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It's a Gold Medal day for
Sales, Joyce at NCHSAA 1A states
By Don Beane
GREENSBORO – It wasn’t exactly the greatest of seasons, at
least by Chatham Central’s standards, on the wrestling mat this
winter.
The Bears posted a 12-17 record overall and missed the 1A Dual Team
state playoffs.
That disappointing season turned to Pure Gold on Saturday, however,
for a pair of Central grapplers when junior Shelton Sales and
sophomore Carson Joyce captured individual state 1A titles in their
respective 135 and 171 weight classes at the Greensboro Coliseum.
It marked the 1st time the 1A class had been separated
from the 2A level, a move that was justified due to just enough rise
in numbers due to realignment.
The change meant Sales and Joyce needed to win their eight-man
brackets with a match on Friday night and then two on Saturday.
Sales, who entered the event as the odds on favorite to take the
state title, decisioned Chandler Gooch of Murphy 8-0 in the final
after pinning Justin Caudill of Alleghany in 1:29 in the tournament
opener on Friday night and following by pinning Zack Eller of North
Wilkes in 3:05 on Saturday morning.
The three wins completed a perfect 46-0 season for Sales who
transferred in from 4A Davie County.
“I wasn’t sure that I could go undefeated and win the states but
making it that far against a lot of tough opponents gave me
confidence entering the state tournament,” said Sales. “It
accomplished a lot of goals and was a great thrill to do it.”
Sales feels his past has lead up to this point.
more- See Thursday,
March 4,
2010
edition
CC diamond squad opens with
6-4 comeback win
By Don Beane
BISCOE – Any road win is a good one.
But when you also factor in that it’s the season opener, as well as
the conference opener, and your club trailed 3-0 heading into the
top of the sixth and hadn’t advanced a runner past 2nd
base until that point, and you win - then it’s an extra good win.
Just ask Bill Slaughter who’s Chatham Central baseball team opened
the 2010 spring campaign with a come-from-behind 6-4 victory over
East Montgomery on Monday afternoon down in Biscoe.
“We swung the bats well and Josh Brooks did a great job in keeping
us in the game by allowing just two hits and no walks in four
innings,” said Slaughter. “To be trailing 3-0 and down to six outs
before coming back to win, that’s big especially on the road in
conference play.”
Offensively Justin Johnson was the star of the show for the Bears as
the junior went 3-for-4 at the play and drove in 3 runs.
After East Montgomery has struck for a pair of unearned runs in the
1st, and plated another unearned run in the 5th,
Johnson followed leadoff singles by Brooks and Steven Clark, and an
RBI-single from Michael Oates, with his 2nd double of the
contest, this one a two-run twin-bagger to tie the game at 3-3.
more- See Thursday,
March 4,
2010
edition
Bullock, Kinston up next for
Chargers
By Don Beane
GREENVILLE – It’s hard
to believe that a team that advanced to the state 2A title game a
year ago and returns so much of its roster would be such a
prohibited underdog heading into the 2A Eastern Regional play
tonight (Wed.) at 8:30 p.m. in Minges Coliseum on the campus of
East Carolina University in Greenville.
But that appears to be the overwhelming sentiment
from most basketball followers across the state when discussing
Northwood (19-7) preparing to do battle with powerful Kinston
(25-4).
The Chargers took the 2A Eastern Regional title a
year ago before falling 62-50 to state champion Shelby in Chapel
Hill.
After taking 2nd in the new Carolina 9
Conference this season behind Cedar Ridge (23-2), who will battle
Clinton (24-6) at 7:00 p.m. in the other semi-final, Northwood has
ousted Franklinton (67-57), Providence Grove (69-64), and then
Fairmont (63-62) in Sectional play to advance to Greenville.
Kinston, meanwhile, opened the state playoffs with
an 81-43 thrashing of North Johnston, a 72-45 spanking of South
Lenior, and then an impressive 72-56 victory over Wilson
Beddingfield to earn the trip to Greenville.
more- See Thursday,
March 4,
2010
edition
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Jeff Davis photo
Eye to first...
Central's Steven Clark is framed by an East
Montgomery baserunner in their season opener Monday afternoon.
Clark scooped up the short hopper to third base and threw the runner
out. The bears, down 3-0 in the fifth inning, bounced back to
with the game 6-4.
Epps
return lifts Northwood to Sectional crown
By Don Beane
FAIRMONT – Juan Young’s free throw with :02 seconds left on
Friday night down in Robeson County appeared to be meaningless by
giving Northwood a 63-59 advantage over Fairmont.
But when the Golden Tornadoes’ Juwan Addison heaved a desperation
shot from beyond have court as the buzzer sounded that hit nothing
but net it proved to be the difference in a 63-62 victory in NCHSAA
state 2A Sectional Finals action.
Northwood improved to 19-7 on the season with the victory and
heads to 2A Eastern Regional play at Minges Coliseum on the campus
of East Carolina where the Chargers will battle Kinston (25-4) and
much ballyhooed UNC recruit Reggie Bullock tonight (Wed.) at 8:30
p.m.
Fairmont, meanwhile, closes the season at 12-13.
“Fairmont was very athletic and quick and caused us some problems,”
said NW coach Russ Frazier. “We knew it would be a tough challenge
down here and our guys made the plays when they had to.”
Ryan Epps, in particular, was a big reason for the Northwood victory
as the junior guard returned after missing the previous four
contests with a team-high 19 points. Time and time again Epps, who
sank four 3-pointers in the win, came up with a clutch shots, but
none were more important than the two foul shots at the 1:53 mark
which gave NW the lead for good at 60-59.
After Fairmont’s Charlton Thompson rimmed out a shot with just over
a minute remaining the teams traded a pair of turnovers apiece
before Ridge Smith toed the charity stripe an canned two more foul
shots to up the Chargers’ advantage to 62-59 with :08.5 seconds
remaining.
Brandon McDonald misfired on a 3-pointer moments later and Young was
fouled and sank the second of two free throws to clinched the NW
victory.
The contest itself was in doubt the entire way as neither team could
shake the other with Northwood’s biggest lead of the night coming at
the 1:36 mark 2nd quarter when Epps sank a free throw to
give the locals a 32-24 lead.
more- See Thursday,
March 4,
2010
edition
Chargers
open state play, edging Franklinton by ten
By Don Beane
WAKE FOREST – An exciting and successful season came to a
close for Woods Charter on Thursday night with the school’s 1st-ever
victory over Kestrel Heights.
The Wolves took a 49-39 victory win to close the season at 15-6.
For Woods Charter coach John Berry his squads accomplishments
couldn’t have been better.
“This win over Kestrel Heights placed us as the third best team in
the league (Central Carolina Athletic League)! We had exceptional
performances by Preston Ferguson, Chad Gerber, Mike Galin and Justin
Cyriaque! It was a great way to cap off the season!”
It was a season continued the ascent of a steadily improving
Woods Charter program.
“Two years ago, we won only one conference game. Last year, we won
eight conference games. This year, we won fifteen conference games
and our team beat every team in the CCAL league except one. The
team’s accomplishments this year have been remarkable.”
Preston Ferugson was the leader on Thursday night in the win with 19
points including a trio of treys despite a sprained finger.
Chad Gerber chipped in a career-high 17 points in the victory while
Galin added three points and seven rebounds and Justin Cyriaque two
points and eight boards.
more- See Thursday,
March 4,
2010
edition
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