1-30-22 roundup: High school wrestling and basketball, Middle school basketball, Pro basketball and football
By Richard Walker
Two weeks remain in N.C. High School Athletic Association basketball regular seasons and several local teams are in a position to take titles, including both boys and girls teams from Shelby, East Lincoln and Lincoln Charter.
In Big South 3A boys, Crest (12-2, 7-0) has won 20 straight league games but have seven contests remaining. Kings Mountain (10-6, 7-1), whose lone loss was to Crest, is close behind.
In Big South 3A girls, Kings Mountain (12-2, 9-0) leads Ashbrook (12-5, 8-1) by virtue of an earlier win and their Feb. 8 rematch at Kings Mountain looms next week.
In the Southern Piedmont 1A/2A, Shelby’s boys (9-3, 7-0) and girls (10-2, 7-0) lead their respective races.
East Lincoln’s boys and girls are each 17-2, 9-0 and atop the Western Foothills 3A.
And Lincoln Charter’s boys (15-4, 6-0) and girls (14-6, 6-0) lead the Catawba Shores 1A/2A.
Gaston Day’s boys (20-2, 9-1) are the area’s first 20-game winner and gave clinched the Metrolina Conference title as they enter the final week of their regular season.
And here are standings for Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties through Jan. 29:
BIG SOUTH 3A
(Boys)
Crest 7-0, 12-2
Kings Mountain 7-1, 10-6
Cramer 6-3, 15-3
Forestview 4-3, 6-8
South Point 5-5, 9-10
Ashbrook 4-6, 5-13
Huss 1-7, 4-12
North Gaston 0-9, 3-16
(Girls)
Kings Mountain 9-0, 12-2
Ashbrook 8-1, 12-5
Huss 6-3, 10-5
Crest 4-4, 7-9
North Gaston 3-5, 6-11
South Point 3-7, 6-12
Forestview 2-6, 2-11
Cramer 0-9, 1-16
SOUTHERN PIEDMONT 1A/2A
(Boys)
Shelby 7-0, 9-3
Bessemer City 6-1, 13-3
East Gaston 4-3, 10-7
Burns 3-4, 4-12
Cherryville 3-5, 11-6
Thomas Jefferson 2-4, 11-6
Highland Tech 0-8, 2-14
(Girls)
Shelby 7-0, 10-2
Thomas Jefferson 5-1, 8-8
Bessemer City 3-2, 8-6
Burns 4-3, 5-11
East Gaston 3-4, 9-8
Cherryville 1-6, 2-14
Highland Tech 0-7, 2-13
OTHERS
(Boys)
Piedmont CC 3-5, 4-11
East Lincoln 9-0, 17-2
North Lincoln 4-5, 10-8
Lincolnton 6-1, 8-9
West Lincoln 3-4, 6-11
Lincoln Charter 6-0, 15-4
Mtn Isl Charter 2-3, 7-11
Gaston Christian 5-4, 10-11
Gaston Day 9-1, 20-2
(Girls)
Piedmont CC 2-0, 5-5
East Lincoln 9-0, 17-2
North Lincoln 1-8, 3-14
Lincolnton 0-5, 3-11
West Lincoln 1-5, 6-11
Lincoln Charter 6-0, 14-6
Mtn Isl Charter 0-5, 0-8
Gaston Christian 3-3, 3-6
Gaston Day 3-6, 3-11
This week’s games:
(Monday)
Shelby at Thomas Jefferson
East Rutherford at Burns
(Tuesday)
Cramer at Ashbrook
Forestview at Huss
North Gaston at Crest
South Point at Kings Mountain
Cherryville at Burns
East Gaston at Bessemer City
Thomas Jefferson at Highland Tech
Piedmont CC at Cabarrus Charter
East Lincoln at Foard
North Lincoln at St. Stephens
West Caldwell at Lincolnton
Newton-Conover at West Lincoln
Hickory Grove at Gaston Day
Lincoln Charter at Mountain Island Charter
Concord Academy at Gaston Christian
(Wednesday)
Cramer at Crest
East Gaston at Bessemer City
Hickory at East Lincoln
Highland Tech at Ashbrook
Kings Mountain at Shelby
Lincoln Charter at Pine Lake Prep
Gaston Christian at Metrolina Christian
(Thursday)
Forestview at North Gaston
Lincolnton at West Lincoln
(Friday)
Crest at Forestview
Huss at North Gaston
Kings Mountain at Cramer
South Point at Ashbrook
Burns at Bessemer City
Cherryville at Highland Tech
Shelby at East Gaston
Queen’s Grant at Piedmont CC
East Lincoln at St. Stephens
Foard at North Lincoln
East Burke at Lincolnton
West Caldwell at West Lincoln
Lincoln Charter at Community School of Davidson
Gastpn Christian at Hickory Grove
Gaston Day at Northside Christian
Asheville Trailblazers at Thomas Jefferson
(Saturday)
Huss at Crest
Kings Mountain at Forestview
High school wrestling
Four teams from Gaston County and one from Lincoln County will represent the area in the N.C. High School Athletic Association dual team playoffs that begin on Monday.
In Class 1A, Cherryville is the highest local seed and will host playpff matches. The Ironmen are the No. 4 West seed and will host South Stokes. Swain County and Mitchell County also meet in Cherryville on Monday.
In Class 2A, East Gaston is a West No. 6 seed and meets Newton-Conover at Mount Pleasant, which hosts Reidsville in its match.
In Class 2A, West Lincoln is a West No. 12 seed and meets Surry Central at R-S Central, which hosts Southwestern Randolph in its match.
In Class 3A, Forestview is a West No. 9 seed and meets Parkwood at Foard, which hosts West Charlotte in its match.
In Class 3A, North Gaston is a West No. 13 seed at visits Eastern Guilford; Enka and East Henderson meet in the other match at Eastern Guilford.
Teams that win two matches on Monday advance to four-team regional finals on Wednesday.
Regional winners in all four classifications advance to the state championship matches next Saturday at the Greensboro Coliseum Field House.
Pro basketball
The Los Angeles Clippers continue to torment the Charlotte Hornets.
Leading virtually the entire game, the Clippers beat Charlotte for an eighth straight game, this time by a 115-90 score on Sunday afternoon in front of 18,674 at Spectrum Center.
The Hornets haven’t beaten the Clippers since Nov, 18, 2017 and six of their eight straight wins have been by double digits.
In the loss, LaMelo Ball (23 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists), Miles Bridges (18 points, 9 rebounds) and Mason Plumlee (10 points, 10 rebounds) led Charlotte (28-23).
Here is the Charlotte Hornets’ full regular season schedule (with results):
OCTOBER
Wed. 20 INDIANA (W 123-122)
Fri. 22 at Cleveland (W 123-112)
Sun. 24 at Brooklyn (W 111-95)
Mon. 25 BOSTON (L 129-140, OT)
Wed. 27 at Orlando (W 120-111)
Fri. 29 at Miami (L 99-114)
Sun. 31 PORTLAND (W 125-113)
NOVEMBER
Mon. 1 CLEVELAND (L 110-113)
Wed. 3 at Golden State (L 92-114)
Fri. 5 at Sacramento (L 110-140)
Sun. 7 at LA Clippers (L 106-120)
Mon. 8 at L.A. Lakers (L 123-126, OT)
Wed. 10 at Memphis (W 118-108)
Fri. 12 NEW YORK (W 104-96)
Sun. 14 GOLDEN STATE (W 106-102)
Wed. 17 WASHINGTON (W 97-87)
Fri. 19 INDIANA (W 121-118)
Sat. 20 at Atlanta (L 105-115)
Mon. 22 at Washington (W 109-103)
Wed. 24 at Orlando (W 108-99)
Fri. 26 MINNESOTA (W 133-115)
Sat. 27 at Houston (L 143-146, OT)
Mon. 29 at Chicago (L 119-133)
DECEMBER
Wed. 1 at Milwaukee (L 125-127)
Sun. 5 at Atlanta (W 130-127)
Mon. 6 PHILADELPHIA (L 124-127, OT)
Wed. 8 PHILADELPHIA (L 106-110)
Fri. 10 SACRAMENTO (W 124-123)
Mon. 13 at Dallas (L 96-120)
Wed. 15 at San Antonio (W 131-115)
Fri. 17 at Portland (L 116-125)
Sun. 19 at Phoenix (L 106-137)
Mon. 20 at Utah (L 102-112)
Thu. 23 at Denver (W 115-107)
Mon. 27 HOUSTON (W 123-99)
Wed. 29 at Indiana (W 116-108)
JANUARY
Sun. 2 PHOENIX (L 99-133)
Mon. 3 at Washington (L 121-124)
Wed. 5 DETROIT (W 140-111)
Sat. 8 MILWAUKEE (W 114-106)
Mon. 10 MILWAUKEE (W 103-99)
Wed. 12 at Philadelphia (W 109-98)
Fri. 14 ORLANDO (L 109-116)
Mon. 17 at New York (W 97-87)
Wed. 19 at Boston (W 111-102)
Fri. 21 OKLAHOMA CITY (W 121-98)
Sun. 23 ATLANTA (L 91-113)
Tue. 25 at Toronto (L 113-125)
Wed. 26 at Indiana (W 158-126)
Fri. 28 L.A. LAKERS (W 117-114)
Sun. 30 LA CLIPPERS (L 90-115)
FEBRUARY
Wed. 2 at Boston 7:30
Fri. 4 CLEVELAND 7:00
Sat. 5 MIAMI 7:00
Mon. 7 TORONTO 7:00
Wed. 9 CHICAGO 7:30
Fri. 11 at Detroit 7:00
Sat. 12 MEMPHIS 7:00
Tue. 15 at Minnesota 8:00
Thu. 17 MIAMI 7:00
Fri. 25 TORONTO 7:00
Sun. 27 DETROIT 7:00
Mon. 28 at Milwaukee 8:00
MARCH
Wed. 2 at Cleveland 7:00
Sat. 5 SAN ANTONIO 7:00
Tue. 8 BROOKLYN 7:00
Wed. 9 BOSTON 7:00
Fri. 11 at New Orleans 8:00
Mon. 14 at Oklahoma City 8:00
Wed. 16 ATLANTA 7:00
Sat. 19 DALLAS 7:00
Mon. 21 NEW ORLEANS 7:00
Wed. 23 NEW YORK 7:00
Fri. 25 UTAH 7:00
Sun. 27 at Brooklyn 7:30
Mon. 28 DENVER 7:00
Wed. 30 at New York 7:30
APRIL
Sat. 2 at Philadelphia 12:30
Tue. 5 at Miami 7:30
Thu. 7 ORLANDO 7:00
Fri. 8 at Chicago 8:00
Sun. 10 WASHINGTON TBD
Middle school basketball
Here are standings through Thursday’s games:
(Boys)
Belmont 2-0
Southwest 2-0
Grier 1-0
Holbrook 1-0
Cramerton 1-1
Mount Holly 1-1
Stanley 1-1
York Chester 1-1
Bessemer City 0-2
Chavis 0-2
W.C. Friday 0-2
(Girls)
Belmont 2-0
Cramerton 2-0
Holbrook 1-0
Chavis 1-1
W.C. Friday 1-1
Mount Holly 1-1
Southwest 1-1
Stanley 1-1
Grier 0-1
Bessemer City 0-2
York Chester 0-2
This week’s schedule:
(Monday)
Grier at Cramerton
Holbrook at Chavis
Mount Holly at Bessemer City
Southwest at Belmont
Stanley at York Chester
(Thursday)
Belmont at Holbrook
Bessemer City at Grier
Chavis at W.C. Friday
Stanley at Southwest
York Chester at Mount Holly
Pro football
The 2021-22 NFL playoffs:
(AFC 1st round)
1. Tennessee (12-5) – bye
4. Cincinnati (11-7) 26, 5. Las Vegas (10-8) 19
3. Buffalo (12-6) 47, 6. New England (10-8) 17
2. Kansas City (13-5) 42, 7. Pittsburgh (9-8-1) 21
(NFC 1st round)
1. Green Bay (13-4) – bye
2. Tampa Bay (14-4) 31, 7. Philadelphia (9-9) 15
6. San Francisco (11-7) 23, 3. Dallas (12-6) 17
4. Los Angeles (13-5) 34, 5. Arizona (11-7) 11
(AFC, NFC semifinals)
AFC
Cincinnati (12-7) 19, Tennessee (12-6) 16
Kansas City (14-5) 42, Buffalo (12-7) 36, OT
NFC
San Francisco (12-7) 13, Green Bay (13-5) 10
Los Angeles (14-5) 30, Tampa Bay (14-5) 27
(AFC, NFC championship games)
NFC
Los Angeles (15-5) 20, San Francisco (12-8) 17
AFC
Cincinnati (13-7) 27, Kansas City (14-6) 24, OT
(Super Bowl)
Feb. 13 – L.A. Rams vs. Cincinnati, 6:30 p.m.