When it comes to high school basketball in Warren County this season, youth is king.

Freshmen and sophomores have dominated the landscape, becoming catalysts for their teams and glimmers of hope for the future.

The Vicksburg Gators, who play at DeSoto Central in a boys Class 6A North State satellite game tonight, list three underclassmen as their top scorers. The Warren Central Lady Vikes, who face Southaven in a girls Class 6A satellite game, advanced through the division tournament by getting a big spark from a freshman.

In all, six of Warren County’s eight varsity teams have had at least one underclassman contribute heavily, or rank first or second on the team in scoring. Only the Porters Chapel boys and girls have relied almost solely on juniors and seniors. None of the leading scorers on any team are seniors.

“They’re just a talented bunch. We haven’t had a sophomore class to come through like this in quite a while,” said Vicksburg boys coach Dellie C. Robinson, who doesn’t have a senior on his roster. “They’re playing so much AAU ball and going to these camps, and you’re going to find a lot more freshmen and sophomores who are ready to play varsity.”

In Robinson’s case, a youth movement was a necessity. No player who saw playing time with the varsity during last year’s run to the Class 6A championship game returned for this season. That opened the door for players like sophomore guard De’Angelo Richardson (13.7 points per game), and freshman guards Edward Davis (12.5 points, 4.0 assists, 3.8 steals per game) and Romeo Carter (10.7 points per game) to step in and shine.

“They’ve been thrown in the fire and they’ve responded. And they’re the best basketball players here,” Robinson said.

Although unusual on a large scale, Vicksburg’s lack of a senior class is hardly isolated in its own neighborhood. Out of 105 players listed on the varsity rosters of Warren County’s eight high school teams, only 14 — six boys and eight girls — are seniors. The largest senior classes belong to the Warren Central girls’ team and Porters Chapel’s boys, with three each.

Season-ending injuries, like the one to St. Aloysius senior Ashtin Giambrone, or ineffectiveness over the course of the year further whittled down those numbers and gave the underclassmen an opportunity to get on the floor. St. Al’s girls team had several juniors, but its second-leading scorer was freshman Allie Willis. On the boys’ team, sophomore Matthew Foley was the second-leading scorer.

Warren Central’s boys got helpful contributions from sophomores Mike Williams (6.3 points per game) and Jermaine Smith (6.0 ppg), while the girls might not be playing tonight if not for freshman forward Denitra Bracey.

Bracey played with WC’s ninth-grade team until the end of its season, then was moved to varsity for the division tournament. She had a team-high 10 points and 18 rebounds in a first-round win over Vicksburg — which itself was led in scoring by freshman point guard Ama Arkoful. Bracey totaled seven points and 10 rebounds in a loss to Greenville-Weston in the championship game.

“She stepped in there and was able to get some loose balls and break out,” Lady Vikes coach Jackie Martin-Brown said.

Using young players on the varsity team has paid off for Warren County’s teams this season, but isn’t without its risks. The possibility of young players’ egos growing large, as well as personality clashes with older members of the team are very real, coaches said.

“It is very tough on those players that have been there. But mine are not seasoned seniors. They’ve played, then sat out a year and came back,” Martin-Brown said. “This time of year, you just have to go with who gives you the best chance to win. When you put the numbers and the statistics out there, it’s easier to accept that they have something I don’t. It’s a team effort.”

Robinson said the lack of seniors on his team has made things go a lot smoother. Eight of the Gators’ 12 players are sophomores, and growing up together allowed them to not only gel as a team, but also establish a pecking order where talent and leadership are concerned.

“When this group comes up together, they understand who the best players are. They have a great feel for each other,” Robinson said. “They played as ninth-graders and 10th-graders. We have less of a problem with (conflicts) because of that.”

The best part about the county’s youth movement is, simply, that the best is yet to come. The Gators and Lady Vikes seem poised to build on this year’s success. PCA’s boys’ team, which will play Heidelberg in the MAIS Class A South Central tournament tonight at Rebul Academy, returns three of its top six players.

Warren Central’s boys team returns leading scorer Kourey Davis next year, and has in the pipeline a team that went undefeated in the Little Six Conference as eighth-graders this season. St. Al will bring back its top two scorers on both the boys’ and girls’ teams.

“We should have some real fine basketball teams in Warren County the next few years,” Robinson said. “Both teams, us and Warren Central, can certainly get to North State. We both have a great opportunity the next few years.”

Tonight’s Games

• (G) Warren Central at Southaven, 6 p.m.

• (B) Vicksburg at DeSoto Central, 7 p.m.

• (B) Porters Chapel vs. Heidelberg, 7:45 p.m.

at Rebul Academy