LONDON — North Laurel will be making its third appearance in four years at the Sweet 16 Thursday with hopes of bringing home the program’s first state championship.
But first things first, the Jaguars will need to find a way to get past a red-hot Breathitt County squad that defeated Hazard, 61-59, in the 14th Region finals.
“Our guys have been confident every step of the way,” North Laurel coach Nate Valentine said. “When our guys step on the floor, they truly believe they can beat anyone because of the work they have put in and the belief they have in one another. Everyone is talented when you get to the State tournament.
“We went through a challenging field to get to this point, and I think that can benefit us,” he added. “We’ve been focused on the task at hand all season and we will continue with the same approach. Our focus is on Breathitt County.”
Both teams enter Thursday’s contest playing some of their best basketball of the season, reeling off five wins in a row apiece.
“I thought we played well down the stretch and finally had some breaks go our way,” Valentine said. “We have continued to get better defensively all season and that must continue. When you can make the other team take tough shots and limit them to one shot per possession, you usually have a chance to win the game.”
Valentine also credits a tough slate of games preparing his team for the battles they’ve faced in postseason play.
“I think our schedule has certainly helped prepare us to this point and can only help as we move forward,” Valentine said. “We’ve played many contrasting styles that have forced us to adapt. Breathitt County brings new challenges for our team. They have a Division I guard in Austin Sperry, that leads the way. They have good shooters and post players to go along with him. They are extremely well coached and don’t beat themselves.”
Sperry leads the Bobcats with a 23.5 scoring average. He’s also averaging 6.5 rebounds per game. Braxton Terry is averaging 10.5 points per game while turning in a team-best 8.4 rebounding average. Payton Collins averages 7.6 points per game while Canaan Gross and Aaron Stallard are averaging an identical 7.0 points per game. Joseph Honeycutt is averaging 6.6 points per game.
North Laurel counters with junior Reece Davidson, who is averaging 20.6 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. Jordan Rawlings is averaging 10.1 points per game while Kole Jervis (8.2), RJ Noble (7.9), Cooper Elza (6.6), and Corey Cunagin (3.8) follow.
“We have to continue to do what we’ve done all season long, and that’s continue to work and get better,” Valentine said. “This will be another physical game, and we have to get in the fight from the tip.
“We have to do our part and give everyone our best shot,” he added. “A lot of things have to go right to win four games in three days. We will just focus on winning the first game and nothing else.”
