napster

I've been saying all season long that JBS is for real! 11 and 2 with losses to only Henry Clay and a much improved Cumberland team. No one should downplay the success of this JBS team! Looking at their schedule on the KHSAA web site and I can see room for some people to claim a weak schedule. They've only played 3 teams with a winning record at this point in the season. And some of their wins have come against fairly weak teams (Piarist, Jenkins, Pikeville). In fact, Allen Central (1-13) has probably played a tougher schedule than JBS. The rest of their schedule could be considered weak, too. But Letcher Central and Hazard are on the shcedule. Those are very good teams. But I still think they are a real threat in the 14th. They only lost to Cumberland by 2 points. And wins over Sheldon Clark, Prestonsburg, Montgomery County, and Berea are very impressive. But defeating a very good Perry County Central team on their own court is perhaps the most impressive performance yet for JBS. Yep, JBS is for real!

I got this one exactly right. Well, almost. I said Magoffin by 8 or 10. They won by 9. I also predicted good performances by Eric Arnett, Devin Rice, and Brandon Shepherd. They all delivered. Tyler Hunley also played perhaps his best game yet. He handled the ball well during the press. And he took good shots that he had been passing up in previous games. The Hornets dominated on the boards - especially in the third quarter! That's when they turned the game around. I'm not sure, but I think scoring went something like this: Eric Arnett - 18 Devin Rice - 13 Tyler Hunley - 13 Brandon Shepherd - 10 Clay Fletcher - 8 Cameron Jayne - 3 Nathan Arnett - 2 This was an excellent opportunity for Pikeville to steal a victory from the Hornets with senior Wes Helton out of the game. But the Hornets played very well without him. Great game guys! I realize Pikeville has been down the last couple of years. But I think they are going to be very good in the coming years. #11 played an excellent game! I didn't realize he was a freshman until someone told me. That kid is good! Honaker is very athletic and will be a great player for Pikeville when he gets his game under control and stays out of foul trouble. Also, watching the JV game, I was VERY impressed with 3 or 4 of Pikeville's players. Pikeville will not be down long.

With Helton out, here's Pikeville's chance to steal a victory at Magoffin. But I'm still going with the Hornets by 8 or 10. I expect Eric Arnett and Devin Rice to have big games. Brandon Shepherd will be solid as usual.

I'm also surprised Morgan County didn't win big in this game.

Shelby Valley by 8.

Sheldon Clark is one of the most physically impressive teams in the Region. Paintsville is probably the smartest team in the Region. Paintsville by 10.

They're playing @ Magoffin County. No way Johnson Central wins by 15 to 25 points! Magoffin County can beat Johnson County @ Magoffin or @ Johnson Central. In fact, Magoffin can beat any team in the 15th Region at home or away. But Magoffin has a knack for losing games they should win. If Magoffin keeps their heads, they will beat Johnson Central by 10. But they have to keep the turnovers down. They have to remain patient when crunch time comes at the end of the game. They can't afford to start turning the ball over or taking silly shots when they're trying to close the game out. Eric Arnett and Brandon Shepherd are two very good guards that can score a lot of points. But the Hornets also have two serious scoring threats in the paint. They have to feed those guys the whole game. That will get points for the Hornets, it will get fouls on the Golden Eagles, and it will open up the game for Arnett, Shepherd, and Fletcher. When the guards get anxious and start rushing their passes, they turn the ball over. When they feel like they have to make something happen, they usually drive into the teeth of the defense or put up a crazy shot. If they'll just be patient and let the game come to them, they'll beat Johnson Central and look good doing it.

I'm still looking for complete stats, but here's what I know so far: Eric Arnett - 17 points Wes Helton - 15 points Brandon Shepherd - 15 points Devin Rice - 7 points Tyler Hunley - 4 Points Clay Fletcher - 3 points Nathan Arnett - 1 point It looks like a great team effort from Magoffin County. Brandon Shepherd has really been coming on strong in the last few games! It's great to see him have a break out game like this. He may be the hardest worker on the Hornets' squad (Devin Rice works like a brute every game, too). This is bad news for 15th Region opponents. If Shepherd has found his offensive game and if the Hornets continue to spread the ball around like this, they will be tough in the 15th region. What's going to happen if Arnett, Helton, and Shepherd keep having games like this and then Devin Rice, Clay Fletcher, and/or Tyler Hunley produce double digits, too? All three of those guys are capable. Another positive for Hornets fans: Magoffin County closed this game out like winning teams should. They righted themselves when they started to get wobbly. They protected the ball. And they made free throws at the end of the game. At least that's what I've been hearing from fans that attended the game.

Update: Helton had 15 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, and 2 steals in the Hornets' victory over Rockcastle County today! Several players played well for Magoffin County today. But this is a thread on big men in the 15th. I'll comment on the other players in another thread. The point is, Wes Helton is beginning to play up to his potential. He is definitely a player to watch!

Update: Wes Helton had 10 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists in a loss to Henry Clay yesterday. That's nearly a triple double against a top 5 team in the state! I don't know his stats in their win over Rockcastle County today. But I heard he made four key free throws to help seal the victory. I'll post again when I find out his stats against Rockcastle Co. I can't argue with anyone that says Kidd from Betsy Layne is one of the best big men in the 15th. And I haven't seen some of the others that have been mentioned. But Wes Helton is truly coming on in his senior season for Magoffin County. He has to be considered one of the best in the region!

Good choice. I would say Magoffin County in the 15th is another good choice.

The Lexington Herald Leader box scores showed JD VanHoose with 19 points. I read that and remembered how key he was to the Tigers' victory over Magoffin County. If JD keeps producing like this, Paintsville will be very tough to beat! Congratulations Tigers ! :ylsuper:

If Magoffin was able to cut the lead to 6 points in the 3rd quarter on Hnery Clay (arguably one of the top 4 or 5 teams in the state), there is no team in the 15th Region the Hornets cannot beat. Now, being able to beat any team in the 15th and actually beating them are two entirely different things, I know. But the Hornets HAVE to realize they have a real shot in the 57th District and the 15th Region. They haven't been able to say that for 6 or 7 years! A good sign is that scoring appeared to be fairly well spread out among the Magoffin County players. That's great. Are there any other stats available. I spoke with one of the parents who said that Wes Helton also added 8 rebounds and 7 assists to his efforts. That's pretty close to a triple double against one of the best teams in the state!

How strong is Estill County?

And fans are more concerned about calls that don't go their way than what their team did or did not do that had more to do with the outcome of the game. Complaining about the refs is so lame!

After the game @ Paintsville, Wes Helton for Magoffin has to be considered at top center in the 15th. I know the post is a weak spot for Paintsville. But how many centers are going to score 29 points, get 12 rebounds, 4 or 5 assists, and a few steals against the Tigers? If Helton keeps this up, he'll get some looks at the next level.

June Buchannon is for REAL!

Wes Helton from Magoffin!

:ylsuper: Check that out!! What an awesome post!! :ylsuper:

Johnson Central has been making some smart moves over the past couple of years that will put them in a great position in the 15th Region for years to come. Upgrading and expanding their facilities shows long-term confidence in the baseball program there. That confidence is well-deserved!

What about Pikeville? Or Belfry's new field?