New-look Clark County girls’ basketball has that same winning feeling
Note: Herald-Leader high school sports writer Jared Peck traveled to Louisville on Saturday to see the Statewide Mortgage Valentine Shootout at Butler Traditional High School where 12 of the best girls’ basketball teams in the state competed in a morning-to-night showcase event. Here’s one of the stories to come out of the day.
Teams who might have been hoping three-time defending 10th Region champion Clark County would have an off year after the graduation of region player of the year Kennedy Igo have been getting some bad news in recent weeks.
The team also known as George Rogers Clark (9-3), ranked No. 21 in the latest ratings by Dave Cantrall, has shrugged off its early struggles and looks to have plenty of firepower to defend its crown.
“We’ve established ourselves, and we want to win,” Coach Robbie Graham said. “We’ve got some young kids and they’ve got a taste of it and they want to continue that. They just don’t want to be that group that doesn’t. Obviously, we know it’s going to be tough, though.”
Brianna Byars, a 5-foot-11 sophomore forward, and Trinity Gay, a 5-6 junior guard, each scored 17 points in a 64-49 win over 4th Region contender Bowling Green at the Statewide Mortgage Valentine Shootout at Butler on Saturday in a game the Cardinals trailed by one at halftime before stepping up their defensive intensity.
“It was just mostly intensity and effort for us,” Byars said. “The first half we came out kind of just lollygagging and then we got ripped (by Graham) at halftime, so we decided to pick it up.”
Besides the loss of Igo, a four-year starter, the Cardinals have another new look this year. Graham has his team playing a zone defense rather than his trademark man-to-man, yielding to the constraints of the shortened season. Zone defenses are by far the norm in Kentucky high school girls’ basketball, but Graham acknowledges it’s a compromise for him.
“With our ‘man,’ you’ve got to build it and build it and rep it and rep it, and we just didn’t want to spend a lot of time doing that and take away from the other things we need to improve on. So, yeah, we’ve definitely played more zone than I’ve ever played in my career,” Graham said, noting with a laugh that it does hurt his heart a little, but, “whatever we’ve got to do to win.”
The Cardinals’ only losses have come in the season opener to Paris (which they avenged last week) and to 11th Region contender Paul Laurence Dunbar and No. 4 Sacred Heart.
A win over No. 11 Ryle on Jan. 30 signaled things are coming together. Graham said Ciara Byars, a 6-foot eighth-grader and Brianna’s sister, has been settling into the point guard role as the season has worn on.
“We’ve thrown her into the fire, and she gets better every week,” Graham said. “And as she goes, we’re getting better each time.”
“It’s just the next person up, whoever it is, when your name is called, that’s how you’ve got to go do it,” Brianna Byars said of the team’s dynamic. Bryars also bragged on Ciara’s leadership. “It’s just like having another me out there — just maybe a little smarter,” Brianna said, with a smile.
The 10th Region won’t be a pushover, however. No. 23 Scott has emerged from a 3-25 season last year with the return of Western Kentucky commit Mya Meredith from injury and No. 25 Bishop Brossart with Ball State commit Marie Kiefer will be a threat.
“First and foremost, our district is tough. Paris got us once and we’re even with them,” Graham said. “Our hands are full. It’s going to be a tough, knock-down, drag-out, slugfest with whomever. … We know that. And we’re hoping to be right in the mix when it comes that time.”
Highlights
This story was originally published February 8, 2021 at 7:37 AM.
