Fifteenth Region Preview

Preseason Rankings...
1. Paintsville
2. Johnson Central
3. Belfry
4. Shelby Valley
5. Pike County Central
6. Pikeville
7. East Ridge
8. Betsy Layne
9. Phelps
10. Allen Central
11. Magoffin County
12. Lawrence County
13. South Floyd
14. Prestonsburg
15. Sheldon Clark
16. Piarist
17. David School

Three Things To Watch...
--The old rivalry, Paintsville and Johnson Central, should be alive and well again. Last season, Johnson Central won its first regional championship since 2000. The Golden Eagles, with Mark Starns back for his second year at the helm, will return much of their firepower and will add junior guard Jaryd Crym, who transferred from Sheldon Clark. Paintsville will be led by an exceptional junior class of guard Landon Slone and big men J.D. VanHoose and Shane Grimm. If the 15th region fans enjoy seeing the Tigers and the Golden Eagles fight it out until the end, this should be a good year to watch.

--Which teams can challenge the top two in this region? Football powers Belfry and Pikeville have been mentioned as possible contenders, along with Shelby Valley and Pike County Central. Throughout this season, watch how these teams do against each other, and possibly one of them can position themselves as a darkhorse for the 15th Region Tournament.

--Prestonsburg, which has reached the regional semifinals three of the last four seasons, will be attempting to rebuild this season. The Blackcats do have some talent returning in seniors Trevor Patton and Lincoln Slone, but much of the skill from last season has graduated. This opens the door in the 58th District for Betsy Layne, South Floyd and even Allen Central, a team which only scored five wins last season.

Five Early Games I'd See...
--November 28th: Betsy Layne @ Shelby Valley
--December 2nd: Paintsville vs. Henry Clay
--December 8th: Pike County Central @ Phelps
--December 12th: Paintsville @ Pikeville
--December 15th: Shelby Valley @ Prestonsburg

Last Year:
Regional Champion: Johnson Central
Regional Runner-Up: Shelby Valley
Regional Semifinalists: Betsy Layne, Belfry