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People have become accustomed to seeing basketball at GRC Arena in Winchester, on the site of George Rogers Clark High School, when the Cards and Lady Cards take the court. 

On Saturday, January 4, while still having the opportunity to watch both teams, they were also treated to something else special. 

The sponsored Tim Short Automotive Classic brought teams to Winchester from as far west as Bowling Green to the eastern mountains of the Commonwealth. 

“Today was a great day of basketball. We had great crowds,” stated George Rogers Clark High School Head Basketball Coach Josh Cook. “Our boosters did a great job…[I’m] just thankful for all the support we had today.” 

The Tim Short Auto Group, with over 20 locations throughout central and eastern Kentucky as well as Tennessee, sponsored the event. 

“When people have an opportunity to help kids, and help schools and communities, Tim Short’s one of the best in the state at doing it,” Cook added. “He doesn’t have to do those things, but he just wants to see kids have an opportunity to be successful…[I’m] thankful for his sponsorship and what he does for the school and community.” 

At 12:00 p.m., the event kicked off with the Scott County Cardinals taking on the Rockcastle County Rockets.

In a close contest that literally went down to the final shot attempt, Scott County came through with a 68-66 victory. 

Colton Helton was named MVP for Scott County, while the Rockets’ Connor Hunt received honors for his team. 

The next, well-anticipated matchup featured the Hazard Bulldogs against the Madison Central Indians. 

Hazard, ranked as the #5 team in Kentucky in the most recent Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR) poll, had a battle on their hands as Madison Central refused to fall behind big. 

However, led by MVP Evin Eversole’s 17 points, they held on for a 66-57 win. 

Jake Feldhaus was named Madison Central’s MVP. 

Next up was Lexington Catholic against Montgomery County. 

After Montgomery County took an early lead, Lexington Catholic rallied to tie the contest. 

However, a 14-0 run by the Indians – punctuated by a pair of three-point baskets from Isaac Rowlett as the first half ended – propelled Montgomery County to a 69-54 win. 

Finally, the two matchups many had attended to see took place. 

First, the Lady Cards (5-5) took on the Greenwood Lady Gators (5-7). 

Before the opening tip, there was already cause to celebrate. 

Sophomore Kennedy Stamper, junior Anaya Chestnut, and senior Jailenn Green each were honored for scoring 1,000-points as high school athletes. 

“It means a lot. It just shows there’s a lot of unity [and] a lot of team spirit,” said Assistant Coach William Graham. “One person’s [not] going to dominate the ball…do what you’re supposed to do. Come to practice every day. Work hard. Improve your skill set, and things like that will happen.” 

Once the game began, the Lady Cards took an early lead and – before long – built on it often. 

Eventually building a running clock thanks in part to an 11-point effort by Stamper – one of ten scorers for the Lady Cards – GRC cruised to a 64-27 victory. 

“It was fun [and] definitely a good game for us,” Stamper said. “I’m always grateful when I receive anything.” 

With 11 points, Anzlee Hendrix received MVP honors for Greenwood. 

Up next, the Cards (10-2) took on the Cooper Jaguars (5-4). 

The Jaguars looked like the well-advertised 9th Region team they were early on, as they built a 12-point lead early in the 2nd quarter thanks in part to 10 first-quarter points by Roman Combs. 

However, led by 14 points from Malachi Ashford and 10 by Maddox Hager, GRC fought back and eventually built a 9-point lead in the third quarter. 

Still, the Jaguars fought until the end. 

With just .9 seconds remaining, Ashford knocked down a pair of free throws, securing a 54-49 victory for GRC. 

“[We] never stopped fighting…that’s a big win for us. Cooper is a good team, and when we came into this game…we knew we had to play hard,” Ashford said. “I knew I had to hit [those free throws]. I missed a couple last game [and] had to learn from that.” 

For his efforts, Hager was named MVP, while Combs received MVP honors for Cooper 

The Lady Cards and Cards were set to begin 40th District play on Tuesday against the Paris Lady Greyhounds (14-0) and Greyhounds (6-8) in Bourbon County, but the event was postponed due to inclement weather. 

A rescheduled date has not yet been announced.