Young Teams Across the Bluegrass (Part 1)

<p>While there are certainly a lot of talented teams across the state currently, I'm very excited for what's to come in the future as I have noticed multiple teams that have a lot of young talent already on their Varsity roster. As the seasons gone on, I've tried to take note of the teams I recognize as having huge contributions from underclassmen. I know I'm certain to miss some young teams, but below you can read about some of the teams I've seen this year that you can expect to hear a lot about in the years to come. The percentage in parentheses next to the team name is the percentage of underclassman each team currently has (sophomores or younger).</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Crittenden County (100%)</h2>   <p>Crittenden County's current roster has 8 sophomores, 2 freshman, 1 eighth grader, and 1 seventh grader. They are 13-10 overall and 10-4 in their region. Their 3 top scorers on the season are [player_tooltip player_id='376793' first='Anna' last='Boone'] (22.3 PPG), [player_tooltip player_id='1179323' first='Jordyn' last='Hodge'] (8.9 PPG), and Elliot Evans (8.3 PPG). Their leading rebounders are Bristyn Rushing (7.8 RPG), Andrea Federico (6.9 RPG), and [player_tooltip player_id='376793' first='Anna' last='Boone'] (4.7 RPG). Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='376793' first='Anna' last='Boone'] has been incredible all season long. She eclipsed the 1,000 point mark and is leading her team in nearly every statistical category, including shooting 41.8% from 3 and 80.8% from the free throw line. The lefty can fill up a stat sheet with assists, steals, and blocks on top of her points and rebounds. 8th grader [player_tooltip player_id='1179323' first='Jordyn' last='Hodge'] has been showing she's a top player in her class as well, including shooting 40% from 3 on the season. This team is very young and has a ton of potential.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Grace James (100%)</h2>   <p>Grace James current roster has 4 freshman, 7 eighth graders, and 2 seventh graders. This is a new school, so they have to wait until they have their first graduating class before they are assigned a district or region. Since they are located in Louisville, there is always a scenario where the middle school players could end up at a different school for high school, but if everyone stays, they are going to be a dangerous group in the future behind HC Armond Wilson. They have started off 10-1 and they have some of the top middle school talent you're going to find. Their 3 leading scorers are Faith Mosley (21 PPG), Alicia Mangrum (18.1 PPG), and Takenzie Young (9.9 PPG). Their leading rebounders are Mangrum (6.4 RPG), London Woods (6.2 RPG), Young (5 RPG), and A'Maria Pegues (5 RPG). You will definitely be hearing a lot about Grace James players in the future and if they stay together, expect them to make a lot of noise as a team in years to come. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mason County (100%)</h2>   <p>Mason County's current roster is made up of 7 sophomores, 2 freshman, and 6 eighth graders. They are 13-9 overall and 2-3 in their region. Their top 3 scorers are [player_tooltip player_id='647300' first='Alexis' last='Young'] (12.9 PPG), [player_tooltip player_id='647301' first='Amirah' last='Reed'] (12.9 PPG), and Olivia Hughes (9.8 PPG). Their leading rebounders are Young (8 RPG), Hughes (4.6 RPG), and Carlee Buttery (4.3 RPG). The Lady Royals have a very productive sophomore class and seeing that they have 0 upperclassmen, you can expect them to just keep getting better and better as a team. This year, they won their 2A Sectional Tournament and made it to the state tournament. While you can count on their sophomores to continue putting up strong numbers, you can also expect some of their younger talent to increase their production with time.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Hazard (89.5%)</h2>   <p>Hazard's roster currently has 1 senior, 1 junior, 2 sophomores, 9 freshman, 4 eighth graders, and 2 seventh graders. They are 12-12 overall and 6-7 in their region. They have a couple of upperclassmen, but they are a very young group overall. Their 3 leading scorers are [player_tooltip player_id='747681' first='Laura' last='Everidge'] (13.2 PPG), [player_tooltip player_id='973205' first='Maddi' last='Frohnapfel'] (12 PPG), and [player_tooltip player_id='747679' first='Hannah' last='Caudill'] (11.1 PPG). Everidge can score at all 3 levels, Frohnapfel has a high IQ to go along with her playmaking and scoring abilities, and Caudill is capable of a double-double every game. Their leading rebounders are Caudill (7.4 RPG), Heidi Bentley (6.2 RPG), and [player_tooltip player_id='1228855' first='Braylynn' last='Eddington'] (5.9 RPG). They have young talent inside and out and those players just continue to get better and better. Out of those scoring and rebounding leaders, Everidge, Caudill, and Eddington are freshman while Frohnapfel is an eighth grader and Bentley is a senior. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">South Laurel (85.7%)</h2>   <p>South Laurel's roster consists of 2 juniors, 1 sophomore, 5 freshman, 1 eighth grader, and 5 seventh graders. They have a 15-9 record overall and are 8-3 in their region. They have beat some tough teams this season and their losses come to top teams in the state for the most part. Their 3 leading scorers are [player_tooltip player_id='747656' first='Shelbie' last='Mills'] (18.7 PPG), [player_tooltip player_id='738252' first='Maci' last='Messer'] (12.4 PPG), and Peyton Mabe (12 PPG). Their leading rebounders are Mabe (4.5 RPG), [player_tooltip player_id='1161551' first='Jamie' last='Buenaventura'] (4.3 RPG), and Aubrey Bundy (4 RPG). Mills, Messer, and Mabe have proven to be some of the top freshman in the state with their consistently tough play. The Lady Cardinals may be young, but their love for the game is clear when you watch the effort and heart they play with each game. Seeing that they will return their entire roster next season, expect them to be one of the toughest teams in the state next year and beyond.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mayfield (84.6%)</h2>   <p>Mayfield's roster includes 2 seniors, 6 sophomores, and 5 freshman. They are 13-6 overall and 10-2 in their region. Their 3 leading scorers are Lay Mayes (17.6 PPG), Skylar Mandry (12.4 PPG), and Lex Feagin (7.1 PPG). Their leading rebounders are Ally Creason (6.2 RPG), Mandry (5.5 RPG), and Mayes (4.9 PPG). They just won their 2A sectional and made it to the state tournament. Mandry is a senior, so she will certainly be missed after this season and it'll take a bit of time to adjust to not having her on the court, but they still have shown that they can make a lot of noise in the future. Mayes will certainly be a big part of their future as she has proven to be a player who can make a huge impact on both ends of the court.</p>

While there are certainly a lot of talented teams across the state currently, I'm very excited for what's to come in the future as I have noticed multiple teams that have a lot of young talent already on their Varsity roster. As the seasons gone on, I've tried to take note of the teams I recognize as having huge contributions from underclassmen. I know I'm certain to miss some young teams, but below you can read about some of the teams I've seen this year that you can expect to hear a lot about in the years to come. The percentage in parentheses next to the team name is the percentage of underclassman each team currently has (sophomores or younger).