Lyon County sophomore Travis Perry has already scored 3,142 points going into Thursday's state tournament game against John Hardin (YourSportsEdge.Com Photo)
Before this season only 36 boys had ever scored 3,000 or more points during their Kentucky high school basketball careers. Lyon County sophomore Travis Perry joined that elite group this season and going into Thursday’s state tourney game against Pikeville he’s tied with Peyton Broughton of North Laurel (2012-17) for 22nd on the all-time scoring list with 3, 142 points.
He’s scored 943 points this year but also scored 638 in 2019 (seventh grade), 852 in 2020 and 709 in 2021. Only one Kentucky player — King Kelly Coleman — has scored more than 3,647 points in his career. Coleman finished with 4,337 for Wayland from 1953-56 and Perry seems like a lock to become the state’s second 4,000-point scorer and possibly pass Coleman if he stays healthy.
Lyon County will play John Hardin on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. in Rupp Arena. However, tonight North Laurel junior Reed Sheppard and his teammates play Pikeville and Sheppard is on the verge of also becoming a 3,000-point scorer. He has 2,917 points in his four-year career.
“Reed is a great kid and a great player,” Perry said. “I have played with and against him for a long time. I have known Reed since third or fourth grade. We played against them off and on in state tournaments growing up. We would both play in about three age groups and play up to nine games in a day.
“I know there will be a lot of people cheering for Reed, and they should be. I am hoping there will be a lot also pulling for us to make a run and win games, too.’
The two have never played against each other in an official high school game. They are two of the state’s leading scorers and obviously it would be a high profile game if they played.
They did face each other in the Collins Shootout, a preseason exhibition game in Shelbyville this season.
“We don’t shy away from anybody and I am sure they don’t either,” Perry said. “It’s just hard sometimes to schedule games. We tried to play a lot of good teams this year and I think that helped us get to the state.”
The only way the two could face each other in the state tourney would be in the championship game if both win three games.
“That would be really cool but we can’t think about that. We just have to worry about winning Thursday,” Perry said.
