Concord High to rename baseball field

Concord High School will have a dedication ceremony to officially rename its baseball field to honor former coach Bill Ford Friday at 6:30 p.m. before the Spiders' regular-season finale against rival A.L. Brown.

The school announced its plans to rename the field earlier this year. On Feb. 5, Ford, who from 1960-1989 was a fixture at Concord High serving as its baseball coach, athletic director and driver's education teacher, was recognized for his career between the Spiders' varsity basketball games.

Eagle signs with St. Andrews

First Assembly Christian senior Nate Cantadore signed to play basketball with St. Andrews University, a school in Laurinburg that competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

Cantadore, a co-captain for the NCISAA 2A state runner-up Eagles, was an All-Metrolina Athletic Conference selection after averaging 15.2 points per game. The shooting guard led the team with a 92 percent free-throw average as well as with 3.2 three-pointers per game.

(From left) First Assembly coach Frankie Cantadore, Nate Cantadore, Frank Cantadore, his father, and Andrew Brown, St. Andrews University head coach

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

Four Cabarrus County wrestlers win titles

Central Cabarrus, Jay M. Robinson and Hickory Ridge wrestlers claimed state championships at Saturday's N.C. High School Athletic Association wrestling tournament at Greensboro Coliseum.

The first champion of the night was Robinson 160-pounder Kenan Robertson. The senior defeated Hillsborough Orange's David Peters-Logue in a hard-fought 2-1 decision to win his weight-class title.

“This is the best,” said Robertson. “Everything I’ve done in my life – every practice I went to – all comes up to this moment: winning tfhis, being a state champ.”

Robertson, who also won the 160-pound South Piedmont Conference and 3A Midwest regional titles, finished his senior season with a 47-3 record.

His teammate, Robinson 106-pounder David Cline, was next county wrestler to win a championship.

Cline, a freshman, pinned his opponents, Orange's Joe Scott, in 55 seconds.

"He just walked into that one," said Cline. "He went out there and he gave me my best move."

Cline, who finished his year 53-6, credited his fellow Bulldogs for his early success.

"I had great practice partners who helped me get better, get through everything," he said. "If I didn't have them, I wouldn't be here."

Robinson also placed Morris Andujar (sixth at 120), Jonah Swinson (sixth at 126), Hamilton Jones (fourth at 138) and Jake Glunt (third at 152) to finish as 3A team runner-up.

"We've worked really hard," said proud Bulldogs' coach Jerome Davis. "You couldn't ask for a better group of kids."

At 113 pounds, Central Cabarrus' Heath Gleaton became the first Viking wrestler to win a state title since 2005 by defeating East Rowan's Jason Deutsch 11-4.

"It's amazing," the junior said. "I've worked all season as long as hard as I could, trained hour after hour and this is the results. It's paid off."

Gleaton was tied 2-2 at the beginning of the third period, but his aggressiveness allowed him to get a few takedowns and a near fall to build up a 11-2 lead.

"I just kept pushing myself," said Gleaton, who was 45-2 this season. "I figured that if I took him down one time, I could take him down again and break his will."

In the last match of the night, Hickory Ridge junior Troy Gregor won the 120-pound 3A title.

"It's a dream," said Gregor, who defeated Asheboro's Sawyer Davidson 8-2 to finish his year 43-2.

"I'm really proud of myself. I just want to keep working hard, keep achieving goals. ... It starts from here. This is just the beginning."

Gregor is the Ragin' Bulls' first-ever state wrestling champion.

"It means the world," said Hickory Ridge coach Patrick Helm. "He's a great kid. ... He leads our team by example. He's not a real big 'rah-rah' type of guy, but when he steps on the mat, he's all business.

Four individual state champions is one of the best performances Cabarrus County wrestlers have ever had in one year.

Gleaton credits that to the competition area wrestlers face.

"We've got a real tough conference," he said.

Concord ousted in sectional final

Concord's boys' basketball team lost to Harding 71-65 in the third round of the NCHSAA 3A playoffs to end its season on Friday night.

The Spiders, the SPC regular-season champions, finished their year 24-3.

Spider reach sectional finals

Concord's boys' basketball team defeated Weddington in Wednesday's second round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association playoffs to move on to the sectional finals.

The Spiders will host Harding Friday at 7 p.m.

Jay M. Robinson, the only Cabarrus County girls' basketball team to get out of the first round, lost a close game to Carson to end its season. The Lady Bulldogs finish their year 23-6.

Second round scores

3A boys

(1) Concord def. (9) Weddington at 68-56

3A girls

(11) Carson def. (3) Jay M. Robinson 59-57

Third round (Friday)

3A boys

(5) Harding (15-10) at (1) Concord (24-2)

Black named to all-star game

Concord senior guard Darren Black will represent North Carolina at the Carolinas All-Star Basketball Classic.

Black, who was chosen by the N.C. Coaches Association, and his North Carolina team will face South Carolina's all-star on March 23 at Socastee High (S.C.).

Black is second for the Spiders in scoring, averaging 15 points per game. Only junior Connor Burchfield averages more, with 18.8 a game.

Click here for more on the All-Star Basketball classic and for full boys' and girls' rosters.

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.

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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

Bulldogs reach 3A wrestling quarterfinals

Jay M. Robinson beat North Iredell and Asheboro Tuesday night to get to the N.C. High School Athletic Association's 3A dual-team quarterfinals.

The Bulldogs, the South Piedmont Conference champions, defeated North Iredell 38-33 in the first round before dropping Asheboro 57-19 in the second.

Robinson will travel to Southwest Randolph on Thursday for the state quarterfinals. The winner will face Fred T. Foard or Ashbrook for a shot to wrestle at Saturday's 3A state championship match.

Cabarrus County's other playoff representative, Concord, lost in the first round. The Spiders dropped their match 42-25 to West Iredell.

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

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.

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)