Greetings HS hoops junkies from across the state playoff-ing piedmont! It’s time once again for the Great One himself to reveal the 1st round winners in this year’s state playoffs. The trumpets are sounding and the banners are flying and the ol’ cubic zirconia ball (can’t afford crystal) is all warmed up and polished to a brilliant shine to reveal what’s about to transpire Tuesday night on the NC hardwoods. The Sadster is ready to continue his legendary run of partial prognosticating perfection. He will initially cover the 4A East and West, as well as the 3A, 2A, and 1A West only but will pick up the East portion of those classifications for the sectional finals. Familiar names abound as North Meck, West Charlotte, Olympic, Independence and Butler headline the 4A west, with 4 of The Sadster’s current Furious 5 all being in the brutal lower bracket. In the east, Millbrook, Garner, Wakefield, 71st, and South Central make up the household names in that bracket. There are no teams that are head-and-shoulders above the field in either side of the state. A handfull of teams are capable of getting hot and coming out of either side of the state so we can expect wild and woolly hoops in the 4A tournament. The Sad One will return on Wednesday to recap the 1st round and give out the 2nd round winners. Here are your 1st round playoff winners!!:
1A WEST: WS-PREP, COMM. SCHOOL OF DAVIDSON (CSD), MITCHELL, BISHOP MCGUINESS, STARMOUNT, CHERRYVILLE, S. STANLY, LINCOLN CHAR., N. ROWAN, ANDREWS, HAYESVILLE, CHATHAM CHAR., HIGHLANDS, PINE LAKE PREP (PLP), QUEEN’S GRANT and the 1A west Upset Special Winner MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHARTER (MIC).
2A WEST: E. LINCOLN, WHEATMORE, WILKES CENT., W. STOKES, WALKERTOWN, E. RUTH., HENDERSONVILLE, SHELBY, MT. PLEASANT, MOUNTAIN HERITAGE, MAIDEN, DRAUGHN, N. DAVIDSON, FRANKLIN, FOREST HILLS, and the 2A west Upset Special Winner LEXINGTON.
3A WEST: SW GUILFORD, HICKORY, S. GUILFORD, KINGS MTN., HUSS, N. BUNCOMBE, CATHOLIC, FREEDOM, SUN VALLEY, ASHEVILLE, A.L BROWN, STATESVILLE, TABOR, S. IREDELL, COX MILL and the 3A west Upset Special Winner PARKLAND.
4A WEST: RJR, MYERS PARK, HOPEWELL, E. FORSYTH, VANCE, HP CENTRAL, RICHMOND, and the 4A west Upset Special Winner RAGSDALE.
4A EAST: LEESVILLE RD., KNIGHTDALE, BROUGHTON, GARNER, ROLESVILLE, PINECREST, PANTHER CREEK, and the 4A east Upset Special Winner APEX FRIENDSHIP.
There you have it folks! The winners are already revealed now all there is to do is find your nearest playoff game and go watch it transpire for yourself. We will recap the results and preview the 2nd round on Wednesday.
SAD SAM – HS HOOPS GENIUS