Jackson Pait (left) and Tylik McCall are returning starters for the West Bladen boys’ basketball team.
Kenneth Armstrong / kenarmphoto.com
Winning basketball games have become the norm the past three seasons for the West Bladen boys’ basketball team. The Knights have won or shared three conference championships, posted a 69-12 record and reached the semifinals of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 2A state playoffs last season.
It has been quite a run for a program that had five consecutive losing seasons while rebuilding to become among the premiere teams in the area.
Master sports schedule | Standings
Can the success continue even though the Knights lost 6-foot-8 center Chase Williams, who averaged 21 points and more than 10 rebounds per game, and athletic swingman Hezekiah Adams, who averaged 11 points per game?
“Our expectations are the same,” said head coach Travis Pait, who has a 203-149 record in 14 seasons, including five 20-win seasons. “We’ll go out and compete, play really hard and we’re going to try and control the tempo and run our stuff.”
The Knights still will be a talented club this season, but it will be a different look without Williams dominating inside offensively and defensively and Adams providing a solid all-around game and leadership.
Seniors Jackson Pait and Tylik McCall along with 6-foot-3 junior Kendell Lessane are back. Pait, the coach’s son and a four-year starter, averaged 12.7 points per game last season and should surpass 300 career 3-point field goals this season. McCall averaged 6.7 points per game and, according to Coach Pait, “is one of the best players in the area.” Lessane averaged 5 points per game last season and will provide rebounding help.
Junior Keonta Hill was the Knights’ sixth man last season and will be counted upon to take a more prominent role this season. Senior Jamari Adams-Peterson and sophomore Cyncere Jessup, who is moving up from the junior varsity team, also will be expected to contribute.
“We might have to change the speed that we’re playing at,” Pait said about the preferred up tempo West Bladen used last season. “I think we have a bunch of kids who can score the ball and shoot it well. We could have nine kids on the floor that can really fill it up. The big thing is can we finish off defensive possessions or (get) rebounds.”
Jackson Pait and McCall, who are expected to be the starting guards, each are 6-foot-3 and among the taller West Bladen players.
Pait is hoping a challenging non-conference schedule will prepare the Knights for contending again in the Southeastern Conference. West Bladen again has scheduled a home-and-home series with perennial state title contender Farmville Central, Wilmington Hoggard, which is expected to be a top class 8A team, presumed Carolina Conference contender East Columbus and another trip to Kill Devil Hills to play two games in the Good Guys vs. Cancer Invitational at First Flight High School prior to open league play.
“Last year’s schedule, on paper, should have been really tough,” Pait said. “It was not as tough as we thought it was going to be. This year’s schedule is going to be just stupid tough.
“We think we have some nice pieces coming back. So, we’ll see how it goes.”
ROSTER (Varsity)
Seniors: Jackson Pait, Demarion Bryant, Tylik McCall, Jamari Adams-Peterson, Justin Spaulding
Juniors: Sayvion Covington, Kendell Lessane, Keonta Hill, Jaquan Lessane, Keon Whittington, Ethan Bourhill, Ambrie Cooper, Blake Britt
Sophomores: Cyncere Jessup
Freshmen: Carnell Lewis
SCHEDULE
Game times are 7:30 p.m. unless noted
November
18 – at East Columbus; 21 – West Columbus; 25 – at Hoggard
December
2 – East Columbus; 4 – Currituck in Good Guys vs. Cancer Invitational, Kill Devil Hills, 4 p.m.; 6 – vs. Landstown (Va.) in Good Guys vs. Cancer Invitational, Kill Devil Hills, 12:30 p.m.; 9 – at East Bladen; 12 – at Farmville; 19 – Farmville; 27-29 – Bladen Offroad Christmas Tournament, West Bladen High School, TBA
January
9 – at Whiteville; 14 – East Bladen; 16 – Fairmont; 20 – Red Springs; 21 – at West Columbus; 23 – at South Columbus; 27 – at South Brunswick; 30 – Whiteville
February
3 – at Fairmont; 6 – at Red Springs; 10 – South Columbus; 13 – South Brunswick
Sonny Jones can be reached at [email protected].