George Rogers Clark will host the defending 10th Region champions and state semifinalists Campbell County on Friday night. The varsity game is scheduled for a 7:30 tipoff with a junior varsity game scheduled to precede the main event.

The Camels have won two region titles in a row and lost the region title three seasons ago by one point. But this is a different Campbell team than those tournament-winning teams. Reid Jolly, the reigning 10th Region Player of the Year and an all-state first team selection, has graduated and the Camels are searching for a new leader.

GRC head coach Josh Cook is still looking for his first win over the Camels as he enters his fourth season at Clark County and this is shaping up to be the game he breaks through in.

The Cardinals have a mix of youth and experience as they start two seniors, a junior and two sophomores.

Their upperclassmen are some of the best in the region in Lincoln Bush, KJ Rucker and Jared Wellman. Throw in one of the state’s top sophomores in Jerone Morton and the Cardinals certainly take the throne from the reigning region champs.

Junior guard Jordan Gross will be the new go-to player for the Camels after losing Jolly and two other starters to graduation. Gross averaged only 4.9 points per game for Campbell County last year, but is a knockdown-shooter, finishing the season at 39% from behind the arc.

Rucker is the leading-scorer who returned to GRC from last year’s loss to the Camels in the region championship. Rucker finished with 9 points and with an increased role on this year’s team will likely need to score more on Friday for the Cardinals to come away with a win.

A victory for GRC would end the Camels’ streak of 30-consecutive victories against region opponents.