Aden Barnett, the state’s sixth leading scorer this season and his school’s all-time leading scorer with over 3,200 points, reacts with a young fan at a pep rally this week. (Ashley Barnett Photo)
Magoffin County had got close to winning a 15th Region championship before but never had been able to do it before it avenged a 57th District title game loss to Martin County with a 67-57 win in the regional final.
Now Magoffin (21-13) will get a chance to avenge another loss when it faces 14th Region champion Perry County Central Wednesday at 11 a.m. to open the state tournament in Rupp Arena.
“We have been so close in the past. A lot of older generation fans felt like they would never see the Magoffin boys at the state tournament,” coach Scott Castle said. “It has been very emotional for our whole community. Words really cannot describe it.
“We have the best fans in the state. They travel. I know without shadow of a doubt we will have the hugest crowd there.”
That’s a big statement knowing Spencer County and Butler County are making their first state tournament trip and nearby Great Crossing, one of the tourney favorites, is just outside Lexington. And then there is Lyon County with Mr. Basketball Travis Perry that brings its fans and plenty of others wanting to see the future University of Kentucky guard.
Magoffin is led by Aden Barnett, who averages 29.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. He’s a 56 percent shooter from the field and 83 percent at the foul line where he averages about 8.5 attempts per game. He has over 3,200 career points and is his school’s all-time leading scorer.
“He has the strength and body to take contact at the basket and finish through the contact,” Castle said. “He can play with his back to the basket. He is great in transition. He can shoot the 3 consistently. Just an overall rounded player and a true competitor.”
Perry County Central coach Shannon Hoskins was a state tourney fixture as a player at Clay County. He knows Barnett will test his team again just like he did in the regular season when Perry County Central beat Magoffin.
“Barnett is a load and hard to do anything with. He is making everybody else better. They are shooting well and he is getting them the ball,” Hoskins said.
Like Magoffin, Perry County Central lost in the district final but came back to win the region.
“We had two or three teams in the region that were frontrunners and we were not part of that,” Hoskins said.
He said winning that way makes this state trip more “special” than the four times his team has gone before.
“I honest to God did not think we would be here,” Hoskins said. “When kids lay it all on the line for you, they work and scrap and something great comes out of it, as a coach that is what you want to see,” Hoskins said.
“You never want to beat another eastern Kentucky team. You want to see them all advance. We know they are a great team.”
I was calm and cool as a player. I am torn all to pieces as a coach.
Castle knows his players “will never forget” this state tourney and lifetime memories they will be making.
“It has been extremely busy.We have had so many reach out. The support of our community has been overwhelming,” Castle said.
2 Responses
Great story for Ky high school sports. If folks only realized how important all extracurricular
are to students. This reason to come to school creates "my main reason to be there, to perform well in the classroom, and stay out of trouble.
And communities need to assist their schools as possible. What are youngsters without their education and learning to respect others.
1000 percent agree John