Scotty Draud has always been a scorer.
The Beechwood senior has evolved into a complete player as he nears the end of his high school career, and the Tigers are winning more as a result.
Draud got the best of both worlds Friday night, celebrating a scoring milestone and another big win for his team.
Draud became the Ninth’s Region all-time leading scorer during Beechwood’s 73-59 win at Dixie Heights, hitting a turnaround bank shot in the lane with 7:13 to go in the fourth quarter.
Beechwood improved to 21-5 and dropped the Colonels to 17-5 in a battle of two of the Ninth Region’s top teams. Beechwood won its seventh straight and the 103rd win all-time in Draud’s career.
“He wasn’t out there forcing anything,” Beechwood head coach Erik Goetz said. “He played within himself and he was all about the win, trusting his teammates. He had a phenomenal game against a really good team on the road, and the thing he will most remember about this is he got the win.”
Draud scored 23 points on the night and has 3,047 for his career. He broke the record on the home floor of Brandon Hatton, a 2014 Dixie Heights grad who finished with 3,045 points. In third place all-time is Draud’s father, Scott, a Highlands standout who was the head coach at Dixie Heights when Scotty was born.
“I got lucky that it happened to fall on this night,” Scotty Draud said. “It’s awesome to be considered one of the greats with Brandon Hatton, my dad, Doug Schloemer and all of them. I’m really blessed.”
Draud posted 23 points, nine rebounds and four assists to help the Tigers to an early lead. Beechwood consistently led by double digits against the talented Colonels.
“I came into the game just wanting to get the win,” Draud said. “I told my coaches if it happens, it happens. I’m not going to stress about it. I was so locked in to the game, focusing on getting my teammates the ball and getting the win that I didn’t know how close it was.”
Draud’s record bucket gave the Tigers an 18-point lead early in the fourth quarter. He didn’t realize he had the record until the officials stopped the game. The PA announcer honored his accomplishment and he got a standing ovation from his teammates and the fans.
“It was awesome,” he said. “I almost started tearing up. It’s a big deal for me, my family, all my players and my coaches. I want to thank all of them.”
Always a prolific outside shooter like his dad, Draud has more than 300 career 3-pointers. But only 36 this year as the 6-foot-6 Draud has embraced a role as his team’s best post player. Draud has a career-high of 84 treys in a season. He averages 24.6 points and 7.5 rebounds this season and only one-fourth of his field-goal attempts are from behind the arc.
Draud spent most of the game guarding Dixie Heights’ Billy Wogenstahl, one of the top post players in the region, and helped limit him to seven points.
“He’s a totally different player, even more than he was a year ago,” Goetz said. “His whole life, he’s been a shooter and a scorer, and a shooter first. This year, he’s done everything for us. He’s been our leading rebounder, he’s run the point, he’s our leading assists guy and he’s more efficient than he’s ever been. He’s bigger, stronger. He’s a load playing in the post. He’s been instrumental in us averaging 20 wins a year since he got here.”
In addition to another 20-win season, Beechwood won the Division II championship of the Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference for the first time in team history.
“We’re a top contender in the Ninth Region,” Draud said. “Dixie Heights is a really good team and it was great to come into their gym tonight and get the win.”
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