Several schools in the Second Region have players who took advantage of the extra COVID-19 year to come back and repeat a year in high school. No team may benefit more from that than the Livingston Central Cardinals.
Guard Max Downey returns for a fifth year after averaging 19 points a game and pulled down seven rebounds last year for the Cardinals. Not only will he run the point for the Livingston Central offense this year, but he will also be their leading scorer and he’ll make everyone on the court around him better.
He is one of three starters returning for Coach Chris Green from last year’s team that finished 5-20. Senior Tyler Calendar [3.0 ppg.] and eighth-grader Logan Wing [4.2 ppg.] will join Downey in the Cardinal lineup.
Green also has some newcomers they will also improve the Cardinals on the floor. Senior Jason Rains, and juniors Casen Render and Gavin Crass have a chance to crash the starting lineup and be key players for the Cardinals.
“Render is super athletic as well as a fast learner, and Crass is a great athlete and has a great motor and nose for the ball,” Green said. “My bench is relatively young but we have a solid junior class as well as some talented freshmen who will give us some solid minutes.”
Green feels like the Cardinals could be the number two team of the district behind defending champion Lyon County. Based on last week’s scrimmage at Crittenden County, he may not be far off that assessment as the Cardinals beat both Crittenden and Trigg County in half scrimmages.
The one negative for the Cardinals is their size. Bigger teams, even those in the district, should be able to keep the Cardinals off the glass. However, anyone familiar with the 5th District knows Livingston Central usually fields one of the scrappier teams in the area.
Downey will be a fun player to watch in the region and as long as he is leading the Cardinal offense, don’t be surprised if Green’s second-place district assessment doesn’t hold true come February.
Livingston Central opens its season Monday night against Hickman County at home.
