WARREN, Ark. — The Warren Junior Lumberjacks opened their season with a pair of strong performances last week, defeating Hope Junior High 34–19 on Monday before earning a 36–26 road win over El Dorado’s ninth-grade team on Thursday.
Head coach Micah Richey said Monday’s game turned quickly in Warren’s favor after a dominant second quarter in which the Junior Jacks outscored Hope 17–2. The early lead allowed Warren to rotate younger players into the lineup.
“I was able to give minutes to some of our younger guys and see what they are capable of in a live game,” Richey said. “We looked rough in some areas, but that is typical being our first game since last year.”
C. Byrd led Warren with 12 points, while B. Nelson added 12 points and eight rebounds. Warren also controlled the boards, outrebounding Hope 35–18.
On Thursday, Richey challenged his team to finish with three or fewer turnovers per quarter—a goal the Junior Lumberjacks met exactly, totaling 12 for the game.
“Our guys played really good defense and I couldn’t be more proud of how hard they are playing,” Richey said.
B. Nelson again led Warren with 14 points, and J. Hines posted 8 points with eight rebounds. C. Byrd added 7 points and six steals, helping Warren pull away with a 16-point fourth quarter.
