I need a baseball scrimmage on Monday or Tuesday next week, I had a team to cancel. Call me 252-266-7740

Thank you, Ronnie Beddingfield

PD Boys Basketball has an opening for one (1) team to complete its six (6) team field for the November 18th CHARGER SHOWCASE at Providence Day School. The current field includes: Cary Academy, Grace Christian (Raleigh), Grace Christian (Sanford), Providence Day, and Victory Christian. Contact ron.johnson@providenceday.org if interested.

The 2023 Samaritan's Feet Barefoot Classic recently had a team drop out of its December 9, 2023 event. The event includes four (4) Boys teams and four (4) Girls teams competing in a one day event. The Classic is being held in Charlotte at Providence Day School. While the Girls field of teams is set, the Boys are in need of one (1) team to complete its field. The participating boys teams include: Concord Academy, Northside Christian Academy, and Providence Day School. Please contact Ron Johnson at 845-240-0541, or ron.johnson@providenceday.org if you are interested in participating.

We are looking for a game April 10-14th. We are willing to travel. We had a team cancel on us.

Please email me if you are interested. jrybak@calvaryday.school.

Thanks,
Joe Rybak

FYI---This message board is shutting down as of April 1. I can no longer start or reply to posts on this site & despite several appeals to Rivals.com nothing has been done to correct this problem. I can only access BY editting on some else's post, so we have started a new, free site on Facebook---NC Private and Christian School Sports---This is free to all--
Mike Williams..eastern

O’NEAL 16 HARRELLS 9
ONS : 1-7-0-0-6-2-0---16
HCA : 2-0-2-3-0-2-0---9
WP—Jacob Bates
ONS—Will Slagle 3-4, Aaron Pavolich 3-5, Ricky Mullis 2-3, Jacob Shepard 2-5, Jacob Bates 2-5, A.Pavolich 1-2, Pashley 1-4
O’NEAL 3-2 HARRELLS 1-4

Westchester baseball falls in extras against Wayne
Michael Lindsay | Enterprise Sports Writer

HIGH POINT – Westchester Country Day put itself in position for a big win. But Wayne Country Day instead outmaneuvered it at the last moment.

The Wildcats led into the bottom of the seventh. But the Chargers scored in each of the final two innings to defeat Westchester 4-3 in eight innings on a rainy midday matchup Saturday at High Point University’s Williard Stadium.

“I thought we played well – there’s a reason why those guys are so good,” Westchester coach Rob Woodall said. “You’re going to be in a tight game with them every time. They do everything really, really well. Their pitching, hitting and defense is just spot-on. They have a tremendous program over there.

“We were working on a few things in practice leading up to this, and everything we were working on they executed today. So, I was really proud of them from that standpoint. It’s just a really good baseball game. I hate that somebody had to lose that kind of game, but that’s what it was.”

Tate Vogler had two hits and two RBIs to lead the Wildcats (4-3), who upset Wayne Christian in last year’s semifinals to reach the NCISAA 2A championship series. Josh Hammond also had two hits, including a double, and an RBI.

Caleb Hammond, a senior outfielder who is also a High Point University recruit, added a double as Westchester scored three straight runs in the middle innings to rally from a two-run deficit and led by a run heading to the sixth.

But the Chargers – led by Davis Albert, who doubled, and Sterling Bass with a hit and an RBI each – scratched across a run in the seventh to tie the game and another in the eight to pull ahead, scoring each run without a hit.

Wayne Christian (8-4), which won the state championship in 2021, led off the sixth with a walk and scored the run on a groundout and reached in the seventh with a hit-by-pitch and plated the run on a wild pitch.

Tate Volger took the loss in relief. He took over in the seventh for Ryan Engle, who pitched well in relief of Josh Hammond. Josh Hammond, a sophomore right-hander who is also a Wake Forest recruit, struck out five in four innings.

Braeden Collins picked up the win, pitching two hitless innings.

The Wildcats, after trailing 2-0 in the second, answered with two runs in the third – highlighted by a two-run single by Vogler – and pulled ahead with an RBI single by Josh Hammond in the fifth. That gave Westchester a 3-2 lead, which it held into the seventh.

The response was good after falling behind, Woodall said.

“It was huge – we talked about just being able to trust the guy behind you,” he said. “And even if you do mess up, the guy behind you has your back. And they showed that with their at-bats and even with their pitching and out in the field.

“We talked a lot about that this week leading up to this and we executed everything we talked about. So I can’t be upset with what they did from that standpoint.”

The Chargers put two on with no outs in the seventh, however, moving the runners over and eventually scoring on a one-out groundout, and again put the leadoff runner on in the seventh, moving him over and scoring on a pair of pitches to the backstop.

Westchester, which put a runner on base with two out in the seventh, just couldn’t answer. But it’s the kind of position the Wildcats want to be in and learn from as they head into the heart of PTAC play and eventually into the NCISAA 2A playoffs.

“I hope we do,” Woodall said of the possibility of facing Wayne again later in the season. “I want to play those guys again for sure. We continue to challenge and make ourselves better on a daily basis.

“And that’s what this game basically shows us. If we do that, then we’re going to be able to play with a lot of really good teams. We’ve got a tough road coming up – we’ve got our conference play coming up and a lot of 3A and 4A teams coming at us.

“From a challenge standpoint they’ve got to take it head-on and these guys like to do that.”


WAYNE COUNTRY DAY 4, WESTCHESTER COUNTRY DAY 3

WAYNE 020 000 11 – 4 5 0
WESTCHESTER 002 010 00 – 3 5 1

WP – Collins (2IP, 3K, 1BB, 0H, 0R); LP – Vogler (2IP, 1K, 0H, 1R, 2WP, HBP)

Leading hitters: Wayne – Davis (1-3, 2B, RBI), Bass (1-3, RBI), G. Johnson (1-3, 2B), Collins (2-3) ; Westchester – J. Hammond (2-3, 2B, RBI), Vogler (2-4, 2RBI), C. Hammond (1-3, 2B)

Westchester soccer tops crosstown rival HPCA
Michael Lindsay | Enterprise Sports Writer

HIGH POINT – A strong start helped lift Westchester Country Day to a rivalry win.
The Wildcats scored three times in the first half – including twice just under a minute apart – and held on to beat crosstown rival High Point Christian 3-0 in PTAC girls soccer on a warm, sunny Friday afternoon at Westchester’s Kennedy Field.
“We played well,” said Westchester coach McKenzie Miller, in her first season leading the program. “It’s fun to see how they battle against a team they have a lot of history with. So, I think they worked super hard.
“Unfortunately we had a lot of players coming in and out with some injuries. But everybody who stepped on the field or was even on the side was giving everything they had. It was definitely a team effort, so I’m very proud of them.”
Ashlyn Rives, Lucy Larkin Heard and Lauren Melton each scored for the Wildcats (3-1-1 overall, 1-0 conference). Natalie Seperteladze added an assist as Westchester, seeming to have the edge in experience, controlled sizable chunks of first-half play.
“It was really nice,” said Heard, a senior. “This is the first time we’ve beaten them in soccer my whole high school career. So it definitely is good to win once.”
Westchester – which finished with a 17-6 advantage in shots, including 14-3 in the first half – gained the lead in the 11th minute. Off a throw-in from the left sideline, the ball moved amongst a crowd toward the middle and found Rives – who turned and shot.
The Wildcats added scores in the 33rd minute when Heard controlled a ball ahead, broke through the defense and scored and again in the 34th minute when the ball moved out to the right then came back to Melton in the middle for a quick shot.
“We definitely connected a lot of good passes,” Heard said. “We got into a good groove, and we could slip balls through their back line and people could run onto them. It was amazing. It was a good feeling going into halftime that much up.
“It’s been a good year so far,” she said, looking at the season overall. “I think we’re going to continue growing. We have a lot of younger players starting, but I think we’re going to continue getting better and better.”
The Cougars had sporadic opportunities, particularly early in the first half and during a fairly even, back-and-forth second half. But, with nearly a dozen players on their roster who are sophomores or younger, they’re still learning and growing early in the season.
“We’re missing 14 players from last year’s team,” HPCA coach Austin Beck said. “A really significant class graduated, so we’re really building. But the girls have gotten better every single game.
“We’re just building on that and really learning each other – it’s basically a brand-new team. But it’s coming together and they’re working hard. The culture and environment are really good. So, we take it a day at a time and try to be better than yesterday.”
Rachel Hester made nine saves in goal for the Cougars (0-5, 0-1), who will host Asheville Christian on Tuesday. Anna Beth Merritt made one save for Westchester, which will visit Greensboro Day on Tuesday.
The teams are scheduled to meet again May 2 at Correll-Morris Field.
“It’s great,” Miller said. “As we continue to play more and more games, I think you can really see how we’re combining as a team, getting some combinations on the field. They’re taking things they’re learning in practice and putting into the game – and that’s all a coach can ask for,” she said with a smile.
“I’m very proud to see the progress we continue to make with every game we play.”
mlindsay@hpenews.com | @HPEmichael

Big innings, clutch pitching deliver Lady Chargers’ third win
By Andrew Schnittker aschnittker@wilsontimes.com

Behind a four-run fourth inning and strong pitching from the duo of Alivia Hurteau and Stevie Cressione, the Wilson Christian softball team survived some shaky infield defense for an 8-6 victory over visiting Wake Christian on Friday evening.
The NCCSA 2-A East Region Lady Chargers, who improved to 3-3 on the season, took a 7-2 lead through four innings before the 3-A Bulldogs of the NCISAA 2-A/3-A Capital City Conference (0-2) took advantage of some WCA miscues to make it a one-run game. An insurance run and 1 2/3 innings save from sixth grader Stevie Cressione, however, allowed Wilson Christian to close out the victory.
“It was a good win for us,” said Wilson Christian head coach Carrie Reynell. “We are young. We’re inexperienced in several positions. I know it’s tough for a couple of my older and more experienced girls to see some of those errors, but it’s good that they can get behind them and help them out, and for the younger ones to push through, finish and not let the errors take over and implode.”
Hurteau made the start in the circle and allowed just one earned run on six hits in 5 1/3 innings while striking out three and walking three. Cressione did not allow a base runner while notching one strikeout for her save.
“We’re literally riding those two arms,” Reynell said. “Alivia’s got to shoulder a lot of it. She’s obviously more experienced and she’s going to see a lot of innings for us. I’m really proud of how she digs down. … We’re looking for more good things from her, and Stevie too. She’s young, and that sometimes works to her advantage. She sometimes doesn’t she the magnitude, which is good. She just gets into game mode.”
With the Lady Chargers up 3-2 entering the bottom of the fourth, an offensive barrage broke the game open. After Maddi Pittman reached second on an error to lead off the inning, Allie Miller, who finished the game with two hits, moved her to third with a single.
A single from Cassidy Reynell, sacrifice fly from Holland Miller, triple from Hurteau and single from Emma Mercer plated four more runs, giving the Lady Chargers a 7-2 lead.
“We work really hard on plate approaches and game situations, trying to work through those,” Carrie Reynell said. “And so I think they did a good job of making adjustments the second and third time through the lineup, making those adjustments at the plate like we needed to.”
WCA would need every single one of those runs, as, aided by a slew of Lady Chargers errors, the Bulldogs plated three runs to make it a one-run game.
“We’re young and inexperienced, so the more reps we can get and the more situations we can see, the better we can be down the run,” Carrie Reynell said. “We try to get a tough schedule at the beginning, because we want to take those lumps, take those hits and learn from it so that we can be ready for the playoffs and the end of the season.”
Wake scored another unearned run in the top of the sixth to make it 7-6, and, with a runner on second and one out, Reynell turned to Cressione.
“I was thinking, ‘I’ve got to get this done,’” Cressione said. “It has to be strikes at this point.”

Two sharply caught flyouts, one from Pittman in center field and one from Emma Mercer at first, ended the threat, kept WCA ahead and soothed concerns about the defense.
“They all have the mentality that if they mess up, they’ve got to shake it off and do it again,” Hurteau said. “Make a better play the next time. They’ll have their mental break downs some days, but they’ll come back. They know what they have to do.”
Miller doubled, took third on the throw and came home on a wild pitch to lead off the bottom of the sixth, giving the Lady Chargers an insurance run before Cressione retired the side in the top of the seventh to close out the victory.
With the game tied at one in the bottom of the third, the Lady Chargers took a 3-1 lead as Hurteau doubled in Reynell and then came home on an error. The freshman starting pitcher also made her mark at the plate, with a double, triple, two RBIs and two runs scored.
“It felt good for me individually and as a team,” Hurteau said. “It should feel good to everyone. Every single person put in the work to get those runs.”
The Lady Chargers will host NCCSA 2-A East Region foe Liberty Christian on Monday as a young group looks to keep building together.
“We can work on our errors and, as a team, we can just get better,” Hurteau said.
Score by innings:
Wake Christian 001 131 0 — 0
Wilson Christian 012 401 x — 0
WP-Alivia Hurteau 5 1/3 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K. LP-Mayken Lynette 6 IP, 11 H, 8 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 9 K. S-Stevie Cressione 1 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K.
LEADING HITTERS — Wake Christian: Claire Chandler 2-4, 2B, R; Chloe Williams 2-3, RBI; Mayken Lynette 1-4, 2B, R. Wilson Christian: Alivia Hurteau 2-4, 3B, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI; Cassidy Reynell 2-4, 2B, 2 R, RBI; Allie Miller 2-4, 2 R; Holland Miller 1-3, 2B, RBI.

OAKWOOD 2 FAITH CHRISTIAN 0
FCS : 0-0---0
OWS : 0-2---2
OWS—Goals : Macey Robinette 2
FAITH 2-5 OAKWOOD 3-0

FREEDOM CHRISTIAN 28 NORTHWOOD TEMPLE 0

Victoria Bryant was brilliant on the rubber on Thursday, as Bryant threw a no-hitter to lead Freedom Christian Academy Varsity softball past Northwood Temple Academy. She allowed one walk against 13 k’s in her 5 innings of work.
Bryant helped her own cause offensively by driving in five runs with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate. She drove in runs on a double in the first, a single in the second, a walk in the second, a wild pitch in the third, and a walk in the fourth.
Freedom exploded for 12 runs in the second inning. Freedom Christian Academy Varsity Patriots. Rylan Miller, Bryant, Savannah Graham, Ruby Minshew, Kaylee Powell, and Savannah Weaver, all drove in runs.
KK Swinson, Minshew, Jamison Fetters, Bryant, Kaylee Powell, and Caroline Powell all had multiple hits for Freedom. Swinson went 4-for-5 at the plate to lead the Patriots in hits.

HPCA dominates in clash of state softball heavyweights
• By GREER SMITH ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER
WALLBURG — High Point Christian handily defeated Charlotte Christian in a battle of defending NCISAA softball champions Thursday at Wallburg Baptist Church.

HPCA, last year’s 3A champ, came alive offensively in the fourth inning and Lexi Hall carried a no-hit shutout into the seventh inning as the Cougars prevailed 6-1 as the Knights, last year’s 4A title winner, suffered their first defeat of the young season.

“This was really big,” HPCA head coach Lin Hayworth said. “They are a great team. They got some great hitters, great players. You saw a couple of plays their shortstop made and then the bomb she hit. They’re really good. We’re just trying to compete and trying to get better. And we’ve been fortunate so far.”

Hall allowed just three baserunners (two on errors and one on a walk) until Knight shortstop Anna Hinde, one of the best players in the state, broke up the no-hitter by sending a drive over the leftfield fence with one out in the seventh. Hall then served up her second walk and ended the game with her ninth strikeout.

“Lexi was really good tonight and you’ve got to be good to keep that team from scoring more than one run,” Hayworth said. “They are solid offensively and defensively.”

HPCA (6-1) scored three runs in the fourth and two in the fifth after starting both innings with a pair of singles and tallied once in the sixth, all against Morgan Banks, who went the distance as the Knights dropped to 3-1.

Hall went 2 for 3 with a run and a RBI. Maci Burkhart and Blakely Bowman each went 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored. Mary Douglas Hayworth was 1 for 3 with a run. Lila Allred was 1 for 2 with an RBI and a walk, and Hailey Allred drove in a run.

“We adjusted to what she’s throwing and sometimes that doesn’t work, but it did today,” Hayworth said. “But that pitcher is good. She keeps you off balance. We were fortunate.”

Burkhart and Hall started the fourth with singles. Burkhart scored when a throw home on a fielder’s choice sailed high. Hailey Allred then lofted a sacrifice fly that scored Hall, and Lila Allred laced a single that scored Lauren Sexton.

Bowman and Hayworth started the seventh with singles, putting runners on the corners, Burkhart lifted a sacrifice fly that scored Bowman, and Hall followed with a single that scored Hayworth.

In the sixth, Lila Allred led off with a walk and was replaced by courtesy runner Noelle Sharp, who went to second on a wild pitch, stole third and scored on Bowman’s single.

The Cougars committed two errors but helped Hall by turning two double plays for the second straight game. The second out in the second double-play was the result of tagging the runner at second after she failed to stop on the bag.

HPCA plays host to Charlotte Latin today and travels to rival Wesleyan Christian on Monday.

JOHN PAUL 7 FREEDOM CHRISTIAN 6
FCA : 0-0-0-0-6-0-0---6
JPC—0-0-3-1-0-0-3---7
WP—James Donofrio
JPC—Axel Keller 2-4, James Donofrio 2-4, Nike Wiggins 2-4, Shaw 1-3, Winkler 1-4
FCA 4-6 JPC 6-3

Wesleyan baseball falls 1-0 against Charlotte Christian
Michael Lindsay | Enterprise Sports Writer

HIGH POINT — A play made here or an opportunity missed there often determines tight games between good teams like Wesleyan Christian and Charlotte Christian.
This time was no different.
The Trojans narrowly missed out on scoring a run in the bottom of the fifth and the Knights broke through with the lone run of the game in the top of the sixth to win Tuesday’s clash of baseball powers 1-0 at Wesleyan’s baseball field.
Before the game, Wesleyan honored Charlotte Christian and longtime coach Greg Simmons, who recently died of lung cancer, with a flag it flew in Simmons’ memory.
“Iron sharpens iron,” Wesleyan coach Mo Blakeney said. “I made this schedule extremely hard because I want to challenge our guys, because we feel like we have one of the better teams in the state. This one game isn’t going to deter us from that — that’s a good ballclub over there.
“Would we have liked to have won this one tonight? Sure. Losing this one 1-0 — we’re right there in the ballgame. So, we’re going to build from it. It’s the beginning of the year, so we’re going to continue to get more at-bats under our belt and keep battling. Because we know, at the end of the day, we’ll be there at the end.”
All three pitchers were outstanding — Charlotte Christian’s Wesley Jones pitched a complete game, striking out 11 while allowing just one hit, no walks and two hit batters; Wesleyan’s Sam Cozart struck out 11 while scattering three hits and allowing no walks and one hit better in six innings, and Hudson Lance struck out all three batters he faced.
The Trojans (3-1), perennial contenders in the NCISAA 4A, had a strong opportunity to grab the lead in the fifth when Grayson McDonald one-hopped a double off the center-field wall and moved to third when Will Papciak laid down a sacrifice bunt.
But a groundout and a strikeout ended the threat without a run.
In the next half-inning, the Knights (6-4) reached on an infield single between first and second, advanced to second on a pitch to the backstop and beat out a close play at third following an infield grounder.
With runners on first and third and one out, Charlotte Christian plated a run on a bloop single into shallow right field by Drew Beard.
“Like I told the guys earlier — the team that makes the least mistakes is going to win the game. And that’s what happened,” Blakeney said. “We had a situation with a runner at third base and less than two outs. And we just didn’t get the job done. I think if we get the job done there, it might be a different ballgame.”
The one run was enough for the Knights — the reigning 4A state champions and familiar foes for Wesleyan late in the state playoffs. Charlotte Christian with just three hits, while the Trojans had just one. Just five runners combined reached scoring position — and just three after a somewhat eventful first inning.
Wesleyan plays again today at Providence Day.
mlindsay@hpenews.com | @HPEmichael
CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN 1, WESLEYAN CHRISTIAN 0
CC 000 001 0 – 1 3 0
WCA 000 000 0 – 0 1 1
WP – Jones (7IP, 11K, 0BB, 1H, 0R, 2HBP); LP – Cozart (6IP, 11K, 0BB, 3H, 1R, WP, HBP)
Leading hitters: CC – Beard (1-3, RBI), Davis (2-3); WCA – McDonald (1-3, 2B)

VILLAGE CHRISTIAN 0 BEREAN BAPTIST 0
BBA : 0-0---0
VCA : 6-3---9
VCA—Goals : Kinsley Purser 5, Isabella Rietkerk 2, Powers, Ferrell—Assists : Reese Ferrell 2, Rietkerk, Musser, Luper, Powers
BBA 1-4 VCA 2-3

HARRELLS 11 FAITH CHRISTIAN 5
HCA : 1-1-1-5-0-1-2---11-13-9
FCS : 0-0-2-3-0-0---5-6-3
LP—Emma Cate Griffin
FCS—Lizzie Camp 2-4
HARRELLS 3-1 FAITH 2-4

WESLEYAN CHRISTIAN, ASHEVILLE CHRISTIAN
HIGH POINT – Wesleyan Christian beat Asheville Christian 12-6 in baseball Thursday at Wesleyan’s baseball field.
Christian Walker had two hits and three RBIs to lead the Trojans (3-0). Hudson Lance added a hit and three RBIs, while Myles Crocker had two hits and two RBIs and Nick Papciak had two hits and one RBI.
Grayson McDonald struck out five in four innings on the mound.

Cougars edge Randleman in baseball showdown
Michael Lindsay | Enterprise Sports Writer Mar 18, 2023 Updated 3 hrs ago

THOMASVILLE – There wasn’t a huge amount of difference between top-level teams like High Point Christian and Randleman. But the Cougars made it work nonetheless.

HPCA scratched across a run in the second inning, Dylan Story and Bryson King combined for 10 strikeouts and that was enough to edge powerhouse Randleman 1-0 in the HiToms Varsity Classic baseball showcase Saturday afternoon at Finch Field.

“Coach Jake Smith runs a great program and they’ve got great players, so we like to play teams like that,” Cougars coach Corey Gesell said. “We feel like it’s going to make us better. I’m not worried as much about wins and losses as I am about playing against good teams to help us get better.

“We’re glad to be able to play them on a day like today at Finch with a lot of people here. I told my team it’s like a state playoff type of atmosphere. And this is what we have to get used to if we want to go far in the playoffs.”

Nolan Flemming doubled and scored a run for HPCA (7-0), the reigning NCISAA 3A state champion. Jake Dunlap also had a double, while Evan Goodwin and Jacob Fleming each added a hit as the Cougars took advantage of a limited number of scoring chances.

Dylan Story struck out eight of the 17 batters he faced on the mound, allowing just one hit. In a tight, competitive game he was spot-on – allowing just two batters to reach in five innings and only one to move into scoring position in the fourth.

Bryson King retired all six batters he faced, striking out two, in earning the save.

“It felt great,” said Story, a senior right-handed pitcher. “Another solid team we’re put up against – we’re a solid team, they’re a solid team. They just won a state championship last year. It just feels good to get out here and get a victory.

“Everything – everything was working for me. It’s awesome, especially with the guys out here, just having fun. It’s a big boost for us. Randleman’s always a team everyone’s talking about beating. It doesn’t happen often, so we came out and showed off today.”

Austin Lemons had the lone hit for the Tigers (6-2), the reigning NCHSAA 2A state champions. Chesney Welch took the pitching loss, despite throwing very well – allowing just five hits while striking out five.

The Cougars had a couple chances to tack onto their lead – narrowly missing out on bases loaded with two outs in the third and just barely getting thrown out at the plate in the fifth. But the one run was enough for a solid win against a good opponent.

“We feel like if we can keep guys off base by not walking them, then a team has to get two or three hits to score a run,” Gesell said. “And when we make good pitches it makes it difficult. So, that’s been our emphasis – not walking guys.

“And when you face good teams, like Randleman is, you don’t get too many opportunities. Their pitcher did a whale of a job keeping us off-balance all day. So, we didn’t have too many good at-bats against him. But we were able to scrape across that one run – our hitters came through in the clutch, so I’m proud of them.”

HPCA will return to action Monday at Reagan.

mlindsay@hpenews.com | @HPEmichael

HIGH POINT CHRISTIAN 1, RANDLEMAN 0

RHS 000 000 0 – 0 1 1

HPCA 010 000 X – 1 5 0

WP – Story (5IP, 1BB, 1H, 0R); LP – Welch (6IP, 5K, 5H, 1R, WP); SV – King (2IP, 2K, 0BB, 0H, 0R)

Leading hitters: Randleman – Lemons (1-3), Riddle (0-2, BB); HPCA – Flemming (1-2, 2B, R), Dunlap (1-2, BB), Goodwin (1-2), Fleming (1-2)

HPCA 7-0

HIGH POINT CHRISTIAN, WEST STOKES
WALLBURG – High Point Christian topped West Stokes 7-4 in nonconference softball Thursday at Wallburg Baptist Church.
Lauren Sexton and Laci Jarrell each hit two hits, including a triple, and two RBIs to lead the Cougars (4-1), who led 6-0 through three innings. Hailey Allred also had a triple and two RBIs, Kerri Langfitt added a double.
Lexi Hall got the pitching win, striking out nine in 6 2/3 innings.

High Five: Knights senior joins select group Published 8:56 am Friday, March 17, 2023 By stevebarnes

Despite not having chain mail hanging in his garage, Hayden Bowen is a Knight through and through, as in kindergarten through 12th grade. Bowen and basketball teammate Levi Van Staalduinen are the only two seniors remaining from the class that started 13 years ago.

After not playing much his first two years, Bowen joined the career 1,000 point club late in his final year. He’s also a Beta Club straight A student and a member of the school’s leadership team.

What are your thoughts on scoring 1,000 career points?

Hayden: If you had asked me in 8th grade if it would happen, I would have said there’s no way it’s happening. We had a lot of older guys my first two years and our team was really good, so I barely saw the floor. I started my sophomore year and did okay, but decided I wanted to really work to do my best my last two years. Getting to the 1,000 point level made it all worth it.

What did you do to improve?

Hayden: I’ve always liked basketball, but I spent a lot more time in the gym working on my shot. I shot a lot at Athletic Edge and Fitness Unlimited in Washington, some at school and a lot in my backyard. My three point shot got a lot better and these past two seasons have been a lot more fun.

Describe your approach as you got closer to 1,000 points.

Hayden: I’ve always tried to use whatever talent I have to help our team. My role has changed every year as older players leave, so scoring was what I needed to do to help us win. I basically got to 1,000 in two years, so I knew it was coming. It happened during the first quarter of our conference tournament game against Albemarle at Northeast Academy. I had 14 points in the quarter and I think 1,000 came on the layup. I finished with 36 and we won, so it was pretty cool.

What are your plans after graduation?

Hayden: I’ve been accepted to East Carolina, but am waiting to hear from North Carolina St. I’d like to go there for Mechanical Engineering. I’ve always enjoyed being creative and designing things. I enjoy the design process, but am not sure what career path I will take. I need to get in, then graduate from here and the rest will fall into place.

Are you rooting for the Wolfpack in the men’s basketball tournament?

Hayden: Yes. Me, my dad and my oldest brother are N.C. St. fans, but my mom and middle brother are UNC fans. It was a tough y

Crossroads' Henderson signs with University of Lynchburg
By Kellen Holtzman kholtzman@hendersondispatch.com; 252-436-2831 Mar 17, 2023 Updated 4 hrs
HENDERSON — One of the most wonderful times of the year is upon the Crossroads Christian boys basketball program.

There’s a short window in between the end of the season and the start of spring workouts. That’s the time where Colts players announce or finalize their college decisions.

On Wednesday, John Henderson Jr. started off the interval by signing a letter of intent to join the University of Lynchburg men’s basketball program. Three of his teammates will follow his lead in the coming weeks in making their own declarations official.

“It’s the best,” Crossroads coach Scottie Richardson said of being able to celebrate his players’ college choices during this time frame.

Henderson was joined at the signing ceremony by his teammates as well as his parents Nakia and John Sr., grandparents Wayne and Pearlene Yancey, and personal trainer Gerroid Doughty.

The Colts are coming off a 26-8 campaign in which they finished unbeaten in conference play and reached the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 1A semifinals for the second season in a row, led by Henderson, a dynamic 6-foot-6 guard/forward who earned all-state honors in consecutive years.

“He was the player of the year in the conference,” Richardson said, “which is the first one we’ve had here since I’ve been here. But just what he did to sacrifice his own stats this year for the betterment of the team — that was really the takeaway. Because if he wanted to, he could have had those 30 and 40 point games, but he only averaged about 16 points a game — which is remarkable — but that just shows you how much he was able to be a team player and we were able to go as far as we did.”

The season also included big local wins over Henderson Collegiate and Vance County High, and invitations to statewide showcases, like the Hoop State MLK Day Showcase at N.C. High School Athletic Association 2A powerhouse Farmville Central. There, the Colts took down a strong Greene Central team that finished its season 23-7.

Henderson led Crossroads in 3-point shooting percentage, was second in steals and assists, and right alongside D’Markus Tucker as the top rebounder.

Henderson and Tucker will become league rivals on the next level in the Division III Old Dominion Athletic Conference; Tucker is headed to Averett University in Danville, Virginia.

The ODAC is a tough league, won this season by reigning national champion Randolph-Macon College.

In his 15th season at Lynchburg, head coach Hilliary Scott, a longtime coaching peer of Richardson’s, is looking for Henderson to make a major impact with the Hornets.

“They like the way I play,” Henderson said. “I fit in with what they needed. They came out and watched my practices with the head coach, and to the games. They really love me.”

Richardson said he anticipates Lynchburg moving to more of a position-less, up-tempo style of play, which Henderson grew accustomed to in his two seasons with the Colts, and that Henderson was at the top of the Hornets’ recruiting board.


When it came down to making a decision, Scott’s staff showed Henderson the most “love.”

“I was happy for them as a staff,” Richardson said. “No offense to those that recruited him and offered him, but we just felt like, ‘Love who’s loving you,’ and that was a perfect fit.”

Spartans return to win column with convincing victory
• By Bryant Baucom bbaucom@hendersondispatch.com;
HENDERSON — Kerr Vance Academy continued its winning ways and improved to 2-2 on Thursday with a 10-0 victory over N.C. High School Athletic Association 1A opponent Oxford Prep.
An all-around effort from the Spartans gave them their third win all-time against the Griffins, as they snapped a two-game losing streak.
A three-run first inning provided all the run support head coach Mike Rigsbee’s squad would need. In their third straight road contest, KVA scored in all but two innings, including a five-run fifth inning to put the mercy rule within reach.
Sophomore Jack Wiggins controlled the contest on the mound for the Spartans, throwing a complete game and allowing just five hits over five innings. Wiggins struck out eight batters in the process and moved to 1-0 on the year.

With his most complete performance on the young season, Wiggins was impactful at the plate as well, recording a game-high two hits, including a double and two runs batted in. Freshman Ayden Devine also tallied two hits in the win, while joining fellow first year Evan Johnson with a game-high two runs batted in.
Seven different Spartans combined for nine hits, batting an impressive .346 on the afternoon with six players recording RBIs.

While youth can present roadblocks early on in a season, it has not only provided a bright future for KVA, but an exciting present as well. Eight of the nine starters for the Spartans are underclassmen, including a combined six freshmen and middle schoolers.
With the defeat, Oxford Prep is now 2-3 on the year and dropped their first game to KVA since 2019.

Sophomores Gage Hobgood and Hunter Woodlief each recorded a hit in the contest, joining freshman Jayce Elliot and junior Kaden Camp as the four Griffins to record a base knock.
Elliot began the game on the bump for Oxford Prep, striking out five and allowing three earned runs over four innings.
Defensive execution was the Achilles heel for the Griffins, as they committed five errors, leading to five unearned runs.
Kerr Vance returned to action on Friday with their conference opener against Faith Christian, while Oxford Prep is idle until a Wednesday meeting with Vance County.

Behind big games from Avery Williams and Chloe Howard, the Greenfield School girls soccer team came up with a well-earned, 4-1 victory over NCISAA 2-A/3-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference foe Epiphany at Forbes Field on Thursday.
The Knights, who improved to 4-3 on the season and started CPIC play 1-0, took a 2-0 halftime score before adding a pair of goals in the second half.
“I’m happy to have gotten a positive result against Buddy Carroll’s The Epiphany School,” emailed Greenfield head coach Randol Mendoza. “His teams are always highly motivated and organized. Tonight was no different. We were able to get goals at the beginning of each half but it proved difficult to break down due to their talented center back and goalkeeper, who had 13 saves tonight.”
Howard scored a pair of goals for Greenfield, while Williams notched a goal and two assists. Darcy Dean also scored for Greenfield, with an assist from Sydney Coolbaugh.

The Williams-Howard connection was ready to roll right out of the gate, with Howard scoring off assists from Williams in the first and seventh minutes of the game for the Knights’ 2-0 halftime lead.
Dean made it 3-0 just one minute into the second half, and Williams capped off the scoring with a right-footed shot from 6 yards out with three minutes left to play.
The Knights outshot Epiphany 17-4, and Jeallen Holland made four saves in goal.
“Our team chemistry continues to grow,” Mendoza said. “The partnership between Avery, Chloe and Darcy is getting more and more fluid with each game. TES presented challenges throughout the game, but our back line managed to hold them to only one goal.”
The Knights will look to make it a sweep of the Falcons with a trip to New Bern on Tuesday.

PROVIDENCE DAY 15 FRANKLIN ROAD ACADEMY Tn 1
FRA : 1-0-0-0-0-0-0---1-2-3
PDS : 5-3-1-1-05-x----15-12-2
WP—Case Gibbs
PDS—Jake Jeffries 2-3, Austin Ward 2-4, Austin Nelson 2-4, Phillips 1-1, Jackson 1-2,Dee 1-2, Nee 1-2, Shirey 1-3, Ziegler 1-4,
PDS 3-3

FAYETTEVILLE CHRISTIAN 5 BEREAN BAPTIST 1
FCS : 3-2---5
BBA : 1-0---1
FCS—Goals : Kaylie Restrepo 2, Wallace, Hefner, Teti—Assists : Autumn Barton 3, Restrepo 2
FCS 2-0 BBA 0-3