North Mecklenburg vs. Southern SES: 7A Championship

When the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) announced its realignment plan that would increase the number of classifications from four to eight, it was a development that produced plenty of spirited debate.    One thing became obvious – the number of state champions would effectively double across sports. The newly created 7A classification would see North Mecklenburg and Southern Durham vie for its state championship.    North Meck's road to state would go through Weddington, McDowell, Marvin Ridge and last season's 4A champion Lake Norman. As for the Southern School of Energy and Sustainability, it would defeat Garner, Chapel Hill, Overhills and South Garner to earn its spot at this season's 7A state game.    The answer to this year's 7A question – Vikings or Spartans would be Vikings which defeated the Spartans by a final score of 65-38.    We at Prep Girls Hoops were on site at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum for the day's festivities. Here are several names that were anything but fazed by the bright Wake Forest lights on the final day of championship week.     When matching up against North Meck, a key to victory has to be to contain the interior scoring prowess of star veteran big. That was not done by Southern SES as evidenced by the double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds Joseph mustered. Joseph not only departed from The Joel with a state championship, but she was also named the Kay Yow Most Valuable Player for Saturday's championship get-together. Eleven of Joseph's points were placed on the scoreboard in the first quarter alone. Joseph is one of the six juniors on this season's Vikings squad. Seven blocked shots and two steals were also part of Joseph's performance.     Knox was another of the Vikings standouts that also concluded her evening on the Demon Deacons' home court with a double-double. Adding West Most Outstanding Player recognition to winning this season's 7A state championship, Knox pitched in 19 points and 11 rebounds as she and Joseph tallied more points than the entire Spartans team. Knox was one that Southern SES did not want to place at the free throw line as she would connect on nine of her 14 attempts from the charity stripe. She proved that she is every bit as dangerous a distributor as she is a scorer as denoted by her team-high four assists. Knox also came away with four steals.     Mobley was another key element to North Meck's offensive onslaught. She would finish her evening at the Wake Forest office having added eight points to the Vikings' total. She also helped out on the boards as she grabbed five rebounds in addition to sending out two assists in the 29 minutes she was on the court. Not only is Mobley one of the two team co-captains, but she was one of the three seniors sporting North Meck's signature blue and red colors one final time. Among those eight points, six were scored in the second half of play. Mobley also had the lone 3-pointer that the Vikings made on Saturday night.     Hudson and her Southern SES assembling may not have departed from Wake Forest as planned, but she still put forth a valiant effort to lead her team with 12 points. She would score eight of her 12 points in the second half of play. Hudson may have only made one of her attempts from the field but she proved to be one that North Meck did not want to foul and send to the free throw line. Hudson made 10 of her 13 tries from the charity stripe. She was also two rebounds shy of a double-double by hauling in a team-high eight. Four steals – also a team-high – would round out Hudson's performance.     For much of Saturday night's contest at Wake Forest, a primary assignment for North Meck was to keep Herndon in check. Herndon would conclude her evening with nine points – including seven in the first half. The game was not exactly a long-range shooting clinic for either Vikings or Spartans but Herndon made the lone 3-pointer for Southern SES. A blocked shot was also part of Herndon's evening. This season's Southern SES assembling included five from the class of 2027 and Herndon is part of that quintet. Herndon is a multi-sport athlete who also excels in the track and field realm alongside her basketball achievements.     Southern SES also was the beneficiary of solid minutes from another of those five juniors. Palmer is a backcourt stalwart for the Spartans and contributed seven points to the Spartans' cause. She was true on three of her six tries from the field and also grabbed five rebounds. Palmer also blocked a shot and collected a steal. She understands the art of attacking the rim and her fearless attitude will lead to many occasions where she draws contact to give her team opportunities at the free throw line. Out of the seven points she put on the board, she added four to the Southern SES total in the first 16 minutes of play.

When the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) announced its realignment plan that would increase the number of classifications from four to eight, it was a development that produced plenty of spirited debate.