Friday’s roundup: Highland Tech gets historic win, prep football and soccer playoffs, middle schools and college basketball tournament pairings
By Richard Walker
That all changed on Friday night as the Rams ruined Bessemer City’s homecoming with a 27-8 victory that gave Highland Tech its first win over the Yellow Jackets after 20 consecutive losses.
Highland Tech played only one previous matchup with Bessemer City within 10 points – a 16-12 Yellow Jackets win in 2008 – before Caleb Foster scored two touchdowns, Kamari Sheppard one and Nehemiah another (on a pass from Luke Whitted) in Friday’s victory.
Foster’s second touchdown gave the Rams the lead for good after Bessemer City had taken an 8-7 first half lead on Jameer Holmes’ touchdown run and Justice Cooper’s two-point conversion.
Highland Tech (1-1) visits Community School of Davidson in Southern Piedmont 1A Conference action next Friday while Bessemer City (1-3, 1-2) hosts Christ the King.
In Friday’s other area high school football:
Shelby 20, Burns 18: The Golden Lions (4-0, 4-0) stayed unbeaten in the Southwestern 2A with a second straight nailbiter with the road win at Burns (3-1, 3-1).
Tyler Arrington caught two touchdown passes from Gabe Huitt of 80 and 9 yards and Marquis Adams had a 6-yard fourth quarter touchdown run.
Burns counted with touchdown passes from Ryan Thompson (23 yards to L.J. Allen) and Cam’Ron Sweezy (64 yards to Dorien Starnes) and a five-yard touchdown run from Cahari Haynes. But the Bulldogs potential tying two-point conversion was stopped late in the fourth quarter and Shelby intercepted a pass on the final play of the game to wrap up the victory.
Shelby hosts Kings Mountain next Saturday and Burns hosts East Gaston next Friday in their next contests.
Cramer 54, North Gaston 6: The Storm (1-3, 1-2) won a Big South 3A game played on its home field. Cramer plays at North Gaston next Friday and North Gaston (0-2) has two games next week – against Kings Mountain on Tuesday and against Crest next Saturday.
Kings Mountain 41, Ashbrook 0: The Mountaineers (3-0) continued their impressive start and have now outscored their opponents by a 119-7 margin. Kings Mountain plays North Gaston on Tuesday and visits Shelby next Saturday. Ashbrook (1-3, 1-2) hosts Cramer next Friday.
Chase 55, East Gaston 12: The visiting Warriors, who fell to 0-4, visit Burns next Friday.
R-S Central 48, Mountain Island Charter 42: Mountain Island Charter (1-3) lost their third high-scoring contest of the season. The Raptors visit Pine Lake Prep next Friday.
South Point 45, East Rutherford 0: Trevon Jones and Cam Medlock scored two touchdowns apiece and Hunter Hogue and Will Rhinehart had one touchdown each as the Red Raiders (3-1, 2-1) won their third straight in the Southwestern 2A road victory. South Point hosts R-S Central next Friday.
East Lincoln 24, Bandys 20: The Mustangs (4-0, 3-0) stayed unbeaten in the South Fork 2A home win. East Lincoln hosts Maiden next Friday.
Community School of Davidson 31, Cherryville 20: Cherryville (1-3, 1-2) lost the home Southern Piedmont 1A game. The Ironmen visit Thomas Jefferson next Friday.
Saturday’s schedule
Crest vs. Huss (at Cramer), 7 p.m.
Hickory at Forestview, 2 p.m.
North Lincoln vs. Maiden (at Maiden Middle School), 3 p.m.
West Lincoln at Lincolnton, 1 p.m.
South Meck at Harding
Kell at Olympic
Other scores:
Thomas Jefferson 61, Christ the King 0
Pine Lake Prep 52, Union Academy 0
Mallard Creek 41, Hopewell 6
Lake Norman 33, Mooresville 6
Vance 54, West Charlotte 0
Butler 42, Independence 0
Rocky River 40, East Meck 3
Porter Ridge 47, Garinger 0
Myers Park 14, Hickory Ridge 7
Berry Academy 28, West Meck 27
Providence 35, Central Cabarrus 6
High school boys soccer
Wednesday’s second round playoff score:
Class 4A
Hough 4, Durham Jordan 0
Thursday’s second round playoff scores:
Class 2A
East Lincoln 4, Salisbury 1
Class 1A
Thomas Jefferson 3, Polk County 0
Community School of Davidson 7, Mount Airy 1
Friday’s second round playoff scores:
Class 4A
Myers Park 3, Lake Norman 0
South Meck 2, Providence 0
Class 3A
Weddington 2, Cramer 0
Class 2A
Foard 2, Shelby 1, OT
Saturday’s third round playoff pairings:
Class 4A
Hough at Northwest Guilford
South Meck at Myers Park
Class 2A
East Lincoln at Hibriten
Class 1A
Thomas Jefferson at Community School of Davidson
Middle school boys soccer
Cramerton 9, Southwest 0: Spencer Baker (3 goals, 2 assists), Aiden VanderMeer (2 goals), Lane Crotts (2 goals), Saloui Diouf (1 goal, 1 assist), Nicholas Markley (1 goal), Noah Empson (1 assist) and Santiago Calle (1 assist) led Cramerton (1-0), which hosts Chavis on Monday.
College men’s basketball
Here are the full 2021 NCAA basketball tournament pairings:
East Region
Thursday
UCLA 86, Michigan State 80, OT
Texas Southern 60, Mount St. Mary’s 52
Saturday/Monday
No. 1 Michigan (20-4) vs. No. 16 Texas Southern (17-8), 3 p.m.
No. 8 LSU (18-9) vs. No. 9 St. Bonaventure (16-4), 1:45 p.m.
No. 5 Colorado (22-8) vs. No. 12 Georgetown (13-12), 12:15 p.m.
No. 4 Florida State (16-6) vs. No. 13 UNC-Greensboro (21-8), 12:45 p.m.
No. 6 BYU (20-6) vs. No. 11 UCLA (18-9), 9:40 p.m.
No. 3 Texas (19-7) vs. No. 14 Abilene Christian (23-4), 9:50 p.m.
No. 7 Connecticut (15-7) vs. No. 10 Maryland (16-13), 3:30 p.m.
No. 2 Alabama (24-6) vs. No. 15 Iona (12-5), 4 p.m.
South Region
Friday
Baylor 79, Hartford 55
Wisconsin 85, North Carolina 62
Villanova 73, Winthrop 63
North Texas 78, Purdue 69, OT
Texas Tech 65, Utah State 53
Arkansas 85, Colgate 68
Florida 75, Virginia Tech 70, OT
Oral Roberts 75, Ohio State 72, OT
Sunday
Baylor (23-2) vs. Wisconsin (18-12)
Villanova (17-6) vs. North Texas (18-9)
Texas Tech (18-10) vs. Arkansas (23-6)
Florida (15-9) vs. Oral Roberts (17-10)
Midwest Region
Friday
Illinois 78, Drexel 49
Loyola-Chicago 71, Georgia Tech 60
Oregon State 70, Tennessee 56
Oklahoma State 69, Liberty 60
Syracuse 78, San Diego State 62
West Virginia 84, Morehead State 67
Rutgers 60, Clemson 56
Houston 87, Cleveland State 56
Sunday
Illinois (24-6) vs. Loyola-Chicago (25-4)
Oregon State (18-12) vs. Oklahoma State (21-8)
Syracuse (17-9) vs. West Virginia (19-9)
Rutgers (16-11) vs. Houston (25-3)
West Region
Thursday
Drake 53, Wichita State 52
Norfolk State 54, Appalachian State 53
Saturday/Monday
No. 1 Gonzaga (26-0) vs. No. 16 Norfolk State (17-7), 9:20 p.m.
No. 8 Oklahoma (15-10) vs. No. 9 Missouri (16-9), 7:25 p.m
No. 5 Creighton (20-8) vs. No. 12 UC-Santa Barbara (22-4), 3:30 p.m.
No. 4 Virginia (18-6) vs. No. 13 Ohio (16-7), 7:15 p.m.
No. 6 Southern California (22-7) vs. No. 11 Drake (26-4), 4:30 p.m.
No. 3 Kansas (20-8) vs. No. 14 Eastern Washington (16-7), 1:15 pm.
No. 7 Oregon (20-6) vs. No. 10 VCU (19-7), 9:57 p.m.
No. 2 Iowa (21-8) vs. No. 15 Grand Canyon (17-6), 6:25 p.m.
NIT pairings and results at Comerica Center in Frisco, Tex. and University of North Texas Coliseum in Denton, Tex.:
Wednesday’s first round
Richmond 76, Toledo 66
Western Kentucky 69, Saint Mary’s, Cal. 67
Thursday’s first round
N.C. State 75, Davidson 61
Boise State 85, SMU 84
Friday’s first round
Colorado State 75, Buffalo 73
Louisiana Tech 70, Mississippi 61
Saturday’s first round
Memphis (16-7) vs. Dayton (14-9), noon
Saint Louis (14-6) vs. Mississippi State (15-14), 5 p.m.
March 25 quarterfinals
Colorado State (19-6) vs. N.C. State (13-10), TBA
Boise State (19-8) vs. Memphis-Dayton winner, TBA
Saint Louis-Mississippi State winner vs. Richmond, TBA
Western Kentucky (21-7) vs. Louisiana Tech (22-7), TBA
March 27 semifinals
Colorado State-Buffalo–Davidson-N.C. State winner vs. Boise State-SMU–Memphis-Dayton winner, noon or 3 p.m.
Saint Louis-Mississippi State–Richmond vs. Western Kentucky–Mississippi.-Louisiana Tech winner, noon or 3 p.m.
March 28 championship game
noon
College women’s basketball
The NCAA Division II Elite Eight pairings:
Quarterfinals
Tuesday, March 23
#2 Lander (19-1) vs. #7 Azusa Pacific (12-4), noon
#3 Drury (22-1) vs. #6 Charleston, W.Va. (19-2), 2:45 p.m.
#1 Lubbock Christian (20-0) vs. #8 Daemen (14-2), 6 p.m.
#4 Belmont Abbey (24-2) vs. #5 Central Missouri (22-4), 8:45 p.m.
Wednesday, March 24
#2 Lander-#7 Azusa Pacific winner vs. #3 Drury-#6 Charleston, W.Va., winner, 6 p.m.
#1 Lubbock Christian-#8 Daeman winner vs. #4 Belmont Abbey-#5 Central Missouri winner, 8:45 p.m.
Friday, March 26
Championship game, 8 p.m.
The Charlotte Region WNIT pairings at Bojangles’ Coliseum:
Friday’s quarterfinals
Delaware 77, Fordham 49
Clemson 65, Ohio U. 60
Florida 66, Charlotte 65
Villanova 78, Massachusetts 51
Saturday’s consolation games
Fordham (12-5) vs. Ohio U. (14-9), 11 a.m.
Charlotte (10-11) vs. Massachusetts (14-9), 2 p.m.
Saturday’s semifinals
Delaware (22-4) vs. Clemson (12-13), 5 p.m.
Florida (12-13) vs. Villanova (16-6), 8 p.m.
Monday’s regional final
7 p.m. (Winner advances to WNIT Final Four March 26 and 28 at Memphis, Tenn.)
Women’s NCAA tournament pairings:
ALAMO Region
Sunday
1. Stanford vs. 16. Utah Valley, 10 p.m.
8. Oklahoma State vs. 9. Wake Forest, 1 p.m.
Monday
5. Missouri State vs. 12. UC Davis, 7:30 p.m.
4. Arkansas vs. 13. Wright State, 2 p.m.
6. Oregon vs. 11. South Dakota, 10 p.m.
3. Georgia vs. 14. Drexel, noon
7. Northwestern vs. 10. UCF, 4 p.m.
2. Louisville vs. 15. Marist, 8 p.m.
MERCADO Region
Sunday
1. N.C. State vs. 16. North Carolina A&T, 4 p.m.
8. South Florida vs. 9. Washington State, 9:30 p.m.
Monday
5. Gonzaga vs. 12. Belmont, 4 p.m.
4. Indiana vs. VCU, 2 p.m.
6. Rutgers vs. 11. BYU, noon
3. Arizona vs. 14. Stony Brook, 2 p.m.
7. Iowa State vs. Michigan State 6 p.m.
2. Texas A&M vs. Troy, 6 p.m.
RIVER WALK Region
Sunday
1. UConn vs. 16. High Point, 8 p.m.
8. Syracuse vs. 9. South Dakota State, 5:30 p.m.
5. Iowa vs. 12. Central Michigan, noon
4. Kentucky vs. 13. Idaho State, 2 p.m.
6. Michigan vs. 11. FGCU, 3 p.m.
3. Tennessee vs. 14. Middle Tennessee, 2 p.m.
7. Virginia Tech vs. 10. Marquette, noon
2. Baylor vs. 15. Jackson State, 4 p.m.
HEMISFAIR Region
Sunday
1. South Carolina vs. 16. Mercer, 6 p.m.
8. Oregon State vs. 9. Florida State, 7:30 p.m.
5. Georgia Tech vs. 12. Stephen F. Austin, 4:30 p.m.
4. West Virginia vs. 13. Lehigh, 8 p.m.
Monday
6. Texas vs. 11. Bradley, 8 p.m.
3. UCLA vs. 14. Wyoming, 10 p.m.
7. Alabama vs. 10. North Carolina, noon
2. Maryland vs. 15. Mount St. Mary’s, 4 p.m.