WCHS Warriorettes win California tournament

The White County Warriorettes captured the Championship and introduced the spectators to Tennessee basketball.

 The Warriorettes traveled 1,850 miles to Los Angeles, California, to participate in the Fight 4 the Heights Tournament that Sacred Heart High School hosted. After the tournament, the young ladies from Sparta showed how a program with deep roots plays basketball.

On the first day, the Warriorettes faced the Lincoln High School Tigers, coming in with a record of 4-3. Lincoln was a late addition to the tournament because another team had to withdraw due to illness. The Warriorettes started strong, playing their first game under the 30-second clock rule used in California High School basketball. The Warriorettes’ starters’ playing time was limited due to the strong performance of the Warriorettes. Leading Sparta was Gracie Clark with 13 points and 4 steals, Celeste Reed had 12 points and 6 rebounds, and Ava Jones had 6 points and 5 rebounds for the Warriorettes. WCHS finished the afternoon with an 83-9 win.

 Day two matched the West Ranch High School Wildcats vs. the Warriorettes; the Wildcats came into the game with an 8-5 record on the season. The Warriorettes again started the game off with pressure defense and quick baskets. Celeste Reed led the Warriorettes with 19 points and 8 rebounds, Gracie Clark had 18 points and 6 rebounds, and Bella Winningham chipped in 12 points. The Warriorettes had a team effort and recorded the 67-42 win over the Wildcats.

 They matched the Warriorettes against the Lawndale Cardinals on the third day of pool play. Lawndale came into the game with Telayia Fuller averaging 18.6 points per game for the Cardinals. From the tip, the Warriorettes proved to be too much for the Cardinals to handle. Pressure defense and offensive rebounds by the Warriorettes set the tone for the game. At the buzzer, White County had posted an 80-33 win. Bella Winningham’s 19 points led the Warriorettes, Celeste Reed’s double-double of 15 points and 15 rebounds, and Ava Jones rounded out the scoring with 11 points and 7 rebounds.

Saturday was Championship Day for the tournament. With a 3-0 tournament record in Pool A, White County would face Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, who had swept Pool B with a 3-0 record. Flintridge warmed up with confidence and had improved their record to 9-6 with the three wins over the previous days in the tournament. The confidence soon dwindled as the Warriorettes took the tip and set the tempo for the game. The inside play of Celeste Reed, Jones, and Pyper Price proved too much for the Tologs. Ava Nawrocki fought hard to overcome the pressure of Gracie Clark, but her efforts came up short. The Warriorettes were led by Celeste Reed’s second tournament double-double, with 16 points and 11 rebounds; Bella Winningham had 16 points and 3 steals. The young ladies from Sparta took the championship game with a score of 76-19.