Sometimes finishing as the runner-up is not necessarily a bad thing. Just ask two of the boys state basketball champions to come out of the modern day alignment of the 8th District.
Since the Christian County teams moved into the 8th District back in the 1965-1966 season, an 8th District team has won the 2nd Region title 33 times. Of those 33 titles, only three were won by the runners-up out of the 8th District tournament.
So, sounds like runner-up is not really a good thing, eh?
Except, when you look at the history of state champions coming out of the 8th District.
UHA, Christian County, and Hopkinsville have each won a state title coming out of the 8th District. But did you realize, that two of those teams did not even win the district championship.
The Hopkinsville state championship team of 1985 was one of those teams not to win the district title. During that tournament, the Tigers had to scratch and claw their way to a 61-60 win over Fort Campbell in the semifinals. Then, in the championship game, the Tigers were upended by Christian County 72-69.
Playing as the runner-up in the 2nd Region tournament, Hopkinsville opened the tourney with a 67-60 win over South Hopkins. In the semifinals, the Tigers got on a roll and blew out Henderson County 83-58. That win set up a rematch with Christian County in the regional title game. This time it was Hopkinsville’s turn, as the Tigers held off the Colonels 56-55 to claim the title, and then go on to win the championship at the Sweet 16.
Move the clock forward to 2011, and it was Christian County’s turn to win it the hard way. The Colonels opened 8th District play with am easy 96-27 win over Fort Campbell. In the 8th District title game, the Colonels were upended by University Heights 58-56.
In the 2011 2nd Region tournament, Christian County opened play as a runner-up against 5th District champion Livingston Central. The Colonels had little trouble with the Cardinals, rolling to an 88-51 win. It would be a battle of the Colonels in the semifinals, except that the game was not much of a battle, as Christian County routed Henderson County 80-60.
In this title game, there would be no 8th District rematch, as UHA was upset by Union County in the opening round. Christian County would square off against Madisonville in the title game. The Colonels picked up the win 76-67 and advanced on to the Sweet 16, where they would win the title in one of the great state championship games ever over Rowan County.
The other team to win a state title from the 8th District was UHA in 1992. That Blazer team rolled through the 8th District and 2nd Region tournaments, winning both, and having no game finish closer than 8 points in either.
So, while it does usually help to be the winner, and not the runner-up, on those rare occasions, finishing second is not always a “bad” thing.
