2024 Tournament Champion Fayette Christian School Crusaders — (l-r); Michael Granger, assistant boys coach, Luke Granger, Isaiah Trenner, Noah Massie, Ben Melvin, Brady Bumpus (#11), Jake Crichton, Gage McDaniel (#20), Oliver Johnson, Caleb Mitchell, Cody Hutchins and Noah Gibbs, varsity boys head coach. Bumpus and McDaniel are the only seniors on the team.
Photos by C.C. Bumpus
The Fayette Christian School Lady Crusaders basketball team finished as runners-up in the FCS/Epifano McDonald’s Basketball Tournament that was held Feb. 2 and 3, 2024. (l-r); Tori Patton, Kierrah Trenner, ball girl, Shelby Bumpus, Corbyn Nolt, Tori Peterson, Mirabelle Johnson, Fanny Persinger and Scarlett Cockerill. Not present: Chloe Russell.
The 6th annual Fayette Christian School/Epifano McDonald’s Basketball Tournament was held Feb. 2 and 3 at the Crusaders Activities Center.
This year the event was played as a wrap-up of the soft launch of the Southern Ohio Christian Conference that is scheduled to start in the fall of 2024.
This year there were six boys teams and for first time ever, a varsity girls division, consisting of five teams.
Schools involved in the tournament included the host Fayette Christian, Ross County Christian Academy, Hillsboro Christian, Adams County Christian, Scioto Christian and Wilmington Christian (boys only).
BOYS DIVISION
Fayette Christian upset the two top seeds and claimed their sixth consecutive tournament championship running their record to 13-0 in the event.
In the two-day event, the Crusaders defeated Adams County Christian, 53-39, No. 2 seed Hillsboro, 53-47 and, in the finals, the Crusaders beat the No. 1 seed, Ross County Christian Academy, 57-47.
In the finals, the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, Brady Bumpus, hit for 29 points.
Earlier in the tournament, Bumpus broke Nicholas Epifano’s school record of 1,092 career points to become the school’s all-time leading scorer.
Jake Crichton added 10 points in the championship game. Jake was also namedto the All-Tournament team.
GIRLS DIVISION
Ross County Christian Academy won the girls division of the tournament with a 37-28 win over Fayette Christian.
The Lady Eagles jumped out to a 14-0 first quarter lead and the Lady Crusaders would not cut the deficit by more than half in the second part of the game.
Ross County was led by Riley Elliott with 16 points.
Scarlett Cockerill and Shelby Bumpus led Fayette County with 10 points each.
Bumpus was named to the Girls All-Tournament team.
