Ryle powers past Boone in 33rd final

By Dan Wright

UNION, Ky. - Ryle senior Bobby Stauffer is not someone who is known to be at a loss for words on the basketball court.

But after leading the Raiders to a physical, 46-41, win against Boone County in the 33rd District championship game at Cooper High School in Union, the Raiders’ active, 6-foot-7 center struggled to explain the feeling of being named the tournament’s most valuable player.

“It’s a good feeling, but I wouldn’t have got here without my team,” said Stauffer who led all scorers with 17 points despite knocking knees with a Boone County player late in the first quarter. “I don’t know what to say, I’m ecstatic.”

Stauffer also grabbed eight rebounds, but it was his play on defense that make just as much of a difference in the game, according to Ryle head Alan Mullins.

“We switched off Bobby in the third quarter onto Trevan (Brown) so he could use his feet and use his quickness,” Mullins said. “He prevented several balls from getting in there that earlier in the game Trevan was catching and getting shots. That was a huge factor for us. It got the tide turned for us, and got them out of rhythm on their offense.”

Neither team led by more than four points in the first half, but Brown, Boone County’s six-foot-five leading scorer, scored 10 points in the third quarter to help Boone County open up the largest lead of the game by either team, six points at 36-30, with 1:30 remaining in the quarter.

With Stauffer focusing his attention on him in the fourth quarter, however, Brown was held scoreless and the Rebels managed just two field goals over the final nine minutes of the game.

“He’s a big boy, but we started moving our feet around him, taking some of their passes away and then they’d throw it and we’d get easy steals,” Stauffer said. “Then they’d have to lob it and we’d have the help side defense. When he caught it we knew if we just got straight up and down in front of him, he’d be more likely to miss.”

Stauffer also came up with the key offensive play of the game, tying the score at 36 with a steal and fast break dunk over a Boone County defender with 6:40 remaining.

“That was just huge, it was monster,” said Mullins. “It did so much for our crowd and our team. I thought that made the difference in the ballgame when he completed that play. It energized everybody on the floor. It gave our five guys who were on the floor a little extra ounce of energy to get through those last couple of minutes of the ball game.”

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