No. 4 Madison Central vindicates No. 1 spot, takes down Covington Catholic

Earlier in February, No. 4 Madison Central (27-3) held the number one spot in the rankings, only to lose it thanks to an upset loss to a then-unranked Woodford County squad. But on Friday night, the Indians did to No. 1 Covington Catholic (26-2) what Woodford did to them, stunning the top-ranked Colonels 70-60 in Richmond.

In a battle where both the 9th and 11th Region Players of the Year — Cov Cath’s Austin McGillis (20 points; 9th Region) and Madison Central’s Jake Feldhaus (19 points; 11th Region) — led their respective teams in scoring, it was the Indians’ supporting cast that was the X-factor. Luke Asher (17 points), Grayson Burton (15), and Cam Steele (11) all scored in double figures, helping the team shoot 56.3% from the field.

“I thought our shot selection was tremendous,” said Madison Central coach Allen Feldhaus. “They like to play fast. So our game plan was to make them guard us for a period in their half-court defense.”

#4 Madison Central upsets #1 Cov Cath 70-60!@FeldhausJake 19 pt-13 reb double double!

Asher 17 pts, Burton 15, Steele 11@KSRonX Hoops Coverage pic.twitter.com/TaBdJESFqQ

— SterlingVision (@sterlingvis1) February 21, 2026

Coming into this one, Cov Cath ranked third in the state in scoring (82.0 ppg) and FG% (57.3), and, not to mention, was on a 20-game winning streak. But for a fast-paced offense, you just hope you don’t run into a night like this, as the Colonels’ shots just wouldn’t fall, finishing with a field goal percentage of only 38.6. Although McGillis led the game with 20, he shot 8-for-24 from the field and 2-for-7 from beyond the arc.

Madison Central nearly matched Cov Cath’s season FG% and came out with a fast start, beating the Colonels at their own game. They jumped out of the gates with an 8-0 lead, hyping the packed crowd and setting the tone for the rest of the night. The lead continued to be stretched, with a 22-12 score near the end of the first quarter, and a game-high 53-33 differential during the third.

In that third quarter, the Indians scored three three-pointers, matching their first-half total. This kept their lead steady and helped them coast to the upset victory.

“I don’t think they [Covington Catholic] like guarding us in the half-court for so long,” said Jake Feldhaus. “As soon as they got the ball they ran down and tried to shoot as fast as possible, and it didn’t work very well.”

Cov Cath assigned 6-foot guard Teegan Stava to guard the 6-8 Feldhaus, and would double inside at times with McGillis. Playing small against Feldhaus did limit him under his season average, but opened the floor for his teammates to shine. The Colonels’ unique defensive strategy ultimately did not pay off.

“They went small, try to get underneath him [Jake Feldhaus],” said Allen Feldhaus. “I would tell Jake, ‘You got to be patient and a willing passer.'”

The Indians also dominated the glass, especially in the opening half with a 21-9 advantage at the break, and finished the game 35-25 in the boards battle.

“That’s definitely our ammo. So the more physical, the better, I think, for the team I have this year,” said Allen Feldhaus.

Jake Feldhaus finished with yet another double-double, snatching 13 rebounds. Asher added seven more boards while Cam Steele dished out six assists.

For the Colonels, McGillis was the only scorer in double figures. Cash Harney followed with nine while Brayden Myrick and Teegan Stava added eight each.

More Top 5 Drama

Early in the season, current No. 5 George Rogers Clark lost to No. 2 Daviess County, however, that result has been reversed due to the Panthers using an ineligible player. In the snap of a finger, Daviess Co. now has two in-state losses, after having zero until this week, having lost to Grayson Co. 68-64 on Tuesday, Feb. 17.