PUBLICATION NO. USPS 707340 Published By WILDCAT NEWS COMPANY P.O.Box 7297 Lexington. Kentucky 40522 Second Class Postage paid at Lexington. Kentucky 40511 and additional mailing offices
Editor and Publisher
OSCAR L. COMBS Associate Editor NICK NICHOLAS Associate Editor MIKE ESTEP Staff Writer JIM EASTERWOOD National Recruiting Columnist BOB GIBBONS
Columnist LARRY VAUGHT State Columnist BOB WATKINS
Columnist RUSSELL RICE National Basketball Columnist LARRY DONALD
Columnist TODD HALLUM SEC Columnist STAN TORGERSON SEC Columnist ELMORE "SCOOP" HUDGINS Kentucky Basketball Recruiting RICK BOLUS Contributing Columnist JAMIE VAUGHT Columnist DAN BRANDENBURG Contributing Columnist BERNIE VONDERHEIDE Business Manager DONNA COMBS Staff Photographer GARY CROMWELL Staff Photographer DAVID STERLING Circulation Coordinator
WANDA HOOKER Crossword Puzzle Editor DAN KRUECKEBERG
Published Weekly: Sept. 13-April 11 Monthly: May, June. July, August
Advertising Representative WILDCAT NEWS COMPANY 2627 REGENCY ROAD LEXINGTON. KENTUCKY 40503
Subscription Price $25.00 per year in USA $35.00 per year in Canada Phone: (606) 278-3474 Postmaster: Send Address Changes to THE CATS' PAUSE, P.O. BOX 7297.
LEXroroN^^N^uac^4M2^
Ballard Wins State Title With Win Over Clay County; Farmer Explodes For 51
By Nick Nicholas
LOUISVILLE, KY-A new era.
Last Saturday before a shoulder-to-shoulder sellout crowd at Freedom Hall, an era ended in Kentucky high school basketball while another took its place. Louisville Ballard, erased from last year's state high school championship, was crowned No. 1 with an 88-79 revenge of Clay County, the defending champ.
As thrilling as the four-day, 15-game tourney was the individual performance by Richie Farmer, playing his last game in familiar Gold and Black. The tournament's all-time leading scorer blazed the cords for 51 points, including nine of 13 three-pointers.
Never before had anyone witnessed such a performance in a championship game. Farmer's half-a-century-plus-one showcase was seven better than Louisville Central's Ron King's total in 1969. And for the second year in a row Farmer, the all-time leading scorer in Sweet 16 history, was named the Lexington Herald Leader's Most Valuable Player as voted by media and coaches.
Individually, the night belonged to Farmer. Combine his Saturday night special with three other games, Clay County's big gun totaled 137 tourney points.
"I had a great career here at Clay County," said Farmer, interviewed on the sidelines afterwards. "I've played in three state final games. I wish we could have won tonight but it just didn't come out that way."
Yes, he gladly would have traded his MVP trophy for what Ballard had in its hands the 1988 championship trophy.
Ballard, led by three players with 23 or more points, jumped out to a double-digit lead in the third quarter and outlasted Farmer's three-point explosions.
"I think the key to the game was that we executed super and did a good job of passing the ball," said second-year Ballard coach Scotty Davenport. "We executed every play we called just perfect. In the change up on defenses we communicated well and they (Ballard players) deserve a lot of credit."
"You can still play good against Clay County and lose. But we played well and fortunately we played well and came out on top."
Davenport and Clay County's Bobby Keith later said that Ballard's domination on the boards also was a major factor. Overall, the Bruins won the battle on the boards 41 to 33.
If there was a particular quarter in which the hometown boys claimed the win, look no further than the third.
Senior Kenneth Martin propelled Ballard's inside game, cutting past and over Tiger defenders with ease. "I was on my soapbox all week about him being underrated," Davenport noted. "I think now he's proved me right."
Martin ended the evening with 24 points and 14 rebounds while junior teammates Allan Houston and Mark Bell weren't far behind with 23 points apiece.
"We came out and played our hearts out just like Clay County," Martin said. "We wanted to rebound the ball and get it to the outlet man and run. We don't like to take the ball out of the net, walk it up the court and run our set offense."
Six of Ballard's first eight points in the second half were scored by Martin. Still, Clay County stayed close, narrowing the margin to six, 45-39. The Bruins' continuous succes on offense, though, started to tire an obvious already-weary Tiger crew.
Late in the third quarter Martin gave Ballard a 53-47 lead when he controlled a Houston misfire and bagged an eight footer. Richie r^ts^tutit^Bmin'^v"a'Htag!8'baxk'
Junior Mark Bell Ripped Nets
to four with a nifty pump fake inside. Meanwhile, Bell did Farmer one better with a three-pointer.
A few moments later the game's leading scorer penetrated Ballard's defense for two. Again, he was done one better, this time by Houston whose three-pointer made the count 59-51.
Two Tiger attempts then fell astray. Bell capitalized on the two misses and upped the lead to 10 with a driving seven-footer.
Clay County, winners of 46 straight games against Kentucky competition, was starring a 10-point deficit with only eight minutes remaining. Instead of cutting into Ballard's lead, the Tigers defense underneath was about to be declawed.
First, another alley-oop dunk by Martin to open the final period meant 12 points seperated the two teams. Clay County climbed back to within 10 (64-54). But two consecutive three-point plays smothered a Richie Farmer basket, lifting Ballard to a 14-point cushion (70-56).
Strangely enough, about 75 percent of the 19,575 on hand were for the out-of-towners. Though down by 14, there was a feeling in the air that a new champ was about to be crowned.
] Davenport said later that he didn't feel. home free until the final buzzer went off because, "with Richie Farmer and his three pointers. . .they never quit and they're a class team."
Hopes and prayers remained on the lips of Tiger faithful. Hope for one last stand. . .one last comeback attempt. Like champions, they didn't give up.
It started at the 5:56 mark when Richie Farmer cashed in one of two free throw tries, narrowing the gap to 70-57. Following a Bruin miss,'iRuK c'Fjaimer,!; ft^h^
With Jumper And Scissors
shots on the evening, hit a three-pointer head on. The Tigers immediately reclaimed possesion when Houston took an ill-advised and off-balanced jumper. And a three-pointer by none other than Richie Farmer forced Ballard to talk things over with 5:08 left.
"Let's go," chanted Keith, shaking a fist in the direction of the Tiger main rooting section. A fever pitch had been created because of Clay County's latest run. Ballard, meanwhile, had a quick cure for that as two free tosses and a rattler by Bell, a free throw by Martin and two field goals by Houston widened the lead to 15, 80-65.
Clay County had made a gallant run but Ballard answered the call with a 10-2 blitz that shattered the dreams of thousands from Manchester. This night Clay County wouldn't win its second straight state title.
"The PRP game took a lot out of us," Keith said of the morning's 92-90 escape. "But I don't want that to sound like any type of alibi because I don't want to take anything away from Ballard's victory or the way they played here tonight."
Until the final moments of the first half the championship game was dead even. After the initial eight minutes the two teams were tied at 18-all. Both teams excited the crowd by matching basket for basket. . .steal for steal.
Clay County bolted out to a four-point lead (29-25) with two straight three pointers from Richie Farmer, the first from NBA range. Martin, though, silented Tiger supporters with an offensive putback and a nine footer, the latter tying the game at 29-all.
A crier by Houston inside gave Ballard the lead for keeps. And the Seventh Region champs kept the momentum flowing, scoring four of the halfs last five points,
[Continued On Page 22]
>x *>^uv**$!.l*'v<.: \x\ v.; a;.<.:u uy