HAWKS TAKE DOWN THE PANTHERS
Head coach Paul Childress felt like last season’s version of the LaRue County Hawks had the look of a winner. They were experienced and talented and could return the Hawks to the 5th Region Championship and a possible trip to the KHSAA State Boys Basketball Sweet Sixteen for the first time since back to back trips in 1987-1988. Although they finished short of their goal, this season’s team looks like one which can not only make plenty of noise, but could be a legitimate champ.
Case in point: Last Tuesday night’s twenty point win over Elizabethtown at Charles Rawlings Gymnasium. The Panthers were coming off a big win over reigning 3rd Region Champion Meade County and were beginning to look like the team that many picked to challenge John Hardin for the 17th District Title after what many pegged as a late season swoon, but just one day after their big win over the Green Wave, head coach James Haire’s team ran right into a buzz saw right from the start.
The Hawks behind senior guard Shane King went on a run and didn’t look back putting up 16-points in the first quarter and then exploding for 26-points in the second quarter to build a 42-23 halftime lead and then met every challenge when the Panthers made several runs to climb back into it.
LaRue County’s slashing cutting ballhandler’s were simply too much for Elizabethtown to handle as King, Warner Bryan and Anthony Adkins continued to find holes in the Panthers defense. King, who had a game high 33-points on 14 of 25 shooting was especially hot. The senior also had 11-rebounds and seven assists and the 1-2 punch help made up for the absence of forward Mark Goode, who didn’t suit up.
It wasn’t like the Panthers were completely defenseless as senior forward Darius Harding put up 29-points of his own and continued his hot streak this season, but by keeping him under wraps early (which is a key to controlling Elizabethtown) and forcing his team to play catchup has been the game plan of every opponent this season.
At 24-2 (soon to be 25-2 after their Friday Night win over 4th Region power Warren Central), LaRue County has looked like (if not THE) frontrunner tp represent the 5th Region at the Boys State Tournament. They have size and speed and experience along with the ability to play at any pace. All this after graduating one of their top scorers (MJ Embree) and two solid starters (Cameron Dawson and Derek Goode), Childress has put together a great team which has stumbled only twice as they await their District Tournament and one more step towards a trip to Rupp in March.
