January 9, 2021 – BRADLEY CHARLES
The semifinals of the 14th Region All “A” Classic take place today at Owsley County High School. Bluegrass Sports Nation will have an article recapping every game, pictures from the games, and will be streaming every game live on the BSN Facebook page and the BSN YouTube channel. Below, is a preview of each matchup along with its scheduled starting time.
GIRLS
Breathitt County vs. Owsley County – 10:00 AM
Breathitt County is 2-0 with victories over Lee County and June Buchanan. Coach Derek Goff’s team is one of the most interesting teams in the 14th Region. They have several players that could easily score 15+ points on any night.
The Lady Owls have one of the most talented teams in the 14th Region. The 14th Region Coaches Association’s preseason poll ranked Owsley County as the second team in the region behind Knott County Central.
Over the past few seasons, Coach Travis Smith’s team was largely led by skilled underclassmen. This season, some of those underclassmen are finally seniors.
Leslie County vs. Knott County Central – 1:00 PM
The Lady Eagles are led in large part by talented sophomores. The team has two seniors and no juniors. To a certain extent, they are similar to the Lady Owls in years prior – a team with a number of skilled underclassmen. Leslie County will be one of the top teams in the 14th Region for the foreseeable future. They have gifted players in both the backcourt and frontcourt.
Knott Central is a top-notch team once again. This edition of the Lady Patriots is led by arguably the best backcourt in the 14th Region. One of the most impressive aspects of this team is their depth. Against Hazard on Monday night, Knott County Central had five players make at least one 3-pointer.
BOYS
Breathitt County vs. Cordia – 4:00 PM
The Breathitt County Bobcats cruised past Lee County and June Buchanan in the first two rounds of the 14th Region All “A” Classic. Currently, six of Breathitt County’s top seven scorers are either freshman or sophomores. More so than anything, this means that the Bobcats should only improve over the next couple of seasons. Without any doubt, Coach John Noble’s team will be very fun to watch for the foreseeable future.
As for the Lions, they defeated Owsley County 60-54 in the quarterfinals of the 14th Region All “A” Classic. Despite trailing 45-37 at the end of the third quarter, Cordia outscored the Owls 23-9 in the final quarter to win the game. Senior guard Naz Welch scored 30 points in that game on 10-of-15 shooting from the field.
Leslie County vs. Knott County Central – 7:00 PM
The Leslie County Eagles are 2-0 with victories over Jackson County and Buckhorn. Leslie County has several players with supreme talent. Coach Justin Rice’s team has eight players that are listed at 6-foot-0 or taller with four players listed as taller than 6-foot-2. Even against a Buckhorn team that has top-tier rebounders, the Eagles hauled in 44 rebounds. The team’s ability to extend their possessions and end their opponents’ possessions will have a significant impact on their games this season.
In its first two games of the season, Knott County Central defeated Hazard and Wolfe County – the two teams that were in the 14th Region championship game last season. Based on the 14th Region Coaches Association’s preseason poll, the Patriots are the top team remaining in the tournament. They have a legitimate chance of cutting the nets on Sunday.
The semifinals are loaded with high-quality matchups. It should be an entertaining day of basketball.
