By Perry Swack – Sporting Times Reporter
Warren East Raiders
Record last season: 6-21
Postseason finish: Lost in 14th District Opening Round
Charles Combs returns to Warren East for his seventh season looking to do something that has not been done for Raider Basketball in nearly 25 years. The program will be seeking to make it out of the 14th District Tournament and into the 4th Region Tournament at Diddle Arena for the first time since 1997. Although the district is always tough, there has been a lot of roster turnover for a number of teams in Warren County and the Raiders hope to capitalize on this opening. The club returns four of its top six scorers from a season ago, meaning the team will not be short on experience playing in the 14th District. However, Coach Combs’ crew has lost 20 straight district games, including 0-9 marks in each of the last two seasons.
Players to Watch
Junior Kaleb Matlock was the team’s leading scorer in 2019-20 at 10.6 points per game. He is returning in 2021 looking to build upon an outstanding sophomore campaign. A high-volume scorer, Matlock nearly shot better from three-point land (36.3%) than he did in all field goals (36.9%). His 37 three-point field goals led the team, as did his 69 free throws made and 89 attempted. The guard shot 78% from the charity stripe. Another player to watch for Warren East this season will be Isaiah Andrews. The sophomore was third on the team in scoring (7.9 points per game) and second in rebounding (3.8 rebounds per game). The small forward’s ability to “take the next step” may be the difference in the Raiders ending their vaunted streak.
X-Factors
With a number of underclassmen playing key roles for Combs and company, the presence of senior leadership will be vital to the team’s success. Guards Sam Wheeler and Jaxson Wilson have – the team’s only two seniors – have been mentioned as guys whom the coaching staff will be looking for to make a difference both on and off the court. Another X-Factor will be freshman Tray Price, who made an imprint last season as an eighth grader.
Dates to Circle
January 22 vs. South Warren – Home matchup against the crosstown Spartans will show us what each team is made of in 2021
February 23 vs. Russellville – The two schools played a barn burner last season, won by the Raiders, 71-70
February 25 @ Monroe County – The Raiders knocked off the Falcons in a close one last winter
Consider This
I was in the Warren Central gym on February 27, 2008. Greenwood and Warren East were in an intense battle to see who would reach the 14th District championship game & advance to the 4th Region Tournament. The Raiders led by six at halftime and by two entering the fourth quarter. But the Gators methodically pulled away and won the game, 59-56, en route to winning the 2008 region tournament. The Raiders have had a couple other chances to reach the region tournament (most notably in 2013 with a 21-8 record), but the 2007-08 team was special, led by Jordan Ellis, Demetric Ray, Justin Watson, Jon Yates, and DeAngelo Kirk. Raider fans can hope this new crop of players can become something special too.
