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Madison Central Riding High In 11th

Posted: Jan 13, 2012 12:48 PM by Mike Maharrey
Updated: Jan 13, 2012 1:03 PM

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You can described the results of the Madison Central High School boys' basketball team 2011-2012 campaign so far in one word.

Perfect.

With 16 games under their belts, the Indians have collected 16 Ws. With its 16-0 overall and 5-0 region record, Madison County sits on top of the always tough 11th.

Of course, ask Indian coach Allen Feldhaus about perfect records, rankings and the like, and you won't get much reaction. He prefers to keep his team's focus more narrow.

"We have a motto of 'One Game at a Time.' We never mention record or ranking. We are just trying to get better every day," he said.

And the Madison County skipper said that despite the strong start, his squad still has plenty to work on.

"Our biggest concern is still our half-court man defense. We take a lot of pride in our man-to-man defense, and we are not where we want to be yet," Feldhaus said.

The Indians play an up-tempo style and like to press on defense. Feldhaus utilizes a nine-man rotation he calls "solid," allowing his team to run up and down the court for four quarters. Guard play keys the Madison Central offense.

"In high school basketball, if you have two guards that can consistently score, you are going to win a lot of games," Feldhaus said.

And he has that one-two guard punch in a pair of juniors. Dominique Hawkins leads the team in scoring, averaging 18 points per game. Ken-Jah Bosley averages 15 points per outing.

Quan Taylor provides some inside muscle. In the Indians' last game against Bryan Station, the 6-4 junior forward scored 11 points, yanked down nine rebounds and blocked six shots. Feldhaus describes Taylor as a vocal leader.

The Indians also get some leadership from one of its three seniors.

"Kyle Congleton is our enthusiastic leader that keeps everyone very positive," Feldhaus said.

With just a trio of seniors, Madison Central features a relatively young roster, but the team came into the season with some experience under its belt. Last year, the Indians lost 10 games, but peaked at the right time, making it all the way to the 11th Region championship game. Madison Central edged a tough Franklin County squad 73-72 in the opening round and then upset Tates Creek 42-41 in the semifinals. The Indians fell 59-43 to Lexington Catholic in the championship game.

"I think the success we had at the end of last year really gave us a boost of confidence because we had so many underclassmen on that team who would be returning this year," Feldhaus said. "Because of that, we had very high expectations."

Year-in, year-out, the 11th boasts some of the best teams in the state, with the Lexington schools garnering the bulk of the attention. As a result, one might argue the Indians get overlooked.

"Probably, but that is the way we like it," Feldhaus said. "I think we are always considered an underdog in the 11th region because we are not located in Lexington, and that adds a little fuel to our fire."

Madison Central will put its unbeaten streak on the line Saturday when it faces Fleming County in the Central Bank Martin Luther King Classic. The Indians also have a meeting with No. 1 Trinity to look forward to. Feldhaus said keeping his kids level headed doesn't concern him.

"They are a very humble group of young men. You never hear them mention being undefeated or ranked, and we want to keep it that way."

For a complete rundown of Madison Central's season and schedule, click here.

Topics: Madison Central, Richmond, Indians

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