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Christ School Grad Named to North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame

Christ School
59m ·
As hard as it is to imagine after all these years and success for Greenie basketball, the individual who still holds the school record for points in a game (48) actually made a bigger name for himself when his playing career ended.

Tom Suiter '67 retired from broadcast journalism in 2016. His career in front of the camera as a sportscaster for WRAL in Raleigh, N.C., spanned 45 years. He is credited with introducing the area's first nightly broadcast devoted entirely to high school football, "Football Friday."

Founded in 1981, an Extra Effort award given out by WRAL that bears Tom's name is still given out to this day.
Tom was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame last spring. He is also an Emmy Award winner, part of the Christ School Athletic Hall of Fame, N.C. High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame, North Carolina Broadcasters Hall of Fame, the Nash-Edgecombe County (N.C.) Hall of Fame, and the National Academy of Arts and Sciences Silver Circle.

Tom was named one of the top three local sportscasters in the country in 1987 and received a multitude of awards from the Associated Press and Radio-Television News Directors Association. Four years ago, he was given the state of North Carolina's highest civilian honor, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.

Tom averaged 24.5 points a game over the course of his junior and senior seasons at Christ School. He played a year of college basketball for Erskine (S.C.), before deciding to commit himself full-time to broadcasting.
Albert

Holiday Basketball Tournaments

Phenom Hoops Holiday Classic (boys) (at Cannon School) Dec 16

Dec 16
Charlotte Country Day vs. Virginia Episcopal, 6
Concord Academy vs. Forsyth Country Day, 7:30
Cannon School vs. Chambers, 9

Phenom Hoops Holiday Classic (boys) (at Cannon School) Dec 17

Calvary Day vs. Indian Land (SC), noon
Metrolina Christian vs. The Burlington School, 1:30
Gaston Christian vs. Virginia Episcopal, 3
United Faith Christian vs. Forsyth Country Day, 4:30
Concord Academy vs. Providence Day, 6
Carmel Christian vs. Mallard Creek, 7:30
Cannon School vs. Freedom, 9

Wayne Country Day Takes Mount Olive FCA Tournament Championship

Chargers claim title
By Rudy Coggins prepswriter@gmail.com


First-team all-tournament pick Carlos Vazquez tossed in eight of his team- and game-high 22 points in the fourth quarter, and helped Wayne Country Day secure its fourth Classic crown with a 78-56 win over Wayne Prep Academy.

Isaiah Thomas’ 3-pointer from the corner pulled WPA to within 49-48 in the final half minute of the third period.

WCDS senior Nayshin Waller, who was named Classic MVP, answered with a buzzer-beating shot to make it 51-48.

The Chargers took control in the final period with a 10-3 run that included baskets from Vazquez and Kayleb Cole. The Generals got a jumper from all-tournament pick Donte Shuford and a free throw from Jaquan Green during that stretch.

“Let’s get some stops, guys,” first-year WCDS head coach Jeff Davis shouted from the bench. “Don’t gamble, play defense.”

Vazquez’s transition basket and Zane Cogdell’s uncontested layup off Coles’ midourt steal ignited a game-ending 17-2 run. Cogdell finished with eight points for WCDS, which has won all five meetings against Wayne Prep.

Waller and Coles provided 19 and 13 points, respectively.

Thomas pumped in 14 for the Generals, who fell in the Classic championship for the third consecutive year. Tufts, an all-tournament pick, scored 13 points along with Jaquan Green.

CHRISTMAS EVE BOYS BASKETBALL ROUNDuP

GREENFIELD 88 TRINITY ACADENY 65
Trinity 17 21 23 10 — 65
Greenfield 21 23 20 24 — 88
TRINITY ACADEMY (65) Becker, Barrett 8, Vanderhorst 10, Tucker 2, Kirby, Bye 26, J. Anderson, Peters 15, Mills, Young, C. Anderson 2, Jeffries, Bertolini-Felice 2.
GREENFIELD (88) K. Edwards 9, N. Edwards 7, Kirby 12, Atkinson 17, H. Evans 19, Sherrod, Adair 16, C. Evans 5, Lucas, Baptiste 2, Wright, Willem-Tewes 1.

CHARLOTTE OBSERVER SWEET 16 BASKETBALL POLLS

BOYS’ SWEET 16 Rk School Rec Prvs.

1 Carmel Christian 15-2 2
2 Central Cabarrus 11-0 1
3 North Mecklenburg 9-0 3
4 Cannon 15-3 6
5 Concord Academy 16-3 4
6 United Faith 13-2 5
7 Myers Park 6-3 7
8 Olympic 9-0 9
9 J.L. Chambers 7-3 10
10 Providence Day 9-3 8
11 Charlotte Catholic 9-2 14
12 Robinson 7-4 12
13 Gaston Day 8-3 13
14 East Mecklenburg 9-1 15
15 Hickory 7-1 NR
16 West Charlotte 9-4 16

Dropped out: Charlotte Country Day (IND, 12-5). Also receiving consideration: Richmond Senior (4A, 8-2); JM Robinson (2A, 7-4); East Mecklenburg (4A, 9-1).

Greenfield Wins Own Tournament

Impressive Knights rule their own Christmas tourney
By Tom Ham
Special to the Times

The team’s most impressive performance of the first 17 games of the 2022-23 varsity boys basketball season produced the 15th Greenfield Christmas Tournament champion Friday night in the Greenfield School gym.

Greenfield, for the first time since 2019, reigns as king of its Christmas tournament by schooling Trinity Academy of Raleigh, 88-65.

After the opening quarter, the title game belonged to the Knights, who celebrated their 14th win against three losses. Trinity lost for just the second time in 10 games. Both teams play in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 2-A ranks. The Knights atoned for a 20-point loss in the teams’ only meeting last season.

“(Greenfield) returned the favor,” Tigers head coach Bryan Burrell noted.

“We know they are a good team, and we came out wanted revenge for how they did us last year,” said 6-foot-5 Greenfield junior Hampton Evans, who was proclaimed the most valuable player in the eight-team field.

“This is the best we have played all year.”

Head coach Rob Salter supported the observation of his stalwart inside performer, saying: “Our most complete game in all facets — defense, offense and effort. The guys knew it was a big game, and they wanted it. When we play like that and come out with focus, we play to a high level.

“We’re excited. It was a great atmosphere. It was great to have our people (former players and students) here. They wanted to win this one.”

The Knights didn’t expect to dominate, but Salter reminded his team is capable.

Greenfield turned in a near-flawless performance in the turnover category. The 3-point shooting was back on the mark and, led by the combo of senior Jack Adair and junior Matt Kirby, found a way to work the ball inside against the talented and taller Tigers. The Knights hit their free throws. Greenfield stayed with Trinity on the boards and again played stifling man-to-man defense that forced 6-9 Trinity junior Clash Peters out of his comfort zone.

Salter cited another critical factor.

“The tempo was back to where Greenfield wants it,” he revealed. “We were getting up and down.”
Added Hampton Evans: “The defense was phenomenal and we stayed disciplined. We controlled the game with the lead. (Trinity) didn’t get too close.”
From a 11-11 tie, the Knights spurted to a 19-11 margin they would never relinquish on Adair’s field goal and a 3-pointer each from senior Kyshon Atkinson and junior Cole Evans. The Tigers retaliated with a rare four-point play from 6-2 senior Trevor Barrett. However, Hampton Evans’ bucket staked Greenfield to a 21-17 margin.

In the second quarter, Hampton Evans and Atkinson each bombed in a pair of 3-pointers. Atkinson’s second 3 resulted in a 38-23 Knights bulge. On a flashy Kirby to Adair play, the advantage became 42-26.

Trinity’s Barrett was also whistled for his third foul. The Knights led 44-28 at intermission.

Barrett drew his fourth foul midway the third quarter and fouled out two minutes later. Peters watched from the bench because of three fouls. Led by sophomore Parker Bye, the Tigers drew as close as 11 points. Then, the Kirby-Adair duo again clicked — this time at the third-quarter buzzer — and the Knights owned a 64-51 cushion.

A field goal from junior Nik Edwards and a putback from junior Xavier Baptiste left Greenfield in command at 77-55 with 5:01 remaining. Greenfield’s lead crested at 24 points at 81-57.

“We did not play well at all,” Trinity’s Burrell said. “Greenfield was all about effort the entire game, and they were very well-coached. They beat us with second-chance points and effort. We didn’t box out very well. Their kids just played and wanted it.”

Bye poured in a game-high 26 points and pulled down 13 rebounds for the Tigers. Peters wound up with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Senior Keron Vanderhorst netted 10 points.

Hampton Evans’ 19 points paced Greenfield. Atkinson drilled in 17; Adair scrapped for 16; and Kirby bucketed 12 in addition to triggering the playmaking. Freshman Kobe Edwards contributed nine points.
Salter credited Adair with a double-double, estimating that he claimed at least 15 rebounds.
He also cited Kirby and Kobe Edwards as elite passers and hailed the team’s ability to step up after Nik Edwards encountered foul trouble. Salter pointed out Hampton Evans’ fast start and strong first half. Kirby, the veteran head coach observed, played a complete game and he spoke excitedly of Adair’s toughness and ability to make big plays.

“We got big-time plays at the time we needed them,” Salter continued. “We can be really talented offensively; we’ve got a lot of weapons. Our versatility gives a lot of teams problems. What we’re trying to find is the focus to play at that tempo every game. We won the 50-50 balls. Everybody stepped up.”
Hampton Evans was joined on the all-tournament team by teammates Adair, Kirby and Atkinson, and the Trinity duo of Peters and Vanderhorst.

Evans cast aside mental struggles — including doubting his playing ability — at the perfect time. In three games, he fired in 54 points and, in the title game, effectively handled the assignment of defending the 6-9 Peters.

“I was struggling mentally,” Evans admitted. “I hold myself to very high standards. Sometimes, that’s not a good thing and, sometimes, it is. I got my confidence back and, mentally, I feel fine. I feel like I did good. I think my first half gave us spark and was a big factor in trying to break away and show us how good we can be.

“I had the responsibility to hold (Peters) down and keep him off the glass. He was not scoring a lot in the paint. We made him catch the ball and locked him up. One-on-one is not his game.
“I feel great (about the MVP award). It shows all the work I’ve put in, how my confidence is and helping the team a lot to win. But all the praise goes to my savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.”


TRINITY ACADEMY (65)
Becker, Barrett 8, Vanderhorst 10, Tucker 2, Kirby, Bye 26, J. Anderson, Peters 15, Mills, Young, C. Anderson 2, Jeffries, Bertolini-Felice 2.
GREENFIELD (88)
K. Edwards 9, N. Edwards 7, Kirby 12, Atkinson 17, H. Evans 19, Sherrod, Adair 16, C. Evans 5, Lucas, Baptiste 2, Wright, Willem-Tewes 1.
Score by quarters:
Trinity 17 21 23 10 — 65
Greenfield 21 23 20 24 — 88
Greenfield Christmas Tournament Glance
Wednesday, Dec. 21
Fayetteville Academy 59, Grace Christian (Sanford) 50
Trinity Academy 72, Northwood Temple 63
Grace Christian (Raleigh) 54, Crossroads Christian 48
Greenfield 83, New Life Christian 36
Thursday, Dec. 22
Northwood Temple 77, Grace Christian (Sanford) 56
Crossroads Christian 89, New Life Christian 69
Trinity Academy 68, Fayetteville Academy 48
Greenfield 70, Grace Christian (Raleigh) 51
Friday, Dec. 23
Seventh-place game
Grace Christian (Sanford) 91, New Life Christian 62
Fifth-place game
Northwood Temple 71, Crossroads Christian 56
Third-place game
Grace Christian (Raleigh) 61, Fayetteville Academy 58
Championship game
Greenfield 88, Trinity Academy 65

Carmel Christian Tops Cannon to Win Anthony Morrow Tournament

There were extended periods Thursday night when the outcome was in doubt, when it looked as if Cannon School might grab “king of the mountain” honors from Carmel Christian. Cannon, No. 6 in The Charlotte Observer’s Sweet 16 poll, had outscored No. 2 Carmel 36-24 over the middle two periods in the championship game of the Anthony Morrow Shootout at Charlotte Latin, erasing a big first-quarter deficit.

Carmel Christian, the defending 4A state private school champion, looked mortal. But in the end, it was status quo, and as we head into the final week of 2022, the bottom line remains the same: Everyone is chasing Carmel Christian, which beat Cannon 75-58.

Carmel (15-2) outscored Cannon School (15-3) 23-4 in the final period and didn’t allow a field goal. The Cougars win ended Cannon’s nine-game win streak. Cannon School hadn’t lost since dropping a 79-63 game at Carmel Christian last month. Cannon’s streak included wins over 3A power Northwood, 4A power Chambers, NCISAA state 3A champion Concord Academy and NCHSAA 3A state champion West Charlotte.

So Carmel Christian made a bit of a statement Thursday night, and it remains at the top of the 4A private school pile … and can lay a legitimate claim as the state’s best high school team.

But Cougars’ head coach Joe Badgett isn’t ready to crown his team yet. To him, the regular-season schedule is Development Road. He hopes to see steady improvement from his team, game by game. He admits the Cougars are much better than the team that started the season, with a number of new faces.

“We’re just starting to get where it’s beginning to click,” Badgett says. “Coming into the season, we knew this was a good defensive team,” he adds. “We knew we could rely on that. “It was the offense that had to develop … that, and the ability of our guys to trust each other.”

Carmel Christian certainly can play defense. Cannon School managed to erase a 20-7 deficit and take the lead several times in the third quarter because it made 8-of-11 from 3-point range in the second and third periods. Austin Swartz, a 6-5 junior wing who’s already getting Division 1 college offers, had three of those 3-pointers in the third quarter.

“My guys were guarding him, and he steps way outside the 3-point line and makes it,” Badgett says. “What can you do?” Or, says Carmel Christian senior forward Bryce Cash, named the game’s Most Valuable Player, “Swartz is one heck of a player.”


CARMEL STAYS CALM

The key, according to Cash, was not to panic. “We had to stick to our principles, stick to the things we work on in practice,” he says.

Carmel Christian chased Cannon’s ball-handlers around the floor, and eventually Cannon School appeared to tire. The 3-pointers stopped going in. And Cannon was shut out from the floor in the fourth quarter.

This Carmel Christian team is different from the 2019-20 squad, led by current Charleston player Ben Burnham; and the 2020-21 team, led by current Belmont freshman Cade Tyson. Both Burnham and Tyson were on hand Thursday night to watch their alma mater.

“This team doesn’t have that one dominant player,” Badgett says. “We’ve got a talented group of guys who learning to work together. “You’re starting to see where they’re doing that.”

A month ago, Badgett’s players weren’t always sure where a teammate would be on an offensive position. So they’d try to make things happen by themselves. Now the Cougars are relying more on one another. Fast breaks have more passes, and the Cougars are finding open opponents slashing to the basket.

Cash finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Jaeden Mustaf, named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, had 19 points and six assists. Khamani Wertz scored 14 and had four assists. And Michael Marcus Jr. finished with 12 points and seven rebounds.

TOUGH TESTS AHEAD

“A game like this will help the process of growth for us,” Cash says. “They gave us a pretty good run. They got up by six points. We had to rely on each other to come back.”

Badgett says there’s still quite a bit of growth needed before his team can hope to win another state title in late February. Tough tests lie ahead. Carmel Christian will face three difficult foes – two from Virginia, another from South Carolina – in the Lowcountry Classic next week in Charleston.

In mid-January comes a test with public school powerhouse Myers Park. Swartz and Cannon School likely will be a big roadblock for Badgett’s team in the state playoffs.

“Those are some of the games that will help us grow, hopefully,” Badgett says. But he likes what he sees so far. “It’s fun to see it coming together,” he says. “It’s fun to see the kids learning to do it the right way.”

Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle

CARMEL CHRISTIAN 75, CANNON SCHOOL 58
Carmel Christian 28 13 11 23 -- 75
Cannon School 18 18 18 4 -- 58
CARMEL CHRISTIAN 75 -- Freeman 3, Khamani Wertz 14, Jaeden Mustaf 19, Bryce Cash 26, Michael Marcus Jr. 12
CANNON SCHOOL 58 -- Austin Swartz 21, Titus 2, Claggett 9, Isaiah Henry 13, Sean Birmingham 13 Carmel notable: Bryce Cash 26p 10r 5a 1b 1s; Jaeden Mustaf 19p 2r 6a 1s; Khamani Wertz 14p 2r 4a; Michael Marcus 12p 7r
Cannon notable: Austin Swartz 21p 2r 5a 2b 2s; Sean Birmingham 13p 6r 4a 1b; Isaiah Henry 13p 4r

Greenfield - Trinity Academy Advance to Finals of Greenfield Christmas Tournament

Knights battle into tournament title game
By Tom Ham


The player handling the basketball attempted to penetrate inside at his own risk. Bodies frequently spilled to the floor with a thud.

The officiating of the three-member crew too often drew the wrath of spectators and left a lot of them howling. The physicality of the fouls seldom left any doubt. Shots – inside and outside – and the scramble for rebounds rarely went uncontested.

“A little battle, wasn’t it?” remarked Greenfield head coach Rob Salter with a grin. “Intense game.”

Salter mentioned no animosity between his Knights and Thursday night’s opponent, Grace Christian of Raleigh, but acknowledged: “We play them a lot.”

A varsity boys basketball war was waged inside the Greenfield School gymnasium in the final winners’ bracket semifinal of the 15th Greenfield Christmas Tournament. The Knights indicated they are becoming more and more comfortable with the physical style.

Greenfield battled into Friday night’s championship game with a 70-51 conquest of Grace Christian of Raleigh, a member of the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 3-A ranks.

Last year’s runner-up, Greenfield, a 2-A member of the NCISAA’s 2-A/3-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference, opposes Trinity Academy in bidding for its first championship of the event since 2019. Trinity thumped Fayetteville Academy, 68-48, in Thursday night’s other semifinal.

“It was a little rough,” Greenfield senior Jack Adair said of Thursday night’s encounter. “We like the challenge. We want to be big and physical.”

Added Salter of the Knights’ 13th win against three losses: “It was a game that neither team could get into a rhythm because it was such a physical game. The guys showed composure and maturity when it could have gotten out of hand. In earlier games, we’ve had a couple of players struggle in that situation, but tonight, they were fantastic.”

Demonstrating a definite composure edge, the Knights took command midway the third quarter, dealing the Eagles their ninth loss against six wins.

“Our pressure wears teams down and I think that affected them in the second half,” Salter explained. “Grace hurt us with their rebounding in the first half, but we were really good on the glass in the second half, and were able to get out in transition.”


With the Greenfield gym court no place for the faint of heart, war was imminent from the outset as the Eagles’ Myles Pettis, a senior, scored inside just before the first-quarter buzzer to trim Greenfield’s lead to 16-14.

But, in the second quarter, senior Micah Sherrod’s dunk boosted the Knights to a 24-16 advantage. The margin first reached 11 points (27-16) on junior Matt Kirby’s 3-pointer. The Knights twice more pushed the lead to 11 points in the quarter at 29-18 and 32-21 at halftime.

Kirby’s layup and 6-foot-5 junior Hampton Evans’ two free throws soared Greenfield to a 36-22 edge. Again, the lead was 14 points (42-28) on two free throws from Kirby with 1:28 left in the third quarter. Greenfield constructed its biggest lead of 70-49.

“We were a little slow coming out,” Adair reviewed, “but the offense got going in the second half. We took the challenge to work hard and outwork the other team. We try to get rebounds. There’s a dog in us, and we fight for every rebound. Overall, it was a good effort.”

Greenfield lost the rebounding battle, 33-26. The Knights connected on 2-of-12 attempts from 3-point range and shot 21 of 51 from the floor for 41% accuracy. Grace knocked down 5-of-16 attempts from beyond the 3-point arc and wound up 19-of-50 from the field (38 percent). Greenfield’s defense forced 18 turnovers, including 10 steals, and committed just 10 turnovers.

“Defensively, we were really good,” Salter evaluated. “We guarded, rotated and made them take tough shots. The bench gave us some spark in the first quarter. I liked our composure. Our guys are told to pop up and go to the next play.”

Greenfield’s decided advantage at the foul line frustrated the Eagles of head coach DeShannon Morris. Sensational in the first half, the Knights wound up converting 26 of 38 foul tosses as compared to 8 of 10 for Grace, which had three players to foul out. Greenfield players dealt with foul woes, but none exited via the foul route.


Greenfield point guard Kobe Edwards goes airborne during a home win over Grace Christian of Raleigh in the semifinals of the Greenfield Christmas Tournament. Sheldon Vick | Special to the Times
The Eagles were led by 6-3 senior Julien King with 21 points. Junior Quasim Oden tossed in 14 and junior Steven McLeod claimed a game-high 12 rebounds.

Hampton Evans surfaced with a game-high 23 points and six rebounds for the Knights. Kirby scored 12 points. Cole Evans handed out four assists and junior Bryson Wall notched three steals. Adair contributed 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds.

“I come off the bench and I take pride in that,” Adair, in his first year with the Knights, commented of his role.”I try to control the things I can.”

However, Adair did not take pride in his 0-for-5 showing from the foul line.

“Totally unacceptable,” Adair responded with a shake of his head. “I’ve got to work on that. I’ll be in the gym (Friday), shooting free throws.”

Salter mentioned Adair and Wall as the epitome of blue-collar players. Hampton Evans’ performance was lauded.

“(Adair and Wall) don’t have to score,” Salter declared. “They still impact the game. Jack plays with heart and makes winning plays. He was great tonight on the glass and talking on defense.

“You saw all of Hampton tonight – which was great. He’s understanding a lot of things you can’t control and you’ve got to keep playing.”

Both Salter and Adair are confident the Knights are poised for Friday night’s championship test against Trinity, a team that defeated the Knights last season.

“We want to be one machine out there,” Salter said. “Tonight, we were pretty good.”

GRACE CHRISTIAN (51)


Oden 14, Swecker, Pettis 2, McLeod 6, King 21, G. Lyon 3, Kyristi 3, D.Lyon, Tate, Laraway, Carless 2, Attaberry.

GREENFIELD (70)

K. Edwards 6, N. Edwards 3, Kirby 12, Atkinson 2, H. Evans 23, Sherrod 9, Adair 11, C. Evans 4, Wall, Baptiste.

Score by quarters:

Grace Christian 14 7 14 16 – 51

Greenfield 16 16 12 26 – 70

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

Fayetteville Academy 59, Grace Christian (Sanford) 50

Trinity Academy 72, Northwood Temple 63

Grace Christian (Raleigh) 54, Crossroads Christian 48

Greenfield 83, New Life Christian 36

THURSDAY’S GAMES

Losers’ Bracket

Northwood Temple 77, Grace Christian (Sanford) 56

Crossroads Christian 89, New Life Christian 69

Winners’ Bracket

Trinity Academy 68, Fayetteville Academy 48

Greenfield 70, Grace Christian (Raleigh) 51

FRIDAY’S GAMES

7th-place game

3 p.m. – Grace Christian (Sanford) vs. New Life Christian

5th-place game

4:30 – Crossroads Christian vs. Northwood Temple

3rd-place game

6 p.m. – Fayetteville Academy vs. Grace Chrisitan (Raleigh)

Championship game

7:30 – Trinity Academy vs. Greenfield

Kerr Vance Christmas Tournament

Oxford Prep teams top KVA in holiday tourney
• By Dispatch Staff

HENDERSON — The Oxford Prep varsity boys and girls basketball teams earned third-place wins Saturday in Kerr-Vance Academy’s holiday tournament by knocking off the home teams.
Oxford Prep’s boys won 56-35 over KVA and the Griffins’ girls squad scored a 43-30 victory.

Oak Forest of Wake Forest claimed the titles in both the boys and girls competitions, defeating Brunswick Academy of Lawrenceville, Virginia, in both championship matches.

The Oxford Prep boys withstood a valiant first-half effort from KVA, which stayed close before Logan Jones went to work down low for the visitors in the second quarter, scoring half of his team-leading 20 points.

The Griffins’ Jamarri Glover also scored in double figures with 18 and Drew West tallied 7 points and represented Oxford

Tim Hudson made the all-tourney squad for the Spartans and M.J. Wright, who played in both the varsity and junior varsity brackets, was named to the JV all-tourney team.

Wil Holmes led KVA Saturday with nine points and Hudson had eight points and 10 rebounds.

Holmes scored 13 on Friday and M.J. Wright had 16.

On the girls side, the Griffins led comfortably throughout, paced by Kadence Woodlief’s game-high 26 points, including her trio of 3-pointers. Emily Wilkinson also scored in double figures with 11.
Katelyn Holtzman, an all-tourney selection, led KVA with 13 points and nine rebounds while Kiyona Patton scored 7 to go along with seven steals. Brooke Miller added 6 points.

Greenfield Christmas Tournament--Day 1

Knights overwhelm New Life Christian

By Tom Ham

The host Greenfield School varsity boys basketball team drew New Life Christian of Rocky Mount, the replacement team, in Wednesday night’s opening-round finale of the annual Greenfield Christmas Tournament and romped to an 83-36 victory in the Greenfield gym.

The Warriors of journeyman head coach Roland Loftin replaced Raleigh Christian, late with its decision not to participate in the eight-team dribblefest. Furthermore, Raleigh Christian and Greenfield have already met twice this season, splitting the outcomes.


After a sluggish start that resulted in head coach Rob Salter substituting for his entire starting lineup in the opening minutes, the Knights sizzled to their 11th win against just three losses and advanced into Thursday night’s winners’ bracket semifinal against Grace Christian of Raleigh at 7:30. Grace turned back Crossroads Christian, 54-48.

Ten of Greenfield’s 13 players scored and four wound up in double figures. The Knights shot poorly from the floor (8 of 25) and from the foul line (0 for 3) in the opening quarter. But with nearly five minutes still left in the third quarter, Greenfield’s lead had mushroomed to 40 points and resulted in the clock running continuously except for time-outs and injuries.

“We ran into whatever you want to call it,” said Loftin, who welcomed the running clock. “We don’t play many teams of Greenfield’s caliber. We wanted to stall and get out and hold the ball. It didn’t work from the start. It’s hard to do against a team like Greenfield and against a team coached by Rob.”

Salter was OK with the shortened contest.

“I understand completely,” he said. “I have been on both sides of it. There have been times that I didn’t want that clock to stop.”

Junior Matt Kirby paced the Knights with 15 points. Senior Kyshon Atkinson netted 13 and junior Hampton Evans and Cole Evans each scored 10. Hampton Evans completed his double-double with 10 rebounds, while Nik Edwards snared nine and senior Jack Adair seven.

Every Greenfield player got into the contest and the second five, headed by Cole Evans, earned considerable playing time.

“We just had to play hard and not underestimate (New Life),” Cole Evans remarked. “I was able to get more in-game experience, more chances to score and help the team win.”

Salter singled out reserves Cole Evans and Xavier Baptiste, both juniors. They were subbed in as a unit along with Adair, seniors Micah Sherrod and Bryson Wall.

“Cole got us going,” Salter noted. “He is such an elite shooter. His range is when he comes into the gym.”

Cole Evans pointed out, during an early time-out, Salter cautioned the starters “he would sub in a new unit to bring more energy.”

“The last three games, we haven’t come out with energy,” Salter contended. “We were playing well on defense, but we weren’t playing our style. Our bench came off with more energy.”


The starters staked the Knights to a 10-2 beginning. Led by senior Anthony Speight, the Warriors, an independent team, hung around for some 10 minutes. New Life cut a 19-9 first-quarter deficit to 20-12 before the Knights, a 2-A member of the 2-A/3-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference, exploded for 18 unanswered points. Greenfield’s cushion increased to 38-12 before the Warriors’ Speight, who formerly played at Community Christian, connected for a field goal.

New Life (7-3) was limited to one field goal in the second quarter and trailed 40-14 at intermission. The Knights, the 2021 tourney runner-up, erupted for the first 12 points of the second half, and a running clock was inevitable. The margin reaching 58-18 prompted the running clock.

“We were pretty satisfied,” Cole Evans summarized. “We were playing hard, playing good defense and the points came easy.”

Warriors’ turnovers became about as frequent as Greenfield scores the last three quarters.

New Life’s bright spot was Speight, who drilled in a game-high 25 points. Sophomores Quan Pittman and Cam Parker each claimed six rebounds. Speight’s output included a second-half circus move that ended with an emphatic dunk.

“It was good to play them,” Loftin declared. “It was a good experience. That’s a win isn’t it? When I first came off the floor, I got to talk to a college coach. Two more games in this tournament are going to be a good experience.

“This is the most exposure we will get all year. This is a blessing for us.”


NEW LIFE CHRISTIAN (36)
Parker 2, Gonzalez, Hedgepeth 4, Speight 25, Taylor 3, Cone, Crocker 2, Pittman.

GREENFIELD (83)
Kirby 15, N. Edwards 4, K. Edwards 7, Atkinson 13, H. Evans 10, Sherrod 9, Adair 8, Wall, C. Evans 10, Baptiste 4, Wright 3, Willem-Tewes.

Score by quarters:

New Life 9 5 12 10 – 36
Greenfield 19 21 25 18 – 83

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES
Fayetteville Academy 59, Grace Christian (Sanford) 50
Trinity Academy 72, Northwood Temple 63
Grace Christian (Raleigh) 54, Crossroads Christian 48
Greenfield 83, New Life Christian 36

THURSDAY’S GAMES

Losers’ Bracket
3 p.m. – Grace Christian (Sanford) vs. Northwood Temple
4:30 – Crossroads Christian vs. New Life Christian

Winners’ Bracket
6 p.m. – Fayetteville Academy vs. Trinity Academy
7:30 – Grace Christian (Raleigh) vs. Greenfield

BOYS BB--Cannon-- Carmel Christian Reach Finals of Anthony Morrow Shootout

The championship game for the Anthony Morrow Shootout is all set and it should be a good one. Cannon School (14-2) will face Carmel Christian (14-2).

It’ll be a rematch of Carmel’s 79-63 win at home Nov. 29 To get there, both teams faced challenges in their semifinal matchups.

Cannon beat Concord Academy 77-73 in its semifinal. Carmel Christian beat Robinson 71-61. The Cougars led by 10 before Concord Academy tied the game late in the fourth quarter. Cannon star Austin Swartz had a big jumper and free throw to give his team breathing room.

Swartz finished with 27 points, five assists. Teammate Isaiah Henry had 21 points, eight rebounds. Concord Academy got 25 points from Isaiah Tate, 18 from JJ Moore and 16 from Avion Pinner.

In the final semifinal, Carmel Christian -- which had just watched Cannon win -- struggled to pull away from a determined NCHSAA 2A state championship team from Robinson High in Concord, mainly because the Cougars couldn’t make an outside shot.

Finally, sophomore guard Brett Freeman got going in the third quarter and Carmel worked out to a double-digit lead. Robinson made a brief push but Carmel was able to repel it and advance.

Freeman finished with 15 points, four assists. Jaeden Mustaf had 16 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks. Daevin Hobbs, who signed with Tennessee for football Wednesday, had 14 points, 13 rebounds and three assists.

CANNON SCHOOL 77, CONCORD ACADEMY 73 CONCORD ACADEMY 73 -- JJ Moore 18, Avion Pinner 16, Isaiah Tate 25, Cvetkovic 2, Van Bibber 8, Asceric 4 CANNON SCHOOL 77 -- Austin Swartz 27, Titus 2, Jaylen Claggett 12, Isaiah Henry 21, Ingram 4, Birmingham 9

CARMEL CHRISTIAN 71 ROBINSON HS 61
CCS : 15-20-18-18---71
RHS : 17-9-15-20---61
RHS—Daevin Hobbs 14, Jermaine Gray 13, Zi’Kei Wheeler 13, Brooks 9, Parker 6, Harlee 2, Roseman 2, Rowe 2
CARMEL 14-2

Mount Olive Winter Classic Results

Saints advance in FCA Winter Classic


Southern Wayne played the game and reaped the rewards Tuesday afternoon.

Play-making guard Duntae Wright pumped in a team- and season-high 17 points as the Saints turned back Wayne Christian, 70-53, on opening day of the FCA Winter Classic.

“We played together,” SW head coach Brian West said. “I just told the guys to play the game. You take every game one day at a time and never take the game you’re playing in for granted. You give it everything you’ve got and leave it out there.”

In other quarterfinal-round games, Wayne Prep defeated Rosewood 64-49, Wayne Country Day routed South Johnston 81-55 and Coastal Christian stunned James Kenan, 43-23.

Play continues today inside Kornegay Arena on the University of Mount Olive Campus. Kenan and South Johnston tip off at 2 p.m. in consolation-round play, followed by Rosewood and Wayne Christian at 3:30 p.m.

Former Classic champ Wayne Country Day meets Coastal Christian at 5:30 p.m. in one semifinal game. The other semifinal pits Southern Wayne against Wayne Prep at 7 p.m.

Admission is $10 for a day pass and $20 for a tournament pass.

BOYS--Carmel Christian Slips by Burlington School in Tournament Action

Carmel Christian escapes against 2A state champ Burlington School
BY LANGSTON WERTZ JR.

Carmel Christian had a few chances Tuesday afternoon to pull away from The Burlington School, the reigning N.C. Independent Schools 2A state champions, in the first round of the Anthony Morrow Shootout at Charlotte Latin School.

But when the Spartans, down 10 points several times, kept fighting back -- and even briefly took a late lead -- Carmel coach Joe Badgett wasn’t surprised.

“That’s the way our season has gone,” Badgett said after watching Khamani Wertz, Bryce Cash and Jaeden Mustaf cement a 60-55 win at the free throw line. “We’re telling the kids that the type of schedule we’re playing is to get you ready for February (when the NCISAA playoffs are held) and that the teams you are playing are not going to quit. They’re going to play hard. They are well-coached and they’re not backing down. You have to finish the game.”

Carmel (13-2) advanced to Wednesday’s tournament semifinals by knocking off the private school 2A state champions with patience and balance. Mustaf had 19 points, 10 rebounds. Cash had 17 points, four rebounds, and Wertz added 16 points and three rebounds.

That offset a brilliant performance from Burlington School junior Zion Walker, a 6-2 guard who had 25 points, nine rebounds and a steal.

Next up for Carmel, the reigning NCISAA 4A private school champion, is a semifinal date Wednesday night with NCHSAA 2A public school state champion Robinson High of Concord. Robinson beat Charlotte Latin its first round game Tuesday.

Badgett said he expects the semifinal game to be similar to what his team got in Round One. “The more you can win these tough, battle-tested games, it just helps you,” Badgett said. “You get used to it, and if you’re fortunate enough to get to the state final, you’re not worried about it being a state final. You’re used to that stage. And that’s our goal.”

Greenfield Christmas Tournament Begins Today

Knights rolling into Greenfield Christmas Tournament





By Andrew Schnittker

aschnittker@wilsontimes.com | 265-7807 | Twitter: @aschnitt53



While some might have visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads already as the countdown to Christmas hits under a week, for eight high school boys teams that will gather at Greenfield School Wednesday through Friday, it’ll be visions of basketballs and trophies.



The Knights are set to host the annual Greenfield Christmas Tournament, entering its 15th year in the current format. Fayetteville Academy, Grace Christian of Sanford, Northwood Temple, Trinity Academy of Raleigh, Grace Christian of Raleigh, Crossroads Christian and New Life Christian will make up this year’s field, as head coach Rob Salter once again looks forward to welcoming a talented slate of teams to Greenfield’s gym.





“We love this time of year,” Salter said. “We feel like we’ve got one of the best pre-Christmas tournaments in the state. Every year, we’ve got really, really talented teams and coaches coming in. So this is just great preparation for what we could see later on. It’s three great days of basketball. As the history shows, it’s very hard to win this thing. That’s what you want, so we know we’ve got our work cut out for us to have a chance to win it.”



Salter explained that holiday tournaments allow student athletes to have a time where they can completely focus on basketball over Christmas break, and often allow for them to have former teammates and family in town to watch them play.



For the Knights, it’s also yet another opportunity to test themselves in nonconference play and get ready for the sort of competition they might see down the line in the NCISAA 2-A state playoffs.



“I always tell our guys, we kind of split our season up into three different seasons: the regular season, holiday season and postseason,” Salter said. “We kind of treat it as a different part of the year. It’s fun. You play in front of great crowds, great environments and you’re playing different teams. That’s what we like. We like playing different teams and not playing the same people all the time. There’s a lot of turnover in our tournament, because there’s a lot of different teams that want to come. It’s great preparation for the end goal, which is the state tournament.”



The Knights are off to an excellent start to the season, as they sit at 11-3 overall and 1-0 in NCISAA 2-A/3-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference play.



The Knights have already played in multiple preseason showcases, including the Wilson Prep Hoop State Showcase, and the Good Guys vs. Cancer Showcase in Kill Devil Hills. The Knights’ losses have all been tight games against top opponents, with two of those coming against schools from Virginia.



“I love my team,” Salter said. “We’ve been battle tested already. We’ve had a great schedule. We’re seven points from being undefeated. We’ve lost two games by one. I feel good about us. We’re pretty healthy, as much as you can be at this time of the year. I just love coaching this group. This group competes. This group loves each other. So it’s just a fun team to be around. They’re very, very hungry and focused.”



While Salter still sees room for improvement, there’s a whole lot to like for the Knights heading into the holiday season.



Depth is the name of the game, as the Knights have six players averaging at or near double figures scoring. Hampton Evans is leading the Knights with 17 points per game to go with six rebounds, followed by Matt Kirby with 16 points and four assists per game, Kyshon Atkinson with 14 points (and 41% shooting from 3-point range), Kobe Edwards with 11 points and seven assists, Micah Sherod with about 11 points per game , and Nik Edwards with nine points and a team-leading eight rebounds per game.





The Knights are also getting strong contributions off the bench from players such as Cole Evans and Bryson Wall.



“We’ve got to get better defensively still,” Salter said. “We’re good at times, but we need to be more consistent. Our depth has really been great for us. Our cohesiveness and playing well together has gone well for us. We know it can be somebody different every night that helps us, and it has been at this point. When we’ve had somebody get hurt, the next man has stepped up and played well. But I think we’ve got to get better defensively and keep maintaining our tempo that we want to play.”



After falling in the tournament championship game against Wayne Country Day last year, the Knights will look to get back to victory and win the event for the first time since 2019 (it wasn’t held in 2020).



They know they’ll have their work cut out for them, however. The Knights will start off with a New Life Christian team that enters the tournament at 14-7. The Monarchs have been led by Ja’Kwon Moore, a 6-6 senior who averages a double-double with 19.2 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, and have four more players scoring in double figures.



The tournament will also include Trinity Academy, last year’s NCISAA 2-A runner up, and Northwood Temple, a team that Salter says boasts a great deal of size throughout its lineup.



“There’s a lot of really good teams,” Salter said. “You’ve got some of the top 1-A, 2-A and 3-A teams in this bracket. … You can go down the list. Every team there is going to present a challenge for anybody. It’s just a really good field.”





The tournament will start Wednesday with a showdown between Fayetteville Academy and Grace Christian of Sanford at 3 p.m. The Knights will play their first game at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday against New Life Christian.



2022 Greenfield Christmas Tournament



Date Time Game



Dec. 21 3 p.m. 1. Fayetteville Academy vs. Grace Christian (Sanford)

Dec. 21 4:30 p.m. 2. Northwood Temple vs. Trinity Academy

Dec. 21 6 p.m. 3. Grace Christian Raleigh vs. Crossroads Christian

Dec. 21 7:30 p.m. 4. Greenfield vs. New Life Christian



Dec. 22 3 p.m. 5. Loser 1 vs. Loser 2

Dec. 22 4:30 p.m. 6. Loser 3 vs. Loser 4

Dec. 22 6 p.m. 7. Winner 1 vs. Winner 2

Dec. 22 7:30 p.m. 8. Winner 3 vs. Winner 4



Dec. 23 1 p.m. Third-place game

Dec. 23 3 p.m. Seventh-place game

Dec. 23 4:30 p.m. Fifth-place game

Dec. 23 7:30 p.m. Championship game

Westchester Boys Roll past New Garden

Westchester rolls past New Garden
• BY GREER SMITH ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER

HIGH POINT — Westchester Country Day head boys basketball coach Brook Patterson felt his squad finally put four good quarters of play together Saturday in Brooks Gym.
Westchester, playing its last game before the New Year, opened a sizable lead in the first half and posted a 55-36 nonconference victory over New Garden Friends, which is coached by former WCD standout Dwon Clifton.
The victory came the day after the Wildcats (4-5) played well in the first half and then couldn’t keep pace with Gaston Day.
“Early we hit some baskets and they struggled and that set the tone,” Patterson said. “That is what he (Clifton) and I were talking about. We felt good about our full game. Last night, we had one half. Today, we put two of those together. I’m happy for our guys, satisfied for our guys that we put two halves together so when we can come back after New Year’s, we can say that is what it looks like.”
The Wildcats led 9-0 before the Bears dynamic small forward Jeffrey Clark scored their first bucket. Westchester led 17-11 after one quarter and the lead was still six before the Wildcats, keyed by nine points from M.J. Edwards, went on a 11-3 run over the last 5:05 of the half for a 30-16 halftime advantage as they held New Garden to five points in the second quarter .
Edwards, who scored 18 points, started the run with a jumper and then came up with a steal and a layup. Westchester center Jalen Umstead, who had 10, scored from underneath. Edwards hit one of his two 3s and then closed the half with a drive to the bucket.
“We did a good job of going inside-out,” Patterson said. “We haven’t had a big man since I’ve been here so we’re learning how to do that. Jalen did as good job of getting the ball in and then kicking it out.”
The Wildcats also tried to limit the times that Clark got the ball. Clark, who had no trouble driving to the basket if he got possession, finished with 24 points but no other Bear had more than four.
“He’s so electric,” Patterson said. “We had guys on him with a hand in his face and he made shots anyway. And they do a good job of setting back screens to get him free. We worked this week on jumping those screens and communicating defensively. The first half last night and today have been night and day to what we’ve been doing defensively.”
The lead grew to 18 in the third quarter and to as much as 28 in the fourth before Patterson started substituting.
“We were happy with the defensive effort,” Patterson said. “We talked about getting stops on defense and being patient on offense. They want to run and we don’t want to run. We think we’ll be more successful slowing it down.”
gsmith@hpenews.com

Wesleyan Girls--Ravenscroft Boys Get Wins

Wesleyan girls outlast Ravenscroft

HIGH POINT – Eventually Wesleyan Christian broke free.
The Trojans, clamping down on defense and scoring points in droves on offense, pulled away in the second half to beat Ravenscroft 78-45 in girls basketball Saturday afternoon at Wesleyan.
In the boys game, Wesleyan trailed big early but kept the margin manageable the rest in the way in falling 63-46.
“It’s a game of attrition – wars aren’t won in one battle,” Trojans girls coach Daniel McRae said. “We condition and we practice really hard and really fast. So, even games where it’s close going to the fourth, I normally feel pretty good because our goal is to wear people down.”
Lily Pereira scored 25 points to lead Wesleyan (6-5), which outscored the Ravens 30-11 in the third quarter after Ravenscroft fought to stay within reach in the first half. Taylor Hawley added 15 points, followed by Sara Kate Carr and Sarah Chrapliwy with 10 points each.
“I feel like played really well,” said Hawley, a sophomore wing. “We executed our plays. I feel like we shared the ball well, better than we normally do. Our shot was really good today, and that was a big key.”
The Trojans led by 11 in the first and by nine in the second. But Ravenscroft (5-6), led by Zoe Adams with 13 points, hung within one to end the first and was still within 33-26 at halftime. But eventually Wesleyan’s tough defense and quick offense allowed it to pull away.
Wesleyan scored 18 straight points midway through the third to lead by 24. It then scored seven of the quarter’s final eight points to lead by 26 heading to the fourth. The Trojans scored on 12 of 18 possessions in the quarter, shooting 60% while Ravenscroft shot 38% and committed six turnovers.
“I think we were all just determined, that third quarter and those first four minutes, to push through and win this game,” Hawley said. “And we were going to pull out ahead. We just wanted to build that lead and all build up our energy to execute. It was really fun. I think everyone had fun today.”
Wesleyan – which did struggle with foul trouble but was able slow the Ravens’ inside presence – maintained a 20-point lead throughout the fourth quarter before pushing its advantage past 30 in the final minutes of the game. The Trojans will next play in this week’s Cherokee Invitational tournament

Westchester Girls Win --Boys Fall to Gaston Day

Westchester basketball earns split
• Michael Lindsay | Enterprise Sports Writer

HIGH POINT — Westchester Country Day caught a spark in the first half. But Gaston Day quickly snuffed it out in the second half.
The Wildcats cut a double-digit deficit to three just before halftime. But the Spartans opened the second half on a big run to lead by 20 and beat Westchester 67-40 in nonconference boys basketball Friday at Westchester.
In the girls game, Westchester rolled into the Christmas break with a 48-20 victory over Salem Baptist.
“We played the best first half we’ve played all year,” Wildcats boys coach Brook Patterson said. “We really had a lot of intensity, played hard — and that’s what we were telling our guys. This is one of the top teams in the state and they obviously proved that in the second half.”
Jalen Umstead scored 12 points — all in the first half — to lead Westchester (3-5), which will host New Garden Friends today at noon to close out its 2022 schedule. Zane Dinkins added 10 points while MJ Edwards had nine points.
Gaston Day, ranked No. 47 in the state overall and No. 6 among NCISAA 2A teams, used a 10-1 run to close the first with an 11-point lead and held a 10-point advantage midway through the second.
But the Wildcats — keyed by 3-pointers by Dinkins, Edwards and Josh Bayne — answered with an 11-4 run to pull within three with a minute left in the half and trailed 31-26 into halftime.
The Spartans — getting the ball inside to 6-foot-11 senior Callum Richard — opened the third on an 18-3 run to lead by 20 midway through the quarter. Gaston Day scored on their first seven possessions of the third.
“Late in the first half, they got one over the top and they got two right to start the second half,” Patterson said. “We were there, but we had a guard down on the 7-footer when they threw it over top. So, it’s like we’re doing the right things — they’re just good.”
Richard finished with 21 points, including 15 in the second half after being bottled up fairly well in the first half, to lead the Spartans (8-2). Evan Montanari added 12 points — all on 3-pointers.
But Westchester takes some positives as it heads into the break.
“It’s putting two halves together,” Patterson said. “And I think our guys have to realize (they are having some success). We’re preparing for the state playoffs — our conference is a little different. So, this is good that we had some success. We can build off that.”

Boys BB---Cannon Tops Chambers HS

Austin Swartz’s big night leads No. 6 Cannon past No. 10 Chambers

BY CAMERON WILLIAMS AND LANGSTON WERTZ JR.
UPDATED DECEMBER 17, 2022 1

BY LANGSTON WERTZ JR. CONCORD

In a battle of two top 10 Sweet 16 teams Friday night, Cannon School junior Austin Swartz made a very big statement on a very big stage. Swartz absolutely dominated the second half of No. 6 Cannon’s 83-71 win over No. 10 Chambers at home in the Friday night showcase game at the Phenom Hoops Holiday Classic.

He finished with 30 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks. So, basically, if you’re doing rankings of the top N.C. players, just move Swartz up a little.

“We are going to go as he (Swartz) does,” Cannon coach Che’ Roth said.

“He is our playmaker. He is our quarterback. I think that has been the biggest adjustment for him coming into this year. He can do more than just score the basketball. He is a really elite level passer.”

Cannon (12-2) needed every bit of Swartz’s elite performance Friday. Buoyed by their coach, Brian Frasier asking for more energy, Chambers got control of the game late in the first half, rallying for a 34-33 halftime lead. With a packed house at Cannon going crazy, the Cougars seemed poised for another upset of a top ranked team after taking Myers Park at home when the Mustangs were top 30 nationally ranked and No. 1 in The Observer’s Sweet 16 poll.

But not Friday. Swartz -- and his teammates -- wouldn’t allow it. Jaylen Claggett had 17 points, Isaiah Henry 16 and Sean Birmingham added 12 in a balanced effort, while Chambers got 49 points combined from Nick Dorn and Maurio Hanson.

“I thought our kids played their rear ends off,” Roth said. “I’ve got a ton of respect for coach (Brian) Frasier and everything that Chambers does. They are a battle tested, elite level program.”

With Swartz heating up, Cannon worked its one-point halftime lead to 11 to start the fourth quarter. That was enough.

“We got out in transition and then the transition led to easy buckets,” Swartz said. “We just stayed composed and we were ready when our number was called.” ▪

Cannon has a quick turnaround as they play again on Saturday against Freedom in day two of the Phenom Hoops Holiday Classic.

THREE WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE

Austin Schwartz, Cannon: Mister do-it-all for the Cougars was scoring, passing and rebounding efficiently all game long. Chambers really couldn’t really find an answer for Schwartz. He finished with 30 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds.

Nick Dorn, Chambers: In the absence of the Cougars two leaders from a year ago, Jaylen Curry and Daniel Sanford, Dorn has been the engine that keeps Chambers running this far in the season — and this game was no different. Dorn did what he did best: he shot the cover off the ball.


Maurio Hanson, Chambers: Chambers’ energy was different when Hanson was in the game. His rebounding was extremely effective for Chambers, keeping Cannon from getting second chance points.


WORTH MENTIONING

▪ The referees were calling a very close game the entire game.

▪ Chambers was able to get out and run in the second quarter which played to their advantage and helped spur their comeback.

▪ Cannon was able to take advantage of the Chambers’ turnovers often, scoring effectively off of them. What’s Next? Cannon will play again on Saturday against Freedom while Chambers will play Providence Day on Dec. 20

HP Christian Girls, Burlington School Boys Get Wins in Split

Cougars split with Burlington School
Michael Lindsay | Enterprise Sports Writer Dec 15, 2022 Updated 6 hrs ago


HIGH POINT — High Point Christian put a late scare into The Burlington School. But it wasn’t quite enough to pull itself from a big hole.

The Cougars trailed by 27 in the second half before clawing within five with two minutes to go. But the Spartans regained enough control to beat HPCA 67-54 in a meeting of NCISAA boys basketball powers Thursday at HPCA.

In the girls game, HPCA — with unrelenting defense leading to easy offense — steamrolled The Burlington School 71-23.

“We played well in spurts,” Cougars boys coach Joseph Cooper said. “We came out flat somehow. We really wanted to be physical — we knew they’d be physical. We wanted to match that early on, and it took four or five minutes to understand the physicality of the game. We figured it out and played them pretty even the rest of the game.”

Elijah Cathcart scored 17 points, hitting four 3-pointers, to lead HPCA (4-6), which reached last year’s NCISAA 3A final. Adam Grier added 10 points, while Taft Johnson and Benny Limbacher each had seven points.

The Spartans — the NCISAA 2A champions the last two years after reaching the 1A finals in 2020 — scored the first 11 points of the game, carried a 31-18 lead into halftime and extended their lead to 27 with 1:25 left in the third.

The Cougars, trailing by 22 early in the fourth, went on a 20-4 run in the final quarter — scoring on eight of nine possessions — to pull within five on a 3 by Johnson with 2:02 left to play. A pair of technical fouls on TBS for hanging on the rim help HPCA gain momentum.

“We kind of took it to them instead of being back on our heels,” Cooper said. “We were the aggressor finally. And when you’re playing a team of that quality, you can’t sit back and let them push you around. You have to take it to them.”

But the Spartans (11-3) — coached by George Marshall, who led Henderson Collegiate to an NCHSAA 1A finals appearance against Bishop McGuinness in 2019 and a co-championship in 2020 — scored on their final five possessions to stave off the Cougars. Zion Walker finished with 13 points to lead TBS.

MIDWEEK GIRLS BASKETBALL RESULTS

Cyclones decked by Mount Calvary Christian
Host Community Christian was overwhelmed 19-6 by Mount Calvary Christian of Hookerton in the first quarter of Monday’s eventual 43-29 loss for the Cyclones at Peace Church. However, CCS was only outscored by a point after the disastrous first quarter as it continues to seek its first win of the season through five games.
Senior Abigail Jackson led the Cyclones with 13 points and 11 rebounds while eighth grader Claire Carter supplied seven points, four steals and three rebounds. Aiyana Holmes added eight rebounds and three points.
Mount Calvary Christian (5-7) got 15 points and 28 rebounds from Hannah Rice and 13 points from Bailey Wade.
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