SEMO WARRIORS WIN GOLD AT AAU TOURNEY

John Owen has coached some pretty talented basketball teams to the AAU Ozark Association Championships without ever bringing home a gold medal.

"We've played AAU for years and have been to the nationals, including last year, but we'd never won the gold medal," said Owen.

But that all changed recently when the SEMO Warriors won the 19-under gold medal at the AAU Ozark Association Championships held in Alton.

By winning the title, the Warriors earned a berth in the AAU Junior Olympic Games to be held in late July and early August in Charlotte, N.C.

"The top two teams qualify (for the AAU Junior Olympic Games)," said Owen. "But it was nice to win the gold medal. We've had good teams before but only gotten the silver."

To win the gold medal, the Warriors defeated a talented squad from the Springfield area that featured Kansas recruit Jeff Carey, a 6-foot-11 center.

"We won 82-77 and the biggest point spread in the game was at the end," said Owen. "We really have an outstanding squad."

The Warriors' roster includes many of the top local high school players from this past season.

Area products on the team are Cape Girardeau Central's Nathan Owen; Notre Dame's Dirk Dirnberger; Jackson's Justin Keen; Perryville brothers Bruce and Paul Weinkein; Scott County Central's Eric Canady and Demetrish Williams; Woodland's Shawn Massa; Sikeston's Henley Montgomery; Poplar Bluff's Martin Johnson; and New Madrid County Central's Ed Farr.

Also on the squad are Ryan Adkinson from Washington and Chad Halley from Iberia.

Ten of the 13 players are recent high school graduates, with Keen, Paul Weinkein and Farr being the lone juniors.

Several of the team's members are headed to college on athletic scholarships, including Division I signees Owen (Southeast Missouri State University) and Bruce Weinkein (Akron).

The squad features plenty of size, with seven players standing at least 6-5, led by the 6-11 Bruce Weinkein.

John Owen and Doyle Canady are the team's coaches.

Looking ahead to the AAU Junior Olympics, Owen said, "We'll see some of the best players in the nation. I'm hoping we can compete pretty well, but the competition will be really tough."