teeroy

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.

37-35 H

26-21 H. They open 2nd half on 7-0 run.

PCc 21 Hazard 19. Half. Hazard doing a good job on Noah Back. Kind of sloppy game.