11-15-22 roundup: Pro basketball and football, High school football and soccer, College football, basketball and cross country
By Richard Walker
Perhaps the strangest Charlotte 49ers’ football season in the school’s 10-year history comes to an end on Saturday in what promises to be an emotional 3:30 p.m. matchup against Louisiana Tech.
Five graduate players, 13 redshirt seniors and two true seniors will be honored before the game in their home finale which also doubles as the 49ers’ Conference USA finale.
Charlotte’s impending move to the American Athletic Conference is expected to aid the program’s development.
But on Saturday, interim head coach Pete Rossomando and redshirt senior captains Chris Reynolds and Markees Watts are determined to finish their careers with a victory.
“I’m so blessed and thankful with the chance I’ve had in these four games,” Rossomando said on Tuesday at the school’s weekly news conference. “You never have a regret if you give it all you have – even if you lose.”
Rossomando, Reynolds and Watts met with the media three hours before another chapter in the strange season was written when the school announced the hiring of Michigan associate head coach Francis “Biff” Poggi as 49ers’ head coach for the 2023 season.
According to Rossomando, Poggi will inherit a good group as many as 45 of 65 players listed on the two-deep depth chart entering Saturday.
“Whoever gets this job is getting a really good job,” Rossomando said. “It’s because they’re getting a lot of good kids in that locker room.”
Reynolds and Watts won’t be among the returnees, but they won’t to make their last impression as 49ers’ a positive one.
“First and foremost, I can only be grateful for the opportunity I’ve had here,” said Reynolds, formerly a walkon from Davie County High who is set to make his 45th start at quarterback and holds all significant school passing records. “When I got here, I was only promised a locker room spot. In the visitor’s locker room.
“So it’s been quite a journey.”
Watts, a defensive end from Lancaster, S.C., who became the 49ers’ all-time career sack leader this season, said he’s enjoyed his time at Charlotte.
“There’s so many memories and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” Watts said. “It’s going to be a weird feeling NOT playing Charlotte 49ers football” after Saturday.
Charlotte enters the regular season finale with a 38-72 all-time overall record and 19-40 all-time Conference USA record.
(This weekend’s NCAA Division I Carolinas schedule:)
-Saturday
Duke at Pittsburgh, noon
Wofford at Furman, noon
The Citadel at VMI, noon
North Carolina A&T at Gardner-Webb, noon
Chattanooga at Western Carolina, 1 p.m.
Dayton at Davidson, 1 p.m.
Presbyterian at Stetson, 1 p.m.
Norfolk State at South Carolina State, 1:30 p.m.
Houston at East Carolina, 2 p.m.
Campbell at Delaware State, 2 p.m.
Old Dominion at Appalachian State, 2:30 p.m.
North Carolina Central at Tennessee Tech, 2:30 p.m.
Miami, Fla. at Clemson, 3:30 p.m.
N.C. State at Louisville, 3:30 p.m.
Coastal Carolina at Virginia, 3:30 p.m.
Louisiana Tech at Charlotte, 3:30 p.m.
Georgia Tech at North Carolina, 5:30 p.m.
Tennessee at South Carolina, 7 p.m.
Syracuse at Wake Forest, 8 p.m.
-Saturday’s NCAA Division II playoffs
Wingate (9-2) at Virginia Union (9-1)
Fayetteville State (9-2) at Delta State (10-1)
Limestone (8-3) at West Florida (9-1)
High school boys soccer
Tuesday’s Western final pairing:
(Class 2A)
No. 17 Lincoln Charter at No. 10 Owen – Owen 5-4 in 3 OT
High school football
This week’s third round pairings:
(1A East)
Riverside-Martin at Tarboro
West Columbus at Northampton County
Hobbton at Rosewood
Perquimans County at North Moore
(1A West)
Robbinsville at Eastern Randolph
Hayesville at Mount Airy
Draughn at Thomasville
Murphy at Andrews
(2A East)
Cummings at Princeton
Wallace-Rose Hill at Nash Central
Hertford County at Whiteville
Clinton at East Duplin
(2A West)
Chase at Reidsville
Bunker Hill at Maiden
Salisbury at Burns
Monroe at East Surry
(3A East)
Southern Durham at Northern Nash
Triton at Jacksonville
North Brunswick at 71st
Terry Sanford at Eastern Alamance
(3A West)
West Charlotte at Kings Mountain
Ledford at East Lincoln
Crest at South Point
Eastern Guilford at West Henderson
(4A East)
Pine Forest at Hillside
Southern Alamance at Millbrook
Rolesville at Wake Forest
Jordan at New Bern
(4A West)
Independence at Grimsley
Hough at East Forsyth
Northwest Guilford at Weddington
Butler at A.C. Reynolds
N.C. Independent School Athletic Association playoffs
Division 1
(Nov. 4 first round results)
Charlotte Providence Day 56, Charlotte Country Day 7
Asheville Christ School 36, Charlotte Latin 35
Rabun Gap 45, Cannon/Concord Academy 14
(This weeek’s semifinals)
Charlotte Providence Day 51, Asheville Christ School 14
Charlotte Christian 33, Rabun Gap 31
(Next week’s championship game)
Charlotte Christian at Charlotte Providence Day
Division 2
(Nov. 4 first round results)
High Point Christian 19, Hickory Grove Christian 7
Trinity Christian 50, Harrells Christian 0
(This week’s semifinals)
Asheville School 47, High Point Christian 3
Covenant Day 21, Trinity Christian 18
(Next week’s championship game)
Covenant Day at Asheville School
Pro basketball
Here is the 2022-23 Charlotte Hornets schedule:
(4-11 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, 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.
Pro football
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 (L 34-37, OT)
Week 9, Nov. 6, at Cincinnati (L 21-42)
Week 10, Nov. 10, Atlanta (W 25-15)
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 basketball
(Men)
North Carolina 72, Gardner-Webb 66: Anthony Selden had 21 points for Gardner-Webb as the Runnin’ Bulldogs pushed the No. 1 Tar Heels before losing.
LaSalle 72, Queens 60: Queens’ first road game as a NCAA Division I team ends in defeat.
High school basketball
(Boys)
Gaston Day 68, Statesville Christian 19: Callum Richard had 18 points, Griffen Simpson 10 and Evan Montanari and Deshawn Coulter eight apiece for Gaston Day.
Middle school boys soccer
GASTON COUNTY CONFERENCE
Standings through Nov. 14:
Cramerton 6-0
Belmont 5-1
Holbrook 5-1
Stanley 5-2
Mount Holly 3-2
Southwest 3-3
York Chester 2-3-1
Bessemer City 2-4
Chavis 1-4-1
Grier 0-6
W.C. Friday 0-6
(Monday’s games)
Belmont def. Chavis 8-0
Cramerton def. York Chester 6-1
Stanley def. W.C. Friday 6-1
Southwest def. Grier 3-1
Holbrook def. Mount Holly 4-4 (3-2 penalty kicks)
(Wednesday’s games)
Belmont at York Chester, Southwest at Mount Holly
(Thursday’s games)
Holbrook at Grier, Mount Holly at W.C. Friday, Southwest at Cramerton, Stanley at Chavis, York Chester at Bessemer City
Middle School volleyball
GASTON COUNTY CONFERENCE
Standings through Nov. 14:
Mount Holly 5-0
Stanley 6-1
Belmont 5-1
Chavis 5-1
Cramerton 5-1
W.C. Friday 2-4
Holbrook 2-4
Bessemer City 1-5
Southwest 1-5
York Chester 1-5
Grier 0-6
(Monday’s games)
Belmont def. Chavis 3-1
Cramerton def. York Chester 3-0
Stanley def. W.C. Friday 3-0
Southwest def. Grier 3-0
Mount Holly def. Holbrook 3-1
(Wednesday’s games)
Belmont at York Chester, Southwest at Mount Holly
(Thursday’s games)
Holbrook at Grier, Mount Holly at W.C. Friday, Southwest at Cramerton, Stanley at Chavis, York Chester at Bessemer City
Middle School wrestling
GASTON COUNTY CONFERENCE
Standings through Nov. 10:
Stanley 5-0
W.C. Friday 4-0
Belmont 4-1
Cramerton 3-1
Chavis 3-2
Grier 2-2
York Chester 2-3
Holbrook 1-3
Mount Holly 1-3
Bessemer City 0-5
Southwest 0-5
(Tuesday’s matches)
Belmont def. W.C. Friday 81-24
Cramerton def. Bessemer City 75-18
Southwest at Mount Holly
Stanley at Holbrook
York Chester at Grier
(Friday’s matches
Chavis at Belmont, Cramerton at York Chester, W.C. Friday at Stanley, Grier at Southwest, Holbrook at Mount Holly