2003 Kentucky High School Boys
11th Region Tournament
Eastern
Kentucky University – McBrayer Arena
Richmond, Kentucky
March 11-12, 14-15, 2003
Copyright © 2003 Ron Harrison
The teams advancing to the 11th Region tournament are Henry Clay (23-4), Woodford County (10-14), Lexington Catholic (23-7), Berea (7-18), Madison Central (14-11), Lafayette (18-8), Frankfort (21-9), and West Jessamine (15-11). It would appear to take a near flawless performance for anyone to upend Lexington Catholic and prevent the Knights from returning to the Sweet 16.
The upper bracket semifinal could provide an intriguing matchup if form
holds. Henry Clay will be favored
to defeat Woodford County and Lexington Catholic will be a heavy favorite to
beat Berea. Henry Clay has not
played Lexington Catholic for ten years because of the city public schools’
boycott of Lexington Catholic. The
lower bracket appears to be wide open with Madison Central playing Lafayette
and Frankfort meeting West Jessamine in the nightcap. West Jessamine has played Lexington Catholic three times
this year, claiming a victory at Lexington Catholic, but losing the last two
encounters.
Tuesday March 11th - Day 1
Woodford County (10-14) vs. Henry Clay (23-4)
Woodford County coach Bill Bland started the following lineup: 6-1 Sr. Mike Woolfork, 5-9 Sr. Brad McLean, 6-3 Jr. Dominic White, 5-8 Sr. Sheafen Mattingly, and 6-0 Sr. Jerome Givens. Henry Clay coach Kirk Chiles countered with 6-1 So. Bryan Turnage, 6-2 Sr. Joe Harden, 6-9 Sr. John Patterson, 5-8 Sr. Branden Bowman, and 5-10 Sr. Lamont Campbell.
Henry Clay handily defeated Woodford County by over 30 points in their two earlier meetings, but needed a late surge tonight to defeat the Yellowjackets 81-68. Henry Clay led Woodford County 53-37 in the third quarter before Woodford County rallied to cut the deficit to 53-50. Henry Clay answered with their own run but Woodford County retaliated with a 9-0 run to pull within seven, 73-66, with one minute remaining on the clock. Henry Clay closed out the scoring with an 8-2 spurt to make the final score 81-68. Henry Clay held a 45.8%-34.9% edge in field goal shooting and outbounded Woodford County 45-37.
The victors were led tonight by Joe Harden with 19 points, including five of nine from the three point line. Lamont Campbell added 17 points and dished out nine assists, while John Patterson chipped in with 14 points and pulled down 14 rebounds. 5-11 Jr. Brandon Coles and Bryan Turnage also reached double figures with 11 and 10 points respectively. Turnage was also active on the boards with eight rebounds. Jerome Givens had a big night for Woodford County with 30 points including five of eight from three point range. Givens, who averaged 32.0 ppg this season, also became Woodford County’s all time scorer tonight, totaling 2,019 points for his stellar career. The previous record holder was Derek White with 2,012 points. Sheafen Mattingly and Brad McLean added 14 and 12 points respectively. Dominic White and Brad McLean pulled down nine and eight rebounds respectively.
|
Woodford County |
14 |
14 |
22 |
18 |
- |
68 |
|
Henry Clay |
18 |
24 |
14 |
25 |
- |
81 |
|
Woodford County |
(68) - |
Woolfork 4, McLean 12, White 8, Mattingly 14, Givens 30. |
|
Henry Clay |
(81) - |
Turnage 10, Harden 19, Patterson 14, Bowman 0, Campbell 17, Mitchell 2, Coles 11, White 8. |
Berea (7-18) vs. Lexington Catholic (23-7)
Berea coach Mike Key started the following lineup: 6-0 Fr. Casey Hatcher, 5-8 Jr. Seth Mattingly, 6-4 Sr. Matt Patton, 5-11 Sr. Drew Duerson, and 5-11 Fr. Jaaron Johns. Lexington Catholic coach Bart Flener countered with 6-3 Jr. Demetrius Green, 6-3 Jr. Harrison Morton, 6-4 Jr. Mark Balthrop, 6-3 Jr. William Graham, and 5-11 Sr. Brian Smith.
Lexington Catholic only led 13-11 early in the second quarter, but went on a 15-0 run to break open the game on their way to a 74-27 victory over Berea. Lexington Catholic held a 47%-31% edge in field goal shooting, outbounded Bera 37-20, and scored 39 points off 31 Berea turnovers.
Lexington Catholic was led tonight by Demetrius Green, William Graham, and Harrison Morton with 17, 13, and 10 points respectively. Berea was led by Drew Duerson with 12 points on four of nine from the three point line. Seth Mattingly added eight points.
|
Berea |
8 |
9 |
3 |
7 |
- |
27 |
|
Lexington Catholic |
13 |
20 |
25 |
16 |
- |
74 |
|
Berea |
(27) - |
Hatcher 0, Mattingly 8, Patton 0, Duerson 12, Johns 2, Quinley 3, McIntosh 2. |
|
Lexington Catholic |
(74) - |
Green 17, H. Morton 10, Balthrop 8, Graham 13, Smith 3, Wilson 3, McGrath 4, Boneau 3, Riddell 5, Buchignani 2, Tunde 2, Canter 4. |
Wednesday March 12th - Day 2
Lafayette (18-8) vs. Madison Central (14-11)
Lafayette coach Damon Kelley started the following lineup: 6-6 Sr. Kevin Grantlin, 6-0 Sr. Gene Cotton, 6-8 Jr. Darnell Dialls, 6-0 Sr. Adam Coleman, and 6-0 Jr. Marcus Barron. Madison Central coach Allen Feldhaus, Jr. countered with 6-5 Jr. Shawn Ballard, 6-4 Jr. Matt Cornett, 6-7 Sr. Bret Alexander, 6-0 Jr. Chris Stunson, and 6-0 Sr. Matt Gayheart.
Madison Central held a 47.8%-32.7% edge in field goal shooting, shot 50% (six of 12) from the three point line, and defeated Lafayette 60-42 to avenge an early season 73-63 loss to Lafayette. The victors were led tonight by Shawn Ballard with 25 points, including three three point baskets. Matt Cornett added 13 points and pulled down eight rebounds. 6-2 Jr. Brad Cain came off the bench to tally 12 points, including three of four from beyond the arc. Matt Gayheart added six points, six rebounds, and dished out nine assists. Lafayette was led by Darnell Dialls with 10 points, nine rebounds, and four blocked shots. Gene Cotton and Kevin Grantlin added nine points each. Grantlin also pulled down six rebounds.
|
Lafayette |
6 |
12 |
10 |
14 |
- |
42 |
|
Madison Central |
15 |
14 |
12 |
19 |
- |
60 |
|
Lafayette |
(42) - |
Grantlin 9, Cotton 9, Dialls 10, Coleman 0, Barron 3, Mullins 5, Trahan 6. |
|
Madison Central |
(60) - |
Ballard 25, Matt Cornett 13, Alexander 4, C. Stunson 0, Gayheart 6, Cain 12. |
West Jessamine (15-11) vs. Frankfort (21-9)
West Jessamine coach Matthew Yates started the following lineup: 6-5 Sr. Scott Tarvin, 6-2 Sr. Cameron Jackson, 6-6 Sr. Brett Johnson, 5-11 Sr. Andy Placido, and 5-11 Sr. Daniel Thompson. Frankfort coach Scott Chalk countered with 6-3 Sr. Clinton Hall, 6-3 So. Torian Robertson, 6-4 Sr. Chris Current, 6-1 So. Will Current, and 6-2 Fr. Aaron Dunaway.
Clinton Hall hit a three point basket with two seconds remaining on the clock to pull Frankfort within one, 56-55, but West Jessamine’s Daniel Thompson hit a free throw with 1.2 seconds remaining to make the final score 57-55. West Jessamine led by a score of 29-21 at halftime but Frankfort battled back to make it close down the stretch. West Jessamine held a 45.5%-36.7% edge in field goal shooting and scored 23 points off 20 Frankfort turnovers. West Jessamine committed 21 miscues but Frankfort could only capitalize for 12 points. Frankfort held a 38-30 advantage on the boards.
West Jessamine was led tonight by Scott Tarvin with 15 points. 6-4 Sr. Nate Johnson who came off the bench to add 10 points and six rebounds. Daniel Thompson added eight points and dished out four assists. Aaron Dunaway led Frankfort with 17 points and six rebounds. Torian Robertson added 14 points and pulled down 13 rebounds.
|
West Jessamine |
12 |
17 |
11 |
17 |
- |
57 |
|
Frankfort |
13 |
8 |
18 |
16 |
- |
55 |
|
West Jessamine |
(57) - |
Tarvin 15, Jackson 7, B. Johnson 7, Placido 2, Thompson 8, B. Spann 2, M. Spann 4, N. Johnson 10, Searle 2. |
|
Frankfort |
(55) - |
Hall 6, Robertson 14, C. Current 7, W. Current 9, Dunaway 17, Moore 2. |
Friday March 14th - Day 3
Lexington Catholic (24-7) vs. Henry Clay (24-4) Semifinal No. 1
Lexington Catholic coach Bart Flener started the following lineup: 6-3 Jr. Demetrius Green, 6-3 Jr. Harrison Morton, 6-4 Jr. Mark Balthrop, 6-3 Jr. William Graham, and 5-11 Sr. Brian Smith. Henry Clay coach Kirk Chiles countered with 6-1 So. Bryan Turnage, 6-2 Sr. Joe Harden, 6-9 Sr. John Patterson, 5-8 Sr. Branden Bowman, and 5-10 Sr. Lamont Campbell.
Henry Clay stunned the Bluegrass and the defending state champions by defeating the Knights 71-67 before a reported crowd of 4,000 fans tonight. Lexington Catholic trailed by 10 points in the second half but rallied to take a 60-56 lead with four minutes remaining in the game and appeared to be in the driver’s seat. However, the Blue Devils refused to die and took the lead for good 69-67 on a tip-in by Aubrey White with less than a minute to go on the clock. Henry Clay had a big defensive stop by John Patterson and added two free throws by Lamont Campbell to close out the scoring. Henry Clay was 53.6% from the field, six of 12 from the free throw line, and pulled down 39 rebounds. Lexington Catholic was 47.1% from the field, 12 of 25 from the free throw line, and grabbed 26 rebounds. Lexington Catholic scored 26 points off 25 Henry Clay turnovers.
Henry Clay was led tonight by 6-2 Jr. Aubrey White, who is playing his first year of organized basketball, with 22 points and seven rebounds. White was nine of nine from the field and four of six from the free throw line. Joe Harden added 12 points, while Bryan Turnage chipped in with nine points and nine rebounds. John Patterson also contributed eight points and nine rebounds. Lexington Catholic was led tonight by Demetrius Green and Harrison Morton with 23 and 22 points respectively.
|
Lexington Catholic |
14 |
16 |
18 |
19 |
- |
67 |
|
Henry Clay |
18 |
20 |
10 |
23 |
- |
71 |
|
Lexington Catholic |
(67) - |
Green 23, H. Morton 22, Balthrop 0, Graham 8, Smith 5, Wilson 3, D. Morton 5, Hillenmeyer 1. |
|
Henry Clay |
(71) - |
Turnage 9, Harden 12, Patterson 8, Bowman 7, Campbell 4, Mitchell 4, Coles 5, White 22. |
West Jessamine (16-11) vs. Madison Central (15-11) Semifinal No. 2
West Jessamine coach Matthew Yates started the following lineup: 6-5 Sr. Scott Tarvin, 6-2 Sr. Cameron Jackson, 6-6 Sr. Brett Johnson, 5-11 Sr. Andy Placido, and 5-11 Sr. Daniel Thompson. Madison Central coach Allen Feldhaus, Jr. countered with 6-5 Jr. Shawn Ballard, 6-4 Jr. Matt Cornett, 6-7 Sr. Bret Alexander, 6-0 Jr. Chris Stunson, and 6-0 Sr. Matt Gayheart.
West Jessamine led 21-9 after the first quarter, weathered a rally by Madison Central early in the final period, and pulled away for a 66-49 victory. West Jessamine held a 42.6%-35.4% edge from the field and outrebounded Madison Central 41-35. West Jessamine scored 17 points off 17 Madison Central turnovers.
West Jessamine was led tonight by Scott Tarvin and Cameron Jackson with 19 points each. 6-5 Sr. Joey Searle gave West Jessamine a big boost with 14 points and eight rebounds. Madison Central was led by Shawn Ballard with 13 points. Matt Gayheart and Matt Cornett added nine and eight points respectively.
|
West Jessamine |
21 |
14 |
7 |
24 |
- |
66 |
|
Madison Central |
9 |
12 |
12 |
16 |
- |
49 |
|
West Jessamine |
(66) - |
Tarvin 19, Jackson 19, B. Johnson 4, Placido 0, Thompson 7, B. Spann 3, Searle 14. |
|
Madison Central |
(49) - |
Ballard 13, Matt Cornett 8, Alexander 4, C. Stunson 0, Gayheart 9, Carr 1, Cain 2, Stone 5, Winkler 7. |
Saturday March 15th - Day 4
West Jessamine (17-11) vs. Henry Clay (25-4) Championship Game
West Jessamine coach Matthew Yates started the following lineup: 6-5 Sr. Scott Tarvin, 6-2 Sr. Cameron Jackson, 6-6 Sr. Brett Johnson, 5-11 Sr. Andy Placido, and 5-11 Sr. Daniel Thompson. Henry Clay coach Kirk Chiles countered with 6-1 So. Bryan Turnage, 6-2 Sr. Joe Harden, 6-9 Sr. John Patterson, 5-8 Sr. Branden Bowman, and 5-10 Sr. Lamont Campbell.
Henry Clay had to overcome deficits of 17 points in the first half and 12 late in the third quarter on their way to an 80-75 victory over West Jessamine tonight. West Jessamine was on fire in the first half as they nailed eight of 14 three point attempts on their way to a 44-32 half time lead. The Colts cooled down in the second half and Henry Clay gradually clawed back into contention. Henry Clay finally caught up and took the lead 76-75 on a ferocious rebound slam by John Patterson with a minute left on the clock. Joe Harden and Lamont Campbell each hit a pair of free throws down the stretch to close out the scoring. Henry Clay was 50.8% from the field, 12 of 26 from the free throw line, and grabbed 32 rebounds. West Jessamine was 45.9% from the field, visited the free throw line 12 times, connecting on six shots, and pulled down 39 rebounds.
Henry Clay was led tonight by Lamont Campbell with 20 points, five rebounds, seven assists, and four steals. Branden Bowman, Joe Harden, and John Patterson each added 15 points. Patterson also pulled down eight rebounds and made his presence felt on defense with 10 blocked shots. 6-5 Sr. Joey Searle came off the bench to lead West Jessamine with 22 points, including four three point shots. 6-4 Sr. Nate Johnson added 11 points and seven rebounds, while Brett Johnson chipped in with nine points and 10 rebounds. Daniel Thompson added eight points and dished out eight assists.
|
West Jessamine |
22 |
22 |
19 |
12 |
- |
75 |
|
Henry Clay |
14 |
18 |
25 |
23 |
- |
80 |
|
West Jessamine |
(75) - |
Tarvin 7, Jackson 7, B. Johnson 9, Placido 8, Thompson 8, B. Spann 3, N. Johnson 11, Searle 22. |
|
Henry Clay |
(80) - |
Turnage 4, Harden 15, Patterson 15, Bowman 15, Campbell 20, Coles 3, White 8. |
All Tournament Team
|
Harrison Morton |
|
Lexington Catholic |
|
6-3 |
|
Jr. |
|
|
Jerome Givens |
|
Woodford County |
|
6-0 |
|
Sr. |
|
|
Aaron Dunaway |
|
Frankfort |
|
6-2 |
|
Fr. |
|
|
Demetrius Green |
|
Lexington Catholic |
|
6-3 |
|
Jr. |
|
|
Shawn Ballard |
|
Madison Central |
|
6-5 |
|
Jr. |
|
|
Joey Searle |
|
West Jessamine |
|
6-5 |
|
Sr. |
|
|
Joe Harden |
|
Henry Clay |
|
6-2 |
|
Sr. |
|
|
Lamont Campbell |
|
Henry Clay |
|
5-10 |
|
Sr. |
MVP |
|
Torian Robertson |
|
Frankfort |
|
6-3 |
|
So. |
|
|
Cameron Jackson |
|
West Jessamine |
|
6-2 |
|
Sr. |
|
|
Aubrey White |
|
Henry Clay |
|
6-2 |
|
Jr. |
|
|
Scott Tarvin |
|
West Jessamine |
|
6-5 |
|
Sr. |
|
Conclusion
Congratulations to Coach Kirk Chiles and the Henry Clay Blue Devils for claiming the championship and earning a trip to the Sweet 16. Coach Chiles did a masterful job of bringing this team along this year and winning two emotion-packed games in a row to earn the championship. Henry Clay was unranked entering the season but had the nucleus for a good team. They also got an MVP-type season from Lamont Campbell and the continued rapid development from the big man in the middle, John Patterson. Aubrey White, one of the top football wide receivers in the state, brought a high energy level and a ton of athleticism to the team. Joe Harden, Branden Bowman, and Bryan Turnage had good seasons and players like Brandon Coles, Chase Mitchell, etc. gave them solid play off the bench.
This was a tough loss for West Jessamine, who had won a 59-58 decision over Henry Clay late in the season. Coach Matthew Yates had his team primed for this game and they gave an excellent effort and left it all on the floor. There were nine seniors on the West Jessamine roster and it was a very emotional loss. Joey Searle finished his career with an excellent performance, scoring 22 points on nine of 14 from the field, including four of seven from the three point line.
Lexington Catholic appeared to be peaking at tourney time but they ran into a Henry Clay buzz saw that would not be denied. Lafayette had a ton of talent, but they were up and down this season. Frankfort has a lot of good young talent and you always expect Madison Central to be in the mix. Woodford County graduates one of the top and most underrated players in the state, in the “scoring machine” Jerome Givens.
Acknowledgements
A special thanks to Hugh Davis and the Eastern Kentucky Stats Crew for the
hospitality extended me during my stay and the comprehensive statistics
provided for each game. McBrayer
Arena provides an excellent atomosphere for a championship event. The floor is down in the “pit” and a
lively crowd can raise the decibel level to mind-numbing proportions, which
only adds to making Kentucky high school basketball very special.
Please feel free to send your comments and questions concerning the tournament, teams, or players to me at prephoops@yahoo.com .
Ron Harrison’s reports on this and other basketball events appear on https://www.angelfire.com/ky/prephoops.