8-31-21 roundup: Pro football and baseball, College football, High school football, cross country and volleyball, Middle school football and softball

By Richard Walker

The Carolina Panthers roster is at 53 after a flurry of moves on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, the team waived linebacker Josh Bynes, wide receiver Omar Bayless, running back Spencer Brown, quarterback Will Grier, defensive lineman Frank Herron, offensive lineman Mike Horton, cornerback Jalen Julius, wide receiver Keith Kirkwood, outside linebacker Christian Miller, offensive lineman Aaron Monteiro, wide receiver C.J. Saunders, tight end Stephen Sullivan, offensive lineman Sam Tecklenburg, running back Rodney Smith, cornerback Rashaan Melvin, safety Kenny Robinson and running back Reggie Bonnafon.

It also placed long snapper Thomas Fletcher (hip) on season-ending injured reserve and cornerback A.J. Bouye goes to the reserve/suspended list as he will miss the first two games of the regular season on suspension carrying over from 2020.

Grier’s release means the franchise is letting go a former Davidson Day High standout who had shown some signs of promise in the preseason. Grier’s release also leaves the Panthers with two quarterbacks – starter Sam Darnold and backup P.J. Walker

Here is the Panthers’ 2021 regular season schedule:

Sept. 12 New York Jets, 1 p.m.
Sept. 19 New Orleans, 1 p.m.
Sept. 23 at Houston, 8:20 p.m.
Oct. 3 at Dallas, 1 p.m.
Oct. 10 Philadelphia, 1 p.m.
Oct. 17 Minnesota, 1 p.m.
Oct. 24 at New York Giants, 1 p.m.
Oct. 31 at Atlanta, 1 p.m.
Nov. 7 New England, 1 p.m.
Nov. 14 at Arizona, 4:05 p.m.
Nov. 21 Washington, 1 p.m.
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

 

 

 

 

Middle school football

Holbrook 56, Chavis 6: Jacaro Jones had 26 points with a 75-yard kickoff return, a 35-yard fumble return, a 16-yard run, a 37-yard interception and two-point pass from A.J. McClain. Savion Lindsay added two TD runs and McClain, Kendall Southern, Zaire Crommarty, Makylin Hinton and Keola Ondayog also scored for the Lions, who improved to 2-0 and were led on defense by Jones, Jaylen Dickey, Nick McCorkle, Crommarty and Derrell Leach.

Southwest 50, York Chester 0: The Roadrunners had a balanced attack in the shutout win. Anthony Tate had 125 yards and one touchdown rushing and 100 yards and one touchdown receiving. Elijah Littlejohn had 45 yards and one touchdown rushing and a two-pointer. Martino Smith, Jr., had 100 yards and one touchdown rushing and one fumble return touchdown. Tyquan Presson had a fumble return touchdown. Ametrius McCoy had 35 yards receiving and one touchdown. King Rhodes had 110 yards passing and one touchdown. And Chandler Grayson and Dayshawn Harden had two-point conversions.

Cramerton 18, Bessemer City 0: L.J. Watson had one touchdown and a two-point conversion, Tristan Holt had one touchdown, Christian Stowe had a two-point conversion and the defense was led by Stowe, Chaz Davis and Lee White who all combined for a safety in the fourth quarter.

Grier 24, Belmont 12: Clee Phillips, Qua’Melle Scott and Keenan Early had touchdowns and Phillips had two two-point conversions and Tyian Marsh one.

W.C. Friday 12, Mount Holly 0

Standings with division record listed first followed by overall record:

(Division I)
Cramerton 0-0, 2-0
Grier 0-0, 2-0
Holbrook 0-0, 2-0
Southwest 0-0, 2-0
Mount Holly 0-0, 0-1-1
(Division II)
W.C. Friday 0-0, 1-1
Chavis 0-0, 0-1
Stanley 0-0, 0-1
York Chester 0-0, 0-1-1
Belmont 0-0, 0-2
Bessemer City 0-0, 0-2

Next week’s games
Grier at Cramerton
Mount Holly at Southwest
Stanley at Belmont
York Chester at Bessemer City
W.C. Friday at Chavis

 

 

 

 

High school football

High school football teams into the third playing date of the season this week.

South Point, which had its originally scheduled game at R-S Central cancelled, now has a new opponent. The Red Raiders will visit Hickory Ridge in a game that was a finalized on Tuesday.

And Cherryville and West Lincoln will either have an off week or will need to find new opponents. Blacksburg, S.C., cancelled its scheduled Friday contest at Cherryville and Foard cancelled its scheduled Friday contest at West Lincoln.

Here is Friday’s current schedule for schools from Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties:

Blacksburg, S.C. at Cherryville, cancelled
Central Cabarrus at Huss
Crest at Shelby
East Gaston at Cramer
Foard at West Lincoln, cancelled
Forestview at Freedom
Kings Mountain at Burns
Lincolnton at East Lincoln
North Gaston at Chase
Northwest Cabarrus at North Lincoln
Pine Lake Prep at Bessemer City
South Point at Hickory Ridge
South Point at R-S Central, cancelled
West Meck at Ashbrook
Winston-Salem Carver at Highland Tech

 

High school football standings

Conference record listed first followed by overall record:

BIG SOUTH 3A
South Point 0-0, 2-0
Cramer 0-0, 1-1
Kings Mountain 0-0, 1-1
Ashbrook 0-0, 0-0
Crest 0-0, 0-1
Huss 0-0, 0-1
Forestview 0-0, 0-2
North Gaston 0-0, 0-2

WESTERN FOOTHILLS 3A
East Lincoln 0-0, 2-0
Statesville 0-0, 2-0
North Lincoln 0-0, 1-1
North Iredell 0-0, 0-1
West Iredell 0-0, 0-1
Foard 0-0, 0-2
Hickory 0-0, 0-2
St. Stephens 0-0, 0-2

CATAWBA VALLEY 2A
Bandys 0-0, 2-0
Bunker Hill 0-0, 2-0
Maiden 0-0, 2-0
West Lincoln 0-0, 2-0
East Burke 0-0, 1-1
Newton-Conover 0-0, 0-1
West Caldwell 0-0, 0-1
Lincolnton 0-0, 0-2

SOUTHERN PIEDMONT 1A/2A
Burns 0-0, 2-0
Shelby 0-0, 2-0
Thomas Jefferson 0-0, 1-0
Cherryville 0-0, 1-1
East Gaston 0-0, 1-1
Highland Tech 0-0, 0-1
Bessemer City 0-0, 0-2

SOUTH MECK 4A
Berry Academy 0-0, 1-0
Kell 0-0, 1-0
Olympic 0-0, 1-0
Harding 0-0, 1-1
Myers Park 0-0, 1-1
South Meck 0-0, 1-1

SOUTHWESTERN 4A
Catholic 0-0, 2-0
Butler 0-0, 1-1
Providence 0-0, 1-1
Garinger 0-0, 0-1
Independence 0-0, 0-1
East Meck 0-0, 0-2
Rocky River 0-0, 0-2

QUEEN CITY 3A/4A
Chambers 0-0, 2-0
Hough 0-0, 2-0
West Meck 0-0, 2-0
West Charlotte 0-0, 1-0
Hopewell 0-0, 1-1
Mallard Creek 0-0, 0-0
North Meck 0-0, 0-1

OTHERS
Chase 0-0, 2-0
Clover 0-0, 1-1
Mtn Island Charter 0-0, 2-0
R-S Central 0-0, 0-1

 

 

 

 

High school volleyball

Gaston Day 3, Metrolina Christian Academy 0 (25-13, 25-15, 25-12): The Spartans (9-4, 1-0) won their MAC opener behind Megan Brown (16 Kills, 3 Aces), Drew Brown (15 Kills, 3 Aces), Anne Bradley Bing (31 Assists, 10 digs, 4 Kills), Mary Kate Hurst (14 digs) and Camryn Massey (4 Kills, 1 block). Gaston Day hosts Statesville Christian on Thursday.

East Lincoln 3, Hickory 2 (26-24, 25-19, 22-25, 24-26, 15-8, Monday): Alexa Dos Santos (15 kills, 15 digs), Kendall Fisher (11 kills, 8 aces, 17 digs) and Katie Cook (27 assists, 21 digs, 6 aces) led East Lincoln to a win in its Western Foothills 3A Conference opener. Hickory won the junior varsity match 2-0 (25-18, 25-18).

 

 

 

 

 

Middle school softball

The third playing date is Thursday with Belmont hosting Southwest, Bessemer City hosting Mount Holly, Chavis hosting Holbrook and Cramerton hosting Grier.

The standings through Aug. 30:

Cramerton 2-0
Belmont 1-0
Chavis 1-0
Holbrook 1-0
W.C. Friday 1-1
Mount Holly 1-1
Stanley 1-1
Grier 0-1
Bessemer City 0-2
Southwest 0-2

 

 

 

 

Pro baseball

The Gastonia Honey Hunters dropped the opener of a three-game series at High Point 14-4 on Tuesday night.

Gastonia (40-42) continue the three-game series at High Point on Wednesday night.