16 Teams Left

Here are the scores from tonight's regional championships:

2d Region Final (at Hopkinsville):
(3) Madisonville-N. Hopkins 73, Webster Co. 58

Madisonville wins the Second Region for the second year in a row.  That's really hard for a team from outside Christian County.  Last year, the Maroons lost to Warren Central in the quarter-finals.  This year, they get Warren Central in the first round.

3d Region Final (at Owensboro Sportscenter):
Owensboro Catholic 56, Owensboro 45

Owensboro Catholic goes to State for the first time since 2016.

4th Region Final (at W. Kentucky Univ.):
Warren Central 53, Bowling Green 42

Last year, the Dragons reached the final four -- beating Mayfield and Madisonville before losing to Scott County.

5th Region Final (at Taylor Co.):
(8) Elizabethtown 74, Bardstown 72

This tournament -- where Bardstown upset one top-ten team in John Hardin before losing by two points to another -- was one of the most dramatic regionals I can remember.

7th Region Final (at Lou. Valley):
(1) Lou. Male 71, (10) Lou. Ballard 61

Good job by the pollsters on this one.  In fact, the pollsters did quite well -- five of their top 8 teams made State.

8th Region Final (at Henry Co.):
Collins 61, Oldham Co. 53

9th Region Final (at N. Kentucky Univ.):
(6) Cov. Catholic 59, Ft. Thomas Highlands 54

Last year, Cov Cath had a lousy draw at State -- they faced Scott County in the first round.  The Cardinals beat them 64-61.

10th Region Final (at George Rogers Clark):
George Rogers Clark 53, Montgomery Co. 50

George Rogers Clark will play McCracken County.  Remarkably, these teams met on December 28 as part of the Central Bank Classic at Lexington Christian.  McCracken County won that game 77-75, and then beat Lexington Christian 52-36 to win the tournament.

12th Region Final (at Pulaski Co.):
W. Jessamine 78, Danville 64

14th Region Final (at Knott Co. Cent.):
Hazard 57, Wolfe Co. 51

16th Region Final (at Morehead St. Univ.):
(2) Ashland Blazer 84, Lewis Co. 60

Last year, Blazer went to State.  They beat Owensboro in the first round, but were crushed by Trinity 60-30 in the quarter-finals.  They haven't lost a game since.

So here's how the State Tournament will begin (all games at Rupp Arena) (all times Central):

Wednesday, March 18:
11 A.M.:  (3) Madisonville-N. Hopkins Maroons (30-3) v. Warren Central Dragons (25-7)
12:30 P.M.:  (8) Elizabethtown Panthers (26-3) v. (2) Ashland Blazer Tomcats (33-0)
5:30 P.M.:  Knox Central Panthers (25-8) v. Scott County Cardinals (19-16)
7 P.M.:  McCracken County Mustangs (30-5) v. George Rogers Clark Cardinals (27-7)

Thursday, March 19:
11 A.M.:  Lou. Fern Creek Tigers (28-6) v. Hazard Bulldogs (28-5)
12:30 P.M.:  Owensboro Catholic Aces (20-14) v. Martin Co. Cardinals (22-12)
5:30 P.M.:  (1) Lou. Male Bulldogs (30-4) v. Collins Titans (26-7)
7 P.M.:  (6) Covington Catholic Colonels (28-5) v. West Jessamine Colts (20-11)

Oh, Kentucky

In an interview with the Xinhua News Agency, "Official says collaboration with China remains significant for U.S. state of Kentucky." And Ballard County is proof.

Turning to sports, #khsbbk20 and #khsgbk20 are up and rolling. Also, Kentucky Monthly last month had a very interesting history of deer hunting in Kentucky. Actually, probably the most interesting part of Gary Garth's story to me was the history of not hunting deer in Kentucky; from 1912 to 1946, it was banned. Anyway, it's deer-hunting season of some sort now until Jan. 20. 

Way to go, Lexington-Fayette Animal Care & Control, Lexington Police and Kentucky State Police, and hooray that Lucy is home in Clinton County for the holidays! 

Thanks for the tip, Angel Welsh of WBKR.

Christmas parades: Sharpsburg, Nov. 9; Owensboro, Nov. 23; Central City, Nov. 24; Lebanon and Louisville, Nov. 29;  Greensburg, Guthrie and Pikeville, Nov. 30; Boyce, Dawson Springs, Murray, Salem and Sebree, Dec. 1; Bardstown, Dec. 5; Clay, Fredonia, Harrodsburg, Hopkinsville, London, Monticello, Pineville, Richmond and Trenton, Dec. 6; Arlington, Barbourville, Berea, Bloomfield, Bowling Green, Bromley/Ludlow, Brownsville, Cadiz, Calvert City, Clinton, Columbia, Corbin, Cynthiana, Danville, Frankfort, Glasgow, Grayson, Hawesville, Henderson, Lawrenceburg, Lexington, Madisonville, Marion, Middlesboro, Morgantown, Murray, Owingsville, Paducah, Rabbit Hash, Scottsville, Shelbyville, Somerset, Trenton, Versailles, Whitley City and Winchester, Dec. 7; Georgetown, Dec. 8; Cave City, Dec. 10; Augusta, Burkesville, Burnside, Elkton, Mayfield, Providence, Williamsburg, Dec. 14, and Tollesboro, Dec. 15.

Oh, Kentucky

On the Babies 'R Us transformation in Florence.

On the Patti's comeback in Grand Rivers.

On the Christmas-decor redo debut in Columbia.

Fiber to the (Princeton) home.

Good jobs news from Berea, Erlanger, Hopkinsville and Maysville. Bad from Ashland and Shelbyville. False hope in Inez.

Turning to sports, Franklin County High's Benny Watkins Field will be under scrutiny Friday night; Martha Layne Collins High celebrates its first Division I hoops signees, and Season 4 for the SoKY Ice Rink is afoot.

Christmas parades: Sharpsburg, Nov. 9; Owensboro, Nov. 23; Boyce, Dawson Springs and Murray, Dec. 1; Bardstown, Dec. 5; Harrodsburg, Hopkinsville and Monticello, Dec. 6; Berea, Bowling Green, Calvert City, Danville, Frankfort, Glasgow, Henderson, Lawrenceburg, Lexington, Madisonville, Paducah, Scottsville, Shelbyville, Trenton, Versailles and Whitley City, Dec. 7; Georgetown, Dec. 8; Cave City, Dec. 10, and Burnside, Elkton and Williamsburg, Dec. 14.