article 14th District Tournament Preview

[DragonFire]

The 14th District tournament has been dominated by Bowling Green and Warren Central for the last 17 years. That's how long it has been since another team won the tournament, with Greenwood taking the title in 1996. The two teams were ranked #1 & #2 in our preseason rankings of the 4th Region and expected to meet for an unprecedented fourth consecutive region final. Just one problem....

 

They play in the semifinals of the district.

 

Warren East crashed the party this year earning a season sweep of Warren Central. And despite being swept by Bowling Green themselves, coach Casey Simpson snatched the 1 seed for the Raiders at the district tournament draw to break the three way tie. So there will be at least one top team absent from the 4th Region tourney. It remains to be seen if someone can break the 17 year hold on the district.

 

To the matchups.....

 

14th District Tournament at Greenwood High School

February 18th

#4 South Warren vs. #5 Greenwood - The Spartans swept the season series between these two teams by a combined 35 points. The Gators have managed to keep it close in a couple of district games against Bowling Green and Warren East, but haven't remotely solved the Spartans. It says here that they won't in the tournament either. Prediction: South Warren by 10

 

February 20th

Predicted Matchup #4 South Warren vs. #1 Warren East - The Raiders are looking to return to the region tournament for the first time since 1997. The district draw gave them a clear path there, avoiding Bowling Green who swept them. Their predicted opponent South Warren nearly upset the Raiders in December, losing on a last second tip in by Aaron Strange. It gave East a win in a game they led for only 12 seconds in the second half. The Raiders led the entire second half in the rematch, but still only won by 5. A win is no guarantee, but this Raiders team has the feel of one destined to get back to region. The Spartans take the step of winning a postseason game this year, but East stops them short of their first region tourney appearance.

 

Should the Gators pull the upset of South Warren, their Cinderella story will end against the Raiders. East won by only 6 in their early January meeting, but bombed them to the tune of a 25 point victory in the last matchup. Prediction: Warren East by 9 over South Warren or Warren East by 14 over Greenwood

 

February 21st

#2 Bowling Green vs. #3 Warren Central - The regional tournament's loss is the 14th district tourneys gain. These two teams met in the last 3 region finals but will meet in a district elimination game for the first time since 2008. Bowling Green won that 2008 matchup and has won 6 of the 9 previous district semifinal matchups between these two teams. Warren Central has been the thorn in the Purples' side this season, dealing them their only two district losses and as of this writing 2 of the 3 losses Bowling Green has suffered in their last 14 games (the other to BGP Top 5 team Hopkinsville). Central, for their part, is 14-0 against teams not named Warren East since late December, averaging a margin of victory of 17 points in those wins.

 

In the season series between these two, the Dragons were thoroughly dominant for 7 of the 8 quarters played, but it was that 8th quarter that showed what the Purples were capable of, storming back from an 18 point deficit entering the 4th quarter of their first matchup to take a 5 point lead. The Purples ultimately fell in double overtime of that game, but it's enough to plant a seed of doubt in the Dragons and a grain of confidence in the Purples. It's a sign that either team can walk out of this game and the winner will enter the region tournament as the favorite regardless of the district final outcome. It's tough to beat a team three times in the same year, but the Dragons have also never lost a postseason matchup to the Purples in a year where they swept the regular season series, going 7-0 in those games. The prediction here is that they extend that record. Prediction: Warren Central by 4

 

February 23rd

Predicted Matchup #1 Warren East vs. #3 Warren Central - While no team other than Warren Central or Bowling Green has won the district since 1996, for Warren East the drought is even longer. You have to go all the way back to 1989 to find the last time the Raiders won a district championship, a title they owned in their first 20 years, winning 10 times. Former district member Franklin-Simpson, which hasn't played in the district since 1994, has won one more recently (two in fact). Getting to region is the most important goal for Warren East but it would be a statement if they could break that drought and hold Warren Central and Bowling Green have had. In this predicted matchup, it would require them to defeat Warren Central for a third time this year. The Raiders won the first two matchups by pulling away in the second half of each low scoring affair, ultimately winning by margins of 9 and 7 points. East matches up well with Central, matching their interior presence and have utilized dead-eye shooting from the perimeter to fell the Dragons. If this year is any indication, you can throw out all other Central games when looking at what the Dragons have done. Central has been held below 60 points three times and only twice since December 21st - both were in their losses to Warren East. The Raiders have left the Dragons befuddled after each matchup, and with the Dragons having to compete in a far more difficult semifinal matchup, the prediction here is that the Dragons will leave this one the same way. Prediction: Warren East by 3

[gold sunrise]

Great info.

[DragonFire]

ttt

[BIG BLACK JACK]

I'm nervous. I'll leave it at that.

[Randy Parker]

Bump

[mcpapa]

Looks like a very competitive district.

 

I appreciate the info on our brethren out west.

[BIG BLACK JACK]

I think it's great that SW is beating Greenwood in both baseball and basketball. Greenwood has periods where they have a ton of talent in both sports, but fail to meet expectations.

[DragonFire]

I think it's great that SW is beating Greenwood in both baseball and basketball. Greenwood has periods where they have a ton of talent in both sports, but fail to meet expectations.

 

They'll get a shot in football next year as well.

 

It didn't help Greenwood any that South Warren initially raided them of their talent, both from the pool of players and coaches. It wasn't like that as much when Greenwood split from Warren Central. Much of the talent at that point elected to remain at Central, and none of the head coaches from the main sports (Football, Boys & Girls Basketball, Baseball, Softball) jumped ship. When South Warren opened, Greenwood lost their football coach, boys basketball coach (to become assistant principal), and baseball coach (to become AD).