Lady Rockets advance to regional semifinals

 MARION, Ky. – Crittenden County’s voyage to just its fifth Second Region semifinal berth in school history was just about as smooth as the Lady Rockets could have asked for.

Out to an early lead that turned into double digits by the third quarter, Crittenden’s girls were sailing right along a peaceful sea until the Lady Storm mustered up one final gust of wind. Hopkins Central, winner of 18 games this season, came full bore in the final four minutes, deploying all the press it could muster. However, CCHS weathered the storm with a steady hand at the foul line and beat the Storm 42-30.

Crittenden County has now won in the quarterfinal round of the regional tournament three times since 2010 and only twice before that – in 1976 and 1984. Girls didn’t play basketball at Crittenden County until 1973.

The Fifth District champion Lady Rockets led by 15 points in the final seconds of the third quarter thanks to a three-pointer and 16-foot jumper for back-to-back buckets by eighth-grader Anna Boone, who finished with 10 points. Those points were critical for the Rocket girls to buoy the Storm’s final flurry. Eighth-grader Elliot Evans scored the team’s only field goal in the fourth period as CCHS relied on its keen foul shooting to close the door on Hopkins Central, which cut the Lady Rocket lead to nine with three minutes to go.

The Central girls struggled to get open shots against Crittenden’s defense and missed often. The Lady Storm made 11 field goals in the game, and Crittenden was equally unimpressive from the floor at times, settling for only 11 itself. Scoring sensation Taylor Guess led CCHS with 18 points, but counted only three fielders the whole way, none in the second half. However, she was 12-for-15 at the stripe where CCHS knocked in 14 points. Crittenden was 9-for-11 at the line in the final period and 5-for-6 in the last minute.

Hopkins Central’s second-leading scorer Brooklyn Clark was held to just two points. Guess spent much of the game guarding her, and Clark returned the favor, which cost her five fouls and she went to the bench with over five minutes to play. Emilie Jones got her typical 13 points per game for the Lady Storm, but no one else had more than five.

The Lady Rockets improved to 23-7, the second most wins in 29-year skipper Shannon Hodge’s career. As the CCHS coach, Hodge has now advanced three teams to regional semifinals and she played on the 1984 team that got there. 

Crittenden will play 18-11 Webster County – an opponent it split with during the regular season - in Wednesday’s 7:30pm semifinal at Madisonville. Henderson plays Madisonville in the 6pm semifinal matchup.

Hopkins Central 5 10 18 30
Crittenden Co. 8 21 31 42
HOPKINS – Fritz 3, Mason 5, Peyton, White, Clark 2, Sutton 3, Jones 13, Greer 4. FG 12. 3-pointers 1 (Jones). FT 5-9.
CRITTENDEN – Guess 18, N.Boone 4, A.Boone 10, Hatfield 6, Driskill 2, Evans 2. FG 13. 3-pointers 2 (A.Boone). FT 14-18.

Lady Rockets draw path to regional title; boys get Hoptown

Lady Rocket celebrate Thursday, collecting
the Fifth District championship trophy 

Crittenden County couldn't have asked for much more hope based on past results. For the path to a regional championship berth includes teams the girls have already handled this season. 

The Lady Rockets drew Hopkins Central for the opening round of the Second Region Tournament which begins at 6:30pm Monday at Rocket Arena. The CCHS girls are in the lower bracket with three teams they have already beaten this season. And just as importantly, CCHS is away from the region's top-rated team, Henderson County, which is on the other side of the regional bracket. Based on potential pairings, Crittenden wouldn't see Henderson until the championship game Friday. The Lady Colonels are ranked No. 12 in the state, according to the latest Associated Press poll.

Crittenden (22-7) beat Hopkins Central (18-10) by 7 points on Feb. 15 at Marion.

The rest of Crittenden's half of the regional bracket includes Hopkinsville and Webster County. The Lady Rockets defeated Hopkinsville by 17 points on Feb. 17 at Marion and split with Webster during the regular season. The Rocket girls beat the Lady Trojans 60-45 in December at Rocket Arena, but lost 55-35 to the Webster girls Feb. 10 at Dixon.

Webster will play at Hopkinsville on Monday. The first rounds games are all played at sites hosted by district champions. The semifinals and championship will played at Madisonville. 

Crittenden has won the regional championship just one time in history. That was in 2011 when the girls beat Henderson for the crown. Coach Shannon Hodge's team's 22 wins this season are the second most in her 29-year coaching career.

The Rockets (14-16) drew Hopkinsville as its first-round opponent. That game will be played at 6:30pm Tuesday at Hoptown. Admission will be cash at the gate.

Crittenden's boys' path to a possible regional title, which would be their first ever, is much more challenging. Hopkinsville is (21-6) is widely considered the second best team in the region. Hoptown has lost only twice against regional teams this season – Lyon and Webster. Crittenden and Hopkinsville have not met this season. 

The other side of Crittenden's boys' bracket includes Henderson County (18-12) and Hopkins Central (14-12). Crittenden has faced only HopCentral this season, losing by 10.

2ND REGION TOURNAMENT
District Champions Host First Rounds
GIRLS’ TOURNAMENT
OPENING ROUND MONDAY, Feb. 28
Hopkins Central at Crittenden County, 6:30pm

Webster County at Hopkinsville, 6:30pm

Christian County at Henderson County, 6:30pm

Lyon County at Madisonville, 6:30pm
SEMIFINAL FINALS

WEDNESDAY, March 2
At Madisonville, 6pm and 7:30pm
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

FRIDAY, March 4
At Madisonville, 7pm

BOYS’ TOURNAMENT

OPENING ROUND TUESDAY, March 1

Union County at Madisonville, 6:30pm

Christian County at Lyon County, 6:30pm

Hopkins Central at Henderson County, 6:30pm

Crittenden County at Hopkinsville, 6:30pm

SEMIFINAL FINALS

THURSDAY, March 3

At Hopkinsville, 6pm and 7:30pm

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

SATURDAY, March 5

At Hopkinsville, 1pm

Rockets fall to Lyon in 5DISTRICT title game

Rocket defenders Dylan Yates
and Hayden Adamson work the front
and back of Lyon's Jackson Shoulders.

MARION, Ky. – The last time Crittenden County beat Lyon County on the basketball court was two years ago in Marion when the Rockets mitigated Lyon’s big man in the middle and shot the lights out on their own goals. 

Crittenden had hoped for the same kind of magic Friday when the Lyons rolled into Rocket Arena for the Fifth District championship game. 

Instead, Lyon senior center Jackson Shoulders set the tone early – scoring 18 of his 21 points in the first half – and his running mates befuddled Crittenden’s offense, forcing turnovers and making the Rockets live off the perimeter. The result was less than palatable for CCHS which fell behind early and lost 86-48.

Still, Crittenden (14-16) will advance to next week’s Second Region Tournament. The Rockets will play Tuesday night at 6:30 either at Henderson, Hopkinsville or Madisonville. All of those teams won their respective districts and will host a first-round game. 

Lyon (25-6) advances to the regional tournament and will host a game Tuesday against either Christian County, Union County or Hopkins Central. 

The tournament draw will be held via Zoom Saturday morning.

Rocket guards Travis Champion and Preston Morgeson were each named to the all-district team. 

Lyon County 25 50 70 86
Crittenden Co. 13 30 42 48
LYON – J.Shoulders 21, B.Shoulders 11, Perry 33, Reddick 10, Whalin 5, Bingham 2, Gilbert, Parker, Cissell, Ray, Radivoynk, Kirk 4, Breedlove, Burchette, Dunning. FG 37. 3-pointers 6 (J.Shoulders 2, B.Shoulders, Perry 3, Reddick 2). FT 3-6.
CRITTENDEN – Morgeson 10, Champion 14, Beverly, Adamosn 12, Hatfield, Crider, Davidson 2, Keller, Derrington 6, Guess, Hutchison, Conyer, Yates, Cooksey 4. FG 20. 3-pointers 7 (Morgeson 2, Champion, Adamson 2, Derrington 2). FT 1-1.

Lady Rockets win district crown in OT

Senior Grace Driskill cuts down the net.

MARION, Ky. – It took Crittenden County overtime and a fourth-quarter superhuman effort by junior stalwart Taylor Guess to lift the Fifth District Tournament championship trophy Thursday night at Rocket Arena.

Guess scored 17 of her game-high 28 points in the fourth to lead CCHS back from a double-digit deficit and force an extra period where it won 58-54 in a thrilling finish.

“We came out not hitting any of our shots and really not focusing on our offense,” said Guess, who became the team’s all-time leading scorer just days earlier in the first round of the district tournament. “Towards the end of the third quarter we picked it up and ran our offenses right and shots starting falling.”

The Lady Rockets won the tournament for the first time since claiming back-to-back tiles in 2017 and 2018.

Natalie Boone (11) fights for position against
Lilly Perry in the second half.

Guess and her teammates struggled offensively early and were out-rebounded by the Lyons, who finish the season 16-14. Four three-pointers by LCHS’s freshman Lilly Perry and an enormous offensive effort by junior Ella Defew helped the Lyons take a 12-point lead by halftime. Perry finished with 17 points and Defew had 16, more than double her scoring average.

Crittenden still couldn’t find the basket in the third period, shooting 28 percent from the floor, but its defense smothered the Lyons in the second half. The Rocket girls began closing the gap despite its inability to handle the taller Lyons on the boards. Crittenden had just one second chance shot on its end until it pulled down a couple of offensive boards with 18 seconds in regulation that gave Guess a chance to drop her only three-pointer of the game. That bucket pulled pulled Crittenden to within one, 40-49.

Lyon made one of two foul shots on the ensuing exchange and Guess went from baseline to baseline for a layup to tie the game at 51 with three seconds to go. It was the first time CCHS had tied it or led since the first two minutes of the game.

District Champions

In overtime, junior Natalie Boone drained a three-pointer and Guess scored with 40 seconds to go for a 56-54 lead courtesy of Lyon missing three of four free throws in the final 1:19. Guess put the contest away with a couple of foul shots with 14 seconds to go.

The Lady Rockets (22-7) had suffered a tough loss to Lyon in January during the All A Classic and this win proved a measure of revenge. 

“We really came out here with a lot of pressure,” said the Lady Rockets’ only senior Grace Driskill, pointing to that All A Classic overtime loss a few weeks ago.

“We felt it, we dealt it. We really were just excited to come back from the All A. We were fighting really hard and it was down the wire at the end, but I knew we were going to pull through.”

Coach Shannon Hodge won her fourth district championship in 29 seasons as head coach, and the third since 2017. She also played on two district championship teams in the 

"We struggled offensively at the begging of the game, and really into the second half. We didn't knock down the shots that we normally do. We rushed ourselves, I thought, a little bit offensively," said Hodge. "On the defensive end of the floor, we just failed to get stops because we did not keep them off of the boards."

"Finally in the second half our defense picked it up a bit and caused few turnovers, and we knocked down a few shots to get ourselves back within 5 or 6 points. Then we just kept chipping away and made some big shots and big plays at the end," Hodge added.

As a district champion, Crittenden will host a first-round game in the Second Region Tournament which starts Monday. The Lady Rockets will play either Christian County, Hopkins Central or Webster County.

Guess, Natalie Boone and Anna Boone were each named to the All District Team and Guess was chosen Player of the Year in the league.

Lyon County 20 32 40 51 54
Crittenden Co. 13 20 30 51 58
LYON – Butler, Smith 11, Collins 10, Taylor, Holland, Defew 16, Perry 17. FG 21. 3-pointers 4 (Perry 4). FT 8-18.
CRITTENDEN – Guess 28, N.Boone 13, A.Boone 12, Hatfield, Driskill 5, Evans. FG 24. 3-pointers 4 (A.Boone 2, N.Boone, Guess). FT 6-11.

Rockets will play for 5DISTRICT title 5th year in a row

When historians write the story of this season’s Rocket basketball team, coach Denis Hodge wants them to be sure to note what was missing. Yet, Crittenden County is right back in the same place it’s been for the past five Februaries.

After beating Trigg County 55-54 Tuesday in the opening round of the Fifth District Tournament, Hodge talked about the pride he has in this players – a patchwork of mostly role players on a team that lost almost all of its scoring when two All Region performers (Gabe Mott and Preston Turley) graduated after last season.

“I was super proud of our guys. I don’t know how many people realize it, but our guys have fought their way into the regional tournament five years in a row. And that’s a big deal,” the coach said.

Crittenden (14-15)  couldn’t get much going inside against taller Trigg defenders, but its outside shooting was key. After trailing by six early, the Rockets managed to inch ahead in the second period and then reeled off an 11-2 run in the third quarter fueled by three straight treys by senior Hayden Adamson.

The Rockets never trailed again, but its 14-point advantage disappeared in the fourth quarter, and the final minutes were quite tenuous. Trailing by one, Trigg (14-14) had the ball near the basket on its own baseline in the final seconds, but Luke Washer tried to dish it back to Jhaden Vaughn in the corner and his pass was deflected by Rocket senior Trace Derrington. He and Vaughn tied the ball up, giving CCHS possession with 3.7 seconds to go. The Rockets misfired on the front end of a bonus foul shot situation, giving Trigg yet another half-court Hail-Mary opportunity. That shot grossly missed its mark, sending the Rockets to their fifth straight Fifth District championship game Friday against Lyon County. The Lyons have won three straight district crowns. Crittenden beat Lyon for the title in 2018.

Trigg County 12 22 41 54
Crittenden Co. 12 26 46 55
TRIGG – Ahart, Gude 3, Shearer 3, J.Vaughn 25, Washer 2, Adams 13, Reynolds, K.Vaughn 8, Parham. FG 21. 3-pointers 3 (Gude, Shearer, J.Vaughn). FT 9-18.
CRITTENDEN – Morgeson 12, Champion 21, Beverly 3, Adamson 17, Crider, Davidson, Derrington, Cooksey 2, Conyer, Yates. FG 19. 3-pointers 8 (Morgeson 2, Adamson 5, Champion). FT 9-13.

Lady Rockets win, Guess becomes scoring queen

Taylor Guess is now CCHS's all-time
leading scorer in basketball.

MARION, Ky. – Crittenden County beat Livingston Central 42-35 Monday in the opening round of the Fifth District Tournament and junior Taylor Guess became the school’s all-time leading scorer.

Going into the game, Guess needed eight points to eclipse the previous record of 1,825 points set by Cassidy Moss in 2017. She scored 24, including four straight baskets to close out the first half as CCHS took the game’s lead for the first time. 

The Lady Rockets had opened the contest with a cold offensive hand. Guess missed all four shots she took in the first period, and her teammates followed suit. Junior center Addie Hatfield had Crittenden’s only two buckets nine minutes into the game, and CCHS trailed by eight, 13-3.

Then, Guess got hot and Anna Boone dropped in a three-pointer as the Lady Rockets went on a 13-2 scoring spurt to grab a 20-15 lead by the half. They never trailed again as Guess scored 10 of her points in the second period, including the basket that made her the queen of CCHS scoring.

The Lady Rockets will play Lyon County for the district championship at 7pm Thursday at Marion. Lyon bested Trigg County 54-45 in the other first-round game Monday.

Livingston Central 11 15 26 35
Crittenden County 3 18 28 42
LIVINGSTON – Downey 5, Joiner 6, Leahey 8, Holman, Hargrove 7, Ramage 6. FG 15. 3-pointers 2 (Hargrove, Downey). FT 3-4.
CRITTENDEN – Guess 24, N.Boone 5, A.Boone 7, Hatfield 5, Driskill, Evans 1. FG 15. 3-pointers 2 (N.Boone, A.Boone). FT 10-13.

Morgeson scores career high in loss

PRINCETON, Ky. – The Rockets made 11 three-pointers in the final regular-season game, but came up a bit short in a 79-69 loss at Caldwell County.

Preston Morgeson, a junior guard, has been on an offensive roll recently and scored a career-high 29 points to pace the Rockets, who trailed the entire way, but the game was close from start to finish. Morgeson had a half dozen three-pointers.

Crittenden goes into postseason with a 13-15 record. Caldwell finishes the season at 18-10. The Rockets have lost six straight games to the Tigers dating back to 2010.

The Rockets host the Fifth District Tournament starting Tuesday. They open against Trigg County.

Crittenden Co. 11 31 52 69
Caldwell County 21 37 59 79
CRITTENDEN – Morgeson 29, Champion 14, Beverly 10, Adamson, Crider, Davidson 4, Derrington 8,Yates 2, Cooksey 2. FG: 25. 3-pointers 11 (Morgeson 6, Champion, Beverly 2, Derrington 2). FT: 8-10.
CALDWELL – Bumpus 19, Spikes 29, Ca. Whittington 6, Riley 6, Joyner, Vivrette 3, Thompson 16, Shahean. FG: 27 3-pointers 9 (Bumps 4, Spikes, Vivrette, Thompson 3) FT: 16-30.

Guess gets 38 as Lady Rockets beat Hoptown for 20th

MARION, Ky. – Crittenden County’s girls won their 20th basketball game of the season Thursday at home and junior Taylor Guess all but guaranteed she’ll become the school’s all-time scoring leader next week.

The Lady Rockets closed out regular-season play with an impressive 63-46 win over Hopkinsville as Guess scored a career-high 38 points and moved to within seven of tying Cassidy Moss’s scoring mark of 1,825 set in 2017.

Coach Shannon Hodge said Guess got going early, taking the ball to the basket, and the defense played very well much of the way, particularly its periodic press. Hopkinsville (13-12) out-rebounded Crittenden by a wide margin, but the Lady Tigers couldn't convert those boards into points. 

CCHS (20-7) trailed by two points in the first period, but otherwise led the entire way, building its largest margin of 19 points in the fourth period.

Hoptown had not lost to the Lady Rockets since 2004.

For just the fifth time in school history the team has posted 20 wins or more. It’s the third time Coach Hodge has had a team do it in the past 29 seasons. Her previous 20-win squads were in 2011 and 2017. Hodge played for two teams in the 1980s that also got at least 20 victories. 

Crittenden County will host the Fifth District Tournament, which starts Monday. The Lady Rockets will play Livingston Central in the 6pm game. Trigg County and Lyon County play the nightcap.

The Rockets beat Fort Campbell 67-48 in the second game of Thursday's doubleheader. Crittenden, now 13-14, plays at Caldwell County Friday night then opens district tournament play Tuesday at Marion against Trigg County.

Hopkinsville 15 23 30 46
Crittenden Co. 12 25 48 63
Bellamy 2, Fleming 6, Earthman 3, Forte 8, Dansbury 3, Hill 3, Sharber 1, Flowers 12, Cherry 2, Pendleton 4, Green 2. FG 17. 3-pointers 2. FT 8-21.
Guess 38, N.Boone 11, A.Boone 2, Hatfield 6, Driskill 4, Evans 2, Hunt, Federico. FG 20. 3-pointers 2 (Guess, N.Boone). FT 21-30.

Fort Campbell         13 19 29 48

Crittenden Co. 20 36 52 67

FT CAMPBELL – Tate, Castro, Blaszkowski 16, C.Tate 5, Garcia, Waddy 15, Lewis 8, Moore 3, Westbrook 1. FG 15. 3-pointers 3. FT 11-15.

CRITTENDEN – Morgeson 7, Champion 19, Beverly 3, Adamson, Crider, Davidson 5, Keller 3, Derrington 13, Hutchison 2, Conyer 4, Yates 5, Cooksey 6. FG 29. 3-pointers 3 (Morgeson, Champion, Beverly). FT 6-14.

Rocket Basketball: Fifth District Preview

Lady Rocket Basketball: Fifth District Preview

Girls win at home; boys close at Union

MARION, Ky. – The Lady Rockets won for the 19th time Tuesday, giving Crittenden County a chance to break the 20-win threshold for just the fifth time in school history and third in Shannon Hodge’s coaching career.

Tuesday’s 50-43 victory over Hopkins Central was a quality win. The Lady Storm has been one of the toughest teams in the Second Region, posting a 17-8 record this season. Based on KHSAA power rankings, Crittenden and Hopkins Central went into the game ranked No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, in the region.

It was an inside-out affair early as Crittenden used three-pointers to match Hopkins Central’s inside scoring. CCHS (19-7) led most the first half, but settled for a three-point deficit at the break. It was the only time Crittenden trailed. The Rocket girls retook the lead for good a few possessions into the third period and led by as many as 10 early in the fourth.

Only the starting five Lady Rockets played in the contest and each of them scored four or more points. Taylor Guess finished with 15, Natalie Boone had 14 and Anna Boone scored a dozen. The Boone sisters combined for five three-pointers.

Crittenden closes out its regular season at home against Hopkinsville Thursday. It could break a 10-year losing streak against the Lady Tigers and pick up a 20th win ahead of the Fifth District Tournament, which starts Monday at Rocket Arena.
 
Crittenden County 14 22 41 50
Hopkins Central 12 25 34 43
HOPKINS CENTRAL – Fritz 5, White 4, Clark 11, Sutton 14, Jones 5, Greer 4, Mason, Gant. FG: 18. 3-pointers: 2 (Fritz, Jones) FT: 5-8.
CRITTENDEN – Guess 15, N. Boone 14, A. Boone 12, Hatfield 5, Driskill 4 FG: 16. 3-pointers: 5 (N. Boone 2, A.Boone 3). FT: 13-25

Morgeson, Champion combine for 49 points

MORGANFIELD, Ky. – Preston Morgeson upped his game another notch at Union County on Tuesday as he and backcourt mate Travis Champion combined for nearly 50 points. It wasn’t enough, however.

The Rockets played the Braves close wire to wire, but couldn't pull off the upset after leading by a point to start the fourth quarter. CCHS lost 71-68.

Morgeson, who’s been on a scoring tangent lately, poured in six three-pointers en route to 26 points. Champion added 23, but Union County had four players in double figures.

Crittenden County fell to 12-14 on the season while the Braves improved to 17-8.

Crittenden Co. 22 36 52 68
Union County 17 37 51 71
CRITTENDEN – Morgeson 26, Champion 23, Beverly 5, Adamson 5, Derrington 7, Yates 2, Cooksey 5. FG 27. 3-pointers 10 (Morgeson 6, Champion 3, Derrington). FT 4-8.
UNION – Corbett 15, Johnson, Manuel 22, Mayes 3, Mackey 14, Adams, King 3, Kanipe 14, Theus. FG 26. 3-pointers 9 (Corbett 2, Manuel 2, Mayes, Mackey 3, Kanipe). FT 10-14.

Mandatory outage sharpens Morgeson's game

Morgeson has averaged 18 points in the
past 7 Crittenden County games.

MARION, Ky. – Since serving a two-game suspension a about a month ago for an ejection, junior Preston Morgeson has developed a more disciplined approach, and it’s paying dividends for the Rockets.

He scored a game-high 18 points Saturday as Crittenden County dispatched 14-8 Carlisle County 53-51 in a game that went right down the wire. 

Morgeson, who earlier in the season was prone to foul trouble which kept him on the bench for minutes at a time, didn’t pick up his first personal foul until late in the third quarter against the Comets. Meanwhile his offensive and defensive presence was a key ingredient in the win. He dropped four three-pointers, giving CCHS a big lift at key junctures.

In the Jan. 13 game where the junior was suspended for a flagrant foul and the five contests leading up to it, Morgeson averaged 8.2 points a game. In contests since his return, Morgeson is scoring right at 18 an outing.

The Rockets led virtually the entire way against Carlisle, but it was a one-point game in the final minute. CCHS made its foul shots down the stretch to close the deal and improve to 12-13.

Sophomore Travis Champion scored 17 for Crittenden, and Carlisle scoring stalwart Garrett Hayden – who put up 70 in a game earlier this season against Tilghman – led shared Comet high-scoring honors at 14 with sophomore Carter Burnett. Hayden, a senior, had been on the shelf lately, recovering from a knee injury.

The Rockets will be at Union County (16-8) Tuesday and will have just two more regular-season contests next week before the playoffs begin.

Carlisle County 11 20 32 51
Crittenden Co. 17 28 41 53
CARLISLE – Oliver, Grogan 5, Keeling 10, Draper 4, Newsom 2, Williams, Burnett 14, Perez, Hayden 14, Martin 2. FG 20. 3-pointers 6. FT 5-7.
CRITTENDEN – Morgeson 18, Champion 17, Beverly, Adamson 6, Crider 2, Davidson, Derrington 5, Yates, Cooksey 5. FG 19. 3-pointers 5 (Morgeson 4, Derrington). FT 10-18.

Lady Rocket comeback peters out in 4th

MARION, Ky. – Although it came up it too short, Crittenden County’s recovery effort against Union County Saturday afternoon at Rocket Arena deserves a nomination nod for Comeback of the Year.

Down 19 right out of the gate, Crittenden looked to be ready for the shower, but the girls regrouped and brought a package of defensive fire that turned the Bravettes over a few times, slowed traffic in the lane and gave junior tandem Taylor Guess and Natalie Boone a chance to come alive offensively. The duo combined for all the team’s 16 second-quarter points as CCHS scratched to within striking distance by the half.

Crittenden keep chiseling away early in the second half, even taking the lead once, 40-39, on a Guess coast-to-coast layup in the third period. However, its buildup from the bottom left CCHS short of fuel in the last five minutes and the Lady Rockets lost back-to-back games for the third time this season.

Union’s 61-56 victory also snapped a Crittenden County 16-game home winning streak dating back to January of last year.

Guess, who led CCHS with 29 points, is just 60 away from tying the school’s all-time scoring record held by Cassidy Moss. Boone finished with 18, including four threes that helped CCHS’s resurgence after an unfavorable start.

Crittenden fell to 18-7 on the season while Union improved to 13-12, beating the Rockets girls for the fifth time in the last six encounters. 

The Lady Rockets have just two regular-season games left. They host Hopkins Central (17-6) on Tuesday and Hopkinsville (11-11) on Thursday. Hopkins Central is having its best season in quite some time and the Lady Rockets haven't beaten Hopkinsville in more than 10 years. So, the final stretch will be tough for Crittenden's girls, who won eight straight to start the season, but have played .500 ball the last eight games.

Union County 20 29 39 61
Crittenden Co. 5 21 40 56
UNION – Goodlowe 6, Theus, Morris 23, Hagan 7, Mackey 19, Steward, R.Hagan 6, Hibbs, Gough. FG 20. 3-pointers 7 (Goodlowe 2, Morris, Mackey 2, R.Hagan 2). FT 15-20.
CRITTENDEN – Guess 29, N.Boone 18, A.Boone 7, Hatfield, Driskill, Evans 2, McDaniel. FG 21. 3-pointers 7 (Guess 2, N.Boone 4, A.Boone). FT 9-12.

Rockets wallop Dawson Springs at RA

MARION, Ky. – Crittenden County drained five three-pointers in the first eight minutes to blow the doors open against Dawson Springs Friday night at Rocket Arena.

CCHS kept the pressure on in the second period and walked away with a 67-33 victory, its 11th in 24 games this season.

Travis Champion scored 20. Trace Derrington and Preston Morgeson had 14 and 13 points, respectively. Together, they had five of the team’s seven three-point shots.

The Rockets host Carlisle County Saturday. There will be a varsity doubleheader at Rocket Arena with the girls hosting Union County at 4pm. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony is between games.

Dawson Springs 8 13 27 33
Crittenden Co. 25 39 55 67
DAWSON – Skinner 8, Cunningham, Blue 5, Johnston 6, Nieters 8, Fain, Mann, Fowler, Mitchell, Whalen 6, Plunkett. FG 11. 3-pointers 5. FT 6-8.
CRITTENDEN – Morgeson 13, Champion 20, Beverly 2, Adamson 6, Hatfield 3, Davidson 2, Crider, Derrington 14, Keller, Hutchison 1, Sharp, Conyer 2, Yates, Cooksey 2. FG 24. 3-pointers 7 (Morgeson 3, Adamson 2, Derrington 2). FT 13-20.

Lady Rockets were perfect in 1974

The 1920 Marion girls' basketball team

Crittenden County High School’s first girls’ basketball team was perfect, but the real women’s hoops pioneers didn’t win a single game.

When the Lady Rocket basketball team got off to an 8-0 start this season, The Press reported that it was the best start in school history. Mary Anne Green Kelley, one of the players from 1974’s CCHS basketball team, sent us a message pointing out that her team was even better.

With some research, it was indeed uncovered that the 1973-74 Lady Rockets – the very first county school basketball team for females – started 9-0. In fact, that’s how the team ended the season. It played just nine games that inaugural season, and won all of them. The team was coached by Cindy Almendinger.

Research into the matter also uncovered a long lost story about the first girls’ team in Marion, which dates back to 1920. The team lost all four games it played that season. An excerpt in the yearbook from that school year reads, “This was the first year for the girls of MHS to try their strength in athletics and taking in consideration all of our drawbacks it must be admitted that we brought forth a good team even if it were a losing team. Although we didn’t win a game we felt that the basketball season was a real success for it taught us all how to be goods losers and to play harder when being defeated.”

The attached photograph was taken for the 1920 Marion High School yearbook. These are the first students to form a girls’ high school basketball team in the county. Pictured are (from left) Robbie Fowler, Jessie Elkins, Fannie Moore, Elizabeth Dollar, Leoda McWhirter, Melba Williams, Dollie Enoch, Marie Lowery, Evalyn Moore, Katherine Hughes and coach George Gumbert. 

Coach Shannon Hodge wasn't too pleased
with some of the calls that went against CCHS.

DIXON, Ky. – After leading at the break, the Lady Rocket offense was a no-show for the last half as Webster County came from behind to beat Crittenden County 55-35.

The Lady Trojans did a good job slowing CCHS leading scorer Taylor Guess, who fouled out in the fourth period. Guess had just one field goal in the game. She scored seven from the foul line the first quarter and didn’t score in the second or third periods. 

With Guess drawing extra defensive attention from the Trojan girls and being held below her scoring average, CCHS needed offensive life from elsewhere in the lineup, but didn't get much. 

Eighth-grader Elliot Evans came off the bench to score all of her 10 points in the second period.

Webster owned the second half, rushing out to a lead with a 22-10 run and never looking back as CCHS struggled in its half-court offense. CCHS scored only two field goals in the second half.

The Lady Rockets, who beat Webster in their matchup at Marion earlier this season, fell to 18-6. Webster County improved to 15-8. The Trojans girls have won four of their last five, losing only to Henderson County by one.

Crittenden hosts Union County Saturday in a 4pm tipoff. The annual Crittenden County Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held after the girls' game and before the boys' game.

Crittenden County 12 23 29 35
Webster County 9 20 38 55
CRITTENDEN – Guess 11, N.Boone 4, A.Boone, Evans 10, Hatfield 6, Driskill 4. FG 8. 3-pointers 2 (N.Boone, Evans). FT 17-25.
WEBSTER – Shepherd, Wright, Cates, Shoulders 5, Thompson 3, Hinton 6, Austin, Rakestraw 2, H.Yates 9, Price 22, Katlyn Cates 8. FG 20. 3-pointers 8 (Thompson, Hinton 2, Yates 3, Cates 2). FT 7-10.

5th District Tournament Brackets

 

Click Images to Enlarge

Tournament will be held at Rocket Arena in Marion, Ky.

Rockets misfire in 4th, fall by 10 to Hopkins Central

Crittenden County had some nice offensive runs against Hopkins Central Tuesday, but couldn’t find a hot hand down the stretch at home, and let a third-quarter lead disappear in a 59-49 loss to the Storm.

Hopkins Central, featuring Marcus Eaves, the seventh-leading scorer in the state, didn’t find is offensive rhythm either, and Crittenden had a chance. The Rockets trailed by five at the break, but Travis Champion and Preston Morgeson tagged team for a couple of three-pointers early in the third period to touch off a scoring spurt and a four-point lead. 

However, Hopkins Central roared back with a 10-0 run to retake a six-point advantage two minutes later.

The Rockets tried to shoot themselves back into it after failing behind by double digits in the final period, but missed a handful of threes down the stretch before falling to 10-13 on the season.

Eaves finished with just 14 points for Hopkins Central, half his average. The Storm improved to 10-9.

Champion led the Rockets with 19.

Hopkins Central 17 33 51 59
Crittenden Co. 19 28 42 49
HOPKINS CENTRAL – Eaves 14, Weldon 7, Skeen 10, Belt, Morris 10, Hooke, Hall 12, Jones 6. FG 20. 3-pointers 5 (Eaves, Skeen 2, Jones 2). FT 14-28.
CRITTENDEN COUNTY – Morgeson 6, Champion 19, Beverly 4, Adamson 6, Crider, Davidson 2, Derrington 8, Yates, Cooksey 4. FG 18. 3-pointers 5 (Derrington 2, Adamson 2, Morgeson). FT 8-13.

Lady Rockets have hands full with 18th win

Crittenden County’s girls had their hands full with McLean County Tuesday night at Rocket Arena.

The Lady Rockets maintained a narrow lead most of the basketball game, but nearly let it slip away in the waning moments. Crittenden missed five straight foul shots at one point in the final minute, but held on to beat McLean 50-45.

The Lady Cougars came into the game with just seven wins, but the scrappy bunch kept steady defensive pressure on CCHS, forcing a number of turnovers and showing an ability score off the dribble.

CCHS junior scoring stalwart Taylor Guess got started slowly with just two fielders in the first half while the Boone sisters – Natalie and Anna – posted 19 of the team’s 28 first-half points. Guess made three “and-one-baskets” in the fourth quarter to finish with 17. Natalie Boone led with 18 points and Anna Boone scored 10.

Crittenden won for the 18th time against five losses this season, marking the 5th most victories in school history.

McLean County 11 21 34 45
Crittenden County 14 28 36 50
MCLEAN – Burrough 6, Rice 8, Blades 3, Patterson 12, Eaton 2, Miller 8, Frailley 6, Bell. FG 16. 3-pointers 3 (Frailley, Burrough, Blades). FT 10-15.
CRITTENDEN – Guess 17, N.Boone 18, A.Boone 10, Hatfield, Driskill 2, Evans 3, McDaniel. FG 15. 3-pointers 5 (N.Boone 4, A.Boone). FT 13-15.

Lady Rockets blast Dawson Springs

Elle McDaniel works the ball up the floor
against a Dawson Springs defender.

MARION, Ky. – Crittenden County was far too much for Dawson Springs Monday night at Rocket Arena, dispatching the Lady Panthers 52-29, and it wasn’t 

that close.

The Lady Rocket defense held Dawson to four points in the first half. The Panthers had a very difficult time scoring against the CCHS first-tearmers.

Everyone on the Lady Rocket bench played and 10 girls scored. Junior Taylor Guess led scorers with a dozen and eighth-grader Elliot Evans 10.

Dawson fell to 6-13 on the season.

The Lady Rockets improved to 17-5 on the season 

and will host McLean County (5-17) on Tuesday.

Crittenden Co. 16 32 43 52
Dawson Springs 1 4 16 29
DAWSON – Spurlin 2, Drennan 1, Randolph 3, Back 1, Oldham 2, Harper 3, Ward 17. FG 11. 3-pointers 4 (Randolph, Harper, Ward 2). FT 3-12
CRITTENDEN – Guess 12, N.Boone 3, A.Boone 2,  Hatfield 2, Driskill 8, Evans 10, McDaniel 9, Long 2, Hunt 2, Holeman 2, Tapp, Federico. FG 21. 3-pointers 4 (Guess, N.Boone, Evans, McDaniel). FT6-8.

Rockets fall to Lyon after close first half

CCHS's Travis Champion wins this one to
the basket against Lyon's Travis Perry.

MARION, Ky. – Crittenden County faced Lyon County for the final time during the regular season and after a close first half, bowed to the league-leading Lyons 92-58.

The Rockets led briefly in the first period, but Lyon deployed its full-court press and created some problems for CCHS. The Lyons went ahead in the second period for good and never looked back. A 13-8 run out of the chute in the second half opened their lead, and by the start of the fourth period it was a 20-point game.

CCHS junior Preston Morgeson dropped six threes, four in the first half, to keep the game tight for a time. He finished with 19 and Travis Champion had 17.

Lyon’s Travis Perry scored seven threes and finished with 28. Jackson Shoulders had 21 for the Lyons.

The Rockets, now 10-12 overall, fell to 2-4 in wrapping up regular-season district play. The Lyons, undefeated in district action, will close out league play Tuesday at Livingston Central. The Lyons are 16-5 overall.

Lyon County 19 42 65 92
Crittenden Co. 15 32 46 58
LYON – J.Shoulders 21, Perry 28, B.Shoulders 6, Reddick 10, Whalin 2, Gilbert 2, Bingham 9, Parker 2, Cissell, Ray 2, Kirk 5, Radivonyk, Breedlove, Burchett, Downing 5. FG 37. 3-pointers 9 (Perry 7, J.Shoulders, Downing). FT 9-18.
CRITTENDEN – Morgeson 19, Champion 17, Beverly 2, Adamson 8, Hatfield, Crider, Davidson 2, Keller, Derrington, Guess 2, Hutchison 3, Sharp, Conyer 1, Yates 4, Cooksey. FG 23. 3-pointers 10 (Morgeson 6, Champion, Adamson 2, Hutchison). FT 2-5.

Trigg comeback erases 13-point CCHS lead

CCHS senior Dylan Yates drained this
25 footer in the second half.

CADIZ, Ky. – Crittenden County watched a 13-point lead disappear in the fourth quarter Tuesday night at Trigg County as the Wildcats stole the 57-56 district win in the final two minutes.

It was an early February preview of what will be an opening round matchup in the Fifth District Tournament later this month at Rocket Arena.

Pole to pole, Crittenden led nearly the whole way. Trigg had tied it twice – at 18 and 27 – and led only one other time – by two at the half – until they went ahead for good with six seconds to go on a putback by Khyran Vaughn.

CCHS held a five-point advantage to start the final period, but a little more than two minutes into the fourth quarter, the Rockets were up by a baker’s dozen. 

Trigg’s offense, which had been as unreliable as a barbless fishing hook most of the contest, was awakened down the stretch and used fielders and the foul line to pull off the comeback. Wildcat sophomore Jhayden Vaughn scored 10 of his team-high 19 points in the final six minutes. Meanwhile, the Rockets went flat late and missed 9 of 17 foul shots in the last eight minutes.

Crittenden fell to 10-11 on the season and Trigg improved to 11-10. The Rockets, who had defeated Trigg by two points at Marion in December, are now 3-2 in the district. Trigg wrapped up its league play at 3-3.

Crittenden 12 21 37 56
Trigg County 8 23 32 57
CRITTENDEN – Morgeson 12, Champion 26, Beverly, Adamson 1, Crider, Davidson, Conyer, Derrington 7, Yates 4, Cooksey 6. FG 21. 3-pointers 4 (Morgeson, Champion 2, Derrington). FT 10-23.
TRIGG - Ahart 4, Gude 2, Shearer 8, J.Vaughn 19, Washer 2, Adams 5, Reynolds 5, K.Vaughn 12. FG 19. 3-poitners 3 (Shearer 2, Reynolds). FT 16-26.

Guess on target at line for district sweep

Lady Rocket junior Taylor Guess
had passengers the entire game,
but made it hurt at the line.

CADIZ, Ky. - Crittenden wrapped up a perfect run through the regular-season Fifth District schedule on Tuesday, knocking off host Trigg County 55-44.

It's always a good night for the Rocket girls when scoring stalwart Taylor Guess can get to the foul line, and she did with impunity at Trigg.

The Lady Rockets fell behind by by four early, but took the lead at 15-13 in the first period on a steal and Guess basket. From there, Crittenden carried an edge virtually the rest of the way, save a one-point lead by Trigg on a three-pointer by Lady Wildcat Olivia Noffsinger. 

Trigg’s narrow advantage was short-lived as CCHS reeled off a 12-2 scoring run thanks to Guess and Natalie Boone. Boone dropped in a three and Guess sank one just before time expired in the third quarter to give Crittenden a nine-point lead. Trigg cut it back to four at one point in the final quarter, but CCHS made enough foul shots down the stretch to win going away by 11.

Crittenden and Trigg scored the same number of field goals, both had an equal number of threes, too, but the Lady Rockets scored 19 points at the foul line where Guess was 14-of -16.

With the win, Crittenden improves to 6-0 in district play. They had already wrapped up the No. 1 seed, but improving to 16-5 at Trigg was icing on the cake. The Lady Wildcats fell to 12-10 and 3-3 in the district. The Lady Rockets will host the Fifth District Tournament later this month.

Crittenden 11 27 42 55
Trigg County 13 22 34 44
CRITTENDEN – Guess 27, N.Boone 12, A.Boone 12, Hatfield 4, Driskill, Evans. FG 16. 3-pointers 4 (N.Boone 2, A.Boone, Guess). FT 19-26.
TRIGG – Noffsinger 10, Sink, Hyde 13, McGee, Rogers, Grubbs 1, Alexander 11, Reynolds 9. FG 16. 3-pointers 4 (Hyde 3, Noffsinger). FT 8-16.