How Christ School's seniors, transfers blended together for NCISAA state basketball title
Zachary Huber Asheville Citizen Times
Carmel Christian's Jaeden Mustaf thought he had a clear path to the rim to tie the NCISAA Class 4A boys basketball state championship game with a little over a minute to play.
But Christ School center Anthony Robinson rotated off his man, chased down Mustaf and swatted his layup attempt off the backboard emphatically. The Greenies' Lleyton Thomas-Johnson grabbed the rebound and threw it ahead to forward Jamari Briggs for the layup at the other end, giving them a four-point lead.
The Greenies then hit the free throws they needed to secure the 53-48 victory on Saturday at Forsyth Country Day over top-seeded Carmel Christian, the defending state champion.
It's the seventh state championship in program history, but its first in 12 years.
“I’m very happy for the kids that they had this opportunity,” coach Josh Coley said. “They’ll be able to tell that story for the rest of their life. Our seniors will take that with them for the rest of their life."
It’s an incredible ending to Coley’s second season leading Christ School (31-4). He took over the program after a 3-13 shortened season after the COVID pandemic, and said he never thought this kind of success would come so soon.
“I told my wife, I said we are way ahead of where I ever imagined we could be, but I’m not complaining at all,” Coley said. “It is a blessing to sit back and look at where we are vs. where we were 18 months ago.”
Zachary Huber Asheville Citizen Times
Carmel Christian's Jaeden Mustaf thought he had a clear path to the rim to tie the NCISAA Class 4A boys basketball state championship game with a little over a minute to play.
But Christ School center Anthony Robinson rotated off his man, chased down Mustaf and swatted his layup attempt off the backboard emphatically. The Greenies' Lleyton Thomas-Johnson grabbed the rebound and threw it ahead to forward Jamari Briggs for the layup at the other end, giving them a four-point lead.
The Greenies then hit the free throws they needed to secure the 53-48 victory on Saturday at Forsyth Country Day over top-seeded Carmel Christian, the defending state champion.
It's the seventh state championship in program history, but its first in 12 years.
“I’m very happy for the kids that they had this opportunity,” coach Josh Coley said. “They’ll be able to tell that story for the rest of their life. Our seniors will take that with them for the rest of their life."
It’s an incredible ending to Coley’s second season leading Christ School (31-4). He took over the program after a 3-13 shortened season after the COVID pandemic, and said he never thought this kind of success would come so soon.
“I told my wife, I said we are way ahead of where I ever imagined we could be, but I’m not complaining at all,” Coley said. “It is a blessing to sit back and look at where we are vs. where we were 18 months ago.”