12-10-22 roundup: Pro basketball and football, High school football and basketball, College football and basketball, Middle school soccer, volleyball and wrestling
By Richard Walker
East Lincoln High School won its third football state championship on Saturday night with a 30-15 victory over Northern Nash at N.C. State’s Carter-Finley Stadium.
It improves the Mustangs record to 3-1 in state title games and gives them championships in 2012, 2014 and 2022. It also gave East Lincoln a 16-0 record this season.
Northern Nash, which finished 15-1, opened the scoring with a quick strike on their opening possession. The Knights got a 66-yard run to the Mustang 2-yard line from Keno Jones on the second play from scrimmage and Jones cashed in on the big play slamming into the endzone from two yards out on the next play to put Northern up 6-0 after a missed PAT just 54 seconds into the game.
East Lincoln responded just over two minutes later as Christian Daley ripped off 35 yards to cap a 6-play, 65-yard drive and put the Mustangs up 7-6. Northern Nash responded with a 22-yard Bryson Jenkins field goal in the closing minute of the opening quarter to hold a 9-7 advantage at the end of the first.
The second quarter was all East Lincoln as the Mustangs hung 17 points on the board to take a 24-9 lead into the intermission. Tyler Mizzell tossed two touchdown passes in the second quarter, one to Markell Clark from 14 yards out and the other to Keandre Walker from 18 yards to get the Mustangs out in front 21-9. Walker finished with five catches for 41 yards and a score earning Most Outstanding Offensive Player honors for East Lincoln. Mustang kicker Christopher Mileta hit a 34-yard field goal as time expired in the half to round out the first half scoring.
Mizell was very efficient in the passing game, completing 16 of his 323 attempts for 146 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also scampered for 34 yards in the game, winning the Most Valuable Player honors for the 3A Championship.
Mileta banged through a pair of field goal attempts in the fourth quarter, converting opportunities from 24 yards and 30 yards respectively to stretch the Mustang lead to 30-9 with just 3:39 to go in the game. The three made field goals by Mileta tied an NCHSAA Neutral Site Championship Record for made field goals, tying the mark set by Brad Green from Reidsville in 2016’s 2A Championship versus Edenton Holmes.
The East Lincoln defense was tough all night. The Mustangs picked off three passes and held Northern Nash to 310 yards in the game. Ben Cutter anchored the East Lincoln defense from his linebacker spot, leading the team in tackles with 10 as he picked up Most Outstanding Defensive Player honors in the game.
Here are this weekend’s N.C. High School Athletic Association state finals pairings:
-Friday
(4A)
New Bern 40, Grimsley 28
-Saturday
(2A)
East Duplin 24, Reidsville 21
(1A)
Mount Airy 20, Tarboro 7
(3A)
East Lincoln 30, Northern Nash 15
Middle School wrestling
Cramerton got three individual champions, four second-place finishers, three third-place finishers and four fourth-place finishers to rack up 198 team points and win the 2022 Gaston County Conference title at the Ashbrook High School gymnasium.
It’s the third county title in Cramerton history. The Eagles of John Worley had shared this year’s regular season title with Belmont and Stanley after all three teams finished with 9-1 records.
Cramerton’s individual champions were Cooley Pruitt, Jesse Ledford and Jordan Littlejohn. The Eagles’ second-place finishers were Brian Snelson, Robert Davis, Cooper McMillan and Yash Patel, with Titus Davis, Blake Windham and Ryan Paysur taking third place and Rex Champion,
Hayden Hinson, Keegan Ware and Hunter Early finishing fourth.
Cramerton’s previous county titles came in 2006, 2017 and 2018.
Here are the team scores for Saturday’s championships.
Cramerton 198
Belmont 186
Stanley 175
York Chester 124
Holbrook 72
Chavis 69 1/2
W.C. Friday 69
Southwest 66
Grier 45
Bessemer City 30
Mount Holly 26
TRI-COUNTY CONFERENCE
(Playoffs)
-Thursday, Dec. 8 semifinals at West Lincoln
Crest at West Lincoln – WL 75-27
Burns vs. Shelby – Shelby 56-39
-Tuesday, Dec. 13 championship
Shelby at West Lincoln
-Saturday, Dec. 17 individual championships
Pro football
Most NFL teams enjoy a bye week if for no other reason than it gives their squad a week of rest.
The Carolina Panthers are 12-15 all-time in games after the bye including three straight losses.
Of the Panthers’ coaches, only John Fox (6-3) has a winning record after the bye week. Ron Rivers (4-5) had the next-best record with Dom Capers (1-3), George Seifert (1-2) and Matt Rhule (0-2) all well below .500.
Gameday: Carolina Panthers (4-8) at Seattle Seahawks (7-5), 4:25 p.m. on Sunday
TV: Fox (Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth, Kristina Pink)
RADIO: FM 99.7 in Charlotte is flagship station (Anish Shroff, Jordan Gross, Jim Szoke, Kristen Balboni)
THE SERIES: Seattle leads the series 10-4 including a 30-24 win in Charlotte in their last meeting in 2019. Seattle also holds a 5-1 lead in games played in Seattle; The Panthers’ lone road win in the series came in 2016 by a 27-23 score.
RANKINGS AMONG NFL (After Week 13): Carolina offense – 29th overall, 17th-tie rushing, 29th passing. Carolina defense – 19th overall, 25th rushing, 14th passing. Seattle offense – 9th overall, 19th rushing, 7th passing. Seattle defense – 30th overall, 31st rushing, 20th passing.
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 (L 3-13)
Week 12, Nov. 27, Denver (W 23-10)
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
High school basketball
(Saturday’s game)
-BOYS
Greenforest 54, Gaston Christian 52
College basketball
(Saturday’s games)
Charlotte 82, Detroit Mercy 80 (overtime)
Old Dominion 44, Gardner-Webb 43
Belmont Abbey 76, Lees-McRae 75
Gaston College 82, Moravian Prep 72
Middle School volleyball
TRI-COUNTY CONFERENCE
(Playoffs)
-Thursday, Dec. 8 semifinals
Kings Mountain def. East Rutherford 3-0
North Lincoln def. R-S Central
-Tuesday, Dec. 13 championship
North Lincoln at Kings Mountain
Pro basketball
Here’s the 2022-23 Charlotte Hornets schedule:
(7-19 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, 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.
College football
Here is the full 2022-23 NCAA Division I FBS schedule:
(College Football Playoff)
Championship – Jan. 9 at Inglewood, Cal., TBA
Semifinal – Dec. 31 Peach at Atlanta, Ga., 4 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 TCU
Semifinal – Dec. 31 Fiesta at Glendale, Ariz., 8 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 Ohio State
(CFP Selection Committee Bowl games)
Jan. 2 – Rose at Pasadena, Cal., 5 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 8 Utah vs. No. 11 Penn State
Jan. 2 – Cotton at Arlington, Tex., 1 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 10 Southern California vs. No. 16 Tulane
Dec. 31 – Sugar at New Orleans, La., Noon (ESPN)
No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 9 Kansas State
Dec. 30 – Orange and Miami, Fla., 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 7 Clemson
(Other bowl games)
Jan. 2 – Citrus at Orlando, Fla., 1 p.m. (ABC)
No. 17 LSU vs. Purdue
Jan. 2 – ReliaQuest at Tampa, Fla., Noon (ESPN2)
No. 22 Mississippi State vs. Illinois
Dec. 31 – Music City at Nashville, Tenn., Noon (ABC)
Iowa vs. Kentucky
Dec. 30 – Arizona at Tucson, Ariz., 4:30 p.m. (Barstool)
Ohio vs. Wyoming
Dec. 30 – Gator at Jacksonville, Fla., 3:30 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 21 Notre Dame vs. No. 19 South Carolina
Dec. 30 – Sun at El Paso, Tex., 2 p.m. (CBS)
No. 18 UCLA vs. Pittsburgh
Dec. 30 – Duke’s Mayo at Charlotte, Noon (ESPN)
Maryland vs. No. 23 N.C. State
Dec. 29 – Alamo at San Antonio, Tex., 9 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 20 Texas vs. No. 12 Washington
Dec. 29 – Cheez-It at Orlando, Fla., 5:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Oklahoma vs. No. 13 Florida State
Dec. 29 – Pinstripe at Bronx, N.Y., 2 p.m. (ESPN)
Minnesota vs. Syracuse
Dec. 28 – Texas at Houston, Tex., 9 p.m. (ESPN)
Mississippi vs. Texas Tech
Dec. 28 – Holiday at San Diego, Cal., 8 p.m. (Fox)
No. 15 Oregon vs. North Carolina
Dec. 28 – Liberty at Memphis, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Arkansas vs. Kansas
Dec. 28 – Military at Annapolis, Md., 2 p.m. (ESPN)
Duke vs. Central Florida
Dec. 27 – Guaranteed Rate at Phoenix, Ariz., 10:15 p.m. (ESPN)
Wisconsin vs. Oklahoma State
Dec. 27 – Birmingham at Birmingham, Ala., 6:45 p.m. (ESPN)
Coastal Carolina vs. East Carolina
Dec. 27 – First Responder at University Park, Tex., 3:15 p.m. (ESPN)
Memphis vs. Utah State
Dec. 27 – Camellia at Montgomery, Ala., Noon (ESPN)
Buffalo vs. Georgia Southern
Dec. 26 – Quick Lane at Detroit, Mich., 2:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Bowling Green vs. New Mexico State
Dec. 24 – Hawai’i at Honolulu, Hawai’i, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
San Diego State vs. Middle Tennessee
Dec. 23 – Gasparilla at Tampa, Fla., 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Missouri vs. Wake Forest
Dec. 23 – Independence at Shreveport, La., 3 p.m. (ESPN)
Houston vs. Louisiana
Dec. 22 – Armed Forces at Fort Worth, Tex., 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Baylor vs. Air Force
Dec. 21 – New Orleans at New Orleans, La., 9 p.m. (ESPN)
Western Kentucky vs. South Alabama
Dec. 20 – Boca Raton at Boca Raton, Fla., 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Toledo vs. Liberty
Dec. 20 – Famous Idaho Potato at Boise, Id., 3:30 p.m. (ESPN)
San Jose State vs. Eastern Michigan
Dec. 19 – Myrtle Beach at Conway, S.C., 2:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Marshall vs. Connecticut
Dec. 17 – Frisco at Frisco, Tex., 9:15 p.m. (ESPN)
North Texas vs. Boise State
Dec. 17 – Las Vegas at Las Vegas, Nev., 7:30 p.m. (ABC)
Florida vs. No. 14 Oregon State
Dec. 17 – LendingTree at Mobile, Ala., 5:45 p.m. (ESPN)
Southern Miss vs. Rice
Dec. 17 – Jimmy Kimmel L.A. at Inglewood, Cal., 3:30 p.m. (ABC)
Washington State vs. Fresno State
Dec. 17 – New Mexico at Albuquerque, N.M., 2:15 p.m. (ESPN)
BYU vs. SMU
Dec. 17 – Fenway at Boston, Mass., 11 a.m. (ESPN)
Louisville vs. Cincinnati
Dec. 16 – Cure at Orlando, Fla., 3 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 24 Troy vs. No. 25 UT-San Antonio
Dec. 16 – Bahamas at Nassau, Bahamas, 11:30 a.m. (ESPN)
UAB vs. Miami, O.