WIZS’ own Trey Snide was inside the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill on Saturday, March 16, to broadcast the 2019 1A North Carolina High School Athletic Association State Championship basketball game between the Henderson Collegiate Pride and the Bishop McGuinness Villains.
With a final score of 55-54, the Pride heartbreakingly lost the championship by one point.
In only their second year as a program, the #2 seeded Pride of Henderson Collegiate came into the matchup as reigning North Central Regular Season and Conference Champions with a 14-0 record and reigning East Division State Champions.
In addition to an impressive 31-2 overall record, the Pride also averaged 82 points, 19 assists, and 41 rebounds per game this season.
Pride Head Coach George Marshall said his team had an impressive season and overcame many obstacles. According to Marshall, this perseverance made their success even sweeter. “From all the traveling, to not having a gym, to not having a workout room, to taking AP classes; it’s indescribable.”
During the championship run, the Pride defeated Lejeune High, Louisburg, John. A. Holmes, Roxboro Community, and the number one ranked team, Washington County.
Coming into the game, the #9 seeded Villains tied for second in the Northwest 1A Conference with a 6-4 record and a loss in the conference championship game to Winston-Salem Prep Academy. The Villains exacted their revenge in the third round of the State Playoffs when they defeated Winston-Salem Prep by a score of 56-53.
On their path to the championship, the Villains defeated Mount Airy, Mitchell, Winston-Salem Prep, North Stanly and North Rowan.
According to Marshall, the big advantage the Pride had this year was their speed. Marshall said his team worked on getting up and down the court as quickly as possible while mixing up their defense to keep their opponent off guard.
The hard work and athleticism of JaQuaveon Venable, Akhiris Holden, Micah Lewis, Davon Allen, Kalib Mathews, Javonte Waverly, Kameron Brooks and many others made this trip to the championship game possible.
Marshall looks forward to seeing what the future holds for this young Henderson Collegiate Pride team.
To hear more discussion on the championship game and the Pride’s season, click here. The Town Talk segment regarding Henderson Collegiate begins at the 12:55 mark of the program.