In a month of firsts for the Harlan County High School basketball program, Trent Noah and Maddox Huff added another accomplishment to the list Wednesday as they were each named to the Herald-Leader All-State Boys Basketball Team.
Harlan County won the 13th Region title earlier this month and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen finals before falling to Lyon County. It was the second regional title in program history for the Bears and the first state tournament win. The Bears became the first 13th Region team to advance to the state finals since Clay County lost to Ballard in 1988 and the first Harlan County team to make it that far since Harlan won the state title in 1944.
Noah, a senior guard, was a first-team selection after scoring 29.9 points per game. The county’s all-time leading scorer, Noah was a third-team selection as a sophomore and a second-team selection last year. He will continue his basketball career next year at South Carolina.
Huff, a junior point guard, averaged 17.7 points per game as the Bears posted a 34-5 record. He was the fifth-ranked junior on the all-state list and the highest ranked player in his class in the 13th Region and in the three mountain regions.
The last time two players from the county made the all-state team was in 1995 when both Charles Thomas and Todd Cox were selected. Thomas and Michael Jones were selected in both 1993 and 1995. Cawood’s Nick Sanford and Cumberland’s Lewis Morris were both selected in 1985. Cawood’s Phil Cox and Lynch’s Bruce Mitchell were chosen in 1981. Wallace Jones, Carl Eagle and Earl Bradford all represented Harlan in 1944.
Clay County senior center Elijah Bundy was the only 13th Region player to make this year’s honorable mention list.
Knox Central junior forward Halle Collins made the third-team list as the only girls 13th Region player selected. Harlan County senior guard Ella Karst and North Laurel junior Brooke Nichelson were the only 13th Region players on the girls honorable mention list.