Bray Kirk in the 2024 state championship game - YSE Photo
It seems like it was just last week that the Lyon County Lyons were celebrating a state championship on the floor of Rupp Arena, but it has now been six months and the focus begins to turn forward for a new group of Lyons and a chance to make it four straight 2nd Region titles.
With the 2024-2025 basketball season approaching the schedule for the Lyons is now in place and has some very interesting matchups for the defending state champions.
One that will garner attention statewide is not even a regular season matchup. In their final preseason tuneup November 23, Lyon County will head back to Martin County for the Zip Zone Classic and the folks at Martin County certainly know how to stir up some preseason interest.
The Lyons game at Zip Zone will be a rematch of the state championship game as Lyon County will take on Harlan County, the team the Lyons beat on that memorable Saturday night in Rupp Arena. Even with new faces on both sides, this one figures to draw eyes from across the Commonwealth.
The Lyons will officially open the season December 3 on the road at Murray. That will be the second game for new Murray head coach Jimmie Holder, who replaced Dior Curtis after Curtis came east of the lakes to join the 2nd Region and coach the Christian County Colonels.
And, by the way, Curtis and his new team will be the Lyons’ second opponent on Thursday, December 5 when Lyon County plays the first of their two games in the CFSB Murray State Grind Session. Lyon County’s second game in the Grind Session will be two days later against Caverna.
Other highlights on the Lyon County schedule include a chance to defend their title in the Lexington Catholic holiday tournament December 27-30. The Lyons made a dominant run through that tournament last season, wrapped up by a 20 point win over the host school in the championship game.
The Lyons will begin 2025 in the Louisville Grind Session at Louisville Male.
January 2025 will also see the Lyons looking to defend their All A Classic regional championship. Last season, the Lyons reached the semifinals of the All A Classic state tournament before falling to Newport.
In addition to the special events on the schedule, the Lyons have regular season games with Graves County, Owensboro Catholic, Madisonville-North Hopkins, Paducah Tilghman, and Calloway County.
The Lyons will be ‘road warriors’ early in the season, having only two home games before January 14.
