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What's New with the Bulldogs???????
Here is where you will find weekly updates on the Bulldog Basketball Program. We will have game by game highlights, boxscores, and pictures of the previous week's games. Also included is the 2004 State Championship story. .
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BULLDOGS: 2004 CLASS A STATE CHAMPIONS
2004 Champions (Story will run all year long/State Championships don't come around all that often/It had been 49 years) The Hazard Bulldogs recently (February 5-8) made the trip down to Richmond, KY to participate in the Touchstone Energy All A State Tournament after successfully defending their 14th Regional All A Championship. After a tough 4 game lay-out in 4 days, along with some high level competition, and after all the dust had settled the DAWGS were crowned the 2004 Class A Champions of the State of Kentucky. It was their 1st boys state championship since 1955 and their 3rd overall. The bulldogs started the tournament with a sound 62-45 win over Todd County Central. In the quarter-finals HHS faced a very good and athletic Caverna out of the 5th Region. It was nip and tuck all the way but in the end the bulldogs came away with a 55-52 win. In the semi's the Dawgs faced a very determined and gritty team out of the 8th region in Walton-Verona. It was a tough and physical game but Hazard was able to pull away late for the 49-41 win. From there it was on to the championship game to face the big and strong Mustangs of Bishop Brossart from the 10th Region. Even though the Bulldogs were out-sized they were able to use their speed and the emotion brought to them by the BULLDOG NATION (what a crowd it was flashing the Navy and Old Gold) to capture the State Championship by a score of 43-38. The celebration was then on as it started on the floor of McBrayer Arena and continued all the way back to Memorial Gym for a massive pep rally. The Hazard city officials, led by Mayor Gorman, had all of the city policeman and fireman out and as they led a 150 car caravan from the Perry/ Leslie County Line, down through Hazard, and eventually up to Memorial. The night was capped off by celebrating at Applebee's. It was a great time for everyone involved; from the team itself, the student body, the parents, the alumni, and the town itself. We will enjoy this for a long time but first we have to get ready to make the run for the Sweet 16.
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Hazard finishes December at 5-6
It was a tough opening month to the start of the 2005-06 season for this year's edition of the Hazard Bulldog boys' basketball team. After opening with two wins over Shelby Valley and Breathitt County things got a little rough. They suffered their first loss in the Roy Martin Classic vs. South Floyd and followed that up a 2 point loss to arch-rival Perry Central. It was then on to Lexington to compete in the Defenders of the Station Invitational. Two straight losses there to Russell and Iroquis dropped the Dawgs to 2-4 but then it was payback time as the Bulldogs got even by defeating South Floyd in a tough game. Southwestern of Pulaski County would end the celebration by handing Hazard a 12 point loss and dropping them to 3-6. It was then home to the Hazard Invitational but home was not so sweet as the Dawgs were knocked off by surprising Jackson City by 6 and the best the Bulldogs could do after this was finish 3rd but they did win two straight games over Brown of Louisville and Johnson Central which allowed them to head into the new year on a positive note.
January comes to an end with both good and bad points
January saw the Bulldogs start to improve as they finished out the month 5-3 improving to 10-9 but it also saw some disappointments as they lost out in their defense of the WYMT Mountain Classic and in the 14th Region All A tournament. The Dawgs had impressive wins over Knott Central (on the road), Betsy Layne, Paintsville, Leslie County, and Owsley County (on the road). But it was somber month as losses to North Laurel and Wolfe Couty would drop them out of contention to re-capture some prestigous tournaments that we had captured in the previous years. Hazard finished out the month by traveling to #3 state rated and state power, Lexington Catholic, and after battling to the end, fell 66-50 although some positive things were seen out of the team which brings a lot of hope as February and the post-season looms ahead for this improving bunch of Bulldogs.
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Bulldogs Capture 14th Regional Championship--Headed to Rupp
The Bulldogs entered the month of February ready and prepared for a serious march toward the Sweet 16. They won 7 of their last 8 regular season games with their only loss coming to the then ranked #1 team in the state, the South Laurel Cardinals. The Dawgs would finish the regular season at 17-10. The 54th District Championship would be hosted by Hazard at the Historic Memorial Gymnasium and their first game will go down as one of the best to ever be played there. Hazard trailed Perry Central by 11 going into the 4th quarter but rallied for the 57-49 win. They then preceded to defeat Leslie County 53-52 in another memorable win to capture the District Championship. It was then on to the Regions at Knott Central. The Dawgs got some revenge by defeating Wolfe County 83-60 in the opening round. It was then June Buchanan in a 2OT thriller and the 66-63 win. The Regional finals brough Jackson City as the opponent and the Dawgs took the crown and the trip to Lexington and Rupp Arena in the Sweet 16 with a 57-50 win. The Bulldogs would eventually lose to Madison Central and finish the year at 22-11. |
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