Wayde Sims Invitational: Walker vs. Ponchatoula

[player_tooltip player_id='970138' first='Warren' last='Young'] Jr. retook the court with 32.7 seconds remaining after a timeout with a clear plan to help Walker preserve its two-point lead.   The senior guard said he anticipated one of two Ponchatoula guards to find a lane to drive to the goal for a potential game-tying basket, and that he wanted to position himself to take what could amount to a game-saving charge.   Young did exactly that, added a free throw to the lead with 13.1 seconds on the clock and then worked with his Wildcats teammates to fluster the Green Wave and allow only one last low-percentage heave that missed the rim entirely as the buzzer sounded on the 53-50 Walker win.   "I'd been slacking on defense really all night," he said. "So I knew I had to step up for my team, because I'm the team leader. I knew No. 1 or No. 5 was gonna end up driving, so said, 'I'm gonna step up and take us this charge and win us the game.' And that's what I did."   The victory advanced Walker to Saturday's championship game of the inaugural Wayde Sims Foundation Invitational, where the Wildcats will face former district rival Scotlandville.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/embed/FKWruhtOps0 </div></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='970138' first='Warren' last='Young'] Jr. (6'1" | 2023)   The senior combo guard had provided answers much of the night, although more frequently on the offensive end with his game-high 22 points. Young hit a first-quarter 3-pointer before starting to attack the lane more consistently in the second quarter and mixing in a mix of mid-range looks with foul-drawing drives the rest of the way. When Ponchatoula battled its way back from a slow start to finally tie the game in the third quarter, Young scored the next five points. And when the Green Wave eventually took a two-point lead, Young was quick to get to the line, re-tie the game and help rebuild momentum. Young plays with the strength and physicality fitting for a multisport standout who also excels on the football field — not only in his attacking the lane on determined, fearless dribble drives, but tying for the game-high with seven rebounds.   [player_tooltip player_id='970137' first='Kedric' last='Brown'] (6'0" | 2023)   Another of the Wildcats' strong, physical combo guards led the team out the gates with a pair of 3-pointers and eight points in all in the first quarter. Brown finished with 10 points in all, but continued to impact the game in a variety of ways all over the court and particularly on defense with four steals and a blocked shot. He corralled three rebounds and dished out three assists.   Ja'Cory Thomas (6'3" | 2023)   The springy forward, another multisport athlete, used his impressive and quick leaping ability to rack up five rebounds, six points — thanks in no small part to his attacking of the offensive boards — and a blocked shot. He threw down a putback dunk on what might have been the most exciting athletic display of the contest, but had it simultaneously waved off on charge call on his teammate's initial attempt, but added another nicely timed tip-back later to help answer the Green Wave's comeback efforts.   Cameron Collier (5'10" | 2023)   The aforementioned "No. 5" from whom Young ultimately drew the charge followed a somewhat similar blueprint to his counterpart on the pivotal play. Collier was one of three Ponchatoula players to hit a first-quarter 3-pointer before he began attacking and driving the lane more in the second quarter en route to a game-high 13 points. The shorter, thinner Collier matched Young's seven rebounds, dished out three assists to match a game-high and swiped a steal.   [player_tooltip player_id='1434766' first='Jeremiah' last='Lewis'] (6'0" | 2024)   Collier's partner in the backcourt, "No. 1" for the the Green Wave, finished with 12 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, along with four rebounds, three assists, two steals and a blocked shot.   [player_tooltip player_id='1480391' first='Allen' last='Graves'] (6'9" | 2024)   Ponchatoula's junior big man is a versatile, skilled athlete that helps create matchup problems with his mobility and perimeter abilities to handle the ball, shoot from beyond the arc and find cutting teammates. Graves hit a pair of 3-pointers to highlight nine-point performance, which also included three rebounds and a blocked shot.

Warren Young Warren Young 6'1" | CG Walker | 2023 State LA Jr. retook the court with 32.7 seconds remaining after a timeout with a clear plan to help Walker preserve its two-point lead.