Freedom High’s Amber Reddick has coached the Patriots to the state playoffs every year in her 15 seasons as head coach at her alma mater. The Patriots (26-1), chasing their sixth state title, open the 3A playoffs at home Tuesday night against A.C. Reynolds./FACEBOOK PHOTO
Can Freedom join Bandys
by winning sixth state title?
By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
Tidbits about the high school girls’ basketball teams from the South Fork 2A, Northwestern Foothills 2A and Northwestern 3A-4A that are in the state playoffs, which begin Tuesday night at the higher seed(s):
2A
No. 18 Madison (16-10) at No. 15 Bandys (16-8), 6 p.m.: Trojans missed state playoffs last year… making 12th state playoff appearance in 13 years, 19th in 21 years, 44th in 49 years … Will face Madison in postseason for sixth time (5-1) but first time since 2014-15 (Bandys 65-60 at Bandys, third round) … Three of previous four state playoff games were at Bandys … Madison’s win was 75-59 at Lenoir-Rhyne in first round of 1991-92 West Regional… Trojans are 105-38 in postseason history but have not won a state playoff game since beating Mountain Heritage in the first round in 2015-16… Bandys has won a state title in six of its seven trips to a championship game and has more West Regionals appearances (19) than any girls’ or boys’ team in state history. Winner gets: No. 2 Salisbury (22-4) or No. 31 Fred T. Foard (12-14).
No. 20 Canton Pisgah (13-12) at No. 13 Bunker Hill (19-8), 6 p.m.: Bears return to the state playoffs for the second straight year, fourth time under head coach Randy Joines in nine seasons and 32nd time in 41 seasons … Bunker Hill has lost in the first round in three straight postseason bids – to Lexington, Wilkes Central and Smoky Mountain … The Bears’ last state playoff win came in 2008-09 when they reached a sectional final … Bunker Hill has reached the state final once, losing to Clinton 72-63 in 1988-89, and made the West Regional three times in four years from 1998-1999 through 2001-2002. Winner gets: No. 29 Ashe County (13-11) or No, 4 East Burke (21-5).
No. 21 Patton (18-8) at No. 12 West Wilkes (18-7), 7 p.m.: The Panthers return to the postseason for the second straight year and for the sixth time in school history (this is the school’s 11th year) … Winston-Salem Atkins eliminated Patton in the first round (58-40) last season … Patton has been to the second round only once before, falling 71-55 against Waynesville Tuscola in 2012-13. Winner gets: No. 28 North Wilkes (14-12) or No. 5 Newton-Conover (23-4).
No. 28 North Wilkes (14-12) at No. 5 Newton-Conover (23-4), 6 p.m.: Red Devils’ 17th state playoff appearance, seventh in eight years under head coach Sylvia White (three tenures), 33rd in 41 years … Newton-Conover has been eliminated in the first round in its last two appearances … Newton-Conover is 1-1 in state 2A title games, falling 58-52 to Clinton in 1989-90 and beating Farmville Central 77-54 in 1991-92 … The Red Devils have reached the West Regionals in 11 years, the most recent coming the final against Salisbury in 2009-10. Winner gets: No. 12 West Wilkes (18-7) or No. 21 Patton (18-8).
No. 29 Ashe County (13-11) at No. 4 East Burke (21-5), 6:30 p.m.: Cavs are making their 15th straight postseason appearance, 31st in school history … Wilkes Central eliminated East Burke last year in the third round (48-45), a year after the Cavs had made back-to-back trips to the West Regionals … The Cavs have advanced to the West Regionals twice, in 2011-2012 and in 2016-2017. Winner gets: No. 20 Canton Pisgah (13-12) or No. 13 Bunker Hill (19-8).
No. 31 Fred T. Foard (12-14) at No. 2 Salisbury (22-4), 6 p.m.: Tigers are making their first state playoff appearance since 2012-13, first under second-year head coach Brandy Dawkins … Foard has been to state playoffs 33 times since 1978-79, including a stretch of 22 straight years that began in 1985-86 … The Tigers have not escaped the opening round – five losses – since winning a West 3A title in 2005-06 and falling in the state title game to Wilson Beddingfield, 64-53… Foard has been to the West Regionals seven times and won an open classification championship in 1975-76 and a 3A title in 1991-92 over High Point Central. Winner gets: No. 18 Madison (16-10) or No. 15 Bandys (16-8).
3A
No. 20 Watauga (16-9) at No. 13 Mount Tabor (18-8), 6 p.m.: Pioneers are making their third straight state playoff appearance, with league finishes of second, first (share) and second (tie) in those seasons … Cuthbertson eliminated Watauga in the second round last year, 46-45, and West Forsyth knocked the Pioneers out two years ago in the second round (60-43) … Watauga has been as far as the West Regionals once, falling 77-71 in 4A’s first round against Greensboro Page in 1996-97. Winner gets: No. 29 Forestview (14-12) or No. 4 Cuthbertson (24-3).
HELMS
No. 23 Ashbrook (16-8) at No. 10 Hickory (17-7), 6 p.m.: The Red Tornadoes are in the state playoffs for the 28th consecutive year and for the 38th time in the last 41 years … Rockingham County knocked Hickory out in the first round last season, 39-32 … Before last year’s loss, the Red Tornadoes had advanced out of the first round 17 straight times …Hickory head coach Barbara Helms, in her 16th season, is 16-for-16 on state bids and she is 18-for-19 for her career, as only her first (of three) teams at East Burke did not get to the postseason, in 1996-97 … Hickory has reached the West Regionals in 17 seasons and won state titles in 1994-1995, 1997-1998, 1998-99 and 2014-2015. Winner gets: No. 26 Monroe (17-8) or No. 7 Asheville (21-6).
No. 31 A.C. Reynolds (7-17) at No. 2 Freedom (26-1), 6 p.m.: Freedom’s in its 15th straight bid in the state playoffs and its 39th in 41 years … Only two Patriots teams since 1978-79 did not get to the postseason and both (1996-97 and 2003-04 won 16 games) … Freedom head coach Amber Reddick, a former Patriots player, has coached all 15 of her teams to the postseason … The Patriots were beaten 67-55 by West Rowan in last year’s second round … Freedom last failed to get out of the first round in 2005-2006, losing 64-59 to Butler in the 4A bracket … The Patriots have been to 16 West Regionals and won state titles in 1988-89, 1993-94, 1994-95, 2001-2002 and two years ago. Winner gets: No. 18 Waynesville Tuscola (17-8) or No. 15 Enka (21-5).
4A
No. 7 McDowell (17-9), bye: McDowell advances with a first-round bye, playing at home in the second round against No. 23 Olympic (11-11) or No. 10 Hickory Ridge …The Titans are in the postseason for the 35th straight season and for the 40th time in the last 41 years (they missed in 1983-84, going 7-15) … South Mecklenburg ousted McDowell in the first round a year ago, 57-38 … McDowell has lost three straight first-round games, to South Mecklenburg, Northwest Guilford and Asheville Roberson … The Titans have not reached the West Regionals since 2009-10.
