D&D Sports Network Staff Report
1- Martin County Cardinals
Head Coach: Jason James
Last Season Record: 23-10
Key Losses: (Luke Hale, Brayden McKenzie, Jacob Sturgill, Dray Duff)
Coming into the 2024-25 season we have Coach Jason James’s Martin County Cardinals taking our top spot in our Preseason Mountain “Top 10”. Martin County returns the Defensive “Player of the Year” in Peyton Davis, a senior who was flat out stroking it from downtown this summer. At center the Cards return Devan Maynard, who started last year as a sophomore, he may be the biggest matchup problem in the 15th Region. Running point will be rising star Bryson Dials, an incoming freshman who started a few games last season for Martin County and Braydon Estepp, a “3 & D” type player who will start on the other wing. Oh yeah we forgot to mention, the Cardinals picked up quite possibly the most dynamic scorer out of West Virginia and a kid who was named our Preseason “Player of the Year” in the 15th Region – Parker Watts. After watching Martin County this summer, we think there’s a great chance Jason James could end the year with his third Regional title as head coach of the Martin County Cardinals.
2 – Johnson Central Golden Eagles
Head Coach: Tommy McKenzie
Last Season Record: 15-14
No surprise to see Johnson Central at #2, after all they do have one of the best coaches in the Mountains in Tommy McKenzie. After a tough season last year in some sort of a rebuilding project, the Golden Eagles finished out the season really strong, making it to the semifinals of the 15th Region Tournament. The hype of the way things ended has everyone in an uproar, and the Golden Eagles have rallied a lot of support heading into the 2024-25 campaign.
Tommy McKenzie has a load of young talent returning, including a ”Top 5” talent in Austin Slone, a sophomore who outside of “Player of the Year” Aden Barnett, may have been the most dominant player in the postseason. Slone’s running-mate is sharpshooter Brayden Sheppard, a lights out shooter that makes the big shots that wins teams ball games. Holding down the middle will be one of the most fierce shot blockers in the Region. Kyle Rose is a high motor big that gets better every time we see him. Then you will have a combination of Dawson Montgomery, Andrew Meeks and Mason McKenzie securing those other two spots. No matter who Coach McKenzie goes with, he will have players who have proven they can produce in varsity action. Johnson Central and Martin County are the two favorites to win the 15th Region. As always the 57th District will be fun to watch!
3 – Pikeville Panthers
Head Coach: Elisha Justice
Last Season Record: 22-5
Key Losses: (Heath Jarrell, Charlie Fitzer, Eli Johnson, Josh Hughes, Carter Hurley)
Coming in at #3 is Coach Elisha Justice’s Pikeville Panthers, which is receiving a very high ranking despite returning no starters from last year’s squad that went 22-5. Pikeville returns four key pieces off the bench in EB Walters, Ian Onkst, Brayden Bolden and Cole Slone. Walters and Onkst could be the tallest front line in the 15th Region. Then through the transfer portal, the Panthers landed over 30 points a game and a new starting backcourt in Jackson Keene from East Ridge and Ethan Sykes from Shelby Valley. This is a unique position for Elisha Justice. He usually comes in with a load of expectations. This year there are a load of questions, but if those questions are answered, this group could definitely end their season in Rupp Arena!
4 – Paintsville Tigers
Head Coach: Landon Slone
Last Season Record: 13-20
Key Losses: (Ethan Ward)
After going through a rare rebuilding season, Coach Landon Slone is returning his top four leading scorers from last season. Paintsville only lost one player to graduation. The Tigers will base their offense around their front court with center Brock Woods, Ethan Cole and Jase Kinner. Those three combined for over 40 points a game last season. Then, running the show will probably be Anderson Lauffer, a kid who may be the most underrated guard in the 15th Region. Rounding out the last couple spots will probably be Parker Helton and Preston Slone – two players that have shown a lot of promise and a couple of wings who we expect to have breakout seasons. Paintsville is a part of the “Big 4” – all teams that wouldn’t surprise us if they win the Region Championship. After you fall past the fourth team, there are programs that have something to prove.
5 – Pike Central Hawks
Head Coach: Eric Ratliff
Last Season Record: 20-9
Key Losses: (Jaylan Rigdon, Blake Adams, Jake Slone, Kaden Crum)
Pike Central loses the cog that made the team roll last season with PG Jaylon Rigdon graduating, but they still return one of the Mountain’s top scorers. Senior forward Jaden Stewart is one of the favorites to compete for the “Player of the Year” award in the 15th Region. He’s a high volume scorer with a knack for rebounding the basketball. Last season he averaged nearly a double-double with 21 points and 9 rebounds a game. Now the Hawks took a big hit losing their second scoring option when Jake Slone left the program this summer, but they have multiple kids ready to step up and fill the role. Out front you got one of the top young guards with Grant Hall, he’s a gritty defender with a high motor and a high IQ. On the wing, you will probably have young incoming freshman Colton Ratliff, a lot of Hawk fans are excited to see him on the floor after an outstanding 8th grade season, he’s a kid with a bright future. Then, Pike Central has a loaded roster full of talented forwards who all add value to the team. Peyton Owens is a returning starter who has a high motor along with a long frame, he uses his large wingspan to cause havoc on the defensive end. Caden Lawson had a solid freshman season at Menifee County last season. He is very skilled on the offensive end and will bring some versatility to his position. After that they have a lot of pieces that they can interchange at the forward position. We expect to see Brad Billiter and Colton Young on the floor a lot for the Hawks this season as well. With a player like Jaden Stewart, you can never count the Hawks out.
6 – Lawrence County Bulldogs
Head Coach: Chandler Thompson
Last Season Record: 24-8
Key Losses: (Andrew Bloomfield, Logan Ratliff, Blake Marcum)
Coach Chandler Thompson’s Lawrence County Bulldogs take the 6th spot on our list, Coach Thompson is the Rick Pitino of the 15th Region. He does more with less and has built a top notch program in Louisa, KY. The Bulldogs return a few key pieces in Gunnar Woods, Luke Fetherolf and Hayden Perry all three can score the basketball in a variety of ways. Losing Andrew Bloomfield & Logan Ratliff to graduation really hurt the program, but they will look to fill those spots with a kid from Ohio transferring in – KJ Johnson and Braxton Davis. We expect Lawrence County to be the front-runners in the 58th District thanks to the tight ship Chandler Thopmson runs. It wouldn’t surprise us to see this team make a run at the 15th Region Championship due to discipline and kids knowing their role.
7 – Betsy Layne Bobcats
Head Coach: Mike Howard
Last Season Record: 17-16
Key Losses: (Andrew Kidd, Tanner Hall, Tanner Martin)
Last season, Mike Howard led the Bobcats to a 17-16 record, losing to Martin County in the 1st round of the 15th Region Tournament. Losing Andrew Kidd, Tanner Hall and Tanner Martin leaves a lot of holes to fill, but Coach Howard will look to fill the void with an experienced backcourt. The strength of the Bobcats team on offense and defense will be their trio of guards – Cameron Pente & Carter Parson return with a new wingman rejoining the team after taking a year off in Isaiah Allen. This will be a scary transition team. All three players can shoot the three ball as well. Betsy Layne will definitely look for fast break opportunities every chance they get. The Bobcats picked up transfer Ethan Lance from Floyd County foe Floyd Central, he joins a front court with Ethan Hammond & Gavyn Combs. Between the three, the Bobcats should get solid production from their “Bigs”. Then the “X-factor” could be the production they get from Bradyn Hall. He is a really nice player who can flat stroke the long ball, Hall’s rebounding will be a big plus for the Bobcats this coming season.
8 – Belfry Pirates
Head Coach: Brent Perry
Last Season Record: 10-22
Key Losses: (Erik Daniels, McKaden Maynard)
Coach Brent Perry comes in as a first year Head Coach taking over the last place team in the 15th Region while also inheriting the lowest scoring offense. After seeing a much improved team through the summer, the Pirates snagged a couple of homegrown players back in senior Jaxon Estridge and sophomore Brody Little.
Those are two huge additions along with an already formidable backcourt in Zade Rash and Carter Jude. The four combined will be hard to stop if they all buy into the roles they are given. Estridge is a three level scorer who makes everyone around him better, he’s also one of the top returning defenders in the Region. Little is a dynamic athlete who likes physicality. The kid improved every time we have seen him this Summer. Rash is a highly skilled wing who will always make the unselfish play, he is also one of the purest shooters in the 15th. Carter Jude is the perfect point guard to run the show. He is great at recognizing the right play and he can knock down the trifecta when given clean looks, he’s also a surprisingly good defender for his size, he could be the secret to the Pirates’ success. The front court is made up of Bryce Hagy and Ian Loomis – two high motor forwards who don’t mind playing any role Coach Perry gives them. If they have great seasons, the Pirates will have a great season. Coach Perry really needs a couple football players to join his program in December. If not, the Pirates’ weakness will definitely be depth. This Belfry team has the make up of a very good team. They have three guards as good as any three starting guards in the Region. They have a very good playmaking point guard and two undersized bigs who have a lot to prove. The Pirates could be the dark horse of the 15th.
9 – Shelby Valley Wildcats
Head Coach: Matthew Taylor
Last Season Record: 8-18
Key Losses: (Ethan Sykes, Riley Phillips, Bruce Coleman, Braiden Tackett)
The Shelby Valley Wildcats finished with an abysmal 8-18 record last season, giving the Wildcats the official worst record in the 15th Region. The administration went to the drawing board and hired the one man who can right the ship by luring Matthew Taylor to Virgie from Letcher Central. Taylor lost four key contributors from last season prior to his arrival in leading scorer Riley Phillips along with Bruce Coleman, Braiden Tackett and Ethan Sykes.
Taylor took the job and very quickly went to work on developing the talent on the roster. We can guarantee no team in the 15th Region will be more physically ready than the Shelby Valley Wildcats. Returning to the program will be Jonah Bartley, Logan Johnson, Caden “Wee-Man” Justice, Brady Johnson and Caden Johnson. Brady Johnson has always been one of the top prospects in his class, but due to injury, he hasn’t had much court time the last couple seasons but he’s now healthy and ready to make his imprint on the program. The biggest reason we are so high on the Wildcats is the emergence of guard Caden Johnson, people will be shocked with how much he has improved. Then last but not least, Taylor brought Dorton native Gavin Hamilton back to Pike County with him, giving Shelby Valley a “Top 5” ranked point guard in the 15th Region. The Wildcats will be hard nosed and gritty. Their conditioning along with their style of play will give them a chance to win against any team in the 15th.
10 – Floyd Central Jaguars
Head Coach: Allan Jo Moore
Last Season Record: 16-14
Key Losses: (Ronnie Samons, Braden Moore, Brody Buck, Dawson Moore)
Floyd Central lost more to graduation than anyone not named Pikeville – losing four of his top five scorers. Coach Allan Jo Moore will have to do his best coaching job yet. One good thing that Coach Moore has going for him is he returns the #1 ranked point guard in Chris Spriggs and a long ball sniper in Dylan Boyd. Both players will need to average nearly 20 points a game to ensure the Jags have a successful season. Floyd Central also returns a top perimeter defender Logan Meade along with two super athletic young pieces in James Sammons and Wesley Buck. Both players can change the game on the defensive end. The “X-factors” could be Christian Johnson and Ethan Curry. Johnson is a physical guard who can guard multiple positions and make all the hustle plays it takes to win ball games. Coach Moore may not be the early favorite in the 58th District but once this young group gets experience and gains some confidence. The Jags will win a lot of ball games people may think they should lose.
The first two on the outside looking in are Prestonsburg and Phelps. Both teams have an opportunity to defeat the majority of the teams on this list, but they have stuff to prove before we can rank them ahead of the “Top 10”.
Prestonsburg Blackcats
Head Coach: Harold Tackett
Last Season Record: 17-15
Key Losses: (Mason Stidham, Jaxon Estridge, Ethan Ferrell)
We’ll start with Prestonsburg. They have one of the top players in the Bluegrass in Braxton Keathley and a couple very solid seniors in Connor Napier & Kaden Allen. Keathley is a dynamic playmaker who has shored up any weaknesses he may have had last year, and it will be nearly impossible to hold him under 20 points a game. Napier is a traditional Mountain “Big.” He is undersized for his position but is guaranteed production on a nightly basis. He should average a double-double this season. Napier and Keathley both play the pick and roll and the pick and pop extremely well. We expect to see the Blackcats putting these two in those situations a lot. Kaden Allen has really nice size for a SG/SF. He can stroke the long ball and rebound very well. His leadership will play a big part in this team’s success. After the key three, we expect to see the Blackcats play Cade Nairn, Waylon Butcher, Clay Runyon, Ryan Reynolds and Taegan Slone a lot of minutes this season. The big question will be how will the Blackcats adjust to their new coaching staff. Harold Tackett has been an assistant the last few years, but now he gets to sit in the big chair and he’s bringing in all new help. We think if coached well this team can shock some people.
Phelps Hornets
Head Coach: Cameron Smith
Last Season Record: 16-14
Key Losses: (Nick Knox, Gabe Adkins)
The Phelps Hornets have been the biggest surprise of preseason trips around the Region getting to know each program. Coach Cameron Smith brought in a couple Mounties from Canada and they’re looking to lay down the law in the 60th District. Jahmar Stewart and Toby Adese both are going to be highly productive players in the 15th Region. Expect them to be household names come January. Stewart is a 6’2” guard who has all the playmaking ability of a next level guard. People will be surprised with how skilled this kid is. Adese is a 6’7” forward who will help the Hornets on both ends as he continues to get used to playing underneath. He’s going to cause teams a lot of problems with his athleticism. Make no mistake about it, the leader of this team is still 2027 C/PF Tyler Weddington. This dude’s going to be a problem. Weddington has the size and power that no other player in the Region can match up with. He’s also in the best shape of his life. He can even step out and guard on the perimeter for limited periods of time. He will give opposing coaches fits trying to game plan for him. In the other two spots we expect to see a combination of Reese Norman, Gavin Hamilton, Knox Wallace and Ethan Fields. All four will be super effective on a nightly basis. Coach Smith is coaching with a new fire. Don’t be surprised to see the Phelps Hornets at the Expo come March!
That wraps up our preseason “Top 10” from the 15th Region. Of course, in the preseason it’s pretty much a guessing game when it comes to rankings, but we also think nobody is more fit and knows the Region more than us here at D&D Sports Network. We wish all teams the best of luck this season. We’re hoping everyone reaches their full potential and has a healthy season.
