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For two nights in a row, Bourbon County High School has hosted celebrations for the George Rogers Clark High School basketball teams.

After the Lady Cards defeated Montgomery County to win their 40th District Championship matchup on Wednesday, the Cards (24-5) followed suit in an 84-44 romp over the Paris Greyhounds (17-13) on Thursday night.

It is their sixth consecutive district championship, having also defeated Paris to capture the trophy last season.

“Our guys [are] playing at a very high level right now, and that’s something we want to continue,” said GRC Head Coach Josh Cook. “Every championship should matter, and it does.”

Determined to show they were more than willing to defend their crown, the Cards opened up fast.

Never trailing in the contest, they scored the first seven points of the game before Paris found two points of their own.

However, it would be some time before Paris found such fortune again.

Led by a team-high 24 points from Trent Edwards and four other members of the starting lineup – Reshaun Hampton, Tyleik Maxwell, Jerone Morton, and Sam Parrish – who scored over ten points, the Cards’ up-tempo offense then pushed their lead to 16 before Paris found the scoreboard once again.

Eventually, the first quarter ended with the Cards commanding a 32-7 lead.

“Ball movement is tremendous. It’s everything,” Cook said. “We’re a much better team when we move the basketball [and] let the rhythm of the game dictate how we’re scoring.”

The second quarter was much the same for the Cards until late.

With a pair of starters on the bench to avoid potential foul trouble, the Greyhounds showed some signs of life as they rattled off the final six points over the last minute.

However, the Cards got back on track to begin the second half.

Starting the third quarter on a 12-3 run, they took a 36-point lead to necessitate a running clock with 5:15 remaining as they eventually moved toward a 40-point victory.

Statistically, the Cards were helped by 34 of their 84 points coming off layups and dunks.

The latter drew applause and even a standing ovation on occasion from some Cards fans in the crowd.

“We’ve just been playing together for a good amount of time, so we just know each other [and] know what we’re good at,” said senior guard Jerone Morton, who finished with 17 points.

A fellow senior guard agreed with Morton.

“There’s a lot of guys around me who can score,” said Tyleik Maxwell, who had 10 points. “I just want to play my role, get rebounds, [and] play defense.”

When the game was over, it was time for ceremonial honors to take place.

Individual awards were given to players on both teams, with Morton, Edwards, Parrish, Hampton, and Maxwell each taking home hardware.

Afterward, it came time to celebrate winning the 40th District Championship.

Players gathered around the plaque given to the champions, accepting photos from a barrage of individuals.

They then took turns cutting down one of the nets.

With the game and district play behind them, the Cards now look toward the 10th Region Tournament that will be held next week at Mason County High School.

The draw to determine opponents and playing times will occur at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Harrison County High School.

Depending on the draw, the Cards will start 10th Region play with a quarterfinal matchup on either Wednesday or Thursday evening.

It’s a journey that Cook and the Cards have found familiar.

“We’ll have lunch on Saturday, talk about the draw, [and] try to establish a vision,” Cook said.