BY BOO NEWSOME
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — The 15th Region champion Martin County will play Frederick Douglass out of the 11th Region at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Sweet 16 at Rupp Arena.
The Cardinals, under 15th Region “Coach of the Year” Jason James, would be making their second appearance in the Sweet 16 had COVID not canceled the state tournament in 2020.
For Frederick Douglass, under first-year coach Wesley Scarberry, this will be the first-ever state tournament appearance.
Below you can see how these two teams stack up against each other and check out the tournament schedule.
Martin County
Martin County High School opened its doors in 2019. The school was built after road construction damage closed Sheldon Clark High School. Enrollment for grades 9-12 is approximately 529 students.
The Cardinals will enter the Sweet 16 with a 24-10 record after defeating Pikeville 55-53 to win the 15th Region championship. They defeated Paintsville 66-62 to win the 57th District championship.
Martin County averages 70.9 points per game and gives up 61.1 points per game to their opponents. The Cardinals are shooting 46.2% from the field and 68.5% from the free-throw line. They connected on 34.6% from the 3-point range (251 of 726).
Martin County likes to run with the ball and can quickly put up points. They are tall, athletic and can all shoot the ball.
Junior Luke Hale leads the Cardinals in scoring with 20.7 points per game. He was an eighth grader when the Cardinals won the region in 2020.
“This is for all of the 2020 teammates that didn’t get to go play in the Sweet 16 because of COVID,” Hale said.
Of his 2023 team, the 6-foot-3 Hale said, “This team just has a bond that many teams don’t have.”
Hale is shooting 47.3% from the field (241 for 510), 38.6% from the 3-point range (100 for 259) and 80.6% from the free-throw line (100 for 124).
Hale is the 15th Region MVP and wears the No. 2 jersey.
Junior Brayden McKenzie is the second-leading scorer on the team and saw playing time last season until he broke both wrists. McKenzie shoots 50.3% from the field.
“I have worked for this all summer and we just play for each other,” the 6-foot-3 McKenzie said.
Junior Jacob Sturgell holds down the center position for the Cardinals. He averages 8.5 points per game and leads the Cardinals in rebounding with 6.1 per game.
“We are just one big family. We love each other and play for each other,” the 6-foot-2 Sturgell said.
Junior Dray Duff (5-foot-6) is putting up 8.4 ppg and holds down the point guard position for the Cardinals. Duff leads his team in assists.
“We have a lot of fight in us,” Duff said. “We are a real close group.”
Senior Matt Linville averages 5.8 points per game and leads the Cardinals in blocked shots. Matt also pulls down five rebounds per game.
“My role is to get everybody to bring energy and get everyone doing their job on the court,” the 6-foot-6 Linville said.
Coming off the bench as a sub, sophomore shooting guard Peyton Davis (6-foot-0) averages 6.9 ppg and leads the Cardinals in 3-point field goal percentage shooting a phenomenal 41.3%.
“One word to describe our team is ‘effort,’” Davis said. “We give it all we have every night.”
Junior Blake Maynard (6-foot-6) plays the center position and averages 3.1 points per game. He has played in 29 games and pulled down 3.2 rebounds for the Cardinals.
Wearing the No. 23 jersey, sophomore Ethan Ferrell (6-foot-1) averages 3.4 ppg.
Freshman Devan Maynard saw limited varsity action during the season, but Coach James inserted him in the lineup late in the season and has been a game-changer. Maynard can score, defend and handle the ball. He is just a well-rounded athlete.
Seventh-grader Bryson Dials (6-foot-0) averages 2 ppg and wears No. 25.
Freshman Eli Mills (6-foot-1/2) comes in averaging 3.4 points per game. He has played in 20 games and shoots 52.1% from the three.
Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass High School opened its doors in 2017. The school was built due to Bryan Station and Henry Clay being overpopulated. Enrollment for grades 9-12 is approximately 1,320.
Frederick Douglass brings a 31-2 record into the Sweet 16 and is riding a 28-game winning streak.
The Broncos’ last loss came Dec. 10 vs. Great Crossing.
Douglass defeated Scott County in the 42nd District Tournament 69-38 and upset Lexington Catholic 43-41 in the 11th Region championship.
Douglass has athletic, dynamic guards who finish above the rim and play at a fast pace.
The Broncos give up 53.1 points per game to their opponents while averaging 69.3 points per game. They shoot 48.5% from the field, 64.9% from the free-throw line, and 32.6% from the 3-point range (171 for 525).
Douglass grabbed 1,047 rebounds for a 31.7 average per game.
The Broncos leading scorer is Kai Simpson (6-foot-2), a senior point guard averaging 16.7 points per game.
Sophomore Armelo Boone (6 foot-3) puts up 16 points per game and leads the Broncos in rebounding with 6 per game.
Sophomore Averon Chenault (6 foot-3) drops 13.2 points per game while shooting 57.3% from the field.
Tylon Webb (6-foot-1), a senior who has signed with West Point to play football, averages 11.4 points per game.
Sweet 16 schedule at Rupp Arena
Wednesday games
11 a.m.: Jeffersontown (17-12) vs. Woodford County (20-12)
1:30 p.m.: Elizabethtown (23-9) vs. McCracken County (29-5)
6 p.m.: Warren Central (32-1) vs. Pulaski County (27-6)
8:30 p.m.: Owensboro (19-10) vs. Ashland Blazer (22-11)
Thursday games
11 a.m.: Male (25-10) vs. Breathitt County (18-9)
1:30 p.m.: Lyon County (30-5) vs. Newport (28-6)
6 p.m.: Frederick Douglass (31-2) vs. Martin County (24-10)
8:30 p.m.: George Rogers Clark (27-5) vs. North Laurel (25-10)
Friday quarterfinals
11 a.m.: Elizabethtown-McCracken winner vs. Jeffersontown-Woodford winner
1:30 p.m.: Warren Central-Pulaski winner vs. Owensboro-Ashland winner
6 p.m.: Douglass-Martin winner vs. Male-Breathitt winner
8:30 p.m.: Lyon-Newport winner vs. Clark-North Laurel winner
Saturday games
11 a.m.: Semifinal 1: Winners of Friday’s morning session
1:30 p.m.: Semifinal 2: Winners of Friday’s evening session
7 p.m.: Championship
