Danny Payne

⚽ HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER ⚽ HERE IS YOUR 2026 KHSSCA ALL-REGION TEAM FOR REGION 5 Taylor County senior Griffin Hansford, Bardstown junior Blake Taylor and Central Hardin sophomore Brady Payne earned three of the 5th Region’s top individual honors as the Kentucky High School Soccer Coaches Association announced its 2026 boys All-Region selections. Hansford was named Offensive Player of the Year, Taylor earned Defensive Player of the Year honors and Payne was selected as Goalkeeper of the Year. Bardstown’s Hart Hagan was named Coach of the Year. Hansford led the 5th Region with 44 goals and 97 points. His goal total was seven more than any other player in the region. He also earned a spot on the All-Region First Team. Fort Knox junior Noopon Korawit finished second in the region with 37 goals and 92 points while tying for the regional lead with 18 assists. Korawit joined Hansford on the first team. Fort Knox senior Evan Neagoe shared the regional assist lead with 18 and added 19 goals, finishing tied for fourth with 56 points. He earned second-team honors. Taylor was one of three Bardstown players selected to the first team. The Tigers allowed 25 goals, third fewest in the region, and ranked second at 1.1 goals allowed per game. Sophomore Carson Kinnaird added 17 goals and 14 assists for 48 points, while senior Naru Sugie finished with 16 goals, 11 assists and 43 points. Payne led all 5th Region goalkeepers with 196 saves and recorded four shutouts. Central Hardin allowed 24 goals, second fewest in the region, and 1.2 goals per game. Central Hardin juniors Chuma Nnorom and Osiel Cruz also earned first-team honors. Nnorom ranked third in the region with 27 goals and 60 points, while Cruz tied for eighth with 10 assists. Bardstown goalkeeper Cannon Hagan, an honorable-mention selection, ranked third in the region with 183 saves and second with seven shutouts. The complete 2026 KHSSCA 5th Region selections: BARDSTOWN: Carson Kinnaird (2029), All-Region First Team; Naru Sugie (2027), All-Region First Team; BLAKE TAYLOR (2028), All-Region First Team and Defensive Player of the Year; Cambron Blair (2027), All-Region Honorable Mention; Cannon Hagan (2028), All-Region Honorable Mention; HART HAGAN, Coach of the Year. BETHLEHEM: Nate Hedgespeth (2027), All-Region First Team; Cayden Greenwell (2028), All-Region Second Team; Will Deopere (2028), All-Region Second Team; Conner Denton (2028), All-Region Honorable Mention; Andres Galvan (2028), All-Region Honorable Mention. CENTRAL HARDIN: Chuma Nnorom (2028), All-Region First Team; Osiel Cruz (2028), All-Region First Team; BRADY PAYNE (2029), All-Region First Team and Goalkeeper of the Year; Dylan Hernandez (2028), All-Region Second Team; Caiden Sloan (2028), All-Region Second Team; Landon Hayes (2028), All-Region Second Team; Nic Simpson (2029), All-Region Honorable Mention. ELIZABETHTOWN: Noah Stewart (2027), All-Region First Team; Alejandro Almaraz (2027), All-Region Second Team; Gavin Barnes (2027), All-Region Honorable Mention. FORT KNOX: Noopon Korawit (2028), All-Region First Team; Evan Neagoe (2027), All-Region Second Team. JOHN HARDIN: Christian Aguero (2027), All-Region Second Team; Patrick Truax (2027), All-Region Second Team. MARION COUNTY: Xavier Johnson (2027), All-Region Second Team; Marlon Omar Uryu Chavez (2030), All-Region Honorable Mention. NELSON COUNTY: Tyler Lundy (2027), All-Region Honorable Mention; Santiago Hinestroza (2027), All-Region Honorable Mention. NORTH HARDIN: Johnathan Bell (2027), All-Region Second Team; Amire Baker (2028), All-Region Honorable Mention. TAYLOR COUNTY: GRIFFIN HANSFORD (2027), All-Region First Team and Offensive Player of the Year; Timothy Rogers (2027), All-Region Honorable Mention.

⚽ HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SOCCER ⚽ STATE HEAVYWEIGHTS CENTRAL HARDIN, GREENWOOD COLLIDE IN ELITE EIGHT 5th Region champion Central Hardin (22-0-3) and 4th Region champion Greenwood (20-1-5) will meet at 2 p.m. Saturday at Central Hardin in the KHSAA Girls Soccer State Tournament quarterfinals, with the winner advancing to the state semifinals. Central Hardin is No. 1 in the latest MaxPreps rankings, No. 1 in the Rundell Rankings and No. 1 in the most recent Kentucky High School Girls Soccer Coaches Association poll. Greenwood is No. 5 by MaxPreps, No. 4 by Rundell and No. 5 in the coaches poll. Both advanced with shutouts in Monday’s opening round. Central Hardin defeated 6th Region champion Bullitt East, 7-0. Addison Maddock and Audrey McGee scored twice each, while Sophia Swink, Audrey Garrett and Lia VanZant also found the net. The Lady Bruins led 3-0 at halftime before adding four goals in the second half. The shutout also tied two state records. Central Hardin recorded its 21st shutout of the season, matching South Oldham’s 2022 mark for the most team shutouts in a season. Goalkeeper Hannah Ferguson posted her 11th consecutive shutout, tying the state record for consecutive goalkeeper shutouts. A shutout Saturday would give Central Hardin 22 for the season. If Ferguson records it, she would post her 12th consecutive shutout. Greenwood advanced with a 3-0 victory over 3rd Region champion Owensboro. Karsen Elder scored just 56 seconds into the match, and Brooklyn Johnson made it 2-0 in the 27th minute. Greenwood took 10 corner kicks in the opening 40 minutes before Livvy Campbell added the final goal in the 66th. Owensboro goalkeeper Hayley Sikes finished with 16 saves, while the Lady Devils were limited to two shots on goal.

Central Hardin * matches national lead with 21st win * beats Elizabethtown for 6th straight time, its best run over EHS in over 25 years * goalkeeper Hannah Ferguson ties district and school record with 10th straight shutout