13th District Boys Basketball Tournament Preview
March 14-18 – Franklin-Simpson High School
2020 Champion – Logan County
#1 seed Logan County defeated 2-seed Franklin-Simpson by a score of 55-48. Anthony Woodard scored 23 points to lead the Cougars to their second-straight district championship. Jose Nazario scored 13 points and 11 rebounds in the win. Kyjuan Stutzman led the Wildcats with 18 points in defeat.
Last Five Championship Games
2020 – Logan County over Franklin-Simpson
2019 – Logan County over Franklin-Simpson
2018 – Todd County Central over Franklin-Simpson
2017 – Franklin-Simpson over Russellville
2016 – Franklin-Simpson over Russellville
Schedule
March 14 @ 4:00pm – #1 Franklin-Simpson vs. #4 Todd County Central
March 15 @ 7:00pm – #2 Russellville vs. #3 Logan County
March 18 @ 7:00pm – Championship Game
#1 – Franklin-Simpson (12-3)
How They Can Win
Franklin-Simpson will win its first 13th District championship since 2017 because it is the best team in the district. The Wildcats won all six of their games against district foes in 2021, never winning by less than eight points. Coach Dee Spencer’s club allowed only 49.3 points per game in those six games. Franklin’s defense will lead it back into the winner’s circle.
Player to Keep an Eye on
You cannot talk about Franklin-Simpson basketball this season without mentioning their star, Dre Miller. The senior guard is averaging 22.3 points per game on 52.6% shooting. His ability to score 30 points on nearly any given night gives the Wildcats a weapon most teams do not have.
#2 – Russellville (8-9)
How They Can Win
The Panthers will seek to win their first 13th District title since 2014 when they hit the court at Franklin-Simpson High School this week. Coach Carlos Quarles’ club can take home the title ifit closes out tight games. The team is 1-3 in games decided by three points or less, and we all know that games are always tight in March. The Panthers are peaking though, winning two of their final three games and winning their final two district games.
Player to Keep an Eye on
The key to success goes through Jaquis Todd and Josh Allen, but a player to keep an eye on this week is Jovari Gamble. The junior forward is the team’s third-leading scorer (6.5) and rebounder (3.6). Coach Quarles considers him one of the team’s best defenders, ball handlers, and finishers at the rim. Defending the likes of Logan County’s Anthony Woodard and Franklin’s Dre Miller may be on the docket for Gamble in this tournament.
#3 – Logan County (4-12)
How They Can Win
The Cougars are the two-time defending 13th District champions, yet Logan County is the 3-seed in the 2021 event. Coach Nathan Thompson’s crew had at least ten games canceled or postponed due to COVID-19. If the Cougars are to take home the trophy, it will be behind a team defense that is only allowing 49 points in its last eight games. Logan closed the regular season with five-straight losses; however, no team scored more than 56 in those games.
Player to Keep an Eye on
Anthony Woodard returns in search of a final trip to Diddle Arena, but the player we’ll keep an eye on is Blake Wood. The senior guard is averaging 11.1 points per game and has hit 50 three-pointers at a clip better than 45%.
#4 – Todd County Central (7-11)
How They Can Win
The Rebels most recently won the 13th District title in 2018 en route to a run that ended in the 4th Region semifinals. Todd County lost its opening six games of the season before winning its final three and finishing the regular season with a record of 7-11. Preston Moore and Amari Andrews will be a major reason why the Rebels are able to take home the trophy this week. The pair is averaging a combined 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Player to Keep an Eye on
Junior Mareke Johnson scored a team-high 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting in a recent loss to Franklin-Simpson. The Rebels will hope Johnson can re-create his success against the Wildcats in the opening round.
Prediction
Franklin-Simpson will move on to the finals with a win over Todd County Central on Sunday afternoon. Then on Monday, Russellville and Logan County will play a close game with Miller and Woodard trading shot for shot. However, I think the Panthers’ depth will be too much to handle for the Cougars as Russellville gets back to the 4th Region Tournament for the first time since 2017 – the year it reached the region finals.
In the title game, I think Franklin-Simpson will hold onto a slim lead at halftime before beginning to find its groove behind Miller and Kyjuan Stutzman. In the end, the Wildcats will be back in the winner’s circle for the first time since 2017. Both Franklin and Russellville will be dangerous in next week’s region tournament.
