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Forest Area dug themselves an early hole, down by 11 points in the first quarter. But a strong second quarter brought the game back to a tightly contested ball game, with the halftime score tied at 31.

ÒI was concerned about a letdown after a long bus trip over there, but our guys responded after a flat start to the game,Ó said Forest Area head coach Ryan Benzenberg.

The third quarter marked the turning point for the Warriors, as the team exploded, including an amazing 17 point quarter for Denike. DenikeÕs onslaught of shots and points seemed to pick the team up, and contributions from Bobby Hatfield and Greg Kinney helped the team pull away.

ÒBobby shot real well,Ó said Benzenberg. ÒWe ran some screens for him and he made some shots and made his free throws.Ó

From there, the Warriors cruised to victory. ÒTyler Denike had an amazing game, and we got some good production from the other players.Ó

DenikeÕs 32 point day was also complimented by five rebounds and four assists. Kinney chipped in 11 points and five rebounds, while Hatfield scored nine points and grabbed nine rebounds. Sam Runkel also got in on the act, tallying seven rebounds and three assists for the Warriors. with a 20-25, 25-21, 25-19 win and a first place finish.

ÒThe girls played real well all day considering we lost our first two games to start the day,Ó said Warriors head coach Ron Stremlow. ÒThey came back with a lot of heart and desire after the Bellaire game.Ó

The stat page was highlighted by Jessica Green (37-40 serving, 17 digs), Samantha Haas (30 digs, four aces), Kayla Helsel (41-46 serving, 27 kills, 51 digs), Laura Bulgrien (15 kills, 12 blocks), Chelsea Snyder (20-22 serving 34 kills, 41 digs), Brandy Banks (32-33 serving, nine aces, 20 digs, 76 assists, Katherine Hodges (27 digs) and Dani Orr (four blocks).

ÒIn the finals, the girls wanted it more and played with a lot of energy,Ó said Stremlow. ÒI was very proud of thir effort and their never-give-up attitude.Ó

The Warriors improve to 11-13-3 on the year.