3A CHAMPIONSHIP-WEST ROWAN VS GOLDSBORO

Although I have not seen West Rowan play, I have kept up with them and they may well be the best team in the state of all four divisions. Too bad I will not be able to make it to Raleigh and the finals. For those of you who will be there, don’t miss the 1A game. Perquimins has size and quickness and they are on a role. I have seen them play a couple of times this year. They lost four games this year, two to Manteo and two to conference foe, Plymouth, who was in the state finals last year. Plymouth is lightning quick. Manteo wins with scrappy defense and the outside shot.

Manteo will have both of its three-point wizards back next year. Kinston had its best athletes all over Manteo’s Catlin Pruitt and he still scored 28. As a soph he tied the state record for three pointers (11) in a game. He has started as point guard on the varsity since his freshman year and will be a senior next year.

 

If any Thomasvile fans would like to read up on the Perquimins Pirates here are the articles following them to the finals. The latest one is "SWAT TEAM".

http://www.dailyadvance.com/sports/content/sports/more.html

 

Here is one we didn't lose. Next year will be the last year that those graduating from First Flight Middle School will be going on to Manteo High School. There is a beautiful new high school being built right next door which will be called Wright Brothers High School. It will be 1A or 2A and Manteo will drop back to 1A or 2A.

http://www.thisboardrocks.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=26669

 

First Flight Middle School.....Wright Brothers High School.....cool names. Sort of like Astronaut High School in Titusville Florida (Chris Collinsworth played football there).

Lake Norman High is the new high school in West Rowan's conference.......already so crowded they may be moved up to 4A in a couple years.

 

Read Thursday Goldsboro Argus-News on their 6'8" 225 lb junior forward. Also next article about West Rowan and repeat championships. GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Lake Norman is a nice area. It must be a headache for NCHSAA, the athletic directors, and all others charged with makeing the conference changes. I hope neither Manteo nor Wright Brothers will fall below 2A and will become members of the same conference. Currituck is growing rapidly and will perhaps take Manteo's place as one of the 3A schools in the conference. The Outer Banks local governments were blessed with a large land grant gift from the Baum family a while back and that land now includes an elementary and middle school, library, town hall/police station, rec center and soon the new high school. Otherwise I don't know where they would build a new school here, and even if they found the land it would cost more than building the school itself. As it is, right next to the Wright Memorial is a perfect place.

http://www.dare.k12.nc.us/news/history.html

ihigh.com has a good preview of the schools in the finals and I took a close look at Goldsboro. They did beat Kinston once in regular conference play. I still don't think they will match up well with Junior and the WR big guys though. One thing I noticed on their record was that they were trounced by 28 by 4A Greenville Rose. Manteo beat Rose by 11 on Rose's court. Although Manteo's tallest player is only 6-5, they are smart, well-coached and usually make whatever adjustments necessary, as they did against Norfolk Collegiate, one of the top private schools of Virginia. Pruitt and Winstead will both be back next year. I hope Pruitt gets the attention and Division I scholarship he deserves. He is certainly well known by the conference coaches here.

http://www.obsentinel.com/local_sports.cfm?&local_sports_id=459