Tuesday’s roundup: College football and basketball and High school football, girls soccer, softball and baseball
By Richard Walker
The Charlotte 49ers will have a spring game and coach Will Healy couldn’t be happier.
Not only will the school host a spring game on April 24 at noon, but they’ll be allowing 3,890 fans into Richardson Stadium – or more than double that were allowed in fall 2020 regular season games due to COVID-19 protocols.
“I know it means a lot to our players,” Healy said on a Tuesday zoom news conference. “To get in a competitive environment in front of fans is huge for our program.”
Healy also discussed his program’s first week of spring practice.
Charlotte went 2-4 and had nine games postponed and/or cancelled due to COVID-19 issues. That came after Healy’s first 49ers team went 7-6 in 2019 and advanced to the school’s first bowl game in program history.
“We want to add on the buzz we created in 2019 that took a pause in 2020,” Healy said. “Seeing them have success is something I’m craving. This is a time to get these guys back on the field doing something they love and celebrating their success.”
Healy also discussed players that have gotten his attention, among them local products Prince Bemah and Gage Welborn; Bemah is a redshirt sophomore linebacker and 2019 Huss High graduate and Welborn is a redshirt junior offensive lineman and 2018 East Lincoln High graduate.
“Prince Bemah has looked really good out there,” Healy said of the linebacker returning after missing all of the fall 2020 season recovering from knee surgery.
Of Welborn, Healy said veteran offensive lineman “Dejan (Rasuo) and Gage have provided some really good depth for us.”
Healy is looking for five starters and a solid rotation on an offensive line that yielded 16 quarterback sacks in six games last season.
Healy was most excited about newcomers like transfer quarterback James Foster, a former four-star recruit who left Texas A&M for Charlotte in December.
“He throws the ball extremely well,” Healy said of Foster. “I’ve been impressed with what I’ve seen so far.”
Foster, a redshirt sophomore, will be competing for playing time with three-year starting quarterback Chris Reynolds.
“Will a four-star James Foster come into this culture and buy into it?” said Healy, whose team opens its 2021 season on Sept. 4 at home against Duke. “Not everybody in this program is a four-star. He’s humbled himself and made himself better. He’s made Chris Reynolds better. Chris Reynolds has made him better. We promised him (Foster) nothing other than the opportunity to compete.”
Other players who have gotten Healy’s attention so far this spring are defensive end Kofi Wardlaw, defensive backs Devondre Robinson and Jon Alexander, defensive tackle Josh Bailey, linebackers Justin Whisenhunt and Cam Burden, running backs Elijah Turner, Chavion Smith and Shadrick Byrd, defensive end Miguel Jackson and offensive lineman B.J. Ragland.
Admission for the April 24 spring game is free.
However, the Charlotte 49ers athletic department says those in attending must request tickets through an online form. Ticket requests will be taken until capacity is reached. Tickets will be sent via email starting on April 19. Fans with questions can contact the ticket office at 704-687-4949 or email [email protected]. UNC Charlotte students can request their game ticket via the TicketReturn Student Portal starting April 14 at 8 a.m.
Parking will be available in CRI 2, CRI 3, and CRI Deck on a first-come, first-served basis and tailgating will not be permitted. To aid with traffic flow, the 49ers baseball program will move its April 24 doubleheader with Old Dominion to 2 p.m.
College football
Eli Wesson, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound linebacker at Crest, announced on twitter Tuesday that he was committing to play football in the fall at Gardner-Webb University.
College men’s basketball
Charlotte 49ers roster addition: Head coach Ron Sanchez announced Tuesday that 6-foot-5 guard Austin Butler has transferred from Holy Cross to Charlotte. This season, Butler earned second team All-Patriot League honors while scoring over 1,300 points in his collegiate career. Butler graduates this spring from Holy Cross with a degree in visual media and a minor in education. He is immediately eligible to play for the 49ers and will have one year of eligibility as a fifth-year graduate transfer.
High school football
Shelby High School announced Tuesday that its scheduled Friday game at East Rutherford has been cancelled and will be a forfeit victory for the Golden Lions. The win gives Shelby a 5-2 overall, 5-1 league record, at least a share of the Southwestern 2A Conference and a No. 1 seeding in the upcoming state playoffs. The league title is Shelby’s third straight and 39th in school history.
Conference standings for area leagues listed by conference record, overall record:
BIG SOUTH 3A
Crest 5-0, 6-0
Kings Mountain 5-0, 6-0
Ashbrook 3-2, 3-3
Forestview 2-3, 3-3
Huss 2-3, 2-3
Cramer 1-4, 1-5
North Gaston 0-6, 0-6
SOUTHWESTERN 2A
Shelby 5-1, 5-2
Burns 4-1, 4-2
Chase 3-2, 4-2
R-S Central 3-2, 4-2
South Point 3-2, 4-2
East Gaston 1-5, 1-5
East Rutherford 0-6, 0-7
SOUTH FORK 2A
Maiden 5-0, 5-0
West Lincoln 4-2, 4-2
East Lincoln 3-2, 4-2
Newton-Conover 2-3, 2-3
North Lincoln 2-3, 3-3
Lincolnton 1-4, 1-4
Bandys 1-4, 1-4
SOUTHERN PIEDMONT 1A
Pine Lake Prep 5-0, 6-0
Thomas Jefferson 5-0, 6-0
Community Davidson 4-1, 5-1
Christ the King 3-3, 3-3
Highland Tech 1-3, 1-3
Union Academy 1-4, 1-4
Bessemer City 1-4, 1-5
Cherryville 1-4, 1-5
Mtn Isl Charter 1-4, 1-5
This week’s games
(Friday)
Bessemer City at Cherryville
Chase at South Point
Crest at Kings Mountain
East Gaston at North Gaston
Forestview at Cramer
Highland Tech at Christ the King
Huss at Ashbrook
Lincolnton at Maiden
Mountain Island Charter at Union Academy
Newton-Conover at East Lincoln
Pine Lake Prep at Community School of Davidson
R-S Central at Burns
Shelby at East Rutherford
West Lincoln at Cherokee
I-MECK 4A
Hough 6-0, 6-0
Vance 6-0, 6-0
Lake Norman 4-2, 4-2
Mallard Creek 3-3, 3-3
Mooresville 1-4, 1-4
North Meck 1-4, 1-4
Hopewell 1-5, 1-5
West Charlotte 1-5, 1-5
SOUTHWESTERN 4A
Myers Park 6-0, 6-0
Butler 5-1, 5-1
Porter Ridge 4-2, 4-2
Hickory Ridge 4-2, 4-2
Independence 2-4, 2-4
Rocky River 2-4, 2-4
East Meck 1-5, 1-5
Garinger 0-6, 0-6
SOUTHERN MECK 4A
Providence 5-0, 6-0
Olympic 5-1, 5-1
Kell 4-1, 5-1
South Meck 2-3, 3-3
Berry Academy 1-4, 2-4
West Meck 1-4, 1-5
Harding 0-5, 0-6
This week’s games
(Friday)
East Meck at Butler
Garinger at Rocky River
Harding at Berry Academy
Hopewell at West Charlote
Hough at Vance
Independence at Myers Park
Lake Norman at North Meck
Mooresville at Mallard Creek
Olympic at West Cabarrus
Porter Ridge at Hickory Ridge
Providence at Kell
West Meck at South Meck
High school girls soccer
East Lincoln 6, North Lincoln 0
Gaston Day 4, University Christian 3
High school softball
East Lincoln 5, Bandys 0: Winning pitcher Payton Baker threw a two-hitter and Taliyah Thomas (1 single, 1 double, 1 triple, 1 stolen base, 2 runs), Katelynn Crowe (1 double), Betsy Eatmon (1 single, 1 home run, 3 RBIs), Katie Hogue (home run, 2 RBIs), Madison Currence (1 double) and Bailey Hardin (1 single) led the unbeaten Mustangs (6-0), who host Newton-Conover on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Lincoln Charter 10, Cherryville 6: Cherryville was led by Kaitlyn Newsome (3-4, 2 doubles), Rileigh Kiser (1 hit), Aleigh Whisnant (1 hit), Amber Roach (1 hit), Laila Davis (1 hit), Riley Bryant (1 hit) and Elizabeth Levine (1 hit).
Crest 5, Kings Mountain 1 (Monday): Winning pitcher Mackenzie Hayes struck out 16 and pitched a three-hitter and also hit a grand slam. Other offensive standouts for Crest (5-0) were Autumn McCurry, Riley Parker, Sara Rose Warlick and Kamryn Spangler.
High school baseball
Providence Day 11, Gaston Day 1