This one was a long time in the making. Just a few weeks short of 28 years in fact. But Tuesday night was a special night for the folks wearing purple at Dawson Springs High School. Rex Blue threw the door wide open to start the game and then Montgomery Johnston slammed it in the face of the Madisonville-North Hopkins Maroons as Dawson Springs picked up the first win over its cross-county since the 1996-1997 season, winning by the final score of 80-67.
It was a night of emotion as the crowd began to roar with the final 20 seconds ticking down. It was a win that clearly had an emotional impact on Dawson Springs head coach Mickey Blue, who could not hold back the tears after the game.
Blue’s son Rex came out at the start and set the tone and sent the message that this was going to be a battle for the Maroons. Rex Blue made his first three 3-point shots as the Panthers got out to a 13-9 lead. Dawson Springs, who was without starter Deacon Dever, who was injured late last week, extended that lead to 20-11 after the first quarter.
Rex Blue outscored the Maroons on his own in the first 8 minutes, putting 13 points on the board.
If not for the play of Ryan Bryant inside, things could have been even worse for the Maroons. Bryant scored 5 points in the quarter to help keep Madisonville-North Hopkins within single digits after the first quarter.
With Bryant and Landen Smith leading the way, the Maroons opened the 2nd quarter with a 10-2 run to close within 22-21.
Enter Easton Bourland. Bourland knocked down a three out of the right corner to make it 25-21. That shot sparked the Panthers to go on a 12-2 run that pushed the lead back to 34-23. Bourland was huge in the second quarter, scoring 9 of his 16 points in the second.
The Maroons battled back to within 35-30 but then fouled Rex Blue on a three with 2.2 seconds to go in the half. Blue drilled all three at the line and the Panthers led 38-30 at the break.
The trio of Blue, Johnston, and Plunkette came out rolling in the third quarter and the lead grew to 59-45. The Dawson crowd roared its approval and you could sense in the gym that they were starting to believe that this could be the night.
But give the Maroons their due. Led by Kanyon Johnson, Madisonville got on a run and their defense started to force the Panthers into some crucial mistakes. A 15-0 run put the Maroons in front for the first time since early in the first quarter at 60-59.
The Maroons however made the mistake of fouling Rex Blue just ahead of the horn again in the third quarter, this time on a drive to the basket with .5 seconds left. Blue again made the free throws and Dawson went back in front at 61-60 as the quarter ended.
It was then Montgomery Johnston time for the Panthers. The senior guard helped Dawson open the final quarter with six quick points to make it 67-60. The Maroons got baskets from Davin Cheirs and Orion Underwood and cut the lead back to 69-64. Then the end came for the Maroons.
Dawson Springs scored 7 straight points to push the lead back out to double figures at 76-64. Ja’Cobi Nichols knocked down a three to cut the lead to 76-67 but those would be the last points of the game for the Maroons and the celebration of the ending of a long, long, long streak got underway.
Rex Blue and Montgomery Johnston were a big-time combo for the Panthers. Blue had 28 points and Johnston finished with 23. Easton Bourland, despite foul trouble, had 16 points and made some of the biggest defensive plays of the game. Jaydon Plunkette had 9 points, including a couple of big threes in the third quarter.
Kanyon Johnson nearly pulled this one out of the fire for the Maroons. He ended up with 23 points but was held scoreless in the final quarter. Landen Smith added 15 points. Ryan Bryant also hit double figures with 13.
Dawson Springs now goes to 11-9 overall and 2-3 in the 7th District. The Panthers have another big district game Friday night when they host Hopkins County Central.
Madisonville-North Hopkins drops to 11-8 overall and 4-1 in the district. The Maroons host Henderson County Friday night.
