A young West Bladen boys’ basketball team came of age last season.
Now, the Knights are again expected to contend for a Southeastern Athletic 2A Conference championship.
West Bladen is scheduled to open its 2023-24 season Friday night at The Castle against the South Brunswick Cougars. The junior varsity game is set to tip at 4:30 p.m. followed by the girls’ varsity game approximately 6 p.m. and the boys’ varsity game approximately 7:30 p.m.
After five consecutive losing seasons the Knights finished 18-8 and shared the Southeastern regular-season championship with East Bladen last season.
Three all-conference players return in junior center Chase Williams, junior wing Hezekiah Adams and sophomore guard Jackson Pait.
Williams led the Knights in scoring (14.7 points per game) and rebounding (9.5 per game) last season. Adams averaged 12.8 points per game and scored in double-figures in 19 of 26 games. Pait scored in double-figures in 16 of West Bladen’s 26 games and averaged 11.8 points per game.
West Bladen and South Brunswick haven’t played on the basketball court since 2017 when the Cougars won 82-48. However, West Bladen has won 17 of the 20 meetings since 2005, according to MaxPreps.
The South Brunswick boys’ were 6-18 overall last season. The Cougars are a 3A team in the split Mideastern 3A/4A Conference.
The West Bladen girls won eight of their first nine games last season, but injuries hampered the team and the Knights lost their final 13 games.
Kiera Lewis, Megan Pait, Brookee Singletary, Mallory Bryan and Holland Davis are among the returning players for the Knights.
West Bladen has won nine of 15 meetings against the Cougars since 2006, according to MaxPreps. South Brunswick won two meetings in 2016 which is the last time the schools have played.
South Brunswick went 1-20 last season and has won only 10 games in the past four seasons.
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