The West Wizards are still working their magic, Dibrell keeps finding ways to win and Morrison delivered one of the biggest surprises of the elementary basketball season last week. With the race for the county championship heating up, there were plenty of young standouts making their mark on the hardwood.
The Warren County Way is recognizing nine boys as Players of the Week for their performances during games played Oct. 19-22. The latest stretch featured West handing Irving College its first loss, Dibrell continuing its six-game winning streak and Morrison rallying to stun Centertown in a one-point thriller Thursday.
The individual performances were just as memorable. There were fourth-quarter scoring explosions, clutch free throws, guards making plays all over the floor and young players showing they can be counted on when their teams need a lift.
Special thanks goes out to all of our sponsors for the elementary boys Players of the Week. Those businesses are Dos Marias Street Food, Crisp Springs Fireworks, Prince HVAC, Family Care Clinic, Moore Automotive, Sara Collins with Tree City Realty and Parkhurst Restoration. Not only are our sponsors featured in this article and our social media posts, they are also featured during our Games of the Week broadcasts involving the schools they sponsor.
If you'd like to join in, reach out to Jeff Simmons at wcsportsauthority@gmail.com.
Bobby Ray – Adam Anderson
The Stars are still searching for their first victory, but Anderson gave Bobby Ray plenty to build on during Monday's trip to Hickory Creek.
Anderson led the Stars with eight points against the Hawks, helping Bobby Ray push one of the league's top teams throughout a competitive 26-18 loss. It was one of Bobby Ray's better offensive performances of the season, and Anderson was right in the middle of the action.
The Stars have shown they can make opponents work for victories, and Anderson's ability to provide a scoring punch gives Bobby Ray another weapon as the team continues trying to break through. Bobby Ray will be looking for more of that production as the Stars prepare for another week of county competition.
Boyd – Samuel Ferguson
Boyd has leaned heavily on the inside presence of Heath Judkins this season, but the Broncos are working to develop more options around their big man. Ferguson is among the young players getting opportunities to make an impact.
Ferguson found the scoring column Thursday against Hickory Creek, contributing two points in a 27-14 loss to the Hawks. The Broncos struggled to find their offense against Hickory Creek's defense, making every basket valuable as Boyd tried to fight its way back into the contest.
The Broncos split their two games last week, beating Eastside 26-16 before falling to Hickory Creek. With Boyd trying to establish some consistency, contributions from players like Ferguson will be important as the Broncos continue navigating a challenging county schedule.
Centertown – Noah Simpson
Simpson has been giving the Warriors another dependable option around the basket, and his offensive production was on display during a busy week for Centertown.
The young Warrior scored six points in Tuesday's 28-24 victory over Irving College, helping Centertown pick up an important win over a team that had entered the week unbeaten. Simpson followed with another six Thursday against Morrison, scoring all six in the opening quarter as the Warriors raced to a 13-6 lead.
Centertown ultimately suffered a heartbreaking 28-27 defeat against the Eagles, but Simpson's fast start helped put the Warriors in position to win.
With Greyson Eubanks and Colt Bratcher providing plenty of offense from the guard positions, Simpson gives Centertown another player opponents have to account for when the Warriors attack the basket. His 12 points across two games helped Centertown split a pair of hard-fought matchups.
Dibrell – River Rice
There's a reason Dibrell has become one of the toughest teams to beat in the elementary league. The Wildcats have players who know how to battle, and Rice is proving he can deliver plenty of offense to go along with that toughness.
Rice scored two points in Monday's gritty 18-15 victory over Morrison, then took on a much bigger scoring role Thursday when Dibrell welcomed Irving College.
The Wildcats needed somebody to provide a spark against a talented Tiger squad, and Rice answered with a team-high 12 points as Dibrell claimed a 31-23 victory. His offensive production helped the Wildcats build an early advantage and keep Irving College at arm's length.
After dropping their season opener to Centertown, the Wildcats have ripped off six straight victories to move to 6-1. With Jeb Culwell, Jean Garcia and Rice all capable of putting points on the board, Dibrell is developing into a dangerous team as the championship race takes shape.
Eastside – Grayson Shaffer
Eastside has been searching for an offensive spark during a challenging start to the season, and Shaffer stepped forward Monday against Boyd Christian.
Shaffer scored four points in the Bulldogs' 26-16 loss to the Broncos, tying Kaden Martin and Cain Rodriguez for the team lead. The Bulldogs faced a difficult assignment against Boyd's powerful inside attack, but Shaffer helped keep Eastside competitive with his offensive contribution.
The Bulldogs are still looking to get into the win column, but having multiple players capable of producing points is an encouraging sign for a young squad trying to find its footing.
Shaffer's performance against Boyd showed he can be part of the offensive solution for Eastside as the Bulldogs continue battling through their county schedule.
Hickory Creek – Po Haywood
When Hickory Creek needed somebody to take over in the fourth quarter Monday, Haywood answered the call.
The Hawks were getting everything they could handle from Bobby Ray, but Haywood made sure Hickory Creek wouldn't let the Stars pull off an upset. He poured in eight points in the final period, finishing with a game-high 12 as the Hawks escaped with a 26-18 victory.
Haywood's fourth-quarter explosion accounted for two-thirds of his scoring and provided exactly the kind of offensive punch Hickory Creek needed to put the game away.
The Hawks followed Monday's victory with a 27-14 win over Boyd Thursday, improving to 4-2 and keeping themselves firmly in the race near the top of the standings.
Hickory Creek has several players capable of taking over a game, but Haywood's ability to deliver when the pressure was on made him one of the week's biggest individual standouts.
Irving College – True Lusk
The Tigers faced their toughest stretch of the season last week, and Lusk was one of the players who continued battling as Irving College went toe-to-toe with some of the league's top teams.
Lusk opened Monday's highly anticipated unbeaten showdown against West by scoring Irving College's first basket, helping the Tigers stay close to the Wizards early. He finished with four points in a 36-13 loss as West's defensive pressure eventually took control.
The young Tiger saved his biggest offensive performance for Tuesday's makeup game against Centertown, pouring in a team-high 11 points as Irving College narrowly fell 28-24. The Tigers led 12-9 at halftime before the Warriors rallied in the second half.
Lusk also found the scoring column Thursday against Dibrell, adding two points in a 31-23 defeat.
It was a difficult week for Irving College after its unbeaten start, but Lusk showed he could provide offense against quality competition. His 17 points across three games were a bright spot for a Tiger team looking to get back on track.
Morrison – James Starkey
Some players earn recognition by filling up the scoring column. Others make their biggest impact when the game is hanging in the balance.
Starkey managed to do a little of both last week, saving his biggest moment for one of the most dramatic finishes of the elementary season.
The Morrison standout scored four points Monday as the Eagles nearly upset Dibrell before falling 18-15. Three nights later, Morrison found itself trailing Centertown 13-6 after the opening quarter and needing a major comeback to avoid another close defeat.
The Eagles responded with a determined second-half rally, and Starkey delivered two of the biggest points of the night. He knocked down a pair of clutch free throws as Morrison completed a stunning 28-27 victory over the Warriors.
Starkey finished with six points in the win, giving him 10 across the two games. More importantly, he showed he could step to the line and deliver when every point mattered.
For a Morrison team looking to build momentum, Starkey's steady hand helped turn a potential loss into one of the Eagles' most memorable victories of the season.
West – Malik Ellis
The Wizards have spent the opening month of the season running opponents out of the gym, but Ellis is showing there's much more to West's success than just speed and defensive pressure.
Ellis put together one of his strongest all-around performances Monday when West faced previously unbeaten Irving College. The Tigers tried to slow the Wizards with a packed-in zone defense, but Ellis helped make that strategy difficult to maintain.
He attacked the offensive glass to create extra possessions, knocked down perimeter jumpers when Irving College concentrated on protecting the paint and delivered sharp passes to teammates running ahead of the defense.
Ellis finished with seven points in West's convincing 36-13 victory, but his impact went well beyond the scoring column. His rebounding, defensive activity and ability to make the right pass helped the Wizards gradually pull away from a team that had entered the night without a loss.
With Cam Chadwell running the show, Byron Keyes controlling the boards and Princeton Scott creating havoc defensively, Ellis gives West another versatile weapon capable of hurting opponents in different ways.
The Wizards are now 5-0, and Ellis is a big reason why their unbeaten run continues.
Boys standings (through Oct. 22)
West 5-0
Dibrell 6-1
Centertown 4-2
Hickory Creek 4-2
Irving College 3-3
Boyd 2-4
Morrison 2-4
Bobby Ray 0-5
Eastside 0-5
This week's schedule
Monday, Oct. 26
Bobby Ray at West, 6 p.m.
Boyd at Irving College, 6 p.m.
Centertown at Hickory Creek, 6 p.m.
Eastside at Morrison, 6 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 29
Centertown at Eastside, 6 p.m.
Irving College at Hickory Creek, 6 p.m.
Morrison at Bobby Ray, 6 p.m.
West at Boyd, 6 p.m.
