The boys basketball season is just three weeks old, but Wayne already owns an impressive stable of statement wins. The Warriors latest pelt? Springfield.

In a meeting of Greater Western Ohio Conference unbeatens, the host Warriors road a career-high 26 points from sophomore D’Mitrik Trice and had six players reach double-figures in an 87-69 win over the Wildcats in the Central Division opener for both in the last game ever at old Wayne High School. The Warriors start classes on Jan. 2 at their new digs.

Springfield falls to 5-1 (0-1), while Wayne, which improves to 6-0 (1-0), adds its latest conquest to a mantle that includes victories over Springboro and highly touted D-II contender Bowling Green.

“We’re a work in progress,” Wayne head coach Travis Trice said. “But I kind of like being the underdog. We weren’t talked about a lot coming into this season and we’ve hung our hat on that.”

After winning back-to-back GWOC Central titles, Wayne went just 9-12 last year with a roster that featured four freshman. This year the Warriors have seven sophomores on varsity along with five seniors, one junior and one freshman.

Through five games four players – Crisshawn Clark, Juan Ford, Trice and Ronnie Ortiz – were averaging between 13-11 points per game. Another two – Xeyrius Williams and Ahmad Wagner – were averaging more than eight.

All six reached double-figures Friday, led by Trice’s 26.

The game was closer than the score. Springfield rallied from a 12-point first quarter deficit to take its lone lead 25-24. Wayne responded with a 12-0 run and built its advantage back to 11. The Wildcats cut it to six by half before faltering down the stretch.

“We’ve got a lot of growing to do but the kids are going to pay hard and fight,” Springfield coach Isaiah Carson said. “We weren’t quite ourselves tonight. It was a rough environment. They were up for us.”

The Wildcats were hampered by the absence of big man Sean Burroughs in the first quarter due to disciplinary reasons and lost leading scorer Ryan Minney to foul trouble in the second and third quarters. Minney, who averages 17 points, was held to eight.

Henry Alexander led Springfield with 19 points, while Daeshawn Jackson added 17. Kamarta Curry and John Carson added 10 each for the Wildcats who hit 22-of-27 free throws.