Despite early setbacks and injuries, Woodford County getting ‘over the hump’
Woodford County’s boys’ basketball team didn’t have the kind of start that would put the black and gold on the tip of everyone’s tongue this time of year.
But in winning eight of their last 10 games, the Yellow Jackets (12-10) have given their opponents a taste of what they can be: 8th Region contenders.
Thursday night, Woodford defeated visiting Henry Clay 52-43 without its sophomore sensation and leading scorer Jasper Johnson, a 6-foot-4, four-star point guard already with a number of college offers, including Alabama.
“It’s exciting. My team, I’ve always got faith in them,” said Johnson, who rested as a precaution after suffering a minor injury this week. “They stepped up and got a big win tonight. … We’ve been battling adversity, but practices, meetings with the coaches and the team and just bonding is getting us over the hump.”
Woodford has also been without 6-foot-9 forward John McCrear, a Murray State signee, all season due to a nagging knee injury. McCrear’s return is expected soon.
While Johnson and McCrear sat, their teammates delivered. Makhi Smith and Aden Nelson, both more known for football exploits than hard-court prowess, scored 16 and 12 points, respectively, to lead the Yellow Jackets on Thursday night.
Smith capped a 16-4 Woodford run with an emphatic dunk early in the fourth quarter as the Yellow Jackets took control of a game that was tied at 23 early in the third.
“We knew we had to fight. We knew we had to come to play,” Smith said.
Henry Clay (10-13) closed to within three points down the stretch, but Woodford weathered the Devils’ trapping defense and made nine of 11 free throws in the fourth quarter to help seal the victory. Konlin Brown led the Blue Devils with 15 points.
“It makes me feel a lot better to know we can step up and play without Jasper,” Woodford Coach Jaron Brown said. “We don’t want to play without him, but I’m proud of the team.”
With their two-sport football players just coming off the end of their other season, Woodford started this campaign 0-3. The Yellow Jackets hit another skid during their holiday tournaments, losing five in a row. On Jan. 6 Woodford’s record was 5-9.
“That’s what everybody is not understanding about us,” said Nelson, a senior and West Virginia football signee. “With a big piece like John McCrear missing, it was hard for us to come together early. Now, we’re just clicking.”
A six-game win streak began Jan. 7 against Bryan Station. Woodford’s Jan. 27 win over 30th District rival Collins, then ranked No. 11 in the Dave Cantrall Ratings, signaled the Yellow Jackets had fully shaken off their December doldrums.
“That was real big. It let our kids know that they are right there. Collins was a ranked team at the top of the district and the region,” Brown said. “It gave them the confidence that they could play with anybody in the region.”
Woodford will get another big test Saturday when it hosts No. 12 Frederick Douglass as the main event of the all-day, five-game slate of their annual Ed Stepp Classic, which also includes No. 20 Harlan vs. Newport on the card.
“We’re looking for a good game and a good turnout for two top teams out of both their regions,” Brown said. “This is good for both teams preparing for the district (playoffs).”
Saturday
What: Ed Stepp Classic
Where: Woodford County High School
12:30 p.m.: Bryan Station vs. Garrard County
2:15 p.m.: Tates Creek vs. Bardstown
4:15 p.m.: Manual vs. Elizabethtown
5:45 p.m.: Harlan vs. Newport
7:30 p.m.: Frederick Douglass vs. Woodford County
