NEWTON-CONOVER GIRLS — State 2A co-champions, 2019-20
By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
CHAPEL HILL – A decision by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) on Wednesday netted the Newton-Conover girls and Freedom boys’ state co-championships in basketball.
STATE CO-CHAMPIONS
Schools credited with a co-championship in basketball, after the coronavirus interrupted the playoffs and eventually led to a cancellation of the eight state title games.
The co-champions:
GIRLS
1A: Weldon (27-1); Murphy (30-0)
2A: Farmville Central (25-3); Newton-Conover (29-2)
3A: Fayetteville E.E. Smith (31-1); SE Guilford (30-1)
4A: SE Raleigh (27-1); Vance (26-5)
BOYS
1A: Henderson Collegiate (26-10); Winston-Salem Prep (22-8)
2A: Farmville Central (23-2); Shelby (26-3)
3A: Fayetteville Westover (30-0); Freedom (29-1)
4A: Lumberton (26-5); N. Mecklenburg (30-1)
At a regularly-scheduled meeting of its board of directors, the board decided the East and West Regional winners would share a state title in each classification.
The coronavirus outbreak delayed the scheduled state basketball championships, and they were officially cancelled after Gov. Roy Cooper ordered schools in the state closed for the remainder of the school year (2019-20).
Spring sports teams got a few games in before an earlier order by Cooper closed schools until May 15, but those sports will not resume, the NCHSAA said.
Newton-Conover’s girls, coached by Sylvia White, went 29-2 with their only losses at Hopewell and against Hickory in the Dick’s Sporting Goods Classic.
The Red Devils won their last 21 games, taking a West 2A Regional title on Feb. 7 by beating Salisbury 65-53 at Catawba Valley Community College.
Newton-Conover went 14-0 in the South Fork 2A, finishing three games up on second-place Bandys after winning the league title the year before by six games.
Freedom’s boys, coached by Clint Zimmerman, finished 29-1 and won their last 16 games. They were 11-1 in the Northwestern 3A-4A (only loss was at home against South Caldwell).
The Patriots grabbed a West 3A Regional title on March 7, edging Hunter Huss 58-56 at Lenoir-Rhyne University.
Newton-Conover’s girls now have two state girls’ basketball titles; the other title came in 1991-92 when the Red Devils defeated Farmville Central 77-54 in 2A to go 29-1.
Freedom’s boys now have four state basketball titles. The others: In 4A, defeated Cary 87-75 in 1993-94 to go 28-2; defeated Pine Forest 74-59 in 1997-98, finishing 30-1. In 3A, defeated Wilson Hunt 59-57 in 2013-14 to finish 31-1.
FREEDOM BOYS: State 3A co-champions, 2019-20
