The Sampson County Conference Tournament Championship stage has been set for Thursday afternoon as four teams from three schools will duke it out on the hardwood at Sampson Middle School to decide the champions.

In the girls game, Midway Middle School and Roseboro-Salemburg will tangle at 4 p.m. followed by the Midway Middle School boys also making appearance in the championship game against the Hobbton Wildcats.

Boys

The Raiders of Midway Middle are currently enjoying a highly successful season that has taken them into history-making waters. For the first time in school history, Midway finished undefeated during the regular season and looks to complete their season undefeated against Hobbton.

In their two previous games against the Wildcats, the Raiders came away with big wins both times.

The two teams first met up back in December at Midway where the Raiders set the tone early and raced out to a 52-35 win.

A month and a half later, this time at Hobbton, it was rinse and repeat. Midway once again just out to a big first quarter lead and never looked back, going on to post another big win by the final margin of 49-29.

With one final meeting hanging in the balance, how will the two teams handle Thursday’s meeting? Can the Wildcats revisit their two previous losses and fix what went wrong in those games?

According to Hobbton head coach Jackson Temple, he wants it known that his team is coming ready to play.

“I don’t think we made it to this position to just show up Thursday,” Temple remarked. “We are in it to win it. We have worked hard to get to the championship game and we have had a great run late in the season to get here.”

Still, Temple admits that he knows is team is going to have to play flawless in the championship game.

“We have to be at our best coming out of the gate and maintain out best until the final buzzer if we want a chance to win,” he concluded.

Over on the Midway side, head coach Josh Bullard says his team is excited and ready to play. He, too, knows that his Raiders have to be ready for the effort he knows the Wildcats are going to bring.

“The boys are so ready to play. We have played Hobbton a couple times already this season and been victorious in each. But this being the championship game, Hobbton is going to give us everything they have,” Bullard began. “So we are going to prepare like always and give them everything we have in return. We are looking forward to playing in this championship game and I know the Midway community is behind us,” he concluded.

Game time at Sampson Middle is slated for 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

Girls

Midway and Roseboro-Salemburg have already played in a couple classics this past season and Thursday’s Championship game promises to be no different. For the Lady Raiders, there’s a sense of revenge looming about them as their six year undefeated streak was snapped by none other than the Lady Leopards back on Jan. 17 in a 30-27 heartbreaker at Midway.

Prior to that, you have to go back to December to find the two teams first meeting at Roseboro-Salemburg that ended in Midway pulling out the tough win by two points, 26-24.

With a total of five points making up the difference in two games, Thursday’s championship promises to be just as nail-biting. How will the two teams respond? What are they doing to prepare?

“Both games were decided primarily by free throw shooting,” said Roseboro-Salemburg head coach Stephen Faircloth.

“I am anticipating another great game. The keys to this championship game will be limiting turnovers from their intense pressure and press, controlling the boards, and making free throws.”

“We have lost two games this year by a total of three points – Midway Middle by two and Union Middle by one on a last second bucket,” Faircloth noted.

“The Lady Leopards have responded very well to both losses. The second time we faced these two opponents, we were able to pull out wins, beating MMS by three and UMS by 30. That’s called bouncing back and learning from your mistakes. Hopefully what they have learned this season will carry into the championship game,” he concluded.

For Midway, head coach Selena Joseph noted adjustments her Lady Raiders are going to have to make following their first round game against Sampson.

“We need to work on our foot work and begin the game as hard as we end,” Joseph noted, referencing Midway’s slow start in that game in which they only scored six first half points. That’s certainly something that will be ill-afforded heading into the championship game against the Lady Leopards.

“We are still working on free throws and need to improve that percentage for tournament play,” she also referenced earlier.

Game time for the girls game is set for 4 p.m. Thursday.

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Midway, Hobbton, Roseboro-Salemburg to contend for titles

By Daron Barefoot

Sports Editor

Reach Sports Editor Daron Barefoot at [email protected].