The week of March 11th is finally upon us and at this point, all squads still alive have battled to be here. 

Some teams have really overachieved and soared passed preseason expectations and others were expected to advance to this point.

In the 4A title matchup we have witnessed a true cinderella story Leesville Road out of Raleigh, NC, (22-9,9-5), has survived and advanced all the way to the title game. Currently the Pride are the lowest seed remaining at 17.

The Pride look to complete storybook ending against Southwest Guilford

Coach Russ Frazier and his squad have had a wild and exciting journey to this stage in the tourney including five wins by single digits. This team plays hard for each other and have really embraced the underdog role. They’re led by senior Point guard Alex Hunter (Furman Commit), the kid is one crafty guard he makes smart decisions with the rock and has a sweet shooting stroke. Leesville Road will play the underdog role once again as they will face off against a very deep and talented Southwest Guilford team. 

I had the pleasure of seeing the Cowboys (27-3,9-1), in person early in the regular season when they traveled from High Point to Clemmons, NC, to take on West Forsyth. Southwest features a three headed monster in the backcourt  brothers Keyshaun, Kobe, and Kam Langley lead the way all three are talented guards. Kam (NC A&T Commit), is the eldest of the bunch and serves as the senior leader. Kobe and Kam both 2019 prospects are both committed to join Coach Buzz Williams and the revamped Virginia Tech program. All three are quick and can really score the basketball. 

This should be a good matchup Coach Guy Shavers and his team will have to come with their A game the Pride are no ordinary 17 seed, these guys have been battle tested in one of the toughest conferences in the state. Hunter has pushed this team through the depths to prove many doubters wrong and the Langley’s were expected to play for it all. 

Two proud programs with everything on the line will battle it out Saturday at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, NC should have the feel of a home game for Leesville Road. 

3A Title Game Features Serious Firepower with Cox Mill and Eastern Guilford

This may be the most anticipated matchup of them all when Cox Mill (26-6,16-2), of Concord, NC, squares off against Eastern Guilford (29-3,14-2), of Gibsonville, NC. 

Both these teams feature long athletic rosters and they can really get up and down the court in a blur.

Cox Mill is led by super sophomore Wendell Moore Jr. (pictured above) he averages 25 points per game and is virtually unguardable. He has offers from Duke, North Carolina, and Kansas among many others and his stock will only continue to rise. Senior Guard Francis Rio is the heart and soul of this team and the Chargers wouldn’t be at this stage without him. Rio is undersized but what can’t be measured is heart and the 6’ foot guard has enough for the entire triangle, he has offers from Lees Mcrae, Newberry, and UNC Pembroke.

Coach Jody Barbee knows his team has a tough task at hand their opponents have plenty of firepower themselves. Eastern Guilford led by Juniors Jaylen Alston(unsigned),  and Montez Venable (Uncommitted), both guards can slash through defenses and get to the rack at will. Alston does a little bit of everything and is a true stat sheet stuffer. Venable is the primary ball handler and does well creating opportunities for teammates, he’s also takes pride in his defense which is a lost form among young players.  Venable is still looking to land offers and Alston is a rising prospect and will be on many recruiting radars this summer. 

The Wildcats have had a tremendous athletic year in multiple sports and the hoops team is looking to add to the hardware. Cox Mill has received  a ton of hype this year Moore has racked up a lot of hardware over two seasons but still hasn’t been crowned a state champion. These titans will battle it out in an epic matchup with everything on the line Saturday at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, NC.