Marshall County joins in the celebration and congratulations to our neighbor Lyon County in the Lyons storybook run to their State Championship win on Saturday over Harlan County at UK’s Rupp Arena. They finish the 2023-2024 season with a record of 36-3.
This is the first basketball Sweet 16 State Championship in program history for the small county school with an enrollment of around 300. Two other titles won at Lyon County came in 2016 when the late Cullen Brown won the individual State Golf Championship, and the girls softball team won the All “A” State Championship in 2021.
The Lyon’s were welcomed home by the Lyon County community on Sunday afternoon with a parade through town and a pep rally at Jason White Gymnasium.
The road to the title game began with an opening round win over Ashland Blazer 45-43. They beat Adair County 80-65 in the round of eight and in the semifinals defeated the #1 ranked Great Crossing 58-49 on Saturday morning. A few hours later in front of a crowd of 13,568 they took down Harlan County 67-58 and cut down the nets as State Champions.
Travis Perry led the Lyons with 27 points in the win over Harlan County. Perry was selected Sweet 16 MVP to add to the future Kentucky Wildcat’s growing list of distinctions. This season he became Kentucky’s all-time leading scorer and finished his career with 5,481 points which is top 10 nationally. He is the 2024 Mr. Kentucky Basketball and Gatorade Player of the Year for the second time.
“It’s incredibly special to be a future Wildcat and be able to win four games right here on this floor before you’re even in the blue and white”, Perry said in post-game comments. “But it’s even more awesome to do it with these guys. I’ve been playing at Lyon County for six years at the high school level and to end it this way is incredible.”
Perry and fellow senior teammates Jack Reddick and Brady Shoulders have been playing together since grade school. Reddick scored 16 and Shoulders 15 in Saturday’s title game and were named to the All-Tournament team. The trio led the Lyons to three Second Region titles and three State Tournament appearances with the state title capping off incredible high school careers.
“Second grade year, they traveled all over and played and we just continued to get better”, Lyons Head Coach Ryan Perry said in post-game comments. “They were hungry. With a basketball in their hands their whole lives. They couldn’t get enough. They could have split paths and went their own way but they chose to sacrifice to be together and do something special. They got rewarded for doing it the right way.”
WCCK Voice of the Lyons and Lady Lyons for 13 years, Aaron Clayton, has had a front row seat to the memorable run to the state title.
“From what was initially just a chance to call basketball on the radio, turned into a love affair with those that brought me in and made me a part of their family and eventually brought (wife) Julie along for the ride”, Clayton said.
Clayton said with the competition the Lyons face each season, the thought of even a region championship seemed like a far-off dream…and then it happened.
“With nearly 300 schools across the entire commonwealth including the giants of Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green and Covington, a Hoosiers like movie sequence would have to take place for a county school of just under 300 students to compete in a single class state championship and win”, Clayton said.
Clayton said the moment is for everyone that ever suited up in the purple and gold for the last 77 years.
“This team doesn’t just include the five on the floor but the entire Lyon community that crosses this state and nation that pours out their love and support every single day.”
Clayton has forged a bond with the team, coaches, staff and community but especially with three seniors – Travis, Jack and Brady – who he says brought joy to his life over the last six years. Who had a boyhood dream to grow up with their best friends in a small town, work for years to master their craft so that one day they could compete at Rupp and win a state title.
