Lyon freezes Lady Rockets in All A semifinal

DAWSON SPRINGS, Ky. – A case of frostbite from too much Northern Exposure numbed Crittenden County just enough Thursday night to let a fourth straight Class A Second Region championship slip away in the closing seconds against Lyon County at Dawson Springs.

A frigid first half of shooting put Crittenden in the ice house, down 17 points at one stretch. Whether it was the rim on the north end of the Dawson Springs gym or just the basketball gods evening things out, that same end of the floor put a deep chill on Lyon County’s offense after halftime.

Call it the northern slope, the Cuatro Curse or simply a long night at the office, but Lyon County outworked Crittenden for much of the game. Behind top scorers Piper Cotham and Lily Coffman, the Lady Lyons won nearly every 50-50 ball and swept the offensive glass clean. Their defense walled off the lane and forced Crittenden to live on the perimeter. The Lady Rockets made eight 3-pointers, but only seven two-point field goals, and leaned heavily on the foul line, where a quarter of their points came, including a third of their first-half total.

Behind top scorers Anna Boone and Jordyn Hodge, Crittenden slowly thawed. Boone poured in 10 points in the fourth quarter as Lyon struggled to find a friendly roll at the north end, allowing the Lady Rockets to chip away, then surge, briefly taking the lead twice in the final minutes.

The final three minutes were played on a knife’s edge. The teams traded leads and empty possessions, neither able to create separation. Boone tied the game late at the line, but Lyon answered just enough, converting free throws in the closing seconds after Crittenden was forced to foul. With time expiring, Elliott Evans got a clean look from the corner for the tie, but the three-ball drew iron and nothing more as the horn sounded with Lyon holding a 54-51 escape.

For Crittenden, it was a difficult pill to swallow. This has been their tournament ––10 regional titles, three straight, and four of the last five. Lyon County, now the heavy favorite, can make it two of the last six if it can get past Caldwell County in Saturday’s 4 p.m. championship game at Dawson Springs.

Crittenden Co. 9 18 35 51
Lyon County 16 29 35 54
CRITTENDEN – Boone 24, Evans 3, Hodge 19, Federico, Rushing 4, Stewart 1. FG 15. 3-pointers 8 (Boone 4, Hodge 3, Evans). FT 13-18.
LYON – Taylor 6, P. Cotham 22, Collins 5, Coursey 4, S. Cotham 4, Coffman 10, Perry 3. FG 21. 3-pointers 5 (P. Cotham, Collins, Coffman 2, Perry). FT 7-12.

THE SHOW | 2026 | Rockets Snap Streak

Join Crittenden County basketball coaches Shannon Hodge and Kenny Jackson each week for the Rocket Basketball Coach’s Show — hosted by former Rocket Trace Derrington and proudly supported by our local business sponsors. Today's program features coach Kenny Jackson and Rocket basketball players Brayden Poindexter and JJ Jones.

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51 and Done! Rockets snap losing streak

MARION, Ky. – No ladder was hauled onto the floor to cut down the nets and there was no parade planned down Main Street, but for Crittenden County, Tuesday night carried the feel of something worth celebrating. Celebrating Big.

After nearly two full years without a victory, the Rockets finally broke through, defeating Heritage Christian Academy 68-48 in the opening round of the All A Classic at Rocket Arena. The win snapped a 51-game losing streak and marked Crittenden County’s first victory since Feb. 3, 2024 – a drought that lasted 703 days.

JJ Jones works against the HCA press

It was not a championship night, and it may not signal an overnight turnaround, but it was unmistakably a release. For a program that had come close, endured long nights and carried the weight of that streak into every tipoff, the significance of simply winning again could not be overstated.

Crittenden County entered the night 0-15 and winless in three previous meetings with Heritage Christian dating back to 2024. The Warriors, 1-14, led early and were up 10-5 in the first quarter before the Rockets found their footing, and then their energy.

JJ Jones ignited the surge with a 3-pointer that put Crittenden ahead 12-10. He followed with a putback at the first-quarter buzzer to give the Rockets a 14-10 lead, and the tone was set.

From there, Crittenden turned the game into a track meet. A relentless full-court press forced turnovers, five-second calls and hurried decisions, while the Rockets rotated players freely and attacked in waves. Brady Dayberry scored off a steal to make it 18-10, Jones banked in another 3-pointer, and Brayden Poindexter scored on consecutive possessions as Crittenden stretched the margin to 25-13.

Heritage Christian steadied itself late in the half and closed within 25-20 at the break, but the Rockets answered again in the third quarter. Poindexter and Dayberry opened with baskets, Roane Topp finished through contact for an and-one, and Emmitt Ellington buried a 3-pointer as Crittenden pushed the lead to double digits.

Brayden Poindexter scored a career best 24

The Flames trimmed the margin to single digits briefly in the fourth quarter, cutting it to 53-44, but Crittenden never lost control. A mid-range jumper by Logan Martin stopped the Warriors’ momentum, Poindexter followed with a spinning layup, and Topp scored three straight baskets in the final two minutes to put the game away.

Poindexter led all scorers with 24 points and added nine rebounds. Topp finished with 14 points, while Jones and Dayberry scored 10 apiece. Dayberry also recorded 11 steals and eight rebounds as the Rockets’ pressure dictated the pace throughout the night.

Heritage Christian struggled at the free-throw line, converting just 17 of 37 attempts, and managed only one 3-pointer.

For Crittenden County, the final horn brought something that had been missing for far too long – relief. The streak is over. The win column is no longer empty. And for one night at least, the Rockets could finally exhale.

Now, their attention will turn to one of the best teams in west Kentucky. They meet Lyon County on Friday in the semifinal round of the small-school tournament at Fort Campbell.

Heritage Christian 10 20 36 48

Crittenden County 14 25 48 68

HCA – Arvin 10, Askew 2, Hensley 9, Morgan 6, Travis 5, Brown 6, Desch 3, Wheatcraft 7. FG 15. 3-pointers 1. FT 17-37

CRITTENDEN – Ellington 3, Porter 2, Bumpus, Topp 14, Dayberry 10, Jones 10, Myers 1, Martin 2, C.Poindexter 2, Murray, B.Poindexter 24, Counts 2. FG 29. 3-pointers 4 (Jones 2, Ellington, B.Poindexter). FT 6-15.

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 4, Champion 4, 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.