B-Ball-fan

Bol Kuir has played in the last 3 regular season games for Belfry, and will be playing in the 60th District games. He'll be in the game against Phelps (tonight) on Feb. 22 at 8:15.

Awesome post @FrankNicodemus Thanks for sharing! If any others out there have been reflecting on this topic, when the words begin to come clearly to you what Kentucky High School Basketball means to you, lay it on us. We'd love to hear what you've go to say!

I must admit @FrankNicodemus this post has cracked me up more than once. You sure have a colorful and humorous way of expressing yourself. I'm right there with you thinkng and KNOWING that the Birds are tough. They could easily be ranked Number 2, and have a valid chance to prove it before season's end. Honestly it would be no surprise at all it they did end up there. Number 1 as we know will take some doings, but in postseason play anything is possible. This is hands down my favoirte time of the year, and even more than Chirstmas. The fun and excitement of Kentucky High School basketball districts, regionals, and then the revered Sweet 16 is deeply rooted in my childhood, and obviously for me with an big emphasis on the 9th Region. When you see guys playing their guts out like their lives depended on it, and doing remarkable things in the face of tall odds you just can't help but to get the goosebumps, and deep emotions that come with it. Who can't get behind seeing the excellence and talent just taken to the off the charts level of never say die? I live for that thrill, and I know that I'm speaking for everyone else out here as to what this time of the season means to them. No, I take that back, I'd love to hear from all of you what this time of the season means to you. We all have our stories and memories as to how, and when our love of Kentucky High School Basketball permenanty bled into our souls. For me, with an older brother, where he and I both attended Covington Catholic, my childhood was loaded with excitement about the Colonels, and my brother was right there when they won region 5 years in a row in the late 60's, and early 70's. I was 10 years younger than him, but it rubbed right off onto me as I was still in diapers. To this day it keeps us close as we attend games togehter, and he's never wavered from staying on board with keeping informed because it means as much to him as it does to me. I learned it from him. From CovCath at the top of the 9th, I also have a heavy dose of seeing many Covington Latin games because my next door neighbor played for them, and I always tagged along. It was tough to see them struggle, but the excitement was no less there, and because of them it helped me to learn the names of schools, mascots, colors etc, and that was truly a fun education. Latin oftem times played games away from the 9th, and at small schools in different regions outside of Northern Kentucky. I got doses of places and schools like Gallatin County, Augusta, St. Francis etc... where I had the excitement of these little road trips when I was about 11 years old. To this day I love it when the Trojans get that occasional win, and I keep an eye on them to see them every once in a while have sensationsal players like they have over the years with the likes of Jeff Stowers, Brian O'Connor, David Justice, and Mitchell Blewitt. My late grade school and early high school days were filled with the excitement of watching players like Dicky Beal and Doug Schloemer of Holmes. As a small tyke like at ages 8-10 I played on a team against Dicky Beal where I'm sure it's no surprise to anyone that even back then he dominated every team in the league with his greatness, but it was undeniably exciting to watch him do his thing even if because of him we lost our games by crazy huge margins. The kid was dynamite, and seeing him take his greatness to the high school level was even more exciting, and seeing the Bulldogs and their great teams of that era, and the heartache of them losing in the Sweet 16 championship game because of an official missing an obvious goal tending call where Charles Hurt of Shelby County is on photos to prove it that no doubt his hand was right up there through the hoop. After many years of the Sweet 16, the 9th Region was still without a champioship win, and then came the Simon Kenton Pioneeres lead by the sharp shooting of Troy Mckinley as well as my own cousin Greg Ponzer as their point guard. The whole starting five were great! This was my junior year in high school in 1981, and the Regional final was CovCath with Don Turney who played at Marshall vs. Simon Kenton. Sure I had to swallow us losing to them, but I instantly got right behind them when they went "down state" as we Northern Kentuckians would say. I was glued to my a.m. radio listening to all of the games, and biting my nails as there were so many close games that could've gone either way, but Troy Mckinley would always find a way. What a sensational winner he was!. I remember the excitement of listening to their championship game against Mason County, and when it was apparent that finally we'd have a Sweet 16 victory in the 9th Region I was over the moon with excitement and emotions. After high school I'm embarrassed to admit that I was off and running with finding myself and starting my work career and social life, that I had some goofy idea that it would be "square" to be a hanger-on with high school stuff, so I wasn't paying much attention to it anymore. I sincerly regret that. Around 1999 a co-worker of mine who also loved 9th Region ball because he attended a 9th Region school discovered online khsaa.org and brought it to my attention. Seeing the scores, high school names, and schedules right before my eyes where I could easily keep track of it instantly brought back my interest. I had an easy way to stay in the know. I saw on the schedule that Highlands that night would be playing at Holmes when the Birds had Derek Smith and Jared Lorenzen as seniors. As I live near Holmes, this game was practically in my back yard. I attended, and it all came flooding back to me how much excitement I had been missing. I thought, "What in the heck have I been missing, this is awesome?!", and right then and there I was hooked. I began again connecting the dots back to my childhood because in the stands, and on the benches I'd see people and coaches from my past that made me feel like I had found home. I've been hooked ever since and the dot connecting with players, and coaches and the royal lineage of 9th Region legends remains with things like seeing Kenney Shields in the the stands watching his Birds play. That is just so cool. That 1999 season that I started paying attention again, I realized that I had never personally attended the Sweet 16, and thought that there was not time like the present to start. So 10 years in a row I attended the Sweet 16 with the last being when Holmes won it all in 2009. That's the season where they began broadcasting all of the games online, so from 2010 until now I've been staying home and watching online. That needs to stop, and I need to get back to Rupp. It feels like it's time. I regret not going last year when Highlands won it all. Still it's been incredibly fun to keep on top of things even if just from my living room watching online. Shortly after getting back into the game, doing searches online landed me on this website that I had never heard of before called Bluegrass Preps. What is this I wondered? These folks are talking my language. They're talking Kentucky High School Basketball. They're talking everything high school sports. Wow...I have to check this out! So around the year 2000 I did, and have been here ever since. It's really hard to believe that it's been 22 years. I saw different members posting hundreds if not thousands of posts. At first I felt overwhelmed as to how these people did this all day long, and how does everyone seem to know each other from all around the state? I noticed that they also posted in multiple other forums, and I initially thought, "Now I just can't be bothered to be wrapped up like like all day and night". Then little by little it began to happen to me. Maybe not as much as some others, but there was no mistakinging it, I was becoming a BGP junkie, and it's been truly an awesome thing to be apart of. I'm a lifer, and I wouldn't ever consider otherwise. I don't know how other message boards run around this country regarding High School sports, but I just feel that we have something unique and special here. @theguruhad a vision, and it's been an incredilby fun ride that I wonder if he even realized just what he was getting himself into when he first started all of this. It took on a life of its own it would seem, and as we all know, it's the Number 1 go-to for anyone interested in Kentucky High School Sports. Sorry for all of the dramatics, but.... Long live the 9th Region! Long live Kentucky High School Basketball! Long live the Sweet 16! (Don't anyone ever dare mess it up with seperate classes...LOL) ...And long live Bluegrass Preps!!! So that's my story, what's yours? Let's hear it. What does Kentucky High School Basketball mean to you? I've a hunch that just like me it's more than just the game itself, but everything that surrounds it, and all of your great memories. This is the time of the season that we can't really escape reflecting on it all, and who would want to? Postseason play in the 9th Region is my Heaven, tell us how it is for you?

Yeah Conner is clicking real well right now, and while I see a lot of excitement in this game being a district tourny game that could help keep it close, I see Conner pulling away and winning by 10-12 points. It really wouldn't surprise me for them also to beat Cooper if they happpen to meet. I'm smellng the Cougars as being the 33rd District champs.

Thanks and I've a good hunch that they will... they're just too strong not to make some noise.

You're welcome to state where you'd like, or think they should be. I stuggled with putting them there as I stated in my explanation, but the parity at present all the way to Number 8 is just crazy close. I then stated that it would be no surpise to see them in the 9th Region finals. Anymore I could almost go with 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, and 2g. LOL!

If the scoreboard was correct which it obviously isn't, then nothing in this would make any sense anymore. Still it's a hoot seeing folks have any doubts and questioning it especially on a night where both Barth and Herald connected on 20 points to reach 1000 career points. No offence to anyone, it's just sorta funny. Lol!

I honestly don't know what the allowable max is. Perhaps someone else out here knows?

Wow thanks for the kind words UCME! Glad that you enjoy the review!

BluegrassPreps.com 9th Region Week 12 Review and Rankings: (And District Tournament - Preview and Schedules): With all of the Senior Nights celebrated, Player of the year announced, all regular season games played, it's time for the 2nd Season of 2021/2022 baskeball season; the threasured, and highly anticipated season of the Postseason throughout the state of Kentucky, and right here in the 9th Region we have some potentially great games on tap packed with ramifications that would either send teams home for the season, or into the 9th Region Tournament. I want to lay out this coming week's matchups in the 33rd, 34th, 35th, and 36th Districts, but first would like to look at some of the more interesting developments of this past week. - Congratulations to Mitchell Rylee of Covington Catholic for being selected as the KABC Player of the Year! As the 6'-8" big for CovCath, he steadily had a dynamite season controlling the paint down low, and probably breaking dunking records in the 9th along the way. Good luck to this young man in postseason play, as well as his upcoming years at Miami of Ohio playing for the Redhawks. I just know that he will make the 9th Region proud. - Friday night saw 3 of 9th Region's sensational players reach that treasured goal of 1000 career points! Highlands Bluebirds teammates, Zac Barth and William Herald accieved this together on the very same night. How cool is that? Cole Shumate from Boone County also hit the 1000 points mark connecting with an awesome 3 point shot stopping the game to be acknowledged, recieving the game ball, and celebrated by the crowd. Congratulations to these three fine and talented young men! -I wish that I knew the exact numbers, but Jacob Meyer of Holy Cross right before the Friday night game against St. Henry was roughly 66 points away from breaking the Holy Cross all time scoring record. This is very reachable as long as Holy Cross stays alive in postseason play, and makes it to the 9th Region Tournament. If not, he'll then surely start his senior year breaking this record in the 1st or 2nd game of next season. It would be awesome though to see him connect on this in this his sensatoinal junior year where he has lead the state the whole season with nearly a 40 ppg average. -In the highly competitve aim of numerous teams to be ranked 2nd in the 9th Region, Cooper got past Dixie Heights for the 2nd time this season, winning 54-46. -Conner this past week unsurprisingly lost to Covington Catholic by 20, 76-56, but truly played the Colonels better than any team in the 9th Region has, being up early on the Colonesl 20-13, then only down by 5 at halftime 40-35 before the Colonels layed down the law, and began pulling away in the 2nd half. Still the Cougars who have been consistent all season, are showing that as they enter postseason play they aim to be a force to be reckoned with. -We saw a sensational buzzer beater game in the NewCath/Brossart crosstown shootout where the Breds after being down by 24 at half stormed back with a 4th quarter 25-7 performance where Jase Isles ultimately connected on a shot as the buzzer sounded to give NewCath the 61-60 win. In NewCath's late season gelling they've given us these heart attack buzzer beater games more than once. OK let's look at the District Tourney matchups and schedules: In the 33rd District Tournament at Ryle: Feb 21 - Play-in game with Heritage Academy Eagles facing off with the 4th seeded Ryle Raiders at 6:00. Feb 23- Cooper Jaguars vs. winner of the Heritage Academy/Ryle game at 6:00; Conner Cougars vs. Boone County Rebels at 7:45. Finals to be played Friday, Feb 25 at 7:00 In the 34th District Tournament at Ludlow: Feb 21 - Play-in game with Villa Madonna Vikings facing off with the Ludlow Panthers at 7:30. Feb 23 - Dixie Heights Red Colonels vs. winner of the Villa Madonna/Ludlow game at 5:30; St Henry Crusaders vs. Lloyd Juggernauts at 7:00. Finals to be played Friday, Feb 25 at 7:00. In the 35th District Tournament at Holy Cross: Feb 23 - Covington Catholic Colonels vs. Beechwood Tigers at 5:30; Holy Cross Indians vs. Holmes Bulldogs at 8:00. Finals to be played Friday, Feb 25 at 7:00 In the 36th Distriict Tournament at Bellevue: Feb 21 - Play-in game with Dayton Green Devils facing off with the Bellevue Tigers at 8:00. Feb 23 - Highlands Bluebirds vs. winner of the Dayton/Bellevue game at 6:00; Newport Wildcats vs. Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds at 8:00 Finals to be played Friday, Feb 25 at 7:00 Good luck to all the teams!!! Final Rankings of the 9th Region before postseason play: 1). Covington Catholic - (23-4) They've been at the top of the rankings all season long, and no 9th Region team has been at all a threat to them. They without doubt are highly favored to be the team headed to Rupp Arena to represent the 9th Region, to play in the Sweet 16 when all said and done, and have a very legitimate chance of bringing home the hardware for their 3rd ever position as Kentucky Boys Sweet 16 Champs. Nothing is for certain in postseason play, so they first have to win out over a number of teams in the 9th Region that will give them their best. They're a complete threat with a deep and experienced bench lead by Mitchell Rylee, and Evan Ipsaro, but Chadler Starks as of late has really been turning in The Man, and having his coming out party posting these awesome numbers over the last 3 games; against Conner he had a double-double of 15/11, against NewCath 23/5, and then finally against Madison Central 16/9. Good time for this young man to be showing his worth as the Colonels enter postseason play as if they weren't a strong enough team as it is. This past week saw the Colonels go 3-0 with wins over Conner 76-56, NewCath 89-46, then finally 63-49 over Madison Central. In the semis of the 35th Disctrit Tournament they will be facing the 4th seeded Beechwood Tigers Feb 23 at Holy Cross at 5:30. 2). Cooper - (21-5) While their slowed up style of strong defensive play doesn't always transate to the Jags dominating their opponents with big score margins, they still continue to get it done. This past week they impressively beat Dixie for the 2nd time this season, 54-46, and then took care of a struggling Scott 44-38. They enter the 33rd District Tournament as the top seeded team where they will face the winner of Heritage Academy/Ryle game on Feb. 23 at Ryle at 6:00. 3). Dixie Heights - (18-6) The Red Colonels have without doubt been a force all season, and have stayed high in the rankings lead by their double threat of Keirnan Geraci, and big man Billy Wogenstahl along with an experienced supporting cast. They lost to Cooper this past week 54-46, then dominated Boone County to round out their regular season schedule 85-56. On Feb 23 they will play the winner of the Villa Madonna/Ludlow game in the 34th District Tournament at Ludlow at 5:30. 4). Conner - (18-9) The Conner Cougars are presently, and deservingly sitting in the highest postition of the rankings that they've been in all season. They've had an impressive consistent season lead by sharp shooter Landen Hamilton and Ayden Lohr with also the strong and dependable play of Daniel Campbell, and Alex Castrucci. This past week while losing to the top ranked Covington Catholic Colonels 76-56, they played them closer than any 9th Region team all season have. At one point early in the game the Cougars were up 20-13, then only down at half by 5, 40-35, before the Colonels turned it on in the 2nd half and pulled away. Still the Cougars did an impressive job doing their best to try to keep up until the final horn sounded. They followed up that game with an impressive win over the hot upstarts Lloyd Juggernauts 72-58 to round out their regular season schedule. They enter the 33rd District Tournament as the 2nd seeded team where on Feb. 23 at Ryle they will face the 3rd seeded team Boone County at 7:45. 5) Lloyd - (20-6) The Lloyd Juggernauts have had an impressive season where the critics have been up and down on them wondering if they're for real, but in two games they silenced the critics by getting impressive statement wins over Holy Cross and Highlands. This past week they beat the Cincinnati Trailblazers (Home School) 72-33, then lost to Conner 72-58 to end their regular season. To get to the 9th Region tournament they must first avege a 60-47 regular season loss to the St. Henry Crusaders in the 34th District Tournament who have gone 8-2 in their last 10 games. It's without down the biggest game of interest as district play in the 9th kicks off as the winner of this game advances to the 9th Region Tournament, and the loser packs it in for the season, and heads on home. This game will be played Feb. 23 at Ludlow at 7:30. 6). Highlands - (20-8) There's no denying the the Highlands Bluebirds probably deserve to be higher in the rankings than Number 6, but that Top 5 sure is crowded, and with a couple of strange losses here and there I presently can't jusitfy them being any higher, but I've a hunch as postseason play begins they will be showing us what we already know about them that they could very well find themselves in the finals of the 9th Region Tournament if not very close to it. They will absolutely not being laying down in postseason play as they have the fire power and experience to do some damage, and after winning the Sweet 16 last season, they likely are salivating at the chance to get back to Rupp and try again. This past week they lost to Oldham County 72-59, then beat Beechwood to round out their regular season schedule 90-61. Congratualtions to both Zac Barth and Will Herald for reaching their 1000 careers points in this final regular season game of the season. They enter the 36th District play as the Number 1 seeded team, and on Feb. 23 they will play the winner of the Dayton/Bellevue game at Bellevue at 6:00. 7). Holy Cross - (19-8) Here again I'd like to rank the Holy Cross Indians a bit higher in the rankings because they are without doubt deserving, but wow is this Top 10 ever crowded with such close parity between many of the teams? The Indians got an impressive win over an uprising St. Henry Crusaders to round out their regular season 88-85. They enter the 35 District Tournament as the 2nd seeded team, and will face the Holmes Bulldogs at Holy Cross on Feb. 23 at 8:00. Jacob Meyer has a very valid chance to break the Holy Cross all time scoring recond before season's end. If the Indians can stay alive, and make it to the 9th Region Tournament, this feat could very possibly be reached then. 8). St. Henry - (14-9) While the Crusaders began this season without the services of the 10 seniors they graduated from last season, we just knew that Coach Dave Faust would guide this young team to be ready for postseason play. They've won 8 of their last 10 games, and in the process got an impressive 60-47 win over the Lloyd Juggernauts in 34th seed play which that game essentially decided who was going to be wearing the home team white uniforms. It will be the Crusaders and they will face Lloyd on Feb. 23 at Ludlow at 7:00 to decide who gets the chance to advance to the 9th Region Tournament, and who must go home. 9). Newport Central Catholic - (10-17) While the Breds have struggled this season probably more than anytime in recent memory, they are now beginning to click. They have learned, and advanced whlie having to swallow loss after loss, but they kept their heads up, and here they are now in the Top 10 where they haven't been much this season. This week they got a win over Ryle 68-66, loss to CovCath 89-49, then got an exciting Jase Isels buzzer beater win over Brossart 61-60 where they had been down by 24 at half, and had an impressive 25-7 4th quarter performance to get the win just in the knick of time. To get to the 9th Region Tournament they will first have to avenge a regular sesaon loss to the Newport Wildcats in 36th District Tourney play on Feb. 23 at Bellevue at 8:00. 10). Holmes - (11-16) While the Holmes Bulldogs have stuggled this season, they've gotten some key wins that allow them to end their regular season in the Top 10. Repeat senior Quantez Calloway presently is 6th in the state in scoring at 28.7 ppg. This past week saw the Bulldogs lose to Walton Verona 84-62 then finishing out their regular season with a win at home against Pendleton County 69-55 on a night that Holmes was honorng legendary players such as Tom Thacker from the long closed William Grant/Lincoln Grant High School in Covington. In this honoring the Bulldogs team forewent their normal uni's in lieu of very cool white with blue trim Grant uni's with red trim around the blue numbers. How cool is that? On Feb. 23 in the 35 District Tourney the Bulldogs will face 2nd Seeded Holy Cross at Holy Cross at 8:00. 11). Beechwood - (7-18) 12). Boone County - (14-15) 13). Ryle - (12-19) 14). Newport - (8-17) 15). Dayton - (13-14) 16). Villa Madonna - (6-18) 17). Ludlow - (13-15) 18). Heritage Academy - (8-12) 19). Bellevue - (6-18) 20). Covington Latin - (1-19)

The Reed brothers are the real deal! I finally caught their game against NewCath recently, and my mouth dropped open time and again with OMG what incredibly quick talented players, and great and impressive in every aspect of the game. The shooting is spectacular, and boy is the frosh Number 2 some kind of relentless ball thief? That alone is worth the price of admission, and then some. It's going to be fun to follow their game the next few years.

Nice breakdown. Beechwood has developed over the past recent years a nice winning tradition aiming to always be strong contenders in the 9th Region. I feel we'll see more of that next season with good young growing experienced talents coming back by the likes of players like Boyd, and Harney. The Tigers don't sleep, we and I see them reminding us of that next season and the next.

Congrats to Mr. Smithers...what an incredible dynamic winner of a player!

You guys are loaded with capable talent to get it done as you proved by beating both Holy Cross, and more recently with an incredible and impressive win over Highlands. Sadly with a tough 34th District this season, some team with have to go home early, either the Cru, or the Juggs. Good luck to both of those teams, because they're both capable and worthy. It should be a great game, and one I'm personally looking forward to probably more than any first round district game in the 9th Region.

*Teams on this list with any losses are still undefeated against Kentucky competition. As of 2/17/22 there is only 1 undefeated team. Region 10 George Rogers Clark - (28-1)

Any guesses as to how long it might take for the Breds to ever regain the lead in this series? Might be a while.

*Teams on this list with any losses are still undefeated against Kentucky competition. As of 2/16/22 there is only 1 undefeated team. Region 10 George Rogers Clark - (27-1)

I know that you’re just playing with me old buddy, but I’ll humor you. I look at the whole body of work, and while the good ol’ Tigers got a fluky, however impressive win over the Dixie Red Colonels on Jan. 18th, they also lost to these 9th Region teams: Ryle Lloyd Covington Catholic Holy Cross 2 times Boone County Conner And more recently Newport Central Catholic Holy Cross St. Henry And even more recently when it was extremely important for them to get the win, they lost to the (10-16) Bulldogs of Holmes 70-60. Those losses piled up to reflect more who Beechwood really is while losing 7 of their last 8 games, 11 of their last 13, and 14 or their last 17, and have been ranked accordingly.

Come to think of it, actaully for the 2nd time this season.

So Cooper goes and beats Dixie. How in the heck will I ever make sense of the rankings? 🤔

19 - 2 point field goals 4 - 3 point field goals 9 - free throws Counting the 9 free throws, Jabrion Spikes saw the ball go through the nets 32 times. Pretty good shooting night I’d say.

It kinda bites that the 3 top teams in Region 4 are all in the same district.

Actually I thought that the Brewers was the mascot name, and I was wondering the name of the school.

For those of us not entirely privy to all of the mascots for Region 1, who might the Brewers be?

And it's no secret that this very much matters. That's like cutting off a big arm of the beast. Probably saving his broken nose for the postseason.