Final per Bowling Green Preps Twitter.

The game played out similarly to the last game between the two teams - that game was also at South Warren. The two teams traded the lead back and forth in the opening quarter, with South Warren taking a one point lead at the buzzer with a layup. They continued trading the lead during the second until a 7-0 run gave the Spartans their largest lead of the game at 30-25. Dre Boyd knocked down two free throws to cut it to a three point deficit at the half. The third quarter was decisive. Central opened on a 14-2 run, and mostly didn't look back. South cut the lead to four once in the final quarter, and was as close as six at 60-54 with just over two minutes left, but they could not sustain the run, and Central closed on a 10-2 run.

 

The Spartan administration was a bit more vocal this year than in years past about the five team district setup. Both Coach Embry and AD Chris Decker had commented publicly on the difficulty with that - this probably will not help that feeling. It is a tough setup for the teams that fall to the 4/5 game in the 14th, trying to win two games in two days to get to the region tournament. It's a factor in why South has still not advanced to a region tournament, as this was their fifth straight year in the game. Of course, it must also be noted that a #4 seed has never beaten a #1 seed in the 14th District tournament, so even in a single game scenario, it can only take you so far. (A #5 seed has won over the #1 a single time.) On a positive note, the Spartans finish with a winning record for the second time in three years, and match 2012/13 for their second highest win total in program history.

The Spartan administration was a bit more vocal this year than in years past about the five team district setup. Both Coach Embry and AD Chris Decker had commented publicly on the difficulty with that - this probably will not help that feeling. It is a tough setup for the teams that fall to the 4/5 game in the 14th, trying to win two games in two days to get to the region tournament. It's a factor in why South has still not advanced to a region tournament, as this was their fifth straight year in the game. Of course, it must also be noted that a #4 seed has never beaten a #1 seed in the 14th District tournament, so even in a single game scenario, it can only take you so far. (A #5 seed has won over the #1 a single time.) On a positive note, the Spartans finish with a winning record for the second time in three years, and match 2012/13 for their second highest win total in program history.

 

Not trying to be smart but avoid the 4/5 game. The one seed should play before the 2/3 game. That's the reward for being the #1 seed.

Not trying to be smart but avoid the 4/5 game. The one seed should play before the 2/3 game. That's the reward for being the #1 seed.

 

Frankly, I agree. On the girls side, three teams tied for the #2 seed with 4-4 district records, and so one team that won four district games got condemned to the #4 seed. On that one, I see the gripe. But when you go 2-6 in district play and lose every game to the teams seeded ahead of you, you really don't have much of an argument.

 

I just find it newsworthy because the drumbeats are starting to get louder about it. It's not the easy fix it was in 1994 when Franklin-Simpson was in a five team district with the Bowling Green schools. At the time, the 13th District had just three teams (Butler County had left for the third region after the 89/90 season, when Greenwood opened). Franklin-Simpson had been in a district with the Bowling Green schools for 40 years, and there was a lot of tradition there. So they stayed in the 14th District, leaving them with five teams. Apparently the grumbling about that got pretty loud, and Franklin finally agreed to move, no longer feeling welcome, and letting go of those traditional rivalries. But that was simple - no one swapped regions, there was space for Franklin in the 13th, and no counties were split. This, is not that. One, there is no district with space to accept a 14th District team. Someone would have to be shoved out to another region, or else you just have another five team district. Most of the arguing for that here centers around shipping Todd County Central out (they've been in the region since 1982) and moving South Warren into the 13th. That raises the other issue - why would South Warren - or any of the 14th frankly - be allowed the advantage of being a Bowling Green/Warren County school but not have to go through those teams? You could just as easily push Russell County out of the region back to the 12th, move Monroe County back to the 16th District where it was for years, and ease Greenwood in with Allen County-Scottsville and the Barren County schools. They're every bit as close as South is to the 13th District schools that would remain. But I don't think they should get that advantage either, and I can all but guarantee no one in the other districts wants any part of that either. I'm just interested to see where it goes, if anywhere.