Freshmen fall to Sparta:Warriors seal win with big fourth quarter

By DALE STUBBLEFIELD / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Warren County’s Kyrie Harris (45) gets tangled up with the White County’s Matt Mitchell. (Dale Stubblefield photo)

The Warren County High School freshman boys basketball team went toe-to-toe with White County Monday night in the Charlie Dalton Gym. But a 21-point fourth period gave the Warriors the final push they needed, as they defeated the Pioneers 54-44.

Matt Mitchell was the go-to man for the Warriors in the opening period as White County worked the ball in the paint. Mitchell scored the Warriors’ first four points, but the Pioneers got things going at the 3:34 mark. Zach West hit from the base line and P.L. Prater hit a 3-pointer and a jumper at the top of the key with under two minutes to play. Carlzell Robinson closed out the Pioneer offense with a drive to the paint as the quarter ended with the Pioneers trailing 10-9.

Both teams pushed the ball down the floor in the second period, matching each other with baskets. Aaron Puckett connected for six in the period as the Warriors scored nine points. The Pioneers hit the boards with four minutes left in the half with Robinson and Casey Myers. With :09 left in the half Tyler Keaton connected for a pair of free-throws to give the Pioneers a 20-19 lead at the break.

Warren County came out to open the third period with six unanswered points as Keaton hit for four. Warren County held a 30-25 lead with 2:36 left in the period, when the Warriors went on a eight point run to take the lead at 33-30. But a steal by the Pioneers and a basket by Kyrie Harris just before the buzzer tied the game at 33-33.

Puckett put the Warriors out in front when he opened the fourth period with a 3-pointer. The Pioneers trailed by one at the 3:48 mark, when the Warriors went back inside the paint as White County went on a nine point run. The Warriors added five points in the final minute of play as the Pioneers put three on the board with ten seconds left in the game as Warren County came up on the short end.

Prater led the Pioneers with 12 points. Keaton hit for eight, Robinson and Myers had six points each. Keel, Harris and West added four points each.

For the Warriors, Puckett hit for 24 points to lead all scores. Stuart Mitchell added 16, Corey Johnson added five, Matt Mitchell hit for four and Sam Gribble had two points.