GRAYSON — When East Carter’s basketball team returned from the 16th Region championship game victorious last Monday, sirens sounded, fire trucks blared and church bells rang.

“One lady came out of her house in her pajamas,” said Charles Baker. “She heard the church bells and the fire trucks and thought the church was on fire.”

She was relieved to learn it was just a town on fire over a basketball team.

One week later, Grayson is still buzzing in anticipation of East Carter’s trip to the State Tournament this week. It’s the first visit to the Sweet Sixteen in 24 years and only the second ever.

Raidermania is sweeping through the community.

Storefronts have signs wishing the Raiders well and the town is talking basketball.

“It pulls everybody together,” said Wade Everman, who graduated from Prichard High School in 1964. “We’re all in agreement with a common goal.”

East Carter’s fandom will be obvious in Rupp Arena on Wednesday when the Raiders open the Sweet Sixteen against Warren Central at noon.

Tickets went fast on Monday morning when they went on sale to the public.

“I’m going down,” Everman said. “I’m looking forward to it. Hopefully, it’ll be more than one (game).”

At the McDonald’s, store workers were putting up signs of encouragement to East Carter.

Sam Perry, who owns the McDonald’s in Grayson and Olive Hill, said everybody is behind the Raiders.

“This community gets behind things like this 100 percent,” he said. “The people in this community have the biggest heart.

“Only 16 teams in the whole state of Kentucky make it (to the state tournament). It’s a big deal.”

John Withrow, a 1966 Hitchins graduate who played basketball for Doc Murphy, echoed a comment made by many on Monday morning.

“They’ve got such good kids on that team,” he said. “That makes it even better. Everybody is so excited, just like they were in ’86 (the last time East Carter advanced to the Sweet Sixteen).”

Withrow played on some good Hitchins teams but Ashland blocked the Tigers’ path.

“We had a great team my senior year but Ashland happened to be No. 1 in the state with guys like (Jerry) Umberger and (Clint) Wheeler,” he said. “They beat the fire out of us.”

East Carter turned back the Tomcats in the semifinals and then downed Fairview 48-38 for the title.

Brad Ashworth, who works at the Carter County Chiropractic Center in town, has watched East Carter practices for the past four years. His son, Tanner, is a senior on the team.

He gives credit to coach Brandon Baker for getting the team to the Sweet Sixteen.

“He runs the most structured practices I’ve ever seen,” Ashworth said. “He shows no favoritism and he does his homework. I’ve learned a lot from watching him.

“Brandon was well-coached by his father. I believe Brandon could go to the next level.”

It seems that everybody is rooting for the Raiders. Steve Rose and Jason Greene, who both went to West Carter and were working out at the center, said they hope East Carter does well this week.

“Being from West Carter, it’s hard to cheer for the Raiders, but I’m going to this week,” Rose said.

He did make it clear that the support for the Raiders had an expiration date.

“I wish them luck this week,” Rose said. “I like Brandon and I’m happy for Vic (Adams, whose son, Caleb, plays on the team).”

Greene was a little less committed about cheering for the Raiders. “I’m glad one of the schools from Carter County is in the mix,” he said.

Tom Womack, owner of Farmers True Value, said the event is new to the community since the last one happened 24 years ago.

“It’s about like a Republican winning the governorship (in Kentucky),” he said. “It doesn’t happen very often.”

Womack said winning the region should do wonders for the basketball program.

“The kids get excited and lots of times you have kids walking the hallways that find out they want to be a part of this,” he said. “It generates interest in basketball.”

Womack played high school basketball with Brandon’s father, Charles, at Prichard. In fact, he said, he blames Charles for ending his career.

“He passed me the ball and I wasn’t expecting it,” Womack said. “I hit the shot but also hit the wall and hurt my knee. I was wide open, just wasn’t expecting the pass.”

Womack’s daughter Melissa, a former Raider cheerleader, said she got out her scrapbook from the 1986 season after East Carter won the region. She is planning on taking 20 to Rupp on Wednesday.

“I hope my kids get to do it someday,” she said. “Back in ’86 I went with my mother and a bunch of girls, just like this year.”

Jason McGlone, the principal at Prichard Elementary, is looking forward to today when the Raiders will visit the schools before going on to Lexington.

McGlone remembers when he was an elementary student at McKell when Greenup County did the same thing back in 1983.

“It was a big deal to see Mike Scott and those guys just like it will be a big deal for my kids to see Colt (Barnhill), Tyler Clay, Kyle Bair, Dylan Genung ... all those players.”

Bob and Lynne Genung’s son Dylan is on the team. They run the Fitness Center in Grayson. “It’s affected my entire family and most of the community,” Bob said. “It’s a community event.”

Lynne said she was talking with Mayor George Steele about the Raiders. “He said sports in Carter County is the only recreation,” she said. “There’s so much excitement and it’s something positive to talk about.”

Lynne is excited for her son, who has overcome a torn ACL, mononucleosis and chicken pox during his high school career. “I asked him if he ever thought he’d get to play in a state tournament and he said no,” she said. “It’s tested him but made him stronger. He has scriptures written on his shoes. I told him just to look at that before he goes on the court (Wednesday).”

East Carter will be leaving for Lexington around 10 this morning after visiting the local schools. The Raiders have a practice scheduled at Memorial Coliseum. Their ambassador from the Kentucky High School Athletic Association is David Williams, a former pastor in Grayson who also was the public address announcer for many years.

“He asked if we wanted to practice at Lexington Catholic or Memorial Coliseum,” Charles Baker said. “I told him there’s no choice to make. We want to practice at Memorial Coliseum.”

MARK MAYNARD can be reached at mmaynard@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2648.