Final Four MVP Jeff Sheppard coaches, from left, Caden Harris, Reed Sheppard, Clay Sizemore and Ryan Davidson in third grade. Now they are all part of North Laurel's unbeaten team
The incredible season sophomore Reed Sheppard is having has generated a lot of attention for North Laurel this season. However, Sheppard’s father, Jeff, thinks there is an even better story that many are missing about this unbeaten team. North Laurel is 19-0 and averaging 91 points per game going into Friday’s game against Ashland and star sophomore Colin Porter at Lexington Catholic before a showdown with host/unbeaten Lexington Catholic Saturday at 2 that will be shown on The CW Lexington and live-streamed on PrepSpin.
“To me this season just shows the power of a group of boys being raised in the same community, going to school together from elementary to middle school and now high school,” said Jeff Sheppard, the 1998 Final Four MVP when UK won the national championship.
“They have played baseball, football, and soccer together. They hang out with each other, celebrate birthdays. It’s the neat thing about high school sports. It is the best time of their lives.”
Four of North Laurel’s players started playing together in third grade when Jeff Sheppard was the coach.
— Reed Sheppard is averaging 33.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. He’s shooting 55 percent overall and has hit 43 3’s. He’s 125 of 143 from the foul line. In Tuesday’s 80-39 win McCreary Central, Sheppard just missed a quadruple-double with 26 points, 13 assists, 12 rebounds, eight steals, and one block.
— Ryan Davidson adds 21.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per outing. He’s a 69 percent shooter from the field and has made 69 of 84 free throws.
— Clay Sizemore contributes 13. 5 points and 2.0 rebounds per game with 65 3-pointers.
— Caden Harris averages 3.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.
“I still stay in touch with my high school teammates,” Jeff Sheppard said. “That’s why I want Reed to just be able to enjoy his high school years. College is wonderful. Professional basketball is wonderful.
“Little boys dream about playing professional basketball but professional players dream about being a little boy. It’s important for him just to get to play and then go to Waffle House or somewhere with his teammates.
“This is too important of a part of his life to not enjoy it. That’s why our goal is to make this as normal a high school process as possible for Reed. We want him and his friends to enjoy high school just like they have all those other years together.”
