One shining moment? How a Charlotte prep basketball bench player became a hero
Last week, Ardrey Kell’s Ethan Gramaglia got to be the hero.
And that doesn’t happen often to players like Gramaglia, who was averaging 2.9 points per game before he helped the Knights upset a ranked former state champion on the road.
In double overtime.
“I’ve been a role player for most of this year,” said Gramaglia, a 17-year-old junior. “I was just doing what I could. Then, you know, our team was down. We needed a couple of buckets. I realized if no one else was scoring, I might as well try.”
Players like Gramaglia have often watched pros like LeBron James or Steph Curry hit the big shot on TV, or even in high school where the big star almost always has the ball in his hands in clutch time.
Well, about a week ago, on the road at Charlotte Catholic, Gramaglia got his chance — and, boy, did he make the most of it.
After a teammate fouled out, with Ardrey Kell trailing by 10, Gramaglia came in and changed the game.
He scored 11 of his career-high 13 points in the second half. He had eight rebounds, and his final rebound came with 3.5 seconds left on a missed free throw. Gramaglia was fouled on the play, with his team down a point, and he was going to the free throw line.
Only, he had missed his last three in a row.
“I wasn’t nervous,” he said. “I was pretty numb to (the pressure). I don’t really hear much. I’m just playing my game and focused on winning.”
True to his words, Gramaglia made the free throw to tie the game. The crowd erupted.
Then he hit the next one to win it, 72-71.
And before he could think about what he did, the clock sounded, the game ended and his teammates were running at him, full speed, big smiles, arms outstretched.
“It felt great,” he said. “You know, all my boys are there at every game supporting me. When I hit that game-winner, they’re all trying to run on the court to get to me. I get to school the next day, same thing. All my boys cheering me on. Man, it was great.”
Gramaglia had missed large portions of his freshman and sophomore years due to a torn meniscus in his knee. He had two surgeries on the same knee and at one point, his parents just urged coach Mike Craft to make sure that Gramaglia had “a good high school experience.”
It’s turned out to be more than that.
He’s a key rotation player on what looks like a conference championship contender. Ardrey Kell (14-2) has won 12 straight games and is 2-0 in league play heading into Tuesday night’s game with Ballantyne Ridge (8-8, 1-1).
The Knights have four players averaging double-figures — sophomore Donnie Jones (10.1 ppg), junior Braden Suggs (18.1) and seniors Dylan Morrison (13.4) and Matthew Craft (10.1) — and a longtime Division I college assistant as their head coach.
And Craft, who worked for 16 years at the college level, won his 350th high school game earlier last season. The Catholic win, and Gramaglia’s heroic performance, was win No. 351 for the Knights’ coach, who said it’s one of the cooler moments he’s experienced.
“i was so proud,” coach Craft said. “Evan’s worked so hard to even be out there. In that game, Donnie Jones had fouled out. I got up to him and say, ‘I need you tonight.’ Then he does that. It’s why we coach. Seeing a kid like that, his face, the pictures on Instagram, how excited he was, all the people coming up to him. That’s just amazing.”
Gramaglia said he’s now buoyed to do more for his team, but that Catholic game is something he’ll never forget.
“Maybe I’ll tell my kids about it,” he said. “That’s definitely the highlight of my basketball career so far. Obviously, I can try and do more, but it was a great, great team win — and just a great night, man.
“It was such a great night.”
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The Talking Preps crew breaks down this week’s game and honors last week’s stars
Tuesday’s schedule
Tuesday
Greater Charlotte 7A/8A
Garinger at Hopewell
Myers Park at West Mecklenburg
South Mecklenburg at Hough
Meck Power Six 7A/8A
Chambers at North Mecklenburg
Mallard Creek at Independence
West Charlotte at Butler
Southwestern 7A/8A
Ardrey Kell at Ballantyne Ridge
East Mecklenburg at Rocky River
Providence at Palisades
CISAA
Cannon School at Providence Day (boys only, 7 p.m.)
Covenant Day at Charlotte Latin (girls, 5:30 p.m.; boys, 7 p.m.)
Greater Metro 6A/7A
Hickory Ridge at Olympic
West Cabarrus at A.L. Brown
North Piedmont 6A/7A
Mooresville at Davie County
North Iredell at Lake Norman
South Iredell at Statesville
Southern Carolina 6A/7A
Charlotte Catholic at Piedmont
Cuthbertson at Marvin Ridge
Sun Valley at Porter Ridge
Big South 5A/6A
Crest at Ashbrook
Forestview at South Point
Hunter Huss at Kings Mountain
Rocky River 4A/5A
Central Academy at Parkwood (girls, 5:30 p.m.; boys, 7 p.m.)
Forest Hills at Monroe (girls, 5:30 p.m.; boys, 7 p.m.)
West Stanly at Mount Pleasant (girls, 5:30 p.m.; boys, 7 p.m.)
South Piedmont 4A/5A
Concord at East Rowan
Jesse Carson at South Rowan
Northwest Cabarrus at Jay M. Robinson
Salisbury at West Rowan
Western Foothills 4A/5A
Bunker Hill at Maiden
East Lincoln at Bandys
Hickory at Newton-Conover
West Iredell at North Lincoln
Metrolina Athletic
Concord Academy at Gaston Christian (girls, 5:30 p.m.; boys, 7 p.m.)
Hickory Grove Christian at Gaston Day (girls, 5:30 p.m.; boys, 7 p.m.)
Westminster Catawba at SouthLake Christian (girls, 5:30 p.m.; boys, 7 p.m.)
Catawba Shores 2A/3A/4A
Bradford Prep at Corvian Community
Langtree Charter at Christ the King
Lincoln Charter at Lake Norman Charter
Pine Lake Prep at Community School of Davidson
Southern Piedmont 2A/3A/4A
Bessemer City at West Lincoln
Burns at East Gaston
Cherryville at Lincolnton
Highland Tech at Shelby
Catawba River 1A/2A/3A
Bonnie Cone Academy at Queen’s Grant Charter
Jackson Day at N.C. School of Science & Math/Morganton (girls, 5:30 p.m.; boys, 7 p.m.)
Mountain Island Charter at Piedmont Community Charter
Foothills Athletic
Hickory Christian at North Hills Christian
University Christian at Salem Christian
Nonconference
Ambassador Christian at Carmel Christian (boys), 7 p.m.
Cabarrus Stallions at Statesville Christian (girls, 5:30 p.m.; boys, 7 p.m.)
Carolina International at Cox Mill (boys), 6:30 p.m.
Davidson Day at Forsyth Country Day (boys), 7 p.m.
Gray Stone Day at Math & Science Academy of Charlotte (boys), 7 p.m.
Legion Collegiate (SC) at Elevation Prep (boys), 7 p.m.
Metrolina Christian at Covenant Classical
North Gaston at Stuart Cramer
Union Prep at Socrates Academy (boys), 5 p.m.
West Forsyth at Weddington (boys), 6:30 p.m.
This story was originally published January 20, 2026 at 6:30 AM.
