Jason FrakesLouisville Courier Journal
If the Sacred Heart Academy basketball team is to make history this week, the Valkyries will have to do it against one of the most loaded Sweet 16 fields in recent memory.
Led by No. 1 Sacred Heart, 10 of the top 15 teams in the final Kentucky High School Basketball Media Poll made the field for the Mingua Beef Jerky/KHSAA Sweet 16 at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
That list also includes No. 2 Cooper, No. 3 George Rogers Clark, No. 5 Pikeville, No. 7 Anderson County, No. 9 McCracken County, No. 11 Franklin County, No. 12 North Laurel, No. 13 Russell and No. 14 Butler.
Sacred Heart’s Sweet 16 will start against George Rogers Clark on Thursday and could include Pikeville in Friday’s quarterfinals and Cooper in Saturday’s semifinals.
The field has several Sweet 16 regulars, as Henderson County is in for the sixth straight year and Sacred Heart and Bowling Green qualified for the fifth straight season.
There are two first-timers in 14th Region champion Owsley County and 12th Region winner Danville Christian.
As we approach Wednesday’s first round of action, here’s one writer’s ranking of the field:
16. Owsley County (26-9)
The Owls are in the Sweet 16 for the first time after knocking off host Estill County 51-46 in the 14th Region championship game. Four players average at least 12 points per game, led by senior guard Carly Smith (16.2 ppg). She has more than 2,500 career points and 1,000 career assists and was named 14th Region Player of the Year. The Owls are sharp from 3-point range, shooting 43.5% as a team from behind the arc. The 14th Region has the longest current winless streak in Sweet 16 play. Breathitt County was the last 14th Region team to win a first-round game, beating Rowan County in 2008.
15. Owensboro (21-11)
The Red Devils stunned Owensboro Catholic 61-54 in Sunday’s Third Region final, which was the fourth meeting of the season between the rivals. Owensboro Catholic had defeated Owensboro 73-72 in the Ninth District final. Owensboro is in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1992. Junior guard Shalyn Sprinkles (14.9 ppg) and senior guard A’Lyrica Hughes (10.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg) lead the way. Sprinkles is a transfer from Henderson County and will face her former team in Thursday’s first round.
14. Bowling Green (23-10)
The Purples are in the Sweet 16 for the fifth straight year after upsetting Franklin-Simpson in the Fourth Region semifinals and then beating Todd County Central in the final. Junior Katy Smiley leads the Purples in scoring (11.1 ppg) and shoots 37.5% from 3-point range. Bowling Green may not make a deep Sweet 16 run but will have an experience edge over Owsley County in its opening game.
13. Danville Christian (29-2)
The Warriors will make their first Sweet 16 trip after rolling through the 12th Region, beating West Jessamine 63-46 in the final. Danville Christian also reached the All “A” Classic state tournament in January before being bounced by Owensboro Catholic 79-49 in the quarterfinals. The Warriors have won 12 in a row since then. Grace Mbugua, a 6-foot-4 junior, ranks fifth in the state in scoring (25.1 ppg) and second in rebounding (15.1 rpg). She has committed to Liberty University.
12. Henderson County (25-7)
The coach has changed, but the success has not as the Colonels reached the Sweet 16 for the sixth straight year and 11th time in the past 12 seasons. Veteran coach Jeff Haile retired after last season and handed off the job to his son, Stephen. Sophom*ore forward Brooklyn Gibson (13.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg) and junior guard Allyson Rideout (12.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg) are the leaders. The Colonels beat Sweet 16 qualifiers McCracken County and Russell in December.
11. Bethlehem (26-8)
The Banshees were ranked No. 3 in the state in The Courier Journal’s preseason poll but started 4-5 and fell off the radar. That skid coincided with a knee injury to junior star Leah Macy. She has returned and ranks among the top 10 in the state in field-goal shooting (second, 69.1%), scoring (sixth, 24.7 ppg) and rebounding (eighth, 13.3 rpg). Bethlehem is in the Sweet 16 for the fourth straight year and ranks No. 1 in the state in scoring (72.7 ppg).
10. Butler (26-8)
The five-time state champion Bearettes are in the field for the first time since 2017 after beating Bullitt East 55-51 in the Sixth Region final. Former University of Louisville star Candyce Wheeler (Bingham) is the first-year head coach and has a pair of NCAA Division I commits in seniors Mariah Knight (15.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg, Jacksonville) and 6-5 center Ramiya White (11.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, Kentucky). Knight and White were named Co-Sixth Region Players of the Year by the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches.
9. Russell (28-6)
The Red Devils survived a tough 16th Region Tournament, beating Ashland Blazer 47-40 in the semifinals and Boyd County 50-38 in the final. Senior guard Shaelyn Steele (21.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg) is the 16th Region Player of the Year and a top Miss Basketball candidate. The Penn State signee has topped 3,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. Senior guard Bella Quinn (10.3 ppg) has a team-high 71 3-pointers and has signed with NCAA Division II Kutztown.
8. Anderson County (32-2)
The Bearcats will take a 14-game winning streak to the Sweet 16 after beating Spencer County 36-33 in the Eighth Region final. Junior Lainey Johnson (19.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg) was the coaches’ pick as Eighth Region Player of the Year for the second straight season. She shoots 36.2% from 3-point range (63 of 174). Senior point guard Jenna Satterly (18.4 ppg) joins Johnson as one of the state’s top 1-2 scoring punches The Bearcats rank No. 1 in the state in scoring defense, allowing 33.3 points per game.
7. North Laurel (29-5)
The Jaguars enter with an 11-game winning streak after knocking off Corbin 61-49 in the 13th Region final, taking the title for the second straight year. Junior guard Brooke Nichelson (17.8 ppg, 10.0 rpg) and senior center Chloe McKnight (13.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg) lead the way. Nichelson has offers from Coastal Carolina, Murray State and West Carolina.
6. McCracken County (29-5)
Last year’s Sweet 16 runners-up, the Mustangs are in the field for the third straight year. Senior Claire Johnson was named First Region Player of the Year and leads the team in scoring (23.5 ppg) and 3-pointers made (56). Senior Mikee Buchanan ranks second in scoring (15.0 ppg) and 3-pointers made (49). Johnson has signed with Samford, and Buchanan is considering offers from Bethel and Campbellsville.
5. Franklin County (29-6)
The Flyers missed the Sweet 16 last year but return for the seventh time in 10 years after beating Frederick Douglass 53-46 for the 11th Region title. After a 5-5 start, Franklin County is 24-1 over its past 25 games and is tied with Sacred Heart for the longest current winning streak in the state at 16. The Flyers feature seven players who average between 6.2 and 11.2 points per game. Junior guard Leia Hogan (11.2 ppg) is the leader and hits 35.9% from 3-point range (52 of 145). With the power of the field in the bottom half of the bracket, Franklin County could make a run to the final from the top half.
4. Pikeville (27-5)
The Panthers return to Rupp Arena after four straight trips from 2019-22. Senior guard Trinity Rowe (16.2 ppg) is the 15th Region Player of the Year and a top contender for Miss Basketball honors. The Southern Mississippi signee ranks among the top 20 in the state with 79 3-pointers made and is shooting 39.7% from behind the arc. Seniors Kyera Thornsbury (14.1 ppg, Jacksonville State signee) and Kristen Whited (11.6 ppg, Centre commit) also score in double figures.
3. George Rogers Clark (30-4)
The Cardinals might have been in contention for the No. 1 spot here had junior star Ciara Byars not suffered a season-ending knee injury on Jan. 6. Still, the Cardinals are plenty capable and reached the Sweet 16 for the third straight year and the seventh time in the last eight seasons. Freshman point guard Kennedy Stamper is in her third varsity season and is the top scorer (11.7 ppg). Junior Jailenn Green (10.8 ppg) and sophom*ore Teigh Yeast (9.7 ppg) are versatile stars.
2. Cooper (29-4)
No Kentucky team has played Sacred Heart closer this season, as the Jaguars fell to the Valkyries 54-42 on Dec. 8 and 61-56 on Jan. 27 in the semifinals of the Louisville Invitational Tournament. The Jaguars are in the Sweet 16 for the third straight year and will look to shake off a surprising first-round loss to Mercy last season. Senior Logan Palmer (16.6 ppg, Evansville signee) is the top scorer and one of four seniors who will play in college, joining Liz Freihofer (Eastern Kentucky), Maleah Alexander (Liberty) and Bella Deere (Gannon). Haylee Noel (7.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg) is one of the state’s top freshmen.
1. Sacred Heart (27-7)
The Valkyries will try to become the first team in state history — boys or girls — to win four straight Sweet 16 championships. They enter with a 69-game winning streak against Kentucky opponents. ZaKiyah Johnson (18.9 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 4.3 apg) leads the way as one of the nation’s top juniors. She was named Sweet 16 MVP as a freshman and sophom*ore. Senior Reagan Bender (13.6 ppg) is a versatile guard, and 6-3 senior Angelina Pelayo (10.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg, North Carolina-Wilmington signee) is a force in the paint. Freshman point guard Tootie Jordan (6.4 ppg) is a solid distributor (3.2 apg) and defender (2.7 spg), and senior Claire Russell (4.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg) does all the dirty work. Leaving Lexington without a fourth straight title would be a shock.
Girls Sweet 16 schedule
Wednesday
11 a.m. – Owsley County (26-9) vs. Bowling Green (23-10)
1:30 p.m. – Russell (28-6) vs. McCracken County (29-5)
6 p.m. – Anderson County (32-2) vs. Butler (26-8)
8:30 p.m. – North Laurel (29-5) vs. Franklin County (29-6)
Thursday
11 a.m. – Pikeville (27-5) vs. Bethlehem (26-8)
1:30 p.m. – Henderson County (25-7) vs. Owensboro (21-11)
6 p.m. – Sacred Heart (27-7) vs. George Rogers Clark (30-4)
8:30 p.m. – Danville Christian (29-2) vs. Cooper (29-4)
Friday
11 a.m. – Owsley County-Bowling Green winner vs. Russell-McCracken County winner
1:30 p.m. – Anderson County-Butler winner vs. North Laurel-Franklin County winner
6 p.m. – Sacred Heart-George Rogers Clark winner vs. Pikeville-Bethlehem winner
8:30 p.m. – Danville Christian-Cooper winner vs. Henderson County-Third Region winner
Saturday
11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. – Semifinals
7:30 p.m. – Final
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Follow on X @kyhighs.
