10-23-22 roundup: Pro basketball and football, High school football, girls tennis, volleyball and boys soccer, College football, Middle school football, boys soccer, volleyball and wrestling, Auto racing

By Richard Walker

One of the oldest axioms in the National Football League is that NFL says that any team can win on “Any Given Sunday.”

Carolina Panthers quarterback P.J. Walker celebrates his touchdown pass to D.J. Moore during Sunday’s 21-3 victory over Tampa Bay.

After a second straight turbulent week on and off the field, the Carolina Panthers proved that Sunday with an unexpected 21-3 blowout loss of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tom Brady.

It came 13 days after head coach Matt Rhule was fired, seven days after wide receiver Robbie Anderson got into a sideline confrontation with coaches during a 24-10 loss at the Los Angeles Rams, six days after Anderson was traded and two days after running back Christian McCaffrey was traded away in what has been perceived as a Panthers’ fire sale.

Steve Wilks, the former West Charlotte High standout who was named interim head coach on Oct. 10, became the first Panthers’ interim head coach to get a victory as former South Point High standout Perry Fewell went 0-4 as interim head coach after Ron Rivera was fired late in the 2019 season.

The Panthers managed to frustrate the seven-time Super Bowl-winning Brady and his Buccaneers offense – albeit with help of a dropped potential touchdown pass on the game’s third play – to pull off a stunning win.

Sunday’s results miraculously leave the Panthers only one game out of first place in the NFC South Division and 2-0 against the division so far this season. Tampa Bay and Atlanta share first place with 3-4 overall records while Carolina and New Orleans are close behind with 2-5 records.

Panthers’ preseason third-team quarterback P.J. Walker improved his NFL record as a starting quarterback to 3-1 with an efficient effort tha included two touchdown passes and D’Onta Foreman rushed for 118 yards to lead a 173-yard rushing attack.

Tampa Bay was limited to 322 yards total offense but failed to score a touchdown even as a potential 64-yard touchdown pass from Brady was dropped by Mike Evans on the game’s third play.

Here’s the full Carolina Panthers schedule for the 2022 season:

Week 1, Sept. 11, Cleveland (L 24-26)
Week 2, Sept. 18, at N.Y. Giants (L 16-19)
Week 3, Sept. 25, New Orleans (W 22-14)
Week 4, Oct. 2, Arizona (L 16-26)
Week 5, Oct. 9, San Francisco (L 15-37)
Week 6, Oct. 16, at L.A. Rams (L 10-24)
Week 7, Oct. 23, Tampa Bay (W 21-3)
Week 8, Oct. 30, at Atlanta, 1 p.m.
Week 9, Nov. 6, at Cincinnati, 1 p.m.
Week 10, Nov. 10, Atlanta, 8:15 p.m.
Week 11, Nov. 20, at Baltimore, 1 p.m.
Week 12, Nov. 27, Denver, 1 p.m.
Week 13, Dec. 4, BYE
Week 14, Dec. 11, at Seattle, 4:25 p.m.
Week 15, Dec. 18, Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.
Week 16, Dec. 24, Detroit, 1 p.m.
Week 17, Jan. 1, at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.
Week 18, Jan. 7 or 8, at New Orleans, TBD

College football

The Charlotte 49ers will have a new head coach next season when they begin their first season in the American Athletic Conference.

On Sunday morning, school athletic director Mike Hill fired 49ers head coach Will Healy after Charlotte had gone 15-24 in three plus seasons. That includes this season’s 1-7 record and Saturday’s disappointing 34-15 homecoming loss to Florida International when the 49ers were 10-point favorites and trailed 34-0 before scoring a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns.

At 37, Healy is one of the youngest head coaches in major college football. He came to Charlotte after three seasons at Austin Peay that was highlighted by a 2017 FCS playoff berth.

In his first season as 49ers’ head coach, Healy led Charlotte to five straight wins to end the regular season and advance to the school’s first-ever bowl appearance. Since that 7-6 season, Charlotte has gone 8-18 with three straight losing records.

“We are grateful to Will Healy for the incredible energy and enthusiasm he brought to our program,” Hill said in a school news release. “He made an impact here that will never be forgotten. Sadly, however, our on-field results have not met expectations. Will and his family are special people and we wish them the best.”

Said Healy in a school news release: “I want to thank Mike Hill, Chancellor (Phil) Dubois and Chancellor (Sharon) Gaber for giving me the opportunity and support at this special place. We were fortunate to have some special moments. I was able to work with some outstanding coaches and staff members and coach an incredible group of young men. I want to thank the students, boosters and fan base for the support they’ve shown over the years and I apologize for not being able to bring the results that we were striving for. I’m really proud of the young men in our locker room. I’m a 49ers fan for life and I know the future of this university is bright.”

Charlotte has named offensive line coach Pete Rossomando as the interim head coach.

In his second season on the 49ers’ coaching staff, Rossomando has previous head coaching experience at New Haven and Central Connecticut State. He was named the NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year following the 2012 season and was the Northeast 10 Conference Coach of the Year in 2010, 2011 and 2012 at New Haven and a finalist for the Eddie Robinson FCS Coach of the Year Award in 2017 while at Central Connecticut State.

High school football

(This week’s Cleveland/Gaston/Lincoln games:)
Bessemer City at Cherryville
Cramer at Forestview
Highland Tech at East Gaston
Huss at Ashbrook
Kings Mountain at Crest
Mountain Island Charter at Lake Norman Charter
North Lincoln at East Lincoln
Shelby at Burns
South Point at North Gaston
West Lincoln at Lincolnton

(This week’s other area games:)
Foard at St. Stephens
Statesville at Hickory
North Iredell at West Iredell
Bunker Hill at Bandys
West Caldwell at East Burke
Maiden at Newton-Conover
Chambers at Mallard Creek
Hough at Hopewell
West Charlotte at North Meck
Berry Academy at Kell
Harding at South Meck
Olympic at Myers Park
Charlotte Catholic at Palisades
Butler at Independence
East Meck at Providence
Rocky River at Garinger
Chase at R-S Central
Rock Hill, S.C. at Clover, S.C.

College football

(Last weekend’s NCAA Division I Carolinas results:)
-Wednesday
Appalachian State 42, Georgia State 17
-Saturday
North Carolina A&T 38, Robert Morris 14
Clemson 27, Syracuse 21
Duke 45, Miami 21
New Hampshire 40, Elon 22
St. Thomas-Minnesota 46, Presbyterian 17
South Carolina State 26, North Carolina Central 24
Furman 41, VMI 3
The Citadel 34, Western Carolina 21
Davidson 48, Drake 14
Wake Forest 43, Boston College 15
Jackson State 22, Campbell 14
Florida International 34, Charlotte 15
Gardner-Webb 28, Charleston Southern 14
South Carolina 30, Texas A&M 24
East Carolina 34, Central Florida 13

(This weekend’s NCAA Division I Carolinas schedule:)
-Thursday
Virginia Tech at N.C. State, 7:30 p.m.
-Friday
East Carolina at BYU, 8 p.m.
-Saturday
South Carolina State at Morgan State, noon
Presbyterian at Marist, noon
Charleston Southern at Kennesaw State, 1 p.m.
Campbell at North Carolina A&T, 1 p.m.
East Tennesee State at Wofford, 1:30 p.m.
Bryant at Gardner-Webb, 1:30 p.m.
Charlotte at Rice, 2 p.m.
North Carolina Central at Delaware State, 2 p.m.
Chattanooga at Furman, 2 p.m.
Samford at The Citadel, 2 p.m.
Wake Forest at Louisville, 3:30 p.m.
Robert Morris at Appalachian State, 3:30 p.m.
Delaware at Elon, 3:30 p.m.
Missouri at South Carolina, 4 p.m.
Coastal Carolina at Marshall, 7 p.m.
Pittsburgh at North Carolina, 8 p.m.

Pro basketball

For the ninth time in Charlotte pro sports history, the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets won on the same day.

And the Hornets, like the Panthers earlier on Sunday, were a betting underdog and not expected to win.

But even with starting guards LaMelo Ball (left ankle) and Terry Rozier (right ankle) out with injuries, the Hornets rallied from two early 13-point deficits in the first quarter to win 126-109 on Sunday evening.

Charlotte was boosted by a 45-point third quarter that ties for sixth-largest in franchise history.

Kelly Oubre (24 points, 9 rebounds), Nick Richards (20 points, 11 rebounds), Dennis Smith Jr. (18 points, 6 assists), P.J. Washington (12 points) and James Bouknight (10 points) led Charlotte with Smith and Oubre starting at the guard positions.

The Panthers and Hornets have now recorded four victories on the same day in the last three years:

On Dec. 27, 2020, the Panthers won 20-13 at Washington and the Hornets beat visiting Brooklyn 106-104.

On Oct. 31, 2021, the Panthers won 19-13 at Atlanta and the Hornets beat visiting Portland 125-113.

And on Nov. 14, 2021, the Panthers won 34-10 at Arizona and the Hornets beat visiting Golden State 106-102.

Here is the 2022-23 Charlotte Hornets schedule:

(2-1 record)
October
19 at San Antonio (W 129-102)
21 New Orleans (L 112-124)
23 at Atlanta (W 122-109)
26 at New York (W 126-109)
28 at Orlando, 7 p.m.
29 Golden State 7 p.m.
31 Sacramento, 7 p.m.
November
2 at Chicago, 7:30 p.m.
4 at Memphis, 8 p.m.
5 Brooklyn, 7 p.m.
7 Washington, 7 p.m.
9 Portland, 7 p.m.
10 at Miami, 7:30 p.m.
12 at Miami, 8 p.m.
14 at Orlando, 7 p.m.
16 Indiana, 7 p.m.
18 at Cleveland, 7:30 p.m.
20 at Washington, 6 p.m.
23 Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
25 Minnesota, 5 p.m.
28 at Boston, 7:30 p.m.
December
2 Washington, 7 p.m.
3 Milwaukee, 6 p.m.
5 L.A. Clippers, 7 p.m.
7 at Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m.
9 New York, 7 p.m.
11 at Philadelphia, 6 p.m.
14 Detroit, 7 p.m.
16 Atlanta, 7 p.m.
18 at Denver, 8 p.m.
19 at Sacramento, 10 p.m.
21 at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m.
23 at L.A. Lakers, 10:30 p.m.
26 at Portland, 10 p.m.
27 at Golden State, 10 p.m.
29 Oklahoma City, 7 p.m.
31 Brooklyn, 7 p.m.
January
2 L.A. Lakers, 7 p.m.
4 Memphis, 7 p.m.
6 at Milwaukee, 8 p.m.
8 at Indiana, 5 p.m.
10 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
12 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
14 Boston, 7 p.m.
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.

High school boys soccer

Here are the area standings through Oct. 20 with conference records followed by overall records:

(Big South 3A)
Forestview 11-1, 15-1
South Point 10-2, 12-4-2
North Gaston 7-3-2, 11-5-2
Cramer 6-4-1, 9-7-2
Huss 4-7-1, 6-9-2
Ashbrook 4-7-1, 7-11-1
Kings Mountain 2-9-1, 2-13-2
Crest 0-11, 0-19

(Southern Piedmont 1A/2A)
Shelby 11-0, 15-3-2
Thomas Jefferson 8-2, 9-4-2
Highland Tech 6-2-1, 7-5-4
Burns 5-5-1, 7-10-2
East Gaston 2-7, 4-12-1
Cherryville 2-8, 6-10
Bessemer City 0-10, 0-16

(Others)
East Lincoln 11-1-1, 14-4-3
North Lincoln 4-6-1, 8-8-2
Lincolnton 7-5, 8-11-1
West Lincoln 0-10-1, 3-15-1
Lincoln Charter 4-7-1, 9-9-3
Mtn Isl Charter 1-9-1, 3-14-1
Piedmont CC 6-2, 7-7-2

High school volleyball

Here are Saturday’s first round playoff results:

(Class 1A)
No. 6 Murphy def. No. 27 Cherryville 3-0 (25-15, 25-13, 25-22)

No. 4 Highland Tech def. No. 29 Millenium Charter 3-0 (25-10, 25-10, 25-9)

No. 3 Bishop McGuinness def. No. 30 Thomas Jefferson 3-1 (25-7, 25-9, 22-25, 25-11)

No. 2 Mountain Island Charter def. No. 31 Bradford Prep 3-0 (25-17, 25-23, 30-28)

No. 8 Piedmont Community Charter def. No. 25 Avery County 3-1 (21-25, 25-12, 25-20, 25-21)

(Class 2A)
No. 23 North Stanly def. No. 10 East Gaston 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-8)

No. 19 Community School of Davidson def. No. 14 Lincoln Charter 3-1 (19-25, 25-13, 25-15, 25-14)

(Class 3A)
No. 4 North Henderson def. No. 29 Cramer 3-0 (25-9, 25-11, 25-9)

No. 12 Forestview def. No. 21 Crest 3-1 (17-25, 25-23, 25-17, 25-22)

No. 3 Kings Mountain def. No. 30 North Davidson 3-0 (25-10, 25-11, 25-9)

No. 11 West Henderson def. No. 22 South Point 3-0 (25-17, 25-13, 25-14)

No. 14 East Lincoln def. No. 19 St. Stephens 3-0

No. 27 North Lincoln def. No. 6 Rockingham County 3-0 (25-19, 25-16, 25-14)

Here are Tuesday’s second round pairings:

(Class 1A)
No. 8 Piedmont Community Charter hosts No. 9 Draughn
No. 4 Highland Tech hosts No. 13 Robbinsville
No. 2 Mountain Island Charter hosts No. 16 Cherokee

(Class 3A)
No. 12 Forestview at No. 5 Ashe County
No. 3 Kings Mountain hosts No. 14 East Lincoln
No. 27 North Lincoln at No. 11 West Henderson

High school tennis

On Saturday, Cherryville sister Katie Diaz and Kelly Diaz finished fourth in the Western 1A Regional doubles competition to earn a state tournament berth next weekend at the Cary Tennis Park.

Also advancing to the 1A state tournament was Highland Tech singles player Madison Darnell, who finished third in the regionals.

DUAL TEAM PLAYOFFS:
Oct. 19 first round results:

(Class 1A)
No. 4 Highland Tech (10-3) hosts No. 13 Piedmont Community Charter (3-7) – HT 6-0

(Class 2A)
No. 8 Shelby (11-2) hosts Wheatmore (12-7) – Shelby 8-1
No. 7 West Lincoln (15-2) hosts Mount Pleasant (9-6) – WL 8-0
No. 2 Lincoln Charter (11-0) hosts Southwestern Randolph (10-5) – LC 5-2

(Class 3A)
No. 1 Kings Mountain (8-0) hosts West Henderson (10-4) – WH 6-3
No. 5 North Lincoln (14-1) hosts Hickory (9-2) – NL 5-1
No. 11 East Lincoln (12-2) at W-S Atkins (11-2) – EL 5-3
No. 15 Forestview (8-2) at Franklin (14-0) – Franklin 5-1

Oct. 25 second round pairings:

(Class 1A)
No. 4 Highland Tech (11-3) hosts No. 12 Elkin (7-8)

(Class 2A)
No. 8 Shelby (12-2) at No. 1 Salisbury (16-0)
No. 7 West Lincoln (16-2) at No. 2 Lincoln Charter (12-0)

(Class 3A)
No. 5 North Lincoln (15-1) at No. 4 Lake Norman Charter (18-1)
No. 11 East Lincoln (13-2) at No. 3 Montgomery Central (16-0)

Middle school football

TRI-COUNTY CONFERENCE

(Playoffs)
Oct. 19 – No. 2 West (R-S Central) at No. 1 East (Kings Mountain) – R-S Central 20-0
Oct. 24 – No. 2 East (East Lincoln) at No. 1 West (Shelby)
Oct. 26 – Championship game: R-S Central at EL-Shelby winner

Middle School boys soccer

The full Gaston County Conference schedule:

Oct. 24 – Belmont at Cramerton, Bessemer City at Chavis, Southwest at Holbrook, Stanley at Grier, York Chester at W.C. Friday
Oct. 27 – Bessemer City at Belmont, Chavis at York Chester, Cramerton at Stanley, W.C. Friday at Southwest, Grier at Mount Holly
Oct. 31 – Belmont at York Chester, Chavis at Southwest, W.C. Friday at Holbrook, Stanley at Bessemer City
Nov. 1 – Mount Holly at Cramerton
Nov. 3 – Belmont at Southwest, Bessemer City at Mount Holly, Chavis at Holbrook, Cramerton at Grier, York Chester at Stanley
Nov. 7 – W.C. Friday at Chavis, Grier at Bessemer City, Holbrook at Belmont, Mount Holly at York Chester, Southwest at Stanley
Nov. 10 – Belmont at W.C. Friday, Bessemer City at Cramerton, Southwest at Mount Holly, Stanley at Holbrook, York Chester at Grier
Nov. 14 – Chavis at Belmont, Cramerton at York Chester, W.C. Friday at Stanley, Grier at Southwest, Holbrook at Mount Holly
Nov. 17 – Holbrook at Grier, Mount Holly at W.C. Friday, Southwest at Cramerton, Stanley at Chavis, York Chester at Bessemer City
Nov. 21 – Grier at W.C. Friday, Holbrook at Cramerton, Mount Holly at Chavis, Southwest at Bessemer City, Stanley at Belmont
Nov. 28 – Belmont at Mount Holly, Bessemer City at Holbrook, Chavis at Grier, Cramerton at W.C. Friday, York Chester at Southwest
Dec. 1 – Cramerton at Chavis, W.C. Friday at Bessemer City, Grier at Belmont, Holbrook at York Chester, Mount Holly at Stanley
Dec. 5 – Conference semifinals
Dec. 8 – Conference championship game

Middle School volleyball

The full Gaston County Conference schedule:

Middle School wrestling

The full Gaston County Conference schedule:

Oct. 28 – Belmont at Cramerton, Bessemer City at Chavis, Southwest at Holbrook, Stanley at Grier, York Chester at W.C. Friday
Nov. 1 – Bessemer City at Belmont, Chavis at York Chester, Cramerton at Stanley, W.C. Friday at Southwest, Grier at Mount Holly
Nov. 4 – Belmont at York Chester, Chavis at Southwest, W.C. Friday at Holbrook, Mount Holly at Cramerton, Stanley at Bessemer City
Nov. 8 – Belmont at Southwest, Bessemer City at Mount Holly, Chavis at Holbrook, Cramerton at Grier, York Chester at Stanley
Nov. 10 – W.C. Friday at Chavis, Grier at Bessemer City, Holbrook at Belmont, Mount Holly at York Chester, Southwest at Stanley
Nov. 15 – Belmont at W.C. Friday, Bessemer City at Cramerton, Southwest at Mount Holly, Stanley at Holbrook, York Chester at Grier
Nov. 18 – Chavis at Belmont, Cramerton at York Chester, W.C. Friday at Stanley, Grier at Southwest, Holbrook at Mount Holly
Nov. 22 – Holbrook at Grier, Mount Holly at W.C. Friday, Southwest at Cramerton, Stanley at Chavis, York Chester at Bessemer City
Nov. 29 – Grier at W.C. Friday, Holbrook at Cramerton, Mount Holly at Chavis, Southwest at Bessemer City, Stanley at Belmont
Dec. 2 – Belmont at Mount Holly, Bessemer City at Holbrook, Chavis at Grier, Cramerton at W.C. Friday, York Chester at Southwest
Dec. 6 – Cramerton at Chavis, W.C. Friday at Bessemer City, Grier at Belmont, Holbrook at York Chester, Mount Holly at Stanley
Dec. 10 – Conference tournament (Bessemer City is host)

Auto racing

The 2022 NASCAR cup schedule (with winners):

Feb. 6 Busch Light Clash (Joey Logano)
Feb. 17 Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 (Brad Keselowski)
Feb. 17 Bluegreen Vacations Duel 2 (Chris Buescher)
Feb. 20 Daytona 500 (Austin Cindric)
Feb. 27 Wise Power 400 (Kyle Larson)
Mar. 6 Pennzoil 400 (Alex Bowman)
Mar. 13 Ruoff Mortgage (Chase Briscoe)
Mar. 20 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 (William Byron)
Mar. 27 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (Ross Chastain)
Apr. 3 Toyota Owners (Denny Hamlin)
Apr. 9 Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400 (William Byron-2)
Apr. 17 Food City Dirt Race (Kyle Busch)
Apr. 24 Geico 500 (Ross Chastain-2)
May 2 DuraMAX Drydene 400 (Chase Elliott)
May 8 Goodyear 400 (Joey Logano-2)
May 15 AdventHealth 400 (Kurt Busch)
May 22 NASCAR All-Star Open (Daniel Suarez)
May 22 NASCAR All-Star (Ryan Blaney)
May 29 Coca-Cola 600 (Denny Hamlin-2)
June 5 Enjoy Illinois 300 (Joey Logano-3)
June 12 Toyota/Save Mart 350 (Daniel Suarez)
June 26 Ally 400 (Chase Elliott-2)
July 3 Kwik Trip 250 (Tyler Reddick)
July 10 Quaker State 400 (Chase Elliott-3)
July 17 Ambetter 301 (Christopher Bell)
July 24 NASCAR Cup Series at Pocono (Chase Elliott-4)
July 31 Verizon 200 at the Brickyard (Tyler Reddick-2)
Aug. 7 FireKeepers Casino 400 (Kevin Harvick)
Aug. 14 Federated Auto Parts 400 (Kevin Harvick-2)
Aug. 21 Go Bowling at The Glen (Kyle Larson-2)
Aug. 27-28 Coke Zero Sugar 400 (Austin Dillon)
Sept. 4 Cook Out Southern 500 (Erik Jones)
Sept. 11 Hollywood Casino 400 (Bubba Wallace)
Sept. 17 Bass Pro Shops Night Race (Chris Buescher)
Sept. 25 AutoTraderEchoPark Automotive 500 (Tyler Reddick-3)
Oct. 2 YellaWood 500 (Chase Elliott-5)
Oct. 9 Bank of America ROVAL 400 (Christopher Bell)
Oct. 16 South Point 400 (Joey Logano-4)
Oct. 23 Dixie Vodka 400 (Kyle Larson-3)
Oct. 30 Xfinity 500
Nov. 6 NASCAR Cup Series Championship