We have come through the holidays, and we are starting to get a good feel for the contenders will be and who the pretenders will be come 2nd Region tournament time. University Heights’ performance in Lexington last week reaffirms their position as the #1 team in this week’s YSE Boys 2nd Region “Super 7.” Shaping up to be an interesting stretch run across the area.
1. UHA (13-2) – The Blazers won the Traditional Bank Holiday Classic at Lexington Catholic. And, they did so by beating Newport by 26 in the final, giving Newport only their second loss of the season. Yeah, I think the Blazers would like another chance at Lexington Christian at this point.
2. Madisonville (9-5) – The Maroons loss to Owensboro in the Meijer Holiday Classic. That same Owensboro team has already lost to both Hopkinsville and Christian County. Was the loss something to be wary of, or just a blip. We will find out Thursday night when the Maroons take on Hopkinsville in big one.
3. Hopkinsville (8-6) – The Tigers had a really tough trip to Missouri, after nearly winning the Owensboro Invitational the week before. A big one Thursday night as the Tigers will host the Maroons. The winner figures to climb in next week’s rankings.
4. Christian County (7-6) – After a tough first game in Poplar Bluff, the Colonels came back to pick up a couple of nice wins. Thursday night will give us a better idea of the progress of this team, as the Colonels to to Paducah for a rematch with McCracken County. Be wary of this team coming down the stretch.
5. Caldwell County (9-4) – The Tigers, playing their 3rd game in just two days, dropped one to Clarksville Northeast. The Tigers will get a chance to crack the “ceiling” above them in the ratings Tuesday night when they take on Madisonville in a big 7th District showdown.
6. Henderson County (8-5) – The northern Colonels barely hold on to the #6 spot in front of Lyon County. Strength of schedule at this point is probably the difference. Henderson has a big one coming up January 8 against Webster County, who is hanging around just outside of the “Super 7.”
7. Lyon County (9-6) – The Lyons have Gabe Board back in the lineup, and Travis Perry is among the top scorers in the region. Friday, January 18, could be the date we find out a significant amount about this team. That is the date of a possible Lyon County-UHA semifinal in the 2nd Region Boys All A semifinals.