On Friday night the Rocky Mount Academy gym was filled to the brim as our very own Eagles prepared to face off against crosstown rival Faith Christian in the last home game of the regular season. This matchup is one of the most anticipated of the season, and the stakes were particularly high due to senior night. Our varsity teams did not disappoint, as both the girls and the boys swept the Patriots in two action packed games. In addition to the games, there was a special tribute to our senior athletes who played winter sports. Rocky Mount Academy’s winter senior night was one to remember as all of our teams prepare for conference tournament runs.

The varsity girl’s game was a perfect close to an impressive season. Led by their active seniors, Ann Claire Roberson and Catherine Coats, the Eagles swept FCS 52-25. This game was one of the best offensive performances that the team has seen all year. The hard work that the girls have been putting in since late October clearly came through; the Patriots just could not manage to keep up. Clever passes and smart plays helped control the board throughout the entire game. The girls worked around a man to man defense as Ann Claire Roberson put up an impressive 15 points as her partner in crime, Catherine Coats, contributed 11 points. As usual, Katie Gutshall swished numerous three pointers totaling to 13 points. Julia High fanned the flames with her astounding 12 assists, showing complete dominance over the Patriots’ defense. After closing her last home game with a blowout against the team’s biggest rival, Catherine Coats said, “Senior night could not have been any better. We played really well as a team, making it one of our best games yet. We have worked really hard all year long and I feel like it really showed in this game. It was a sweet way to close out the season.” The girls expect to clench a third seed in the conference tournament that starts in a week. If the team can continue to play like they did against Faith in the tournament, they will undoubtedly have a good run.

The boy’s game followed the same pattern as the girls’; understanding and taking advantage of a weak defense early. The offensive dominance resulted in a 23 point victory for the Eagles. All the focus was on star senior, and captain, Zach Fulcher who carried the team in this impressive win. Zach’s effort was clearly seen by all who watched the game, as he dove for loose balls and drove forcefully for any basket opportunity. His presence on the court always lifts his teammates’ sprits as he encourages them to give their all during every game. “We are really going to miss him next year,” said teammate Brendan Acker when asked about Zach. “He’s the backbone of the team and it was apparent during this game in particular.” Zach put up 11 while underclassmen Elijah McCadden and A.J. Mitchell put up 17 and 18 points respectively. The entire team worked seamlessly around the Patriot’s press to score easy breakaway points. However, this win did come with quite a few fouls, as the combined count totaled at 47. This only benefitted RMA, though, as the team added to their lead with easy free throws. This win added to RMA’s undefeated conference play record, the team expects to be number one seed in the tournament starting in a week.