2A PLAYOFFS -- Stephens: Goldsboro boys beginning 'new' season

By Brandon Davis
Published in Sports on February 23, 2016 1:48 PM

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bdavis@newsargus.com

Lift your heads up, Cougars.

It's playoff time.

Goldsboro, the No. 10 seed, plays host to West Bladen today in the first round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 2-A boys' basketball playoffs.

Before those two teams square off inside Norvell T. Lee Gymnasium, the Cougar girls entertain North Brunswick. The doubleheader tips off at 6 p.m.

Admission is $7.

"It's just a new season for us," said Goldsboro head coach Russell Stephens, whose team dropped a heart-breaking, 65-60 loss to Kinston last Friday. "I tell our guys, 'Basketball is such a long season. It breaks up, and in three or four seasons, you got the preseason game, conference, conference tournament, then you enter the playoffs'."

Randleman defeated Goldsboro, 64-63, in the first round of the playoffs last season. The previous year, the Cougars were beaten by Farmville Central in the third round.

West Bladen (20-7) has taken the same postseason route. The Knights lost a first-round game to Clinton in 2014 and fell to Fairmont in third-round play last year.

The two teams are in the same four-team pod along with four-time defending state champion Kinston, and second-seeded Fairmont -- one of two unbeaten teams in the eastern half of the 32-team draw.

Stephens will rely on senior Myron Carmon to lead the Cougars. The point guard has tallied a total of 45 points in his last two games, including a 29-point showing against Greene Central in the Eastern Carolina 2-A Conference tournament semifinals.

Carmon controls the offense with his court vision. He utilizes his teammates Jaylin Thomas, Nakia Atkins, Ronnie Tookes and Kisheem Faison.

Stephens says the Cougars have the potential to advance in the postseason. But the playoff road has been tough.

"Our ultimate goal like everybody else is to win the state championship," Stephens said. "It's one of those things where we still have a positive attitude, but we will be ready to go again."