By DAN BISER
Sports Editor

CERRO GORDO – Michael Powell knows that one thing a top-seeded team does not need in the opening round of the state playoffs is complacency.

“It was important to get off to a good start tonight,” said Powell, the veteran head coach of the West Columbus High boys basketball team. “We didn’t need to come out struggling and get ourselves in an early rut.”

The Vikings heeded their coach’s feelings nicely on Monday night as they seized control in the first quarter behind the play of senior guard Chaz Everette and went on to defeat the visiting Lejeune Devilpups 81-51 in the opening round of the state 1A boys high school playoffs. The win put the Vikings’ season record at 22-3.

Everette scored 32 points, 20 in the first half, and also had seven rebounds, five assists and five steals before leaving the game with more than four minutes remaining. The Vikings led 25-11 after one quarter and never let their lead dip lower than 11 points in the second quarter. They led at the half 42-27 and opened the fourth quarter with a 14-0 run to make the score 74-42.

West Columbus played host to defending state 1A champion Wallace-Rose Hill Wednesday in the second round of the playoffs (see result in A-section).

Mikey Bilal scored 10 points and had seven rebounds for the Vikings, who put 12 players in the scoring column.

“We were able to work a lot of people into the game,” Coach Powell said. “Our bench play was good. Chaz Everette had another big game, giving us a lot of leadership.”

Lejuene, a member of the Coastal Plains 1A Conference, closed its season with an 8-16 record. The Onslow County squad, which had no senior players, was paced by center Curtis Brooks, who finished with 19 points.

LEJEUNE (51): Jones 8, Etienne 5, Brooks 19, Reed 8, Davis 9, Harris 2.

WEST COLUMBUS (81): Bilal 10, Hope 2, Smith 6, Ward 6, Legget 2, Hayes 7, Everette 32, Snowten 3, Cisneros 2, Stephens 8, Vereen 2, Bullock 10