After a 6-22 season and the loss of three of its top-four scorers, it would appear at first glance that the Todd County Central boys’ basketball team might be in for a long 2021. However, while the Rebels don’t have a senior on the roster, a group of new faces and some returning players ready to step into the void left have Coach Dennis Pardue and his team confident about the program’s growth this year and beyond.
Pardue’s second season of his second stint in charge in Elkton seems destined for growing pains early on, with Deonte Toliver, Austin Rager, and Dominique Morrow the biggest losses from a six-man senior class. Toliver led the Rebels with 13 points per game and was second with 21 made 3-pointers, with Rager completed the 1-2 punch with just under 12 points and 3 rebounds per outing. Rager was first on the team with 35 made 3s at a 36.8% clip. Morrow was fourth with just under 10 points per game and pulled down over 4 rebounds per game, good enough for second on the team.
Preston Moore leads the returnees after posting 9 points and a team-high 5 rebounds in only 15 games as a junior. Moore provides athleticism and a hard-nosed presence in the paint, while Coach Pardue will hope leadership abilities honed after taking over the quarterback position this season for the Rebel football team will transfer to the court.
Statistical production is scarce throughout the rest of the returning roster, with junior Amari Andrews’ 4 points and 2.8 rebounds per game leading the way. Fellow juniors Anthony Johnson and Logan Burgess will be expected to expand their roles, with Pardue singling out Burgess as one of the team leaders this season. Junior Keanu Galima and sophomores Nate Reding and Perez Whitlock also return with varsity experience under their belts.
Coach Pardue expects this to be a deeper team than last season, with more options off the bench allowing the Rebels to play more up-tempo. Some are new faces and others are returning to the team after some time away, including juniors Tanner Farmer, Mareke Johnson, Will Kearns, Adrian Martin, and Demauryen Merriweather. Sophomore Micah Smith played sparingly last season but appears well-positioned to shoulder a larger load this year, while sophomore Preston Rager joins the team after a standout season for the Rebel golf team. Freshmen Tremon Foster, Alan Payan, and Hayden Strader round out the newcomers.
After bowing out in the first round of the 13th District tournament last season, the Rebels will be hoping to compete for their first district title since the 2017/18 season. That year also provided the program’s last win in the 4th Region tourney, a 65-63 victory over Monroe County. The Rebels will kick off the 4th Region All “A” Classic on January 11 vs. Monroe County, before opening district play with a trip to Russellville on the 15th.
Listen as Coach Pardue previews the upcoming season.
