And now the boys' regional tournaments get rolling. Action is scheduled today for the Sixth, Seventh, Ninth and 14th regions. By Saturday, all 16 of the eight-team regionals will be active. The state tournament is scheduled for March 19-23 at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Heath and 55 other teams have won the Kentucky High School Athletic Association boys' basketball championship since it was first decided in 1918. As of this moment, 128 teams still have a shot at winning the 97th title, but that field starts being pared this evening.
First Region at Murray State University--McCracken County vs. Calloway County and Graves County (defending regional champion, state quarterfinalist and top Courier-Journal Litkenhous rating in the region but not in the top 20 statewide) vs. Carlisle County on Friday and Hickman County vs. Mayfield and Marshall County vs. Paducah Saint Mary on Saturday
Second Region at Madisonville-North Hopkins--Trigg County vs. Hopkinsville University Heights and Henderson County vs. Caldwell County on Friday and Hopkinsville (defending regional champ, state semifinalist and Litkenhous No. 5) vs. Union County and Madisonville-North Hopkins over Crittenden County on Saturday
Third Region at the Owensboro Sportscenter--Owensboro (Litkenhous favorite but not in the statewide top 20) vs. Meade County and Butler County vs. Ohio County (defending regional champ) on Friday and Hancock County vs. Grayson County and Muhlenberg County vs. Daviess County on Saturday
Fourth Region at Barren County--Bowling Green vs. Franklin-Simpson and Barren County vs. Russell County on Friday and Clinton County vs. Bowling Green Warren Central (defending regional champ and Litkenhous No. 17) and Russellville vs. Monroe County on Saturday
Fifth Region at Marion County--Elizabethtown (Litkenhous No. 15) vs. LaRue County and Taylor County vs. Bardstown Thomas Nelson on Thursday and Green County vs. Elizabethtown John Hardin (defending regional champ and state quarterfinalist) and Bardstown vs. Adair County on Friday
Sixth Region (semifinals and final at Louisville Valley)--Hebron Estates North Bullitt at Louisville Doss (Litkenhous No. 12), Louisville Fern Creek at Louisville Pleasure Ridge Park (defending regional champ and Litkenhous No. 7), Louisville Fairdale at Shepherdsville Bullitt Central and Louisville DeSales at Mount Washington Bullitt East today
Seventh Region (semifinals and championship at Louisville Valley)--Middletown Eastern at Louisville duPont Manual (Litkenhous No. 18), Louisville Trinity (Litkenhous No. 2) vs. Louisville Saint Xavier at Bellarmine University, Louisville Central at Louisville Male and Louisville Ballard (defending regional champ, state runnerup and Litkenhous No. 1) vs. Louisville Waggener at Valley
Eighth Region at Henry County--Grant County vs. Shelbyville Martha Layne Collins and Owen County vs. Crestwood South Oldham (defending regional champ and Litkenhous favorite but not in top 20 statewide) on Thursday and Shelby County vs. Independence Simon Kenton and Oldham County vs. Henry County on Friday
Ninth Region at Northern Kentucky University--Union Larry A. Ryle vs. Covington Catholic (Litkenhous No. 8) and Newport Central Catholic (Litkenhous No. 4) vs. Erlanger Saint Henry today and Edgewood Dixie Heights vs. Hebron Conner and Covington Holmes (defending regional champ, state quarterfinalist and Litkenhous No. 11) vs. Fort Thomas Highlands on Friday
Tenth Region at Mason County--Campbell County vs. Bracken County and Harrison County vs. Winchester George Rogers Clark on Thursday and Montgomery County (defending regional champ, state semifinalist and Litkenhous favorite but outside the statewide top 20) vs. Alexandria Bishop Brossart and Augusta vs. Robertson County on Friday
Eleventh Region at Frankfort Convention Center--Richmond Madison Central (defending regional and state champ) vs. Franklin County and Lexington Catholic vs. Scott County (Litkenhous No. 3) on Thursday and Lexington Henry Clay (Litkenhous No. 19) vs. Lexington Lafayette (Litkenhous No. 9) and Woodford County vs. Berea Madison Southern on Friday
Twelfth Region at Pulaski County--Pulaski County vs. Somerset Southwestern (Litkenhous No. 16) and Lincoln County (Litkenhous No. 13) vs. Nicholasville East Jessamine on Friday and Nicholasville West Jessamine vs. Boyle County and Wayne County (defending regional champ and Litkenhous No. 6) vs. Casey County on Saturday
Thirteenth Region at Corbin--Clay County (defending regional champ and Litkenhous favorite but not in statewide top 20) vs. Middlesboro and Barbourville Knox Central vs. Williamsburg on Thursday and Bell County vs. Barbourville and Corbin vs. Jackson County on Friday
Fourteenth Region at Hazard Perry County Central--Breathitt County vs. Estill County and Hindman Knott County Central (defending champ, state quarterfinalist and Litkenhous No. 10) vs. Perry County Central (Litkenhous No. 20) today and Hazard vs. Cordia and Powell County vs. Wolfe County on Thursday
Fifteenth Region at Eastern Kentucky Expo Center in Pikeville--Pikeville Pike County Central vs. Prestonsburg, Paintsville Johnson Central (defending regional champ and Litkenhous favorite but not in statewide top 20) vs. Lick Creek East Ridge, Betsy Layne vs. Lawrence County and Inez Shelby Valley vs. Belfry on Saturday
Sixteenth Region at Morehead State University--Fleming County (defending regional champ and Litkenhous favorite but not statewide top 20) vs. Elliott County, Boyd County vs. Lewis County, Rowan County vs. Greenup County and Ashland Blazer vs. Grayson East Carter on Saturday