ROANOKE, Va. – On the high school hardwoods, the Northside boys continue to redefine “consistency”. For the 11th consecutive year, the program has reached the VHSL state tournament.
The Vikings are on a mission to win their third consecutive state title and helping lead the charge is the dynamic duo of seniors Mykell Harvey and Cy Hardy. Their chemistry on the court is hard to stop.
Hardy recently became Northside’s all-time leading scorer during the Region 3D tournament. The humble senior gives credit to his team but just as important--his dad.
“That’s my biggest fan, but also my biggest hater,” Hardy said of his dad Jermaine Hardy. Jermaine had his own solid career on the football field at William Fleming before going on to play at UVA and even a brief stint in the NFL. “Yeah, I love that man to death. This team is just like a family, and we love every one of our players. Every day in class, we preach to each other that we want to win, and we want to go for it all.”
“What he’s done, his overall record is just amazing,” said Northside head coach Bill Pope. “The last few years, what he’s done, but I think there’s a bigger picture, too, between him and Mykell. “The fact that they have been able to work together so well, complement each other so well. A lot of people can think, ‘Well, that just happens.’ That doesn’t just happen. Those guys have to be really unselfish, putting the team first. And I just really am amazed by the two of them and how they just keep working together and taking us to new heights.”
“Me and him have been playing together for so long, like seven years,” Harvey said. “So, we just know that we just want to come out, be humble, be feisty, and be greedy at the same time.
That same attitude will likely be on display Tuesday night when Northside opens state tournament play against Western Albemarle in the quarterfinals at 7 p.m.