New Bern Boys Basketball playing at uncharted level
There is a mystery brewing at New Bern High School even Columbo might not be able to solve. When was the last time the Bears boys basketball team won a regular season conference championship?
New Bern finished the split 3A/4A Big Carolina Conference regular season with an 8-4 record, tying Jacksonville and South Central for the crown. Since New Bern is the lone 4A team of that trio they are the 4A champions and will host a state tournament game Tuesday Feb. 21
Despite an investigation of NCIS proportions, there is still no clue when the Bears won a boys basketball conference title in the past. New Bern head coach Calvin Campbell thought maybe 1986 but that turned into a dead end. It could have been when New Bern great Antwan Scott played. We do know the Bears made a conference championship appearance in the tournament in 2008, only because the Sun Journal editor played in the game.
“The only thing we know for sure is New Bern played in its one and only state final appearance in 1965,” said Campbell. "Even that team wasn’t a conference champion”.
The 1965 team lost that game but produced future New Bern High School Hall of Famer Cecil Harrison.
Nevertheless, these Bears have put their names on two titles this year and are looking for more.
“We got off to a 2-2 start missing nearly half our roster because they were still helping the football team win a championship," Campbell pointed out.
Five games into the hoops season the Bears inherited six players from football including Keith Sampson and William Brimmer. Sampson is headed to Florida State to play football while Brimmer, uncommitted as of now, leads the team in scoring 18 points per game, steals 2.3 and blocked shots .08.
“They brought toughness to our team,” said Cambell. “Their refuse to lose mentality is contagious”.
This resulted in an 8-4 conference mark with 14 overall wins earned New Bern a top RPI ranking thus a qualifying spot and first round host among the 64 4A teams competing for state honors.
Campbell, a local athlete who played at West Craven, is in his fourth year as New Bern head coach. “These kids were freshmen when I came in, now they’re seniors," said Campbell. "It’ll be fun to see how far we can go at state”.
The Bears begin the Big Carolina Conference tournament Tuesday night against Northside-Jacksonville. The Sun Journal will post updates throughout the week on the Bears' conference tournament.
This article originally appeared on Sun Journal: New Bern Boys Basketball playing at uncharted level
