided into Preseason 1st and 2nd Teams, which are dominated by the top teams in the region Cov Cath (4) and Holy Cross (3). Any of the top players for Cov Cath or Holy Cross may emerge as candidates for 9th Region Player of the Year, particularly Athens McGillis, but I think the balance of both teams will depress their overall numbers. I expect Finn Louden to be in the running for 9th Region Player of the Year while being one of the top scorers in the region and leading an underrated Conner team. My pick for 9th Region Player of the Year is Anthony Blaackar. I expect Blaackar to lead the region in scoring (while being one of the leading scorers in the state of Kentucky) and to carry a young Lloyd team. It is worth mentioning that while two of the other top 5 teams in the region (Highlands and Ryle) do not have any players listed in the top 10, they both have multiple players in their starting lineups that rank among the top 20 or so players in the region [Tayden Lorenzen is a top 10 player if he plays]. Preseason 1st Team (2024-2025 ppg) 9th Region Player of the Year - Anthony Blaackar, Lloyd (15.1 ppg) Sleeper Candidate for 9th Region Player of the Year - Finn Louden, Conner (17.0 ppg) Athens McGillis, CCH (20.6 ppg) Cash Harney, CCH (15.8 ppg) Brady Gabbard, Holy Cross (12.7 ppg) Preseason 2nd Team (2024-2025 ppg) Luke Arlinghaus, Holy Cross (12.9 ppg) Nate Rominger, Holy Cross (12.6 ppg) Donovan Bradshaw, CCH (12.4 ppg) Braeden Myrick, CCH (junior, 19.1 ppg) [Mason County transfer] Hunter Seng, Dixie (junior, 11.1 ppg) In addition to the Preseason 1st and 2nd Teams, I created a list of 40 or so additional players (at least 1 from each team) that deserve mention. I considered several of the players below for the Preseason 2nd Team, including Owen McCormack (Beechwood), Finn Bouldin, Vincent Listerman (Highlands), Mark McCutchen, Jr (Holmes), Amontae Lowe (Newport), and Anthony Coppola, AJ Davis (Ryle). I’m sure I’ve left off a couple of names so let me know who else we should (and will) be talking about this season. Preseason Honorable Mention (other players to watch, at least 1 per team) Beechwood Owen McCormack (senior) Kingston Brockett (junior) Dylan Topmiller (sophomore) Bellevue Arion Stuckey (senior) Boone County Joel Montanya Brown (sophomore) Conner Brady Bushman (senior) Tyler Warner (junior) Cooper Julienne Knuckles (junior) Covington Catholic Teegan Stava (junior) Cash Myers (sophomore) Dylan Courtney (sophomore) Dayton Marquel Kennedy (sophomore) Dixie Heights Max Rubemeyer (senior) Tyson Metzger (senior) Heritage Landon Reinhart (senior) Highlands Finn Bouldin (senior) Nathan Rickard (senior) Vincent Listerman (senior) Owen Ebert (senior) Tayden Lorenzen (junior)* [top 10 player if he plays] Amil Wimzie (8th grade) [Holy Cross transfer] Holmes Mark McCutchen, Jr (senior) Holy Cross Aiden Urlage (senior) Irvan Nichols (senior) [Newport transfer] Max Hunt (junior) Amir Henderson (sophomore) Brian Ferguson (sophomore) Lloyd Memorial Isiah Golsby (senior) Ludlow Logan Day (sophomore) Newport Amontae Lowe (junior) Newport Central Catholic Jack Gearding (senior) John Luhn (senior) Ryle Anthony Coppola (senior) AJ Davis (senior) Holden Smith (junior) St. Henry Caden Kunstek (senior) Parker Lutz (junior) [Cooper transfer] Tyler Detzel (sophomore) Villa Madonna Michael Popham (senior)

I came across the Cats' Pause 9th Region preview. Top ten teams look pretty familiar, though they have Lloyd at #3 and Holy Cross (#6) and Ryle (#7) are a bit surprising Cats' Pause 9th Region Top Ten (my ranking in parenthesis). 1. CCH (1) 2. Highlands (3) 3. Lloyd (7) 4. Conner (5) 5. Dixie (6) 6. Holy Cross (2) 7. Ryle (4) 8. Newport (9) 9. Cooper (11) 10. Beechwood (8)

Wow, Beechwood at 3, that seems high even if Fryman plays. You must know something that I don't.