Concord First Assembly Wins NCISAA 3A State Championship
Concord First Assembly 68 Village Christian 48
For coach Frank Cantadore, this has been a magical season. Concord First Assembly cruised through the NCISAA 3A playoffs and won the state championship on Saturday against a very talented Village Christian team. The margin of victory was much of the same. It was another 20 plus margin of victory as Concord First Assembly put an exclamation mark on the season. Entering halftime with a 29-29 tie, Concord First Assembly went on a 20-2 third quarter run and never looked back. As a matter of fact, Village Christian didn’t score a field goal until the 6:15 mark in the fourth quarter.
Concord First Assembly finished the season with a 35-3 record and has been ranked the no. 1 team in North Carolina by Max Preps. They have played one of the toughest schedules in the state and more than likely will be crowned the top spot in the state according to Max Preps. They lost their first game of the year against Moravian Prep at the Carmel Christian Tip Off Classic. Since then, they have beaten NCISAA State 1A state champions Northwood Temple, NCISAA State 2A state champions Davidson Day, NCHSAA 4A power Independent High School and a host of other quality opponents. That being said, this team had something to prove. Even with all the accolades and success on the basketball court, they still felt like they were lacking respect.
Coach Frank Cantadore has built a state power at Concord First Assembly and is one of the top programs in the state that very few people are speaking about. Year in, year out, Concord First Assembly plays against the toughest teams in the state. They compete for state championships and over the span of the past six years has complied 156 wins which is an average of 25.5 wins per season. This is an unheard accomplishment for coach Frank Cantadore. This year’s championship team developed as players since their enrollment at Concord First Assembly. All the players improved, got better, and are moving on to play at the collegiate level. Now, let’s take a closer look at the standout players from their impressive championship performance for the NCISAA 3A title.
6’9 2020 Cheick Traore
No one player has improved more than Cheick Traore. We’re talking about a muscular and physically gifted 6’9 power forward/center who plays with a nonstop motor. We have been impressed with his full throttle approach to the game and his performance in the championship game was no exception. Traore finished with 18 points, including 21 monster rebounds, not to mention four blocked shots. In addition, Traore went 7-9 from the free throw line. The Youngstown State signee may be a beast on the court, but is one of the nicest and well-spoken young men off the court.
6’3 2021 Trae Benham
Trae Benham has to be in the conversation as one of the premier shooters in the state regardless of class. The southpaw has touch and range and moves exceptionally well without the ball. As the old saying goes, “He does his work early by getting his feet set, shoulders square to the basket, and has excellent shooting mechanics and fundamentals. Benham finished with a game high 22 points including three 3-pointers. More importantly, Benham plays with a high motor and is efficient from the floor. In addition, Benham collected four rebounds and dished out three assists for an all-around game.
6’9 2020 Garrett Hien
The often-reserved Garrett Hien knew the stakes were high on Saturday, and the 6’9 Furman signee impressed us with his intensity and emotion on both ends of the court. Hien finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, two blocked shots, two assists and one steal. Simply put, Hien was making plays and had his footprint on all aspects of the game.
5’11 2020 Isaac Booth
When you have a big three of Traore, Benham, and Hien, it’s often hard to get lost in the shuffle into team accolades. That being said, Isaac Booth is the heart and soul of the team. He’s the straw that stirs the drink and Booth is the one that makes this team go. Boothe finished with seven points, dished out six assists, and even had four steals.
6’4 2020 Ambaka Le Gregam
The Presbyterian signee hit two early 3-pointers to get Concord First Assembly in the first quarter. He also collected five rebounds and played his role extremely well. He provides toughness and complements the well-balanced championship team.
5’9 2020 Lloyd Latta
Lloyd Latta scored nine points and provided a two-way presence at the guard position. He could easily slide over to the point guard position or complement Booth in the backcourt as a scoring guard. More importantly, Latta is super quick and creates havoc with his hustle and ability to defend.