16 | Summer 2018 BACK TO BACK STATE CHAMPIONS T he boys’ basketball team finished the season with a 27-7 record that propelled the team to its record extending tenth NCISAA State Championship. While the Bengals lost both games in the regular season series with arch-rival and nationally ranked, Wesleyan Christian Academy, they rebounded to defeat Wesleyan Christian in the State Championship game for back-to-back NCISAA 3A state championships. This is the third time that the basketball team has won back-to-back state championships (’89 & ’90, ’95 & ’96). This season had many ups and downs for the Bengals. The Bengals started the season with 12 straight wins helping Coach Freddy Johnson reach his 1,000th career win on November 25, 2017 vs. Vance High School. The team then traveled to Hawaii to participate in the ‘Iolani Classic. After a tough loss in the second round, the Bengals responded to finish in 5th place, leaving the tournament 3-1. Will Dillard ’18 and John Newman ’18 were named to the All-Tournament Team. 6 days after returning to NC, they won the prestigious HAECO Invitational (Little 4) taking the title for the seventh consecutive year and the Bengals’ eleventh championship in the last thirteen years. GDS is the only private school that participates in this annual holiday high school tournament featuring men’s and women’s teams from eight schools located in Guilford County, and the Bengals lead the HAECO Invitational history with 16 men’s championships. John Newman was named MVP of the tournament. Will Dillard ’18 and Tripp Greene ’18 made the All-Tournament Team. Injuries and illness troubled the Bengals all year. Coach Johnson stated that he only had his entire team healthy for 10 practices all season. The Bengals continued to respond and win games. In mid-January, senior guard, Will Dillard, collapsed at practice. It was found that he had a blood-clot that had started in his leg and moved to his lung due to the lengthy travel to Hawaii for the ‘Iolani Classic. Unfortunately, this cut the senior’s season short as he would not play another game. He was the defensive leader. It took the team many games to learn how to play without him. During that stretch, they lost 4 games in a row including two games to Wesleyan Christian by an average of 15 points and an ESPN2 nationally televised game vs. Spartanburg Day School featuring ESPN #2, Zion Williamson. The Bengals ended the season with a phenomenal performance in the NCISAA State Tournament at Forsyth Country Day School in Lewisville, NC. The Bengals had a first round bye and then opened their play with a 65-45 win over Cannon School and advanced to the semi-finals where they defeated