Allen County-Scottsville’s Sarah Sutton (from left) and Chloe Cook double team South Warren’s Lexi Button during a November game at Allen County-Scottsville High School.

For Allen County-Scottsville senior forward Sarah Sutton, the day has finally arrived.

A fixture on the Lady Patriots roster since seventh grade, Sutton will play the final home game of her career when ACS hosts Todd County Central at 6 p.m. Thursday.

As Sutton’s career winds down, she has a resume that rivals any player in the state – a Miss Basketball finalist and Murray State signee who continues to dot her name throughout the program’s record book.

She enters Thursday’s game second on the all-time scoring list with 2,185 points and the program’s all-time leading rebounder with 1,124 boards.

Sutton admits that Thursday is going to be bittersweet as her stellar prep career winds down.

“I’ve been playing since I was in seventh grade, so I didn’t think this day was ever going to come,” Sutton said. “To actually be a senior and have that last game there it is kind of sad, but I am looking forward to it and looking to see what comes in the future, too.”

Sutton’s Allen County career began in 2013-14, appearing in 29 games – the most appearances by an ACS seventh-grader on the varsity since the 1970s – scoring 55 points. Sutton said she remembers being scared to death playing as a seventh-grader.

“I remember the first time ever playing at home and I was terrified,” Sutton said. “I was shaking. I was with these big girls – these senior girls that were big and strong and fast. I was like, ‘I want to be like that.’ ”

By the next season, Sutton was part of the Lady Patriots’ starting lineup. She appeared in 34 games, making 31 starts. Sutton said she really started to feel like she truly belonged about midway through the season. Her confidence soared even more by the time the Lady Patriots reached the state tournament – a run that ended with a 35-32 loss to Covington Holy Cross in the state championship game.

Sutton said playing in the state tournament was an incredible experience.

“It’s something that I wish all my teammates could experience,” she said. “It’s indescribable. You get to have all these people watching you and cheering you on. The atmosphere is crazy. All the fans are hyped up. It’s awesome. It’s something I will never forget.”

Sutton adds that loss in the title game – with ACS falling to Holy Cross in the final minute – has been a driving force for her the last four years.

“It’s always in the back of my head,” Sutton said. “I can sit here and picture it right now. We were so close and I thought we had it, but everything happens for a reason.”

That team included the program’s all-time leading scorer Morgan Rich, then a senior, and the program’s third leading scorer all time, Savannah Gregory. Sutton credits Rich and Gregory with helping teach her how to be a leader and how to give praise to God for allowing her to have the chance to excel in the sport.

“That’s a big thing for us,” Sutton said. “We always pray before a game. We pray after a game. We just praise him and give him all the glory because he is the one that allows us to do this. That’s really something that they showed me.

“They showed me that to be a leader you have to be positive, even when things aren’t going good. You have to pick your teammates up.”

As a freshman her scoring average more than doubled – with Sutton averaging more than 10 points a game – but an injury to Gregory in the District 15 Tournament took its toll, with the Lady Patriots falling in the district title game and the opening round of the region tournament.

Sutton’s scoring jumped to 17.9 points as a sophomore and 18.6 points as a junior, but both seasons ended with losses in the opening round of the district tournament.

This year has been Sutton’s best yet. She entered Tuesday’s game at Warren Central averaging 22.5 points a game and 10.9 rebounds. She became the program’s all-time leading rebounder in a win against Holmes on Dec. 29 and has set career highs for points in game – 37, twice – as well as grabbing a school-record 23 rebounds in a win against Metcalfe County last week.

Sutton is the first Lady Patriot to have more than 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds and is believed to be only the second player male or female at ACS to achieve that mark – the other being former WKU great Jim McDaniels.

“I appreciate it and I am very blessed and thankful,” Sutton said of that honor. “It’s crazy to think I’m the second one that has been able to do that. I could not have done that without (my coaches) and my teammates. They have helped me so much.”

Her strong season hasn’t gone unnoticed. Along with being named a finalist for Miss Basketball, Sutton was recently named the Region 4 player of the year by the region coaches and the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches Region 4 player of the year. She has also been invited to play in the Ohio/Kentucky All-Star game in April.

“It’s very humbling,” Sutton said. “It’s something I have seen other teammates accomplish and something I always wanted to do. I didn’t know if it was ever going to happen because there are some really good players in the Fourth Region. To be able to represent the region is awesome and it’s a great accomplishment.”

Allen County-Scottsville boys’ basketball coach Brad Bonds, who coached Sutton through her junior season, said Sutton deserves all the praise she has received.

“Sarah Sutton is a great basketball player,” Bonds said. “She’s an even better person. She brings a lot of joy to her teammates, this community. She’s always got a smile on her face and always cutting up. It was something special to be a part of watching her grow – not only as a young lady, but watching her grow as a Lady Patriot and develop her game.

“She’s a great leader, but basketball aside Sarah Sutton is a fantastic young lady. I know she is going to do nothing but great things at Murray State.”

Sutton’s coach this season, Greg Dunn, echoes Bonds’ praise.

“She is a warrior out there on the basketball court, but she is such a nice young lady,” Dunn said. “She’s a great personality. She has a great sense of humor. She loves to have fun. It’s been a blessing (to coach her). I wish I could coach her another three years. She’s made it so enjoyable.”

While all the recent accolades have been nice, Sutton admits she would gladly give it all up for her team’s success – particularly to get a chance to win another region title and get back to the state tournament. To get that chance, Allen County-Scottsville will have to beat one of the top teams in the region in the opening round of the District 15 Tournament, Barren County.

“I know every senior on every team is going to be motivated next week because they want to keep playing,” Sutton said. “I think that we have had so much adversity this year that it gives us a little more drive. We want to go out there and do it for our teammates that are hurt and do it for the seniors and the coaches.”{&end}