Lexington Christian boys basketball is again.
That is behind Jap Kentucky College in Richmond later this month within the All “A” Traditional because the Area 11 small-school champs … vying for its first District 43 title since a third-straight end in 2019 … and possibly again for extra .
Lexington Christian (14-3) received the Area 11 All ‘A’ Traditional title and claimed a state match berth Saturday with a 67-59 win over host Sayre in entrance of a crowd that just about stuffed the Spartans’ small health club.
A season in the past, the Eagles suffered via a 9-23 marketing campaign, the crew’s first shedding season in practically a decade. It additionally missed the total Area 11 match for the third yr in a row and fell to Sayre within the All-A area, profitable the LCA match greater than another opponent (now 17 occasions).
“It means lots,” LCA match MVP Saxton Howard stated. “We must always have purchased again final yr’s. We had it on our calendars and we simply went on the market and confirmed what we had.”
A 9-2 run late within the second quarter, capped by a three-pointer by Andrew Inexperienced with 19 seconds left earlier than halftime, largely stored LCA at bay for the ultimate 16 minutes of the sport. Inexperienced and Howard, each sophomores, every had 16 factors for the Eagles. Senior Tyler Corridor led the crew with 18 factors, 12 of which got here within the second half.
“Final yr was a tricky yr for us,” stated certainly one of LCA coach Ted Corridor’s sons. “We had a very good style in our mouths and we have been speaking all sport in regards to the highway to the championship, the highway to EKU. It was a tough victory towards an excellent crew.”
Coach Corridor credit final season’s trials as a catalyst for this yr’s crew. He stated his youthful gamers have gained a ton of expertise and the seniors on this crew have proven unimaginable work ethic and dedication regardless of their struggles.
“We had a very good summer season and I felt like that continued this yr,” Coach Corridor stated. “It is a studying course of. We nonetheless have loads of younger guys, however they’re extra skilled. That is tough. “The extra expertise you’ve, the higher you’ll be.”
LCA gamers stated the expertise of getting an enormous house benefit towards district rival Lexington Catholic earlier this month did not carry over into Saturday’s sport towards Sayre. The Eagles jumped out to an 18-0 lead over No. 3 LexCath beginning Jan. 3 and took a 62-54 lead with 3:07 to play earlier than the Knights’ miraculous comeback that included 9 straight factors from 7-yarder Reece Potter.
Sayre (12-5) received inside 5 factors a number of occasions Saturday, however LCA answered every run. Ian Reesor led 4 Spartans in double figures with 15 factors.
“Catholic was a tricky loss, however we all know we are able to beat any crew,” Tyler Corridor stated. “Once they made some runs on the finish, we had loads of confidence in our guys and confirmed our resilience.”
LCA received the ‘A’ Traditional all-state in 2018 with gamers like Kyle Rohde and Carter Hendrickson nonetheless again on campus through the crew’s summer season exercises. Coach Corridor’s present crew stated they grew up watching their success and have been impressed by it.
On Sunday, LCA traveled to see Rode’s Liberty crew play at Jap Kentucky. Rode delivered an All-A’s message for the Eagles and the remainder of the season.
“Kyle advised these guys, ‘It is a large deal.’ It is all an enormous deal,'” Coach Corridor stated. “These are large video games. We have now one other district sport subsequent week after which they play in Richmond and after that it is again to district video games.”
However Coach Corridor is not too apprehensive about it. He thinks his gamers can be prepared.
“These guys are very aggressive,” Coach Corridor stated. “I feel we might have woken them up at 4 within the morning and brought them to Shillito and they’d have performed exhausting. … Regardless of the scenario, they’re all the time able to go.”
Berea leads LCA in women All ‘A
Protection and a powerful second quarter helped Berea cruise to a 35-27 win over Lexington Christian to clinch the Pirates’ fifth straight All “A” Traditional Area 11 title and a corresponding journey to the statewide match in Richmond later this month.
“Though Lexington Christian completely examined them, they rose to the problem,” Berea head coach Dammian Stepp stated. “We simply caught to the sport plan. Run your stuff, shoot inside, attempt to get to the free throw line and end.”
LCA led 13-10 early within the second half, however Berea scored eight unanswered to shut the half. Abigail Beard scored 5 of her 12 factors through the run. Maddy King added 11 for the Pirates (11-4). Nia Carr led LCA (8-9) with 9 factors.
Stepp has graduated six gamers who’ve been key to Berea’s All-A run to that time. The 5 juniors he began on Saturday “have been round, however it is a new expertise for them,” Stepp stated. “And so they actually stepped up.”
This story was initially printed January 15, 2023 at 4:50 p.m.
