Louisa, Ky. — After losing a ton of experience from a team that lost in the first round of the Boys 15th region tournament last season, the Lawrence Co. Bulldogs are not looking to take a step back.
2022-2022 Lawrence Co. Bulldogs
Back row L to R Lawson Baisden, Blake Marcum, Kaden Gillispie, Will Lafferty, Andrew Bloomfield, Ford Scaggs, Logan Ratliff, Keaden Ellis, Kasen Staniford, Ethan Horn, Wyatt Branham. Front row L to R Ashton West, Braxton Davis, Hayden Perry, Owen Pack, Weston Vanhorn, Tylan Perry, Luke Fetherolf
The Bulldogs finished last season 24-8, District runner up and lost in the first round of the 15th Region Tournament to eventual champion Pikeville 63-57.
Cody Maynard, Trenton Adkins, Tyler Johnson, Rayson Adkins and Dawson Bellomy all graduated and Senior Kaden Gillispie will be out until at least after Christmas.
Senior Will Lafferty and Junior Andrew Bloomfield are the most experienced Bulldogs on the roster to start the season and will be counted on heavily.
Juniors Ford Scaggs 6-7 and Logan Ratliff 6-3 will give the Bulldogs some size underneath and 8th grader Hayden Perry has the potential to be very good. Junior Blake Marcum could be the team’s best defender and could relish in that role.
Seniors Lawson Baisden and Ethan Horn along with Freshman Braxton Davis could provide a spark off the bench.
Lawrence Co. will open the season with three tough games against Morgan Co. at home, at Bath Co. and at home versus Pike Co. Central. They will also play in the Carolina Invitational in Charleston, South Carolina and the Class 2A Section at Magoffin Co. along with the Stock Yards Bank & Trust Classic at Rowan Co.
The 58th District will be tough once again with Betsy Layne, Floyd Central and Prestonsburg.
Lawrence Co. Head Coach Chandler Thompson
COACH’S COMMENTS
“… I’m excited to get going it’s been a fun preseason so far in the five or six weeks that we have been at it. These kids have worked really hard since the end of last season. Incredibly fun group to be around and they have done everything that we have asked of them up to this point. We are young and we do lack some inexperience but I have full confidence in these guys that they will compete and play hard when the ball is thrown up. And that is really all that you can ask for as a coach. We obviously lost a ton from last season, that was special group of seniors that you can’t replace but you fill holes and eventually another group will come along that you can’t replace as well. Losing Tyler Johnson toward the end of the year was tough on us not only physically but mentally as well. He can right in and fit in from the get go like he has been here for years. And then we open this season losing Kaden Gillispie to injury late in the football season so we have dealt with some adversity but that makes teams stronger and allows someone else to step up. We are really excited to get going Tuesday night at home versus Morgan Co. I’m thankful and blessed to be starting another basketball season.”
“… We have had a lot of young guys step up during the first two scrimmages. We have very limited varsity experience but we are going to throw those guys in the mix and see what they can do. Tug Valley was a good test for us on Saturday at Martin Co. and we told our guys they are good and I thought we really played well for three quarters and then got into some foul trouble and they pulled away late in the game. After watching the film and taking to our coaches I was encouraged but the big challenge now is getting these guys to play four quarters. And that is part of the process and natural stepping stone and we are going to work and improve on that.”
“… We lost a lot of size from last year’s team but we have some on this roster including Logan Ratliff who is big physical player who has a chance for a good year, Ford Scaggs is big and athletic and has worked extremely hard since last spring and had a good summer and a couple good scrimmages as well. Hayden Perry is young but man, he can play. There will be some ups and downs with him but that is part of the process but we believe in him and all of our young guys. Blake Marcum is another that has shot the ball well and has also took in the role of our best defender and has done a great job with that. Seniors Ethan Horn and Lawson Baisden have bought into their roles as well. It’s exciting and we have several combinations of players that will flat get after it when they get on the floor and when you do that you give yourself a chance to win. Braxton Davis is a talented freshman that will get some time as well. All of the minutes the young guys can get will be valuable for us in the long run.”
“… It hurts bad not having Kaden to start the year, but it gives someone else a chance to step up. Eventually we will get him back and his experience will help us down the road. At the end of the day as long as these guys compete and play hard that all that I can ask of them.”