LLOYD —
Lance Evans’ days as a high school defensive back on the gridiron are now behind him, but the 6-foot-5 forward still has plenty of time to use his skills to pick off passes on the hardwood.
Evans reeked havoc from his position on the backside of the Red Devil press by intercepting and deflecting countless Greenup County passes on Friday.
With the aid of Evans, the Russell defense forced the Musketeers into 21 turnovers, which the Red Devils, especially Kyle Skaggs, wasted no time turning into points.
After Greenup County briefly took the lead at 8-7 early in the first quarter, Russell ratcheted up the pressure and outscored the Musketeers 39-12 over the last 12 minutes of the first half in route to a 68-31 victory at Greenup County High School.
“From our scouting report, we really thought that pressure would hurt them,” Russell coach Merle Kidwell said. “They are young and inexperienced, playing a lot of guys without much varsity experience and I thought we could take advantage of that.”
While scoring but one point, Kidwell said Evans showed what kind of asset he can be this season.
“He is just learning what kind of basketball player he can be,” Kidwell said. “He doesn’t have any varsity experience, but he was just active. He was active rebound and blocking shots.”
As Lance and the rest of the Red Devils handled the defense, Skaggs took care of much of the offense. The senior scoring sensation turned in his second consecutive 31-point performance to start the season. He is now just 60 points shy of school’s all-time mark for points in a career.
Seventeen of Skaggs points came in the opening quarter, in which the Red Devils turned a one-point deficit into a 12-point lead in a matter of just four minutes.
“Kyle really got us going in the first quarter, after we missed some easy shots early that allowed them to get the lead,” Kidwell said.
First-year Greenup County coach Harold Tackett said his team could never recover from the Russell first quarter spurt.
“That’s what happens when a young team faces an experienced team like Russell,” he said after his debut on the Musketeer sideline. “No matter how much you do it in practice, it is just so much different in a game. They just shoot the gaps so well.”
Tackett inherited a team that won 18 games a year ago, but eight seniors from that team are now gone, leaving this year’s team young and inexperienced.
“We just have to start growing up. No one is going to come around with magic fairy dust and sprinkle it on their head. It is going to be a long process,” he said. “We just have to take it step by step and stay dedicated to the fundamentals.”
With the win, Russell improved to 1-0 in district play and 2-0 on the season. They begin play in the EKC Tournament today against Morgan County.
Greenup County (0-1) will look to get Tackett his first win at the school tonight against Pikeville.
Local Sports
Evans an active force in Devils win
Skaggs makes use of turnovers in 31-point night
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63rd softball: Greenup leans on bunting, baserunning; Russell wins
Immersed in another district contest with little breathing room, Greenup County softball coach Eric Keeton resorted to the strengths of his lineup: bunting and baserunning.
Two bunts and a swinging bunt helped the Lady Musketeers scratch across three runs in the fifth inning of a 6-2 victory over Raceland in the 63rd District Tournament opening round on Monday night at Russell High School. Top-seeded Russell defeated Lewis County, also 6-2, earlier in the evening. -
Boyd pounds out 11 hits to go along with Grimm’s shutout, 14-0
Robbie Shivel might be a little sore after Monday night, but it was Fairview that left the game battered and bruised.
Boyd County belted out 11 hits to go along with Dylan Grimm's complete-game gem as the Lions roared past Fairview, 14-0, in the opening round of the 64th District Tournament at Ashland's Alumni Field. The game lasted five innings. -
Different look, same results for Lady Lions
A longtime fixture in the 64th District softball championship game, Boyd County looked different this return trip.
The Lady Lions defeated Fairview 10-5 in Monday’s district semifinal, which doubled as an Autism Awareness Night. Boyd County players wore light blue shirts and colorful, jigsaw puzzle socks for the event, which had to be rescheduled more than once due to weather problems. -
Musketeers explode in final 2 innings to beat Raceland; good times continue for Lewis
Through the first four innings of its 63rd District Tournament opener, Greenup County found itself hitless. The Musketeers made up for it over the next two innings.
Greenup County scored eight runs on eight hits in the final two innings to defeat Raceland, 9-1, at Russell High School on Monday. -
The will to win
Opponents get the same look from Emily Stewart whether it’s softball, basketball or soccer season.
Steely eyed and lips pursed, the Boyd County senior is keenly focused and all business between the lines. -
THE WEEKLY CYCLE: Holding the key to upset city?
It takes only one game. Few are more firm believers in that fact than the small schools that find themselves in underdog roles year after year.
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Locals struggle to make impact
Some days you are the windshield and some days you are the bug.
It is a saying that proved to be all too true for Rowan County on Friday night at the KHSAA Class 2A State Track and Field Championships at the University of Louisville’s Owsley Frazier Cardinal Park. -
Womack eliminated in state semis; Rose Hill, Russell doubles also ousted
Fairview senior Kennedy Womack wasn’t her consistent self in Saturday morning’s state tennis semifinals at the University of Kentucky’s Hilary Boone Tennis Complex.
As a result, the top seed fell to Lexington Sayre sophomore Madeline Rolph 6-1, 6-0.
Womack was obviously disappointed with her finish, especially after losing in last year’s state finals, but she was happy for her good friend Rolph. -
FLYING HIGH
If Fairview could have fielded a combined track and field team at Saturday’s Class A State Track and Field Championships, the Eagles and Lady Eagles would have had a record day. Instead, the Fairview girls had to “settle” for fifth, while the boys’ claimed 10th.
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Womack eliminated in semifinals
Top-seeded Kennedy Womack was eliminated in the semifinals of the State Tournament on Saturday at the University of Kentucky tennis courts.
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