By Ray Sarvis
FPS Correspondent
Division IV East 1 District champions.
Let that sink in for a moment. Better yet, how about repeat district champions?
After defeating Eastern Buckeye Conference archrival Minerva for the third time this season in a district semifinal and then taking care of business against McConnelsville Morgan 37-29 in the district final, the Carrollton Lady Warriors are indeed champions and have punched their ticket to regional play.
First up was the semifinal game against the Lions. Hosted by Malvern High School on Feb. 19 in front of a packed house, the question was what kind of game the fans would witness—a low-scoring, back-and-forth battle like the teams’ first meeting, or a blowout like their January rematch?
The answer: That 55-14 victory in January was no fluke. The Warriors once again won in dominant fashion, defeating Minerva 45-19. Carrollton scored the first 15 points of the game, removing any drama from the contest.
For first-year Warriors coach Mikayla Poole, the difference between the first game against Minerva and the last two came down to one key factor.
“That first game, I don’t think we stuck to our plan as well as we did tonight and the game before,” she said. “Defensively, if we stay in our disciplined area, we are good. So, we preach and preach and preach that we want to go defense first and then play through that. I think we lacked that in our first game, but we’ve come back to it in the last two.”
The Warriors harassed Minerva relentlessly, forcing multiple turnovers that fueled their fast-break offense. When working seamlessly, it was a sight to behold—especially from Kylie Ujcich, who led her team with five steals.
This defense-first mentality allowed the Warriors to open with a 15-4 first-quarter lead. By halftime, the game was effectively over as Carrollton kept the pressure on the Lions (9-15), extending its lead to 28-7.
Game. Set. Match.
Ujcich was on fire, leading Carrollton with a game-high 14 points, five steals, and seven rebounds. Brae Roudebush added nine points, while Emma Shafer finished with seven.
Next up for the Warriors was Morgan on Feb. 22 at Cambridge High School. A win would mean a second consecutive district championship and another shot at regional play. But Poole preaches patience—along with defense. Even so, the 2018 Carrollton graduate, who played on the first team to ever advance to regionals, acknowledged the importance of the moment.
“We don’t want to look too far ahead; we want to take it step by step,” she said. “To lead them to that would mean the world. Coming from Carrollton, knowing the culture that we built when I was in high school and the culture they’re still building for those little girls looking up to them is awesome.”
The Warriors, just as they did against Minerva, struck first, taking an early 13-6 lead after the first quarter. However, the Raiders responded, and in a defensive-minded second quarter, Morgan closed the gap to five by halftime.
In the third quarter, with Carrollton leading 16-11, both teams found their offensive rhythm and played to an 11-11 stalemate. That set the stage for the deciding fourth quarter, where the Warriors held the Raiders at bay and even managed to increase their lead, securing a 37-29 win and a ticket to the Division IV Region 15 semifinals, where Carrollton (19-6) will face Delaware Buckeye Valley (24-2).
In the win over Morgan, Shafer led the way with 12 points and a blocked shot, while Ujcich added eight points, 10 rebounds, two steals, and a block. Shaw chipped in with five points and eight boards, and Roudebush finished with four points, five rebounds, and three steals.