The 2014-15 basketball season is only six weeks old, but it has already presented plenty of surprises, so thrilling and others disappointing.With teams resting over the holiday break and games at a standstill, let’s take a closer look at how Warren County’s hardwood teams have faired thus far.Warrenton Boys BasketballRecord: 5-3 Key Win: Winfield — first GAC win since 2009Alec Tonioli is finally playing with exhuberant confidence during his senior season, leading the Warriors with a consistent 15.8 points per night.Meanwhile, fellow senior Craig Vardiman is earning marks as the most improved player, becoming a double-double machine with 15 points and 15 rebounds per outing.Senior Ryan Bradshaw is playing the catalyst role right now, taking advantage of the box-and-one defense teams are applying toward Tonioli and finding open lanes to the basket to drop in nine points per night.Up Next: Liberty in Warrenton Winter Classic, Jan. 6, 8:30 p.m.Warrenton Girls BasketballRecord: 3-1 Key Win: Winfield — Conference openerThe pieces haven’t all fallen in place yet, but the Warriors have been able to do enough to exit the first semester with a respectable record.The scoring numbers have been strong, but the shooting selection and percentage not necessarily consistent. Warrenton is also struggling to get much offense in the paint, because opponents have been able to stifle them with zone defense.Still, senior Hannah Sutton is leading the way with 20 points per game, while sophomore Jenny Jansen has tossed in 15 points per night.One of the early breakthroughs has been the play of the underclassmen, particularly freshman Ashtyn Dixon, who has exhibited confidence at the guard role.Up next: at Zumwalt East, Jan. 2Wright City Boys BasketballRecord: 2-5 Key Win: Elsberry — Ty Davis drops 36 in EMO victoryIt hasn’t been any surprise that senior Ty Davis is leading the way with his 22 points per game, including a night where he couldn’t miss and flushed three dunks against Elsberry.But the Wildcats’ hasn’t been as balanced or consistent as first-year coach Rick Halteman was hoping. Despite having talented spot shooters, Wright City has struggled to handle the ball against pressure and has forced its shot selection at times.Christian Thompson hasn’t been able to put up the numbers he had in the past, and the three-point shooting of Bret Noble and the Wildcats’ guards hasn’t been a steady presence.Since transferring over from Liberty Christian, senior Luke Bruning has proven to be the defensive threat he was in the past but hasn’t become much of an offensive threat.Up next: Clopton TournamentWright City Girls BasketballRecord: 1-5 Key Win: Barat — Seventh-place in Lutheran TournamentCoach Fred Ross is seeing gradual progress as the Wildcats learn the offense, but the next process is learning to trust the offense. He is finding his team swaying away from the gameplan more and more with each quarter, allowing teams to dictate the tempo.So far Wright City’s scoring has been fairly balanced, with several newcomers having to step up in the absence of senior Orlanda Hill, who returned for her first game two weeks ago.Sophomore Amy Janowski is in her first year of varsity basketball and has contributed a team-best 4.3 points and three rebounds per game.Meanwhile, Kyle Winfrey has provided senior leadership, scoring 3.8 points and grabbing 3.5 boards per game.Erin Tomschin and Macy Evans are still learning the ropes down low but have tead up to combine for just over 10 boards per game. Their development down low will be critical for the Wildcats’ success in the two months that follow.Up next: Clopton TournamentLiberty Christian BoysRecord: 12-3 Key Wins: Rivers of Life / Eagle Ridge — Conference Road WinsFollowing a 2-3 start, the Eagles reeled off 10 straight victories heading into the break. Coach Butch Clark says he feels good about where his team is at, having used its plethora of trap defenses to befuddle several opponents.But the offense has finally found a comfortable balance too after a shaky start, with three players averaging double figures.Tanner Meyer has been responsible for 16.3 points and 7.7 assists, while shooting 34 percent from beyond the arc.Sophomore Jake Pietzman has exhibited improved shooting this season, netting 15.4 points per game, while grabbing 4.5 rebounds.Much as expected, Calvin Edwards has been the primary presence down low, pulling down a team-best 12.4 rebounds while averaging 14.1 points.Perhaps the biggest breakout story is Kameron Bagby, whose contributions around the basket have been instrumental in the Eagles’ success. His ability to grab seven boards a game while dropping in eight points have taken a lot of pressure off Edwards.Up next: Crosspoint, Jan. 6Liberty Christian GirlsRecord: 4-3 Key Win: Eagle Ridge — Key Conference Road WinThe Eagles are starting to come together in their first year under head coach Sarah Gibson.Much as expected, two experienced guards are leading the way offensively. Matilyn Voss has been produced several high-scoring contests and is averaging 26.3 points per contest.Meanwhile, longtime contributing senior Avery Dickson has added 15 points an outing.Gibson has been pleasantly surprised by the improvement of Kaylen Jordan, who is becoming an increasing threat down low with her rebounding effort.BASKETBALL UPDATEDerrick Forsythe photo.