Elementary basketball returned with a bang last week as Warren County’s 3-5 grade league tipped off with two nights of action. Four girls teams finished the opening week unbeaten, several familiar names immediately returned to form and plenty of new standouts emerged.
Each week, The Warren County Way will recognize a Player of the Week from every team, highlighting the young athletes making an impact with their scoring, defense, hustle and leadership. We want to thank the sponsors of these honors - and there are opportunities to get your business partnered with this feature in the future as well. Reach out to Jeff Simmons at wcsportsauthority@gmail.com for more details!
BOBBY RAY LADY STARS – Emberlyn Taylor
Taylor earned the Week 1 nod for Bobby Ray after continuing to battle during a challenging opening week for the Lady Stars. She got on the board with a late bucket against Centertown Thursday as Bobby Ray continued working to find its offensive rhythm against two unbeaten opponents.
BOYD LADY BRONCOS – Sky Wright
Wright wasted no time reminding everybody why she entered the season as one of the league’s top returning players. The Boyd standout scored 18 points in a 33-1 opening-night win over Bobby Ray, then added 12 in a 50-5 victory over Dibrell. Wright finished Week 1 with 30 points despite playing limited minutes, while also making an impact defensively, on the glass and as a facilitator for the 2-0 Lady Broncos.
CENTERTOWN LADY WARRIORS – Camilla Lopez
Lopez supplied plenty of firepower during Centertown’s perfect opening week. She erupted for 14 points in a 35-9 victory over Dibrell, scoring 10 in the second half as the Lady Warriors pulled away. Lopez followed with four points against Bobby Ray, giving her 18 for the week as Centertown improved to 2-0.
DIBRELL LADY WILDCATS – Lyla Wood
Wood took on plenty of responsibility for the Lady Wildcats during the opening week. She scored four points against Centertown, then handled much of Dibrell’s ball-handling duties against Boyd’s relentless pressure Thursday. Wood led the Lady Wildcats with three points in that matchup, finishing Week 1 with seven while continuing to battle against two of the league’s unbeaten teams.
EASTSIDE LADY BULLDOGS – Sayla Winfree
Winfree made her presence felt on both nights for Eastside. She scored a fourth-quarter jumper against defending champion Hickory Creek on opening night, then added another basket against Irving College Thursday. The Lady Bulldog finished with four points during Week 1 while Eastside faced two teams that emerged from the opening week undefeated.
HICKORY CREEK LADY HAWKS – Kimber Lowe
The defending champions found another weapon during their 2-0 start. Lowe scored two points in Hickory Creek’s opening victory over Eastside before taking over against West. Using her size and strength around the basket, Lowe poured in a game-high 12 points as the Lady Hawks rolled to a 32-4 road victory.
IRVING COLLEGE LADY TIGERS – Sophia Stubblefield
Stubblefield helped set the tone for an Irving College defense that carried the Lady Tigers to a 2-0 opening week. She teamed with Hadlee Green at the top of Irving College’s 2-3 zone to create turnovers against Morrison, then supplied a game-high six points in a 14-5 victory over Eastside. Her ability to impact both ends helped the Lady Tigers emerge from Week 1 unbeaten.
MORRISON LADY EAGLES – Julliana Hawkins
Hawkins is Morrison’s first Player of the Week selection after the Lady Eagles opened their season against Irving College. Morrison stayed within striking distance for much of the night against a tough Lady Tiger defense before falling 19-10. Hawkins and the Lady Eagles will look to build off their opening performance as the season moves into Week 2.
WEST LADY WIZARDS – Itzel Cardenas Lopez
Cardenas Lopez gets the opening-week recognition for West after the Lady Wizards made their season debut Thursday against defending champion Hickory Creek. West faced one of the league’s toughest defenses in its first action of the season, giving its young lineup an immediate test to begin the year.
Girls standings
Boyd 2-0
Centertown 2-0
Hickory Creek 2-0
Irving College 2-0
West 0-1
Morrison 0-1
Bobby Ray 0-2
Dibrell 0-2
Eastside 0-2
Next up
Monday, Sept. 28
Dibrell at Bobby Ray, 6 p.m.
Boyd at Centertown, 6 p.m.
West at Eastside, 6 p.m.
Hickory Creek at Morrison, 6 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 1
Morrison at Boyd, 6 p.m.
Centertown at Irving College, 6 p.m.
Dibrell at West, 6 p.m.
