County boys PotW (Tournament)

The 6–8 grade boys basketball season was everything this county prides itself on - rivalries, growth, grit and a postseason that demanded every ounce a player had left to give. From the first tip in November to Championship Saturday at Charlie Dalton Gym, these kids delivered big moments and bigger memories.

Centertown completed a wire-to-wire run as the county’s top team, Morrison proved night after night that toughness and belief can flip a bracket and Dibrell showed why they’ve been a mainstay in championship conversations for years. Eastside and Irving College closed the season playing their best basketball, while Boyd clawed its way into some of the year’s most dramatic finishes.

The tournament brought out the best in everyone. Stars rose. Role players became spark plugs. Coaches trusted the work they’d put in for months. The season ended with champions crowned, careers launched and a new wave of players ready to take the next step in Warren County hoops.

As always, none of this happens without the support of the people who invest in the future of local sports. Players of the Week are presented by Kevin Rhoton at SouthPoint Risk, Cole Taylor Lawn Care, M&M Farms, McCorkle Landscaping and Crisp Springs Fireworks.

Here is your Main Street Journal tournament edition of Players of the Week, honoring the standouts from Championship Saturday and the semifinal and quarterfinal rounds that brought this season to a close.

BOYD – RYDER REED

Reed saved his best basketball for the postseason. The fifth grader played far above his age, scoring 11 in Boyd’s quarterfinal game against Irving College while continuing to be one of the Broncos’ most clutch shooters.

His ability to hit momentum 3s and give Boyd backcourt depth behind Justin Spry kept the Broncos in every tournament game they played. Reed may be young, but he showed he belongs in the conversation as one of the league’s most fearless big-moment shooters.

CENTERTOWN – LAWSON DENNING

If a team is going to win both the regular season and tournament titles, someone has to anchor the run, and Denning did exactly that. He led Centertown with 15 points in the championship game, drilling two tone-setting threes and stabilizing the Warriors when Morrison made its furious third-quarter push.

His blend of size, shooting and composure helped Centertown finish 11-1 in county play. Denning’s performance also capped a season that placed him among Centertown’s top scorers overall, finishing the year among the league’s top 10 in points.

DIBRELL – KENDAL WOMACK

Womack finished the season as one of the league’s three highest scorers and backed it up again in the tournament. He posted 15 in the third-place game and delivered a heroic regulation-saving steal and score in the semifinal to force overtime against Morrison.

Few players locally combine his downhill scoring ability with his late-game fearlessness. Tournament play often rewards players who refuse to shrink in big moments - Dibrell had that in Womack all season long.

EASTSIDE – MAKS YOUNG

Young ended his season as Eastside’s most consistent force and delivered again in the tournament, scoring 12 in the Bulldogs’ quarterfinal game. His physicality, rebounding and ability to finish through contact gave Eastside stability inside all season.

Even against Morrison’s size and speed, Young held his own and continued the trend that made him one of the Bulldogs’ most productive players down the stretch. His effort level never dipped, even when facing the league’s top offenses.

IRVING COLLEGE – DAKOTA LOCKEMY

Lockemy finished the season as one of the top seven scorers in the entire county and played like it in the postseason. He poured in 18 in the quarterfinal win over Boyd and followed with 13 against Dibrell in the consolation game.

His strength around the basket, improved footwork and ability to finish through defenders made him one of the tournament’s toughest matchups. Lockemy’s late-season surge helped push the Tigers to a postseason win and cemented him as one of the league’s most dominant paint players.

MORRISON – COOPER MURPHY

Murphy capped off a remarkable season - finishing fourth in total scoring countywide - with a postseason run that nearly carried Morrison to a title. He led the Eagles with 13 in the semifinal overtime win over Dibrell and followed it with seven more in the championship after giving Centertown everything it could handle.

When games tightened, the ball found Cooper. His tournament showed exactly why Morrison’s backcourt was the one of the most dangerous tandems in the county.