Vickery Creek Middle's 8th-grade boys basketball team competed against Riverwatch at the championship game of the Forsyth County tournament Jan. 28 at Denmark High.

It was the Vipers’ ability to convert free throws that aided them in winning the championship, 49-41.

“I played nine guys and I really felt our scoring was even,” Vickery Creek head coach Michael Cheek said on the victory. "A lot of guys contributing and overall didn’t have to rely on one guy to carry our team. We talked a lot about being connected and keeping them out of the paint."

The Vipers wanted to get the ball into the post due to having an advantage down low with their size. So they used a pick-n-roll offense to bully their opponents in the paint.

“We were executing it,” Cheek said. "We were doing what we planned on doing, though the ball wasn’t going in as much as we wanted in the first half, but getting the ball in the post and working inside out was key for us."

The Vipers had a one-point lead at halftime over the Panthers, however, in the third quarter Riverwatch took the lead.

The Vipers secured the victory by establishing separation, playing great defense and drawing fouls in the fourth quarter.