teeroy

The 40th district (George Rogers Clark, Bourbon County and Montgomery County) and the 37th district (Campbell County, Bishop Brossart and Scott) are by far the two deepest districts. Robertson County is the heavy favorite in the 38th district. The 39th district is not off to a good start. Mason County and August appear to be the favorites in that district. Tier 1 1. George Rogers Clark (5-0) - The Cardinals continue to be the class of the 10th region. They picked up a quality road victory over Madison Central 73-64 boosted by a strong second half breakout performance from Jeremiah Mundy-Lloyd. Lincoln Bush had 12 points and 16 rebounds in an easy 70-42 win over Pendleton County. Tier 2 2. Robertson County (5-0) - Justin Becker (20.3 ppg) and Sebastian Dixon (17.7 ppg, 52% 3PT) have led Robertson County to 5 blowout victories to start the season. Last week they steamrolled past Bracken County 93-57 and St. Patrick 78-33. These big wins will likely continue until the competition heats up in the Gateway Holiday Classic at Montgomery County after Christmas. 3. Bourbon County (5-0) - It took a strong comeback to force overtime at the Fieldhouse, but the Colonels were able to come up with an unprecedented 16 point overtime victory over the struggling Mason County Royals. Newcomer Amirion Joyce helped the Colonels get past Marques Warrick and the Henry Clay Blue Devils 76-69. Bourbon County also beat cross-town rival Paris 75-31. 4. Campbell County (4-1) - The Camels wins this week were nothing to write home about. They beat Calvary Christian 71-56 and the winless Dixie Heights Colonels 70-64. They also knocked off Batesville, IN. Campbell County is off to a hot shooting start from beyond the arc. Jordan Gross (7 of 11) Garrett Beiting (16 of 27) and Aydan Hamilton (11 of 21) are all above 50% from deep. 5. Montgomery County (4-1) - Rickey Lovette's strong inside play combined with a solid backcourt has the Indians off to a good start while they continue to wait for the KHSAA to clear big man transfer Zach Benton. They are optimistic that Benton will be cleared and that he can combine with Lovette to form one of the best inside tandems in the region. Lovette had 23 points and 14 rebounds and several blocks to lead the Indians to an easy victory over district foe Paris. Then, the Indians knocked off West Jessamine 69-68 on the road. Hagan Harrison hit 4 of 6 three pointers and scored 28 points in that win. 6. Bishop Brossart (5-2) - The Mustangs had a great week, highlighted by an eyebrow raising 80-55 road victory against Beechwood. Ethan Eilerman and Carson Schirmer scored 22 and 21 points, respectively, in the big victory. Bishop Brossart capped off the week by defeating the Paris Greyhounds 81-58. The Mustangs have shot the ball better after a rough opening week. They do not have any games scheduled for this week. Tier 3 7. Scott (2-3) - The Eagles are flying high. They beat Harrison County 78-64, and then upset Mason County on the road 68-67. Grant Proffitt (22.2 ppg) and Kyle Huelsman (19.6ppg) are carrying the offensive load. They are scoring 63% of the teams points. The two players combined to make 17 of 18 free throws in the win over the Royals. The Eagles fell to the undefeated Highlands Bluebirds 85-72. 8. Mason County (2-3) - It was a roller coaster week in Maysville. Against Bourbon County, the Royals let a lead slip away and eventually ended up losing in overtime 77-61. That game showed that the Royals can compete with one of the region's best teams. However, the Royals followed that up with a loss to Scott High 68-67. They had a chance to win at the buzzer but missed. They did end the week with a 52-51 victory over winless Cooper. Alex Schalch is averaging 20.4 points per game. 9. Harrison County (1-4) - Harrison County dropped games to Grant County (70-63) and Scott (78-64), but did manage to pick up their first win of the season with a 70-51 road victory over Nicholas County. This week, Harrison County travels to Robertson County, and then has what should be a pretty even matchup at home against Augusta. 10. Augusta (4-3) - The Panthers picked up wins over St. Patrick and two out of state teams. They lost 69-53 to undefeated Raceland. Sophomore Kason Hinson is averaging 24.1 points a game. We will know a lot more about where Augusta stands in the region after this week's games against Pendleton County and Harrison County. Tier 4 11. Paris (1-4) - Last week the Greyhounds played three games against top level 10th region teams (Montgomery, Bourbon, and Bishop Brossart) and lost all three games by large margins. Guard Ricqiece Washington continues to impress. Paris is in danger of falling to 0-3 in the loaded 40th district. They visit George Rogers Clark this week. 12. Pendleton County (4-2) - The Wildcats moved up a few spots in the rankings, due to their 72-67 home victory over Nicholas County. Tredyn Thomas (21 points, 7 rebounds) and Brett Booth (15 points, 11 rebounds) led the way in the victory over the Bluejackets. The Wildcats were no match for George Rogers Clark, losing 70-42. 13. Nicholas County (1-4) - The Bluejackets did not have a good week. They lost to Pendleton County 72-67, Harrison County 70-51, and Elliott County 66-63. It was Elliott County's first win of the year. Nicholas County has a balanced attack with four players averaging at least 13 points per game. 14. Bracken County (1-5) - The Polar Bears dropped all three games last week. They did put up a good fight against Union County, losing 83-78. Blake Reed (28.2 ppg) could end up being one of the leading scorers in the state. 15. Calvary Christian (3-2) - The Cougars lost to Campbell County by a respectable 15 points and knocked off Villa Madonna 78-49. Noah Herald put up a double-double (20 points and 11 rebounds) against the Camels. 16. St. Patrick (2-4) - The Saints have dropped four straight games. They were no match for Augusta ( 63-39) or Robertson County (78-33). Games of the Week Ashland at George Rogers Clark - December 17 - Two top 15 teams in the state IMO Bourbon County at Montgomery County - December 17 - Key 40th district battle

HC big man Jackson Phillips didn’t play. I assume has been hurt.

Three tiers are starting to emerge. George Rogers Clark and Bourbon County appear to be fighting for supremacy and look to continue to establish themselves as co-10th region favorites. Campbell County (who lost to GRC), Robertson County, Montgomery County, Bishop Brossart, and Mason County appear to be in next tier. These teams can compete for a region title if they can make some necessary improvements. The other nine teams seem to have a lot to improve on in order to challenge the teams in tier 2. But I expect one or two of them to be able to move up into tier 2. 1. George Rogers Clark (3-0) - The Cardinals avenged last years 10th region title game loss, with a 63-48 home win over Campbell County. The Cardinals used a high pressure defense the forced 15 first half Camel turnovers, and that pressure continued in the second half. GRC also picked up easy and expected wins over Bath County and Floyd Central. Jerone Morton (25 ppg) and Jared Wellman (23 ppg) lead the way. 2. Bourbon County (2-0) - The Colonels could easily be ranked in the top spot, as they are only narrowly behind the Cardinals. They beat Fleming County 69-50 and West Jessamine 72-54. Newcomer Amirion Joyce is off to a good start. The Colonels have a lot of firepower. 3. Campbell County (1-1) - The Camels move up in the rankings due to beating Rowan County 66-64. The Vikings are considered to be one of the top 16th region teams. Jordan Gross had 26 points in that one. However, the Camels struggled with GRC's pressure in a 15 point loss to the Cardinals in Winchester. 4. Robertson County (2-0) - Dominant wins over Augusta (70-44) and Scott (93-57) propel the Black Devils up in the rankings. Star sophomore Justin Becker scored 19 against Augusta. 5. Montgomery County (2-1) - There is no shame in taking a close loss on the road to a good team, and that is exactly what happened to the Indians against Rowan County. The Indians have been without Ryle big man transfer Zach Benton, but Brandon Dyer's hot shooting has the tribe trending up from last year. 6. Bishop Brossart (1-2) - The Mustangs will need to shoot the ball better in order to challenge the top tier 10th region teams. A nice win over Harrison County (65-36) was sandwiched around lackluster losses to Newport (58-42) and Highlands (65-58). 7. Mason County (1-1) - A somewhat unexpected loss to Lewis County has the Royals tumbling a few spots in the rankings. However, the way newcomer Alex Schalch is playing, gives the Royals the potential to make some noise in the region. The Royals destroyed a re-building Frankfort team 80-31. 8. Paris (1-1) - Losing to Franklin County 69-32 was a rough way to start the season for Paris. Ricqiece Washington had 20 points, but the rest of the team combined for only 12. Paris needs to re-group quickly, or they will fall out of the top 10. 9. Harrison County (0-2) - It is not easy to replace 5 starters, but that is what Harrison is finding out. They suffered a 65-36 blowout loss to Bishop Brossart, and fell to Anderson County 52-45. 10. Augusta (1-2) - Kason Hinson scored 39 points to lead Augusta to an emotional 94-86 win over Bracken Co. The teams had not played in the regular season for 4 years. However, there must not have been much emotion left the next day, because Augusta followed that up with a loss to a subpar Sayre team. Augusta's first game was a blowout loss to Robertson County. 11. Nicholas County (1-1) - The experienced Bluejackets got off to a great start to the season by knocking off Bracken County 83-70. Dalton Davenport led the way with 25 points. Nicholas County lost to Shelby County by only 6 points. 12. Scott (0-2) - Grant Profitt scored 33 points, but Scott lost by 20 points to Boone County despite that effort. Scott then lost to Robertson County 93-57. Not the start to the year the Eagles were hoping for. 13. Bracken County (1-2) - The Polar Bears could not beat rival Augusta, despite Blake Reed scoring 44 points. They have to get better on the boards and at the charity stripe. They also lost to Nicholas County, but did manage to beat Pendleton County. 14. Pendleton County (3-1) - The Wildcats are 3-1 but have not played a challenging schedule thus far. They beat Calvary Christian on the road 64-63 but lost at home to Bracken County 76-67, thus they are ranked in between those teams. 15. Calvary Christian (2-1) - They had a chance to move up a little in the rankings, but suffered a tough 1 point setback to Pendleton County. 16. St. Patrick (2-1) - Jaylon Rigdon is averaging 28 points per game and the Saints have already doubled their win total from last year, but they still have a long way to go. Key Game to Watch This Week: Henry Clay at Bourbon County - Saturday, December 14 at 8pm Come out and watch one of the best teams in the region take on one of the best players in the state. Henry Clay senior guard Marques Warrick is one of the best players in the state. He can score from anywhere. Henry Clay is one of the top teams in the 11th region, along with Lexington Catholic, Frederick Douglas and a few others.

Thank you! And yes, the 40th will be a beast!

Thank you for the preview. I see Male as the state title favorite.

Nakwan Joyce and Amirion Joyce from Bourbon are playing football. Austin Eichenburger from Montgomery is playing football. Those are a few that I know of.

My mistake about the dates. Thanks for pointing that out.

1. George Rogers Clark - The Cardinals lost to only one 10th region team last year and that was to 10th region champion Campbell County, twice. Several key players return from last year’s region runner up team. Jared Wellman (11.4) will be a contender for region player of the year. He is very talented and shoots it well from deep. Lincoln Bush (6.6) rebounds well (6.4 rpg) and provides a good low post presence. He had a big summer and earned MVP honors at the summer HPBC camp in Georgetown. Jerone Morton (6.9) is a really good athlete with high upside. He is one of the best sophomores in central Kentucky. KJ Rucker (4.6) provided a spark last year and will be relied on even more this year. The Cardinals are seeking their first region title since 2012. 2. Bourbon County – The Colonels could easily be in the top spot. They won the prestigious KBC summer tournament in June, beating Henry Clay in the finals. Amirion Joyce (a transfer for Paducah Tilghman) was the leading scorer in the KBC tournament. His athleticism is a game changer for the Colonels. Guard Nakyir Joyce (12.3) attacks the basketball well and, along with his cousin Amirion, gives Bourbon two of the top players in region. Starter guard Nakwan Joyce (6.8) also returns along with 6th man Brycen Collins (5.9). 3. Montgomery County – This ranking is based on potential. Veteran proven coach Steve Wright takes over for the Indians. Two transfers bolster Montgomery County. Rickey Lovette averaged nearly a double double while playing in Florida last year. He is long, athletic and a hard worker. Big man Zach Benton will be a key player for the Indians. He would have been the top returnee for Ryle. Hagan Harrison (5.8) is projected to be one of the top sophomores in central Kentucky. He produces several steals and is ready to fully break out this year. Starter Austin Eichenberger (5.7) also returns. The 40th district is going to be tough. Gaining the one seed will be crucial. 4. Mason County – Alex Schlah (19.7) transfers in from Robertson County and is expected to be one of the top players in the region. He led Black Devils in scoring last year. Outside of the graduated Jaylen Lofton, the Royals return the rest of their starters. Xylon Frey (10.9, 6.6 rpg) will form a nice 1-2 inside punch with Schlah. Other key returnees include Carson Brammer (8.9), Jeremiah Jones (8.6), and Braden May (7.7). Last year was definitely a down season by the Royals standards, but expect them to bounce back behind the veteran returnees and the big addition of Schlah. 5. Campbell County - What a season it was last year for the Camels! Undefeated against 10th region competition, a first round sweet 16 victory over an undefeated John Hardin team and a barn burner last second controversial loss to state champion Trinity in the semifinals are some of the highlights from last season’s team. It was no secret the team played through Reid Jolly last year. The Camels not only lose Jolly to graduation, but several other key pieces graduate as well. All is not lost however. Jordan Gross (4.9) and Dane Hegyi (1.7) played valuable minutes on the biggest stage last year. Gross will be the go to guy this year. A winning tradition and a good mix of young players will serve Campbell County well. 6. Bishop Brossart – The Mustangs played in the All A state tournament last year and played eventual All A champion (University Heights) closer than any other team did in the whole tournament. Their 4 point loss to Campbell County in the district is another indicator of them being able to compete with the best. Key players Ethan Eilerman (13.5) and Carson Schirmer (9.6 ppg) return. Bishop Brossart is always well disciplined and solid defensively. 7. Robertson County – The future looks bright for Robertson County. Sophomore Justin Becker (18.9) is projected to be one of the best big men in state in the 2022 class. He may average 20 and 10 this year. Though Schlah’s transfer to Mason County stings, the combination of Becker and sharpshooter Sebastian Dixon (13.4) gives Robertson enough firepower to make run in the 10th. Expect a big year from these two underclassmen. 8. Paris – The Greyhounds had a rough year last year but do return 3 starters from a team that showed some promise last year with big wins last year at Montgomery County and at Mason County. Most of their firepower will come from the perimeter. Starters Ricqiece Washington (8.5), Caleb Johnson (7.8) and Jamaun Clark (7.2) return. 9. Augusta – There is some reason for optimism at Augusta and rightly so. Coach Jason Hinson returns to Augusta. His son, freshman Kason Hinson scored 11.4 points per game last year as an 8th grader at Bracken County. Several other key players return for the Panthers. 10. Scott – Scott lost a lot of production from last year’s exciting team, including Jacob Meyer’s transfer out of the program. Grant Profitt (4.1) is the only returnee with much experience. 11. Harrison County – Last year’s team won 11 games and the top 5 leading scorers have all graduated. However, Harrison County should be able to content for a region tournament appearance. 12. Pendleton County – Dontaie Allen played in only 13 games last year before sustaining a season ending injury. He still scored 558 points, was awarded the prestigious Mr. Basketball award in Kentucky, and committed to UK. Without him, Pendleton County really struggled. New coach Sam Elsbernd takes over. 13. Nicholas County – The bad is that the Bluejackets struggled last year. The good is all the key players return. 14. Bracken County – The Polar Bears won 14 games last year after winning only 5 the year before. They hope to continue the upward trend behind new coach Adam Reed. 15. Calvary Christian – Mason Rusch’s move to North Carolina puts a damper on the Cougars expectations. They will struggle to fill his shoes. 16. St. Patrick – St Patrick has nowhere to go but up, after winning only 1 game last season. Top 10 Players: 1. Jared Wellman (Jr) George Rogers Clark – Smooth and talented player leads a very balanced GRC attack. 2. Justin Becker (So) Robertson County – Versatile player. One of the top sophomores in the state. 3. Alex Schalch (Sr) Mason County – Big man transfer from Robertson County makes Royals instant contender. 4. Amirion Joyce (Sr) Bourbon County – Transfer from Paducah Tilghman. Named MVP of the prestigious KBA summer tournament. 5. Nakyir “Scrap” Joyce (Sr) Bourbon County – Tenacious player. Finishes well at the rim. 6. Rickey Lovette (Jr) Montgomery County – Transfer from Avon Park, FL. Can score and rebound. Good leaping ability and hard worker. 7. Lincoln Bush (Sr) George Rogers Clark – Solid and dependable force for the Cardinals. Named MVP of the Blue Chip summer camp in Georgetown. 8. Jerone Morton (So) George Rogers Clark – Extremely athletic guard with tremendous upside. 9. Ethan Eilerman (Sr) Bishop Brossart – Clutch player and senior leader. 10. Jordan Gross (Sr) Campbell County – Good shooter and key returnee from last year's state semifinalist. Ten questions for the 10th region 1. Montgomery, Bracken, Augusta, Nicholas, and Pendleton all have new coaches. Which coach will have the biggest impact? 2. Several teams have a good young core including GRC, Montgomery and Roberstson. Which team is set up best for the future? 3. Bourbon, GRC, and Montgomery should all be good. Who will be left out of the region tournament? 4. There are several key transfers including Alex Schlah (Mason), Amirion Joyce (Bourbon) and Zach Benton and Rickey Lovette (Montgomery). Which transfer will fit in best with their new team? 5. Robertson and Brossart seem to be the All A favorites. Can any other team challenge them? 6. Scott, Pendleton and Harrison lost a lot of firepower. Can they reload? 7. Augusta and Bracken play twice during the regular season. What will the atmosphere be like? 8. Mason won only 15 games last year but return plenty if talent. Can they improve enough to win the region? 9. Campbell is coming off a historic final four season, but they lose several keys players. Can they make it back to Rupp? 10. GRC, Bourbon, Montgomery and Mason all have high ceilings. Can anyone make a deep run at Rupp like Campbell did last year? Ten Matchups to Watch Who: George Rogers Clark vs Montgomery County When: 1/17 at Montgomery County and 1/31 at George Rogers Clark Why it matters: Always an exciting atmosphere. Should be even more exciting this year. Who: George Rogers Clark vs Bourbon County When: 1/21 at George Rogers Clark and 2/4 at Bourbon County Why it matters: The 40th district is fierce this year, so getting the one seed will be crucial. Who: Bourbon County vs Montgomery County When: 12/17 at Montgomery County and 1/7 at Bourbon County Why it matters: Fresh faces bring even more reason for optimism to these two contenders. Who: Augusta vs Bracken County When: 12/6 at August and 1/25 at Bracken Why it matters: Hinson takes over at Augusta. So excited that these teams are now playing! Who: Campbell County at George Rogers Clark When: December 6 at George Rogers Clark Why it matters: Cardinals look for revenge after falling to Camels in 10th region finals last year. Who: Campbell County at Mason County When: January 16 at Mason County Why it matters: Two traditional powerhouses will battle it out. Who: Bourbon County vs Paris When: December 13 at Bourbon and February 8 at Paris Why it matters: Because this local rivalry is always fun. Who: George Rogers Clark at Robertson County When: January 2 at Robertson County Why it matters: Several underclassmen stars will be on display. Who: Beechwood (9th region) at Bishop Brossart When: December 9 at Bishop Brossart Why it matters: Let’s see how the Mustangs go about trying to slow down Scotty Draud (22.7 ppg). Gateway Holiday Classic When: December 27-29 at Montgomery County Why it matters: Robertson, Mason, and Montgomery compete in this 8 team tournament.

Yeah several key guys back from a team that went on a deep run last year, including Brents and Boyd

Haven't finalized this yet so don't hold me to it, but here is what I have drafted so far. 1. Male 2. Madisonville NH 3. Cov Cath 4. Ballard 5. Warren Central 6. John Hardin 7. McCracken Co 8. Bowling Green 9. Collins 10. Butler or Marshall Co.

36-0 FD. Running clock!! 1:26 left. Total mismatch.

Cov Cath’s narrow win over Lex Cath makes me think FD is the class of 5A.

29-0 FD. The only drama is whether or not they get a running clock. Douglass QB got shaken up and backup came in to run for a TD.

The SC punting unit is struggling mightily. Another bad snap.

When the schedules came out, I had this game circled, but it lost some luster for me when I saw the Scott Co Lafayette score a few weeks ago.

SC offense is not built to play from behind.

20-0 FD now

A running clock could be coming.

SC has had 2 punting disasters already.

Looks like a mismatch so far. Also that was an incredible 1 handed TD catch by Key!

Surprised more people aren’t picking FD in this one. I pick FD by 14.

Having really a really big school helps, because you have more numbers. Some of the best teams year after year are often very big schools (though not always).

Male, Mad NH, Collins & McCracken Co, to name a few. Johm Hardin & Warren Central perhaps also, among others.

I’m surprised SC didn’t utlize their bench more. Wearing teams down with pressure had been their strengh all season and Fluker, Harris, and Hamilton are all good players, but they didn’t play many minutes tonight.

Not sure. But I do know they have really struggled for the last few years.