NCPiedmontSports: My Site News

Alright gang, here we go.  The best three weeks of the year are upon us.  Win...or break out the baseball/softball bats (or shot put).  I'm going to give you guys a quick rundown of what's looming on the horizon (or not...).  So, here's a breakdown of the area teams and their road through the Big Dance.  I'll start with the 1A, then 2A, 4A, and 3A. 

You know my steez...Ladies First.  I'll begin with the Midwest bracket in the Women's 1A.  In the top half of the bracket, I fully expect the empire of Bishop McGuiness to march on towards their eighth consecutive state crown.   However, awaiting them in the Sectional Final will most likely be a powerful 24-1 Monroe squad.   To get there, Monroe will have to survive a tough test from Mt. Airy.  13-11 Mt. Airy is no joke though, having survived the brutal Northwest conference.  The Granite Bears also defeated East Surry twice this year.  There were times when East Surry was ranked #1 in the state in the 1A.  Bishop may have a little trouble with WS Prep in the second round. 

On the bottom half, I have to favor East Surry to make it to Greensboro.  The Cardinals have faced a brutal schedule (Bishop, Top 3 2A North Surry, WS Prep, Mt. Airy) and made out 18-7.  They beat Bishop twice.  However, their road won't be easy.  Awaiting them in the second round will be Lake Norman Charter in Lake Norman.  LNC could be a darkhorse in this region.   If the Cards survive Lake Norman, they'll most likely meet a 23-2 South Davidson squad.  The Cougars beat a tough Central Davidson squad earlier in the year.  

Rest of the state:  Don't know too much about the West region.  However, I will predict that Cherokee and North Wilkes make it to Greensboro.  As for the East, I'll take Riverside, River Mill, James Kenan, and Lakewood to end up in Fayetteville.  Hailing from Alamance County, the River Mill Jaguars are a fun team to watch.  They've beaten the likes of West Charlotte, Hopewell, Eastern Guilford, and Northwood this season.  Their toughest test in sectionals will be Plymouth.

To the fellas...in the top half of the 1A midwest bracket, the defending state champion Winston-Salem Prep Phoenix have to be the heavy favorite.  The #1 in 1A Phoenix will cruise until the Sectional Final, where they'll await the winner of Lake Norman Charter and Albemarle.  I think this one could go either way.  However, I fully expect Prep to be in the Gate City. 

Rest of State: In the bottom half of the Midwest, I fully expect a sectional final between Monroe and North Rowan.  In the Redhawks, you have a team who reached the Regionals last year and a program who won the state title in 2010.   North Rowan is the state champion from two years ago.  I can't call this one.

In the West, I'll take Hendersonville and Hayesville to make the long trek to the Gate City.  Both teams are regional vets.  

In the East, the big matchup will be a potential Sectional Final between Plymouth and Rocky Mount Prep.  Two Top 5 teams.  Plymouth is the defending Eastern Regional Champ.  Should be an intense battle in Plymouth on Friday.  As for the other Sectionals, I'll take South Creek, the winner of East Carteret/SW Onslow, and Goldsboro to make it to the Crown Center.  On to 4A...

In the Midwest, there is going to be some awesome b'ball played.  This bracket is so strong.  In the top half of the bracket, you have the #1 squad in the state: 27-0 Myers Park.  They're the heavy favorite but they could get some stern tests before they arrive in Greensboro.  Awaiting them in the second round will be the winner of Southern Alamance and NW Guilford.  The Lady Patriots have one of the best players in the state in Shaylen Burnett and have knocked off some tough teams this year.  NW Guilford is riding high after a buzzer-beater to beat PT 4A #1 seed SW Guilford at SW last Friday.  In the Sectional Final, the winner of SE Guilford/SW Guilford vs. Ardrey Kell will await MP.  The Falcons are a very dangerous low seed.  They're the only team to knock off the Page Pirates thus far.  

As tough as the top half is, the bottom half is even more stacked.  In the second round, you'll have Mt. Tabor vs. the winner of West Forsyth and Reagan.  The Reagan Raiders are also a very dangerous low seed.  They've already knocked off defending Western Regional champions West Forsyth once this year.  They are also coached by Eric Rader, who coached those dynamite Thomasville teams in the mid 2000's.  Mt. Tabor is very good....I watched them run a clinic on Dudley for three quarters before falling apart.  It's anyone's ballgame to get to the Sectional Final where they will meet....

Page vs.  the winner of Dudley/RJ Reynolds.  Reynolds will give Dudley a very tough ballgame.  They lost to the Panthers 48-39 earlier in the year and will be looking to avenge that.  Dudley won't be scared of anyone in this tourament though.  They've played the toughest schedule in all of North Carolina and came out of it 19-8.  A potential 2nd round Dudley/Page matchup at Page will be very intense.  Page is led by one of the best players in the state in junior guard Paris Kea.  If you're around Cone Blvd. around this time, pop in and see her play.  You won't be disappointed.  Page is more than Kea though.  They have rocksteady vets in Kayla Johnson, Chelsey Coleman, and Debrisha Barnes.  They also have a sharpshooting freshman in Bailey Kargo.  Who will win this Sectional? I don't know...it's WAY too tough to call.

Rest of State: As for the West, the favorites are PROBABLY North Mecklenburg and Porter Ridge.  However, this bracket is too tough to make concrete predictions.  You have good programs such as Alexander Central, McDowell, Mallard Creek, and TC Roberson also on this side.  

You've got some serious titans in the East.  Undefeated SE Raleigh, undefeated 71st, undefeated (and defending state-champ Millbrook, and 24-2 Green Hope are the HEAVY favs to make it to Fayetteville.  Millbrook is led by 6-3 twins Bria and Brianna Day.  That's going to be one amazing regional.

To the fellas....let's talk about the Midwest and those undefeated SW Guilford Cowboys.  These Cowboys are led by potential state player of the year and ultra-exciting guard Terrell Leach.  Leach is averaging over 30 points and 8 rebounds a game.  In order to travel down I-40 and into the Greensboro Coliseum, this is what they'll have to do....

...beat the winner of NW Guilford/Reagan in the second round.  Reagan will be a much harder test for the Cowboys.  The Raiders have beaten the likes of Davie Co. and Mt. Tabor so far.  Reagan can't afford to look past the Vikings though.  If the Cowboys survive to the third round, they'll meet the winner of Dudley/Ardrey Kell.  This should be a very good game.  Dudley is my darkhorse in this sectional.  The Panthers gave powerful HP Wesleyan and Mt. Tabor a really good scare earlier on.  They also possess one of the best guards in the state in Sam Hunt.  

In the other half of the Midwest, I expect the winner of Davie Co./ Independence to take on Mt. Tabor.  Another Davie/Tabor matchup would be epic.  You have some of the best players in the state on both squads.  Indy will make Davie sweat though.  I expect Mt. Tabor to survive on to Greensboro.

Rest of State: In the West, everyone is penciling in Olympic and West Charlotte.  While those are safe bets, there is one darkhorse out there....the Hough Huskies.  These Huskies have knocked off West Charlotte this year.  They also possess a very good 6-7 sophomore in Luke Maye.  However, these same Huskies will have their paws full in the first round against conference foe Vance.  I going to go ahead and say it: this will be the best first round game in any classification.  

Despite this, I still favor West Charlotte to come out of this Sectional.  The Charlotte heavyweights have their eye on a third straight trip to the state championships.  They beat Dematha at Dematha this year (YES, THAT DEMATHA).  As long as Carolina-signee Kennedy Meeks is patrolling that paint, I wouldn't bet against them.

In the East....I think the East Sectional is way tougher than the Mideast.  You have Clayton, South View, 71st, Garner, and Hoke Co.  BRUTAL.  A Clayton-South View matchup in the Sectional final would be dynamite.  Tough to call.  I'll take Jordan and Broughton to come out of the Mideast.

To the 2A ladies.....here's what excites me in the Midwest:  a great first round matchup between Central Davidson and Forest Hills.  The Spartans are very fun to watch.  Their spacing and ball movement can be immaculate at times.  They also have a very quick guard in Paige Chavis.  I also see....a great potential second round matchup between TW Andrews and East Davidson.  If they handle the full court press (and if Andrews isn't hitting their threes), I could see E Davidson pulling an upset.  It's been a while since Andrews has had a tough game.  East has played playoff b'ball virtually every night in the Central Carolina.   

The bottom half of the Midwest will be tough.  The winner of CD/FH will most likely face Thomasville, the Central Carolina champs.  The winner of that will, in all likelihood, meet 2A heavyweight North Surry.  The Greyhounds are a big team.  They are led by 6-2 junior Malaya Johnson and 5-11 senior Kristina Rumplasch (who reminds me a lot of former East Davidson standout Anna Freeman).  However, they shouldn't look past Lexington in the first round.  They might be the best 12-13 team in the state. 

Rest of State: In the West, I'll take Mt. Heritage and the winner of East Burke/Bandys to win these sectionals.

To the Mid-east....I'm salivating at the prospect of a fourth matchup between Reidsville and Jordan Matthews in the Sectional Final.  If JM can survive a tough Clinton team in the first round, I think I'll get my wish.  Reidsville has won the last two matchups against the Jets but the Jets are the defending state champs.  It will also be another battle between two of the best players in the state: defending state champion MVP Mylia Garner for JM and Kennethia Galloway for Reidsville.

Rest of State: In the bottom half of the Mid East...I'll take Northside vs. the winner of East Duplin/Whiteville.  In the East, I'll take Pasquotank in one sectional and the winner of Northwood/Kinston in the other.

As for the fellas...in the Mid- West, I fully expect Cuthbertson to march back to the State Championship.  The Cavs are led by smooth junior guard Sheldon Mitchell, one of the best in the state.  To get back to the regional, their toughest test will be the winner of the first round game between West Stokes and Forest Hills.  If West Stokes survives, they'll be no slouch.  They lost to Cuthbertson in the West Regional Semis and I'm sure they're chomping at the bit for a rematch.  

The top half of the bottom half of the Midwest will be intense.  You have Randleman-Wheatmore meeting for the fourth time in the first round.  The winner will most likely meet conference foe (and bitter rival) Trinity in Trinity.  It's anyone's ball game between these three. On the other side, I see Piedmont and Central Davidson meeting in the second round with Piedmont winning.  Piedmont actually is my favorite to win this sectional.  If they meet Trinity in Trinity though, that will definitely be the toughest place that they've played at all year.  A trinity playoff game is an atmosphere to behold.

The West Sectionals will also have some battles.  How about Shelby/East Rutherford (two Top 5 teams) meeting in the second round? Both those squads were in the Regionals last year.  The winner of that will most likely face the winner of a good game between East Burke/West Caldwell.  West Caldwell is no stranger to good state playoff basketball.  In the other half, I'll go with Smoky Mountain against East Lincoln in the final....with Smoky winning.

In the East....can't bet against the "Goro" of the bunch.....defending state champ Kinston.  In the Mideast....I expect a Northside-Cummings battle in one final while....gosh...that other half is tough to call......you have Fairmont, Whiteville, Graham, Clinton....who knows with that one...let's move on.

In 3A....on the MidEast side, Northern Guilford SHOULD cruise to the regional.  They'll sweat a little with the winner of Southern Vance-Eastern Guilford and they'll have a fourth battle with Eastern Alamance.  But they should come out in one piece.  On the other side of the Mideast, Chapel Hill is a heavy favorite.  I saw these ladies last year...they're athletic, tall, gritty, have good shooters, play great defense, deep,....basically anything you want in a basketball team.  

In the East, I'll take Eastern Wayne and Northern Nash.  Northern Nash, though, will have a MUCH tougher road than E Wayne.  They'll have a nice battle between the winner of Rocky Mount (who gave NN their only loss a few weeks back) and South Central in the second round.  If they survive, the winner of a great game between DH Conley and West Craven awaits.  

In the Midwest, you have area teams Ledford and SW Randolph.  Ledford has a #1 seed.  Can they make it past the winner of Weddington/North Iredell to make it to G'boro? It'll be tough.  As for SW....I think they'll get past Concord but they'll have an extremely tough trip to Charlotte to face defending state champ Harding awaiting them.  I'm rooting for the Cougars though....

The West is tough to call...you have great teams like Hickory, Foard, Crest, Forestview, Freedom, and Franklin all battling it out.  Can't call this one... 

On the boys side, in the Midwest, NE Guilford could get to Greensboro.  They'll have a tough road though.  Cox Mill in the second round, a potential matchup with Statesville in the third.  I think Concord will cruise in the other half of the Midwest.  In the west, I look for the winner of Hunter Huss/Freedom in one sectional and......Hickory/Ashbrook in the other.  That particular half is very competitive though.

In the Mideast, let's take a fourth Webb/Chapel Hill battle for one sectional final.  I'll take Westover on the other side.  In the East, I think Rocky Mount will cruise in one sectional while....West Craven will battle Triton for the other spot.  Good luck to everyone! 

Alright gang, the best three weeks of the year are underway!  To start things off, I took the I-73 loop around the Gate City and up to the airport to watch the Vikings of NW Guilford.  Tonight, they would play host to a double-dip: On the ladies side....the Southern Alamance Patriots.  On the fellas side....the Ronald Wilson Reagan Raiders from Pfafftown (try to say THAT as fast as you can three times in a row...).  Oh, I think this would be a smashing time to break out a "TL/DR" version of both contests.  Let's roll....

**Disclaimer** If you are a Viking fan and/or Shaylen Burnett hater, you might want to avert your eyes for the first half of this write-up.  Observing these sentences could be hazardous to your health.  

-Well I done goofed.....I pull into the NW Guilford parking lot and it's almost full.  That can only mean one thing....the game started at 6:00 instead of 6:30 (MY BAD.)  When I walk into the gym, the first score I see is SA 17, NWG 16 with about three minutes till halftime.  I take my seat up at the top.  Not much happens during those last few minutes.  Southern scores a basket and Shaylen Burnett flattens a Viking post player trying to set a pick.  19-16 Lady Pats at half.

Now....second half.  The Vikings go man-to-man but Burnett is not bothered in the least.  Southern center April Kelly gets us going when she spins and hits a baby hook off the glass.  The Vikes come back...Morgan Painter skips a pass to Hayley Barbour in the right corner and Barbour dials up three to make it 21-19 SA.

-Then.....Burnett GOES OFF.  She gets out on the break and makes the crowd go "ooooohhhh" with a behind-the-back dish right in stride to Holly Boggs for a layup.  After some good halfcourt D from the Pats, they come down with the ball in Burnett's hands.  She rises up like she's going to shoot but, at the top of her jump, takes a little off of the shot and hits Darienne Sykes wide open inside.  Sykes hits the bucket and draws harm.  That makes it 25-21 SA.  The Vikes are cold on the offensive end.

After a tough, coast to coast drive and layup from Viking point guard Brandi Burrell, Burnett shows out again.  She's hit off the inbounds, gives a Viking defender a shake, and goes up and under for two.  The Vikes are, however, starting to have a little success in getting to the line.  Erin Stauton hits a pair of freebies.  Then, Toni Tucker hits a pair to cut SA's lead to 27-25.  However, Shaylen Burnett comes right back.  She slices right through the Vike D, gets to the line, and hits a free throw.  SA grabs the rebound on the second free throw and hits Burnett again.  She hits her defender with a magnificent up-and-under scoop.  More "ooooohhhhhhs" from the crowd rain down.  The Vikes come away empty on their next possession and Darienne Sykes hits a putback off of the glass at the buzzer to make it 32-25 at the end of 3.  

The fourth quarter is all about Ms. Shaylen Burnett.  She gets a block inside.  Then, Brandi Burrell comes out of the pack and pushes hard to the other end of the court.  She looks like she has a sure layup.  However, Burnett chases her down and forces her to travel right at the basket.  Burnett comes down on the other end....while she's dribbing at the top of the key, she turns her head to the left wing....and hits Darienne Sykes inside with a fast, Lebron-esque no-look pass!  Vikes call TO with 6:28 left.  

Out of the pause, Burnett D's up Burrell and forces a 5 second violation.  However, the Vikes quickly regain their composure.  Morgan Painter hits a 15 footer from the baseline.  Then, Hayley Barbour finds Painter inside for two more.  SA answers when Hollie Boggs penetrates and dishes to Darienne Sykes inside.  36-31 SA.  Timeout with 3:31 left.

Viking Erin Stauton hits two free throws to cut it to three.  Burnett comes right back, dribbles around, hits Hollie Boggs, Boggs drives, gets fouled, and hits two free throws.  Vikes call TO with 2:30 left.  "Gangnam Style" blares out through the Viking gym.  No dancing though...I am disappoint.

Defense, defense, defense.....April Kelly is Mutomboing inside...she gets a block and then alters the second Viking attempt which forces a turnover.  Moments later, Burnett forces a turnover.  Then, Erin Stauton gets a steal and she's off to the races.  It looks like she has a sure layup.  Once again, however, Barnett chases her down.  When Staunton rises up to the basket, Barnett times it perfectly and strips her.  The Vikes get the ball back but they throw it away. Vikes call TO at 1:21.

SA ball...Burnett is whistled for a pushoff.  Vikes come down and Brandi Burrell kicks it quickly to Hayley Barbour in the left corner.  Barbour buries the three and cuts SA's lead to two, 38-36.  SA pulls it out and is looking to kill time.  The Vikes foul April Kelly with 46 seconds remaining.  Kelly goes to the stripe to shoot the 1/1.  She misses the front end....but SA gets the rebound.  Burnett gets the ball and misses the putback.  The ball is loose on the floor and there's a mad scramble.  A second later, SA is called for traveling. Vikes call timeout with 37 seconds remaining.

NW ball...Toni Tucker drives, gets fouled, and goes to the line for 1/1.  She hits the first.  However, she misses the second and Barnett grabs the board.  She breaks quickly out of the pack and there's no one in front of her.  However, she misses the wide open layup.  Darienne Sykes has her back though...she runs the floor and puts the miss back in.  SA calls timeout with around 13 seconds left up 40-37.  NW gets the ball in, gets it to their end of the floor, and calls timeout.  8.9 seconds.  

The Vikes get the ball to Hayley Barbour at the top of the key.  She dribbles, shakes off her defender, and launches.  The ball hits the front of the rim and bounces off.  Brandi Burrell rebounds and puts up a long two but it's no good.  Southern Alamance survives and advances, 40-37.  

Post game thoughts:  What an amazing performance from Shaylen Burnett.  She was delighting the crowd on both sides of the gym.  Darienne Sykes played a great half.  It was fun watching April Kelly and Toni Tucker battle in the post.  They were going right at each other.  I'm impressed with the toughness of Tucker...she doesn't back down from anything or anyone.  Can Southern Alamance slay the giant (Myers Park) in Charlotte on Wednesday? I don't know...but I'll be rooting for them.  

My MVP's:  For SA....read the article.  For NW......hmm...tough, tough call here....I'll pick Brandi Burrell.  To the fellas...

-Is everybody on Reagan's team a lefty?? I don't think I've ever seen so many left handed shooters on one side.

The brown sphere is thrown up and Reagan's Caleb Anthony gets us started with a putback on the inside.  Anthony is showing out early.  First, he gets a steal.  Then, he gets a step on his defender and hits him with an easy blowby for two more.  Cody Hylton hits a tough J to get the Vikes on the board.  Reagan is trying to throw the Vikes timing off with a 2-2-1 full court press.  NW does a pretty good job handling it to begin with.  Cody Hylton finds Josh Beitz (who just had a monster block seconds earlier) for two to make it 6-4 Reagan.  Evan Peatross hits a tough runner to answer.  

Back and forth we go....Cody Hylton shows out for a bit.  He gets a steal and a big rebound.  Then, he drains a triple from the left elbow to tie the game at 8.   Caleb Anthony shovels one inside to Jake Hobson to put the Raiders back on top.  Hylton drives and kicks to Nick Powell, who buries a three to put NW up by one.  Then, Jacob Hartle buries a three from the left elbow to make it 13-11 Reagan.  The Raiders hold the Vikes on defense.  They come down, show off some great ball movement, and hit Ja'Shawn Joyner who hits an easy flip shot inside.  15-11 end of 1.  Northwest is playing well so far. 

In the second quarter, the Raiders begin to flex their muscle.  They show off some great interior passing and Anthony hits Joyner inside for two.  After a Nick Powell answer, the Raiders come right back and Evan Peatross swings it to Rashaad Roberts on the right side.  Roberts catches and, in one smooth motion, rises and buries the triple.  Peatross then gets a steal.  Raider Buddy Morgan crashes the boards and gets a putback.  22-13 Reagan.  

The Raider 2-2-1 full court pressure continues to irritate the Vikes.  Peatross finds Buddy Morgan and Morgan hits the easy 8 footer.  Then, Rashaad Roberts bangs in a three from the left elbow.  Uh oh......Vikes call timeout down 27-13.

NW can't get anything going.  Reagan marches down....Caleb Anthony penetrates and makes a great dish to Jacob Hartle for two.  Cody Hylton finally ends the 12-0 Raider run with a long two.  However, the Raider press continues to wreak havoc.  It forces NW to burn a timeout.  The Vikes are able to cut it to 10 behind three free throws from Colson Everett and a three from Cody Hylton.  However, on the last possession of the half, Reagan comes down and they're patient.  They work it around and swing it to the right side.  Caleb Anthony hits Jacob Hartle in the right corner with a perfect pass and Hartle bangs in a three.  34-21 Reagan at the half.

Halftime thoughts: Caleb Anthony is the best interior passer I've seen all year.  Reagan has a bit of an "old school" vibe to em'.  This team, as a whole, passes really well.  They're a smart ballclub too.  NW is living and dying by the three.  This game would be much closer if they could get those threes to fall.  They've missed a ton.  They're getting good looks though.  I don't think I've ever seen so many cross court passes in all my life.   

 Well, I wish I could say that there was some exciting drama that played out in the second half but....there was not.  The Reagan Raiders continued to stay in the driver's seat.  They continued to pick apart the Viking defense.  

In the third quarter, the Vikings were able to hit a few threes and cut the lead to ten at one time, 48-38.  Cody Hylton even had a four point play almost midway through the quarter.  However, the Vikes had no answer for the awesome ball movement and shooting of Reagan.  The Raiders used a balanced attack to keep their lead at 41-34.   then, Evan Peatross hit Caleb Anthony inside who, in turn, hit Ja'Shawn Joyner with a splendid touch pass in the lane for two more.  Joyner, Anthony, and Jacob Hartle all had great quarters.  Hartle was camping out in those corners and the Raiders were finding him.  He hit three three pointers towards the end of the stanza.  Cody Hylton had a nice shake and hit a tough fader towards the end of the third as well.  59-46 Reagan end of 3.  

Rinse, repeat.....the Raiders put it on cruise control and coasted to a 79-64 victory.  Caleb Anthony had a nice fourth.  He got an inside bucket early on and went 5/8 from the free throw line.  Cody Hylton continued his great game.  He had seven points during this stanza.  Hylton finished with 23 to lead the Vikes.

Post game thoughts:  Northwest just couldn't take that lid off the basket.  Nor could they stop Reagan's balanced attack.  I'm impressed with Reagan.  If they can make SW Guilford play halfcourt basketball and hold Leach somewhere around the 15-20 point range (easier said than done...), I think they'll have a shot at ending SW's undefeated season.  I really like Caleb Anthony's game.  Oh, and I also want to wish the NW seniors good luck in their future endeavors.  I really enjoyed getting to meet and talking with y'alls families.  If you guys are even remotely anything like your parents and grandparents, you guys are a nice, fun, classy bunch.  

My MVP's: For Reagan....Evan Peatross, Caleb Anthony, and Jacob Hartle.  For NW...Cody Hylton and Nick Powell.  Powell had a pretty good game from the floor and played some nice defense.   

Alright gang......In a few hours, I'm heading back up to the Warehouse to catch another double-dip of scintillating roundball action ( I hope........).  I'm going to leave you guys with a "TL/DR" version of what I enjoyed (and endured) yesterday.  Enter..... THE WAREHOUSE!

-I roll up to the Special Events Center around 6:00 pm.  As I'm getting my pass at the Will Call, I hear a familiar voice.  It's the First Lady of NC Preps.....Deana King.  She tells me that the Special Events Center is going to play "On The Blacktop"* for me tonight.   I say "Thaannkksss".   Although she's just messing around.....there's a very good chance they might time warp back to the early 90's and pull that foul CD out of the CD case.  Let's hope not.....

-Where's my seat??  There's no love for NC Piedmont Sports on Press Row!  Luckily, the man himself...Mr. Don Hines steps on the scene.  He hooks us up with a couple of seats on the far left of press row.  Good....now I'm ready to roll!

-Here are our matchups for tonight.....our first bout of the evening will be between the 26-3 Golden Lions of Shelby and the 26-3 Mustangs of Smoky Mountain.  Following that act will be the defending West Regional Champion Cuthbertson Cavaliers (27-3) vs. Randolph County's Finest......the Trinity Bulldogs (22-4).  All four of these squads are very familiar with the fast-food lights and the curtains of Special Events Center.  Shelby lost to Cuthbertson in last year's exciting Regional Final, Smoky Mountain was here a few years ago (with Tar Heel glue guy Jackson Simmons in tow), and Trinity was last here in 2008 (where they won the West Regional).  

-We're ready for the National Anthem.  Okay...I hear a loud "Joker" laugh....but no Anthem.  After a few seconds, the PA guy comes on and says that we're skipping the Anthem and heading right for the starting lineups.  Okay doke... 

-Wow, Shelby's Chris Wray is starting to morph into Nerlens Noel.  I've heard he's had a fantastic season.  I'm looking forward to seeing him and Gabe Devoe.  Devoe had a great Regional last year.  I don't know anything about Smoky this year...except that they beat East Lincoln to get here.  I soon find out that they only have one senior though....Shelby definitely has the edge in the experience category.  Let's tip it up!

-Or have trouble tipping it up....both guys whiff on the tip and the ball hits the referee.  The refs gather and talk it over for a minute...then award the ball to Smoky.   

-Right off the rip, Shelby's looking to attack on the inside.  Chris Wray hits Donte Falls inside with a nice bounce pass to get the scoreboard going and Falls follows that up with another bucket in the paint.  Wray then gets a great block.

-Is Smoky playing a Box and 1 on Devoe? I believe they are.  Jordan Couch hits a three from the left elbow to get Smoky on the board.

-Smoky is dying by the three and Shelby is grabbing all of the rebounds.  Behind Cedric Cannon, Gabe Devoe, and Wray, the Lions push their lead to 9-3.  The Lions are getting out and running nicely after those boards.  

-Rinse, lather, repeat....Shelby's length is really bothering Smoky on the offensive end.  Smoky is ice cold and they're getting hardly no second chances.  Devoe just grabbed another board and hit Mon'Darius Black up ahead.  Black's posted in the right corner and nails the triple.  Whup....Black just hit another three from that same side.  Chris Wray then steps through the Smoky D and hits a nice floater.  Smoky has the last possession of the quarter....but forget to shoot the ball! Actually, I don't blame them the way they've been shooting......17-7 Shelby end of 1.   

-Second quarter:  Chris Wray......Gabe Devoe.  That's all you need to know.  Wray starts us off by going all the way and soaring for a magnificent layup.  Wray encores by stealing a pass out top and hitting Devoe ahead.  Devoe gets the And 1!  Smoky calls time at 6:50 down 22-7.

-Wray and Devoe continue to wreak havoc.  Wray hangs and hits a jumper.  Seconds later, Devoe gets out and flushes the brown sphere home with two hands.  Then, Devoe hits Spencer Clark on the break with a beautiful diagonal pass and Clark finishes.  Smoky's hitting a three and a jumper every now and then.  

-Wray gets another swat.  Wray steals an inbounds pass, goes all the way, and gets the easy lay.  After a Donte Falls block, Wray pushes and hits Mon'Darius Black for a deuce.  Shelby's lead is 35-17 at this point.  Smoky is able to muster a few more points.  However, Wray gets yet another block and Spencer Clark wheels and scores to take us into the curtains.  37-20 at the half.  Golden Lions looking strong.

Halftime thoughts:  The Mustangs are having a nightmarish game from the floor.  They're 8-34 overall and 2-12 from three point range.  One kid in particular is 0-10 and 0-6 from threeland.  Wray's statline is looking pretty sharp right now:  11 points, 8 boards, 3 assists, 3 blocks, and two steals.  Shelby has outrebounded Smoky 28-16.  Shelby is just too long and athletic for the Mustangs.  The only thing Smoky has done better than the Lions is take charges.   Zechariah Carter has had a good game for the Mustangs off the bench.

-Third quarter: Shelby gets right back to carving up the Smoky defense.  They get two inside baskets, Devoe hits on a strong drive, and Chris Wray just went and broke a kid's ankles.  He's 6-7 too folks.  Oh...Wray follows that with another block and a nice board. 

-Devoe hits Spencer Clark ahead for two.  Clark gets a block and hits Devoe for two.  Donte Falls hits a turnaround.  52-25 Golden Lions right now.  Jayce Wolfe and Zechariah Carter are trying to keep Smoky from being totally blown out.  Darius Sweezy and Donte Falls hit back-to-back buckets.  56-29 end of three.  

-In the fourth quarter, Donte Falls tells Wray and Devoe to rest for a bit.  After two jumpers from Devoe, Falls scores inside.  He scores inside again.  Then, he's found in the paint once more and gets the And 1!  Two scores later, yep, he's hit inside again.  Shelby's coasting right down the hill.  At the 3:00 mark, the subs come in to get some well deserved burn.  The crowd goes crazy when freshman Antwan Wright hits a jumper.  Shelby advances 84-46.  

Post game thoughts:  Smoky looks like they don't even know what hit em as they walk off the court.  That was an impressive performance from Shelby to say the least.  Wray ended up with a double-double.  There were two bright spots for Smoky though: Freshman point guard Jayce Wolfe and junior guard Zechariah Carter.  Wolfe was fun to watch.  In the fourth quarter, he hit Carter with a John Stockton-esque assist.  Methinks I haven't seen the last of him in Greensboro.  He's going to have a nice career.

My MVP's: For Shelby...Chris Wray.  For Smoky....Jayce Wolfe.

On to Cuthbertson/Trinity.....Trinity, as per the course, has brought a good-sized, passionate crowd to the Warehouse.  The Bulldogs defeated Ashe County, Randleman, and Central Davidson on their way back to the bright lights.  The Cuthbertson Cavaliers will be the best team they've faced by far though.  How will they deal with Wake Forest recruit Sheldon Mitchell? Let's find out...

-Well, the Bulldogs aren't having any success dealing with him (or the rest of the Cavs) early on.....Jorden Hardrick hits a putback to get the Cavs on the board.  Then, Mitchell hits an easy three from the left elbow.  Seconds later, Mitchell dishes to Isiah Cureton at the top of the key and Cureton hits the three.  Cavs 8-0 just like that.  Trinity calls timeout (6:21).

-At 5:59, Daniel Newcomer gets Trinity on the board with a reverse layup.  Mitchell goes to work though...he hits another three, making it 11-2.  Then, after a blown layup from the Dogs, Mitchell drives, gets fouled, and hits two from the charity stripe.  Trinity travels on their next possession.  Cuthbertson fans mock Bulldog fans with the "Scoreboard" chant.  Isiah Cureton scores on a tip.  Cornelius Stratford gets his second block of the game (an emphatic swat).  

-Down 15-3, Trinity switches things up and looks to spread out on offense.  Initially, they turn it over and Stratford makes them pay by hitting an easy floater.  However, the spread begins to pay dividends....they draw the 7th foul on the Cavs which puts the Dogs in the bonus for the remainder of the half.  Daniel Newcomer is able to get to the stripe and hit four free throws.  Two of those are a result of a technical foul assessed to Sheldon Mitchell.  

-Trinity is still holdin' that ball.  Deep into the possession, they look for a shot but come away empty.  However, as Cuth makes their way up the floor, Daniel Newcomer rips the ball away from a Cav and hits an off-balance fadeaway as time expires.  Cavaliers 17-9 at the end of 1. 

-In the second quarter, Trinity goes back to the stall.  They're beginning to frustrate the Cavs and their fans.  The patience pays off though...Newcomer hits Jarrod Rogers back door for a layup.  After two free throws from Sheldon Mitchell, the Cavs unleash a full court press.  Jarrod Rogers beats the press and kicks it to David Newcomer in the corner.  Newcomer hits the three to make it 19-14.  

-At the 4:52 mark, Trinity's in the double bonus....and they go back to their Dean Smith era North Carolina imitation.  They break out the Four Corners and run the weave up top.  After about a couple of minutes, the Cavs grab the rock and get back down the court.  Mitchell drives, gets fouled, and hits a pair of freebies.  Seconds later, Daniel Newcomer sees an opening in the lane, drives it, and hits a layup.  21-16 Cavs at the 2:05 mark.

-The Cavs get a little of their rythym back....Off a nice give and go from Lucius McMillon, Isiah Cureton is able to drive the lane, hit a beautiful finger roll, and get the And 1!   Seconds later, after a Bulldog is called for a charge, McMillon hits a tough turnaround.  However, Daniel Newcomer hits a three from the right side just before the buzzer to cut the Cav lead to six, 25-19, at halftime.  

Halftime thoughts:  Well this is rather interesting.  I wonder how many fans are actually still awake right now...Daniel Newcomer is leading all scorers with 13 right now.  Cav star Sheldon Mitchell has 12.  He's also 6-6 from the foul line.

-Third quarter: Trinity gets a steal.....and they go back to the Four Corners.  And they hold......and hold......and hold.....and hold yet some more.  Midway through the third, Jordon Hardrick shows good hands, gets a steal, and hits Sheldon Mitchell up ahead for the And 1!.  Trinity goes back to the delay.....after a minute or two of holding, the Cuthbertson coach tells his team "Don't fall asleep!"  This brings applause and a loud, sarcastic cheer from the Cuthbertson faithful.  The looks on some of the Cav players faces are priceless.   

-After holding the ball for a couple of years, the Bulldogs finally break out looking to attack.  Jarrod Rogers sees a wide open lane, hits it, puts up the shot, sinks it, and draws the foul.  The Bulldog crowd erupts in approval.  Rogers hits the free throw.  27-22 Cavs end of three.  I'm shaking my head.....I'm just not believing what I'm seeing.

-Fourth quarter: The clock strikes midnight for the Bulldog weave...Trinity misses shots and aren't able to grab the board.  The Cavs make them pay on the other end.  Lucius McMillon and Jorden Hardrick hit big baskets.  Trinity has to burn back-to-back timeouts trying to get the ball in.  Later on, Hardrick lays out and gets a big steal.  The Dogs get into foul trouble and end up having to foul Sheldon Mitchell multiple times.  The closest Trinity can get is 34-25 at the 1:57 mark, after a deep three from Jarrod Rogers.  After two free throws from McMillon and another from Mitchell, the Bulldog fans start to file for the exits.  Two Bulldog players foul out.  The Cavs go 6/10 from the charity stripe the rest of the way.  Cuthbertson survives the trip back in time, 46-30.  

Post game thoughts: Hmmm.....I've got mixed feelings on Trinity's strategy of play tonight.  On the one hand, man was it painful to watch.  I feel bad for the fans who came to watch Sheldon Mitchell for the first time.  Fear not folks....Lebron James and Kevin Durant would have looked sub-par in that type of game.  I guarantee you Mr. Mitchell will put on an awesome performance against Shelby on Saturday.  Now, I will say, if Shelby goes to the stall....I'll quit watching high school ball forever, lol.  

On the other hand, I can't fault the Bulldog coaching staff for putting their kids in the best situation to win.  Tell you what...if nothing else, those Bulldogs are always in great condition.  They had Cuthbertson absolutely frustrated at times.  I did think, however, that the Cavs showed great discipline and focus while defending that weave.  

My MVP's: For Cuthbertson....Sheldon Mitchell and Jorden Hardrick.  For Trinity....Daniel Newcomer and Jarrod Rogers.  

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Back to the Warehouse, ladies and gents!   Tonight, the Warehouse is playing host to the 3A semifinals to the 3A semifinals.  I'm gonna go grab a bucket of fries and ONE Coke (trying to cut back a little y'all), take my seat, and enjoy some "Live action!!!"  I've got a feeling that we'll have plenty of it on this evening.....

Our first matchup is definitely NOT what you would call a "friendly".  Two intense, bitter rivals from a town called Gastonia have stepped into the Warehouse.  They're looking to advance and beat each other up in the process.  Who are these Hatfields and McCoy's I'm referring to?  Why...none other than the Hunter Huss Huskies and the Ashbrook Green Wave.  Maan, I wish I had a milkshake from Tony's right now...

Tonight's bout is the fourth battle between these two squads this season.  Ashbrook won the first meeting 75-64.  However, Huss got em' back twice (first time 72-67, second time in the conferency tourney, 65-56).  The Huskies have no doubt laid claim to being one of the top teams in the 3A ranks this season.  They've defeated 2A powerhouses East Rutherford and Shelby.  They also bested Harding University, which happens to be playing in tonight's other semi opposite Statesville.  Huss is led by exciting, 5-9 junior guard Kerrion Moore.  Two years ago as a frosh, Mr. Moore was the MVP of the State Championship.  Suffice to say, he won't be fazed in the least by these bright lights.  

Ashbrook, in addition to the Huss victory, has also knocked off Shelby.  The Green Wave have also taken defending 4A state champ New Hanover down to the wire before falling 58-53.  

Oh maaann....I'm standing in line at the concession stands waiting on my fries when I suddenly hear a loud "Ohhhhh!!"  There's a long line of Green Wave students at the other end of the concessions.  One student, who had just purchased a drink, is pushed by another student, which causes him to spill his drink.  The Ashbrook fans who see the incident start chanting "Pick it up! Pick it up!" to the guy who did the pushing.  Shameful.  Memo to fans:  Dont' ever be THAT guy.  

1950's behavior aside, Ashbrook has brought a large, lively student section to the Gate City.  They even have cardboard cutouts of some of the Green Wave players.  They even have a cutout of Shaq (which I find rather strange).  On the other side of the House, I see that Huss....has brought a decent crowd.  Small student section.  Okay John, enough pre-game babble....let's get on with it!

The ball is tipped and, right off the bat, these two squads are getting after it.  Ashbrook comes out in a 2-3 zone.  In contrast, Huss is aggressively trapping the ballhandler on the wings along the sidelines.  6-4 senior Jaelan Kennedy gets the party crackin' when he hits a sweet J to put the Huskies on the board.  Ashbrook answers when Trey Dellinger finds senior Grant Stafford inside.  

After that bucket, Hunter Huss starts to roll.  O'Brian Curry starts to microwave.  He hits a three from the left wing.  Then, after some good Husky ball movement, he drains a triple from the right side.  Green Wave Antonio Blalock answers with a pretty, one-hand floater.  Huss answers back when Jerimiah Hunter hits Chadrickus Mackins cutting through the lane.  Then, Hunter runs the floor and tells Alex Linder to "Get it out!" What a block!  10-4 Huss early on good buddy.

After some intense defense and some turnovers from both sides, Austin Mitchell scores on a putback to cut the Husky lead to four.  Enter stage right.....Mr. Kerrion Moore.  After a Green Wave turnover, Moore gets the ball.  He drives and goes all the way to get his name in the scoring ledger.  Then, he picks Z'Andre Givens's pocket at halfcourt, speeds straight to the rim, and gets the easy layup.  Seconds later, Jaelan Kennedy finds Moore along the baseline.  Moore catches, rises up, and hits a jumper right in the face of Antonio Blalock.   Ashbrook has seen enough and decide to pause time at 1:46 to talk things over.  16-6 Huss. 

During the timeout, a Huss player is spotted by a ref wearing his chain.  The ref tells him to remove it.  The Ashbrook student section starts chanting "You can't wear that!"  Hilarious.

Huss picks up right where they left off.  Jeremiah Hunter and Jaelan Kennedy take turns stuffing Austin Mitchell.  The Green Wave are shook.  They travel.....then they throw it away.  Huss comes down and finds Hunter inside.  He gets a step and hits a strong shot off the winder.  Then, Huss shows out on the defensive end.  They get a deflection and turn it into a steal.  They quickly push up the court.  Jaelan Kennedy is hit with the ball.  He passes to Chadrickus Mackins who quickly hits Kerrion Moore with a pass along the baseline inside.  Moore catches, fakes out a couple of Green Wave, powers up, gets the bucket, and absorbs some contact.  And 1!  He hits the extra point.  21-6 Huss end of 1.

As we head into the second quarter, Jaelan Kennedy starts to power up.  After knocking down two free throws, he's hit quickly up the floor by Mackins off a Green Wave turnover.  He rises up and throws it down strong with two hands!  Oh....right after the jam, he runs the floor and gets a block.  Huss is just straight running things right now, 25-6.  

Then......Ashbrook stops hitting the snooze button.....and Huss starts to take their foot off the pedal.  Back-to-back buckets take Huss's lead down to 25-10.  Huss calls a quick TO.  No matter though.....the Green Wave start coming in....errr.....waves.  After a Jeremiah Hunter turnaround, Delshon Leach strips a Husky and goes in for an easy two.  Trey Dellinger follows that with a three from the left side.  Kerrion Moore finds Hunter filling the lane to answer for Huss.  30-17 Huss.

Then, the Green Wave really hit high tide.  Behind two baskets from Antonio Blalock, they cut Huss's lead to 30-23 and force the Huskies to pause time at the 2:06 mark.  Huss misses on their next possession.  The Wave march down the floor.  Blalock is dribbling into frontcourt on the right side of the floor...but no Huskie is picking him up.  So...he calmly pulls up and hits an easy three from the wing.  Seconds later, Abrook gets a steal.  A Green Wave misses a dunk badly but Z'Andre Givens has his back and puts the miss back in.  30-28 Huss.  Green Wave fans have roared to life!

Then, in a millisecond, they become as quiet as a library....complements of Kerrion Moore.   Moore comes down, pulls up from the top of the key, and misses a three.  Abrook grabs the board and is looking to push.  However, Moore snatches the outlet pass right out of the air.  He gathers himself on the left wing, checks the clock, rises up from 20 feet away, shows off picture perfect form, and buries the three as the horn sounds.  Then, he looks over at yours truely and the guy right beside me and flashes a look that screams "Yep, that's how I roll." Straight BOSS.  Huss 33-28 at the half. 

Halftime thoughts: I can't believe Ashbrook got back in this thing.  Huss really got lax on defense.  Although the Green Wave have outrebounded the Huskies 22-10, they haven't gotten to the free throw line not once.  Moore has 10 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals at the moment.  Antonio Blalock's leading the Wave with nine points. 

In describing the second half, I only need to give you two words: Moore and Kennedy (okay, so that's technically three words).  With the score 33-28, Moore skies to get a rebound and puts it back in.  Then, Moore makes a great pass in transistion to Kennedy for a layup.  Moments later, Wave Austin Mitchell scores on a putback to cut the Huss lead to 37-32.  However, Moore scores the next five points (two of which come off of a pocket pick turned into a layup).  Down 42-32, Abrook calls time at the 4:14 mark.

Out of the pause, Blalock and Delshon Leach hit to cut the Huss lead back to six.  However, Jaelan Kennedy lands the first punch in what would end up being the knockout flurry.  He nails a relaxed three from the right elbow to push the Huss lead back to nine.  After two missed free throws from Ashbrook, Kerrion Moore gets the ball.  He works on his defender and hits him with a hard, quick Tim Hardaway-like crossover.  He gets deep into the paint and dishes off to Jeremiah Hunter for two.  Seconds later, Hunter shows out on the other end.  He dives on the floor to pick up a steal.  He's hounded by Wave defenders so he calls timeout.  Towards the end of the quarter, Jaelan Kennedy goes to work.  He gets the ball out top.  He's isolated one-on-one.  He hits the defender with a quick dribble, makes a fast, counter-clockwise spin, loses the ball momentarily as a result of the help defense....but quickly regains control.  He powers to the goal and puts it in between two defenders.  50-38 Huss end of three.

Due to time constraints, I'll go really quickly.  Fourth quarter is all Huss.  Kerrion Moore, Jaelan Kennedy, and Jeremiah Hunter all show out.  Hunter has a Shaq-like block midway through the quarter.  Huss advances 73-53.  Moore finishes with 20 points, 8 assists, 5 boards, and 3 steals.  Kennedy had 18 points, 7 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal.  Hunter also had 18 points, 6 boards, 2 blocks, and 2 steals.  Antonio Blalock led the Green Wave with 18 points.  Grant Stafford had a nice game.  He finished with 10 points, 9 boards, 2 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal.  

Okay, I hate to do this but I'm going to be really brief on Statesville-Harding.   

Both teams battle back and forth in the first half.  Harding led 27-25 at the half.  Point guard Aaron Linton is having a great game for the Rams so far.  He's got five assists and three boards (keep in mind, he's 5-4).  Both teams are getting balanced scoring efforts.  Guard Marquis Willis (who really showed out against NE Guilford) is leading the Hounds with nine points.  

It continues to be tight in the third quarter.  Behind some great drives and hard board-crashing, Statesville maintains a 37-33 lead. Up 39-37, the Hounds hit Harding with a two-punch combo courtesy of Austin St. John.  First, he gets a head of steam, attacks the rim, and draws the foul.  He hits two free throws.  Then, after a missed three from Harding, St. John bangs in a three from the right elbow.  44-37 Hounds end of three.

Aaron Linton is carrying Harding.  He's hit a three, a teardrop, and two freebies to get Harding within four, 48-44.  However, a BS reach-in call on Harding puts Statesville in the bonus with 5:49 remaining.  Jaquan Wright hits a free throw.  He misses the second but the Hounds run down the loose ball.  Wright gets the ball and works out top.  He gets a lightning quick step, flies through the lane, hits a layup, and draws harm.  He hits the extra point.  52-44 Hounds.  

After two missed free throws from Harding, Jaquan Wright takes the baseline and bullettrains right to the rim for a layup.  After a charge called on Harding, Wright hits a free throw.  55-44.  Harding can get no closer than nine points.  Marquis Willis hits a putback and two free throws, Breon Borders hits a layup and two free throws, and Austin St. John hits a bank shot to put this game away.  Hounds advance to play Huss on Saturday, 70-52. 

Post game thoughts: I just want to tell Austin St. John "My bad".  I was the reporter that hit you with the ball.   

Tonight's feature film is entitled, "The Warehouse Part 3: This Is Where The Big Boys Play!"

The first act is an intense battle for the championship of Charlotte (and it's surrounding suburbs).   In one corner, you have the #1 ranked, undefeated Olympic Trojans.  The Trojans are no stranger to the Gate City, having visited here last year and falling to fellow Queen City foe West Charlotte in the regional semi.  The Trojans are led by forwards BJ Gladden and Trey Mitchell.  Also, they now have former Highland Tech standout Jevon Patton running the point.  The heavyweight champ is looking to take care of business and march on towards their first state trophy.  Their challenger tonight? Why, none other than........

......the Hough Huskies?? Wait, who?  Aren't they supposed to be battling West Charlotte and Carolina signee Kennedy Meeks tonight?   Where's West Charlotte?? They own this town, right? Not. Any. More.  The relatively unknown Huskies knocked off the Charlotte Goliaths in the sectional final.  Also, that victory marked the SECOND time this season that the Huskies had conquered the Lions.  Just who is this mysterious bunch from just east of Cornelius you ask?  

Well.....they're a relatively new school (they've only been in existence a few years).  They play in the tough I-Meck conference.  The Huskies have three seniors on the squad.  However, their main, main man is only a sophomore.  I'm talking about 6-7 forward Luke Maye.  Maye is averaging double figures in both scoring and rebounding.  The Huskies also boast a 6-10 junior named Tucker Thompson.  So, these Huskies aren't no small pups.  They're some Great Danes.  I'm curious now.....let's see what these dawgs are made of....To...The...Warehouse!!!

Man, Hough is tall!  They might be the tallest public school team I've seen all year.  No doubt Olympic will try to counter that size with their speed and athleticism.  Both schools have brought good sized crowds.

Oh boy, we've got some basketball big wigs in the house for this one!  Ol Roy is in the building!! I've also spotted Mark Gottfried and Bobby Lutz (NC State assistant) in the stands.  Last but certainly not least, ESPN recruiting guru Dave Telep is sitting a few seats down from yours truely.  Let's get it poppin'!

Ok, Mr. Maye! Just hit a 17 foot fadeaway off the inbounds to get us started why don't ya!  Not even a minute in and I'm already starting to get a "Christian Laettner" vibe off this kid.  

Olympic instantly strikes back.  Jevon Patton hits a floater to get the Trojans on the scoreboard.  Then, Trey Mitchell follows with a 12 footer from the baseline.  The Huskies come down, whip the ball around, and find Theo Mack at the top of the key.  He rises up and buries the three.  Trey Mitchell answers with a nice take and layup.  Hough's Drexler Clark gets to the lane, gets fouled, and hits two free throws.  After an Olympic freebie, Clark is at it again.  He works off a screen and hits a stepback three off the window (did you call that Drexler?).  10-7 Hough.  Looking epic so far! 

Uh oh.....spoke too soon.  BJ Gladden just drove the lane and drew Luke Maye's second foul.  That's a big (no pun intended) setback for the Huskies.  At the 3:54 mark, Maye goes to the bench.  

After a Gladden free throw, Patton starts to lead the troops.  First, he hits a Trojan in the left corner and that Trojan buries the three.  After a staredown three from Theo Mack, Patton goes to work again.  He hits a floater to tie the game at 13.  Then, he stepsback like a BOSS and hits a long two.  Tucker Thompson answers with a pair of freebies for the Huskies.  Seconds later, however, BJ Gladden enters the public consciousness......and he's not going away for a while.  Grab a Snickers and enjoy Mr. Gladden folks.

He gets on the board when he grabs a carem and powers all the way downcourt for a layup.  After Gladden misses a dunk (Cmon, man!), the 1st quarter comes to an end.  17-15 Trojans.

Mr. Gladden straight shows out in the second stanza.  With the score 19-18 Olympic, Gladden works on Thompson, drives, and draws harm.  He hits both free throws.  After a Hough turnover, Gladden's hit in the lane.  He wheels on his man, powers through the contact, and gets the bucket and foul.  He hits the extra point to put the Trojans up by six, 24-18. 

After a Husky airball, Gladden shows off that range.  He's found at the left elbow and calmly hits the triple.  Next possession, he hits his man with a powerful crossover, gets to the rim, and gets fouled.  He hits one of two charities.  28-20 Hough.  Huskies call time at the 3:51 mark to try to figure out how to stop this juggernaut.

Out of the pause, Gladden grabs an awesome rebound.  He's rewarded on the other end...he's hit inside and powers for two more.  Hough finally ends the run with a three-point play from Theo Mack.  However, Patton hangs and hits a jumper to answer him.  Towards the end of the quarter, Luke Maye finally checks back in and scores on a nice drive.  However, Gladden hits a tough turnaround to answer.  He then steals the ball but has a brainfart and travels.  Hough pullsup for three at the buzzer but it's no good.  34-25 Olympic as we go into the locker rooms.

Halftime thoughts:  Maye's early foul trouble was almost a death blow for Hough.   BJ Gladden leads all scorers with 16 right now (14 in the second half).  Gladden is impressing me big time.  Olympic has only played six players (compared to Hough's 10).  What's funny is that Olympic has outscored Hough in Bench Points 16-4.  I think Hough is setting for jumpers a little too much.  They're 4-12 from threeland so far.  In contrast, Olympic is shooting 65% from the floor right now.  

In the second half, the Trojans start to take control.  They push the lead to 44-31 before Hough calls timeout at the 4:49 mark.  During this stretch, Trojan CJ Jackson is pivotal.  He hits two free throws and gets a steal.   

Jevon Patton answers a Hough basket with a three from the left wing.  Donte Simmons answers a Husky deuce with a turnaround.  Then, Olympic gets a stop and Patton gets the ball.  He strolls downcourt, pullsup in stride, and drains a triple.  The Trojan D then forces Hough to burn a timeout.  Then, on the next Husky possession, they step on the line.  CJ Jackson makes them pay for that......he picks a Husky pocket and goes all the way for a layup.  At the end of the quarter, Jevon Patton just goes straight Rucker Park on his defender.  He casually dribbles the ball between his legs out top.  As the seconds tick away, Patton is looking for the right time to serve this Husky in front of him.  The Olympic crowd is hyping him up in the process.  

Patton finally sees the right time to strike.  He hits his defender with a mean cross, gets deep into the lane, and lays off a perfect bounce pass before the help defense comes.  The pass goes to BJ Gladden, who's got a clear lane.  He rises up and flushes it home.  57-36 Trojans end of 3.  Hough is pretty much done, methinks. 

Although Luke Maye shows off the full repetoire in the fourth quarter, Jevon Patten and Trey Mitchell keep the pressure on Hough and lead Olympic to an easy victory.  75-55 is the final.  At the end of the game, Patton turns to the Olympic crowd and pops his jersey.  Trojans are marching on!

Post game thoughts:  Olympic looked like the #1 team in the state tonight.  BJ Gladden finished with 21 points, 9 boards, and 3 steals.  Not too shabby!  I came away impressed with Luke Maye.  He's got a bright future.  He finished with 14 points and 10 boards despite being on the bench for the majority of the first half.  He reminds me of Laettner (except Maye's much more likeable).  Olympic scored 20 points off turnovers tonight.  Jevon Patton finished with 18 points and Trey Mitchell quietly had 14.  

Now to the nightcap.  Dudley vs. Mt. Tabor.  Second meeting between these two this season (Tabor won the first).  I'm going to sum this game up real quickly:

1st quarter: Tabor's 1-2-2 zone and length absolutely befuddled the Panthers.  Behind Lepreece Lynch, Matt Madigan, and Nate Long, Tabor jumps out to a 14-2 lead.  

Dudley roars back.  11-0 run.  Devan Gregory catches fire.  Emanuel Mosley has great play off the bench.  Gregory ties game at 16 on a three pointer.  Then, hits a putback to put Dudley on top.  Deion Robinson scores last four points to give Tabor a 20-18 lead at the end of 1.

Second quarter: back and forth.....Tabor is using a balanced effort.  Devan Gregory is still going off.  32-29 Tabor at half.

Halftime thoughts:  Dudley band is rockin.  Gregory has 18 points at the break.  However, star Panther point Sam Hunt is having a nightmare game.  Tabor is really keying on him.  Hunt only has 2 points and 5 turnovers.  Very atypical.  Deion Robinson is having a nice game for the Spartans.  He's got 6 points, 4 boards, 2 assists, a block, and a steal.  Tabor's got 16 points off turnovers.  

Third quarter: A Gregory 3 cuts the Tabor lead to one, 37-36.   However, a three from Matt Madigan and a smooth finger roll from Lynch push the lead back up to seven.  After a Dudley timeout, Nate Long picks a pass out top, goes all the way, and throws down with two hands.  Seconds later, Madigan hits the turbo button on the controller and spins his way for an awesome two.  Seconds later, Deion Robinson makes a great steal, gets to the corner, goes all the way, and flushes it home.  Tabor runs out to a 57-42 lead as the third quarter ends.  Tyquan Bitting gets three blocks during this span. 

Fourth quarter: All Tabor.  Towards the end, Lepreece Lynch hits Nate Long on the breakaway and Long channels Dominique Wilkins.  He windmills and sends the Tabor crowd into a frenzy!   71-47 Tabor victorious.  

Post game thoughts:  Should be good between Tabor and Olympic.  Four starters finished in double figures for the Spartans.  Lynch and Madigan had three steals a piece.  Devan Gregory led the Panthers with 21 points.  Post man Khalil Vance had a good game.  He finished with 8 points, 12 boards, and 3 steals.   

Okay gang.....here's the deal.  Starting at 11:30 this morning, I will be covering five....count em'....five regional championships at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center.  Needless to say, it's going to be a very taxing (but exciting) day of roundball.  I don't want to be a total zombie when I walk through the door so.......I'm going to keep last night's recap very pithy.  Please forgive me.....

First to hit the stage were the Porter Ridge Pirates and the North Mecklenburg Vikings.  One bedroom community of Charlotte versus another.  The 24-3 Pirates had to knock off a very good Alexander Central team to get to the Gate City.  North Meck, on the other hand, got past another compass point in West Meck.  Both of these squads had been ranked in the NCPreps Top 10 at one point or another during the regular season.  So.....would it be Huntersville or Indian Trail advancing? Well, I'll tell you.....

Porter Ridge made North Meck walk the plank from the opening tip.  Behind some aggressive halfcourt and fullcourt defense, the Pirates jumped out to a 12-2 advantage, forcing the Vikes to call a timeout midway through the first quarter.  Senior guard Jasmine Huntley is the first to catch my eye.  She hit a turnaround to get into the ledger.  Then, she roadrunnered down the court and hit an easy layup.  On the next Pirate possession, she receives the outlet pass, gets down the court, and drops a perfect bounce pass to Kara Cunningham for a deuce.  Senior guard Jada Huntley then commits theivery and flies downcourt for the layup that forces the aforementioned timeout.  

The Huntley girls continue to wreak havoc.  Jada hits a floater.  Jasmine gets another layup.  Jasmine's hit off the inbounds and scores off the effortless drive.  Jasmine then anticipates a pass, picks it off Deion style, and goes in for an easy layup.  The score is 20-6 Porter Ridge at this point.

North Meck does go on a 5-0 run behind Destiny Barrino and an And 1! from Jaydah Hayden.  Shortly after, however, Justice McKinney counters with an And 1! of her own.  PR's Jade Jones drives the lane, gets fouled, and hits two free throws right before the quarter ends.  End of 1....25-13 Porter Ridge.  The North Meck faithful and student section are real frustrated right now.  They are not happy with the way this game's being called.  

Unfortunately for the Huntersville folks, it only gets worse.  Porter Ridge continues to keep their foot on the gas at the defensive end.  Jada Huntley gets a theft......and then another.  After her second steal, she buries a three from the left wing to make it 28-18 PR.  Then, after a Destiny Barrino putback, Jasmine just timewarps past her defender.  She gets to the rack and gets fouled.  She hits both charities.  

North Meck just cannot handle the speed of the Huntley girls (or hardly anyone else on PR for that matter).  At the 3:22 mark, I take a look at the scoreboard and notice that N Meck has committed 10 fouls.  In contrast, P Ridge only has three at this point in time.  

Shortly after, Destiny Barrino hits a putback to get N Meck within single digits, 31-22.  The basket entices the Porter Ridge sideline to call timeout with 2:25 left in the quarter.  Well....in the words of the great Hubie Brown, "That was a good time out by the coach."  Porter Ridge starts to crash the boards and fly down the court with a vengeance.  Bobbie Jones and Justice McKinney score on back-to-back putbacks.  Then, Kara Cunningham gets a quick steal and dishes to McKinney for two more.  Then, for a curtain call, McKinney grabs a rebound and goes New York to LA for another two.  The Pirates sail on an 8-0 run into the locker room.  39-22 Pirates. 

Halftime thoughts:  I believe this one's over.  In the words of Nacho Libre, Porter Ridge is looking good.....REEEAALLY good.  The Huntley ladies and Justice McKinney have 10 points a piece.  McKinney's also doing a pretty good Rodman imitation right now.  She has 7 boards.  Jada, in additon to her 10 points, also has 5 boards, 2 steals, and a block.  Jasmine has 3 steals.   The Pirate D has done a number on North Meck.  The Vikes are 9-31 from the field.  Destiny Barrino and Jaydah Hayden are carrying the Vikes.  Barrino has 8 points and 6 boards while Hayden has 8 points and 4 steals.  

Jada Huntley sets the tone for the third quarter (and the rest of the game).  On PR's first possession, N Meck's Brianna Jones steals the ball and heads for the other end.  However,  Jada flies down the court and blocks her from behind as she goes up for the shot!  Shortly after, Jasmine enters stage right and bangs in a three.  Then, the play gets chaotic and sloppy for a few minutes.   

North Meck cannot take advantage.  They miss two free throws....then they blow a layup...and then they turn it over.  Fortunately, Brianna Jones does hit consecutive buckets to get the Vikes within 14.  Unfortunately, after her second bucket, Porter Ridge decides to Power Up like Goku.  Jada gets a steal........and Jasmine drives the lane for an easy score.  Then, Jada pulls off a brilliant stop and go along the right sideline and cruises in for two more.  

The Pirates are rolling.  Bobbie Jones then decides that she wants to take center stage for a minute.  First, she gets a block.  Next, she grabs a board, sprints out of the pack, and barrels down the middle of the court a la late 80's Charles Barkley.  She's fouled and hits a free throw.  In spite of the great play, she saves her best move for last.  Off the inbounds, she makes a hard cut to get open underneath the basket.  She's hit, spins counter-clockwise, and banks it in as the buzzer sounds!  54-34 Indian Trail end of 3.

Fourth quarter......rinse, repeat.  Porter Ridge cruises to the tune of 67-46.   

Post game thoughts:  The Pirates were just the superior team.  The Huntley ladies were just incredible.  Jasmine Huntley led all players with 23 points.  Jada had the more awesomer statline though: 15 points, 10 boards,  5 steals, and 2 blocks.  Justice McKinney and Jade Jones also chipped in 10 points a piece.  For the Vikes, Destiny Barrino had a double-double (14 points, 12 boards) while Jaydah Hayden had 14 points with 5 steals.  Vike Kelly Beasley also had 4 steals.

What's crazy though is that N Meck actually outrebounded the Pirates 44-37.  They also "Outstole" the Pirates 15-13.  However, when you shoot 29% from the field and commit 23 turnovers.....you're not gonna win many ballgames.  

Noowww.....let's talk about Act II!  Standing in one corner were the 26-1 Page Pirates.  The Pirates boast one of the best, most exciting players in the state, three battle-tested seniors, and a sharpshooting freshman.  Seeing as how they came out on top of the brutal Metro conference,  it was no surprise that the Pirates were making an appearance on the big stage.  

Their opponent, on the other hand, was a surprise to say the least.  A pleasant surprise.  A familiar surprise.  A local surprise.   I'm talking about those Falcons that reside in Forest Oaks.  The same Falcons that flew into the heart of Charlotte and took down the #1 ranked team in the state, Myers Park.  They're also the same Falcons that dealt the aforementioned Pirates their only setback of the year.  The one, the only.....Southeast Guilford.  

Page vs. Southeast Guilford in the Greensboro Coliseum.  Backyard Brawl.  Round 3.  This familiarity WILL breed contempt.   

Now, anyone that has watched Page this season knows that the Pirates have driven and gotten good mileage out of their Kea.  Well.....from the opening tip, it's evident that this Kea was souped-up tonight.  First, she hits Kayla Johnson quickly up ahead.  Johnson catches the ball on the left wing and drains the triple to get Page on the board.  After Kayla Upshaw scores to get the Falcons going, Kea fires a bullet inside to Debrisha Barnes and she answers.  Seconds later, Paris Kea hits her defender with a mean cross and hits a pullup jumper.  7-2 Page.

Paris is just getting started....she then surveys and hits Barnes again inside.  Moments later, she gets a steal and hits Bailey Kargo ahead.  Kargo's fouled and hits two free throws.  Then, Chelsey Coleman steals a lob and hits Barnes ahead for two more.  Southeast calls timeout at the 3:09 mark down 13-4.  

Baskets from Kayla Phifer and Kenya Hailey cut the Pirate lead to 13-8.  However, Kayla Johnson gets a friendly roll on a three from the top of the key and Coleman hits a free throw to give Page a 17-10 lead at the end of the first.

The second quarter BELONGS to Paris Kea.  She works and hits the pullup.  Then, she blocks Breana Hardnett at the rim.  After a basket by Falcon Kara Shutt, Kea hits a pullup from the baseline.  Then, she fires another bullet to Kayla Johnson inside and Johnson scores.   

And theennn....oh my goodness.  Kea starts to channel the greats.  She hits Barnes with a brilliant, no-look pass inside for two.  Then, she fires a Magic Johnson-esque no-look bounce pass to Kayla Johnson that makes yours truely go "OOOOOOHH!"   This young lady is a sight to behold right now.  At this point in the game, it's 27-17 Page. 

The Falcons try to claw back in it.  Molly Uffman comes off the bench and buries back-to-back threes.  However, Page answers with a putback from Kargo and two free throws from Kea.  34-23 Pirates at the break.  

Halftime thoughts: Southeast is getting walloped on the glass.  Page has 25 caroms compared to 13 for the Falcons.  Chelsey Coleman has eight of those 25.  The Pirates have nine assists......Paris Kea has nine assists.  Kayla Johnson is leading all scorers with 13.  Falcon star and NC A&T signee Kenya Hailey only has two points right now.  

In the third quarter, Southeast can gain no ground.  Early on, Bailey Kargo hits two threes from the left side to put the Pirates up 40-23.  Paris Kea only gets two points this stanza...but they're the last two.  42-30 Pirates end of 3.  Kara Shutt had a nice quarter for the Falcons.

In the fourth, Page blows this thing wide open.  Paris Kea drops three sweet dimes and exits at the 1:42 mark to a rousing ovation.  59-34 is your final.  

Post game thoughts: Paris was All-World tonight.  She finished with 12 points, 14 assists, and 6 boards.  Kayla Johnson led all scorers with 17 points.  Bailey Kargo chipped in 13 (she was 3 of 4 from threeland).  Chelsey Coleman just flat owned the boards tonight.  She finished with 16 caroms!  Page outrebounded SE 44-27.  

This was a game to forget for Southeast.  They were 15-55 from the floor.....and 4-19 from threeland.  I feel bad for Falcon star Kenya Hailey.  She had a ROUGH game.  Kayla Upshaw led the Falcons with 8 points while Kara Shutt was right behind with 7 points.  Believe it or not, Page committed more turnovers than SE (12 to 7).

Regardless of the loss, this season won't be quickly forgotten in Forest Oaks.  If you had told me that the Falcons would go into Charlotte and knock off Myers Park this year, I would've had you committed.  Great season, Falcons!