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, starting with Hoggard versus West Charlotte (8A) …
Since we’ve already examined each of these teams’ rosters, we will attempt to focus more on the actual matchup. Hoggard is coming off a semifinal victory where they were never in serious danger. They established an early lead (which was quickly erased) before ultimately pulling away in the second quarter. As predicted in our semifinal preview, the stars set the tone for the Vikings. Will Seward (20 points, 7 rebounds, 6 blocks, and 6 steals) and Hunter McGrath (15 points) combined for roughly 70% of the team’s total scoring. Porter Morgan (7 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) made a visible impact as well. Will they be able to find opportunities against an even tougher guard pairing? Can Seward have one more high-level showing to conclude his high school career?
On the other side, West Charlotte advances to the title game after an incredibly exciting overtime victory, where they just narrowly escaped defeat. It was a back-and-forth battle from start to finish, but the Lions were simply better down the stretch. Although the game eventually entered the 70s due to the additional period, the prediction of “the lower the score, the more it favors West Charlotte” seemed to be accurate. Production is already somewhat expected from guys like Kaharri Coleman (25 points), Chacho Womack (17 points), and AC Pressley (10 points), so it’s about how guys like Major Cross (9 points), J’Khai Wade (7 points), and Sean Johnson (6 points) step up as difference-makers. However, this matchup is different from the previous one. Neither of these teams are looking to score 100 points, but the faster they play should actually favor the Lions this time. Why? They have a team full of phenomenal athletes who can thrive in an up-tempo contest. Will the opposition be able to contain the star sophomore guards from dominating?