State champions crowned in North Carolina

On Saturday March 12 four teams won championships in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association boys' state tournament held at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, and at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh. Wake Forest signee, Kevin Swinton powered Greensboro Dudley High School to the class 3A state title. For more details click to Rivals.com Ultimate Ticket.

Huntersville North Mecklenburg High School (31-1) won 68-65 in overtime against Fayetteville Westover High School in the 4A championship game in the Smith Center. This was the first state title in school history for North Mecklenburg. Coach Duane Lewis' Vikings were led by unsigned senior, 6-foot-6 power forward Ben Stywall with 21 points; and future Wake Forest player, highly regarded 6-foot-8 junior forward Jamie Skeen with 17 points and 14 rebounds.

Skeen, who was named the MVP, fouled out on a charging call on his team's first possession in overtime.

V.C.U. signee, 6-foot-3 one/two guard Eric Maynor scored 25 points for Westover High School.

In the down-to-the-wire 3A championship game at Reynolds Coliseum 6-foot sophomore guard Barry Ferrell calmly sank two free throws with 5.7 seconds on the clock to give Greensboro Dudley High School ( 29-3) a 58-57 win over Shelby Crest High School (24-6). "He has been our best free-throw shooter all year," said Dudley coach David Price.

The top-rated senior prospect in North Carolina, Wake Forest-bound 6-foot-7 power forward Kevin Swinton had 19 points and 15 rebounds for Dudley. North Carolina recruit, 6-foot-6, 250-pound junior forward William Graves, had a disappointing game, hitting just 2-17 field goals, and 3-4 FT for 7 points.

In the class 2A championship game Canton Pisgah High School completed an undefeated 29-0 season with a 66-41 win over Warrenton Warren County. This was the first state title appearance for Pisgah High in the 40-year history of the school. And, thousands of fans from the small mountain town of Canton, ravaged by storm floods this fall, made the trip to Chapel Hill to support their team, and chant "Un-de-fea-ted" as the clock ran down.

Pisgah was led by MVP, rugged 6-foot-6 junior center/forward Jake Robinson with 23 points and 19 rebounds. According to Pisgah coach Jimmy Cleaveland, Robinson had verbally committed to Western Carolina, but is now considering other schools.

Thomasville High School completed a record setting athletic performance winning class 1A state titles in both boys and girls basketball this past weekend, and the 1A state football crown last December, to become the first school in NCHSAA history to win all three championships the same year.

"As athletic director, it's nice to sit here and say how proud I am, and this community and the school will be, of having football and girls and boys basketball champions," said Woody Huneycutt, who is also the Thomasville boys basketball head coach.

On Saturday Thomasville High School (29-2) routed Kenly North Johnston High School 85-58 at Reynolds Coliseum for their fourth boys state title in the past eight years.

Thomasville was led by MVP 5-foot-11 senior guard Brent LeMay with 19 points, including 4-6 3-point shots. Brandon Taylor, Thomasville's 6-foot-8, 330-pound center, nicknamed "The Beast," had 16 points (8-12 FG), and 10 rebounds. Taylor, reportedly, has signed a football grant with North Carolina Central University.

The Thomasville High girls rolled over Weldon High 63-26 to win their fourth straight class 1A girls state championship.

Thomasville has become "Title Town N.C". in Class 1A high school athletics!