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After defeating Campbell County and Madison Central to open the year, the George Rogers Clark High School Cardinals continued their season this week with matchups against Pendleton County and Nicholas County.

Continuing their success in 10th Region play, they came away with victories both times.

The Cards defeated the Wildcats 92-47 on Thursday evening before coming away with a 75-46 victory on Saturday afternoon against the Blue Jackets.

Thursday evening’s game was unique for the Cards, as – with it being their home opener – it allowed them to play in front of many Winchester citizens for the first time.

“It’s a good experience,” said senior Reshaun Hampton, who announced his first college basketball offer from Midway University during the week. “We had some goals set – [to] focus on getting rebounds and winning all [four] quarters.”

While the Cards succeeded in outscoring the Wildcats through each quarter, the opening period particularly stood out.

The Cards gave their fans something to cheer about, scoring the first 21 points of the game en route to a 27-2 lead after the first eight minutes.

“I thought we shared the basketball. I thought we applied a lot of defensive pressure, which allowed us to share the basketball and get out in transition”, said GRC head coach Josh Cook. “I thought our guys played [unselfishly], and we did some really good things.”

Sophomore Malachi Ashford, averaging 19 points per game through the first four contests, played his first game as a Cardinal at GRC Arena.

“Whatever I have to do to help my team win is what I want to do,” Ashford said. “[I] mainly focus on being a good point guard, getting assists, and doing whatever helps us win.”

Following Thursday’s win, the Cards played their first Saturday game of the season, traveling to Carlisle to take on Nicholas County.

From the get-go, it was clear that playing on the weekend would be no detriment.

The Cards struck early and often from behind the arc, connecting on thirteen three-point shots en route to a 29-point victory.

Ten first-half 3-point connections – totaling 30 points – contributed to over half of the Cards’ first-half scoring input as they took a 54-26 lead into the locker room.

“If you see open shooters, you just keep passing it to them,” said senior J.P. Gaines, who scored eight points. “We trust each other, and we hit shots.”

Nicholas County head coach Dylan Moran also mentioned that an aggressive trap defense – in which an offensive player with possession of the ball is double-teamed – created challenges for his team’s offense.

“They’re relentless. It’s something that’s hard to show in practice,” Moran said. “Offensively, they’ve just got so many guys that can play. Everybody can shoot.”

With the Cards jumping to convincing leads in both contests, reserves have seen plenty of playing time.

Included among them are sophomore Gunnar Woods and junior Eli Craig.

Making the most of it, Woods scored 11 points against the Wildcats, while Craig had 13 against the Blue Jackets.

Cook notes that it is a benefit that can hopefully reap rewards in the future.

“It’s huge, just to develop your depth. You’ve got to believe in those guys. For thirty-two minutes, when you’re playing, you have to play at a high level”, he said. “When those guys go in, they’re playing [and] they’re trying to do their job to the best of their ability. My best advice to those guys is if your number is called, be ready to go because we need you.”

The Cards (4-0) return to GRC Arena on Tuesday night to play Harrison County (2-3), another 10th Region opponent, at 7:30 p.m.