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Entering Thursday night’s 40th District championship game at Paris High School, the George Rogers Clark Cardinals looked to take home their eighth consecutive championship trophy. 

However, it was not to be. 

While the Cards (25-5) will nevertheless enter the 10th Region Tournament, they fell in the 40th District Championship 60-55 against a solid Montgomery County (19-10) squad. 

“[The] kids played hard. Montgomery [County] made some big plays [and] had a really good third quarter,” said Head Coach Josh Cook. “The kids fought back and [we] gave ourselves a chance to be in the basketball game…sometimes that’s all you can ask for.” 

Prior to the 40th District Championship Game, the Cards squared up against the host Paris Greyhounds (9-19) on Wednesday, February 6. 

Facing their only deficit of the game in the first quarter, the Cards turned the tide in their favor thanks largely to the play of sophomore Montez Gay, who finished with 11 points – including 9 in the first half – en route to being named as the team’s most valuable player. 

A 30-2 run gave the Cards a dominating lead, and they went on to an 81-37 victory. 

“It was a really good atmosphere. I’m just glad that all the people…came out to support us,” Gay said. “We just want to come out and play our hardest and get business done.” 

Two days later, as the Cards prepared to take on the rival Indians, they knew they’d have their work cut out for them against a team that had taken them to triple overtime before a GRC victory the last time the two teams met. 

Both teams battled to a tie at the end of the first quarter, with Gay and Montgomery County’s Tyce Jarvis each leading their team in points. 

Montgomery County held a slight three-point edge at halftime before the Cards’ started the third quarter on a 6-0 run to gain a three-point lead of their own. 

Yet the Indians responded with an 11-0 run – with the last basket coming just as the third period expired by senior Cayden Reed – to take a 40-32 lead at the end of the quarter. 

Refusing to go away without a fight, GRC brought the deficit down to as few as one point in the fourth quarter – aided by shooting from others including senior Eli Craig and junior Malachi Ashford. 

However, they were unable to tie the contest on a late three-point attempt, and Reed connected on a pair of free throws with less than 10 seconds remaining to provide a two-possession lead and the final score. 

As 40th District Runner-Up, the Cards saw four players – Gay, Ashford, Craig, and junior Amari Bartelson – get named to the 40th District All-Tournament Team. 

The Indians, who have only lost twice since Reed’s first game upon becoming eligible in late January, ended a 23-game losing streak against the Cards, who lost their first district game in their last forty meetings. 

Despite the setback, the Cards look to return to success when the upcoming 10th Region Tournament begins.

They will take on Campbell County (22-9) in the 10th Region quarterfinals on Tuesday, March 11, at 7:30 p.m. 

Along with Montgomery County and Campbell County, fellow qualifiers are Nicholas County (19-11), Augusta (18-10), Mason County (16-13), Bishop Brossart (15-15), and Harrison County (13-14).