Bulldogs lead Wells Fargo Conference Cup standings

Jay M. Robinson sits atop the Wells Fargo Conference Cup standings for the South Piedmont Conference after the fall season.

The Bulldogs lead the league after claiming the SPC girls' cross country title and finishing second in boys' soccer and cross country.

The top three teams are separated by merely 7.5 points. Cox Mill is in second place with Concord not far behind.

The Wells Fargo Conference Cup recognizes schools with the best overall athletic performances within individual conferences. Points are awarded based on participation and standings in conference play. Each conference determines its own method of awarding points.

Here are the complete conference standings:

Jay M. Robinson 267.5

Cox Mill 262.5

Concord 260

Hickory Ridge 235

A.L. Brown 232.5

Northwest Cabarrus 180

Central Cabarrus 132.5

Mount Pleasant 130

Havelock beats Concord for 3A title

WINSTON-SALEM – Havelock used a strong second half to win the 3A state championship by defeating Concord 55-21 Saturday night.

The title is the second straight for the Rams (15-1).

Havelock was first to strike on a Pharoh Cooper 2-yard quarterback keeper, which capped off the Rams’ 75-yard opening drive.

Down 7-0 after the first quarter, the Spiders (13-3) started gaining momentum.

Quarterback B.J. Beecher, who passed for 267 yards on 22-of-36 passing, led the way for Concord in the second quarter by passing for all three of his Spiders’ touchdowns.

Beecher found Alex Asbury, who made a lateral flick to Zosh Heilig for a 30-yard score, to tie the game.

After forcing the Rams to punt, Beecher led the Spiders on an 88-yard drive. The 6-foot-6 senior quarterback capped off the drive with a 37-yard pass to sophomore running back Rocky Reid.

Recovering the ball on a Havelock fumble on the ensuing kickoff, the Spiders seemed to have the momentum on their side despite missing their second extra-point attempt.

But Cooper, also a safety, intercepted Beecher and ran it back 87 yards for a touchdown to get his team within one after a failed PAT.

With 4:07 left in the half, Beecher orchestrated a 72-yard drive that concluded in a 21-yard pass from the Shrine Bowl-bound quarterback to Jerry Burk.

A Logan Sedergren 2-point conversion gave the Spiders a 21-14.

Cooper, the game’s most valuable player after accounting for 146 yards and three touchdowns, led the Rams on a 65-yard scoring drive.

Cooper had two runs – for 28 and 26 yards – before finding Harry Caldwell for an 11-yard touchdown.

Havelock coach Jim Bob Bryant said he made adjustments, including putting six defensive backs on the field to slow down Beecher, after trailing 21-20 at halftime.

“I told them we had 24 minutes left to play,” he said. “We were either going to be the first-place team in the state of the first-place loser.”

Havelock responded, scoring off fumbles in the first two Spider possessions of the half to regain the lead.

“That was a big momentum switch,” said Bryant.

Concord coach Glen Padgett said the two turnovers to start the half changed the game.

“When you play a team with a lot of speed like that, it’s hard to play from behind,” he said.

A.J. Coplon recovered both fumbles, returning the first 61 yards for a touchdown. The Rams found the end zone, on a 2-yard Derrell Scott run, after starting their drive at Concord’s 47-yard line. That increased their lead to 14.

Havelock would add three more touchdowns in the fourth quarter to put the game away.

Concord leads Havelock 21-20 at the half

WINSTON-SALEM – Concord leads Havelock 21-20 after the first half of the 3A state championship game at BB&T Field.

Havelock (14-1) was first to strike, easily moving the ball downfield on its first possession.

Pharoh Cooper’s 2-yard quarterback keeper for a touchdown capped the Rams’ 75-yard opening drive.

Both defenses played well early and forced stops.

Down 7-0 after the first quarter, the Spiders (13-2) started gaining momentum.

Quarterback B.J. Beecher, who passed for 189 yards and three touchdowns on 13-of-19 passing, led the way for Concord in the second quarter.

The Spiders’ first touchdown happened after Beecher found Alex Asbury, who made a lateral flick to Zosh Zeilig for the 30-yard score.

After forcing the Rams to punt, Beecher led the Spiders on an 88-yard drive. The 6-foot-6 senior quarterback capped off the drive with a 37-yard pass to sophomore running back Rocky Reid.

Recovering the ball on a Havelock fumble on the ensuing kickoff, the Spiders seemed to have the momentum on their side despite having missed their first extra point attempt.

But Cooper intercepted Beecher after the Spiders had reached the red zone, returning the pick-six 87 yards to get his team within one.

With 4:07 left in the half, Beecher orchestrated a 72-yard drive that concluded in a 21-yard pass from the Shrine Bowl-bound quarterback to Jerry Burk.

A Logan Sedergren 2-point conversion gave the Spiders a 21-14.

Cooper, who ran for 57 yards and pass for 52 more, led the Rams on a 65-yard scoring drive.

Cooper had two runs – for 28 and 26 yards – before finding Harry Caldwell for an 11-yard touchdown.

Concord quarterback wins $40,000 scholarship

Concord High quarterback B.J. Beecher was named the first recipient of the Charlotte Touchdown Club’s Michael A. Kahn Scholarship.

The $40,000 scholarship, named after the owner/CEO of the Charlotte Checkers, celebrates community service as well as academic and athletic accomplishments.

Beecher is a four-year starter at Concord, having taken over at quarterback for the Spiders midway through his freshman year. That season, he led an 0-6 team to six consecutive wins and a trip to the second round of the state playoffs.

Beecher, a 6-foot-7, 200-pound senior, threw for 2,606 yards and 32 touchdowns as a sophomore to lead Concord to a 9-5 season. He followed that up with 2,957 yards and 32 scores for the 10-4 Spiders last year.

He has thrown for 3,786 yards and 48 touchdowns this season, making him only the third player in North Carolina high school football history to amass 10,000 career passing yards. Independence’s Chris Leak (15,593) and Burlington Cummings’ Ernest Tinnen (10,836) are the other two.

Beecher, who also plays basketball and tennis at Concord, maintains a 3.3 grade-point average while also being involved in his school’s Young Life organization. As a junior, he traveled to the Dominican Republic as part of a medical mission team.

Concord (13-2) will play in the 3A state football championship Saturday against Havelock in Winston-Salem.

Spider coach Glen Padgett told the Observer that Beecher will be a game-time decision for Saturday's game after injuring his right thumb - on his throwing hand - in the second quarter of the 3A semifinal against Morganton Freedom.

Cougars win state golf title

From left: Pat Whisenant,Taylor Bunten, Anna Redding, Annie Collom
 and Kate Collom. COURTESY OF BETH COLLUM

Cannon School repeated as private school girls’ golf champions, winning by 26 shots over second-place Durham Academy Oct. 24 at Mid Pines Golf Club in Pinehurst.

The Cougars, under the direction of first-year coach Pat Whisenant, shot a combined low score of 249.

Junior Kate Collom and sophomore Anna Redding led the way, tying for second place with their 18-hole score of 82.

Sophomore Annie Collom shot an 85 while classmate Taylor Bunten posted a 94.

The Colloms sisters and Redding were named to the all-state team.

“It's been a real honor to be a part of this run and these girls, who are great players and people,” Whisenant said. “They lifted each other up when they weren't putting well today and pulled it together for a state championship.”

Cannon was equally as impressive last year, when the Cougars won by 22 shots. The Cougars have beaten 25 of their last 26 opponents in the two-year span. Their only loss on the course was to defending 2A state champion Salisbury last year.

- Jay Edwards

Concord upsets Cox Mill to earn spot in SPC finals

Concord's volleyball team knocked the No. 2 seed in the South Piedmont 3A volleyball tournament to reach Wednesday's finals against top-ranked Hickory Ridge.

After dropping both regular season meetings to the Chargers, the Spiders defeated Cox Mill 3-0 (25-22, 28-26, 25-22) Tuesday in the semifinals.

Hickory Ridge defeated Northwest Cabarrus 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-22) in the other semifinal and will host Concord at 6 p.m. for the tournament title.

Trojans roll to second round

Northwest Cabarrus, the SPC girls' tennis champions, reached the second round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association dual team playoffs after a 5-4 win against Gastonia Ashbrook Tuesday.

Jay M. Robinson, the conference runners-up, dropped its first-round match-up against Hickory 9-0 to wrap up its season.

The Trojans will host Marvin Ridge Oct. 23 in second-round play.

The 3A midwest individual regionals will be held Friday and Saturday at Concord. The top six singles and doubles players from the conference will participate.

Spider, Wonders named to Shrine Bowl roster

Concord quarterback B.J. Beecher as well as A.L. Brown's Kalif Phillips and Keeon Johnson were named to the North Carolina team that will play in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas, which will be played Dec. 15 at Wofford College in Spartanburg.

Here's the full roster:

Last Name	First Name	High School
Phillips	Kalif	A. L. Brown
Johnson	Keeon	A. L. Brown
Prince	R.J.	Albemarle
Oliver	Demetrius	Ashbrook
Beecher	B.J.	Concord
Rogers Jr.	Dane	Crest
Patterson	Quinton	Crest
Wiggins	Sean	David W. Butler
Blankenship	Cole	Davie County
Lewis	Garry	Douglas Byrd Senior
Blair	Chris	East Forsyth
Clay	Aaron	Eastern Alamance
Thorb	Tim	Garner Magnet
Roane	Patrick	Gray’s Creek
Coplon	A.J.	Havelock
Cooper	Pharoh	Havelock
Wilson	Daryl	Hendersonville
Francis	Khris	Hillside
Wiggins	Korrin	Hillside
Neal	Lewis	Hunt
Tocho	Jack	Independence
Walker	Brian	Mallard Creek
Matau	Christian	New Bern
Logan	T.J.	Northern Guilford
Mann	Dequaivs	Northern Nash
Wogan	Matt	Porter Ridge
Covington	Devante	Richmond Senior
Crowder	Tyrone	Richmond Senior
Jones	Nazair	Roanoke Rapids
Diggs	Malik	Scotland
Robinson	Artemis	Scotland
McCauley	Eric	Shelby
Smith	Lachasten	South Iredell
Starnes	Jordan	South Stanly
Gilmore	Greg	South View
Mumford	Tristan	Statesville
Parker	Carlis	Statesville
Deleon	Jeff	T. C. Roberson
Suber	Noah	T. C. Roberson
Lewis	Tyquan	Tarboro
Gould	Ryan	West Forsyth
Dueitt	Blake	William A. Hough
Donaldson	Kirk	Zebulon Vance
Braynt	Larenz	Zebulon Vance

Eagles named all-conference

Several First Assembly soccer and volleyball players were named to their respective All-Metrolina Athletic Conference teams. Josh Denton, Michael Djali and Clarence Massalay were named all-conference in soccer, while Kathryn Eudy and Caroline Zwick were honored in volleyball.

Here are the complete All-MAC teams:

Boys' soccer

Caleb Allen – Covenant Day School

Aaron Armstrong – Gaston Christian School

Cameron Church – Covenant Day School

Josh Denton – First Assembly Christian School

Michael Djali – First Assembly Christian School

Zach Dunn – Northside Christian Academy

Yohei Kawabata – Northside Christian Academy

Jonathan Love – Hickory Grove Christian School

Christian MacArthur – SouthLake Christian Academy

Joey Magnani – Gaston Christian School

Clarence Massalay – First Assembly Christian School

Matthew McKnight – Covenant Day School

Justin Melton – Gaston Christian School

Alex Pardue – Hickory Grove Christian School

Dylan Ritch – Hickory Grove Christian School

Mark Steele – Covenant Day School

Michael Stewart – Covenant Day School

Rhem Stubbs – SouthLake Christian Academy

Ty Stubbs – SouthLake Christian Academy

Volleyball

Hannah Billiard – Covenant Day School

Sumerlyn Carruthers – Westminster Catawba Christian School

Megan Embry – Covenant Day School

Kathryn Eudy – First Assembly Christian School

Christina Goforth – Covenant Day School

Hannah Griffin – Hickory Grove Christian School

Meghan Haigler – Metrolina Christian Academy

Katie McGuire – SouthLake Christian Academy

Hunter Moxley – Westminster Catawba Christian School

Shelly Nassar – Covenant Day School

Emily Oliver – Westminster Catawba Christian School

Anna Parson – Hickory Grove Christian School

Chezney Templeton – Hickory Grove Christian School

Caroline Zwick – First Assembly Christian School

Top performers - week 5

B.J. Beecher, Concord

Senior quarterback threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns on 11 of 17 passing to help the Spiders get off to a 5-0 for the first time since 1998.

Brian Jernigan, Cox Mill

Junior linebacker had 18 total tackles and a fumble recovery as the Chargers defeated Mount Pleasant 27-14.

Malik Johnson, Cox Mill

Senior ran for 93 yards and two touchdowns while also catching for 95 yards and two more scores against the Tigers.

Nick Tyson, Hickory Ridge

Senior quarterback passed for three touchdowns as the Ragin' Bulls defeated then-undefeated rival Central Cabarrus 33-26.

Friday's scores

Cannon 13 at Asheville School 14

Trinity Christian 6 at First Assembly 7

Concord 47 at Northwest Cabarrus 0

Jay M. Robinson 21 at A.L. Brown 69

Central Cabarrus 26 at Hickory Ridge 33

Cox Mill 27 at Mount Pleasant 14

This week's games

First Assembly (3-1) at Christ School (4-0)

A.L. Brown (4-1) at Central Cabarrus (4-1)

Concord (5-0) at Jay M. Robinson (2-3)

Hickory Ridge (4-1) at Cox Mill (4-1)

Northwest Cabarrus (1-3) at Mount Pleasant (3-2)

Cannon (1-4) - BYE

Top performers - week 3 and 4

Covering social media during the Democratic National Convention kept me from my normal job last week, so I didn't have time to put up any blog posts. But better late than never, right?

Week 3

Myles Martino, Cannon

Senior ran for 240 yards on 14 attempts, a 17.14 yard per carry average, as the Cougars defeated Walkertown 52-25. He also rushed for two scores.

Jerry Burk, Concord

Junior linebacker had 10 solo tackles to lead the Spider defense in a 21-7 win over Monroe.

Kalif Phillips, A.L. Brown

Senior receiver ran for 252 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Wonders in a 38-21 win against Rocky River. He also had a 96-yard kickoff return for a score.

Week 3 scores

Cannon 52 at Walkertown 25

First Assembly 6 at High Point Christian 27

Monroe 7 at Concord 21

South Rowan 21 at Northwest Cabarrus 26

Rocky River 21 at A.L. Brown 38

Jay M. Robinson 14 at Piedmont 35

Hickory Ridge 48 at Carson 30

Central Cabarrus 49 at Central Academy 0

West Stanly 0 at Mount Pleasant 47

Pinecrest 44 at Cox Mill 27

Week 4

Alex Asbury, Concord

Senior receiver caught for 211 yards and three touchdowns on only four receptions as his Spiders defeated Huss 48-28.

Robert Johns, Mount Pleasant

Sophomore defensive back had a season-high 13 total tackles, including 11 solo hits, to lead the Tiger defense as the team upset the state's top-ranked 1A team Albemarle 26-14.

Cox Mill's running game

Led by seniors Diron Chloe (144 yards) and Abreus Boyd (107 yards), the Chargers ran for 395 yards in a 54-21 win over Piedmont. Malik Johnson rushed for three touchdowns, while quarterback Kelly Hall ran in two more.

Friday's scores

Cannon 14 at Harrells Christian 56

Huss 28 at Concord 48

Northwest Cabarrus 0 at Mooresville 49

Porter Ridge 41 at A.L. Brown 14

Carson 21 at Jay M. Robinson 27

Hickory Ridge 49 at East Rowan 27

Central Cabarrus 54 at West Stanly 0

Mount Pleasant 26 at Albemarle 14

Cox Mill 54 at Piedmont 21

First Assembly (BYE)

This week's games

Cannon (1-3) at Asheville School (0-2)

Trinity Christian (0-3) at First Assembly (2-1)

Concord (4-0) at Northwest Cabarrus (1-2)

Jay M. Robinson (2-2) at A.L. Brown (3-1)

Central Cabarrus (4-0) at Hickory Ridge (3-1)

Cox Mill (3-1) at Mount Pleasant (3-1)

Wonders, Bulldogs win early SPC cross country meet

A.L. Brown’s boys and Jay M. Robinson’s girls won the South Piedmont Conference’s pre-conference cross country meet Aug. 28.

The Wonders were led by Max Chandler and Timmy Hall, who finished fifth and sixth respectively in the boys' 5,000-meter race at Franke Liske Park.

Robinson’s C.J. Buck won the event with teammates McCann Sheridan and David Evans finishing second and fourth, respectively.

Concord and Hickory Ridge were third and fourth on the boys’ standings.

On the girls’ side, sophomore Natalie Andrejchak won her race by more than 43 seconds.

Hickory Ridge finished second, behind Samantha McLedon’s third-place finish, while Northwest Cabarrus, fueled by Maddie Lowe’s second-place finish, was third.

For full results and standings, visit N.C. Runners.

Cabarrus County top performers - Week 2

Rocky Reid, Concord

Sophomore ran for 293 yards and four touchdowns in the Spiders' 42-20 win over East Rowan.

Khalif Phillips, A.L. Brown

The senior rushed five times for 89 yards, caught two passes for 85 more and scored four times in Kannapolis' 62-6 win over South Rowan.

Friday's scores

(Winners in bold)

First Assembly 25 at Cannon 14

East Rowan 20 at Concord 42

Carson 28 at Northwest Cabarrus 13

South Rowan 6 at A.L. Brown 62

Parkwood 7 at Central Cabarrus 42

Monroe 54 at Jay M. Robinson 14

Cuthbertson 16 at Hickory Ridge 14

Mount Pleasant 19 at South Stanly 22

Central Academy 0 at Cox Mill 35

This week's games

Cannon at Walkertown

First Assembly at High Point Christian

Monroe at Concord

South Rowan at Northwest Cabarrus

Rocky River at A.L. Brown

Jay M. Robinson at Piedmont

Hickory Ridge at Carson

West Stanly at Mount Pleasant

Pinecrest at Cox Mill

Cabarrus County top performers - Week 1

B.J. Beecher, Concord

Senior quarterback led the Spiders by passing for 454 yards and seven touchdowns, including five in the first half, in a 62-35 win at West Charlotte.

Hasaan Klugh, Central Cabarrus

Junior passed for 363 yards and five scores in a 66-31 win against South Rowan. Klugh played for only three quarters and made all his touchdown passes in the first half.

Cox Mill running game

The Chargers rushed for 305 yards and four touchdowns as a team Friday in their 53-0 win against Harding. Diron Chloe led the way with 104 yards and a score. Tre Knox had 93 and a touchdown.

Friday's scores

(Winners in bold)

North Raleigh Christian 42 at Cannon 3
First Assembly 6 - Forsyth Country Day 0
Concord 62 at West Charlotte 21
A.L Brown 44 at Shelby 0
Central Cabarrus 66 at South Rowan 31
Jay M. Robinson 16 - Lexington 7
Piedmont 17 at Hickory Ridge 23
Mount Pleasant 41 at North Stanly 28
Cox Mill 53 at Harding 0

Northwest Cabarrus (BYE week)

This week's games

First Assembly at Cannon
East Rowan at Concord
Carson at Northwest Cabarrus
South Rowan at A.L. Brown
Parkwood at Central Cabarrus
Monroe at Jay M. Robinson
Cuthbertson at Hickory Ridge
Mount Pleasant at South Stanly

Central Academy at Cox Mill

Kannapolis starts season with dominant win

A.L. Brown defeated Shelby 44-0 Thursday night to kick off the high school football season.

The Wonders’ ground game led the way. South Piedmont Conference co-offensive player of the year Kalif Phillips ran for two touchdowns for Kannapolis.

Dante Pinkston, Malik Patterson and South Rowan transfer Ricky Sherrill rushed for a score each.

Quarterback Keeon Johnson found Keenan Medley for the Wonders’ only passing touchdown.

The varsity game was played Thursday to accommodate the American Legion World Series, which begins Friday in Shelby.

For more results, stay tuned to cabprepsports.blogspot.com. Football scores and updates from fall sports across Cabarrus County will be posted on the blog throughout the season.

Seager named state 3A player of the year

Northwest Cabarrus' Corey Seager was named the 3A Player of the Year by the N.C. Baseball Coaches Association. Seager, the No. 18 overall pick in MLB draft by the L.A. Dodgers, was also the N.C. Gatorade player of the year. Seager hit .519 with 10 home run and 37 RBIs.


Jay M. Robinson pitcher Brody Koerner, who's will play at Clemson next year, was also named to the 3A all-state team.


Here is a complete list of all-state selections (with local players highlighted):

3A

1.   Harry Ferrguson            Currituck            POY      Northeastern Coastal

2.   Davis Kilpatrick            DH Conley            POY      Coastal

3.   Jacob Page                  Hunt                  POY      Big East

4.   Chastin Radford             North Lenoir      POY      Eastern Carolina

5.   Max Shrock                  Card Gibbons      POY      Carolina

6.   Nick Collins                  Union Pines      POY      Cape Fear

7.   Scott Ellington            Williams            POY      Mid State

8.   Jailyn Davis                  NE Guilford      POY      Mid Piedmont

9.   Sean Grant                  West Iredell      POY      North Piedmont

10. Corey Seager            NW Cabarrus      POY      South Piedmont

11. Alex Bostic            Weddington      POY      Southern Carolina

12. Tyler Chadwick          Marvin Ridge      POY     Southern Carolina

13. Eddie Hull                  Charlotte Cath      POY      Mega 7

14. Nick Triplett                  Crest                  POY      Big South

15. Davis Hanvey            Hickory            POY      Northwestern

16. Dustin Greene            Burns            POY      South Mountain Ath

17. Colby Fox                  No Buncombe      POY      Mountain Ath

18. Rob Howard                  Tuscola            POY      WNC

19. Markel Jones            West Brunswick

20. Brody Koener            JM Robinson

21. Reily Hovis                  Forest View

22. Nick Monroe            Eastern Alamance    

23. Nick Debo                  Orange

24. DC Arendas                  Northern Guilford

25. Jeremy Schellhorn      Weddington

26. Zach Mozingo            Eastern Wayne

27. Kevin Wise                  Southern Wayne

3A Player of the Year: Corey Seager - Northwest Cabarrus

Area athletes have good 3A track and field meet

Several Cabarrus County athletes had good showings at the 3A track and field meet last weekend.

Cox Mill's Tori Elliott finished second in the girls' 100-meter dash with a 12:06. The senior also placed fifth in the 200 meter with a time of 25.09 and third in the long jump with a jump of 16-9.75.

Jay M. Robinson's Madison Fulfrd was fourth in the girls' 300-meter hurdles. His teammate McCann Sheridan finished fourth in the boys' 800 meter runs.

Samara Tisdale was third in the girls' shot put with a 36-4.5 for A.L. Brown. She also placed 12th in the discus.

Hickory Ridge's Elizabeth Olesen was state runner-up in the girls' high jump, while teammate Nora Shafer placed fourth.

The Ragin' Bulls' Mikayla Kinloch was state runner-up in the triple jump and fourth in the long jump.

On the boys' side, Northwest Cabarrus' Will England was fourth in the 110-meter hurdles and runner up in the 300-meter hurdles.

A.L. Brown's Damien Washington was third with a 21.82 in the 200-meter dash. He was also fifth in the long jump with a 21-10.

Aaron Sandifer was third in the 110-meter hurdles and fifth in the 300 hurdles for Hickory Ridge. Teammate Jordan Warren was fourth the boys' triple jump.

Northwest's Josh Marco was fifth in the boys' pole vault. He had a 13-feet jump in the event.

Cox Mill's Ryan Hill was forth in the boys' 100 meters, while Elijah Goins was fifth in the 110-meter hurdles.

These are the meet's final standings for local squads:

3A girls

8. Hickory Ridge
17. Cox Mill
22. Jay M. Robinson
35. A.L. Brown

3A boys

12. Northwest Cabarrus
15. Hickory Ridge
16. Cox Mill
17. A.L. Brown
24. Jay M. Robinson
53. Concord
53. Mount Pleasant

For full results, go here.

Playoff update (May 22)

The spring high school season in Cabarrus County is officially done.

Hickory Ridge fell to South Rowan 8-2 to end its season in the third round of the 3A baseball playoffs, while First Assembly lost in the independent schools' 2A state semifinals 8-3 to Caldwell Academy.

In softball, both Jay M. Robinson and Central Cabarrus lost in the third round. The Bulldogs dropped a 5-1 game to North Iredell while the Vikings lost 7-1 to Weddington to wrap up their years.

Cabarrus is down to one team in baseball playoffs

With South Piedmont Conference champion Northwest Cabarrus losing 1-0 to Carson Thursday night, Hickory Ridge is the lone conference team to make the third round of the 3A state playoffs.

The Ragin' Bulls defeated conference foe Mount Pleasant 14-4 Tuesday to reach the district round.

Hickory Ridge will host South Rowan Friday night in Harrisburg.

Eagles playing in independent school semifinals

First Assembly's baseball team faces Caldwell Academy in the 2A independent school semifinals Friday afternoon at Rocky Mount Academy.

The Eagles, the No. 4 seed in the tournament, goes into the game with a 13-7 game. Caldwell Academy is the No. 1-seeded team in the bracket with a 20-4 mark.

The winner will face either Harrells Christian or Westchester Country in a best-of-three series starting at 7 p.m and continuing Saturday.

Robinson, Central still playing softball

The top two SPC softball teams, Central Cabarrus and Jay M. Robinson, both won their second-round games this week.

Robinson defeated Marvin Ridge 4-3, while Central Cabarrus won 4-3 against Carson to reach the 3A district round.

The Vikings will host Weddington, while the Bulldogs travel to North Iredell Friday night.

SPC girls' soccer teams all eliminated

Cox Mill was the only South Piedmont Conference team to reach the third round of the playoffs. The Chargers lost that game 4-0 to Charlotte Catholic.

A.L. Brown and Jay M. Robinson won their first-round game, but were ousted in the following round. Hickory Ridge and Mount Pleasant didn't get out of the opening round.

For full brackets: check out the baseball, softball and girls' soccer pages on the NCHSAA website.

Cabarrus playoff update (May 14)

This past weekend was a busy one in playoff action. Here is a recap of results (Cabarrus County teams in bold).

Baseball

3A

Hickory Ridge def. East Rowan 8-7

Mount Pleasant def. Harding 11-0

Asheboro def. Jay M. Robinson 2-0

Northwest Cabarrus def. North Guilford 6-3

Charlotte Catholic def. Cox Mill 12-5

Tuesday's second round games:

Mount Pleasant at Hickory Ridge

Jesse Carson at Northwest Cabarrus

Click here for full baseball brackets.

Softball

3A

North Iredell def. Northwest Cabarrus 13-0

Hickory Ridge def. Berry Academy 22-0

Jay M. Robinson def. South Guilford 6-0

Central Cabarrus def. Burlington Williams 7-2

Mount Pleasant def. Charlotte Catholic 5-0

Tuesday’s second-round games:

Hickory Ridge at North Iredell

Jay M. Robinson at Marvin Ridge

Jesse Carson at Central Cabarrus

Mount Pleasant at Weddington

Click here for full baseball brackets.

Girls' soccer

3A

West Rowan def. A.L. Brown 2-0

Marvin Ridge def. Jay M. Robinson 5-0

Cox Mill def. Parkwood 6-1

Tuesday’s third-round games:

Cox Mill at Charlotte Catholic

Click here for full girls' soccer brackets.

Boys' tennis

All of Cabarrus County representatives to the boys' tennis 3A state championship dropped early matches.

Victor Nechar (Cox Mill) lost in straight sets 6-2, 6-3 to Lenoir Hibriten’s Paul Hogan in the first round of singles play.  B.J. Beecher and Mason Croley (Concord) also lost in the first round of doubles play, dropping their match 6-3, 6-2 to Tito Poplawski-David Howerton (Asheville).

Cannon announces new boys' basketball coach

Courtesy of Cannon School

Cannon School announced in a release that it has chosen Ché Roth to lead its boys’ varsity basketball program.

“I am thrilled that Ché Roth is Cannon’s new head coach,” said Garth Adams, Cannon's athletic director, in the statement. “He is a person of integrity, energy and passion and a coach of the highest caliber.  I am excited to work with him to provide a positive experience for our students.”

Roth has more than 15 years of experience as a collegiate and amateur basketball coach as well as an NBA scout, a role he currently serves.

"Success on the court means more than winning games," said Roth in the press release. "It’s about developing leadership and excellence in young people.”

As an assistant men’s basketball coach at Kennesaw State University (Ga.), the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Washburn University (Kan.), Roth saw his first responsibility as “developing high character, strong academic, quality young men who strive for success on and off the court.”

Under Roth’s tutelage at Kennesaw State and UMKC, eight players earned all-conference honors and several players earned national recognition. Sixteen of Roth’s former players have gone on to play professionally.

During Roth’s coaching career, 98 percent of his players graduated college, six were named academic All-American and 29 were selected for academic all-conference teams.

Roth replaces Glen Taylor, whose Cougars went 7-20 this past season.

Five Cabarrus squads reach softball playoffs

As promised, here are the first-round match-ups for the five South Piedmont 3A teams that qualified for the softball playoffs (local teams in bold).

No. 5 Burlington Williams (9-8) at No. 1 Central Cabarrus (22-2)
No. 4 Southern Guilford (13-8) at No. 2  Jay M. Robinson (16-4)
No. 3 Hickory Ridge (13-7) at No. 2 Berry (7-11)
No. 4 Northwest Cabarrus (13-8) at No. 1 North Iredell (17-3)
No. 5 Mount Pleasant (11-11) at No. 1 Charlotte Catholic (17-6)

As in baseball, first-round games are slated to be played by Friday.

For full 3A and other classifications' brackets, visit the NCHSAA website.

Baseball playoff match-ups announced for five Cabarrus squads

Five South Piedmont Conference teams made it into the 3A baseball playoffs when the N.C. High School Athletic Association released its brackets Wednesday.

Here are the Cabarrus County teams' first-round match-ups (with local teams bolded):

No. 5 North Guilford (12-10) at No. 1 Northwest Cabarrus (22-4)
No. 4 Asheboro (10-12) at No. 2 Jay M. Robinson (16-11)
No. 3 Mount Pleasant (14-10) at No. 2 Harding (3-12)
No. 4 Hickory Ridge (14-12) at No. 1 East Rowan (10-12)
No. 5 Cox Mill (13-13) at No. 1 Charlotte Catholic (15-8)

For complete 3A and other classification brackets, visit the NCHSAA website.

Check back later this morning for softball playoff brackets.

Charger, Spider duo reach 3A boys' tennis championships

Cox Mill's Victor Nechar and Concord's doubles partners B.J. Beecher and Mason Croley will compete at this weekend's 3A boys' tennis championships at Burlington Tennis Center.

Semifinalists in both singles and doubles at the regional level qualify for the state championships, which will take place May 11-12.

Here's a list of 3A qualifiers (Cabarrus players in bold):

3A -Burlington Tennis Center

SINGLES--FIRST ROUND

Chaz Fitzpatrick (Eastern Wayne) vs. Pierce Beary (Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons)

Joey Hatala (Waxhaw Marvin Ridge) vs. Daniel May (Hickory)

Matt Daly (Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons) vs. Soren Wonde (Cleveland)

Paul Hogan (Lenoir Hibriten) vs. Victor Nechar (Concord Cox Mill)

Chaney Barnes (Kings Mountain) vs. Hayden Faulkenbury (China Grove Jesse Carson)

Eric Greene (Western Alamance) vs. Nick Jones (Wilson Fike)

Kyle Johnson (Charlotte Catholic) vs. Isaac Sluder (Waynesville Tuscola)

Russell Turner (Eastern Wayne)) vs. John Dangerfield (Cameron Union Pines)

DOUBLES--FIRST ROUND

Will Hoff-Michael Kearney (Pikeville Charles B. Aycock) vs. Ricky Ydrovo-Thomas Freeman (Thomasville Ledford)

Matthew Martinez-Zach Sachee (Charlotte Catholic) vs. Alex Arditti-Luke Kessel (Hickory)

Killian Steer-Matt Galush (Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons) vs. Julian Marrero-Eric Joyner (Northern Nash)

Sandler Gensch-Logan Andrew (Belmont South Point) vs. Bobby Hatala-Woody Watson (Waxhaw Marvin Ridge)

Tito Poplawski-David Howerton (Asheville) vs. B.J. Beecher-Mason Croley (Concord)

Aaron Weber-Bryan Zhang (Chapel Hill) vs. Edwin Burnett-Patrick Evans (South Brunswick)

Parks Thompson-Julian Hawkins (Statesville) vs. Michael Turlington-Adam Greer (West Henderson)

Phillip Packard-Drayton Williams (Wilson Fike) vs. Andrew Stephenson-Jack Harrison (Burlington Williams)

Five Cabarrus teams reach girls' soccer playoffs

South Piedmont Conference girls' soccer champion Cox Mill and four other Cabarrus County teams reached the N.C. High School Athletic Association 3A playoffs.

The Chargers (13-6-1) will host Rockingham in the first round, which is slated for Wednesday.

No. 2 seed Jay M. Robinson will also have a first-round home game, hosting Southwest Randolph.

No. 3 A.L. Brown will travel to Charlotte to play Berry Academy, while No. 4 Hickory Ridge and No. 5 Mount Pleasant will play at West Rowan and Charlotte Catholic, respectively.

For full girls' soccer playoff brackets, visit the NCHSAA website.

Trojans win SPC tourney title

Northwest Cabarrus added a SPC tournmanent title to its regular season conference crown Thursday, defeating Jay M. Robinson 12-2 in five inning. Northwest was impressive in the conference tournament, defeating its opponents 30-5 in its three games.

The Trojans will be the top seed out of the SPC when the 3A playoffs get under way Friday. Brackets are expected to be released Tuesday.

Central wins softball tournament

With an 8-1 win against Jay M. Robinson, Central Cabarrus capped its season undefeated against SPC opponents and claimed the SPC softball tournament title.

The Vikings finished their season 21-2 and will be the No. 1 seed out of their conference in the playoffs. The 3A softball brackets should also be released Tuesday. First-round games are scheduled for Friday.

SPC teams fall in tennis playoffs

The South Piedmont Conference had a bad day on the tennis courts in the first round of 3A dual-team playoffs.

Concord, the conference champions, lost to Charlotte Catholic 8-1 at Frank Liske Park, while No. 2 seed Jay M. Robinson dropped its match 6-0 to North Piedmont champs Statesville. Wildcard Central Cabarrus lost to Southern Carolina champions Marvin Ridge 6-0.

For full brackets, visit the NCHSAA website.

Three Cabarrus tennis teams make 3A dual team playoffs

Concord, Jay M. Robinson and Central Cabarrus will begin play in the 3A dual-team boys' tennis playoffs Tuesday.

The South Piedmont Conference champion Spiders will host Charlotte Catholic. Senior Mason Croley and junior B.J. Beecher lead Concord.

The young Bulldogs, the second-place SPC finishers, are led by sophomore Ky Mu Baek and junior Mike Messina, will travel to face the North Piedmont champion Statesville.

Central Cabarrus, a wildcard team led by seniors Eli Lowder and Justin Morgan, travels to Marvin Ridge High.

For full boys' tennis dual-team brackets, visit the NCHSAA website.

The individual boys' tennis regional tournaments take place Friday and Saturday. The 3A Midwest regional, which is hosted by Concord, will take place at Les Myles Park.

Playoff schedule

The boys' tennis dual-team playoffs are just the first of many postseason tournaments getting under way in the coming weeks. Here is the full NCHSAA playoff schedule.

Boys' golf

Regional:  May 7

State: May 14-15

Boys' tennis

Individual

Regional:  May 4-5

State: May 11-12

Dual team

1st round: May 1

District: May 8

Sectional: May 14

Regional: May 16

State: May 19

Track and field

3A

Regional: May 12

State: May 18-19

Lacrosse

1st round: May 4

District: May 8

Sectional: May 11

Regional: May 15

State: May 18-19

Girls' soccer

1st round: May 9

2nd round: May 12

District: May 16

Sectional: May 19

Regional: May 23

State: May 25-26

Softball

1st round: May 11

2nd round: May 15

District: May 18

Sectional: May 22

Regional: May 24-26

State: June 1-2

Baseball

1st round: May 11

2nd round: May 15

District: May 18

Sectional: May 22

Regional: May 24-26

State: June 1-2

Stay tuned for the independent school schedule later in the week.

Updated Wells Fargo Cup standings announced

The N.C. High School Athletic Association’s Wells Fargo Cup standings were updated Tuesday through the winter season. Jay M. Robinson, which ranks 12th in 3A with 162.5 points, is the lone Cabarrus County school in the top 15.

Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons, Marvin Ridge (362.5) and Charlotte Catholic (322.5) were the top three schools in the class, respectively.

The Wells Fargo Cup, formerly known as the Wachovia Cup, recognizes the high schools that achieve the best overall athletic performance within each of the state’s four classes. The Cup program is in its 33rd year.

Here are the 3A standings:

SCHOOL POINTS

1. Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons 517.5

2. Waxhaw Marvin Ridge 362.5

3. Charlotte Catholic 322.5

4. Chapel Hill 280

5. Asheville 207.5

6. Rocky Mount 200

7. Orange 195

8. Hickory 187.5

    West Carteret 187.5

    Northern Guilford 187.5

11. Weddington 177.5

12. Jay M. Robinson 162.5

13. Burlington Williams 160

14. North Buncombe 150

15. Berry Academy 132.5

For other classes' standings, visit the NCHSAA's website.

Coach comes home to take over Central Cabarrus football program

Courtesy of Tuscola High

Donnie Kiefer, a 1975 Central Cabarrus graduate, will return to his alma mater to take over the school’s football program.

Kiefer, who accepted the Viking job earlier this week, comes back to Concord after five seasons at Waynesville’s Tuscola High, where he had a 39-24-1 record.

A former all-conference football and baseball player for the Vikings, Kiefer has had the chance to rebuild football programs at Southwest Guilford, Gates County, Andrews, Hibriten, Roanoke and East Carteret before arriving at Tuscola in 2007. That will come handy, as Central won its first two games since 2007 last season.

Kiefer replaces Chris Shinn, who stepped down in January after three seasons as head coach.

The school plans to hold a meet-and-greet with Kiefer March 15 at 6 p.m. Parents, players and anyone in the community interested is invited to attend.

Postseason update (Feb. 21)

SPC teams stuggle in first round
After the first round of basketball playoffs, only four of the 10 Cabarrus County teams that made either the boys' or girls' 3A playoffs remain in their respective tournaments.

Concord's boys, which were coming off only their second loss of the year, and South Piedmont Conference tournament champions Jay M. Robinson are still alive in the 3A brackets. On the girls' side, the Lady Spiders and the Lady Bulldogs also won their first-round games Monday night.

Here are the scores for local teams (in bold):

Boys
Concord def. MC Michael 100-53
Charlotte Catholic def. Central Cabarrus 71-41
Jay M. Robinson def. East Rowan 66-40
Harding def. A.L. Brown 81-55
North Forsyth def. Hickory Ridge 82-69

Girls
Parkwood def. Hickory Ridge 63-43
Jay M. Robinson def. West Rowan 74-42
Anson def. Northwest Cabarrus 55-27
Concord def. Carson 68-59
Ledford def. A.L. Brown 56-20

These are the second-round match-ups (to be played Wednesday):

Boys
West Rowan at Concord 7 p.m.
Jay M. Robinson at Statesville 7 p.m

Girls
Jay M. Robinson at Anson 7 p.m.
Concord at North Iredell, 7 p.m.

Athletes gear up for wrestling championships
Five Cabarrus County wrestlers who claimed 3A Midwest regional titles this past weekend - Robinson's Garrison White (126) and Kenan Robertson (152), Hickory Ridge's Troy Gregor (113) and Josh Chapman (285) as well as Mount Pleasant's Ryan Johns (182) - will compete at the 3A state championships, which will be held Thursday through Saturday in Greensboro.

The five regional champs will be joined by the top four finishers in their respective weight classes at regionals. Here is a complete list of state qualifiers.

Updated SPC 3A basketball brackets (Feb. 16)

South Piedmont 3A

Girls (final played Friday at A.L. Brown):
No. 1 Jay M. Robinson vs. No. 2 Hickory Ridge, 6 p.m.


Boys (final played Friday at A.L. Brown):

No. 2 Jay M. Robinson vs.  No. 1 Concord, 7:30 p.m.

SPC basketball tournaments ready to tip off

The Southern Piedmont Conference basketball tournaments kicks off its first round of play today.

On the boys' side, Concord earned the No. 1 seed. The Spiders, which are coming off its first loss of the year to rival A.L. Brown Friday, finished the regular season with a 22-1 (13-1) record. The winners of tonight's games, which take place at the higher seed's gym, will play at Tuesday's semifinals at A.L. Brown.

Jay M. Robinson claimed the top seed on the girls' side in a 55-47 win against Hickory Ridge Friday. The two teams entered the regular-season finale tied for first place with a 12-1 conference record. The Lady Bulldogs are 18-6 (14-1) going into the tournament. The winners of the girls' first-round games will play at A.L. Brown Wednesday.

Finals for both boys and girls will be held at A.L. Brown Friday. Here is the schedule for tonight's games:


South Piedmont 3A
(first round at higher seed, semifinals and finals at A.L. Brown)
Boys:

No. 8 Northwest Cabarrus at No. 1 Concord 7: 30 p.m.

No. 5 Hickory Ridge at No. 4 Central Cabarrus 6 p.m.

No. 6 Cox Mill at No. 3 A.L. Brown 6 p.m.

No.  7 Mount Pleasant at No. 2 Jay M. Robinson 7:30 p.m.

Girls:

No. 8 Cox Mill at No. 1 Jay M. Robinson 6 p.m.
No. 5 A.L. Brown at No. 4 Northwest Cabarrus 6 p.m.
No. 6 Central Cabarrus at No. 3 Concord 6 p.m.
No.  7 Mount Pleasant at No. 2 Hickory Ridge 6 p.m.

Bulldog junior wins state swimming title

Junior Griffin Fiedler won the 100-yard butterfly 3A title.
Photo by freelance writer Joe Habina

Jay M. Robinson’s Griffin Fiedler won the boys’ 100-yard butterfly 3A state championship with a time of 51.37 Thursday.

The junior, who also finished second in the 200-yard freestyle, led the Bulldog boys to a fifth-place finish at the state meet. Cox Mill and A.L. Brown finished sixth and seventh, respectively, at the championships. Concord was 10th.

Kannapolis sophomore Davied Sanchez also won a state title in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 52.44.

Jay M. Robinson’s girls, led by Hunter Rogers’ fourth-place 100-yard freestyle finish, were sixth. The Lady Charger tied for eighth, while the Lady Spiders placed 12th. Mount Pleasant is 14th and Northwest Cabarrus was 16th.

For full results, check the N.C. High School Athletic Association's website.

Robinson barely misses championship match

Robinson wrestling team lost to Southwest Randolph by one point in the regional match of the NCHSAA 3A dual-team playoffs Thursday.

The Bulldogs, which beat Gastonia Ashbrook, West Henderson and North Gaston on the way to the regional championship, finishes the year 21-2.

But the wrestling season if far from over, as the state's individual regional will be held Feb. 17-18.

Cabarrus athletes ready for state indoor meet

Six of the South Piedmont Conference's eight teams will have athletes competing at Saturday's N.C. High School Athletic Association 1A/2A/3A state indoor track meet at UNC Chapel Hill's Eddie Smith Field House.

A.L. Brown, Cox Mill, Hickory Ridge, Jay M. Robinson, Mount Pleasant and Northwest Cabarrus will all be represented at the event, which kicks off at 9 a.m.

Here is a list of the local athletes participating by school:

A.L. Brown: Jose Navarette (boys' 3,200-meter run), Timmy Hall (boys' 500-meter dash), Samara Tisdale (girls' shot put), Talvanisha Lawing (girls' 55-meter hurdles, 55-meter dash), Natalie Tresslar (girls' 3,200-meter run), Lexie Petty (girls' 1,000-meter run), boys' 4x400 relay, boys' 4x800 relay, girls' 4x800 relay.

Cox Mill: Tori Elliott (girls' 55-meter dash, 300-meter dash), Alicia Tapp (girls' 1,000-meter run), Ike Washington (boys' 300-meter dash), boys 4x800 relay.

Hickory Ridge: Elizabeth Olesen (girls' high jump), Aaron Sandiffer (boys' 55-meter hurdles).

Jay M. Robinson: Clifford Buck (boys' 3,200-meter run, 1,600-meter run); Taylor Bowers (boys’ pole vault), Shay Bossard (girls' shot put), Alyssa Lashway (girls' 1,000-meter run); Brooke Johns (girls' 1,600 meter run), Natalie Andejchak (girls' 3,200-meter run, 1,600 meter run), girls' 4x800 relay, boys' 4x800 relay.

Mount Pleasant: Kayleigh Norris (girls' pole vault), Brooke Mcelwain (girls' pole vault), Colby Miller (boys' shot put).

Northwest Cabarrus: Josh Marco (boys’ pole vault), Will England (boys' 55-meter hurdles, 300-meter dash).

For a full list of qualifiers to the 1A/2A/3A state meet, check out N.C. Runners' website.