Following tonight’s slate of games, the Final Four in all the NCHSAA classifications will be set. Although this new, seemingly unnecessary realignment for public school programs appeared to be a direct money ploy at first, it’s actually made for some highly entertaining playoff games. In turn, we will take a closer look at each of the upcoming semifinal matchups as they are determined, skipping over to 1A…
Jackson Day (2) v. Thomas Jefferson (8)
On the other side of the bracket, Jackson Day meets Thomas Jefferson in what should ultimately be an entertaining Final Four matchup. They say it’s not about how you start, but rather how you finish. That rings especially true for Jackson Day School, which began its season on a 5-6 skid (albeit against quality opponents) before quickly turning things around. They’ve gone 16-3 since that point, including a 12-1 stretch over their last 13 games. Two things stand out upon closer examination: this group has terrific balance across their rotation (eight guys average between 4.8 PPG and 10.8 PPG), and lower-scoring games tend to favor their stylistic approach. Although they have an array of pieces who can contribute, it’ll be interesting to see how their most productive guys, Malachi Lewis and Jarrett Ross, perform.
After upsetting two higher seeds en route to their Final Four contest, Thomas Jefferson has gone through a roller coaster of a season. Things looked somewhat bleak going into the playoffs, as they sat at 12-12 following a brutal loss to Queens Grant. However, this group quickly turned things around to start postseason play. Senior Bryson Luther stands out as their nightly leader, but guys like Chance Malachi, Kenyon Surratt, and Omar Griffin each play extremely vital roles for this group. After taking down the first and fourth-seeded teams in their last two games, it’ll be fascinating to see if the Gryphons can upset yet another opponent. Given the talent on both sides, this should be an evenly matched contest.