2-7-23 roundup: Pro basketball and football, High school basketball, Middle school basketball, College basketball
By Richard Walker
The coach who helped lead the Carolina Panthers into playoff contention has found a new home after the organization picked another coach to take the job on a full time basis.
Steve Wilks, a 1987 West Charlotte High graduate, will become the new defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers. Wilks will be replacing DeMeco Ryans; Ryans left the 49ers for the Houston Texans’ head coaching job.
Wilks guided the Panthers to a 6-6 record after head coach Matt Rhule was fired following Carolina’s 1-4 start.
Wilks has been in the NFL virtually every year since 2005, coaching for the Washington Commanders, Chicago Bears, San Diego Chargers, Panthers, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns and the Panthers again.
A former defensive back at Appalachian State and for the Charlotte Rage of the Arena Football League, Wilks has also coached collegiately at Johnson C. Smith, Savannah State, Illinois State, Appalachian State, East Tennessee State, Bowling Green, Notre Dame and Missouri.
College football
Ashbrook’s Carmelo Bess and Jason Nichols have signed to play at North Carolina Wesleyan.
Forestview’s Kenneth Odugba has signed to play at Presbyterian College.
East Lincoln’s Aiden Terrell has commited to play at Guilford College.
Former Charlotte 49ers head coach Will Healy has been hired by Gus Malzahn at Central Florida as an advisor to the head coach and senior offensive analyst.
College basketball
Kings Mountain’s Ezekiel Cannedy of Johnson C. Smith was named CIAA freshman of the week for the fifth time this season on Tuesday. A 6-foot-2 guard and 2022 Kings Mountain High graduate, Cannedy averaged 11.5 points while shooting 43 percent from the field (6-of-14) and 56 percent on 3-pointers (5-of-9) in Golden Bulls’ wins over Virginia Union and Fayetteville State last week.
Against Virginia Union, he had 13 points, four rebounds and one assist. He then had 10 points, two steals and two assists against Fayetteville State.
High school basketball
(Tuesday’s games)
-BOYS
South Point 69, Ashbrook 55: Greyson Kines (19 points, 7 rebounds) and Sully Absher (9 points, 10 rebounds) led South Point.
Kings Mountain 59, Cramer 49: Tucker Robinette had 19 points and Bradley Floyd 15 for Kings Mountain and Quinton Rybczyk (11 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals), John Hill (14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals), Justin Rocquemore (12 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals) and Jacob Joyner (7 points, 2 steals) led Cramer.
Crest 56, Forestview 50: Brandon Alfonse (12 points, 12 rebounds), Nate Aguilar (12 points, 5 steals) and Daris Byers (10 points) led Forestview.
East Gaston 56, Burns 55
Shelby 69, Thomas Jefferson 33
North Iredell 69, East Lincoln 56
North Lincoln 73, West Iredell 54
East Burke 81, West Lincoln 71
Lincoln Charter 70, Pine Lake Prep 37
-GIRLS
Ashbrook 45, South Point 34
Cramer 57, Kings Mountain 41: Oshauna Holland (18 points 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals), Zion Duncan (16 points, 11 rebounds) and Ellia Barajas (8 points) led Cramer and Khalia King (19 points) and Tyasya Bell (9 points) led Kings Mountain.
Huss 60, North Gaston 20
East Gaston 36, Burns 26
Shelby 60, Thomas Jefferson 35
Corvian Community 45, Piedmont CC 41: Grace East had 20 points, Alasha Houser 8 and Lyric Brown 7 for Piedmont Community Charter.
East Lincoln 58, North Iredell 41
North Lincoln 51, West Iredell 18
East Burke 68, West Lincoln 42
Lincoln Charter 59, Pine Lake Prep 28
(Wednesday’s games)
Kings Mountain at Cox Mill
(Thursday’s games)
Corvian Community at Piedmont CC
(Friday’s games)
Ashbrook at Huss
Crest at Kings Mountain
Forestview at Cramer
South Point at North Gaston
Burns at Shelby
Cherryville at Thomas Jefferson
Highland Tech at East Gaston
East Lincoln at North Lincoln
Lincolnton at West Lincoln
Mountain Island Charter at Bradford Prep
(MAC Tournament)
Tuesday’s boys 1st round
No. 6 Metrolina Christian at No. 3 Northside Christian
No. 4 Gaston Day 69, No. 5 Westminster Catawba 60: Callum Richard had 27 points, Evan Montanari 16 and Colin Fayed and Ayron Jackson 8 apiece for Gaston Day.
Thursday’s boys semifinals at Hickory Grove Christian
No. 4 Gaston Day vs. No. 1 Gaston Christian, 5 p.m.
3/6 Winner vs. No. 2 Concord Academy, 8 p.m.
Friday’s boys championship
7 p.m.
College basketball
(Tuesday’s games)
Belmont Abbey 91, King 88: Mason Taylor had 21 points, Wade Jackson 20, Mario Lacy, Jr. 15 and Kyle Frazier 12 for Belmont Abbey (16-8, 12-4).
(Wednesday’s games)
Gaston College at Cape Fear Community College
(Thursday’s games)
Charlotte at UTEP
Eastern Kentucky at Queens
Gardner-Webb at Radford
Fordham at Davidson
(Saturday, Feb. 11)
Bellarmine at Queens
Belmont Abbey at Chowan
Charlotte at North Texas
(Sunday, Feb. 12)
Denmark Tech at Gaston College
Middle school basketball
Gaston County Conference standings through Feb. 6:
-BOYS
Southwest 5-0
Mount Holly 4-0
Belmont 4-1
Grier 3-1
Holbrook 2-2
Chavis 2-3
Stanley 2-3
York Chester 2-3
Cramerton 1-3
W.C. Friday 0-4
Bessemer City 0-5
-GIRLS
Holbrook 4-0
Mount Holly 4-0
Belmont 4-1
Southwest 3-2
Cramerton 2-2
W.C. Friday 2-2
Stanley 2-3
York Chester 2-3
Bessemer City 1-4
Chavis 1-4
Grier 0-4
(Thursday’s games)
Belmont at W.C. Friday, Bessemer City at Cramerton, Southwest at Mount Holly, Stanley at Holbrook, York Chester at Grier
Pro basketball
Here’s the 2022-23 Charlotte Hornets schedule:
(15-40 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 (L 106-125)
18 at Denver (L 115-119)
19 at Sacramento (W 125-119)
21 at L.A. Clippers (L 105-126)
23 at L.A. Lakers (W 134-130)
26 at Portland (L 113-124)
27 at Golden State (L 105-110)
29 Oklahoma City (W 121-113)
31 Brooklyn (L 106-123)
January
2 L.A. Lakers (L 115-121)
4 Memphis (L 107-131)
6 at Milwaukee (W 138-109)
8 at Indiana (L 111-116)
10 at Toronto (L 120-132)
12 at Toronto (L 114-124)
14 Boston (L 106-122)
16 Boston (L 118-130)
18 at Houston (W 122-117)
21 at Atlanta (W 122-118)
23 at Utah (L 102-120)
24 at Phoenix (L 97-128)
26 Chicago (W 111-96)
29 Miami (W 122-117)
31 at Milwaukee (L 115-124)
February
2 at Chicago (L 98-114)
3 at Detroit (L 112-118)
5 Orlando (L 113-119)
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 2022-23 NFL playoff schedule:
-Wild Card weekend
Jan. 14-16
(AFC)
No. 1 Kansas City – bye
No. 5 L.A. Chargers at Jacksonville – Jacksonville 31-30
No. 7 Miami at No. 2 Buffalo – Buffalo 34-31
No. 6 Baltimore at No. 3 Cincinnati – Cincinnati 24-17
(NFC)
No. 1 Philadelphia – bye
No. 7 Seattle at No. 2 San Francisco – San Francisco 41-23
No. 6 N.Y. Giants at No. 3 Minnesota – N.Y. Giants 31-24
No. 5 Dallas at No. 4 Tampa Bay – Dallas 31-14
-Confererence semifinals
Jan. 21-22
(AFC)
No. 4 Jacksonville at No. 1 Kansas City – Kansas City 27-20
No. 3 Cincinnati at No. 2 Buffalo – Cincinnati 27-10
(NFC)
No. 6 N.Y. Giants at No. 1 Philadelphia – Philadelphia 38-7
No. 5 Dallas at No. 2 San Francisco – San Francisco 19-12
-Conference championship games
Jan. 29
NFC – No. 2 San Francisco at No. 1 Philadelphia – Philadelphia 31-7
AFC – No. 3 Cincinnati at No. 1 Kansas City – Kansas City 23-20
-Super Bowl
Feb. 12
At Glendale, Ariz. – Philadelphia vs. Kansas City, 6:30 p.m. (FOX)