High School Sports

Why the John Wall Invitational brought another Reidsville celebration to Raleigh

By Alex Bass
Reidsville’s Kendre Harrison (0) blocks the shot from Northwood’s Isaiah Blair (3) during the second half of their game in the John Wall Holiday Invitational. The Northwood Chargers and the Reidsville Rams met in a final of the John Wall Holiday Invitational in Raleigh, N.C. on December 30, 2023.
Reidsville’s Kendre Harrison (0) blocks the shot from Northwood’s Isaiah Blair (3) during the second half of their game in the John Wall Holiday Invitational. The Northwood Chargers and the Reidsville Rams met in a final of the John Wall Holiday Invitational in Raleigh, N.C. on December 30, 2023. Steven Worthy newsobserver.com

The Reidsville Rams playing in Raleigh during December has a familiar ring to it.

Saturday night’s John Wall Holiday Invitational Devonte Graham Bracket final – in which Reidsville defeated Northwood 69-53 – might not yield championship rings like Reidsville will receive for the N.C. 2A Football state championship earned Dec. 9 in NC State’s Carter-Finley Stadium.

Still, the impact of Saturday’s milestone for the first-time tournament participant Rams can not be understated or overstated.

“Look around, and soak in the atmosphere,” Reidsville coach Jason Ross told his players before Saturday’s pre-game warmups. “Nothing compares to this.”

A capacity Holiday Gymnasium crowd watched the Rams lead wire-to-wire with five players logging more than 28 of 32 game minutes. All five players – Kendre Harrison, Cam’ron Jones, Al Lee, Dionte Neal, and Johnniyus Sharpe – were members of Reidsville’s football state championship team, too.

All-Invitational team members Neal and Sharpe netted 20 points apiece. Invitational MVP Harrison – a 6-foot-7, 230-pounds pivot man with basketball and football scholarship offers from NC State, among others – added 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Jones scored 10.

“One tournament or one game does not make the season,” Ross said. “We have bigger goals. Hopefully in March, we’ll be sitting in front of you guys, again, holding up the state championship trophy.”

Reidsville (7-0), last season’s N.C. 2A hoops state runner-up, defeated reigning state champion Farmville Central in the Invitational’s opening round.

Northwood’s Drake Powell (22) launches the jump shot over Reidsville’s Cam’Ron Jones (10) during the first half in the John Wall Holiday Invitational. The Northwood Chargers and the Reidsville Rams met in a final of the John Wall Holiday Invitational in Raleigh, N.C. on December 30, 2023.
Northwood’s Drake Powell (22) launches the jump shot over Reidsville’s Cam’Ron Jones (10) during the first half in the John Wall Holiday Invitational. The Northwood Chargers and the Reidsville Rams met in a final of the John Wall Holiday Invitational in Raleigh, N.C. on December 30, 2023. Steven Worthy newsobserver.com

Northwood (8-2) was led by 16 points each by Drake Powell (a North Carolina signee) and Cameron Fowler. Powell, named Most Outstanding Player for the second consecutive year, logged all 32 game minutes. Jake Leighton added 11 for the Chargers – last season’s N.C. 3A state runner up, now competing in the 2A classification.

“Our guys withstood their run in the beginning,” Northwood coach Matt Brown said. “We were playing catchup the whole time.

This story was originally published December 31, 2023 at 9:56 AM.

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