PITTSBORO – Northwood’s Taylor Adams set the pace last Wednesday in a huge six-school cross-country meet, enabling the Chargers to earn a split in the Mid-State 2A Conference meet.

Adams’ time of 16:44 beat Noah Mace of Cedar Ridge, and Jacobi Eaves and Ryan Brumfield finished third and fourth, respectively, as NW claimed the boys side with 24 points, defeating CR (46), Eastern Alamance (60), Randleman (115), Graham (151), and High Point Andrews (153).

Matt Russell and Aaron Thomas joined their teammates in the top 10, finishing in sixth and tenth with times of 17:57 and 18:10, respectively.

The Charger girls didn’t fair quite as well as the boys, but Julia Woods and Claire Fahrbach came in seventh and eighth, helping NW claim second place with 59 points, 23 behind Cedar Ridge.

Attention to all kickers in Chatham County, there are scholarships awaiting you at the college level and maybe even a contract in the pros if you can kick an extra point in the clutch or make a field goal from either hash mark.

So far this season, kicking has become a problem in football.

Countless contests, at all levels, have been decided by clutch kicks late in games.

These games, however, are being decided by misses more than makes.

So far this year, I have only seen one team – the Chatham Central Bears – utilize a kicker.

For the most part, when a high-school team scores a touchdown, they opt for the two-point conversion, forgoing the extra point.

It’s a trend I haven’t seen before, but there is something in the air that is keeping balls from sailing through the up-rights.

This past weekend, the North Carolina State Wolfpack missed two key field goals that would have prevented them from having to go to overtime to beat the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

In an ironic twist of fate, the Deacons missed their field goal in the extra session, allowing the Pack to win the game with a touchdown.

My pigskin picks so far this year have been ravaged by last second misses, resulting in me occupying the cellar.

It seems like every week, I make my selections, watch my picks dominate the game, only to lose when they miss a field goal or extra point.

BEAR CREEK – Not even Mother Nature could slow down the Chatham Central Bears last Tuesday.

Despite wet and muddy conditions on the course, the Bears galloped their way to a cross-country sweep over Thomasville and South Davidson.

Chatham Central’s girls totaled just 15 points, easily besting the Bulldogs and the Wildcats.

On the boys side, the Bears 24 points was plenty enough to hold off SD’s 46 and Thomasville’s 60.

To no surprise, Erin Leonard and Kyle Scott – just as they have done on several occasions so far this season – paced CC by claiming first in the girls and boys, respectively.

 more- See Thursday, October 7 paper: Vol 84, No. 45

The Lady Jets were impressive against a vastly improved Mustang squad, having their way most of the day in upping their league record to 15-0, while improving to 19-0 overall.

The triumph also marked the 43rd in a row for the defending 1A state champions.

"We played well throughout the lineup today," said J-M head coach Anne Mathias. "Holly (Thomas) had a great match, and Brittany (Woolard) also played very well."

After spotting North Moore a win in the top-seeded affair in which Caitlin Forest downed J-M’s Kynlon Snipes 8-4, the Lady Jets roared back to take eight straight wins.