THE FAR EAST SIDE — I know that everybody and their Uncle LeRoy and cousin Ray-Ray has been talking about both Lawrence North and Lawrence Central all season because they’re the two top dawgs. However, don’t sleep on the Warren Central Warriors because they’re young. They’ve got that swag/mojo/fiyahh that boyz need to win.
Led by junior guard Malik Stanley they could be somebody’s problem come tournament time. Well playas…they were Carmel’s problem on Friday night as they jumped out of the Big Body Chevy and did work on the Greyhounds in the middle of the street beating them 58-50.
The score was not indicative of the lopsided win I saw with my own two eyes. The Warriors (15-5) seem to have found their rhythm as they’re on a seven game winning streak after dropping five straight in the middle of their season. They opened the 2019-20 campaign on an eight game winning streak. Like I said before, they could be somebody’s problem come tourney time because they’re purring right now.
Garrett Winegar’s squad jumped out of the ride on Carmel and went on an 8-2 run to start the game and never looked back. The Greyhounds never led in this one and only got as close as one point with less than a minute to play in the first half on a Connor Gioia layup to make it 27-26. However, Warren’s Micah Moore got a huge tip in at the buzzer to put the Warriors up 29-26 at the break.
If not for several wasted WC possessions, the game would have been a lopsided affair. Give Carmel credit for playing great defense at times and never giving up. Brian Waddell kept them relevant all night leading all scorers with 21 points.
However, it was the Malik Stanley Show on the FAR EAST SIDE on Friday night. Ole boy led the Warriors with 20 points and crazy energy and swag. The junior guard plays with so much confidence with or without the ball in his hands. On offense he’s in complete control and on defense he’s a menace. I love this kid’s game!!! Don’t sleep on Malik!!! That should be on a darn t-shirt.
He came out of the break shooting that thang as he dropped a 3-pointer on his first second half attempt to set the tone for the rest of the night. Before I could bite into my hot dog good Warren was up 40-28.
With cats like Cortland Jackson dropping 14 points, Derek Jefferson coming through with 8 and Elijah “EJ” Ray pushing the rock down the floor and throwing dimes like a bank. The WC was hard to stay in front of.
Don’t sleep on these cats because they’ve still got something to prove. Most folks are saying that they’re a year away but they could easily send a boy, any boy, home in the sectionals. In my Bart Scott voice, “Can’t Wait!”
