2020DMRB17

2003 KHSAA Sweet Sixteen® Boys State Tournament

Rupp Arena

Lexington, KY

March 22, 2003

Ballard (27-7) vs. Mason County (34-2) (Championship)

Ballard coach Chris Renner started the following lineup: 6-1 Sr. Sherman Gulley, 6-1 Sr. Sean Booker, 6-3 So. Ravon Lee, 6-0 Sr. Dana Calhoun, and 5-11 Sr. Jordan Whitaker.  Mason County coach Kelly Wells countered with 6-3 Jr. Dustin Grutza, 6-3 Jr. Jarrod Litzinger, 6-1 So. Wesley Jones, 6-0 Sr. Nathan Myrick, and 6-3 Jr. Chris Lofton.

The red-hot Royals (55.8% from the field and 60.9& (14-23) from the three point line) defeated Ballard by the score of 86-65 to claim the championship.  Mason County led by 20 points in the third quarter but Ballard cut the deficit to 10, 68-58 in the final quarter before Mason County pulled away to put the game out of reach. 

Mason County was led by Chris Lofton with 39 points.  Lofton was 11 of 17 from the field including nine of 12 from the three point line.  Lofton’s nine “3’s” tied a tourney record previously set by Richie Farmer of Clay County.  Mason County’s fourteen “3’s” set a new single game team record.  Dustin Grutza added 11 points.  Ballard was led by 6-3 Sr. Alex Hedges and 6-6 Jr. Greg Grimes with 15 and 12 points respectively.  6-2 Sr. Quillan Grimes added nine points.

Ballard,16,12,20,17,65

Mason County,21,21,20,24,86

Ballard (65) – Gulley 7, Booker 7, Lee 6, Calhoun 0, Whitaker 8, Baines 9, Hedges 15, Reeves 1, Grimes 12.

Mason County (86) – Grutza 11, Litzinger 0, Jones 7, Myrick 8, Lofton 39, Vice 8, Gilbert 4, Tibbs 9.

All Tournament Team – Dustin Grutza (Mason County), Jordan Whitaker (Ballard), Rontreal Braxton (Hopkinsville), Lamont Campbell (Henry Clay), Lonnell DeWalt (Warren Central), Marques Dawson (Rose Hill Christian), Max Kuiper (Oldham County), Matt West (Daviess County), Ravon Lee (Ballard), Wesley Jones (Mason County), OJ Mayo (Rose Hill Christian), Andre Woodson (North Hardin), Lartavious Banks (Hopkinsville), Chris Lofton (Mason County) (MVP), and Sean Booker (Ballard).

A special thanks to WL Stats and the KHSAA for providing the up-to-date results for this event.