Yesterday, the NCHSAA 2A semifinals concluded with Reidsville and Farmville Central advancing to do battle in the championship contest. Given both teams’ status as top seeds, many folks have anticipated this title matchup for weeks. In looking at undefeated Reidsville, they’ve been nothing short of spectacular for the entirety of the season. They’ve only had three games decided by less than ten points, including their previous matchup against Salisbury. It goes without saying, but Dionte Neal and Kendre Harrison gather majority of the headlines for this group. Neal controls the flow, dictates the offense, and sets the tone at the point of attack defensively. Harrison dominates the glass and applies constant interior pressure on both ends of the floor. However, this group has several key pieces. Additionally, Johnniyus Sharpe is a polished scorer with toughness, Aljariq Lee does a little bit of everything, and Cam’Ron Jones stands out through his strength, motor, and low-maintenance identity.
On the other side, the Farmville Central machine continues to roll. They were nearly perfect this season, suffering their only loss (coincidentally) to Reidsville earlier in December. It’s worth reiterating that the Jaguars have been historically relevant under Coach Larry Williford, as they’ve won two of the last three championships, four of the last five, and five of the last eight. Each of those feats are simply ridiculous. Outside of their matchup with Northwood, this group hasn’t seen many worthy challengers during their current playoff run. Regardless, their balanced rotation of six guys have been incredibly reliable. The emergence of MJ Williams as a two-way floor general has been impressive. Guys like Tyler Whitehurst and Hampton Evans provide consistent production across the board. JD Daniels and Chris Rhodes make a quality impact within their respective roles. Rounding out this group, Alex Moye excels at doing the dirty work and little things.
All signs point to a potential bloodbath. These are two of the best public-school teams (and overall programs) across the entire state. Reidsville already struck first earlier this season, and this will be the Jaguars’ opportunity for revenge. It’s difficult to make any aggressive prediction, but it should be a memorable contest no matter what.
