“It sounds like we got shafted again,” Fairmont coach Michael Baker said Saturday afternoon.
The Golden Tornadoes (21-4), the Three Rivers Conference regular-season and tournament champions, earned a No. 3 seed in the Mideast as chosen by the NCHSAA and will host 14th-seeded Durham School of the Arts in Monday’s opening round of the state playoffs.
Should Fairmont, riding a current 16-game winning streak, survive the first two rounds, the Golden Tornadoes would likely make a three-hour trek to second-seeded Reidsville on Friday for a spot in regionals.
Last season, Baker’s squad entered the state playoffs with an unbeaten record but traveled to Cummings in the second round. The Golden Tornadoes’ state title hopes ended early in Burlington.
“What I don’t like about this is we’ve done all we can,” Baker said. “We’ve won our conference again and still don’t get a favorable draw. Man, it’s tough. I thought we had the priority seeding too. It doesn’t sound like it.”
Also representing the Three Rivers from the area is Red Springs (4-17) and St. Pauls (3-18).
The Red Devils square off with No. 7 Wallace-Rose Hill in the 1A Mideast pod while Travis Lemanski's Bulldogs are a No. 10 seed playing at Corinth-Holders in the 2A Mideast.
Lumberton and Purnell Swett's boys teams who finished second and third respectively in the Southeastern Conference have made the playoffs as a No. 8 and No. 11 seed. The Pirates host South View Monday night with a potential rematch with top-seed Pine Forest looming on the road Wednesday.
The Rams, as the No. 11, make a trip to Durham Hillside. It marks Swett's first playoff appearance in basketball since the 2005-06 season.
"We're excited just to get in ... we don't care who we're playing," Swett coach Jeremy Sampson said. "I feel like our guys are ready for the challenge that awaits in the postseason."
On the girls side, Purnell Swett is making its first playoff appearance in more than a decade Monday when the Lady Rams travel to Seventy-First. Robeson County’s other 4A squad, Lumberton, is a No. 12 seed playing at fifth-seeded Holly Springs.
St. Pauls, fresh off its conference tournament championship led by standout seniors Bianca Palazzola and Khadijah Priest earned a No. 5 seed in the 2A Mideast. The Bulldogs host 12th-seeded Cummings (11-10).
Despite finishing the season with losing records, both Fairmont (6-14) and South Robeson (1-19) will play Monday night on the road with the Golden Tornadoes heading to seventh-seeded Granville Central and the Mustangs battling No. 4 James Kenan.
After a strong finish in conference play, Katasha Oxendine’s Red Springs Lady Red Devils (12-10) are a No. 9 seed traveling to Princeton (13-9).
Boys Schedule, First-Round Games, Monday
Records before conference tournament
4A Mideast
No. 9 South View (12-12) at No. 8 Lumberton (14-9)
No. 11 Purnell Swett (14-8) at No. 6 Durham Hillside (15-6)
2A Mideast
No. 10 St. Pauls (3-18) at No. 7 Corinth-Holders (17-6)
No. 14 Durham School of Arts (17-8) at No. 3 Fairmont (19-4)
1A Mideast
No. 10 Red Springs ( 4-17) at No. 7 Wallace-Rose Hill (10-13)
Girls Schedule, First-Round Games, Monday
Records before conference tournament
4A Mideast
No. 12 Lumberton (13-10) at No. 5 Holly Springs (17-6)
No. 11 Purnell Swett (14-9) at No. 6 Seventy-First (16-7)
2A Mideast
No. 10 Fairmont (6-14) at No. 7 Granville Central (18-6)
No. 12 Cummings (11-10) at No. 5 St. Pauls (14-7)
1A Mideast
No. 13 South Robeson (1-19) at No. 4 James Kenan (19-3)
No. 9 Red Springs (12-10) at No. 8 Princeton (13-9)
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