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, moving over to 5A…
Southeast Alamance (1) v. Fike (2)
Rounding out the last of our Final Four matchups, 5A is the only classification outside of 7A where the top four seeds all made it to the end. In looking at Southeast Alamance, it’s fascinating to see how quickly they turned their season around. After starting 1-2 (with two 15+ point losses), they went 24-2 the rest of the way. Senior Davian Edwards has been nothing short of spectacular for this group. Sophomore Donnie Fairley is still a rugged, highly productive double-double machine, and junior James Kenan has increased his production across the board as a steady, reliable floor general. Although those three do most of the heavy lifting, the Stallions have an array of impactful role players, including Jakhai McKenzie and Landon Gardner.
On the other side, Fike has won 16 of its last 17 games. Their only loss in that span was an overtime defeat to Northern Nash (state title semifinalist). They’ve clearly hit their stride since the start of the new calendar year, and this will undoubtedly be their biggest test yet. Da’Qavis Greene is possibly the biggest player left in this classification; he’s a double-double threat with a strong body and reliable interior presence on both ends of the floor. However, guys like Jayonta Blachard, Jamir Loftin, and Tylik Taylor have each stood out as critical pieces throughout the year. Those four players combine for roughly 80% of the team’s total scoring. Due to the talent on both sides, this should be a really exciting battle.