Times Observer photo by Jon Sitler From left, Warren’s Alex Borger and JT Blum work for position under the boards on Youngsville’s Timber Bower in the Dragons’ 61-44 win Friday at Warren Area High School.

In the topsy-turvy season of 2021, sometimes you need to look to your neighbor for a good old-fashioned pick-up game.

That’s kind of what Friday night felt like in Warren’s 61-44 win over Youngsville at Warren Area High School.

One player was conspicuously absent for the Dragons on Senior Night as Payton Barnes missed the game after injuring his shoulder earlier in the week.

“This was one game after Payton getting hurt so I was kind of wanting to see how we’d look,” said Warren coach Jeff Berdine, whose Dragons are 3-2 with another non-region home game at 3:30 p.m. today against Punxsutawney. “It was Senior Night so we got our seniors in there; it was a good opportunity to get Ian (Darling) and Alex (Borger) some time.”

On the other side, Youngsville was also without mainstays in Ethan Kesterholt and Austin Peterson, and both may be back next week.

“We got some of our younger kids some valuable experience,” said Youngsville coach Jim Kesterholt, whose Eagles lost their second straight after a win over Eisenhower. “I thought we came out and represented ourselves well; better days this season are ahead of us.

“After running one system for three years,” said Kesterholt, instituting a new system after returning in his first year, “every game is important as far as just development.”

The Class AA Eagles hung with Warren in the first quarter with point guard Joey Mack scoring 5 of their first 8 points in an 8-8 tie.

For Warren, Ben Berdine was strong inside, scoring 8 of the Dragons’ first 10.

Warren ended the quarter on an 11-3 run with Parks Ordiway and Tommy Nyquist hitting 3-pointers.

Ordiway hit two more bombs at the beginning of the second quarter and another one before the half for a 33-26 lead.

Youngsville was hanging tight with both coaches, Berdine and Kesterholt, acknowledging the Eagles were out-muscling Warren under the boards.

“They killed us on the offensive glass in the second quarter,” said Berdine.

Brady Olewine scored 7 of his team-high 14 points in the third quarter. But JT Blum and Ordiway hit 3s early and Blum had a block under the basket that led to a Berdine three-point play to end the third with Warren up 46-33.

Berdine and Ordiway combined for all Warren’s points in a 15-11 fourth quarter.

Berdine, one of four Warren seniors honored, was big inside with 25 points and 12 rebounds, and the sophomore Ordiway hit five 3-pointers for 24 points. Nyquist finished with nine assists and four steals, and Blum six assists, four rebounds, two steals, and two blocks.

Timber Bower contributed 10 points and seven rebounds for Youngsville (1-3), Dom Dell eight rebounds, and Mack six assists.

YOUNGSVILLE (44)

Dell 2 0-0 4, Mowery 0 0-2 0, Mack 3 2-4 9, Bower 3 2-2 10, Hendrickson 1 0-0 2, Chase 1 2-2 5, Mesel 0 0-0 0, Olewine 4 4-5 14, Hill 0 0-0 0, Senz 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 10-15 44.

WARREN (61)

Ordiway 9 1-1 24, Borger 1 0-0 2, Berdine 12 1-1 25, Nyquist 1 1-2 4, Rich 0 0-0 0, Blum 1 0-0 3, Vega 0 0-0 0, Blair 1 1-2 3, Darling 0 0-0 0, Greene 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 4-6 61.

3-pointers: Mack, Bower 2, Chase, Olewine 2, Ordiway 5, Nyquist, Blum.

Youngsville 11 15 7 11 — 44

Warren 19 14 13 15 — 61