BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — The Warfield Lady Red Devils ended a nearly five-year title drought Monday night, defeating the Inez Lady Indians 22-6 to capture the Martin County Elementary B-Team Championship.
Inez entered with a clear game plan. The Lady Indians assigned a chaser to shadow Brooklyn Nichols and held her to just two points. But that defensive focus opened the door for another Red Devil to shine.
Rylie Parks delivered a career performance, pouring in 12 points to lead Warfield’s offense and earn her team its first championship trophy in almost half a decade.
Parks said the win was a moment she’ll never forget.
“It feels good to be a champ,” Parks said. “I had to score to help my team win. Everyone in the stands was proud of us tonight. I want to thank my family for being there and supporting me.”
Warfield head coach Eric Copeland said the team’s hard work is finally paying off.
“Our progress behind closed doors is finally starting to show,” Copeland said. “We’ve lacked a supporting cast for the past few years. The girls have finally started to buy in. Having a bench makes a difference. I’m glad to see them pull out this championship win.”
Carolyn Dalton chipped in six points for the Red Devils. Lorianna Parks and Nichols each added two.
Kenna Hale scored all six of Inez’s points to keep the Lady Indians within reach before Warfield pulled away for good.
The Red Devils dominant defensive effort and Parks’s breakout night capped off a season of growth to bring the championship hardware back to Warfield for the first time since 2019.
Inez advanced to the championship game after defeating Eden on Oct. 16.
The two teams were deadlocked at 4-4 after the first quarter, and neither managed to score again until the second half.
Inez closed strong, ending the contest on a 10-4 run to secure the victory.
Hale once again led the charge for the Lady Indians with eight points.
Ariel Marcum, Kylie Horn, and Chloe Horn each added two points.
For Eden, Lexi Hammond and Remy Williams shared scoring honors with four points apiece.
