11-23-21 roundup: High school football, basketball and volleyball, College football and basketball, Middle school soccer, volleyball and wrestling

By Richard Walker

Highland Tech’s Ashlynn Stephens has been named North Carolina’s Class 1A high school player of the year by the N.C. Volleyball Coaches Association.

Stephens, a senior, helped the Rams finish 19-4 overall, 10-1 in the Southern Piedmont 1A/2A Conference and to a historic playoff run as Highland Tech advanced to the third round. It’s the farthest the Rams have ever advanced in the postseason.

In a season in which she had 224 kills, Stephens also was named conference player of the year and to the NCVBCA all-state team.

 

 

High school basketball

(Boys games)
Bessemer City at North Gaston, no report

Cramer 53, East Gaston 49: Will Kelly (17 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists), John Hill (9 points, 4 blocks) and Frankie Verdezas (9 points, 4 steals) led Cramer.

Cuthbertson 66, Forestview 60: Jaycob Neely (14 points), Isaac Byers (11 points), Daris Byers (9 points), Brandon Alfonse (8 points) and Nate Aguilar (8 points) led Forestview.

Hickory at Ashbrook, no report

East Rutherford 60, Highland Tech 51

Lincoln Charter at North Lincoln, no report

East Lincoln 84, West Lincoln 41: Palmer Crichton (19 points, 7 steals, 6 assists), Drew Bean (15 points), Kendre Walker (11 points), Mason Simmons (10 points) and Eric Runyan (10 points) led East Lincoln and Jordan Truesdale (20 points) and Amine Cherigel (11 points) led West Lincoln.

(Girls games)
Bessemer City at North Gaston, no report

East Gaston 58, Cramer 24: Halle Craffin had 29 points and Allie Grice 12 for East Gaston. Hadley Womack had 10 points and seven steals and Zoey Morris seven points and six rebounds for Cramer.

Cuthbertson at Forestview, no report

Ashbrook 68, Hickory 60

East Rutherford 64, Highland Tech 25

Lincoln Charter at North Lincoln, no report

West Lincoln at Easet Lincoln, no report

(NOTE: CarolinasSportsHub.com will be doing basketball previews later this weekend.)

 

 

 

College football

Six Gardner-Webb players and a former Gaston County prep standout drew honors in the 2021 Big South Conference all-league football team that was announced on Tuesday.

From Gardner-Webb, Narii Gaither was a first-team running back, Ty French a first-team defensive lineman, William McRaney a first-team linebacker, Malachi Buckner a first-team defensive back, Gabe Thompson a second-team offensive lineman and T.J. Comstock a second-team defensive back. McRainey also was named to the all-academic team.

From Hampton, former Mountain Island Charter star Elijah Burris was named second-team running back and offensive freshman player of the year.

The full All-Big South team:

FIRST-TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE

OFFENSE
QB – Xavier Shepherd, Soph., Kennesaw State
QB – Tony Muskett, Soph., Monmouth
RB – Narii Gaither, Jr., Gardner-Webb
RB – Juwon Farri, R-Jr., Monmouth
WR – Caleb Snead, R-Sr., Campbell
WR – Lonnie Moore IV, R-Sr., Monmouth
WR – Jadakis Bonds, Jr., Hampton
TE – Julian Hill, Sr., Campbell
OL – AJ Farris, R-Sr., Monmouth
OL – Jake Lassiter, Gr., Kennesaw State
OL – William Nana Fabu, Sr., Kennesaw State
OL – Mahmoud Shabana, R-Sr., Monmouth
OL – Tyler McLellan, R-Sr., Campbell
DEFENSE
DL – Brevin Allen, Sr., Campbell
DL – Shaundre Mims, R-Sr., Charleston Southern
DL – Ty French, Soph., Gardner-Webb
DL – Wallace Cowins Jr., Sr., North Alabama
LB – Evan Thompson, Sr., Kennesaw State
LB – William McRainey, Soph., Gardner-Webb
LB – Garrett Sayegh, Sr., Charleston Southern
LB – Eddie Hahn, R-Sr., Monmouth
DB – K.J. Smith, Gr., North Alabama
DB – Malachi Buckner, Jr., Gardner-Webb
DB – Eddie Morales III, R-Sr., Monmouth
DB – Anthony Budd, R-Sr., Monmouth
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Nathan Robertson, Sr., Kennesaw State
P – Ryan Kost, Jr., Monmouth
LS – Jacob Potter, Sr., Kennesaw State
KR – Lonnie Moore IV, R-Sr., Monmouth
PR – Eddie Morales III, R-Sr., Monmouth

SECOND-TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE

OFFENSE
QB – Jack Chambers, R-Sr., Charleston Southern
RB – Elijah Burris, Fr., Hampton
RB – Parker Driggers, R-Soph., North Alabama
WR – Dexter Boykin, R-Jr., North Alabama
WR – Terrance Greene Jr., R-Sr., Monmouth
WR – Cayden Jordan, R-Jr., Charleston Southern
TE – Gene Scott, R-Sr., Monmouth
OL – Zion Katina, Jr., Kennesaw State
OL – Dacquari Wilson, Jr., North Carolina A&T
OL – Gabe Thompson, Soph., Gardner-Webb
OL – Brian Syracuse, R-Sr., Monmouth
OL – Terrell Paxton, Jr., Kennesaw State

DEFENSE
DL – Travis Bell, Sr., Kennesaw State
DL – Lorenzo Hernandez, Jr., Monmouth
DL – Ricardo Watson, R-Soph., Robert Morris
DL – Anton Williams, Gr., Charleston Southern
LB – Jacob Roberts, Soph., North Carolina A&T
LB – Jamar Shegog, R-Soph., Robert Morris
LB – Chance Bates, Sr., Kennesaw State
LB – KeShaun Moore, Jr., Hampton
DB – Tyrese Wright, Jr., Monmouth
DB – Hombre Kennedy, Sr., Charleston Southern
DB – Darion Slade, R-Sr., Campbell
DB – TJ Comstock, Sr., Gardner-Webb

SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Axel Perez, Jr., Hampton
P – Joe Gurley, Gr., North Alabama
LS – Ethan Ray, Gr., Charleston Southern
KR – Josh McNeely, R-Sr., Campbell
PR – Kobe Warden, Fr., North Alabama

ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Levi Wiggins, DB, Gr., Campbell
Hombre Kennedy, S, Sr., Charleston Southern
William McRainey, LB, Soph., Gardner-Webb
Brandon Richards, LS, Soph., Hampton
Caleb O’Neal, Sr., WR, Kennesaw State
Eddie Morales III, DB/PR, Sr., Monmouth
K.J. Smith, DB, Gr., North Alabama
John Davis, LS, Sr., North Carolina A&T
Trevor Hicks, OL, Gr., Robert Morris

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Xavier Shepherd, QB, Soph., Kennesaw State

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Brevin Allen, DL, Sr., Campbell

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Nathan Robertson, K, Sr., Kennesaw State

OFFENSIVE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Elijah Burris, RB, Hampton

DEFENSIVE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Garland Benyard, DB, Kennesaw State

COACH OF THE YEAR
Brian Bohannon, Kennesaw State

SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
K.J. Smith, DB, Gr., North Alabama

 

 

 

College basketball

Belmont Abbey 76, Southern Wesleyan 64: Mario Lacy had a season-high 18 points and Chandler Baker added 16 as the Crusaders (4-1, 2-0) won the the Conference Carolinas road game. The Abbey plays again on Friday at 2 p.m. at home against USC-Aiken in its final non-conference game of the year.

Drexel 67, Charlotte 55: A fourth consecutive 20-point effort from junior guard Jahmir Young wasn’t enough for the 49ers in the Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship at the Baha Mar Convention Center. Charlotte (3-2) will play Jacksonville State for fifth place on Wednesday afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pro football

Here is the Carolina Panthers’ 2021 schedule (with results):

Sept. 12 New York Jets (W 19-14)
Sept. 19 New Orleans (W 26-7)
Sept. 23 at Houston (W 24-9)
Oct. 3 at Dallas (L 28-36)
Oct. 10 Philadelphia (L 18-21)
Oct. 17 Minnesota (L 28-34, OT)
Oct. 24 at New York Giants (L 3-25)
Oct. 31 at Atlanta (W 19-13)
Nov. 7 New England (L 6-24)
Nov. 14 at Arizona (W 34-10)
Nov. 21 Washington (L 21-27)
Nov. 28 at Miami, 1 p.m.
Dec. 5 BYE WEEK
Dec. 12 Atlanta, 1 p.m.
Dec. 18 or 19 at Buffalo, TBD
Dec. 26 Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.
Jan. 2 at New Orleans, 1 p.m.
Jan. 9 at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m

 

 

 

 

 

Pro basketball

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 7:00
Fri. 26 MINNESOTA 7:00
Sat. 27 at Houston 8:00
Mon. 29 at Chicago 8:00
DECEMBER
Wed. 1 at Milwaukee 8:00
Sun. 5 at Atlanta 6:00
Mon. 6 PHILADELPHIA 7:00
Wed. 8 PHILADELPHIA 7:00
Fri. 10 SACRAMENTO 7:00
Mon. 13 at Dallas 8:30
Wed. 15 at San Antonio 8:30
Fri. 17 at Portland 10:00
Sun. 19 at Phoenix 8:00
Mon. 20 at Utah 9:00
Thu. 23 at Denver 9:00
Mon. 27 HOUSTON 7:00
Wed. 29 at Indiana 7:00
JANUARY
Sun. 2 PHOENIX 7:00
Mon. 3 at Washington 7:00
Wed. 5 DETROIT 7:00
Sat. 8 MILWAUKEE 7:00
Mon. 10 MILWAUKEE 7:00
Wed. 12 at Philadelphia 7:00
Fri. 14 ORLANDO 7:00
Mon. 17 at New York 1:00
Wed. 19 at Boston 7:30
Fri. 21 OKLAHOMA CITY 7:00
Sun. 23 ATLANTA 7:00
Tue. 25 at Toronto 7:00
Wed. 26 at Indiana 7:00
Fri. 28 L.A. LAKERS 7:00
Sun. 30 LA CLIPPERS 1:00
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

 

 

 

 

 

High school football

Here are Friday’s regional semifinal pairings:

1A

(East)
#1 Tarboro (11-) vs. #4 Northampton County (10-2)
#2 Northside-Pinetown (11-1) vs. #6 Pender (8-3)
(West)
#4 Robbinsville (9-3) vs. #9 Murphy (9-4)
#2 Mount Airy (13-0) vs. #3 Mitchell (11-2)

2A

(East)
#1 Princeton (12-0) vs. #5 St. Pauls (11-0)
#3 Northeastern (12-0) vs. #10 Wallace-Rose Hill (11-2)
(West)
#1 Shelby (12-1) vs. #4 Reidsville (12-0)
#2 East Surry (12-0) vs. #3 Maiden (13-0)

3A

(East)
#1 Eastern Alamance (10-1) vs. #13 Jacksonville (10-2)
#6 J.H. Rose (9-4) vs. #23 Scotland County (8-4)
(West)
#4 Crest (10-2) vs. #16 South Point (10-3)
#2 Statesville (12-0) vs. #3 Dudley (12-1)

4A

(East)
#16 Leesville Road (10-2) vs. #20 Rolesville (8-5)
#6 Cardinal Gibbons (11-2) vs. #18 Panther Creek (10-3)
(West)
#1 Hough (13-0) vs. #13 East Forsyth (11-1)
#3 Weddington (12-1) vs. #10 Julius Chambers (12-1)

 

 

 

 

 

College football

Here’s this week’s Carolinas Division I schedule:

(Friday)
Cincinnati at East Carolina, 3:30 p.m.
Coastal Carolina at South Alabama, 3:30 p.m.
North Carolina at N.C. State, 7 p.m.
(Saturday)
Wake Forest at Boston College, noon
Miami, Fla., at Duke, 12:30 p.m.
Charlotte at Old Dominion, 2 p.m.
Georgia Southern at Appalachian State, 2:30 p.m.
FCS playoffs – Davidson at Kennesaw State, 2 p.m.

Here’s this week’s Carolina Division II schedule:

(Saturday)
Newberry at Bowie State, 3 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Middle school boys soccer

Gaston County Conference standings through Nov. 22 games:

Belmont 8-0
Cramerton 8-0
Grier 7-1
Holbrook 5-3
Stanley 5-3
Mount Holly 5-4
York Chester 3-5
W.C. Friday 2-6
Bessemer City 1-7
Southwest 1-8
Chavis 0-8

(Monday’s games)
Holbrook 3, Bessemer City 0
Grier 9, Chavis 0
Cramerton 9, W.C. Friday 0
York Chester 7, Southwest 1

(Monday, Nov. 29)
Belmont at Grier
Bessemer City at W.C. Friday
Chavis at Cramerton
York Chester at Holbrook
Stanley at Mount Holly

 

 

 

Middle school volleyball

Gaston County Conference standings through Nov. 22 games:

Cramerton 8-0
Mount Holly 8-1
Stanley 7-1
Chavis 6-2
Belmont 4-4
Holbrook 4-4
Southwest 3-6
York Chester 2-6
W.C. Friday 2-6
Grier 1-7
Bessemer City 0-8

(Monday’s games)
Holbrook 3, Bessemer City 0
Chavis 3, Grier 0
Cramerton 3, W.C. Friday 0
Southwest 3, York Chester 0

(Monday, Nov. 29)
Belmont at Grier
Bessemer City at W.C. Friday
Chavis at Cramerton
York Chester at Holbrook
Stanley at Mount Holly

 

 

 

Middle school wrestling

Gaston County Conference wrestling standings through Nov. 22:

Cramerton 7-0
W.C. Friday 7-0
Belmont 6-1
York Chester 4-2
Holbrook 4-3
Mount Holly 3-4
Stanley 3-5
Grier 2-5
Chavis 1-5
Bessemer City 0-5
Southwest 0-7

(Monday’s match)
Cramerton 71, Southwest 33

(Tuesday’s matches)
Belmont 77, Stanley 27

Bessemer City at Southwest, no report

Chavis at Mount Holly, no report

Cramerton 54, Holbrook 52

W.C. Friday 79, Grier 28: Jordan Coy, Keldon Williams, Jacari Long, Camryn Stafford, Braydon Jordan and Gage Phalin won by pin for W.C. Friday.

(Tuesday, Nov. 30)
Mount Holly at Belmont
Holbrook at Bessemer City
Grier at Chavis
W.C. Friday at Cramerton
Southwest at York Chester