A big time HHC matchup took place in North Vernon on Saturday night as thr Jeffersonville Red Devils took on thr Panthers of Jennings County. Jeff was coming off a loss on the road to Center Grove the night prior while JC is coming off a road win against Columbus East where junior Carter Kent went off for 44 pts. Early on tonight it looked like JC senior Cole Sigler would hit the 40 pt mark. Sigler was continually left open from beyond the arc on his way to a 20 pt. 1st half. The game was close throughout with JC taking a 4 or 5 pt lead with 5 minutes left in the game. A 6 point possession by Jeff senior Jeremy Rose took momentum right away from JC and thr Devils never looked back. This week Jeff found out that starting point guard, Shawn Boyd has a fractured tibia that will keep him out for 5-6 months which is a big blow for Jeff's chances in tourney play next month. Coach Wilkerson has 3 weeks to figure out his 5th starter.

● 6'4 junior guard Michael Cooper continues to be the key to this Red Devil team. He has been consistently putting up numbers this season which I have wanted to see out of him. His 3 pt shot was on tonight and he already has good size for his position. Coop takes this team to another level with his confidence and play. St. Francis from the Crossroads League has been watching him lately and that's a perfect level for him. It will take a year to get used to the strength and speed of the game at that level but he's got a true position with size, as a 6'4 two- guard. Mikey finished with 25 tonight.

● 6'4 PJ Douglas is another 2025 kid for Jeff that had a big night. Douglas showed his range tonight hitting a few three's when left open. I've known he is capable of hitting that but haven't seen him take many attempts this year (at the games I've been to). PJ's scoring may have to go up to 20+ with Boyd being out but he had no problems getting that tonight. His midrange has always been money and has a soft touch. His footwork and passing in the paint are also very strong. PJ finished with 27 pts.

● The final piece of the Jeff Big 3 puzzle is 6'8 junior Tre Singleton. There is a few times a game where I see that, "wow" moment from Tre. I'm not sure he knows how big and good he is sometimes. He had a strong chase down block on a JC fastbreak and got from point A to point B super fast. Tre draws so much attention from the defense that it benefits everyone else on his team because is a willing passer in the post. He looks and finds the open man very well. It's rare at this level to find someone this good and this tall that is more than happy with getting an assist or rebound for his team. Singleton ended the night with 11 pts.

● The game- high scorer on the night was JC junior Carter Kent. The 5'11 guard got especially hot in the 3rd quarter scoring 11 of his 30 pts. Carter is an all star candidate for a reason. He not only puts up numbers but is the leader of this Panther team. Whatever they do usually runs through him. That's a testament to him as a player and point guard. He knows when he needs to take his shots and when find others. He's a smart player that recognizes mismatches on him and his teammates. Kent had a nasty cross step back 3 that lit the gym up. When he gets confident and hot, watch out. He is not just a shooter but showed he can get to the basket and finish through contact as well. I'm unsure of the Jennings County record books (I'm sure Danny Brown, Billy Harmon, Deron Kinter, and his dad, Rob Kent are in the mix of leading scorers all time) but Carter will be in the mix for all time points scored in a Panther uniform when its all said and done.

● 5'9 senior Panther Cole Sigler nearly stole the matchup of 2025 kids. Cole came out on fire hitting 6 three's in the first half on his way to a 23 pt night. When you leave Cole open for three you can count it. Sigler also showed he was a very capable ball handler against thr Jeff press. He is an elite 3 pt shooter at the high school level. After watching Providence senior Quentin Hesse last night I came away thinking he's the top 3 pt. shooter in this southern Indiana area but Sigler is easily in that discussion. I would love to watch a 3 pt competiton with Cole, Quentin, and Joshua Renfro from CAI more than I would any NBA 3 pt contest.

Jeffersonville will face off against Evansville Reitz next Friday and JC will be back in action on Wednesday for a Valentines matchup against Floyd Central.

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