Kennedy Deener, center, with teammates after winning the 5th Region. (Taylor County Basketball Photo)
Taylor County had a lot of obstacles overcome this year.
Assistant Matthew Turner took over as head coach for Jaime Vernon. Two starters off last year’s team transferred. Starting point guard Grace Bale broke her foot before the season started and then after playing one game tore her ACL.
However, after narrowly missing a state tourney trip in 2023 when it lost an epic 5th Region title game to Bethlehem, Taylor is headed to the state after beating Bardstown in the regional title showdown. Taylor will play 15th Region champion Knott County Central (24-7) at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday after Ashland plays North Laurel in the opening game of the state tourney at Rupp Arena.
One big reason Taylor (24-8) survived the season was eighth-grade guard Kennedy Deener, one of the state’s rising stars. The 5-7 Deener averaged 18.6 points per game this season and shot 48 percent from the field and 41.6 percent from 3. She also had attempted 218 free throws in 29 games — 7.5 free throws per game — and hit 80.7 percent of them.
“Deener is special,” Knott County Central coach Megan Mosley said Monday on a KHSAA coaches’ conference call. “She is an eighth-grader but she does not look like one or play like one. If you contain her, you have a chance to win. She is skilled and strong beyond her years. She gets to the basket very well. It’s like she’s a train on the track and is hard to stop.”
Deener had 22 points and went 12-for-13 at the foul line in the regional championship win.
Deener was not a player mentioned on all-star lists before the season started. Turner doesn’t think that provided any extra motivation because she is a “pretty driven kid” who always wants to be better.
“I usually have to kick her out of the gym,” the Taylor coach said. “She kind of gets embarrassed when she does receive an award. She has done an amazing job handling success as an eighth grader and has been asked to do a lot for us.
“She is one of our captains. The girls look to her. When she goes, we go. She makes my job pretty easy.”
When Turner took over as head coach in May, he decided to appoint captains. He wanted “older girls to lead by example” but he also wanted two younger girls he could mold into what he needed for the future.
He said Deener and freshman Greta Bradstreet were easy choices.
“They allow me to coach them hard, are extremely accountable and hold others accountable,” Turner said.
Bale was also one of his captain picks but had to turn into a big sister/mentor for Deener, Bradstreet and others after her injury.
Turner was asked if he thought Deener was the state’s best eighth-grade player, a question he tried his best not to answer even though he admitted he agreed.
“I don’t think she would want me to say that because we respect everybody and she respects her peers,” the Taylor coach said. “I am very blessed she is on my team. I would rather coach her than coach against her. If she is not the best, she is at the top of that class.”
So what does she do best that fans at the state tourney game or watching online will see Wednesday?
“I think it is her relentless pressure on both sides of the court. She puts a lot of pressure on attacking and breaking the press. She has become a better shooter,” Turner said.
Taylor said Deener often “fights” with sophomore teammate Avery Rakes on who gets to guard the opponent’s best player.
“That intensity on both sides makes her so special,” Turner said.
