February 2008 archives

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Friday, February 29, 2008

Bitter rivals play for high stakes Saturday

MOUNT OLIVE -- A pair of bitter rivals. A national television audience. One club playing for a share of the conference title and perhaps the right to host an NCAA Division II tournament regional. When it comes to college basketball...

Trojan women seek regular-season sweep

MOUNT OLIVE -- There's plenty at stake tonight when Mount Olive and Barton College hook up for their regular-season finale at Wilson Gymnasium. The archrivals enter with identical 15-4 Conference Carolinas ledgers and the winner receives the No. 2 seed...

Red Devils take control early

GRAHAM -- History didn't repeat itself. One year ago, Goldsboro High opened the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 2-A playoffs with a stirring upset of Jacksonville Northside -- ranked No. 1 at the time. The Cougars couldn't duplicate the...

Local digest

PIKEVILLE -- For a while Charles B. Aycock's chances of opening its 2008 season with a victory looked slim. The Golden Falcons trailed visiting Wilson Fike 5-1 after three innings before rallying for a 12-6 win on Thursday afternoon. Will...

Trojan netters easily defeat St. Andrews

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive swept the singles and doubles matches in a 9-0, Conference Carolinas men's tennis victory over St. Andrews at the Walker Tennis Complex on Thursday afternoon. Fourth-seeded Aldo Barba and sixth-seeded Murlio Pelegrino each posted a...

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Warrior senior drops in 45 points

Brittani Billups scored a career high 45 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as Eastern Wayne advanced to the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 3-A sectional No. 1 finals with a 68-53 victory over Havelock. Billups poured in 14 third-quarter...

Reigning state champs undergo changes

State championships come from hard work and determination. A trio of area prep baseball coaches have been preaching that very message during preseason workouts this winter. Each coach guided his respective school to a championship last spring, and each also...

Unbeaten South Central knocks out So. Wayne

WINTERVILLE -- Southern Wayne head coach Ricky Lofton stood on the sideline and watched in horror as South Central opened the third quarter on fire Wednesday evening. Emily Perkins swished a 3-pointer. Kelsey McCorkle drained a 3. Jasmine Bryant connected...

MOC

MOC Sports Information WINGATE -- Jenny Jackson threw a complete-game, three-hitter and Kelly Minshew provided the game-winning, sixth-inning RBI single as Mount Olive defeated Wingate 3-2 in the second game Wednesday afternoon. Wingate claimed the opener 8-3. The Trojans (7-3...

Local digest

From staff reports DUDLEY -- Jordan Hill banged out two hits and drove in two runs as the Southern Wayne softball team hammered North Lenoir 9-0 in the season-opening game for both teams Wednesday. Hill also scored twice for the...

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Murchison's steal aids comeback

Down by eight points with 31/2 minutes to play, Goldsboro's basketball season seemed to be slipping away. But, the Cougars rattled off 10 unanswered points to retake the lead and held on to defeat Northwest Halifax 76-73 in the opening...

Barefoot's FT's end long postseason drought for PHS

PRINCETON -- Josh Barefoot buried two free throws with 12.8 seconds left and Princeton edged Weldon 44-43 on Tuesday evening. The victory propelled the Bulldogs into the second round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A sectional playoffs....

Warrior boys boy out of 3-A playoffs

AHOSKIE -- Down by two possessions with 94 seconds left in its season, Eastern Wayne just couldn't close the deal Tuesday evening. State-ranked Hertford County made sure of it. The Bears (23-2 overall) forced three turnovers and drained free throws...

First-year group exceeds expectations for season

The fall tennis season at Walnut Creek Country Club saw a newly-formed team ascend to the highest level of competition -- all in less than a year. "Some of the ladies on the team haven't even been playing competitively for...

MOC Sports Wrap: Rose, Greene emerge as low scorers

SAVANNAH, Ga. -- Mick Moberg tied for 28th overall and Mount Olive finished 10th as a team at the AASU/Southbridge Pirate Men's Golf Invitational, which concluded Tuesday afternoon. The Trojans carded a 36-hole score of 620 in the event, which...

Local digest

CERRO GORDO -- Rosewood's season and the high school basketball careers of five seniors all came to a close with a 74-41 loss at West Columbus in the first round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A sectional...

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Bryant leaves GC to take reigns at Havelock

HAVELOCK -- Greene Central officially lost its football coach Monday afternoon. Another welcomed him with open arms. Ironically, he'll stay a Ram. Jim Bob Bryant, who enjoyed five successful seasons at Greene Central, was named the new head varsity coach...

EWHS eliminates Southern Allamance

Eastern Wayne didn't celebrate, let out any yells or hang around the court to receive congratulations from the fans. Once the Warriors dispatched Southern Alamance 69-49 in their opening-round, N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 3-A girls basketball game, they...

Esatern Wayne softball wins opener

For Eastern Wayne's softball team season openers don't get much better. In Goldsboro's case learning opportunities don't get much greater. The Warriors pounded out 28 runs, didn't allow a hit and coasted to a 28-0 victory over the visiting Cougars...

Post 11 baseball in financial trouble

Joe Smith believes in a check-and-balance system. He recently proved it. Appointed to a second term as the Wayne County Post 11 Commander, Smith perused the book used to track finances for the American Legion baseball program. His findings proved...

MOC baseball earns top rank

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive ascended to No. 1 in the latest Collegiate Baseball and Ping Baseball Division II top 30 polls released on Monday afternoon. It's the Trojans' first-ever, top ranking in any team sport in school history. Defending...

Preps digest 2.26.08

BARCO -- Southern Wayne bolted to a nine-point advantage and never looked back during its 60-35 victory over Currituck County in the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 3-A boys sectional playoffs. Jon Hart led the Saints with 20 points,...

Monday, February 25, 2008

Local wrestlers compete at NCHSAA state tourney

WINSTON-SALEM -- Josh Robinson and Jarrett Covar each recorded a top-five finish, while Olivia Neal concluded her record-setting career in the N.C. High School Athletic Association individual wrestling championships this weekend. A senior heavyweight from Southern Wayne, senior dropped his...

MOC baseball downs St. Andrews

LAURINBURG -- Rich Racobaldo hit two home runs and Jason Sherrer added a three-run shot as No. 2-ranked Mount Olive defeated St. Andrews 11-2 in the final game of their three-game, Conference Carolinas baseball series on Sunday afternoon. The Trojans...

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Estern Wayne upsets Beddingfield 64-61

By RYAN HANCHETT New-Agus Sports Writer KINSTON -- Eastern Wayne escaped at the right time. The Warriors nearly succumbed to Wilson Beddingfield's torrid, fourth-quarter shooting effort, but they hung on to achieve their best accomplishment since moving to the Class...

Prep basketball playoff pairings

From staff reports Eastern Wayne is the lone women's team to earn a first-round home game in the Class 3-A N.C. High School Athletic Association sectional playoffs, which begin Monday. The Warriors, the Eastern Carolina Conference tournament champs, play host...

MOC women win on senior night

MOUNT OLIVE -- In her final regular-season home game, with her best friend since middle school, Lakeisha Monroe wanted to make sure she had a senior night to remember. She did. Monroe scored 24 points, dished out seven assists and...

MOC weekend sports wrap

MOC Sports Information LAURINBURG -- No. 2-ranked Mount Olive College opened defense of its Conference Carolinas baseball title with a doubleheader sweep of in-state rival St. Andrews on a soggy Saturday afternoon. The Trojans extended their win streak to 13...

Goldsboro retires David Thornton's number 11

David Thornton's life stretched out before him in a quilt of faces that marked every fabric of his existence. The former Goldsboro High football standout smiled and kept a tight arm around his mother's waist. Not too far away were...

Goldsboro falls to Farmville Central

FARMVILLE -- Perhaps Goldsboro High boys basketball coach Tod Morgan's toughest task on Friday night wasn't figuring out how to beat Class 2-A Eastern Plains Conference regular-season champ Farmville Central in its own gym. Morgan's most-difficult assignment, instead, might have...

Friday, February 22, 2008

Dawg's rally comes up short in semis

MOUNT OLIVE -- Too little, too late. Princeton did everything possible to rally from a 19-point halftime deficit, but county archrival North Johnston prevailed 58-48 in their Class 1-A Carolina Conference semifinal game Thursday evening. The Panthers face regular-season champion...

Spring Creek, Princeton girls shake up opponents

MOUNT OLIVE -- Believing you can win, making possessions count and winning the turnover battle are just a few key ingredients necessary for pulling an upset. Princeton and Spring Creek's girls basketball teams both fell an ingredient or two short...

NCISAA 1-A Elite 8 - Wayne Country Day, Wayne Christian eliminated

CARY -- Terry Jones quietly exited the locker room. The Wayne Country Day coach put his hands in his pockets, sighed and looked down the Cary Academy hallway through reddened eyes. Jones gathered his thoughts and choked back a tear...

Trojans sweep Crusaders

BELMONT -- Brandon Streeter posted a double-double -- career-high 28 points, 10 rebounds -- as No. 11-ranked Mount Olive throttled Belmont Abbey 93-73 on Thursday evening. Mount Olive (21-4 overall) improved to 16-2 in Conference Carolinas action and assured itself...

Harrison, Lancaster rip homers in Trojans rout

MOUNT OLIVE -- Josh Harrison slugged two home runs and collected five RBI as No. 2-ranked Mount Olive College defeated Shaw University 15-3 at Scarborough Field on Thursday afternoon. Sophomore Jesse Lancaster mashed his first-ever collegiate home run for the...

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Hunt holds off Southern Wayne

DUDLEY -- Wilson Hunt jumped out to a 24-11 lead in the first eight minutes and never looked back en route to a 73-66 victory over Southern Wayne in the semifinal round of the Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference tournament...

Goldsboro eliminates North Pitt

BETHEL -- Up until the fourth quarter, Goldsboro coach Tod Morgan had nothing to complain about. His Cougars were rolling, taking as much as a 20-point lead over North Pitt in the semifinals of the Class 2-A Eastern Plains Conference...

MOC update

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive remained the top-ranked team in the fourth NCAA Division II East Region men's basketball poll, released Wednesday afternoon. The Trojans (20-4 overall) travel to Conference Carolinas rival Belmont Abbey today, and return home for senior...

Local digest

KINSTON -- Reggie Bullock pumped in 17 points and state-ranked Kinston defeated Eastern Wayne 75-52 in the Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference semifinals Wednesday evening. The Vikings (21-4 overall) entertain Wilson Hunt in Friday's title game at 7:30 p.m. The...

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Wayne Country Day's girls rout Northeast

The postseason. Eric Perry hardly considered it a reality for Wayne Country Day. The first-year girls basketball coach watched his young team struggle for nine games and wondered if the team chemistry would ever develop. Well, 15 consecutive victories later,...

Charger boys turn back Eagles

Each time Wayne Country Day attempted to create some breathing room against Cape Fear Christian on Tuesday evening, it couldn't finish the job. Until David Wilson hit one big shot. The senior guard drained a 3-pointer in transition and the...

Local digest

STATESVILLE -- Wayne Christian upset fifth-seeded Statesville Christian 47-35 in the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association Class 1-A girls' basketball playoffs Tuesday. The Eagles (14-7 overall) face Word of God at Cary Academy at 7 p.m. on Thursday. Word of...

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Eastern Wayne drops Wilson Beddingfield

What a difference a few days off can make. Looking 100-percent recovered from a lopsided loss to conference power Kinston last week, Eastern Wayne opened the Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference tournament with a 65-56 win over Wilson Beddingfield. "We...

Goldsboro splits tournament games

When conference tournament time rolls around, records, the regular season and previous meetings with an opponent take a back seat to survival. Goldsboro's boys overcame a 13-point, first-quarter deficit and pulled out a 73-67 win over visiting Tarboro in the...

MOC sports update

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive seized sole possession of the No. 2 spot in this week's Collegiate Baseball Division II top 30 poll and remained No. 2 in the Ping Baseball Division II top 30. The Trojans (12-1 overall) posted...

Local digest

PRINCETON -- Sweet revenge. Less than four days after suffering a loss against its archrival, Spring Creek turned the tables Monday evening. Shaquita Brooks poured in a season- and career-high 24 points as the Gators eliminated North Duplin 61-51 from...

Monday, February 18, 2008

Neal sets new standard at Rosewood

Olivia Neal felt the aches, pains and strains when she stretched after waking up Sunday morning. She knew then her dream just wasn't a fantasy. It was true. Neal, a senior at Rosewood, had indeed become the first-ever female qualifier...

Tesar reaches 200-win mark in varsity career

WINTERVILLE -- A solid corps of Wayne County grapplers, including three regional champions, seek gold medals once more in next weekend's N.C. High School Athletic Association individual wrestling championships. Thirteen wrestlers qualified for the Class 3-A portion of the two-day...

Trojan baseball rolls, softball earns split

MOUNT OLIVE -- Michael Williams pitched seven scoreless innings, while Josh Harrison and Alex Vertcnik combined for RBI as No. 2-ranked Mount Olive hammered Shippensburg (Pa.) University 13-0 in game one of their doubleheader. In game two, Casey Hodges threw...

Area teams start title quests Tuesday

Nearly two months ago, the Wayne Country Day girls basketball team didn't think about reaching the Class 1-A N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association playoffs. Mired in a 2-7 slump, the youth-laden Chargers just wanted to improve daily in practice and...

Local digest

Faith Christian qualified for the N.C. Christian Schools Association Class 2-A state tournament with a pair of victories in the Coastal Region 2-A tournament over the weekend. The Conquerors knocked down their first six 3's of the contest and defeated...

Sunday, February 17, 2008

WCDS girls capture CPIC title

Wayne Country Day's "big three," as it has all season, came through in the clutch Saturday evening. And the youth-laden Chargers reaped the rewards. The threesome of Bridgette Briggs, Brooke Norris and Catherine Ford turned in a stellar fourth-quarter effort...

MOC softball splits with Newberry

MOC Sports Information NEWARK, N.J. -- Noel Garcia earned tournament Most Valuable Player honors and Mount Olive College defeated Harvard 30-26, 30-27, 30-32, 30-22 in men's volleyball action Saturday afternoon. Garcia posted a career-high 20 kills for the Trojans, who...

MOC baseball wins pair

MOUNT OLIVE -- Regardless of size, deficits simply don't seem to faze Mount Olive. The Trojans (10-1 overall) rallied in both contests to sweep a doubleheader from Shippensburg (Pa.) University on Saturday afternoon at Scarborough Field. Mount Olive pounded out...

Weekend preps

From staff reports PRINCETON -- Princeton turned back archrival Rosewood 43-35 in the Carolina 1-A Conference regular-season finale for both teams. Ashley Huffman led the Bulldogs (10-14 overall, 5-5 Carolina) with 10 points. Brittany Baker chipped in eight points, while...

Rebels top Gators for second straight win

CALYPSO -- Chris Graham and Doug Lloyd provided the ammunition as North Duplin ended regular-season play with a bang Friday evening. Graham pummeled the Spring Creek defense for a season-high 34 points and Lloyd added 11 in an 82-67 victory....

Goldsboro claims share of EPC title

Goldsboro High hasn't captured a regular-season conference championship in girls' basketball since 2005, and you can believe the Cougars had gotten a little defensive about that. They proved it Friday evening. Senior guard Danielle Irby drained two free throws with...

Playoff-bound Rosewood tops Princeton

PRINCETON -- Their postseason hopes hanging in the balance, Rosewood's boys punched their playoff ticket and gained a little respect on Friday evening. The Eagles crashed Princeton's senior night party and left with a 58-53 victory in the Class 1-A...

Chargers fall to Knights in CPIC final

The Wayne Country Day School Chargers fell behind early to Greenfield and could never recover, as the Knights finished off a perfect Coastal Plains Independent Conference season with 66-54 victory in the tournament championship. Chris Richardson got things rolling with...

Friday, February 15, 2008

Smith delivers game-winning shot

DUDLEY -- Talk about a conference tournament tune-up. Charles B. Aycock nearly played the role of heartbreakers on Southern Wayne's senior night on Thursday, but junior Dwight Smith's jumper lifted the Saints to a 62-60 overtime victory. The two clubs...

State-ranked Vikings too much for Warrior boys

KINSTON -- The game might not have meant much in the Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference standings, but it certainly did to league-leading Kinston on Thursday evening. Taking the lead just three seconds into the first quarter, the No. 3-ranked...

Number 16-ranked Mount Olive dominates Cobras in second half

HARTSVILLE, S.C. -- Kendrick Easley poured in 24 points and sparked a second-half run as No. 16-ranked Mount Olive rallied past Coker (S.C.) College 81-65 on Thursday evening. The Trojans (19-4 overall) earned their fifth consecutive win and remained atop...

Local digest

DUDLEY -- Southern Wayne got all it wanted and then some from Charles B. Aycock on Thursday. Behind a career-high 39 points from Chantel Gaines, Aycock pushed the Saints for four quarters before falling 67-62 in the Class 3-A Eastern...

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Trojans collect timely hits in twin-bill sweep

WINGATE -- Rich Racobaldo's two-run double in the fifth inning broke a 2-2 tie and Josh Harrison followed with a two-run homer as No. 2-ranked Mount Olive completed a doubleheader sweep with a 7-2 victory over Wingate on Wednesday evening....

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Playoff bound: Warriors secure league's No. 4 bid

If Marvin Bowman can coax out of his Eastern Wayne Warriors in next week's Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference tournament the same type of effort they gave on Tuesday night the possibilities could be limitless. The Warriors played smothering defense,...

Saints claim key ECC 3-A road win

WILSON -- Dwight Smith couldn't have picked a more-perfect time rise out his current shooting slump. The 5-foot-11 shooting guard collected 14 consecutive points -- all in the fourth quarter -- as the Saints stunned Wilson Hunt 59-53 on Tuesday...

North Duplin captures first conference victory

Chris Graham stepped to the foul line and knocked down a pair of tie-breaking free-throws with just 2.4 seconds remaining in North Duplin's 46-44 victory over Rosewood on Tuesday evening. The final shots seemed a fitting end to a huge...

Eastern Wayne-C.B. Aycock box scores

Boys Charles B. Aycock 2 5 16 13 -- 36 Eastern Wayne 11 16 15 37 -- 79 CHARLES B. AYCOCK (3-20, 1-8 ECC) Isaac Royals 1 1 0-0 5, Tyheim Pitt 1 0 0-0 2, Dominique Young 2 0...

Trojans' Sherrer, Schlecht honored

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive catcher Jason Sherrer and Ryan Schlecht earned the player- and pitcher-of-the-week honors, accorded by Conference Carolinas officials. A senior from Arizona, Sherrer batted .591 (13-for-22) with three home runs and 10 RBI through the Trojans'...

Local digest

SNOW HILL -- With a convincing 64-36 win at Greene Central on Tuesday and some help from North Lenoir, Goldsboro finds itself in a three-way tie for first place in the Class 2-A Eastern Plains Conference. The victory was the...

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Cougars' Council signs NLI with N.C. Central

In the midst of a recruiting process that took numerous twists and turns all Anthony Council was looking for was a place to call "home." There were hints of on-again, off-again interest from North Carolina and Oregon, and offers from...

Wayne Christian boys eliminated, but girls advance in CCC tourney

DURHAM -- Cresset Christian used a pair of late turnovers to defeat Wayne Christian 57-45 in the opening round of the Class 1-A Carolina Christian Conference boys basketball tournament Monday. The Eagles pulled within two points at the 2-minute, 20-second...

Cruising along: No. 18-ranked Trojans ground Hawks

MOUNT OLIVE -- With winter-like temperatures gripping the area Monday evening, the Chowan Hawks found the air inside Kornegay Arena just as frigid as when they got off the bus. Thanks to some stingy interior defense, Mount Olive held the...

MOC softball preview: Bigger, better, stronger team ready for 2008

MOUNT OLIVE -- The Mount Olive College softball team proved last season that it could succeed when expectations were low. Now, the same cast of players -- with a few new players blended into the lineup -- must prove they...

Trojan baseball jumps No. 2 in two national polls

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive earned its highest-ever national ranking in any sport, tying at No. 2 in this week's Collegiate Baseball Division II top 30 and taking sole possession of the No. 2 spot in the Ping Baseball Division...

Monday, February 11, 2008

Eastern Wayne's Chenier repeats as state champ

RALEIGH -- Just call him a "repeat offender." One week after posting a second consecutive double-double in regional competition, Mason Chenier accomplished a record-setting feat Saturday evening -- but on a bigger stage. Chenier successfully defended his 50- and 100-yard...

Council has two strong runs in meet

From staff reports CHAPEL HILL -- Goldsboro senior Anthony Council posted a pair of top-five finishes during the Classes 1-A/2-A/3-A N.C. High School Athletic Association men's indoor track championships. Council emerged the runner-up in the 300-meter dash with a time...

Mount Olive menÕs tennis team secures first win of season

MOC Sports Information KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. -- Kristin Moberg tied for 25th out of 90 golfers as Mount Olive finished 16th out of 18 teams at the Tusculum College/Kiawah Island Women's Golf Intercollegiate during the weekend. Moberg shot a 159...

Two, three-run shots wake up Mount Olive offense in middle innings

MOUNT OLIVE -- Hitless with runners in scoring position through three innings, Mount Olive needed some offensive firepower. The Trojans looked no further than to Erik Lovett, the reigning Daktronics Division II player of the year. And the senior first...

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Added depth helps Goldsboro boys

What a difference depth can make. Nearly a month after players leaving the program and academics found Goldsboro struggling to consistently dress 10 players, boy, have the Cougars fortunes have changed. Leonard Compton transferred from Charles B. Aycock, players got...

ECC girls showdown: Beddingfield edges EW ... again

WILSON -- Eastern Wayne's chance to upend No. 1-ranked Wilson Beddingfield slipped through its collective fingertips Friday evening. The Bruin women profited from an offensive rebound and sideline turnover in the final 13.7 seconds to turn back the Warriors, 76-71,...

State-ranked Kinston too strong for Saints

DUDLEY -- Southern Wayne did everything it could to keep No. 4-ranked Kinston at bay Friday evening. Unfortunately, the Saints' effort wasn't enough. The Vikings exited with a 62-50 victory and a share of the Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference...

Rosewood boys turn back Spring Creek

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Rosewood picked up a key 71-63 victory at Class 1-A Carolina Conference and county rival Spring Creek on Tuesday. Tyler Muntz paced the Eagles (7-12 overall, 3-5 CC) with 22 points. Holt Rains had 13 and Terrance...

Trojan baseball sweeps Lenoir-Rhyne

MOUNT OLIVE -- Jason Sherrer's two-run single broke a 3-3 tie and ignited an eight-run, seventh-inning outburst as No. 3-ranked Mount Olive defeated Lenoir-Rhyne 11-3 in game one of their non-conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon. Ryan Schlecht threw a complete-game, five-hitter...

Mount Olive men rout Lees-McRae

MOUNT OLIVE -- Just another day at the office. Brandon Streeter turned in another double-double, Mike Holloman unleashed a bevy of rim-rocking dunks and Mount Olive cruised past Conference Carolinas foe Lees-McRae 99-70 on Saturday night at Kornegay Arena. The...

Trojan women handle Bobcats

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive College turned up the defensive heat in the opening minutes of the second half on Saturday afternoon and ran away from Lees-McRae, 79-62. Shooting guard Lakeisha Monroe provided 20 points, nine assists and seven rebounds...

Friday, February 8, 2008

Wooten, Davis ready to lead Heels

While Wayne County and the surrounding areas steeped in rich baseball tradition continue to produce state champions, with them come players who consistently excel at the collegiate level. Former Charles B. Aycock standout Rob Wooten, now at North Carolina, set...

Local digest

IRWIN -- Any hopes Wayne Christian had of entering next week's Carolina 1-A Christian tournament on the heels of a victory were dashed in a 67-60 loss at Cape Fear Christian on Thursday. Eric Williams scored 30 points and pulled...

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Goldsboro's Pollock headed to N. Carolina A&T

From the time he first stepped onto a football field at age five Donald Pollock has always been a big man with big dreams. After paving the way for a pair of 1,000-yard backs and wreaking havoc on opposing quarterbacks,...

Warriors post 1-1 record, Topsail ousts Rosewood

Northeastern Albemarle champion Currituck County collected three quick pins and ousted Eastern Wayne 57-16 from the Class 3-A N.C. High School Athletic Association dual-team wrestling playoffs. "Those quick pins just deflated our boys," said Eastern Wayne coach Mike Brown. Sophomore...

Elmore takes two events

Wayne Country Day's Ellen Elmore emerged victorious in two individual victories during Wednesday's season-ending, non-conference meet contested at the B.G. Darden Natatorium. Elmore touched the wall first in the 200 free (2 minutes, 37 seconds) and 100 free (1:09.79). She...

Local digest

BETHEL -- Lamar Hines' game-high 24 points was enough to lead North Pitt past visiting Goldsboro on the Class 2-A Eastern Plains Conference scene Tuesday. Keovanta McDuffie led the Cougars with 14 points. Doshamora Simms had 12 points, while Tavon...

Trojan men still Number 1 in region

Mount Olive College held onto its No. 1 ranking in the second NCAA Division II East Region men's basketball poll of the season. The Trojans (16-4 overall) rebounded from a one-point road loss at fifth-ranked Pfeiffer with a pair of...

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Eastern Alamance shocks CBA

PIKEVILLE -- Charles B. Aycock senior Ryan Butts tried his best to escape, but Eastern Alamance junior Michael Isabella kept a firm grip. The two 145-pounders staged a nerve-racking and thrilling contest Tuesday evening which ended in heart-breaking fashion for...

Local Sports Digest

From staff reports WILSON -- Southern Wayne improved to 5-2 in Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference play with a 64-50 win at Wilson Beddingfield on Tuesday. John Hart tallied 20 points and 13 rebounds. Javaris MacMillan contributed 13 points and eight...

Lancaster finds groove as Trojans rout Bishops

MOC Sports Information MOUNT OLIVE -- Starting pitcher Jesse Lancaster retired 13 consecutive batters during one stretch and Jason Sherrer mashed a three-run homer as nationally-ranked Mount Olive College hammered N.C. Wesleyan 10-2 on Tuesday afternoon. Lancaster, who was red-shirted...

Princeton's Wood hits big shots

PRINCETON -- With his team rallying late in the fourth quarter on Tuesday night Princeton girls coach David Anderson offered up these simple words as the Bulldogs broke the huddle following a timeout, 'Great comeback but it's not over yet....

WCDS girls capture CPIC crown

The Wayne Country Day girls basketball team accomplished a team goal Tuesday night by easily defeating Kerr-Vance Academy 45-29 in their home finale. With the victory, the Chargers locked up the regular-season Class 1-A Coastal Plains Independent Conference championship. Wayne...

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Dual-team playoffs start tonight

The Charles B. Aycock, Eastern Wayne and Rosewood wrestling squads begin their respective quests for N.C. High School Athletic Association dual-team championships today. At Pikeville, three-time defending Class 3-A Eastern Carolina champion C.B. Aycock (21-5 overall) plays host to a...

MOC baseball game moved

Due to severe weather forecasted for Wednesday, the Mount Olive-North Carolina Wesleyan baseball game has been moved to today. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Scarborough Field. The No. 6-ranked Trojans are 2-1 overall, while the Battling Bishops...

Local digest

Trailing by five points with less than 21/2 minutes to play Wayne Christian rallied for a 39-36 senior night win over Class 1-A Carolina Christian Conference foe Trinity Christian of Raleigh on Monday. The Eagles (8-9 overall, 4-6 CCC) closed...

Monday, February 4, 2008

C.B. Aycock grapplers cruise to ECC 3-A tournament title

PIKEVILLE -- A focused and prepared Charles B. Aycock wrestling team dominated from start to finish during the 2008 Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference individual wrestling championships on Saturday. The Golden Falcons placed a grappler among the top three in...

No. 7-ranked Tusculum rallies past Mount Olive

MOC Sports Information MOUNT OLIVE -- Sixth-ranked Mount Olive rallied to take a one-run lead in the bottom of the eighth, but No. 7 Tusculum (Tenn.) exploded for five runs in the top of the ninth to defeat the Trojans...

Warriors swim well in pool

Eastern Wayne's boys prevailed in two relay events and Mason Chenier posted his usual "double-double" during the Class 3-A N.C. High School Athletic Association eastern regional swimming championships contested Saturday. The Warriors claimed the 200 medley relay in 1 minute,...

Neal sets milestone in county

Olivia Neal is no longer a "first-place loser." She made sure it wouldn't happen again during a historical effort Saturday in the Class 1-A Carolina/Albemarle Conference wrestling championships. A runner-up each of the past two seasons, Neal emerged the 103-pound...

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Trojans sweep pair on diamond from Tusculum

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive looked like a club worthy of its preseason hype and expectations as the Trojans kicked off their 2008 season with a doubleheader sweep of Tusculum on Saturday at Scarborough Field. Entering the year ranked sixth...

Saints march on

Rarely do sequels live up to their predecessors. Southern Wayne-Eastern Wayne boys part II was no exception. After pulling out a 59-56 thriller in Dudley three weeks ago, the Saints crushed the Warriors 70-47 in the rematch Friday night in...

Ayden-Grifton escapes with Carolina 1-A lead

Find Matt Dougherty. Ayden-Grifton used that strategy to perfection in the fourth quarter Friday evening. And the senior responded in usual fashion. Dougherty buried 7 of 8 free throws in the final eight minutes and helped the Chargers escape upset-minded...

Baseball stars turn out for second annual banquet at ECAP

Three state championship-winning programs. A room busting at the seams with talent. A coach who has guided a pair of clubs to the mecca of college baseball. All were on display at the second annual Wayne County Hot Stove banquet...

Local digest

TARBORO -- Goldsboro junior guard Keovanta McDuffie scorched the Tarboro defense for a career-high 46 points as the Cougars prevailed 81-72 on the Class 2-A Eastern Plains Conference scene. McDuffie drained 14 field goals and converted 12 of 14 free...

Friday, February 1, 2008

No time for Mount Olive to rest on laurels from historic campaign

MOUNT OLIVE -- A preseason national ranking of sixth and a world of expectations aside, Mount Olive baseball coach Carl Lancaster isn't shy when addressing the question marks surrounding this season's squad. The Trojans lost 16 seniors off a club...

Trojan men, women pick up league victories

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive shot 61 percent from the floor and Brandon Streeter provided a game-high 15 points in a 70-55, Conference Carolinas victory over St. Andrews at Kornegay Arena. The Trojans, ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Division...

Local digest

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Thanks to some tough defense and the ability to overcome a difficult night at the free throw line Spring Creek pulled out a 50-47 victory over Princeton on Thursday night. The win was the Gators first in...