It happened again.
For the second time this season, George Rogers Clark knocked off Campbell County. Tuesday’s loss was the most painful – the Cardinals eliminated the defending boys 10th Region champ Camels, 57-52, at Montgomery County High School.
Campbell County’s season ended at 22-10. What maybe hurt more: six Camels – Jayden Augsback, Zach Franzen, Gage Ballard, Xavier Fancher, Garyn Jackson and Aiden Dowds – finished their high school careers.
Jackson finished with 18 points, four rebounds, two assists, a block and three steals.
Campbell County coach Brent Sowder had a memory of each senior. He recalled Augsback’s five 3-pointers in a win over Johnson Central, Franzen’s work ethic, Ballard’s 3 that put the Camels into a running-clock 81-39 win over Bishop Brossart in the 37th District final on Feb. 27, Fancher’s hitting big shots, and Dowds’ having a great attitude every day.
And then there was Jackson, who scored 1,248 points in his four seasons and was named KABC 10th Region Player of the Year.
“Garyn, he’s a legend, he’s a Campbell County legend, he’s a 10th Region legend,” Sowder said. “He’s left his mark.”
When GRC (26-5) beat Campbell County, 59-42, on Dec. 5 in Winchester, Montez Gay led the Cardinals with 16 points, and Malachi Ashford and Eli Craig each added 13. Gay led his team Tuesday with 17 points, and Ashford added 15.
If you looked for an unexpected contributor Tuesday, Campbell County junior Lucas Anthrop was your guy. He scored just two points in the December defeat, but Tuesday he led all scorers with 23 points (with 4-of-8 from 3) and had 11 rebounds and two assists.
“I knew our star player, Austin Davie, was out,” Anthrop said. “I had to fill some bigger shoes this time, so I just got as ready for the game as I could and performed at the highest level.”
Campbell County went into Tuesday’s game somewhat shorthanded. Sophomore forward Austin Davie, who averaged 17.9 points a game, broke a hand against Brossart.
“He got undercut,” Sowder said before the game.
Sophomore Braden Elam, who replaced Davie, scored four points Tuesday, adding eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
Sowder said not having Davie “probably played a little” role in the final score.
“But I don’t like that excuse,” Sowder said. “We had a week to prepare for (not having) him. I was proud of the way the kids played. We executed the game plan; we just weren’t able to finish.”
Neither the Camels nor Cardinals shot particularly well – Campbell County was 19-of-49 (38.8%), and GRC was 20-of-53 (37.7%, including 4-of-20 from long distance).
Anthrop, however, was everywhere in the first quarter – a top-of-the-key three, an assist on Garyn Jackson’s layup, and another bucket. GRC coach Josh Cook was sure he was nervous.
“Campbell’s a really good team,” Cook said. “They’re really smart, they’ve got that great tradition, very smart players, well-coached.”
Ashford kept GRC close. His four points sliced Campbell County’s lead to 9-6 – just in time for the Camels’ 7-1 run over the final 2:22 on Elam’s field goal, Anthrop’s three (he finished the first half with 12 points) and Jackson’s two.
Ashford’s and-1 tied the game at 41-all late in the third quarter, and after Jackson’s 3 put the Camels ahead, 48-46 less than two minutes into the fourth, Craig’s 3 put GRC ahead to stay.
GRC’s Maddox Hager scored six of his 12 points in the fourth quarter.
“Maybe I should’ve called some better plays, honestly,” Sowder said.
In Monday’s semifinals, Mason County and Montgomery County get together at 6 p.m., followed by GRC vs. Nicholas County at 7:30 p.m.
Anthrop called the 2024-25 campaign “a great season.”
“We’re going to miss these seniors a lot,” he said. “But we improved a lot throughout the year, and we’re going to surprise people next year.”
CARDINALS 57, CAMELS 52
GEORGE ROGERS CLARK — 7-17-17-16 – 57
CAMPBELL COUNTY — 16-11-16-9 – 52
GRC (57) — Ashford 15, Craig 5, Spillman 2, Gay 17, Bartelson 4, Campbell 2, Hager 12. 3-Pt. FG: 4 (Ashford 2, Craig, Gay). FT: 19-19. Rebounds: 23 (Gay 8, Ashford 5). Fouls: 15. Fouled out: None. Turnovers: 9.
Campbell Co. (52) — Franzen 2, Elam 4, Fancher 5, Jackson 18, L. Anthrop 23. 3-Pt. FG: 7 (L. Anthrop 4, Jackson 2, Fancher). FT: 7-8. Rebounds: 29 (L. Anthrop 11, Elam 8). Fouls: 13. Fouled out: Jackson. Turnovers: 15.
Records: George Rogers Clark 26-5, Campbell County 22-10