October 2008 archives

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Friday, October 31, 2008

Bird trail training program to conclude

KENANSVILLE -- The N.C. Birding Trail has slated it's final Birder Friendly Business & Birder Friendly Community Training Program for next Wednesday at the Duplin County Agricultural Service Center. Designed for businesses and communities near the trail, this training...

Biologists need hunter cooperation for study

Bobby Futrell was hunting in Pender County on opening day of the eastern deer season. Vic French, a biologist with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission found out Futrell had taken a deer and drove to his house after calling the...

Ducks Unlimited holding banquet

The Goldsboro chapter of Ducks Unlimited will hold its annual banquet on Friday, Nov. 7 at Lane Tree Golf Club. Doors open at 6 p.m., with dinner at 7:30. An auction will start at 8:30. Tickets are $55 each, $75...

MOC men's, women's basketball teams ready

MOUNT OLIVE -- Bill Clingan left many at Mount Olive College saddened by his retiring as men's basketball coach last spring. Clingan didn't leave the cupboard bare. Long-time assistant coach Joey Higginbotham inherited a talent-rich program and returns eight players...

Torjan men get needed league win

MOC Sports Information LAURINBURG -- Anthony Payne and Angelo Acquah tallied two goals apiece as Mount Olive College hammered in-state rival St. Andrews 5-1 in a Conference Carolinas men's soccer contest Thursday evening. Payne handed out two assists for the...

Local Preps Digest

JV sports * Football: C.B. Aycock 38, Eastern Wayne 28 -- Marquis Bryant finished with 189 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries for the Golden Falcons. Antonio Applewhite tacked on 119 yards and a score and Artemius Taylor added...

Eastern dual-team title changes hands

Eyes puffy and reddened from tears, Nancy Dawson parked the activity bus one last time in the Eastern Wayne parking lot. Bright stars illuminated the sidewalk as she walked into the school to hang up the key. Dawson phoned athletics...

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Gators advance by beating Camden County

SEVEN SPRINGS -- The fun continues for Spring Creek soccer. The state-ranked Gators jumped in front early and never looked back, as they defeated Camden County 3-1 in the opening round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A...

St. Andrews stops MOC soccer

MOC Sports Information LAURINBURG -- Carrie Jones punched in an unassisted goal with 32 seconds left in the opening half and St. Andrews held on to defeat Mount Olive 1-0 in Conference Carolinas women's soccer action Wednesday evening. Cara Paxson's...

Playoff picture still cloudy in ECC

The playoff picture in the Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference is slowly coming into focus. But 2007 league champion Southern Wayne and county rival Charles B. Aycock, a playoff qualifier last season, could be eliminated with another loss this week....

Dave Odom heading back to Guilford

Goldsboro native Dave Odom, who began his storied athletic career as a student-athlete at Guilford College in the 1960s, will work with the college as a part-time assistant to President Kent Chabotar, effective in November. In this part-time consulting role,...

CBA shocked in opening round

PIKEVILLE -- Alex Rodriguez couldn't move. The Charles B. Aycock senior forward sat on the field frozen in the reality that his high school soccer career was over and the dreams of a state championship were shattered on one nightmarish...

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Local digest

FOXFIRE VILLAGE -- Eastern Wayne junior Jasmine Reeves recorded a top-30 finish in her second appearance in the N.C. High School Athletic Association Classes 1-A/2-A/3-A women's golf championships. The two-time Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference player of the year, Reeves...

Mount Olive escapes Barton

MOUNT OLIVE -- Kari Ham's service run helped Mount Olive tally nine unanswered points and turn back archrival Barton College 25-22, 22-25, 25-19, 17-25, 15-7 in a Conference Carolinas women's volleyball match Tuesday evening. The Trojans tied the fifth...

Trojan teams hold scrimmage

MOUNT OLIVE -- Pre-season All-American selection Kendrick Easley scored a game-high 23 points to lead the Green to a 57-44 victory in the men's portion of Mount Olive's annual Green-White basketball scrimmage at Kornegay Arena on Tuesday evening. Shequanta McGee's...

OPINION - Is there finally light at the end of the BCS tunnel?

The train that is the push to bring a playoff system to Division I-A College Football isn't quite ready to pull into the station, but this may very well be the season it picks up a head of steam. Current...

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Vikings post shutout at Southern Wayne

DUDLEY -- All the scoring came in the first half as Kinston defeated Southern Wayne 20-0 in Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference football action on Monday night. It was homecoming night at the Doyle Whitfield Athletic Complex. And a sweet...

KHS-SW boxscore

Kinston 14 6 0 0 -- 20 So. Wayne 0 0 0 0 -- 0 First quarter K -- Newborn 33 pass from Hines (Duarte kick), 9:44 K -- Hines 1 run (Duarte kick), 3:50 Second quarter K -- Koonce...

Rosewood escapes The Swamp

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Rosewood sealed the deal. Clinging to a three-point lead, James Harris' touchdown run capped a game-ending 51/2-minute drive as the Eagles out-gunned Spring Creek 46-35 on the Class 1-A Carolina Conference football scene Monday evening. Rosewood (2-7,...

RHS-SC boxscore

Rosewood 16 14 8 8 -- 46 Spring Creek 8 6 6 15 -- 35 First quarter R -- Harris 23 run (Beasley pass from Ash), 9:00 SC -- Janning 6 pass from Hatem (Hatem run), 3:30 R -- Holmes...

NJ-PHS boxscore

North Johnston 6 15 7 7 -- 35 Princeton 0 7 6 0 -- 13 First Quarter NJ -- Watson 55 run (kick failed), 8:24 Second Quarter NJ -- Johnson 3 run (Lewis run), 8:54 NJ -- Pipkin 17 pass...

North Johnston runs past Princeton

PRINCETON -- North Johnston's Glenwood Watson certainly turned in a performance worthy of Monday Night Football. Princeton on the other hand failed to live up to its end of the bargain. Watson rushed for 264 yards and three touchdowns as...

Steelers' Warren injured

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has reported that Steelers long snapper and former Southern Wayne High School standout Greg Warren tore his ACL in the team's 21-14 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday. Warren underwent surgery Monday evening to repair...

Monday, October 27, 2008

MOC women picked second

MOUNT OLIVE -- The Mount Olive College women's basketball team insisted they had all the pieces in place for a championship-caliber season in 2007-08. They did. The Trojans claimed their first-ever Conference Carolinas tournament title and advanced to the NCAA...

Tarboro halts Rams

TARBORO -- Aaron Harper led a balanced rushing attack with 77 yards, but Greene Central couldn't find the end zone in a 34-0 loss to state-ranked Tarboro on Saturday evening. The Vikings (8-1 overall) remained unbeaten in three Class...

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Wayne Country Day spikers fall in NCISAA 1-A semifinals

When you have two all-state selections on your volleyball team, chances are very good you'll contend for championships on the conference and state levels. Wayne Country Day did. The Chargers shared the Class 1-A Coastal Plains Independent Conference regular-season title,...

Gators' Howell finishes 12th in Mideast cross country regional

BURGAW -- Corey Howell took 12th place overall and Spring Creek claimed fourth place in team competition during the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A men's mideast regional cross country meet Saturday morning. Howell ran the 3.1-mile course...

McLawhorn-Carraway eliminated in 2-A tennis semifinals

CARY -- Mideast Regional doubles champions Elizabeth McLawhorn-Lauren Carraway from Greene Central tumbled in the semifinal round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 2-A women's tennis championships. McLawhorn-Carraway defeated South Columbus' Shay Grainger-Morgan Dameron 6-3, 6-1 in...

Chargers run over North Duplin

CALYPSO -- Field position and time of possession. North Duplin head coach Hugh Martin knew before his team hit the gridiron on Friday night against Ayden-Grifton that those two statistics would tell the story of the game. And the Chargers...

North Duplin-Ayden-Grifton boxscore

Ayden-Grifton 7 6 28 6 -- 47 North Duplin 0 0 0 0 -- 0 First quarter AG -- Best 2 run (Thomson kick), 1:22 Second quarter AG -- Peterson 2 run (kick failed), 3:28 Third quarter AG -- Whitaker...

Mote pounds out 18 kills in 3-0 sweep of Belmont Abbey

MOC Sports Information BELMONT -- Alicia Mote delivered a match-high 16 kills as Mount Olive College swept Belmont Abbey 25-21, 25-18, 25-21 in a Conference Carolinas volleyball match Saturday afternoon. The Trojans improved to 13-14 overall and 9-5 in the...

No. 1-ranked Tigers humble Hobbton

WARSAW -- Dasmine Smith was thrust into the starting quarterback role before kickoff Friday evening against Hobbton. Smith didn't disappoint. The James Kenan standout rushed for two touchdowns as the No. 1-ranked and unbeaten Tigers crushed Hobbton 28-6 at...

James Kenan-Hobbton boxscore

Hobbton 6 0 0 0 -- 6 James Kenan 7 7 7 7 -- 28 First quarter JK -- Monk 5 run (Funez-Bonilla kick), 8:04 Second quarter JK -- D. Smith 4 run (Funez-Bonilla kick), 9:44 Third quarter JK --...

Goldsboro offense comes alive in 4th quarter

Goldsboro head football coach Eric Reid insists the football locker room is intact. A new paint job is not necessary and the roof is stable. He didn't lose his temper, but he did get his message across to his players....

Goldsboro-Farmville Central box

F. Central 0 12 0 0 -- 12 Goldsboro 0 6 6 30 -- 42 Second quarter FC -- I. Cox 1 run (run failed), 7:04 FC -- Bynum 34 pass from Bailey (pass failed), 4:42 G -- Jones 10...

Eastern Wayne-Beddingfield box

Eastern Wayne 7 14 0 0 -- 21 Wilson Beddingfield 7 12 8 13 -- 40 EW WB First downs 17 11 Rushes-yds 41-203 25-112 Passing yds 127 173 Total yards 303 325 C-A-I 10-22-1 11-20-1 Fumbles-lost 2-0 0-0 Penalties-yds...

Beddingfield out-guns Warriors in second half

WILSON -- Eastern Wayne became the latest victim of a Wilson Beddingfield second-half barrage on Friday evening. The Warriors led 21-19 at halftime before the Bruins erupted for 21 consecutive points and walked away with a 40-21, Class 3-A...

C.B. Aycock-Hunt box

Wilson Hunt 0 3 0 14 -- 17 C.B. Aycock 0 0 0 0 -- 0 Second quarter WH -- Schick 35 FG, 10:59 Fourth quarter WH -- Taybron 3 run (Schick kick), 9:21 WH -- Lofton 20 pass from...

Hunt shuts out C.B. Aycock

PIKEVILLE -- Charles B. Aycock linebacker Tyheim Pitt trudged to the sideline, slowly removed his helmet and slumped over a table before burying his head in his arms. Pitt's body language was a telling portrait of just how frustrating Friday...

Friday, October 24, 2008

Hunting Lodge finally opens doors

On the corner of Belfast Road and Highway 117 North stands a familiar building with a new-found purpose. The Hunting Lodge opened today, and the dream of proprietors Mike Wilkins, Todd Wilkins and Jenny Aycock came to fruition. "We wanted...

Cook Mountain-Man style with sourdough

There's nothing like waking up to the sound of a rippling brook, with trout rising in eddies downstream of rocks worn smooth as bowling balls by the passage of water and time. The only thing that could make such an...

Trojan runners want to surprise competition in conference meet

MOC Sports Information MOUNT OLIVE -- Preseason voting among Conference Carolinas coaches didn't favor Mount Olive College. They tabbed the Trojan men to finish 10th and the women to wind 11th. Mount Olive looks to exceed those expectations in Saturday's...

MOC's Easley tabbed as Pre-Season All-American

MOC Sports Information MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive College men's basketball standout Kendrick Easley continues to garner attention in the preseason. Easley, a 6-foot-1 junior, is one of 16 players named to the Division II Bulletin Preseason All-America Team. The...

Local Preps Digest

BURGAW -- Waccamaw Conference champion Pender handed Princeton a season-endiing 25-15, 25-19, 25-20 defeat in third-round play of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A volleyball playoffs on Thursday evening. Erin Schultz handed out 12 assists to go...

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Spring Creek captures Carolina 1-A conference crown

No bone-chilling, breath-taking Gatorade shower this time. It was too cold. Spring Creek head soccer coach Johnny Galarza watched from the sidelines as the Gators finished off their first-ever, undefeated regular-season campaign with a 3-0 victory over Rosewood at Branch...

Cox leads Rebels against AG

Going into a pivotal Class 1-A Carolina Conference showdown with Ayden-Grifton, the coaching staff at North Duplin knows which statistic will be the telling figure in the boxscore. Time of possession. For the Rebels' offense, that means senior tailback Akeem...

Trojans sweep Coker

MOUNT OLIVE -- Intensity. Good attitude. And avoid the pitfall of playing to the competitor's level. Mount Olive College handled all three goals with ease Tuesday evening in a 25-18, 25-14, 25-12 victory over Conference Carolinas volleyball rival Coker (S.C.)...

Golden Falcons avenge lone loss

PIKEVILLE -- Wilson Hunt may have been better than Charles B. Aycock on one night. Not this Wednesday night, however. The Golden Falcons outplayed, outworked and outclassed the Warriors for 80 minutes and earned a 4-2 victory in the finals...

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Dawgs rule

PRINCETON -- There would be no comeback this time. After rallying from two sets down to upset Coastal Plains champion Topsail on Saturday, Spring Creek failed to win a game in a 25-11, 25-14, 25-20 loss to league rival Princeton...

Local Preps Digest

ATLANTIC BEACH -- Eastern Wayne swept the singles matches and cruised past West Carteret 6-0 on the Island Beach Racquet Club tennis courts Tuesday afternoon. The state-ranked Warriors (15-1 overall) advanced to a third-round meeting against county archrival Charles...

McLawhorn shakes off tough singles loss, helps Rams advance

SNOW HILL -- Lauren Carraway and Samantha Taylor watched in silence as Greene Central teammate Elizabeth McLawhorn struggled on court No. 1 on Tuesday afternoon. McLawhorn couldn't establish a rhythm and managed to take just one game against Tarboro's Nellie...

Saints' Gardner takes 2nd in meet

No mistakes this time. Wilson Hunt's Pierre Surrette returned to Waynesborough Park with a chip on his shoulder, and that motivation led to a first-place finish in the Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference cross country championship on Tuesday. Surrette crossed...

Greene, MOC take titles

MOC Sports Information MT. GILEAD -- Mount Olive College standout Jonathan Greene fired a blistering 30 on the back nine and emerged the individual champion during "The Preview At Tillery" contested at Tillery Tradition Golf Club. Greene finished the two-day,...

Opinion -- Remember proper etiquette at events

As a sportswriter I have the privilege of not only watching our area's athletes compete, I also have the opportunity to watch their respective fans behave in amusing ways and at times misbehave. Through observation, I've witnessed some of our...

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Local digest

RALEIGH -- Spring Creek finished its dual-team tennis season with a 5-0 loss at state-ranked Raleigh Charter School on Monday in the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A playoffs. The Gators, the Carolina Conference champions, concluded the year...

NCHSAA East golf regional at GMGC

Some days the breaks do not fall in line. The game of golf can ebb and flow like the tide, and that was certainly the case at the N.C. High School Athletic Association Classes 1-A/2-A/3-A women's eastern golf regional at...

Aycock earns rematch with Hunt

PIKEVILLE -- Charles B. Aycock got the rematch it wanted. What it does with it remains to be seen. The Golden Falcons brushed off a shaky first half en route to an 8-3 victory over Southern Wayne in the semifinals...

Monday, October 20, 2008

Eagles seize tournament championship

RALEIGH -- Wayne Christian won five singles and two doubles flights, and claimed the season-ending Class 1-A Carolina Christian Conference women's tennis tournament championship. Top-seeded Brooke Barfield lost just just one game in two pro-set (eight games) matches due...

Rain suspends action in 3-A East Regional

WILSON -- Wayne County netters will battle for third-place honors when the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 3-A eastern individual regional women's tennis tournament concludes today. Rain suspended play Saturday on the Barton College Tennis Complex courts. Southern...

Local Preps Digest

HAMPSTEAD -- Facing elimination, Spring Creek rallied from a two-set deficit and upset Coastal Plains champion Topsail 24-26, 21-25, 25-20, 26-24, 15-11 in the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A volleyball playoffs. Senior Kristin Smith led the Gators...

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Local Preps Digest

Faith Christian advanced in the N.C. Christian Schools Coastal Region 2-A tournament with a 25-16, 20-25, 25-18, 21-25, 15-3 victory over Trinity of Greenville on Friday. Rebecca Smith had 12 assists, four service aces, three digs and a kill...

Eagles collect first-ever boys' soccer playoff win

The wait is over. Wayne Christian finally has its first postseason triumph in boys' soccer. Gregory and Bradley Yelverton handled the offensive chores in a 3-0, opening-round victory over Cape Fear Christian in the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association Class...

S. Wayne-Beddingfield box

Southern Wayne 7 6 8 0 -- 21 Wilson Beddingfield 12 14 14 0 -- 40 First quarter WB -- Rolle 30 pass from Price (kick failed), 9:06 SW -- Long 23 pass from Williams (Williams kick) 3:48 WB --...

Jones racks up 200-yard effort in loss to Bruins

WILSON -- Wilson Beddingfield scored 14 points in both the second and third quarters to remain unbeaten and pull away from Southern Wayne for a 40-21, Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference victory on Friday evening. James Jones led the Saints...

Gators fall to Ayden-Grifton

AYDEN -- Perhaps the lone bright spot was a late touchdown. Spring Creek allowed 21 first-quarter points and fell 55-8 to Carolina 1-A Conference foe Ayden-Grifton on Friday evening. The Chargers (5-3, 2-0 Carolina 1-A) led 41-0 at the...

Rosewood-NJ box

Rosewood 0 0 0 6 -- 6 North Johnston 14 14 7 7 -- 42 First quarter NJ -- Bruton 58 run NJ -- Cox 55 interception return (Johnson run) Second quarter NJ --Bruton 21 run (Grady kick) NJ --Alston...

North Johnston rolls past Rosewood

KENLY -- Rosewood's offense never got on track and the Eagles struggled to slow down North Johnston in a 42-6 Carolina 1-A Conference loss on Friday evening. The Panthers (3-5, 2-0) racked up 370 yards on the ground and led...

Rebels end five-game losing streak

PRINCETON -- A tale of two halves. North Duplin saw an early lead turn into a halftime deficit, but battled back for a 22-12 victory over Princeton in Class 1-A Carolina Conference football action on Friday night. The win snapped...

North Duplin-Princeton box

North Duplin 7 0 0 15 -- 22 Princeton 0 12 0 0 -- 12 First quarter ND -- King recovered fumble in end zone (Prudencio kick), 9:44 Second quarter P -- Mitchell 30 pass from D. Myers (kick failed),...

Trojans ace Royals on volleyball court

MOC Sports Information MOUNT OLIVE -- Racey Bartley and Kailey Preece helped Mount Olive ace its way up the Conference Carolinas volleyball ladder Saturday afternoon. The duo combined for 13 of 15 service aces as the Trojans dumped Queens 25-12,...

Kinston-C.B. Aycock

Kinston Free Press Correspondent KINSTON -- A cool, rainy night couldn't put a damper on Kinston High's homecoming festivities Friday night as the Vikings defeated Charles B. Aycock 27-7 in Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference play. It didn't take long...

Tiger's prowl: State's top-ranked 1-A team escapes

WARSAW -- Even Picasso couldn't have painted in these conditions. But a miserable, rainy night turned into a priceless masterpiece for two-time defending Super Six 1-A Conference champion James Kenan. Despite three fumbles and an interception, the No. 1-ranked Tigers...

JK-Midway box

Midway 0 7 0 0 -- 7 James Kenan 6 0 6 6 -- 18 First quarter JK -- Darden 5 run (kick failed), 5:11 Second quarter M -- Poole 2 run (Allen kick), 0:32.9 Third quarter JK -- Vann...

Goldsboro-Greene Central box

Goldsboro 6 0 8 16 -- 30 Greene Central 7 6 0 6 -- 19 First quarter GHS -- Montgomery 25 run (kick failed), 7:21 GC -- Sanders 67 run (Fostanes kick), 2:30 Second quarter GC -- Harper 3 run...

Cougars' offense erupts in 2nd half

SNOW HILL -- Wins don't get much uglier. Goldsboro overcame eight turnovers and 11 penalties, and survived for a 30-19, Class 2-A Eastern Plains Conference victory over Greene Central Friday evening. The Cougars (5-2-1 overall, 1-1 EPC) lost three fumbles,...

EW-Hunt box

Eastern Wayne 7 6 0 2 -- 15 Wilson Hunt 0 3 3 0 -- 6 First quarter EW -- Stover 59 run (Hall kick), 10:29 Second quarter WH -- Schick 40 FG, 6:32 EW -- White 32 pass from...

Stover leads EW on road

WILSON -- Mac Stover scampered into the end zone from 59 yards out less than two minutes in and Eastern Wayne played stingy defense in a 15-6 Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference win at Wilson Hunt on Friday evening. Stover...

Back on track: Healthy Pirates tame Tigers

GREENVILLE -- East Carolina football is back on the right track. The Pirates dominated the second half and upended Memphis 30-10 at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium on Saturday. The Conference USA victory snapped ECU's three-game losing streak. "We can smile again," said...

CBA-Kinston box

C.B. Aycock 0 7 0 0 -- 7 Kinston 14 7 6 0 -- 27 First quarter KHS -- Brown 11 run (Duarte kick), 11:36 KHS -- Koonce 49 pass from Hines (Duarte kick), 5:09 Second quarter CBA -- Murdock...

Friday, October 17, 2008

Snatch a snack from the good 'ole jerky jar

According to statistics compiled by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, about 55 percent of hunters take one deer per season. A very tiny percent take more than one. The average deer yields less than half its body weight in meat...

Alumni game, HR derby, clinic scheduled at MOC

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive's baseball team received plenty of support from the community during its run to an NCAA Division II national championship last season. Now it's the Trojans' turn to give back. Mount Olive and the United Way...

Coaches pick Trojans

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive enters a new era in men's basketball this season, but some things remain constant. The Trojans, the reigning Conference Carolinas regular-season and tournament champions, are picked once again to rule the 11-team league this season....

Local Preps Digest

Faith Christian opened its N.C. Christian Schools Association Coastal Region 2-A Conference tournament with a 25-19, 25-17, 25-19 victory over Falls Road on Thursday. Rebecca Smith contributed 15 assists, three aces and one kill. Alyssa Hill finished with eight...

Warriors revel: Tiebreaker in boys' meet; Kirkland leads girls' charge to defending crown

Who says a sixth man exists in just football and basketball? How about cross country? For the second time in the last four years, a sixth-place finish determined the overall outcome in the Bill Kemp Cross Country Championships contested on...

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Local Digest

PIKEVILLE -- Charles B. Aycock captured a share of the regular-season, Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference men's soccer title with a 7-1 win over county rival Southern Wayne on Wednesday. Alex Rodriguez celebrated senior night with a hat trick...

Gators claim conference win

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Overtime. A game-winning PK. A Gatorade bath. State-ranked Spring Creek experienced all that -- and more -- in a critical 3-2 victory over Class 1-A Carolina Conference opponent North Johnston on Wednesday afternoon. Jose Vasquez's penalty kick...

MOC women top Coker

MOC Sports Information MOUNT OLIVE -- Marie Richters recorded her first collegiate hat trick and Lyndsay Brennan added two goals and three assists as Mount Olive had its highest scoring output of the season with a 7-0 victory over Coker...

Trojen men tie Cobras 1-1

MOUNT OLIVE -- Players removed their grass-stained, sweaty jerseys and listened as Mount Olive head men's soccer coach Jerry Riggs praised his youth-laden team for a hard effort. But the 1-1 overtime tie against Coker (S.C.) College felt like a...

James Kenan - Midway set for Warsaw showdown

The story lines sound like just another typical week in the world that is James Kenan football. The defending state 1-AA champion Tigers are still undefeated, still No. 1 in the latest Associated Press prep poll and will play host...

Saints earn ECC golf crown

WILSON -- It was just one of those days. Southern Wayne played its best golf of recent weeks and claimed the 2008 Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference women's golf championship at Willow Springs Country Club on Wednesday. The Saints finished...

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Local digest

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Spring Creek rallied to claim two critical doubles points and defeat Manteo 6-3 in their Class 1-A N.C. High School Athletic Association dual-team, women's tennis playoff match Tuesday afternoon. The No. 10-ranked Gators trailed 4-3 at...

Chargers play Knights tough

His team had just lost its 15th game of the season and Wayne Country Day boys' soccer coach Baron Heinemann couldn't have been prouder. The Chargers dropped their final regular-season game 3-1 to state-ranked Greenfield at home on Tuesday and...

Trojans spike St. Andrews, 3-0

MOUNT OLIVE -- Racey Bartley recorded a match-high 13 kills and Marianna Gattegno keyed a late scoring run in her first collegiate start as Mount Olive defeated St. Andrews 25-18, 25-15, 25-15 in their Conference Carolinas women's volleyball match...

Hunt captures boy's ECC win

Wilson Hunt came ready to run, and the Warriors' effort was unmatched by Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference opponents Charles B. Aycock, Eastern Wayne and meet invitee Wayne Christian on Tuesday. Hunt captured the meet with 41 points. Wayne Christian...

OPINION - Is schedule a good test for Aycock?

Byron Adkins knew what he was talking about and he had numbers to back it up. The former Charles B. Aycock boy's soccer coach and son of current head coach Kevin Adkins, ripped the Golden Falcons for at least five...

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Local Digest

PIKEVILLE -- Charles B. Aycock dominated from start to finish as it bested Kinston 25-13, 25-19, 25-11 in the first round of the Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference volleyball tournament on Monday. Beth Carter led the Golden Falcons with...

MOC sports wrap-up

MOC Sports Information MOUNT OLIVE -- Lyndsay Brennan, welcome to the Century Club. A senior, Brennan collected a goal and an assist as Mount Olive College defeated Southern Virginia 3-0 at Amon Field on Monday. Brennan, who hails from Springfield,...

MOC basketball begins Wednesday

MOUNT OLIVE -- On the Mount Olive College website, a countdown clock ticks away the seconds until men's basketball practice opens on Wednesday. Time can't move fast enough for Joey Higginbotham, who was named the Trojans' new head coach last...

Saints earn playoff birth

Forget what's at stake, just play. County archrivals Eastern Wayne and Southern Wayne heard those words from their respective coaches before taking the volleyball court Monday evening. But the teams knew the winner would earn a berth to the N.C....

ECC golf race heating up

Never underestimate home field advantage. Eastern Wayne had not been playing its best golf heading into Monday's home match at Goldsboro Municipal Golf Course. But when the final scores rolled in, a day on their local links was just what...

Aycock rebounds against Eastern Wayne

PIKEVILLE -- There's nothing like playing an archrival to help refocus after a loss. Since suffering its first defeat nearly a week ago, state-ranked Charles B. Aycock got goals from five different players and blitzed Eastern Wayne 6-0 at Hardy...

Monday, October 13, 2008

MOC weekend wrap-up

BANNER ELK -- Frank Boateng scored the tying goal in the 75th minute and Mount Olive College held on for a 1-1 double overtime tie against No. 20-ranked Lees-McRae on Saturday evening. The Trojans are 1-0-1 against nationally ranked...

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Local digest

Rosewood's Nicky Britt emerged the top runner during a Carolina 1-A Conference cross country meet contested on the Eagles' course. Britt recorded a time of 19 minutes, 45 seconds during the 3.1-mile trek. Spring Creek's Corey Howell claimed second...

Tarboro tops Goldsboro

TARBORO -- A slow start put Goldsboro behind early and the offense never found its footing as state-ranked Tarboro High claimed a 40-6 victory Friday evening at Viking Stadium. It was the Class 2-A Eastern Plains Conference opener for...

Warriors hold off Saints

The action did not follow the common script for either team, but in the end Eastern Wayne made the biggest defensive stop Friday evening. The Warriors halted a potential, game-winning two-point conversion run with five minutes remaining and edged county...

Dawgs defeat Gators in the swamp

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Avoid turnovers. Win the field position battle. Be the aggressor. Spring Creek head football coach Aaron Sanders encouraged his injury-riddled team to carry out that plan Friday evening against Princeton. But two fumbles and a passive start...

SC-PHS Boxscore

Princeton 14 14 6 7 -- 41 Spring Creek 0 0 0 0 -- 0 First quarter P -- Simpkins 6 run (Drew kick), 10:35 P -- B. Myers 5 run (Drew kick), 5:55 Second quarter P -- B. Myers...

North Pitt routs Greene Central

BETHEL -- Greene Central jumped out to an early advantage, but the Rams could not keep the momentum and fell to North Pitt 37-6 in their Eastern Plains 2-A Conference opener on Friday evening. Brandon Suit found T.J. McPhail...

North Duplin comes up one point short

KENLY -- North Duplin opened defense of its Class 1-A Carolina Conference championship in exciting -- and disappointing -- fashion Friday evening. The Rebels had a PAT blocked in overtime and dropped a 21-20 decision to North Johnston. It...

North Duplin - Boxscore

North Duplin 0 7 0 7 6 -- 20 North Johnston 7 7 0 0 7 -- 21 Second quarter ND -- Kornegay run 21 (Credencia kick), 2:22 Fourth quarter ND -- Cox run 26 (Credencia kick), 7:53 Overtime ND...

MOC sports wrap

Alyecia Higgins scored the tie-breaking goal in the 77th minute to lift Mount Olive to a 2-1 victory over Lees-McRae in their Conference Carolinas women's soccer match. Lyndsay Brennan scored the Trojans' first goal and assisted on the game winner....

James Kenan remains unbeaten

SALEMBURG -- James Kenan began defense of its Class 1-A Super Six Conference title with a 34-0 shellacking of Lakewood on Friday evening. The No. 1-ranked Tigers (7-0 overall) claimed their 29th consecutive regular-season victory and 11th straight against...

James Kenan - Boxscore

James Kenan 14 7 6 7 -- 34 Lakewood 0 0 0 0 -- 0 First quarter JK -- Rogers 30 run (Funez-Bonilla kick), 2:45 JK -- B. Moore 45 punt return (Funez-Bonilla kick), 0:18 Second quarter JK -- D....

Greene Central - Boxscore

Greene Central 6 0 0 0 -- 6 North Pit 0 6 13 18 -- 37 First quarter GC -- McPhail 59 pass from Suit (kick failed) GC NP First downs 14 8 Rushes-yds. 56-172 28-85 Passing-yds. 83 45 Total...

Goldsboro - Boxscore

Goldsboro -- 0 0 6 0 -- 6 Tarboro -- 14 6 6 14 -- 40 Third quarter G -- Montgomery run 5 (Kick failed), 5:55 G T Frist downs 14 17 Rsuhes-yds. 35-116 36-331 Passing-yds. 120 66 Total yards...

EW-SW Boxscore

Southern Wayne 0 7 6 6 -- 19 Eastern Wayne 0 6 7 7 -- 20 Second quarter EW -- Stover 2 run (kick failed), 9:32 SW -- Raiford 23 pass from Williams (Williams kick), 5:47 Third quarter SW --...

Curl wins at WCCC

Jeff Curl doesn't have to stress over his financial situation as a week-to-week professional golfer. He made sure of it Friday afternoon. The former UNC Charlotte star sank a 3-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to defeat...

CBA boxscore

Wilson Beddingfield 0 7 20 14 -- 41 Charles B. Aycock 6 15 0 6 -- 27 First quarter CBA -- Cobb 68 run (kick failed), 2:40 Second quarter CBA -- Cobb 1 run (Poole pass from Gurganus), 7:08 CBA...

Beddingfield beats Aycock

PIKEVILLE -- Just getting close is getting old for Charles B. Aycock. The Golden Falcons watched their 21-0, first-half lead disappear as Wilson Beddingfield scored 41 consecutive points in a 41-27 victory at Hardy Talton Stadium on Friday evening. It...

Friday, October 10, 2008

Priceton completes regular-season sweep

Emotions ran high as Rosewood honored its five senior volleyball players on Thursday. Archrival Princeton spoiled the fun. The Bulldogs matched the Eagles' intensity and claimed a 25-21, 25-22, 25-18 in the Class 1-A Carolina Conference regular-season finale for both...

Falcons soar

PIKEVILLE -- Southern Wayne couldn't settle its debt. Charles B. Aycock finally finished the job. Outside hitters Brittany Jackson and Beth Carter notched nine kills apiece as the Golden Falcons celebrated senior night with a 26-28, 25-18, 25-21, 25-10 decision...

N.C. Wildlife contest organized for kids

RALEIGH -- Wildlife in North Carolina magazine is sponsoring an art contest for children to encourage them to observe and appreciate native wildlife as an inspiration for art and science. Students attending kindergarten through eighth grade in North Carolina are...

Local digest

LaGRANGE -- North Lenoir captured the Class 2-A Eastern Plains Conference regular-season volleyball title with a 25-20, 25-13, 25-11 win over visiting Greene Central on Thursday. Marissa Lanier hammered out 12 kills and Courtney Hill added 11 kills. Jordan...

EW home football game

The "Wee Warrior" football team and cheerleaders are part of the halftime festivities for tonight's home football game at Eastern Wayne. It is also "band appreciation night" as the Warriors entertain county arch rival Southern Wayne in the Class 3-A...

ECU baseball

East Carolina's baseball team will play 35 home games, including the sixth annual Keith LeClair Classic, during the 2009 season. The Pirates face 19 teams which recorded 30 or more wins a season ago, including nine which topped the 40-win...

Saints' Hirsch collects second ECC singles title

SNOW HILL -- Tara Hirsch is a singles champion again. The Southern Wayne senior captured her second Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference crown with a 6-0, 6-1 decision over teammate Amber Bowden on Thursday afternoon. The top-seeded Hirsch and...

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Local digest

"We were running with three of our top seven runners not available," said Eastern Wayne coach Sidney Myers. "Caleb, Cole and Steven were really challenged before the race to step up. They all did a really great job of...

Unbeaten Spring Creek gets off to sluggish start

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Spring Creek just couldn't find the mark on its first 10 shots Wednesday afternoon. Attempts on goal missed from every angle with two hitting the crossbar and post. Once the Gators scored their first goal, the...

Trojans get golden goal victory

MOUNT OLIVE -- Chris McClaugherty netted the game-winning goal in the 92nd minute as Mount Olive slipped past UNC Pembroke in a non-conference, men's soccer match Wednesday evening. Tied 0-0 after regulation, McClaugherty's chip shot came off fast and...

Goldsboro backs still running strong

A.J. Parker, Andre Montgomery and Freddie Jones heard the whispers during the offseason. There was no way a senior more suited for playing linebacker and a pair of sophomores could replace the heralded Goldsboro tandem of Hykeem Coley and...

No. 15 Hunt shocks C.B. Aycock

WILSON -- It only took 80 minutes and when it was over, the Charles B. Aycock boys' soccer team was left with a harsh dose of reality -- it's not invincible after all. The No. 2-ranked Golden Falcons couldn't spoil...

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Local Sports Digest

WILSON -- Wayne Christian advanced to the finals of the Class 1-A Carolina Christian Conference boys' soccer tournament by defeating host Community Christian 3-0 on Tuesday. Jordan Crouthamel got the Eagles on the board in the seventh minute by...

Eagles avenge earlier loss, stay in playoff chase

CALYPSO -- Talk about a close race. With two playing dates left on the Class 1-A Carolina Conference volleyball scene, the only sure bet is North Johnston has repeated as regular-season champion. The rest of the teams ... well...

Opinion -- Redskins finding consistency

Our nation's economy is a train wreck and the upcoming Presidential election has given us as much to choose from as midday television. But, at least one thing in our nation's capitol is proving to be reliable -- the...

C.B. Aycock sweeps emotionless Warriors

PIKEVILLE -- Eastern Wayne came out emotionally flat, never found its rhythm in the serving game and dropped a 25-22, 25-16, 25-19 decision to county and Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference rival Charles B. Aycock on Tuesday evening. The Golden...

Spring Creek secures another title

The feast continues. One day after securing the Class 1-A Carolina Conference regular-season title, Spring Creek emerged the tournament champion at Herman Park. The Gators, led by Jamie Johnson's singles title, edged North Johnston 17-14 on the John Allen...

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Local digest

AYDEN -- Rosewood opened its Class 1-A Carolina Conference men's soccer schedule with a 4-1 decision over Ayden-Grifton. It was the Eagles' first win of the season. Giovanni Mateos netted two goals and added an assist. Cody Harris and...

Tar Heel Tour comes to WCCC

The EGOLF Tarheel Tour is returning to Walnut Creek Country Club. The next-to-last regular-season tournament begins today with a practice on the par-71, Ellis Maples-designed course. First-round play tees off Wednesday at 8 a.m. A field of 144 players...

Spring Creek is Carolina champion

Imagine having a mouth-watering steak, a steaming baked potato with melted butter and a salad sitting on your table. A guest walks in and tries to take half of your dinner. Do you let them? Spring Creek head women's...

No. 15 ranked Hunt shuts out EWHS

Eastern Wayne turned in 30 minutes of quality soccer on Monday evening. Unfortunately for the Warriors, their sense of urgency came a tad too late. No. 15-ranked Wilson Hunt jumped out to a 2-0 halftime lead and left Little...

Eastern Carolina 3-A teams gather at Lane Tree

PIKEVILLE -- One stroke was all that separated Wilson Hunt and Southern Wayne when the final scores were counted at the Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference golf meet at Lane Tree Golf Club on Monday. The Warriors escaped with...

Monday, October 6, 2008

Weekend preps

ERWIN -- Wayne Christian claimed the Class 1-A Carolina Christian Conference regular-season women's tennis championship with a 7-2 victory over Cape Fear Christian. The Eagles (7-1 overall) finished 4-0 in CCC play this season. Brooke Barfield, Faith Sutton, Reagan...

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Warriors use turnovers to ground Hawks

Play with a purpose. Eastern Wayne's coaching staff preached that message for two weeks in practice. The Warriors certainly listened. While mistakes were evident, opportunistic plays proved crucial before a standing-room-only Homecoming crowd Friday evening at Little Big Horn. Eastern...

Jones Senior shuts out Rosewood

TRENTON -- Rosewood High traveled to Jones Senior on Friday evening and the No. 8-ranked Trojans prevailed 56-0 in a game that was never close. Jones Senior (5-1 overall) scored on seven of nine first-half possessions, including three touchdowns on...

Dawgs get road win

SWAN QUARTER -- Princeton head coach Russell Williamson informed his players their trip to Mattamuskeet on Friday evening was nothing but a business trip. The Bulldogs heeded Williamson's word. Princeton allowed a season-low eight yards of total offense and cruised...

Spartans roll past Spring Creek

CLINTON -- Once-beaten Super Six 1-A Conference member Union dealt Spring Creek a 48-0 setback in non-conference play Friday evening. The Spartans held the Gators to minus-24 yards of total offense. "It was what it was," said Spring Creek head...

Magnus claims top spot in WCS Invitational

Magnus claims top spot in WCS Invitational Josh Magnus emerged the top runner during the annual Wayne Christian Invitational cross country meet contested at Cliffs of the Neuse State Park on Friday afternoon. Magnus ran the challenging course in 19...

Trojan men's golf team ranked No. 18 in D2 poll

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive College has earned a No. 18 ranking in the first regular-season Golfstat Division II men's top national poll. It's the first-ever ranking for men's golf in school history. Mount Olive, through the first month of...

Eastern Wayne-N. Lenoir box score

North Lenoir 0 7 0 0 -- 7 Eastern Wayne 6 7 0 6 -- 19 First quarter EW -- Stover 14 run (kick failed), 5:46.9 Second quarter NL -- Bizzell 9 pass from Jackson (Baird kick), 2:31.4 EW --...

Princeton-Mattamuskeet box score

Princeton 13 7 6 6 -- 32 Mattamuskeet 0 0 0 6 -- 6 First quarter P -- Carmichael 3 run (kick good) P -- Mike Moss 43 punt return (kick failed) Second quarter P -- Carmichael 28 run (kick...

Friday, October 3, 2008

Local Digest

Eastern Wayne outshot North Lenoir 30-3 and earned a 4-0, non-conference victory at Little Big Horn on Thursday evening. Sang Kim scored on an assist from Richard Riddle in the 27th minute and Nick Baker's goal on a direct...

Chargers' inability to receive serve factors into four-set loss

Turnabout is fair play. But, the stakes were higher this time. Fueled by redemption, two-time defending Class 1-A Coastal Plains Independent Conference volleyball champion Kerr-Vance Academy refused to give up its crown Thursday afternoon. Senior middle hitter Chrissy MacInnes...

Gators injuries critical in defeat

Find the weakness and attack. With Spring Creek forced to fill holes caused by injuries, Rosewood took advantage of the Gators' inexperienced back line and earned a 25-22, 25-15, 25-22 victory in Class 1-A Carolina Conference play on Thursday....

Hat Trick: Rams defeat Golden Falcons for third straight time

PIKEVILLE -- Greene Central made it a hat trick as it defeated Charles B. Aycock for the third consecutive season on Thursday night at Hardy Talton Stadium. The Rams used some last-second magic and earned a hard-fought 12-9 victory. With...

Local digest

Eastern Wayne outshot North Lenoir 30-3 and earned a 4-0, non-conference victory at Little Big Horn on Thursday evening. Sang Kim scored on an assist from Richard Riddle in the 27th minute and Nick Baker's goal on a direct kick...

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Local digest

SNOW HILL -- Greene Central captured its 15th consecutive Class 2-A Eastern Plains Conference women's tennis championship with a 6-3 victory over Tarboro on Wednesday afternoon. The Rams, ranked No. 3 in the latest N.C. High School Tennis Coaches...

Area teams looking forward to 'real' season

The "real" season is almost here. But a few teams in the News-Argus coverage area have some last-minute business to handle in non-conference play this week. Just five games highlight the schedule, including tonight's marquee matchup in Pikeville between...

MOC soccer splits

MOUNT OLIVE -- Anthony Payne tallied two goals and an assist to lead Mount Olive College past archrival Barton College 6-0 in a Conference Carolinas men's soccer contest Wednesday evening. Payne converted a penalty kick in the 70th minute...

Warriors fend off pesky Saints

DUDLEY -- For the second time this season, Eastern Wayne had just enough in the tank to top county rival Southern Wayne on the soccer pitch. The Warriors scored two second-half goals and escaped with a 3-1 decision in...

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Warriors successfully defend crown

PIKEVILLE — Eastern Wayne successfully defended its Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference women’s tennis championship Tuesday evening. But the outcome surprised one person. Warriors head coach Nancy Dawson didn’t expect a 9-0 shutout over county archrival Charles B. Aycock. “The...

Conquerors' rally comes up short

The Bulldogs' bite equaled their bark on Tuesday afternoon as Berean Christian defeated Faith Christian 3-2 in a N.C. Christian Schools Association Coastal Region 2-A conference soccer clash. The game fit a familiar mold for the Conquerors. News-Argus/Greg Sousa...

Local digest

PIKEVILLE -- Eastern Wayne won both portions of a Class 3-A Eastern Carolina cross country meet with Charles B. Aycock and Wilson Beddingfield on Tuesday. The Warriors won the boys' portion 23-45 over the Golden Falcons. The Bruins were...

Rebels prevail in first set, but drop conference match

CALYPSO -- Pass the ball. It may sound simple and even fundamental, but in volleyball it means everything. Take away passing and you've taken away a shot at winning. North Duplin captured game one from Class 1-A Carolina Conference...

Opinion - Welcome to October, MLB playoffs

I once heard the coach of a mid-major college basketball program use the terribly overstated but poignant phrase 'when a sponge is squeezed, what's in it comes out' to describe his team's performance in pressure-filled situations. No stage possesses...

Cambell sinks putt, Trojans capture title

ROCKY MOUNT -- Ryan Campbell's birdie putt sealed a dramatic ending to the ninth annual Gardner's BBQ Dogfight contested at Ford's Colony Country Club on Tuesday afternoon. Campbell helped lead Mount Olive College to the team title after the...