Staff Report
What a turnaround it has been for the West Bladen boys’ basketball program.
Five years removed from five consecutive losing seasons, including a 1-11 record in COVID-19 shortened 2020-21, the Knights are on the cusp of playing for a state championship.
West Bladen (27-1) is scheduled to play Pittsboro Northwood (29-2) on Thursday for the N.C. High School Athletic Association 2A East championship. Tip is set for 4 p.m. inside Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem.
Thursday’s winner will play for the title state Saturday against the winner between Reidsville and Bandys. Those teams will play Thursday at 8 p.m.
West Bladen won the 2008 2A state title, beating Canton Pisgah 65-50.
Tickets for regional games may be purchased at the door for $15 cash or online at https://www.ljvm.com/events-tickets/ for $15 plus $1.50 per order online fee.
Tickets for state championship games scheduled Friday and Saturday may be purchased at the door for $20 cash or online at https://www.ljvm.com/events-tickets/ for $20 plus $1.50 per order online fee.
Parking is available in the Allegacy, Pepsi, Sierra, and Public Parking lots for $10 per car and $30 for charter buses. School buses are free.
West Bladen has won 51 of 54 games the past two seasons and is 69-11 in the past three seasons since finishing 12-14 in 2021-22.
The Knights, with freshman point guard Jackson Pait and sophomores Chase Williams and Hezekiah Adams leading the way, went 18-8 in 2022-23 and haven’t looked back.
Williams, who has signed to play basketball at The Citadel next season, leads West Bladen, averages 21 points per game and is dominant inside, having record 18 double-doubles. Pait averages 13.1 points per game and is a weapon behind the 3-point line. Adams averages 10.9 points per game.
The Knights’ biggest win, at least thus far, came last Friday with a 68-66 victory at East top-seed Farmville Central as Adams scored the game winner. The outcome meant that for the the first time in seven years Farmville Central will not play in the 2A championship game.
Northwood enters Thursday’s matchup having won 18 straight since a 65-62 loss to Washington on January 4.
The Mid-Carolina 1A/2A Conference champions are led by junior Cam Fowler, who averages 20.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.5 assists per game. Junior Chad Graves averages 10.4 points. Point guard Beau Harvey averages 6.4 points, 6.3 assists and 5.4 rebounds. Isaiah Blair scores 9.7 points per game.
The Chargers have defeated Camden County 60-25, SouthWest Edgecombe 50-43, South Granville 65-43 and Southwest Onslow 59-44 in the playoffs.
West Bladen opened the state tournament with a 47-33 win against Ayden-Grifton, topped Greene Central 58-47 and routed Elizabeth City Northeastern 70-40 prior to the win at Farmville.
The Knights, who have won 20 straight games, average scoring 63.5 points per game while allowing 34.4 points per game. Northwood average 67.3 points per game and allowing 39.8 points per game.
Here is the schedule for regional championships (seeding in parenthesis):
Monday, March 10
3A West girls: (1) Stuart Cramer 62, (3) North Lincoln 38
3A East boys: (2) Southern SES 78, (1) Swansboro 65
3A East girls: (2) Western Alamance 64, (1) Terry Sanford 48
3A West boys: (11) Ben L. Smith 69, (12) Hunter Huss 57
Tuesday, March 11
1A West boys: (5) Corvian Community 75, (3) Queens Grant 44
1A East girls: (7) East Bladen 77, (1) Perquimans 63
1A East boys: (2) Southern Wake 70, (1) Washington County 56
1A West girls: (2) Cherokee 65, (1) Bishop McGuinness 61
Wednesday, March 12
4A West boys: (3) North Mecklenburg 64, (13) Chambers 56
4A East boys: (1) New Hanover 83, (3) Sanderson 55
4A East girls: (2) Wakefield 31, (1) Wilmington Hoggard 23
4A West girls: (2) Lake Norman 68, (1) McDowell 52
Thursday, March 13
2A East girls: (2) Seaforth vs. (12) Southeast Alamance, 2 p.m.
2A East boys: (3) Northwood vs. (4) West Bladen, 4 p.m.
2A West girls: (1) North Wilkes vs. (2) East Burke, 6 p.m.
2A West boys: (1) Reidsville vs. (15) Bandys, 8 p.m.
Friday, March 14
1A girls championship: (7) East Bladen vs. (2) Cherokee, TBA
1A boys championship: (2) Southern Wake vs. (5) Corvian Community, TBA
3A girls championship: (1) Stuart Cramer vs. (2) Western Alamance, TBA
3A boys championship: (2) Southern SES vs. (11) Ben L. Smith, TBA
Saturday, March 15
2A boys championship, TBD
2A girls championship: TBD
4A girls championship: (2) Wakefield vs. (2) Lake Norman, TBA
4A boys championship: (3) North Mecklenburg vs. (1) New Hanover, TBA
Author: Sonny Jones
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