RATINGS GAME

 I was disappointed Monday when I opened the Lexington Herald-Leader and saw the girls’ high school ratings. Whitley County had been snubbed again, or so it seems. I know the ratings are a numbers competition because I use a similar formula for the News Journal rankings.

Whitley County is the 26^th ranked team in the state, but they belong in the top 25, possibly the top 20.

Why? Because they are on a 12^th game wining streak and they have not played a weak schedule by any means. They have won 16 of their last 17 games and have lost only to teams ranked higher.

The last loss came at Lincoln County, 65-63. At the time the Lady Colonels lost, the Lady Patriots were 24^th. They lost to River Ridge, Ga., in the Cumberland Falls Invitational, 51-46 and they were ranked fifth in their class at the time.

Whitley County lost two games in the Northern Exposure Classic, to Boone County, 68-48 and the Lady Rebels are currently ranked 5^th in the state with a 26-2 record. They also dropped a game to Fort Thomas Highlands, 57-46. Highlands is currently third in the region behind Boone County and Newport Catholic.

The only other loss came against Casey County, 59-51. The Lady Rebels were ranked first in the 12^th region when they beat Whitley County. But, once they lost Megan Pittman, one of the top 25 players in the state, they had dropped five straight games before knocking off Somerset Monday night in the first-round of the 47^th District.

There are several teams I question about being in the top 25. Sacred Heart is 16-12, Lexington Catholic is 19-10 and Louisville Christian is 18-12. I can’t understand how they can have such a high rating with so many losses when it comes to a point system.

The biggest question mark is Glasgow. Whitley County beat the Lady Scotties 59-43 at Pulaski County, Feb. 11 in a game that was never close. Glasgow was 14^th at the time and dropped out of the top 25 the next week. Since then they have beaten Franklin-Simpson 63-28 and Cumberland County 71-24. With Cumberland County only having two wins and Franklin-Simpson having a losing record (14-17) that still doesn’t make a lot of sense that Glasgow goes all the way back to 21^st and passes Whitley County that has been at 26^th for several weeks.

As matter of fact, Louisville Christian, Butler (18-9), Walton Verona (24-6), Ashland (24-6) and Green County (23-6) have all passed the Lady Colonels, who have not lost a game and have beaten their opponents by a 25.9 average.

The Lady Colonels are averaging 61.9 points on the season and 68.4 during the winning streak. They are 11^th in the state in scoring or fifth since January. They are currently 15^th in the state in winning margin, but if you take that from the start of the streak they would be first.

Not only have they been impressive on offense, their defense ranks among the top 20 teams. They have given up 44.9 on the season and 40.3 since 2012, which would also put them in the top 10.

You might want to argue that they have played an easy schedule, well that isn’t so. At the start of the season only Clay County played a tougher schedule in the 13^th region according to Max Preps. Their schedule at the beginning of the season was 18^th in the entire state.

 CONGRATS TO JACKETS

I know they were the first to be eliminated, but congratulations to a job well done by Williamsburg coaches Andrea Ellis and Patrick Robinson.  Ellis took a very young team and won eight games, which might not seem like a lot. But, to a tiny high school it is, especially when they have 13 of 15 players returning next year,

Robinson and the Yellow Jackets had an outstanding year, winning 16 of 31 games. They knocked off Corbin and South Laurel during the season, took fourth in a tough Cumberland Falls Invitational and was runner-up to Barbourville in the 13^th Region All “A” Tournament. They were the first team to knock off Scott High School, out of Tennessee during their own invitational.

I have been impressed with this young team all year and with a lot of hard work they are going to be one of the best in the 50^th district for several years. The only bad thing, it is the always tough 50^th district.

I will miss watching Cameron Smoak and Jared Barton next season. We will see more of Barton and Smoak during the spring. Barton, one of the top pitchers in the region and Smoak in track.

 FOLLOW THE TOURNAMENT FROM THE NEWS JOURNAL

Follow the 50^th District, 13^th Region and KHSAA State Basketball Tournament on our website. I will have the 13^th Region draw online as it happens Saturday and the boys’ 13^th Region Sunday.

I plan to have information about all these tournament beginning Thursday until the end of the state tournament, so look for it daily. Our website is www.thenewsjournal.net.