By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Junior guard Elin Logue has played in more than 100 varsity games for the Walton-Verona girls basketball team. As the most experienced veteran in the current lineup, she wants to lead the Bearcats to a third consecutive 8th Region All “A” Classic championship in the tournament that begins Monday at Trimble County High School.
Logue is averaging 21 points and shooting 44.4 percent (44 of 99) from behind the 3-point line going into Walton-Verona’s first-round game against Williamstown at 6:30 p.m. Monday.
She already holds the Walton-Verona team record for most career 3-point goals with 274. Those long-range baskets have accounted for most of the 1,461 total points she has scored so far in five varsity seasons.
The Bearcats are off to an 8-3 start this season and Logue has been a double-figure scorer in every game. In a win at Trimble County on Dec. 6, she nailed seven treys and scored a season-high 33 points on the court that she will be returning to for the region tournament.
Logue finished the last two seasons with team-high averages of 15.1 and 15.0 points per game for the Bearcats. Two of her senior teammates who also had double-figure scoring averages last season graduated, so she needed to increase her scoring.
The player rotation coach Rianna Gayheart is now using includes 5-foot-10 freshman Ava Hargett and 6-foot-1 junior Ava Kendall, who averaged 12.6 and 9.2 points in the team’s first nine games. At that point, Hargett was also averaging a team-high 6.9 rebounds and Kendal was shooting 72.9 percent (35 of 48) from the floor.
The other All “A” Classic region tournaments starting this week are the 8th Region boys, 9th Region girls and 10th Region boys and girls. The 9th Region boys tournament will begin on Monday, Jan. 12.
Last year, Walton-Verona and Brossart swept boys and girls region titles and advanced to the All “A” Classic state tournament. The 9th Region champions who joined them were Beechwood boys and Holy Cross girls.
All “A” Classic girls region tournaments
9TH REGION AT TWO SITES
Monday at Villa Madonna
Holy Cross vs. Beechwood, 7 p.m.
Tuesday at Villa Madonna
Newport Central Catholic vs. Ludlow, 6 p.m.
Villa Madonna vs. Bellevue, 7:45 p.m.
Wednesday at Villa Madonna
Newport vs. Holy Cross-Beechwood winner, 6 p.m.
Dayton vs. St. Henry, 7:45 p.m.
Friday at Bellevue
Semifinal games, 6 and 7:45 p.m.
Saturday at Bellevue
Championship game, 7 p.m.
8TH REGION AT TRIMBLE COUNTY
Monday
Eminence vs. Owen County, 5 p.m.
Walton-Verona vs. Williamstown, 6:30 p.m.
Trimble County vs. Gallatin County, 8 p.m.
Wednesday
Cornerstone Christian vs. Eminence-Owen County winner, 6 p.m.
Walton-Verona-Williamstown winner vs. Trimble County-Gallatin County winner, 7:30 p.m.
Friday
Championship game, 6:30 p.m.
10TH REGION AT BRACKEN COUNTY
Friday
Bracken County vs. Robertson County, 6 p.m.
Saturday
Paris vs. St. Patrick, 12:45 p.m.
Augusta vs. Brossart, 4:15 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 12
Nicholas County vs. Paris-St. Patrick winner, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 13
Bracken County-Robertson County winner vs. Augusta-Brossart winner, 6 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 15
Championship game, 6 p.m.
All “A” Classic boys region tournaments
8TH REGION AT TRIMBLE COUNTY
Tuesday
Owen County vs. Gallatin County, 5 p.m.
Walton-Verona vs. Cornerstone Christian, 6:30 p.m.
Trimble County vs. Eminence, 8 p.m.
Thursday
Williamstown vs. Owen County-Gallatin County winner, 6 p.m.
Walton-Verona-Cornerstone winner vs. Trimble County-Eminence winner, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Championship game, 6:30 p.m.
10TH REGION AT BRACKEN COUNTY
Friday
Bracken County vs. Robertson County, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Calvary Christian vs. Nicholas County, 11 a.m.
Paris vs. St. Patrick, 2:30 p.m.
Augusta vs. Brossart, 6 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 12
Nicholas County-Calvary Christian winner vs. Paris-St. Patrick winner, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 13
Bracken County-Robertson County winner vs. Augusta-Brossart winner, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 15
Championship game, 7:30 p.m.
9TH REGION AT HOLY CROSS
Monday, Jan. 12
Heritage Academy vs. Beechwood, 6 p.m.
Villa Madonna vs. Dayton, 7:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 13
St. Henry vs. Ludlow, 6 p.m.
Newport vs. Bellevue, 7:45 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 14
Newport Central Catholic vs. Heritage Academy-Beechwood winner, 6 p.m.
Holy Cross vs. Villa Madonna-Dayton winner, 7:45 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 16
Semifinal games, 6 and 7:45 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 17
Championship game, 7 p.m.