Sophomore Kennedy Stamper cuts down the nets after helping GRC win the 10th Region for the fourth straight year. (X Photo)
George Rogers Clark annually is one of the state’s best programs and once again won the 10th Region championship this year to reach the state tournament where it will play Franklin-Simpson (28-2) tonight at Rupp Arena.
Even though GRC is 25-7 despite a rash of injuries this season and has a top 75 player nationally in Michigan commit Ciara Byars, it did not have a player named to the all-region first team in voting by 13th Region coaches.
Sophomore point guard Kenny Stamper averages 11.4 points per game and is a 40 percent shooter from 3-point range. Junior guard Teigh Yeast averages 10.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. She is a 45 percent shooter from the field. Byars, coming off a knee injury, has played in 18 games and averages 10.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.
The Cardinals won their regional games by 40, 34 and 35 points without an all-regional first-team player.
“Our kids definitely took it personally,” coach Robbie Graham said about the all-region voting. “They felt disrespected but I told them the most important thing was team success and not individual success. They are great kids. They work hard.
“Our kids are goal driven. We don’t need extra fire but that (the regional snubs) definitely inspired us. They took it personally.”
Yeast, a multi state track champion, is a “tremendous athlete” who Graham says has come a “long way” in the last year.
“She has become our best defender and is carrying more of a load offensively. She is in the gym at 6 a.m. before school and work pays off,” Graham said. “She does a lot of stuff for us.”
Stamper played in the state tournament as a seventh grader and is the ultimate gym rat. Graham joked his wife will call to see why he is not yet home after practice and it will be because Stamper is still in the gym.
“She loves the game and is always working to get better and if she has a weakness she wants to improve,” Graham said. “You are talking about a seventh grader starting on a team in the Sweet 16. She is a hard worker. She loves winning. She is a throwback player.”
Fourth Region champion Franklin-Simpson has won 14 straight games and won regional games by 25, 12 and 27 points. Its only losses have been to Franklin County and 9th Region champion Cooper.
Senior guard LaReesha Cawthorn averages 20.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game for Franklin-Simpson. She is a 55 percent shooter from the field.
“She is long, athletic and covers a lot of ground defensively,” Graham said. “She is a very good rebounder. She can guard point guards. I think Tennessee Tech got a steal for sure.
“They are very similar to us. Very aggressive, wants to get up and down. They put a ton of pressure on you.”
