January 4, 2021 – BRADLEY CHARLES
The Breathitt County Bobcats and the Lee County Bobcats begin their respective seasons on Monday night in the opening round of the 14th Region All “A” Classic.
Last season, Breathitt County posted a 13-17 record. In the quarterfinals of the 14th Region Tournament, the Bobcats were defeated 59-47 by the eventual champions – Hazard. While Breathitt County did lose 17 games, 10 of those were single-digit losses.
Coach John Noble’s team returns a number of talented players that saw significant playing time last season. One of those returning contributors is Jaylen Turner. The 6-foot-4 junior averaged 11 points per game last year and is one of 12 players listed on the 14th Region Basketball Coaches Association’s preseason top players list. As a team, Breathitt County ranked third in the region in the coaches’ preseason poll.
As for Lee County and its new head coach Joshua Broadwell, the Bobcats return several players from last year’s team that won six games. Sophomore guard Zach Watterson averaged 25.8 points per game as a freshman for Lee County last season. Watterson ranked third in the state in points per game and his 82.2% free-throw shooting ranked second in the region.
The winner of this game is scheduled to play June Buchanan on Wednesday night.