Glasgow Boys 2A: Scotties down Golden Eagles 81-63

By T. Wampler, JPI Sports

The Glasgow High School Scotties and Coach Brandon Stockton earned their way to the 2A Sectional State Finals at the Sportscenter in Owensboro with their win over the Logan County Cougars, 74-66. Jaylen Bradley led the Glasgow offensive attack with 25 points. Bradley made his way to the charity stripe 14 times and made 12 of his free throws for 86 %. The team shot 24 of 32 attempts for 75% from the line.

Jackson Norris and Jerrick Martin each added 11 points. Carter Hodges had 7 points. Jeremiah Moore and Landon Minton each chipped in 6 points. Trace England had a 3-pointer to round out the Scotties’ 74 point total. Martin had 7 rebounds and Moore had 6 boards to lead GHS.

Eight teams earned a berth in 2A Sectional Boys State Basketball Tournament.

That victory over the Cougars earned the Scotties a 1st-round game against the Johnson Central Golden Eagles. The Golden Eagles play in District 57 and Region 15. Johnson Central entered the tournament with an overall record of 11 – 2 with an RPI of .64877 and they sit atop the Region 15 standings.

The Glasgow Scotties entered the tournament with an overall record of 9-6 with an RPI of .56214.

The Scotties advanced with a decisive defeat of the Golden Eagles, 81-63, last Friday night and advanced to round #2. Glasgow’s next opponent was the Christian Academy-Louisville Centurions.

“I’m proud of this team and the effort they give me every night,” Coach Stockton said after their win over Johnson Central. “And I’m not just talking about the kids that start. I’m talking about all 14 kids that are a part of this team. When I put a player in from the bench, I know I’m going to get the same effort and intensity as the players that started.”

“The players do all the work and deserve all the credit. I’m just the one that is on the sideline doing all the yelling,” Stockton said laughing.

“In all seriousness, I’m blessed,” the coach said. “I inherited really good kids, on and off the court. I’m just blessed to be here and try to give back what I have learned over the years from the great coaches and mentors I had the opportunity to learn from and just be around.”

Stockton said that blessing extends to the school, parents, administration, and fans that support him and the Scotties.

Stockton said the success they have experienced this season (4-0 in District 15), and during their 3-game winning streak to advance to the 2nd round of the 2A Sectional is a reflection of how they practice. “We make practice hard. The kids make practice hard,” Stockton continued. “We compete everyday, and the only way this team gets better is the fact that the first five, the second five, or the 11th or 12th man is in there competing every time we take the floor.”

Their motto this season is, “Play Lockdown Defense.” These kids make each other better with that mentality in practice,” Stockton said. “I tell them all the time, make practice harder than the game. Never stop competing.”

Stockton said the reason you play any sport is to compete. He said that the desire to compete starts at the first practice and should never stop.

The coach said Johnson Central was a “good team that could score the basketball.” “We just did a really good job of defending,” Stockton said. “I thought the game plan we had for them worked well, and we kind of outlasted them at the end. We played lockdown defense, and at the end of the game, that worked in our favor.”

Coach Stockton said it was the defensive effort that gave them the edge late in the 3rd quarter and in the 4th quarter. “Jaylen (Bradley) started the game hot for us,” he said. “In the second half when they tried to stop Jaylen, Landon Minton and Jerrick Martin stepped up, but still it was a team defensive effort that got us to the finish line.”

Stockton said when the Golden Eagles tried to go on a run, the Scotties found ways to get a stop and then convert on the other end with points. He said the Scotties just kept “pushing the ball, pushing the ball,” and they outlasted them because they never let up on defense.

“I think they got a little tired towards the end of the game. When you get tired, sometimes shots don’t fall,” Stockton continued. “We did a good job of taking them off the 3-point line, then eventually we started pulling away from them.”

Stockton said he could play 10, 11, 12 guys. “I really could,” he said. “And that is because these guys work hard at making each other better and it shows up in the games, when I see what they can do when they get the opportunity. It shows up in how they support and encourage each other too.”

Stockton said when a player has “an off night,” other players step up and fill that gap with points, rebounds, or whatever the team needs. “As coaches, we don’t always know who is going to step up, but these guys have been able to do what the team needs, to step up when we need them to,” he added.

“This group of guys are truly a team,” concluded Coach Stockton. “They stay ready so they can compete when their numbers are called. They are a brotherhood. They stay positive and just push each other.”

Bradley led GHS with 25 points (17 points in the 1st half) and 8 rebounds. Landon Minton had 21 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. Jerrick Martin finished with 10 points and 6 boards. Jackson Norris had 8 points and 6 rebounds. Grayson Bartley chipped in 6 points.

The Scotties played the Centurions last Saturday at 7pm. More about this game in the next edition of the BCP.