Beech Tree News Network

The Butler County Bears, Region 3 champion, will take on Region 6 champion Evangel Christian Academy Eagles in the first round of the KHSAA Sweet 16 Boys Basketball State tournament on Thursday, March 21 The game will be broadcast live on WLBQ.  

Here is a history and in depth look at the Evangel Christian Academy high school basketball program and the school’s history. A private school and a KHSAA member school in 1976, Evangel Christian Academy is a high school with grades (7-12) with a student enrollment of 37. 

Evangel Christian Academy HS only offers the sports of boys’ basketball - freshman, JV, and varsity teams.  It only offers one girls' sport - Volleyball (JV only). 

The history highlights of ECS Academy HS are as follows. This season, 2023-24, Evangel Christian Academy Region 6 champions have an overall record of (29-6) with only three in-state losses to North Oldham HS, Newport HS, and Bowling Green HS.

Evangel Christian Academy is presently ranked #9 in the state and  have been ranked in the weekly Top 25 since the opening week of the season. They lost the All “A” State championship on Jan. 28, 2024, to Newport HS in overtime by a score of 69-62. Newport is the Region 9 champion (32-3) and will also play in the KHSAA Sweet 16 State Tournament Thursday night. 

In the 2022-23 season, last year Evangel Christian won the All “A” State Championship and lost in the Region 6 semi finals with an overall record of (29-5). Evangel Christian HS last season was led by 6-foot 11 inch center Cyr Malonga, a senior from the Republic of Congo.  He graduated from Evangel Christian and is presently a freshman at East Carolina University on a basketball scholarship. 

In the 2021-22 season,Evangel Christian traveled extensively playing holiday high school tournaments in Chicago, Illinois, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Final record in 2021-22 was (22-11). 

In the fall of 2021, Evangel Christian Academy football program was under investigation by the KHSAA for recruiting violations. The superintendent of Evangel Christian dropped the football program in 2021 in only (7) seasons of football with an overall record of 2-52.  The football program never returned. 

In the 2018-19 basketball season, Butler Co. HS traveled to Evangel Christian Academy High School on Dec. 17, 2018. Final score Butler Co. 71, Evangel Christian 60.  So, the two schools have a history of one game played in the year 2018. 

Now, quick facts and scouting report on this year's Evangel Christian Eagles basketball roster. As Region 6 Champion, this is Evangel Christian High School's first trip ever to the boys Sweet 16 State Tournament. 

Their roster is loaded with size and experience.  Leading the Eagles is #5 Kyran Tilley, a 6-2 senior averaging 18 points per game; #2 Christian Doerr, a 6-3 senior averaging 17 ppg.; #11 Isaih Chitapa 6-3 senior, #23 Davier White, a 6-4 sophomore, and twin towers #1 Johnny Djema, a 6-8 senior, and #4 Ben Tashaka Mukadi, a 6-8 junior. 

The Eagles will play 8-9 players with depth and offensively are averaging 74 points per game. Defensively, the Evangel Christian Eagles are very physical, allowing opponents only 56 points per game. 

The Butler County High School Bears, with Head Coach Calvin Dockery, are one of (16) teams playing in the KHSAA Boys Sweet 16 State tournament. The Bears have earned the right and the upgrade in schedule this past season playing Louisville Trinity, Harlan County Lou. St X, Henderson Co. and Warren Central have prepared the Bears to win the regional tournament and now its first-ever appearance in theHSAA Boys State tournament. 

Thursday, March 21st Region 3 Butler Co. vs Region 6 Evangel Christian Academy at 1:30 p.m. EST at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky. The winner of this game will advance to the quarter- final round on Friday, March 22, and will play the winner of Lou. Trinity and Pulaski County matchup.  The game will be broadcast  live with Jonah Swift and Mark Allen on WLBQ 101.5/103.5 FM, as well as streamed on the WLBQ app.