Since last winning the 8th-District and 2nd-Region titles in the 2015-16 season, the Christian County Colonels have reached the district championship game each season and the regional final twice, but have fallen short each time.
After a 2018-19 season that ended with a 15-17 record and a loss to Madisonville-North Hopkins in the region semifinals, the Colonels return with lots of new faces to blend with a seasoned core.
After graduating their top two scorers, Eric Brody (14.5 ppg) and Fred Tandy (11.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg), the Colonels will lean heavily on a couple of senior guards. Stephon Bussell’s 11.5 ppg was third on last year’s team, followed by DaMikeon Mathis with 9.3 ppg. Both shot just a shade under 30% from 3-point land, with Bussell posting 27 makes and Mathis 25.
The Colonels also boast something in short supply throughout the region, a talented big man to go with the perimeter talent. Sophomore Olajuwon White was 5th on the team in scoring with 6.0 ppg during his freshman season, while also pulling down 4.6 rpg, 2nd on the squad. That inside-outside combination could shuffle the Colonels to the top of the pack among teams chasing defending region champ Madisonville-North Hopkins.
Coach Kerry Stovall will also be hoping for increased contributions from senior guard Kobe Dillard and sophomore point guard Qua Chambers, after both played limited minutes last season. The Colonels will look to a quartet of underclassmen for depth, with freshmen Bubba Leavell and Darrin Bussell and sophomores Herb Forte and Jalil Farrow waiting for their opportunity.
Christian County opens a challenging schedule with a visit from Henderson County on December 3, before travelling to Madisonville-North Hopkins a week later. District play begins with a cross-town matchup with Hopkinsville on December 13, with a tantalizing tilt with UHA scheduled for early January.
YSE’s Scott Brown caught up with Coach Stovall to get his thoughts on the upcoming season.
