Clayton Schowe has spent much of his prep basketball career at Warrenton waiting for an opportunity to make a significant impact on the court. As a senior coming off the bench, he’s had to learn to play a supporting role to his underclassman teammates.

Never did the reserve point guard imagine his moment to shine would come in overtime of a high-stakes championship game, as he was called to lead the offense in the final moments of Saturday’s Winfield Tournament title game.

With three of the Warriors’ starters having fouled out in the fourth quarter, it meant a tremendous amount of pressure on Schowe and junior Dylan Chandler to secure the 66-63 victory and deliver Warrenton’s first tournament title in five seasons.

“I have been waiting for a chance to close out a game,” said Schowe, who hit four free throws down the stretch and finished with six points. “I was just focused on making smart decisions and looking for how I could put my teammates in the best position.”

Timberland attempted to fluster the two reserve guards, along with junior Brandon Molinari also coming off the bench, by forcing a fast-paced physical game.

“I was confident in that situation,” asserted Chandler, who says the Warriors simulate situations like that in practice. “We kept our focus and didn’t let our emotions get the best of us. We make mistakes and that’s why we’re not starters yet, but we were able to overcome those.”

Head Coach Mike Uffmann says he was extremely proud of how his bench players responded in those closing moments, with the starters cheering them on from the sidelines.

“All we needed them to do was control the tempo, and they did a great job of that,” said Uffmann. “Clayton was able to pull the ball out in the half court and slow us down. You could see him growing as a player physically and mentally.”

Chandler says this year’s team is committed to the concept of family and believes the selfless approach helped the Warriors enjoy the title without regard to who was on the floor.

“It was a big deal for all of us,” said Chandler. “I think we all played together well as a team and understand we have the potential to be really successful this season.”