Final from the Dean E. Smith Center, in Chapel Hill, N.C.:
Farmville Central Jaguars 75, Reidsville Rams 63
Reidsville closes out their season at (26-1)…Farmville Central ends up at (30-1)…
Jah Short led the Farmville Central Jaguars, with 35 points…We have Dionte Neal as the top scorer for Reidsville, with 32 points…Reidsville’s other super freshman, Kendre Harrison, produced 13 points, and 14 rebounds for the Rams…
The score at the half was, Farmville Central 35, Reidsville 30
Jah Short with an amazing game for Farmville, but Dionte Neal, equally impressive, and just a freshman, for the Reidsville Rams…..
2023 2A MEN’S BASKETBALL RECAP | Farmville Central steadily runs by Reidsville 75-63
Game recap from James Alverson, Director of Media for the NCHSAA/www.nchsaa.org
CHAPEL HILL, NC – The Farmville Central Jaguars were firing on all cylinders on their way to a 75-63 victory over Reidsville and the 2A Men’s Basketball State Championship. Farmville was led by a 35-point performance by Jah Short, who also grabbed seven rebounds on his way to earning the Charlie Adams Most Valuable Player award and the program’s eighth State Championship.
Two other Jaguars were in double-figures, with JD Daniels and MJ Williams both scoring 14 points in the game. Daniels added nine rebounds and had a pair of assists on his way to earning Most Outstanding Player honors for the Jags. Williams capped off his day with three boards and three assists.
Late in the third quarter, the Rams managed to trim a 12-point deficit to just 3 as Kendre Harrison hit a jumper with 2:03 to go in the quarter to cut the lead to 47-44. However, Farmville closed the quarter on a 5-0 run and built some cushion and kept the Rams at arm’s length for the remainder of the game.
The Rams were led by a pair of underclassmen, Dionet Neal and Kendre Harrison. Neal was a difficult matchup in the game, scoring 32 points including 3-6 from three. He dished out four assists and had all five Reidsville steals. Neal was selected as the Rams’ Most Outstanding Player. Harrison dumped in 13 points and grabbed 14 rebounds with five blocks in the game.
Farmville really distinguished themselves with their high-pressure defense. The Jags scored 21 points off Rams turnovers and only gave up four points off their own miscues.
Reidsville ended the season 26-1. The Rams were the unbeaten champions of the Mid-State 2A, winning the regular season and conference tournament championship. Reidsville’s men collected the program’s fifth regional championship and their first State Championship appearance since 2003.
Farmville Central completed the season 30-1, winning the Jags fourth state title in the last five seasons. The win gave the Jaguars eight State Championships in program history and the Jaguars won the program’s 11th regional championship this season.
The NCHSAA is committed to promoting and highlighting outstanding sportsmanship and has partnered with North Carolina Farm Bureau Insurance to recognize one athlete from each team that has displayed the ideals of sportsmanship throughout the year. The 2023 NC Farm Bureau Sportsmanship Award winners for the 2A Men’s Basketball Championship were Landon Barnes from Farmville Central and Aiden Mansfield from Reidsville.