SCOTT COUNTY CENTRAL SPORTS ONLY ONE LOSS, PACKS ONE-TWO PUNCH IN JOHNSON, BLISSET

All things considered, Steve Wells is pleased with how his first Scott County Central team has performed so far.

The Braves, seeded sixth for the U-High Tournament and facing a first-round game against No. 11 seed Kelly at 6 p.m. Monday, is off to a 5-1 start, the lone loss coming to Twin Rivers in the finals of the Oran Tournament.

"I'm pleased with our record, but I think we have got a ways to go in terms of where we want to be, where we want to end up," said Wells, in his first season as Scott Central's coach after formerly coaching at Puxico. "We mainly need to improve on our consistency, both offensively and defensively.

"But the kids are working very hard and doing what I want them to do. It's been a very enjoyable experience for me so far. We've got a good bunch of kids."

As expected, the Braves have been led by the dynamic one-two punch of Jreece Johnson and Todd Blissett, who were also two of the team's top players last season, behind graduated all-stater John Fort, who averaged nearly 30 points per game.

Johnson isn't far behind Fort's average so far as he is pouring in 28 points per contest. Blissett is contributing 20 points an outing. Neither is particularly tall, standing in the 5-11 to 6-1 range, but that hasn't hindered their games.

"They're both playing well for us," said Wells, who added that having two players who are so dominant on a team can be both a blessing and a curse. "It works to our advantage, but sometimes it can work to your disadvantage. If they're having off nights, it puts a lot of strain on the other kids, who haven't had to step up before."

Other starters for the Braves have been Chris Johnson (9 ppg), Allen Crites (8 ppg) and Nick Wheeler (5 ppg). Terrance Williams and David Segers have provided support off the bench.

The Braves don't have any kind of height to speak of. Said Wells regarding their lack of size, "We can't grow. We've played several bigger teams but it really hasn't been a problem for us yet."

Wells said he is looking forward to participating in his first U-High tourney. The coach's Puxico teams competed in the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament, which is similar to the U-High event.

"I've been up there (to Cape Girardeau) to see a few games," he said. "I know the players really enjoy playing in a college arena. It's a big thrill for them."

Looking ahead to the Braves' first-round matchup with Kelly, Wells said his team cannot afford to take the Hawks lightly.

"Any time there's a 6-11 (seeded) game in a 16-team tournament, that game can be an upset special," Wells said. "We have to guard against thinking we're going to overmatch Kelly. I have a great deal of respect for (Kelly coach) Kent Mangels and the program he runs."