Warren Central Junior High are the 2024 Little Six Champions

Byram, Miss.-Warren Central Junior High School boys’ basketball team won the 2024 Little Six Championship after defeating Pearl 39-29 on Saturday. The win marks Head Coach Charles Swartz’s first championship.

“This was a hard game and we knew it would be a fight coming in,” Swartz said. “I got to give it up to the players because they believed in themselves and what the coaches told them but they are a very special group of kids.”

The Bulldogs got on the board first from a quick 3-pointer but Doss Morgan stepped inside-the-paint for a nice layup to get WCJHS some points. Midway through the first quarter Byram had a 6-2 lead until Jordan Taylor pulled up and hit a 3-pointer. Henry Trisby, Ja’Ven Lee, and Morgan all came away with some key shots to give WCJHS the 14-8 first-quarter lead.

Jordan Younger hit a free throw to start the second quarter for WCJH but the Pirates eventually crept back into the game and tied things at 15-15. Taylor then stepped up and shot over two defenders while Younger put away another free throw to give the Vikings a 20-15 halftime lead.

The third quarter didn’t go as planned for WCJHS as Pearl was able to reclaim the lead. Pearl was able to get hit a few long-range shots and went up by one point at the end of the third.

It wouldn’t take long for the Vikings to get in control of things as Lee put up a layup and Braylen Selvy hit a floater as the score sat at 31-26 with three minutes left. Byram didn’t let that discourage them as they nailed another 3-pointer but Trisby went up up for a successful block while Selvy hit another shot.

With 55 seconds left in the game, Selvy was fouled and hit one of his free throws to put the Vikings up 34-29. Lee also hit a free throw and WCJHS was able to put the game away.

Lee led the team with 11 points as he maintained his status as the team’s lead scorer.

“I’m proud of all the hard work we put in and I’m proud of my team and coaches for sticking together,” Lee said. “This is two championships in one year and nothing feels better than this.”

Taylor finished the game with eight points while Morgan and Selvy both scored six points each. Trisby added five on the board and Younger ended things with two points.

Victor Tyrone and Kensell Batty are the two assistant coaches and Swartz serves as Head Coach.

This is the first time since 1991 that WCJHS has won a football and basketball championship in the same year.