The prep basketball notebook ...
North Rowan’s undefeated boys not only captured the 2A Central Carolina Conference Tournament title Friday night, but the 24-0 Cavaliers also got their share of individual honors.
North’s 6-foot-6 senior, Bryan McCullough, was voted Player of the Year by the coaches and received his award after the Cavs’ 83-60 win over Lexington in the finals.
Kelly Everhart, North’s third-year head coach, was named Coach of the Year for the second straight year.
McCullough was joined on the all-conference team by teammates Marcus Reddick and Marcus Lawing.
“It’s a tribute to my hard work in the gym and everything.I know I deserved it, so I’m grateful,” said McCullough of the Player of the Year honor.
“Without Chris (Phillips) and Andre (Byrd) passing the ball and everybody giving me the ball, I couldn’t have done it. My tenacity on the boards helped me out a little bit, too,” said McCullough.
Phillips is North’s point guard, moving over from the No. 2 guard spot after Byrd became academically ineligible in January.
“I’m just tickled to death,” said Everhart of McCullough’s honor. “From my standpoint, I thought it was obvious.Of course, I get to see him play every night. I think that by far he has been head and shoulders above everybody else in our conference.”
As for his own award, Everhart said, “It’s really a big honor. I’m proud to have received it, but I think there could have been a number of coaches that could have received it this year.”
Salisbury’s Randall Jones; Lexington’s Marquis Carroll and Cory Holt; High Point Central’s Brandon White and Quincy Thomas; Ledford’s Sam Cecil and Jared Hall; and North Stanly’s Ernest Mangum also made all-CCC.
Carroll and Cecil were second and third, respectively, behind McCullough in Player of the Year voting. Lexington’s Don Corry and High Point’s Steve Johnson finished behind Everhart.
The girls team included four members of undefeated HighPoint: Player of the Year Leslie Cook, Velinda VunCannon, Krystion Obie and Rachel Stockdale; North Rowan’s Courtney Hill and Joyce Hipps; Salisbury’s Ke-Ke Chunn; North Stanly’s Emily Coley;Ledford’s Lindsay Smith, Katie Ralls and Leslie Hinkle; and Lexington’s Kacey Pearson and Danyell Horton.
Smith and Pearson finished second and third behind Cook.
Samantha Gleiser of Lexington was voted the top coach with North Stanly’s Amanda Hartsell and Ledford’s John Ralls tying for second.
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BENCH WORK: North’s veteran starting lineup is talented enough, but the Cavaliers’ bench is contributing its share, too.
In Friday’s victory over Lexington, North’s reserves scored 18 points. Husky 6-foot-7 junior Junior Farmer led the way with eight points and five rebounds — all in the second half — while senior Omar Witherspoon scored six points and grabbed five rebounds.
“Tonight, I thought they did an exceptional job,” said Everhart of his reserves. “Whenever I subbed, maybe I’m getting some combinations down a little better, but I thought tonight the guys that came in off the bench, I felt like we didn’t lose a beat whenever they were in there. If we can continue to do that, then we can be tough the rest of the way.”
Farmer, who became academically eligible for the first time in January, appears to be enjoying the game more than anyone else when he’s on the floor.
“He does have fun all the time.Now that he is beginning to realize what his role is going to be, I think he’s a little happier with where he is. Whenever he steps on the court, rather than saying, ‘I’m not getting as many minutes as I’d like, he’s stepping out there and he’s saying, ‘Well, I know that I’m going to be in here for just a couple of minutes, so I’m going to go wide-open while I’m in here.’ His level of play is stepping up with each ballgame,” said Everhart.
Farmer was elated to be a part of the tournament championship.
“It feels good, because this is my first time ever playing basketball and the first time ever achieving anything like this. It feels good to be on the winning team,” said Farmer.
Farmer has taken most of his shots in close all season, but he banked in a 15-foot runner in the fourth quarter.
“I just felt it right there,” said the big Cavalier, who went 4-for-9 on field goals but had his woes at the foul line, missing all four tries.
Witherspoon was glad to see action in every quarter. He hustled for rebounds and on defense, blocking a shot and coming up with a steal.
“You’ve got to come in the game and you’ve got to play hard and go after it. You’ve got to bring every inch off the bench,” said the senior.
“This is a special team we’ve got,” he said. “There’s great players out here. You’ve got to come in and play hard.”
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PLAYOFFS SET: North’s boys drew a first-round bye for the 2A sectional playoffs and will not play until Wednesday, meeting Monday’s Ledford-Lincolnton winner at 5:30 p.m. at Hickory’s Catawba Valley Community College.
South Rowan’s girls open the 4A sectionals at home Monday against a perennial power, McDowell, and A.L. Brown’s boys travel to East Rutherford, both at 7 p.m.
On Tuesday, it will be 3A girls action with West Rowan hosting Burns, East Rowan visiting Kings Mountain and A.L. Brown at home against R-S Central, all at 7 p.m.
West’s boys drew a first-round bye and will meet Monday’s Trinity-Central Cabarrus winner at 4 p.m. Wednesday at Pfeiffer University.
Sectional finals will be played Friday and Saturday.
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