Continuing one of the best starts in team history, the Logan County Cougars dominated the Russellville Panthers 87-60 Friday in the first Clash of the Cats for the season.
With the win, Coach John Tinsley’s team ran its record to 12-2 overall and 2-0 in the 13th District.
The Cougars led the entire game. They were up 15-4 after a quarter and 42-20 at halftime. Russellville scored better in the second half, but still the Cougars added to their winning margin by game’s end, even though the reserves played much of the fourth quarter.
One of the reasons Logan was so much in charge was that Anthony ‘Rooster’ Woodard was wearing light Cougar blue instead of Panther white. Last year as a freshman, Woodard showed signs often that he can be one of the region’s best players. Friday, Woodard played like he has already achieved that status.
He finished with 20 points, 14 of them coming in the first half. He also rebounded well, made steals and got the ball to teammates. He played everything from point guard to post.
Woodard’s dad, Anthony “B.A.” Woodard, was a star of Russellville’s first state tournament team in 1998. But he has many Logan ties. His grandmother, Gracie Mason, was one of the first stars when girls ball returned to this area in 1975. She played college basketball for Kentucky Wesleyan. His great-aunt, Lillie Mason, was a three-time All-American and two-time regional MVP, for the WkU Lady Toppers. His great-uncle, Clarence Mason, played well for Vol State and Austin Peay State University. They all played for Olmstead, and his cousin, Henry Jones, was a key player on Logan County’s state championship team.
Woodard is one of several key basketball players who were integral parts of the great football success the Cougars are enjoying. Third Bell and Reggie Powell were both standouts for Coach Todd Adler’s 21-3 teams, and Kelby Epley was one of the leading receivers as a junior.
Against the Panthers, four Cougars were in double figure scoring and one was just a point away. Threes were wild for Epley, who hit three 3-pointers. He finished with 17 points. Bell added 15 points. Nathaniel Vick added 11.
Reserve Jay Hardison, who saw little action until late in the game, hit a pair of 3-pointers on the way to 9 points. Powell, who was a man on the boards, hit a sixth trey and finished with 7 points.
Russellville star Jacob Naylor had scored 8 points when he picked up his second foul with 1:30 remaining in the first quarter. His team trailed 19-10 when Coach Rex Booth set him down for the remainder of the quarter. When he returned to play the second quarter, the Cougars concentrated on shutting him down, and it worked. He didn’t score again in the half.
After Bell connected on an assist from Woodard, Vick scored via Epley assist, and Epley put together a 3-point play, the Cougars had scored the first 13 points of the second quarter to make 34-15.
Devan Kimbrough got Russellville back on the scoreboard with a 3-pointer with 4:15 left in the half. But the Panthers managed only two more points in the half, those coming on a Josh Allen bucket near the buzzer. Logan led 42-20 at the break.
Jacob Naylor turned back into Jacob Naylor in the second half. He scored 21 of his game high 29 points—slightly above his average—in the second half. He cut the margin to 14 at 55-41 with his 14th point of the third quarter, but when Epley put together a 3-point play on a rebound, the Cougars’ lead was back up to 63-41.
Woodard’s last goal was the first of the fourth quarter. Naylor’s 3-pointer made it 65-44, but LCHS scored 11 quick points on five quick points by Bell and a quick pair of 3-pointers by Epley. It was 76—49 before Kimbrough hit another 3-pointer.
For the most part the reserves played the rest of the game.
Besides Naylor’s scoring, a bright spot for the Panthers was their free throw shooting. Booth’s team hit 14 of 15 foul shots for the game. The Cougars were 7 of 11.
Cougars have been super
Eleven of Logan’s 12 wins have been by double-figure margins. The other was officially by a 2-0 score over Clarksville Academy in the season opener. Logan actually lost on the floor, but the Tennessee team had to forfeit for using an ineligible player.
The Cougars won five of six games in holiday tournaments. They went 2-1 in the Limestone Bank Christmas Classic at Butler County, beating Hopkins County Central 84-50 and Caldwell County 77-65 before suffering their only lopsided loss, 71-55 to Webster County. The only other loss came 68-62 to always tough Bowling Green.
Then they won the championship of the Nelson County Classic in the Bardstown area. After winning 67-50 against host Nelson County and 74-62 over Boyle County, they beat Meade County 74-62 in the championship game.
We can’t report the scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, etc. in these games because they aren’t being released by the Logan Basketball program. Any game results that have been reported to the Kentucky High School Athletic Association show that no Cougar has scored in a game.
Below, however, is the scoring in the Mullen-Milam Cats Classic:
Score by Quarters: 1) LCHS 21-15, 2) 42-20, 3) 63-41, Final) Logan County 87, Russellville 60
LCHS (87) Anthony Woodard 20, Kelby Epley 17, Third Bell 15, Nathaniel Vick 11, Jay Hardison 9, Reggie Powell 7, Dalton Thompson 6, Tommy Krohn 2, Blake Wood, Dylan Basham, Brady Griggs, Landon Larson, Dylan Marlton
RHS (60) Jacob Naylor 29, Elijah Kemp 9, Jaquis Todd 7, Devan Kimbrough 6, Shawn Steele 3, Lennon Ries 2, Josh Allen 2, Chevis Elliott 2, Dustin Brown, Xavier Coleman, Ty Collins, Jovan Gamble, Trenton Hopkins