Warsaw, KY – The Oldham County boys basketball team has certainly had the number of the South Oldham Dragons for some time now. Heading into the 2003 title game of the 31^st District basketball tournament, Oldham County had won 9 of the past 10 meetings between the two teams and seven in a row. The last South Oldham victory had come in December of 1998, when the Dragons prevailed, 64-53.

But this game promised to be different. South had led much of the game during the regular season meeting between the two schools, before falling by a mere 3 points, 60-57. The Dragon fans were optimistic that South could reverse the outcome of the past two District championships, both won by Oldham County over South.

Unlike some of the other district contests, this game started fast and furious. Danny Walcott put the Dragons on the board first, driving past Oldham defenders for a layup out of the halfcourt set. The game was tied – for the last time – at four apiece after a Brad Cofer score. Midway through the first period, the score was 11-10, Oldham County, following threes by Oldham’s Matt Jacobson and Cofer, but that’s when the roof caved in for the Dragons.

Jacobson keyed a 9-0 Oldham run with a three-pointer, and Max Kuiper scored twice during the run to give Oldham a double digit lead at 20-10. Although Cofer stopped the bleeding with a three to pull South to within 20-13 after one period, the damage was done.

Mike Bierman opened the second with a basket to pull South to within five, but Oldham pulled away for good with a 13-0 run that featured baskets by five different Colonels, and staked Oldham County to a 33-15 lead. Michael Scott finally broke the drought for South at the 3:46 mark in the first half, and two teams basically played even the rest of the way, with Oldham ahead, 40-23, at the break.

At the intermission, Oldham’s dominance was clear. All five Oldham starters – and eight Colonels total – had scored, led by senior Matt Jacobson’s 16 points. The Colonels were hitting 60.7% from the floor, 43% from beyond the arc, and 75% at the line. They were completely ruling the boards, and had committed just five turnovers (unofficially).

The second half brought more of the same, as Oldham scored the first seven points of the third period on a basket by Jacobson, a three-pointer by Brandon Berry, and a bucket by Brock Neal. South failed to score until the 4:09 mark of the period, when Chris Osmer hit a free throw. Shortly afterward, Max Kuiper gave Oldham their biggest lead of the night at 49-24.

With Mike Bierman taking charge and scoring five points on two free throws and a three, South outscored Oldham, 8-5, to close out the period, trailing 54-32.

The fourth period was largely anticlimactic, as Oldham head coach Gary Forrest substituted freely. In all, eleven Colonels played and nine scored. Bierman continued to excel for South, scoring 7 of the Dragons’ 13 fourth-quarter points. However, Oldham’s defense stifled South’s star junior guard, Brad Cofer. Cofer, who became South Oldham’s all-time leading scorer in the regular-season meeting between the two schools, came into the game averaging 19 points per game and tallied 8 in the first half. But he got few good looks in the second half, and scored just two more points to finish with ten points for the game.

With 25.1 seconds left, Christian McCarthy put the final points in the books with two free throws, and Oldham County had won its third straight 31^st District crown, 69-45.

The Dragons finish as district runners-up for the third straight year.

Both teams advance to next week’s 8^th Region tournament in New Castle at Henry County High School. Oldham will play a district runner-up; South will play a district champion in the first round.

Final Stats:

Oldham County – Jacobson 22, Neal 11, Kuiper 9, Berry 6, Phillips 6, J. McCarthy 5, Gathof 4, C. McCarthy 2, Beaumont 0, Bird 0 Threes – Jacobson 2, Berry 2

South Oldham – Bierman 14, Cofer 10, Scott 5, Walcott 5, McCoy 4, Wardlaw 4, Spalding 2, Osmer 1, Hillyard 0, Austerman 0 Threes – Cofer 2, Walcott 1, Bierman 1

GIRLS’ 31^st District Championship will be aired live on AM 1600 WTSZ on Saturday, March 8, 2003 at 7 PM. South Oldham and Oldham County will square off for the second straight year in the championship game. The Lady Dragons, the defending champs, are favored.