Lady Rockets advance to R2 All A semifinal

In her 33rd season at the helm of the

Lady Rockets, Shannon Hodge notched

career win No. 446 on Monday,

vaulting her into the Top 30 all-time

in Kentucky coaching victories.

DAWSON SPRINGS, Ky. – Ranked by MaxPreps as the No. 25 high school girls’ basketball team in Kentucky, Crittenden County’s sights are trained on something closer to home this week. After beating All A Classic host Dawson Springs 64-13 in Monday’s opening round, the Lady Rockets need two more victories in the tournament to capture their fourth straight regional crown.

The Rocket girls (11-3) led from the jump and raced out to a 22-2 edge, then began working in the bench. Dawson (1-6) managed just four field goals as Crittenden beat the Lady Panthers for the 19th straight time dating back to 2013.

Crittenden County has won a record 10 small-school regional titles. Standing in the way in Thursday’s semifinal will be Lyon County, which took CCHS to overtime before losing to the Rocket girls at Marion last month.

Crittenden County has won three consecutive All A Second Region championships and four of the last five. The girls have reached the state semifinals twice over the last five seasons, including last year.

Lyon County (11-3) won 80-18 at Fort Campbell in Monday’s opening round. The Lady Lyons are fresh off a holiday championship in the Kelly Holiday Classic in Paris. First-year head coach Ricky Baker has three players averaging double figures, including reigning Second Region Player of the Year Piper Cotham, who nets 20 points per game.

Lady Rocket skipper Shannon Hodge’s storied coaching career reached a remarkable milestone Monday as the win at Dawson Springs pushed her into an elite group of winners. She now ranks among the top 30 career winningest girls’ coaches of all time in Kentucky, according to the KHSAA website's all-time wins leaderboard. Her 446 victories have been amassed over 33 seasons.

Perry County’s M.C. Napier heads the career wins list with 886 over 38 years. Two other western Kentucky legends rank Nos. 2 and 3 – Henderson’s Jeff Haile (821) and Marshall County’s Howard Beth (794).

Another Rocket closing in on a key milestone is senior guard Anna Boone, who now has 1,953 career points after scoring 17 at Dawson. She is just 47 points from the 2,000 mark.

Crittenden County 22 37 60 64
Dawson Springs 2 10 11 13
CRITTENDEN — Boone 17, Evans 5, Hodge 7, Federico 10, Rushing 8, Holeman 3, Stewart 2, Berry 6, Champion 2, Grau 2, Rich 2, Kemmer. FG 24. 3-pointers 4 (Boone 3, Holeman).
DAWSON — Swatzell, Allison 3, Sawyer 2, Colson, Hines 3, Cook 1, Scott 2, Lowe 2. FG 4. 3-pointers 1. FT 4-8.

Rockets fall to Webster County

Conner Poindexter scored 4 points.

DIXON, Ky. – Webster County’s depth and pace proved too much Saturday as the Trojans rolled past Crittenden County 79-22, extending their winning streak in the series to eight games.

Webster County, now 9-3 on the season, controlled the game from the opening tip, racing to a 26-6 first-quarter lead and never allowing Crittenden to find an offensive rhythm. The Trojans pushed the margin to 45-12 by halftime behind balanced scoring and steady perimeter shooting, then continued to apply pressure in the second half.

Crittenden County, still seeking its first win at 0-15, struggled to generate consistent offense and finished without a made three-pointer. The Rockets also went just 0-for-3 from the free-throw line.

Webster County had 13 players score and Crittenden County was paced by Brayden Poindexter with six points, while Roane Topp and Conner Poindexter each added four apiece. The Rockets managed 11 field goals overall and were limited to 12 points in the first half.

Crittenden County will look to regroup and find positives moving forward as the Rockets continue searching for a breakthrough in the win column when they host 1-12 Heritage Christian in the All Classic opener Tuesday at Rocket Arena.

Crittenden County 6 12 18 22
Webster County 26 45 64 79
CRITTENDEN – Ellington, Porter 2, Bumpus 2, Topp 4, Dayberry, Jones 2, Myers 2, Martin, C.Poindexter 4, Murray, B.Poindexter 6. FG 11. 3-pointers none. FT 0-3.
WEBSTER – Altstadt 13, Pumps 14, McDyer 11, Hardison 8, Phelps 3, Gerard 2, Shelton 2, Newton 4, Dunn 9, Hardrick 2, Whitsell 4, Wright 5, Puelles 2. FG 30. 3-pointers 6. FT 13-20.

Lady Rockets overcome jet lag to beat Mayfield

Anna Boone grabs a rebound.

MARION, Ky. – Jet lag, cold shooting and pinch of foul trouble tested Crittenden County in a matinee game at Rocket Arena on Saturday, but the Lady Rockets leaned on balance and composure to pull away late for a 50–35 road win over Mayfield.

Playing barely a day and a half after returning from a demanding Florida holiday trip, Crittenden County built a 17-point cushion in the first half, then steadied itself when Mayfield made things uncomfortable in the fourth quarter. The win improved the Lady Rockets to 10–3 and marked their fourth straight victory in the series against the Cardinals (3–7).

Crittenden set the tone early, racing to a 10–2 lead and extending the margin to 28-12 by halftime. The Lady Rockets led 35-24 after three quarters before Mayfield briefly cut the deficit to single digits early in the fourth.

Mayfield’s Lay Mayes, who entered averaging 16 points per game, sparked the rally. She scored 20 points, 14 coming after halftime, as the Cardinals trimmed the lead to eight with just under seven minutes remaining. At that point, Crittenden was struggling to find the range from deep and was navigating foul trouble, including four fouls on post player Bristyn Rushing.

Crittenden responded with timely baskets. Abigail Champion and Anna Boone delivered back-to-back scores to restore breathing room, and Elliot Evans converted an and-one to push the margin back to 14. With Rushing limited, Morgan Stewart provided a lift inside off the bench, scoring seven points off the bench to stabilize the paint.

Jordyn Hodge led the Lady Rockets with 13 points, while Boone added 12. Evans and Andrea Federico scored six apiece as Crittenden finished with four three-pointers and went 12-of-17 at the free-throw line to close things out.

Despite the uneven shooting night, Crittenden’s ability to weather the late Mayfield push highlights its maturity coming off a challenging stretch.

The Lady Rockets will next turn their attention to the All A Classic regional tournament at Dawson Springs. Crittenden County has won three straight regional All A titles and will be seeking its fifth championship in the past six years and 11th overall – the most regional small-school titles in regional history.

Mayfield  2 12 24 35
Crittenden Co. 10 28 35 50
MAYFIELD – Creason 4, Henson 4, A.Creason 6, Feagin, Mayes 20, Edwards, Winstead 1, Hunt. FG 11. 3-poinetrs 3 (A.Creason 2, Creason). FT 10-12.
CRITTENDEN – Boone 12, Evans 6, Hodge 13, Federico 6, Rushing 1, Holeman 3, Stewart 7, Berry, Champion 2, Grau, Rich, Kemmer. FG 17. 3-pointers 4 (Boone, Evans, Hodge, Champion). FT 12-17.

Rockets cross dubious mark with loss to Mayfield

Rocket eighth-grader Kash Myers works
in the backcourt against Mayfield's defense.

MARION, Ky. – Crittenden County boys’ basketball reached a dubious milestone Friday night, dropping its 50th straight game in a 68-28 loss to Mayfield.

The Rockets, now 0-14, last won in early February 2024 and have gone 3-65 over the past three seasons. Mayfield improved to 5-5 and extended its winning streak in the series to eight straight games dating back to 2012.

Mayfield built the margin early, leading 21-6 after the first quarter and 48-11 at halftime before cruising the rest of the way. The Cardinals outscored Crittenden 20-9 in the third quarter to push the lead to 60-20 entering the final period.

Emmitt Ellington paced Crittenden County with 11 points, tying his career best and Roane Topp added a half dozen points for CCHS.

Crittenden returns to action Saturday night at Webster County and will open play in the All A Classic on Tuesday against Heritage Christian.

Mayfield 21 48 60 68
Crittenden 6 11 20 28
MAYFIELD – Morris 9, Byrd 9, Flint 10, Hoover 6, Robbins 2, Kirby 16, Isiam 3, Todd 3, Taylor 2, Shultz 4, Davis 4. FG 29. 3-pointers 3. FT 5-13.
CRITTENDEN – Porter, Dayberry 2, C. Poindexter 2, Topp 6, B. Poindexter 4, Young 3, Martin, Ellington 11, Bumpus, Myers, FG 11. 3-pointers 3 (Ellington 2, Young). FT 3-7.

Lady Rockets take 3rd in Florida

Crittenden needed a solid team effort to keep Quaker Valley's 6-4 star
in check. Here, Elliot Evans, Andrea Federico, Anna Boone and Jordyn
Hodge all collapse toward Mimi Thiero at the high post.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Seniors Bristyn Rushing and Anna Boone supplied the inside-out punch with points, and senior defender Andrea Federico supplied the resistance as Crittenden County closed the KSA Holiday Tournament with a 59-51 win Wednesday over Quaker Valley, Pa., earning a 2-1 finish and third place against a field that demanded toughness at both ends of the floor.

The Lady Rockets improved to 9-3, finishing the week with two wins in three days in Orlando, while Quaker Valley slipped to 5-5 overall.

Boone carried the offensive load with 26 points and was later named Crittenden’s Tournament Most Valuable Player by KSA organizers. She was at her best late, scoring seven of Crittenden’s final points and calmly converting five free throws as the Lady Rockets used ball movement and clock management to protect the lead down the final stretch.

Senior Bristyn Rushing scored 16 points.

Rushing turned in one of her strongest performances, scoring a season-high 14 points. Her effort included multiple dives for loose balls, one of which resulted in a forearm cut that required brief stoppages for cleanup, but did little to slow her aggressiveness.

Federico anchored the defensive game plan against Quaker Valley star Mimi Thiero, a 6-foot-4 Division I commit and four-star prospect. Thiero showed her range and versatility early, handling the ball on the perimeter and knocking down three 3-pointers, but Federico’s physical defense limited her touches near the basket and forced difficult looks. Thiero had just one field goal in the fourth quarter, scoring the rest of her points at the free-throw line as Quaker Valley tried to stay within striking distance. 

Thiero has committed to Maryland. She's the younger sister of Los Angeles Lakers rookie Adou Thiero, who once played for the University of Kentucky.

Crittenden controlled much of the opening quarter, leading 17-11, and carried a slim 29-28 advantage into halftime. The Lady Rockets created breathing room in the third period, pushing the margin to 45-39 behind interior scoring from Rushing and timely baskets from Boone.

Quaker Valley trimmed the deficit to four midway through the fourth, but Boone answered with a left-handed scoop and an and-one finish to restore momentum. From there, Crittenden was patient, draining almost two minutes off the clock on one late possession and forcing the Quakers to foul.

Jordyn Hodge added 12 points while Elliot Evans scored seven. 

“I really wanted us to be in a bracket with teams that would be challenging to us,” coach Shannon Hodge said of her team’s play in Florida. “And each one of them was.”

With little time to scout opponents and minimal opportunity to prepare over the three-day series in the Sunshine State, Hodge said she was proud of her team’s performance but admitted some disappointment with the 2-1 finish after a two-point loss in the semifinal round.

“I am a little disappointed that we didn't win our game yesterday, but I'm very happy today because we won pretty big against a pretty good team. I am happy about that and our ability to make some adjustments without having any practice time.”

Crittenden returns home Saturday to face Mayfield at Rocket Arena before shifting its focus to the All A Classic next week. The Lady Rockets have won a region-record 10 All A titles since 1998, including the last three in a row and four of the past five, making the post-holiday stretch another measuring point as the calendar turns into January.

Crittenden County 17 29 45 59
Quaker Valley, Pa. 11 28 39 51
CRITTENDEN – Boone 26, Evans 7, Hodge 12, Federico, Rushing 14, Stewart. FG 20. 3-pointers 5 (Boone 3, Evans, Rushing). FT 12-14.
QUAKER VALLEY – Thiero 30, Watson 12, Cline 4, Campbell 3, Floro 2. FG 18. 3-pointers 4. FT 9-11.

Sixteen-point lead evaporates in Florida

A non-shooting foul was called as Jordyn Hodge
tried to get off a final shot for the Lady Rockets.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Big leads have a way of evaporating in southern Florida when focus wavers and the competition doesn’t.

Crittenden County watched a 16-point advantage disappear as Keyser’s Golden Tornado stayed composed, leaned on its ace and escaped with a 46-44 win in the semifinal found of the KSA Holiday Tournament at Gaylord Palms Resort. The loss was the third of the season for the Lady Rockets, now 8-3, while undefeated Keyser improved to 6-0 and again looked every bit like a West Virginia Class 3A state contender.

For much of the way, the game tilted heavily toward Crittenden. The Lady Rockets held Keyser to just six points in the first quarter, then led by double digits early in the second half and still carried a 39-31 cushion into the fourth quarter.

Then everything narrowed – the floor, the margin and Crittenden’s offensive options.

Cold shooting down the stretch, defensive complacencies and foul trouble for Anna Boone gave way to the West Virginians getting the most out of their best player. Boone, who averages about 14 points, finished with eight after picking up her third and fourth fouls in the third quarter and spending a good bit of the second half on the bench as a precautionary measure. She got back on the floor with about five minutes to go, but the Golden Tornado had already pulled to within one behind the play of its star, junior Riley “Bibs” Felton.

Felton, a 5-foot-11 shooting guard with a Division I offer from Radford University and interest from Marshall University, scored 31 of Keyser’s 46 points – two-thirds of the Tornado offense. She accounted for 12 of Keyser’s 18 field goals and two of its four 3-pointers.

Crittenden’s perimeter shooting, usually a strength, vanished when it mattered most. The Lady Rockets made just three 3-pointers, all by Jordyn Hodge. Boone and Elliot Evans, who typically combine for at least four from deep, went 0-for from long range. Hodge scored eight of Crittenden’s 14 second-half points and finished with a team-high 17. Andrea Federico was the only other CCHS player in double figures. She finished with 10 after scoring a half-dozen in the opening period to fuel Crittenden’s early lead.

Keyser began its comeback midway through the third quarter and closed it with poise in the fourth. Felton tied the game at 40-all on a strong drive, then pushed the Tornado ahead moments later. Crittenden clawed back as Hodge buried a 3-pointer with 1:02 remaining to tie the score at 44-44.

But Felton had the final word.

She drove the lane in the closing seconds, drew contact and converted at the line with three seconds left. Crittenden had one last chance, but the clock expired before the Lady Rockets could respond.

The loss pushed CCHS into the consolation side of the tournament bracket where they will play in the third-place game at 7:30 a.m., CST Wednesday against Pennsylvania’s Quaker Valley High School (5-4).

Crittenden County 20 30 39 44
Keyser, West Va. 6 20 31 46
CRITTENDEN – Boone 8, Evans 6, Hodge 17, Federico 10, Rushing 1, Holeman 2. FG 16. 3-pointers 3 (Hodge). FT 7-10.
KEYSER – Urice 7, Healy, Alt 2, Felton 31, Kesner 6. FG 18. 3-pointers 4 (Felton 2, Urice, Kesner). FT 5-9.

Lady Rockets blast Ohio in 2nd Half

 

Anna Boone scored 23 points. Here
she is is playing defense on the perimeter.

ORLANDO, Fla. – A slow start in the Sunshine State did little to deter Crittenden County on Monday.

After grinding through a physical first half against a larger Medina, Ohio squad, the Lady Rockets flipped the game after the break and pulled away for a convincing 59-36 victory in the opening round of the KSA Holiday Tournament at Gaylord Palms Resort.

Crittenden County, now 8-2, will face a significantly stiffer test Tuesday afternoon when it meets unbeaten Keyser High School in the tournament semifinals.

Medina, a 3-4 team from the Greater Cleveland area, made life difficult early with an aggressive half-court defense and a trapping zone that disrupted Crittenden County’s rhythm. The Battling Bees also found open looks from the perimeter in the first quarter and used their size to control much of the physical play around the basket and on the boards before halftime.

Despite those challenges, Crittenden stayed within striking distance, tied at 20 at the end of the first quarter and carrying a slim 30-28 advantage into the locker room as Anna Boone had 16 points, more than half of the Lady Rocket offense over the first two periods.

The tone changed decisively coming out of the break.

Elliot Evans ignited the surge with all five of her points in a one-minute span early in the third quarter, capped by a 3-pointer at the 5:44 mark that pushed the Lady Rockets into double figures for the first time. That basket sparked a run that turned a two-point game into a rout. Crittenden County closed the quarter on an 8-2 burst and led 50-30 entering the fourth.

Medina never recovered. The Ohio squad went scoreless from the field in the third quarter and managed just three fourth-period field goals, while also missing more than two-thirds of its free-throw attempts for the game.

Crittenden County’s defensive intensity and rebounding were markedly improved in the second half, limiting Medina’s second-chance opportunities and fueling a more aggressive offensive attack. Even with foul trouble looming for key players, the Lady Rockets maintained composure. Bristyn Rushing contributed seven points and five rebounds despite early fouls, and Andrea Federico logged extended minutes while playing carefully with four fouls.

Boone led the Lady Rockets with 23 points and six rebounds, while Jordyn Hodge added 18 points. Hodge later compared the challenge posed by Medina’s physicality to that of district rival Lyon County, which Crittenden County defeated in overtime earlier this season.

The Lady Rockets will face Keyser at 3 p.m. CST Tuesday. The Golden Tornado are 5-0 this season and have advanced to the West Virginia Class 3A Final Eight in each of the past two years, finishing 19-5 and 18-6. Another win would push CCHS into the tournament championship game, which is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. CST Wednesday.

WATCH POST-GAME VIDEO INTERVIEW HERE : (Facebook)

Medina, Ohio   20 28 30 36
Crittenden Co. 20 30 49 58
MEDINA – Fischer 2, Kelos 9, Miller 4, Kurke 2, Gilber 7, Dress 3, Shook 6, Novak 3. FG 14. 3-pointers 5. FT 3-11.
CRITTENDEN – Boone 23, Evans 5, Hodge 18, Federico 4, Rushing 7, Holeman 2. FG 22. 3-pointers 8 (Boone 3, Hodge 4, Evans). FT 9-11.