Kinston High School's Vikings brought a state title home Friday, rolling past Walkertown 80–54 in the NCHSAA 3A boys basketball championship at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh. Fans packed the arena, and the team returned to Kinston with the state trophy in hand, touching off celebrations across the community and marking a signature moment for the program and its supporters.
State Crown Sealed At Reynolds Coliseum
Per NCHSAA, Kinston is listed as the official 3A champion after the bracket wrapped up Friday. The association's championship pages show the Vikings navigating the East regional and finishing the job at the state finals to claim the title.
Final Score And The Game
As reported by MaxPreps, the championship matchup ended Kinston 80, Walkertown 54, locking in the win for the Vikings. The MaxPreps tournament page includes the bracket and game result that document the final scoreline.
How Kinston Got Here
Kinston reached the title game after a hard-earned East regional victory over Martin County, 73–62, earlier in the week, according to HighSchoolOT. "We talked about how hard it is to get to this point," coach Perry Tyndall told the site after the regional clincher, underscoring just how much work it took to even have a shot at the state crown.
Community Reaction
The Kinston Police Department posted public congratulations on Facebook and helped amplify the hometown celebration, with the department's message among the first official nods to the win, as seen in the embedded post above. Fans and alumni quickly flooded social media with photos, memories, and tributes, while local coverage pointed again to the program's deep history of state-tournament runs. See the full post from the Kinston Police Department.
A Storied Program Back On The Big Stage
Statewide coverage noted the Vikings' return to the title game after a gap since 2015, and outlets have highlighted Kinston's long tradition of success in boys basketball. For background on the team's run to the finals and the regional box score, see HighSchoolOT.
