If you gotta go out, you might as well go out on top. Many may not remember, some may, but the Todd Central Rebels were not always in the 13th District and the 4th Region. That move for the Rebels occurred at the end of the 1981-1982 season, taking them from the 8th District and the 2nd Region. When the Rebels left the 8th District, they were on a pretty good run.
The makings of the run began in the 1978-1979 8th District tournament. With UHA joining the district two years before, the 8th District was made up of five teams. The Rebels opened that tournament with a 73-51 win over Fort Campbell. They advanced on to the finals with a 77-67 win over Hopkinsville. Their bid for a title came up just short with a 61-48 loss to Christian County in the title game.
Then, the run to “goodbye” got underway.
The 1980 tournament began for Todd Central with a tight 57-56 win over Christian County. The Rebels advanced to the title game by knocking off Hopkinsville 57-51. In the championship game, the Blazers were matched up against University Heights, who turned out to be no match for the Rebels, as Todd Central picked up their first district title since 1966 with a 80-49 win.
Coach Fred Harper’s team was right back at it in the 1981 tourney. The Rebels blasted Fort Campbell 72-51 in their opener to move on to the semifinals. There they edged out Hopkinsville 63-59 to get back to the championship game. The Rebels would then make it back to back titles by nipping Christian County 69-67.
The trifecta was then completed in the 1982 tournament. For the first time in their run, the Rebels did not have to play the extra game. Todd Central handled Hopkinsville 72-54 in the semifinals. The Rebels then made it three in a row by taking down Fort Campbell 69-61 in the championship game.
During their 3-year run in the 8th District, the Rebels would reach the 2nd Region championship game twice, winning the 2nd Region crown in 1981. Todd Central would fall to Boyd County 75-65 in the opening round of the 1981 Sweet 16.
The Rebels would then move to the 13th District in the 4th Region for the 1982-1983 season. Todd Central would lose the 13th District championship game to Logan County their first two years in the district. They would win their first championship in their new district in 1985.
