1A

BOYS

KERR VANCE (5-15) @ HALIFAX (15-6)
CRESSET CHRISTIAN (5-14) @ LEE CHRISTIAN (9-12)

GIRLS

LEE CHRISTIAN (2-13) @ KERR VANCE (3-14)

Johnson Lambe Company and Badger Sports announce the 2023 North Carolina

Private School All-Star Basketball Game and Rosters

Charlotte, NC- February 12, 2023- Providence Day School will host the 10th Annual North Carolina Private
School All-Star Basketball Games on Saturday, March 4,2023. The game will feature some of the top
senior boys and girls basketball players in the state of North Carolina. The sponsors for this year’s
games, Johnson Lambe Company and Badger Sports, will be providing all uniforms and apparel for the
event.

Head Coaches and Athletic Directors from across the state nominated over one hundred players for
consideration for the games. Selection committees then worked to narrow the rosters down into two
teams for each game that represent all of the private school classifications and regions in North
Carolina. The boys and girls games will feature a combined twenty-two players that have already made
commitments to play college basketball next season, with several more players who anticipate
committing in the coming weeks.

For the boys game, Jon Powell from Lawrence Academy in Merry Hill will coach the East squad. This
season was Powell’s 28th as a Varsity Head Coach. He has spent the past 16 years at Lawrence Academy
where he has won over 250 games as a Head Coach. The West team will be coached by Frank
Cantadore, the Head Coach at Concord Academy in Concord. Cantadore has compiled a record of 285-91
in his 11 years at Concord, while capturing 3 State Championships.

Kelvin Drakeford, from Cannon School in Concord, will coach the girls West team. Drakeford recently
completed his 6th season as the Head Girls Basketball Coach at Cannon. In 2021 he led the Cougars to
their first-ever State Championship in Girls Basketball. The East team will be led by John Williams of
Asheville Christian Academy. In nine seasons, Williams has won two State Championships along with
two state Runner-up finishes. Under Williams, numerous players have gone on to compete at the
collegiate level.

The games will take place in Mosack Athletic Center on the campus of Providence Day School. The girls
game will start at 12:00pm followed by the boys game at 2:00pm. Admission for the games will be $10
for adults, $5 for students, and children under the age of 8 will be admitted for free. In addition to the
game on Saturday, March 4th, all players and coaches will participate in a community service project in
the afternoon of Friday, March 3rd in the Charlotte community.

East Boys Roster
EAST Player Height School College

Anthony Robinson 6'10" Christ School Univ. of South Florida
Emanuel Richards 6'4" Christ School Longwood University
Jaydon Young 6'4" Greensboro Day School Virginia Tech
Bryce Cash 6'6" Carmel Christian Undecided
Kaleb Siler 6'10" Carmel Christian Western Carolina
Antonio Perkins 6'3" Northside Christian Undecided
Jaydin Spillman 6'9" Calvary Day School Undecided
Isaiah Ramazani 6'1" Calvary Day School Undecided
Dakota Gordon 6'1" Ravenscroft Washington & Lee
Kevon Vanderhorst 6'2" Trinity Academy Undecided
Jordan Cooper 6’1" Wayne Country Day Undecided
Julien King 6'2" Grace Christian (Raleigh) Undecided

Head Coach: Jon Powell
Assistant Coach: Roy Alons

West Boys Roster
WEST Player Height School College

Michael Wilson, Jr. 6'6" Metrolina Christian Undecided
Ned Hull 6'3" Charlotte Latin Undecided
Sean Rose 6'6" Charlotte Latin Navy
Riley Allenspach 6'10" Providence Day School Western Kentucky
Tim Hall, Jr 6'7" Westminster Catawba Undecided
Dallas Gardner 6'3" Charlotte Country Day UNC Pembroke
Evan Montanari 6'3" Gaston Day School Undecided
Callum Richard 6'11" Gaston Day School East Tennessee State
Avion Pinner 6'8" Concord Academy Undecided
Isaiah Tate 6'0" Concord Academy Undecided
Alex Bates 6'5" United Faith Christian Fordham University
Lance Gill 6'4" United Faith Christian Winston Salem State

Head Coach: Frank Cantadore Jr.
Assistant Coaches: Malcolm Pollock, Frank Cantadore, Sr.


East Girls Roster

EAST Player Height School College

Parker Childress 5'7" Forsyth Country Day Roanoke
Cyana Chambers 5'8" Forsyth Country Day Undecided
Kendall Harris 6'1" Durham Academy Hamilton
Anaya Harris 5'8" North Raleigh Christian Appalachian State
Jada Steele 5'11" Concord Academy Undecided
Kenzie Taylor 5'2" Concord Academy Undecided
Zoe Ward 5'11" Concord Academy Fairleigh Dickinson
Ja'Kea Brunson 5'9" Wayne Country Day Mount Olive
Halle Brown 5'11" Crossroads Christian Undecided
Isreal Thorpe 5'7" Crossroads Christian Undecided
A'Shauna Robinson 5'9" Greensboro Day Guilford
Ashley Fowler 5'9" Cannon School Coker University

Head Coach: Kelvin Drakeford
Assistant Coach: Kevin Holt, Aja Stevens

West Girls Roster
WEST Player Height School College

Sarah Chrapliwy 5'6" Wesleyan Christian Undecided
Lily Pereira 5'11" Wesleyan Christian Florida Southern
Alexis Hailey 5'11" Covenant Day Undecided
Olivia Boyce 5'5" Carmel Christian Undecided
Deja White 6'0" Metrolina Christian Undecided
Hannah Sorrentino 5'2" Metrolina Christian Undecided
Emma Larios 5'7" Asheville Christian High Point
Macy Wike 5'9" Asheville Christian Radford
Aliyah Corpening 5'6" Asheville Christian Undecided
Katie Alexander 5'8" Asheville Christian Undecided
Jordyn Latter 5'8" Providence Day Undecided
Lauren Jensen 5'8" Providence Day Denison (soccer)

Head Coach: John Williams
Assistant Coaches: Joey Harrel

Knights fall flat in CPIC title game
By Andrew Schnittker


Entering the 2-A/3-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference Tournament this week, the Greenfield School boys basketball team’s goals were to capture a conference title on its home court, and prepare and build momentum for the upcoming NCISAA 2-A playoffs.

With that in mind, it would be difficult for the team to be more discouraged by a 81-56 loss to rival Wayne Country Day in the CPIC title game on Friday night.

“It was very frustrating,” said Greenfield senior Kyshon Atkinson. “We came out really flat tonight. We were not playing Greenfield basketball. It really hurt us, because we let our fans down. We let the organization down, because it’s built on hard work, and we didn’t show that at all tonight.”

The Knights (26-10), who lost to the Chargers (27-6) for the second time in a week, struggled with turnovers and poor shot selection against WCD’s match-up zone defense.

However, by far the biggest culprit in the loss was poor defense, as the Knights seemed out of sync on their rotations, allowing frequent drives into the paint and open 3-point shots.

“It’s disappointing,” Salter said. “I’m embarrassed. Congrats to Wayne, they just whipped our behind. They were the better team, they were better coached, they wanted it more. I’m not going to lie, that’s as embarrassing of a loss as I’ve had here in a long time in that type of situation. I’m at a loss for words right now.”

Jordan Cooper, who scored 18 points in the title game, was named the CPIC Tournament MVP. Also on the all-tournament team for WCD were Nayshin Waller (18 points), Carlos Vazquez (17) and Jai Williams (14).

Atkinson scored a game-high 20 points and was Greenfield’s lone all-tournament team rep. Matt Kirby followed him with 11.

“We just can’t keep anybody in front of us right now,” Salter said. “We’re not rotating, and when we do, we’re a step and a half slow. We’re not anticipating on the defensive end, and we don’t have the size. … They all got in the lane. They utilized their size over us, and I told the guys there’s going to be some changes going into the state tournament next week. We’ve got to figure some things out.”

Knights junior forward Hampton Evans, who had been sidelined since Jan. 23 with a concussion, returned.

There was a scary moment in the fourth quarter, as Evans was struck in the head by an inadvertent elbow on a shot-block attempt, but Salter said there was good news on that front after the game.

“Our trainer doesn’t think it’s a concussion,” Salter said. “So that’s a good thing, hopefully. He’s got a big goose egg on his head. I think it scared him, it scared all of us, it scared me. Hopefully he’ll be OK.”

The first quarter offered a glimpse into the defensive struggles to come for the Knights, as Cooper buried a deep 3 from just inside half court at the first quarter buzzer, giving the Chargers a 22-15 lead after eight minutes.


The Knights continued to suffer with poor passing and shot selection, and defensive rotations, in the second frame, allowing the Chargers to balloon their lead to as much as 17, and take a 42-29 lead into the locker room.

“Defensively, we were not talking to each other, and we were not sitting down,” Atkinson said. “Everybody was standing up. We were letting them penetrate too easily and get mostly everything they wanted. And they were knocking down shots.”

The Knights could not adjust their way back into the game in the third quarter, continuing to struggle to find answers against Wayne Country Day’s match-up zone and defend the Chargers’ dribble-drive penetration.

Wayne Country Day extended its lead to 27 through three quarters, and the Knights stumbled to the finish line, with plenty of soul searching left to do ahead of the state playoffs.

“I got on the guys hard,” Salter said. “This is not the type of momentum you want going into the state tournament, but there’s nothing we can do about it. We play like that, we go home (next) Saturday or whenever we play. If we figure it out, maybe we can play for a little while.”

With five minutes left in the second quarter, Wayne Country Day’s student section, standing in the back left corner of the gym, was ejected for abusive language towards the referees and escorted from the building. At halftime, four students under the age of 16 were allowed to re-enter and sit with their parents.

Greenfield will not await its draw and seed in the NCISAA 2-A playoffs, with the bracket set to be revealed Sunday.

“We need a whole 360 turn around,” Atkinson said. “We’ve got to come together as a team, as a family and figure out what’s going on, because this is not Greenfield basketball if we want to compete in the state playoffs.”


WAYNE COUNTRY DAY (81)

Cooper 18, Waller 18, Vazquez 17, Williams 14, Cogdell 8, Coles 5, Jones 2.

GREENFIELD (56)

Atkinson 20, Kirby 11, Adair 6, Baptiste 6, C. Evans 6, N. Edwards 4, Sherrod 3, Wall 2, Evans 2, K. Edwards 2.

Score by quarters:

WCD 22 20 22 17 — 81

GFS 15 14 8 19 — 56

He’s played, coached soccer in CMS. Now Providence’s Nic Sosa is heading to private school

BY JAY EDWARDS FEBRUARY 10, 2023 5:30 AM

Nic Sosa was perfectly happy with his role as the Providence High boys soccer coach. His
Panthers teams had won 101 games, including four conference titles in the past six years while being nationally ranked in the top 10 twice in that same span.

But when the opportunity to take on a new challenge at Charlotte Christian presented itself, Sosa admits “it was too good to pass up.”

“The decision to leave Providence was super hard, because I wasn’t necessarily looking for it (another coaching job),” said Sosa, who started coaching at Providence in 2017.

“The appeal was really two things. One, it was a great opportunity for my family and kids to be at one of the best private schools in the state and country. Two, I was ready for a new (coaching) challenge. From a wins and losses standpoint, I knew I was at a great place (Providence).

“I believe these guys (Charlotte Christian, which was 3-13 last year) can win more games. That energizes and motivates me to help this program, I want them to know what it feels like to win (more often).”

Sosa will not only be in charge of the Charlotte Christian boys varsity soccer program, but will also oversee the Knights’ middle school and junior varsity teams. Sosa is also bringing one of his Providence assistants, Noah Spencer, with him to Charlotte Christian. He plans on filling the middle school and junior varsity coaching positions with coaches who share his style of play.

“To get to be in charge of the whole program from the middle school to the JVs to the varsity is a big deal,” Sosa said. “It means I can help build and develop these players from a young age. Hopefully by the time they get to the varsity team, they are ready and know who to expect.”

Sosa, 48, was not only was a standout player himself, but comes from a soccer family tradition. Both his father Augusto (Uruguay) and brother Fernando (Colombia) played professional soccer in South America. Fernando Sosa is still the all-time leading scorer in Charlotte 49ers’ soccer history (66 goals).

Nic Sosa, a Charlotte native, starred at both West Charlotte (1990) as a sophomore before finishing his final two high school seasons at South Mecklenburg (1992 graduate). By age 14, Sosa was already being recruited by Club Atletico Independiente of Argentina to be integrated into their youth academy. By age 18, Sosa signed his first professional contract to play for Club Nacional de Football of Montevideo, Uruguay. He uses his experience as a player and now coach to give his teams a unique perspective on the field.

Sosa knows there is a great challenge at Charlotte Christian as he enters a soccer conference (CISAA) with state powers like Charlotte Country Day, Charlotte Latin, Providence Day, Covenant Day and Cannon School. But, Sosa is focused on helping his team establish their own tradition.

“My goal is to leave my front print there (at Charlotte Christian) by helping them turn the program around, and win more games” Sosa said.

“One day, when I leave, I hope Charlotte Christian is thought of as a soccer school, not just a baseball and football school I’m saying we’re going to win the state championship this year, but I will say that (a championship) should be the goal every year no matter where I am.”

GREENFIELD 71 WAYNE CHRISTIAN 23
WCS : 8 8 7 2 — 23
GFS : 15 23 26 7 — 71
WAYNE CHRISTIAN--Casey 2, Brown Fox 9, Crawford 7, Easom 2, Bass 4, Thomas 1.
GREENFIELD--Kirby 14, Atkinson 10, N. Edwards 8, K. Edwards 5, Sherrod 5, Adair 9, Wall 5, Evans 9, Baptiste 5, Tewes 1.
WCS 10-13 GFS 25-9

JOHN PAUL 50 GREENFIELD 30
JPC : 15 9 18 8-- 50
GFS : 7 11 7 5 — 30
JPC--Cureton 14, Atkinson 12, Koester 5, Cox 2, Tyndall 2, Barnett 4, Rogers 2, Clemmons 9.
GFS--Graf 4, McNair 13, Dean 7, Holland 6.
JPC 17-4 GFS 15=11

Greenfield earns shot at CPIC title

By Tom Ham
Special to the Times

The Greenfield School varsity boys basketball team, at tournament time in the 2022-23 season, offers no pretense about its top priority – preparing for the postseason, which is a little over a week away.

“Of course, winning the tournament would be nice,” commented veteran head coach Rob Salter. “That goes right along with preparing for the (NCISAA 2-A) playoffs. Winning the tournament will help get us prepared.”


In Thursday night’s 2-A/3-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference tournament semifinals, the Knights showed they have apt focus left for the tournament, thrashing fourth-seeded Wayne Christian, 71-25, in the Greenfield gym.

The third win of the season against 2-A Wayne Christian upped the top-seeded 2-A Knights’ record to 26-9, while the Eagles departed 10-15. In Friday night’s championship game at Greenfield, the Knights oppose second-seeded archrival 3-A Wayne County Day, which defeated 2-A Parrott Academy 90-49 in Thursday night’s final game.

“Just coming in, we were strong-minded about getting ready for the playoffs. We really want to execute the plan to prepare for the playoffs,” expressed senior Greenfield guard Kryshon Atkinson.

“Tonight, we played really well. We were really good as a team. We shot the ball well and everybody was into it.”

“We get into the lane, get penetration and kick it out,” Atkinson said of the formula for success.

The Knights took command with a spectacular 18-0 tear in the second quarter. Working the ball inside, Greenfield scored at will against flat-footed Eagles defenders. Wayne Christian was scoreless in the quarter until freshman Jack Fox converted a four-point play with 2:38 left in the period. The Knights owned a 33-12 cushion.

“That has been a focus of our guards,” Salter explained. “Get a foot into the paint and, when gettng into the paint, the defense breaks down. We have focused on that.”

Greenfield jogged into halftime with a 38-16 cushion.

The Knights, who had lost two of their previous three games, opened the third quarter with a pair of 3-pointers from junior Matt Kirby and one from Atkinson. The margin expanded and the running clock went into force when senior Bryson Wall buried a 3-point shot for a 64-23 (41-point) advantage with 9.8 seconds left in period No. 3.

The major accomplishment in the quickly-played final quarter was making certain all 10 Greenfield players scored. Mission accomplished.

“We are getting better at doing the little things,” said the pleased Salter. “If we continue doing the little things more and play fundamentally sound, we will advance.


“The defense was really good; we rebounded well; and we hit some shots.”

The Eagles of head coach Tommy Fox were paced by Jack Fox with nine points.

The balanced Greenfield attack featured 14 points from Kirby, 10 from Atkinson and nine each from senior Jack Adair and junior Cole Evans.

“I could have played better,” Atkinson assessed his performance. “ But I am never satisfied. I am harder on myself than anybody else. But as long as we play well and get the win, I am happy with it.”

And Atkinson and teammates were delighted to learn that star inside player, 6-5 junior

Hampton Evans, who has been sidelined with a concussion, will return for the championship game.

“We are very excited,” Atkinson assured. “He is a big piece of us.”

WAYNE CHRISTIAN (25)

Casey 2, Brown Fox 9, Crawford 7, Easom 2, Bass 4, Thomas 1.

GREENFIELD (71)

Kirby 14, Atkinson 10, N. Edwards 8, K. Edwards 5, Sherrod 5, Adair 9, Wall 5, Evans 9, Baptiste 5, Tewes 1.

Score by quarters:

WC 8 8 7 2 — 23

GFS 15 23 26 7 — 71

FRIENDSHIP CHRISTIAN 68 NEUSE CHRISTIAN 58
NCA : 7-17-16-18---58
FSC : 15-19-11-23---68
NCA—Chase Cutis 15, Josh Martin 13, Alexander Rechetnokov 12, Blackwell 2, Colgan 9, Carter 5, Fillyaw 2, Winstead 0, Mulford 0
NEUSE 4-18 FSC 9-12

THALES/APEX 55 THALES/ROLESVILLE 20
TAR : 2-6-1-11---20
TAA : 19-15-8-13---55
TAR—Capots 8, Melvin 2, Foster 8, Harvey 0, Rowland 0, Potter o
TAR 3-17 TAA 10-11

Greensboro Day vs. Caldwell Academy
by Jeff Bendel | Feb 8, 2023 |---Phenom Preps

On Tuesday, Phenom Hoops traveled out to the heart of Greensboro for a highly anticipated battle between Caldwell Academy and Greensboro Day School. The Eagles have continued to trend upward in Coach Clifford’s second year at the helm while the Bengals have maintained a powerhouse and national reputation across nearly fifty years behind the tutelage of Coach Johnson. These schools are only about five to ten minutes apart, which led to a completely packed gymnasium full of supporters from each side. The atmosphere was intense, the energy was almost palpable, and everything was in place for this to be an extremely entertaining contest.

Things kicked off with Caldwell attacking first and the Bengals quickly responding, as the two squads went back and forth for the opening few minutes. Then, the Eagles gradually started to take over. They were pushing the break in transition, hitting three-pointers at a high clip, and showing no fear on either end of the floor—leading to a 19-13 advantage after the opening quarter. Although Greensboro Day continued to battle, the deficit only got larger as Caldwell entered the break leading 34-25. Following halftime, the Bengals began to settle down and start applying pressure in their usual manner. They attacked the basket at a seemingly nonstop rate, and were finding great results, yet still trailed 49-45 after three quarters. In the final period, Greensboro Day was able to tie it up multiple times with chances to take the lead but ultimately fell short, as Caldwell Academy secured a 62-59 victory.

There were multiple reasons why Caldwell won this game, but none bigger than clock management and three-point shooting. Coach Clifford managed the clock in a very Greensboro Day-like manner and never allowed the Bengals to control the game at the end of quarters like they usually aim to do. Instead, the Eagles were able to take care of the ball, burn clock if needed, and consistently strike during the closing seconds. Additionally, the difference in made three-pointers (nine for Caldwell, zero for Greensboro Day) also stands out.

Caldwell Academy

6’4 ’23 J3 Swindell

Although the Eagles were led by a core group of guys, it’s impossible to ignore the significance of J3 Swindell and everything he showcased during this contest. His status as a smart, polished, veteran presence was on full display, as he consistently defended bigger opponents, battled on the glass, and asserted himself during big moments offensively. Swindell is able to score the ball in a variety of ways, whether post-ups, attacks off the bounce, or hitting jumpers from beyond the arc. This is where a guy like him, who has been a key varsity piece since his freshman year, is extremely valuable. His comfort level was impressive throughout the game. Swindell did a remarkable job of fighting on defense, especially given the size difference. It’s genuinely shocking that he doesn’t have more action within his recruitment, as Swindell is clearly a useful piece at the next level. Final stats: 18 points and 5 rebounds.

6’5 ’25 Jaylen Cross

It goes without saying, but Jaylen Cross is a major leader for this group. That being said, his leadership is evident in various different forms. He played the entire game, controlled the pace offensively, took on a notable defensive assignment, and more than held his own for four consecutive quarters. Cross scored the ball as needed while looking to set up others, establish his presence on the glass, and wreak havoc defensively. Having a leader who takes pride in the non-scoring facets of the game is why his teams will always have success. His IQ, athleticism, and two-way identity continue to make him one of the top prospects in North Carolina’s Class of 2025. Final stats: 10 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, and 1 steal.

5’8 ’26 Ayden Johnson & 6’2 ’24 Zackary Goodman

The Eagles simply don’t win without the contributions of Ayden Johnson and Zack Goodman. Though small, Johnson is a tough, heady guard with knockdown perimeter shooting. He possesses nice vision, creation skills, and is able to hit jumpers at a high clip from midrange and beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Goodman is a long, wiry wing prospect with the ability to score in multiple ways. He’s an excellent three-point shooter who can reliably attack closeouts and finish or get to the line and convert. Both guys are major x-factors for this group. Johnson: 15 points. Goodman: 11 points.

Other Notable Contributors:

Neal Swindell- 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals.

Greensboro Day

6’3 ’23 Jaydon Young

No one should be surprised to hear that Jaydon Young was the Bengals’ clear leader in this showing (in addition to the entirety of the season). He patiently asserted himself on offense and then started finding great success after getting comfortable. Young was phenomenal at getting downhill, using his strength to muscle opponents out of the way, and finishing or getting to the line and converting. He’s a polished scorer with an understanding of how to adapt to various different situations offensively. Young usually looks to take what the defense is giving him, but will also take what he wants. Final stats: 26 points and 7 rebounds.

Other Notable Contributors:

Will Otto- 13 points and 6 rebounds.

Addison Newkirk- 8 points and 5 rebounds.

Joseph Bachman- 9 points and 9 rebounds.

Calvary Day School Athletics

We would like to welcome our new Varsity Softball coach, John Stein. Coach Stein has been coaching softball in various settings for the last 12 years, including recreational leagues, travel leagues, high schools, and through private lessons. He is also been a preacher for over 30 years, his two greatest passions are still preaching and baseball/softball.

HPCA beats Westchester on Senior Night
Michael Lindsay | Enterprise Sports Writer Feb 7, 2023 Updated 6 hrs ago
HIGH POINT – Westchester Country Day was playing well and feeling good early. But High Point Christian put a stop to that.

The Cougars scored the final 10 points of the second quarter to build a lead into halftime, then raced away in the second half to beat the crosstown rival Wildcats 63-34 in PTAC boys basketball Tuesday night on Senior Night at HPCA.

In the girls game, HPCA clamped down defensively, pulled away with solid stretches of offense and cruised to a 51-8 victory.

“I thought our energy improved really from the guys on the court and the guys on the bench,” Cougars boys coach Joseph Cooper said. “It’s a great night, being Senior Night, and I think it just took us a little bit to get going.”

Isaiah Sanders scored 16 points – including six during the pivotal second-quarter run – to lead HPCA (16-13 overall, 5-4 conference), in fourth place in an extremely competitive conference. Amori McLeod added nine points, while Toot Clay and Adam Grier each followed with seven points.

“I thought we underestimated them, that we were going to run over them,” Sanders said. “But Coach told us we were going to have to play. Once we put all our players back in, we just started playing and went from there.

“I felt like we had to play defense – we weren’t playing any defense. Me, personally, I had to start playing defense. Once we got steals and layups, the game started getting hectic and that’s layup central.”

Westchester twice led by a point midway through the second – on a transition dunk by Jalen Umstead and a long 3-pointer by MJ Edwards. But the Cougars quickly regained the lead on a pair of free throws by Grier – sparking a 10-point run over the final three minutes in which HPCA forced turnovers and ran in transition.

HPCA led 27-18 into halftime and quickly pulled away in the second half. The Cougars, who outshot the Wildcats by a 46% to 39% advantage from the field for the game, pushed their lead to 19 to end the third and got it to 29 in the final minute on a 3-pointer by Darius Kane – a senior who’s missed the entire season due to injury.

“It was amazing seeing him play because he hasn’t played in months,” Sanders said. “It was a good time for us on Senior Night just to see our senior play and make that shot. But we played great as a team tonight and that was just the cherry on top.”

Umstead finished with 14 points to lead Westchester (7-13, 0-9), which shot 50% in the first half and got a handful of stops to key a nine-point run that gave it the lead early in the second. MJ Edwards and Zane Dinkins each had eight points as the Wildcats, a smaller 2A team, finally near the end of a brutal conference slate against larger teams.

“I thought we played well in spurts,” Westchester coach Brook Patterson said. “At the end we lost our composure and things fell apart for us. They just played better than we did – they’ve been doing that to people all year.

“I thought we did a great job against their zone early. Then when they went man-to-man, we acted like we’ve never played against man all year. We got a little frustrated and that’s when they made that run late in the first half.”

KINSTON, Lenoir County — An era is coming to an end for Parrott Academy High School basketball.
Girls coach Kelly Johnson is retiring after the season.
The 68-year-old has coached the girls team at Parrott since 2016. Before that, he coached at William Peace University in Raleigh for 12 years.
Johnson was also with the Patriots as varsity boys coach from 1996 to 2004. He coached the boys program to three state semifinals and one championship game appearance in 2001.

Johnson coached the girls at Parrott to a semifinal appearance in the state tournament a few years ago.
He said he always enjoyed coaching in his hometown and is at peace with his decision to walk away at this point.
The Parrott Academy girls fell in the first round of the conference tournament Monday night, Feb. 6, 2023, but will play in the state tournament next week either as a 7- or 9-seed.

https://wcti12.com/sports/content/p...iOXpSQgE7ETPupQPcMt7VqxH9ZMhM-MfYPpcU9idhf8GU

NCISAA basketball: Fayetteville’s private school players to watch in playoffs
Rodd Baxley
The Fayetteville Observer


The regular season is complete for Fayetteville’s private school basketball teams.

With conference tournaments this week and the NCISAA state playoffs set to begin next week, let’s take a look at some of the players in Fayetteville who are built for postseason success.

Before we shift our attention to the individuals, let’s highlight the teams that finished the regular season at the top of their conferences.

On the boys side, Fayetteville Academy (20-6, 6-0) earned top honors in the NCISAA Coastal Rivers Conference and Northwood Temple (19-11, 10-0) finished first in the Sandhills. On the girls side, Trinity Christian (10-5, 6-0) continued its recent success with another first-place finish in the Sandhills standings.


Here’s a look at the North Carolina high school basketball players to watch from Fayetteville’s top private school programs.

Boys
John Baldwin III, Northwood Temple
The Winston-Salem signee has improved in each of his three-plus seasons. The 6-foot-11 center averaged 11.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks through 28 games to help the Eagles win the regular-season title.


Justin Caldwell, Trinity Christian
One of the top underclassmen in the area, Caldwell is averaging 13.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. He has four double-double performances.

Kendell Cave, Northwood Temple
Making the move from Wallace Rose-Hill paid off for Cave, Northwood Temple’s leading scorer and rebounder with averages of 12.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.


Jossiah Johnson, Fayetteville Academy
The freshman continues to shine for a talented Eagles squad with averages of 16.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

Xavier Johnson, Fayetteville Academy
Leader of the Eagles after making the move from Cape Fear, Johnson is averaging a team-best 19.2 points and 2.9 assists per game.

DJ Jones, Freedom Christian
The sophomore is averaging 15.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game. He has seven games with four or more steals.

Linwood Rowe, Trinity Christian
Arguably the most improved player in Fayetteville, Rowe is averaging 14.9 points and 8.2 rebounds. He has nine double-double performances.

Diamante Shepard, Trinity Christian
A senior leader for the young Crusaders, Shepard is averaging 10.2 points and 2.8 assists per game. He enters the postseason with double-digit scoring efforts in nine straight games.


Karsten Swinney, Freedom Christian
One of the top bucket-getters in the region, Swinney is averaging 20.8 points and 4.9 assists per game as a sophomore. He scored a school-record 40 points earlier this season.

Kenny Vera, Northwood Temple
The sophomore point guard is averaging 11.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. He has 14 games with four or more assists.


Girls
Jaidiah Blake, Fayetteville Christian
The eighth-grader plays at a veteran level with averages of 19 points, 6.1 steals, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists.

Dezzy Clark, Fayetteville Christian
The sophomore is averaging 15.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.2 steals in the Warriors’ young but talented backcourt.

Janiah McBryde, Trinity Christian
The sophomore is averaging 11.3 points and 2.7 steals per game. She had 10 steals in the regular-season finale against Northwood Temple.


DeNaira Williams, Trinity Christian
The South View transfer is thriving as one of the top scorers in the region. Williams is averaging 24.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.3 steals per game. She scored a career-high 40 points earlier this season.

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on Twitter

Crossroads concludes successful regular season on the hardwood
By Bryant Baucom bbaucom@hendersn
dispatch.com; 252-436-2840

HENDERSON — It was another successful regular season for the varsity basketball programs at Crossroads Christian, as both the girls’ and boys’ teams captured a Mid-Carolina Conference title.

Each team finished league play with a perfect 6-0 record and amassed over 20 wins.

On the girls’ side, the Colts recorded their best regular season in program history, winning a school record 21 games with a .880 winning percentage.

They are currently riding a six-game winning streak and have emerged victorious in 14 of their last 16 contests.


Sophomore guard Elyssa Phillips leads the way on offense for Crossroads, scoring an impressive 20.4 points per game on 48%% shooting.

Halle Brown (14.1 points) and Isreal Thorpe (12.0 points) are the remaining Colts to average double figures in scoring. Brown, who has appeared in just seven games, is the team leader with 8.1 rebounds per game and Thorpe paces the roster in assists with four per game.

The Colts’ success on the boards and in forcing turnovers is a big reason for their historic season on the hardwood. They averaged over nine offensive rebounds per game and tallied 15 steals per game.

In turn, they were able to score second chance points and create high percentage looks through their fast break offense.

Their dominance throughout the 24-game regular season was evident by the eye test and in the box scores. Crossroads defeated their opponents by an average of 33 points per game.

They held teams to under 20 points a total of nine times and reached the 60 point mark on 16 different occasions.


As the Colts enter postseason play, head coach Cammy Simmons has them playing their best basketball of the season. They will host No. 4 seed Lee Christian on Thursday in the semifinals of the MCC tournament.

Scotte Richardson guided the boys program at Crossroads Christian to a 23-7 record, ending the regular season as winners of 11 of their last 12 games.

The Colts tested themselves with a rigorous out of conference schedule, facing NCHSAA opponents and the state’s best at the NCISAA level.

University of Lynchburg commit John Henderson Jr. is the team’s leading scorer at 13.9 points per game.

Junior forward Ben Gladeiux averages 12.5 points per game in the frontcourt, while guard Shane Anthony is right behind with 12.4 points per contest.

Anthony has been outstanding from beyond the three-point line, connecting on 39% of his 127 attempts.

Senior D’Markus Tucker, who is averaging 10 points on the season, is the team’s leading rebounder, pulling down 5.9 boards per game.

Crossroads excelled offensively, shooting 50% from the floor and 36% from beyond the arc.

The Colts reached the 70 point mark 20 times and scored a season-high 108 points in a victory over Cresset Christian Academy in December.

They assisted on 14 baskets per contest and were aided by their aggressive defense, garnering over 12 steals a game.

With the postseason on the horizon, they are set to host the MCC Tournament semifinals and championship if they were to advance.

Crossroads will begin their postseason journey on Thursday, as they welcome No. 4 seed Cresset Christian to Henderson for a semifinal matchup.

Both the girls and boys championship games will take place on Friday with the state playoffs beginning next week.

The Varsity Boys Basketball Team defeated Faith on Senior Night on Friday by a score of 59 to 30. Will Tharin led the scoring with 12 points, Parker Eatmon added 11 points, while Timoni Barnes chipped in 9. Isaac Lewis led in rebounding pulling down an impressive 13 boards to go along with his 8 points. This win clinched the regular season title and the Eagles will be the top seed in the tournament starting Friday at 6pm.

The Varsity Girls remained undefeated in the CIC, securing a 53-39 win against the Lady Patriots. The Lady Eagles will take the court for the next time at Faith Christian School in the Championship Game on Saturday at 4:00.

The JV Boys clinched a win in the final seconds of the game defeating Faith Christian 45-42! The JV Boys, remaining undefeated in conference play, and 19-2 for the season, will next compete for the championship title on Saturday at 2:30 at Faith Christian School.

The JV girls came out strong last Friday winning securing a 44-12 win over Faith. The next game will be against the Faith Christian Patriots again on Thursday at 4:30 at Faith Christian.

The MS Girls basketball team will be traveling to Halifax Academy for a 4 PM game at Halifax on Tuesday. The boys team will be hosting Halifax Academy at 4 PM on Tuesday. Winners of each game will head to Faith for the Championship Games that start at 10 AM on Saturday.

BOYS STATEWIDE RANKINGS NCISAA

Rk School Rec Prvs

1 Carmel Christian 25-3 1
2 United Faith 27-2 2
3 Cannon 26-6 4
4 Greensboro Day 26-4 3
5 Christ School 26-4 8
6 Gaston Christian 21-8 9
7 Concord Academy 26-6 5
8 Asheville School 16-5 7
9 Wayne Country Day 25-6 NR
10 Rabun Gap 21-7 6

RIDGECROFT 60 OAKWOOD 41
RID : 23-5-16-16---60
OWS : 8-8-11-14---41
RID—Sawyer Chamblee 20, Baylor Edwards 12, Justin Peterson 10, Savage 4, Lewis 5, P.Edwards 7, Vaughn 1,
RIDGECROFT 18-1 OAKWOOD 2-13

NEW BERN CHRISTIAN 35 COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN 32
NBC 6 7 14 8 — 35
CCS 9 11 3 9 — 32
NBC--Scott 1, Eason 11, Huffman 9, Andrews 4, Lajoie 6, Weatherly 4.
CCS--Jackson 18, C. Carter 5, Ventura 3, Holmes 6.

Mount Calvary Christian girls basketball team finds hot streak


HOOKERTON — The team with the longest winning streak locally resides at Mount Calvary Christian.

The Lady Warriors are currently on a seven-game streak, which started with a victory over Bethel Christian in a tournament Jan. 7. Six of the wins have come by 15 points or more, and the other one was a 40-39 victory over Ahoskie Christian where Hannah Rice scored with two seconds left.

MCCU dropped the first game against Ahoskie Christian 38-25 on Dec. 5, in the midst of a rough patch — the Warriors ended up dropping six of seven games.

Heading into Friday’s game against Fellowship Christian — a team MCCU beat 55-16 on Jan. 20 — the Warriors are 7-1 in 2023 and at 12-9 have already eclipsed their win total from last season when they went 11-15.

“Early on, we dealt with some sickness and injuries, but now that we’ve been able to get everyone healthy we caught fire in the second half of the season,” Rice said. “The kids are playing for each other and that’s something we emphasize. They’ve put in a lot of time in the offseason, developing fundamentals.”

Losing Bailey Wade for several games early contributed to the team’s skid. Wade was playing point guard for the first time in her career and when she was out, the duty fell upon eighth-grader Emily Buck while other players had to do more in Wade’s absence.

“It affected both the offense and defense,” Hannah Rice said. “My whole life I played in the post, but had to play more like a guard when Bailey was out. Now that she’s back, everyone can work on their own positions.”

Wade said it’s been a transition but one she’s appreciated.

“I feel like I’m getting more comfortable as the season goes on,” Wade said. “Since my shchool is small, playing varsity in the sixth grade has prepared me for where I am today. I’m still growing as an athlete and I try to be a positive teammate.”

Buck said playing point guard did help her out despite the challenges, not just being in the position but adjusting to varsity play.

“There’s a lot of pressure, but playing point guard helped me a whole lot,” Buck said.

The Warriors are led offensively by Hannah Rice (12.7 ppg, 17.1 rpg, 2.4 spg), Wade (9.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.1 apg, 3.7 spg, 2.0 bpg) and Buck (9.8 ppg). Rice leads the state in rebounds according to Maxpreps and defensively, Holly Jo Brick is seventh in the state with 3.8 blocks per game while also grabbing 8.7 rebounds.

“I’ve just been working on timing,” Brick said. “I hurt my knee and missed a couple games so I’ve been working on getting my jump back, and of course my height helps.”

The future is even brighter for Mount Calvary Christian, as the team has no seniors. Melanie Hall is the elder stateswoman as a junior with three sophomores — Rice, Wade and Brick — and middle schoolers.

“We have a young varsity team, but there’s a lot of talent and heart,” Frank Rice said. “They’re unselfish and we’re teaching them how to play the right way. The core will be together for another three years and if we stay injury-free, the way this team is gelling, a state championship could happen.”

The Warriors are hosting the Mid-Atlantic Christian Athletic Association championships, which run from Feb. 16-18.

A senior night to cherish for Cyclones

By Tom Ham Special to the Times

Thursday night’s renamed North Carolina Christian Athletic Association 2-A North-South war provided a Senior Night to cherish for the five senior members of the Community Christian School varsity boys basketball team.

The seniors – 6-foot-7 Seth Huston, Rylan Gay, Bryce Pittman, Ayden Smith and Noah Pierce combined for 72 points as the Cyclones of the North region won the war with a 75-53 triumph against New Bern Christian Academy of the South region inside Eastern N.C. School for the Deaf’s Barney Williamson gym. The Cyclones avenged a 14-point loss nine days earlier at New Bern.

The rematch did not count in the region standings for either team. But should a tiebreaker surface between the teams in the postseason, CCS gets the nod.

The Cyclones of head coach Derrick Atkinson took over the North lead at 5-2 and hiked their overall record to 14-5. New Bern emerged tied for the South top spot at 6-1 and possesses a 17-7 overall mark.

“This was the most complete game we have played,” assessed Atkinson. “We wanted to start out fast and stay that way. We wanted to pressure them and keep the pressure on.”

Setting a scorching pace for CCS was Huston with a career-high 35 points and 18 rebounds. Huston had missed the previous two games because of an injury.

Pittman, who ignited the blistering start, drilled in 17 points and claimed seven rebounds. Gay, a prominent playmaker in working the ball to Huston, tossed in 11 points, Smith six and Pierce a pair.

As Huston began to assert his presence, Gay, Pittman and Smith committed themselves to get the basketball in Huston’s hands.

“He was out the last two games,” Atkinson noted of Huston, “and we wanted to get him back in the groove so we could go inside-out.”

Huston finished on at least a half-dozen putbacks and feasted inside on cutters. His excitement got the best of him in the fourth quarter – when he was whistled for a technical for taunting following an accurate mid-range jumper.

“He doesn’t usually do something like that,” Atkinson noted, “but he was so excited.”

Commented Huston: “I wasn’t thinking much about (Senior Night) until the guys started telling me how many points I had. To do well on Senior Night is definitely something to be proud of.

“I was trying to get as open as possible because they couldn’t stop me. I am glad (teammates) trusted me and know I can get it done. That goes a long way.”

Of dominating the backboards, Huston, the tallest player on the court, remarked: “I can read the ball and tell where it’s going.”

The Mustangs owned a 3-0 beginning before Pittman jump-started CCS. The Cyclones responded with seven unanswered points and Huston led the Cyclones to a 17-7 first-quarter cushion.

CCS played at a frenzied pace in the second quarter, stretching the lead to 25-9 as Gay buried a pair of 3-point shots. Huston was still dealing and making frequent trips to the foul line as the margin expanded to 33-12.

“No. 2 (Pittman) has been shooting the ball really good the last three games,” Atkinson said. “No. 12 (Huston) has been big all year long.”

The Mustangs showed life in the third quarter, cutting the 15-point halftime deficit to 10 behind senior Levi Romero and 5-foot-3 senior Micah Coghill, the son of head coach Scott Coghill, who swished four shots from 3-point land.”

Coach Coghill revealed the Mustangs were missing their starting center and said: “”We didn’t have our composure and lacked the discipline necessary. But (CCS) played well.

“Our goal was to get their lead down to 10 points. We did that, but then had a turnover and started to foul. Their lead was back to 15 pretty quick.”

Also, leading scorer K.C. Peter, a sophomore, fouled out in the third quarter.

“We knew he was in foul trouble,” Atkinson acknowledged of Peter. “We knew they were coming, but we spread the offense out. We wanted to play smart defense so we could keep an eye on (Peter).”

CCS fans among the live-wire onlookers roared when Peter fouled out.


Romero’s 13 points paced the Mustangs. Micah Coghill scored 12, while senior Geo Smith and Peter netted 11 each.

The proceedings were frequently chippy.

“They are new to our conference,” Coach Coghill explained. “Everybody comes after New Bern – and that’s good.”

NEW BERN CHRISTIAN ---Smith 11, Puchalslic 3, Romero 13, Coghill 12, Peter 11, Cahoon 3.

COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN--Gay 11, Smith 6, Pittman 17, Pierce 2, Williams 2, Pittman 2, Huston 35.

Score by quarters:

NBC 7 15 12 19 — 53

CCS 17 20 14 24 — 75

CHARLOTTE LATIN TO NAME FLOOR AFTER LEGENDARY COACH

Jerry Faulkner won nearly 900 games as a high school basketball coach and guided Charlotte Latin to five state championships. On Friday night, the gym floor at Charlotte Latin will be named for him.

Faulkner, who coached the Hawks from 1985 through 2007 and then had a successful career at two coastal South Carolina schools, will be honored at halftime of the Charlotte Latin-Charlotte Country Day boys’ game. Charlotte Latin officials say they expect more than 50 of his former players to be on hand for the ceremony.

In his 22 seasons with the Hawks, Faulkner compiled a record of 515-157. Only once did Charlotte Latin have a losing record with Faulkner at the helm. Many of his players went on to play in college, and one, Anthony Morrow, played in the NBA and is now an executive with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
He was selected as head coach of the East team in the 2001 McDonald’s All-American Game. Faulkner moved to the Hilton Head, South Carolina, area after leaving Charlotte, but it didn’t take him long to get back into coaching. He coached at Hilton Head Christian, took a brief break, and then took over the Hilton Head Prep job in 2012.

Faulkner coached Hilton Head Prep to the S.C. Independent Schools’ 2A state championship in 2019. He retired from Hilton Head Prep last year.

Virginia high school cancels basketball season after 22-year-old poses as JV player during game
• BY MICHAEL PHILLIPS, Richmond Times-Dispatch


RICHMOND, Va. — A Virginia high school has canceled the rest of the JV girls basketball season after a 22-year-old former assistant coach played in a game by pretending to be a 13-year-old player.

The story, first reported by WAVY television in Hampton Roads, has led to the cancellation of the season, and the television station reported that the team's head coach was fired.

The Churchland High School Truckers basketball team in Portsmouth had one of its players, a 13-year-old, out of town at a club basketball tournament.

So instead, the 22-year-old former assistant coach, who WAVY reported as Arlisha Boykins, suited up and played in the game on Jan. 21 against Nansemond River.


Online records now show the game as a forfeit, with Nansemond River the winner. Prior to the game, Churchland had won four straight.

Boykins can be seen in video of the event posted by the NFHS Network, which broadcasts many high school games on the internet.

A school spokesperson told reporters the Churchland administration held a meeting and the players and parents opted to sit out the rest of the season.

WAVY reported that the parents of the player who was not in attendance have asked for an apology from the school division.

BETHEL CHRISTIAN 56 COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN 52

KINSTON — Less than two weeks after hanging at 17-point loss on Bethel Christian in Wilson, the Community Christian varsity boys basketball team found the Trojans to be equally unaccommodating on their home court Monday as the Cyclones were dealt a 56-52 defeat.
Bryce Pittman led the Cyclones, now 13-5 overall, with 13 points while Tavares Williams produced 12 points and seven rebounds. Rylan Gay added 11 points while Ayden Smith yanked down 12 rebounds.
CCS will host New Bern Christian on Thursday at ENCSD’s Williamson Gym.

CCS—Bryce Pittman 13, Tavares Willimas 12, Rylan Gay 11, Smith 4, Pierce 4, Kovach 8,
CCS 13-5 BCA 7-15