Seneca basketball stuns seventh-ranked St. Xavier, will face Trinity for 7th Region title

Every once in a while — his team pulling off one of the biggest upsets in Louisville high school basketball history — Leroy Hickerson would turn around from his bench, look into the crowd, nod at a fan and smile.

It’s almost as if the first-year Seneca High School coach couldn’t believe what he was witnessing, much like everyone else in the crowd.

“Nobody had us picked to win this game,” Hickerson said.

But Hickerson and his Redhawks were the ones celebrating Friday night after a stunning 76-49 victory over No. 7-ranked St. Xavier in the semifinals of the Seventh Region Tournament at Valley.

Seneca (17-15) won two state titles and four regional titles between 1961-68 but hadn’t returned to a regional final since then.

The 56-year drought ended Friday.

“To win against a coach like (St. X’s Kevin Klein) and in an environment like this and by the margin we won just shows how resilient our kids are,” Hickerson said. “The only people who believed we could win this game were the people in this locker room and our fans and family. …

“When you have the best player, you have a chance every night.”

Senior guard Quel’Ron House backed up his Seventh Region Player of the Year honors, scoring a game-high 31 points.

House also scored 31 points in Seneca’s 89-59 loss to St. X less than three weeks ago but tired down the stretch, having to handle the ball with point guard Tyran Gray out because of an illness.

Gray was back Friday and posted four points and eight rebounds while allowing House to play off the ball.

“I knew if he could keep his motor for four quarters,” Hickerson said of House, “that we had a shot.”

Added House: “They call me the ‘Pace God,’ so I had to keep the pace with me. If I have the pace in my hands, it’s over. Simple as that. Don’t ever count me out.”

Seneca also got a big contribution from eighth grader Prestyn Wheatley, who was 3 for 3 from 3-point range and scored 25 points.

“I’m not surprised,” House said of Wheatley. “He has guts. He’s different. He’s phenomenal, the best eighth grader in the state.”

The score tied at 14 after one quarter, Seneca gained control in the second quarter with a 21-8 surge for a 35-22 halftime lead.

Fans kept waiting for St. X to make a run that never came. By the 4:51 mark of the third quarter, House’s 3-point play had given Seneca a 45-25 lead.

Back-to-back baskets by Wheatley gave the Redhawks a 61-36 bulge early in the fourth quarter.

Meanwhile, a St. X team ranked second in the state in scoring (83.0 ppg) was struggling — 17 total turnovers, 33.3% shooting from the field and a 5-for-29 clip from 3-point range.

Sophomore Jeremiah Jackson led the Tigers with 21 points and nine rebounds but got little help.

For Klein, it was reminiscent of his team’s 81-59 loss to rival Trinity on Jan. 26. The Tigers (30-4) had won 13 in a row since then.

“We had an incredible season with two poorly played games,” Klein said. “We picked the wrong night to have one of those two tonight. Got to give Seneca a lot of credit. Quel’Ron House is as big-time player as this region has seen in a long time. He can put a team on his back, and he was a tough matchup.”

When it was over, Hickerson soaked it in, hugging and shaking hands with nearly everyone who would allow it. Among them was Lloyd Gardner, who coached Hickerson at Fairdale High School.

Seneca has a proud basketball history, led by back-to-back Kentucky Mr. Basketball winners during those glory days of the 1960s: Mike Redd in 1963 and Wes Unseld in 1964.

Hickerson and House may be on their way to joining them in Seneca history, especially if the Redhawks can pull off another upset at 7 p.m. Monday in the Seventh Region final against Trinity.

“That’s God’s plan, baby,” Hickerson responded when asked if Seneca could do it again. “They better hope we don’t, or I might go crazy.”

ST. XAVIER          14          8            14          13 – 49

SENECA               14          21          22          19 – 76

St. Xavier (30-4) – Connor Klein 8, Chief Cameron 7, Bryce Johnson 4, Chance Dillingham 2, Jeremiah Jackson 21, Will Hanke 7.

Seneca (17-15) – Reece Asher 1, Quel’Ron House 31, Tyran Gray 4, Prestyn Wheatley 25, Coryion Martin 4, Terance Wilson 9, Mohamed Jobe 2.

More high school basketball: Trinity basketball tops Manual in defensive battle, earns spot in Seventh Region final

Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Follow on X @kyhighs.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: KHSAA basketball: Seneca surprises St. Xavier in 7th Region semifinal