On this date in Mason County Royals basketball history

1982: Brian Littleton hits a half-court shot to end the second quarter, but the Royals lose to Virgie 68-63 in the quarterfinal round of the state tournament and end the season with a 31-1 record.

On this date in Mason County Royals basketball history

1982: The Royals run their record to 31-0 with a 71-63 victory over Middlesboro in the first round of the state tournament;
1987: Deron Feldhaus scores 22 points and the Royals beat Doss 68-49 in the first round of the state tournament.

2010 state semifinalists

Record: 25-7
Ashland Invitational Tournament champions
39th District champions
10th Region champions
state semifinalists

(Photo from the 2010 state tournament program)

2009-10 roster

3 Ryne King 5-10 145 Sr.
5 Zaire Henry 5-8 140 So.
10 Jordan Gilbert 5-10 165 Jr.
20 Josh Harris 6-1 185 So.
23 Neal Pawsat 6-3 205 Jr.
24 Connor Osborne 5-9 160 So.
30 Cody Hamm 5-9 160 So.
31 Tyler Black 6-2 200 So.
32 Justin Lang 5-10 155 Sr.
34 Bradley Lang 6-2 175 Sr.
35 Treg Setty 6-8 175 Jr.
41 Josh Menefee 6-2 170 Jr.
42 Rheuben Bluford 6-5 185 Sr.

Head Coach: Chris O'Hearn
Assistant Coaches: Kelly Carwile, Seth Faulkner, Roscoe Fite

Coaching records

William Ryan 1961-1963 68-12 .850
Herb Childers 1964-1966 51-30 .630
Jim Mitchell 1967-1973 160-74 .684
Gary Jefferson 1974-1975 36-33 .522
Allen Feldhaus 1976-1991 325-136 .705
Fred Hester 1992-1996 127-32 .799
Steve Appelman 1997 18-10 .643
Kelly Wells 1998-2004 172-56 .754
Chris O'Hearn 2005-2015 260-85 .754
Buddy Biggs 2016-2018 57-41 .582
Brian Kirk 2018-2023 105-44 .705

(Updated May 1, 2023)

On this date in Mason County Royals basketball history

2003: The Royals post a 75-63 win over Hopkinsville in the semifinals of the state tournament;
2003: Chris Lofton hits nine three-pointers and scores 39 points to lead Mason County to an 86-65 win over Ballard in the state championship game;
2008: The Royals defeat Shelby County 60-50 in the semifinals of the state tournament;
2008: Darius Miller scores 24 points to lead Mason County to a 57-48 win over Holmes in the state championship game.

Season by season records

1960-61 24-4
1961-62 24-4
1962-63 20-4
1963-64 20-8
1964-65 16-10
1965-66 15-12
1966-67 23-8
1967-68 27-6
1968-69 26-9
1969-70 20-16
1970-71 26-10
1971-72 30-4
1972-73 8-21
1973-74 18-16
1974-75 18-17
1975-76 15-19
1976-77 7-11
1977-78 18-8
1978-79 23-7
1979-80 24-6
1980-81 28-5
1981-82 31-1
1982-83 22-7
1983-84 21-8
1984-85 26-4
1985-86 31-3
1986-87 31-3
1987-88 10-13
1988-89 15-14
1989-90 10-17
1990-91 13-10
1991-92 27-5
1992-93 31-3
1993-94 30-4
1994-95 21-9
1995-96 18-11
1996-97 18-10
1997-98 16-13
1998-99 18-11
1999-00 17-14
2000-01 25-7
2001-02 28-6
2002-03 35-2
2003-04 33-3
2004-05 22-9
2005-06 25-9
2006-07 28-3
2007-08 34-4
2008-09 24-7
2009-10 25-7
2010-11 19-13
2011-12 18-14
2012-13 17-10
2013-14 21-6
2014-15 27-3
2015-16 23-11
2016-17 17-16
2017-18 17-14
2018-19 15-16
2019-20 18-12

2020-21 19-4

2021-22 24-6

2022-23 29-6
Total 1379-553 71.4%

(Updated May 1, 2023)

On this date in Mason County Royals basketball history

1981: Mason County hits 31-of-33 free throws and routs Mayfield 79-54 in the semifinals of the state tournament;
1981: Mason County loses to Simon Kenton 70-63 in the state championship game.
2003: The Royals beat Oldham County 63-50 in the quarterfinal round of the state tournament; 2008: The Royals hit six three-pointers in the first quarter, lead by as many as 39 points in the third quarter in a 73-46 victory over Paducah Tilghman in the quarterfinal round of the state tournament.

State championship rings

On this date in Mason County Royals basketball history

1981: Mason County upsets Bryan Station 69-64 in the quarterfinals of the state tournament;
1985: Chris O’Hearn scores 26 points and Deron Feldhaus adds 20 points to lead the Royals to a 68-66 win over Lexington Catholic in the first round of the state tournament;
2004: The Royals pull out an 84-78 win over Scott County in the semifinals of the state tournament:
2004: Mason County's drive for back-to-back state titles ends with a 66-56 loss to Warren Central in the state championship game;
2008: The Royals rally from a seven-point fourth quarter deficit to beat Elliott County 66-62 in the first round of the state tournament;

Royals win second state title in 2008

Darius Miller scored 24 points to lead the Mason County Royals to a 57-48 win over the Covington Holmes Bulldogs in the championship game of the 2008 National City/KHSAA Boys' Sweet 16. It was Mason County's second state championship in six seasons.
After trailing 14-13 in the second quarter, Mason County took control with a 16-2 run. The Royals led by 15 points in the third quarter, but Holmes pulled to within six points in the fourth quarter. Mason County made 5-of-6 free throws in the final 51 seconds. Mason County outrebounded Holmes 37-23. Miller and Trevor Setty each had eight rebounds. Russ Middleton scored 13 points, including seven in the first quarter. Keith Downing scored a career-high 10 points.

MC (34-4) Middleton 13, Downing 10, Miller 24, Setty 6, King 2, Hamm 2
H (34-3) Avery 3, Pittman 12, Henderson 18, Johnson 15

MC FG 48.7% 3 PT FG 16.7% FT 64.3% REB 37 TO 13
H FG 36.7% 3 PT FG 25% FT 53.3% REB 23 TO 6

MC 13 08 20 16-57
H 09 07 11 21-48

(Photo credit: Jason Butler)

On this date in Mason County Royals basketball history

2003: The Royals edge St. Henry 59-57 in the first round of the state tournament;
2004: The Royals outlast Trinity 66-59 in triple overtime in the quarterfinal round of the state tournament;

Royals who have been named Kentucky All-Stars in annual series vs. Indiana All-Stars

1970 Ronnie Lyons
1981 Allen Feldhaus Jr.
1982 Kelly Middleton
1987 Deron Feldhaus
1994 Tim Myrick
2003 Jerrod Litzinger, Chris Lofton
2008 Darius Miller
2009 Russ Middleton
2011 Jordan Gilbert
2011 Treg Setty

On this date in Mason County Royals basketball history

1981: Mason County edges Shelby County 53-52 in its first appearance in the state tournament.

Lofton's 39 points lead Royals to their first state title

Chris Lofton tied a state tournament record with nine three-pointers and scored 39 points to lead the Mason County Royals to an 86-65 win over the Louisville Ballard Bruins in the 2003 state championship game. Mason County led 42-28 at the half. Lofton made six three-pointers in the first half. The Royals led by as many as 20 points in the third quarter and were up 62-48 after three quarters. The Briuns cut the Royals' lead to 10 at 68-58 with 4:47 to play in the game. Mason County answered with an 11-2 run to go up 79-60. Lofton was 11-of-17 from the field including 9-of-12 on three-point shots. He was 8-of-8 from the free throw line. Dustin Grutza scored 11 points. Mason County became the first 10th Region team to win the state championship since Maysville won it in 1947.

MC (35-2) Lofton 39, Vice 8, Tibbs 9, Gilbert 4, Jones 7, Myrick 8, Grutza 11
B (27-8) Booker 7, Gulley 7, Lee 6, Baines 9, Whitaker 8, Hedges 15, Reeves 1, Grimes 12

MC FG 55.8% 3 PT FG 60.9% FT 77.8% REB 29 TO 15
B FG 44.8% 3 PT FG 26.3% FT 61.5% REB 29 TO 14

MC 21 21 20 24-86
B 16 12 20 17-65

On this date in Mason County Royals basketball history

2004: Chris Lofton fires in 34 points to lead the Royals to a 71-57 victory over Wayne County in the opening round of the state tournament.

Season by season at The Fieldhouse

1964-65 7-3
1965-66 12-5
1966-67 15-3
1967-68 20-3
1968-69 17-4
1969-70 13-10
1970-71 17-7
1971-72 16-2
1972-73 5-14
1973-74 14-5
1974-75 15-9
1975-76 10-10
1976-77 6-1
1977-78 11-6
1978-79 17-3
1979-80 17-2
1980-81 17-1
1981-82 19-0
1982-83 16-3
1983-84 14-3
1984-85 18-2
1985-86 18-2
1986-87 19-0
1987-88 7-7
1988-89 10-7
1989-90 7-9
1990-91 10-7
1991-92 17-2
1992-93 22-0
1993-94 17-0
1994-95 13-2
1995-96 12-7
1996-97 10-5
1997-98 9-7
1998-99 11-5
1999-00 11-7
2000-01 15-2
2001-02 17-1
2002-03 15-1
2003-04 16-0
2004-05 15-3
2005-06 13-4
2006-07 15-1
2007-08 9-2
2008-09 10-2
2009-10 9-2
2010-11 8-6
2011-12 6-5
2012-13 8-5
2013-14 13-0
2014-15 13-2
2015-16 11-3
2016-17 10-8
2017-18 12-6
2018-19 8-6
2019-20 6-5

2020-21 12-2

2021-22 13-2

2022-23 13-2
Totals 756-233 76.4%

(Updated May 1, 2023)

On this date in Mason County Royals basketball history

2008: The Royals beat Warren Central 62-59 in the first round of the state tournament.

Mr. Basketball winners

Two Mason County players- Chris Lofton (in 2004) and Darius Miller (in 2008) have been named Kentucky Mr. Basketball. Lofton received his award in the State Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort. Miller received his award, including the No. 1 jersey in a ceremony in The Fieldhouse.



(Lofton photo credit: Glenda Weddle)

On this date in Mason County Royals basketball history

1993: The Royals beat Montgomery County 84-61 for the second consecutive regional title;
1994: Mason County earns its third straight trip to the state tournament with a 75-67 victory over Clark County. Kyle Sherman scores a career-high 26 points;
2003: Chris Lofton scores 30 points to lead the Royals to a 78-51 win over Clark County in the championship game of the regional tournament.

Mason County's home court records

Washington Elementary School Gym 37-0 100%
Maysville High School Gym 8-7 53%
Mason County Fieldhouse 756-233 77.3%

Washington Elementary School Gym- first game 11/8/60, last game 11/28/64
Maysville High School Gym- first game 2/17/62, last game 12/18/64
Mason County Fieldhouse- first game 1/15/65



(Updated May 1, 2023)

On this date in Mason County Royals basketball history

1981: Mason County beats Clark County 61-52 for its first 10th Region title. David Orme scores a game-high 18 points.
1986: Deron Feldhaus scores 25 points and Tony Jackson adds 20 points in an 82-59 win over MMI in the semifinals of the regional tournament;
1987: Deron Feldhaus scores 33 points and the Royals beat Fleming County 77-67 in the championship game of the regional tournament;
1992: Orlando Myrick scores 27 points and William Steward adds 21 points in a 75-59 win over Nicholas County in the championship game of the regional tournament;
1994: Shawn Myrick scores 28 points and Anthony Thomas adds 21 in a 101-89 victory over Montgomery County in the semifinals of the regional tournament;
1995: Mason County extends to its school-record home court winning streak to 56 games with an 87-46 win over Bath County. The streak, which began on Feb. 7, 1992, ends three nights later with a loss to Harrison County;
2003: Wesley Jones scores 21 points in a 91-58 win over Bourbon County in the semifinals of the regional tournament.

Regular season tournament championships

Burley Invitational Tournament- 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984,

Harrison County Invitational Tournament- 1982

Mason County Invitational Tournament- 1985, 1986, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009

Burley Belt Conference Tournament- 1986

Bluegrass Festival Tournament- 1992

Ashland Invitational Tournament- 1993

Mountain Schoolboy Classic- 1999

Fifth-Third Bank Classic- 2002, 2003

River City Classic- 2003

Daytona Beach Sunshine Classic- 2008

US Bank/Mike Murphy Classic- 2014, 2015

On this date in Mason County Royals basketball history

1969: Wayne Burns scores 21 points and Ronnie Lyons adds 20 as the Royals edge Mt. Sterling 65-64 in first round of the regional tournament;
1970: Ronnie Lyons scores 45 points in his final game- an 85-83 loss to Clark County in the semifinals of the Regional tournament;
1975: Steve Lofton scores 25 points and Donnie Black adds 24 points to lead Mason County to an 83-79 double overtime win over in the semifinals of the regional tournament;
1980: Charlie Jackson’s game-high 21 points lead the Royals past Bracken County 77-60 in the first round of the regional tournament;
1982: Kelly Middleton scores 24 points in an 85-71 win over Paris in the championship game of the regional tournament;
1987: Deron Feldhaus scores 28 points to lead the Royals to a 65-55 win over Paris in the regional semifinals;
1992: Timmy Myrick scores 21 points in Mason County’s 75-59 win over Montgomery County in regional semifinals;
2002: The Royals hit a tournament-record 13 three-pointers in a 93-66 rout of Butler. Chris Lofton hit 6-of-10 three-pointers and scored 29 points, and Robert Myrick was 7-of-9 behind the arc and scored 23 points;
2004: Jerrod Litzinger scores 28 points and Dustin Grutza adds 20 as the Royals rout Bourbon County 101-70 for the 10th Region championship.

1965-66 Royals team photo

(This a copy of the 1965-66 team photo that appeared in the Public Ledger in 1965)

On this date in Mason County Royals basketball history

1971: Denny Barbour scores 29 points in a 63-61 win over Harrison County in the semifinals of the 10th Region Tournament.
1982: The Royals edge Clark County 69-67 in overtime in the semifinals of the regional tournament. Kelly Middleton leads all scorers with 26 points;
1992: Timmy Myrick scores a career-high 39 points in an 88-69 win over Paris in the first round of the 10th Region Tournament;
2008: Darius Miller scores 28 points and Trevor Setty adds 22 in the Royals’ 82-61 win over Montgomery County in the region championship game.

Mason County has won a record 85 10th Region Tournament games

The Mason County Royals have won a record 85 10th Region Tournament games. Mason County was tied with Maysville with 71 victories entering the 2010 10th Region Tournament. Here is a decade by decade breakdown of the Royals wins in regional tournament games:

1960s 5

1970s 11

1980s 17

1990s 14

2000s 24

2010s 10

2020s 4

(Updated May 1, 2023)

On this date in Mason County Royals basketball history

1983: Mason County edges Paris 42-40 in the regional semifinals. Gary Beiland leads the way with 22 points;
1995, Shawn Myrick scores a career-high 44 points in a 99-92 loss to Montgomery County in double-overtime in the championship game of the 10th Region Tournament; Billy Ray Fawns scored a game-high 47 points for Montgomery County.
2006: Darius Miller’s 22 points lead the Royals to a 62-59 win over Clark County in championship game of the regional tournament.

Retired jerseys

On this date in Mason County Royals basketball history

1976: Bill Scott scores 29 points in an 83-74 double overtime victory over Pendleton County in the first round of the regional tournament;
2001: Chris Lofton’s 24 points lead the Royals past Bishop Brossart 74-60 in the regional semifinals;
2003: Dustin Grutza scores 22 points and the Royals defeat Montgomery County 85-53 in the first round of the regional tournament.

The Royals' all-time scoring leaders

1. Chris Lofton 2,763
2. Ronnie Lyons 2,621
3. Darius Miller 2,171
4. Shawn Myrick 2,049
5. Deron Feldhaus 1,937

6. Terrell Henry 1,871
7. Russ Middleton 1,753
8. Wesley Jones 1,577
9. Treg Setty 1,524
10. Kelly Middleton 1,523
11. Leevi Dunaway 1,421
12. Timmy Myrick 1,378
13. Mike Corde 1,364
14. Tommy Corde 1,326
15. Kyle Sherman 1,304
16. Dustin Grutza 1,285

17. Jaylen Lofton 1,275
18. Larry Myrick 1,258
19. Allen Feldhaus Jr. 1,234
20. Joe Pollitt 1,229
21. Robert Myrick 1,150

22. Dorian Henry 1,101

23. Denny Barbour 1,077

24. Shawn Johnson 1,062

25. Trevor Setty 1,050

26. Antwavon Williams 1.036

(Updated May 1, 2023)

On this date in Mason County Royals basketball history

1985: Tony Jackson hits a shot at the buzzer to give the Royals a 50-48 win in double-overtime in the championship game of the 10th Region Tournament.;
2002: Chris Lofton scores 31 points in a 63-59 win over Montgomery County in the finals of the regional tournament;
2004: Chris Lofton's 35 points lead the Royals past Clark County 83-73 in the first round of the regional tournament.

Russ Middleton is 7th on the Royals' all-time scoring list

Russ Middleton (class of 2009) is 7th on the Royals' all-time scoring list with 1,753 career points. He led Mason County in scoring his senior season. Middleton scored a career-high 31 points vs. Scott County in 2009. He was named to the All-Tournament Team at the 2008 state tournament. Middleton was named First Team All-State by the Lexington Herald-Leader and Second Team All-State by the Louisville Courier-Journal in 2009. He was the 2009 Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches 10th Region Player of the Year. Middleton was named the Most Valuable Player of the East All-Stars in the 2009 KABC East/West Charity All-Star Game and co-MVP of the Ohio-Kentucky All-Star Game. He also played for the Kentucky All-Stars in the annual series against the Indiana All-Stars. Middleton played Georgetown College and was a member of the Tigers' 2013 NAIA Division 1 National Championship team.

(Photo credit: Jason Butler)

(Updated on May 1, 2023)

On this date in Mason County Royals basketball history

1961: In their first 10th Region Tournament game, the Royals lose to Bracken County 62-58 ending Mason County’s first season;
1962: The Royals beat Paris 79-58 for their first win in 10th Region Tournament win;
1969: Ronnie Lyons scores 22 points in a 79-59 win over Lewis County in the district finals;
1975: Greg Murphy's 25 points lead the Royals past Fleming County 58-51 for the district championship;
1980: Charlie Jackson scores 24 points to lead Mason County to an 88-81 win over Fleming County in the district championship game;
2002: The Royals edge Bourbon County 79-76 in the semifinals of the regional tournament. Chris Lofton leads the way with 21 points.

2009 10th Region champions

Record: 24-7
Daytona Beach Sunshine Classic champions
Mason County Invitational Tournament champions
39th District champions
10th Region champions

2008-09 roster

3 Ryne King 5-10 155 Jr.
5 Mandela Rice 5-10 170 Sr.
10 Jordan Gilbert 5-10 165 So.
11 Tanner Walton 5-8 140 Fr.
15 Ryan Hamm 5-9 155 Sr.
23 Neal Pawsat 6-2 195 So.
24 Connor Osborne 5-10 160 Fr.
30 Cody Hamm 5-8 155 Fr.
31 Phil Barner 6-6 180 Jr.
32 Justin Lang 5-11 165 Jr.
33 Russ Middleton 6-4 180 Sr.
34 Bradley Lang 6-2 175 Jr.
35 Treg Setty 6-8 180 So.
40 Josh Harris 6-0 185 Fr.
41 Josh Menefee 6-2 165 So.
42 Tyler Black 6-1 200 Fr.
43 Keith Downing 6-3 170 Sr.
45 Colt Fearis 6-2 180 Jr.

Head Coach: Chris O'Hearn
Assistant Coaches: Kelly Carwile, Seth Faulkner, Jerry Butler, Roscoe Fite

On this date in Mason County Royals basketball history

1970: Ronnie Lyons scores 48 points, including 25 in the second quarter, to lead the Royals to an 87-68 victory over Maysville in district championship game;
1979: Kenny Sapp scores 24 points in a 74-58 victory over Paris in the first round of the 10th Region Tournament;
1981: Kelly Middleton tosses in 26 points and Charlie Jackson adds 20 points to lead the Royals to a 92-69 win over Fleming County for the district title;
1987: Jerry Butler scores a career-high 25 points and Deron Feldhaus adds 24 points in a 75-61 win over Fleming County in the district finals;
2003: Chris Lofton and Nathan Myrick score 23 points apiece in 90-66 victory over Fleming County in the district championship game;

Darius Miller is 3rd of the Royals' all-time scoring list

Darius Miller (class of 2008) is third on the Royals' all-time scoring list with 2,171 career points. He was the sixth man on the  University of Kentucky's 2012 National Championship team. He scored 1,248 points for the Wildcats. He was a second round draft pick of the New Orleans Hornets. Here are some of his career highlights:






Mason County

• as an eighth grader, scored five points in the 2004 state championship game;
• led Mason County in scoring his freshman, junior and senior seasons;
• scored a career-high 34 points vs. Tates Creek his senior season;
• scored 24 points to lead the Royals to a 57-48 win over Holmes in the 2008 state championship game;
• named to the All-Tournament Team at the 2008 state tournament;
• named the Most Valuable Player of the 2008 state tournament;
• was named the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches 10th Region Player of the Year in 2008;
• was a first-team all-stater his junior and senior seasons,
• named the Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year in 2008; 
• named to Third Team Parade All-American in 2008;
• named Kentucky's Mr. Basketball in 2008 and played in the Kentucky-Indiana All-Star game

University of Kentucky

• played in 36 games and started in two games his freshman season;
• scored 12 points and had eight rebounds in his first game as a Wildcats
• had 17 points and six assists vs. Tennessee his freshman season;
• started 32 of 38 games his sophomore season and averaged 6.5 points;
• started 37 of 38 games his junior season and averaged 10.9 points;
• scored a career-high 24 points vs. Florida his junior season;
• played in all 40 games and started 11; averaged 9.9 points his senior season;
• scored 19 points vs. Iowa State and Indiana his senior season;
• set Kentucky record for games played (152)
• 2011 SEC Tournament MVP;
• 2012 SEC Sixth Man of the Year;
• 2012 Academic All-SEC; 
• play

World Championships

• averaged 5 points and 3.1 rebounds a game for the U19 U.S. National Team that won the gold medal in the FIBA under-19 world championships in New Zealand in July, 2009. He led the team with 12 blocked shots.

On this date in Mason County Royals basketball history

1968: Ronnie Lyons scores 23 points to lead the Royals to a 65-51 victory over Bourbon County in the opening round of the 10th Region Tournament;
1982: Kelly Middleton scores 31 points in a 63-50 win over St. Patrick in the district finals;
1985: Chris O’Hearn scores a career-high 32 points in a 74-51 win over Montgomery County in the first round of the regional tournament;
1986: Jay Jones scores 23 points and Deron Feldhaus adds 21 points to lead the Royals to a 69-51 victory over Fleming County in the district semifinals;
1993: Shawn Myrick scores 24 points in an 84-51 win over Fleming County in the district championship game;
1996: Justin Myrick scores 24 points and the Royals beat Bracken County 98-57 in the first round of the regional tournament;
2000: Harry Lewis scores 20 points to lead Mason County to a 55-52 win over Clark County in the first round of the regional tournament;
2001: Chris Lofton's 23 points lead the Royals past Clark County 83-62 in the first round of the regional tournament.

Trevor Setty is 25th on the Royals' all-time scoring list

Trevor Setty (class of 2008) is 25th on the Royals' all-time scoring list with 1,050 career points. Setty scored a career-high 27 points vs. West Union in the 2006-07 season and equaled it vs. Lafayette later in the season. Setty played at the University of Pikeville and as a sophomore led the Bears to the 2011 NAIA Division 1 National Championship. He won the Chuck Taylor Most Valuable Player Award after scoring 32 points and grabbing 17 rebounds in the championship game. Setty was named the NAIA Division 1 Men's Basketball Player of the Week on Feb. 19, 2013, was named First Team All-Mid South Conference his junior and senior seasons and was a Second Team All-American his senior season. He played professionally in England for part of the 2013-14 season.

(Updated April 11, 2022)

(Photo credit: Jason Butler)

On this date in Mason County Royals basketball history

1966: Tommy Corde scores 20 points to the lead the Royals to an 81-53 win over Fleming County in the district championship game;
1969: Ronnie Lyons scores 46 points in a 72-66 win over Maysville in the district semifinals becoming the first Royal to score 40 points in a game;
1980: The Royals beat Maysville in the semifinals of the district tournament for the program’s 400th win;
1981: Kelly Middleton scores 23 points and the Royals beat Maysville 70-67 in the district semifinals;
1994: Shawn Myrick scores 27 points in a 113-74 victory over St. Patrick in the district championship game;
2008: 14 Royals scored in a 101-54 win over Deming in the first round of the regional tournament. Darius Miller led the way with 22 points.

2008 state champions

Record: 34-4
Mason County Invitational Tournament champions
39th District champions
10th Region champions
state champions

(Team photo from the 2008 state tournament program)

2007-08 roster

3 Ryne King 5-9 140 So.
5 Mandela Rice 5-9 160 Jr.
11 Westin Stahl 6-0 165 Jr.
15 Ryan Hamm 5-9 155 Jr.
20 Jordan Gilbert 5-9 145 Fr.
21 Darius Miller 6-7 180 Sr.
22 Ethan King 6-3 165 Sr.
23 Neal Pawsat 6-2 185 Fr.
24 Trevor Setty 6-7 180 Sr.
32 Justin Lang 5-8 145 So.
33 Russ Middleton 6-3 180 Jr.
34 Bradley Lang 6-1 155 So.
35 Treg Setty 6-5 170 Fr.
42 Jackson Tolle 6-2 215 Sr.
43 Keith Downing 6-2 165 Jr.
45 Colt Fearis 6-2 155 So.
51 Rheuben Bluford 6-4 175 So.
52 Phillip Barner 6-5 170 So.

Head Coach: Chris O'Hearn
Assistant Coaches: Robert Moore, Seth Faulkner, Jerry Butler

On this date in Mason County Royals basketball history

1961: The Royals beat Maysville 43-42 in the district championship game for their first district title and their first win over the Bulldogs;
1967: Tommy Corde scores 21 points and Fred Hester adds 20 points as the Royals beat Maysville 80-60 in the district championship game;
1970: Ronnie Lyons scores 40 points and Mike Corde scores 20 points in an 82-64 victory over Tollesboro in the district semifinals;
1971: Mike Corde has a game-high 28 points to lead the Royals past Fleming County 80-59 in district semifinals;
1976: Mason County edges Fleming County 69-67 in the district semifinals. Rickey O'Cull leads the Royals with 20 points.
1987: The Royals defeat Maysville 69-64 in overtime in the first round of the district tournament. Jerry Butler scores all seven of Mason County's points in overtime. Deron Feldhaus has a game-high 23 points;
1985: Shawn Myrick scores 22 points and Kyle Sherman adds 20 points as the Royals beat St. Patrick 87-55 for the district title;

2006-07 roster

3 Tyreese Scott 5-8 155 Sr.
23 Brad Pawsat 6-4 190 Sr.
25 Tony Browning 6-3 195 Sr.
41 Nathan Stahl 6-2 185 Sr.
21 Darius Miller 6-6 210 Jr.
24 Trevor Setty 6-5 160 Jr.
42 Jackson Tolle 6-2 200 Jr.
22 Ethan King 6-3 170 Jr.
30 Drew Lykins 6-1 190 Jr.
33 Russ Middleton 6-3 170 So.
31 Jeremy Thompson 5-9 175 So.
15 Ryan Hamm 5-7 125 So.
43 Keith Downing 6-2 1/2 160 So.
5 Mandela Rice 5-7 135 So.
11 Westin Stahl 5-11 165 So.

Head Coach: Chris O'Hearn
Assistant Coaches: Robert Moore, Seth Faulkner, Clay Boone, Chad Mefford

On this date in Mason County Royals basketball history

1962: Gerald "Jerry" King and Curtis Slater score 20 points a apiece in a 56-46 win over the Maysville Bulldogs in the championship game of the 39th District Tournament;
1979: Allen Feldhaus Jr. scores 23 points to lead the Royals past Tollesboro in the district semifinals;
1982: Kelly Middleton scores 21 points and the Royals beat Fleming County in the semifinals of the district tournament;
1983: Jeff Breeze scores 23 points and Gary Beiland adds 22 points in a 69-61 victory over Maysville in the semifinals of the district tournament;
1990: Bryan Tolliver's 31 points lead the Royals to a 77-67 win over Maysville in the district championship game;
2003: Chris Lofton scores 23 points and Dustin Grutza adds 21 in an 80-56 win over St. Patrick in the opening round of the district tournament;
2004: Chris Lofton pours in 42 points to lead the Royals to a 77-52 win over Fleming County in the district semifinals.

2006 10th Region champions

Record: 25-9
39th District champions
10th Region champions
state quarterfinalists

(Team photo from the 2006 state tournament program)

2005-06 roster

52 Mikah Turner 6-3 200 Sr.
5 Tyreese Scott 5-7 145 Jr.
23 Brad Pawsat 6-4 190 Jr.
25 Tony Browning 6-3 190 Jr.
41 Nathan Stahl 6-3 185 Jr.
11 Trevor Setty 6-3 145 So.
20 Drew Lykins 6-0 170 So.
21 Darius Miller 6-6 205 So.
22 Ethan King 6-1 155 So.
24 Mason Whalen 5-9 155 So.
42 Jackson Tolle 6-1 175 So.
51 Chris Temple 6-1 230 So.
15 Ryan Hamm 5-5 135 Fr.
31 Jeremy Thompson 5-9 175 Fr.
33 Russ Middleton 6-3 165 Fr.
43 Keith Downing 6-2 145 Fr.

Head Coach: Chris O'Hearn
Assistant Coaches: Robert Moore, Tim Sullivan, Seth Faulkner

Wesley Jones is 8th on the Royals' all-time scoring list

Wesley Jones is 8th on the Royals' all-time scoring list with 1,577 career points. He led the Royals in scoring (19.1 ppg) his senior season. Jones scored a career-high 34 points vs. University Height Academy in the 2004 River City Classic. He was named to the All-Tournament Team at the 2003 state tournament. Jones is a junior at Central State University. He is averaging 10.9 points a game for the Marauders.

(Photo from a Mason County yearbook)

(Updated on May 1, 2023)

On this date in Mason County Royals basketball history

1967: Donnie Jackson scores 25 points to lead the Royals to a 92-50 win over the Fleming County Panthers in semifinals of the 39th District Tournament;
1970: Ronnie Lyons scores 37 points in a 70-47 win over Fleming County in the semifinals of the district tournament;
2006: Mason County's 1,000th win came in a 72-42 victory over Augusta in the championship game of the district tournament. The Royals blow open the game with a 30-3 run. The 1,000th win was in game 1,400 for the program.

2004-05 roster

15 Andrew Tibbs 5-11 170 Sr.
22 Wes Jones 6-0 180 Sr.
20 Casey Pfeffer 6-2 175 Sr.
10 Chris Schumacher 5-11 170 Sr.
11 Drew Stahl 6-2 180 Sr.
30 Mario Turner 5-10 185 Sr.
35 Phil Davis 5-11 185 Sr.
31 Chris Stapleton 6-0 175 Sr.
52 Mikah Turner 6-3 195 Jr.
32 Barron Conley 6-1 185 Jr.
23 Brad Pawsat 6-3 175 So.
3 Chase Crawford 5-7 165 So.
5 Tyreese Scott 5-7 140 So.
40 Dustin Washington 5-9 165 So.
41 Nathan Stahl 6-2 170 So.
42 Tony Browning 6-1 170 So.
21 Darius Miller 6-4 175 Fr.

Head Coach: Chris O'Hearn
Assistant Coaches: Robert Moore, Seth Faulkner, Darren Gilbert

Chris O'Hearn has been a player, assistant coach and head coach for the Royals

Chris O'Hearn was a standout player for Mason County, served as an assistant coach, and after a brief stint as an administrator, became the Royals' ninth head coach in 2004. O'Hearn is 25th on the Royals' all-time scoring list with 979 career points. He led the Royals in scoring his junior and senior seasons. O'Hearn scored a career-high 32 points against Montgomery County in the first round of the 1985 10th Region Tournament. He scored 26 points in the Royals' win over Lexington Catholic in the first round of the 1985 state tournament. O'Hearn was named third team All-State by the Louisville Courier-Journal in 1985. He played at Georgetown College. O'Hearn was an assistant coach at Barren County and Washington County. He was the head coach at Nicholas County from 1993 to 1995 guiding the Bluejackets to the 10th Region All "A" Classic title in 1994. He was an asssistant coach at Mason County from 1996 to 2001. O'Hearn went into administration in 2002. He was serving as the principal at the Mason County Middle School when Kelly Wells stepped down as the Royals coach to become as assistant coach at Hawaii-Pacific University. O'Hearn was hired as the Royals' coach in September of 2004. O'Hearn guided Mason County to seven district titles, four region championships and the 2008 state championship. He record a 260-85 (.754%) record in 11 seasons at Mason County

(Updated to include the 2014-15 season)

(Photo of O'Hearn's poster in the lobby of The Fieldhouse)

On this date in Mason County Royals basketball history

1961: In their first 39th District Tournament game, the Royals beat St. Patrick 72-44;
1972: Tommy Greene scores 20 points to lead the Royals to a 98-63 win over Fleming County in the semifinals of the district tournament;
1978: Kenny Sapp tosses in 24 points and the Royals defeat Tollesboro 75-59 in the semifinals of the district tournament;