2021 Hoggard Holiday Classic Boys Preview

Daily Schedule

Tuesday, December 28

1:30 p.m.: Ashley (1-5) vs. East Bladen (3-3) in Sheila Boles Gym

4:30 p.m.: Trask (5-4) vs. Holly Springs (7-3) in Sheila Boles Gym

6 p.m.: Topsail (3-5) vs. Panther Creek (6-2) in James Hebbe Gym

7:30 p.m.: Hoggard (8-1) vs. Northern Guilford (6-3) in Sheila Boles Gym

Wednesday, December 29

Noon: Topsail vs. East Bladen in Sheila Boles Gym

3 p.m.: Northern Guilford vs. Panther Creek in Sheila Boles Gym

6 p.m.: Ashley vs. Holly Springs in James Hebbe Gym

7:30 p.m.: Hoggard vs. Trask in Sheila Boles Gym

Thursday, December 29

1:30 p.m.: Topsail vs. Holly Springs in Sheila Boles Gym

3 p.m.: Hoggard vs. Panther Creek in Sheila Boles Gym

3 p.m.: Ashley vs. Trask in James Hebbe Gym

Storylines to watch

Redemption for Hoggard?

When Hoggard and Panther Creek square off Thursday afternoon, several players on the court will be familiar with each other.

The Catamounts also made a trip to the Port City for the third round of the 4A football playoffs back in November and came away with a 35-21 victory over the Vikings.

Seven Panther Creek players have now transitioned to basketball, including junior standout Amari Odom. The quarterback eluded pass rushers all night, throwing for 208 yards and three touchdowns. He’s also a terrific basketball player, averaging 14.7 points, 5 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.5 steals.

Other multi-sport athletes for the Catamounts are: Jordan Snell, Jesse Powell II, Tyler Thompson, Shajn Becton, RaShaun Robinson and Jermaire Ragin.

Odom’s counterpart in the football game – Hoggard senior Sam Jones – will also be on the court. Through nine games, he’s averaging 6.8 points and 5.2 rebounds.

Three members of the Vikings’ secondary – Brice Eichelberger, Jaxon King (injured) and Christon Petway – also play basketball.

70 is the magic number

Trask’s formula for success is pretty simple.

When the Titans reach the 70-point mark, they are 4-0. Failing to reach the number has resulted in a 1-4 record so far this season.

In those four victories, Trask is shooting 51 percent (110 of 214) percent from the field. Sophomore Myron Mckoy has also been at his best in those contests, averaging 20 points.

In games where they fail to score 70 points, the Titans are shooting 38 percent (96 of 255) and Mckoy averages only 11 points.

Future Seahawk

Nolan Hodge is a name area basketball fans should get to used to hearing. The Northern Guilford senior guard committed to UNCW in July after also receiving offers from Duquesne, High Point, N.C. A&T, Old Dominion and Radford.

The 6-foot-5 wing surpassed the 1,000-point mark on Dec. 10. He is averaging 18.4 points and 6.2 rebounds so far this season, including a season-high of 28 points.

12 players to watch

Senior guard Alonzo Dyson, Hoggard: Dyson might be in his first year with the Vikings, but he is a perfect fit for coach Brett Queen’s system. He’s a smart player, who has the ability to knock down open shots. He is averaging 10.6 points while shooting 51 percent (32 of 63) from the field and 44 percent (7 of 16) from 3-point range.

Senior guard Hoku Fisher, Hoggard: The unquestioned leader of the Vikings has scored at least 10 points in all nine contests, including a career-high 42-point performance against Wake Forest. Fisher is shooting 36 percent (24 of 66) from 3-point range and 80 percent (40 of 50) from the free throw line.

Senior guard Jackson Helms, Northern Guilford: While Hodge garners most of the attention for the Knighthawks, Helms might be the most important player. He averages 14.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.3 steals. He nearly had a triple-double (14 points, nine assists and seven rebounds) in Northern Guilford’s last game.

Senior forward Nolan Hodge, Northern Guilford: As mentioned above, Hodge is a UNCW signee who averages a team-best 18.4 points and 6.2 rebounds. He is shooting 43 percent (59 of 138) from the field and 77 percent (36 of 47) from the free throw line.

Junior guard Micah Jones, Holly Springs: Transferred from Cardinal Gibbons after leading the Crusaders in points as a sophomore. The point guard has made an immediate impact for the Golden Hawks. Jones has reached double figures in six of the team’s seven victories, including a season-high 17 points at home against Fuquay-Varina.

Junior forward Collin Kuhl, Holly Springs: A double-double machine, Kuhl leads the team in points and rebounds. His season high of 26 points came against Apex Friendship on Dec. 14.

Senior guard Blake Lewis, Ashley: With Mikhail Pocknett transferring to New Hanover, the Screaming Eagles needed someone to take on a bigger scoring role and so far it’s been Lewis. He is the only player of the team averaging double figures (16.2 points). Lewis is also one of the area’s best free throw shooters (30 of 32).

Sophomore guard Myron Mckoy, Trask: Mckoy enjoyed a breakout freshman season by averaging 14.8 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals and 2.7 assists. His numbers this year (15 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 2.6 assists) are nearly identical. Trask is 6-0 all-time when Mckoy scores at least 20 points.

Senior guard Alec Nohava, Topsail: Nohava leads the Pirates in scoring and rebounding. He has the ability to knock down a 3-pointer or beat his defender off the bounce.

Junior forward Amari Odom, Panther Creek: The multi-sport standout, who is the son of former WNBA player Trisha Stafford-Odom, is one of the most talented players in the event. Odom averages 14.7 points, 5 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.6 steals per game.

Senior guard Tyran Pickett, Trask: The guard has been an impact player for the Titans for four seasons. Through nine games, he’s averaging 9.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.9 steals.

Senior guard Jordan Snell, Panther Creek: Snell has been a revelation for the Catamounts this season. He averaged only 3.5 points as a junior, but he now leads the team with 15.6 points per game. He has made 27 of 62 attempts from beyond the arc, so opposing teams will want to make sure they know where he is at all times.