BY BOO NEWSOME
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — Martin County Cardinals basketball, fresh off a record-breaking 2022-2023 season, is gearing up for an action-packed summer with a series of games and camps.

Coach Jason James emphasized the importance of his players working hard and having fun.

“We are excited to be back in the gym and playing games,” James said. “The players have been working hard to improve their physical abilities, becoming stronger, faster and more athletic. Our goal for this summer is to have fun, play hard and play as a cohesive unit.”

The Cardinals will hit the ground running as they kick off their summer schedule May 30 with an away game against the Boyd County Lions, the 16th Region runner-up. On June 1, they will face off against Lawrence County.

Coach James will host the Martin County Cardinals team camp June 5, featuring a full day of basketball with top teams and players from the area. The game pairings for this event are yet to be finalized.

The Cardinals will head to the Western Kentucky University team camp June 8-10. Coach James expressed his excitement about this opportunity for his players.

On June 12, the Cardinals will return to action at home for the second day of the Martin County team camp, welcoming several area teams for another full day of games.

June 13 will see Martin County attending the one-day UPike camp, then on June 14, traveling to Johnson Central.

Martin County will attend the one-day Marshall University team camp June 16.

On June 17 and 18, the Cardinals will participate in an NCAA-certified event at Collins High School.

Finally, on June 20, the Cardinals will wrap up summer play against Ashland, the 16 Region champion from the past season.

Please note that the summer schedule is subject to change, as games and game times are tentative and may be canceled.