ORCA Lady Warriors State Champions—Warriors fall in OT

 

 

By Greg Moore

Banner Sports Editor

 

Oak Ridge has been a basketball presence within the Kentucky Christian Athletic Association for many years. The Lady Warriors have been a dominance like no other school in the KCAA for the last several years.

Once again, they achieved another State Championship, their third in four years. It also marked their fourth title in seven years. Two of the other three years during that span, the Lady Warriors were runners-up.

This year’s championship was thrilling for Oak Ridge’s Lady Warriors, who trailed basically the entire game. Sierra Marshall fed Emmie McIntosh for a post-move score to finally notch the advantage for the Lady Warriors with about half the fourth quarter left to play.

ORCA would lock down on defense for the last three minutes of the game. Zoey Cardwell and Lexi Bratcher snatched the ball from Academy’s ball handlers as Cadence Cardwell and McIntosh finished in the paint to help seal the deal for the Lady Warriors, winning 35-29 over the Lady Cougars.

Cadence Cardwell was named MVP of the tournament. Emmie McIntosh and Zoey Cardwell made the All-Tourney Team, also. The Cardwell sisters, Cadence and Zoey, both were All-State for the season.

 

 

In the boys’ side of basketball, the Warriors always put together a competitive program. ORCA competed in middle school this year and there are some talented young men coming up in the future. The varsity squad placed third in the Super Regionals to earn a State Tournament berth.

Coach Kirby and his boys left it all on the court in an overtime loss to Galilean, 91-86. It was a slugfest all throughout the game with the Eagles and Warriors exchanging blows. However, the Warriors found themselves pulling themselves up off the mat to overcome a ten-point disadvantage in the fourth quarter.

Despite Joseph Mason, a leading rebounder and rim-protector, fouling out with six minutes left to play in regulation, the Warriors made an impressive comeback led by Matthew Simbro, who scored 44 points in the battle.

The Warriors lost another leading shot blocker and glass-cleaner, Kaleb Clark, at the three-minute mark of the fourth. Simbro hit a three-pointer, and it appeared the Warriors may win, but the Eagles tied it up with only ten seconds left. Tanner Mudd banked in a three just after the horn sounded and the game went into overtime.

The athletic and physical Eagles, who went onto the championship game by beating Legacy out of Bowling Green in the semifinals, were too much for the Warriors in overtime. With Mason and Clark on the bench, the Eagles soared with a strong finish despite the Warriors’ valiant effort.

Galilean would finish runner-up to the Community Crusaders in the KCAA Championship game. Simbro was named to the All-Tournament Team after his astounding offensive effort against the Eagles.