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LEXINGTON - No matter what happens from here on in,
one has to look at the McKenzie basketball program with
a bit of respect.
The Rebels held off a bid by Riverside's Adam Hayes
to take over the basketball game during the play-in
round of the District 11AA tournament here last Monday
night. MHS, determined to delay spring football and
other vernal pursuits, fermented its offense at the
right time. In the final 5:56, MHS outscored the
Panthers 22-5 and broke open what had been a
blowout-turned-thriller game.
With 6:16 to play, Riverside erased an 18-point and drew
within seven, 57-50, thanks to Hayes' effort.
But the Rebels exorcised the demons of the past,
those pestilent imps that led to the Panthers'
improbable overtime victory at McKenzie on Jan. 23. It
had to set aside the ghosts of Marlon Dotson's 33 points
in an overtime loss to Milan; Matthew Chandler's 22
points in a tough home loss to Camden; and Lexington's
14-triple night of a few weeks ago.
Now these guys are headed to the regional tournament
for the sixth straight season. That means they are part
of the best 64 teams remaining in the state, a place
they've known very well.
Also consider that McKenzie, a Class 2A school that's
smaller than many current Class A programs, won 10 games
this year. Take it another step and you'll realize that
the Rebels could have easily been a .500 team with a few
breaks.
But breaks have been fleeting for this club. Yet the
guys have hung together and stayed positive. They've
played hard in every game. It would be hard to fault
this team's effort.
And not only is this team a collection of good kids,
3.8 isn't necessarily a rebounding average with this
team. The grade-point average of this squad is pretty
lofty.
Yeah, there are land mines like South Side and
Bolivar down the road. The Tigers are the state's No.
1-ranked Class 2A team and the Hawks are speedy, big and
athletic. On paper, it would be easy to surmise that
those teams will be heavily favored in regional play.
But it's tournament time. I can remember covering an
Adamsville girls' team that won eight games and advanced
to the state tournament. I can remember a four-win
Halls' team upsetting its way to the 7A girls' finals in
1987 and going to substate. I can remember a sub-.500
Dresden team knocking off a ranked Kenton team,
featuring all-stater Eric Brooks, in the semifinals of
the 1986 7A semifinals.
I have said all season: If I'm wearing the whistle of
the 12AA coaches, I'm casting a cautious eye toward the
Rebels. Many writers around the area have remarked that
they have the capability to sting someone at the worst
possible time.
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