By winning 69-54 at Monroe County Thursday, the Logan County Cougars set up a championship match Friday night at Todd County Central in the finals of the Class A Classic Fourth Region Tournament for boys.
Coach Phil Todd’s team will be favored tonight as a result of whipping the Rebels 77-39 on Dec. 9. Todd, however, appears to be much improved since then, as evidenced by an 83-61 over Logan County a couple of weeks ago followed by wins over Cumberland County and Metcalfe County in the Class A tournament this week.
The Panthers should be a much better team than they were six weeks ago, too. The Panthers’ football players, including basketball starters Jaylyn McMurry and Jacob Naylor, hadn’t gotten their basketball legs under that early in the season. Now those two plus Deshawn Mason and Paul Jones are in a roundball frame of mind.
In the win over the Falcons at Tompkinsville, McMurry and Bradshaw each scored 19 points. Jacob Naylor scored 9, Micah Naylor 7 and Mason 3.
Bill Michael Dyers scored 17 for Monroe. Chandler Clements added 13 and Braxton Walker 11.
RHS outscored the hosts 17-8 in the second quarter to give themselves breathing room.
In that win over Logan County, Todd Central got a great game from sophomore Clayte Weathers. He hit all nine of his field goal attempts, including five 3-pointers. The son of former Russellville softball player Melissa Atkins Weathers and Coach Robbie Weathers, he also hit 13 of 16 free throws for a total of 26 points, going 22 of 25 on all shots.
The Rebels’ Trey Dickerson scored 15 points and pulled down 12 rebounds against the Cougars, and Nolan Barrow hit a pair of treys on the way to 12 points.