{"id":19993,"date":"2026-02-04T23:56:20","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T23:56:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/?p=19993"},"modified":"2026-02-05T00:05:55","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T00:05:55","slug":"the-defense-never-rests-warren-central-bounces-back-with-61-36-victory-over-spartans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/?p=19993","title":{"rendered":"THE DEFENSE NEVER RESTS\/Warren Central bounces back with 61-36 victory over Spartans"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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WARREN CENTRAL’s KALEB PRINCE
BEATS THE SPARTANS ON THE FAST BREAK.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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SOUTH WARREN’s PERKINS LEAVES WITH INJURY; SOUTH GIRLS STOP WCHS, 51-39<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Warren Central High School’s seventh-ranked boys basketball team needed a couple quarters to get the kinks out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eleven days without playing a game, thanks solely to Winter Storm Fern, can take a toll on a squad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dragons just needed to get their feet under them, while denying South Warren a path to the basket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warren Central put the shackles on the Spartans, claiming a 61-36 victory on Tuesday night in the Dragons’ gymnasium. South Warren won the girls game, 51-38.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warren Central saw its 12-game winning streak come to an end on January 22, when Bowling Green’s Christian Mauhire scored 22 points in leading the Purples to an overtime victory over the Dragons, 65-59.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dragons had plenty of time to think about that defeat before taking the floor against South Warren.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We’ve got to keep getting better, man,” WCHS head coach William Unseld said in his office when it was over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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WARREN CENTRAL’s OJARE MURRELL
SCORES INSIDE AGAINST THE SPARTANS.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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SOUTH’s BRANDON PERKINS
SCORES AS THE FIRST HALF
COMES TO A CLOSE …<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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… BUT RYAN HULBERT (No. 3) AND
THE DRAGONS WENT BACK
TO WORK ON DEFENSE …<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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… BEFORE JEREMIAH McCOMBS
AND HIS TEAMMATES COMPLETED
THE TASK AT HAND.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Warren Central earned its 16th victory against two defeats, while improving to 4-1 in the KHSAA’s 14th District. South Warren dropped its third straight game, since its breakthrough at Bowling Green High School on January 16, when the Spartans defeated BGHS for the first time in school history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They’ve had trouble matching that performance since, but they’ve still got five games before the 14th District Tournament unfolds later this month at Warren Central.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Warren is 2-3 in district play. The Spartans lost junior guard Brandon ‘Junior’ Perkins to a concussion in the Bowling Green game, and Perkins was sidelined, again, after sustaining an injury to his left ankle in the third quarter on Tuesday night at WCHS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We don’t know the extent of Junior’s injury just yet,” South Warren coach Carlos Quarles said before leaving the WCHS gym. “We’ll have to assess it in the next day or two … I thought we did a good job, with our game plan, in the first half.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“In the third quarter, we got a little ‘jump-shot happy.’ You can’t do that against a very good defensive team like Warren Central.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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WARREN CENTRAL HAS EXCEPTIONAL DEPTH …<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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… AND JEREMIAH McCOMBS
AND THE WCHS DEFENSE
HAVE BEEN A CONSTANT.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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DOMINIQUE ANTHONY
IS ONE OF SEVEN SENIORS
ON THE WCHS ROSTER.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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WARREN CENTRAL’s DEFENSE
KNOWS HOW TO DICTATE
THE PACE OF THE GAME.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Warren Central’s William Unseld is in no position to disagree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dragons have built their reputation, statewide, starting with their defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Early in the year, our defense carried us,” Unseld said. “We’ve got to get back to that … We can really guard, when we’re mentally into the game.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eleven Warren Central players scored before the game’s conclusion, and the Dragons put it out of reach by limiting South Warren to just five points in the third quarter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We’ve been able to get in the gym, during the snow days,” WCHS guard Dominique Anthony said. “I don’t think it was rust, tonight, that held us back … we just needed some time to settle in. Starting on defense.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defense carried Warren Central to three consecutive trips to the KHSAA’s Sweet 16, including its state championship season in 2023. The Dragons were the 4th Region favorite last year, but they were zapped in the quarterfinals, falling to Tate Spillman and Barren County, 58-44, at WKU’s historic E.A. Diddle Arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The key to Warren Central’s defense, on its surface, is 6-foot-8 junior center Armani Byrd. But the Dragons also have exceptional depth, and plenty of quickness in the backcourt, provided by the likes of Kaleb Prince, K.J. Johnson and Jeremiah McCombs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Prince gets in the open court, the senior transfer from Warren East High School usually leaves his opponents by the wayside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince led the Dragons with 12 points, while McCombs and WCHS teammate Dominique Anthony added 10 and eight points, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SOUTH’s ISAIAH BRIDGES (No. 0)
HITS A SECOND-HALF 3-POINTER.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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SOUTH’s BRANDON PERKINS
INJURES HIS LEFT ANKLE
IN THE THIRD QUARTER …<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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… BEFORE HE’s HELPED OFF THE COURT.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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WARREN CENTRAL’s ARMANI BYRD
DRILLS A 3-POINTER FROM THE CORNER.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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South’s Brandon Perkins scored a team-high 14 points before his ankle injury sidelined him late in the third quarter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Warren (13-6 overall, 2-3 in the KHSAA’s 14th District) will play host to Bowling Green (12-10, 1-4) in a game that COULD<\/em><\/strong> decide the final two seeds for the district tournament later this month. If the Purples can force a tie for third place, the seedings will be determined by the KHSAA’s RPI formula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warren Central, meanwhile, has another home game on Friday, when the Dragons play host to the surging Greenwood Gators (17-5, 3-2). Greenwood pulled off an amazing 84-82 victory over Bowling Green on Monday night, before going on the road and dropping a 62-61 decision to Owensboro Catholic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first game between the squads wasn’t particularly competitive, with Warren Central rolling to an 85-56 victory on January 16. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We didn’t wanna give (South Warren) anything easy tonight,” Warren Central’s William Unseld said Tuesday night. “Stay on the ball, stay in front of them, make every shot a tough one.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SOUTH’s CLAY WILLIS SCORES
INSIDE AGAINST THE DRAGONS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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CARLOS QUARLES’ SPARTANS
FACE BOWLING GREEN ON FRIDAY<\/strong>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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WARREN CENTRAL’s KALEB PRINCE
SCORES AGAINST THE SPARTANS.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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WARREN CENTRAL’s
JEREMIAH McCOMBS
PULLS DOWN A REBOUND.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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WARREN CENTRAL’s DOMINIQUE ANTHONY
DEFENDS AGAINST SOUTH’s OWEN SHIVELY.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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KALIE KUZMA (No. 22)
AND SOUTH’s GIRLS SQUAD
DEFEATED WCHS, 51-38.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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SOUTH WARREN GIRLS 51, WARREN CENTRAL 38<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Warren Central, looking for its first victory against KHSAA 14th District opponents, went in front, 30-27, midway through the third quarter. But the Spartans would go on a 10-run, completing a two-game sweep of the Lady Dragons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Warren’s Averi Fugate scored a team-high 20 points and helped the Spartans clog the lane for most of the game. Autumn Gatewood added 14 points for the Spartans, who play host to Bowling Green on Friday night. South Warren is 7-13 overall and 2-3 in district play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warren Central dropped to 4-18 overall and 0-5 in the 14th District.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warren Central’s Myra Mayberry led all scorers with 25 points. The Lady Dragons will play host to Greenwood on Friday night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SOUTH WARREN’s
HALLIE SHIVELY IS
A SEVENTH GRADER.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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SOUTH’s AUTUMN GATEWOOD
SCORES IN THE SECOND HALF.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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PIPER AND THE PUGS
AT THE DOG SITTER’s HOUSE …<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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SOUTH WARREN’s PERKINS LEAVES WITH INJURY; SOUTH GIRLS STOP WCHS, 51-39 Warren Central High School’s seventh-ranked boys basketball team needed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":20025,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hsbasketball","category-potpourri"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19993","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19993"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19993\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20028,"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19993\/revisions\/20028"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/20025"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}