SOUTH STRIKES EARLY, OFTEN, IN 75-58 ROUT OF WOODFORD COUNTY

Cofer's 26 Points Lead the Way

Crestwood, KY - Brad Cofer hit 8 of 15 field goal attempts and seven of eight free throws while scoring a game-high 26 points and leading the South Oldham Dragons to their fifteenth win of the season, a 75-58 victory over the visiting Woodford County Yellowjackets.

After trailing 6-2 early in the first period, the Dragons erupted for a 16-0 that propelled SOHS to an 18-6 lead, and they never looked back. Michael Scott started the run with a three pointer and wrapped it up with a two-point basket and another three as he scored eight of his ten first-half points. Woodford County momentarily reduced the margin to below ten points as Jake Pennington hit a three with 22 seconds remaining in the period, but SOHS led, 18-9, as the quarter came to a close.

Although Woodford County came in only 6-13 on the year, the Yellowjackets presented a formidable challenge to the slumping Dragons, who had dropped three of their previous four games. Despite starting three sophomores, the Jackets featured a strong shooting team, which launched 45% of its shots from beyond the arc. In addition, one of the Yellowjackets' six victims was Shelby County, a team Woodford defeated by nine. Shelby had whipped South by nineteen earlier in the year.

But South put together one of its most impressive performances of the 2003-4 season, and turned in a complete game. When Woodford County opened in a 2-3 zone, the faster Dragons repeatedly turned the game into a track meet, beating the Jackets downcourt on runouts and getting layups. When the visitors briefly tried a box-and-one defense with a chaser on Cofer, the Dragons turned the defense inside-out with nifty interior passing that resulted in point-blank shot opportunities and free throw chances.

With South leading, 21-13, in the second period, SOHS ripped off an 8-0 run, keyed by Kevin Watson's three-pointer, to push the margin to 16 at 29-13. The lead was fifteen at the break at 35-20.

Woodford rallied to begin the third period, scoring the first six points on the quarter. After Cofer drained two free throws, Pennington sank a three to pull the Jackets to within eight at 37-29 with just under six minutes remaining. It was the closest Woodford had been since 21-13, and the visitors seemed to have momentum on their side. Momentarily, South seemed to lose focus. But Cofer responded with a three of his own, Trip Corum hit a basket, and Scott hit two free throws and suddenly the lead was back to fifteen at 44-29. Woodford County never threatened again.

The lead was 51-39 with 1:04 remaining in the third after Chris Williams hit a pair of free throws for Woodford County, and the Jackets were still in contention, but South closed out the quarter strong. Cofer hitting back-to-back layups and after Scott blocked a Pennington jumper, Cody Williams gave SOHS an eighteen point lead with a layup with seven seconds remaining in the period.

The Dragons kept the pressure on the Jackets in the final period, slowly building the lead until they claimed their largest lead of the night at 71-46 on a long bomb by Kevin Watson midway through the period. With both teams' regulars on the bench the rest of the way, Woodford County ate into the lead until South settled for the final seventeen point margin at 75-58.

The South Oldham - Woodford County game had historically been a close contest; three of the past five matchups had been decided by three points, and one went to overtime. But this time, the Dragons shot well (48.3%), passed well, and played aggressive defense. Jake Pennington, the Yellowjackets' talented sophomore guard who averaged 15 points per game, was held to just eight points.

Most impressively, the Dragons displayed a chemistry that bodes well come tournament time.

When the Jackets concentrated on Cofer, who had scored 24 points in the Dragons' previous game, in the first quarter, Scott took command, scoring eight of his fourteen points. When the first-half play of Scott (10 first half points) and Alex McCoy (eight points) forced Woodford to more defensive attention to them in the second half, Cofer lit up the scoreboard with fourteen third quarter points. In the fourth period, Kevin Watson led the Dragons in the fourth period with five points.

At 15-7, the Dragons have a legitimate chance to become the winningest team in South Oldham history. The first South team, coached by Randy Penner, won 22 games. No team since has won more than seventeen games. With five more regular season games remaining, plus the post-season tournaments, the Dragons have the opportunity to win twenty or more games. However, the next two games will be telling: meetings with the Western Hills Wolverines and the Boone County Rebels. Both teams are enjoying tremendous seasons, and Boone has already defeated South once.

The next SportsZone AM 1600 broadcast of a South Oldham game will be on Senior Night, 2/26/04, when the Dragons entertain the Central Yellowjackets.

South Oldham - 18 17 22 18 - 75

Woodford Co - 9 11 19 19 - 58

SOHS - (15-7) - Cofer 26, Scott 14, McCoy 12, Watson 8, Corum 8, McMahan 2, Reece 2, Williams 2, Phelps 1

WCHS - (6-14) - Williams 19, Anthony 10, Pennington 8, Tuttle 5, Childers 4, Hilton 4, Mosher 3, Denney 2, Nickerson 1

The next SportsZone broadcast will be this Friday, 2/13/04, as the NORTH OLDHAM Mustangs and Lady Mustangs travel to Bullitt Central. AM 1600 WTSZ will pick up the girls' game at 6:06; the boys' game will follow.