MOREHEAD, Ky. (WMDJ) – Morehead State has announced head men's basketball coach Preston Spradlin is leaving the Eagles program and has accepted the head coaching position at James Madison University.

The Floyd County native and Betsy Layne alumnus was named interim coach at Morehead during the 2016-17 season following the dismissal of Sean Woods. Spradlin was hired full-time the following season and has since posted a (140-109) record, winning two Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championships and led the Eagles to a pair of appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

Director of Athletics Kelly Wells released a statement saying, "We absolutely want to thank Coach Spradlin for raising the prominence of our men's basketball program to championship level and wish nothing but the best for his family and him as they move forward.” "Preston and his staff engaged and excited the community and created a winning culture on and off the court, developing our young men into servant leaders. Our goal with our next head coach and staff is to maintain that level of excellence in our program and build upon our recent success so that Morehead State men's basketball remains the premier program in our conference and competes year in and year out for championships."

This past season was historic for Morehead State as the Eagles won a record 26 games. Spradlin will leave as the third winningest men’s basketball coach in program history.

Spradlin takes the reigns of a James Madison program that found success this season as the Dukes upset Wisconsin in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament last week before losing to Duke 93-55.

EASTERN, Ky. (WMDJ) - It's becoming a traditional visit every spring for Alice Lloyd College women's basketball coach John Mills.

For the third time in four years, Alice Lloyd College will pickup another talented departure from Floyd Central High School as senior basketball standout Riley Jo Compton on Thursday officially signed her Letter of Intent to play for the Eagles beginning in 2024-25.

Compton displayed her dominance in the paint on both ends of the court during her senior season, averaging 18.5 points per game and grabbed 13.3 rebounds per contest. Compton finished her career scoring with 1,165 points and pulled down over 1,072 rebounds. 

Compton joins former high school teammates Katie Jo Moore and Kennedy Harvel at Pippa Passes.

Moore played in 27 games and started 16 for the Eagles, averaging 9.5 points per game last season as a junior. Moore scored a career-high 37 points in an 81-76 loss to at West Virginia Tech on February 10th. 

Harvel played in 10 varsity games as a freshman. 

Alice Lloyd finished this season (13-19) falling in the first round of the River States Conference tournament to Midway. The Eagles continued playing in the NCCAA postseason, winning the Midwest Region Championship against Asbury College and finished in fourth place in the National NCCAA Tournament. 

BUCKLEYS CREEK, Ky. (WMDJ) - Pike Central is searching for a new head football coach.

Ronn Varney has resigned from the position after three seasons.

In a statement today Varney said, “It was an honor to be the head coach at the place I called home as a student, player and assistant coach for many years. However, at this time I feel I need to focus on more time with my family and other career opportunities.”

Pike Central finished (5-6) in 2023, dropping six of their last seven games with their season ending in the opening round of the playoffs with a loss to Martin County 43-3.

Varney compiled a record of (11-22) in three seasons as head coach of the Hawks. No word on a replacement for the position.

Hope springs eternal every spring with the beginning on the Major League Baseball season. This spring in Cincinnati, hope has been shaded with questions.

After a breakout season in 2023, Youth Movement 2.0 begins Thursday as the Reds host the Washington Nationals.

The major concern for Reds fans is injuries:

1.     Matt McLain underwent successful surgery to address cartilage damage and repair his labrum in his left shoulder on Tuesday. The Reds say an exact timeline is still to be determined as it has a wide range of possibilities. Team officials hope to have McLain back this season. 

2.     The Reds will also have outfielder T.J. Friedl beginning the season on the IL after injuring his wrist. Friedl sustained a small fracture to the distal radius of his right wrist on March 16th. On Sunday, manager David Bell indicated that Friedl could be cleared for game action in six weeks.

3.     Starting pitchers Brandon Williamson and Nick Lodolo will begin the season on the IL as well. Williamson has been sidelined with shoulder soreness, while Lodolo return has been delayed after recovering from last year’s tibia injury. Lodolo stayed in Arizona to pitch in a minor league game on Tuesday and will make two starts for the Louisville Bats before rejoining the Reds on April 10th.

Meanwhile, Noelvi Marte will serve an 80-game suspension for PED use, which opens up a crowded infield for the likes of Jonathan India, Christian Encarnarcion-Strand and free agent signee Jeimer Candelario will occupy several spots on the diamond, along with the versatile Spencer Steer.

Fans will hope Elly De La Cruz will improve from his 2023 debut as starting shortstop. Cruz started hot, then cooled as the Reds faded from contention last September. Cruz batted .280 with a .379 OBP during spring training.

The Reds will send Frankie Montas to the mound for Opening Day verses the Nationals, which will feature former Reds players Nick Senzel and Jesse Winker.

Gametime is set for 4:10 p.m. Thursday. Inside pitch at 3:40 on WMDJ.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WMDJ) – The bright lights and build-up of Magoffin County’s first trip to the Boys’ Sweet 16 did not disappoint, yet it took a Hornets rally in the second half as Magoffin County emerged victorious over Perry County Central 54-47 Wednesday afternoon.

It was history in the making as Magoffin County made their state tournament debut with a sea of maroon-clad Magoffin faithful filling Rupp Arena to witness their team’s achievement.

Both teams tipped off the opening game of the tournament on a torrid pace. 15th Region Player of the Year Aden Barnett started the game with a layup to give Magoffin the lead as the game would be tied five times in the first quarter. Perry Central’s junior center Carter Castle would tie the game at the buzzer 13-13 with a jumper to end the period. Both teams combined to shoot 10-for-17 from the field early on.

Castle would breakthrough again to start the second quarter with a layup to give the Commodores their first lead of the game 15-13 at the 7:51 mark. Perry would quench Magoffin’s hot start forcing the Hornets to shoot 3-of-11 in the period as a pair of free throws by Castle with 0:06 left gave Perry Central a 25-19 lead at the break.

The Commodores maintained an arm’s-length lead in the third quarter between four and seven points before Magoffin County senior center Zane Whitaker made good on a layup and a tip-in off a miss from Ethan Salyer to cut the Perry Central lead to 38-35 by the end of the quarter.

Magoffin County grabbed the lead back on a Walker Russell layup with 6:36 left to play in the game. Following a Perry Central turnover, Salyer made good on a layup to extend the Hornets lead to 41-38.

Perry Central’s Mason Sumner would sink a 3-pointer to tie the game at 41-41 with 5:01 remaining.

Next trip down court, the Hornets Zane Whitaker would be fouled by Castle with the result being two made tosses for Whitaker, giving the Hornets the lead back for good 43-41 and start a 6-0 run as Barnett would pick up a fastbreak layup followed by jumper with 3:08 to play leading 47-41.

The Commodores cut the lead to four on a Trayten Woods basket with 2:44 on the clock, but would not get any closer as the 14th Region champs fell 54-47.

The drought continues for the 14th Region as it’s now been 68-years since Carr Creek High School brought a state championship back to the 14th.

Barnett finished with 24 points on 10-of-21 shooting to lead the Hornets in scoring. Russell scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds while Zane Whitaker tossed in 13 points lead the team with eight rebounds.

Castle and Woods each scored 14 points for Perry Central.

Magoffin County will face the winner of Great Crossing and Spencer County in Friday’s quarterfinals at 11 a.m. Great Crossing entered the tournament as the number 1-ranked team by media and statewide coaches’ polls.

PERRY CO. CENTRAL (47) – Castle 5, 4-4 14. Slone 3 3-4 9. Woods 6 (1) 1-2 14. Neace 2 (1) 2-2 7. Sumner 1 (1) 3. Bakun 0. Miller 0.

FG Pct.: 39.5%. FT Pct.: 83.3%. 3-PT: 3-16 (Castle 0-1, Woods 1-9, Neace 1-4, Sumner 1-2). Fouls 13. Fouled out: none. Rebounds 24. Assists 10. Turnovers 12.

MAGOFFIN COUNTY (54) – Russell 6 2-2 14. Z. Whitaker 4 (1) 4-4 13. Barnett 10 4-4 24. G. Whitaker 0. Salyer 1 1-2 3. Sammons 0. Meadows 0.

FG Pct.: 46.7%. FT Pct.: 91.7%. 3-PT: 1-7 (Russell 0-3, Z. Whitaker 1-1, Barnett 0-1, G. Whitaker 0-1, Salyer 0-1). Fouls 12. Fouled out: none. Rebounds 26. Assists 6. Turnovers 10.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WMDJ) - Pikeville standout Trinity Rowe has been named Kentucky’s Miss Basketball 2024 by the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation and the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches.

Rowe was honored during a formal dinner ceremony Sunday evening.

The 5-foot-5 point guard becomes only the third player from the 15th Region to win the award, joining McDowell’s Geri Grigsby who won the award in 1977 and Sheldon Clark’s Ida Bowen who was honored in 1991.

Rowe was a six-year starter for the Pikeville, leading the Lady Panthers to five regional titles in six seasons. She averaged 16.2 points per game this season and completed her career with over 2,300 points and 1,000 assists. She also shot 40.3% from 3-point range this season.

Rowe will be playing for Southern Mississippi in the fall.

Lyon County sensation Travis Perry was also named Mr. Basketball. During his six-season varsity career, Perry became the all-time leading scorer in boys’ basketball, breaking the record of 4,337 points set by Wayland’s “King” Kelly Coleman. Perry currently sits at 5,393 career points going into this week’s Boys’ Sweet 16 Tournament.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WMDJ) – Leah Macy scored a game-high 31 points and pulled down 17 rebounds as 5^th region champion Bethlehem bounced Pikeville 56-49 in the opening round of the Girls’ Sweet 16 Tournament at Rupp Arena on Thursday.

Macy, a 5-star recruit who has received over 40 scholarship offers to play at the collegiate level including offers from Kentucky, LSU, Georgia and others, shot 12-of-19 from the field and knocked down 7-of-8 from the free throw line in the win for the Lady Banshees, their 13^th-consecutive victory.

Pikeville jumped out early leading 19-14 at the end of the first quarter. The Lady Panthers came out firing 3-of-5 from the outside. Senior guard Trinity Rowe scored eight points and connected on a pair of 3-pointers to lead the way. Senior Kirsten Whited also hit one outside shot and scored a layup early.

The Lady Panthers enjoyed their largest lead of the game at 29-18 after sophomore Shyla Kidd drained another Pikeville 3-pointer with 4:17 left in the second quarter. Pikeville would lead 32-26 at the break.

Bethlehem flipped the script in the second half with Macy heating up for 10-points in the third quarter. Macy’s jumper at the 2:31 mark gave the Lady Banshees their first lead since midway through the first period at 38-37. Bethlehem would take a 4-point advantage to the fourth at 44-40.

Pikeville tied the game at 44-44 with 7:09 left to play in the game on a goal by senior Kyera Thornsbury.

Bethlehem would lean on Macy the rest of the way as she would score seven more points as the Lady Banshees would do just enough to keep Pikeville out of reach with a 56-49 win.

Rowe finished with 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting and dished out six assists for the Lady Panthers in her final game. Seniors Thornsbury and Whited each finished with 14 and 10 points respectfully. Senior Rylee Theiss was 0-of-7 from the field but pulled down seven rebounds.

Pikeville finishes their season at (27-6). Bethlehem moves to (27-8) and will face the winner of George Rogers Clark and Sacred Heart in Friday’s quarterfinals at 6 p.m.

PIKEVILLE (49) – Jackson 2 1-6 8. Theiss 0. Rowe 6 (2) 3-4 17. Whited 4 (2) 10. Thornsbury 6 (1) 1-2 14. Kidd 1 (1) 3. Alvin 0.

FG Pct.: 37.3%. FT Pct.: 41.7%. 3-PT 6-22 (Jackson 0-1, Rowe 2-5, Whited 2-6, Thornsbury 1-8, Kidd 1-2). Fouls 13. Fouled out: Theiss. Rebounds 32. Assists 11. Turnovers 7.

BETHLEHEM (56) – A. Miles 2 2. Leah Macy 12 7-8 31. T. Miles 3 (1) 2-2 9. Clayton 1 2-2 4. Thurmond 1 4-6 6. Osborne 0. McIlroy 1 2. Loren Macy 0.

FG Pct.: 41.7%. FT Pct.: 83.3%. 3-PT 1-10 (Leah Macy 0-1, Miles 1-3, Clayton 0-3, Thurmond 0-3). Fouls 12. Fouled out: A. Miles. Rebounds 30. Assists 5. Turnovers 8.

PIKEVILLE       19 13   8   9 – 49

BETHLEHEM  14 12 18 12 – 56

PIKEVILLE, Ky. (WMDJ) – It took a 100-point effort to break 100 years of waiting for the Magoffin County Hornets to finally be crowned 15th Region Boys champions on Monday night.

Fans in Magoffin County have been waiting 100 years to celebrate a regional boys’ basketball championship since their first season of competition as Salyersville High School in 1924.

The wait is finally over.

15th Region Player of the Year Aiden Barnett scored 34 points in the breakthrough victory as the Hornets defeated defending region champion Martin County 67-57.

Barnett scored a total of 100 points in three games at Appalachian Wireless Arena as the Hornets had reached the finals for only the fourth time ever as a school and their first time since 1996.

Magoffin inflated their one-point lead at the end of the first quarter to 12 in the second.

After two made free throws by Martin County senior Jacob Sturgill, senior guard Ethan Salyer knocked down a 3-pointer to give Magoffin the lead by four at 21-17 with 5:52 to play before halftime.

Barnett connected on a long bomb to push the lead to 24-17, followed by a block on the other end from senior Zane Whitaker, setting up an easy transition basket for Barnett to increase the lead to nine at 26-17.

With 2:49 left in the second, senior Grayson Whitaker fired a 3-pointer off a fast break to give the Hornets a 29-17 lead. They would take a 30-19 lead to the locker room.

Martin County battled cold shooting the entire night, yet Cardinal sophomore Devan Maynard sliced the Hornet lead to one at 44-43 with 7:30 left to play in the fourth quarter.

Magoffin County would answer with a bucket from Barnett, followed by a free throw giving the Hornets a 47-43 lead. Russell connected on a basket after a miss by Sturgill to push the lead to six at 49-43 with 6:41 left.

Both teams would trade baskets until Russell sank a pair of free throws to increase the lead to eight at 57-49 with 3:29 left.

Magoffin County would hit 13-of-15 free throws in the final period to keep Martin County at bay for the 67-57 win.

Senior Luke Hale struggled from the field for the Cardinals shooting 4-of-13, while seniors Brayden McKenzie and Sturgill also misfired for most of the night, shooting 5-of-11 and 5-of-16 respectfully.

Magoffin County (21-13) will face Perry County Central (22-13) in the Boys’ Sweet 16 Tournament on March 20th at 11 a.m. at Rupp Arena in Lexington.

MAGOFFIN CO. (67) – Russell 5 6-6 16. Barnett 9 (2) 14-16 34. G. Whitaker 2 (1) 1-2 6. Salyer 1 (1) 1-2 4. Z. Whitaker 2 1-2 5. Meadows 1 2. Sammons 0.

FG Pct.: 58.8. FT Pct.: 82.1. 3-PT 4-12 (Barnett 2-5, G. Whitaker 1-5, Salyer 1-2). Rebounds 28. Fouls 11. Fouled out: none. Turnovers 14. Assists 13.

MARTIN CO. (57) – Hale 4 (1) 4-4 13. McKenzie 5 (1) 1-1 12. Davis 3 (2) 1-2 9. Sturgill 5 2-2 12. Maynard 3 (1) 1-2 8. Dials 1 (1) 3. Estep 0. Mills 0. Moore 0.

FG Pct.: 37.5. FT Pct.: 81.8. 3-PT 6-18 (Hale 1-4, McKenzie 1-1, Davis 2-5, Sturgill 0-2, Maynard 1-3, Dials 1-3). Rebounds 23. Fouls 20. Fouled out: Sturgill. Turnovers 9. Assists 17.

All-Tournament Team:
Logan Ratliff – Lawrence Co.

Carter Parsons – Betsy Layne

Braden Moore – Floyd Central

Jaden Stewart – Pike Co. Central

Eli Johnson – Pikeville

Carter Hurley – Pikeville

Austin Slone – Johnson Central

Brayden Shepherd – Johnson Central

Jacob Sturgill – Martin Co.

Brayden McKenzie – Martin Co.

Luke Hale – Martin Co.

Ethan Salyer – Magoffin Co.

Walker Russell – Magoffin Co.

Grayson Whitaker – Magoffin Co.

Zane Whitaker – Magoffin Co.

Aiden Barnett of Magoffin County named Tournament MVP.  

GOODYEAR, Ariz. - The Cincinnati Reds have named free agent signee Frankie Montas as their Opening Day starting pitcher.

Montas will take the ball when the Reds host the Washington Nationals on Thursday, March 28th at Great American Ballpark.

Montas has a record of (37-35) with a 3.90 ERA in 130 appearances and 99 starts during his eight year big-league career. He signed a one-year $16 million contract during the offseason in hopes of having a bounce-back season after battling shoulder issues as a member of the New York Yankees, where he appeared in only 10 games over two seasons. Last season, Montas pitched in just 1 1/3 inning.

Montas was the Opening Day starter as a member of the Oakland A's in 2020 and 2022.

PIKEVILLE, Ky. (WMDJ) – The Pikeville Lady Panthers climbed back to the pinnacle of the 15th region defeating Johnson Central in the regional championship game Saturday, 70-41 at Appalachian Wireless Arena.

After suffering a heartbreaking loss to Lawrence County in last year’s title game, Pikeville came back determined to recapture the crown led by a core of four seniors that wanted to finish as champions.

Pikeville senior Kyera Thornsbury scored 17 points in the first half, connecting on four 3-pointers to set the pace as the Lady Panthers ran away from the Lady Eagles early.

The Lady Panthers scored 18 points off 15 forced turnovers, including 14 fast break points to simply outrun Johnson Central from the beginning. Pikeville forced Johnson Central into poor shot selection as well with the Lady Eagles shooting 27% from the floor for the game.

Tournament MVP senior Trinity Rowe scored 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field but did dish four assists. Rowe is a six-year member of the varsity squad. During that time, Pikeville is (137-28) in games she has taken part in.

Senior forward Rylee Theiss recorded a double-double with 12 points and grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds. Senior guard Kirsten Whited gave her usual steady effort scoring 13 points.

Pikeville won their fifth 15th Region title in six seasons. The title was their 7th overall as a school.

Pikeville (27-5) will take on 5th Region Bethlehem (26-8) in the KHSAA Girls’ Sweet 16 Tournament on Thursday, March 14th at 11 a.m. Pikeville defeated Bethlehem 78-52 in the Lady Panther Invitational Tournament on December 30th. Bethlehem was without the services of their star player, junior guard Leah Macy in the loss. Macy, a five-star recruit, has nearly 40 college offers which includes Kentucky, Tennessee, LSU, Georgia, Alabama, Ole Miss, Illinois, Arizona, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

PIKEVILLE (70) - Rowe 4 (2) 10. Whited 4 (2) 3-4 13. Thornsbury 4 (4) 7-8 19. Jackson 3 3-4 9. Theiss 4 4-4 12. Alvin 2 (1) 5. Rogers 1 2. Kidd 0. Stone 0. Lin 0. Ch Compton 0. Ca Compton 0. Woods 0. Collins 0. 

FG Pct.: 55.0. FT Pct.: 85.0. 3-PT 9-15 (Rowe 2-4, Whited 2-5, Thornsbury 4-4, Alvin 1-1, Kidd 0-1). Rebounds 32. Fouls 18. Fouled out: none. Turnovers 15. Assists 17.

JOHNSON CENTRAL (41) - T. McKenzie 2 4-4 8. Stambaugh 0. Wright 3 3-5 9. K. McKenzie 1 2. Younce 0. Stanley 3 (2) 2-2 10. Burchett 1 4-6 6. Prater 2 (2) 6. Marsillett 0-2 0. Conley 0. Slone 0. Jarrell 0. 

FG Pct.: 27.3. FT Pct.: 68.4. 3-PT 4-17 (T. McKenzie 0-5, K. McKenzie 0-1, Prater 2-5, Stanley 2-4, Burchett 0-2). Rebounds 21. Fouls 19. Fouled out: K. McKenzie. Turnovers 14. Assists 5. 

JOHNSON CENTRAL   12   5  15   9 - 41

PIKEVILLE                     22 14 24 10 - 70

All-Tournament Team:

Jaaliyah Warren - Belfry

Sophie Adkins - Lawrence Co.

Hannah May - Pike Co. Central

Alyssa Allen - Martin Co.

Audrey Prater - Prestonsburg

Allison Howard - Prestonsburg

Riley Jo Compton - Floyd Central

Maddy Engle - Floyd Central

Becca Wright - Johnson Central

Kaylyn McKenzie - Johnson Central

Taylor McKenzie - Johnson Central

Lee Ann Jackson - Pikeville

Kirsten Whited - Pikeville

Kyrea Thornsbury - Pikeville

Rylee Theiss - Pikeville

Tournament MVP:

Trinity Rowe - Pikeville

PIKEVILLE, Ky. (WMDJ) – Aiden Barnett scored 35 points on 14-of-21 shooting as Magoffin County rallied in the second half for a 78-68 victory over Floyd Central in the quarterfinals of the boys’ 15th Region Tournament at Appalachian Wireless Arena Thursday evening.

Barnett, who was chosen by the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches as 15th Region Player of the Year and a finalist for Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball distinction, scored 22 in the second half, carrying the team on his back to Saturday night’s semifinals.

The win places the Hornets in the semifinals for the first time since 2016. It was Magoffin County’s 9th win ever in the quarterfinal round.

Barnett set the tone from the start as the Hornets claimed the opening tip with the ball finding Barnett, who connected on a floater in the lane along with a free throw after a Floyd Central foul by Brody Buck to give Magoffin a 3-0 lead.

Floyd Central’s Dylan Boyd tied the game 3-3 with the first of a pair of outside shots he would hit in the first quarter.

Barnett and Buck were both hot early as both players traded baskets back and forth. Buck connected on three consecutive baskets to give Floyd Central a 9-7 lead with just over 5 minutes to play. The Jaguars would hold a 19-16 edge at the end of the first period with Buck leading the way with eight points.

The Jaguars increased their lead in the second quarter as senior Ronnie Samons dumped in 10 points in the period, complimented by fellow senior Braden Moore who finished with 12 first half points. Floyd Central enjoyed a 38-29 lead at the break.

Buck would start the third quarter with a layup off a Magoffin turnover to give the Jaguars their largest lead of the night 40-29.

The Hornets would answer with a 7-0 run starting with a put-back by Walker Russell off a miss from Zane Whitaker, followed by a 3-pointer by Ethan Salyer to cut the lead to 40-34. Magoffin’s Russell cleaned up another miss on a transition bucket to make it 40-36 Jaguars with 6:02 to play in the third.

Magoffin County would enjoy a 22-10 run up to the 1:37 mark in the third to take a 51-48 lead on a 3-pointer by Barnett, who scored 11 during the Hornets’ run.

Buck would convert a basket on the post making it 51-50 Magoffin. A miss from Whitaker from the outside resulted in a run-out by Moore, who was fouled with 32 seconds left. Moore would hit both free throws to give Floyd Central a slim 52-51 lead heading to the fourth quarter.

Both teams exchanged baskets to start the fourth quarter. Magoffin would retake the lead 55-54 on a 3-pointer by Russell with 5:48 to play. Jaguar senior Dawson Moore would match Russell with a 3-pointer of his own, pushing the Floyd Central back in front 57-55, yet a transition 3-pointer by Russell put Magoffin back out 58-57 with 5:12 left.

Barnett would go on a 6-0 run on his own with two layups which resulted in being 3-point plays on two Floyd Central fouls as Magoffin County increased their lead 64-57 with 4:07 remaining and the Hornets would not give up the lead again.

Barnett would score 11 points in the fourth quarter to pad his 35-point total. The Hornets also would make 14-of-16 free throws in the final period to seal the victory.

The Hornets outscored the Jaguars 49-30 in the second half.

Floyd Central is now (0-3) in quarterfinal round matchups with all three losses coming at the hands of a 57th district opponent.

Magoffin County (19-13) will face Johnson Central (15-13) for the fourth time this season in Saturday’s second semifinal game. The Golden Eagles shocked 60th District champion Pike County Central 87-79. With the win, Johnson Central became the first 3-seed to clinch a spot in the semifinals of the new super regional format.

Magoffin County has beaten Johnson Central in all three previous games this season.

MAGOFFIN COUNTY (78) – Barnett 12 (2) 5-7 35. G. Whitaker 2 (1) 4 9. Salyer 3 (2) 4-4 12. Russell 6 (1) 3-6 16. Z. Whitaker 1 2-4 4. Samons 1 2.

FG Pct.: 54.0. FT Pct.: 72.0. 3-PT 7-20 (Barnett 2-5, G. Whitaker 2-9, Salyer 2-3, Russell 1-1, Z. Whitaker 0-2). Rebounds 29. PF 11. Fouled out: none. Turnovers 4. Assists 4.

FLOYD CENTRAL (68) – B. Moore 6 (2) 5-6 19. Spriggs 3 6. Boyd 2 (2) 6. Samons 7 (1) 2-2 17. Buck 8 1-1 17. D. Moore 1 (1) 3.

FG Pct.: 47.3. FT Pct.: 88.8. 3-PT 6-20 (B. Moore 2-9, Spriggs 0-2, Boyd 2-3, Samons 1-3, Buck 0-2, D. Moore 1-1). Rebounds 23. PF 16. Fouled out: Spriggs. Turnovers 8. Assists 12.

MAGOFFIN COUNTY            16 13 22 27 - 78

FLOYD CENTRAL                   19 19 14 16 - 68

PIKEVILLE, Ky. (WMDJ) – All together now, say it with me. 1-2-3…

SUP-ER REE-GION.

The newly implemented Super Region format has created some fantastic quarterfinal round matchups in both the girls’ and boys’ 15th Region Tournament this week at Appalachian Wireless Arena. None better than last night’s thriller between Martin County and Betsy Layne.

Under last year’s format, the Cardinals would have faced a depleted Belfry Pirates squad Wednesday night, rather than a gritty Betsy Layne bunch looking to send the defending champions packing.

The Bobcats had the Cardinals on the ropes yet couldn’t deliver the knockout punch in the end as Martin County prevailed 67-60.

Betsy Layne began the fourth quarter trailing Martin County 48-45. Sophomore sensation Carter Parsons sparked the rally with a pair of 3-pointers from the left corner, giving the Bobcats the lead 51-48 with 5:51 to play.

Senior Tanner Martin, who had an explosive one-hand dunk in the third quarter, completed the Bobcats’ 8-0 run with a lay-up giving the Bobcats a 53-48 advantage until Martin County’s Jacob Sturgill stopped the rally with a layup at the 5:21 mark.

Parsons would stretch the lead back to five with a layup, increasing the Bobcats lead to 55-50 with just under five minutes to play.

Martin County would tie the game at 57-57 with a 3-pointer at the top of the key by Sturgill followed by two free throws by senior Brayden McKenzie with under three minutes remaining.

Both teams would trade the lead again on free throws before Martin County would turn the ball over with 1:06 left, giving Betsy Layne the ball, down by one.

Next trip down, it seemed the Bobcats were going to let the clock run down and use one of their three remaining timeouts, yet Parsons went one-on-one to the basket and missed a layup with :32 seconds left, creating a fast break opportunity for the Cardinals and a layup for McKenzie to increase the Martin County lead to 63-60 with 22 seconds to play.

Betsy Layne would never get closer.

Martin County would seal the win on the foul line. The Cardinals shot 12-of-12 from the line in the fourth quarter, 18-of-21 for the game.

Sturgill led the Cardinals with 28 points. McKenzie nearly matched his teammate with 25 points. Peyton Davis scored 11 off the bench for Martin County.

Betsy Layne (17-16) was led by Parsons’ 18 points, including four 3-point baskets, while senior Andrew Kidd scored 17 in his final game as a Bobcat.

Martin County (22-9) will face Pikeville (22-4) for the third consecutive season in the 15th Region Tournament on Saturday night as they meet in the semifinals. Both teams faced each other in last year’s championship game.

BETSY LAYNE (60) – Parsons 7 (4) 18. T. Hall 2 (2) 2-2 8. Pente 2 3-6 7. G. Hall 1 2. Kidd 6 5-7 17. Martin 4 8. B. Hall 0.

FG Pct.: 42.3 FT Pct.: 66.6. 3-PT 6-18 (Parsons 4-9, Pente 0-3, Martin 0-1, T. Hall 2-4, B. Hall 0-1). PF 15. Fouled out: none. Turnovers 10. Assists 6.

MARTIN COUNTY (67) – Hale 1 (1) 4-4 7. McKenzie 8 (1) 8-8 25. D. Maynard 2 4. Dials 1 2. Sturgill 6 (1) 5-6 28. Davis 4 (2) 1-2 11. B. Maynard 0.

FG Pct.: 51.1. FT Pct.: 85.7. 3-PT 5-12 (Hale 1-2, McKenzie 1-2, Sturgill 1-2, Dials 0-2, Davis 2-4). PF 19. Fouled out: none. Turnovers 5. Assists 5.

BETSY LAYNE               14 14 17 15 – 60

MARTIN COUNTY        16 17 15 19 – 67

PIKEVILLE, Ky. (WMDJ) – Floyd Central rallied from a 14-point deficit in the first quarter to punch their ticket to the girls' 15th Region semifinals for the first time since 2020, defeating Pike County Central 56-52 on Tuesday evening at Appalachian Wireless Arena.

The future is now for Floyd Central as 8th graders Maddy Engle and Raegan Laferty led the charge scoring 18 and 16 points respectfully. Laferty added 13 rebounds.

Senior Riley Jo Compton was a steady presence for the Lady Jaguars pumping in 13 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. Compton also crossed the 1,000-career rebound total in the win.

The Lady Hawks jumped out quickly to a 21-9 first quarter lead fueled by an 11-0 run. Senior Hannah May and junior Lindsey Bowman each had six points apiece early.

Floyd Central woke up in the second quarter with an 8-0 run. Engle and Laferty combined to cut the Pike Central lead to 21-17 at the 5:38 mark. The Lady Hawks would answer on back-to-back buckets from May and Bowman pushing the lead back out to eight at 25-17.

Lady Jaguars senior Kaylee Hall dropped in a free throw, followed by a basket by Engle and another free toss from Hall to pull the lead back to 25-21 with 2:52 remaining. After a Layla Johnson free throw, both teams traded buckets with Pike Central leading 28-25 at the half.

Floyd Central kept pace with Pike Central in the third quarter as the Lady Hawks slightly increased their lead by four, 40-36.

The Lady Jaguars would tie the game at 42-42 with 6:45 left in the game on a basket by Laferty, then take the lead 44-42 on a put-back basket by Compton.

Pike Central tied the game again at 44-44 on a post basket by Abby May with 6:05 remaining, but the Lady Jaguars fought right back with a fast break layup by Engle giving the lead back to the Lady Jaguars 46-44 with 5:12 left on the clock.

Both teams again exchanged the lead as the fourth quarter wound down. Pike Central took their last lead at 52-51 off a Floyd Central turnover resulting in a layup for Abigail Hess with 28 seconds left.

After a timeout, Engle would fearlessly answer with a drive down the lane for a layup to give Floyd Central the lead for good at 53-52 with 18 seconds to play.

After a block shot by Laferty, Hall was intentionally fouled by Larah Stanley, giving the Lady Jaguars a pair of free throws and the ball while essentially yielding the victory.

Floyd Central coach Tyler Little finds himself in unique company as one of a rare few in the region to lead a team to the semifinals in his first year as a head coach. The last 15th region coach to achieve that distinction was Lonnie “Doe Doe” Rowe with Shelby Valley in 2019. The last 58th District coach to achieve the feat was Kristal Allen at Betsy Layne in 2016.

The Lady Jaguars (13-18) will face Johnson Central in the semifinals of the girls’ 15th Region Tournament Friday at 7:45 p.m. It’ll be the first time that both semifinal games have featured Floyd County schools since 2016.

FLOYD CENTRAL (56) – Crase 1-2 1. Engle 8 2-4 18. Compton 6 1-3 13. Laferty 6 4-8 16. Hall 1 2-4 4. Rackey 1 2. Adkins 2-2 2. Moore 0. O’Bryan 0.

FG Pct.: 40.0. FT Pct.: 52.2. 3-PT 0-7 (Crase 0-1, Engle 0-2, Laferty 0-1, Hall 0-2, Adkins 0-1). PF 11. Fouled out: none. Turnovers 20. Assists 13.

PIKE CO. CENTRAL (52) – H. May 8 2-4 18. Bowman 6 0-1 12. Hess 1 0-2 2. Stanley 4 (1) 9. A. May 4 2-2 10. Johnson 1-2 1. Looney 0. Hamilton 0. Cochran 0.

FG Pct.: 41.8. FT Pct.: 45.5. 3-PT 1-12 (H. May 0-3, Bowman 0-1, Hess 0-5, Stanley 1-2, Looney 0-1). PF 16. Fouled out: none. Turnovers 17. Assists 15.

FLOYD CENTRAL          9 16 11 20 – 56

PIKE CO. CENTRAL       21 7 12 12 – 52

PIKEVILLE, Ky. (WMDJ) – Lady Blackcat sophomore Allison Howard’s go-ahead 3-point basket with 6:26 remaining in the fourth quarter pushed Prestonsburg past Belfry 43-32 in the quarterfinals of the girls’ 15th Region Tournament at Appalachian Wireless Arena in Pikeville Monday night.

Howard’s three started a 15-0 run to seal the victory as the Lady Blackcats advance to the region semifinals for the first time since 2016.

The victory also snapped a 15-game losing streak to Belfry.

Prestonsburg led 12-6 at the end of the first quarter and maintained a 3-point lead 19-16 at the half. Both teams were plagued by poor shooting in the first half with Belfry shooting 7-for-29 for 24%, while Prestonsburg didn’t fare much better, shooting 7-for-27 and 26% from the field.

Lady Blackcat sophomore Jade Fitzpatrick connected on the first field goal of the third quarter with a 3-point basket to give Prestonsburg a 22-16 advantage at the 5:24 mark. Belfry would answer with a pair of 3-pointers by senior Jaaliyah Warren to tie the game at 22-22, followed by one free throw from senior Clara McNamee to give the Lady Pirates the lead back at 23-22.

After a Prestonsburg turnover, 7th-grader Lexi Mapes sank Belfry’s third 3-pointer of the quarter, giving the Lady Pirates a 26-22 advantage. Later, senior Jenna Sparks hit a short jumper to push Belfry’s lead to 28-22, their largest of the evening.

Prestonsburg freshman Amelia Newsome hit one-of-two free throws and Jade Fitzpatrick closed the quarter with a basket cutting the Belfry lead to 28-25.

Howard would complete the rally with her go-ahead 3-pointer and Prestonsburg outscored Belfry 18-4 over the final period.

Howard finished with 15 points and 7 rebounds. Fitzpatrick tossed in 14 points and grabbed 4 boards. Audrey Prater scored 6 points and led the Lady Blackcats with 10 rebounds.

Sparks was a force on defense for Belfry, blocking 12 shots in the loss while grabbing 6 rebounds and scoring 6 points. Warren led Belfry scoring with 11 points on 4-of-16 shooting.

Prestonsburg (17-13) will face Pikeville in Friday’s first semifinal game at 6:45 p.m.

PRESTONSBURG (43) Prater 1 (1) 3-8 6. Lafferty 1 (1) 3. Tackett 2 4. Fitzpatrick 6 (2) 14. Howard 5 (3) 2-4 15. Newsome 1-2 1. Brewer 0. K. Stephens 0.

FG Pct.: 26.8. FT Pct.: 42.9. 3-PT 7-17 (Prater 1-4, Lafferty 1-5, Fitzpatrick 2-4, Howard 3-4). PF 14. Fouled Out: none. Turnovers 17. Assists 13.

BELFRY (32) – Sparks 3 6. Warren 4 (3) 11. Deboard 0-4 0. McNamee 3 2-4 8. Belcher 1-4 1. Mapes 2 (2) 6.

FG Pct.: 21.8. FT Pct.: 25.0 3-PT: 5-18 (Warren 3-10, Deboard 0-4, McNamee 0-1, Mapes 2-3). PF 14. Fouled Out: none. Turnovers 22. Assists 9.

BELFRY                        9 10 12   4 – 32

PRESTONSBURG       12   7   6 18 – 43

(Photo used with permission from Dennis Walker).

PIKEVILLE, Ky. (WMDJ) - The 2024 postseason has been a time to end dubious streaks for the Prestonsburg Lady Blackcats. 

Tonight, Prestonsburg (16-13) will be searching for their first win in the 15th Region Tournament since 2016 when the Lady Blackcats tip-off against Belfry at 6:30 p.m. 

Already this postseason, Prestonsburg broke two winless streaks: recording their first win ever against Floyd Central in the 58th district championship and before that, coach Brandon Kidd guided his team to his first-ever district tournament coaching win, upsetting Lawrence County in the semifinals.

Belfry (16-14) comes in to the matchup winners of eight out of their last nine regular season games, then defeated Phelps 55-27 in the 60th district semis. The Lady Pirates lost to Pike County Central 65-60 in the championship. Belfry fought their way through Super Regional Saturday with a 55-54 victory over Paintsville to reach the quarterfinals. 

These two teams met once during the regular season on January 3rd with Belfry defeating Prestonsburg 40-35 in the 15th Region All "A" Classic played at the Appalachian Wireless Arena, the site of tonight's contest. 

Belfry has beaten Prestonsburg 15-consecutive times, dating back to 2011.

In tonight's second matchup, tournament favorite Pikeville (24-5) will face Martin County (21-11). The Lady Cardinals disposed of Betsy Layne on Super Saturday, 64-53 with Laken Williams scoring 15 points and Brooklyn Marcum adding 13 in the win. 

This will be a rematch of last year's regional semifinals, which saw the Lady Panthers dismantle Martin County 69-19 (that's not a mis-print). It was truly a dominating performance by Pikeville. 

Earlier this season, Pikeville defeated Martin County twice by an average of 29.5 points.

PIKEVILLE, Ky. (WMDJ) - The super regional brackets are set for the upcoming 15th region tournament.

The "first four" matchups have already occurred with Betsy Layne and Lawrence County girls teams advancing while East Ridge and Paintsville received a BYE to Saturday's "2nd round".

On the boys side, Prestonsburg downed Phelps 71-69 on Thursday to advance out of the "first four" and Paintsville defeated East Ridge. Betsy Layne and Johnson Central received BYE to Saturday's "2nd round". 

Floyd Central's ladies will entertain East Ridge at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. You can hear the game on WMDJ 100.1 FM, WMDJFM.com and the new WMDJ Mobile App. You'll also be able to watch the game on the WMDJ Facebook page live stream.

Betsy Layne's boys will travel to Belfry for a 8 p.m. tip-off against the Pirates. You'll be able to hear the game on radio, mobile app and on our website. No video streaming is permitted. 

Here is a look at the complete brackets:

PRESTONSBURG, Ky. (WMDJ) – It happened just like they drew it up.

Since Alan Joe Moore was named the head coach of the boys’ basketball program at Floyd Central, the plan was to play as much youth as possible early on to rebuild the new consolidated school’s program and by the time his fourth season would arrive, his youth would be seniors and competing once again for a district title.

Then came Covid.

With that, a decision was made by a special group of young men to take their extra year of eligibility, allowed by the KHSAA because of the pandemic, in hopes of being strong enough to win it all by the end of their extra year.

Thursday night, seniors Brody Buck, Braden Moore, Dawson Moore and Ronnie Samons watched as the fruits of their labor came forth.

The Jaguars rallied from a 7-point deficit at the half to outscore Lawrence County 48-27 over the final two quarters to capture the Boys' 58th District Championship at Prestonsburg Fieldhouse.

Coach Moore credited a defensive switch from man-to-man in the first half, to a couple of different halfcourt zone traps starting in the 3rd quarter as the reason for the win.

“We knew that we couldn’t show them (Lawrence County) zone early because they could use halftime to make the proper adjustments. So we had to let them hold the ball for the final minute plus of the 2nd quarter, be patient and make the change starting after halftime,” said Moore.

The results were Floyd Central shooting 8-of-9 from the field and 2-of-3 from beyond the arch in the 3rd period, while Lawrence County struggled shooting 3-of-11 and 0-5 from the outside as the Jaguars outscored the Bulldogs 22-9.

The Jags also owned the glass in the second half. Buck finished with a team-high 14 rebounds (11 offensive) while Samons grabbed 11 boards. Floyd Central enjoyed a +16-rebound advantage for the game, 47-31.

Samons led all scorers with 23 points. Braden Moore, who was named tournament MVP, scored 15 points and dished out six assists. Chris Spriggs tallied 13 points and gave out five assists for Floyd Central.

The victory gave Floyd Central its first district title since 2019 and the school’s third title overall.

Lawrence County had beaten Floyd Central in 13 out of their last 14 matchups prior to last night's championship game, including a pair of wins over the Jaguars during the regular season.

Floyd Central (16-13) will face the winner of Magoffin County and Prestonsburg in the quarterfinals of the 15th Region Tournament at the Appalachian Wireless Arena on Thursday, March 7th at 6:30 p.m.

Lawrence County (23-7) will host Paintsville on Saturday in the 2nd-round of Super-Regional play at 7:30 p.m. with the winner facing Pikeville on Wednesday, March 6th at 6:30 p.m.

FLOYD CENTRAL (71) – B. Moore 4 (1) 6-7 15. Boyd 2 (1) 2-2 7. Samons 9 5-8 23. Spriggs 4 5-6 13. Buck 3 0-1 6. D. Moore 3 (1) 0-1 7. Meade 0.

FG Pct.: 48.1. FT Pct.: 69.2 3-PT 3-17 (B. Moore 1-5, Boyd 1-5, Samons 0-1, Spriggs 0-1, Buck 0-1, D. Moore 1-4, Meade 0-2). PF 19. Fouled out: B. Moore. Turnovers 12. Assists 16.

LAWRENCE CO. (57) – Perry 6 (4) 1-3 17. Bloomfield 9 3-5 21. Marcum 1 (1) 1-2 4. Fetherholf 2 (2) 1-2 7. Ratliff 2 4. Woods 1 (1) 3. Scaggs 1-2 1. Davis 0.

FG Pct.: 33.3. FT Pct.: 50.0 3-PT 8-26 (Perry 4-9, Bloomfield 0-3, Marcum 1-1, Fetherholf 2-5, Ratliff 0-1, Woods 1-7). PF 21. Fouled out: none. Turnovers 5. Assists 16.

FLOYD CENTRAL.     15   8 22 26 - 71

LAWRENCE CO.        11 19   8 19 - 57