Lady Rockets win opener in Florida

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Anna Boone (2) and Addie 
Hatfield fight for a rebound.

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Despite facing a much taller lineup from Long Island, N.Y., the Lady Rockets opened up a close game just before the half and never looked back to win 43-26 in their opener in Florida.

Crittenden led from bell to bell, but the New Yorkers drew within one just before halftime in a game where whistles were few and play was rough at times. The only blood spilled came from the Long Island girls and when it was cleaned up Crittenden went on a tear.

Anna Boone and Elliot Evans dropped in three-pointers just before the half to open up a lead to nine, then Taylor Guess started getting to the line in the second half and the margin grew. 

Guess scored 10 of her one dozen foul line points in the last half as CCHS shot 15-17 from the stripe. Guess finished with 22 and Anna Boone had 12.

The Lady Rockets encountered a difficult time getting to Florida due to a flight cancelation on Southwest Airline. See more about that saga at The-Press.com.

Crittenden plays a private school Mount Saint Charles Academy from Woonsocket, Rhode Island at 8am (EST) Wednesday in Florida.

Crittenden County 11 20 33 43

Cold Springs, NY 7 11 19 26

CRITTENDEN – Guess 22, A.Boone 14, Evans 5, Hatfield 2, N.Boone, Federico, McDaniel, Hunt, Rushing, Hodge, Munday. FG 13. 3-pointers 2 (Evans, A.Boone). FT 15-17.

Basketball teams on move during break

LADY ROCKETS 

HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
Florida Basketball Tournament
Dec. 27-29 at Kissimmee, Fla.
Tuesday’s Opponent
Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., 2:30pm CST
Wednesday’s Opponent Options
Winner’s Bracket: Lipan, Texas or Avon Lake, Ohio, 7am CST
Loser’s Bracket: Lipan, Texas or Avon Lake, Ohio, 7am, CST
Thursday’s Game Time Options
8am if playing in consolation final 
5:30pm if playing 3rd/4th place game
5:30pm if in championship game
Other teams in bracket
Red Bluff, Calif.; Midlakes, N.Y.; Mount St. Charles, R.I.; New Hope Christian, Ohio.

ROCKETS

HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
Campbellsville Holiday Classic
Dec. 28-30 at Campbellsville
Wednesday’s Game
Rockets vs Elizabethtown, 5:30pm
Thursday’s Opponent
Opponent & Time to be determined
Friday’s Opponent
Opponent & Time to be determined

Two Rockets nearing entry to 1K Point Club

Crittenden County basketball has two players approaching a milestone in the coming days.

Senior Preston Morgeson is just 22 points from 1,000 career points and junior Travis Champion is 73 from 1K.

The two conceivably could join the 1,000 Point Club next week during a three-game set at the Campbellsville High School Holiday Classic Dec. 28-30. The boys open play in that tournament against Elizabethtown on Wednesday.

It's quite ironic that the pair will almost certainly join the elite 1K Point Club in the same same season, and indeed within a few days of one another. Coincidentally, in 2020, seniors Gabe Mott and Preston Turley became the first two players in school history to reach the milestone in the same season – and they too did it 5 days apart.

There have only been 13 players in Rocket basketball history to score 1,000 or more points. They are Tim Hill, who leads the pack with 1,822 points, Bennett Smith, Lige Shadowen, Don Brasher, Greg Thurman, Aaron Owen, Ronnie Moss, Bruce Belt, Casey Oliver, Tom Wring, Spencer Cozart, Mott and Turley.

Here is a breakdown of how Morgeson and Champion got to the cusp of 1,000 points:

PRESTON MORGESON
Scoring by Season
Senior - 117 to date
Junior - 342
Sophomore - 268
Freshman - 199
8th Grad - 52

Total Points - 978

TRAVIS CHAMPION
Scoring by Season
Junior - 217 to date
Sophomore - 581
Freshman - 113
8th Grade - 16

Total Points - 927

Rockets split in holiday games at Logan

RUSSELLVILLE, Ky. – Crittenden County was badly outmanned in a 67-23 loss to South Warren Wednesday in the first game of the Roy's Barbecue/First Southern National Bank Shootout at Logan County, but bounced back to beat Clarksville (Tenn.) Christian 71-42 in its second game of the day.

South Warren jumped on the Rockets early, outscoring them 21-1 in the first period and went on to drain 11 three-pointers en route to the blowout.

In the second game, Crittenden got 24 and 18 points, respectively from Travis Champion and Preston Morgeson. With seven three-pointers – four by Morgeson – the Rockets grabbed and early lead and held won going away by outscoring Clarksville 21-12 in the final period with nearly everyone getting in on the scoring action.

Crittenden is now 5-5 on the season and will be playing next week in a Christmas Tournament at Campbellsville. 

Crittenden County 1 11 17 23
South Warren        21 41 62 67
CRITTENDEN – Morgeson 7, Champion 11, Gobin 2, Counts 2, Hatfield 1, Sharp, Keller, Guess. FG 7. 3-pointers 2 (Morgeson, Champion). FT 7-13.
SO. WARREN – Rowe 6, Coley 4, Smith 3, Hudson 19, Jarvis 3, Radin 4, Linhardt 7, Bell 6, Parrish 11, Grogahn 3. FG 27. 3-pointers 11. FT 1-2.

Crittenden County 22 32 50 71

Clarksville Christian 14 19 30 42

CRITTENDEN - Morgeson 18, Champion 24, Hatfield 2, Suddoth 2, Sharp 3, Keller 4, Gobin 9, Counts 9, Guess. FG 27. 3-pointers 7 (Morgeson 4, Champion 2, Sharp). FT 10-12.

CLARKSVILLE - Middleton 5, Kunis 7, Cardwell 2, Fuqua 10, Judd 3, Prather 10, Smith 3, McGugin 2. FG 16. 3-pointers 2. FT 6-8.

Threat of severe weather cancels Thursday games

Crittenden County holiday tournament basketball games schedule for Thursday have been canceled due to threat of wintry weather. 

The Lady Rockets were scheduled to play McLean County at the Owensboro Christmas Tournament and the Rockets were to play Montgomery Central (Tenn.) in the Logan County Christmas Tournament.

Lady Rockets beat Webster for 7th straight win

CCHS senior Natalie reached for a rebound

MARION, Ky. – Perfect from the foul line down the stretch, Crittenden County held off a fierce comeback attempt by Webster County to win their seventh straight game Monday at home.

Crittenden led by about 10 points almost the entire way, except for a time in the second half when the Lady Rockets had some empty possessions and Webster was on target from the floor. The Lady Trojans outscored Crittenden 9-4 in the third quarter. Six of Webster’s points came at the foul line.

Although Crittenden never trailed, Webster tied it at 39 on a NBA-distance 3-pointer with 3:56 to go. 

Freshman Andrea Federico, who came off the bench to play the post, scored from underneath the basket to put CCHS back ahead for good as the Lady Rockets finished by making 12-of-13 foul shots in the fourth period and six straight down the stretch.

Webster was physical and played with quickness, but the Lady Rockets were up for the challenge. Senior Taylor Guess scored 17 for the Lady Rockets and freshman Elliot Evans dropped in a season-high 11.

Crittenden improved to 7-1 on the season while Webster fell to 2-7. Some preseason polls had the Lady Trojans projected as the third best team in the region with Crittenden fifth.

Webster County 7 17 26 41
Crittenden Co. 16 27 31 51
WEBSTER – Shepherd, Wright 5, Thompson, Karsyn Cates, Dunn 5, Yates 9, Austin 6, Katelyn Cates 16. FG 13. 3-pointers 4 (Yates 2, Austin, Katelyn Cates). FT 12-15.
CRITTENDEN – Guess 17, N.Boone 7, A. Boone 10, Evans 11, Hatfield 4, Federico 2. FG 17. 3-pointers 2 (N.Boone, Evans). FT 15-18.

Crittenden sweeps Trigg in doubleheader

CADIZ, Ky. – With some perhaps unforeseen support and a bad bounce at the buzzer, Crittenden County survived with a key 69-67 Fifth District victory Friday at Trigg County.

The Rockets dodged the bullet on a wide-open three-pointer from Trigg sharpshooter Luke Washer, which bounced off the front iron at the horn after CCHS had seen a double-digit lead evaporate in the final five minutes. Poor foul shooting by Crittenden in the fourth period gave the Wildcats a chance to spoil it on a last shot. 

In the last quarter, the Rockets missed 11-of-19 from the stripe as Trigg dropped three pointers down the stretch to close to within two in the final seconds.

Yet, Crittenden would not have been in position to win without some heroics off the bench and from a forward who has started just three games this season. 

Senior uard Seth Guess got into the game in the first half when starter Jaxon Hatfield got into foul trouble. Guess played a great deal in the last half, too, and finished with 14 points, including four threes. He made some key baskets and did a tremendous job handling the ball. Junior Gabe Keller was just as integral in the win, grabbing countless rebounds against a Wildcat frontline that had been out-boarding opponents all season.

Crittenden got its typical big scoring from Travis Champion, who finished with 29, and Preston Morgeson, who had 11. But it was also the supporting cast that held the line at key junctures, including center Case Gobin, who is improving quarter by quarter. 

The victory was hauntingly similar to a one-point game last year at Trigg that turned out a differently – with the Wildcats on top. This time, the Rockets came out victors, giving CCHS its eighth win over the Wildcats in the last 11 meetings.

Crittenden improved to 4-4 overall and 2-1 in the district. The outcome could prove very pivotal for seeding purposes for postseason. Meanwhile, Trigg falls to 6-2 overall and 1-2 in the district.

Trigg County 11 28 42 67

Crittenden Co. 13 33 54 69

CRITTENDEN – Morgeson 11, Champion 29, Hatfield, Keller 5, Gobin 10, Guess 14. FG 24. 3-pointers 8 (Guess 4, Morgeson 2, Champion 2). FT 13-29.

TRIGG – Stewart 2, Gude 6, Shearer 2, Vaughn 34, Bush, Nsubuga-Barnes, Washer 13, Linton 2, Reynolds 8, Breckel. FG 23. 3-pointers 8 (Vaughn 5, Washer, Reynolds 2). FT 11-17.

GIRLS WIN BY 20

CADIZ, Ky. – A double dip of offense from the remarkably reliable Taylor Guess and periodically-spectacular Anna Boone left no doubt that Crittenden County is the team to beat in the Fifth District.

Guess and Boone scored 21 points apiece as the Lady Rockets made it a clean sweep of the first trip through the district schedule, knocking off Trigg County 54-34 at Cadiz.

Averaging 28 points through the first seven games, Guess started slower than normal at Trigg, partly due to foul trouble, but compounded by aggressive defensive attention from the Lady Wildcats. She had just two fielders by halftime.

Meanwhile, Boone drained a three-pointer to start the game. When it goes in early, it can go in often, she said. And it did for the freshman, who was averaging just 6.5 coming into the matchup. Boone had Crittenden’s first seven points and continued to shoot with confidence throughout the win.

“I saw my first shot go in and that’s good for me,” Boone said. “I’d been slacking lately and knew I needed to step it up.”

The Lady Rockets improved to 3-0 in league play, handling every team in the district by 20 or more points. Crittenden has now beaten Trigg in five straight, and 19 of the last 23 meetings dating back to 2012.

The Lady Rockets led by 17 early, but Trigg County scratched its way back into the mix in the second half, trailing by just nine early in the third period. Then, Guess warmed up and scored the next six points. Crittenden maintained a double-figure lead the rest of the way.

Trigg County is now 3-4 overall and 1-2 in league play with a win over Lyon County and a loss to Livingston Central. The Lady Wildcats played CCHS closer than the other two teams in the district.

Crittenden Co. 20 27 38 54

Trigg County 3 17 24 34

CRITTENDEN – Guess 21, N.Boone 2, A.Boone 21, Evans 8, Hatfield 2, Federico, Hunt, McDaniel, Rushing. FG 16. 3-pointers 2 (Guess, A.Boone). FT 20-26.

TRIGG – Noffsinger 13, Bush, Hyde 10, Koch, McGee 5, Rogers 4, Grubbs 2, Alexander. FG 11. 3-pointers 1 (McGee). FT 11-20.