After an exciting week of NCHSAA semifinal games, we have reached the final stop: state championships. All the time, effort, and competition since November have ultimately led to this one game. While there has been a lot of discussion surrounding the realignment of classifications, each of these teams has fought against worthy opponents to reach this stage. Despite restructuring, there is still plenty of talent in every classification. With games beginning Wednesday, we will take a closer look at each matchup, moving over to Queens Grant versus Warren County (2A) …
Although anything can happen, it’s incredibly unlikely to envision a scenario where Queens Grant doesn’t finish the job. I know, how climatic. However, this is less of a disrespect to their opponent and more praise for how exceptionally dominant this group has been. While South Stokes did compete well to keep things fairly close, they became the 20th consecutive opponent that the Stallions have beaten by double digits. Queens Grant isn’t just beating teams, they are destroying them. This was a nice showing for most of their core guys, as Preston Scott (10 points, 10 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks), Chase Smith (8 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks), Bobby Montgomery (9 points, 2 steals), and Cannon DeBerry (6 points, 2 blocks) all enjoyed quality production. However, Mekhi Allen (29 points (12-18 FG), 3 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 steal) accounted for nearly half of their total scoring. Will he have another memorable showing' Or will they return back to their usual balance' Ultimately, this is one of the best public-school teams in North Carolina, regardless of classification.
On the other side, Warren County advances to the title game after a hard-fought victory over Voyager Academy. Guys like Khalil Townsend (17 points, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block), Nazir Shaw (13 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 block), Zane Freeman (12 points, 12 rebounds, 1 steal), and Elijah Stevenson (11 points) accounted for 53 of the team’s 61 total points. They’ve continued to surge forward behind balanced, unselfish team play. Can they stop the all-around attack of Queens Grant' Do they have the pieces (both inside and out) to dictate the pace' It’ll be fascinating to see how this game unfolds.