The Fayette County Dragons basketball team is currently undefeated this year and is hoping for a state title.
This year the Fayette County Dragons began their quest for a state title. The Dragons, currently 5-0 in games this season had their best performance of the season on Jan. 25 when they went head to head with Columbus Black. Two years ago Columbus Black defeated the Dragons early in the tournament by 35 points. This time the Dragons would get the best of Columbus, defeating them by a score of 52-41. Miguel Molina and Levi Runk led all scorers with 17 points each.
“The Columbus Black game was huge for these guys, we beat a division one team that had really played us hard before,” Dragons Head Coach Brandon Runk said during an interview at Wednesday night’s practice. “I have believed for the last five years that we could make it to the state tournament, but this year is the year. This is the best team we have had. They are really good and understand what we are trying to do offensively and defensively. These next few games we play are against division one teams, but I am not worried about them. I want to just get past them and get onto the tournaments. The team has been wanting this title.”
The Fayette County Dragons basketball team is a Special Olympics squad, organized by Fayette Progressive Industries. The team features residents from the community as well as students from their schools.
“The first day I started about five years ago they told me that they wanted to win at state and for some of these guys it has been a little longer,” Runk said. “They have been working hard to win that title, that is always been the goal since I started here. I had planned on not coaching anymore and some of the guys said that if I wasn’t coaching they weren’t going to play. A lot of these guys have been in this program for awhile. It feels great to be able to coach these guys. When I got here they were all young and they were good, but we changed everything around. They used to be a slow team, but now we are on a quicker tempo. I don’t treat them like a Special Olympics team, because they are a basketball team. So I stay on them and we have been working harder than ever.”
The Dragons have two more games left in the regular season before they will start tournament play and will be traveling on the road to once again face Columbus Black and Clark County. The Dragons begin tournament play on their journey to get their first ever state title starting on Feb. 20.
“It is pretty awesome to see these guys working hard like this,” Molina said. “We have been working hard for six years trying to accomplish the one goal. So yeah, I think this is the year. To the team, just play your heart out and lay everything on the court. This is the year we are going to win that state title.”
For more information about the team or similar programs contact Tim Stewart at (740) 335-7453 ext. 218 or email [email protected]
