GREENSBORO—Whiteville High School took its returning team to the 2026 NC BODYARMOR State Games on June 27-28 and game back with the gold.
The Wolfpack defeated South Garner 66-64 in the championship at the Greensboro Sportsplex in Greensboro. Christian Lacewell-Coard sank two key free throws with eight seconds left to seal the victory.
The Wolfpack built an 52-34 lead with 11 minutes left in the second half but out-fouled the Titans 33-3 the remainder of the game. The whistles cause the five starters to foul out along with a sub from the bench. Lacewell-Coard and several freshmen sealed the victory for the Pack.
During the State Games, no individual stats were kept but the fouls and the team points.
In the first game on Saturday, the Pack downed Pine Forest 69-54. The second game against South Garner was fierce – too fierce.
With the Titans up by four 48-44 with 7:34 left on the clock in the second half, a melee took place in the stands and the game was called due to safety concerns. The game was not a loss but with Pine Forest in the lead, for bracketing purposes Whiteville was placed in the losers’ bracket for the remainder of the games.
The Pack came out on a mission Sunday.
The Pack defeated the Greensboro Elite 17-U team 59-45 and High Point TC Elite-U 71-60. The victories set up a rematch with South Garner in the Gold Medal Game, and the Pack was not to be denied.
The State Games have a deep history that was established in 1983. The games began as the North Carolina Amateur Sports Games. It was to be a “Summer Olympics” for amateur athletes all across North Carolina. The games promoted sportsmanship and fitness. In just three years (1986), it grew to one of the largest in the United States.
Previous cities hosting the event have been Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and Raleigh. The basketball games in the past have been extremely competitive with past NBA players such as Rodney Rogers, Julius Peppers, Rashad McCants, Chris Paul and Josh Howard participating.
With the state championship, the city of Whiteville continues to add to their recent championships. Serenity Harvey won titles in track in 2023-25 while the baseball team took home the 2026 3A Championship this season. Members of the Whiteville team were Jaquan McKinnis, Christian Lacewell-Coard, Tommie Harvey, Alzavion Baldwin, Cassius Shepard, Jace Long, Messiah Alsabry, Logan Little, Trayvionne Williams, Teron Legette, Ty’Lae Rose, Sam Battle, Quatez Shaw, and Rashid Johnson. The coaching staff consisted of Assistant Coach Tommy Taylor, Assistant Coach Curtis Moss, and Head Coach Quamain Rose.
