Jim Mashek

DRAGONS IMPROVE TO 12-1 OVERALL; SOUTH WARREN GIRLS BREAK FOUR-GAME SKID

They arrive, at an opposing gym, with minimal fanfare.

Warren Central High School’s boys basketball team presents a uniform front, even out of its uniforms. They start a road trip at the WCHS campus, on Morgantown Road, and this time, took the 10- to 15-minute journey to crosstown rival South Warren High School.

It was a big night for the Spartans, who had reeled off a four-game winning streak while taking eight of their last nine games, dating back to mid-December. Third-year SWHS coach Carlos Quarles has put his stamp on this year’s Spartans squad, and the boys on Nashville Road seem to be on the right track.

Until Warren Central shows up.

The Dragons carry a quiet confidence, in large part because of their depth, athleticism and experience. What’s missing, you might ask?

Not much.

William Unseld’s Warren Central squad put the clamps on the Spartans for most of the first half, taking a 15-point lead into intermission. But South Warren wasn’t about to acquiese anything, and with about three minutes left in the game, the Spartans trailed by just 11 points.

Armani Byrd, the Dragons’ 6-foot-8 junior center, then took matters into his own hands.

Kaleb Prince, the WCHS guard who transferred from Warren East after his junior year, put up a deep 3-pointer from the right wing.

Byrd, meanwhile, was lurking about 15 feet from the baseline, just to the left of the lane.

For a millisecond or two.

Prince’s shot was too strong, bouncing straight up, off the back of the rim. Byrd soared over two or three South Warren defenders and slammed the ball through the basket.

The rest seemed like a mere formality, as Warren Central extended its winning streak to nine games with a 69-55 victory over the Spartans. The Dragons are 12-1 overall heading into Tuesday’s road trip to tangle with Central Hardin (9-6 overall) in Elizabethtown.

South Warren dropped to 11-3 overall and 1-1 in the KHSAA’s 14th District.

“We didn’t finish well,” Warren Central coach William Unseld said in the visitors’ locker room after the game. “You’re dealing with teenagers. We just started letting their guys get wide-open … It gives us something to work on.”

The Dragons’ players, with a strong senior class of six players, seemed to understand.

“It’s all about concentration,” senior guard K.J. Johnson said. “Coach (Unseld) says, ‘Don’t worry about mistakes, just play hard.’ It’s all part of a team thing. We’ve learned to push ourselves, to build each other’s confidence.”

Confidence goes a long way with the Warren Central mystique. The Dragons made three consecutive trips to Lexington for the KHSAA’s Sweet 16 between 2022 and ’24, winning the school’s second Gold Ball in 2023 with a team that finished 35-1 overall.

“The bar is high,” Unseld said.

The Dragons were the KHSAA 4th Region favorite last year, only to fall in the 14th District Tournament title game, a 61-59 loss to Bowling Green at the BGHS Arena. Ten days later — the KHSAA state tournament schedules were staggerered because the University of Kentucky played host to first-and second-round play in the NCAA Tournament — Unseld’s squad squared off with Barren County in the quarterfinals of the KHSAA 4th Region tourney at WKU’s historic E.A. Diddle Arena.

Barren Central started quickly, behind Tate Spillman’s outside shooting and tough defense near the basket. Warren Central fell behind, and could never get its mojo back. The Trojans rolled to a 58-44 victory, dethroning the Dragons as the king of the hill in South Central Kentucky.

WCHS coach William Unseld kept his team in the WKU golf team locker room for about 90 minutes after it was over.

“You can never take ANY opponent too lightly,” Warren Central guard Dominique Anthony said. “We’ve had times when we’ve overlooked some teams. After that game, I had long, deep talks with Coach Un several times.

“You’ve got to keep working, keep learning. We knew (South Warren) were really improved.”

Anthony took the initiative in this game, scoring a team-high 17 points to lead the Dragons to victory. Armani Byrd struggled with his shot selection for much of the game but still finished with 15 points while helping Warren Central maintain control on the boards. K.J. Johnson, the Dragons’ blur in the backcourt, added 12 points.

Eight Warren Central players scored in the game, but two or three more provided valuable minutes. Senior forward Clay Willis had a strong offensive game for South Warren, leading all scorers with 22 points.

“Dominique Anthony was probably the difference tonight,” South Warren coach Carlos Quave said. “He’s their ‘glue guy.’ He really brought it tonight.

“I think we had a really good game plan, but we didn’t execute it properly, in the first half. We weren’t patient enough, on offense. We settled down, after the half, and started handling their pressure …”

Ah, their pressure.

That’s probably the biggest obstacle for just about any of Warren Central’s opponents.

Warren Central turned up the intensity in a 69-45 victory over archrival Bowling Green High School on January 2. The Dragons manhandled Barren County, to the tune of 87-55, on Tuesday night, in a rematch of last year’s KHSAA 4th Region quarterfinals.

The Dragons are on the road Tuesday, to square off with Central Hardin (9-6 overall) before returning to district play next Friday against Greenwood. South Warren will play host to Glasgow (8-5 overall) before resuming its 14th District schedule across town at Bowling Green.

“We took a lot of bad shots in the second half,” WCHS coach William Unseld said. “Got a little into some ‘me time’ out there. Road games in this district are hard. You can’t let up, one bit.”

Jeremiah McCombs, the Dragons’ 6-foot-2 senior guard, might have put it best. McCombs finished the night with eight points.

“We know what we can do,” McCombs said. “But if we make a mistake, we’ve got to focus on the next play. Rotate better, on defense. Hit the boards. Stick with the game plan.”

South Warren’s Clay Willis, a dual-sport standout in basketball and volleyball, led the Spartans with 22 points. SWHS teammate Jax Decker, who’s moving on to Reno Lake (Illinois) Community College baseball after graduation, tallied 11 points, while senior guard Owen Shively added 10.

SOUTH WARREN GIRLS 48, WARREN CENTRAL 34

Both teams struggled on offense, in the early going, and Warren Central made a move toward the end of the second quarter. The Spartans took a 21-16 lead into halftime.

Warren Central’s Charlee Bailey scored on an inside basket with about five minutes left in the third quarter, and the Dragons trailed by just three points, 23-20. But South Warren’s JaNya Anderson would soon drill a 3-pointer from the right wing, putting the Spartans in front, 31-24, and they never looked back.

Veteran South Warren coach Lane Embry has a young squad, with six middle schoolers and three freshmen on the varsity roster. Anderson, one of those freshmen, led the Spartans with 15 points. Eighth grader Kalie Kuzma finished with 11 points, and junior center Averi Fugate added 10.

Warren Central’s Myra Mayberry led all scorers with 18 points, while Bailey finished with eight.

South Warren (4-10 overall, 1-1 in the KHSAA’s 14th District) plays host to Cumberland County on Saturday evening, before road games against Glasgow and district opponent Bowling Green. Warren Central (3-12 overall, 0-2 in district play) has non-district games against Owensboro and Franklin-Simpson before resuming 14th District play next Friday at Greenwood.