The Sports World is in the midst of All-Star madness right now, with the Pro Bowl Sunday, the NBA All-Star Game Sunday, Feb. 14, and the obvious starpower of the Super Bowl sandwiched in between the two.
What if the 16th Region had an All-Star game at this point during the season?
The Point Guard certainly can’t speak for everyone, but he does have his own opinion.
Dishing a different kind of Dime this week, here’s the Point Guard’s starting five for both the boys’ and girls’, based on what they have accomplished this season:
Boys’
-PG Will Skaggs (Ashland) — The senior is probably the most pure point guard in the region, and has outstanding vision on the court. He averages more than 12 points per game and shoots nearly 50 percent from the field, not to mention his five or six assists a game.
-SG Caleb Collins (Fairview) — I have to admit, I was a little skeptical of Collins at the beginning of the year, but he is still not 100 percent healthy with ongoing ankle issues. He’s certainly looked healthier lately though. Collins can shoot or slash to the rim with the best of them.
-SF Timmy Knipp (Elliott County) — What? A 6-foot-7 small forward in the 16th region? Think about it. For one, this is an All-Star team and it’s loaded, and two, Knipp is more of a No. 3 player anyway. Even though he shoots between 20 and 25 shots per game, his 30 points per game and mere presence is too much to leave him off this squad.
-PF Colt Barnhill (East Carter) — The Raiders senior has improved almost every facet of his game this season — rebounding, defense, cutting to the basket with or without the ball. The list goes on.
-C Jacob Ison (Elliott County) — Not even in this conversation at the beginning of the year, Ison has emerged as one of the top post players in the area. He is the only player who averages a double-double.
Reserves: Trey Williams (Greenup County), Taylor Maze (Bath County), Mike Terry (Fairview), Brent Jackson (Fairview), Patrick Greene (Menifee County), Preston Dugan (Fleming County), Adam Wing (Rowan County).
Girls’
-PG Kayla Day (Fairview) — Mike Terry is not the only Rose Hill Christian transfer who has made an instant impact for Fairview. I’m sure Eagles coach George Bellamy can attest to that. Day scores just about 20 points per game and, while she doesn’t always play the point, she handles the ball well and makes some incredible shots.
-SG Kelsey Ferguson (Elliott County) — Looking at Ferguson’s statistics, it’s apparent that she scores 20 points a contest because she shoots so much. While that may be true, she is a do-it-all guard that is too good to not make this team. She is one of the best rebounding guards in the region and plays pretty solid defense.
-SF Natasha Kissinger (Rowan County) — She’s only 5-foot-8, but she attacks the basket like she’s as big as anybody on the court. The tough-as-nails attitude has allowed Kissinger to become one of the more exciting players in the region. She basically put the entire team on her back in a key win over Ashland this season.
-PF Jessica Marshall (East Carter) — Marshall brings one more year of experience than teammate Lakota Burge, which is what gave her the edge for this spot.
-C Katelyn Connor (Ashland) — Connor has the ability to dominate a game like no other in this region.
Reserves: Lakota Burge (East Carter), Chelsea Dietrich (Ashland), Kayla Parsley (Russell), Holly Jude (Boyd County), Leanne Mullins (Menifee County), Kristin Perry (West Carter), Kasey Lewis (Raceland).
Snyder’s Super Seven
Now what do I do? This week’s play has put my ranking ability to the test. But, the good thing is, I don’t decide which ends up No. 1 at season’s end. Only they can. So I’ll give it my best shot without any worries.
Boys’
1. East Carter (15-4)
2. Fairview (15-3)
3. Ashland (15-5)
4. Elliott County (15-6)
5. Fleming County (10-6)
6. Menifee County (9-6)
7. Bath County (10-7)
Girls’
1. East Carter (16-3)
2. Rowan County (13-5)
3. Ashland (12-4)
4. Boyd County (10-6)
5. Russell (10-9)
6. Raceland (11-8)
7. West Carter (8-7)
30-Point Club
This club is more vacant than the Bates Motel this week. Not even T.K. aka Timmy Knipp aka Thirty King could pay a visit.
So, the PG will give a shout-out to Glasgow’s Cameron Hall, who would have been a senior at Fairview this season had he and his father, Jeff, stayed in the area. However, Jeff, as the head coach, and Cameron, as the star player, are having their own success this season.
Hall scored 34 points on 7-of-17 field-goal shooting and 17-of-17 free-throw stroking against Campbellsville and notched 33 points on 12-of-34 shooting in Glasgow’s semifinal loss to DeSales Saturday in the Touchstone Energy All “A” Classic.
Down to the wire
-Four games this week were decided in the final seconds or needed overtime to determine a winner.
Fairview’s Sierra Manier lifted the Lady Eagles to a 63-61 win over Greenup County with a buzzer beater, Bath County’s Cody House netted an open look under the basket with two seconds left to give the Wildcats a key district victory over Fleming County, Kasey Lewis’ 26-point 16-rebound outing boosted Raceland over Morgan County and Greenup County’s boys outlasted Russell in front of a Greenhouse crowd that resembled that of years past between the 63rd district rivals.
Twitter
-Check out The Independent’s twitter page at www.twitter.com/dindependent.
AARON SNYDER can be reached at asnyder@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2664.
