Wizards win battle of unbeatens
Byron Keyes, Cam Chadwell and Princeton Scott pose with the WCSA chain after playing big for the West Wizards Tuesday night on the road.
Two undefeated boys basketball teams entered Centertown gym Tuesday night, but by the final horn, a true league favorite emerged. The West Wizards made a strong case for being the team to beat in the 3-5 grade league, riding Cam Chadwell's 18-point performance and a relentless defensive effort to a convincing 32-14 victory over the Warriors.
West improved to 3-0 with its biggest victory of the young season, handing Centertown (3-1) its first loss while putting its speed, pressure defense and offensive rebounding on display for a packed gym and the audience watching the inaugural Warren County Sports Authority Elementary Game of the Week.
The Wizards had already established themselves as a dangerous team with wins over Hickory Creek and Eastside, but Tuesday presented a different challenge. Centertown entered averaging more than 31 points per game, led by Greyson Eubanks and Colt Bratcher, and had rolled through its first three opponents.
For one quarter, the Warriors looked ready to defend their home floor. Centertown grabbed a 4-1 advantage after the opening 10 minutes as both teams struggled to find their offensive rhythm. West was creating opportunities with its pressure and crashing the offensive glass, but the Wizards couldn't get shots to fall.
That changed in a hurry.
West began finding its rhythm in the second quarter, turning defensive stops into transition opportunities and getting contributions from Chadwell, Byron Keyes and Princeton Scott. The Wizards broke an 8-8 tie with a 10-2 run to close the half, taking a 16-8 lead into the locker room.
The double up was only the beginning.
West delivered its most impressive stretch immediately after halftime, holding Centertown scoreless for the entire third quarter while putting 14 points on the board. Chadwell was at the center of the surge, knocking down shots from the perimeter, attacking the basket and capitalizing on turnovers.
By the end of the third, West had turned a competitive matchup into a 30-8 runaway.
The Wizards' defense was the difference. West consistently pressured Centertown's ball handlers, disrupted passing lanes and prevented the Warriors from getting comfortable in their half-court offense. Even when Centertown managed to break the pressure, the Wizards made clean looks difficult to find.
West also dominated stretches on the offensive glass, with Keyes providing a physical presence inside. His six points were only part of his impact as he helped the Wizards control rebounds and create second-chance opportunities.
Scott added four points and was particularly disruptive defensively, using active hands to force turnovers and help ignite the fast break. DJ Ramirez and Mario Munoz chipped in two points each, with Munoz getting into the scoring column late as West worked its reserves into the action.
Chadwell's 18 points upped his average to 12.7 ppg this season, only strengthening his reputation as the league’s most feared scorer.
Bratcher led Centertown with four points. Noah Simpson, Christian Simpson, Knox Stiles, Hudson Dunn and Jett Pryor scored two apiece. The Warriors struggled to find the offensive production that had carried them through their first three victories, finishing with just six second-half points.
Wildcats keep rolling against Eastside
Dibrell continued doing what the Wildcats have become known for in elementary basketball Tuesday night, combining suffocating defense with timely offense to defeat Eastside 33-11.
River Rice led the Wildcats with 14 points while Jean Garcia added seven, Owen Willis scored six, Jeb Culwell finished with five and Mason Kieffer contributed one. Dibrell improved to 3-1 with the victory, continuing to establish itself among the stronger teams in the boys division.
The Wildcats have built their program around making opponents uncomfortable, creating opportunities with defensive pressure and developing young guards and post players who can contribute when the season reaches its most important stretch.
Tuesday's performance was another example of that formula. Dibrell limited Eastside to 11 points while getting balanced contributions behind Rice's strong offensive showing.
Grey Rambo led Eastside with four points. Matthias Wilcher added three while Kaden Tate and Grayson Shaffer scored two apiece. Eastside dropped to 0-4 with the loss.
Taylor powers Lady Warriors past West
Centertown's girls basketball team made sure the home crowd had something to celebrate Tuesday night, bouncing back from its first loss of the season with a 30-10 victory over West. Lynlee Taylor led the Lady Warriors with 14 points, continuing an impressive return after missing the season opener.
Taylor has looked fully recovered since returning to the lineup and was particularly effective coming out of fall break, providing nearly half of Centertown's offense against the Lady Wizards. Arie Shehane added six points while Chloe Melton and Ava Youngblood scored four apiece. Camilla Lopez rounded out the scoring with two.
The victory moved Centertown to 3-1, keeping the Lady Warriors near the top of the standings after their earlier setback against unbeaten Boyd.
West was led by Novalee Wood with four points. Itzel Cardenas-Lopez, Adaline Hill and Kayleigh Redmon each added two as the Lady Wizards fell to 0-3.
Lady Bulldogs pull away for second win
Eastside and Dibrell have been battling on elementary basketball courts for decades, and Tuesday's girls matchup added another chapter to the longtime Warren County rivalry.
The Lady Bulldogs came away with a 19-7 victory, but the final margin didn't reflect how closely the teams battled during the first half. Eastside held just a 6-3 advantage at halftime before Mia Rodriguez and Sayla Winfree found their offensive rhythm after the break.
Rodriguez finished with a game-high seven points while Winfree added six, combining for nine of their team’s points in a second-half surge. Haven Hicks, Ada Crouch and Brynlee Woodlee each chipped in two.
Lynsey Mingle, Piper Hall and Allison Mendez Montenegro each scored two points for Dibrell while Cassity Roller added one.
Girls standings
Boyd 4-0
Hickory Creek 3-0
Irving College 2-0
Centertown 3-1
Eastside 2-2
Bobby Ray 1-2
West 0-3
Morrison 0-3
Dibrell 0-4
Boys standings
West 3-0
Irving College 2-0
Centertown 3-1
Dibrell 3-1
Hickory Creek 2-1
Morrison 1-2
Boyd 1-3
Bobby Ray 0-3
Eastside 0-4
Thursday, Oct. 15 games
Hickory Creek at Dibrell, 6 p.m.
Bobby Ray at Irving College, 6 p.m.
Morrison at West, 6 p.m.
