FAYETTEVILLE — It’s the game Kinston wanted and the rematch everyone else was hoping to see.
For the third time in the past calendar year, the Vikings will hook up with Waxhaw Cuthbertson, and for the second time the game will determine the 2A state champion.
“It says a lot about the kids at both programs to get back to the championship game,” Kinston coach Perry Tyndall said following his team’s 68-41 spanking of Fairmont in the regional finals Saturday. “Getting there once isn’t easy. Doing it twice in a row is quite an accomplishment and both teams should feel proud.”
Kinston (27-2) defeated Cuthbertson 58-55 for the 2012 state title, but it was a 50-47 loss to the Cavaliers in this year’s High SchoolOT.com Holiday Invitational that fueled the Vikings’ run back to the championship game.
“That loss at Christmas hurt,” senior Denzel Keyes said. “Especially the way we lost. It’s great that we get a chance to make up for it with everything on the line.”
In that December 28 defeat, not only did Kinston blow an 11-point lead heading into the final quarter, but they did it in especially discomforting fashion by failing to score a single point in the last 8 minutes.
The Vikings haven’t lost since, a streak of 18 consecutive victories.
“We’ve talked about that game quite a bit in practice since then,” Tyndall said. “Although I didn’t want the team to let that loss consume them, I did want them to remember what it felt like. The pain of that defeat has really kept us focused on our goals.”
Cuthbertson (29-3) advanced to the title contest with a 55-48 triumph over Shelby in the Western Regional finals at the Greensboro Coliseum earlier on Saturday. The Cavaliers have won 19 of their last 21 contests.
“They’re an outstanding team and we respect them immensely,” Tyndall said. “Having the opportunity to play them again has definitely added a little extra juice to what should already be a great game. Kinston vs. Cuthbertson is starting to develop into a nice little statewide rivalry.”
Kinston senior Josh Dawson also relishes the chance to mix it up with the Cavaliers again, although the identity of the opponent is not his biggest concern.
“Going back to Chapel Hill to play for the championship is what matters, no matter who we’re playing,” Dawson said. “Although I’d be lying if I said that beating Cuthbertson wouldn’t mean a little more.”