PREVIEW – Maroons Geared Up for Another Run at Region Title

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Madisonville-North Hopkins has reached the 2nd Region championship game each of the past three seasons, winning regional titles in 2019 and 2020.

With all five starters back from last year’s 16-5 squad, hopes are high in Maroonville again this season.

Head coach Jon Newton, who returns for his second season in Madisonville, says Maroon fans should have an entertaining team to watch.

“I’m excited about this team and this upcoming season. We have a fun team that has the potential to score a lot of points,” Newton noted. “We could be a very deep team and on any given night we could have different players to go for 15-20 points, which can be hard to prepare from game to game.”

Guard Kale Gaither took advantage of the extra year provided due to COVID-19 and is back for another go-around after averaging 20.1 points a game to lead the Maroons last season.

Six-foot-five forward Zach Tow also came back for another senior season after averaging a double-double last year with 11.0 points and 10.7 rebounds a game.

Senior Zach Tow averaged a double-double last season for the Maroons.

Ashton Gaines, another 6-5 forward who is a senior this year, scored 12.0 points and grabbed 5.7 rebounds a game a year ago.

Senior Landon Cline scored 8.1 points a game and junior Destin Cheirs had 1.7 points and 3.7 rebounds.

In addition to that experienced group, the Maroons look to have some depth as well.

“We return several key reserve players from last season,” said Newton. “Danye Frazier has had a tremendous off season and looking for a different season this year than last. LaJuan McAdoo and Brayden Butler will look for expanded roles this season.

“We have added Nyeem Peyton and Jaivon Phillips to our team this season via transfer from Hopkins County Central. Both newcomers will be a welcome addition and add depth and varsity experience to our team.

“Jackson Hill has looked strong in practice so far after taking off last season to focus on his golf game. He will add guard depth for us.”

Hill is a senior who has signed to play college golf at Northern Kentucky University.

“I think some of these younger guys, Brayden Butler, Quinten Rodgers and LaJuan McAdoo will surprise opponents once they get their varsity legs underneath them,” Newton added. “They have put in a lot of time this offseason and have done a good job in practice so far.”

Madisonville-North Hopkins has won 12-straight 7th District championships and is the clear favorite again going into the 2021-22 campaign.

The Maroons, who bowed to University Heights Academy 63-61 in the 2nd Region championship game last season, are on the short list of regional contenders this year — with Lyon County, Hopkinsville and Union County — and appear to have the firepower to play in the region final for the fourth-straight year.

Jon Newton is back for his second season as Madisonville head coach.

“We are a type of team and I’m a type of coach that we focus on the day-to-day process,” said Newton. “We are just trying to be better today than we were yesterday and if that holds true than we will be better come tournament time than we were on Oct. 15.

“I think we have a lot of upsides, but we are nowhere near that at the moment. We will focus on the regular season first and then when it comes tournament time we will try to compete and win both districts and regional tournament. I think we have that type of team that can compete for both.”

The Maroons will tip off the new season on Monday, Nov. 29, when they host Heritage Christian Academy of Hopkinsville. HCA is making the transition to the KHSAA but will not be eligible for postseason play until the 2023-24 season.

One of the highlights on the regular-season schedule will be the Madisonville-North Hopkins Holiday Classic Dec. 20-22 at Maroon Gym.

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