Atkinson shines as Cougars win FCA Winter Classic

When a Christian Bullock lob was received above the rim by Goldsboro High School junior Xavion Atkinson — and when the young man threw down an emphatic slam as the clock ran out on the 2019 FCA Winter Classic — the moment was a seemingly perfect ending to a tournament that had, in many ways, been defined by electric plays unfolding on the University of Mount Olive hardwoods.

And it was fitting that it was Atkinson adding an exclamation point to the Cougars’ championship run.

Because during the three days that followed Christmas, for many who witnessed the action, there was Atkinson and everyone else.

The young man was, quite simply, on another level.

Atkinson was named the tournament MVP after three games that saw the GHS forward score more than 70 points — he had 29 in the championship game against a talented Wayne Country Day team that had enjoyed a much easier road to the final than their opponent.

Even his head coach, Jamaal Croom, was left awestruck by his performance.

“He’s just different,” Croom said after the game. “Just different, man.”

And the Cougars needed him to be.

After slow starts in their first two games — and a 1-point win in the semifinal — GHS was considered, by many, to be an underdog against the Chargers, who had enjoyed electric performances from Linwood Grandy and Jaden Cooper during their road to the finals.

But Saturday evening, Goldsboro was in control for the majority of the game — only relinquishing the lead once before pulling away at the end of the fourth quarter.

Croom said winning this particular tournament has been a goal since last December, when the Cougars lost to WCDS.

“I’ve been thinking about this moment since last year,” Croom said before GHS principal Ryan Nelson leaned in to congratulate his coach.

“Mission accomplished,” Nelson said.

And if Atkinson — and the team’s floor general, Bullock — continue to play at the level they brought against the Chargers, their coach knows that the sky is the limit for a Cougars team that features a combination of athleticism, size and perimeter shooting that makes them a dangerous matchup for just about any team in their path to a state title.

“We could be special,” Croom said.

And they are, at this point, arguably the best team in Wayne County — boasting, quite possibly, the best player in Atkinson.