3rd Region Hoops— One of the biggest shows in the 3rd Region takes place when bitter rivals Breckinridge County & Meade County face off on the hardwood. This past Friday (1/26) served as the latest rendition of the 3RH Tabbed Breck/Meade Party.. & it did NOT disappoint! This rivalry is one of fierce competitiveness, Coaching rivalries, & bad blood between two proud communities & their athletic programs. When you walk into the gym for a Breck/Meade showdown, the energy, buzz and competitive edge smacks you in the face. Neither team can stand to lose the game & neither community wants to be considered the “lesser of two.” Folks sit out of church on Sunday & call into work on Monday when they lose in that game.. it’s DEEP & filled with unmeasurable passion. Fridays Breck/Meade Party was all of that & SO MUCH MORE! In what can already be established as the best environment this region has seen this season, it was an environment that was deep rooted in passion, but also in COMMUNITY. Breckinridge Co woman’s HC Chad Moorman is one of the more well liked & respected coaches in the region & has established himself & the Lady Tiger program as a regional contender year in & year out. Coach Moorman was named the 3RH Preseason Coach of The year & coming into this season, the expectations were as high as they’ve been under his leadership. With first teamer Caroline Lucas back for her senior year, the likes of Elizabeth Grimes, Kayleigh Huffines, Josie Mitcham, Kylie Carby & more ALL returning, the preseason was saturated with excitement, anticipation & expectations. Little did Coach Moorman, his family, friends and those inside the Lady Tiger program know, but this season would quickly become completely different. Around the holidays we became aware, through regular communication with Coach Moorman of health concerns that were impacting him & his well being. The health complications of course took him away from the program at different times. After numerous doctors visits & multiple hospital stays at Vanderbilt Medical Center, The Moorman family was delivered news last week, that no family wants to hear.. CANCER. Moorman, though a highly regarded Ball coach, is more than just the ball coach. You will not watch a Breck Co basketball game and leave without seeing the evidence that the players love their coach & he & his staff love them back. The players within the program, very evidently show trust, care and love for their coach & it’s more noticeable this season than maybe ever before, Moorman serves as a father figure, friend & mentor to his players. Chad is a dedicated husband & father of 4 kids, a hard worker and a friend. Owensboro Catholic Lady Aces HC Michael Robertson stated when word started circulating throughout the coaching circles in the state, “when I think of Chad, I’m reminded of being around him & seeing how much he loves his children & how good of a guy he is. It’s a side that the casual basketball fan doesn’t get to see & im fortunate to call him a friend & I cannot stop praying for him.” Robertson, Moorman & DC Lady Panther HC Natalie Payne all have spent many weekends together watching their young children play travel basketball & the consensus when speaking to both Robertson & Payne is YOU WON’T FIND A BETTER GUY than Chad Moorman. That statement showed true on Friday night as BOTH communities rallied together for a ball game with something MUCH BIGGER THAN BASKETBALL weighing heavy on their minds. When speaking pregame with Meade Co HC Dina Hackert, who’s without question Coach Moorman’s fiercest rival, Hackert was quick to note the reality of the situation.. “Tonight is different. Our girls feel the sadness & share it with the Breck locker room. This is about more than standings in the district, this is about loving your neighbor & being a good person. Yes we gotta play basketball, but our prayers go out to Coach Moorman & those closest to him.” Fast forward to roughly 2 minutes before tip off.. In walks Chad Moorman to standing ovation. The appearance came as a surprise to everyone in the building. Moorman was granted permission to return home for a few days before starting chemo, but really should it have came as a surprise? Do we really think if at all possible, Coach Moorman would’ve passed on the opportunity to be on the sidelines with his team & square off against The team in green? NO CHANCE HE WAS MISSING IT if he had his way. To cap it off, Breck Co defeated Meade County & played inspired basketball. Speaking to coach since then, he said “it was a blur but man how about the crowd. How about the environment. Nothing compares to this.” In between the Boys & Girls game, teams from both programs gathered at mid court in unity, along with the near capacity crowd and prayed for Coach Moorman. Did we mention this version of the Breck/Meade party was just.. DIFFERENT? It was a good reminder that there’s still SO MUCH good in this world. People putting aside their desires to beat the other and understanding the importance of faith, family & community. It was in that moment (see headline picture) that you seen the gloves put aside, the ball out of the picture & people rallying behind a man, his family & a program with love, hope & care at the forefront. All the sudden, nobody cared about the outcome, they only cared for those hurting. Meade Co’s pep section was loaded with signs expressing prayer for Chad, Warm up apparel had “#PlayForChad” on the backs & this was everything you look for in sports. The moorman family doesn’t have an easy road ahead of them, but just as Chad showed on Friday night, giving up is NOT an option & he will do everything he can to be there for those around him. Likewise, just as everyone in attendance, watching via livestream & listening to the game via the radio showed, Chad, his family & the Breck Co community do NOT have to worry about fighting this fight alone. Friday nights Breck/Meade Party is why people love sports. It’s why we at 3rd Region Hoops enjoy getting to experience 3rd Region Basketball. Not just because of the rivalries, but because of COMMUNITY! The remainder of the season will be no easy task as for the girls in the Breck Locker room but if Friday tells us anything, it tells us that this is an inspired basketball team who will rally behind their ball coach. Continue to pray for Chad, his family, the program & those around him as the journey now begins to BEAT this terrible disease, like the Lady Tigers BEAT Meade County in BOTH games on Friday night! To everyone around the state who’ll read this, might we charge you to do just as Breck & Meade did on Friday & just as Chad will do every day going forward; live inspired & live for the people around you. #PlayForChad