Make no mistake, the Whale Branch boys basketball team and what is expected to be a raucous collection of supporters will be ecstatic to be there when the Warriors take the court at Colonial Life Arena at 5 p.m. Friday to take on powerhouse Gray Collegiate in the Class 2A state championship game.
But the Warriors won’t be satisfied unless they attain their ultimate goal Friday night and end the War Eagles’ two-year run as state champions.
“The job ain’t done yet,” Whale Branch senior Shawn Chisolm said. “We’ve still got one more to go. We’ve still got to put in some more work.”
Whale Branch (21-6) hit its stride late in the season and has won eight straight, but the Warriors have had to grind out victories to advance this far. They trailed by 10 at halftime in last week’s Lower State final against North Charleston but rallied to force overtime and outscored the Cougars by 12 points in the extra four minutes.
They know they can’t count on a second-half comeback to get the job done this time. They’ll need to get off to a much better start.
“Gray Collegiate is not a team to play around with,” Wofford signee Nick Pringle said. “We’ve gotta show them that Whale Branch is something.”
The War Eagles (24-6) have only one loss to a South Carolina opponent this season — an 88-81 defeat at Columbia High on Jan. 10 — and they’ve won 14 straight, including 13 by double-digits and nine by 30 points or more. Gray clobbered Andrew Jackson by 41 points in last year’s title game.
The Warriors say they are prepared for the challenge of taking on one of the state’s most dominant programs in recent years.
“We love that underdog role,” Warriors coach Jim Raymond said. “We’re little ol’ Whale Branch, so it means a lot to be able to step up and make a name for our school and our community. We’re excited to be here. It gives us a chance.”
The Warriors are focused on trying to slow the tempo — “we get up and down,” Gray coach Dion Bethea said — and draw the Warhorses into a physical, defense-oriented matchup similar to each game Whale Branch has played thus far in the postseason.
“The idea is to have one more point than the other team,” Raymond said.
Raymond and the Warriors don’t mind winning ugly — they just want to win.
“We just have to keep it consistent and keep doing what we do,” Pringle said. “We are Warriors. We have to play like them.”
Story by Justin Jarrett
