Southeast Alamance vs. North Wilkes: 2A Championship Preview

When defending 2A champion North Pitt was eliminated in the first round of this season's state tournament by Whiteville, it made official that a new team would reign supreme over all other 2A foes.    The only question was which team would that be. A grand total of 32 teams began the tournament with hopes of playing in the final contest at Winston-Salem's Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. That field has been narrowed down to this season's final two teams.    These two teams are set to do battle on Championship Saturday at Wake Forest – the final day of this year's basketball season. Without further ado, here is a look at the two combatants that look to depart the home of the Demon Deacons with championship hardware.    Southeast Alamance (28-3, 14-1)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/11/Shaniya-Paylor-copy-scaled.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-548841" style="width:421px;height:auto" /></figure>   It was only two years ago that Southeast Alamance first opened its doors. Now, the Stallions are on the precipice of 2A state glory.    In building a winning program, one has to make a winning hire at head coach. The Stallions appear to have done that with Amy Surratt who was hired from nearby Southern Alamance.    Last season, the Stallions were eliminated by that same North Pitt team that went to claim all of last season's 2A marbles. The 2024-25 rendition of Southeast Alamance only lost to Bishop McGuinness and twice to Seaforth. That had to make Thursday's win over the Hawks to clinch its state berth all the more sweeter.    Stallions' Road to Winston-Salem:   Feb. 25 – 62-18 win vs. Greene Central   Feb. 28 – 52-43 win vs. West Craven   Mar. 4 – 47-41 win vs. Goldsboro   Mar. 7 – 43-33 win vs. Fairmont   Mar. 13 – 48-45 win vs. Seaforth   Key Players:   Southeast Alamance's roster is devoid of any seniors – which ensures this will be a dangerous team next season as well. It does have a number of talented juniors – including [player_tooltip player_id='573557' first='Shaniya' last='Paylor'] at point guard. She is averaging 14.3 points, 5.4 assists, five steals and 4.5 assists per game.   Another of the Stallions' noteworthy 2026s is [player_tooltip player_id='1219576' first='Clara' last='LaChapelle'], a 5-foot-10 three forward. LaChapelle is averaging 11.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.3 steals. She leads Southern Alamance in the assists category.   Whenever [player_tooltip player_id='1230304' first='Rreanna' last='Johnson'] takes to the court, Southern Alamance fans are getting a glimpse of its future as she is a freshman. Johnson has averaged 10 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 steals per contest.   Speaking of juniors, another of the standout 2026s that comprise this season's Stallions rendition is Inysia McIver. She is a two-sport athlete who also excels on the volleyball court. McIver is averaging 9.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game.   [player_tooltip player_id='1222747' first='Natalie' last='Lopez'] is also a multi-sport athlete. When not taking part in basketball, soccer takes up most of Lopez's athletic plate. Lopez plays primarily at the two and has averaged 8.1 points and two steals per matchup.   2025-29 Reclassification: 5A   North Wilkes (30-1, 12-0)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/07/eZy-Watermark_05-07-2023_03-25-29-2290PM.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-692495" style="width:530px;height:auto" /></figure>   Fans of the Vikings would probably rather forget the last time North Wilkes qualified for state. That occurred at the conclusion of the 2017-18 season when North Wilkes was on the receiving end of a 21-point loss to North Pitt.    The Vikings are hoping for better fortunes on Saturday. Coach Steven Phillips has his North Wilkes assembling in perfect position to deliver those better fortunes. The Vikings' season ended last year at the hands of Lincoln Charter.    North Wilkes only suffered one loss this season – at the hands of the 4A power that is Watauga. Since that defeat to the Pioneers, the Vikings have reeled off 23 consecutive victories.    Vikings' Road to Winston-Salem:   Feb. 25 – 67-15 win vs. Madison   Feb. 28 – 63-30 win vs. Surry Central   Mar. 4 – 77-38 win vs. Hendersonville   Mar. 7 – 58-55 win vs. T.W. Andrews   Mar. 13 – 60-36 win vs. East Burke   Key Players:   Much of what North Wilkes got accomplished in its 24-point rout of East Burke was because of its starting five. That includes sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1222742' first='Meredith' last='Tomko'], a sophomore guard. Tomko scored 21 points, collected three steals and also had one block in the win over the Cavaliers.   Another key name to watch out for is [player_tooltip player_id='690097' first='Ralee' last='Bare']. She is a senior guard who hopes her final game will feature her concluding her high school career as a champion. Bare had 13 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals in Thursday's win. Her AAU career included a stint with Phoenix Select.   Keeping North Wilkes in check also means finding a way to keep [player_tooltip player_id='1222740' first='Kaykay' last='Kinder'] in check. Kinder is a 2027 who can give a team minutes at either the three or the four. She had 10 points in the win over East Burke.   [player_tooltip player_id='690095' first='Shalyn' last='Bare'] is another important name to be on the lookout for with North Wilkes. Bare is another of the four sophomores that comprise this season's Vikings rendition. She led the team in rebounding in the win over East Burke with 17 in addition to the nine points and two steals she had. She is listed at 6-foot-2 on the Vikings' roster.   The Vikings will graduate a grand total of four seniors following this season. One of those 2025s is Allie Farrington. In the win over the Cavaliers, she played 27 minutes and scored seven points in addition to hauling in five rebounds.   2025-29 Reclassification: 3A   When and Where?   5:05 p.m., Mar. 15, Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum

When defending 2A champion North Pitt was eliminated in the first round of this season's state tournament by Whiteville, it made official that a new team would reign supreme over all other 2A foes.