12-15-22 roundup: Pro basketball and football, High school football and basketball, College football and basketball
By Richard Walker
East Lincoln High School will remember its winningest boys basketball coach in school history on Friday when the school honors the late Neil Hodges before its Western Foothills 3A Conference home game against Hickory.
Neil Hodges, who died earlier this week after suffering various illnesses in recent years, guided East Lincoln to a 283-129 record in 15 seasons as head coach from 2000 to 2016.
Before coming to East Lincoln, Hodges coached in the college ranks. He was an assistant for his brother, Bob Hodges, at Lenoir-Rhyne from 1971 to 1978, then took over as L-R head coach in the 1978-1979 season; Neil Hodges lead the Bears to a 39-44 record.
At East Lincoln, Neil Hodges’ teams won 20 or more games in eight of 15 seasons, five conference regular season titles and four conference tournament titles. In the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 seasons, the Mustangs did not lose a game in the regular season or conference tournament and lost only in the N.C. 2A title game, including in 2015 to a Kinston team led by current New Orleans Pelicans NBA All-Star Brandon Ingram.
For the Mustangs, Neil Hodges seven 1,000-point career scorers – Sage Surratt, Chazz Surratt, Keith Rendleman, Cameron Dollar, Alex Newsome, Coleson Leach and Hayden Duggins.
American Legion baseball
Former Cherryville American Legion Post 100 junior head coach Jason Sain died on Dec. 10.
Sain, 40, also was a math teacher at Gaston College and a longtime announcer for KTC Broadcasting of Cherryville.
A member of West Lincoln’s 2000 N.C. Class 1A/2A wrestling state championship team, Sain also played baseball for the Rebels.
For Cherryville’s Junior Legion team, Sain is the winningest coach in team history with a 165-113-1 record from 2006 to 2016. He guided Post 100 to a 2008 Area IV title and third-place finish in the 2008 state tournament.
Sain was predeceased by his grandparents, Hubert, Gladys Sain of Vale and Robert and Lucille Hedrick of Statesville. He is survived by his parents Dr. Larry Sain and Beth Sain of Cat Square; his brother Andrew Sain (Kristina) of Crouse; his aunts, Lynn Smith (Tommy) and Karen Sain (Renee); his uncle Tracy Sain; and his cousins, Thomas and Daniel Smith.
Visitation will be held on Saturday from 1-2:45 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church on 2700 Trinity Church Road in Vale with a celebration of life ceremony to follow at 3 p.m. at the same location.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to Trinity Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 7, Vale, NC 28168.
College football
Charlotte 49ers first-year head coach Biff Poggi has named University of Buffalo defensive backs coach Rod Ojong as a defensive backs coach on his coaching staff. Ojong joins the 49ers from a unit that produced the top-ranked recruiting class in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and earned bowl eligibility in 2022.
“Rod is a wonderful man,” Poggi said in a Charlotte 49ers news release. “Our players are going to love his guidance and the special bonds he forms with young people. He’s an incredibly knowledgeable coach that knows the entire scheme. We are blessed to have Rod.”
Said Ojung: “I’m thrilled to join the staff here at Charlotte. This is a program that I’ve admired from afar for a long time, and now having the chance to work with Coach Poggi and his staff is an exciting opportunity for me. Charlotte has everything you need to be successful both on and off the field, and I’m excited to help the young men we’re recruiting to discover that for themselves. I want to thank everyone for the warm reception that my family and I have received since taking over these new duties. I look forward to seeing each of you in Jerry Richardson Stadium next fall.”
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 (L 3-13)
Week 12, Nov. 27, Denver (W 23-10)
Week 13, Dec. 4, BYE
Week 14, Dec. 11, at Seattle (W 30-24)
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
Pro basketball
Here’s the 2022-23 Charlotte Hornets schedule:
(7-21 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 (L 113-131)
14 Detroit (L 134-141, OT)
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.