Les

I'm not sure if you knew but after Harln County beat South Friday, they defeated Clay, 67-49.

Madison is very good. She'll be in the top 25 sophomores list when I release my story.

But with that said, BobbytheBrain, I do enjoy your selections. Nothing wrong with agreeing to disagree. At least you are giving softball some coverage. The freshmen, sophomore, junior and senior top player list will be put out in the paper in late March. A lot of who you have listed I have as well.

I've covered this sport since 1995 when the KHSAA picked it up and just don't cover local teams and actually get out of the state on travel ball as well.

Lol. That's true and one is mine. But oversighting Makenzie Powenski is a total joke in my opinion.

That's what I was wondering. Short porch? I don't think so. And who is he to say she needs to be more consistent? That's what kills me when people hide behind fake names. They can say whatever they want and not be held accountable.

Lol. That is a very early poll. Ashland Blazer has gotta be in there. Sorry. South Laurel is def. a top 20 team as well.

Totally forgot about North Laurel's Peyton Gregory, too. Another stud pitcher. Had a great summer.

My top 15 freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors and team rankings come out soon in the paper. I'll list them on here.

Good choice with Brianda. I coached her for three years in travel ball. Stud hitter and stud pitcher. No way North Laurel's Becca Riley should be off this list. She's another top notch player.

Oh. I def. agree and wasn't disagreeing with your picks at all. I agree with them. I was just stating I think they are two of the better sophomores in the state. High school stats are subjective but when both players are hitting over .500 during travel ball against top notch competition in Tennesee that's pretty darn good but I'm sure your research found their travel ball stats.

when you mention some of the top sophomores in the state, these are two that need to be mentioned. Both play for South Laurel. Leslie Dixon, RF - batted a second-best .427 as a freshman with 8 doubles, 4 triples, 31 RBI, 43 runs scored and an on-base percentage of .478. She had 124 at-bats and only struck out four times. Top notch outfielder but will be switched to second base this season. She batted .387 as an eighth grader with 36 hits, 17 RBI, 15 stolen bases and 32 runs scored and only struck out four times in 106 at bats. Her travel ball team played the majority of their games in Tennessee this past season. Might have been why you didn't see her. Makenzie Powenski, third baseman, - batted .366 with 34 hits, 37 Runs scored and six doubles and one triple. And she missed a part of the season due to injuries. As an eighth grader, she broke former Miss Softball Emily Gaines eighth grade record with most hits in a season with 63. She batted .477 with 45 runs scored and 38 RBI. She also had 16 doubles and 20 stolen bases. These are two players that hve to be considered as some of the best sophomores in the state. No doubt.

1. South Laurel (10-2 overall, 4-0 against 13th Region teams) — The Cardinals are riding an impressive nine-game win streak with their only losses coming against unbeaten Mercer County (South lost 52-51) and twice-beaten Owen County (South lost in double overtime, 76-74). The Cardinals are led by the duo of Caleb Taylor (17.3 points per game) and Jared Grubb (17.1). They posted a 3-0 record in the Mountain School Boy Classic, a 2-0 mark in the Kentucky Bank Challenge and defeated Knox Central Saturday, 77-40. 2. Clay County (11-2, 6-0) —After starting the season 8-0, the Tigers are 3-2 during their past five games with losses to Cheyenne, Nevada and a one-point setback at home to Boyle County. Clay County did manage to post a 3-0 record in the Cumberland falls Invitational and captured the championship by defeating Corbin, 55-50. They are led in scoring by senior Blake Smith’s 20.5 scoring average while Trey Farmer is averaging 20.4 points per game. 3. Harlan County (12-2, 5-0) — The Black Bears continue to remain under the radar while posting an impressive 12-2 record behind the solid play of Cameron Carmichael and Treyce Spurlock. Carmichael is averaging 17.6 points per game while Spurlock is averaging 16.2. Harlan County went 2-1 in the Seahawks Holiday Classic and 2-1 in the Red River Classic. The Black Bears defeated Bell County on the road Saturday, 54-47. 4. North Laurel (11-2, 2-1) — The Jaguars surpassed their win total of last season (10) on Saturday by defeating Jackson County, 62-50. The Jaguars are led by Division I recruit Peyton Broughton’s 20.9 scoring average. North Laurel posted a 2-0 record in the Kentucky Bank Challenge and a 3-0 mark in the Mountain Schoolboy Classic. 5. Whitley County (8-6, 3-4) —The Colonels are a hard team to figure out, but I’m moving them up a spot after their performance the past two weeks. Whitley County snapped a three-game losing skid and is now 4-1 during its last five games. The Colonels went 2-1 in the Cumberland Falls Invitational with their only loss coming to Clay County, 53-41. They did manage to get a big 52-48 win over Barbourville Saturday. Corey Johnson leads Whitley County with a 15.3 scoring average. 6. Corbin (6-6, 0-3) —The Redhounds move up a couple of spots after going 2-1 in the Cumberland Falls Invitational. Corbin only managed to score 18 points during the first three quarters of the title game against Clay County before rallying late and falling, 55-50. Andrew Taylor leads Corbin with a 19.5 scoring average. 7. Barbourville (8-6, 4-2) —The Tigers started the season with four wins, but are 4-6 during their last 10 games, which includes 1-2 efforts in the Arby’s Classic and the Cumberland Falls Invitational. They dropped a 52-48 decision to Whitley County on the road Saturday. Barbouville is led in scoring by the region’s leading scorer Brent Perry (24.3) while Markelle Turner follows with a 20.1 scoring average. 8. Knox Central (4-4, 1-2) — The Panthers had a nine-day layoff, and it showed during their 77-40 loss to South Laurel Saturday. Wade Liford leads Knox Central with a 19.2 scoring average while Chad Marsee is averaging 17.0 points per game. 9. Bell County (7-7, 2-2) —The Bobcats turned in a 1-2 effort in the Heritage Lids Classic while going 2-2 in the Lake Cumberland Holiday Hoops Classic. They dropped a 54-47 decision at home to Harlan County Saturday. The are led in scoring by Zach Partin, who is averaging 16 points per game. 10. Lynn Camp (10-2, 5-1) —The Wildcats are riding high with a 10-2 record on the season. They posted a 2-1 record in the Pineville Mountain Classic. Austyn Weddle leads his team with a 13-point scoring average. A couple of players to keep an eye on are Bruce Hopkins and Antonio Tepesano. 11. Oneida Baptist (5-3, 3-3) —Dejour Frazier leads the way with his 23-point scoring average, as the Mountaineers have won four games in a row. 12. Pineville (10-2, 5-0) —The Mountain Lions are only one of four teams that are unbeaten against 13th Region foes. They are led by Frederick Carnes (19.5) and Trent Lefevers (17.1). 13. Jackson County (5-6, 0-3) —The Generals held their own Saturday against North Laurel before losing, 62-50. Tanner Harris leads Jackson County with a 16.7 scoring average. 14. Harlan (9-6, 2-4) —The Green Dragons are another team to keep an eye on. They look like they might be peaking at the right time. Killian Ledford leads the way with 14.7 points per game. 15. Williamsburg (1-6, 1-5) — The Yellow Jackets’ struggles continue. They are led by Tanner Boggs’ 16.7 scoring average. 16. Middlesboro (1-14, 1-9) —I really like the way first-year coach Isaac Wilson is coaching this team. Wilson is a winner, and he will build the Yellow Jackets into a contender in the near future. Drake Thomas leads Middlesboro with a 10.1 scoring average. 17. Red Bird (1-7, 0-5) —The Cardinals haven’t played in over two weeks, but they did pick up their first win of the season on Dec. 17, 2015 against Riverside Christian, 45-24. Jonathon Kabonga leads the Cardinals with an 11.6 scoring average.

Nah. I like them right where I have them.

State's leading rusher not even mention. Total. Joke.

No. It is true. Leave the house and actually watch other teams play other than Boyle and who they play against.

Exactly. People have gotta get out and actually watch teams play instead of KHSAA scoreboard watching.

It's funny you discredit South's win by saying Cordia was struggling when Cordia was coming off a win over Southwestern. I believe South started Cordia's struggles. LOL.

I'll wait for the AP and other polls to come out. All polls have bias though. With that said, polls are polls, especially when you have people voting that go by "resumes" LOL and not actually go out and watch teams other than their own.

1. Clay County Tigers (9-1 overall) — Clay County faced its toughest opponent of the season during first round action of the Cumberland falls Invitational. They defeated previously unbeaten Franklin Simpson, 85-80, thanks to Trey Farmer’s 35-point scoring effort while Blake Smith added 31. 2. South Laurel Cardinals (6-2) — The Cardinals were off this past week, but did have a success two weeks ago by going 3-0 with wins over Corbin (43-41), Cordia (65-45) and Boyd County (68-49). The Cardinals turned int heir worst performance of the season against Corbin with leading scorer Caleb Taylor getting in foul trouble and only playing only four minutes in the first half. Taylor finished with four points in the game, but the Cardinals showed they are more than just a one-man team. The bench stepped up in the two-point victory with Taylor, Andrew Griffith and Ryan Anders battling foul trouble the entire game, as South Laurel is now 2-0 against 50th District foes. Jef Davis’ squad turned in a stellar effort against 14th Region power Cordia, winning by 20 points, as Taylor turned back into regular season form scoring 26 points while grabbing 18 rebounds in the win. Jared Grubb aded 19 points. The Cardinals ended their week by going 2-0 in the Kentucky Bank Challenge by defeating Boyd County by 19 points. 3. Harlan County (9-1) — The Black Bears suffered their first loss of the season this past week, but responded with wins over Pendleton County and Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. 4. North Laurel Jaguars (7-1) — The Jaguars picked up an impressive 65-60 victory over George Rogers Clark, as Peyton Broughton led the way with 32 points and 14 rebounds. 5. Barbourville Tigers (7-3) — The Tigers posted a 1-1 record this past week, losing to Muhlenberg County (79-76), but defeating McCreary Central, 74-71. 6. Knox Central Panthers (4-3) — After starting the season with an 0-2 mark, the Panthers are on a roll, winning four of their last five games, including a 70-66 win over Whitley County. 7. Whitley County Colonels (5-5) — The Colonels are 1-3 during their last four games after losing to North Laurel, Clay County, Tennessee and Knox Central. They did snap the three-game losing skid by defeating madison Southern, 62-53. 8. Corbin Redhounds (5-5) — The Redhounds posted a 2-2 record over the week with their two wins coming against Berea (in the Berea Invitational and the Cumberland Falls Invitational). 9. Lynn Camp Wildcats (8-1) — The Wildcats cruised in their only game this past week, defeating Williamsburg, 76-48. 10. Oneida Baptist Mountaineers (5-3) — The Mountaineers are rolling since getting all their starters back. Oneida Baptist is riding a four-game win streak, thanks in part to leading scorer Dejour Frazier, who is averaging 23 points per game. 11. Bell County Bobcats (5-5) — The Bobcats posted a 1-2 record this past week 12. Pineville Mountain Lions (7-2) — We need to keep an eye on the Mountain Lions. They could be the most underrated team in the region. 13. Jackson County Generals (4-4) — The Generals split a pair of games this past week. 14. Harlan Green Dragons (5-5) — The Green Dragons are another team that’s hard to figure out. After staring the season 4-0, they’ve now dropped five of their last six games. 15. Willliamsburg Yellow Jackets (0-4) —The Yellow Jackets are still searching for win No. 1. 16. Middlesboro Yellow Jackets (1-11) — The Yellow Jackets are struggling, but coach Isaac Wilson will build this team into a winner. 17. Red Bird Cardinals (1-7) — The Cardinals snapped a seven-game losing skid by defeating Riverside Christian two weeks ago, 45-24. Jonathon Kabonga and Stephen Leath each led the way with 13 points apiece.

Thing is KY Playmaker, we've actually seen these teams in person ply more than once or twice this season and don't bank on past history or box scores to rely on a ranking. It's funny that they say Cordia's struggles actually hurt South when South actually began Cordia's struggles. Like I said, I take these with a grain of salt.

Like I said, I've watched Clay and South more than one or two times. Seeing them in person is way better than hearsay. Grain of salt is all I'll say.

Of course it's not. I guess Cordia's win over RANKED Southwestern was when they were struggling. And South's one and two point losses to Mercer and Owen County were just losses. But hey what do I know, I actually have seen both Clay and South more than once or twice this season.

Cordia beats Southwestern by five and South Laurel beats Cordia by 20. Isn't it time to give South Laurel some respect.

1. Clay County Tigers (8-1) — We've got a new No. 1 team. The Tigers dominated during their stay in Las Vegas by going 3-1 in the Tarkanian Classic. Clay County had wins of 24, 29, and 17 points before losing int he finals to Cheyenne, Nevada, 71-67. Seniors Blake Smith and Trey Farmer continue to shine, as the duo had outstanding efforts in Las Vegas. Smith scored 28 points in the title game while Farmer followed with a 20-point effort. Both players averaged over 20 points during Clay County’s stay at the Tarkanian Classic. 2. South Laurel Cardinals (6-2 overall) — The Cardinals had a successful week by going 3-0 with wins over Corbin (43-41), Cordia (65-45) and Boyd County (68-49). South Laurel turned int heir worst performance of the season against Corbin with leading scorer Caleb Taylor getting in foul trouble and only playing only four minutes in the first half. Taylor finished with four points in the game, but the Cardinals showed they are more than just a one-man team. The bench stepped up in the two-point victory with Taylor, Andrew Griffith and Ryan Anders battling foul trouble the entire game, as South Laurel is now 2-0 against 50th District foes. Jeff Davis’ squad turned in a stellar effort against 14th Region power Cordia, winning by 20 points, as Taylor turned back into regular season form scoring 26 points while grabbing 18 rebounds in the win. Jared Grubb aded 19 points. The Cardinals ended their week, going 2-0 in the Kentucky Bank Challenge by defeating Boyd County by 19 points. 3. Harlan County (7-0) — The Black Bears are the lone undefeated team in the region after picking up wins over Barbourville (94-84) and Harlan (72-44) this past week. Cameron Carmichael poured in 36 points against the Tigers on nine-of-16 shooting while David Turner and 19 points and Tyrese Simmons added 18. Carmichael continued to have the hot-hand against Harlan, scoring 15 points while Andrew Creech and Simmons each added 13 points apiece. These Black Bears continue to get better and better. 4. North Laurel Jaguars (6-1) — The Jaguars quickly erased memories of their seven-point loss to South Laurel by winning three straight games this past week. Bryson Asher scored a game-high 23 points during North Laurel’s 66-64 win over Whitley County, and then the Jaguars responded with an 81-29 win over Bath county and a 71-26 victory over Phelps to go 2-0 in the Kentucky Bank Challenge. 5. Barbourville Tigers (6-2) — The Tigers went 2-2 this past week with losses against Harlan County (94-84) and Pulaski County (71-60), but did manage to pick up victories over Williamsburg (97-50) and Middlesboro (79-32). Barbourville continues to be led by the guard duo of Brentley Perry and Markelle Turner.Perry is averaging 26 points per game while Turner isn't too far behind with a 22-point scoring average. 6. Whitley County Colonels (4-3) — The Colonels saw a three-game win streak snapped when they dropped a 66-64 decision to North Laurel. Guar Corey Johnson continues to fly under the radar, but the kid is the real deal. He had 23 points against North Laurel. 7. Knox Central Panthers (2-2) — The Panthers are sitting quietly at 2-2 on the season, but I’m telling you, this team could be dangerous by the time post-season rolls around. Liford added 25 points and 11 rebounds during his team’s win over Jackson City while Jermel Carton scored 17 points. 8. Corbin Redhounds (2-3) — The Redhounds might be under .500, but they are improving. They saw their losing skid fall to three games after their upset bid against South Laurel fell two points short (43-41), but they managed to respond by defeating Lincoln County, 84-69, behind an impressive triple-double effort by sophomore guard Andrew Taylor, who finished with 25 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists. After opening the season with two losses, Knox Central has won two straight while scoring a combined 197 points during the process. Senior Chad Marsee had 28 points and seven rebounds against Casey County while Dane Imel and Wade Liford each had 18 points apiece. 9. Lynn Camp Wildcats (7-1) — Dinky Phipps continues to work his magic. His Wildcats are now winners of two in a row by picking up wins over Thomas Walker, Virginia (79—55) and Berea (68-56) this past week. Jacob Bundy led the way in the Berea with four three-pointers and 19 points while Austin Maier scored 18 points. Austin Weddle continues to shine for Lynn Camp. He scored 12 points and grabbed 18 rebounds against Berea. 10. Oneida Baptist Mountaineers (5-3) — The Mountaineers are rolling since getting all their starters back. Oneida Baptist is riding a four-game win streak, thanks in part to leading scorer Dejour Frazier, who is averaging 23 points per game. 11. Bell County Bobcats (4-3) — The Bobcats saw their four-game win streak come to an end over the weekend. 12. Pineville Mountain Lions (6-2) — The Mountain Lions are another team to keep an eye on. They’re a whole lot better than people realize. 13. Jackson County Generals (4-4) — The Generals are a hard team to figure out. They were blown out by Oneida Baptist, but almost knocked off Bell County (64-63) this past week. 14. Harlan Green Dragons (5-5) — The Green Dragons are another team that’s hard to figure out. After staring the season 4-0, they’ve now dropped five of their last six games. 15. Willliamsburg Yellow Jackets (0-3) —The Yellow Jackets are still searching for win No. 1. 16. Middlesboro Yellow Jackets (1-8) — Isaac Wilson has this program heading into the right direction. 17. Red Bird Cardinals (1-7) — The Cardinals snapped a seven-game losing skid by defeating Riverside Christian this past week, 45-24. Jonathon Kabonga and Stephen Leath each led the way with 13 points apiece.