WCMS falls in title game
The Warren County Middle School seventh-grade boys were the only Warren County team to make it past the first round of last week’s Warren Lodge Christmas Tournament, but represented their county well, advancing all the way to the tournament finals.
Unfortunately for WCMS fans, however, the Pioneers’ pressure defense couldn’t stop the hot-handed Saints as DeKalb County Middle School won 55-41 to take the title.
In the first period the Pioneers offense stumbled as Warren County produced just five points in the period with Courtney Blevins and Paul Lawson Prater providing the offense. On the other hand DeKalb County’s Travis Woodward came out smoking, burning the net for 11 of the Saints’ 15 points in the period including a 3-pointer as DeKalb held a 15-5 lead by the end of the period.
In the second, Warren County did a much better job on defense by keeping pressure on the ball and holding Woodward to four points in the quarter. Prater kept the Pioneers’ hopes alive from the foul line, hitting three out of six as the Pioneers put nine points on the board, but still found themselves trailing by 11 at the break 25-14.
Warren County moved the ball around in the third period getting it inside to Blevins and Cameron Smith. But Woodward’s 3-pointer midway through the period ended the Pioneer rally and the Saints held a 41-25 lead at the end of the period.
In the final period Warren County drove the ball down the middle of the paint. Prater scored five of his seven points in the period from the charity stripe as the Pioneers scored 16 points in the quarter. But DeKalb County didn’t fold as the Saints poured in 14 points in the period — including a 3-pointer from Cody Atnip — to claim the tournament crown.
Leading the way for DeKalb County was Woodward with 22 points. Trey Finley added 15, Atnip and Janson Shephard had four points each. Colt Stewart, Spencer Wallace, Ryan Young, Bray Page and J.J. Herriott had two points each. For the Pioneers, Prater led with 15 points. Blevins and Smith had 10 each, Coty Keel added four and Casey Myers had two points.
• In the Pioneers’ semifinal game Monday night Warren County downed Cannon County Eastside 51-37.
Eastside scored the first two baskets of the game but Warren County pressure defense held the Tigers scoreless over the next four minutes of the opening period. The Pioneers’ Cameron Smith got the Pioneers off to a hot start, hitting for seven of Warren County’s 15 points in the period including a 3-pointer at the one-minute mark. The Pioneers enjoyed a 15-5 lead at the end of the quarter. The Tigers pulled things together in the second period, out-scoring the Pioneers eight to six. Ryan Womack, Jamie Smith, Will Parker and Josh Davis each had two points in the period but the Pioneers still held a 21-13 lead at the break.
In the third period Warren County worked its way into foul trouble. Pressure defense by the Pioneers started to take its toll on the Tigers but by the end of the period Eastside had cut the lead to five at 29-25.
Warren County rolled in the final period connecting for 22 points in the quarter. Cannon County tried to hold off the run and gun offense of the Pioneers but the Tigers couldn’t stop Prater and Smith who combined for 20 of the Pioneers’ 22 points to take the win.
For Warren County Prater led all scorers with 26 points. Smith hit for 17, Blevins had four, Keel hit for two, Matt McColloch and Casey Myers had one point each. For Cannon County, Smith had nine, Ryan and Womack had seven points each. Parker and Josh Davis had six points each and Dustin Polombo added two points.