2025-26 Boys Basketball

Week 3 Preview

The schools have returned from the Thanksgiving break, and boys middle school basketball is back in action as Gamedays 4 and 5 are set for Tuesday and Thursday. With three gamedays already completed, clear contenders have begun to emerge in both the 7th- and 8th-grade divisions, while several teams will use this week as an opportunity to reset and build momentum as the season moves forward.

In 7th grade, two teams remain unbeaten through three gamedays, but Little Mill has clearly set the standard. The Mustangs are winning by an astounding 34.0 points per game. To put that dominance in perspective, their average margin of victory is higher than the offensive scoring average of seven teams across the league. Riverwatch is the other undefeated team at 3–0, outscoring opponents by 14.3 points per game, and the Panthers have been especially impressive away from home, with two of their three victories coming on the road — the most road wins by any team in the league so far. South Forsyth and Vickery Creek sit at 2–1, while Little Mill, Riverwatch, Liberty (+4.3), and South Forsyth (+3.0) are the only teams currently carrying positive scoring margins.

In 8th grade, three teams remain unbeaten at 3–0, with South Forsyth and Riverwatch clearly separating themselves from the field. South Forsyth has been dominant on both ends of the floor, winning by an average of 27.0 points per game, while Riverwatch is close behind with a 23.3-point average margin of victory. Vickery Creek, the third undefeated team, has also impressed early, posting a 14.0-point average winning margin and remaining firmly in the championship conversation. Hendricks currently sits fourth at 2–1 and is the only other team on the positive side of the scoring margin, outscoring opponents by 12.7 points per contest.

North Forsyth will have its bye on Tuesday, December 2, giving the Wildcats an opportunity to regroup before returning to action later in the week. Liberty is also off this week, with its bye scheduled for Thursday, December 4, providing the Patriots a brief pause as the season continues to take shape.

Vickery Creek (4-0) @ Riverwatch (4-0)

Date: Thursday, December 4 | Tipoff: 6:30 PM (approx.)

Riverwatch and Vickery Creek remain two of the three unbeaten teams in 8th grade following Tuesday night victories, but the paths they’ve taken to get there could not be more different.

Riverwatch has been nothing short of dominant. The Panthers cruised past Little Mill, 60-33, for their fourth straight win by 22 points or more to open the season, once again building an early cushion and maintaining control from start to finish.

Vickery Creek, meanwhile, has been forged in close games. The Vipers fell behind early against Piney Grove before rallying in the second half to earn a 32-26 win. A week earlier, they jumped out to a sizable early lead against North Forsyth, only to have to withstand a late surge to preserve the victory.

Offensively, Vickery Creek relies on balance rather than volume. Ten of the Vipers’ 11 players have already scored through four games, with Sargent Scordino leading the way at nine points per game. Jackson Armbrust (8.0 PPG) and Colton Gumper (7.8 PPG) are close behind, giving the Vipers multiple scoring options on any given night.

Riverwatch’s depth has been just as impressive, but paired with overwhelming production. Seven or more Panthers have scored in every game this season, including two contests in which nine players reached the scorebook. Four different players have posted double figures at least once, led by Yafeth Samuel, who has scored in double digits in all four games and is averaging 16 points per contest.

That depth has powered Riverwatch to the league’s top scoring offense at 53.5 points per game, while also ranking second defensively by allowing just 29.3 points per contest. Vickery Creek has been strong on both ends as well, ranking fourth in scoring (45.8 PPG) and fourth in points allowed (33.8 PPG). The matchup sets up as a compelling contrast of styles, with Riverwatch aiming to dictate tempo early and Vickery Creek looking to slow the pace and turn it into another physical, down-to-the-wire battle.

Little Mill (3-0) @ Riverwatch (3-0)

Date: Tuesday, December 2 | Tipoff: 6:00 PM

The two remaining unbeatens in 7th-grade boys’ basketball square off tonight. Little Mill has been absolutely dominant to start the season, leading the league in scoring at 58.3 points per game while allowing a league-low 24.3. The Mustangs have scored at least 50 points in every contest and have topped 60 twice. Their wins have also come against strong competition — Vickery Creek, North Forsyth, and South Forsyth. Little Mill has controlled most quarters this season, but they’ve been especially overwhelming in the first, averaging 21 points in the opening period.

The Mustangs have been powered by Liam Brundidge (22.7 PPG) and Colt McKinney (13.3 PPG), with six different players scoring in every game to showcase their depth. Brundidge remains the only player to reach double figures in all three matchups so far.

Riverwatch opened its season with a dominant blowout win at home against DeSana, putting up 68 points — the highest single-game total by any team this season. The Panthers have since hit the road for their last two games, where the competition has tightened. They’ve come away with narrow victories over Liberty (44–42) and Piney Grove (38–31), but in all three contests, Riverwatch has set the tone early by building first-half leads.

Charlie Blanchard leads both his team and the entire league in scoring at 25.0 points per game, highlighted by his 39-point outburst against DeSana — the highest individual scoring performance of the season. Dylan Hwang has also been a key contributor, reaching double figures in all three games and averaging 11.7 points per contest, good for second on the team.

It’s still very early in the season, but the #1 seed in the season-ending tournament might be on the line tonight. Can Little Mill maintain its sizzling pace and keep the win streak rolling? Both teams boast a strong one–two punch—will either duo be slowed down, or will this matchup turn into a showcase for the league’s top scorers? And can Riverwatch recreate its lone home performance and hand the Mustangs their first loss?

The questions are endless, but tonight we’ll get answers. By the final buzzer, we’ll know who sits alone atop the standings — and who will be playing catch-up.

8th-grade start times are approximate and listed an hour after the 7th-grade start times.