Burke County hoops

[FreedomAlum]

Burke County standings 1/21

Boys

FHS 14-4, 4-1

PHS 7-10, 3-4

DHS 8-9, 6-2

EBHS 3-13, 1-7



Girls

FHS 10-8, 1-4

PHS 2-15, 2-4

DHS 10-8, 5-3

EBHS 15-1, 8-0

 

[FreedomAlum]

I wanted to attend the Patton/Draughn game tonight at Draughn, but it was varsity boys only and I couldn't make it over there in time. The Panthers defeated the Wildcats which gives both teams an 8-10 record on the season and gives Patton the season sweep in boy's play. Apparently Jake Perry had a big game for Patton. The Panthers graduate two of their top eight or so players this year, so I think they will have a strong team next season.

 

[FreedomAlum]

Over to Icard to watch East Burke play Bandys. In the girl's game the Lady Cavs were able to put the running clock on the Lady Trojans, but not until midway through the fourth quarter. I can't make the E. Burke/Newton-Conover girl's game that's coming up, but I think it should be a good one to watch and decide the CVAC title.
In the boy's game Bandys got out to a double-digit lead early getting a lot out of their press, but the Cavs kept hanging around and they would get it down to nine every so often. Finally, E. Burke got it down to seven with about a minute and a half left and they got a steal and layup. There was a whistle and I thought that the Cavs were going to cut it to four and the end of the game was going to be tight. Instead the ref called a walk and Bandys was able to stretch the lead out from there to win by a dozen or so. I saw Barbara Helms sitting behind the Bandys bench, which surprised me a little, but I am told her son is an assistant there.

Now, on a side note, the new North Carolina School of Science and Math (West) in Morganton just opened and they have been fielding athletic teams, but without a solid schedule. Tonight they went up and played Avery, because they will be in the WHC conference. I want to point out that the NCHSAA record book has a record for greatest margin of victory for boys (from the 1950s or so) but not for girls and there is a note that the category has been discontinued for sportsmanship purposes (which is probably for the best). However, if it were still being tracked I think that the NCSSM vs. Avery game might have set the girl's record as the Lady Vikings won 95-2. I think NCSSM will get better, and I am told the Avery fans showed great sportsmanship, but I don't even know how a score like that can happen with the running clock rule.

 

[BlueDevil1996]

Over to Icard to watch East Burke play Bandys. In the girl's game the Lady Cavs were able to put the running clock on the Lady Trojans, but not until midway through the fourth quarter. I can't make the E. Burke/Newton-Conover girl's game that's coming up, but I think it should be a good one to watch and decide the CVAC title.
In the boy's game Bandys got out to a double-digit lead early getting a lot out of their press, but the Cavs kept hanging around and they would get it down to nine every so often. Finally, E. Burke got it down to seven with about a minute and a half left and they got a steal and layup. There was a whistle and I thought that the Cavs were going to cut it to four and the end of the game was going to be tight. Instead the ref called a walk and Bandys was able to stretch the lead out from there to win by a dozen or so. I saw Barbara Helms sitting behind the Bandys bench, which surprised me a little, but I am told her son is an assistant there.

Now, on a side note, the new North Carolina School of Science and Math (West) in Morganton just opened and they have been fielding athletic teams, but without a solid schedule. Tonight they went up and played Avery, because they will be in the WHC conference. I want to point out that the NCHSAA record book has a record for greatest margin of victory for boys (from the 1950s or so) but not for girls and there is a note that the category has been discontinued for sportsmanship purposes (which is probably for the best). However, if it were still being tracked I think that the NCSSM vs. Avery game might have set the girl's record as the Lady Vikings won 95-2. I think NCSSM will get better, and I am told the Avery fans showed great sportsmanship, but I don't even know how a score like that can happen with the running clock rule.

I seen worse score but NCSSM must be that bad bc usually what happens is u get a lot turnovers or fast breaks or steals so u get a lot 3s n such it happens even without a running clock

 

[CHEERDUCK]

Over to Icard to watch East Burke play Bandys. In the girl's game the Lady Cavs were able to put the running clock on the Lady Trojans, but not until midway through the fourth quarter. I can't make the E. Burke/Newton-Conover girl's game that's coming up, but I think it should be a good one to watch and decide the CVAC title.
In the boy's game Bandys got out to a double-digit lead early getting a lot out of their press, but the Cavs kept hanging around and they would get it down to nine every so often. Finally, E. Burke got it down to seven with about a minute and a half left and they got a steal and layup. There was a whistle and I thought that the Cavs were going to cut it to four and the end of the game was going to be tight. Instead the ref called a walk and Bandys was able to stretch the lead out from there to win by a dozen or so. I saw Barbara Helms sitting behind the Bandys bench, which surprised me a little, but I am told her son is an assistant there.

Now, on a side note, the new North Carolina School of Science and Math (West) in Morganton just opened and they have been fielding athletic teams, but without a solid schedule. Tonight they went up and played Avery, because they will be in the WHC conference. I want to point out that the NCHSAA record book has a record for greatest margin of victory for boys (from the 1950s or so) but not for girls and there is a note that the category has been discontinued for sportsmanship purposes (which is probably for the best). However, if it were still being tracked I think that the NCSSM vs. Avery game might have set the girl's record as the Lady Vikings won 95-2. I think NCSSM will get better, and I am told the Avery fans showed great sportsmanship, but I don't even know how a score like that can happen with the running clock rule.

Brandon Helms, Mike and Barbara's youngest son, is in his 2nd season as the head Boys basketball coach at Bandys.

 

[FreedomAlum]

Tonight was a big night for Burke County hoops and before I get to my game I want to congratulate the East Burke Lady Cavaliers on edging Newton-Conover 59-57. That all but locks up the conference title for East Burke who only needs to go 2-2 in their remaining four games to clinch the CVAC regular season title.

I was at Freedom tonight and it was a great night for the Patriots and Lady Patriots. The Lady Pats played as well as they have in a month against conference leading Hibriten. It was close after one quarter and the Lady Panthers slowly began to pull away until they had an eight-point lead going to the fourth quarter 35-27. The Lady Patriots then kept chipping away and chipping away until they tied it up and then got clutch play from all of their girls to pull out a 46-41 win. This did not look at all like the Freedom team that was badly beaten at Watauga and I wonder if the Lady Pats have perhaps turned a corner with this win.

In the boys game Hibriten led the entire game until about midway through the the fourth quarter when Freedom finally got a 51-49 lead. The Patriots controlled things from there on out though and picked up a 10 point win, 62-52. After the game the PA announcer said that this was the 1,000th win all-time for the Patriot boys. Freedom opened its doors in the fall of 1973 so the Patriots have been playing basketball for 50 years now. That means that they have averaged 20 wins a year over half a century, an outstanding accomplishment! I think the girls already have over 1,000 wins, and I don't think there are more than half a dozen losing seasons over the years combined between both teams.

 

[FreedomAlum]

I went over to Sawmills to see FHS play SC tonight. The Lady Patriots eventually were able to pull away and get a double digit win. That give the Freedom girls 12 wins on the season (12-8) and makes them 3-4 in conference. I would like to see them get to 13 wins because that guarantees at least a .500 season and I think there are some winnable games left for the Lady Pats. This is a young team and they have overcome some problems along the way, so I think this season is a growing experience.
The Patriots did not play especially well and they were lucky to escape with a 73-69 win. Freedom would open up a lead of 6-8 points and then the Spartans would claw their way back to tie or get to a single possession, generally by working the ball into their big guy with his back to the basket in the post and then letting him shoot the turn around. Freedom finally was able to sink some free throws and pull away, but they have to know that they can play a lot better than they did.
One last thing, I just want to say that if you have a pep band at a basketball game that's great, but pep bands have horns. If you only have percussion, that's just a drum line (only the guilty need to be told this).

 

[FreedomAlum]

Draughn played host to Ashe County tonight, so I went over there to catch the games. In the girl's game Ashe had a pretty good lead, double digits but not more than a dozen I think, before Draughn came back and tied it late. Ashe was able to grind out the win by four points or so, but the Lady Wildcats have nothing to be ashamed of as they gave a very good 3A team a tough time of it.
In the boy's game it was pretty much the opposite. Draughn had a big lead for most of the first half and then the Huskies came back and forced overtime. There was some controversy at the end of the game as DeAndre Moore had seemingly buried a half-court shot at the buzzer, but it was disallowed. In overtime, Moore got a big three and a layup and the Wildcats held on to take a narrow victory. The big Rector kid (his first name escapes me) also had a good game for Draughn, while the Grubb kid was clutch for Ashe. With this win Draughn is now 11-11 on the season and it looks like they might have a winning record for the year when it is all said and done.
I'll probably just be covering Freedom from here on out, but I wish nothing but the best for all other Burke County teams!

 

[FreedomAlum]

Freedom was at Ashe tonight, so I made the long drive to West Jefferson. In the girl's game Ashe jumped out to an early lead and was ahead 16-4 after the first quarter. For a moment I was worried that the Lady Pats might regress to how poorly they had played a couple of weeks ago, but they fought back, trailed by three at halftime and led briefly in the third quarter. Ashe eventually pulled off a 49-42 win, but Freedom managed to get within a possession a couple of times and a break here or there might have meant a different outcome.
In the boy's game Freedom led the entire time. Ashe was able to get close a few times, but the Patriots pulled away at the end and got a comfortable double-digit win. This was a workmanlike effort by the Patriots and most of the guys played hard, if not spectacularly. Amore Connelly had a good game, especially late, and Kayden Lytle got some big baskets. Philly Harris went out with an injury late, but he came back in to play and I don't think it is serious. Freedom will host Watauga Tuesday night and Alexander Central Friday night to close out the regular season.

 

[FreedomAlum]

Patriots played host to Watauga tonight. In the girl's game the Lady Pioneers had an early lead and Freedom had their only lead of the night at 12-11. But the Lady Pats managed to stay close into the third quarter before Watauga pulled away. Payton Caldwell had a big game for Freedom, but the Lady Pioneers won pretty handily 59-46.
In the boy's game Freedom had as much as a seven point lead before Watauga came back and rallied to lead 57-51 with three minutes left in the game. Freedom took control behind the tough defense of Kobe Johnson and Avery Polland and the scoring of Amore Connelly and led 64-59 with about 10 seconds left after a breakaway dunk by Connelly (the only dunk of the game). Watauga then hit a long three and it was 64-62 with 1.4 left. The Pioneers stole the inbounds pass and called a timeout with .4 left but there was little they could do on the inbounds pass and Freedom held on for a 64-62 win, a little too close for comfort.
Alexander Central will be in town Friday to close out the regular season.

 

[beamer24]

That conference is very competitive both boys and girls.

 

[FreedomAlum]

Due to an unexpected break in my schedule I was able to go over and see Draughn take on the School of Science and Math (west) tonight. I wasn't able to see any of the girl's game, which Draughn won 81-6, but I did see almost all of the boy's game. I figured that the Wildcats would run away with it and maybe even put on a show, but I have to give a lot of credit to the Dragons. They played hard if not especially well and kept the running clock at bay until there were about three minutes left in the fourth quarter. Now, some of this might be the Draughn kids and coaching staff showing some sportsmanship, but I thought that the Science and Math kids played with a lot of heart and I got a kick out of seeing how much something like scoring a basket meant to one of those kids. In fact the only dunk was from one of their kids on a breakaway. It won't make any highlight reels, but their kids got a big kick out of it. Draughn won 69-27 but there were a lot of positives for the Science and Math kids to take away from this one.

 

[amaidendevil]

Due to an unexpected break in my schedule I was able to go over and see Draughn take on the School of Science and Math (west) tonight. I wasn't able to see any of the girl's game, which Draughn won 81-6, but I did see almost all of the boy's game. I figured that the Wildcats would run away with it and maybe even put on a show, but I have to give a lot of credit to the Dragons. They played hard if not especially well and kept the running clock at bay until there were about three minutes left in the fourth quarter. Now, some of this might be the Draughn kids and coaching staff showing some sportsmanship, but I thought that the Science and Math kids played with a lot of heart and I got a kick out of seeing how much something like scoring a basket meant to one of those kids. In fact the only dunk was from one of their kids on a breakaway. It won't make any highlight reels, but their kids got a big kick out of it. Draughn won 69-27 but there were a lot of positives for the Science and Math kids to take away from this one.

Since you follow Burke County basketball so well can you tell us why Elijah tillery is no longer on draughn basketball team roster

 

[FreedomAlum]

Since you follow Burke County basketball so well can you tell us why Elijah tillery is no longer on draughn basketball team roster

All I can tell you is speculation that I have heard. The most credible theory that I have heard is that he has a lot of recruiting visits to go on and those conflicted with basketball games. I have also heard that he wants to put on weight and there was speculation that running the court was not helping with that. The other night when I was at Draughn I saw him high fiving his former teammates before the game, so I don't think there is any bad blood or anything like that.
He's not bad as a hoopster FWIW. If he weren't being looked at by some high profile football programs I could see him playing D2 basketball.

 

[FreedomAlum]

Freedom played host to Alexander Central tonight to close out the regular season. Given the way that the Lady Pats had improved over the last few weeks I thought they had a chance to beat the Lady Cougars, which would have meant finishing in fourth place and hosting a first round conference tournament game next week, but that Freedom would have to make very few mistakes to pull it off. They got behind by 10 early in the second quarter, but then came back to tie it at halftime. With the final seconds of the third quarter ticking away Freedom led 36-34, but then Alexander hit a clutch three as the buzzer sounded to take a 37-35 lead into the final period. The Lady Cougars buried two more threes in quick succession to open the fourth period and they never looked back in a 51-47 win. Freedom had opportunities, but just couldn't capitalize on them.
In the boy's game the Patriots seemed to be firing on all cylinders after a two week stretch that saw them struggle. This game decided the conference championship and Freedom had an outstanding showing from almost every aspect of the game. They played tough defense; they got good contributions from the bench and Amore Connelly looked completely unstoppable at times. If the Patriots can execute like they did tonight and keep up the same intensity, they are going to be a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs. They won 62-46 and emptied the bench at the end.

 

[FreedomAlum]

I managed to run over to Draughn and catch the boy's game between the Wildcats and Madison. Draughn took advantage of the play of Luke Rector inside early and had a nice lead at halftime (16-18 points). Madison came out of the locker room in the second half and started knocking down threes and got to within 9 on several occasions, but never could get any closer. Draughn won 79-66 after the Z. Pritchard kid (I won't try to spell his first name) hit a couple of late threes. It looked to me like Draughn had a short bench and I know that a couple of kids have quit, so depth could be a concern for the rest of the conference tournament and any playoff games.
Tomorrow I plan to try to get to Taylorsville and watch the Freedom and Alexander Central girl's game.

 

[FreedomAlum]

The Lady Patriots were on the road at Alexander Central tonight. It was close after one quarter with the Cougars leading 13-11, but then they got out to a 21-12 lead. Freedom managed to close to within 21-18 before Alexander got hot from behind the arc and led 31-24 at the half. I think Freedom may have gotten it down to four at one point after that, but the Cougars were constantly finding the open man on the backdoor cut and they eventually cruised to a 55-37 win. The loss makes Freedom 12-12 on the year with a playoff game yet to be determined. They will probably be at home in the first round and I hope that we can get a big turnout to help them get a win.

 

[FreedomAlum]

Conference tournament play opened for the Freedom boys with South Caldwell coming to Morganton. The Spartans gave the Patriots fits in Sawmills and this was not a team they could afford to take lightly. But I can't sugarcoat it; Freedom did not look like they came ready to play and South Caldwell beat them soundly 72-46.

I have to be frank, this was a butt whooping. The Spartans led 19-13 after one and just kept stretching the lead. Their big kid, Eggers, was killing it on the low post and they were doing a good job getting him the ball. Freedom, on the other hand, looked pretty anemic offensively and generally only got one shot.

Now I have no problem acknowledging that the Spartans gave the better effort and I think that Danny Anderson is a fine coach who knows how to prepare a team, but Freedom had better take this as a wake up call and be ready for next week. Because as good as they looked last Friday against Alexander Central, they looked completely the opposite tonight.

 

[FreedomAlum]

First round matchups for Burke County teams:
Both Freedom squads are at home Tuesday. The Lady Pats take on Franklin, while the boys host Ashe County.
East Burke's girls are at home and play host to Polk County
Patton's boys are on the road in Concord at J.M. Robinson.
The Draughn girls are the 16 seed and host Union Academy while the Wildcat boys travel to Bishop McGuiness.

 

[Chute Boxe Hero]

Conference tournament play opened for the Freedom boys with South Caldwell coming to Morganton. The Spartans gave the Patriots fits in Sawmills and this was not a team they could afford to take lightly. But I can't sugarcoat it; Freedom did not look like they came ready to play and South Caldwell beat them soundly 72-46.

I have to be frank, this was a butt whooping. The Spartans led 19-13 after one and just kept stretching the lead. Their big kid, Eggers, was killing it on the low post and they were doing a good job getting him the ball. Freedom, on the other hand, looked pretty anemic offensively and generally only got one shot.

Now I have no problem acknowledging that the Spartans gave the better effort and I think that Danny Anderson is a fine coach who knows how to prepare a team, but Freedom had better take this as a wake up call and be ready for next week. Because as good as they looked last Friday against Alexander Central, they looked completely the opposite tonight.

FA, just wanted to say I really enjoy your posts. You're like the Chute Boxe of the West (minus the goofy references).

 

[FreedomAlum]

FA, just wanted to say I really enjoy your posts. You're like the Chute Boxe of the West (minus the goofy references).

High praise! I will try to work on my goofy references.

 

[beamer24]

Not a fan of potential 2nd rd match-up with Hibriten and Freedom 🙄

 

[ohio tarheels]

Not a fan of potential 2nd rd match-up with Hibriten and Freedom 🙄

Not sure what Franklin has back from last years team but they could be a good test for Freedom…. Seen them play when the Hibriten boys travelled to Franklin in 1st round last year

 

[FreedomAlum]

Burke County teams went 4-2 tonight. On the girls side all three county teams to make the playoffs won. Draughn won a nail biter over Union Academy by a score of 57-56. They will move on to play at Mountain Heritage on Thursday. E. Burke rolled over Polk County and will host E. Surry. On the boys side both Draughn and Patton saw their seasons end as both teams were beaten soundly on the road.

I was at Freedom and watched both the Lady Patriots and Patriot men take home victories. I was especially happy for the girls as they guaranteed at least a .500 record with the win and they also kept alive a streak of seventeen straight years where the Lady Patriots have won at least one playoff game, a tremendous accomplishment. I thought they played hard and, if they can stay together in the offseason, they could make some noise next year. They defeated Franklin 60-37 and will make the short trip over to Lenoir to play Hibriten in the next round.
In the boy's game the Patriots took a 63-49 win over conference foe Ashe County. Both Amore Connelly and Philly Harris had good games, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention senior guard Keegan Clark who hit a couple of clutch threes when the Patriots needed them. The win gives the Patriots 20 wins on the season and they will host the winner of Hunter Huss and NW Cabarrus. If it is the Huskies then it could be a nice matchup as the Patriots have history with them dating back to the old Western 4A conference in the 80s. Just three years ago those two teams met in the regional finals in the covid shortened year with Freedom getting the win.

 

[FreedomAlum]

I was at Freedom for the game with NW Cabarrus so I'll talk about it before going over the girl's results. The Patriots had a 10 or 11 point lead at one point, but NWC kept chipping away and took a couple of brief leads in the 4th quarter. Finally Freedom had a one point lead with about 17 seconds left and the ball, but turned it over. NWC then hit a leaner and the Patriots had seven seconds left down by one. Another turnover on a walk gave NWC the ball back and they were able to run out the clock for a 57-56 win. For Freedom the story was too many turnovers and too many missed free throws, so they end their season at 20-6.

I wasn't at any of the girl's games so I can only report what I heard. The Lady Patriots came back from double figures down to upset Hibriten and advance. I will follow them on the road on Saturday to either Ledford or Oak Grove (no score from that game yet). This is a young Lady Patriot team and, with this win, they exceeded my expectations for the season. I hope they can build on this and do something special.

Draughn girls upset Mountain Heritage and while it is a surprise I do have to say that they Lady Wildcats are tough and they knew what they were up against in the Lady Cougars having already played them multiple times. I wouldn't have expected them to be the last girls team from their conference to still be playing, but here we are. I am wishing them the best wherever they travel,

I expected East Burke to win and now they get a rematch with Newton-Conover. These two teams have played close games all year and know each other well so I expect another close one. The Lady Cavaliers will host the Lady Red Devils and so I hope that I can hustle back from the Triad and catch that one, but game times have not been announced yet.

 

[NCprepbball]

Oak Grove beat Ledford. Ledford was up most of the 1st half. Oak Groves inside game killed Ledford. Ledford starts 5 guards and OG has a hoss in the post.
I haven’t had a chance to watch Freedom but have some of the teams in their conference.
OG doesn’t have strong guard play but has a 5-10 wing that’s a shooter and their post player that doesn’t back down. She’s only about 5-9 but is very strong and aggressive.

 

[FreedomAlum]

Oak Grove beat Ledford. Ledford was up most of the 1st half. Oak Groves inside game killed Ledford. Ledford starts 5 guards and OG has a hoss in the post.
I haven’t had a chance to watch Freedom but have some of the teams in their conference.
OG doesn’t have strong guard play but has a 5-10 wing that’s a shooter and their post player that doesn’t back down. She’s only about 5-9 but is very strong and aggressive.

I would say that Freedom's strength is guard play. We have a couple of big girls in the paint who play pretty good defense and rebound well, but don't score a lot.

 

[swatz19]

Since you follow Burke County basketball so well can you tell us why Elijah tillery is no longer on draughn basketball team roster

Jesus let that mess die. It’s none of nobody’s business why he’s not playing basketball. nobody knows only speculation and rumors. Let’s run to social media for answers 😂. If anything or any rumor was true you really think it would be said and made public??? Smdh. #SmallTownGossip

 

[beamer24]

I would say that Freedom's strength is guard play. We have a couple of big girls in the paint who play pretty good defense and rebound well, but don't score a lot.

Freedoms guards played really well last night kept getting to the rim and either made layups or got fouled and made there foul shouts. Hibriten started out slow and outside of the 2nd quarter got out played. I was hoping Hibriten would make a run but they'll still had the best girls team at Hibriten in 25 years.

 

[ohio tarheels]

Freedoms guards played really well last night kept getting to the rim and either made layups or got fouled and made there foul shouts. Hibriten started out slow and outside of the 2nd quarter got out played. I was hoping Hibriten would make a run but they'll still had the best girls team at Hibriten in 25 years.

I wasn’t able to make it last night but from updates of scores posted online I figured Panthers never caught fire from the outside except for the 2nd quarter… 16 points in the 2nd half last night…

Good Luck Patriots from here on out

 

[FreedomAlum]

ROAD TRIP SATURDAY!

I started the day in Spencer for North Rowan and Draughn. The Lady Wildcats opened up with a 9-0 run and never trailed, but that doesn't mean it was never close. The Lady Cavaliers were having trouble with Aubrey Snyder all afternoon, but when she had to rest they were able to chip away. Finally they managed to get it down to three and had a couple of shots from behind the arc that could have tied it, but the Lady Wildcats got a couple of clutch free throws and a layup by Snyder at the end to pull out the 52-45 win. Next up for Draughn: a road trip up to Robbinsville and I would have been happy to go but...

I made the half hour drive up to see Freedom play Oak Grove hoping the Lady Patriots would make a good showing. The Grizzlies were killing us on the boards for most of the game, and led by as many as 5 or 6, but Statelee McGee and Haven Gladden hit some big threes and we had it down to one with less than a minute left. Tough defense forced a five seconds call for the turnover with 20 seconds left and a turn around by Payton Caldwell gave the Lady Pats the 49-48 win and a trip to Denver to face East Lincoln in the fourth round.

Okay, I have to take a moment to digress about Lady Patriot basketball. Since they made the regional finals in 1986 they have been to the regionals/fourth round 19 times by my count. So, roughly half the time they advance to the regionals over almost a 40 year span, including seven regional championships and five state titles. I think there are few teams that can match such a record. This team in particular has really outdone themselves! There is not a single senior on the roster and I hope they can take a lot of confidence from the way they have played and overcome the struggles they had earlier in the year going forward.

Now, my original plan was to try to hustle back to Icard and watch East Burke's girls play Newton-Conover, but there was no way for me to make it back for more than the very end of the game. Instead, I went to Gamewell and watched West Caldwell and Salisbury play. I got there about midway through the second quarter and the Hornets had a small lead. By the end of the third quarter they had stretched the lead to 15 and it looked bad for the Warriors. But they came all the way back to tie it with about a minute left. Salisbury then pulled back ahead by four only for West Caldwell to tie it at the buzzer on a layup. I figured momentum in overtime would be with the Warriors but Salisbury pulled out a five point win 76-71.

I'll be following Freedom Tuesday night and hopefully some of these Burke County teams will advance to the regional finals next Saturday so that I can keep this thread going until March.

 

[FreedomAlum]

It was a tough night for the Freedom Lady Patriots as they travelled to face undefeated East Lincoln. The Lady Mustangs had size and they shot the ball well, but Freedom stuck with them through the first quarter when it was 9-7 EL and reasonably well for the first half with the Lady Mustangs only leading 21-13 at the intermission. Freedom was without Sydnie Demiter, whose nagging knee injury forced her to leave the game in the second period sometime and she is our second leading scorer. Without her Payton Caldwell had to carry the load and she had something like 23 points, but it wasn't enough as East Lincoln pulled away in the third period and won 56-35. Still the Lady Pats really exceeded my expectations and they should get everyone back next year so I am hopeful about what we could have.

Draughn was at Robbinsville and had a nice halftime lead, but I am told that Robbinsville really lit it up in the third quarter and they won 65-41. I am told that Wildcat big girl Aubrie Snyder got her 1000th career point tonight, which is a nice way to top off her career. I hope that someone is looking at her to play somewhere collegiately, but I haven't heard anything.

East Burke got the only Burke County win of the night beating Randleman 49-42. The Lady Cavs advance to face Salisbury and I intend to be there to see it once the regional finals times and locations are set. East Burke got the school's very first state championship just a few weeks ago in indoor track, but this could be the first time the school has ever sent a team to a championship game (as opposed to a meet) and that would be huge for that community.

 

[beamer24]

It was a tough night for the Freedom Lady Patriots as they travelled to face undefeated East Lincoln. The Lady Mustangs had size and they shot the ball well, but Freedom stuck with them through the first quarter when it was 9-7 EL and reasonably well for the first half with the Lady Mustangs only leading 21-13 at the intermission. Freedom was without Sydnie Demiter, whose nagging knee injury forced her to leave the game in the second period sometime and she is our second leading scorer. Without her Payton Caldwell had to carry the load and she had something like 23 points, but it wasn't enough as East Lincoln pulled away in the third period and won 56-35. Still the Lady Pats really exceeded my expectations and they should get everyone back next year so I am hopeful about what we could have.

Draughn was at Robbinsville and had a nice halftime lead, but I am told that Robbinsville really lit it up in the third quarter and they won 65-41. I am told that Wildcat big girl Aubrie Snyder got her 1000th career point tonight, which is a nice way to top off her career. I hope that someone is looking at her to play somewhere collegiately, but I haven't heard anything.

East Burke got the only Burke County win of the night beating Randleman 49-42. The Lady Cavs advance to face Salisbury and I intend to be there to see it once the regional finals times and locations are set. East Burke got the school's very first state championship just a few weeks ago in indoor track, but this could be the first time the school has ever sent a team to a championship game (as opposed to a meet) and that would be huge for that community.

Hard to believe EB hasn't won a state championship in something over the years.

 

[FreedomAlum]

Hard to believe EB hasn't won a state championship in something over the years.

Aside from meets they’ve never even competed for one.

 

[DEER0526]

They just won State in indoor track!

 

[FreedomAlum]

For our visitors coming from the Piedmont Triad and Graham County I would like to offer the following advice: There should be plenty of parking for you at FHS as we have a large lot between the entrance to the gym and the stadium. You can enter the parking lot via a gate at the first light you will come to if you come to the school from I-40 or you can go up to the next light, which is the bus parking lot. There are other lots, but, generally speaking, you can only enter the gym on the side that is closest to the football stadium. This may not be the case for the regionals as there is an entrance on the bus parking lot side of the gym, but it is usually not used for admission to the gym.

You may want to park where you can leave via the bus parking lot in order to avoid congestion after the game as most of the traffic will probably try to leave via the other gate (I usually get out a lot quicker that way). There are plenty of places to eat in Morganton, though only a couple if you come to the school from exit 100, which is the simplest and most direct route. If you decide to have lunch, you can find restaurants either by continuing on past the school to where the road comes to a "T" or going up to where Wal-Mart is. If you don't like those options there are plenty of places to eat at exit 105 where the hospital is.

I hope you all enjoy your visit.

 

[FreedomAlum]

Burke County hoops came to an end this afternoon when the East Burke Lady Cavaliers fell 43-37 to Salisbury at Grimsley high school in Greensboro. The Lady Cavs were right there in it until about the midway point of the second quarter when it was 16-15 Hornets. But Salisbury ended the half with a 7-0 run and East Burke was playing catchup after that. Salisbury had leads of as many as 11 but the Lady Cavs fought back and cut it to two at 34-32 when Braelyn Stilwell hit a big 3-pointer with about a minute left in the game. East Burke would have the ball with a chance to get the lead or tie, but couldn't make the shot they needed. Number 2 from Salisbury was huge knocking down several big threes and the Hornets were tough on defense.

I hustled back to watch most of the Robbinsville/Bishop McGuiness game at Freedom, but it was 21-8 with Bishop ahead when I got there. I think Robbinsville managed to get it down to 5 or 6 at one point, but Bishop was able to slowly pull away.

I may make another post in a day or two, summing everything up. I rely on high school basketball to get me through winter every year and this year was another good one. I am looking forward to getting back in the gym in November.

 

[NCprepbball]

I loved the defensive effort for both Salisbury and E Burke. Great game.