Warren Central 70 - Greenwood 50

Warren Central High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky

By J. Trace Kirkwood

The basketball is heating up as we near Kentucky's Mardis Gras, which is also known as "March Madness." Yeah, yeah, I know it's still January, but district tournaments are about a month away, and the tension is already in the air when district foes square off against one another. The crowds are large. The basketball is intense. The games are important. Fans are already trying to figure out how district pairing are going to or how they might end up by the results of certain games.

I love it.

When I saw that the Greenwood Gators were going to visit Warren Central, which is just up the highway and is my childrens' home high school, I couldn't resist some good 14th District hoops.

I like these two teams for different reasons. The Dragons are long and lean and athletic, and their press and high octane offense turns the 4200 square feet of a high school basketball court into a postage stamp. I really enjoy watching the Dragons play basketball.

I like Greenwood because they hustle and play above themselves on most evenings. I also like Dee Anderson, who is one of the smoothest players in the state. I sometimes want to check the 6'3" forward's shoes for afterburners, especially after he has cut through a full court press like a F-22 through Saddam Hussein's Air Force.

Early in the first quarter, Greenwood looked as if they rolled into the Dragon's Lair to win a ballgame and jumped to an early 5-3 lead on the team most people believe will win the Fourth Region. Warren Central is capable of putting points on the board in a real hurry. Central's Brett Jackson made some big plays during an explosive Dragon run that gave them the lead 15-5 at the end of the first quarter.

Every team, coach, fan, and player in the Fourth Region should beware. When the Warren Central Dragons turn it up to 11, be prepared to be knocked out. They have that extra notch on their basketball amplifier that puts them "one louder" than most teams. They get the extra push over the cliff.

After their initial five points, Greenwood had no more good looks at the basket. They forced passes and shots, and it seemed every loose ball ended up in a Dragon player's hands.

In the second quarter, Central kind of dialed things back. They didn't press Greenwood, and the Gators found their way back into a game that could've been an ugly blowout. Will Clayton and Dee Anderson made some tough shots, and Greenwood stayed within striking distance at the half down 32-21.

During the second quarter I kept thinking of the Asleep at the Wheel song "Swing with Who Swung You," which may be an old Bob Wills song. It's similar to what stock car racing fans say, "run what ya brung." When Central stepped out of it's persona of attacking the basket and playing pressure full court defense, then they let Greenwood back into the ballgame. I sort of understand because Central travels to South Laurel on Saturday (the next day) for a big game. They had to save something.

Greenwood opened the third quarter with good defense and steady offensive play and were able to cut into Central's lead. Dee Anderson did a good job at splitting up Central's press, and his speed create plays that cut the lead to 32-25. Greenwood hustles on both ends of the court. It is a trademark of Blane Embry's coaching and the determination of his players, which seems to be passed from class-to-class at Greenwood.

The Gators were still snapping at the Dragons early in the fourth quarter in an effort to win the ball game. I told my friend Eddie Dillard, heir to the Dillard Department Store fortune, that Warren Central plays some games like a race car driver coasting with the gear shift in third gear and the clutch in. As soon as they let out the clutch and engage their power, they take off like a dragster.

That's what the Dragons did in late in the third quarter and throughout the fourth. They popped the clutch on their potent offense and opened up a large lead on the Gators. They cruised to a 20 point win over their district foe, 70-50.

Warren Central moves to 6-0 in the region and 3-0 in the 14th District, while Greenwood sinks to 3-6 and 1-2.

OBSERVATIONS

A Feel Good Moment?: It did my heart good to hear the Warren Central student section welcome Bowling Green's Coach D.G. Sherrill to the game on Friday night. Coach Sherrill and his coaching staff found their way to Morgantown Road after downing Warren East 59-51 earlier, and the Central students pointed and chanted, "WE SUNK SHERRILL." I think that's what they said. It made me feel all warm inside. The Purples and the Dragons seem to be headed to a couple of district and regional collisions, so I'm sure there be some warm greetings for Coach Tim Riley at the Purple Palace when they play on January 30th.

More From the Warren Central Students: They have a great response to taunts from other student bodies. On Friday, the Greenwood students chanted "AIR BALL" after a Warren Central miss. The Central student chanted "LOOK AT THE SCORE BOARD," which showed a lopsided lead in their favor.

Go Big Blue: My little boy was sick tonight, so I took my daughter to the game. We left our good vehicle with my wife in case she had to go somewhere. That means we had to roll "Big Blue" out of our little garage. The moniker is kind of joke. "Big Blue" is a 1994 Mazda pickup truck I own that is painted bright blue. Big Blue has nearly 196,000 miles on her, and I only drive her on weekends, usually when the weather is good. The truck has trouble starting when it is cold. I put a couple quarts of oil in it between gasoline fill-ups. The radio doesn't work, either. Warren Central isn't too far from Pick and Roll headquarters in Rockfield, so I could always walk home if Big Blue died somewhere on Russellville Road.

Male High Countdown: The Louisville Male High Bulldogs visit Bowling Green next Saturday at the State Farm Shootout at Bowling Green High. I'm a Male High alumnus, so I'm anxious to see them play, and I plan to write a blog about their game, but I hope Pick and Roll readers don't expect any kind of objectivity from me when writing about my old school. I'm going to pull my old "MALE HIGH" towel from my office shelves to take to the game and serenade this year's team with my rendition of "Dear Old High School."

Let's give a rah for Dear Ole High School
And let us pledge our love of old
Others may like white and crimson (that's a stab at rival Manual)
But for us it's Purple and Gold
Let all our troubles be forgotten
Let High School spirit rule;
We'll join and give our loyal efforts
For the good of our dear school

It's dear Old High School
It's dear Old High School
The pride of all the folks 'round here.
Com on, you old grads
Join with us young lad,
It's LMHS now we hear,
Now is the time boys
To make a big noise
About Kentucky's finest school
For there is naught to fear,
The gang's all hear
So hail to dear Old High School, Hail!

Coach Norb Hummel made every freshman in his gym class learn that song before he would give them a passing grade. He also made us clean rocks from the football practice field along Caldwell Street at the "real" Male High at Brook and Breckinridge streets in downtown Louisville. By the way, my wife hates the "Kentucky's finest school" part. She says it's arrogant. I ask her how many U.S. Supreme Court Justices graduated from Hancock County. Male High also produced Hunter S. Thompson.