After a heartbreaking loss in the district tournament, Adair County will get a few days to prepare for their biggest test as they prepare for the regional tournament. Since they finished as the runner-up in district, they will face off with Elizabethtown on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. central time at Hart County High School. The draw for region took place on Sunday and now Adair County knows who they will need to prepare for.
“Elizabethtown is playing better than anyone in the region right now and they are the favorite going in,” Coach Deron Breeze said. “We like our draw from the aspect of if we beat them, we think we have a good shot at getting to the finals. We are happy to be in region with a relatively young team gaining this experience of the intensity and atmosphere but we aren’t happy just being here; sometimes you make region and you know you can’t win or beat certain teams but we feel if we play our best then we will have a chance to win this game.”
The Panthers will come into the game 20-9 on the season and won the 17th District tournament over Central Hardin. They are winners of four straight games and are 13-2 on the season against regional opponents, while the Indians are 23-9 on the season and 8-5 against teams in the region. They average 67 points per game and are allowing 56 points per game this season, while Adair County averages 68 points per game and are allowing 59 per game.
Connor Loy leads the Indians in scoring on the season with 21 points per game while Dawson Gilbert and Brayton Coomer both average 11, Blane Bardin with eight, and Carter White seven. Coomer and Loy both average six rebounds per game for the Indians as well.
“We are planning on winning the tournament, Coach Breeze said. “If we don’t win it then we will be disappointed. We can look back and celebrate the successes of the season we had after it’s over and at the banquet, but right now we expect to win the 5th Region.”
The Indians play the second game on Wednesday night in the opening round of the 5th Region tournament with Bardstown and Green County playing the opening game with a 5 p.m. tipoff and Adair County is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. central time.
By Josh Withers
Photos by Diana Withers
