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Henderson County boys basketball opens new season with lofty goals in mind

treasure washington, henderson gleaner
·4 min read

The Henderson County boys basketball team made its presence felt over the weekend at North High School's Husky Arena.

The Colonels' defense held a talented Huskies squad, which reached an IHSAA regional a season ago, to just four points in the second quarter and 12 overall in the first half. Gerard Thomas was already into double figures after the first quarter, and Cooper Davenport started to come alive as well in the second half in the Colonels' first win of the season.

Henderson County is a talented team in its own right. It boasts back-to-back Sixth District titles and hasn't had a losing season in six years. But this year's club, which is young but still has many veteran players, is striving for much more than just a winning record.

North’s Sam McKinney (3) and Dom Albin (34) battle for the ball with Henderson’s Max Thompson (2) as the North Huskies play the Henderson County Colonels during the 2022 Evansville North Basketball Showcase at North High School in Evansville, Ind., Saturday evening, Dec. 3, 2022.
North’s Sam McKinney (3) and Dom Albin (34) battle for the ball with Henderson’s Max Thompson (2) as the North Huskies play the Henderson County Colonels during the 2022 Evansville North Basketball Showcase at North High School in Evansville, Ind., Saturday evening, Dec. 3, 2022.

Everyone has the collective goal in mind of wearing burgundy and white at the University of Kentucky's Rupp Arena at the season's end. There's no denying this being a tall task for the Colonels. They haven't played a postseason game in Lexington since their state championship loss in 1999 and have come up short in Second Regionals many times since that loss.

Nevertheless, this year's Colonels are hungry to reach that mountaintop once again.

This high expectation of going to Rupp is something the players spoke into existence before the ball was officially tipped off to open a new season. It's something they actively work on and have conversations about at practice, and that goal stays on their mind when they go to sleep at night.

"I'm proud that they set a lofty goal," Henderson County coach Tyler Smithhart said. "I'm proud that we're working toward that every day in practice. So we're not going to shy away from that. We're chasing after a regional championship."

"We work our butts off every single day to try and get to Rupp," junior Alec Satterfield added. "That's our main goal. That's what we're going to do."

Henderson’s Alec Satterfield (5) battles for the ball with North’s Bryson Chapman (30) as the Henderson County Colonels play the North Huskies during the 2022 Evansville North Showcase at North High School in Evansville, Ind., Saturday evening, Dec. 3, 2022.
Henderson’s Alec Satterfield (5) battles for the ball with North’s Bryson Chapman (30) as the Henderson County Colonels play the North Huskies during the 2022 Evansville North Showcase at North High School in Evansville, Ind., Saturday evening, Dec. 3, 2022.

The cohesiveness of Henderson County's players will continue to be a process. Smithhart has seen strides in his team playing better as a unit over time. The players know their individual roles and understand the strengths and weaknesses of each other.

The biggest thing they're learning now is sacrificing their own individual accolades for the good of the team. It already helps that the players have a close-knit bond off the basketball court. That's why Smithhart is confident in having a different leading scorer on any given night from his starting five. He believes each of them are capable of reaching double-digit scoring at any time.

He hopes the trust that they built in each other on the court continues to blossom.

"That's what the season is for," Smithhart said. "You get tested. You have battles. You go through ups and downs. But this is a humble group. They seem to enjoy playing with each other more and more."

Henderson’s Gerald Thomas (11) drives the ball past North’s Sam McKinney (3) as the Henderson County Colonels play the North Huskies during the 2022 Evansville North Showcase at North High School in Evansville, Ind., Saturday evening, Dec. 3, 2022.
Henderson’s Gerald Thomas (11) drives the ball past North’s Sam McKinney (3) as the Henderson County Colonels play the North Huskies during the 2022 Evansville North Showcase at North High School in Evansville, Ind., Saturday evening, Dec. 3, 2022.

Thomas, the Colonels' 6-foot-3 senior guard, is garnering college interest as he approaches 1,000 points for his career. His versatility as a player has long been evident. He was the Colonels' leading rebounder the past two seasons and the leading scorer last year.

He goes above and beyond in order to produce for his team and help them win games.

"I'm always in the gym at least two to three times a day," Thomas said. "And I just believe in what I believe in and work for what I want to go for."

Satterfield, who started at point guard as a sophomore, is bigger and a lot more explosive as a junior. He nearly had a triple-double in Henderson County's opener with Bowling Green. Meanwhile, Davenport, a sophomore, is an efficient outside shooter who can attack at the rim when necessary. Sophomore Lacon McKinney and Jake Rideout, a 6-foot-5 senior, round out the rest of the starting five. Both are good inside and outside players.

Henderson’s Lacon McKinney (23) looks for a pass as he’s boxed in by North Huskies Defenders during the 2022 Evansville North Showcase at North High School in Evansville, Ind., Saturday evening, Dec. 3, 2022.
Henderson’s Lacon McKinney (23) looks for a pass as he’s boxed in by North Huskies Defenders during the 2022 Evansville North Showcase at North High School in Evansville, Ind., Saturday evening, Dec. 3, 2022.

Henderson County's latest trip across the Ohio River was good overall. It will play four more teams from the Evansville area — Reitz, Castle, Central and Evansville Christian — at home later this season. They will continue to use that same toughness against the talented teams in their own Bluegrass state.

There are many things Henderson County needs to improve on as a unit moving forward. But getting into the win column against North was a good starting point.

"One thing that we want to improve on is rebounding and sharing the ball as a team," Thomas said. "And when people try and take me away, our backups got to be ready."

Davenport added: "It's exciting to come over across the bridge and start the season 1-0. We're just going to keep doing the same thing and come out with high energy every single time."

North’s KeAmare Barnes (1) is defended by Henderson’s Cooper Davenport (3) as the North Huskies play the Henderson County Colonels during the 2022 Evansville North Showcase at North High School in Evansville, Ind., Saturday evening, Dec. 3, 2022.
North’s KeAmare Barnes (1) is defended by Henderson’s Cooper Davenport (3) as the North Huskies play the Henderson County Colonels during the 2022 Evansville North Showcase at North High School in Evansville, Ind., Saturday evening, Dec. 3, 2022.

Courier & Press sports reporter Treasure Washington can be reached via her email, treasure.washington@courierpress.com, and on Twitter @Twashington490.

This article originally appeared on Henderson Gleaner: KHSAA basketball: Henderson County enters new season with confidence