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Prep Basketball: Cards ready for region

March 04, 2011|By Keith Taylor | The Winchester Sun

James Mann/jmann@winchestersun.com

Montgomery County coach Keith Griesser thinks George Rogers Clark has all the tools in place to make a successful run in the 10th Region Tournament.

“They’re ultra-talented and they have very good players,” he said. “I think if they play to their potential, they’re playing (in the state finals) on Saturday night.”

Although Clark is favored to win the region, Griesser added that the tournament is “up for grabs.”

“I’m glad that Clark is in the opposite bracket,” the Montgomery County coach said. “There are a lot of teams in the regional tournament that are a lot like us. One night, they look really, really good and the next night they look average.

“There are a lot of young teams in the (tournament) this year. You’ve just got to come out and play, and everybody that’s in this regional is going to come (ready) to play.”

The four-day event began Thursday night and Clark, looking for its first regional championship since 2007, opens with a first-round encounter against Harrison County at 6:30 p.m. tonight at the Fieldhouse in Maysville. Clark defeated the Thorobreds 73-55 on Jan. 19 in Cynthiana.

Going into the tournament, the Cardinals (26-5) have won five in a row and 17 of their past 18 games. The team’s only loss since a 64-52 setback to Wheeler (Ga.) in the Beach Ball Classic on New Year’s Eve was a 71-57 defeat to Louisville Ballard on Feb. 9 at Norton Gymnasium.

Clark coach Scott Humphrey said his team is prepared for the task at hand and said his schedule helped prepare the Cards for the postseason. He added that finishing games will be a key for his team.

“Our whole season has been a test,” he said. “Late game situations will be big for us. Every tournament will produce some close games. We must prepare and execute better to finish the game.”

Clark defeated the Royals 73-60 on Feb. 4 in Maysville during the regular-season. Mason defeated the Cardinals 62-60 in the regional finals a year ago.

Humphrey said he likes his team’s chances of overcoming the obstacle of playing on the defending champions’ home court.

“It is something we have prepared for all year,” he said. “We tried to play as tough of a schedule as we could, because we know to win three games at Mason in the tournament and capture the crown, you better have a mentally tough team.”

Although the Cards are eager for a possible rematch against defending champion and host Mason County, Clark senior Corey Rogers isn’t looking past the opener.

“We’ll play every game like it’s our last and prepare for each team,” he said.

“It’s going to be tough,” Clark senior Jaylen Daniel added. “But, we’re ready to go.”

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