BREAKING: Brackets released, title quests begin for five local teams

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association has released preliminary brackets for its boys and girls state basketball championships and several Wayne County teams made the cut.

Goldsboro High School’s boys team earned the highest seed in the county after a 19-4 season that included a conference championship and victories against every county rival, including Wayne Country Day.

The Charles B. Aycock and Eastern Wayne boys also made the tournament, and on the girls’ side, Southern Wayne and Aycock will look to make some noise when play begins for all teams Tuesday evening.

GOLDSBORO HIGH SCHOOL (19-4):

Coming into the season, all eyes were on senior guard Christian Bullock.

The young man plays with poise, is a dangerous shooter, and creates opportunities for his teammates by driving to the basket and drawing defenders away from the perimeter.

But most importantly, he is an extension of Head Coach Jamaal Croom — a true floor general who leads by example and doesn’t turn the ball over.

With that said, if Goldsboro is going to win a state championship, the Cougars will need its two other stars to continue their electric play.

Junior forward Xavion Atkinson and freshman phenom TaKorrie Faison are arguably the two best players in Wayne County.

Both can change games by rocking the rim. Both are tremendous rebounders and shot-blockers. And both can extend the floor by hitting three-point shots.

Add a supporting cast that includes Noah Hancock, our pick for the hardest working player in Wayne, and myriad perimeter shooters like Jakir Fowler and Aaron Scott and you’ve got a chance.

Then, throw in the county’s best defensive player in Jykeis Mclean and you’ve got a REAL chance.

Sure, they’ll likely have to go through Farmville Central and Kinston to bring a championship home to Goldsboro, but don’t count the Cougars out. As their first matchup with Kinston proved, this team can run with anybody.

First round: McMichael (25) @ Goldsboro (8)

EASTERN WAYNE (14-11):

The only two players other than GHS’ Atkinson and Faison who are in the discussion for county Player of the Year just happen to be the best guard/big combo in Wayne.

Wesley Case and Devin Brown are ballers — creating headaches for opposing coaches and players alike.

Case is the heartbeat of his team with a rare emotion that can swing the momentum of any game on a dime.

And if he gets hot from behind the arc, he’s the kind of player who can put up 40 on anyone.

But Case can’t win tournament games by himself.

And luckily for the Warriors, he doesn’t have to.

Brown is a dominant big man who, thanks to numerous blocks a game, deters opposing offenses from driving to the basket.

On the other side of the ball, he controls the paint and has the ability to put up 20 points and 20 rebounds on any given night.

In other words, don’t sleep on the Warriors.

First round: West Brunswick (18) @ Eastern Wayne (15)

CHARLES B. AYCOCK (15-11):

The Golden Falcons’ strength is in its style of play.

A commitment to the fundamentals and hard-nose defense frustrates opponents, and because of that, the majority of their games result in low-scoring affairs.

But Aycock has its share of players who can score the basketball at will.

Charles Walker and Trever Reid are explosive guards with range and the Golden Falcons boast one of the best bench players in the county, Ashton Peronzeni, who can alter games if he gets hot.

First round: Charles B. Aycock (25) @ Hunt (8)

AYCOCK GIRLS (11-13):

The Lady Falcons are better than their record suggests and could very well shock the state during their first-round matchup at No. 2 Rocky Mount.

When she’s playing her best, junior point guard Kaitlyn Smith is one of the top players in the county and she is surrounded by talent, namely the ever-physical Katlyn Parrish and 5-11 Abbey Thomas, another young lady who is in the discussion for county Player of the Year.

If Aycock can limit its turnovers and have some early success in the paint, it will open up opportunities for Smith to knock down three-pointers and make things interesting in a game that, given the seeding, Rocky Mount might very well overlook.

First round: Aycock (31) @ Rocky Mount (2)

SOUTHERN WAYNE GIRLS (16-10):