Imagine teaming with a longtime friend and cross-town rival for the first time in high school. What should be a dream season has taken on a bittersweet quality for two Greenies.
Dacen Petty ’26 and Mikey Wilkins ’25, both from Rutherford County (N.C.), are playing together at Christ School in revered memory of their late mentor, Larry Ross. He passed away in 2023 from medical complications that developed after a kidney transplant.
Ross was not only a successful coach for many years at East Rutherford High School; he founded the Forest City Heat AAU organization in 1998. Last year, he was inducted into the North Carolina AAU Hall of Fame. To hear Dacen and Mikey tell it, Ross was so much more than a coach or hometown hero to them and countless others. He instilled in youth the belief and work ethic to aspire for a Christ School mantra – the best versions of themselves.
Dacen (East Rutherford) and Mikey (R-S Central) were stars for opposing high schools before transferring here. But their friendship comes honestly and can be seen in the fact that Dacen and Mikey have similar handles on Instagram (@rockstarpop23 and @rockstarmikey_, respectively). They often hashtag some of their greatest moments with some variation of #ForLarry.
This includes when Mikey committed to N.C. State on Sept. 21 – the MVP of last year’s NCISAA 4-A state championship game leads the Greenies (23-2) this winter in scoring (15.0 points per game) and rebounds (8.0 rpg.). Dacen is emerging as a Division I prospect in his own right with averages of 11.6 ppg., 4.4 rpg., and 3.0 assists per game.
Christ School expects to be the No. 1 seed for the NCISAA 4-A state playoffs and receive a first-round bye. This means the team will be at home Friday against an opponent and at a time yet to be determined.