The games continued on Wednesday afternoon, as the much-anticipated matchup between West Charlotte and Hoggard took place down in Winston-Salem. Hoggard came out red hot and jumped out to an early double-digit lead at the end of the first quarter, leading 22-10. Hunter McGrath and company were red-hot from behind the arc in the first half, as they led 20-3 before West Charlotte was able to really get going. West Charlotte, who has battled several times throughout the playoffs, continued to chip away at the lead, getting it down to three before Hoggard was able to answer back.
Hoggard, led by Hunter McGrath’s 20 first-half points, held a 36-29 halftime lead over West Charlotte, but it felt like it was going to be an absolute battle in the second half. That is what we got; West Charlotte continued to chip away and come within a basket, but could never regain the lead for most of the second half. Time after time, West Charlotte would battle, and Hoggard would have an answer, as Hoggard led by six with four minutes to go.
Again, though, West Charlotte was able to battle and hit some key shots as well as get some key stops, with Sullivan tying the game up at 68 with a minute and a half to go in the game. It came down to the last 14 seconds, with West Charlotte having the ball. Kaharri Coleman eventually got the ball and made an excellent late pass to Sean Johnson, who hit the game-winning bucket to give West Charlotte the win and title.
Hoggard shot 52 percent from the floor and 53 percent from three, but the key difference was the turnover battle, with West Charlotte outscoring Hoggard 26-12. West Charlotte also outscored Hoggard 34-24 in the paint.
It was yet another state title for West Charlotte, with the last one coming in 2019.
Final: West Charlotte 70 – Hoggard 68
WC: K. Coleman 17pts, C. Womack 13pts, J. McManus-Wade 12pts
Hog: H. McGrath 27pts, A. Locklear 16pts, W. Seward 9pts