Les

Joker, South won a game last year and from what I've been told, they are now more of a Wing-T team with the new coach.

Thank you very much!

Thank you!

Thank you. I appreciate it. Do you know who the jayvee coach is? Or maybe have a contact number for him?I'm trying to see if they could text me their jayvee scores throughout the season. Thanks again.

Good job:thumb:

Bell County Bobcats Expectations are high once again on Log Mountain, but for the first time since Wayne Mills took over for former coach Dudley Hilton three years ago, the Bobcats will have to depend on youth to carry them deep into post-season play. Sixteen seniors gradated from last season's team, including tail backs Ryan Collett and Jonathan Polly, who combined to rush for more than 2,800 yards on the ground. Bell County will also have to count on a young line with only one starter returning. After dominating the district action the past couple of years, the Bobcats will also be challenged by a very good Wayne County squad, who are picked by many to be the pre-season favorite in the district and rival Corbin is looking to be improved after finishing with a losing record for the first time since the 1995 season. But the one thing Bell County has over both schools is a combined 4-0 record against the two teams since Mills took over as head coach.The Bobcats handled Corbin with ease on the road last season, 34-0, and managed to knock off the Cardinals 21-7 at home, so expect them to be in the thick of things once again in district play. They are also riding an impressive 31-game district win streak. Another concern for Mills' squad is what they do once they reach the post-season. Central has eliminated Bell County the past two seasons, including a 14-10 win last season and a 26-0 victory in 2011. If the Bobcats want to win a Class 3A state championship, they know they've got to find a way to get past the Yellow Jackets. But first things first, Bell County will need to gain some experience along the way this season, which will hopefully prepare them for the long haul come November. As noted before, the Bobcats will field a young team that has only six seniors and is dominated by sophomores and juniors. A lot of skill players return to the mix for Mills and that’s a plus with a team that has four players returning on both sides of the ball. Dylan Cox (six receptions for 168 yards and three touchdowns in 2012, while recording 41 tackles on the defensive side), Justin Warwick (44 tackles, one fumble recovery and a team-best five interceptions), Austin Caldwell (31 carries, 246 rushing yards and four touchdowns, 12 tackles, Ben Collett (five receptions, 92 yards, eight tackles) and sophomore Peyton Collett will be expected to step up their play this season. Collett started 11 games as a freshman under center in 2012 and completed 39-of-94 pass attempts for 675 yards, seven touchdowns and eight interceptions. Schedule District play will be tough for Bell County this season, especially with a road game against pre-season district favorite Wayne County. The winner of that game on Sept. 27 has the inside track of winning the district championship. Of course the Bobcats will have another key district game Oct. 18 against Corbin, and if they beat Wayne County, this game could have district title implications as well. The Bobcats will also have tests against rival Knox Central (away, Sept. 20), and Harlan County (home, Nov. 1) along with a game against Marion County on Aug. 31 (Hear of Kentucky Pigskin Classic). Players to watch Peyton Collett (quarterback) — Collett did a fantastic job behind center as a freshman in 2012, but will need to cut down on his eight interceptions he had. He finished 2012 with 675 passing yards and seven touchdown passes along with 76 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Dylan Cox (tight end) - Cox will be counted on to be a solid receiving threat for the Bobcats. He had six catches for 168 yards and a team-best three touchdowns last season. Justin Warwick (cornerback) - Warwick turned out to be one of the best defensive players for Bell County last season. He led the Bobcats with five interceptions and also had a fumble recovery and 44 tackles. Ben Collett (receiver) - Had five catches for 92 yards in 2012. Austin Caldwell (tail back) - The junior tailback is expected to have an even bigger role in the back field after rushing for 246 yards and four touchdowns in 2012.

Thanks, I appreciate it.

Thanks man, I appreciate it. Actually, I have received more compliments from Clay people than most in the 13th Region. It helps that myself, Coach Marcum, Glenn Grey, Coach Burchell, ect. are good friends. I have numerous friends from Clay and three girls from Clay Si coach on my daughter's Fastpitch softball team. I could go on and on with who I'm friends with down in Big Clay Country. Some of the friendliest people you'll ever meet.

Williamsburg Yellow Jackets After getting knocked off by Hazard for the second straight year in the Class A, Region 3 title game, Jerry Herron’s Williamsburg Yellow Jackets seems poised to make another run at the regional title and beyond with most of its talent returning on both sides of the ball. The Yellow Jackets posted an impressive 11-2 record in 2012 (third-best in Class A) and look to improve on that as well with nine starters returning on both sides of the ball. “We have spent all off-season getting ready for this,” Herron said. “The first thing we know that we have to do is concentrate on getting the No. 1 seed in our district so we can get home games in the playoffs. We know that’s the most important thing right now. “We’ve got a good shot,” he added. “Our schedule has been beefed up and we play some very good teams that will prepare us for postseason play. We look at it like this — the kids have performed really well the past two years that people are starting to respect us and give us attention, but we also know, last year is last year, and we have to prove ourselves all over again. We feel like we have the talent to make another run at the region and hopefully beyond that. We just need to continue to improve each week.” When you talk about the strengths of Williamsburg’s squad, you’ll go no further than its offensive attack, which averaged 42.2 points per game (549 total in 2012) and most of the offensive talent returns for Herron’s squad. Quarterback Dalton Sizemore returns for his senior campaign and lit the competition up last season for 3,133 passing yards and 39 touchdowns while completing 202-of-334 pass attempts, which included 16 interceptions. He was also doing damage on the ground, too. He led Williamsburg with 626 rushing yards and also reached paydirt five times. Sizemore has a lot of weapons returning, including his main two targets from last season, junior Corey Shelton and junior Skyler Griffith and look for Skyler’s younger brother, Andrew, a sophomore, be more of an offensive threat this season after finishing the year with 13 catches for 262 yards and three touchdowns. Shelton and Skyler Griffith turned out to be one of the state’s top receiving duos. Shelton finished the 2012 season with a team-best 63 receptions while Skyler Griffith had 61. Skyler Griffith led the team with 1,176 receiving yards while Shelton had 1,084 and Shelton led the Yellow Jackets with 20 touchdowns and Skyler Griffith had 13. Look for players such as junior Patrick Jefferson (81 carries, 499 rushing yards and seven receptions for 43 receiving yards) and junior Chase Lowrie’s (318 rushing yards and 12 receptions for 121 yards) loads to increase after the graduations of Logan Hamblin and Micah Purdie. Herron’s offensive line took a hit with Jacob Jeffers, Dakota Loy and Chris Sawyers graduating, but players such as Chris Helton, Ryan Caddell, Tyler Taylor and Dakota Dunn will be expected to step up their play. Williamsburg’s defense gets overlooked often because of its high-powered offense, but it will remain a solid one after limiting opponents to only nine points per game last season and 118 total. The Yellow Jacket defense pitched three shut outs in 2012 and limited reigning Class A, Region 3 champion to only seven points during their 7-0 loss on Nov. 16. Granted Williamsburg lost talent on the defensive line with graduation of Jeffers, Loy and Sawyers, but Helton, Dunn and Collin Lamoree return. Jefferson will man the defense at the linebacker position after leading the team in total tackles with 111 last season, while Michael Rose-Creekmore and Austin Husky are expected to play as well. The losses of Lowrie and Purdie will hurt in the secondary, but Husky and some other players will try to fill the voids. Schedule Williamsburg has buffed up its schedule a bit with games against Class 5A’s North Laurel Jaguars along with Class 3A’s Wayne County Cardinals. They have added home dates against Pike Central and Harrison County along with their district contests against Campbellsville (away), Berea (home) and Lynn Camp (away). Players to watch Dalton Sizemore (senior quarterback) — Passed for 3,133 and 39 touchdowns while completing 202-of-334 pass attempts, which included 16 interceptions. He was also rushed for 626 rushing yards and reached paydirt five times. Corey Shelton (junior, wide receiver) — Led Williamsburg with 63 pass receptions and 20 touchdowns while finishing the season with 1,084 receiving yards. Skyler Griffith (Junior Wide Receiver) — Led Williamsburg with 1,176 receiving yards while finishing 2012 with 61 receptions and 13 touchdowns. Patrick Jefferson (Junior Fullback/Linebacker) — Led the Yellow Jackets with 111 tackles on defense while finishing with 81 carries, 499 rushing yards and seven receptions for 43 receiving yards on offense last season.

IMO - Preseason No. 2 behind No. 1 Knox BUT I'm hearing some rumblings that could move another team to the top spot.

High ticket prices at The Arena? You need to get your facts straight.

Actually Steve has eight region titles. He won one in 1991 at Laurel County. The big thing is he won a state championship. That trumps it all.

Agreed. But he has a ring. And a whole lot of region titles, too.

I wouldn't say by far. Steve has a ring my friend.

Corbin led 24-8 after first quarter as Middlesboro shot 2 of 18 from the floor. Everyone has said this from Day One - Middlesboro is dangerous. They are quick and very athletic. IMO, a bad matchup for Corbin. Yes, the Redhounds had beaten them by 17 earlier but Middlesboro was coming off a tough loss to rival Bell County.

Who wins and why?

Who wins and why?

Who wins and why?

Who wins and why?

He missed around 10 to 12 games after the Clay win. Then he got back big man Chad Marsee got hurt and Barger was out again for some games toward end of the season. I've watched Central play both games in district tourney & they were healthy and looked very good.

Thanks man.

I'll be honest, those first four games could easily go the other way. And thanks, I appreciate it.

13th Region Tournament Preview at Harlan County High School District champions — 49th — Clay County (23-6); 50th Corbin (24-6); 51st — Knox Central (17-13); 52nd — Harlan County (23-7) District runner-ups — 49th — North Laurel (15-15); 50th — South Laurel (13-16); 51st — Barbourville (19-11); 52nd — Middlesboro (15-13) Schedule Monday, Feb. 25 First Round Corbin vs. Middlesboro, 6:15 p.m. Clay County vs. Barbourville, 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26 First Round Harlan County vs. South Laurel, 6:15 p.m. Knox Central vs. North Laurel, 7:45 p.m. Friday, March 1 Semifinals Corbin/Middlesboro winner vs. Clay County/Barbourville winner, 6:15 p.m. Harlan County/South Laurel winner vs. Knox Central/North Laurel winner, 7:45 p.m. Saturday, March 2 Finals TBD, 7:30 p.m. Team Previews Barbourville — The Tigers have been a pleasant surprise in the 13th Region this season and posted a 12-7 record against 13th Region opponents. Dinky Phipps’ squad had been one of the hottest teams in the region before seeing its seven-game win streak snapped after losing to rival Knox Central in the 51st District title game. Barbourville is led by senior Devon Mills, who is also one of the top players in the region. Tanner Moore, Jason Mills, sharpshooter Alexander Phipps and Kevin Engle also play big roles for the Tigers. Phipps is one of the best three-point shooters in the region and Jason Mills can light up the scoreboard, too. Versus Clay County this season — the two teams haven’t played against each other. Clay County — Robert Marcum’s squad is searching for its first 13th Region title since the 2001 season and could very well be the team to beat. The Tigers are 13-2 against 13th Region competition and enters with a tournament-best 12-game win streak. The last team to beat them? Try Harlan County, a 58-47 win on Jan. 10. Clay County is led by guard Chip McDaniel, who leads the team with a 17.6 scoring average. Marty Bowling is averaging a double-double (11.5 points and 10.9 rebounds) while Stephon Lyttle (11.3 points per game) and Kody Reed (10 points per game) are offensive threats, too. Versus Barbourville this season — The two teams haven’t played each other. Corbin — The Redhounds are another pleasant surprise in the region. Corbin enters the tournament with a region-best 24-6 record along with a 16-3 mark against regional opponents. The Redhounds are also riding a nine-game win streak while going 14-1 during their past 15 games. Tony Pietrowski ahs received balanced-scoring from this group with Hunter Grubb, Robbie Igo, Zach Farley and Kaleb Maguet leading the way. One player to keep an eye on is Kevin Goins, who is capable of putting up big numbers at any given game. Versus Middlesboro this season — The Redhounds cruised to an easy 68-51 win over the Yellow Jackets on Jan. 8 at home. Harlan County — The Black Bears will enter as the team to beat in the tournament. They have put together an impressive 14-3 mark against 13th Region teams this season with their only losses coming against Bell County, Barbourville and Corbin. They have never won a 13th Region Tournament game (0-4) and have been upset the past two seasons in first round action by Clay County. Harlan County is led by Tyler Brewer, who is one of the top players in the region. Alex Sergent is tough to stop from the outside while players such as Chad Massigill and Aaron Caldwell are tough to stop in the post. Versus South Laurel this season — The Black Bears beat South Laurel on the road on Dec. 15, 44-32. Knox Central — The Panthers are a dangerous team. Knox Central started the season with a 5-1 record, including a 68-62 win over Clay County, but injuries began to take its toll on Brian Evans’ team after that and they finished the season going 12-12. The good news, though, Knox Central is now healthy and showed they are hard to beat during last week’s 51st District tournament by shooting 62 percent against Pineville and 54 percent against Barbourville. The Panthers are led by guard Matt Barger and the region’s best outside shooter in Jeremy Adams. Big men Tobie Merida and Chad Marsee have played well in the post while Jacob Wilburn, Nathan Cole and Dustin Hensley have provided solid play, too. Knox Central is 9-7 against 13th Region teams. Versus North Laurel this season — The Panthers dropped a 63-47 road decision to the Jaguars on Feb. 15. Middlesboro — This might be the region’s toughest team to read. Middlesboro surprised many by going 8-2 to begin the season while later capturing the 13th Region All ‘A’ Classic championship, but they slowed down after the win over Pineville while posting a 3-6 record since. They also dropped an 83-56 decision to Harlan County in the 52nd District title game. Middlesboro is led by Donnie Foister and Austin Poindexter. The way they go, the Yellow Jackets tend to go. Middlesboro is 10-9 against Versus Corbin this season — The Yellow Jackets fell to Corbin, 68-51, on Jan. 8. North Laurel — Everyone forgets the Jaguars are the defending 13th Region champions and return Marcus Carson, Kendrick Henson Jake Allen and Austin Rush to the mix. The key will be Allen, who is considered as one of the top players in the region. North Laurel has struggled, though. The Jaguars’ largest win streak has only been three games this season and they limped into postseason play going 7-8 beginning on Jan. 4. North Laurel did finish regular season play with an impressive 63-47 win over Knox Central before knocking off Jackson County in the 49th District Tournament. Brad Sizemore’s squad is 8-01 against 13th Region foes. Versus Knox Central this season — The Jaguars defeated Knox Central at home on Feb. 15, 63-47. South Laurel — Many believe the Cardinals will be one-and-done in the region tournament, but don’t count them out. South Laurel’s 8-7 mark against 13th Region foes might be a bit deceiving. The Cardinals have had to deal with injuries and are beginning to hit stride at the right time. South Laurel is led by guard Blake Sanders, who missed the Cardinals’ earlier game against Harlan County, due to an injury. Sophomore Zac Baxter is one of the top scorers in the game while Matt Slavey is a dangerous shooter from the outside. The key against Harlan County might be South Laurel’s play in the post, so players such as Austin Schaser, Tyler Vandeventer and Jon Helston will have to step up. Versus Harlan County this season — The Cardinals fell at home to the Black Bears on Dec. 15, 44-32. Top Eight 1. Clay County 2. Harlan County 3. Corbin 4. Knox Central 5. North Laurel 6. South Laurel 7. Barbourville 8. Middlesboro 13th Region’s Top Players 1. Devon Mills, Barbourville — No one has put together a better season than Mills. He’s one of the most versatile players in the region. 2. Chip McDaniel, Clay County — McDaniel can hurt teams in so many ways. He’s a great ballhandler and scorer and if he goes to the free-throw line, he’s an 84 percent shooter. 3. Tyler Brewer, Harlan County — Brewer is another solid guard that can dominate at any time. 4. Hunter Grubb, Corbin — Solid three-point shooter and can flat-out play defense. 5. Zac Baxter, South Laurel — When he’s on, he’s tough to stop. 6. Matt Barger, Knox Central — Barger gets so many players involved on offense. He’s a pretty good scorer, too. 7. Jake Allen, North Laurel — Very versatile for a big man. 8. Alex Sergent, Harlan County — If he gets hot from the outside, look out. 9. Blake Sanders, South Laurel — One of the best guards around. 10. Marty Bowling, Clay County — Bowling is a threat scoring and rebounding the ball. Best of the rest — Barbourville’s Alexander Phipps will definitely hurt teams from the outside. Clay County’s Stephon Lyttle and Kody Reed are offensive threats for the Tigers while Corbin’s Robbie Igo, Zach Farley and Kevin Goins can put up points, too. Harlan County’s Aaron Caldwell and Chad Massingill are solid players along with Knox Central’s Jeffrey Adams, Chad Marsee and Tobie Merida. Middlesboro’s Donnie Foister and Austin Poindexter are big scoring threats and keep an eye on North Laurel’s Marcus Carson and Peyton Broughton along with South Laurel’s Matt Slavey. Predictions First Round Corbin 64, Middlesboro 53 Clay County 62, Barbourville 57 Harlan County 64, South Laurel 59 Knox Central 51, North Laurel 48 Semifinals Clay County 67, Corbin 61 Harlan County 72, Knox Central 61 Finals Harlan County 74, Clay County 67

No. Knox had been.

No problemo. I'm just here for the ride.