Jim Mashek

DRAGONS WILL TANGLE WITH MISSOURI SQUAD ON MONDAY; BGHS TO FACE KIRKWOOD ON SATURDAY AT GREENWOOD

Robert “Ant” McAfee and Warren Central teammate Jarek Kirk are long and lean, and like their Dragons teammates, they’re always looking for a path to the basket.

On their way to a victory.

Warren Central got just that on Friday night at Bowling Green High School, and the Dragons got the “W” in impressive fashion, pulling away from the Purples in the second half to claim an impressive 62-51 triumph on Friday night before a packed house at the BGHS Arena.

Warren Central claimed its 10th consecutive victory while improving to 14-1 overall and 3-0 in the KHSAA’s ultracompetitive 14th District. Bowling Green dropped to 12-4 and 2-1 respectively, but the Purples remain a 4th Region contender with its quick, versatile backcourt.

It’s near the basket, however, that the Dragons have a substantial advantage. That wasn’t lost on WCHS coach William Unseld or his contemporary with the Purples, longtime BGHS coach D.G. Sherrill.

“They didn’t beat us on the perimeter, they beat us five feet from the basket,” Sherrill said when it was over. “They’ve got a skilled, aggressive game, and it’s up to us to find a way to do something about it.”

Bowling Green won’t face the Dragons again until February 7, also a Friday night affair, at the WCHS gym. The Purples will tangle with Kirkwood High School, a visiting team from Clarksville, Tennessee, in the Gary Force Honda Clash on Saturday afternoon at Greenwood High School.

The game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. tip-off.

Warren Central, meanwhile, is on a proverbial roll. The Dragons won their 10th consecutive game by double digits — several of their games have been blowouts — since taking a 58-55 loss to Louisville’s Pleasure Ridge Park High School on December 14 at the Bardstown Tournament. Warren Central’s closest call was a 62-52 victory over an improved Greenwood squad on January 9 in the Dragons’ lair.

Senior guard Robert “Ant” McAfee and senior forward Jarek Kirk did the heavy lifting on Friday night against the Purples, combining for 38 points to complement the Dragons’ rebounding dominance.

“They doubled us in rebounding,” Sherrill said. “We just couldn’t get those critical back-to-back stops in the second half, to give us a chance to make a run at them. They’re a very good team, but we’ve got a tough group. We just had to play catch-up all night …”

That was what the Dragons seemed to have in mind.

“Playing those guys, we’ve got to guard the (3-point) line,” Warren Central coach William Unseld said. “Make them penetrate … take their chances inside. I can’t even tell you, what our record is in here (the BGHS Arena). In the last six or seven games, we’ve probably won one game here.

“The state championship team (in 2023) won here … Our kids did a great job.”

The Dragons led for nearly the entire game, but Bowling Green stayed within striking distance and was closing on Warren Central in the final moments of the first half. With 0.6 seconds left in the quarter, Warren Central’s Ryan Hulbert inbounded the ball on the BGHS baseline, whipping it cross-court to Dragons teammate Armani Byrd. Byrd calmly hit the 3-pointer from the corner, sending Warren Central into the locker room with a 33-28 halftime lead.

“That was a big shot for them,” BGHS coach D.G. Sherrill said.

Warren Central kept the Purples at arm’s length throughout the second half, but Bowling Green’s defense was pretty stout, too. The Purples got to within four points of WCHS in the fourth quarter on three different occasions, but the Dragons kept pounding the ball inside to claim the victory.

“We did a better job in the second half,” Warren Central coach William Unseld said.

Ant McAfee, a 6-foot-7 senior transfer from Legacy Christian Academy, led the Dragons with 21 points. Senior forward/center Jarek Kirk finished with 17 points, and the Dragons turned in a dominant performance on the boards in the second half.

“My teammates got me the ball,” McAfee said. “That’s kind of the way we’ve played all year. Get the ball inside. Hit the boards, hard.”

Bowling Green’s Joseph Hurt, a 6-foot-4 transfer from Louisville’s Fairdale High School, is the closest thing to a big man that D.G. Sherrill has with the Purples. Hurt was in foul trouble for much of the night, and he fouled out late in the game. BGHS senior guard Braylon Banks led the Purples with 16 points, while teammates Luke Idlett and Deuce Bailey added nine and eight points, respectively.

“We try to get everyone involved, in the game, in the offense,” Warren Central’s Jarek Kirk said. “Everybody seems to know their job, their role, really well.”

The Dragons added a non-conference game in the last 24 hours, scheduling a road trip to tangle with Sikeston, Missouri, for a Monday evening game at Graves County in the Eagle Classic. Warren Central visits South Warren in its next district game, on Friday night, while the Purples will be playing host to Greenwood.

Greenwood (12-5 overall, 0-3 in the KHSAA’s 14th District) dropped a 78-67 decision on Friday night against South Warren.

“We got caught in the high side of the post a few times tonight,” BGHS coach D.G. Sherrill said. “They’ve got a lot of ways to score near the basket.”

Armani Byrd had 13 points for the Dragons, including the critical 3-pointer before halftime. Both teams had six players score in the game.

BOWLING GREEN GIRLS 76, WARREN CENTRAL 3

Bowling Green senior forward Katy Smiley set a school record with 10 made 3-pointers, leading the Lady Purples to the thorough victory over the outmanned Dragons.

Smiley hit her 10th and final 3-pointer in the final seconds of the third quarter before heading to the bench for the final eight minutes. The Campbellsville University commit finished the game with 34 points, while teammates Amaya Brown and Maddie Davenport added 12 and 9 points, respectively.

“Our kids had a blast,” BGHS coach Calvin Head said. “They played unselfishly, they helped a teammate (Smiley) get a school record. That’s the kind of culture we are trying to build. It’s been a very tough stretch for our team, and our practices have gotten tougher, too.

“Our girls got to see some of the fruits of their labor tonight.”

Bowling Green led 48-2 at halftime. The Lady Purples improved to 7-6 overall and 3-0 in the KHSAA’s 14th District. Bowling Green is on the road for a tough non-district game on Saturday against McCracken County (7-7 overall). Warren Central’s three points all came at the free-throw line, from freshman guard Mauwi Faustine. The Dragons (0-14 overall, 0-3 in the 14th District) are on the road Tuesday night against Adair County (9-7) overall.

Warren Central faces South Warren (5-11 overall, 1-2 in the 14th District) in its next district game, next Friday at South. Greenwood slipped past the Spartans, 29-27, on Friday night.