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 Kinston versus Walkertown (3A) …
Finishing up the state championship matchups, Kinston and Walkertown meet in what should be one of the best contests across the eight classifications. Kinston enters this contest after a strong late push to oust Martin County in the semifinal game. Unsurprisingly, guys like Keyshawn Herring (22 points) and Jamarion Washington (20 points) were arguably the best players on the court. However, the contributions of Brennan Chambers (10 points), Genesis Wiggins (9 points), Jhayeir Koonce (6 points), and various others were vital to this group. Going into the upcoming battle, will their dynamic guard duo continue to dominate? Will their experience be the difference-maker?
On the other side, Walkertown secured victory in a similar fashion. Although it was a neck-and-neck battle for two and a half quarters, the Wolfpack finished the last twelve or so minutes with an impressive 34-16 stretch to win. This group found impressive balance, as it has for much of the year, which allowed everyone to make meaningful contributions. Kenan Grady (15 points), Jordan Autry (14 points), Ricco Daniels (14 points), and Jaden McCandies (11 points) accounted for 54 of their 67 total points, but guys like AJ Durant and Eric Wiley also made a nice impact. Going into the title game, they’ll need to find a similar balance. Can they continue to highlight terrific chemistry? Will they be able to stop or slow down Kinston’s athletic backcourt? This should be a highly competitive battle.