9-21-22 roundup: Pro baseball, football, basketball and soccer, High school football and volleyball, College football and golf, Middle school football and softball, Auto racing

By Richard Walker

After blitzing Atlantic League of Professional Baseball opponents all season long, the Gastonia Honey Hunters will need to win twice this weekend to advance to the league championship series.

The High Point Rockers evened the best-of-five Southern Division playoff series at one game apiece following Wednesday’s 11-4 victory at CaroMont Health Park in Gastonia.

High Point will host the next three games of the series on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Gastonia went 88-44 in the regular season and won the first- and second-half divisional titles.

Should the Honey Hunters win the series, they’ll host the first two games of the best-of-five ALPB championship series next Tuesday and Wednesday before playing at the North Division champion on Sept. 30, Oct. 1 and Oct. 2.

—ALPB playoffs
(Southern Division championship vs. High Point: Best-of-5)
Sept. 20 Game 1 – Gastonia 12, High Point 1
Sept. 21 Game 2 – High Point 11, Gastonia 3 (series tied 1-1)
Sept. 23 Game 3 – at High Point at 6:35 p.m.
Sept. 24 Game 4 (if necessary) – at High Point at 6:35 p.m.
Sept. 25 Game 5 (if necessary) – at High Point at 6:35 p.m.

(League championship Gastonia-High Point winner vs. Southern Maryland-Lancaster winner: Best-of-5)
Sept. 27 Game 1
Sept. 28 Game 2
Sept. 30 Game 3
Oct. 1 Game 4 (if necessary)
Oct. 2 Game 5 (if necessary)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Middle school football

GASTON COUNTY CONFERENCE
Standings through Sept. 14 with division records followed by overall records:

(Division I)
Southwest 3-0, 4-1
Holbrook 1-1, 3-1
Grier 1-1, 2-2
Cramerton 1-2, 3-2
Mount Holly 0-2, 2-2

(Division II)
Belmont 3-0, 5-0
Stanley 2-1, 2-2
W.C. Friday 2-1, 2-3
York Chester 2-1, 2-3
Chavis 0-3, 0-4
Bessemer City 0-3, 0-5

(Wednesday’s games)
Belmont 41, Bessemer City 0

Southwest 35, Cramerton 12

Stanley 31, W.C. Friday 14

Holbrook 28, Mount Holly 22: The Lions overcame a 22-6 deficit after three quarters to win behind Savion Lindsay (20 carries, 205 yards rushing, 4 TDs, 2 XP runs). The Holbrook defense was led by Lindsay, Dyson Britt, Kaveuan Pless, Elijah Christenbury, Tramel Bell, AJ McClain and I’zayah Byers

York Chester 40, Chavis 8

TRI-COUNTY CONFERENCE
Standings through Sept. 15 with division records followed by overall records:

(West)
East Lincoln 2-0, 3-0
Kings Mountain 1-1, 1-2
Lincolnton 1-1, 2-1
North Lincoln 1-1, 2-1
West Lincoln 0-1, 1-1
Burns 0-1, 0-2

(East)
Crest 2-0, 3-0
Shelby 1-1, 2-1
East Rutherford 1-1, 1-2
R-S Central 1-1, 1-2
Thomas Jefferson 1-1, 1-2
Chase 0-2, 0-3

(Wednesday’s games)
East Rutherford 36, Chase 8

North Lincoln 12, Kings Mountain 0

East Lincoln 36, Lincolnton 8

Crest 42, R-S Central 6: Malachi Gamble (15-yard run), Brock Melton (1- and 35-yard runs), Jahmere Canada (40-yard pass from Melton), Kalih Clark (12-yard run) and Carson Grier (32-yard field goal, 3 extra point kicks) led the Crest offense and Melton (60-yard touchdown interception return), Chance Hamrick (interception), Silas McCurry (fumble recovery), Duchant Long, Charlie Kennedy, Paxton Dobbins and Maurice Redmond led the Dragons’ defense.

Shelby 49, Thomas Jefferson 0: Scoring for Shelby was Majay Thompson, Jamarion Williams, Sutton Walsh, Dymere Farmer, Tyler Morgan, Immanuel Collins, Devaun Murray, Eser Lopez and Calvin Bradley.

(Thursday’s game)
West Lincoln at Burns

 

 

 

 

Middle school softball

Standings through Sept. 15:

Belmont 6-0
Stanley 6-1
Mount Holly 5-1
Chavis 4-2
W.C. Friday 3-3
Holbrook 3-4
Bessemer City 2-4
Cramerton 2-4
Grier 1-5
Southwest 0-8

(Thursday’s games)
Grier at W.C. Friday
Holbrook at Cramerton
Mount Holly at Chavis
Southwest at Bessemer City
Stanley at Belmont

 

 

 

 

 

 

High school football

(Friday’s games)
Bessemer City at Highland Tech
Cherryville at East Gaston
Community School of Davidson at Mountain Island Charter
Crest at Cramer
East Lincoln at Statesville
Forestview at Ashbrook
Huss at South Point
Kings Mountain at North Gaston
Newton-Conover at Lincolnton
North Lincoln at Hickory
Thomas Jefferson at Shelby
West Lincoln at Maiden
Off – Burns

(Other area games:)
Foard at West Iredell
St. Stephens at North Iredell
Bandys at East Burke
Bunker Hill at West Caldwell
Hough at Chambers
Hopewell at Mallard Creek
West Charlotte at West Meck
Palisades at Kell
Berry Academy at South Meck
Myers Park at Harding
Butler at Providence
Charlotte Catholic at Independence
Garinger at East Meck
Charlotte Country Day at Lake Norman Charter
East Rutherford at Chase
R-S Central at Brevard
Boiling Springs, S.C. at Clover, S.C.

 

 

 

 

 

High school volleyball

Kings Mountain 3, Cramer 0 (25-17, 25-14, 25-9 on Tuesday): Meile Songaila (12 serve receptions, 2 blocks, 17 kills, 12 digs, 15 service points), Myracle Davis (2 blocks, 15 kills), Paige Bagwell (22 assists, 5 kills, 3 digs, 13 service points), Camden Pasour (20 assists, 3 kills, 4 digs, 7 service points) and Caroline Barber (12 serve receptions, 13 digs, 7 service points) led Kings Mountain.
The Mountaineers also won the JV match by a 2-0 (25-15, 25-10) margin behind Abigail Hedgepath (4 service points, 2 kills, 19 assists, 5 digs), Ava Tipton (3 service points, 10 serve receptions), Brooke Hamrick (10 service points, 7 kills, 3 serve receptions) and Ruby Osborne (8 kills, 1 block).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

College football

This week’s NCAA Division I Carolinas schedule:

(Thursday’s games)
Coastal Carolina at Georgia State, 7:30 p.m.

(Saturday’s games)
Clemson at Wake Forest, noon
Duke at Kansas, noon
Furman at Charleston Southern, noon
Western Carolina at Samford, 3 p.m.
Notre Dame at North Carolina, 3:30 p.m.
James Madison at Appalachian State, 3:30 p.m.
Elon at William & Mary, 3:30 p.m.
Virginia Lynchburg at N.C. Central, 4 p.m.
Mercer at Gardner-Webb, 6 p.m.
Navy at East Carolina, 6 p.m.
Wofford at Kennesaw State, 6 p.m.
Davidson at Presbyterian, 7 p.m.
S.C. State at North Carolina A&T, 7 p.m.
Connecticut at N.C. State, 7:30 p.m.
Charlotte at South Carolina, 7:30 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

College men’s golf

Shelby’s Connor Brown helped UNC-Greensboro to a second-place finish in the Bearcat Invitiational at Coldstream Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Brown tied for 14th overall with a three-round score of 213 and finished in a tie for second place in the event with 38 pars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pro basketball

The Charlotte Hornets have agreed to a one-year contract with Dennis Smith, Jr., less than a week before 2022 training camp gets underway.

Smith, a Fayetteville Christian High standout who played one year at N.C. State, was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. He averaged 15.2 points and 5.2 assists as a rookie in the 2017-18 season but was later traded to the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons before signing a one-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers last season.

Smith averaged 5.6 points, 3.6 assists and 17.2 minutes in 36 games before before a right elbow injury ended his season.

Smith’s signing gives Hornets have 18 players under contract, including 13 players on guaranteed salaries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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, 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):

(12-17-2 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 (L 0-2)
September 10, New York City (W 1-0)
September 17, at Chicago (W 3-2)
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 (Erik Jones)
Sept. 11 Hollywood Casino 400 (Bubba Wallace)
Sept. 17 Bass Pro Shops Night Race (Chris Buescher)
Sept. 24 AutoTraderEchoPark 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