Traditional powers Freedom, West Caldwell
earn home games in first round of playoffs
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By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
Red-hot Hickory High leads 15 teams from Greater Hickory area leagues into the boys’ state basketball playoffs, which start on Tuesday night.
The Red Tornadoes (25-1) have won 20 straight under head coach Daniel Willis and are the West No. 1 seed in 3A and preparing to face No. 32 East Henderson (13-12) at Craft Gym on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
WILLIS
The next highest-seeded team from the Catawba Valley 2A Athletic, Western Foothills 3A and Northwestern 3A-4A is Freedom (17-7) at No. 4 in the West 3A bracket. Other area teams that are seeded in the Top 10 are: West Caldwell (18-9), ninth in West 2A; Alexander Central (22-43), seventh in 4A; and Draughn (18-6), seventh in West 1A.
Home first-round games for area teams, in addition to Hickory, ae at Patton, West Caldwell, North Iredell, Freedom, East Lincoln, Alexander Central and Draughn.
Conference champions were seeded first on Saturday, then second-place teams from leagues. After that, the rest of the fields were wild-card spots, where a team’s RPI factored in whether or not it got one of those bids.
Second round games are Tuesday, the third round is Saturday with the regionals beginning on March 5 and the state title games on March 12.
Tidbits on the area teams that qualified:
1A
No. 26 Mountain Island Charter (11-14) at No. 7 Draughn (18-6), 7:30 p.m.: After winning its second league title in four seasons, Draughn is at home to begin its sixth postseason bid … The Wildcats have missed the postseason only once in the last six years (last year’s COVID-shortened season. Next: No. 23 Mitchell County or No. 10 Christ The King.
2A
No. 18 Maiden (20-7) at No. 15 Walkertown (15-9): The Blue Devils are in the state playoffs for the fifth time in seven years, enjoying their 26th trip since 1976-77… This is Maiden’s seventh team to reach 20 wins in that same time frame … The Blue Devils last reached the Western 2A Regionals in 2004-2005, a season that was their seventh straight in the chase for a state title… After that regional, Maiden missed the postseason in six straight years and eight of nine… Justin Brittain, named Catawba Valley 2A Athletic Coach of the Year in his third season, is the seventh Maiden head coach to produce a state playoff team in the last 40-plus years. Next: No. 31 West Stanly or No. 2 Lincoln Charter.
No. 20 Community School of Davidson (12-10) at No. 13 Patton (15-8): The Panthers are in the state playoffs for the ninth time, all under head coach Dennis Brittain … Patton did not get to the postseason in the first five years after the school opened… The Panthers’ first winning season was 13-12 in 2013-2014, the first year for Brittain (3A, lost in first round to North Forsyth) … The school record for wins is 21, set in 2017-2018. Next: No. 29 Surry Central or No. 4 North Surry.
No. 22 Lincolnton (13-12) at No. 11 Hendersonville (24-3): The Wolves gained a state playoff bid for the seventh time in eight years and for the 13th time in 15 seasons … It’s the 35th bid since the early 1980s for Lincolnton, which made 12 straight starting in 1985-1986… The Wolves have been eliminated in the opening round in their last three postseason appearances. Next: No. 27 Burns or No. 6 Concord Robinson.
No. 24 East Gaston (12-12) at No. 9 West Caldwell (18-9): For the third straight season, West Caldwell is headed to the state playoffs… The Warriors are one of the state’s most consistent programs with 38 straight postseason bids and, after missing for three straight years, three more bids … West Caldwell has won 18 games for the 29th time ad is chasing an 11th bid into the West Regionals… Twenty-five of their bids have come under the Anderson family (Danny 22 bids, Billy 3). Next: No. 25 Southwestern Randolph or No. 8 Providence Grove.
3A
No. 17 Greensboro Dudley (20-8) at No. 16 North Iredell (17-8): The Raiders are making their second straight appearance in the state playoffs… They have been to the postseason in six of the last 10 years… North Iredell is two wins away from matching its best record since 2013-2014 (19-8). Next: No. 32 East Henderson or No. 1 Hickory.
No. 20 North Lincoln (15-10) at No. 13 Asheboro (19-7): A third straight state playoff bid for the Knights, all of them under head coach Dennis Frye… Before that, North Lincoln had missed the state playoffs for six straight years after the school opened and reached the postseason in each of its first eight seasons … This is the fourth team with at least 15 wins at North Lincoln with the best record (17-9) coming in Frye’s first season… The Knights got to the second round two years ago and again last year (lost to Hendersonville). Next: No. 29 Northwest Cabarrus or No. 4 Freedom.
No. 22 West Rowan (11-10) at No. 11 East Lincoln (22-5), 7:30 p.m.: Head coach Jon Hancock, in his fifth season, has his fifth state playoff squad … East Lincoln is making its 18th straight postseason appearance and is 26th since 1978-1979 … The Mustangs have finished at least third in their conference in 11 straight years (four leagues titles)… Hancock’s five postseason teams trail only 10 in a row by Neil Hodges (2006-2007 through 2015-2016) … This is the Mustangs’12th team with at least 20 wins since 1978-79. Next: No. 27 South Point or No. 6 Enka.
No. 23 St. Stephens (15-10) at No. 10 Parkwood (13-14): The Indians gained their first state playoff bid since 2013-2014 and their 21st since 1978-1979… St. Stephens’ last winning year was 2012-2013 when it went 19-8 under Murphy Post … At one point, the Indians owned eight straight postseason bids before then missing in each of the next seven seasons… This will be St. Stephens’ 14th winning season since 1984-85 and first under head coach Patrick Smith, who got them off to an 8-0 start this season. Next: No. 26 Hibriten or No. 7 Franklin.
No. 26 Hibriten (12-12) at No. 7 Franklin (20-4): The 21st postseason bid since 1977-1978 starts on the road for Hibriten … The Panthers have earned a state playoff bid in seven of eight seasons, the only miss coming in last year’s COVID-shortened season … Head coach Mikey Patterson is the first Hibriten boys coach since Roger Burgess in 2003-2004 to get his first team into the state playoffs. Next: No. 23 St. Stephens or No. 10 Parkwood.
No. 29 Northwest Cabarrus (12-11) at No. 4 Freedom (17-7), 7:30 p.m.: For the 15th time in 16 years and 39th in the last 42, the Patriots get their shot at reaching a state title game … They are 50-12 since Clint Zimmerman took over as head coach … The only years Freedom did not get into the postseason bracket were 1987-88 (17-8), 2005-2006 (8-17) and last year’s COVID-hampered season … The Patriots have been made 10 trips to the West Regionals. Next: No. 20 North Lincoln or No. 13 Asheboro.
No. 30 Ashe County (12-12) at No. 3 Crest (22-2): Ashe County is making its 12th state playoff appearance since 2005-2006 … The Huskies had eight straight postseason bids, then missed for two years, got back in for two years and missed for four straight seasons… Ashe County has not won a state playoff game since beating Alleghany in the second round in 2011-2012. Next: No. 19 Southern Guilford or No. 14 Kings Mountain.
No. 32 East Henderson (13-12) at No. 1 Hickory (25-1), 7:30 p.m.: The Red Tornadoes begin chasing an 11th West Regional appearance with a home game … They have won 20 straight games since their lone loss (to East Lincoln) .. Hickory is in the postseason for the 21st consecutive year, 27th time in 28 years and 37th time in the late 1970s… The Red Tornadoes have won 20 or more games in 13 of the last 15 years, missing only in last year’s COVID season (10-2) and in 2013-2014 (13-12)… Hickory has not fallen in an opening round game since losing to Waynesville Tuscola in 2003-2004. Next: No. 17 Greensboro Dudley or No. 16 North Iredell.
4A
No. 21 South Caldwell (13-9) at No. 12 Porter Ridge (19-7), 7 p.m.: South Caldwell, making its 21st state playoff appearance since 1977-1978, has no wins in the last 19 of those (game results are not available to indicate if South Caldwell has ever won a state playoff game; the first team went 17-9) … This is the Spartans’ first postseason bid since 2016-2017… Six previous South Caldwell teams won 14 or more games, led by 17-9 teams in 1987-1988 and 1988-1989 coached by Fred Lanford… The last winning record for the Spartans was 14-12 in 2016-2017 under head coach Darren Hart. Next: No. 28 Lake Norman or No. 5 Chambers.
No. 26 Greensboro Page (11-11) at No. 7 Alexander Central (22-4), 7:30 p.m.: The steady Cougars return to the state playoffs for the third time in four years (missed in COVID-impacted season), seventh time in nine years and 12th time in 15 … This is the 13th postseason team for head coach Ed Wills, in his 17th season in Taylorsville … Alexander Central has won 20 or more games five times since the last 1970s and can top that win total with a first-round win (22-7 n 2007-2008 and in 2010-2011) … The last postseason win for the Cougars came in 2015-2016 over Davie County … Alexander Central has been knocked out in the first round in three straight bids, falling to Greensboro Smith twice and Southern Guilford. Next: No. 23 Winston-Salem Reynolds or No. 10 North Mecklenburg.
