The Christian County boys’ basketball team enters the 2018-19 season looking to replace four starters and the bulk of last season’s offensive production off a team that was runner-up in the 8th District and 2nd Region tournaments.
All four of the Colonel graduates moved on to compete at the college level, two in football and two in basketball. Last seaon’s KABC Region Player of the Year, Detorrion Ware, averaged 32.2 points a game and pulled down 9.3 rebounds per contest, tops on the team in both categories. He’s moved on to play at Jacksonville State, while third-leading scorer and rebounder JaQuon Long is now playing football and basketball at the junior college level for Dakota State. Fourth-leading rebounder Kolbe Langhi accepted a preferred walk-on spot as a quarterback at the University of Kentucky, and second-leading scorer and rebounder (11.7, 6.9) Cory Trice took his football talents to Purdue University.
For most programs an exodus of that kind of athletic prowess would be a death knell, however, optimism remains as the Colonels boast a stable of talented athletes waiting to take their turn on the hardwood. Junior Damikeon Mathis returns to run the team from the point guard position after posting 7.2 points per game last season and knocking down 22 3-pointers at a 33.3% clip, second most on the team. Senior Fred Tandy is another returnee that was instrumental in last season’s success, scoring 8.3 points a game to tie for third-most.
Senior Eric Brody went for 26 points in a close scrimmage loss to Bowling Green last week, and seems poised to help fill the scoring void after chipping in 7.9 points a game last year. Seniors Nate McGregor and DT Babb will be counted on for increased contribution, as will juniors Sha Stowe, Kobe Dillard and Stephon Bussell. The Colonels will also look for help from a strong freshman class including Olajuwon White, Qua Chambers, Jalil Farrow and Herb Forte.
The Colonels gets the regular season started on December 1 when they travel to Daviess County to face McCracken County in the KY 811 Shootout.