CLAYTON HS 93 CAPE FEAR CHRISTIAN 68
CFC : 11-11-19-27---68
CHS : 31-22-18-22---93
CHS—Andrew Grimes 40, Xavier Longe 10, Adkins 0, Tucker 2, Mitchell 9, Walters 9, Kilpatrick 2, Eaton 0, Henson 8, Thompson 7, Sorrell 4, Harris 4
CFCA 5-6

BOYS

NCCSA 1A


1.FELLOWSHIP BAPTIST (Durham) 12-2
2.ROCKWELL CHRISTIAN (Rockwell) 13-2
3.NEW MANNA (Marion) 6-3
4.MATTHEWS CHRISTIAN (Matthews) 6-3
5.SCOTLAND CHRISTIAN (Laurinburg) 7-2
On the bubble..Cornerstone Christian (Fayetteville) 6-3, Southview Christian (Statesville) 8-5

NCCSA 2A

1.TABERNACLE CHRISTIAN (Hickory) 8-1
2.LIVING WATER (Jacksonville ) 6-5
3.UNION GROVE (Lexington) 8-2
4.TRIAD BAPTIST (Kernersville) 8-1
5.HILLTOP CHRISTIAN (Fuquay Varina) 10-3
On the bubble..Woodland Baptist (Kernersville) 13-3, Liberty Christian (Richlands) 6-1



GIRLS

NCCSA 1A

1.SCOTLAND CHRISTIAN (Laurinburg) 7-1
2.NEW MANNA (Marion) 5-2
3.SOUTHVIEW CHRISTIAN (Statesville) 8-2
4.SHEETS MEMORIAL (Lexington) 5-1
5.CALVARY CHRISTIAN (King) 4-3

On the bubble Rockwell Christian (Rockwell) 3-5, Shining Light Baptist (Monroe) 2-4


NCCSA 2-A

1.WILSON CHRISTIAN 10-1
2.LIVING WATER (Jacksonville) 7-2
3.TRIAD BAPTIST (Kernersville) 9-0
4.TABERNACLE CHRISTIAN (Hickory) 6-2
5.FAITH CHRISTIAN (Ramseur) 5-2

On the bubble..Woodland Baptist (Kernersville) 5-4, Gospel Light (Walkertown) 6-4

ORANGE COUNTY 54 BURLINGTON CHRISTIAN 44
OCH : 9-14-14-17---54
BCA : 3-7-19-15---44
OCH—Nakayla Whitted 11, Erin Cornell 11, Jada Reed 10, McMurtry 7, George 8, Atkins 7, Byrd 0
BCA 3-10

Parkersburg South takes Holiday Tournament in comeback victory

PARKERSBURG — Parkersburg South boys basketball has experienced its fair share of nailbiters under coach Mike Fallon.


Friday’s 66-65 victory over Gaston Day School (N.C.) in the championship game of the Parkersburg South Hoops Holiday Tournament ranks right there among the bet he has experienced during a regular season setting.

The Patriots recovered from an 11-point, third-quarter deficit and improved to 5-0. The Patriot faithful did a collective exhale when Gaston Day’s Evan Montanari’s 3-point attempt from the baseline hit the backside of the rim and fell harmlessly to the ground as time expired in regulation.

“I was on my knees in front of the bench when that shot went up doing a quick prayer,” Fallon said. “He got a good look and I held by breath as it was going through the air.

“I’ve been here a while and that was one of the best wins I can remember in a regular season game just because of the way we had to fight, dig and claw — and find a way. The kids get all the credit. They made the plays.”


Behind the urging of the coaching at halftime, senior playmaker Austin Reeves looked to score and responded by scoring the team’s first eight points out of the break. He finished with 16 points and seven assists, none more important than the dish to teammate Nathan Plotner at 7.7 seconds in the fourth quarter.

Plotner’s bucket not only tied the game at 65, but was fouled and converted the and-one to put South in front 66-65. Plotner scored all 16 of his points after halftime all while being defended by 6-foot-11 Callum Richard.

“In the second half, I was attacking,” Reeves said. “Coming out after halftime, our coaching staff just told me to get downhill. There was some pressure trying to shoot over (Richard). I tried to make one move and if I saw (Richard) come, I tried to get it to Plotner for the layup.

“I always have to keep a spot in my head for Plotner is and try to find him.”

Coached by 2003 Parkersburg South graduate Trent McCallister, Gaston Day (9-4) stayed on even terms with South throughout the first half. In the final minute and a half of the second quarter, the lead changed hands four times.

“We’re a small school and we don’t get to play in front of huge crowds all the time,” McCallister said. “For me personally, it was great to be back home and get to see friends. To play two quality opponents, this will be a valuable experience for us moving forward and something we can build on as we move into the heart of our conference season.”

The Patriots led 34-30 in the early stages of the third quarter before the Spartans went on a 20-6 run over the next six minutes. In the third quarter alone, Montanari drained four 3-pointers and scored 16 of his game-high 25 points.

“At halftime (of Thursday’s semifinal game), I got on Nathan pretty hard — even had to apologize because I felt so bad for doing that,” Fallon said. “He accepted that challenge in the post tonight and did a great job. I still think he is a mid-major basketball player. He continues to develop. If you have seen his dad, he is an absolute monster. Nathan is going to get bigger.”

Plotner’s offensive putback plus his free throw to cap the three-point play merged with the senior free throw to open the final quarter led to a six-point surge when Aiden Blake’s steal resulted in yet another South bucket. Just like that, the Patriots were back in business trailing, 53-48.

The last eight minutes were all about catchup for South, which did not move in front until Plotner’s three-point play at 7.7 seconds. The comeback process took place all in the paint. After knocking down five 3-pointers in the first half, South did not have a 3-point make in the final 16 minutes.

“Our kids will tell you hearing this probably drives them crazy, we call it points in the paint,” Fallon said. “We score more points in the paint, we are going to beat teams we play. Everybody thinks we are such good 3-point shooters. Last year, 70 percent of our points came in the paint.”

On the flip side, Gaston Day combined for 10 3-pointers, including five apiece from Montanari and Deshawn Coulter. Coulter and Richard both pitched in 18 points.

The Spartans played without senior Colin Fayed, who broke his wrist in Thursday’s semifinal win over Mt. Lebanon.

“Our kids are smart and can execute stuff, it’s just that the shot didn’t drop,” McCallister said. “I was proud of the guys there in the third quarter. They shot the ball well. Everybody feels incredibly disappointed for Colin and the injury (Thursday) night. They felt bad for him and really wanted to rally behind him. He’s been just like an iron man for us.”

South returns to action Monday evening at Harvest Day Prep. The Patriots’ varsity is scheduled to play Tri-Village at 6 p.m.

“Tonight is really the first time all year we have had to handle adversity,” Fallon said. “I thought Austin Reeves grew up a ton tonight. In the third quarter, he settled us down and kept us calm.

“Last year, Austin battled Ashton (Mooney) every day, nose-to-nose non-stop in practice. And that had made him a player. He wasn’t one of those kids who sat and pouted because he was playing behind Ashton. He challenged Ashton, and got better.”


Also scoring in double figures for Mt. Lebanon were Brody Barber with 16 points and Nate Girod with 10 points.

For Nansemond-Suffolk (3-8), Caden Bradford finished with 15 points, Isaiah Fuhrmann added 14 points and Tres Williams scored 10 points.

HPCA GIRLS CAPTURE SHEETZ TITLE
• Michael Lindsay | Enterprise Sports Writer

HIGH POINT — A strong first half helped carry High Point Christian’s girls to their Sheetz Holiday Christmas Classic title.

The Cougars used a huge second-quarter run to build an 18-point halftime lead, then closed out the second half to beat Southwest Guilford 66-40 in the girls championship game Thursday at Southwest.

In the boys game, Piedmont Classic pulled away over the middle quarters to lead by double digits. Southwest’s frantic rally in the final minutes got it within reach before falling 76-70.

Amaya Glenn scored 15 points to lead HPCA (10-5), which led 11-6 after one quarter. Kylie Torrence added 13 points despite foul trouble, Angel Walker chipped in 12 points, and Nadiya Hairston and Anna Krajisnik each had nine.

The Cougars held a three-point lead early in the second quarter before going on a 16-1 run to lead by 18 with 2:03 left in the half. They carried a 29-11 advantage into halftime and maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the game.

Laila Bush scored 16 points to lead the Cowgirls (7-5), who rallied within 10 points twice in the third before HPCA pulled away again late. Ally Guglielmo added 15 points.

Hairston was selected the tournament’s MVP. HPCA’s Courtney Taylor and Torrence were named to the all-tournament team along with Southwest’s Sa’Mya McCullough, Bush

Farris & Thomas Law Attorneys Student-Athlete of the Week: Jack Adair, Greenfield School


Jack Adair played a big role in his Greenfield School varsity boys basketball team winning its Greenfield Christmas Tournament last week, making him this week’s Farris & Thomas Law Attorneys Student-Athlete of the Week.
Jack, a 6-foot-3 senior wing, averaged 11.7 points and 9.7 rebounds in the Knights’ three wins to claim the tourney crown. After scoring 16 points and gathering 15 rebounds in the 88-65 win over Trinity Academy in the championship game Friday, he was named to the all-tournament team.

The son of Susan Bullough of Pinehurst and Charles Adair of Blacksburg, Virginia, Jack – who lives with his grandmother Kathy Jakubowski in Wilson – has a 4.25 GPA at Greenfield, where he takes Honors and Advanced Placement courses. Jack also is dual-enrolled in an online course through Wilson Community College.

He serves as the Greenfield ambassador for its Chick-fil-A Leader Academy. He previously attended Union Pines High in Cameron where he was in the Leo Club.
Jack plays AAU basketball for Go Hard Basketball of Raleigh. He works at Country Club of North Carolina in Pinehurst during the summer.

HPCA girls outlast Oak Grove in Sheetz semis
Michael Lindsay | Enterprise Sports Writer Dec 28, 2022 Updated 4 hrs ago


HIGH POINT — Oak Grove made plays to pull even late, but High Point Christian made just a few more to win the game.

The Cougars, forcing turnovers and hitting a handful of pivotal shots, scored seven straight points in the fourth quarter to tip the balance their way and beat the Grizzlies 56-49 in the girls semifinals of the Sheetz Holiday Christmas Classic basketball tournament Wednesday at Southwest.

“It wasn’t pretty, but we found a way to come up with a win,” HPCA coach Brittany Drew said. “We showed some fight and showed some grit.”

Nadiya Hairston scored 16 points to lead the Cougars (9-5), who will face perennial tournament contender Southwest Guilford tonight at 6 in the finals. Kylie Torrence followed with 14 points, while Angel Walker had nine points. Courtney Taylor and Amaya Glenn each chipped in six points.

“It feels pretty good,” said Hairston, a senior guard. “Last year we didn’t get a win in this round. So, hopefully we can execute in the championship and do what we need to do.”

HPCA — after leading by six in the second quarter and by seven in the third — trailed by three heading to the fourth. But it quickly regained the lead two minutes in, following baskets by Courtney Taylor and Torrence.

The teams went back and forth inside the final four minutes of the game — with the score tied 45-45 with 3:53 left. Torrence hit a jumper with 3:43 left and Hairston followed with a tough layup with 1:40 left for a four-point lead.

Free throws by Taylor and Walker pushed the Cougars’ advantage to seven with 42.2 seconds left. Meanwhile, HPCA’s defense forced turnovers on four straight possessions and Oak Grove missed two free throws.

“I think we all just knew we wanted to win that game,” Hairston said. “So, we kind of did what we needed to do. We really locked down on defense, and that kind of helped us get the lead.”

Zaire Jones provided a strong inside presence, scoring 18 points, while Haley Long, running the court and hitting from outside, added 12 points for the Grizzlies (6-5), who will take on Glenn in the third-place game at 3. Avery Ray added 10 points while Trista Charles had nine.

“We didn’t play the best we could,” said Oak Grove coach Sissy Rausch, who had two of her top players foul out in the final minute. “We missed a lot of chippies. I think we felt the pressure. Our perception was the calls weren’t going our way, so the girls got a little flustered.”

The Grizzlies hung with one of the top teams in the area for much of the game, highlighted by a 14-4 run to close the third quarter. But just an untimely dry spell in the final minutes shifted the outcome.

“Everything just got a little bit stagnant,” Rausch said. “We weren’t moving the ball as well. So, we didn’t get shots — and we missed a lot in the fourth quarter. I’m picturing four just in the last four minutes that should’ve gone in. And we were called for a walk, which wasn’t a walk. Just stuff like that threw us off.”

Knights get painful lesson from No. 1 Combine in John Wall opener
By Andrew Schnittker aschnittker@wilsontimes.com

ALEIGH — Greenfield School boys basketball head coach Rob Salter is fond of saying he wants his team to play as much top competition in its nonconference schedule as possible, in order to get ready for the NCISAA 2-A state tournament.

The Knights certainly got a plentiful dose of that Wednesday at the John Wall Holiday Invitational in Broughton High School’s Holliday Gymnasium, falling 81-42 to Combine Academy, the top-ranked team in the state of North Carolina and No. 16 team nationally in ESPN’s rankings.

“I want to thank the tournament for having us,” Salter said. “We love playing here. We’ve been here many times. We’ve played well, but unfortunately today, we didn’t play great. We knew we had a tough task with Combine, they’re really, really good. But we just hate that we didn’t play like us. Our whole thing is to be us, and I don’t think we were us today. I didn’t think we competed, we weren’t the Greenfield that’s played for the first 17 games. … We’ve shown we can play with teams like that. Today, we just didn’t show up. Give credit to Combine. But, it’s another day for us to get better.”

The Knights of the NCISAA 2-A/3-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference saw their win streak snapped at seven games, and dropped to 14-4 on the season, while the Goats climbed to 19-1

The Knights struggled to contain Combine’s size throughout the game, as the Goats pounded the ball into the paint for 32 points. The Knights also lost the battle on the boards by a whopping 45-22, allowing Combine to generate 20 second-chance points compared to just four for Greenfield.
“I felt like on the rebounding side, (Combine’s size) gave us a lot of problems,” said Greenfield forward Hampton Evans, who was held to just three points. “They were really just hitting shots against us. I feel like we defended the paint pretty well, the rebounds are just what killed us.”


That, in turn, opened up the Goats’ outside shooting, with Combine knocking down 13 3-pointers on 29 attempts.

On the other end of the court, Greenfield struggled to get the ball inside and knock down its open looks, connecting on just 13-of-46 field-goal attempts, and 6 of 21 from 3-point range.

Nik Edwards led Greenfield with 14 points, followed by Kobe Edwards with 10.

Four players scored in double figures for the Goats, with Trentyn Flowers and Mason Hagedorn leading the way with 19 apiece, followed by Collin Tanner and Rakease Passmore with 16 apiece.

“It’s a very good, well-coached Greenfield team,” said Combine head coach Mike Wright. “We just wanted to come in here and play, whatever the results were. We wanted to play. … We just wanted to go out there and let it loose. We came in here on a mission. We want to leave with the John Wall trophy.”

This year marks Greenfield’s third year playing in the John Wall, and eighth year Salter has taken his team.

With the tournament not held in 2020, and held at Wake Tech last year, the 50th anniversary of the invitational was the first chance for most of Greenfield’s players to play in its traditional home at Broughton.

“It’s a great experience,” Nik Edwards said. “As a kid growing up, I wanted to play in it. I always see people in the pros play in it, so I always wanted to be in it. So it’s amazing to be in this tournament.”


The Knights found themselves in trouble right off the bat in this one. The Goats knocked down 3-pointers on each of their first three possessions, and zipped out to a 16-0 lead before Hampton Evans gave the Knights their first points with a free throw with 3:26 left in the opening frame.

“They came out hot and Combine shot the cover off of it early,” Salter said. “That’s not the start that we needed. We needed to score a couple of baskets early to get our confidence up. And we had some good shots. We just shot terribly. Percentage, we didn’t shoot well at all, 13 for 46, that’s not us at all. We’re a really good perimeter shooting team. But we just didn’t do it today. When you play teams that you’re major underdogs, you’ve got to make shots and execute. We really didn’t do that today.”


Point guard Silas Demary Jr., who is committed to USC, helped facilitate the Goats’ inside-out attack, finishing with a game-high 10 assists.

Greenfield settled into the game and finished the quarter on an 8-4 run, but had an uphill climb from that point.

Greenfield started to find some better shots and kept the Goats from completely opening the game up, but still trailed 37-17 going into the locker room.

“I thought we did a pretty good job of weathering that storm,” Salter said. “We cut it to eight. We were down 12 at one point. And we were shot 5 for 23 in the first half. I was not upset with us defensively in the first half. But, when you don’t see the ball go in, it gets frustrating. … That’s the first time this year this team has got their butts handed to them. Hopefully we’ll look into it and come back ready to play tomorrow.”


Any hopes of a Greenfield comeback were quickly erased in the third quarter, as the Goats continued to knock down 3s and attack the paint, ballooning their lead to 52-21 with a 15-4 run to start the frame.

Greenfield will now look to regroup ahead of Thursday’s 12:30 p.m. matchup against Prolific Prep, an 83-65 victor over Cannon School, in the TJ Warren bracket’s consolation game.

“I told our guys, we’ve earned the right to be here, but we need to be us when we get here,” Salter said. “And we knew going into the national bracket how loaded it was that it was going to be a tall task, but that’s OK. These are memories these kids are going to remember, and I just told them I want to be us. This is probably the only week in the season that there’s no pressure on us. We’re the underdog in every game, for the most part. We like that, but this is something that will definitely get us ready for the state tournament.”

GREENFIELD (42)

N. Edwards 14, K. Edwards 10, Sherod 5, Adair 5, H. Evans 3, C. Evans 3, Kriby 2.

COMBINE ACADEMY (81)

Flowers 19, Hagedorn 19, Tanner 16, Passmore 16, Demary Jr. 5, White 2, Brown 2, Nsiona 2.

Score by quarters:

Greenfield 8 9 7 18 — 42

Combine 20 17 23 21 — 81

After HAECO title, Greensboro Day heads to SC tourney
• Thomas Foreman

WOODY MARSHALL, NEWS & RECORD

After receiving an early Christmas present by winning the HAECO championship, the Greensboro Day School boys are going after another trophy across the border in South Carolina.

The Bengals are scheduled to face John Marshall High School of Richmond, Va., on Wednesday in the Chick-fil-A Classic Holiday Basketball Tournament in Columbia. The Bengals and the Justices are set for 11:10 a.m. in the American Bracket.

“Coming down here is going to be a great experience because, you get exposed to some national-level players, and it’s great to be able to do something like this,” Greensboro Day head coach Freddy Johnson said.

Marshall is led by 6-foot-7 forward Dennis Parker Jr., who averages 23.5 points per game and has committed to N.C. State. Marshall has four players in double figures.

“It’s a big test for us, because we lost four starters who are all playing D1 this year,” Johnson said.

“We’re basically a very young, inexperienced team that’s getting better every week.”

Greensboro Day (14-2) won the HAECO Invitational with a 64-50 victory over Smith. Jordan Moody and Joe Bachman and were named to the all-tournament team. Jayden Young was named HAECO MVP. Even with the accolades, Johnson said the Bengals need to be better against Marshall.

“We will turn the ball over less and rebound better,” he said. “We had too many turnovers at HAECO in our first two games. Our third game, we did a good job against Smith High School.”

The other half of the bracket includes Christopher Columbus High School of Miami and 6-9 Cameron Boozer and 6-3 Cayden Boozer, sons of former Duke and NBA star Carlos Boozer.

Unbeaten John Marshall (7-0) is ranked 16th in the MaxPreps Top 25. Another ranked team, No. 7 Wheeler of Marietta, Ga., is in the field on the bottom side of the American bracket.

Whatever the outcome, Johnson sees the tournament as a chance to prepare for the stretch run.

“It will show all of our weaknesses,” he said. “It’ll bring out what we need to work on to get us better for our conference season, and our run for the state championship.”

Oak Grove girls overcome slow start
By GREER SMITH ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER Dec 27, 2022 Updated 3 hrs ago
HIGH POINT — Oak Grove’s girls basketball team roared back Tuesday.

The Grizzlies erased a large early deficit, led most of the second half and defeated Wesleyan Christian 62-54 in the opening round of the Sheetz Holiday Christmas Classic at Southwest Guilford.

Oak Grove (6-4) advances to play High Point Christian in the semifinals today at 3 p.m. in the Coggins Gym. HPCA downed West Forsyth 45-32. Wesleyan (7-7) plays the Titans in a consolation game at 1:30 p.m.

“We tried to light a spark in them at the end of the first quarter in our sideline talk,” Oak Grove head coach Lynne Rausch said. “And I think they realized we better show up.”

Zaire Jones and Haley Long each scored 13 in leading the Grizzlies. Trista Charles added 10.

Avery Ray grabbed 10 rebounds and scored seven points. Long and Hailey Kidder each picked five steals.

Oak Grove trailed by 15 when Rausch gave her lecture between after the first quarter and the margin grew to 17 when the Trojans hit the first bucket of the second quarter. The Grizzlies then went on a 13-2 run in pulling within six and trailed 26-21 at the half.

“We didn’t play well in the first quarter,” Rausch said. “We missed a lot of easy shots.”

Sparked by forcing turnovers on Wesleyan’s first three possessions of the third quarter, Oak Grove opened the second half on a 13-2 roll that included taking the lead 30-28 when Charles hit three free throws.

“Our defensive intensity started creating offense, and that’s always a key,” Rausch said. “I think we knew they were going to be feisty and aggressive. We were just as ready for it as we had talked about.”

The Grizzlies owned a 34-28 lead when the burst was over, and Wesleyan (7-7) failed to get closer than two the rest of the way. Up three at the end of the third quarter, Oak Grove quickly increased the margin to 49-41 and the teams traded baskets until the final minute.

Lily Pereira scored 17 points and Taylor Hawley 15 for the Trojans, who built most of its big early lead by scoring the last 15 points of the first quarter that included10 from Hawley.

“They’re a really good team,” Wesleyan coach Daniel McRae said. “They missed some stuff early and we sped them up early. It was a bit of fool’s gold during that start. It was a 21-4 lead, but kids take a deep breath and say, ‘We’ve got this,’ when they don’t. It’s girls basketball and there’s no lead too big in girls basketball.”

Wesleyan still had a chance of possibly pulling out a victory when it forced a turnover trailing by six with just under two minutes left. But, the Trojans missed a 3-point attempt from the corner and Rausch narrowly called a timeout in time to avoid a five-second call after the Grizzlies got the ball into the front court.

That possession ended with Jones hitting two free throws. After another Wesleyan miss, she hit two more that pushed the margin to 60-50 with 45.7 seconds to go.

Knights to face top competition at John Wall Holiday Invite
By Andrew Schnittker aschnittker@wilsontimes.com

A jam-packed December for the Greenfield School boys basketball team won’t be slowing down anytime soon.
Fresh off capturing the championship in their own Christmas tournament last Friday, the Knights are set to participate in the John Wall Holiday Invitational in Raleigh for the third straight year. Greenfield will play in the TJ Warren bracket, and start with a matchup against Combine Academy on Wednesday at 2 p.m. in the Broughton High gym. It’s the eighth year Greenfield head coach Rob Salter has taken his team to what he called the best tournament in the country.

“It’s first class,” Salter said of the John Wall. “The level of competition, the layout, the crowd, the atmosphere is amazing. We’ve been blessed to be here a few times, and it never gets old. We just love it. I love coming. We’ve had a lot of success here. We’ve played some of the top teams in the country. You just get to play against teams and put your guys against situations they normally don’t see. A lot of these guys have been going to this tournament as little kids watching, and I was one of those kids. Now to be able to coach in it as many times as I have, to participate in it, it’s just awesome.”

This year is the 50th anniversary of the John Wall.

After being played at Wake Tech due to COVID concerns last year, the tournament is returning to its traditional home of Broughton for the first time since 2019.

“Fifty years of this tournament, just to be invited to play in it is an honor,” Salter said. “You’ve had so many wonderful teams and players come through there. I told our guys, it’s going to be a lot of fun. It’s going to be an honor to be a part of it.”

The Knights have plenty to feel good about coming into the John Wall. With an 88-65 win over Trinity Academy last Friday night, Greenfield captured its Christmas tournament championship for the first time since 2019.

The Knights are 14-3 overall and have won seven in a row, with their only three losses coming by a combined seven points, two of which were against top teams from Virginia in the Good Guys vs. Cancer Showcase in Kill Devil Hills. All of these tournaments continue to aid Salter’s goal of playing a top-tier nonconference schedule to get his team ready for NCISAA 2-A/3-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference play, and, down the line, the state 2-A tournament.


“We’re playing well,” Salter said. “That’s what you want going into this. You’ve got to play well to compete in this tournament, especially when you’re in the bracket we’re in. So that’s all you can ask. You’ve got to go there, step up to the occasion and see what happens. That’s what we’re going to do. We’re very confident in what we’re doing and how we’re playing. We’ve played a fantastic schedule up to this point. We’ve played nationally ranked teams, so we’re excited to be a part of this.”

Depth has been the name of the game all year for the Knights. The likes of Hampton Evans, Matt Kirby and Kyshon Atkinson have continued to lead the way, but Greenfield has gotten contributions from a plethora of other players, including Kobe Edwards, Nik Edwards, Micah Sherod, Cole Evans, Jack Adair and Bryson Wall.

The Knights hope that depth will serve them well in Raleigh this week.

“It’s got to,” Salter said. “Our problem is size. The team we’re playing, Combine, is just so talented and so big. Hopefully our depth and ability to shoot the ball will give us a chance. That’s all you ask for in this, to give yourself a chance and see what happens at the end. Our guys feel like we can play with anybody, so we’re going to go there and see what happens.”

The Knights know they’ll have their work cut out for them. Combine Academy is the overall top-ranked team in North Carolina, and 16th ranked team in the country, in ESPN’s rankings. The Goats come into the Holiday Invitational 17-1, and are brimming with future college talent. Trentyn Flowers leads Combine with 15.3 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game, and has a plethora of college offers. Point guard Silas Demary Jr. (13.8 points, 6 rebounds, 5.8 assists per game) is committed to USC. Rakease Passmore (13.5 points per game) and Collin Tanner (12.6) also have numerous college offers.

“Everywhere you look, they’re talented,” Salter said. “They’ve got size. So it’s going to be a big challenge for us, but our guys feel like we’re up to it and if we can rebound and take care of the ball, we feel like we can make it competitive.”

The winner of Greenfield and Combine Academy will face the winner of Prolific Prep and Cannon School Thursday at 5 p.m., while the losers will play Thursday. The seventh-place, fifth-place, third-place and championship games of the TJ Warren bracket are all set for Friday.

McCallister returns to old stomping grounds at Parkersburg South

PARKERSBURG WVa.. — The coaching DNA of Trent McCallister developed at an early age.


The 2004 Parkersburg South graduate will bring his team from Gaston Day School (Gastonia, N.C.) to this week’s South Basketball Classic. In the first semifinal game Thursday at 6 p.m., Gaston Day meets Mt. Lebanon High School (Pittsburgh).

“Getting invited to this year’s tournament worked out great – I am really looking forward to seeing friends and former teammates,” McCallister said. “As a coach, it’s a great opportunity to compete against teams we don’t play against.”

As the starting point guard for the Parkersburg South state championship team in 2003, McCallister’s head coach sensed a type of quality which requires an individual to flourish as a leader.

“Trent played a very big part of that state championship,” said Joe Crislip, who spent 20 years with the South boys basketball program, including 10 as a head coach. Crislip watched as McCallister remained active with the team during the first eight weeks of that 2003 magical season while rehabbing from a broken foot.


“I knew Trent would be a good coach – he was like having a coach on the floor,” Crislip continued. “You didn’t have to let him know how to break another team’s press. He knew where to get the ball. He was a very smart basketball player.

“He had great leadership. Even while he was injured, he was at every practice on the bike to stay in shape. He would be on the floor shooting. His intellect is really good. He has a good understanding of the game. His basketball teammates really liked him. He was a very positive person.”

McCallister came from a basketball family. His connection with coach Crislip provided the foundation for his future coaching career once he graduated from UNC-Charlotte.

“South had a ton of talented players – that’s what drew me to the school,” McCallister said. “They continue to have a winning culture where basketball is important.

“I played for a lot of great coaches. Coach Crislip influenced me the most as far as my coaching career. In high school, that’s when I started thinking about doing something in that field.”

McCallister’s path to Gaston Day began as an assistant with the Spartans for three seasons for one of his best friends. When his friend left for another school, McCallister was offered the head coaching position.

“I wanted to coach after college – the first opportunity I had was with a good friend I met when we went to South Carolina-Aiken for my first year of college,” McCallister said. “When they offered me the job at Gaston Day, I was thrilled. Ever since then I have stayed at Gaston Day. I feel a great deal of loyalty and appreciation to be our program’s head coach.”

This season marks No. 8 for McCallister as head coach at Gaston Day, which competes in Class 2A of the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association.

Currently, the Spartans currently own an 8-3 record. Three players on the roster are lined up to play college basketball, including 6-foot-11, 210-pound center Callum Richard, who is considered the second best big man coming out of high school in North Carolina. Richard will join the men’s basketball team at East Tennessee State next season.

Among the Spartans’ three Final Four appearances under McCallister, Gaston Day best finish resulted in a double-overtime loss in the 2017 championship game

“Like South, we play a competitive schedule every year,” McCallister said. “I like to think we compete with the best public or private schools in the state of North Carolina.”

The McCallister pipeline runs deep on the Gaston Day bench. His father, Jim McCallister, is an assistant coach for his son.

“That means a lot to have my dad on my staff,” Trent said. “From a coaching perspective, we talk so much about basketball overall. He and I view the game in a similar way, so when it comes to a scouting report or what’s happening on the floor we are able to communicate pretty effectively.”

Trent’s immediate family will join Gaston Day for the six-hour trip to Parkersburg this week. He and his wife Ashley have three children, Colin (9), Wells (6) and Lennon (4). Lennon recently celebrated a birthday.

“The team usually doesn’t travel often – basketball in our area is so good, we don’t have to travel,” Trent said. “We are so fortunate to play great events in our area.

“The kids are excited about this week’s tournament. It will be a new environment. We are a small private school which gets the opportunity to play at South.

“This will be a fun trip for me personally and I hope the team enjoys their time in Parkersburg. It’s a great community.”

When informed about the packed houses at Rod Oldham Athletic Center and the South Psychos student section, McCallister recollected on his playing days as a Patriot.

“I remembered we always had this cow – Bessie was a small cow painted white and blue,” Trent said. “It was always around. The crowds were crazy. Students for South games have always been super involved and supportive.”

A possible matchup on Day 2 at the South Classic could pit McCallister against his former school. South plays Nansemond-Suffolk Academy (Virginia) in Thursday’s second semifinal.

“I’ve known Trent since he was a young kid,” South coach Mike Fallon said. “When he was in high school, I was doing my student-teaching and I got to know his family. He always had a super basketball mind from a young age. He understood the game. He was always a step ahead.

“That would be really cool to play them. All the teams in this tournament are well-coached and prepared, but being able to play Trent’s team would be a pretty neat highlight for Parkersburg South basketball.”

Christ School
59m ·
As hard as it is to imagine after all these years and success for Greenie basketball, the individual who still holds the school record for points in a game (48) actually made a bigger name for himself when his playing career ended.

Tom Suiter '67 retired from broadcast journalism in 2016. His career in front of the camera as a sportscaster for WRAL in Raleigh, N.C., spanned 45 years. He is credited with introducing the area's first nightly broadcast devoted entirely to high school football, "Football Friday."

Founded in 1981, an Extra Effort award given out by WRAL that bears Tom's name is still given out to this day.
Tom was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame last spring. He is also an Emmy Award winner, part of the Christ School Athletic Hall of Fame, N.C. High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame, North Carolina Broadcasters Hall of Fame, the Nash-Edgecombe County (N.C.) Hall of Fame, and the National Academy of Arts and Sciences Silver Circle.

Tom was named one of the top three local sportscasters in the country in 1987 and received a multitude of awards from the Associated Press and Radio-Television News Directors Association. Four years ago, he was given the state of North Carolina's highest civilian honor, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.

Tom averaged 24.5 points a game over the course of his junior and senior seasons at Christ School. He played a year of college basketball for Erskine (S.C.), before deciding to commit himself full-time to broadcasting.
Albert

NCISAA GIRLS Rk School Rec. Prvs.

1 Grace Christian 11-0 1
2 Providence Day 8-1 2
3 Rabun Gap 13-5 3
4 Cannon School 11-5 4
5 O’Neal School 13-1 5
6 Victory Christian 12-1 6
7 Concord Academy 7-5 7
8 Saint David’s 7-2 8
9 Asheville Christian 5-4 9
10 Greensboro Day 10-7 10

Phenom Hoops Holiday Classic (boys) (at Cannon School) Dec 16

Dec 16
Charlotte Country Day vs. Virginia Episcopal, 6
Concord Academy vs. Forsyth Country Day, 7:30
Cannon School vs. Chambers, 9

Phenom Hoops Holiday Classic (boys) (at Cannon School) Dec 17

Calvary Day vs. Indian Land (SC), noon
Metrolina Christian vs. The Burlington School, 1:30
Gaston Christian vs. Virginia Episcopal, 3
United Faith Christian vs. Forsyth Country Day, 4:30
Concord Academy vs. Providence Day, 6
Carmel Christian vs. Mallard Creek, 7:30
Cannon School vs. Freedom, 9

Chargers claim title
By Rudy Coggins prepswriter@gmail.com


First-team all-tournament pick Carlos Vazquez tossed in eight of his team- and game-high 22 points in the fourth quarter, and helped Wayne Country Day secure its fourth Classic crown with a 78-56 win over Wayne Prep Academy.

Isaiah Thomas’ 3-pointer from the corner pulled WPA to within 49-48 in the final half minute of the third period.

WCDS senior Nayshin Waller, who was named Classic MVP, answered with a buzzer-beating shot to make it 51-48.

The Chargers took control in the final period with a 10-3 run that included baskets from Vazquez and Kayleb Cole. The Generals got a jumper from all-tournament pick Donte Shuford and a free throw from Jaquan Green during that stretch.

“Let’s get some stops, guys,” first-year WCDS head coach Jeff Davis shouted from the bench. “Don’t gamble, play defense.”

Vazquez’s transition basket and Zane Cogdell’s uncontested layup off Coles’ midourt steal ignited a game-ending 17-2 run. Cogdell finished with eight points for WCDS, which has won all five meetings against Wayne Prep.

Waller and Coles provided 19 and 13 points, respectively.

Thomas pumped in 14 for the Generals, who fell in the Classic championship for the third consecutive year. Tufts, an all-tournament pick, scored 13 points along with Jaquan Green.

GREENFIELD 88 TRINITY ACADENY 65
Trinity 17 21 23 10 — 65
Greenfield 21 23 20 24 — 88
TRINITY ACADEMY (65) Becker, Barrett 8, Vanderhorst 10, Tucker 2, Kirby, Bye 26, J. Anderson, Peters 15, Mills, Young, C. Anderson 2, Jeffries, Bertolini-Felice 2.
GREENFIELD (88) K. Edwards 9, N. Edwards 7, Kirby 12, Atkinson 17, H. Evans 19, Sherrod, Adair 16, C. Evans 5, Lucas, Baptiste 2, Wright, Willem-Tewes 1.

BOYS’ SWEET 16 Rk School Rec Prvs.

1 Carmel Christian 15-2 2
2 Central Cabarrus 11-0 1
3 North Mecklenburg 9-0 3
4 Cannon 15-3 6
5 Concord Academy 16-3 4
6 United Faith 13-2 5
7 Myers Park 6-3 7
8 Olympic 9-0 9
9 J.L. Chambers 7-3 10
10 Providence Day 9-3 8
11 Charlotte Catholic 9-2 14
12 Robinson 7-4 12
13 Gaston Day 8-3 13
14 East Mecklenburg 9-1 15
15 Hickory 7-1 NR
16 West Charlotte 9-4 16

Dropped out: Charlotte Country Day (IND, 12-5). Also receiving consideration: Richmond Senior (4A, 8-2); JM Robinson (2A, 7-4); East Mecklenburg (4A, 9-1).

Impressive Knights rule their own Christmas tourney
By Tom Ham
Special to the Times

The team’s most impressive performance of the first 17 games of the 2022-23 varsity boys basketball season produced the 15th Greenfield Christmas Tournament champion Friday night in the Greenfield School gym.

Greenfield, for the first time since 2019, reigns as king of its Christmas tournament by schooling Trinity Academy of Raleigh, 88-65.

After the opening quarter, the title game belonged to the Knights, who celebrated their 14th win against three losses. Trinity lost for just the second time in 10 games. Both teams play in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 2-A ranks. The Knights atoned for a 20-point loss in the teams’ only meeting last season.

“(Greenfield) returned the favor,” Tigers head coach Bryan Burrell noted.

“We know they are a good team, and we came out wanted revenge for how they did us last year,” said 6-foot-5 Greenfield junior Hampton Evans, who was proclaimed the most valuable player in the eight-team field.

“This is the best we have played all year.”

Head coach Rob Salter supported the observation of his stalwart inside performer, saying: “Our most complete game in all facets — defense, offense and effort. The guys knew it was a big game, and they wanted it. When we play like that and come out with focus, we play to a high level.

“We’re excited. It was a great atmosphere. It was great to have our people (former players and students) here. They wanted to win this one.”

The Knights didn’t expect to dominate, but Salter reminded his team is capable.

Greenfield turned in a near-flawless performance in the turnover category. The 3-point shooting was back on the mark and, led by the combo of senior Jack Adair and junior Matt Kirby, found a way to work the ball inside against the talented and taller Tigers. The Knights hit their free throws. Greenfield stayed with Trinity on the boards and again played stifling man-to-man defense that forced 6-9 Trinity junior Clash Peters out of his comfort zone.

Salter cited another critical factor.

“The tempo was back to where Greenfield wants it,” he revealed. “We were getting up and down.”
Added Hampton Evans: “The defense was phenomenal and we stayed disciplined. We controlled the game with the lead. (Trinity) didn’t get too close.”
From a 11-11 tie, the Knights spurted to a 19-11 margin they would never relinquish on Adair’s field goal and a 3-pointer each from senior Kyshon Atkinson and junior Cole Evans. The Tigers retaliated with a rare four-point play from 6-2 senior Trevor Barrett. However, Hampton Evans’ bucket staked Greenfield to a 21-17 margin.

In the second quarter, Hampton Evans and Atkinson each bombed in a pair of 3-pointers. Atkinson’s second 3 resulted in a 38-23 Knights bulge. On a flashy Kirby to Adair play, the advantage became 42-26.

Trinity’s Barrett was also whistled for his third foul. The Knights led 44-28 at intermission.

Barrett drew his fourth foul midway the third quarter and fouled out two minutes later. Peters watched from the bench because of three fouls. Led by sophomore Parker Bye, the Tigers drew as close as 11 points. Then, the Kirby-Adair duo again clicked — this time at the third-quarter buzzer — and the Knights owned a 64-51 cushion.

A field goal from junior Nik Edwards and a putback from junior Xavier Baptiste left Greenfield in command at 77-55 with 5:01 remaining. Greenfield’s lead crested at 24 points at 81-57.

“We did not play well at all,” Trinity’s Burrell said. “Greenfield was all about effort the entire game, and they were very well-coached. They beat us with second-chance points and effort. We didn’t box out very well. Their kids just played and wanted it.”

Bye poured in a game-high 26 points and pulled down 13 rebounds for the Tigers. Peters wound up with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Senior Keron Vanderhorst netted 10 points.

Hampton Evans’ 19 points paced Greenfield. Atkinson drilled in 17; Adair scrapped for 16; and Kirby bucketed 12 in addition to triggering the playmaking. Freshman Kobe Edwards contributed nine points.
Salter credited Adair with a double-double, estimating that he claimed at least 15 rebounds.
He also cited Kirby and Kobe Edwards as elite passers and hailed the team’s ability to step up after Nik Edwards encountered foul trouble. Salter pointed out Hampton Evans’ fast start and strong first half. Kirby, the veteran head coach observed, played a complete game and he spoke excitedly of Adair’s toughness and ability to make big plays.

“We got big-time plays at the time we needed them,” Salter continued. “We can be really talented offensively; we’ve got a lot of weapons. Our versatility gives a lot of teams problems. What we’re trying to find is the focus to play at that tempo every game. We won the 50-50 balls. Everybody stepped up.”
Hampton Evans was joined on the all-tournament team by teammates Adair, Kirby and Atkinson, and the Trinity duo of Peters and Vanderhorst.

Evans cast aside mental struggles — including doubting his playing ability — at the perfect time. In three games, he fired in 54 points and, in the title game, effectively handled the assignment of defending the 6-9 Peters.

“I was struggling mentally,” Evans admitted. “I hold myself to very high standards. Sometimes, that’s not a good thing and, sometimes, it is. I got my confidence back and, mentally, I feel fine. I feel like I did good. I think my first half gave us spark and was a big factor in trying to break away and show us how good we can be.

“I had the responsibility to hold (Peters) down and keep him off the glass. He was not scoring a lot in the paint. We made him catch the ball and locked him up. One-on-one is not his game.
“I feel great (about the MVP award). It shows all the work I’ve put in, how my confidence is and helping the team a lot to win. But all the praise goes to my savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.”


TRINITY ACADEMY (65)
Becker, Barrett 8, Vanderhorst 10, Tucker 2, Kirby, Bye 26, J. Anderson, Peters 15, Mills, Young, C. Anderson 2, Jeffries, Bertolini-Felice 2.
GREENFIELD (88)
K. Edwards 9, N. Edwards 7, Kirby 12, Atkinson 17, H. Evans 19, Sherrod, Adair 16, C. Evans 5, Lucas, Baptiste 2, Wright, Willem-Tewes 1.
Score by quarters:
Trinity 17 21 23 10 — 65
Greenfield 21 23 20 24 — 88
Greenfield Christmas Tournament Glance
Wednesday, Dec. 21
Fayetteville Academy 59, Grace Christian (Sanford) 50
Trinity Academy 72, Northwood Temple 63
Grace Christian (Raleigh) 54, Crossroads Christian 48
Greenfield 83, New Life Christian 36
Thursday, Dec. 22
Northwood Temple 77, Grace Christian (Sanford) 56
Crossroads Christian 89, New Life Christian 69
Trinity Academy 68, Fayetteville Academy 48
Greenfield 70, Grace Christian (Raleigh) 51
Friday, Dec. 23
Seventh-place game
Grace Christian (Sanford) 91, New Life Christian 62
Fifth-place game
Northwood Temple 71, Crossroads Christian 56
Third-place game
Grace Christian (Raleigh) 61, Fayetteville Academy 58
Championship game
Greenfield 88, Trinity Academy 65

There were extended periods Thursday night when the outcome was in doubt, when it looked as if Cannon School might grab “king of the mountain” honors from Carmel Christian. Cannon, No. 6 in The Charlotte Observer’s Sweet 16 poll, had outscored No. 2 Carmel 36-24 over the middle two periods in the championship game of the Anthony Morrow Shootout at Charlotte Latin, erasing a big first-quarter deficit.

Carmel Christian, the defending 4A state private school champion, looked mortal. But in the end, it was status quo, and as we head into the final week of 2022, the bottom line remains the same: Everyone is chasing Carmel Christian, which beat Cannon 75-58.

Carmel (15-2) outscored Cannon School (15-3) 23-4 in the final period and didn’t allow a field goal. The Cougars win ended Cannon’s nine-game win streak. Cannon School hadn’t lost since dropping a 79-63 game at Carmel Christian last month. Cannon’s streak included wins over 3A power Northwood, 4A power Chambers, NCISAA state 3A champion Concord Academy and NCHSAA 3A state champion West Charlotte.

So Carmel Christian made a bit of a statement Thursday night, and it remains at the top of the 4A private school pile … and can lay a legitimate claim as the state’s best high school team.

But Cougars’ head coach Joe Badgett isn’t ready to crown his team yet. To him, the regular-season schedule is Development Road. He hopes to see steady improvement from his team, game by game. He admits the Cougars are much better than the team that started the season, with a number of new faces.

“We’re just starting to get where it’s beginning to click,” Badgett says. “Coming into the season, we knew this was a good defensive team,” he adds. “We knew we could rely on that. “It was the offense that had to develop … that, and the ability of our guys to trust each other.”

Carmel Christian certainly can play defense. Cannon School managed to erase a 20-7 deficit and take the lead several times in the third quarter because it made 8-of-11 from 3-point range in the second and third periods. Austin Swartz, a 6-5 junior wing who’s already getting Division 1 college offers, had three of those 3-pointers in the third quarter.

“My guys were guarding him, and he steps way outside the 3-point line and makes it,” Badgett says. “What can you do?” Or, says Carmel Christian senior forward Bryce Cash, named the game’s Most Valuable Player, “Swartz is one heck of a player.”


CARMEL STAYS CALM

The key, according to Cash, was not to panic. “We had to stick to our principles, stick to the things we work on in practice,” he says.

Carmel Christian chased Cannon’s ball-handlers around the floor, and eventually Cannon School appeared to tire. The 3-pointers stopped going in. And Cannon was shut out from the floor in the fourth quarter.

This Carmel Christian team is different from the 2019-20 squad, led by current Charleston player Ben Burnham; and the 2020-21 team, led by current Belmont freshman Cade Tyson. Both Burnham and Tyson were on hand Thursday night to watch their alma mater.

“This team doesn’t have that one dominant player,” Badgett says. “We’ve got a talented group of guys who learning to work together. “You’re starting to see where they’re doing that.”

A month ago, Badgett’s players weren’t always sure where a teammate would be on an offensive position. So they’d try to make things happen by themselves. Now the Cougars are relying more on one another. Fast breaks have more passes, and the Cougars are finding open opponents slashing to the basket.

Cash finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Jaeden Mustaf, named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, had 19 points and six assists. Khamani Wertz scored 14 and had four assists. And Michael Marcus Jr. finished with 12 points and seven rebounds.

TOUGH TESTS AHEAD

“A game like this will help the process of growth for us,” Cash says. “They gave us a pretty good run. They got up by six points. We had to rely on each other to come back.”

Badgett says there’s still quite a bit of growth needed before his team can hope to win another state title in late February. Tough tests lie ahead. Carmel Christian will face three difficult foes – two from Virginia, another from South Carolina – in the Lowcountry Classic next week in Charleston.

In mid-January comes a test with public school powerhouse Myers Park. Swartz and Cannon School likely will be a big roadblock for Badgett’s team in the state playoffs.

“Those are some of the games that will help us grow, hopefully,” Badgett says. But he likes what he sees so far. “It’s fun to see it coming together,” he says. “It’s fun to see the kids learning to do it the right way.”

Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle

CARMEL CHRISTIAN 75, CANNON SCHOOL 58
Carmel Christian 28 13 11 23 -- 75
Cannon School 18 18 18 4 -- 58
CARMEL CHRISTIAN 75 -- Freeman 3, Khamani Wertz 14, Jaeden Mustaf 19, Bryce Cash 26, Michael Marcus Jr. 12
CANNON SCHOOL 58 -- Austin Swartz 21, Titus 2, Claggett 9, Isaiah Henry 13, Sean Birmingham 13 Carmel notable: Bryce Cash 26p 10r 5a 1b 1s; Jaeden Mustaf 19p 2r 6a 1s; Khamani Wertz 14p 2r 4a; Michael Marcus 12p 7r
Cannon notable: Austin Swartz 21p 2r 5a 2b 2s; Sean Birmingham 13p 6r 4a 1b; Isaiah Henry 13p 4r

Knights battle into tournament title game
By Tom Ham


The player handling the basketball attempted to penetrate inside at his own risk. Bodies frequently spilled to the floor with a thud.

The officiating of the three-member crew too often drew the wrath of spectators and left a lot of them howling. The physicality of the fouls seldom left any doubt. Shots – inside and outside – and the scramble for rebounds rarely went uncontested.

“A little battle, wasn’t it?” remarked Greenfield head coach Rob Salter with a grin. “Intense game.”

Salter mentioned no animosity between his Knights and Thursday night’s opponent, Grace Christian of Raleigh, but acknowledged: “We play them a lot.”

A varsity boys basketball war was waged inside the Greenfield School gymnasium in the final winners’ bracket semifinal of the 15th Greenfield Christmas Tournament. The Knights indicated they are becoming more and more comfortable with the physical style.

Greenfield battled into Friday night’s championship game with a 70-51 conquest of Grace Christian of Raleigh, a member of the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 3-A ranks.

Last year’s runner-up, Greenfield, a 2-A member of the NCISAA’s 2-A/3-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference, opposes Trinity Academy in bidding for its first championship of the event since 2019. Trinity thumped Fayetteville Academy, 68-48, in Thursday night’s other semifinal.

“It was a little rough,” Greenfield senior Jack Adair said of Thursday night’s encounter. “We like the challenge. We want to be big and physical.”

Added Salter of the Knights’ 13th win against three losses: “It was a game that neither team could get into a rhythm because it was such a physical game. The guys showed composure and maturity when it could have gotten out of hand. In earlier games, we’ve had a couple of players struggle in that situation, but tonight, they were fantastic.”

Demonstrating a definite composure edge, the Knights took command midway the third quarter, dealing the Eagles their ninth loss against six wins.

“Our pressure wears teams down and I think that affected them in the second half,” Salter explained. “Grace hurt us with their rebounding in the first half, but we were really good on the glass in the second half, and were able to get out in transition.”


With the Greenfield gym court no place for the faint of heart, war was imminent from the outset as the Eagles’ Myles Pettis, a senior, scored inside just before the first-quarter buzzer to trim Greenfield’s lead to 16-14.

But, in the second quarter, senior Micah Sherrod’s dunk boosted the Knights to a 24-16 advantage. The margin first reached 11 points (27-16) on junior Matt Kirby’s 3-pointer. The Knights twice more pushed the lead to 11 points in the quarter at 29-18 and 32-21 at halftime.

Kirby’s layup and 6-foot-5 junior Hampton Evans’ two free throws soared Greenfield to a 36-22 edge. Again, the lead was 14 points (42-28) on two free throws from Kirby with 1:28 left in the third quarter. Greenfield constructed its biggest lead of 70-49.

“We were a little slow coming out,” Adair reviewed, “but the offense got going in the second half. We took the challenge to work hard and outwork the other team. We try to get rebounds. There’s a dog in us, and we fight for every rebound. Overall, it was a good effort.”

Greenfield lost the rebounding battle, 33-26. The Knights connected on 2-of-12 attempts from 3-point range and shot 21 of 51 from the floor for 41% accuracy. Grace knocked down 5-of-16 attempts from beyond the 3-point arc and wound up 19-of-50 from the field (38 percent). Greenfield’s defense forced 18 turnovers, including 10 steals, and committed just 10 turnovers.

“Defensively, we were really good,” Salter evaluated. “We guarded, rotated and made them take tough shots. The bench gave us some spark in the first quarter. I liked our composure. Our guys are told to pop up and go to the next play.”

Greenfield’s decided advantage at the foul line frustrated the Eagles of head coach DeShannon Morris. Sensational in the first half, the Knights wound up converting 26 of 38 foul tosses as compared to 8 of 10 for Grace, which had three players to foul out. Greenfield players dealt with foul woes, but none exited via the foul route.


Greenfield point guard Kobe Edwards goes airborne during a home win over Grace Christian of Raleigh in the semifinals of the Greenfield Christmas Tournament. Sheldon Vick | Special to the Times
The Eagles were led by 6-3 senior Julien King with 21 points. Junior Quasim Oden tossed in 14 and junior Steven McLeod claimed a game-high 12 rebounds.

Hampton Evans surfaced with a game-high 23 points and six rebounds for the Knights. Kirby scored 12 points. Cole Evans handed out four assists and junior Bryson Wall notched three steals. Adair contributed 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds.

“I come off the bench and I take pride in that,” Adair, in his first year with the Knights, commented of his role.”I try to control the things I can.”

However, Adair did not take pride in his 0-for-5 showing from the foul line.

“Totally unacceptable,” Adair responded with a shake of his head. “I’ve got to work on that. I’ll be in the gym (Friday), shooting free throws.”

Salter mentioned Adair and Wall as the epitome of blue-collar players. Hampton Evans’ performance was lauded.

“(Adair and Wall) don’t have to score,” Salter declared. “They still impact the game. Jack plays with heart and makes winning plays. He was great tonight on the glass and talking on defense.

“You saw all of Hampton tonight – which was great. He’s understanding a lot of things you can’t control and you’ve got to keep playing.”

Both Salter and Adair are confident the Knights are poised for Friday night’s championship test against Trinity, a team that defeated the Knights last season.

“We want to be one machine out there,” Salter said. “Tonight, we were pretty good.”

GRACE CHRISTIAN (51)


Oden 14, Swecker, Pettis 2, McLeod 6, King 21, G. Lyon 3, Kyristi 3, D.Lyon, Tate, Laraway, Carless 2, Attaberry.

GREENFIELD (70)

K. Edwards 6, N. Edwards 3, Kirby 12, Atkinson 2, H. Evans 23, Sherrod 9, Adair 11, C. Evans 4, Wall, Baptiste.

Score by quarters:

Grace Christian 14 7 14 16 – 51

Greenfield 16 16 12 26 – 70

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

Fayetteville Academy 59, Grace Christian (Sanford) 50

Trinity Academy 72, Northwood Temple 63

Grace Christian (Raleigh) 54, Crossroads Christian 48

Greenfield 83, New Life Christian 36

THURSDAY’S GAMES

Losers’ Bracket

Northwood Temple 77, Grace Christian (Sanford) 56

Crossroads Christian 89, New Life Christian 69

Winners’ Bracket

Trinity Academy 68, Fayetteville Academy 48

Greenfield 70, Grace Christian (Raleigh) 51

FRIDAY’S GAMES

7th-place game

3 p.m. – Grace Christian (Sanford) vs. New Life Christian

5th-place game

4:30 – Crossroads Christian vs. Northwood Temple

3rd-place game

6 p.m. – Fayetteville Academy vs. Grace Chrisitan (Raleigh)

Championship game

7:30 – Trinity Academy vs. Greenfield

HARRELLS 62 BEREAN BAPTIST 37
BBA : 2-7-11-17---37
HCA : 12-23-20-7
HCA—Antonio McCoy 14, Deshaun McCoy 13, Zicareian McNeill 12, Spell 5, Gibbs 4, Brunsen 3, Casteen 0, Funes 0, Bennett 5, Murphy 5, Hill 0
BBA 2-9 HARRELLS 11-0

1 of 1 ACADEMY 80 ASHEVILLE CHRISTIAN 66
ACA : 14-21-17-14---66
1of1 : 23-18-18-21---80
ACA—Emma Larios 26, Sara Larios 14, Aliyah Corpening 12, Wike 1, Smith 9, Harrington 2, Alexander 2, Nakamura 0
ACA 5-4

Oxford Prep teams top KVA in holiday tourney
• By Dispatch Staff

HENDERSON — The Oxford Prep varsity boys and girls basketball teams earned third-place wins Saturday in Kerr-Vance Academy’s holiday tournament by knocking off the home teams.
Oxford Prep’s boys won 56-35 over KVA and the Griffins’ girls squad scored a 43-30 victory.

Oak Forest of Wake Forest claimed the titles in both the boys and girls competitions, defeating Brunswick Academy of Lawrenceville, Virginia, in both championship matches.

The Oxford Prep boys withstood a valiant first-half effort from KVA, which stayed close before Logan Jones went to work down low for the visitors in the second quarter, scoring half of his team-leading 20 points.

The Griffins’ Jamarri Glover also scored in double figures with 18 and Drew West tallied 7 points and represented Oxford

Tim Hudson made the all-tourney squad for the Spartans and M.J. Wright, who played in both the varsity and junior varsity brackets, was named to the JV all-tourney team.

Wil Holmes led KVA Saturday with nine points and Hudson had eight points and 10 rebounds.

Holmes scored 13 on Friday and M.J. Wright had 16.

On the girls side, the Griffins led comfortably throughout, paced by Kadence Woodlief’s game-high 26 points, including her trio of 3-pointers. Emily Wilkinson also scored in double figures with 11.
Katelyn Holtzman, an all-tourney selection, led KVA with 13 points and nine rebounds while Kiyona Patton scored 7 to go along with seven steals. Brooke Miller added 6 points.

Knights overwhelm New Life Christian

By Tom Ham

The host Greenfield School varsity boys basketball team drew New Life Christian of Rocky Mount, the replacement team, in Wednesday night’s opening-round finale of the annual Greenfield Christmas Tournament and romped to an 83-36 victory in the Greenfield gym.

The Warriors of journeyman head coach Roland Loftin replaced Raleigh Christian, late with its decision not to participate in the eight-team dribblefest. Furthermore, Raleigh Christian and Greenfield have already met twice this season, splitting the outcomes.


After a sluggish start that resulted in head coach Rob Salter substituting for his entire starting lineup in the opening minutes, the Knights sizzled to their 11th win against just three losses and advanced into Thursday night’s winners’ bracket semifinal against Grace Christian of Raleigh at 7:30. Grace turned back Crossroads Christian, 54-48.

Ten of Greenfield’s 13 players scored and four wound up in double figures. The Knights shot poorly from the floor (8 of 25) and from the foul line (0 for 3) in the opening quarter. But with nearly five minutes still left in the third quarter, Greenfield’s lead had mushroomed to 40 points and resulted in the clock running continuously except for time-outs and injuries.

“We ran into whatever you want to call it,” said Loftin, who welcomed the running clock. “We don’t play many teams of Greenfield’s caliber. We wanted to stall and get out and hold the ball. It didn’t work from the start. It’s hard to do against a team like Greenfield and against a team coached by Rob.”

Salter was OK with the shortened contest.

“I understand completely,” he said. “I have been on both sides of it. There have been times that I didn’t want that clock to stop.”

Junior Matt Kirby paced the Knights with 15 points. Senior Kyshon Atkinson netted 13 and junior Hampton Evans and Cole Evans each scored 10. Hampton Evans completed his double-double with 10 rebounds, while Nik Edwards snared nine and senior Jack Adair seven.

Every Greenfield player got into the contest and the second five, headed by Cole Evans, earned considerable playing time.

“We just had to play hard and not underestimate (New Life),” Cole Evans remarked. “I was able to get more in-game experience, more chances to score and help the team win.”

Salter singled out reserves Cole Evans and Xavier Baptiste, both juniors. They were subbed in as a unit along with Adair, seniors Micah Sherrod and Bryson Wall.

“Cole got us going,” Salter noted. “He is such an elite shooter. His range is when he comes into the gym.”

Cole Evans pointed out, during an early time-out, Salter cautioned the starters “he would sub in a new unit to bring more energy.”

“The last three games, we haven’t come out with energy,” Salter contended. “We were playing well on defense, but we weren’t playing our style. Our bench came off with more energy.”


The starters staked the Knights to a 10-2 beginning. Led by senior Anthony Speight, the Warriors, an independent team, hung around for some 10 minutes. New Life cut a 19-9 first-quarter deficit to 20-12 before the Knights, a 2-A member of the 2-A/3-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference, exploded for 18 unanswered points. Greenfield’s cushion increased to 38-12 before the Warriors’ Speight, who formerly played at Community Christian, connected for a field goal.

New Life (7-3) was limited to one field goal in the second quarter and trailed 40-14 at intermission. The Knights, the 2021 tourney runner-up, erupted for the first 12 points of the second half, and a running clock was inevitable. The margin reaching 58-18 prompted the running clock.

“We were pretty satisfied,” Cole Evans summarized. “We were playing hard, playing good defense and the points came easy.”

Warriors’ turnovers became about as frequent as Greenfield scores the last three quarters.

New Life’s bright spot was Speight, who drilled in a game-high 25 points. Sophomores Quan Pittman and Cam Parker each claimed six rebounds. Speight’s output included a second-half circus move that ended with an emphatic dunk.

“It was good to play them,” Loftin declared. “It was a good experience. That’s a win isn’t it? When I first came off the floor, I got to talk to a college coach. Two more games in this tournament are going to be a good experience.

“This is the most exposure we will get all year. This is a blessing for us.”


NEW LIFE CHRISTIAN (36)
Parker 2, Gonzalez, Hedgepeth 4, Speight 25, Taylor 3, Cone, Crocker 2, Pittman.

GREENFIELD (83)
Kirby 15, N. Edwards 4, K. Edwards 7, Atkinson 13, H. Evans 10, Sherrod 9, Adair 8, Wall, C. Evans 10, Baptiste 4, Wright 3, Willem-Tewes.

Score by quarters:

New Life 9 5 12 10 – 36
Greenfield 19 21 25 18 – 83

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES
Fayetteville Academy 59, Grace Christian (Sanford) 50
Trinity Academy 72, Northwood Temple 63
Grace Christian (Raleigh) 54, Crossroads Christian 48
Greenfield 83, New Life Christian 36

THURSDAY’S GAMES

Losers’ Bracket
3 p.m. – Grace Christian (Sanford) vs. Northwood Temple
4:30 – Crossroads Christian vs. New Life Christian

Winners’ Bracket
6 p.m. – Fayetteville Academy vs. Trinity Academy
7:30 – Grace Christian (Raleigh) vs. Greenfield