To say that January 17 was a big day for the Warrenton girls' basketball would likely be a serious understatement.

On that crisp Saturday morning inside the high school gym, the Warrenton Junior Warriors girls basketball feeder program did something it had never done before.

That day, the program hosted CNR youth basketball games, a first for the program.

Nick Layton, who not only coaches the sixth-grade team on which his daughter Morgan plays but is also the parent of second-grader Mabry, who is also in the program, said it was important for the community to see the games take place.

“(It) has been incredibly rewarding, especially since we’ve seen the program continue to grow,” Layton said. “What means the most is seeing the confidence and sense of community this program builds for our kids.”

The Junior Warriors basketball program, in its third year, has steadily grown under the guidance of Warrenton varsity girls coach Hannah Logan.

Logan said that she’s excited to see that growth. 

While the teams went 3-2 in their first-ever home games, the results were secondary to the fact that young girls were able to play on the same floor as the older girls who had gone before them.

“It takes a lot of organizing and preparation to host games, so this is my first season of Junior Warriors where I have enough coaches that I personally didn’t have to volunteer to coach a team,” Logan said. “I felt like I finally worked out all the hiccups from my first two years. Hosting was such a special day. It was so fun to see and hear how excited the girls were to play on the ‘big court’ (and to) sit on the comfy chairs like the (high school) girls do. So many families, the community and teachers came out and supported our Junior Warrior teams.”

Logan said that, even though she has to guide the top high school team, providing for the future of that team – and the program, as a whole – has been vital.

For her, getting to know girls who will wear the Warriors’ jerseys in the coming years is the way to ensure not only longevity, but long-term success for girls' basketball at the school.

From that, the Jr. Warriors program has grown into four elementary school teams with second, fourth, fifth, and sixth-grade teams, as well as an eighth-grade feeder team that also plays middle school basketball.

“It was my first season as head coach at Warrenton when (the) incoming freshman class had two girls and the following class after that had about five girls interested,” Logan said. “I knew I had to make a change and expose younger girls to the sport of basketball before seventh grade. For a couple of reasons, I thought I needed to make and build this feeder program. I want to have three (levels of) teams in high school.”

Logan added that she’s happy to see the feeder program help fill out the high school's lower-level teams.

The coach said today’s overall program depth, from Junior Warriors through high school varsity, is a testament to players, parents and coaches.

“My first season as head coach, we got to squeeze in two or three C team games, and to see the confidence those girls gained from playing against their own grade and competition as freshmen was huge,” Logan said. “Playing junior varsity as a freshman can be tough, so having a C team benefits the whole program. I was also looking at the future of my teams and I needed to have more talent in each grade than just two girls in each graduating class. Another reason to be a successful player and team is that you need to start playing before seventh grade. Basketball is too complex and competitive of a sport to pick up a ball and start in seventh grade.”

Logan added that the current eighth-grade team will make history within the program.

“I am very excited for my incoming freshman class,” Logan said. “They will be my first group that played Junior Warriors. They had 18 girls on their middle school team, with 10 girls still playing now. I hope I can receive numbers like this for as long as I am in Warrenton.” 

Nathan Payne, whose daughter Novella plays on the eighth-grade team, said that, like Layton, he gets to see his daughter excel in the program as both his child and a player.

“My family and I moved here 15 years ago,” Payne said. “My wife and I were looking for a place to give our four daughters hometown roots and Warrenton became home. 

“Our three older daughters have since graduated,” he continued. “Two played basketball and one played volleyball. Now I get the honor to coach little sis. She will be entering high school next year. She watched her sisters wear Warrenton red and white. She is always excited to put on her Junior Warriors jersey and is anticipating her opportunity to play for Coach Logan and Warrenton High School.”