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A RESOLUTION honoring the George Rogers Clark High School Cardinals, 2026 1
Kentucky High School Athletic Association Boys' Sweet Sixteen Basketball Champions. 2
WHEREAS, on March 21, 2026, before a crowd of 11,780 fans at Lexington's 3
Rupp Arena, the George Rogers Clark (GRC) Cardinals defeated the St. Xavier High 4
School Tigers by a score of 58 -50 in overtime to win the 2026 Kentucky High School 5
Athletic Association (KHSAA) Boys' Sweet Sixteen Basketball Championship; and 6
WHEREAS, the championship was the third in school history, with the Cardinals 7
also winning the championship in 1951 and 2022. The Cardinals also finished as state 8
runners-up in 2023; and 9
WHEREAS, combin ed with the George Rogers Clark Girls' Basketball team 10
winning the Girls' Sweet Sixteen just one week prior to the boys' championship, GRC 11
became only the second school in Kentucky high school athletics history to win the Boys' 12
and Girls' Sweet Sixteen in the same year, repeating the feat of Ashland High School in 13
1928; and 14
WHEREAS, the Cardinals trailed by four at the end of the first quarter of the 15
championship game, and clawed their way back to eventually tie the game at 44 at the 16
end of regulation. In t he overtime period, the Cardinals scored all 14 of their points from 17
the free throw line, with senior point guard Malachi Ashford going 9 for 10 from the 18
charity stripe, to grab an early lead that the team never relinquished; and 19
WHEREAS, the championship game win capped off an incredible season that 20
ended with a record of 33 wins against only 4 losses, with an average margin of victory 21
of 19 points per game. The Cardinals bounced back from adversity late in the season after 22
losing to Montgomery County in t he 40th District championship game, by defeating the 23
Indians in the regional final on their road to the state title; and 24
WHEREAS, the Cardinals were led by Malachi Ashford, who averaged 13 points 25
per game in the tournament and was named Most Valuable Playe r of the Sweet Sixteen. 26
Ashford was joined on the All -Tournament team by teammates Montez Gay, a junior 27
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who averaged 13.3 points per game, and senior Amari Bartelson, who averaged 10.5 1
points per game; and 2
WHEREAS, other members of the Cardinals included s eniors Sebastian Anthony 3
and Matthew Pasley; juniors Haddon Cecil, JaMylyn Johnson, and Deshaun Gay; and 4
sophomores Ryder Akins, Cole Fithen, Walker Gaines, Jaymeir Jenkins, Carter Muzic, 5
and CJ Thomas; and 6
WHEREAS, the Cardinals were guided to the championship by Head Coach Josh 7
Cook, who, in 10 seasons has compiled a record of 280 wins against 58 losses, with 8
seven 40th District championships, five 10th Region titles, and two Sweet Sixteen 9
Championships; and 10
WHEREAS, Cook was aided on the bench by assistant coaches Ryan Ashcraft, 11
Shawn Thacker, Jacob Rice, Dylan James, Joseph Gomes, and Austin Curtis; and 12
WHEREAS, after the game, Cook referenced the loss in the district championship 13
as a catalyst for his tea m: "After that game, we got tougher. I’m probably thankful for 14
that loss. Without that, we don’t figure out who we need to be. These guys, adversity 15
made them state champions."; and 16
WHEREAS, the stellar play, teamwork, and discipline shown by the George Rogers 17
Clark Cardinals in winning the 2026 Sweet Sixteen, combined with the school's rare 18
sweep of the boys' and girls' crowns, are a moment in Kentucky high school sports 19
history that will never be forgotten is worthy of celebration; 20
NOW, THEREFORE, 21
Be it r esolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of 22
Kentucky: 23
Section 1. The members of the Senate join Senator Greg Elkins in 24
congratulating the George Rogers Clark Cardinals upon the occasion of winning the 2026 25
KHSAA Boys' Sweet Sixteen Basketball Championship, applauding the team's stellar 26
play, and wishing all team members and coaches good fortune in their future endeavors. 27
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Section 2. The Clerk of the Senate is directed to transmit a copy of this 1
Resolution to Senator Greg Elkins for presentation to the team. 2