Fayetteville Academy pounds the paint, routs Wayne Country Day to win state title
By Rodd Baxley, Staff writerFAYETTEVILLE OBSERVER
Posted Feb 23, 2019 at 9:49 PM Updated Feb 23, 2019 at 9:49 PM
RALEIGH — Emmanuel Izunabor heard it throughout the season from Fayetteville Academy coach Bill Boyette.
“He called my name 100 times every practice,” said Izunabor, a 6-foot-8, 210-pound senior post player for the Eagles.
“Sometimes I thought he was picking on me, but he was just preparing me for this moment.”
That moment was Saturday’s NCISAA 2-A state championship against Wayne Country Day School at North Raleigh Christian Academy.
Izunabor feasted in the paint against the Chargers, notching a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Eagles to a 64-45 victory.
“Anybody that’s been to our practices or games this year knows that I’ve probably ridden Emmanuel harder than any player on our team,” said Boyette, who is in his first year with the program.
“It’s because I saw so much potential in him. These last two days, he’s been absolutely sensational. It just makes me so proud of him, so deserving of what he’s getting — a state championship. I couldn’t be prouder of him”
Izunabor and frontcourt mate Williams Onyeodi, who finished with 19 points, helped the top-seeded Eagles (27-3) turn the game into a dunk and layup fest in the second half, using a 21-5 third period to pull away from the Chargers (20-12) for their third state title in program history.
Nursing a 22-20 lead at halftime, Fayetteville Academy surged out of the locker room with a 21-2 run keyed by Izunabor, who scored eight of his 12 second-half points in the third period.
“I’m the biggest guy on the court, so I have to take advantage of that,” Izunabor said.
Boyette wanted his players to pound the post in the first half, but they didn’t heed his message until the final 16 minutes.
“In the second half, I thought we did a great job of that. It turned the tide,” he said.
“Not only that, but we went zone the entire second half. I’m not a zone coach, but it’s worked effectively; it worked for us (Friday). We got it going on both ends of the court, man. I’m just so proud of these guys. It’s an incredible journey.”
Onyeodi scored 10 of his 19 points in the final 16 minutes as the Eagles outscored the Chargers 42-25 and swelled their lead to 26 in the fourth quarter. John Michael Wright tallied 15 points.
The exclamation point came at the 1:11 mark when Izunabor rose for a two-hand slam, turned to the crowd, and flexed before he let out a scream as the starters went to the bench in favor of the reserves.
“This is my last high school game,” he said with a smile. “I had to make it fun.”
And the Eagles did just that, capping their postgame celebration by dousing Boyette with the team’s water bottles.
“I’m just so happy for the kids,” Boyette said as he wiped water from his face.
“We’ve got 10 seniors. You bring in a new coach, a new philosophy and things don’t always go smooth. These kids have bought into what we’re doing. All year long they’ve continued to get better and better, and here’s the ultimate. I’m as proud as I’ve ever been.”
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3519.
By Rodd Baxley, Staff writerFAYETTEVILLE OBSERVER
Posted Feb 23, 2019 at 9:49 PM Updated Feb 23, 2019 at 9:49 PM
RALEIGH — Emmanuel Izunabor heard it throughout the season from Fayetteville Academy coach Bill Boyette.
“He called my name 100 times every practice,” said Izunabor, a 6-foot-8, 210-pound senior post player for the Eagles.
“Sometimes I thought he was picking on me, but he was just preparing me for this moment.”
That moment was Saturday’s NCISAA 2-A state championship against Wayne Country Day School at North Raleigh Christian Academy.
Izunabor feasted in the paint against the Chargers, notching a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Eagles to a 64-45 victory.
“Anybody that’s been to our practices or games this year knows that I’ve probably ridden Emmanuel harder than any player on our team,” said Boyette, who is in his first year with the program.
“It’s because I saw so much potential in him. These last two days, he’s been absolutely sensational. It just makes me so proud of him, so deserving of what he’s getting — a state championship. I couldn’t be prouder of him”
Izunabor and frontcourt mate Williams Onyeodi, who finished with 19 points, helped the top-seeded Eagles (27-3) turn the game into a dunk and layup fest in the second half, using a 21-5 third period to pull away from the Chargers (20-12) for their third state title in program history.
Nursing a 22-20 lead at halftime, Fayetteville Academy surged out of the locker room with a 21-2 run keyed by Izunabor, who scored eight of his 12 second-half points in the third period.
“I’m the biggest guy on the court, so I have to take advantage of that,” Izunabor said.
Boyette wanted his players to pound the post in the first half, but they didn’t heed his message until the final 16 minutes.
“In the second half, I thought we did a great job of that. It turned the tide,” he said.
“Not only that, but we went zone the entire second half. I’m not a zone coach, but it’s worked effectively; it worked for us (Friday). We got it going on both ends of the court, man. I’m just so proud of these guys. It’s an incredible journey.”
Onyeodi scored 10 of his 19 points in the final 16 minutes as the Eagles outscored the Chargers 42-25 and swelled their lead to 26 in the fourth quarter. John Michael Wright tallied 15 points.
The exclamation point came at the 1:11 mark when Izunabor rose for a two-hand slam, turned to the crowd, and flexed before he let out a scream as the starters went to the bench in favor of the reserves.
“This is my last high school game,” he said with a smile. “I had to make it fun.”
And the Eagles did just that, capping their postgame celebration by dousing Boyette with the team’s water bottles.
“I’m just so happy for the kids,” Boyette said as he wiped water from his face.
“We’ve got 10 seniors. You bring in a new coach, a new philosophy and things don’t always go smooth. These kids have bought into what we’re doing. All year long they’ve continued to get better and better, and here’s the ultimate. I’m as proud as I’ve ever been.”
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3519.
