Cards, Lady Cards deliver statement wins
BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — The Zip Zone Classic again lived up to its billing Saturday at Martin County High School. Fans packed the gym for nine games that featured elite talent, wild finishes and statement wins.
Those wins included both the host Cardinals and Lady Cards. Martin County boys closed the night with an 89-74 victory over Wayne (WV) while the Ladies rolled past Phelps 65-27 in the Kennadi Mollett Memorial Game.
Proceeds from the premier preseason showcase, sponsored by Zip Zone Express, benefit Martin County High School athletic programs.
“Obviously a huge thanks to Zip Zone,” Martin County boys head coach Jason “JJ” James said. “What they do for our program, we can’t thank them enough.”
Cardinals surge past Wayne
In the final game of the showcase, Martin County boys used a blistering middle stretch to take control against Wayne and never gave the lead back in an 89-74 win.
After a back-and-forth start, the Cardinals heated up in the second and third quarters, pushing the pace, getting downhill in transition and spacing the floor with 3-point shooting.
Martin County shot 48.5% from the field, 40.7% from 3-point range and 81.3% at the free-throw line. The Cardinals also owned the glass with a 40-29 rebounding edge and turned the ball over just seven times.
Braxton Keathley powered the win with 28 points, four rebounds, five assists and two steals. Bryson Dials followed with 22 points and five boards, knocking down three 3-pointers. Eli Mills gave the Cardinals another perimeter spark, adding 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting with four 3-pointers and a perfect 3-for-3 at the line.
In the frontcourt, Devan Maynard just missed a double-double with nine points and 12 rebounds. He added a 3-pointer and shot 4-of-6 from the field. Alan Moore cleaned the glass for the Cards with a game-high 14 rebounds and dished out five assists. Brayden Marcum provided a spark off the bench with seven points, two rebounds and three assists.
Martin County head coach Jason “JJ” James liked what he saw in stretches but believes the best basketball is still ahead.
“We just wanted to come out and play hard versus Wayne,” Coach James said. “They had an advantage on us where they had watched us play and we hadn’t had a chance to see them yet.”
He noted that the Cardinals are still settling into their rhythm but trending in the right direction.
“I saw a lot of good things and a lot of stuff to work on,” said James. “We will watch the film and make any improvements where needed. I think we have a lot of talent. When we get used to playing together, we’re going to be pretty good. It may take some time, but I’m confident we’re going to be a really good team.”
Lady Cards dominate Phelps
In the Zip Zone Classic’s Kennadi Mollett Memorial Game, the Martin County Lady Cardinals turned in a dominant performance to defeat Phelps 65-27 on an emotional night.
The game was near the anniversary of the sudden passing of former Martin County standout and University of Pikeville cheerleader Kennadi Mollett, whose death shocked communities on both sides of the Tug River. Mollett was a multi-sport athlete for the Cardinals, cheering and playing basketball. Her mother, Robin Walker, remains closely involved with the program.
“Zip Zone named our game after Kennadi Mollette, and this means a lot not only to us but also to her family,” Martin County coach Robin Newsome said. “Robin is like family to us, and we’re thankful for her. The girls know who they’re playing for.”
Martin County set the tone early, racing to a double-digit lead in the first quarter and never looking back. The Lady Cards shot 39.7% from the field, knocked down nine 3-pointers and assisted on 13 of their 25 made field goals. They also forced 22 Phelps turnovers while committing just five.
Sophomore guard Annaleigh Davis sparked the attack with an efficient 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range. She added three assists and four steals as she repeatedly turned defense into offense.
“Annaleigh was on fire,” Newsome said. “She is very talented. She’ll just keep getting better as she gains more confidence and experience. We have a very young but talented backcourt with Annaleigh and eighth-grader Makenna Marcum. They’ll be going up against bigger and stronger guards all season, but they are very gifted. I think they will hold their own down the stretch.”
In the paint, 6-foot-4 sophomore center Maci Maynard delivered a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, going 6-of-10 from the field and 3-of-6 at the line while also handing out three assists.
“Maci makes it look easy,” Newsome said. “She recorded 16 double-doubles last season, so she’s picking up right where she left off.”
Marcum stuffed the stat sheet with 11 points, three rebounds and a team-high five assists, hitting two 3-pointers and going 3-of-6 from the line. Senior guard Chloe May added four points, five rebounds, an assist and a steal. Fellow senior Sophie Harless finished with three points, two rebounds, an assist and a steal.
“Chloe and Sophie will be relied upon heavily in all areas of the game,” Newsome said. “Their leadership will be a big key for us this season.”
Martin County’s depth showed as several players contributed off the bench. Desirae Gullett finished with three points, three rebounds, an assist and a steal. Alivia Stacy scored five points on 2-of-4 shooting, including a 3-pointer. Lexi Cline hit a 3-pointer and grabbed two rebounds, and Zoe Sammons knocked down a 3-pointer as well.
Defensively, the Lady Cards held Phelps to 9-of-39 shooting (23.1%), including 3-of-21 from 3-point range. Martin County outrebounded Phelps 34-27 and blocked three shots, dominating the third quarter by outscoring the Lady Hornets 22-0 from the field.
For the players, the night was about both performance and purpose.
“It feels pretty good to get a win in front of a huge Zip Zone crowd tonight, one of the biggest, if not the biggest, preseason high school basketball events in the state,” Maci Maynard said. “A lot of people doubt us, but I think we came out and proved them wrong.”
Looking ahead to the season opener, Maynard said the Lady Cards welcome the challenge.
“Shelby Valley has a good team, but I’m going into every game this season confident in my squad,” she said.
For May, this was the last Zip Zone Classic.
“It’s great for us to get this win,” May said. “It’s sad being my last one. I love playing in front of a big crowd. And most importantly, we got this win for Ken.”
Slate delivers drama
Paintsville 77, Huntington Prep 46
Paintsville opened the high school slate by rolling past Huntington Prep 77-46.
Hazard 63, Lawrence County 62
One of the best games of the day followed, as Hazard edged defending 15th Region champion Lawrence County 63-62 in a wild finish.
Lawrence County led 62-58 after two free throws by Kaiden Harris with under a minute remaining, and appeared to be closing out the win. But with teams still adjusting to the new pace and the shot clock, Hazard mounted a 5-0 run to steal it.
Hazard’s Seth Caudill drove in for a basket to cut the deficit to two with 29 seconds left. A Lawrence County turnover followed. Lawrence County’s CJ Waller picked off a pass at the top of the key and raced in for an open layup, but it rattled off the back of the rim. Hazard secured the rebound and Tucket Johnson finished a three-on-one break with seven seconds left.
On the inbounds play, Hazard forced another turnover near their bench and called a timeout. Out of the huddle, Caudill found Johnson at the free-throw line. Johnson ball-faked, drew a foul and hit the first free throw. He intentionally missed the second with one second remaining to prevent a set play, and the full-court heave from Lawrence County fell short.
Despite the loss, Lawrence County once again looked like a major 15th Region contender.
Ashland 80, Shelby Valley 51
Ashland followed with an 80-51 win over Shelby Valley, controlling the game from the jump. Drew Smith lit it up from outside, scoring 27 points on seven 3-pointers.
Boyd County 91, Lyon County 64
Boyd County then handled Lyon County 91-64 in another high-scoring matchup, showcasing a deep, balanced attack.
North Laurel 61, George Washington (WV) 41
North Laurel rolled past George Washington 61-41 behind a balanced offense and stifling defense, further cementing its status among the state’s top teams.
Johnson Central 82, Chapmanville (WV) 75
In one of the marquee games of the day, Johnson Central rallied past Chapmanville 82-75 behind a massive second-half surge. Chapmanville led 62-61 late in the third quarter before the Golden Eagles flipped the switch. Johnson Central cranked up its pressure, cleaned the glass and pushed in transition to take control.
Johnson Central junior guard Austin Slone electrified the Zip Zone crowd with 42 points, attacking from all three levels. Brayden Shepherd added 21 points, keeping Chapmanville off balance. Mason McKenzie scored five points, Jaidon Daniel three, Kaleb Callaham eight and Andrew Collins knocked down a 3-pointer.
Chapmanville countered with firepower of its own. Eli Smith poured in 30 points and Jay Brock added 23. Eli Sperry scored eight, Colton Brock six, Jacob Vance four and Logan Hovanec two.
Lenore edges Martin County Middle
The day opened with a thriller at the middle school level as Lenore edged Martin County Middle 38-35. The Cardinals nearly pulled off a late comeback but could not get two good looks to fall in the final seconds.
Kooper Sturgill led Martin County with 12 points, including three 3-pointers, and four rebounds. Brayden Hammond added nine points and a rebound. Walker Sturgill scored five and grabbed a board. Grayson Mollette added four points, Mayson Phillips contributed two points and five rebounds, and Landon Estep scored two. Hunter Phelps pulled down a rebound.
Isaiah Crabtree led Lenore with 10 points. Sammy Blackburn and Sebastian Varney scored nine each. Paul McKalvey finished with four, Israel Crabtree three and RJ Rose two.
