1-14-23 roundup: Pro basketball and football, High school football, College basketball
By Richard Walker
Earlier this week, the twitter site “Friday Nights in Carolina” named its N.C. all-state high school football teams and 34 players from Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties were honored.
Burns (4), Crest (3), Kings Mountain (4) and Shelby (2) of Cleveland County had selections, with Ashbrook (2), Mountain Island Charter (5) and South Point (7) with selections from Gaston County and East Lincoln (6) and West Lincoln (1) had selections from Lincoln County.
The site made its selections based on nominations provided by the state’s high school football coaches.
Here are the local honorees:
(Class 3A)
1st team QB – Tyler Mizzell, East Lincoln
1st team RB – Cam Medlock, South Point
1st team WR – Javarius Green, Crest
1st team OL – Sullivan Absher, South Point
1st team OL – Quincy Eskridge, Kings Mountain
1st team DL – Curtis Simpson, Kings Mountain
1st team DL – A.J. Richardson, Kings Mountain
1st team DL – DeVonyae Pettis, Crest
1st team LB – Ben Cutter, East Lincoln
1st team DB – Will Ross, South Point
1st team DB – Keandre Walker, East Lincoln
1st team ATH – Jake Lloyd, Kings Mountain
1st team K – Charlie Birtwistle, South Point
2nd team QB – Ny’tavious Huskey, Crest
2nd team RB – Carmelo Bess, Ashbrook
2nd team TE – Jackson Blee, South Point
2nd team DL – Marcel Johnson, East Lincoln
2nd team DL – Devon Jones, Ashbrook
2nd team DL – Blake Bradford, East Lincoln
2nd team LB – Chaynce Ford, South Point
2nd team DB – Jaquis Rumph, South Point
2nd team LS – Levi Clark, East Lincoln
(Class 2A)
1st team RB – Mason Avery, West Lincoln
1st team OL – Jackie Ross, Shelby
1st team LB – Cahari Haynes, Burns
1st team ATH – Ryan Thompson, Burns
2nd team QB – Daylin Lee, Shelby
2nd team OL – Caleb Boyd, Burns
2nd team DB – L.J. Allen, Burns
(Class 1A)
1st team DL – Ashton Miller, Mountain Island Charter
1st team LB – Khiyale Washington, Mountain Island Charter
1st team P – Tanner Baxter, Mountain Island Charter
1st team LS – Ethan Koenig, Mountain Island Charter
2nd team ATH – Reggie Daniel, Mountain Island Charter
Pro football
Here’s the 2022-23 NFL playoff schedule:
-Wild Card weekend
(AFC)
No. 1 Kansas City – bye
No. 5 L.A. Chargers at Jacksonville – Jacksonville 31-30
No. 7 Miami at No. 2 Buffalo, 1 p.m. Sunday (CBS)
No. 6 Baltimore at No. 3 Cincinnati, 8:15 p.m. Sunday (NBC)
(NFC)
No. 1 Philadelphia – bye
No. 7 Seattle at No. 2 San Francisco – San Francisco 41-23
No. 6 N.Y. Giants at No. 3 Minnesota, 4:30 p.m. Sunday (FOX)
No. 5 Dallas at No. 4 Tampa Bay, 8:15 p.m. Monday (ABC ESPN)
-Confererence semifinals
Jan. 21-22, pairings, times and dates TBA
-Conference championship games
Jan. 29
-Super Bowl
Feb. 12 at Glendale, Ariz.
Pro basketball
The largest home crowd of the season – and the largest at Spectrum Center since December 2018 – saw the Charlotte Hornets build a 16-point first half lead against the Boston Celtics.
Unfortunately for the Hornets, the crowd of 19,608 saw the home team blow its biggest lead of the season – and seventh of 10 or more points this year – to lost 122-106.
The loss was Charlotte’s fourth straight.
LaMelo Ball (31 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists), Terry Rozier (21 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists), P.J. Washington (14 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists) and Mason Plumlee (9 points, 16 rebounds) led the Hornets.
Here’s the 2022-23 Charlotte Hornets schedule:
(11-33 record)
October
19 at San Antonio (W 129-102)
21 New Orleans (L 112-124)
23 at Atlanta (W 126-109)
26 at New York (L 131-134, OT)
28 at Orlando (L 93-113)
29 Golden State (W 120-113, OT)
31 Sacramento (L 108-115)
November
2 at Chicago (L 88-106)
4 at Memphis (L 99-130)
5 Brooklyn (L 94-98)
7 Washington (L 100-108)
9 Portland (L 95-105)
10 at Miami (L 112-117, OT)
12 at Miami (L 115-132)
14 at Orlando (W 112-105)
16 Indiana (L 113-125)
18 at Cleveland (L 122-132, 2 OT)
20 at Washington (L 102-106)
23 Philadelphia (W 107-101)
25 Minnesota (W 110-108)
28 at Boston (L 105-140)
December
2 Washington (W 117-116)
3 Milwaukee (L 96-105)
5 L.A. Clippers (L 117-119)
7 at Brooklyn (L 116-122)
9 New York (L 102-121)
11 at Philadelphia (L 113-131)
14 Detroit (L 134-141, OT)
16 Atlanta (L 106-125)
18 at Denver (L 115-119)
19 at Sacramento (W 125-119)
21 at L.A. Clippers (L 105-126)
23 at L.A. Lakers (W 134-130)
26 at Portland (L 113-124)
27 at Golden State (L 105-110)
29 Oklahoma City (W 121-113)
31 Brooklyn (L 106-123)
January
2 L.A. Lakers (L 115-121)
4 Memphis (L 107-131)
6 at Milwaukee (W 138-109)
8 at Indiana (L 111-116)
10 at Toronto (L 120-132)
12 at Toronto (L 114-124)
14 Boston (L 106-122)
16 Boston, 1 p.m.
18 at Houston, 8 p.m.
21 at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.
23 at Utah, 9 p.m.
24 at Phoenix, 9 p.m.
26 Chicago, 7:30 p.m.
29 Miami, 1 p.m.
31 at Milwaukee, 8 p.m.
February
2 at Chicago, 8 p.m.
3 at Detroit, 7 p.m.
5 Orlando, 1 p.m.
8 at Washington, 7 p.m.
10 at Boston, 7:30 p.m.
11 Denver, 7 p.m.
13 Atlanta, 7 p.m.
15 San Antonio, 7 p.m.
24 at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
25 Miami, 7 p.m.
27 Detroit, 7 p.m.
March
1 Phoenix, 7 p.m.
3 Orlando, 7 p.m.
5 at Brooklyn, 6 p.m.
7 at New York, 7:30 p.m.
9 at Detroit, 7 p.m.
11 Utah, 7 p.m.
12 Cleveland, 5 p.m.
14 Cleveland, 7 p.m.
17 Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
20 Indiana, 7 p.m.
23 at New Orleans, 8 p.m.
24 at Dallas, 7:30 p.m.
26 Dallas, 1 p.m.
28 at Oklahoma City, 8 p.m.
31 Chicago, 7 p.m.
April
2 Toronto, 1 p.m.
4 Toronto, 7 p.m.
7 Houston, 7 p.m.
9 at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
College basketball
(Saturday’s games)
Charlotte 72, UTSA 54: The 49ers snapped their two-game losing streak behind a stellar defensive effort and a trio of double-figure scorers to improve to 12-5, 3-3. Charlotte forced 15 Roadrunners turnovers and held UTSA to just an 18 percent shoot on 3-pointers (3-16) and 36 percent overall (17-47). Igor Milicic, Jr.’s 16 points led Charlotte’s offense.
UNC Asheville 72, Gardner-Webb 67: After UNC Asheville hit a desperation 3-point to force overtime, the visitors outscored G-W 9-4 in the extra period to drop the Bulldogs to 8-10 overall and 3-3 in the Big South.
George Mason 67, Davidson 65: Foster Loyer and Grant Huffman had 16 points each but Davidson suffered its third straight Atlantic 10 Conference loss to fall to 9-9, 2-4.
Queens 107, North Alabama 78: Kenny Dye scored 18 points as the Royals (13-6, 3-3) snapped a two-game losing streak in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
Barton 71, Belmont Abbey 70: Mario Lacy, Jr., had 17 points and Wade Jackson and Mason Taylor 13 apiece but Belmont Abbey (10-6, 6-2) saw its seven-game winning streak halted at Conference Carolinas unbeaten Barton (10-5, 8-0).
Pro football
The Carolina Panthers’ wish list for a new head coach is up to 11.
The team has reportedly requested an interview with Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.
It comes after the team has already interviewed
Previously, the Panthers have either interviewed or requested interviews with the following: Current Panthers interim head coach Steve Wilks, former Indianapolis Colts, Detroit Lions and Wake Forest head coach Jim Caldwell, Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and former Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich.
The team also requested interviews with San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans and New England Patriots linebacker coach Jerod Mayo, but Ryans’ schedule has prevented him from committing to an interview and the Patriots announced soon after Carolina’s request that they were beginning discussions to sign Mayo to a long-term contract.