First the holidays took center stage. Next came the weather.

But the Southeastern Ohio Athletic League race will work its way into the spotlight Friday for the Ironton Fighting Tigers as they face the Warren Warriors.

Ironton is 4-3 overall but 3-1 in the SEOAL South Division. A win against Warren is vital toward any hopes of winning the division title.

Warren comes into the game 5-2 and 2-1 in the North Division with its only loss coming at the hands of Zanesville.

“They lost to Zanesville, which most teams will, and they just had one of those games when they lost to Maysville (53-47). They were the better team, but things just went wrong for them all night,” said Ironton coach Mark LaFon.

The top player for Warren is center Craig Call who LaFon called a good athletic that can play inside or out.

“He’s a double-double guy. He’s a post player, but he can put the ball on the floor. He’s athletic. If he worked at it, he could be a really good outside player,” said LaFon.

Another key player is Tyler Cooper who LaFon said “can shoot the 3s and hit the boards. All their guys hit the boards.”

Other key players for Warren are Sam Majoy, David Lemon, and Jonathan Hebb.

“Warren is pretty good. They’re big and physical. They’ all 6-foot-1, 6-2 and strong. They don’t do anything exceptional, but they do everything well,” said LaFon.

In the event the game is postponed due to the weather, both teams are open on Saturday which could be a possible make-up date.

Also, Ironton ahs made a schedule addition. The Fighting Tigers will host Lawrenceburg, Ky., on Tuesday, Jan. 22.