St. Xavier Rallies Past Jeffersontown, Adds Another Chapter to a Growing Rivalry
For the past month, Kentucky high school hoops has been a rotating showcase of elite talent at the top - Covington Catholic, Daviess County, Madison Central, and St. Xavier have all taken turns wearing the No. 1 crown. But just outside that top-four circle, Jeffersontown has been quietly building momentum, knocking on the door with a 17-4 record and a style of play that’s tough, fast, and unrelenting.
Friday night, J-Town had its shot to crash the party against No. 4 St.
Xavier. And for a while, it looked like they might pull it off.
But when the Tigers found their rhythm late in the third quarter, the game flipped - and fast. St.
Xavier stormed back from a sluggish start to claim a 55-42 win, once again holding off the Chargers and tightening their grip on the state’s top tier.
Bryce Johnson Sparks the Turnaround
The shift came with just under two minutes left in the third. Down 30-28, Bryce Johnson stepped into a three-pointer that gave the Tigers their first lead of the night.
On the very next possession, he cleaned up a miss for a putback layup, and just like that, St. X had all the momentum.
“I really just wanted to help my team get the lead and do the best that I can,” Johnson said postgame. “Coach Vaughn calls it the mashed potatoes guy - just trying to be the glue guy. So that’s my role, and I’ve really been trying to pride myself in my role.”
Johnson’s spark ignited a dominant stretch for the Tigers, who outscored J-Town 17-4 over the final quarter and a half. It wasn’t flashy - it was gritty, physical basketball, the kind of performance that wins games deep in March.
Lindsay, Jackson Lead the Way
Senior Josh Lindsay was a force all night, finishing with a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double. He made big plays when it mattered most - including a clutch three-pointer and a tough layup in traffic - and set the tone with his energy on both ends. Jeremiah Jackson added 14 points and eight boards, and his full-court assist to Connor Klein in transition was one of the night’s highlight moments.
“In the second half, the ball had much more energy, more guys touching it,” said head coach Kevin Klein. “It shifted the defense, led to better shots.”
That ball movement opened up the floor and allowed the Tigers to get downhill, attack the rim, and draw fouls - a big reason why they were able to stretch the lead late with free throws.
Defense, Rebounding Seal It
St. Xavier’s comeback didn’t just come from shot-making.
It came from locking in defensively and dominating the glass. After a first quarter where they managed just one field goal - a lone Jeremiah Jackson three - the Tigers flipped the script.
They outrebounded J-Town 29-17 in the second half and held the Chargers to just 30.3% shooting from the field.
Coach Klein praised his team’s resilience: “We had one basket, one field goal in the first quarter. I thought our toughness, togetherness, defense and defensive rebounding carried us in the second half.”
That toughness showed up in key moments, especially after J-Town tied the game at 38. Instead of folding, the Tigers responded with a Lindsay three, a Jackson-to-Klein fast-break bucket, and a flurry of stops that kept the Chargers at bay.
J-Town Shows Fight, But Comes Up Short
J-Town came out hot, forcing three straight steals in the first quarter and racing to an 11-3 lead. Forward Larron Westmoreland - who earlier in the day committed to Kentucky football as a three-star safety - helped set the tone with his energy and physicality.
“We have no choice but to come in with a different mindset,” Westmoreland said. “We’ve been starting off slow against other teams, so our game plan was to come in fast and play harder than we usually do.”
That urgency paid off early, but the Chargers couldn’t sustain it. Only one J-Town player, Dayvone Harrison, finished in double figures with 11 points. And as the game wore on, the Tigers’ depth and execution proved too much.
Still, J-Town remains a serious contender in the 6th Region. After starting the year 0-2, the Chargers rattled off 17 wins in their next 19 games - both losses in that stretch coming to St.
Xavier. That includes a 72-56 defeat in the L.I.T. championship, where the Tigers claimed their third straight title.
But it’s worth remembering: just last season, J-Town knocked St. X out of the KHSAA Sweet 16 in the first round, a 64-59 upset that still lingers in this rivalry’s memory bank.
Rivalry Renewed
Friday night’s game added another chapter to what’s become one of the most compelling matchups in Kentucky high school basketball. Two Louisville-area programs with state title aspirations, going toe-to-toe with postseason implications on the line.
If the basketball gods are kind, we might get one more showdown between these two before the season’s done. And if that happens, expect another battle - because history says these teams don’t just play games. They write stories.