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Next week, after stockings have been emptied, presents unwrapped, prime rib, turkey and ham consumed and Amazon gift cards put to good use, Wilson sports fans can turn their attention to the hardwood.
The Wilson Christmas tournament will return for its 46th run and second straight as the Farris & Thomas Holiday Tournament, with Beddingfield set to host this year’s edition of the Yuletide dribblefest, featuring Hunt, Fike, Beddingfield, and, for the second year in a row as the visiting team, Southern Nash.
Christmas tournaments like the Farris & Thomas are an opportunity for communities to come together and see their local teams, and for the teams themselves to focus entirely on basketball.
“It’s just fun,” said Beddingfield boys head coach Anthony Burns. “You don’t have the pressure of school. Kids get to sleep in. Their friends and family might be in town to watch the games. It’s just all about basketball, hanging out and having a good time.”
Last year’s boys tournament saw Hunt defeat Fike in the championship game for the Warriors’ fourth straight Christmas tournament title, with Southern Nash claiming third place with a win over the Bruins.
The 2022 boys tournament will start with Beddingfield against Southern Nash on Tuesday, Dec. 27 at 8 p.m., followed by Hunt vs. Fike the following day at 7:30 p.m.
BRUINS DISPLAYING GROWTH
Host Beddingfield has plenty to feel good about coming into the Christmas tournament. The Bruins are 3-6 overall, which is already a one-game improvement over last season’s two-win total.
In Burns’ second year, Beddingfield has gotten tangible results to go with the strides the players have made on and off the court, including wins over county rivals Hunt and Fike.
“I think we’re playing really good,” Burns said. “The biggest news I got today is all my guys are going to be eligible. They all passed their finals, and every single one of them’s going to eligible to continue for the second semester. So that’s a big win for me as a coach. So I think with that behind us and continuing to roll forward, we’re playing at a high level.”
Going into last year’s tournament, the Bruins had just one win under their belts, and had lost to Hunt and Fike by wide margins.
This year, they’ve taken a big step forward, and have gotten contributions from a large group of players, with Taevon Edwards, Issac Pettaway, Asun Pender, Zeth Bradford and more all coming up with big games thus far.
“It’s night and day difference,” Burns said. “They’re buying into the culture of the program and what we’re trying to turn Beddingfield basketball into. They’re starting to buy in. They’re starting to listen. They’re starting to understand it. They’re starting to play it. It’s fun to see as a coach.”
FIREBIRDS ROLLING
For Southern Nash, getting to play in the Farris & Thomas tournament is a chance to play teams in close proximity, and keep old conference rivalries with Hunt and Fike going.
“As soon as we got split, I went to (Wilson County Schools Director of Athletics Jimmy Tillman) and said, ‘I’m interested in playing in the Christmas tournament if y’all have got an opening,’” said Southern Nash head coach Robbie Kennedy. “I’ve always thought that the Wilson tournament was really good. I thought (The Wilson Times) did a good job of promoting it. We play Fike, but we haven’t played Hunt or Beddingfield, but it give us a chance to play those guys. And it’s close for our fans.”
The Firebirds have to feel good about their chances to win this year’s tournament. They have to feel good about a whole lot.
Southern Nash enters the Christmas tournament at 8-0 on the year, and 3-0 in 2-A/3-A Big East Nonconference play. The 3-A Firebirds been led by star point guard Jordan Vick, who’s averaging an eye-popping 26.4 points per game so far. The Firebirds have also gotten strong contributions from Jayden Whitaker (9.4 points per game), Landen Baker (7.6 points, team-leading 5.3 rebounds per game) and others.
“That’s always good,” Kennedy said. “We’ve played really hard every game. We haven’t played well every game, but we’ve had guys make plays when we needed them to. We’ve got our rotation down pretty well. Getting Tralon Mitchell back from football adds a really good athlete that played a lot for us last year. We know it’s going to get tougher as we get deeper into conference play, so going to the tournament over there and playing some good quality people always helps.”
HUNT EYES FIVE-PEAT
Hunt is looking to continue its historic run this year: The Warriors won the tournament for the fourth straight year in 2021, the first four-peat in tournament history.
“Anytime the Christmas tournament comes up, that’s something that we’re eager to play and hopefully have a chance to win it again,” said Hunt head coach Dwight Taylor.
After winning 21 games and romping through 3-A Quad County Conference play last season, it’s been a slower start for a young Warriors team. Hunt lost almost all of its starters from last season, including tournament MVP Ty’Chaun Clay.
The Warriors are 3-6 overall and 1-1 in Quad County play, and ended the pre-Christmas schedule on a high note with a 60-51 win over Smithfield-Selma. Drew Pittman, the lone returning starter from last season, is Hunt’s leading scorer with 22 points per game, and leading rebounder (5.5 per game), followed by Jordan Scott with 12.5 points per game.
“We’re definitely underdogs this year with a very young team,” Taylor said. “…Experience is the main thing with us. We’ve been young and learning to play varsity basketball has been one of the biggest things for us. But we’re getting better each game, so hopefully we can come into the tournament, have a good showing and have a chance to win it.”
FIKE SEEKS CONSISTENCY
The start of the 2022-23 season has been a mixed bag for Fike, last year’s runner up. The Golden Demons are 3-6 overall and 0-2 in Quad County Conference play.
Fike has shown its potential with its long-range shooting and inside game in wins over SouthWest Edgecombe and Beddingfield, but has also struggled with turnovers in its defeats.
Sophomore William Monk is Fike’s leading scorer with 12.7 points per game, while senior Caleb Willingham is averaging a double-double with 11.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. Dylan Skinner (10.6) is also scoring in double figures for the Demons.
“We’re kind of on again, off again,” said Fike head coach Brent Secrest. “We play really well at times, and then we don’t play well at times. We’ve had some pretty good practices here recently, so we’re hoping that’ll carry over into next week.”
2022 Farris & Thomas Holiday Tournament Glance
All games played at Beddingfield High
BOYS
Tuesday, Dec. 27
Beddingfield vs. Southern Nash, 8 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 28
Hunt vs. Fike, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 29
Third-place game, 5 p.m.
Championship game, 8 p.m.
Farris & Thomas Holiday Tournament Boys Glance
This year marks the 46th rendition of the Wilson holiday boys basketball tournament, formerly the Eastern Carolina Classic and Farris & Farris Holiday Tournament, and now the Farris & Thomas Holiday Tournament.
BOYS TITLES
Hunt 16
Fike 14
Beddingfield 10
Northern Nash 2
Charles B. Aycock 1
Rocky Mount 1
Lee County 1
BOYS RUNNER-UP FINISHES
Hunt 14
Fike 14
Beddingfield 9
Greene Central 3
Saratoga Central 1
Fayetteville Westover 1
Fayetteville Cape Fear 1
Raleigh Athens Drive 1
Raleigh Sanderson 1
2021 CHAMPIONSHIP RESULT
Hunt 62, Fike 44
DECEMBER 18 is the earliest date the tournament has started, with the 2017 tournament as the only one to be held before Christmas.
TY’CHAUN CLAY of Hunt was named the Harvey Reid Jr. Most Valuable Player of the 2021 tournament.
SOUTHERN NASH, which made its debut as the guest school in 2021, the 26th boys team and 23rd girls team to play in the tournament.
GREENE CENTRAL was the invited guest school more than any other, participating in 16 straight tournaments from 1997 to 2012.
SMITHFIELD-SELMA is next with a string of six appearances that ended in 2019.
FOUR PLAYERS from the 2021 FTHT all-tournament team — Hunt’s Drew Pittman, Fike’s Caleb Willingham, Southern Nash’s Jordan Vick and Beddingfield’s Taevon Edwards — are playing in this year’s tourney.
HUNT passed Fike for most championships in 2019 and added to it last year with its tournament-record 16th crown.
THE WARRIORS have three-peated twice, 1995-97 and 2017-2019, while Fike accomplished the feat from 1986-88.
THE HOST TEAM has won the boys tournament title 17 times in 45 years, most recently by Hunt in 2021, the sixth time the Warriors have done it. Fike has won it at home seven times while Beddingfield has done it four times each.
BEDDINGFIELD is hosting the tournament for the 15th time, tying it with Hunt for the most times. The first two ECC tourneys were held in Wilson Gymnasium on the Atlantic Christian, now Barton College, campus.
HUNT extended its championship game appearance streak to 17 years.
HUNT-FIKE has been the championship game 15 times overall.
THE RECORD for biggest margin of victory in a title game is now Hunt’s after beating Beddingfield by 37 points in 2018, erasing Fike’s 92-59 ripping of Hunt in 2008. There have been six one-point finals, including last year, and 23 have been decided by five or fewer points.
BEDDINGFIELD was the first Wilson team to win the tournament when it beat Fike in the 1979 title game.
FOUR CHAMPIONSHIP games have gone to overtime with three needing two extra periods to settle matters.
THE 2008 CHAMPIONSHIP featured 151 total points in Fike’s 92-59 conquest of Hunt and tied the 1988 championship game as the highest scoring ECC final. Fike defeated Raleigh Sanderson, 80-71. The fewest points (69) in a final, by far, was Fike’s 35-34 defeat of Hunt in 2005.
SOUTHERN NASH will attempt to become the first non-Wilson team to win a boys tournament championship since C.B. Aycock in 1994.
GREENE CENTRAL was the last non-Wilson team to reach the boys championship game, losing 52-39 to Hunt in 2006.
WILSON teams have won the championship every year since 1994 when C.B. Aycock won it.
ELM CITY and Saratoga Central are the only two Wilson County schools besides Beddingfield, Fike and Hunt to play in the tournament.
ROCKY MOUNT won the inaugural tournament in its only appearance in 1976.
TWO BOYS MVPs, Rocky Mount’s Buck Williams (1976) and Fike’s Jamie Watson (1988), went on to play in the NBA.
NORTHERN NASH is the only school outside of Wilson to win more than one boys championship, claiming titles in 1977 and 1978 to cap the only multi-year stretch (3) in which a Wilson team didn’t win the boys tournament.
LEE COUNTY joins C.B. Aycock as the only visiting schools to have won both boys and girls titles.
DWIGHT TAYLOR of Hunt is the only coach to have not only played in the tournament (1977 with Fike and 1978 with Hunt) but also coached after coming out of retirement. Salute!
TAYLOR also owns the most boys championships, winning his 14th last year. That broke the tie with former Fike girls coach, the late Eddie Summerlin, who won 13 in 21 years.
WAYNE HARDY, former Hunt coach, is the only coach to win a girls and boys championship, leading the Lady Warriors to FFHT titles in 2011 and 2012 and taking the Warriors to the title in 2017.
JOSEPH PRYOR of C.B. Aycock in 1994 was the last boys MVP not on a Wilson team.
NOBODY has won the boys MVP award more than once although Edward Farmer of Beddingfield was the top vote-getter on the all-tournament team in 1979 and tied two others for the most votes in 1980.
THIS IS year 2 of the Farris & Thomas Holiday Tournament after nine years as the Farris & Farris Holiday Tournament. From 1976 to 2010, the event was called Eastern Carolina Classic.
EB SPORTS is sponsor of the tournament trophies, including the girls and boys MVP hardware.
ADMISSION: $10 per ticket each day.
TICKETS will be sold only at the door and for cash only.
SPECTATORS are urged to arrive early as metal detectors will be in place at the entrances. Doors will open 45 minutes prior to the first games each day, at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday and at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday. There will be two entrance lines at the doors.
CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
BOYS
Year Result Site
1976 Rocky Mount 62, Saratoga Central 56 ACC
1977 Northern Nash 75, Fike 68 Atlantic Christian
1978 Northern Nash 68, Beddingfield 67 2OT Fike
1979 Beddingfield 51, Fike 40 Beddingfield
1980 Fike 64, Hunt 56 Hunt
1981 Beddingfield 48, Fike 46 2OT Fike
1982 Hunt 49, Westover 44 Beddingfield
1983 Beddingfield 62, Cape Fear 59 Hunt
1984 Fike 60, Beddingfield 55 Fike
1985 Beddingfield 67, Fike 65 2OT Beddingfield
1986 Fike 62, Athens Drive 56 Hunt
1987 Fike 77, Beddingfield 46 Fike
1988 Fike 80, Sanderson 71 Beddingfield
1989 Beddingfield 70, Hunt 68 Hunt
1990 Fike 66, Hunt 64 Fike
1991 Lee County 54, Hunt 52 Beddingfield
1992 Hunt 77, Fike 71 Hunt
1993 Fike 68, Beddingfield 58 Fike
1994 C.B. Aycock 59, Fike 58 Beddingfield
1995 Hunt 52, Beddingfield 51 Hunt
1996 Hunt 57, Fike 50 Fike
1997 Hunt 55, Beddingfield 54 Beddingfield
1998 Beddingfield 47, Hunt 42 Hunt
1999 Hunt 57, Fike 53 OT Fike
2000 Fike 53, Greene Central 51 Beddingfield
2001 Beddingfield 53, Hunt 42 Hunt
2002 Fike 48, Hunt 45 Fike
2003 Fike 62, Greene Central 55 Beddingfield
2004 Hunt 62, Beddingfield 50 Hunt
2005 Fike 35, Hunt 34 Fike
2006 Hunt 52, Greene Central 39 Beddingfield
2007 Hunt 56, Fike 44 Hunt
2008 Fike 92, Hunt 59 Fike
2009 Beddingfield 52, Hunt 50 Beddingfield
2010 Beddingfield 77, Hunt 74, OT Hunt
2011 Hunt 68, Fike 47 Fike
2012 Hunt 78, Beddingfield 55 Beddingfield
2013 Fike 52, Hunt 50 Hunt
2014 Hunt 64, Fike 60 Fike
2015 Beddingfield 66, Hunt 65 Beddingfield
2016 Fike 57, Hunt 55 Hunt
2017 Hunt 64, Fike 59 Fike
2018 Hunt 80, Beddingfield 43 Beddingfield
2019 Hunt 64, Fike 44 Hunt
2020 No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic.
2021 Hunt 62, Fike 43 Hunt
Boys Tournament MVP award winners
Winners of the Harvey Reid Jr. Most Valuable Player Award for the boys tournament in the Farris & Thomas Holiday Tournament (named the Eastern Carolina Classic from 1976-2010 and the Farris & Farris Holiday Tournament from 2011-2018). Prior to 1991, there was no MVP award and players listed below received the most votes on the all-tournament team.
2021 — Ty’Chaun Clay, Hunt
2020 — No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic.
2019 — Shaq Wade, Hunt
2018 — Malcolm Coley, Hunt
2017 — Jameson Lucas, Hunt
2016 — Samson Strickland, Fike
2015 — Miguel Brown, Beddingfield
2014 — Jaylen Gilliam, Hunt
2013 — Trevon Virgil, Fike
2012 — Daniel Westbrook, Hunt
2011 — Justin Jefferson, Hunt
2010 — X-keem Jones, Beddingfield
2009 — Terry Davis, Beddingfield
2008 — Jeremy Atkinson, Fike
2007 — Jamil Creech, Hunt
2006 — Kason Cheeks, Hunt
2005 — Jonathan Foster, Fike
2004 — Devrine Barnes, Hunt
2003 — Tony Whitelow, Fike
2002 — Brandon Barnes, Fike
2001 — Pierre Parker, Beddingfield
2000 — B.J. Eddie, Fike
1999 — Michael Chestnut, Hunt
1998 — Antonio Locus, Beddingfield
1997 — Tim Carmichael, Hunt
1996 — Corey Cooper, Hunt
1995 — Justin Murray, Hunt
1994 — Joseph Pryor, C.B. Aycock
1993 — Corey Best, Fike
1992 — Octavus Barnes, Hunt
1991 — Jeff Swann, Lee County
1990 — Vince Watkins, Beddingfield
1989 — Dennis Smith, Beddingfield
1988 — Jamie Watson, Fike
1987 — Colin Spady, Cary
1986 — Robert Clark, Raleigh Athens Drive
1985 — Greg Ballard, Beddingfield
1984 — Charles Howard, Fike
1983 — Eric Batts, Beddingfield
1982 — Larry Carter, Hunt
1981 — Thomas Lofton, Beddingfield; Danny Williams, Fike
1980 — Tracy Myles, Hunt; Edward Farmer, Beddingfield; William Miles, Fayetteville Terry Sanford
1979 — Edward Farmer, Beddingfield
1978 — Harold Tillery, Beddingfield; Nathan Arrington, Northern Nash
1977 — Bobby Hayes, Elm City
1976 — Buck Williams, Rocky Mount
