Lady Rockets tie school record for wins

Sophomore Jordyn Hodge and seniors Anna, Boone, Elliot Evans, Bristyn Rushing,
Georgia Holeman and Andrea Federico got a break late in the game to enjoy the win.

MORTON’S GAP, Ky. – It does not require a large canvas to illustrate how heavily favored Crittenden County dismantled Webster County 57-20 in the opening round of the Second Region Tournament on Monday night.

But it would require a much broader brush to fully capture what this group of players, particularly the senior class, has accomplished over the past five seasons, dating back to middle school when several began playing significant varsity minutes, if not starting.

The milestones, both individual and collective, have been remarkable. With Monday’s victory, the 25-5 Lady Rockets tied a school record for wins in a season.

Mission Numero Uno now becomes chasing that elusive post-season sweetener – the program’s second regional championship and a return trip to the Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Sweet 16, set for March 11-14 at Rupp Arena.

A wide-angle lens is necessary to properly examine the full body of work. This is the best three-point shooting team in school history. The senior class is the winningest ever. Four players have surpassed 500 career rebounds, and three have eclipsed 1,000 career points – one of them went over 2K.

Crittenden’s 2011 Second Region championship team posted comparable offensive numbers and, most importantly, secured the regional crown that has thus far eluded this current statistical powerhouse. Lady Rocket version 2011 won the All A Classic regional tournament, district tournament and KHSAA regional tournament. That will not be outdone this season as CCHS lost by three in the small-school regional back in January. 

That squad from 15 years ago featured three eventual 1,000-point scorers, though only one logged every point in a Lady Rocket uniform. Jessica (Hodge) Sigler poured in all 1,448 of her points playing for her mother, longtime head coach Shannon Hodge. Laiken Tabor reached the 1,000-point mark after transferring from Marshall County, and Bailey Brown crossed the threshold after leaving Marion for Calloway County. In this contemporary version, the three leading point-makers have career scoresheets like this: Boone 2,179, Evans 1,187, Hodge 1,117. Center Bristyn Rushing and forward Andrea Federico each have more than 500 rebounds. So do the senior guards. Hodge, a sophomore, is the only underclassman starter.=

Meanwhile, Lady Rocket Version 2026 has produced three seasons with more than 20 wins. The program, which dates back to the early 1970s, has recorded only five 20-win campaigns in more than five decades.

Since this senior core was in eighth grade, Crittenden County has compiled a 115-44 record. That’s a .723 winning percentage.

Against Webster County, résumé aside, CCHS dominated every facet. The Lady Rockets triggered the running-clock mercy rule late in the third quarter, building a 54-16 advantage before wholesale substitutions began early in the fourth.

Crittenden advances to Friday’s 6 p.m., semifinal match against Christian County or Caldwell County. The championship game is at 7 p.m., Saturday at Hopkins Central High School.

Webster County 5 12 16 20
Crittenden Co. 17 33 54 57
WEBSTER – Cartwright 4, Cardwell 1, Wrigth 8, Tapp 2, Rakestraw 3, Torres, Kramer 2. FG 8. 3-pointers 1. FT 3-6.
CRITTENDEN – Boone 12, Evans 8, Hodge 17, Federico 7, Rushing 7, Holeman 3, Hunt, Berry, Champion, Grau, Rich, Kemmer. FG 20. 3-pointers 11 (Hodge 5, Boone 2, Evans, Federico, Rushing, Holeman). FT 3-4.