Following a two-point win against Brebeuf Jesuit on Saturday night, and winning five out of their last six, the Warren Central Warriors have a chance to get another statement win to add to their resume as they reach the midpoint of the season on Friday against Lawrence North. The Wildcats will not make this an easy feat for the Warriors, however, as they have not lost a game yet this season and show no signs of slowing down soon.
Warren came into the season with a new head coach in Criss Beyers and mostly new staff with him. After a rough start to the season losing their first three, The Warriors have bounced back winning five out of their last six including a win over seventh-ranked Ben Davis in December. They will look to continue this streak against Lawrence North at home on Friday.
One factor in this game will be the size of the two teams. The Wildcats leading shot blocker is Kai McGrew, who is 6-8. Brennan Miller will also be a threat in the paint for the Warriors averaging nine rebounds per game, shooting 59% from the field, including 50% from beyond the arc.
The Warriors bring the threat of endurance and strength to the game. Players like Robert Walker and Zeek Kirby are dangerous from the three-point line. Others such as Jevon Guess and Nick Glover will be fun to watch as they work in the paint. The Warriors believe that they have the advantage in this game due to the effort and fight that they offer throughout the entirety of the game.
“We practice hard all week so we can get the mental [aspect] there and then most of the time we tire the other team out and still have a little in us,” Walker said.
A common opponent between these teams is Crispus Attucks. Back on Dec. 8, Warren Central fell to the Tigers at home by three with a score of 59-56. The Warriors fought until the end in this matchup but Attucks outlasted them. A week and a half later on Dec. 19, Lawrence North got the best of the Tigers at home winning 72-71 in a close finish.
Scoring will play a big role in the outcome of the game between the Warriors and the Wildcats. Warren will need to ramp up their scoring dramatically to keep up with Lawrence North’s offense which is averaging 75 points per game compared to the Warriors’ 61 points per game.
Since their matchup with Crispus Attucks, the Warriors have had success in most of their matchups and have practiced in anticipation of harder matchups such as the upcoming one against the third-ranked Wildcats.
“I expect to come out on top considering our size and athleticism,” Walker said.
According to the Warren Central Athletic Office, tickets for this game are expected to sell fast and are only being sold until 5:00 p.m. on Friday at https://public.eventlink.com/tickets?t=64121. The Varsity matchup is expected to start around 7:30 p.m. at Warren Central High School.