Championship Matchup

7th Grade

Riverwatch (42) vs Little Mill (50)

2025-26 Boys Basketball

7th Grade Championship Review

Quarterfinals & Semifinals

Tested but Still Unbeaten

The 2025–26 7th grade boys basketball season belonged to Little Mill. The Mustangs capped a perfect 13–0 season on Wednesday night, claiming the championship trophy — but the postseason tested them in ways the regular season rarely did.

All three playoff games were far more competitive than Little Mill’s typically dominant regular-season performances.

In the first round against Piney Grove, the Mustangs led by eleven points at halftime — one of their smaller halftime leads of the year — and looked slightly out of rhythm after an eight-day layoff. That changed quickly in the second half. Little Mill came out sharp, pushed the tempo, and pulled away for a 32-point win. Still, Piney Grove managed one of the higher scoring totals against the Mustangs to that point in the season.

The semifinals brought a matchup with Liberty, the team that had scored the most points against Little Mill during the regular season (31). This time, the Mustangs flipped the script defensively, holding the Patriots to just 20 points — but offense didn’t come easily either. Little Mill was limited to a season-low 37 points. It was tight early, with the Mustangs holding a narrow 11–6 halftime lead, before another strong second half allowed them to pull away and secure their spot in the finals.

Championship

Perfection

The championship game looked much more like those playoff battles than Little Mill’s earlier meeting with Riverwatch. Back in the fourth game of the season, the Mustangs had stunned the league with a 56-point win over the Panthers, announcing themselves as a special group after already beating Vickery Creek, North Forsyth, and South Forsyth. From that point on, the rest of the county knew Little Mill was the team to beat.

Riverwatch (10–3) proved in the final that they were more than capable of rising to the challenge. Outside of their earlier loss to Little Mill, their only other defeat came at North Forsyth, and they entered the championship on a six-game winning streak. From the opening tip, the Panthers showed they would not back down.

Little Mill’s balanced scoring attack showed up immediately. That depth is what made the Mustangs so hard to defend all season — nearly every player on the floor could contribute. Four Mustangs scored in the first quarter, led by league standout Liam Brundidge. Riverwatch relied heavily on DJ Hwang early, as he scored three baskets and accounted for seven of the Panthers’ points, with only one other teammate scoring in the period.

The second quarter brought more offense on both sides. Each team knocked down three 3-pointers, keeping the pace lively. Brundidge again led Little Mill, scoring five points in the quarter as four different Mustangs found the scoreboard. For Riverwatch, Charlie Blanchard caught fire from deep, hitting two 3-pointers and totaling 10 points in the period to keep the Panthers within striking distance at halftime.

Little Mill began to create some separation coming out of the break. The Mustangs got key scoring from Jack Styles, who poured in six third-quarter points, and Liam Brundidge, who added five. Their ability to get production from multiple players once again proved critical.

Riverwatch leaned heavily on DJ Hwang to keep pace. He scored all 10 of the Panthers’ points in the quarter, attacking from the perimeter and finishing tough looks to prevent the game from slipping away. Even so, Little Mill slowly gained control, stretching a one-point halftime edge into a four-point lead heading into the final stanza.

For the first time all season, the Mustangs were truly tested in the fourth quarter — and they responded like champions.

Andrew Vanderhoff took over down the stretch, delivering a huge period with nine points. He knocked down key baskets and calmly converted crucial free throws in the closing moments to help Little Mill maintain its advantage. While Riverwatch showed balance — with three different players scoring three points in the quarter — they could never quite get over the hump.

Vanderhoff’s late scoring surge pushed him to a team-high 15 points. Brundidge followed with 14, while Styles added 10 and Colt McKinney chipped in eight, highlighting once again the Mustangs’ depth and balance.

Hwang led all scorers with a game-high 23 points, including five 3-pointers, and Charlie Blanchard added 13 for Riverwatch in a strong effort that kept the championship game competitive from start to finish.

Final Thoughts

Balanced and Brilliant: Mustangs Run the Table 

When the final horn sounded, the scoreboard confirmed what the season had been building toward since opening night: a perfect 13–0 record and a championship trophy for Little Mill.

From Brundidge’s steady leadership to a deep roster where seemingly everyone could step up, the Mustangs proved they were more than just talented — they were a true team.

In a season full of strong squads across the county, Little Mill set the standard from start to finish, and they’ll be remembered as one of the most dominant 7th grade groups the league has ever seen.

Championship Matchup

8th Grade

Hendricks (36) vs Riverwatch (29)

2025-26 Boys Basketball

8th Grade Championship Review

Quarterfinals & Semifinals

Slow Starts, but Found a Way

Hendricks entered the playoffs as the #4 seed after dropping three of their final four regular season games, and it felt like the Hawks might be limping into the postseason at exactly the wrong time. But their late bye week turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The extra time to reset, refocus, and fine-tune their game plan gave Hendricks a fresh start — and they made the most of it.

Hendricks’ quarterfinal win over Lakeside and semifinal showdown with Vickery Creek followed nearly identical scripts. In both games, the Hawks came out cold, managing just eight total first-quarter points combined and finding themselves playing from behind early. The saving grace was their defense. Hendricks locked in on that end of the floor, contesting everything and limiting clean looks, which kept both opponents from creating real breathing room and bought time for the offense to settle in.

That shift came in the second quarter of each game. Ball movement improved, shots started to fall, and the Hawks flipped small deficits into halftime leads both nights — a momentum swing that changed everything.

Lakeside stayed within striking distance through the third quarter of the quarterfinal, but Hendricks slammed the door in the fourth. The Hawks dominated the final period, outscoring the Lions by 11 points to pull away and punch their ticket to the semifinals.

The semifinal against top-seeded Vickery Creek was decided even earlier. After taking a narrow lead into the second half, Hendricks erupted in the third quarter, pouring in 15 points while holding the Vipers to just three. That decisive stretch turned a tight game into a comfortable advantage and completed a bit of redemption for the Hawks, who had managed only 22 points in their regular-season loss to Vickery Creek. This time, Hendricks delivered a statement performance — and earned another trip to the championship game.

Championship

A Bridesmaid No Longer

Hendricks (9–4) closed the regular season with a loss to Riverwatch (11–2), but even that game showed how evenly matched the two teams were. Three of the four quarters were separated by just a single point. The difference came during an explosive second period from Riverwatch, which ultimately proved to be the deciding stretch.

When the two teams met again for the championship, the script felt familiar for Hendricks. The Hawks found themselves trailing after the first quarter, continuing their trend of slow playoff starts. But just like in the earlier rounds, their defense kept things from getting out of hand. Hendricks did a solid job containing Riverwatch’s high-powered offense, holding the Panthers in check and keeping the deficit to just four points heading into the second quarter — well within striking distance.

Unlike their regular-season matchup, this time it was Hendricks who flipped the game in the second quarter. A stifling defensive effort combined with a steady parade to the free-throw line — where the Hawks knocked down seven shots — helped swing the momentum. By the halftime buzzer, Hendricks had turned an early deficit into a two-point lead.

Branam Carroll set the tone at the line during that second-quarter surge, knocking down four free throws and adding a field goal to reach six points by halftime. On the other side, Riverwatch’s leading scorer, Yafeth Samuel, paced the Panthers with five first-half points. Defense clearly ruled the opening half, as just three players scored for each team before the break.

The teams battled to a standstill in the third quarter. It was another grind-it-out, low-scoring stretch, and once again only three players from each side managed to find the scoreboard as neither team could create much separation heading into the final period.

With a championship hanging in the balance, both teams turned to their stars — and they delivered. Colton Singer found his rhythm at the perfect time, scoring his first baskets of the night and accounting for six of Hendricks’ eight fourth-quarter points. Not to be outdone, Riverwatch’s Yafeth Samuel answered every push, pouring in eight of the Panthers’ 10 points in the period to drag his team right back into it.

When the final buzzer sounded, neither side had gained an edge. After four hard-fought quarters, the championship game was right back where it started — all tied up.

Any momentum Riverwatch built during its fourth-quarter comeback faded in overtime. The Panthers were unable to score in the extra period, while Hendricks found just enough offense to seize the moment. The only basket of overtime by Branam Carroll proved to be the difference, and the Hawks calmly sealed the game at the free-throw line, knocking down five in overtime to secure the program’s first championship.

In a game defined by defense and composure, free throws told the story. Hendricks finished with a commanding 16–7 advantage at the line, a clear reminder of how critical those shots become in tight, high-pressure games. When it mattered most, the Hawks were steady, disciplined, and ultimately championship-worthy.

Carroll led the way for Hendricks with 12 points, while Colton Singer added 10 and Reid Swinnie chipped in nine. The trio did much of their damage at the free-throw line, combining for 13 made foul shots in a game where every point carried extra weight.

For Riverwatch, Yafeth Samuel was the lone player to reach double figures, finishing with a game-high 13 points. Will Potts contributed five, but the Panthers struggled to generate consistent offense against Hendricks’ relentless defensive pressure.

Final Thoughts

Doubted No More: Hendricks Earns the Crown

Since opening in 2021, Hendricks has built a reputation for strong basketball teams. The Hawks had previously reached the championship game at both the 7th- and 8th-grade levels, only to fall just short each time. This season’s group faced its share of adversity as well, dropping four regular-season games. What made that stretch even more surprising was that three of those losses came on their home floor — a place that has traditionally been one of the toughest environments for opponents.

Still, even in defeat, Hendricks was never out of the fight. Every loss was competitive, every game within reach — early signs that this team had the resilience and toughness that would eventually define its championship run.

That resilience showed up in a big way in the playoffs. During their title march, the Hawks knocked off the #5 seed, the #1 seed, and the #2 seed — a gauntlet by any measure. Vickery Creek and Riverwatch, the top two seeds, had combined to go 18–2 in the regular season, and both had handed Hendricks tough losses earlier in the year. When it mattered most, though, the Hawks flipped the script, turning past frustrations into postseason triumph and proving they could beat the very best.