The North Carolina high school basketball scene is more unique now than ever before, and a large part of that directly correlates with talented teams showing a desire to compete against other noteworthy programs. That looks likely to continue during the upcoming weekend at Phenom Hoops’ Hartsville High School Classic, as Henderson Collegiate prepares to do battle with Liberty Heights.
Small-town Henderson Collegiate has been nothing short of phenomenal this season. Sure, they’ve had some ups and downs but have arguably played the toughest schedule of anyone in North Carolina. As a 1A program, they’ve already played Piedmont Classical, Moravian Prep, Wesleyan Christian, Greenfield (twice), Combine Academy, Mount Zion, and Teay’s Valley. Now they prepare for Liberty Heights, easily making this schedule one of the most gruesome and difficult challenges for any team within the state. That being said, Javonte Waverly, Kalib Matthews (Queens), Nick Green, Akhiris Holden, and Davon Allen construct one of the deadliest and most productive five-man units around. Led by coach George Marshall, they have the chance to defeat any opponent on any given night, and this contest against Liberty Heights will be no different.
On the other side of things, Liberty Heights has quietly gone under the radar despite being absolutely loaded with talent at every position. In terms of depth, few teams are more prepared for any style of play. They legitimately have something for every type of college program, spread across multiple positions, and a coaching staff (led by Mike Wright) that simply knows how to get it done. Liberty Heights is as talented as anyone in North Carolina on a given night, as they’ve proven when going toe-to-toe against Moravian Prep and Huntington Prep (both ended up as one-possession losses) earlier this season. Antonee Abraham, Kahari Rogers, Kamryn Edwards, Tay Williams, Jemal Davis, Dominique Davidson, Trevaughn Booker, Kevin Boykin, Devin Gordon, Marshon Merriel, and Camrone Cherry make a complete roster of scholarship-worthy prospects with many talented enough to play at the Division I level.