8-30-22 roundup: Pro baseball, football, golf and soccer, High school football and boys soccer, College football and basketball, Middle school softball and football, Auto racing
By Richard Walker
If the Charlotte 49ers are to break into the win column in Friday’s 2022 home opener, they’ll be doing it without their school-leader in quarterback starts and quarterback victories.
Charlotte head coach Will Healy announced Chris Reynolds wouldn’t play in Friday’s 7 p.m. home opener against William & Mary due to an injury he suffered in last Saturday’s season-opening 43-13 loss at Florida Atlantic.
James Foster, a redshirt junior, will start at quarterback. Foster, a former 4-star recruit who transferred to Charlotte from Texas A&M, made one start last season in a 45-13 loss at Western Kentucky.
“We’re excited to have James Foster starting,” Healy said at his weekly news conference. Chris “got banged up last week and he was able to come back and play in the second half last week. He will not play this week. We want to make sure he’s healthy. Next week (Sept. 10 at home against Maryland) looks better for him.”
Reynolds landed hard on his left, non-throwing shoulder late in the first half of last week’s loss. He ended up with 14 completions in 19 attempts for 196 yards and two touchdowns. Foster, who relieved Reynolds in each half, completed two of nine passes for 21 yards with one interception.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in James Foster,” Healy said. “It’ll be exciting to see him play.”
Pro golf
Gastonia’s Harold Varner III on Tuesday was officially announced as a member of the LIV Golf Tour.
The story of Varner leaving PGA for LIV was first reported by The Golf Channel and ESPN on Saturday.
LIV’s twitter account @LIVGolfInv announced on Tuesday morning that Varner had joined their tour.
A 2008 Forestview High graduate, Varner has qualified for the FedEx Cup playoff all seven years he’s been a PGA touring member.
Varner will make his LIV debut at the International in Boston this weekend in a tournament that’ll run from Friday through Sunday.
College football
This week’s NCAA Division I Carolinas schedule:
(Thursday)
The Citadel at Campbell, 6 p.m.
Limestone at Gardner-Webb, 7 p.m.
North Greenville at Furman, 7 p.m.
South Carolina State at Central Florida, 7 p.m.
VMI at Wake Forest, 7:30 p.m.
(Friday)
William & Mary at Charlotte, 7 p.m.
Temple at Duke, 7:30 p.m.
(Saturday)
North Carolina at Appalachian State, noon
N.C. State at East Carolina, noon
Western Carolina at Charleston Southern, noon
Davidson at Jacksonville State, 2 p.m.
Wofford at Chattanooga, 6 p.m.
Elon at Vanderbilt, 7 p.m.
Georgia State at South Carolina, 7:30 p.m.
North Carolina A&T vs. N.C. Central at Charlotte, 7:30 p.m.
(Monday, Sept. 5)
Clemson vs. Georgia Tech at Atlanta, 8 p.m.
High school football
(This week’s Cleveland/Gaston/Lincoln games:)
Ashbrook at West Meck
Bessemer City at Pine Lake Prep
Burns at Kings Mountain
Chase at North Gaston
Cherryville at Blacksburg, S.C.
Cramer at East Gaston
East Lincoln at Lincolnton
Foard at West Lincoln
Freedom at Forestview
Highland Tech at W-S Carver
Huss at Central Cabarrus
North Lincoln at Northwest Cabarrus
R-S Central at South Point
Shelby at Crest
(This week’s other area games:)
Newton-Conover at Hickory
Bunker Hill at North Iredell
St. Stephens at Maiden
Statesville at Lake Norman
South Iredell at West Iredell
Draughn at East Burke
West Caldwell at Hibriten
Chambers at Glenn
Hopewell at Olympic
Mallard Creek at South Pointe, S.C.
Harding at North Meck
West Charlotte at Independence
Marvin Ridge at Kell
Berry Academy at Garinger
Myers Park at Reagan
Indian Land, S.C. at Palisades
East Meck at South Meck
New Hanover at Butler
Providence Day at Charlotte Catholic
Parkwood at Providence
Rocky River at Kannapolis A.L. Brown
Lake Norman Charter at Christ the King
McDowell at East Rutherford
Thomas Jefferson at Community School of Davidson
Middle school softball
(Monday’s games)
Belmont 11, Bessemer City 0 (5 innings): Ella Gibson (3-3, 3 runs) and Stella Absher (2-2, 2 runs, 8 strikeouts pitching) led Belmont.
Mount Holly 14, Grier 1
W.C. Friday 20, Southwest 0 (3 innings): Zoe Culberson (6 strikeouts), Maddie Carpenter (2 hits, 6 RBIs) and Bre Bates (2 hits, 6 RBIs) led W.C. Friday.
Stanley 17, Cramerton 2 (3 innings)
(Thursday’s games)
Chavis at Southwest
W.C. Friday at Holbrook
Mount Holly at Cramerton
Stanley at Bessemer City
Middle school football
(Wednesday’s games)
Cramerton at Bessemer City
Grier at Belmont
Holbrook at Chavis
Mount Holly at W.C. Friday
Southwest at York Chester
College men’s basketball
The Big South Conference released its 2022-23 league slate that begins with games on Dec. 29 and concludes with the conference’s tournament at Charlotte’s Bojangles’ Coliseum in March.
Here is Gardner-Webb’s league slate for the 2022-23 schedule:
Dec. 29 Charleston Southern
Dec. 31 at High Point
Jan. 4 at Campbell
Jan. 7 Radford
Jan. 11 at Presbyterian
Jan. 14 UNC Asheville
Jan. 18 at Longwood
Jan. 21 at Winthrop
Jan. 25 USC Upstate
Jan. 28 High Point
Feb. 1 at Charleston Southern
Feb. 4 Presbyterian
Feb. 8 at Radford
Feb. 11 Campbell
Feb. 15 Winthrop
Feb. 18 at UNC Asheville
Feb. 22 Longwood
Feb. 25 at USC Upstate
March 1, 3-5 Tournament at Bojangles’ Coliseum, Charlotte
High school boys soccer
Cherryville 8, West Lincoln 1 (Monday): Ford Wiely (22 Steals), Joel Sellers (20 Steals) and Mark Aguilar (20 Steals) led West Lincoln.
Pro baseball
Gastonia’s Tuesday home game with High Point was postponed and will be made up as part of a doubleheader that begins at 3:15 p.m. on Wednesday.
The full Gastonia Honey Hunters’ 2022 schedule (Games times 6:15 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 4:15 on Sunday):
First half record: 45-21 (South Division winner)
Second half record: 32-16
April (8-1)
21 Lancaster, Pa. (L 2-5)
22 Lancaster, Pa. (W 4-3)
23 Lancaster, Pa. (W 8-1)
24 Lancaster, Pa. (W 13-4)
26 Wild Health, Ky. (W 12-1)
27 Wild Health, Ky. (W 17-4)
28 Wild Health, Ky. (W 6-4)
29 Staten Island (W 5-4)
30 Staten Island (W 6-5)
May (16-10)
1 Staten Island (W 10-5)
3 at York, Pa. (W 3-1)
4 at York, Pa. (L 4-5 in 10)
5 at York, Pa. (W 12-7)
6 at Staten Island (ppd.)
7 at Staten Island (ppd.)
8 at Staten Island (W 4-1)
8 at Staten Island (W 7-2)
10 at So. Maryland (W 2-0)
11 at So. Maryland (L 0-4)
12 at So. Maryland (L 2-4)
13 at Staten Island (ppd.)
14 at Staten Island (ppd.)
15 at Staten Island (L 1-2)
15 at Staten Island (W 1-0)
16 at Staten Island (W 8-3)
17 So. Maryland (L 4-5)
18 So. Maryland (L 6-8)
19 So. Maryland (W 13-1)
20 Charleston, W.Va.(W 12-10)
21 Charleston, W.Va.(W 6-4)
22 Charleston, W.Va.(L 1-8)
24 at Lancaster, Pa.(W 2-1)
25 at Lancaster, Pa.(L 3-13)
26 at Lancaster, Pa.(L 1-4)
27 at Long Island (W 5-3)
28 at Long Island (W 10-3)
29 at Long Island (W 3-2)
30 at Long Island (W 5-2)
31 Long Island (L 7-8)
June (17-9)
1 Long Island (L 9-10 in 11)
2 Long Island (L 0-5)
3 at High Point (W 5-4)
4 at High Point (W 8-3)
5 at High Point (W 8-3)
7 at Charleston,W.Va.(L 5-7)
8 at Charleston,W.Va.(W 6-0)
9 at Charleston,W.Va.(W 3-2)
10 High Point (W 7-6)
11 High Point (W 6-4)
12 High Point (W 9-5)
14 Charleston, W.Va. (L 4-6)
15 Charleston, W.Va. (W 14-7)
16 Charleston, W.Va. (W 2-0)
17 at Lexington, Ky. (W 6-1)
18 at Lexington, Ky. (L 2-3 in 10)
19 at Lexington, Ky. (W 4-0 in 11)
21 Charleston, W.Va. (W 8-7)
22 Charleston, W.Va. (L 1-4)
23 Charleston, W.Va. (W 5-4)
24 at So. Maryland (ppd.)
25 at So. Maryland (W 6-3)
25 at So. Maryland (W 3-0)
26 at So. Maryland (L 7-9)
28 Wild Health, Ky. (W 4-0)
29 Wild Health, Ky. (L 2-10)
30 Wild Health, Ky. (L 6-7)
July (21-5)
1 at Lexington, Ky. (W 12-11)
2 at Lexington, Ky. (W 10-6)
3 at Lexington, Ky. (W 10-5)
4 High Point (L 1-8)
–end of 1st half of season
5 High Point (W 8-5 in 5/weather)
6 at High Point (W 7-6)
7 at High Point (W 6-4)
8 High Point (ppd.)
9 High Point (W 4-0)
10 High Point (W 5-2)
10 High Point (ppd., Aug. 5)
12 at Wild Health, Ky. (W 8-6)
13 at Wild Health, Ky. (W 6-2)
14 at Wild Health, Ky. (W 4-1)
15 Lexington, Ky (ppd.)
16 Lexington, Ky. (W 4-1)
16 Lexington, Ky. (W 5-3)
17 Lexington, Ky. (W 12-5)
19 at York, Pa. (W 19-5)
20 at York, Pa. (W 10-0)
21 at York, Pa. (L 2-6)
22 at High Point (L 1-2)
23 at High Point (W 5-3)
24 at High Point (L 6-7)
26 Lexington, Ky. (L 4-10)
27 Lexington, Ky. (W 11-0)
28 Lexington, Ky. (W 8-6)
29 York, Pa. (W 3-2)
30 York, Pa. (ppd.)
31 York, Pa. (W 8-7)
31 York, Pa. (W 5-1)
August (13-12)
2 at Lexington, Ky. (W 10-8)
3 at Lexington, Ky. (W 10-3)
4 at Lexington, Ky. (W 10-5)
5 High Point (W 6-3)
5 High Point (L 2-3)
6 High Point (L 4-8)
7 High Point (L 5-11)
9 Staten Island (W 10-5)
9 Staten Island (W 7-2)
10 Staten Island (L 2-6)
11 Staten Island (L 7-9)
12 at High Point (W 9-4)
13 at High Point (L 3-5)
14 at High Point (L 3-6)
16 So. Maryland (L 2-3 in 10)
17 So. Maryland (W 5-3)
18 So. Maryland (W 12-7)
19 High Point (W 15-0)
20 High Point (W 11-5)
21 High Point (L 4-13)
23 at Charleston,W.Va.(L 4-7)
24 at Charleston,W.Va.(W 11-2)
25 at Charleston,W.Va.(W 9-1)
26 at High Point (L 3-8)
27 at High Point (W 6-5)
28 at High Point (L 3-7)
30 High Point (ppd.)
31 High Point
31 High Point
September
1 High Point
2 Wild Health, Ky.
3 Wild Health, Ky.
4 Wild Health, Ky.
6 at Wild Health, Ky.
7 at Wild Health, Ky.
8 at Wild Health, Ky.
9 Lexington, Ky.
10 Lexington, Ky.
11 Lexington, Ky.
13 at High Point
14 at High Point
15 at High Point
16 at Charleston,W.Va.
17 at Charleston,W.Va.
18 at Charleston,W.Va.
—ALPB playoffs
(Southern Division championship: Best-of-5)
20 home at 6:15 p.m.
21 home at 6:15 p.m.
23 away TBA
24 (if necessary) away TBA
25 (if necessary) away TBA
Pro football
The Carolina Panthers announced the following players had been cut by Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline to leave their roster at 53 players:
WR Brandon Zylstra, WR Keith Kirkwood, S Juston Burris, LB Julian Stanford (injured reserve), RB Spencer Brown (waived-injured), RB John Lovett, WR Derek Wright, WR C.J. Saunders, WR Charleston Rambo, WR Ra’Shaun Henry, TE Colin Thompson, TE Josh Babicz, OL Deonte Brown, OL Mike Horton, OL Sam Tecklenburg, DE Austin Larkin, DE Drew Jordan, DE Darryl Johnson, DT Frank Herron, LB Josh Watson, LB Arron Mosby, LB Isaiah Graham-Mobley (waived-injured), CB Tae Hayes, CB Kalon Barnes, CB Madre Harper and S Kenny Robinson.
More moves are expected, particularly since the team continues to hold tryouts for the kicking vacancy left by starter Zane Gonzalez’s injury in last Friday’s preseason finale; Gonzalez was placed on season-ending injured reserve on Tuesday.
Here’s the full Carolina Panthers schedule for the 2022 season:
(Preseason)
Aug. 13 at Washington (W 23-21)
Aug. 19 at New England (L 10-20)
Aug. 26 Buffalo (W 21-0)
(Regular season)
Week 1, Sept. 11, Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Week 2, Sept. 18, at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m.
Week 3, Sept. 25, New Orleans, 1 p.m.
Week 4, Oct. 2, Arizona, 4:05 p.m.
Week 5, Oct. 9, San Francisco, 4:05 p.m.
Week 6, Oct. 16, at L.A. Rams, 4:05 p.m.
Week 7, Oct. 23, Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.
Week 8, Oct. 30, at Atlanta, 1 p.m.
Week 9, Nov. 6, at Cincinnati, 1 p.m.
Week 10, Nov. 9, Atlanta, 1 p.m.
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
Pro soccer
Here’s the full Charlotte FC MLS schedule for the 2022 season (with results):
(10-16-2 record)
Feb. 26 at D.C. (L 0-3)
March 5, L.A. (L 0-1)
March 13, at Atlanta (L 1-2)
March 19, New England (W 3-1)
March 26, Cincinnati (W 2-0)
April 2, at Philadelphia (L 0-2)
April 10, Atlanta (W 1-0)
April 16, at New England (L 1-2)
April 23, at Colorado (T 0-0)
April 30, at Orlando (L 1-2)
May 7, Miami (W 1-0)
May 14, Montreal (L 0-2)
May 22, Vancouver (W 2-1)
May 29, at Seattle (L 1-2)
June 11, New York (W 2-0)
June 18, at Columbus (T 1-1)
June 25, at Montreal (L 1-2)
June 30, Austin (L 0-1)
July 3, at Houston (W 2-1)
July 9, Nashville (W 4-1)
July 16, at Miami (L 2-3)
July 23, at Toronto (L 0-4)
July 30, Columbus (suspended at 0-0 in 16th minute to Oct. 5)
August 3, D.C. (W 3-0)
August 6, Chicago (L 2-3)
August 13, at LAFC (L 0-5)
August 17, at New York City (W 3-1)
August 21, Orlando (L 1-2)
August 27, Toronto (L 0-2)
September 3, at Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m.
September 10, New York City, 7 p.m.
September 17, at Chicago, 8 p.m.
October 1, Philadelphia, 5:30 p.m.
October 5, Columbus, 7 p.m.
October 9, at New York, 1 p.m.
Auto racing
The 2022 NASCAR cup schedule (with winners):
Feb. 6 Busch Light Clash (Joey Logano)
Feb. 17 Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 (Brad Keselowski)
Feb. 17 Bluegreen Vacations Duel 2 (Chris Buescher)
Feb. 20 Daytona 500 (Austin Cindric)
Feb. 27 Wise Power 400 (Kyle Larson)
Mar. 6 Pennzoil 400 (Alex Bowman)
Mar. 13 Ruoff Mortgage (Chase Briscoe)
Mar. 20 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 (William Byron)
Mar. 27 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (Ross Chastain)
Apr. 3 Toyota Owners (Denny Hamlin)
Apr. 9 Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400 (William Byron-2)
Apr. 17 Food City Dirt Race (Kyle Busch)
Apr. 24 Geico 500 (Ross Chastain-2)
May 2 DuraMAX Drydene 400 (Chase Elliott)
May 8 Goodyear 400 (Joey Logano)
May 15 AdventHealth 400 (Kurt Busch)
May 22 NASCAR All-Star Open (Daniel Suarez)
May 22 NASCAR All-Star (Ryan Blaney)
May 29 Coca-Cola 600 (Denny Hamlin-2)
June 5 Enjoy Illinois 300 (Joey Logano-2)
June 12 Toyota/Save Mart 350 (Daniel Suarez)
June 26 Ally 400 (Chase Elliott-2)
July 3 Kwik Trip 250 (Tyler Reddick)
July 10 Quaker State 400 (Chase Elliott-3)
July 17 Ambetter 301 (Christopher Bell)
July 24 NASCAR Cup Series at Pocono (Chase Elliott-4)
July 31 Verizon 200 at the Brickyard (Tyler Reddick-2)
Aug. 7 FireKeepers Casino 400 (Kevin Harvick)
Aug. 14 Federated Auto Parts 400 (Kevin Harvick-2)
Aug. 21 Go Bowling at The Glen (Kyle Larson-2)
Aug. 27-28 Coke Zero Sugar 400 (Austin Dillon)
Sept. 4 Cook Out Southern 500
Sept. 11 Hollywood Casino 400
Sept. 17 Bass Pro Shops Night Race
Sept. 24 AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500
Oct. 2 YellaWood 500
Oct. 9 Bank of America ROVAL 400
Oct. 16 South Point 400
Oct. 23 Dixie Vodka 400
Oct. 30 Xfinity 500
Nov. 6 NASCAR Cup Series Championship