Revenge is a dish best served in the All “A” state tournament.
Newport lost to Lyon County in the 2023 Sweet 16 at Rupp Arena. Fast forward 10 months and the two met again in the small-school state semifinals.
Similar to the Wildcats’ Ninth Region championship win over Cooper, they left the gym with a 50-48 win thanks to last-second heroics, this time by senior DeShaun Jackson. Head coach Rod Snapp didn’t know whether Jackson would play due to an ankle injury. Instead, he delivered 14 points, four assists, and a signature moment for the Wildcats. He drove to the basket and sank a floater with 2.6 seconds left to clinch the upset.
“Our coach just had trust in me. So I just knew we needed this. This is a big-time bucket, so I had to go get it,” Jackson said.
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How the Wildcats won
1. Crashing the boards: In Lyon County’s quarterfinal win, it outrebounded Walton-Verona 36-27. In their first-round game, the Lions grabbed 19 offensive boards. Every stat was at a premium in Saturday’s semifinal, but the Wildcats had the upper hand on the boards, grabbing 21 to the Lions’ 17.