Rolesville has achieved its inaugural state championship through a determined and resilient comeback, marking a historic first for the school in any athletic competition sanctioned by the N.C. High School Athletic Association.

On Saturday at Lawrence Joel Memorial Coliseum, the Rams triumphed over Charlotte Catholic with a final score of 65-58 in the 4A girls basketball championship game.

Rolesville (27-5) did not gain an advantage in the game until the final quarter.

Today’s theme was “The Last Dance.” We were determined to end on a high note, according to Rolesville coach Nikita Warren.

Charlotte Catholic, with a record of 27 wins and 5 losses, had a 7-point advantage at the start of the fourth quarter. However, their lead was reduced to just one point in the last five minutes of the game. They were able to quickly increase their lead to five points, 50-45, with 4 minutes and 42 seconds remaining.

Yet, the Rams did not finish.

Justice Everette of Rolesville scored a 3-pointer, reducing the deficit to three points. Laila Lewis blocked the ball, leading to a fast break and Camryn Lee scored. This was followed by another defensive stop and fast break, where Lee made a layup, putting Rolesville in the lead with 3:40 remaining. This resulted in a 7-0 scoring streak, making it 52-50.

At the 3:17 mark, Gracynn Gough of the Catholic team scored a 3-pointer, giving them a lead of 53-52 over the Cougars.

However, Caitlyn Jones, the talented junior point guard for Rolesville, scored a floater to narrow the gap to 54-53 with 2:58 remaining in the game. Her successful free throws secured a 56-53 lead, and she followed it up with two more to extend the lead to 58-53.

Jones achieved MVP status after scoring 27 points and recording seven assists in the game.

Jones stated, “We persevered and refused to give up. We exerted immense effort to reach this point.” She added, “We were clearly the ones with the lower odds, but we had a point to prove and we chose to do so today.”

The players of Rolesville discussed the significance of winning a championship for their coach. Warren has openly shared about the passing of her son NaJae’ almost two years ago. His likeness is permanently inked on her left shoulder.

Jones acknowledged the difficulties that she has faced and expressed admiration for her commitment to attending practice despite her busy schedule. He sees her perseverance as a sign of strong leadership and felt that it was important for the team to win the state championship for her.

Warren expressed his joy in knowing that his son had the best view in the house from above.

Kayla Bush, from Rolesville, was recognized as the Most Outstanding Player for her team. She had contributed seven points and nine rebounds during the game. Similarly, Lee from the opposing team had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The Catholic team held a 27-25 lead at halftime, but Lewis from Rolesville made a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to lessen the deficit.

Blanca Thomas, the 6’4″ North Carolina recruit, made a significant impact on the game for the Cougars. She drew a lot of defensive attention with her presence in the post and was a strong presence on the defensive boards.

In her last game, she scored a total of 16 points, had 11 rebounds, and made four blocks. She was awarded the title of Most Outstanding Player for the Cougars.

According to Catholic coach Bobby Conrad, it felt like a battle during the game. The team that stayed true to their style would ultimately be the winner.

This was also the final performance for coach Conrad, who had previously declared their retirement before the match.

I informed the girls today that I woke up feeling grateful and fulfilled. Whatever events took place today, they have contributed more to me and this program than I could have ever imagined. Without them, this would not have been my final year, it would have ended long ago. It has been a remarkable journey,” Conrad expressed. “I truly consider myself fortunate to be in this position and to have the opportunity to coach these children.”

Both Rolesville and Charlotte Catholic, who were respectively seeded as 2nd in the East and 3rd in the West, made their debut in a NCHSAA girls basketball championship.

Prior to the match, both teams chose one player to receive the NCHSAA Sportsmanship Award. Jones from Rolesville and McArdle from Charlotte Catholic were the recipients for their respective teams.

Rolesville High School’s basketball team had a strong performance by Caitlyn Jones, who scored 27 points. Camryn Lee also had a good game, recording 12 points and 10 rebounds. Taliya Rowe contributed 8 points, while Kayla Bush, Justice Everette, and Laila Lewis each had 7, 6, and 5 points respectively.

The players of the Charlotte Catholic team were Blanca Thomas with 16 points and 11 rebounds, Gracynn Gough with 15 points, Kate Mcardle with 9 points, Harper McKain with 8 points, Olivia Fava with 7 points, and Maggie Kernodle with 3 points.

Source: highschoolot.com