Warren senior Braylon Barnes shoots over Grove City’s Brett Loughry on Tuesday in the District 10 4A semifinals at General McLane High School. Photo by Mark Evans

After 12 years, Warren’s boys basketball team has another shot at a District 10 title.

The Dragons aren’t looking back, or ahead to the PIAA tournament. They’re focused on one game for the D10 Class 4A championship against Hickory at 8:30 p.m. Friday at Edinboro University’s McComb Fieldhouse.

The Hornets defeated Warren in last year’s semifinals, but both teams are built differently this time around, and peaking at the right time. Hickory is 17-6 with four straight wins, including Tuesday’s 48-43 semifinal round win over the tournament’s top seed, Sharon. Hickory senior Rylan Dye finished with a game-high 15 points while seniors Ryan Robich and Dom Uberti added 10 points apiece. The Hornets held Sharon to 10 or less in three of four quarters.

“Hickory is a fantastic defensive team,” said Warren coach Jeff Berdine, whose Dragons are 19-5 and have also won four straight. “That’s one of the reasons why they give themselves a chance every year to win a championship. We’ll have to be good on defense like we were the first two rounds and deal with the physical play as well. Other keys for us, as always, will be to limit our mental mistakes and rebound as a team.”

Both teams lost multiple senior starters from last year’s playoff rosters, but Warren returns an experienced group, including four-year starting point guard Tommy Nyquist.

The Dragons primarily play no more than seven, which includes five seniors. Senior Brady Berdine had a game-high 28 points in Tuesday’s 59-46 win over Grove City. Nyquist finished with 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists, and played lock-down defense on Grove City’s top shooter. With Berdine and Nyquist having played with seniors Braylon Barnes and Konnor Hoffman since the third grade, playing well together is always the expectation.

“The goal is to win it, plain and simple; been the mindset all year with the senior group,” said Coach Berdine. “This is our expectation. I like our chances. Hickory has been here multiple times, so we know it won’t be easy.

“There’s pressure in every sport, every game, (and) playing for a championship adds more,” added Coach Berdine. “But knowing these guys, I think we’ll be fine after we actually get on the floor and are able to warm up and get the game started. Waiting is the hardest part.

“As a coach, this is what you coach for,” he said. “Opportunities to win championships are not every-year things, so when you get the opportunity, you have to enjoy the added pressure and stay the course we have set for this program.”

NOTES: The 4A title game will follow the Class 3A championship game held there between Franklin and Girard, set for a 6 p.m. tip-off.

In the 4A consolation game at 6 p.m. Friday at Slippery Rock University, Sharon will play Grove City with the winner also advancing to the PIAA tournament.