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This story is updated to include info on location of Saturday’s Eastern championship game

WINDSOR – Bertie High School’s varsity boys have earned a berth in the NCHSAA Class 1A Eastern State Championship game.

The top-seeded Falcons (now 26-4 overall) edged Northampton High School, 53-49, here last night (Tuesday) in the semifinal round. They will meet second-seeded Wilson Prep (25-7 overall) at 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 4 in the Eastern Regional Championship game. As announced this morning (Wednesday) by the NCHSAA, that game will be played at the South Johnston High School gym. That school is located on US 301 between Four Oaks and Benson.

On Tuesday, the Falcons got off to a slow start, trailing 12-7 at the end of the first quarter.

Bertie combined for 27 points over the next two periods, but still trailed 36-34 entering the fourth quarter. There, the Falcons were able to outscore their guests, 19-13, to seal their spot in the Eastern Regional championship game.

There were no individual stats available from the game.

Another local team found themselves in the Eastern semifinals (Class 2A) on Tuesday as third-seeded Hertford County traveled to second-seeded Goldsboro High School. There, the Bears saw their outstanding season come to an end as they suffered a 77-60 setback.

The Bears got as close as two (26-24) in the second period, but Goldsboro closed the quarter on a 13-4 run to lead 39-28 at halftime.

The Bears only trailed by six (50-44) late in the third quarter and remained within striking distance (59-55) early in the fourth quarter. But the host team scored 14 of the game’s next 15 points to pull away from the Bears.

Hertford County – champions of the Northeastern Coastal Conference – finished its season at 24-5 overall.