Douglass romps to fourth straight 42nd District boys’ basketball championship
No. 11 Frederick Douglass looked exactly like one of the state’s best teams Friday in a 69-39 rout of Scott County at The Farm as it claimed its fourth consecutive 42nd District Tournament championship on its home court.
“We were real confident going into the game, playing on our court and we had beaten them three times,” Douglass Coach Wes Scarberry said. “(Scott County) played Sayre extremely well, but we had a great day of practice on Thursday, a great film session and the guys really locked in.”
The Broncos’ guard-driven lineup got 14 points each from Kai Simpson and Armelo Boone and 12 points each from Aveion Chenault and Tylon Webb. Boone had four steals, three assists and six rebounds in earning tournament MVP honors.
“We lost a lot of size last year …, so we had to have a different play style,” Simpson said. “This year with a smaller team, we’ve got to run the floor better. There are a lot of guards, so there are a lot of shots. But we’ve got a lot more defense and a lot of athleticism.”
The Broncos never trailed, jumping to an 8-0 lead in the game’s first four minutes and gradually piling on from there. Nick Mosby led Scott County with 15 points.
“We had a good first quarter, but the second quarter was a little shaky,” said Webb. Douglass led by as many as 15 in the first half, but Scott County cut its deficit to 26-18 at the break. “Then we just started having fun and playing our typical basketball.”
Next, Douglass (28-2) will host Lexington Christian in its first-round game of the 11th Region Tournament on Tuesday. The field also includes No. 4 Lexington Catholic, No. 12 Great Crossing and an always dangerous No. 15 Madison Central team. Those three all won their district championships on Friday night.
“It doesn’t matter who we play,” Scarberry said. “All the teams in the region are quality teams and any of the eight can beat any other. Having it at home is a huge advantage for us. These guys have been in regional finals two years in a row and they know what it takes and what we have to do to get there again.”
Last year, Douglass lost a closely fought 11th Region Tournament championship against district rival Henry Clay, 41-36, when standouts Chenault and Boone were freshmen.
“I feel everyone’s prepared (this time),” Webb said of making another run to the finals. “Last year, (Chenault and Boone) were new to it, and it was my first time being in that situation. The only one that really had experience was Kai. This year, we all have experience.”
This story was originally published February 25, 2023 at 9:17 AM.
