After winning back-to-back state championships and compiling 49 consecutive victories, the Weddington High School basketball team introduces a new head coach. Former coach Gary Ellington decided to take on a new challenge, joining the Queen’s University coaching staff. Following Ellington’s departure, former assistant coach Richard Carsner was promoted to head coach. Before his time at Weddington, Carsner served as head coach at Ashbrook High School. When he arrived at Weddington in 2020, he quickly became involved with the basketball program, learning the Warriors’ winning culture. Under his guidance, the team went undefeated for the next two seasons. Now, Carsner faces a new challenge with a roster featuring several new players.

This season, Weddington lost four of its starters—Chase Lowe, Kyle Frazier, AJ Cook, and Evan Morton, who transferred to United Faith. With these departures, the team had to work harder than ever to fill their shoes. The Warriors’ starting lineup now features seniors Nolan Dunphy, Pete Bombardier, and Berni Tah, alongside juniors Grant Hamilton and Jack Elyson. This combination of speed, toughness, and shooting ability makes them a difficult matchup for opposing teams.

Expectations are high heading into the season due to Weddington’s past success. The team faced a challenging first game against Rocky River at home, suffering its first loss since March 2020. However, the Warriors bounced back in their next game, defending their home court in a close battle against the Ardrey Kell Knights, marked by one of their best shooting performances of the season. They then secured another home victory against the Providence Panthers, maintaining a lead for most of the game and holding off a late Panthers rally to improve their record to 2-1.

Weddington extended its winning streak with a road victory against Forest Hills. After a slow start in the opening minutes, the team pieced together a strong performance to claim the win. The Warriors then faced a tough opponent in Mooresville, falling in a hard-fought double-overtime game. A buzzer-beating jumper from junior Jack Elyson extended the game late, but Weddington ultimately came up short.

The Friday following the Mooresville game was historic for Weddington, as two school records were broken. Junior Grant Hamilton set the record for most points in a single game with 45, surpassing Ryan Schwieger’s previous mark. He also broke the school record for made three-pointers, hitting 12 and surpassing AJ Cook’s previous record of eight. Hamilton led the team to a 92-62 victory over Carolina International, giving the Panthers a 30-point blowout. Weddington then extended their winning streak to two games with a road victory over the Monroe Red Hawks.

After a challenging game at Providence, which ended their two-game winning streak, the Warriors bounced back with a huge victory at the Anthony Morrow Shootout against Charlotte Country Day. Senior Nolan Dunphy sank the go-ahead jumper with 2.5 seconds left, securing a much-needed win for the team.

With the season in full swing, the Warriors continue to work hard in practice and in the weight room, aiming to add another banner and leave their mark in school history. They return to action tomorrow at the Anthony Morrow Shootout, facing Gaston Christian at 1:30 p.m. at Charlotte Latin.