[Stardust]

Game 4

Apollo vs. Clark Co.

Apollo

Region: 3rd • Record: 17-14 • Enrollment: 1,350

Coach's résumé

Steve Sergeant is in his second season at Apollo. He also coached at Seneca for six years. He played at Male in the early 1980s (a year ahead of Winston Bennett) and at Kentucky Wesleyan.

Starters

Player Height Class Points

Nick Porter 5-10 Sr. 6.6

Sam Sergeant 5-11 So. 6.8

Hunter Bivin 6-7 Jr. 12.3

Michael Berry 6-6 Sr. 10.8

Hunter Shelton 6-5 So. 14.3

Scouting report

Apollo struggled through the regular season and district, but three wins in the region cured their ills. "It seemed like everything came together for us at the right time. I don't know how to explain it," Sergeant said. A switch to man-to-man defense provided a spark, but it was mostly players executing better, he said. Bivin is a big man in the middle. Point-guard Porter is an effective distributor (averaging 6 assists). Berry's a force inside (17 rebounds in region finals). Shelton is a great three-point shooter (82 of 162 for 51 percent). Sam Sergeant, back from a knee injury, is a stabilizing factor. "We're big, slow and pretty effective in the half-court," Steve Sergeant said.

Region redemption

Apollo's loss to Daviess County in the district finals dropped its record to 14-14. But the Eagles had the magic touch in the region. In the first round, Bivin's shot with :08 left upset Ohio County (which was on a 20-game winning streak) 52-51. In the finals, Berry's tip-in at the buzzer toppled Muhlenberg County 64-62.

Player to watch

Bivin is one of the top football prospects in the nation. Among those offering the junior offensive lineman are most of the SEC schools, Miami (Fla.), Ohio State, Michigan and Wisconsin, among others. "He's a very good basketball player, too," Sergeant said. "He's pretty athletic, very strong and is in great shape for his size." Bivin is shooting 70 percent from the field and is averaging 9 rebounds.

Sweet history

This is the ninth time Apollo has reached the Sweet Sixteen. In 2006, it reached the finals before falling to Jeffersontown.

Clark County

Region: 10th • Record: 30-5 • Enrollment: 1,662

Coach's résumé

Scott Humphrey in his ninth year (216-72) at Clark County. He was previously at Simon Kenton for six seasons and has an overall record of 348-117. He's taken the Cardinals to three state tournaments.

Starters

Player Height Class Points

Bopper Stenzel 6-1 Sr. 17.2

Charlie Rogers 6-1 Sr. 9.5

Taylor Howard 6-0 Sr. 7.5

Adam Fatkin 6-7 Sr. 19.7

Dominic VanCleve 5-11 Sr. 4.3

Scouting report

Stenzel was the only experienced player returning from last season's Sweet Sixteen squad, but these retooled Cardinals came together quickly, with everybody filling their roles. Stenzel is the leader. Fatkin made himself into a legit post player (20 ppg, 10 rpg). "He changed his body and turned himself into an athlete through hard work," Humphrey said. Rogers' transformation came through emotional maturity. "He turned the page in mid-December, and he's been rock-solid ever since," Humphrey said. VanCleve provides defense and Howard outside shooting.

The trust factor

Clark County stamped itself as the surprise team of the season when it put together a 17-game winning streak, including taking the Fort Harrod Classic at Mercer County and the Ashland Invitational Tournament. The Cards trailed in the second half in nine of those 17 games, but rallied every time. "When things got tough, these guys trusted each other enough to pull it out," Humphrey said. "That showed me this was a special group with a unique mental toughness."

Player to watch

Stenzel's motor is always revving at high RPMs. "He's as fierce a competitor as I've ever had," Humphrey said. "He loves the big moment, the big game. His toughness and grit permeate our program." Stenzel averaged three points on last year's senior-laden team. Now he's averaging 17 while running the point and leading the defense. He's getting looks from some Division II colleges.

Sweet history

This is Clark County's 23rd trip to the state tournament. It won the title in 1951 and was runner-up in 1923 and 1950.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/03/13/21082...rylink=cpy