Sweet 16 sendoff

Warren Central rallies for basketball team

By Courtney Craig, ccraig@bgdailynews.com — 270-783-3243

Wednesday, March 16, 2005

Warren Central High School boys basketball team not only traveled in style to the state Sweet 16, but they received a pretty nice sendoff as well.

The team headed to Lexington on Tuesday afternoon in four SUVs with a 27-4 record, marking their fourth consecutive trip to the state basketball tournament. This time, they are defending a state title. After a quick parade through the schools hallways led by the band, the team climbed into their SUVs and made several laps around the track in the football stadium to the cheers of the student body.

Im excited about it, 15-year-old Cassie White said as she watched the parade go by.

Cassie and her friend, 15-year-old Katie Alagna, are planning to travel to Lexingtons Rupp Arena to see the Dragons play their first game Thursday night against Holmes High School from Covington. The girls get an excused absence from school if they bring their ticket stubs in.

I think they might make it again, Katie said.

If they dont, theyll come close, Cassie added.

Assistant Principal John Dempsey said the pep rally was rather impromptu, but everyone is even more excited about this years trip to Lexington because Warren Central was not favored to go to the Sweet 16 at the beginning of the season. The Dragons clinched their fourth straight Fourth Region championship Saturday with a 51-42 win over Bowling Green High.

Were never not excited about going to Lexington, Dempsey said. But this one is especially nice because no one expected us to go back. We lost four starters this year, so lots of guts and determination have gone into this.

Those starters included Lonnell Dewalt, Matt Maresca, Ryan Anderson and Brock Whitney, who accounted for 70 percent of the Dragons points and 67 percent of their rebounds last year.

This year, however, seniors Troy McFarland, P.J. Smith and Bryson Hall are expected to make big contributions, having been a part of four winning seasons.

Warren Central Athletic Director Eric Wilson said its hard to predict how well Warren Central will do because only two teams in the Sweet 16 were there last year everyone else is a newcomer. Because of that, the Dragons have just as good a chance at the title as anyone else, he said.

Its an interesting bracket, Wilson said. Theres been a lot of change, so its kind of an open field.

But Warren Central students only have their eyes on one team, and are hoping the Dragons come home with another state win. After last years title-winning 66-56 win over Mason County in the championship game Warren Centrals first state title the Dragons are ready to defend their honor.

Students Amy Jenkins and Shana Jones, both 16, are optimistic that will happen.

I think if the team pulls together, theyll do it, Amy said. And this is why we do the pep rallies to get them all hyped up.

Norm Haney of the Daily News contributed information to this article.

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