National City Kentucky High School
Boys State Tournament
Rupp
Arena, Lexington, Kentucky
March 17-20, 2004
Copyright © 2004 Ron Harrison
Wednesday March 17th - Session No. 1
Wayne County (28-4) (Region 12) vs. Mason County (20-2) (Region 10)
Wayne County coach Rodney Woods started the following lineup: 6-2 Sr. (20.5 ppg) Tyrone Greene, 6-2 Sr. (16.9 ppg) Jerrod Gibbons, 6-3 Fr. (7.6 ppg) John Perkins, 6-1 Jr. (12.9 ppg) Steven Sexton, and 5-9 Sr. (7.8 ppg) Brad Bell. Mason County coach Kelly Wells countered with 6-3 Sr. (26.6 ppg) Chris Lofton, 6-3 Sr. (14.1 ppg) Dustin Grutza, 6-3 Sr. (16.0 ppg) Jarrod Litzinger, 6-0 Jr. (4.7 ppg) Casey Pfeffer, and 5-11 Jr. (8.6 ppg) Andrew Tibbs.
Wayne County trailed 62-55 in the fourth quarter before Mason County ended the game with a 9-2 scoring run to earn a 71-57 victory. Mason County started the game with a 12-0 run but Wayne County rallied and only trailed 38-34 at the half. Mason County increased the lead to as many as 11 points in the third quarter and withstood one last rally by Wayne County in the final quarter.
Mason County shot 51.7% from the field, including seven of 15 from the three point line, was two of four from the free throw line, and pulled down 31 rebounds. Wayne County shot 40% from the field, including four of 21 from the three point line, was five of eight from the free throw line, and grabbed 36 rebounds.
Mason County was led today by Chris Lofton with 34 points and 10 rebounds. Lofton was three of five from the three point line. Jarrod Litzinger added 22 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Litzinger was three of four from beyond the arc. Wayne County was led by Jerrod Gibbons with 18 points. Tyrone Greene added 17 points and pulled down 12 rebounds while Steven Sexton chipped in with 15 points.
|
Wayne County |
12 |
22 |
15 |
8 |
- |
57 |
|
Mason County |
21 |
17 |
20 |
13 |
- |
71 |
|
Wayne County |
(57) - |
Green 17, Gibbons 18, Perkins 2, Sexton 15, Bell 3, Frost 2. |
|
Mason County |
(71) - |
Lofton 34, Grutza 6, Litzinger 22, Pfeffer 5, Tibbs 4. |
University Heights Academy (17-13) (Region 2) vs. Trinity (18-12) (Region 7)
University Heights Academy coach Marty Cline started the following lineup: 6-0 Jr. (10.4 ppg) Cody Stallons, 6-2 Fr. (5.1 ppg) Chris Evans, 6-3 Sr. (6.5 ppg) Hiram Metcalfe, 6-0 Jr. (9.5 ppg) Nathan Owen, and 5-11 So. (16.6 ppg) Joshua Mack. Trinity coach Mike Szabo countered with 6-3 Jr. (13.7 ppg) Kyle Saxton, 6-3 Sr. (9.2 ppg) Blake Nix, 6-4 Sr. (9.6 ppg) Brian Brohm, 6-3 Jr. (8.9 ppg) Bret Saxton, and 6-0 Jr. (10.0 ppg) Zach Berry.
The score was tied 28-28 at halftime and Trinity led 51-45 at the end of three quarters on their way to a 75-57 victory over University Heights. Trinity led 15-7 in the first quarter but UHA went on a 13-0 run to take a 20-15 lead early in the second quarter. Trinity battled back and eventually gained control of the game.
Trinity shot 46.4% from the field, connected on 21 of 30 free throws, and pulled down 41 rebounds. Trinity scored 25 points off 16 UHA turnovers. University Heights shot 38.7% from the field, including six of 18 from the three point line. UHA only visited the free throw line seven times, connecting on three shots, and grabbed 36 rebounds.
Blake Nix led Trinity with 14 points and nine rebounds. Brian Brohm added 13 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. Kyle Saxton also chipped in with 13 points. Nathan Owen led University Heights with 12 points. Joshua Mack added nine points. 6-4 So. Carson Rager and 6-8 Jr. Logan Chestnut chipped in with eight points each.
|
University Heights Academy |
16 |
12 |
17 |
12 |
- |
57 |
|
Trinity |
15 |
13 |
23 |
24 |
- |
75 |
|
University Heights Academy |
(57) - |
Stallons 4, Evans 2, H. Metcalfe 0, Owen 12, Mack 9, Leavell 5, P. Metcalfe 4, Rager 8, Gilliand 5, Chestnut 8. |
|
Trinity |
(75) - |
K. Saxton 13, Nix 14, Brohm 13, B. Saxton 9, Berry 9, Noe 3, Dockter 2, Byron 1, Hope 5, Gonzalez 6. |
Wednesday March 17th - Session No. 2
East Ridge (24-7) (Region 15) vs. Caverna (29-3) (Region 5)
East Ridge coach James Hurley started the following lineup: 5-10 Jr. (7.2 ppg) Eric Slone, 6-0 Jr. (11.7 ppg) Paul Deese, 6-2 Sr. (14.7 ppg) Robbie Spears, 5-9 Jr. (10.0 ppg) Aaron Branham, and 5-8 Sr. (14.6 ppg) Brandon Ratliff. Caverna coach Paul Childress countered with 6-5 Sr. (10.9 ppg) Jordy Maxey, 6-2 Fr. (9.4 ppg) William Bradley, 6-7 Sr. (18.9 ppg) Boris Siakam, 5-6 So. (4.8 ppg) Carrington Maxey, and 5-10 Jr. (10.7 ppg) Brandon Adams.
Caverna utilized a strong inside game by Boris Siakam (a foreign exchange student from Cameroon) to defeat East Ridge 57-41. Caverna shot 46.3% from the field, was five of six from the free throw line, and pulled down 40 rebounds. East Ridge shot 31.9% from the field, connected on seven of 11 free throws, and grabbed 21 rebounds.
Boris Siakam led Caverna with 17 points and 18 rebounds. Brandon Adams added 13 points. East Ridge was led by Aaron Branham and Brandon Ratliff with 13 and 10 points respectively.
|
East Ridge |
4 |
11 |
13 |
13 |
- |
41 |
|
Caverna |
14 |
14 |
14 |
15 |
- |
57 |
|
East Ridge |
(41) - |
Slone 2, Deese 7, Spears 5, Branham 13, Ratliff 10, Bennett 4. |
|
Caverna |
(57) - |
J. Maxey 9, Bradley 6, Siakam 17, C. Maxey 3, Adams 13, Curry 5, Boles 2, Wilson 2. |
Scott County (26-6) (Region 8) vs. Lafayette (19-12) (Region 11)
Scott County coach Billy Hicks started the following lineup: 6-8 Sr. (8.2 ppg) Zach Van Guilder, 6-1 Sr. (7.0 ppg) Matt Jarvis, 6-4 Sr. (12.1 ppg) Alex Cassady, 6-1 Sr. (17.1 ppg) Troy Harris, and 6-0 Sr. (20.1 ppg) Tyler Hicks. Lafayette coach Damon Kelley countered with 6-6 Sr. (10.5 ppg) Nic Mullins, 6-1 Jr. (7.0 ppg) T. J. Chinn, 6-8 Sr. (16.0 ppg) Darnell Dialls, 6-0 So. (12.0 ppg) Pete Gifford, and 6-1 Sr. (14.2 ppg) Marcus Barron.
Scott County went on an 18-6 run in the third quarter to break open a close game and take a 71-58 victory over Lafayette. Scott County shot 41.8% from the field, connected on 20 of 30 free throws, and pulled down 41 rebounds. Scott County scored 21 points off 16 Lafayette turnovers. Scott County committed 17 miscues but Lafayette could only capitalize for 13 points. Lafayette shot 32.1% from the field, was 20 of 36 from the free throw line, and grabbed 42 rebounds.
Scott County was led by Tyler Hicks with 21 points, five rebounds, and six assists. Zach Van Guilder added 18 points, eight rebounds, and three blocked shots. Troy Harris chipped in with 16 points including four three point baskets. 7-0 Jr. Jared Carter came off the bench to contribute two points, three rebounds, and five blocked shots in nine minutes. Marcus Barron led Lafayette with 16 points, four rebounds, and five assists. Darnell Dialls added 15 points and 13 rebounds. Nic Mullins and Pete Gifford each tallied nine points with Mullins adding 13 rebounds and three assists.
|
Scott County |
7 |
22 |
25 |
17 |
- |
71 |
|
Lafayette |
11 |
16 |
13 |
18 |
- |
58 |
|
Scott County |
(71) - |
Van Guilder 18, Jarvis 2, Cassady 2, Harris 16, Hicks 21, Haddix 8, Carter 2, Coote 2. |
|
Lafayette |
(58) - |
Mullins 9, Chinn 5, Dialls 15, Gifford 9, Barron 16, Miller 4. |
Thursday March 18th - Session No. 3
Covington Catholic (27-3) (Region 9) vs. Carlisle County (22-7) (Region 1)
Covington Catholic coach Mike Listerman started the following lineup: 6-6 Sr. (9.9 ppg) Stephen Muck, 6-5 Jr. (9.0 ppg) Brennan Votel, 6-5 Sr. (5.8 ppg) Ross Votel, 5-11 Sr. (11.0 ppg) Ryan Kennedy and 6-0 Sr. (13.3 ppg) Matt Nestheide. Carlisle County coach Brian O’Neill countered with 6-2 Sr. (24.1 ppg) Brett Hoskins, 6-0 Sr. (9.4 ppg) Kirk Arnold, 6-4 Sr. (9.1 ppg) Kris Kelley, 6-4 Sr. (4.2 ppg) Cody Yates, and 6-4 Sr. (1.5 ppg) Kevin Cope.
Covington Catholic led 31-22 at the half and broke open the game with a 10-0 run to start the second half in a 63-40 victory over Carlisle County. Covington Catholic shot 40% from the field, which included zero of 14 from the three point line. The Colonels connected on 11 of 24 from the free throw line, and pulled down 42 rebounds. Carlisle County shot 28.3% from the field, was 12 of 18 from the free throw line, and grabbed 34 rebounds.
Brennan Votel led Covington Catholic with 22 points. Ross Votel added eight points and pulled down eight rebounds. Stephen Muck chipped in with eight points and seven rebounds. Carlisle County was led by Kris Kelley with 13 points and seven rebounds. Brett Hoskins added 11 points and Kirk Arnold chipped in with eight points and eight rebounds.
|
Covington Catholic |
14 |
17 |
14 |
18 |
- |
63 |
|
Carlisle County |
11 |
11 |
4 |
14 |
- |
40 |
|
Covington Catholic |
(63) - |
Muck 8, B. Votel 22, R. Votel 8, Kennedy 4, Nestheide 4, Tierney 3, T. Jacobs 1, Erpenbeck 6, S. Jacobs 3, Wachs 2, Landrum 2. |
|
Carlisle County |
(40) - |
B. Hoskins 11, Arnold 8, Kelley 13, Yates 1, Cope 0, Dunn 3, H. Hoskins 4. |
Rockcastle County (19-11) (Region 13) vs. Pleasure Ridge Park (26-6) (Region 6)
Rockcastle County coach Clayton Cash started the following lineup: 6-3 So. (12.7 ppg) Colby Brown, 6-2 So. (2.2 ppg) J. C. McClure, 6-4 Jr. (9.0 ppg) Blake Roberts, 5-11 Sr. (8.4 ppg) Devin Taylor, and 5-11 Jr. (24.5 ppg) Aaron Cash. Pleasure Ridge Park coach Dale Mabrey countered with 6-3 So. (6.3 ppg) Vincent Crutcher, 5-11 Jr. (10.9 ppg) Jazz Neal, 6-10 Sr. (13.7 ppg) Terrance Farley, 5-9 Sr. (11.2 ppg) Phillip Morrison, and 5-11 Jr. (13.9 ppg) JaJuan Spillman.
Pleasure Ridge Park defeated a determined Rockcastle County team today by a score of 69-55. This was a game of runs, as Pleasure Ridge Park took a 24-13 lead at the end of the first quarter, but Rockcastle County rallied to pull within three, 33-30 early in the second half. Pleasure Ridge Park built the lead to 46-34 and Rockcastle County pulled to within six, 51-45, but could never close the gap.
Pleasure Ridge Park shot 52.9% from the field, including seven of 16 from the three point line. They were eight of 14 from the free throw line, pulled down 27 rebounds, and scored 20 points off 20 Rockcastle County turnovers. Rockcastle County shot 36.5% from the field, was 11 of 17 from the free throw line, and grabbed 36 rebounds.
Pleasure Ridge Park had four players in double figures today, led by JaJuan Spillman with 16 points. Terrance Farley tallied 15 points, pulled down 10 rebounds, and blocked three shots. Jazz Neal added 14 points including four three point baskets, and Phillip Morrison chipped in with 12 points. Aaron Cash led Rockcastle County with 19 points including four three point goals. Blake Roberts added 17 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. Devin Taylor tallied nine points and grabbed seven rebounds. Colby Brown chipped in with seven points and seven rebounds.
|
Rockcastle County |
13 |
15 |
17 |
10 |
- |
55 |
|
Pleasure Ridge Park |
24 |
9 |
20 |
16 |
- |
69 |
|
Rockcastle County |
(55) - |
Brown 7, McClure 0, Roberts 17, Taylor 9, Cash 19, Mullins 1, Riddle 2. |
|
Pleasure Ridge Park |
(69) - |
Crutcher 2, Neal 14, Farley 15, Morrison 12, Spillman 16, Porter 6, Frazier 2, Renninger 2. |
Thursday March 18th - Session No. 4
Morgan County (28-4) (Region 16) vs. Perry County Central (24-5) (Region 14)
Morgan County coach Matthew Perry started the following lineup: 6-3 Sr. (11.2 ppg) Ryan Phipps, 6-4 Jr. (9.6 ppg) Ralph Hamilton, 6-6 So. (7.5 ppg) Blake McCowan, 5-10 Jr. (11.0 ppg) Andy Lewis, and 6-2 Sr. (5.0 ppg) Whitney Allen. Perry County Central coach Allan Holland countered with 6-3 Sr. (12.8 ppg) Allan Holland Jr., 6-2 Jr. (18.3 ppg) Daniel Combs, 6-4 Jr. (10.8 ppg) Chris Chaney, 6-1 Sr. (12.3 ppg) Brandon Campbell, and 6-2 Jr. (5.3 ppg) Justin Lamb.
Perry County Central scored 23 points off 23 Morgan County turnovers and held a 43-24 rebound margin in a 66-45 victory. Perry County Central shot 40.3% from the field and connected on 13 of 22 free throws. Morgan County shot 36.6% from the field and connected on 11 of 16 free throws. Morgan County led 24-20 in the second quarter but Perry County Central picked up the defensive pressure and went on an 11-0 run to lead 31-24 at the half.
Daniel Combs led the victors with 15 points. Chris Chaney added 12 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. Allan Holland Jr. chipped in with 11 points. 6-0 Jr. Davin Barnett came off the bench to lead Morgan County with 16 points. Andy Lewis added 10 points.
|
Morgan County |
11 |
13 |
5 |
16 |
- |
45 |
|
Perry County Central |
11 |
20 |
14 |
21 |
- |
66 |
|
Morgan County |
(45) - |
Phipps 2, Hamilton 8, McCowan 5, Lewis 10, Allen 1, Barnett 16, Perry 3. |
|
Perry County Central |
(66) - |
Holland 11, Combs 15, Chaney 12, Campbell 8, Lamb 7, Erskine 2, Bowling 8, Barker 3. |
Apollo (22-9) (Region 3) vs. Warren Central (25-7) (Region 4)
Apollo coach Greg Baughn started the following lineup: 6-5 Sr. (15.6 ppg) Ryne Mantooth, 6-4 Sr. (14.3 ppg) Travis Johnson, 6-3 Fr. (2.5 ppg) Ben Duvall, 5-11 So. (6.6 ppg) Doug Denton, and 5-10 Sr. (20.9 ppg) Richard Long. Warren Central coach Tim Riley countered with 6-6 Sr. (11.7 ppg) Lonnell DeWalt, 6-3 Sr. (13.8 ppg) Brock Whitney, 6-8 Sr. (16.8 ppg) Matt Maresca, 6-0 Sr. (13.8 ppg) Ryan Anderson, and 5-10 Jr. (11.4 ppg) Troy McFarland.
Warren Central finally raced out to a 17-0 lead and shot 60.7% from the field in an 83-59 victory over a good Apollo squad. Warren Central was eight of 19 from the three point line, connected on seven of 12 free throws, and pulled down 33 rebounds. Apollo shot 37.5% from the field, including six of 26 from beyond the arc. The Eagles connected on 11 of 14 free throws and grabbed 26 rebounds.
Warren Central was led by Matt Maresca with 23 points. Maresca was 10 of 12 from the field and three of three from the free throw stripe. Lonnell DeWalt added 15 points and pulled down 14 rebounds. Brock Whitney and Ryan Anderson chipped in with 17 and 16 points respectively. Troy McFarland scored eight points, handed out five assists, and recorded four steals. Richard Long led Apollo with 26 points. Travis Johnson added 15 points and pulled down seven rebounds.
|
Apollo |
9 |
14 |
15 |
21 |
- |
59 |
|
Warren Central |
26 |
16 |
22 |
19 |
- |
83 |
|
Apollo |
(59) - |
Mantooth 2, T. Johnson 15, Duvall 0, Denton 4, Long 26, Wells 8, Wilson 2, A. Johnson 2. |
|
Warren Central |
(83) - |
DeWalt 15, Whitney 17, Maresca 23, R. Anderson 16, McFarland 8, J. Anderson 4. |
Friday March 19th - Session No. 5
Trinity (19-12) vs. Mason County (31-2) Quarterfinal No. 1
Trinity coach Mike Szabo started the following lineup: 6-3 Jr. Kyle Saxton, 6-3 Sr. Blake Nix, 6-4 Sr. Brian Brohm, 6-3 Jr. Bret Saxton, and 6-0 Jr. Zach Berry. Mason County coach Kelly Wells countered with 6-3 Sr. Chris Lofton, 6-3 Sr. Dustin Grutza, 6-3 Sr. Jarrod Litzinger, 6-0 Jr. Casey Pfeffer, and 5-11 Jr. Andrew Tibbs.
Mason County survived a triple overtime war with Trinity to gain a 66-59 victory. Trinity led 44-38 with less than 40 seconds remaining in regulation when Casey Pfeffer nailed a three pointer to cut the deficit to three, 44-41. Mason County got the ball back and Chris Lofton drilled a three pointer with 2.8 seconds remaining to knot the score at 44-all and force overtime. The Shamrocks had a chance to win in the closing seconds of overtime number one with the score tied at 50. Kyle Saxton missed a driving bank shot at the buzzer and the teams advanced to overtime two. Trinity had another opportunity in the second overtime with the score tied at 52. Trinity worked the ball for a potentially game-winning shot but could not get a shot off in time.
The third overtime was all Mason County as the Royals jumped out to a 57-52 lead and outscored Trinity 14-7 in the final period to take a 66-59 victory and earn a trip to the semifinals.
Mason County shot 44% from the field, connected on 17 of 20 free throws, and pulled down 32 rebounds. Trinity shot 39.6% from the field, was 11 of 21 from the free throw line, and pulled down 33 rebounds.
Chris Lofton led Mason County with 29 points and 11 rebounds. Jarrod Litzinger added 17 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Kyle Saxton led Trinity with 17 points. Blake Nix added 13 points and pulled down eight rebounds while Bret Saxton chipped in with 10 points. Zach Berry added nine points and Brian Brohm tallied seven points and nine rebounds.
|
Trinity |
12 |
7 |
14 |
11 |
6 |
2 |
7 |
- |
59 |
|
Mason County |
9 |
10 |
13 |
12 |
6 |
2 |
14 |
- |
66 |
|
Trinity |
(59) - |
K. Saxton 17, Nix 13, Brohm 7, B. Saxton 10, Berry 9, Gonzalez 3. |
|
Mason County |
(66) - |
Lofton 29, Grutza 7, Litzinger 17, Pfeffer 4, Tibbs 8, Schumacher 1. |
Scott County (27-6) vs. Caverna (30-3) Quarterfinal No. 2
Scott County coach Billy Hicks started the following lineup: 6-8 Sr. Zach Van Guilder, 6-1 Sr. Matt Jarvis, 6-4 Sr. Alex Cassady, 6-1 Sr. Troy Harris, and 6-0 Sr. Tyler Hicks. Caverna coach Paul Childress countered with 6-5 Sr. Jordy Maxey, 6-2 Fr. William Bradley, 6-7 Sr. Boris Siakam, 5-6 So. Carrington Maxey, and 5-10 Jr. Brandon Adams.
Scott County erased an early 11-6 deficit and held Caverna to only 11 field goals in a 52-37 victory. Scott County shot 42% from the field, connected on eight of 15 free throws, and pulled down 39 rebounds. Caverna only shot 22.4% from the field, including zero for 16 from the three point line. They connected on 15 of 28 free throws, and grabbed 35 rebounds.
Scott County was led by Tyler Hicks with 20 points, six rebounds, and four steals. Zach Van Guilder added 13 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. Boris Siakam led Caverna with 17 points, 12 rebounds, and three steals. Jordy Maxey added nine points.
|
Scott County |
13 |
17 |
9 |
13 |
- |
52 |
|
Caverna |
11 |
10 |
2 |
14 |
- |
37 |
|
Scott County |
(52) - |
Van Guilder 13, Jarvis 8, Cassady 0, Harris 5, Hicks 20, Walls 2, Thompson 2, Coote 2. |
|
Caverna |
(37) - |
J. Maxey 9, Bradley 4, Siakam 17, C. Maxey 1, Adams 4, Curry 2. |
Friday March 19th - Session No. 6
Pleasure Ridge Park (27-6) vs. Covington Catholic (28-3) Quarterfinal No. 3
Pleasure Ridge Park coach Dale Mabrey started the following lineup:
6-3 So. Vincent Crutcher, 5-11 Jr. Jazz Neal, 6-10 Sr. Terrance
Farley, 5-9 Sr. Phillip Morrison, and 5-11 Jr. JaJuan Spillman.
Covington Catholic coach Mike Listerman countered with 6-4 Sr. Stephen Muck,
6-5 Jr. Brennan Votel, 6-5 Sr. Ross Votel, 5-11 Sr. Ryan
Kennedy, and 6-0 Sr. Matt Nestheide.
Covington Catholic overcame a seven point deficit in the final period to defeat Pleasure Ridge Park 53-50. Pleasure Ridge Park missed two three point attempts in the final seconds that would have tied the game. Covington Catholic shot 39.1% from the field, including six of 17 from the three point line. The Colonels connected on 11 of 15 free throws, and pulled down 24 rebounds. Covington Catholic scored 22 points off 20 Pleasure Ridge Park turnovers. Pleasure Ridge Park shot 39.6% from the field, only visited the free throw line eight times, connecting on five shots, and grabbed 40 rebounds.
Stephen Muck led the victors tonight with 22 points, including five of 10 from the three point line. Brennan Votel added 10 points and pulled down six rebounds. Matt Nestheide scored 10 points and dished out seven assists. Nestheide was also four of four from the free throw line, all in the final stage of the game. Phillip Morrison and Jazz Neal led Pleasure Ridge Park with 11 and 10 points respectively. JaJuan Spillman and Vincent Crutcher added eight points each while Terrance Farley chipped in with seven points and 13 rebounds.
|
Pleasure Ridge Park |
17 |
6 |
16 |
11 |
- |
50 |
|
Covington Catholic |
10 |
12 |
15 |
16 |
- |
53 |
|
Pleasure Ridge Park |
(50) - |
Crutcher 8, Neal 10, Farley 7, Morrison 11, Spillman 8, Porter 6. |
|
Covington Catholic |
(53) - |
Muck 22, B. Votel 10, R. Votel 3, Kennedy 3, Nestheide 10, Erpenbeck 1, S. Jacobs 2, Wachs 2. |
Warren Central (26-7) vs. Perry County Central (25-5) Quarterfinal No. 4
Warren Central coach Tim Riley started the following lineup: 6-6 Sr. Lonnell DeWalt, 6-3 Sr. Brock Whitney, 6-8 Sr. Matt Maresca, 6-0 Sr. Ryan Anderson, and 5-10 Jr. Troy McFarland. Perry County Central coach Allan Holland countered with 6-3 Sr. Allan Holland Jr., 6-2 Jr. Daniel Combs, 6-4 Jr. Chris Chaney, 6-1 Sr. Brandon Campbell, and 6-2 Jr. Justin Lamb.
Warren Central defeated Perry County Central 55-31 in a very physical game. The second quarter featured a total of 15 points (10 for Warren Central and five for Perry County Central). It also featured two double technical fouls and a player ejection (Perry County Central) in a quarter that kept the referees busy trying to restore order.
Warren Central shot 39.6% from the field, including seven of 20 from the three point line. The Dragons connected on 10 of 20 free throws, and pulled down 43 rebounds. Perry County Central only shot 19.2% from the field and was only two of 20 from beyond the arc. They were nine 11 of 16 from the free throw line and grabbed 34 rebounds.
The victors were led by Ryan Anderson with 19 points including five three point goals. Matt Maresca added nine points and pulled down seven rebounds. Lonnell DeWalt chipped in with six points and pulled down 18 rebounds. Justin Lamb led Perry County Central with seven points and nine rebounds. Allan Holland Jr. added six points and pulled down seven rebounds.
|
Warren Central |
18 |
10 |
14 |
13 |
- |
55 |
|
Perry County Central |
7 |
5 |
10 |
9 |
- |
31 |
|
Warren Central |
(55) - |
DeWalt 6, Whitney 5, Maresca 9, R. Anderson 19, McFarland 3, Goff 3, J. Anderson 5, Britt 2, Smith 3. |
|
Perry County Central |
(31) - |
Holland 6, Combs 3, Chaney 2, Campbell 3, Lamb 7, Bowling 3, Barker 5, Gross 2. |
Saturday March 20th - Session No. 7
Scott County (28-6) vs. Mason County (32-2) Semifinal No. 1
Scott County coach Billy Hicks started the following lineup: 6-8 Sr. Zach Van Guilder, 6-1 Sr. Matt Jarvis, 6-4 Sr. Alex Cassady, 6-1 Sr. Troy Harris, and 6-0 Sr. Tyler Hicks. Mason County coach Kelly Wells countered with 6-3 Sr. Chris Lofton, 6-3 Sr. Dustin Grutza, 6-3 Sr. Jarrod Litzinger, 6-0 Jr. Casey Pfeffer, and 5-11 Jr. Andrew Tibbs.
Mason County survived an overtime battle by defeating Scott County 84-78 in overtime to advance to the championship game. Mason County seemed to have a comfortable lead at 72-68 with less than 20 seconds remaining in regulation. However, Scott County’s Tyler Hicks hit a layup and then scored on another layup following a steal to knot the score at 72 with 12 seconds left. Mason County missed a three pointer and the game went into overtime.
Scott County took a 76-72 lead but missed the front end of two one-and-ones at the free throw line. Mason County then went on a 12-2 run to finally subdue the Cardinals. Tyler Hicks fouled out late in the overtime period after courageously leading his team back from a 58-45 deficit in the third quarter.
Mason County was led today by Dustin Grutza with 24 points and eight rebounds. Chris Lofton added 23 points and 11 rebounds. Andrew Tibbs and Jarrod Litzinger chipped in with 14 points each. Tyler Hicks led Scott County with 22 points. Matt Jarvis added 14 points and Zach Van Guilder chipped in with 13 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocked shots. Troy Harris and 6-5 Jr. Anthony Coote added 10 points each. Coote also pulled down nine rebounds.
|
Scott County |
24 |
10 |
18 |
20 |
6 |
- |
78 |
|
Mason County |
24 |
16 |
20 |
12 |
12 |
- |
84 |
|
Scott County |
(78) - |
Van Guilder 13, Jarvis 14, Cassady 3, Harris 10, Hicks 22, Haddix 6, Coote 10. |
|
Mason County |
(84) - |
Lofton 23, Grutza 24, Litzinger 14, Pfeffer 0, Tibbs 14, Schumacher 9. |
Warren Central (27-7) vs. Covington Catholic (29-3) Semifinal No. 2
Warren Central coach Tim Riley started the following lineup: 6-6 Sr. Lonnell DeWalt, 6-3 Sr. Brock Whitney, 6-8 Sr. Matt Maresca, 6-0 Sr. Ryan Anderson, and 5-10 Jr. Troy McFarland. Covington Catholic coach Mike Listerman countered with 6-4 Sr. Stephen Muck, 6-5 Jr. Brennan Votel, 6-5 Sr. Ross Votel, 5-11 Sr. Ryan Kennedy, and 6-0 Sr. Matt Nestheide.
Warren Central beat back every challenge today to finally subdue a talented Covington Catholic team by a score of 62-58. Warren Central shot 45.7% from the field, including six of 17 from the three point line. The Dragons connected on 14 of 25 free throws, and grabbed 25 rebounds. Covington Catholic shot 52.1% from the field, including three of nine from the three point line. The Colonels connected on 11 of 17 free throws, and pulled down 26 rebounds. Warren Central scored 16 points off 15 Covington Catholic turnovers while Covington Catholic could only capitalize for seven points off 12 Warren Central miscues.
Warren Central was led today by Brock Whitney with 19 points. Lonnell DeWalt added 16 points, six rebounds, and three blocked shots. DeWalt was five of five from the field and six of seven from the free throw line. Matt Maresca added 12 points and pulled down nine rebounds. Covington Catholic was led by Brennan Votel with 17 points. Matt Nestheide added 13 points and dished out six assists. Ross Votel added 10 points.
|
Warren Central |
15 |
16 |
14 |
17 |
- |
62 |
|
Covington Catholic |
15 |
10 |
13 |
20 |
- |
58 |
|
Warren Central |
(62) - |
DeWalt 16, Whitney 19, Maresca 12, R. Anderson 8, McFarland 7. |
|
Covington Catholic |
(58) - |
Muck 3, B. Votel 17, R. Votel 10, Kennedy 7, Nestheide 13, Erpenbeck 5, Wachs 3. |
Saturday March 20th - Session No. 8
Warren Central (28-7) vs. Mason County (33-2) Championship Game
Warren Central coach Tim Riley started the following lineup: 6-6 Sr. Lonnell DeWalt, 6-3 Sr. Brock Whitney, 6-8 Sr. Matt Maresca, 6-0 Sr. Ryan Anderson, and 5-10 Jr. Troy McFarland. Mason County coach Kelly Wells countered with 6-3 Sr. Chris Lofton, 6-3 Sr. Dustin Grutza, 6-3 Sr. Jarrod Litzinger, 6-0 Jr. Casey Pfeffer, and 5-11 Jr. Andrew Tibbs.
Warren Central got off to a blazing start and managed to hang on down the stretch to defeat Mason County 66-56. Warren Central, behind 11 first quarter points by Brock Whitney, led 25-14 at the end of the first quarter. Warren Central led 39-27 at the halftime break and led 48-31 late in the third quarter. Mason County roared back to life, going on a 23-10 run to trail 58-54 in the final period. Warren Central’s Lonnell DeWalt then scored on two spectacular rebound dunks to stop the rally.
Warren Central shot 55.6% from the field including nine of 22 from the three point line. The Dragons connected on seven of 12 free throws, and pulled down 34 rebounds. Mason County shot 34.3% from the field including six of 28 from the three point line. The Royals visited the free throw line four times, connecting on all four shots. They pulled down 30 rebounds.
Warren Central was led tonight by Brock Whitney with 24 points including six of eight from the three point line. Matt Maresca and Troy McFarland added 14 and 13 points respectively. Lonnell DeWalt tallied five points, pulled down 16 rebounds, and blocked four shots. Chris Lofton led Mason County with 26 points and nine rebounds. Jarrod Litzinger added 16 points and pulled down seven rebounds. .
|
Warren Central |
25 |
14 |
13 |
14 |
- |
66 |
|
Mason County |
14 |
13 |
15 |
14 |
- |
56 |
|
Warren Central |
(66) - |
DeWalt 5, Whitney 24, Maresca 14, R. Anderson 9, McFarland 13, Smith 1. |
|
Mason County |
(56) - |
Lofton 26, Grutza 6, Litzinger 16, Pfeffer 3, Tibbs 0, Miller 5. |
All Tournament Team
|
Boris Siakam |
|
6-7 |
|
Sr. |
|
Caverna |
2 games |
17.0 PPG |
15.0 RPG |
|
|
Brennan Votel |
|
6-5 |
|
Jr. |
|
Covington Catholic |
3 games |
16.3 PPG |
|
|
|
Matt Nestheide |
|
6-0 |
|
Sr. |
|
Covington Catholic |
3 games |
9.0 PPG |
7.0 APG |
|
|
Stephen Muck |
|
6-6 |
|
Sr. |
|
Covington Catholic |
3 games |
11.5 PPG |
|
|
|
Terrance Farley |
|
6-10 |
|
Sr. |
|
Pleasure Ridge Park |
2 games |
11.0 PPG |
11.5 RPG |
|
|
Tyler Hicks |
|
6-0 |
|
Sr. |
|
Scott County |
3 games |
21.0 PPG |
5.0 RPG |
|
|
Zach Van Guilder |
|
6-8 |
|
Sr. |
|
Scott County |
3 games |
14.7 PPG |
10.3 RPG |
|
|
Kyle Saxton |
|
6-3 |
|
Jr. |
|
Trinity |
2 games |
15.0 PPG |
|
|
|
Ryan Anderson |
|
6-0 |
|
Sr. |
|
Warren Central |
4 games |
13.0 PPG |
|
|
|
Jarrod Litzinger |
|
6-3 |
|
Sr. |
|
Mason County |
4 games |
17.2 PPG |
7.5 RPG |
|
|
Matt Maresca |
|
6-8 |
|
Sr. |
|
Warren Central |
4 games |
14.5 PPG |
6.5 RPG |
|
|
Dustin Grutza |
|
6-3 |
|
Sr. |
|
Mason County |
4 game |
10.8 PPG |
|
|
|
Chris Lofton |
|
6-3 |
|
Sr. |
|
Mason County |
4 games |
28.0 PPG |
10.2 RPG |
|
|
Brock Whitney |
|
6-3 |
|
Sr. |
|
Warren Central |
4 games |
16.2 PPG |
|
M.V.P. |
|
Lonnell DeWalt |
|
6-6 |
|
Sr. |
|
Warren Central |
4 games |
10.5 PPG |
13.5 RPG |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Conclusion
Congratulations to Coach Tim Riley and the Warren Central Dragons for capturing the big prize. The Dragons were 8-7 after their first 15 games as several footballers on the team were still finding their “basketball legs”. Tonight was their 21st victory in a row and none could have been bigger. It was a true team effort with everyone stepping up to make the big play. Lonnell DeWalt had one of the most memorable plays of the year as he electrified the crowd of 22,001 with a vicious tomahawk dunk on a rebound in the closing minutes of the championship game. Brock Whitney had a great tourney and was chosen as tourney MVP.
Mason County, thanks for the memories—through the laughter and tears of this season they continued to battle and finally used up their nine lives as they survived a total of four overtimes in the tourney. The Royals made it this far with one of their top players being suspended and unavailable for this tourney. They also suffered through a death in the Royals family, an illness to Coach Wells, a bout of mono in Jarrod Litzinger, yet still they persevered. I have had the pleasure of watching high school basketball since the late 1950s and I remember few things as pure as a Chris Lofton long-range jump shot.
Covington Catholic is a classy, well coached team that had an excellent tourney run. Scott County’s Tyler Hicks finally made it to the big show and played like he never wanted to leave. It has been a roller-coaster ride for Tyler Hicks, playing for his father the last four seasons at Scott County. It is never easy for a father or son in this situation but Tyler is a fierce competitor with a big heart who goes full throttle on every play. Zach Van Guilder of Scott County saved the best for last as he peaked during the tourney season.
Someone forgot to tell Coach Mike Szabo that Trinity is a football school. Don’t look now but he is here to stay. The program looks like it is in great shape with several players returning next year. I have watched Tyrone Green, Jerrod Gibbons, and Bradley Bell play for what seems like years at Wayne County and this fine trio will be missed. 6-7 Sr. Boris Siakam of Caverna is a foreign exchange student from Cameroon who made an impression at the Sweet 16. Siakam is tremendously athletic and seems to display a great love for the game. Lafayette ran into the Tyler Hicks buzzsaw but I have a feeling we will see Coach Damon Kelley back in this tourney someday.
Rockcastle County was supposed to be rebuilding this year but they got hot at the right time and made the big show. They were supposed to be hammered by Pleasure Ridge Park but they played PRP tough. They got excellent performances from Aaron Cash and Blake Roberts. PRP dropped a close 53-50 decision to Covington Catholic in the quarterfinals.
There are too many teams to mention them all here but I have a rather
simplistic approach to the Sweet 16.
Regardless of the outcome in any game here this week, there area absolutely
no losers at this tourney. There
will always be discussions of the teams that didn’t make it—the
should-have-beens, would-have-beens, could-have-beens. However, 16 teams descended upon Rupp
Arena this week and thank goodness championships are decided on the court and
not on paper. That is why we all
converge on Rupp Arena for this special week and event that ultimately crowns
the championship of Kentucky High School Hoops.
Acknowledgements
A special thanks to the KHSAA for maintaining an excellent website with tons of information about the tourney as well as comprehensive stats on each and every game. Also a special thanks to WL Stats for all their hard work providing all the computerized stats for the various media.
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.