Senior leadership, community support propel Cavaliers back to 2A West Final

If you need to see Harrison’s Foothills manager Dustin Pyatte on Thursday, better catch him early.

If you need some business transacted around town, might better get that done early, too.

In fact, if you’re considering a life of crime in eastern Burke County, Thursday might be the ideal day to get started. There won’t be many people around to witness it. 

That’s because the Lady Cavaliers, 30-1 and the defending West 2A champions, are headed back to Winston-Salem’s Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, and they’re likely taking most of Burke County with them. That’s how it’s been turning out so far this year.

East Burke has advanced to the West finals for three years in a row, losing to the eventual state champion (Salisbury in the semifinals in 2023, North Pitt in the state championship a year ago) both times. They’ve been driven all year by last year’s loss, and they’ve taken the community on quite a ride.

They’re sure thankful for the support. And they’re determined to make this trip even better.

SENIOR LEADERSHIP

East Burke is led by a strong core of seniors, including Braelyn Stillwell, who averages nearly 24 points per game. Maci McNeil and Journi McDowell have each made three trips to the semifinals as well, and newcomers to the school and fellow seniors Ari Williamson and Addison Sisk have provided steady leadership.

All five seniors want to go out on top.

“Making it three years in a row proves just how determined we are,” McNeil said. “I think this year we can take that next step and win it all. It gives us another chance to prove ourselves. Hopefully, we can go all the way this time.”

For Stillwell, the chance at a return trip is something that’s been in the back of her mind since she walked off the floor last season.

“We got a taste of it,” she said. “We were so close. We were almost there. So we’ve been really pushing to get back. We have a great team, and I think we can do it. To finish out my senior year with a championship would be a huge deal.”

Senior point guard Braelyn Stillwell leads East Burke with nearly 24 points per game.

McDowell, who also has two previous visits to the final, said the Lady Cavaliers’ experience would only help them.

“Going back the third time, we kind of know what it’s like,” she said. “The big gym, the TV and stuff, the jitters are still there, but they’re kind of gone. We know that the opportunity to be doing this is great.”

Sisk, one of the senior newcomers, isn’t taking the opportunity for granted.

“This is definitely important to me, coming from somewhere that didn’t make it this far. It’s been great joining this team full of positivity, happy coaches, a happy team. The girls have been good to me. And playing for a championship has been my dream since I joined high school. A shot at achieving that in my last year means everything.”

Williamson’s time at East Burke has been special.

I think that coming here, everybody has had my back and pushed me to the best of my abilities and made me into the player I am today,” she said. “I think that having a team that’s very supportive made me be supportive. Everybody plays good when that’s the case.”

UNMATCHED SUPPORT

That unwavering support of one another seems to be evident up and down the roster at East Burke. Kara Brinkley, a junior, averages a double-double for the Lady Cavaliers, and both McNeil and McDowell score more than six points per contest. The rest of the stat sheet is very much by-committee, though, with different faces chipping in at different moments. Sophomore Sydney Pyatte said doing what the team needs when it’s needed is the best tribute that underclassmen can give to the outstanding senior class.

“Coming back with the same girls that I bonded with last year, considering we have five seniors, definitely helped me want to do better for them,” she said. “Even if playing time is short, being able to show up for them and to help them improve in practice was my biggest drive this year.”

Brinkley agrees.

“It’s just a blessing to go back one more time, with our seniors especially,” she said. “We’ve been playing together our whole lives. It’s just very special.”

The seniors share the same feelings. They feel the support of their younger teammates.

“It means a lot to me, and I hope that we can finish it out,” McNeil said. “I want the underclassmen to know that I believe in them and that I’m proud of them. It’s great to play with your best friends.”

McDowell takes it even a step further.

“They’re my babies,” she said. “It really makes me sad I have to leave them. They should understand that this could be their last year going. I’d tell them to play as hard as you can. And if you go again, make the best of it.”

PARADES AND PACKED GYMS

“Going again” has quickly become a tradition for East Burke, as the road to Joel has been paved with packed gyms both home and away, donations of food, random good wishes, and a whole lot of other forms of community support.

To begin to understand it, though, you should probably start with the parade.

“Our community, everywhere we go, everyone knows we’re on the team,” Pyatte said. “They want to wish us luck, even if it’s out of season. Last year when we went, there was a literal parade to escort us out of town. It was so heartwarming to see not just children, but all of those people so excited about something in our small town. The bus had been decorated by all of our parents. They really just made it what it was. Without the support from the community, we wouldn’t have had have the fun we had going, and it wouldn’t have made the loss so bittersweet.”

“I felt like a celebrity,” junior Anna Coble said. “The whole school was lined up when we were walking out, and when we got there, our community was already there clapping for us when we got off the bus. I was hanging my hand out of the bus window getting high fives from random people I didn’t even know. It was a very cool experience.”

Olivia Garcia, the team’s only freshman, thinks that part of the attention comes from the fact that the team has members who have played together for years.

“It’s been really cool,” she said.  “A bunch of people have been watching us since we were young, and now they get to see us all grown up and playing for a championship.”

Addie Brittain said the support isn’t anything new.

“Our community has been very supportive to us, and is always there cheering us on,” she said.

That extends even to road games that can sometimes be one-sided in favor of the Lady Cavaliers. They finished 14-0 in Catawba Valley 2A play, had just one win that wasn’t double-digits, and did most of that in front of raucous crowds, home and away.

“It’s been amazing,” Brinkley said. “For example, we go to conference games and our community has completely packed it out, no matter where it is, no matter how far the drive is. They support us with food before the game. It means a lot for them to be there.”

LEAVING A LEGACY

Brinkley is one of a couple of legacy players on the team, as both of her parents played for East Burke. Both parents of sophomore Kendall McFalls did, too, and each girl’s goal is pretty similar.

“It’s great to carry on the tradition, but I want to one-up them,” McFalls said.

The girls all want to one-up what they did a year ago, too. This time, East Burke wants the big trophy.

To get there, though, seasoned senior Stillwell knows there’s a process.

“We’ve obviously been focused on winning a state championship,” she said. “But that’s where Thursday comes in. You have to win then. That’s what matters first.”

They’ll try to do just that, in the way they’ve gone about it all year. For each other. It’s something that resonates even with a new player in the program.

“Everybody’s family here,” Sisk said. “Everybody. Whether you’re here a minute or four years, five years. I’ve been hugged by random people saying ‘good game’. Everyone here is family. They’re really accepting and positive and it’s helped us on this run.”

Stillwell knows that the Lady Cavaliers will have to be on top of their game, and she knows that the bonds formed over the years will help. She’s looking forward to her last couple of games, and taking the court with her teammates.

“Obviously of course I want them to push themselves and focus every time they step on the court,” she said. “But mostly I want them to have fun. I’ve had so much fun these past four years playing my teammates. We were winning most of our games, but I was also out there having fun with them. The relationships I’ve built with all of them – I love the underclassmen, and I love the upperclassmen who already graduated – they just mean a lot.”

Those underclassmen are determined to help the seniors to the best possible ending.

“I would love to see these girls go out with a big bang,” Pyatte said. “These are wonderful girls. Girls who on and off the court want to speak to me and want to keep ties with me and want to engage in a relationship with all of us underclassmen. They’re all very nice girls, all-around good people, and it would honestly be amazing to see them get to do something so big for their last run.”