The N.C. High School Athletic Association's basketball playoffs will start this week, with sectional tournaments for boys and girls teams from all classifications.
The Bishop McGuinness girls (23-4) and the Winston-Salem Prep boys (16-11) are back in the Class 1-A playoffs as defending state champions.
The McGuinness girls, who will open at home on Monday against East Montgomery at 6 p.m., are going after their fourth straight state championship. All four of the Villains' losses have come to teams from out of state, including three in a holiday tournament in Phoenix.
"The girls are pretty confident right now," Coach Brian Robinson of the Villains said. "They are playing well. We have had a stretch of good games recently. In the playoffs, you have that one game and then you are done. We are trying not to be overconfident going in.
"Traditionally, Thomasville has been a lot of trouble for us. They have given us fits the last three years. With their tradition and the type of game they play, we always have to be wary of them. We always have trouble with teams like that, teams that are extremely quick and athletic."
Robinson said that each of his team's losses have come to athletic teams.
"I think we prepared throughout the regular season," Robinson said. "The Phoenix trip was the best thing to happen to us. It brought us all back down to earth and refocused everyone, the coaching staff included.
"We have had the blueprint the last couple of years on what we need to do to approach every game. With that kind of experience, we feel good about our chances going in. But we know if we get ahead of ourselves we could be done in one game."
Boys will play sectional games this week on Monday and Wednesday, and girls will play on Tuesday and Thursday, with championship games for both scheduled on Friday. The McGuinness girls will play on Monday as part of a double-header with its boys team, which will also play East Montgomery.
Sectional champions will play in the West Regional in Greensboro and the East Regional in Greenville March 3-7, with winners advancing to state-championship games in Chapel Hill and Raleigh on March 14.
The Mount Tabor boys -- with three future Division I guards leading the way -- moved to 25-1 on Friday night by winning the Central Piedmont 4-A Conference Tournament. The Spartans will open at home on Monday night against East Forsyth, a wild-card entry with a 10-14 record.
Last season, the Spartans reached the Class 4-A Western Regional before losing in the semifinals to Charlotte Vance, and Vance could be the Spartans' opponent on Wednesday if both teams win first-round games on Monday.
"The thing is, we have to win a first-round game to see them," Coach Andy Muse of Mount Tabor said. "You are talking about two of the top three teams in the state playing in the second round, and they are a very good basketball team.
"I have seen them twice (this season) and they have put us out of the playoffs the last two seasons.
"They have three guards just like us. And (guard) Marquis Rankin has been offered (a scholarship) by Wake (Forest) and he is a sophomore. It's a mirror-image team of ours."
C.J. Harris (headed to Wake Forest), Mike Grace (Yale) and Josh Hicks (Old Dominion) -- Mount Tabor's three senior guards -- have carried most of the load.
"We are a different team than last year," Muse said. "Defensively I think we are a better overall team and in our post, Alex Fagg has really brought his game to the forefront for our team and he has become a good rebounder and Greg Jackson has as well.
"I think we are better because Mike, C.J. and Josh are all better. Their skills are better and they are stronger and they are shooting the ball a whole lot better with accuracy.
■ Mason Linker can be reached at 727-7324 or at mlinker@wsjournal.com.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement