By Ryan Hoots
February 1st, 2024
MilkCrate Hoops stayed local Thursday night, heading over to Henry Clay High School to watch the Blue Devils take on Woodford County. Woodford County, is still playing at a high level in Region 8, even though they lost their best player in Junior Guard, Jasper Johnson. Johnson transferred to national powerhouse Link Academy in Branson, MO and is currently being sought after by essentially every program in the country. Woodford is an explosive team and can provide opponents with a challenge defensively due to their elite athleticism.
The game is being contested at Henry Clay High School near the Chevy Chase neighborhood in Lexington. The Al Prewitt Gymnasium has seen Mr. Basketball grace its walls in 1984’s Steve Miller, and local Lexington legend James Lee who was an All-American during his tenure with the Blue Devils, but may be remembered more famously in this city for the thundering dunk that locked down the 1978 title for his Kentucky Wildcats. The Blue Devils have brought home KHSAA titles a record-tying 6 times, most recently in 1983 and only matched by fellow Lexington public school Lafayette. There is history in every gym, sometimes you just have to look and ask, but I’m a junkie for that type of thing.
I’m only reporting the varsity tilt tonight. Henry Clay has surprised me a bit this year, they entered the contest with only 3 losses on the season. This is a Henry Clay squad that went 16-15 last year, so the talent that they have certainly must be developing well.
Once things finally tipped we were off to the races. Layton Starks (a Ball State football commit) scored 2 quick buckets and a rim rocker giving the Jackets a 6-2 lead. Starks, who wears #4, could be valuable for a low-major D1 basketball program. He might even be good enough to pull double duty for the Cardinals next year in the MAC. He has good leaping ability and provides a formidable presence physically helping him rebound the ball on each end of the floor. What he lacks for in shooting from the perimeter, he makes up for by finishing well through contact. Starks exited the game for a short breather with a little under 3 left in the quarter. He made good on the oxygen as he came back into the game and made a quick transition layup to stretch the Woodford County lead 21-6 forcing a Henry Clay timeout with 2:14 remaining in the first. Henry Clay came out swinging in the 2nd quarter, showing resilience as they cut the lead to 5 with 3:45 remaining, 27-22. Things got a bit chippy as seemingly every player from both teams hit the deck for a loose ball in front of the Henry Clay student section, leading to a jump ball and some pushing with 3:14 before both teams took it to the locker room. Henry Clay’s Isaiah Stephan must have taken it personal, as he nailed a dagger a few seconds later on the other end pulling the Devils within 2. We went into the half off of a Woodford basket from Jaunte Jenkins with 10 seconds remaining to make it 30-26 Jackets. Henry Clay fought back hard after they began limiting careless turnovers and converting baskets on the offensive end. The second half started with Woodford settling down on defense and switching every screen to force the Blue Devils to make a play off of the bounce. Henry Clay’s Kayson Brown cut to the basket and laid it in off of the right glass from a baseline drive where he finished a tough left handed floater. Brown remained hot completing the Blue Devil comeback and giving them a 1 point lead on 8 points coming consecutively from the field with 2:33 remaining in the quarter. Henry Clay’s Hassan Bush caught a body with 29.2 remaining, rocking the rim with a spectacular slam over a Woodford defender sending the gym into a frenzy on an and-1, forcing a Woodford timeout to recompose. My goodness, what a dunk. “Not so fast” said Woodford County coming out of the time out. They nailed a triple at the buzzer that was good for them to hold the lead 42-40 entering the deciding quarter. Henry Clay’s Bush was feeling it, scoring quickly to tie it up in the 4th which was answered no more than 5 seconds later by a Woodford County made 3 from Makhi Smith. Henry Clay called a timeout on the next possession resulting in a turnover and made basket from Woodford’s Jenkins, widening the gap to 5 with 6:28 remaining. Woodford looked to play stall ball with 5 minutes left. Henry Clay fouled Starks who went 1/2 from the charity stripe to give Woodford the 7 point advantage. Bush aggravated his left ankle in transition on the other end, having to leave the game for medical treatment. Jackson Stephan was good for a triple on the other end cutting the Woodford lead to 4 with 3:02 remaining. Woodford took advantage of the rim protector’s absence and Juante Jenkins converted a successful 3 point play the old fashioned way playing through some brutal contact at the rim. Bush must not have been too bothered by the ankle as he entered back and nailed a clutch 3 to make out 58-52 Jackets with 1:59 remaining in the contest. Henry Clay’s Brown stepped to the line for an important set of free throws on which he was able to convert both to keep Henry Clay’s dreams alive down by 4 with 1:36 to go. Brown was able to steal a weak Woodford pass with :48 on the clock and score an easy transition layup to cut the Woodford advantage to 2. Brown made an impressive (and much needed) steal on the Devil’s press but made an errant 60 foot cross court pass to immediately turn the ball back over to the Yellow Jackets. The foul and pray game failed for Henry Clay as they drop this one at home 64-58. Woodford County wins. You can feel the madness in the air as we inch closer to March. What a game
The Coach Ryan Report 