Knights set to face Spartans in NCISAA title game
By Andrew Schnittker
aschnittker@wilsontimes.
With just one game left in the 2022-23 NCISAA season, the Greenfield School boys basketball team is exactly where it wants to be: preparing to play in that game.
With a 64-51 road win over Coastal Plain Independents Conference rival Wayne Country Day on Thursday night, the Knights punched their ticket to the state title game for the second straight year. In facing off with top-seeded The Burlington School at Forsyth Country Day on Saturday, the third-seeded Knights will play in their 11th state title game, and seek their sixth championship.
This will be their first appearance in the 2-A championship game, however, as head coach Rob Salter and the Knights advanced to the finale in their first season in the 2-A ranks.
“To come in and do it the first year with as deep and talented as 2-A was this year, it’s a tribute to the guys,” Salter said. “I’m proud of them, and I hope we can put it together for one more game.”
The Knights enter Saturday’s game at 29-10 after playoff wins over Wayne Country Day, Fayetteville Academy and Freedom Christian Academy, but that record doesn’t tell the full story of this year.
A mix of veterans and young players has experienced highs and lows throughout the season, from big wins and tough stretches and losses like the one they suffered to Wayne Country Day in the CPIC title game.
Through it all, however, Salter said his team’s closeness on and off the court has kept it together and allowed the Knights to weather the adversity they’ve faced – experience that should serve them well in the championship game.
“In those tough times and losses, you’ve got to self-reflect, and you learn so much,” Salter said. “We really had to break it down to the fiber of who we are and what Greenfield basketball is about, and continue to show them what makes us successful. Trusting everyone and believing in the team is what it is. And these guys are doing that. But the adversity has made us stronger. And I told them that as we were going through it. I said, ‘We’re going to learn so much from this. This is going to make us better for the year.’ And it has.”
The Knights should also be plenty battle tested coming into this game. As usual, they played a very tough schedule, facing top teams from in and out of North Carolina, including a previous matchup with The Burlington School, in showcases such as the John Wall Holiday Invitational, Farmville Central’s MLK Showcase and more.
That schedule is designed to prepare the Knights for the exact task they find in front of them now: making a run through the NCISAA playoffs and capturing a state championship.
“That’s exactly what it’s for,” Salter said. “Playing in all those events and the big-time moments, big-time environments, that’s what it prepares you for. This is the ultimate goal. We don’t take it for granted. We know how hard it is to get there. But I think this team has seen any type of situation it can during the season. It’s just a matter of us going out there, playing and leaving it all on the floor. And we’ll see what happens.”
Greenfield’s biggest strength this year has been its depth, and ability to call upon different players for different situations.
Guards Matt Kirby and Kobe Edwards run the offense, with Kirby tying for the team lead with 17 points to go with four assists per game and Edwards averaging 10 points and six assists. Hampton Evans, who also boasts 17 points per game to go with eight rebounds per game, is capable of creating havoc in the post while also stretching the floor and knocking down outside shots.
Add in sharp shooter Kyshon Atkinson’s 14 points per game, Nik Edwards’ 10 points and seven rebounds per game and ample contributions from the likes of Bryson Wall, Jack Adair and Cole Evans and Salter has a deep, diverse group he can rely on.
“It’s been huge for us,” Salter said. “Even last night, certain lineups, we’re not big, but we had to go with some of the size on our team. It’s matchups. You can throw people out there that have had a lot of time on the floor, and have been successful on the floor all year. These guys are accepting their roles. We’ve got a lot of guys that can make plays and knock some shots down. Building that depth is going to be big come Saturday. Our bench has been our strength all year, and it’s carried us to tomorrow.”
Saturday’s game will also be a shot at redemption for those players returning from last year who played in a 76-69 loss to United Faith Christian in the 1-A title game.
That game left a bad taste in the mouths of the Greenfield players and coaches, and has been a driving force to get back to his point.
“We talked about it,” Salter said. “Last year, the guys that have returned knew that we didn’t leave it on the floor. We weren’t us at the big moment. That was inexperience last year. Now, these guys have been in the state championship game, so they have the experience, and they know we didn’t show up and deserve to win the game last year. That ate them up. “I think they’re going to come out with a lot of energy. That’s all you can ask. It’s so hard to win. You’ve got to play good, you’ve got to be lucky. All you ask when you get this far is just to leave it on the floor and see what happens.”
The Knights will have their hands full with the Spartans, a 22-15 team this season that has won back-to-back state championships.
The Burlington School is led by Zion Walker’s 22.3 points per game.
“They’re just so talented, they’re so big,” Salter said. “They’ve got experience in the games too. Zion Walker’s having one of the best seasons in the state this year. He’s been phenomenal. We’ve been competing against him for three years now. He’s a big-time player. They’ve got the size around him. They’ve got all the pieces to win a state championship. That’s why they’re the favorite, that’s why they’ve done it. But we’d better get on the floor and play, and see what happens.”
The Knights will enter Saturday with some familiarity with the Spartans after playing them at Farmville Central last month.
Greenfield let a fourth-quarter lead slip away in a 68-64 loss, so the Knights know they’re perfectly capable of playing with this opponent.
“We feel like we can play with anybody when we play like we’re supposed to,” Salter said. “But we know we’ve got to scrap and claw. They’re so much bigger than we are. We’ve got to be smart, we’ve got to cherish the ball and we’ve got to scrap on the glass. But there’s no doubt we felt like we let that slip away. We definitely believe we can win the ballgame.”
By Andrew Schnittker
aschnittker@wilsontimes.
With just one game left in the 2022-23 NCISAA season, the Greenfield School boys basketball team is exactly where it wants to be: preparing to play in that game.
With a 64-51 road win over Coastal Plain Independents Conference rival Wayne Country Day on Thursday night, the Knights punched their ticket to the state title game for the second straight year. In facing off with top-seeded The Burlington School at Forsyth Country Day on Saturday, the third-seeded Knights will play in their 11th state title game, and seek their sixth championship.
This will be their first appearance in the 2-A championship game, however, as head coach Rob Salter and the Knights advanced to the finale in their first season in the 2-A ranks.
“To come in and do it the first year with as deep and talented as 2-A was this year, it’s a tribute to the guys,” Salter said. “I’m proud of them, and I hope we can put it together for one more game.”
The Knights enter Saturday’s game at 29-10 after playoff wins over Wayne Country Day, Fayetteville Academy and Freedom Christian Academy, but that record doesn’t tell the full story of this year.
A mix of veterans and young players has experienced highs and lows throughout the season, from big wins and tough stretches and losses like the one they suffered to Wayne Country Day in the CPIC title game.
Through it all, however, Salter said his team’s closeness on and off the court has kept it together and allowed the Knights to weather the adversity they’ve faced – experience that should serve them well in the championship game.
“In those tough times and losses, you’ve got to self-reflect, and you learn so much,” Salter said. “We really had to break it down to the fiber of who we are and what Greenfield basketball is about, and continue to show them what makes us successful. Trusting everyone and believing in the team is what it is. And these guys are doing that. But the adversity has made us stronger. And I told them that as we were going through it. I said, ‘We’re going to learn so much from this. This is going to make us better for the year.’ And it has.”
The Knights should also be plenty battle tested coming into this game. As usual, they played a very tough schedule, facing top teams from in and out of North Carolina, including a previous matchup with The Burlington School, in showcases such as the John Wall Holiday Invitational, Farmville Central’s MLK Showcase and more.
That schedule is designed to prepare the Knights for the exact task they find in front of them now: making a run through the NCISAA playoffs and capturing a state championship.
“That’s exactly what it’s for,” Salter said. “Playing in all those events and the big-time moments, big-time environments, that’s what it prepares you for. This is the ultimate goal. We don’t take it for granted. We know how hard it is to get there. But I think this team has seen any type of situation it can during the season. It’s just a matter of us going out there, playing and leaving it all on the floor. And we’ll see what happens.”
Greenfield’s biggest strength this year has been its depth, and ability to call upon different players for different situations.
Guards Matt Kirby and Kobe Edwards run the offense, with Kirby tying for the team lead with 17 points to go with four assists per game and Edwards averaging 10 points and six assists. Hampton Evans, who also boasts 17 points per game to go with eight rebounds per game, is capable of creating havoc in the post while also stretching the floor and knocking down outside shots.
Add in sharp shooter Kyshon Atkinson’s 14 points per game, Nik Edwards’ 10 points and seven rebounds per game and ample contributions from the likes of Bryson Wall, Jack Adair and Cole Evans and Salter has a deep, diverse group he can rely on.
“It’s been huge for us,” Salter said. “Even last night, certain lineups, we’re not big, but we had to go with some of the size on our team. It’s matchups. You can throw people out there that have had a lot of time on the floor, and have been successful on the floor all year. These guys are accepting their roles. We’ve got a lot of guys that can make plays and knock some shots down. Building that depth is going to be big come Saturday. Our bench has been our strength all year, and it’s carried us to tomorrow.”
Saturday’s game will also be a shot at redemption for those players returning from last year who played in a 76-69 loss to United Faith Christian in the 1-A title game.
That game left a bad taste in the mouths of the Greenfield players and coaches, and has been a driving force to get back to his point.
“We talked about it,” Salter said. “Last year, the guys that have returned knew that we didn’t leave it on the floor. We weren’t us at the big moment. That was inexperience last year. Now, these guys have been in the state championship game, so they have the experience, and they know we didn’t show up and deserve to win the game last year. That ate them up. “I think they’re going to come out with a lot of energy. That’s all you can ask. It’s so hard to win. You’ve got to play good, you’ve got to be lucky. All you ask when you get this far is just to leave it on the floor and see what happens.”
The Knights will have their hands full with the Spartans, a 22-15 team this season that has won back-to-back state championships.
The Burlington School is led by Zion Walker’s 22.3 points per game.
“They’re just so talented, they’re so big,” Salter said. “They’ve got experience in the games too. Zion Walker’s having one of the best seasons in the state this year. He’s been phenomenal. We’ve been competing against him for three years now. He’s a big-time player. They’ve got the size around him. They’ve got all the pieces to win a state championship. That’s why they’re the favorite, that’s why they’ve done it. But we’d better get on the floor and play, and see what happens.”
The Knights will enter Saturday with some familiarity with the Spartans after playing them at Farmville Central last month.
Greenfield let a fourth-quarter lead slip away in a 68-64 loss, so the Knights know they’re perfectly capable of playing with this opponent.
“We feel like we can play with anybody when we play like we’re supposed to,” Salter said. “But we know we’ve got to scrap and claw. They’re so much bigger than we are. We’ve got to be smart, we’ve got to cherish the ball and we’ve got to scrap on the glass. But there’s no doubt we felt like we let that slip away. We definitely believe we can win the ballgame.”
