Something about overtime in Manchester turns Sawyer Seymour into a superhero. The Pioneer senior made sure Warren County wouldn’t leave Coffee County without a championship Saturday, scoring nine points in extra time as the Pioneers beat Franklin County 60-51 for the District 6-4A crown.

Seymour, who finished with 13 points, was just as clutch earlier this season when he buried shot after shot in an OT win over the Red Raiders, but the stakes were raised Saturday with a title on the line. The senior was up to the task, hitting a pull-up jumper to start the four-minute overtime and igniting into an inferno from the line as well.

Warren County (16-15) hit 10-of-14 from the line in OT, including Seymour going 7-for-8. Seymour also hit a contested 18-footer from the top of the key with 1:58 to play in extra time, putting the Pioneers up 51-48. He followed with a slew of free throws, bringing a huge Pioneer crowd that made the short trip to Manchester to its feet with every swish. By the time the final seconds ticked away, Warren County was holding its third trophy for a district title in the last four years.

While Seymour was the catalyst late, senior Nate Elrod and junior Alex van Vuuren did the heavy lifting in regulation. Elrod finished with 13 points, six rebounds and four steals to be named the tournament MVP. Van Vuuren, an all-tournament selection, finished with a team-high 17 points, 16 coming in the second half as both Pioneer forwards embraced the grind in the paint.

Outside shots just wouldn’t fall for the Pioneers in the finals – they finished 0-for-10 from deep overall – so points were earned in the paint. Van Vuuren showed off a rugged style by fighting for position deep and finishing through multiple Franklin County players. The junior also flashed an excellent midrange game, hitting pull-up jumpers from the wing and on the baseline in the third quarter to keep the Pioneers in the mix while dealing with foul trouble.

Both Elrod and point guard Treyton Terry had to sit most of the third quarter due to picking up their fourth fouls, but Warren County was still locked up with the Rebels at 36-36 entering the fourth.

Franklin County went up by three twice early in the fourth, but van Vuuren came back with a pair of free throws and a layup midway through the quarter to make it 44-43 in favor of the Pioneers. The Rebels returned the favor – first hitting a free throw to tie it and then going up on a layup with 3:30 to play.

Elrod tied the game moments later, slicing through the middle of the lane for a key layup to make it 46-46 down the stretch. It stayed that way for over two minutes, with Warren County missing three potential chances to win the game in regulation, including Terry just missing on a floater right before the buzzer.

The lost opportunities late didn’t lead to a loss though. Once Seymour found his stroke in overtime, Franklin County couldn’t keep up. Kai Baker, who was named the District 6-4A MVP for his work in the regular season, did hit a 3-pointer to momentarily slow the Pioneer momentum in OT, but Warren County had already built a six-point lead before the triple and Seymour finished off the victory with a pair of freebies just 10 seconds after Baker’s shot.

After the game, Warren County was showered with awards. The Pioneers received plaques for winning the district title in both the regular season and tournament, while several individual players were given all-district awards. Elrod, Terry, van Vuuren, Seymour and freshman Devin Fish were named all-district in the regular season, while Braylon Grayson and van Vuuren were named to the all-tournament team. Grayson was a menace in the finals, knocking down two jumpers to get the Pioneers rolling early and ultimately scoring nine points. The star senior added three free throws in overtime and finished with six rebounds and four steals.

Warren County will now enter the Region 3-4A tournament as the No. 1 seed from District 6-4A and will get to host its region quarterfinal game this Saturday, Feb. 25. More information on the region matchup will follow in Friday's issue of the Standard.

Pioneer scoring – van Vuuren 17, Seymour 13, Elrod 13, Braylon Grayson 9, Terry 6, Aaron Templeton 2