It’s official. GRC Hoops has won its 11th straight district championship and is now off to the region tournament.

“I’ve been at GRC for the last four district titles,” said senior forward Makili Tabor. “I feel like a champion. I am a champion.”

It started on Monday with a dominant 79-40 win over Paris in the district’s opening round. Five Cards hit double figures with freshman Kennedy Stamper leading the way scoring 19.

Hoops then faced off against rival Montgomery County in the district championship. Following a back-and-forth first half, the Cards burst out in the second half with a 12-0 run. Despite Montgomery’s persistence, a suffocating defense and strong rebounding led the way to a 68-43 GRC victory. 

“We wanted to pressure them a lot and get some turnovers,” said GRC Hoops Head Coach Robbie Graham. “We wanted to play physical and rebound. Rebounding is key. We were missing some shots but we were really being aggressive. We were getting second and third opportunities which is key.”

This is the 3rd time this season Hoops has defeated Montgomery, and that is no easy feat. 

“Our work ethic and determination sets us apart,” said Stamper. “We never settle and trust each other to always push ourselves to improve.”

Once again, Stamper could not be stopped, leading the team with 24 points. 

“I have been putting in a lot of extra practice and training to improve my shooting and offensive performance,” said Stamper. “My teammates did a great job creating opportunities for me and I took advantage of it. Overall, it was a team effort.”

Sophomore Anaya Chestnut followed with 17 points on the night. Sophomore Teigh Yeast also caught fire, ending with 14 points of her own.

“It wasn’t just scoring — defense, working hard, doing the little things. That’s how we can be effective,” said Chestnut.

Stamper, Chestnut, and Yeast’s star performances earned them a spot on the 40th District All-Tournament Team.

“We set goals for this season and our first goal was to win the district,” said Yeast. “It really feels good to win this championship, but with that being said, we are not done.”

Hoops is celebrating this district championship, but the end goal has remained the same.

“Winning districts means a lot,” said Athletic Director Terrance Yeast. “It’s that first step in the goal that has been set for the entire year, which is to win the state championship.”

GRC will travel to Bourbon Country for the 10th Region Tournament next week. GRC Hoops has won 7 region championships in the last 10 years, with 6 coming in just the last 7 years.

“I get excited over all of these championships,” Graham said. “It never gets old because every year it’s a new kid that gets a chance to do this. We’ll celebrate this a little bit, and take a day off. Then we gotta get ready for regions next week.”