By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
CATAWBA – The table is set for the Bandys High boys.
The Trojans (19-7) entertain No. 31 seed Forest Hills (13-14) in the second round of the state 2A basketball playoffs at 7 p.m. on Friday.
A win would return Bandys to some of the glory days of its boys program.
The Trojans, coached by Brandon Helms, would:
— Reach 20 wins for the first time since 1990-1991.
— Become the 11th boys’ team since 1970-71 to win at least 20 games; the school record is 30 by the 1981-1982 team that won a state 2A title.
With 19 wins – the most since 1990-91 – the Trojans are enjoying their first back-to-back winning seasons since the late Mike Matheson posted a 23-6 record in 1990-1991. Dee Gibbs followed that with a 17-9 team.
Since that Gibbs team, Bandys has had four winning teams in 31 seasons and two winless teams.
The Trojans went 17-11 last season and won playoff games over North Stanly and North Surry before falling at Salisbury. They have not been past the third round since beating West Davidson and Thomasville in 1990-91 to earn their last West Regional bid (d. Starmount, lost in title game to Bessemer City).
In his fourth season, Helms trails only the late Bill Bost (69-41) for most wins in the first four years as head coach. Matheson, who coached the Bandys boys for three years had record of 59-23.
If the Trojans win Friday they would play No. 7 Shelby (19-7) or No.10 Black Mountain Owen (19-6) on Tuesday night on the road. Still alive in the opposite bracket are No. 3 North Surry, No. 6 Lincoln Charter, No. 11 Mount Pleasant and No. 19 Community School of Davidson.
The West Regionals are March 10-15 at Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem.
In other second round games on Friday:
— No. 19 Bandys (17-8) faces No. 3 Southwest Randolph (26-1) at 6 p.m. in a girls’ game.
— No. 12 Lincolnton (23-5) and No. 6 Maiden (22-5) play at 7 p.m. at Maiden. They have played three times this season: Maiden won 84-74 at Lincolnton and 103-96 at Maiden and the Wolves won 70-69 in overtime at East Burke in the conference tournament final.
— The second seeded East Burke girls (27-1) girls are at home against No. 15 Randleman (16-10).
— Both North Lincoln teams are at home – the girls (26-1) play No. 14 Asheville Erwin (19-7) at 6 p.m. followed by the Knights boys (22-5, No. 5) against No. 12 Hunter Huss.
— The 13th seded Maiden girls (23-5) faces No. 4 High Point Andrews (23-1) in High Point at 7 p.m.
BRACKETS: www.nchsaa.org
