Little Kayla Buie waits for a pitched ball to slide her way in 8-9 year old softball action recently. Buie plays for the Silk Hope Cougars and was tangling with the Lightning Bolts in Siler City when she was caught working behind the plate. And it wasn’t long before a ball came her way and she was able to get some playing time in the heavy backcatchers garb.

The Cizzlers used some timely hitting here on Sunday afternoon to down Southwest 4-3 in Palomino baseball action at Northwest Guilford High School.

With the win Chatham County takes over first place in the Guilford County Palomino standings with a 3-1 mark.

Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Cizzlers began a two-out rally by virtue of a costly Southwest error which allowed Spencer Andrews to reach first. Chris Hart followed with a liner to right field and Keith Frazier delivered a clutch RBI-single to left to score Andrews and tie the game at 3-3.

Chatham County seized the win in extra-innings when Spencer Moody slapped a shot to right to score Andrews for the game-winner. Andrews had once again started a two-out rally with a base hit before Hart stroked a single up the middle and Frazier walked to load the bases.

None of the clutch hits by the Cizzlers would have been possible were it not for the strong pitching effort from CC starter Jeremy Sessoms (1-0). The right-hander was tagged for a run and three hits in the first inning, but settled down from that point to allow just single runs in the fourth and sixth, and four hits the rest of the way in a complete-game performance that included seven strike outs.

It’s becoming an annual right of spring down in Bear Creek.

For the third time in as many years Chatham Central will be searching for a head coach in the main revenue generating sport, football.

On Tuesday night Bear coach Kenan Leichty informed Chatham Central Athletic Director Gary Leonard of his intentions.

In Pittsboro, Northwood Athletic Director Bill Hall was receiving much of the same news as men’s basketball coach Rich Rookey announced his resignation after a two-year stint.

Leichty, who served one-year as defensive coordinator before taking over the head coaching position vacated by Scott Schwarzer last spring, has taken the position as defensive coordinator/assistant head coach at his alma mater Versailles High School in Versailles, Ohio. He also coached the jayvee men’s basketball team and the softball team at Chatham Central.

Most might assume the Bears coming off consecutive 0-12 and 0-11 seasons and mired in the midst of a 28-game losing streak would be the cause of Leichty heading north.

However, Leichty had told Leonard on previous occasions that a job back in his hometown of Versailles would be the one opportunity he couldn’t turn down.

GREENSBORO – When looking up and down the lineup for the Chatham County Cizzlers, opposing pitchers have to start feeling a little fear by now.

If the Cizzlers continue to get pitching like they did from Cole Hudson Monday night in a 10-0 whipping of Eastern GAPP, the bats could carry them a long way.

Seth Kivett pounded GAPP pitching to the tune of three homeruns and five RBI’s, leading an offense that totaled 11 hits in six innings.

CC scored runs in all but one inning, erupting for five in the third that blew the game wide open.

Kivett got the offense going in the first with his first long ball of the night, plating Jonathan Moody in the process for a 2-0 Cizzlers lead.

The duo continued to create havoc for Eastern in the third.

Moody led off the frame by reaching on an error, again coming home on a Kivett big fly.

Leading 5-0, the CC offense didn’t stop there.

more- See Thursday, June 10 paper: Vol 84, No. 28

The Yadkin Valley Conference released is 1A spring all-league teams with a host of Chatham County athletes being recognized.

In golf, Burton Wood of Jordan-Matthews was named Player-of-the-Year while Cameron Cheek of Jordan-Matthews was named as Runner-up.

Also named to the squad from J-M was Craig Wood and Miles Boling while Dustin Givens of Chatham Central was also named All-YVC.

Patrick Bass of Jordan-Matthews was tabbed Coach-of-the-Year for the second year in a row after leading the Jets to back-to-back state 1A titles.

In men’s tennis, Wes Brown of Jordan-Matthews was named Player-of-the-Year.

Josh Williams, Brandon Woolard, and William Hobbs of J-M were also selected to the All-YVC team as was Cameron Clarke of Chatham Central.

In baseball, Ryan Lambert of Chatham Central was named Runner-up to Player-of-the-Year Spencer Collins of North Moore.

Seth Kivett and Daniel Douglas also made the All-YVC squad for the Bears.