Best team in state? No. 1 Warren Central rolls to King of the Bluegrass crown

It’s dangerous to start projecting a Sweet 16 favorite before Christmas, but the Warren Central High School boys basketball team had that look this week.

With scoring weapons at all five positions and a smothering defense, the Dragons stormed through the Chad Gardner Law King of the Bluegrass at Fairdale and took the crown Tuesday night with an emphatic 86-59 victory over Great Crossing in the championship game.

Only three teams have won the King of the Bluegrass and the state title in the same season, and the last to do it was Eastern in 1996-97.

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A lot can happen between now and March, but the Dragons (9-0) seem more than worthy of the No. 1 spot in The Associated Press state rankings.

“I knew they were the best team in the state going into the year,” Great Crossing coach Steve Page said. “(George Rogers Clark) got the ranking because they won the state last year. But I knew how good Warren Central is, so I’m not a bit surprised. … We got our butts kicked by a darn good team.”

Chappelle Whitney was outstanding in the final, posting 26 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists. Damarion Walkup added 18 points, and Kade Unseld and Omari Glover added 14 points apiece.

The Dragons shot 62.7% and finished with 21 assists on their 37 made field goals. Perhaps most impressive about their play was how they constantly moved the ball, patiently waiting to find an open player or a mismatch.

“I’m used to it, and we still have a little ways to go and some stuff to clean up,” said coach Will Unseld, also Kade’s father. “But they’re so talented. We have a lot of guys who can pass the ball. We really put five big guards on the floor. They’re resilient, they’re old, they’re seniors. They’ve been through a lot of ball games.

“I’m trying to test them as much as I can so they have to learn how to keep battling. They have a lot of dog inside of them.”

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Kade Unseld earned the tournament’s Bob White MVP award, adding six rebounds and three assists with his 14 points.

Kade Unseld said the Dragons are motivated by last season’s 43-42 loss to George Rogers Clark in the state final. They returned four starters from that team, and Unseld was the sixth man.

“We think about it every day,” he said. “We were one point away. We’re trying to get back and finish that.”

Gage Richardson scored 13 points to lead No. 4-ranked Great Crossing (9-2). The Warhawks’ other loss came at No. 2 Covington Catholic, 75-60, on Dec. 1.

Page said the Dragons are a tougher matchup because they essentially play five guards.

“We felt good about four of our matchups, and we knew the fifth was going to be a struggle for us,” Page said. “They exposed that fifth matchup.”

Warren Central beat DeSales 63-57 in its King of the Bluegrass opener and then beat Manual, North Oldham and Great Crossing by an average margin of 21.7 points.

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They weren’t handing out Sweet 16 trophies at Fairdale on Tuesday night. But no one who watched this tournament will be surprised if Warren Central is holding one come March.

“This means a lot; it’s a big award,” Kade Unseld said. “But we’re focused on the end of the year and what matters most in March.”

Warren Central               16          24          21          28 - 89

Great Crossing                 11          14          13          18 - 56

Warren Central (9-0) – Damarion Walkup 18, Izayiah Villafuerte 9, Malik Jefferson 5, Kade Unseld 14, Omari Glover 14, Cade Hammer 3, Chappelle Whitney 26.

Great Crossing (9-2) – Vince Dawson 11, Junius Burrell 8, Gage Richardson 13, Christian Martin 2, Juelz Hill 2, Jeremiah Godfrey 10, Malachi Moreno 10.

Bob White MVP – Kade Unseld, Warren Central

Stanley Hardin Most Outstanding Player – Travis Perry, Lyon County

All-tournament team – Malachi Moreno (Great Crossing), Vince Dawson (Great Crossing), Chappelle Whitney (Warren Central), Crew Gibson (DeSales), Brady Shoulders (Lyon County), Jerone Morton (George Rogers Clark), Dalton Hicks (Fairdale), Ian Higdon (North Oldham), Dallas Roberts (North Oldham), Ashton Smith (Sagemont, Fla.), Tyran Becker (Sagemont, Fla.), Carson Childress (LaRue County), Daniel Allen (LaRue County), Trent Noah (Harlan County), Drae Vasser (Trinity).

Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @kyhighs.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Best team in state? Warren Central rolls to King of the Bluegrass crown