2023 In Review – NCHSAA 1A East Edition

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With public schools about to enter conference play in the coming weeks, it's time to take a look back on the 2023 portion of this season in North Carolina. This article takes us to the 1A East class, with the defending champ in Wilson Prep being contested by plenty of great squads and some college level talent to watch for. Read below for some top storylines and players to monitor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Four Rivers Conference Sports Talented Teams</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bertie and Washington County are both groups that should be the last few teams standing in the class, and will have two marquee matchups to face each other in conference play in the coming weeks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For Bertie, Zymiere Dempsey is their leading scorer as well as the heart of their team. He's powerful and athletic with a football frame, and he is able to attack the basket and the mid-range area in order to keep defenses guessing. [player_tooltip player_id='1225450' first='Jahkelvin' last='Rascoe'] is small, but a mighty point guard who racks up steals and turnovers defensively, while being shifty and slithery on the offensive end, and <strong>Tequan Holley</strong> is playing the forward spot for them with his thin and long frame. They've beat some good squads like Wayne Country Day and Northeastern, and they still have some good tests left besides the matchup with Washington County with teams like Garner and Hillside left on the slate. We'll know a lot more about them soon.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Washington County also runs with a three-headed monster, also with two star seniors and a junior. [player_tooltip player_id='2311776' first='Brandon' last='Carter'] is operating as a multi-faceted threat, with an ability to make plays, rebound the basketball, and blanket opposing guards with suffocating defense. [player_tooltip player_id='1743497' first='Amari' last='Chesson'] has been a force on the glass despite only being 6'1, and [player_tooltip player_id='1743510' first='Ke'Vontae' last='Lucas'] has been impressive as a physical forward who rebounds the ball, plays hard inside, and alters shots around the rim. I'm excited to see this group pose challenges to other teams inside, both scoring the ball and rebounding it as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Wilson Prep Is Formidable Again</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Tigers at Wilson Prep have already played a gauntlet of a schedule, giving them exposure and eyes across the state, and they've just continued to add talented guys out of nowhere. This year's guy is [player_tooltip player_id='2232877' first='Ben' last='Ferguson'], a talented scorer who hits buckets when the team needs it and is leading the scoring with 17.7 PPG. He's a name college coaches should begin to get eyes on quickly. [player_tooltip player_id='1772438' first='Leslie' last='Minter Jr'] has continued to be a lethal perimeter threat, and [player_tooltip player_id='2276952' first='Josh' last='Hicks'] is also continuing to shoot the ball well from deep. [player_tooltip player_id='1104960' first='Brandon' last='Anderson'] is continuing to lead from the point guard spot as a distributor and smooth interior scorer, and [player_tooltip player_id='1220103' first='David' last='Ellis II'] is a double double threat every night with his explosive athleticism and length to protect the rim. The Tigers have played a challenging schedule, and have scored a win over Greenfield that is well-regarded around the state. The defending champs should be in the mix to defend their title later this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Biggest Turnaround Goes to Southern Wake?</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coach Austin deserves credit with what he has been able to do to the Southern Wake program this season, bringing in a bunch of transfers and talent that leaves them at 8-6 after playing a lot of talented teams from the eastern part of the state. Garner transfer [player_tooltip player_id='1385670' first='Chris' last='Crudup'] has led the team in scoring, and has blossomed into a truly dynamic college level talent with his ability to put the ball in the basket from multiple levels, and leads the team in points, rebounds, and assists per game at this point. [player_tooltip player_id='1086990' first='Alex' last='Rechetnikov'] is his sidekick who shoots the deep ball like no one's business, and should have many more offers to go be a big time shooter somewhere. Guys like [player_tooltip player_id='2130040' first='Seung' last='Surmons'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1761257' first='Jalen' last='Sheppard'] have been really solid in the backcourt as rotational guards, and [player_tooltip player_id='1797957' first='Kobe' last='Plata'] is a freshman to watch due to his passing ability and vision for them. This group will still need to face Greenfield and Grace Christian (Sanford) and play a fairly difficult conference schedule, but there's no doubt that this group can make a deep run in the state tournament later this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Other Names to Monitor</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Chatham Central is 10-0 on the young season so far, led by scoring machine [player_tooltip player_id='1719080' first='Reid' last='Albright']. The junior is averaging over 25 PPG and is a handful for his opponents to disrupt... [player_tooltip player_id='1226601' first='Jiyoun' last='Williams'] has been dominant so far for Northampton County as they get their season off to a 4-2 start, only losing by 5 to Wilson Prep. He's a very athletic guard with a strong frame and an ability to both score and make plays for teammates with the ball in his hands... North Edgecombe is off to a strong start behind [player_tooltip player_id='1383801' first='Dontrevious' last='Whitaker'], a strong slashing wing that puts plenty of pressure on the basket. They still have matchups with Washington County and Wilson Prep before the end of the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->