The follow-up was equally as excellent, if not superior, to its predecessor.

During the extra period, Reidsville emerged victorious against Farmville Central with a score of 78-77 in a rematch of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 2A championship. This victory was a redemption for their loss in the championship game last year.

In overtime, Dionte Neal’s layup while driving gave Reidsville a one-point lead of 78-77. This led to Farmville Central calling for a timeout, with only 17 seconds remaining, to set up their final shot for the win. Farmville executed a play where they passed the ball to an open shooter in the corner. However, the shot missed, resulting in Reidsville being crowned as the champions.

Neal expressed that he did not wish to be defeated.

The two competing teams showcased their unique, yet equally thrilling, playing styles in front of around 7,000 spectators. The lower section of Lawrence Joel Memorial Coliseum was packed, with hundreds more occupying the upper level.

Last year at this time, our team was feeling down and demoralized because we had been defeated by the same team, according to Reidsville coach Jason Ross. “My players have been referring to this year as our ‘revenge tour’, but I wouldn’t necessarily call it that,” Ross said. “These young men set a goal for themselves a year ago and worked hard to achieve it–and ultimately, it was all in God’s hands.”

M.J. Williams, from Farmville, came through as the hero by hitting a 3-pointer at the end of regulation, resulting in a tie score of 70-70. Unfortunately, Reidsville’s last second attempt fell short.

During the overtime period, Johnniyus Sharpe of Reidville scored with a hanging shot to give his team a two-point advantage. Alex Moye of Farmville then made a tip-in, resulting in a tie score of 72-all.

Kendre Harrison’s rebound resulted in the Rams taking a 74-72 lead, and he successfully made another shot to increase the score to 76-72 with under two minutes remaining in overtime. Shortly after, Tyler Whitehurst responded with a 3-pointer, bringing the score to 76-75 with 1:33 left on the clock. An impressive driving layup by Williams ultimately gave Farmville the lead of 77-76, with only 56 seconds remaining.

In the fourth quarter, Reidsville (29-0) held a 57-53 advantage. However, Farmville Central (30-2) narrowed the gap to just one point with less than four minutes remaining. This was until Reidsville’s Sharpe made a crucial 3-pointer, extending their lead to 64-60.

With less than two minutes remaining, Harrison from Reidsville successfully blocked three consecutive drives from Farmville Central, maintaining the lead for the Rams. Farmville Central also managed to stop the ball on their end, leading to a run by J.D. Daniels, reducing the lead to 64-62 with 1:15 remaining.

Sharpe made two successful free throws with 46.9 seconds remaining to increase the lead to four, but Moye rebounded his own missed shot and scored to bring the deficit back down to two, 66-64, with 35.8 seconds left.

Al Lee, the quarterback for Reidville’s 2A championship football team, successfully made both of his free throws with 28.1 seconds remaining. However, Farmville’s Daniels scored a 3-pointer with 18.3 seconds left, shrinking the lead to 68-67.

This enabled two additional Sharpe free throws with 16.7 seconds remaining, extending the lead to 70-67, before Williams’ game-tying 3-pointer.

At Farmville Central, Williams was awarded Most Valuable Player for the Jaguars after scoring 23 points, including 4 three-pointers, and five assists. Moye contributed 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Evans had 18 points and eight rebounds.

Farmville successfully made 42.9% of their 3-point shots in order to match Reidsville’s 51.8% shooting percentage from the field.

I informed my team that I was satisfied with our performance, as the final shot aligned with our usual style of play. We executed a penetration, followed by a kick, then obtained a two-foot paint touch before making the next pass. Farmville coach Larry Williford stated, “I had confidence in the shot, but sometimes things don’t go our way. We will remain positive and continue to progress, proud of the accomplishments of our team this season. I was particularly impressed by the determination of our players to not give up early.”

Harrison from Reidsville was named MVP for scoring 19 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, and making five blocks. Sharpe, who was the Most Outstanding Player for the Rams, scored 29 points with 8 made shots out of 12 attempts. Additionally, Dionte Neal contributed 14 points and 10 assists, while Lee scored 12 points.

At the end of the first half, the score was tied at 37 points each, even though Reidsville had initially taken the lead with a 22-13 score in the first quarter. The Jaguars were able to score with only 22 seconds left before halftime to even the score.

At the start of the second half, Hampton Evans scored the first 10 points for his team, including two 3-pointers and two putbacks, giving the Jaguars the lead.

Reidsville, who holds the 1st seed in the West, has achieved five wins in five showings. On the other hand, Farmville Central, ranked 1st in the East, has taken home seven wins in 10 showings, with five wins in the past nine years. This season, Farmville only suffered defeats at the hands of Reidsville, including a game at the John Wall Holiday Invitational.

Before the game, one player from each team was given NCHSAA sportsmanship awards. Reidsville’s Cam’Ron Jones and Farmville’s Whitehurst were their teams’ respective winners.

Reidsville basketball team members included Johnniyus Sharpe Jr. (age 29), Kendre Harrison (age 19 with 13 rebounds), Dionte Neal (age 14 with 10 assists), Al Lee (age 12), and Cam’Ron Jones (age 4).

Farmville Central’s leading scorers were M.J. Williams with 23 points, followed by Alex Moye with 22 points and 12 rebounds, Hampton Evans with 18 points, Tyler Whitehurst with 6 points, J.D. Daniels with 4 points, Chris Rhodes with 3 points, and Omaurie Phillips with 1 point.

Source: highschoolot.com