The Carmi-White County Boys Basketball team had their season come to an end Monday night with a 67–39 loss to Massac County in the IHSA 2A Regional Quarterfinals.
For a brief stretch early, the Bulldogs showed fight. Carmi trailed just 9-7 with 1:10 remaining in the first quarter before Massac closed the period on a 7-0 run to take a 16-7 lead. From there, the Patriots began to separate, building a 38-13 advantage by halftime and extending it to 57-18 after three quarters before securing the 67-39 victory.
Jaxon Bradshaw led the Bulldogs in scoring with 13 points. Carson Miller added 8 points, while Kyzen Edward finished with 5. Merick Millhorn scored 4, and Hayden Sauls, Justus Tauiliili, and Kipton Large each chipped in 3.
The loss ended a challenging season for the Bulldogs, who finish with a 2-24 record. The 24 losses are the second most in a single season in program history (26 in 1941-42) and the most since the 2002-03 team went 2-23.
While the record tells one story, Head Coach Kevin Wolff emphasized that it doesn’t fully capture what this group endured or how they responded. After graduating a talented senior class following the 2024–25 season, the Bulldogs entered the winter as one of the youngest and least experienced teams in the area. Night after night, they were often overmatched, but effort and commitment never wavered.
“You can still go out there and play and do things right and not worry so much about the scoreboard and play the game the way it’s supposed to be played,” Wolff said. “Credit to the guys in the locker room. They showed up every day. I had very few kids miss practice. They were always there, always willing to learn. They love to play basketball. They just weren’t able to win very many games, and that’s okay.”
Monday night also marked the final game in a Carmi-White County uniform for seniors Javan Lucas, Merick Millhorn, and Hayden Sauls.
Lucas’ journey was perhaps the most unique. After not playing during his sophomore and junior seasons, he returned for his senior year simply for the love of the game.
“He just loves to play, and he wanted to be a part of something,” Wolff said. “He was at every practice, and he did whatever was asked of him, and that shows his character.”
Millhorn, the team’s leading scorer, started every game as a junior and became a steady presence for a young roster, and his competitiveness stood out from the moment he stepped on the floor.
“He’s a competitor, and that’s what you want,” Wolff said. “That’s why he’s going to have a great spring in baseball, and he’s going to go on and play baseball in college. He’s a competitive kid, and I really enjoyed coaching him.”
Sauls developed into a leader as the season progressed, finishing the year as the Bulldogs’ leader in three-point field goals and growing into a vocal presence on and off the court.
“He became more vocal as the season went on,” Wolff said. “He had a good year for us. The leadership and him stepping up, that was something I didn’t know if we would get from him, but he did, and I’m really happy for him.”
Though the wins were few, the Bulldogs showed perseverance all season long, continuing to compete, practice, and represent Carmi-White County with pride despite the challenges they faced. For a young and inexperienced roster, the season served as a learning experience that tested resilience and character, laying a foundation that the program hopes will pay dividends in the years ahead.