Hodge joins KABC Court of Honor

Last March for Women in Local History Month, Lady Rockets coach Shannon Hodge was featured in a Crittenden Press series highlighting her service to the school, community and beyond. Last week, the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches (KABC) affirmed her contributions.

Hodge was named to the KABC’s Coaches Court of Honor. Raised and educated in Crittenden County, Hodge was a sports star from the beginning. She played on some of the earliest and winningest girls’ basketball teams in Crittenden County history. She went on to have a successful collegiate career at Centre College in Danville, where she was a Division III All American.

For the past 30 years, Hodge has been a fixture in Marion as the Lady Rocket basketball coach where she’s won just seven shy of 400 games and won unprecedented small-school championships in the Second Region. In 2011, Hodge guided CCHS to a berth in the Girls’ Basketball Sweet 16, its only appearance in the KHSAA state tournament. This year’s team won Hodge’s eighth All A Classic regional crown and its second straight Fifth District championship.

No other woman in high school basketball’s Second Region has ever coached longer and had as much success as Hodge, who just completed her 30th season as Crittenden County High School’s girls’ basketball coach. That ranks her among the longest tenured coaches in Kentucky, only a handful of them women. 

She is the winningest female coach in Second Region history, yet her successes on the hardwood pale in comparison to what she’s done in other areas. Her values, character and respect for others have given Hodge the tools necessary for shaping others and molding new leaders for this community and beyond. Hodge has touched the lives of countless local young women, inspiring and engaging them in athletics, character building and life skills. 

“Years ago, I had the opportunity to play on a powderpuff football team with Coach Hodge. Her love of all things sports is only eclipsed by her love of coaching and nurturing young ladies into becoming strong, focused leaders,” said Marion’s first female Mayor D’Anna Browning. “Shannon's legacy extends beyond the basketball court, because this is what happens when you prove to a young lady that she can do absolutely anything she sets her mind to.”

School Supt. Tonya Driver said Hodge, who retired from teaching last year, has been a role model for students and student-athletes.

“Shannon's induction into the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches Court of Honor is a proud moment for all of us here in Crittenden County Schools, and it's another indication of her commitment and dedication to the youth of our community,” Driver said. “For nearly three decades now, Coach Hodge has served as a role model both in the classroom and on the court for countless children. This honor signifies the caliber of her character and the passion she has for teaching, coaching, and mentoring. We are certainly proud of our Rocket.”

Lady Rockets fall in regional title game

Winning a championship can be difficult. 

Losing one is tougher.

For a small-school basketball coach operating in an unclassified, arcane playoff system that provides no consolation for school enrollment, winning a regional championship and getting to the KHSAA Sweet 16 is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 

Thirty-year Lady Rocket skipper Shannon Hodge had her second chance Sunday afternoon, and she knows all too well how rare a moment it was. Stars and basketball gods must align and agree perfectly to give a country school of 400 students a sliver of hope against power Goliaths like Henderson County with an enrollment of 2,016. Simply stated, the Lady Colonels have five times the muscle mass. For Crittenden, it’s like trying to download a Netflix movie on dial up. The bandwidth simply isn’t there in most seasons. This year felt a little different, postseason lasted a little longer, but at the final horn, the result was a direct reflection of the probability factor.

The Lady Rockets’ magical season came to an end with a 71-53 loss to Henderson. It was a tough pill to swallow because hopes had been high for this team. It was one coach Hodge had circled in the yearbook a few seasons back. She knew the talent and chemistry would be right with three seniors – one of which is Taylor Guess, arguably the best female basketball player in school history – and a stable of young freshmen with high ceilings. 

Still, Henderson was far too hearty. Crittenden went about four minutes without a basket in the second period while Henderson drained a three three-pointers en route to 13-0 run and a 32-11 lead with just over three minutes left in the first half. The journey was far from over, but the die was cast. The rest of the way was merely exhibition as Henderson easily improved to 26-4 on the season and heads to its 16th Sweet 16 this century under long-time coach Jeff Hale.

“We knew coming in it would be a tall order to knock off Henderson County. They’re a team that it seems like every year are the team to beat in the region,” said Hodge. “They’re a big school and we’re a small school, but when it comes down to it you have to go out and play.”

The Lady Rockets captured the hearts and souls of fans who watched them finish 25-6, the best winning percentage in team history and tied the girls’ basketball record for most wins in a season. 

In this century, one hand will count the number of times a team not named Henderson County or Christian County has won the Second Region championship. The Lady Colonels, ranked No. 1 in the region and 7th in Kentucky, now have more than two-thirds of the regional crowns since 2001.
For Crittenden County, this semifinal game was its third in school history. The 1978 team lost in the championship to West Hopkins and Crittenden beat Christian County in 2011 to capture its only regional crown.

There’s no wonder that hearts were heavy on the Blue and White bench Sunday afternoon as the game slipped away. It had become strikingly clear even before halftime that Crittenden had crashed squarely into those Vegas long-shot odds, bearing the immutable truth that winning a regional championship is indeed incredibly difficult, no matter how mighty the mouse. And losing one is miserable. 

Henderson County 14 40 58 71

Crittenden County 8 22 32 63

HENDERSON – Veal 6, Thomas 14, Lacer 7, Sprinkles 14, Kemp 2, Gish 2, G.Risley 11, Gibson 15. FG 27. 3-pointers 7 (Sprinkles 3, Veal, Risley 3). FT 10-14

CRITTENDEN – Guess 31, N.Boone 8, A.Boone 5, Evans 1, Hatfield 4, Federico 2, McDaniel, Rushing 2, Holeman, Stewart, Munday, Hodge. FG 17. 3-pointers 2 (N.Boone). FT 17-20.

Lady Rockets headed to regional title game

SEE MORE GAME PHOTOS

MORGANFIELD, Ky. – Don’t let a little Valentine’s Day heartache get you down, and you will be stronger for it.

Just ask 30-year coach Shannon Hodge. Her Lady Rockets’ sorrow on Feb. 14 at Morton’s Gap may have been just the temporary setback that propelled Crittenden County into the Second Region championship game.

Senior Taylor Guess celebrates with
assistant coach Bristyn Prowell.
SEE MORE PHOTOS

After losing a closely contested game on the road to Hopkins Central 19 days earlier, the Lady Rockets flipped the script on the Storm girls, beating them quite handily 57-39 in Saturday’s regional semifinal at Union County’s gym.

“I’d never say it’s good to lose, but it almost fueled the fire,” said Hodge after guiding CCHS into a regional title game for the second time in her illustrious coaching career. 

“Coming into this game we were excited, the seniors didn’t want to lose and this be our last game. So we came out and gave it our all,” said Taylor Guess, who led her squad with 23 points. “(At Hopkins Central) I don’t feel like we played very well as a team. We were not locked in. This time we had scouted them a little more and knew what they were going to do.”

It took some tenacious defense to taste this sweeter treat, and there were some big defensive plays, big shots and forced turnovers that put Crittenden over the top. No shots were bigger than three-pointers by senior Natalie Boone and freshman Elliot Evans at the end of the half and third quarter. Both of the buzzer-beaters gave the Lady Rockets their largest leads to those points in the game, six and 14, respectively. Those gut shots helped break Hopkins Central.

Senior Natalie Boone positions for a rebound.
SEE MORE PHOTOS

In the pivot, senior Addie Hatfield turned in a remarkable performance against the taller Storm girls. Freshman Anna Boone’s drives and left-handed layups gave Crittenden some key baskets in the second half as the Rocket girls expanded their lead to as many as 23 points. Anna Boone finished with 14 and Natalie Boone 11.

The see-saw first half turned in Crittenden’s favor just before the break. A 9-2 run from late in the second period and into the third gave CCHS the lead for good and they outscored the Storm girls 13-5 in the third period.

Crittenden’s starting five played the entire game until coach Hodge unloaded the bench in the final two minutes up by more than 20.

The victory, Crittenden’s 25th of the season, tied the 2016-17 Lady Rockets for most wins ever.

CCHS will play either Henderson County in Sunday’s 3pm championship match at Morganfield. It will be Crittenden County's third trip in school history to the regional title game. The Lady Rockets have previously been there in 1978 and 2011, winning the school's only regional title in 2011.

Crittenden County 10 27 40 57

Hopkins Central 11 21 26 39

CRITTENDEN – Guess 23, N.Boone 11, A.Boone 14, Evans 6, Hatfield 1, McDaniel 2, Federico, Rushing, Holeman, Stewart, Munday, Hodge. FG 18. 3-pointers 4 (N.Boone, A.Boone 2, Evans). FT 17-21.

HOPKINS CENTRAL – Mason 8, White 4, Harrison 2, Clark 10, Sutton 11, Whitaker 4, Grant, Jones. FG 17. 3-pointers 5 (Clark 2, Sutton 3). FT 0-3.

REGION: Big win, but Lady Rockets seek more

Senior Taylor Guess fights for a loose ball.

MORGANFIELD, Ky. – By scoring differential alone, it was the biggest Second Region Tournament victory in the history of Lady Rocket basketball.

Crittenden County pelted Hopkinsville 87-61 Monday in the opening round of the tournament. Surprising it was not. Sure it was sweet for CCHS to win just its sixth regional tournament game in the past 25 years, but there wasn’t too much fanfare. 

“It’s nice to get a regional win,” said Lady Rocket coach Shannon Hodge.

But the disinterest couldn’t have been more conspicuous for basketball fans without a deep blue stake in the outcome. Up by 19 at the break, the Lady Rocket played in front of mostly their own fans as the large crowd in the gym after Hopkins Central beat Webster County 64-50 in the early game didn’t stick around too long to see the blister Crittenden left on the Lady Tigers. Crittenden led by 31 at one point in the third quarter and by game’s end all 13 Lady Rockets listed in the scorebook had posted at least a point.

Hopkinsville (8-15) was the fourth worst team in the entire region, according to power rankings. So wiping them out had about as much genuine appeal as a sliced ham and green bean banquet dinner. 

Consider it a somewhat bland appetizer for a main course that will begin on Friday when the stakes go up and the competition follows suit in the regional final four.

“We can’t be satisfied with how we played,” Hodge added. “We have to challenge ourselves mentally, stay focused and get tougher. It will get tougher from here.”

Lady Rocket freshman Andrea
Federico defense Hopkinsville.

The Lady Rockets will find themselves in a rematch with Hopkins Central, a team they lost to by eight points in the last regular-season game at Morton’s Gap and beat in the first round of last year's regional tournament. February's encounter was a closely-contested four quarters, and despite the loss, CCHS somehow came away without losing its No. 2 ranking in region, according to the KHSAA power rankings. They finished the regular season 4/100ths of a point ahead of the Lady Storm in those ratings. According to Dave Cantrall's Ratings – which are a decades-old staple in the Courier-Journal – Crittenden is 4th behind Henderson, Madisonville and Hopkins Central, respectively. The Lady Colonels are the consensus No. 1 team in the region. 

Crittenden and Hopkins Central have already punched their tickets to the Final Four. They will face one another at 6 p.m., on Friday. Henderson will play Madisonville Tuesday in the other side of the opening-round bracket and Livingston Central will have Christian County.

Hopkins Central and Crittenden have each lost just once against the region’s teams this season. The Storm was defeated by Henderson while Crittenden lost to Hopkins Central a couple of weeks ago. Henderson, Crittenden and Hopkins Central are a combined 46-2 against the region field. 

Of course, the rankings will have no bearing whatsoever on the the rest of this week’s play. The championship is scheduled for Saturday, and ratings have never won a championship. Just ask anyone on Crittenden County’s 2021 team, which finished the regular season No. 2 in the region, but missed postseason due to a handful of COVID-19 cases and quarantine protocol that wiped out the roster.

Winning the tournament opener may not have been cause for a grand celebration, but it did bring the Gritty out of the Lady Rockets’ 30-year skipper, who struck the popular dance move for her team after the game. 

If course, that drew grand applause. 

Until Monday, Hodge’s teams had won only one regional tournament game since capturing the entire thing in 2011 and going to the Sweet 16 for the only time in history. Otherwise, CCHS hadn’t won much in the regional tournament – ever. 

Beating Hopkinsville by 26 was close to Crittenden’s other five combined tournament win differentials in the past 13 years.

Now, Crittenden will take its 24-5 record into the semifinal against Hopkins Central’s 24-8 mark. Records have no regional crowns either, but the Lady Rockets are hoping they get a chance at their second later this week. If they can win one more game, it will tie the Rocket girls’ winningest season in history.

Hopkinsville 8 22 37 61
Crittenden County 22 41 67 87
HOPKINSVILLE – Paxton 14, Tulles 2, Fleming 23, Earthmen 3, Forte 10, Sharber 3, McGee 4, Sheffield 2. FG 24. 3-pointers 6. FT 7-11.
CRITTENDEN – Guess 25, N.Boone 9, A.Boone 21, Evans 2, Hatfield 8, Federico 2, Hunt 5, McDaniel 3, Rushing 2, Holeman 2, Stewart 4, Munday 1, Hodge 3. FG 27. 3-pointers 5 (A.Boone, 2, N.Boone 2, Guess). FT 28-43.

Pairings for next week's regional tournament

SECOND REGION GIRLS

At Union County, Morganfield

MONDAY
Hopkins Central vs Webster, 6pm
Crittenden vs Hopkinsville, 7:30pm

TUESDAY
Christian Co. vs Livingston Cent., 6pm
Henderson vs Madisonville, 7:30pm

FRIDAY
Semifinals, 6pm and 7:30pm

SATURDAY
Championship, 6pm

Lady Rockets capture 5th District title

SMITHLAND, Ky. – It’s always balmy in Livingston Central’s gym, even with the big fans they rolled out for each end of the floor during the Fifth District Tournament Thursday. 

When the home team – which had been down by as many as nine early – tied the game for the first time four minutes into the second half, the pressure cooker turned up to Caribbean levels. Crittenden was battling some foul trouble, starters were on the bench and the offense was a bit stale.

Senior Taylor Guess (10) scored 31.

The real fans – those donning Livingston red – really started blowing the lid off. The momentum had shifted and the Lady Rockets needed it back. 

Weathering the next minute or so was tantamount to heavily-favored Crittenden County winning its second straight district tournament title. 

When you have the district and regional player of the year on your side, everything is cool.

That’s when Lady Rocket senior Taylor Guess and the CCHS defense found new legs and got a handle on the game’s thermostat. It wasn’t exactly smooth sailing the rest of the way, but the storm had passed and Crittenden County beat Livingston Central 56-46.

Lady Rocket senior Natalie Boone and her freshman sister, Anna Boone, both fouled out in the game’s final two minutes and it was still a four-point ballgame. Crittenden had gone almost four minutes without a bucket when off the bench freshman Chloe Hunt netted two free throws that broke the ice and gave Crittenden County some breathing room just when the Cardinal girls were twisting up another warm front. Freshman starter Elliot Evans and Guess dropped in four straight foul shots over the next few seconds to seal the victory.

Thirty-year skipper Shannon Hodge, who guided her team to a district crown for the fifth time, said Livingston did a good job matching her team’s intensity.

“We were able to hit some free throws down the stretch after we had struggled at the line during the game,” she said. “This is their court and they played well. You have to hand it to them. 

"I was proud of our kids. I think they took (Livingston’s) best shot and were still able to come away with the win.”

The Lady Rockets (23-5) had beaten LCHS three times during the regular season, outscoring the Cardinal girls 176-94. Crittenden, ranked No. 2 in the region, according to the KHSAA power rankings, will go into the regional tournament next week at Union County with a district champion’s seed and play a runner-up from another district. The Lady Cardinals (12-18) will advance as well as the Fifth District runner-up. 

Guess finished with 31 points and Natalie Boone had a dozen. 

Livingston’s freshman guard Aubrey Leahy, who had 10 in the fourth period, led her team with 17. Sophomore Victoria Joiner had 13. Against Guess’s defense, Joiner didn’t score a basket in in the final period. 

Crittenden County 18 27 38 56

Livingston Central 11 17 32 46

CRITTENDEN – Guess 31, N.Boone 12, A.Boone 4, Evans 5, Hatfield 2, Federico, Hunt 2, McDaniel. FG 21. 3-pointers 3 (Guess 2, N.Boone). FT 11-19.

LIVINGSTON – Jennings, Davidson, Downey 8, T.Leahy 4, Aubrey Leahy 17, Mikaela Holman 2, Joiner 13, Ramage 2. FG 17. 3-pointers 1 (Downey). FT 11-19.

Rockets lose offense in 5th District loss

Rockets Travis Champion (2) and Case Gobin
guard the lane against Trigg County.

SMITHLAND, Ky. – An old Kenny Rogers country song provides appropriate lyrics for Crittenden County’s 57-49 loss to Trigg County Tuesday in the opening round of the Fifth District Tournament.

It went something like this: “You picked a fine time to leave me Lucille!”

Metaphorically, Lucille was the Rocket offense because it was a complete no show in the second half as Trigg County – despite its own troubles finding the basket at times – was able to avenge two regular-season losses to Crittenden County on the district’s big stage at Livingston County.

The Rocket high point came on a Preston Morgeson three-pointer with just under five minutes to go in the first half. The senior’s wing shot provided CCHS with a seven-point advantage 22-15.

Then, Lucille left the gym.

For the better part of the next 12 minutes, Crittenden County was virtually bucketless. Trigg went on a 10-0 run to close the second period, and trailed the Rockets by a point at the break. 

The heartbreak and misery of Lucille’s departure left Crittenden prostrate, basically helpless against a team it had handled quite well in previous meetings. Trigg’s size was used to its advantage. A handful of swatted shots were meaningful, their quickness contested many CCHS shots and a barge load of rebounds helped Trigg get timely second-chance baskets during their 18-0 run that spanned the latter part of the second and early in the third. 

Trigg leading scorer Jhaden Vaughn scored 18 points and his junior classmate Landon Stewart had 15, including a neck-breaking three-pointer late in the third period that lifted Trigg to a 12-point lead. It was Trigg’s only trey of the game and they missed 15 of 31 foul shots. Still, the Wildcats went up by 13 seconds later – their biggest margin of the contest. 

Yet despite Crittenden’s vulnerability and struggles – some of the same that had caused the team to lose its last seven games of 2023 – Trigg barely had the horsepower to pull away. Missed Wildcat foul shots down the stretch gave Crittenden a glimmer of hope as it pulled within six. The Rockets remained within striking distance even into the final two minutes, but Kenny had ejected the 8 Track and Lucy was mute.

Junior scoring stalwart Travis Champion got 20 points and senior Preston Morgeson had 15. Acceptable – even commendable – scoring for most players, but the Rockets needed more to overcome that aged cliche about how tough it can be to beat a team three times in a season – particularly without your Lucille.

After being .500 at 11-11 on Jan. 28, Crittenden closes out the first season of the DJ Pigg era with an 11-18 mark. Trigg will take its 15-15 record into Friday’s district championship matchup against Lyon County (26-5).

Trigg County 9 25 43 57
Crittenden County 12 24 32 49
TRIGG – Stewart 15, D.Gude 2, T.Gude 10, Vaughn 118, Washer 11, Reynolds 1. FG 20. 3-pointers 1 (Stewart). FT 16-31.
CRITTENDEN – Morgeson 15, Champion 20, Walker 5, Hatfield 3, Suddoth, Keller 2, Gobin 4, Guess, Poindexter, Counts. FG 18. 3-pointers 6 (Morgeson 2, Champion 2, Walker, Hatfield). FT 13-7.