Warren Central falls to North Laurel in opening matchup of Sweet 16

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Seven teams entered the 2026 UK HealthCare Boys Basketball Sweet 16 as prior champions, one of those being Warren Central High School, but the Dragons quest for title number three started and ended on Wednesday afternoon against North Laurel following a 52-38 loss.

Senior forward Reece Davidson for the Jaguars scored a combined 77 points through two state tournament games a year ago, and he opened Wednesday’s game with a high-flying slam, setting the tone for the experienced group.

Central opened on fire from three-point range as Armani Byrd, Kaleb Prince and KJ Johnson would knock down long range buckets to put the Dragons on track, yet North Laurel would lead by one after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Jags would grow their lead by being physical, presenting a defense the Dragons had no answer for, and getting Central into foul trouble.

Heading into halftime, Warren Central trailed by 10 as North Laurel had the hot hand through the first 16 minutes.

Davidson caught fire following the brief break, pushing Central back even farther from its goal of advancing. He’d finish with a game-high 20 points in addition to six rebounds, two steals and a block.

Johnson would continue to battle to keep Wednesday’s game competitive. At the final buzzer, the senior would end with a team-high 13 points, and he talked postgame about his day.

“I’ve been coming off the bench all season, so I’m kind of used to bringing a spark to the game,” Johnson said. “Honestly, I just came into this game focused, ready to play. I knew it could be our last one, and it was, so I just gave it my all.”

The Dragons went cold offensively, making just 29% of their shots, and it results in a tough end to a strong season as Warren Central falls 52-38 to North Laurel.

“We [shot] 14-48, we were 7-27 from two. That’s not a good day. If we make a few more of those, we’re talking about a different basketball game,” Warren Central head coach Will Unseld said.

“They came out and competed in the second half, I’m proud of them…that’s how it goes sometimes. We’ve been on the other end of this, so we have to take it as it is.”

Warren Central now shifts into the offseason a little earlier than planned, losing seven seniors from the 2025-26 group, and the Dragons hope to return to the court in Rupp Arena next season.