Top 10: The 11th Region’s best girls basketball teams for the 2024-25 season

It’s odd to suggest this about a team that’s played in seven of the last 10 state tournaments, but Franklin County’s stranglehold on the 11th Region has perhaps been underappreciated.

Consider this: The Flyers, ranked No. 1 by their region peers in this year’s Herald-Leader preseason poll, haven’t lost a district game since the 2012-2013 season. They’ve amassed 85 district wins and 11 district tournament titles in a row since falling to Frankfort in the 41st District Tournament finals on Feb. 22, 2013. When that streak began, seniors Julia Frazee and Leia Hogan — both named among the region’s top players as part of the same survey — were first graders.

They came of age in Franklin County’s still-golden era. The Flyers had made just one Girls’ Sweet 16 prior to 2015, an appearance that snapped a 35-year drought. They’ve missed only three since. They bowed out to eventual region tournament champ Scott County in the 2018 finals and 2019 semifinals. A stunning loss to Lexington Catholic in 2023 paved the way for newcomer Frederick Douglass, ranked No. 2 in this year’s poll, to make its debut.

Franklin County prevented the Broncos from repeating.

“We got humbled pretty hard two years ago, and that’s really driven our kids since then,” Flyers coach Joey Thacker said. “And I’ll be honest with you, I thought we sort of underachieved at the state tournament last year. We played so bad in a very physical game against Butler, and that’s driven us, too.”

A state-title trophy is the only one that’s eluded Franklin County. Back in its 1980 trip, Butler defeated the Flyers in the state finals. That same result happened again in 2016. Franklin County returned to the title bout in 2017, only to become the first runner-up to two-peat champion Mercer County.

The Flyers have gotten no further than the second round since then; the Bearettes in March beat them in a rock-fight quarterfinal, 39-36. But their support in the community remains unwavering, and unparalleled by most girls basketball programs throughout Kentucky.

“My favorite story is Julia Welsh, who graduated in 2019 — by the way, that was the year Scott County beat us by one and we had no business being on the floor with ’em — her immunization record was up at school so she had to go get her shots updated,” Thacker said. “So she goes to her doctor and the lady gets ready to give her a shot in her right arm, and she said, ‘I can’t give you a shot in that arm, it’s your shooting arm and you all play Madison Central tonight.’

“And Julia was like, ‘I don’t even know how she knew who I was and what I did.’ I said, ‘If you wear that jersey, everybody knows who you are.’ That was the first time it really dawned on our kids that there’s people who come to our games that don’t have any kids on the team, that don’t have kids in the school, you know? They’ve just become attached to us, as we would say in the mountains.”

Here’s a rundown of the 11th Region’s top teams for the 2024-25 season in order of how they were rated in our survey, with last year’s record and a brief summary. Coaches were asked to “rank the top 10 teams” in the region.

1. FRANKLIN COUNTY (30-7)

Juliana Frazee, voted as the top player in the region, is a true big who anchors everything the Flyers do. Last season, she averaged 9.8 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting nearly 60% from the floor. Leia Hogan is a strong shooter (11.2 points, 35.9% from beyond the arc) along with fellow senior Madison Jackson (7.7 points, 48% on 50 3-point attempts).

Makiyia Wheeler, a sophomore, can penetrate well and will run the show most nights. Logan Kennedy (7.0 points, 5.3 rebounds) rounds out a starting five that’ll look to fend off the rest of the 11th Region — with the help of some talented seventh graders (Kyiah Taylor and Jylin Edmondson) about whom Thacker is excited.

“I’d rather be the team that everybody’s trying to beat than staying in the gym all summer with little Sally to make sure she averages four points a game her senior year,” Thacker said. “There’s a lot of places where it’s not important. If that means we’re marked as everybody’s Super Bowl because it’s important at Franklin County? Yes, that’s hard, but at the same time we’re proud that it’s hard.”

2. FREDERICK DOUGLASS (23-11)

Douglass edged the Flyers for the top spot in this poll last season, and its is expected to be the top hunter in 2024-25. The Broncos need to fill the scoring void left by Niah Rhodes, who’s now at Clarksville Christian Academy in Tennessee, and Ayanna-Sarai Darrington, now a freshman at Central Michigan. They scored about half of Douglass’ points last season.

Back is sophomore Jaelee Knowles, a 5-11 wing who averaged 10.0 points as a freshman to go along with three blocks per game. Head coach DJ Moberly expects her rebounding (5.6 per game) to pick up along with her scoring this winter. Transfer Nia Carr (6.5 points in 29 games for Great Crossing last season) adds depth to an already steady backcourt headlined by Transylvania commit Kate Baker (5.8 points).

Tamia Wade — who was Henry Clay’s fifth-leading scorer last year as a seventh grader — has changed colors and could be a key contributor as the season moves along; Moberly said the FCPS Middle School Player of the Year is Kentucky’s best player in the 2029 class.

3. MADISON CENTRAL (19-12)

Seniors Nataya Strader (13.6 points), Cameryn Ridderikhoff (11.2), Brittany Campbell (9.6) and Brooke Campbell (4.1) are all back, representing four of the top five scorers last year for a program that advanced to the 11th Region semifinals. Bigger things will be expected of juniors Jordynn Miles and Skylar Collingsworth this season, head coach Scott True said.

True is concerned about the team’s relative lack of size, and what that could mean on the glass. “Our strength will be in our guard play and our ability to create offense with our defense,” he said. “We will be very much an up-tempo team that tries to score in transition as often as possible.”

4. MADISON SOUTHERN (20-11)

For the second year in a row, the Eagles will be without a significant contributor until after the holiday season. Hadley French, who as a sophomore tied for the state lead in made 3-pointers last season (3.3 per game), had an offseason Achilles surgery that will keep her out until at least January.

Laci Sandlin, another junior, will shoulder much of a scoring load until then and is plenty capable (14.1 points). What Madison Southern lacks in experience — it has no seniors on its roster — it makes up for in a cadre of exciting, versatile underclassmen like Olivia Coburn, a 6-1 freshman shot-blocker, and Briana Hensley, a 5-7 guard who trailed only French and Sandlin in team scoring last season.

“We’re young, and then we’re younger,” said Kent Miller, who took the reins in September after the resignation of Josh Curtis, who’d been in charge since 2020. Miller, a former assistant at EKU who’s coached in the Central Kentucky for decades, last was a head coach at Lexington Christian in the 2015-16 season.

5. LAFAYETTE (18-14)

The Generals returned to the 11th Region Tournament last season after Tates Creek kept it out of the field in 2022, but the Commodores still got the better of them in the 43rd District finals. All five starters return for head coach Allison Denton, Lexington’s longest tenured girls basketball coach and its all-time leader in victories.

Centre College commit Belle Combs (13.5 points, 9.3 rebounds) might be the region’s most dynamic post player, but every starting General is a threat to lead them in scoring on any given night. That kind of team make-up — for this group and most in Denton’s time leading the program — is a big reason why Lafayette has for so long maintained a winning clip while other teams in the city have been inconsistent.

“All we want to do is work and get better at what we’re doing and see how it goes,” Denton said. “You just never know. Even if it starts off wrong — and it’s started off wrong a lot of times for us — we’ll figure it out. I’ve got a good staff and we know how to push buttons and make adjustments.”

6. LEXINGTON CHRISTIAN (21-10)

LCA is coming off its best season in over a decade; the Eagles finished with a winning record for the first time since 2010-2011, and hit the 20-win mark for the first time since 2009-2010, the last season they qualified for the 11th Region Tournament.

Last year’s squad couldn’t break that streak, but it won the 11th Region All “A” Classic while jumping out to the program’s best start ever (14-2). A trio of seniors — Chapel Brown (13.2 points, 6.3 rebounds), Claire Roberts (13.2 points) and Ella Gabbert (8.3 points) — along with junior Jentry Bertam (team leader in assists, steals and rebounds) headline a core that will look to build on those achievements.

“Our goals are high,” head coach Tim Bradshaw said. “We are as experienced as we’ve been in a long time.”

7. TATES CREEK (18-14)

The defending 43rd District champs bring back their top two scorers, Miracle Morbley (11.4 points, 5.6 rebounds) and Kaleigh Potts (10.1 points, 34.2% from 3-point range). Morbley is the team’s lone senior.

“Don’t be surprised if she is in the conversation for player of the year in our district and region,” Commodores coach Jana Costner said. She anticipates sophomore Alexis Bazzell to take on a bigger role along with Jaz Potter.

“This season we have a very young team,” Costner said. “But despite our age, the girls have had valuable minutes on the varsity level. They have experienced success early and know what it takes to have continued success.”

8. HENRY CLAY (22-11)

Few teams in the state, let alone region, lost as much experience as Henry Clay, which had five of its top seven scorers graduate and a sixth transfer. The lone returnee is Ariyanna Sutton, whose 8.3 points per game were third on the team last season but just a bucket behind the team leaders.

“She’s got to come out of her shell because she’s used to having other scorers with her,” head coach Ashley Garrard said. “She’s embracing that. She’s shooting from the logo now.”

Jada Henderson, Henry Clay’s only other senior, played in just nine games last season but Garrard is excited about what her box-out ability and IQ will bring to the Blue Devils this season. Carolyn Young, a 5-11 junior, has “tremendous upside” and could become a serious facilitator from the post as well as an outside threat.

“I think a lot of people are overlooking us, and I’m fine with that,” Garrard said.

9. SCOTT COUNTY (11-15)

Toby Harris over the summer stepped into the vacant coaching spot left behind by Steve Helton, who moved over to the Scott County boys basketball head chair after 24 seasons leading the girls program.

“Our goal is simple: Learn together, play hard together and win together,” Harris said. “We are coming for a district title this year.”

Harris wants his team to play at a fast pace and get back to the 11th Region Tournament, which the Cardinals have missed each of the last three seasons after four straight berths (and two titles). Seniors Allison Mosby (9.3 points) and N’Mya Summers (9.4 points) are back along with 6-foot junior Kiersten Young (4.7 points, 5.2 rebounds).

10. PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR (14-16)

The bad news: Sophomore Eriyaune Daniels (6.9 points, 4.4 rebounds) recently tore her ACL, leaving the Bulldogs without one of their best scorers.

The good news: Fellow sophomores Layla Flynn (9.3 points) and Ellie Lavey (8.8) were scorers No. 1 and No. 3 for Dunbar last season and are capable of taking on a bigger load.

Junior Ava Rankin (3.7 points, 3.9 rebounds) also returns for a team head coach Erik Daniels expects to contend for the district title.

ROUNDING OUT

Other teams in order of votes: Lexington Catholic, Bryan Station, Great Crossing, Berea, Frankfort, Model, Sayre, Western Hills

METHODOLOGY

The 11th Region’s 18 coaches were asked to rank the 10 best teams in the 11th Region. The list reflects the rankings put forth by the 15 coaches who responded to the top 10 teams question in the survey.

This story was originally published November 28, 2024 at 7:00 AM.