With many people pegging the Fifth District to be the most competitive since Caldwell County departed nearly 15 years ago, it’s a good time to have a senior-laden team returning with a pair of 1,000-point scorers.
That’s the preseason narrative the Crittenden County Rockets are facing in 2021. The Rockets were 16-17 – the most wins for the program in four years.
The Rockets are wanting more this year, looking to challenge for titles in both the All A and Fifth District and snap a region tournament drought that spans 63 years.
In a district filled with standout talent in the backcourt, the Rockets appear to be right at the top. Senior Gabe Mott has established himself as one of the region’s best scoring guards. He scored 16 points a game and knocked down 43 shots behind the arc in crossing the 1,000-point threshold as a junior. His improved ability to get into the paint and create has been one of his biggest areas of improvement.
With the graduation of Eric O’Leary and his 15 points per game, the Rockets expect sophomore Preston Morgeson to fulfill a larger scoring role in 2021. The shifty guard averaged six points a game, knocking down 16 more 3-pointers than 2-pointers.
Freshman Travis Champion and junior Hayden Adamson will also see floor time if Coach Denis Hodge chooses to employ a three-guard offense.
6-5 center Preston Turley has been terrorizing the district since the 8th grade. Now a senior, Turley, who averaged 14 points and eight rebounds last year, looks to establish himself as the premier inside guy in the region.
Senior Tyler Boone returned from an injury sustained in football season to play the final 10 games of the season, scoring 10 points per game. Normally, Boone and Turley show up a few days after football ends and begin play in the first week of the regular season. With COVID pushing the start back to January, they and the other football players will get a full month of practice.
Braxton Winders and Maddox Carlson were key players off the bench last year for the Rockets, who handed Lyon County their only district loss of the season. The Lyons got revenge in the district title game with a 78-65 win.
If Crittenden can avoid the foul trouble that’s plagued them in important games over the past two years, they might can give their senior class the gift of assorted hardware at season’s end.
The Rockets open the 2021 season on January 5 with a home game against defending district champion Lyon County.
