Observer staff report
The Ocracoke Dolphins boys’ varsity basketball team lost the first-round of the East Division 1A state tournament on Feb. 27 to the East Bladen Eagles (Elizabethtown, Bladen County), 52-39 in a home game that concluded their season.
The Dolphins are the Atlantic 1A conference champions with a 9-1 win-loss in the conference and an overall 19-6 for the season.
Head Coach Frank Brown was happy with the team’s work.
“The whole season was fantastic,” he said afterwards. “They played hard; they played together. I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
He noted the difference in school populations from which teams can be formed.
“What’s awesome to me is the amount of kids we got,” he said. “They have 400 (in the high school) and the (Ocracoke) boys told me we got 30.”
Gavin Elicker was the overall top point scorer with 11 points, followed by Danny Badillo with 8, Rahnier Lyons 6, Finn Kattenburg 6 and Noah O’Neal with 5.
Early in the game and to the roar of the packed gym, Badillo got the first score on the board swishing a three-pointer.
In the first two quarters, the teams traded baskets, running neck and neck to stand one point apart at halftime at 22 Dolphins, 23 Eagles.
But the Eagles, physically larger, were able to control the tempo in the second half and used a relentless defense that kept the Dolphins’ excellent three-point shooters outside of their shooting range.
Eagles coach Aking Elting said it was his first playoff win in his career.
“We played a good team tonight, and I’m proud of my boys,” he said.
A few of the Dolphins sat in their golf carts outside the school afterwards commiserating.
“We should have played harder defense,” Gavin Elicker said. “Our defense fell apart in the second half.”
“We didn’t handle No. 2 very well,” Finn Kattenburg said.
He was referring to Dominick Collins, who scored 11 points, second to Rodney Lacewell, who scored 13 points. Lacewell was the big man on the court at 6’7.
“You guys were super fun to watch,” said one passerby, summing up the Dolphins’ season.
A few days earlier, the Dolphins beat Bear Grass Charter, avenging their only conference loss with a decisive 61-42 tournament victory over the Bears in Columbia.
The boys’ varsity team is already looking forward to having a successful next season losing just one player, senior Rahnier Lyons, who left the last game with a minute remaining to a standing ovation.
Lady Dolphins
This was a rebuilding season for Coach Meredith Wynn’s varsity Lady Dolphins. By the end of the season, the team had only seven suited players. In one game, Ocracoke was down to four players due to fouls and in a sign of good sportsmanship, the coach of the Mattamuskeet Lady Lakers pulled a player to even up the sides.
The girls won two non-conference games, while going 0-8 in the conference. But they never gave up. Senior Marilyn Monter and freshman Jami Martinez were the leading scorers.
Richard Taylor contributed to this story.
Finn Kattenburg goes for a shot. Photo by Ben Knight 
Three points! Photo: C. Leinbach 
Ocracoke students set up a mock ESPN table at the game. Photo by Ben Knight 
Landon Fuller takes a shot. Photo: C. Leinbach 
Cheerleaders bring pep to the Feb. 27 game. Photo by Ben Kinght 
Rahnier Lyons tries to grab the ball. Photo by Ben Knight
