While there are still some questions to be answered over the last couple of weeks of the regular season, the Henderson County Lady Colonels seem to have settled the debate about the top spot in the region. There was little movement in the rankings below the Lady Colonels, as teams jockey for seeding in the upcoming district tournaments.
1. Henderson County (12-1-1) (Maher Ranking 9) – The Lady Colonels delivered a dominate week, winning three matches by a combined score of 25-0. The most impressive was a 5-0 road thumping of UHA, putting to rest, at least for now, the debate about the region’s top team. Next week brings matches against McCracken County, Apollo and Christian County, but its hard to imagine the Lady Colonels slipping from their perch.
2. University Heights Academy (8-4) (Maher Ranking 36) – The Lady Blazers went 2-2 over the last week, with respectable losses to Graves County (5-2) and Henderson (5-0). They took care of Christian County 3-0 and Caldwell 6-3 and along with Madisonville-North Hopkins appear to be in a class just below Henderson County. Road matches against Fort Campbell and a one-loss Greenwood team are on tap this week.
3. Madisonville-North Hopkins (11-2) (Maher Ranking 52) – The Lady Maroons stood poised to take advantage of a wobble in form from UHA, but wins over McCracken County and Apollo and a loss to Murray aren’t quite enough to jump the Lady Blazers. UHA also beat McCracken and had a slightly better showing against Murray, losing in a shootout in the All-A sectionals. Matches on the road against Barren and Hopkinsville are coming up this week, along with a visit from the Apollo E-Gals.
4. Hopkins County Central (7-1-1) (Maher Ranking 111) – Along with Henderson County, the Lady Storm boast the fewest losses in the 2nd Region. However, the caliber of teams each has played are very different. Still, they’re beating the teams in front of them, including Webster County, Muhlenberg County and McLean County last week. On Saturday, the Lady Storm will face the first Super 7 team they’ve played since a loss to Madisonville-North Hopkins on August 23 when they meet Christian County at the Colonel Showcase. Games next week against Trigg County in Morton’s Gap and Caldwell County in Princeton will provide an indication of where Hopkins Central stands in the region.
5. Hopkinsville (6-6) (Maher Ranking 99) – The Lady Tigers knocked-off three 2nd-Region teams last week, including wins over fellow Super 7 teams Caldwell County and Christian County, 3-2 and 2-0 respectively. The Lady Tigers are breathing down Hopkins Central’s neck, and in addition to matches against Logan County and Warren Central at the Colonel Showcase on Saturday, a visit from Madisonville-North Hopkins next week gives them a chance to make a major move in the rankings.
6. Caldwell County (6-9) (Maher Ranking 91) – The Lady Tigers had opportunities to make a move in the rankings last week, but couldn’t take advantage with a 6-3 loss to UHA and a 3-2 setback to Hopkinsville. A 3-0 win over Fort Campbell keeps the Lady Falcons out of the rankings and cements Caldwell’s spot. A match against Logan County at the Colonel Showcase on Saturday, a meeting with Ohio County and a big, 7th District showdown with Hopkins County Central are on the schedule this week.
7. Christian County (7-6) (Maher Ranking 119) – The Lady Colonels stick in the final spot in the rankings this week after squandering a couple of opportunities against Super 7 teams. A victory over Paducah Tilghman was sandwiched between a 3-0 loss to UHA and a 2-0 defeat to Hopkinsville. County hosts the Colonel Showcase on Saturday, with another chance to climb the rankings against Hopkins County Central. A good showing in a match at Henderson County next week could provide momentum as the regular season winds down.
