Trinity Christian v. East Carteret
The second game of Good Guys versus Cancer was a showdown between Trinity Christian and East Carteret. Trinity was already built a reputation as one of the top five private school teams in North Carolina, and this game only furthered that notion. From the opening tip, their advantage of depth and abundance of talent allowed them to constantly force turnovers and push the break in transition. East Carteret held strong behind the play of Caleb Hymon, Jacob Nelson, and Bennie Brooks but it wasn’t enough to take control of this contest. Trinity Christian remained in the driver’s seat from beginning to end, winning 102-57 over East Carteret.
Pender v. Washington County
Arguably the most competitive contest of night one featured a pair of quality teams in Pender and Washington County. Led by Jajuan Carr, Pender quickly jumped out to get ahead for much of the first half. It didn’t take long for Washington County to get back into the action, tying things up behind their incredibly balanced two-way attack. They’ve returned every key player from last year’s team that made such a deep run into the playoffs and look likely to repeat their success again this year. It was certainly a back-and-forth battle but Washington County went on to take this contest 57-52 over Pender.
Myers Park v. Trinity Episcopal
The competition continues to get better as the games carry onward, and Myers Park versus Trinity Episcopal was worth the price of admission. To call this contest anything other than a dominant showing by Drake Maye would be an understatement. Although the two teams were pretty evenly matched in terms of talent and coaching, Myers Park maintained control of this contest from beginning to end. Their constant ball movement, intelligent shot selection, and ability to contain the elite size of Trinity Episcopal ended up being the difference. Myers Park secures a 64-53 victory over Trinity Episcopal.
First Flight v. Word of God
The final game of the evening brought a ton of anticipation, as the hosts prepared to battle arguably the most talented team in attendance. First Flight quickly opened this game as if they had something to prove, getting out to an early lead with their fast-paced, let-it-fly approach. After going toe-to-toe for the first quarter, Word of God began to separate themselves and starting taking control of this contest. Their depth of talent allows them to change ideology in the blink of an eye, which simply turns into points in a hurry. Word of God secured the lead and never looked back, winning 90-60 over First Flight.