Owen County - 2022 All "A" Champions

A new Champion was crowned last weekend in Richmond, KY as the Lady Rebels of Owen County overcame 4 very talented opponents on their way to the title. I have seen this team play a game against the eventual 2A State Champion and the 1st Half of a scrimmage against the new LIT Champions. But I was unable to see them achieve All "A" Championship due to my principles of never seeing 1 game when I can see 2 (or 3 as it was last Sunday). A principle that has helped me to see over 1/3 of the 270 plus girls basketball teams in the Commonwealth this season.   Haley Logan - ’24 5’10"/SF - Owen County When discussing the players on this team, Logan is generally the Third Musketeer mentioned in the discussion. But she hit the single most important shot in the tournament. A single free throw with zero time left on the clock to win the game in regulation. A shot that saved her team from 4 additional minutes of foul trouble (two players with 4 fouls and one with 3!!! on a team that only goes 5 or 6 deep!!!) against a team that was much deeper and presenting a high-tempo attack. Logan played all but 9 minutes in the 4 games of the tournament, scored 18 points in game 1, and averaged 6.3 points and 5.7 rebounds in the final three. She also added 8 steals and 6 assists in the tournament.   [player_tooltip player_id="157948" first="Lexie" last="Moore"] - ’22 5’10"/SG - Owen County Moore was the undisputed Most Outstanding Player of the All "A" Tournament. She is so versatile that she literally plays every position on the court. Center, when Ferguson is out. Point Guard, Shooting Guard, the player that drives the ball to the hole for layups, pull-up jumpers, posting up at the Low Block, Mid-post, and in the High Post. If you can think of something that a basketball player does in a game (other than Dunk) Moore does it. She is going to make a ton of Coaches kick themselves for not recruiting her and those who recruited her but didn't land her will regret it while hoping to see her name in the transfer portal. I will personally miss seeing her play next season because she was always doing something to impress with her creativity, determination, and mental understanding of the game. To see her reading the defenses like a chess master reads the board and trying to apply her myriad of skills to the challenge presented by her opponent was an absolute pleasure. Moore played all but 4 minutes of the tournament and averaged 16 points and 9.25 rebounds per game. She was 1 rebound short in game 1 of tallying 3 double-doubles and made 4.25 assists and 4,25 steals per game. She also battled foul trouble in the semifinals that limited her effectiveness and had her subbing in and out offense-for-defense early in the 1st half.   [player_tooltip player_id="260270" first="Gracie" last="Ferguson"] - ’23 5’11"/SF - Owen County I had seen Ferguson play enough times to know that she is not a player that flops. She is a sturdy player in the post that uses what size she has to maintain a good base while in contact with opponents and has the balance to handle the bumps and pushes that come with the territory and the role of being highly effective in the paint. Yet, she spent so much time on the floor after contact that was not called a foul (and perhaps they weren’t fouls... incidental contact is real) that I thought about making a joke with her about "cleaning the floor" or "trying to punish whoever washes the uniforms". But I didn’t because it didn’t seem like an appropriate discussion with a minor who was obviously a bit distraught about how often she was knocked to the ground at the time. So I saved that for the article after the tournament where the humor (what little there is of it) can shine through without the pressure of the moment. Ferguson was most crucial in that semifinal game scoring 12 points and grabbing 12 rebounds while matched against perhaps the best opposing Center in the tournament. She had to become more of a perimeter player to overcome great inside size and presence to help win the quarterfinals by contributing 4 steals and 3 assists. She had 22 points in game 1, made 51% of her 2-point field goals, blocked 3 shots in the tournament, and only saw the bench during 3 minutes of game 1   Destiny Goodrich - ’22 5’8"/PG - Owen County If the Three Musketeers reference I used above holds for this team I guess that makes Goodrich their D'artagnan. The reference would fit better if she were in 8th grade or something but classical literature and basketball rarely mix. But forced, hackneyed literary references aside, Goodrich did what a Senior Guard needs to do to help guide her team to victories throughout the tournament. She provided leadership, hustle, defense, and poise missing only 7 minutes of game action despite playing with 4 fouls in the semifinals. In the finals, she made all 4 of her field goals for 10 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. She also contributed a stat line of 7.75 points, 3.75 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.25 steals while making 33% of her three-pointer, and 80% of her free throws.   Laurel Lewis - ’22 5’7"/PG - Owen County Lewis also helped to steady the ship for her team like a good Senior Guard is meant to do. She played every minute of the final three games, played steady defense, and protected the ball for her team selflessly. She made 3.5 points and 2 assists per game   Rachel Howard - ’24 5’10"/G - Owen County Howard only played 22 minutes in the tournament but they were important minutes. She scored all 3 of the bench points in the 4 games a number that every opponent matched or exceeded against Owen County. Her contribution cannot be overlooked when discussing the razor-thin margins her team had to walk to accomplish this Championship. Without her, I dare say this effort would have fallen flat at least 1 game short.

A new Champion was crowned last weekend in Richmond, KY as the Lady Rebels of Owen County overcame 4 very talented opponents on their way to the title.

I have seen this team play a game against the eventual 2A State Champion and the 1st Half of a scrimmage against the new LIT Champions. But I was unable to see them achieve All "A" Championship due to my principles of never seeing 1 game when I can see 2 (or 3 as it was last Sunday). A principle that has helped me to see over 1/3 of the 270 plus girls basketball teams in the Commonwealth this season.

Haley Logan - ’24 5’10"/SF - Owen County

When discussing the players on this team, Logan is generally the Third Musketeer mentioned in the discussion. But she hit the single most important shot in the tournament. A single free throw with zero time left on the clock to win the game in regulation. A shot that saved her team from 4 additional minutes of foul trouble (two players with 4 fouls and one with 3!!! on a team that only goes 5 or 6 deep!!!) against a team that was much deeper and presenting a high-tempo attack.

Logan played all but 9 minutes in the 4 games of the tournament, scored 18 points in game 1, and averaged 6.3 points and 5.7 rebounds in the final three. She also added 8 steals and 6 assists in the tournament.

Lexie Moore Lexie Moore 5'9" | SG Owen County | 2022 State KY - ’22 5’10"/SG - Owen County

Moore was the undisputed Most Outstanding Player of the All "A" Tournament. She is so versatile that she literally plays every position on the court. Center, when Ferguson is out. Point Guard, Shooting Guard, the player that drives the ball to the hole for layups, pull-up jumpers, posting up at the Low Block, Mid-post, and in the High Post.

If you can think of something that a basketball player does in a game (other than Dunk) Moore does it. She is going to make a ton of Coaches kick themselves for not recruiting her and those who recruited her but didn't land her will regret it while hoping to see her name in the transfer portal.

I will personally miss seeing her play next season because she was always doing something to impress with her creativity, determination, and mental understanding of the game. To see her reading the defenses like a chess master reads the board and trying to apply her myriad of skills to the challenge presented by her opponent was an absolute pleasure.

Moore played all but 4 minutes of the tournament and averaged 16 points and 9.25 rebounds per game. She was 1 rebound short in game 1 of tallying 3 double-doubles and made 4.25 assists and 4,25 steals per game. She also battled foul trouble in the semifinals that limited her effectiveness and had her subbing in and out offense-for-defense early in the 1st half.

Gracie Ferguson Gracie Ferguson 5'11" | PF Owen County | 2023 State KY - ’23 5’11"/SF - Owen County

I had seen Ferguson play enough times to know that she is not a player that flops. She is a sturdy player in the post that uses what size she has to maintain a good base while in contact with opponents and has the balance to handle the bumps and pushes that come with the territory and the role of being highly effective in the paint.

Yet, she spent so much time on the floor after contact that was not called a foul (and perhaps they weren’t fouls... incidental contact is real) that I thought about making a joke with her about "cleaning the floor" or "trying to punish whoever washes the uniforms". But I didn’t because it didn’t seem like an appropriate discussion with a minor who was obviously a bit distraught about how often she was knocked to the ground at the time.

So I saved that for the article after the tournament where the humor (what little there is of it) can shine through without the pressure of the moment.

Ferguson was most crucial in that semifinal game scoring 12 points and grabbing 12 rebounds while matched against perhaps the best opposing Center in the tournament. She had to become more of a perimeter player to overcome great inside size and presence to help win the quarterfinals by contributing 4 steals and 3 assists. She had 22 points in game 1, made 51% of her 2-point field goals, blocked 3 shots in the tournament, and only saw the bench during 3 minutes of game 1

Destiny Goodrich - ’22 5’8"/PG - Owen County

If the Three Musketeers reference I used above holds for this team I guess that makes Goodrich their D'artagnan. The reference would fit better if she were in 8th grade or something but classical literature and basketball rarely mix.

But forced, hackneyed literary references aside, Goodrich did what a Senior Guard needs to do to help guide her team to victories throughout the tournament. She provided leadership, hustle, defense, and poise missing only 7 minutes of game action despite playing with 4 fouls in the semifinals.

In the finals, she made all 4 of her field goals for 10 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. She also contributed a stat line of 7.75 points, 3.75 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.25 steals while making 33% of her three-pointer, and 80% of her free throws.

Laurel Lewis - ’22 5’7"/PG - Owen County

Lewis also helped to steady the ship for her team like a good Senior Guard is meant to do. She played every minute of the final three games, played steady defense, and protected the ball for her team selflessly.

She made 3.5 points and 2 assists per game

Rachel Howard - ’24 5’10"/G - Owen County

Howard only played 22 minutes in the tournament but they were important minutes. She scored all 3 of the bench points in the 4 games a number that every opponent matched or exceeded against Owen County.

Her contribution cannot be overlooked when discussing the razor-thin margins her team had to walk to accomplish this Championship. Without her, I dare say this effort would have fallen flat at least 1 game short.