Coaches name 2026 All-11th Region girls high school basketball team
Frederick Douglass junior Jaelee Knowles and Western Hills coach Jana Hughes took top honors Wednesday as the 11th Region’s girls high school basketball head coaches selected their All-11th Region Team and coach of the year.
Knowles, a 5-11 forward, leads the No. 8 Broncos in scoring and rebounding with 13.8 points and 7.4 boards per game. Last season, she earned Lexington player of the year honors as the top vote-getter in the Herald-Leader’s All-City Team. This season’s all-city list will be released in March.
Wednesday’s honor is distinct from the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches region players of the year announced last week. The KABC award is limited to seniors and is voted on by the KABC’s full membership in each region.
Lexington Christian’s Piper Graham, who is among this list’s all-region first team players, received the KABC award and with it became a finalist for Miss Basketball.
This is the second coach of the year honor for Western Hills’ Hughes. She shared the KABC award with Paul Laurence Dunbar’s Erik Daniels. In her fourth season with the Wolverines, Hughes led them to an 18-10 regular season record and a No. 2 seed in this week’s 41st District Tournament.
Girls All-11th Region Team
(Listed in order of coaches votes)
FIRST TEAM
Player of the year: Jaelee Knowles, Frederick Douglass
Piper Graham, Lexington Christian Academy
Layla Flynn, Paul Laurence Dunbar
Laci Sandlin, Madison Southern
Malia Campbell, Western Hills
SECOND TEAM
Tamia Waide, Frederick Douglass
La’Kyiah Taylor, Franklin County
Samantha Brown, Great Crossing
Akiyah Wade, Bryan Station
Anna Clay Denton Lafayette
THIRD TEAM
Koko Castle, Tates Creek
Addison Combs, Lafayette
Kyah Curtsinger, Paul Laurence Dunbar
Kaleigh Potts, Paul Laurence Dunbar
Jordynn Miles, Madison Central
HONORABLE MENTION
In alphabetical order: Payton Avilez, Lexington Catholic; Alyiah Baird, Henry Clay; Claire Ballou, Model; Mikalee “MK” Bennett, Frederick Douglass; Jentry Bertram, Lexington Christian; Maya Custard, Great Crossing; Nora Jane Dick, Henry Clay; Briana Hensley, Madison Southern; Jayden Jeffers, Henry Clay; Kendall Kearney, Great Crossing; Kathryn Kinder, Sayre; Adelee Long, Lexington Catholic; Piper Moore, Model; Tiaree Ortiz, Model; E’Maria Owens, Lafayette; Avery Plessinger, Berea; Karter Scott, Sayre; Kadence Stepp, Berea; Claire Tierney, Great Crossing; Makiyia Wheeler, Franklin County; Sakota Wilder, Western Hills; Bry’e Wolfe, Western Hills.
This story was originally published February 26, 2026 at 10:18 AM.
