By DOUG EADS, CJ Correspondent
Somerset — The 2009—’10 high school basketball season was one full of many highlights for our local teams.
On the boy’s side, Al Gover made a triumphant return to the Pulaski County Maroon bench and proved that, yes, he could indeed win meaningful games in late-February and March.
Gover took a very young team that started three freshmen and advanced all the way to the 12th Regional Tournament semi finals, before falling to Mercer County 72-63.
Southwestern meanwhile started a quartet of talented sophomores, and turned in another winning season under coach Dave Schulz.
Somerset struggled to find wins on a consistent basis, yet, Don Daniel’s club showed glimpses at times of better days to come for the purple and gold.
On the girl’s side, Brian Miller and the Pulaski County Lady Maroons were the feel-good story inside the 12th Region this past season.
Miller, in just his second year at the helm of rebuilding the once-storied PC girl’s basketball program, proved that when it comes to X’s and O’s, he’s as good as they come.
The Lady Maroons shocked everyone this season by going 14-14 for the year, which is a far cry from the 4-22 mark in Miller’s first year on the PC bench.
Tim Rice meanwhile had the Southwestern Lady Warriors in contention for a regional crown once again this past season.
Danay Fothergill, one of the top juniors in the entire state of Kentucky, led the way for the blue and orange, scoring at will for much of the season in helping her club to a 20-10 mark.
And, Chris Adkins and the Somerset Lady Briar Jumpers enjoyed a 17-9 campaign this past year, as a very talented junior and senior class led the way.
With that being said, it’s time to unveil The Commonwealth Journal’s All-County Girl’s and Boy’s Basketball Teams for the 2009—’10 high school basketball season.
First for the ladies.
Our Player of the Year was quite frankly, a no-brainer.
Danay Fothergill claims that honor this year, as she absolutely had a monster junior season for the Southwestern Lady Warriors.
Fothergill ranked in the state’s Top Five all year long in scoring, as she finished the season in leading Southwestern by scoring 26.8 points per game.
Fothergill tallied 780 points in her junior year, and also led her club in steals with 110, and in assists with 130.
Joining Fothergill on our team is her Southwestern teammate Jessica Pierce.
Pierce was Southwestern’s second-leading scorer this past season, averaging 11.5 points per contest, while leading the way for the Lady Warriors by averaging 9.4 rebounds per game.
A trio of Lady Jumpers make our team this season, and they are Samantha Dorsey, Rolisa Jones, and Lori Thomas.
Dorsey blistered the nets from downtown all season long, shooting a remarkable 53.3 percent from behind the three-point line.
The senior guard finished tied for second in scoring for Somerset, averaging 9.9 points per game.
Jones meanwhile finished as the Lady Jumpers leading scorer and rebounder for the year, averaging 10.6 points per contest while pulling down 7.8 boards per game.
Thomas finished second in rebounding and in scoring for the year for Somerset, as she averaged 9.9 points per game while claiming 7.1 rebounds per night.
Rounding out our girl’s team is a pair of Pulaski County Lady Maroons.
Brooke Cable was the inspirational leader for PC all year long, as she enjoyed a banner season.
Cable led her club by averaging 14.8 points per contest, scoring 413 points in her senior season — a season that also saw her eclipse the 1,000-point plateau for her career.
Cable also paced the Lady Maroons from downtown, leading her club with 34 three-point field goals for the year.
Joining Cable is her teammate, Brittany Warren.
Warren enjoyed a solid freshman season in leading the Lady Maroons from her point guard position.
Warren finished as PC’s second-leading scorer behind Cable, averaging 8.6 points per game, while leading the Lady Maroons with 71 assists for the year.
Now for our All-County Boy’s Team.
Our Player of the Year was quite frankly a non-factor at the beginning of the year, but did he ever prove that he’s was the best option on the court when it mattered the most in the post season.
Pulaski County’s Tyler Jenkins is our Player of the Year for the 2009—’10 season, as he went out in style for the Maroons.
Jenkins began his senior year on the PC sidelines, as he was still recuperating from back surgery he was forced to undergo just as practice was set to get underway.
And, while it took him a few games to re-capture his old form from his junior year, he certainly came up big for his club when it mattered the most.
Jenkins poured in a game-high 33 points in the 47th District Tournament championship game in Pulaski County’s 82-64 demolition over Casey County, and he followed that performance with a huge 12th Regional Tournament, that saw him make the 12th Regional All-Tournament Team.
Jenkins scored a team-high 28 points in the Maroons 67-58 win over Danville in the regional tourney’s opening round, and he followed that up with a 28-point performance in the Maroons loss to Mercer County in the semi finals.
In PC’s four post season games, Jenkins led the way for the Maroons by scoring 98 points, good enough for a clip of 24.5 points per game in the post season — not bad indeed.
For the season, Jenkins led PC by averaging 15.1 points per game, and he was the Maroons top rebounder, averaging 6.8 boards per contest.
Joining Jenkins on our squad are two of his Maroon teammates.
Kody Johnson enjoyed a banner freshman season for Pulaski County, demonstrating a beautiful stroke from behind the three-point line.
For the year, Johnson averaged 10.8 points per game, shooting a very respectable, 34.7 percent from downtown.
Zach Eastham meanwhile was another prolific three-point specialist at coach Gover’s disposal this past season, as he led the Maroons with 59 treys for the year, shooting 36.1 percent from downtown.
Southwestern’s Tyler Mayer and Cody Epperson also make our club, as they helped lead the Warriors to a 15-12 season.
Mayer, a senior guard this past year, was the heart and soul for the Warriors and the guy that made this club go from the opening tap.
Mayer led the Warriors in both steals with 118 and in assist with 146 this past year, while averaging 10.1 points per game.
Epperson meanwhile averaged 10.9 points per game, while leading his club with 61 three-point baskets for the year.
The sophomore guard also led his club from the charity stripe, hitting on 73 percent of his free throw attempts.
Rounding out our squad is a pair of Somerset Briar Jumpers.
DJ Townsend led Somerset in a host of statistical categories, finishing as the Jumpers leading scorer for the year, averaging 19.1 points per game.
Townsend led the Jumpers in three-point field goals made with 30, and he paced Somerset from the charity stripe, hitting on 73 percent of his attempts.
Rounding out our team is Somerset’s Clayton Stringer.
Stringer finished as Somerset’s second-leading scorer for the year, averaging 13.3 points per game, while leading the Briar Jumpers by ripping down 7.2 boards per contest.
Congratulations to all of these outstanding athletes for a job well done on the hardwood.
