KHSAA State Sweet 16 ~ Wednesday Session, Pt. 2

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Prep Hoops Staff was in attendance for the Sweet 16 games hosted at Rupp Arena on the campus of the University of Kentucky. After two consecutive years of battling ongoing Covid challenges, the tournament was back in full force. We bring you coverage of the best players from each session.  </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Region 10 Champion George Rogers Clark Cardinals (6A) </span></i></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Regular &amp; postseason record: 33-1</span></i></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">vs </span></i></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Region 14 Champion Perry County Central Commodores(4A)</span></i></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Regular &amp; postseason record: 29-4</span></i></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">GRC - Junior Guard, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="692930" first="Jerone" last="Morton"]</strong> (PH Ranking #7)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Morton has been the primary scoring option for the Cardinals all season. Wednesday’s game was right in line with the trend all season. Morton scored from all 3 levels and was instrumental in their massive offensive surge through the middle of the game. Morton finished with 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">GRC - Junior Guard, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1033474" first="Sam" last="Parrish"]</strong> (PH Ranking #34)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Parrish is a quality guard that is comfortable playing with the ball or off the ball. Over his career, Parrish has shown the ability to be the lead playmaker on any team. But, for the Cardinals, he is a dynamic threat to any defense trying to match up with the three-guard lineup for Coach Cook. Parrish finished the game with 20 points on an efficient 8 for 9 shooting. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">GRC - Senior Guard, </span><b>[player_tooltip player_id="801625" first="Tanner" last="Walton"]</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (PH Ranking #16)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Walton is a deliberate player that consistently makes plays all over the court. All season long, Walton has been a stat-sheet stuffer, and the opening round game was another installment of his abilities. He finished with 9 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Perry County Central - Senior Forward, Lanse McKenzie (Unranked in PH)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">McKenzie led the Commodores in scoring and rebounding finishing with 10 points and 5 rebounds. McKenzie was the lone bright spot throughout the game, using his size and mobility to battle the post players for the Cardinals. </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Region 13 Champion North Laurel Jaguars (5A)</span></i></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Regular &amp; postseason record: 27-5</span></i></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">vs </span></i></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Region 15 Champion Pikeville Panthers (1A)</span></i></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Regular &amp; postseason record: 30-2</span></i></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">North Laurel - Junior Guard, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="932765" first="Reed" last="Sheppard"]</strong> (PH Ranking #1)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Just like in the district and region games, spectators came near and far to watch Sheppard. As soon as the pairings were released, North Laurel vs Pikeville was the dream matchup. For everything that Sheppard means to his team, the box score alone will never tell the full story of his skillset. He was constantly beating double-teams, playing help defense, setting screens, and attacking the paint. In this game, Sheppard finished with 14 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 6 steals, and 2 blocks. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">North Laurel - Junior Forward, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="932771" first="Ryan" last="Davidson"]</strong> (PH Ranking #28)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Davidson is tasked with being the primary player to work inside. As the season progressed, Davidson has found success moving around the court and finding different ways to be effective. In this game, Davidson had multiple layups from running behind the defense. He was instrumental in keeping the Jaguars within striking distance in the 4th Quarter. Davidson finished the game with 23 points and 11 rebounds.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pikeville - Senior Guard, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="923054" first="Keian" last="Worrix"]</strong> (PH Ranking #133)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Worrix treats every possession like a battle. He fuels his teammates with his contagious passion and purpose. He played with the type of confidence that you need in a lead guard. He had a nice left-to-right crossover and finish in the paint. Additionally, he knocked down multiple 3-pointers and played outstanding help defense that caused all sorts of challenges for the Jaguars. Worrix finished with 12 points and 6 assists.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pikeville - Junior Wing, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="926887" first="Rylee" last="Samons"]</strong> (PH Ranking #25)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Samons is started slow but finished the game on a tear. His combination of size and quick release give him a shooting advantage over most defenders. He started the 3rd quarter scoring 8 straight points and ultimately helped lead the Panthers to victory. </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Make sure you are following</b><a href="https://twitter.com/prephoopsky"> <b>@PrepHoopsKY</b></a><b> on Twitter for weekly top games &amp; top performers!</b></p>