Cabarrus, Rowan baseball teams to face at tournament

The third-annual F&M Bank High School Baseball Classic returns to CMC-NorthEast Stadium, home of the Kannapolis Intimidators, with an expanded 10-school field from Cabarrus and Rowan counties facing off April 4-6 for the Classic Cup and bragging rights.

East Rowan, West Rowan, South Rowan, Carson and Salisbury will represent Rowan County, while Northwest Cabarrus, A.L. Brown, Mount Pleasant, Jay M. Robinson and Concord will participate from Cabarrus County.

CMC-NorthEast Stadium will host five games a day during the tournament.

Tickets are $6 for adults, $5 for students and seniors, and free for children 4 and younger.  A three-day tournament pass is $15 for adults and $12 for students and seniors.

F&M Bank High School Baseball Classic schedule

Thursday, April 4th

9:00 a.m. - Mt. Pleasant vs. Carson

11:30 p.m. - Concord vs. West Rowan

2:00 p.m. - J.M. Robinson vs. East Rowan

4:30 p.m. - NW Cabarrus vs. S. Rowan

7:00 p.m. - A.L. Brown vs. Salisbury

Friday, April 5th

9:00 a.m. - Northwest Cabarrus vs. Carson

11:30 a.m. - JM Robinson vs. Salisbury

2:00 p.m. - A.L. Brown vs. West Rowan

4:30 p.m. - Mt. Pleasant vs. East Rowan

7:00 p.m. - Concord vs. South Rowan

Saturday, April 6th

9:00 a.m. - Concord vs. Salisbury

11:30 a.m. - J.M. Robinson vs. Carson

2:00 p.m. - A.L. Brown vs. South Rowan

4:30 p.m. - Mt. Pleasant vs. West Rowan

7:00 p.m. - Northwest Cabarrus vs. East Rowan

All-SPC 3A basketball, wrestling honors

All-South Piedmont Conference boys’ basketball team

Reid Aube, Concord

Darren Black, Concord

Connor Burchfield, Concord

Jerry Burk, Concord

Derrick Copeland, A.L. Brown

Tevin Stark, A.L. Brown

J.D. Murray, Northwest Cabarrus

Andrew Wheet, Northwest Cabarrus

Matt Morgan, Cox Mill

William Scott, Robinson

Jordan McKenzie, Robinson

Nick Hough, Hickory Ridge

PLAYER OF THE YEAR:

Derrick Copeland – A.L. Brown

COACH OF THE YEAR:

Shelwyn Klutz – A.L. Brown

All-South Piedmont Conference girls’ basketball team

Madison Fulford, Robinson

Rachel Cook, Robinson

Kelsi Mahoney, Robinson

Shatya Bost, Northwest Cabarrus

Nakiah Black, Concord

Danica Ford, Concord

Divonnie Powell, Central Cabarrus

Raven Pfifer, A.L. Brown

Autona Grant, A.L. Brown

Kiana Davis, Hickory Ridge

Aalyan Earl, Cox Mill

Victoria Harper, Mount Pleasant                                                   

PLAYER OF THE YEAR:

Divonnie Powell – Central Cabarrus

COACH OF THE YEAR:

Kate Jenis – Cox Mill

All-South Piedmont Conference wrestling team

David Cline, 106, Robinson

Heath Gleaton, 113, Central Cabarrus

Nick Sexton, 113, A.L. Brown

Troy Gregor, 120, Hickory Ridge

Richard White, 120, A.L. Brown

Jonah Swinson, 126, Robinson

Benny Guadarrama, 132, Northwest Cabarrus

Hamilton Jones, 138, Robinson

Kyle Ocker, 145, Cox Mill

Jake Glunt, 152, Robinson

Kenan Robertson, 160, Robinson

Shane Lawless, 160, Central Cabarrus

Blake Hooks, 170, Mount Pleasant

Xavier Medina, 170, Robinson

Ryan Johns, 182, Mount Pleasant

Demetrey Benton, 182, Hickory Ridge

Tommy McCrimmon. 195, Mount Pleasant

Harrison Marchese, 220, Robinson

Nico McClure, 285, A.L. Brown

PLAYER OF THE YEAR:

Kenan Robertson – Robinson

COACH OF THE YEAR:

Jerome Davis – Robinson

Spiders, Bulldogs move on to second round

Cabarrus County high school basketball teams didn't have much luck in the first round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association playoffs.

Of the 10 boys' and girls' basketball teams that qualified for the playoffs, only two won first-round games on Monday night.

On the boys' side, South Piedmont Conference regular-season champion Concord defeated Central Cabarrus in the first round. The Spiders, the No. 1 seed in the Midwest region of the bracket, will host Weddington on Wednesday in the second round.

Jay M. Robinson was the lone girls' team to reach the second round, defeating Ledford Monday. The Lady Bulldogs will host Carson on Wednesday.

Here are the first-round score and second-round matchups for local teams (in bold):

Boys tournament

(1) Concord def. (16) Central Cabarrus 89-39
(3) Statesville def. (14) Northwest Cabarrus 104-64
(6) North Forysth def. (11) A.L. Brown 82-75

(10) Charlotte Berry Academy def. (7) Cox Mill 58-57

Wednesday's second round

(9) Weddington (15-12) at (1) Concord (23-2)

Girls tournament

(1) Ledford def. (16) A.L. Brown 51-28

(4) Weddington def. (13) Northwest Cabarrus 55-32

(3) Jay Robinson def. (14) East Rowan 62-45

(7) Southwestern Randolph def. (10) Concord 62-48

(2) Harding University def. (15) Central Cabarrus 60-36

Wednesday's second round

(11) Carson 20-7 at (3) Jay M. Robinson (23-5)

For more, see the full 3A boys and girls brackets.

Chargers win SPC tourney, have coaches reinstated (updated)

Cox Mill hit a half-court shot in the closing seconds of the South Piedmont Conference boys' basketball tournament championship to defeat A.L. Brown 54-53 and win its first tourney title.

The Chargers, the tournament's No. 4 seed, defeated the top-seeded teams - Concord and Brown, respectively - to win the title.

Cox Mill's celebration didn't last long. The Chargers will allegedly be without coach Brad Hinson and assistant coach Jody Barbee for their first playoff game in school history.

The coaches were allegedly suspended after taking part in a Harlem Shake video with their players. NBC Charlotte sportscaster Chris Clark has the video on his Facebook page.

UPDATE: Our friends at WCNC are now reporting that Hinson and Barbee have been reinstated.

Just talked with Cox Mill officials. They told me Brad Hinson and Jody Barbee will be on the sidelines coaching tonight against Berry.
— Chris Clark (@Cdclarksports) February 25, 2013

Cox Mill will host Berry Academy on Monday for a first-round 3A playoff game. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Lady Bulldogs claim SPC crown

Jay M. Robinson defeated Concord 43-28 in the SPC girls' basketball tournament finals.

The Bulldogs, which have not lost a game to SPC opponents this season, also won the regular-season conference title.

Robinson will host East Rowan today at 7 p.m. to open postseason play.

Local playoff matchups 

The N.C. High School Athletic Association released its basketball playoff brackets during the weekend. Here are the first-round matchups for local teams (in bold):

Boys tournament

(16) Central Cabarrus (10-15) at (1) Concord (22-2)

(14) Northwest Cabarrus (15-9) at (3) Statesville (20-3)

(11) Kannapolis A.L. Brown (19-7) at (6) North Forysth (20-6)

(10) Charlotte Berry Academy (13-10) at (7) Concord Cox Mill (17-10)

Girls tournament

(16) Kannapolis A.L. Brown (9-15) at (1) Ledford (23-3)

(13) Northwest Cabarrus (12-12) at (4) Weddington (20-6)

(14) East Rowan (15-10) at (3) Concord Jay Robinson (22-5)

(10) Concord (16-9) at (7) Southwestern Randolph (19-5)

(15) Central Cabarrus (10-16) at (2) Charlotte Harding University (18-4)

Eagles are state runner-up

First Assembly's boys' basketball team was the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 2A runner-up, losing to back-to-back state champion Northside Christian Academy 84-63 in Saturday's finals.

The Eagles reached the finals with a 49-43 win against Gaston Day School.

First Assembly was led by all-state senior Kriston Beasley.

The Lady Eagles also had an all-state selection. Eighth-grader Zaria Wright was also honored.

Bulldogs lead way at 3A Midwest wrestling regionals

Robinson wrestlers David Cline (106 pounds), Jake Glunt (152) and Kenan Robertson (160) won individual wrestling titles at the 3A Midwest regional tournament this past weekend to lead the Bulldogs' six state qualifiers

Central Cabarrus' Heath Gleaton (113), Hickory Ridge's Troy Gregor (120), Mount Pleasant's Ryan Johns (182) and Concord's Michael Simpson (195) also claimed regional championships.

Here are the full 3A Midwest results as well as the list of 3A state qualifiers and the 3A championship brackets.

The 3A state tournament will be held Thursday-Saturday in Greensboro.

Rirst ead more here: http://lknprepsports.blogspot.com/#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://lknprepsports.blogspot.com/#storylink=cpy

SPC girls' final set

Top-seeded Jay M. Robinson will face Concord in the South Piedmont Conference girls' basketball tournament championship on Friday.

Robinson defeated Central Cabarrus, while Concord beat Cox Mill to reach the title game.

The boys' championship will feature Cox Mill and A.L. Brown.

Both championships will be played at Concord High. The girls' game will start at 6 p.m. and the boys will follow.

Here are complete semifinal scores and championship match-ups:

Semifinals (at Concord High)

Girls

(1) Jay M. Robinson def. (4) Central Cabarrus 43-22

(3) Concord def. (7) Cox Mill 45-28

Boys

(4) Cox Mill def. (1) Concord 90-85 (OT)

(2) A.L. Brown def. (3) Northwest Cabarrus 71-69

Finals (at Concord High)

Girls

(1) Jay M. Robinson vs.  (3) Concord – Friday 6 p.m.

Boys

(4) Cox Mill vs. (2) A.L. Brown  – Friday 7:30 p.m.

Cox Mill upsets top-seeded Concord, moves on to finals

Cox Mill, the South Piedmont Conference tournament's fourth-seed, ousted the top boys' team, Concord, 90-85 in overtime on Tuesday.

The Chargers will play No. 2 seed A.L. Brown, which defeated third-seeded Northwest Cabarrus 71-69, in the SPC tournament final Friday at 7:30 p.m.

The girls' semifinals will be played today at Concord High. The winners will play in the finals Friday at 6 p.m.

Here are the semifinal/final match-ups:

Semifinals (at Concord High)

Girls

(1) Jay M. Robinson vs. (4) Central Cabarrus – Wednesday 6 p.m.

(7) Cox Mill vs. (3) Concord – Wednesday 7:30 p.m.

Boys

(4) Cox Mill def. (1) Concord 90-85 (OT)

(2) A.L. Brown def. (3) Northwest Cabarrus 71-69

Finals (at Concord High)

Girls

Winner of 1/4 vs. winner of 7/3 – Friday 6 p.m.

Boys

(4) Cox Mill vs. (2) A.L. Brown  – Friday 7:30 p.m.

Lady Eagles move on to 2A quarterfinals

First Assembly's girls' basketball team defeated Caldwell Academy 62-23 on Tuesday in the first round of the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association's 2A basketball playoffs.

The Eagles, the tournament's sixth-seed, will travel to Charlotte Country Day on Thursday to face No. 3 Calvary Baptist in the state quarterfinals. The game is slated for a 4 p.m. tip-off.

First Assembly's boys had a first-round bye. The third-seeded Eagles will face Westchester Country Day, the tournament's No. 6 seed, Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at Country Day.

Cannon's girls fell in the first-round of the 3A playoff, losing to fifth-seeded Charlotte Christian 60-45. The Cougars, the 12th-seed in the tournament, finish the season 11-15.

For more, see the full brackets.

Read more here: http://cabprepsports.blogspot.com/#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://cabprepsports.blogspot.com/2013/02/spc-3a-tournaments-update.html#storylink=cpy

SPC tournament gets under way Monday

The South Piedmont Conference basketball tournaments start today.

On the boys' side, Concord finished as the top seed after claiming the regular-season title with an unblemished 14-0 mark in SPC play. A.L. Brown (12-2) lost to the Spiders 68-66 in a dramatic regular-season finale on Friday to end up as the No. 2 seed.

Jay M. Robinson's girls are their bracket's No. 1 seed after also finishing 14-0 in conference games. Northwest Cabarrus (11-3) enter the tournament as the No. 2 seed.

First-round games are scheduled for today at the higher seeds. The boys' semifinals are slated for Tuesday, while the girls are set to play on Wednesday. Finals are scheduled for Friday. Semis and finals will be played at Concord high.

Here are the brackets:

South Piedmont Conference 3A

Girls

(8) Mount Pleasant at (1) Jay M. Robinson

(5) A.L. Brown at (4) Central Cabarrus

(6) Hickory Ridge at (3) Concord

(7) Cox Mill at (2) Northwest Cabarrus

Boys

(8) Mount Pleasant at (1) Concord

(5) Central Cabarrus at (4) Cox Mill

(6) Jay M. Robinson at (3) Northwest Cabarrus

(7) Hickory Ridge at (2) A.L. Brown

Eagles ready for playoffs

First Assembly's boys' and girls' basketball teams both earned spots in the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association's 2A playoffs.

The Lady Eagles earned the tournament's No. 6 seed. They's slated to host No. 11 Caldwell Academy on Tuesday. The winner of that game will face No. 3 Calvary Baptist at Charlotte Country Day on Thursday in a state semifinal.

First Assembly's boys earned a first-round bye by claiming the tournament's No. 3 seed. The Eagles will face either O'Neal School or Westchester Country Day at Country Day on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

Both championships are scheduled for  Friday and will be played at Country Day.

Cannon's girls, a 12th-seed in the 3A bracket, will play Charlotte Christian on Tuesday. No. 4 Cary Academy awaits the winner. The 3A semifinals and finals will be held at Charlotte Latin.

Click here for full brackets.

NCISAA swim meet to be held Monday, Tuesday

The 1A/2A/3A independent schools' state swim meets are  scheduled for Monday and Tuesday at the Greensboro Aquatic Center. Finals are slated to start at 3:30 p.m.

Read more here: http://lknprepsports.blogspot.com/2013/02/southlake-trio-wins-wrestling-titles.html#storylink=cpy

Fiedler defends 100 butterfly title

Jay M. Robinson's Griffin Fiedler claimed the 100-yard butterfly state championship at the 3A state meet Friday. The senior was the defending 100 fly medalist.

Griffin led the way for area athletes to help the Bulldogs boys finish fifth. He was part of the runner-up 400-yard freestyle relay along with Ryan Buddendeck, Dillon Roey and Tyler Gomez.


A.L. Brown's Davied Sanchez was runner-up in the 100-yard backstroke, the event the senior won last year.

Cox Mill finished ninth, while Concord was 10th in the boys' standings.

The Lady Bulldogs were fourth. The Lady Spiders were sixth while Hickory Ridge was ninth, A.L. Brown was 12th and Cox Mill was 14th.

Here are the full results.

Ragin' Bulls duo perform at state runners-up

Hickory Ridge's Jordan Warren won a state championship in the triple job and took second in the high jump to lead Cabarrus County's athletes at the 1A/2A/3A indoor track state meet. Teammate Elizabeth Olesen was second in the girls' high jump.

The Ragin' Bulls finished were tied for 19th among the boys and 26th in the girls' standings.

Jay M. Robinson's 4x800 meter relay, made up of Ashleigh Andrejchak, Brooke Johns, Katie Miller and Natalie Andrejchak, finished third. The Lady Bulldogs were 30th.

Click here for full results.

Robinson wins SPC wrestling tourney

Behind six individual conference champions, Jay M. Robinson claimed another South Piedmont Conference wrestling tournament title.

The Bulldogs' David Cline (106), Jonah Swinson (126), Hamilton Jones (138), Jake Glunt (152), Kenan Robertson (160) Harrison Marchese (220) won SPC titles.

Mount Pleasant was tournament runner-up, while Hickory Ridge was third. Concord, which was regular-season runner-up, did not place any wrestlers.

Robinson, the SPC regular-season champion, and Concord will represent the league in the 3A dual-team state tournament, which kicks off Tuesday.

Robinson will travel to Marvin Ridge to face North Iredell in the first round. The winner will face either Marvin Ridge or Asheboro later that night.

Concord will travel to North Piedmont champs West Iredell. In the second round, the winner takes on Charlotte Catholic or Southwest Randolph.

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

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 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

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.