BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
SALYERSVILLE — Martin County’s lights-out shooting from beyond the arc proved too much for Paintsville in the opening round of the 57th District Tournament. The Cardinals defeated the Tigers 77-63 to advance to the championship game Thursday against Johnson Central.
The energy was high Tuesday night in the Magoffin County gym as fans crowded in to witness the battle between the Cardinals and Tigers.
Martin County dictated the tempo from the outset, hitting eight 3-pointers in the first quarter and fueling a 29-16 lead that forced Paintsville to play from behind the rest of the game.
Freshman Bryson Dials opened the game with two 3-pointers in a row. Senior Peyton Davis then unleashed a barrage from beyond the arc, sinking three from downtown. Dials added another 3-pointer and Brayden Estep knocked down two 3-pointers.
Paintsville fought to close the gap in the second quarter. The Tigers hit four 3-pointers and clawed their way to within six points by halftime.
Devan Maynard took over in the third quarter, scoring 10 points in transition to extend the lead to 51-36 entering the final period.
Parker Watts put on a dunk clinic in the fourth quarter, while Dials added 10 more points to put the game out of reach.
“I’ve always wanted to break the backboard,” Watts revealed. “So that’s what I’m thinking when I go up.” He added, “I’m just happy to be with Martin County and be a part of a winning culture.”
Dials led all scorers with 23 points. He shot 6-of-11 from the field, including 5-of-8 from 3-point range, and contributed six rebounds, two steals and an assist.
“Coach always has us prepared,” Dials said. “We knew it would be a battle from the start. We had to take care of business tonight.”
He also commented on the upcoming championship matchup.
“We know we have to be locked in and play for the name on the front,” said Dials. “We have to take better shots. It’s all or nothing.”
Watts finished with 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting, adding eight assists, seven rebounds, three steals and a block. His defensive presence helped disrupt Paintsville’s offense, creating turnovers that fueled Martin County’s fast-paced attack.
“I knew my role was to play defense in the first half,” he said. “I knew they were looking at me, so it was all about getting the team involved. They were the key.”
Maynard asserted his presence with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds. He hit 8-of-11 from the field and added two assists and two steals.
Maynard echoed the sentiment of focused preparation.
“This is what we’ve worked for,” he said.
Maynard outlined the team’s approach for the championship: “Be together. Listen to Coach. Play for each other. Don’t play for me. Play for us.”
Davis did what he does best: contributing to every facet of the game. He fired in 11 points, shooting 4-of-7 from the field, and tallied three assists, two rebounds and two steals.
Davis, who battled through an ankle injury, emphasized his commitment to the team.
“Give it my all—give everything to help my teammates win,” he stated.
Davis said of the upcoming championship, “Anything it takes to win this, especially against Johnson Central.”
Brayden Estep added four assists and two steals, shooting 2-of-5 from the field and 3-of-6 from three-point range. Eli Mills recorded a block.
Martin County shot an efficient 56% (28-of-50) from the field and 52.4% (11-of-21) from beyond the arc.
Coach Jason “JJ” James credited the team’s strategy and execution.
“We wanted to get them in a high-scoring game,” he said. “I thought that would favor us. We came out on fire, and that hot start really helped and made all the difference. We carried it over to the second half.”
Looking ahead to the championship, James acknowledged the challenge
“It’s going to be as hard as any of them,” he said. “Johnson Central is really good. They play and run up and down the court. It will be who decides to play defense for the longest stretch.”
Martin County will compete for its fourth straight 57th District title when it faces Johnson Central on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Magoffin County High School.
