Friday’s prep rewind: Queen’s Grant advances to first regional final, will face Corvian
Joe Badgett started his high school coaching career at Queen’s Grant Charter School in 2008, and when he came back this fall, he had a very young team with not a lot of success on the sport’s biggest stages.
But after winning 88-59 at South Stokes Friday, Badgett has the Stallions within one game of the state championship. And in 12 of his past 13 years as high school head coach or an assistant, Badgett has coached in a state championship game.
On Tuesday in Winston-Salem, he’ll get a chance to reach his first public school state championship. Badgett’s previous state final appearances were at private Northside Christian and private Carmel Christian. He won six total state championships at those two.
“I’m just excited for these kids, man,” Badgett, 58, said after Friday’s win. “These last two games, I think they’ve grown a lot. The first two (playoff games), they were a little nervous and didn’t know what to expect. These last two, they’ve trusted each other and our defense has been very good the last two games. That’s where we’re getting separation.”
The Stallions (27-7) won their 14th straight game Friday, setting up a showdown with reigning N.C. 4A Western Regional champion Corvian Community School, coached by Ron Murphy, a personal friend of Badgett’s.
Corvian got to its second straight regional final after senior guard Andre Jackson made two free throws with 2.7 seconds left to give his team a 52-50 win over No. 1 seeded Bishop McGuinness.
▪ Two Mecklenburg County schools also advanced in the 4A playoffs. North Mecklenburg shrugged off a slow start to blow out Watauga 84-48. The Vikings, reigning N.C. 4A state champion, will play Queen City 3A/4A rival Chambers for the fourth time this season in the regional final. Chambers beat Myers Park 70-63 on the road.
▪ In 3A, Hunter Huss beat arch rival Ashbrook to advance to play Ben L. Smith from Greensboro. Bandys beat Lincoln Charter to reach the 2A regional final.
▪ In the girls’ bracket, Lake Norman (4A), Stuart Cramer (3A) and North Lincoln (3A) all advanced.
Mecklenburg County is dominated by 4A schools, but Queen’s Grant and Corvian are in the 1A class and beginning to establish themselves as powerhouse programs.
Corvian basketball reached the state championship game last season. Corvian’s football team reached the state final a few months ago. Queen’s Grant’s girls basketball team made a deep playoff run this season.
And Badgett’s team will now reach the school’s first regional final playing its best basketball of the season.
Queen’s Grant started 0-2 and 2-3. There was a stretch in December and January when it lost three of four games, but the Stallions have not lost since Jan. 28, and have barreled their way to four playoffs win by an average of 27.2 points per game.
South Stokes (27-3), playing at home, had won 21 straight.
Starting two freshmen, two sophomores and senior Ian Howard, the Stallions got up early and never stopped working. Mehki Allen (18 points), Preston Scott (16), Howard (13), Geronimo Clark (13) and Chase Smith (12) all hit double-digits in scoring.
After being tied after the first quarter, Queen’s Grant outscored South Stokes by 15 in the second quarter and busted the game open.
“I knew we had the talent,” Badgett said, “but we’ve had some spotty moments throughout the year with our youth, as far as making mental mistakes. But these last couple of games, we’ve cut down on our turnovers, we’re rebounding the ball well and doing a great job of using our length and size and athletic ability.”
Quick links
Friday’s NCHSAA quarterfinal scores, regional championship schedule
Chambers stops Myers Park, rolls on in 4A playoffs
North Meck starts slow, routs Watauga in 4A playoffs
Just days after boys basketball has to end season, more eligibility issues arise at Lake Norman High
Season ends for top-ranked Lake Norman after rules violation
‘We’re not trying to go home early.’ Inside Chambers’ bumpy ride to the Elite 8
NCHSAA releases final conference realignment plans
Friday’s roundup
BOYS
(3A) Hunter Huss 51, Ashbrook 48: The Huskies lost three earlier meetings with Gastonia city rival Ashbrook this season, but they won the big one Friday night, advancing to the 3A West Regional finals.
Huss (20-8) lead 35-28 late in the third quarter, but the Green Wave (26-4) battled back and closed to within 39-37 at the end of the period.
The Huskies opened a four-point lead late in the fourth quarter, but Ashbrook’s Jayden Armstrong hit a 3-pointer with 2:30 left, narrowing the gap to 47-46. Huss scored on a Jaleel Smith basket, but Ashbrook countered with a tip-in by Issac Byers with 1:14 remaining. That left Huss in front 49-48.
Ashbrook got the ball back, but Byers missed a layup with 13 seconds remaining. Smith then hit a pair of free throws for Hunter Huss with 1.7 seconds left, and Ashbrook missed on a desperation 3-pointer from beyond half court as the buzzer sounded.
(1A) Corvian Community 52, Bishop McGuinness 50: Jackson’s two free throws with 2.7 seconds remaining provided the winning points for the fifth-seeded Cardinals (23-7) against the top-seeded Villains (27-3).
There were four lead changes and the game was tied three times in the closing six minutes. Bishop McGuinness went in front 48-46 on Nicholas Graves’ basket with 4:01 left, but Corvian tied the game on Donovan Kirkwood’s short jumper with 2:25 to play.
The Cardinals regained the lead 50-48 with 37.9 seconds remaining on an R.J. Moore Jr. layup, but Moore missed a free throw, and Bishop McGuinness got the ball back. The Villains tied the score with 12.7 seconds left on two free throws by Thomas Thompson.
Jackson drove the baseline in the closing seconds but was fouled while taking a shot. He then made the two free throws, and the Villains’ Graves missed a half-court 3-point try as the buzzer sounded.
GIRLS
(4A) Lake Norman 86, Watauga 66: The third-seeded Pioneers (23-5) stunned second-seeded Lake Norman (27-1) by taking an early lead, but the Wildcats went on a 12-0 run in the second quarter and took a 43-40 halftime lead.
Lake Norman wore down the Pioneers in the second half and advanced to Winston-Salem and a meeting with undefeated McDowell.
(4A) McDowell 54, Marvin Ridge 44: The top-seeded and undefeated Titans (30-0) raced to a big early lead and advanced to the West Regional finals and a showdown with No. 2 seed Lake Norman.
In Tuesday’s fourth round, McDowell jumped to an 11-0 lead over South Mecklenburg. On Friday night, the Titans stunned the Mavericks (24-6) with an 12-0 lead. But Marvin Ridge battled back and took a 21-20 lead late in the second half, thanks to 12 points from Kate Schindler.
McDowell regained the lead, 22-21, shortly before the half ended on a Khloe Joyner layup.
The Titans held Schindler to eight points in the second half, with five of those coming in the closing minutes. Sage Young led McDowell with 17 points, Joyner added 16, and Clara McCartha scored 14.
(3A) Stuart Cramer 67, Jay M. Robinson 41: The Storm roared into the 3A West finals and a meeting with North Lincoln next week behind 24 points from junior standout Oshauna Holland.
Holland scored 16 points and Lauren Humphrey added 11 in the first half as Stuart Cramer (28-2) built a 36-18 lead. Hadley Womack added 12 points for Stuart Cramer.
Camri Hobbs scored 18 points and Destinee Chambers added 13 for Robinson (26-5).
(3A) North Lincoln 72, Oak Grove 54: The third-seeded Knights (29-1) won their 29th straight game after a season-opening loss to 4A Regional finalist Lake Norman.
The Knights finished the first quarter on an 11-0 run and led 17-5 after the period. They were up 30-18 at halftime and expanded their lead to 52-35 after three quarters. Oak Grove, the seventh seed, finished 21-8.
(2A) East Burke 78, Forest Hills 45: The sixth-seeded Yellow Jackets (26-4) saw their season end with a lopsided loss to the second-seeded Cavaliers (29-1). East Burke built a big early lead, but Forest Hills closed the gap to 10-9.
The Cavaliers then went on a 9-0 run and never looked back. They blew it open in the second quarter, outscoring Forest Hills 23-4 for a 42-15 halftime lead. Kara Brinkley (seven points) and Braelyn Stilwell (six) led East Burke’s second-quarter surge.
This story was originally published March 7, 2025 at 10:38 PM.
