February 2015 archives

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Saturday, February 28, 2015

No. 10-ranked UMO men cruise into conference tournament semifinals

cellis@newsargus.com MOUNT OLIVE -- Dontrell Brite didn't watch to make sure the shot went in. After firing a cross-court, no-look pass to an open Jordan McCain in the corner, Brite turned around and started to celebrate as he walked down...

Eagles eliminate Phoenix from opening round

aetzler@newsargus.com At least David had a slingshot. And Goliath was no Lexi Mercer. With their foes slingshot-less and without a prayer, Rosewood decimated Raleigh Charter 61-20 in the first round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A women's...

Boxscore: Rosewood-Raleigh Charter girls

Raleigh Charter 5 8 2 5 -- 20 Rosewood 31 12 12 6 -- 61 RALEIGH CHARTER (11-15) Abigail Whitt 0 3 0-2 9, Christina Whetzel 0 0 0-2 0, Paige Huguely 1 0 0-0 2, Nana Owusu 2 0...

Put Me In Coach -- Snowball fight doesn't go quite as planned

The weather was not going to stop me again. So when the snow hit on Tuesday afternoon and I was sitting in the News-Argus sports office wondering if sports would ever be played in Wayne County again, I decided to...

Atkins heeds Stephens' call in 1st quarter

aetzler@newsargus.com When Goldsboro got off to a rough start in the first quarter, head basketball coach Russell Stephens knew just who to turn to for some energy off the bench. Junior forward Nakia Atkins. Atkins stepped in and immediately made...

Boxscore: Goldsboro-St. Paul's boys

BOYS St. Paul's 12 13 9 21 -- 55 Goldsboro 19 19 19 11 -- 68 ST. PAUL'S (8-17) Brandon Murchison 2 0 0-0 4, Dante Burden 2 2 0-0 10, Deonte Bridges 1 0 0-4 2, Zeke Sansbury 8...

Goldsboro girls survive test from Southern Vance

rcoggins@newsargus.com The scouting report on Southern Vance said beware of streaky 3-point shooting and tall, physical rebounders in the paint. At first, it seemed the Raiders wouldn't give Goldsboro much of a tussle Saturday afternoon inside the friendly confines of...

Boxscore: E. Wayne-S. Brunswick girls

South Brunswick 3 8 6 13 -- 30 E. Wayne 18 25 5 16 -- 64 SOUTH BRUNSWICK (4-17) Danecia Thomas-Price 2 0 0-0 4 Ta'Chondria Bryant 7 0 0-2 14 Zalika Flores 1 0 1-2 3 Nautica Lowe 0...

Top-seeded EW girls dismantle South Brunswick

cellis@newsargus.com Despite a two-week absence from the basketball court and its habitual slow starts, it wouldn't have been too surprising to see Eastern Wayne struggle to find an offensive rhythm Saturday afternoon. The top-seeded Warriors looked completely different instead. Unbeaten...

Jones provides spark for Golden Falcons

rcoggins@newsargus.com PIKEVILLE -- An 0 for 10 start from the floor. Four turnovers. A 13-point deficit. Myleah Jones had seen enough. "I just felt like somebody needed to step up and be a leader, maybe not vocally but by example,"...

Boxscore: C.B. Aycock-Westover girls

Westover 15 13 9 22 -- 59 C.B. Aycock 10 20 14 22 -- 67 WESTOVER (16-8) Deja Owens 1 0 3-7 5, Witherspoon 0 0 0-0 0, Day'Sha Carwise 1 0 0-0 2, Brandi Castell 6 0 0-2 12,...

Spring Creek boys knock out Franklin Academy

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Brandon Gonzalez led four players in double figures with 22 points, and Spring Creek hammered Franklin Academy, 79-55, in opening-round play of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 1-A playoffs Friday evening. The fifth-seeded Gators (21-4 overall)...

Unbeaten Mariners, the top 1A east seed, cages Bulldogs

No.1-ranked and unbeaten East Carteret rolled over Princeton, 84-32, in first-round action of the NCHSAA 1-A playoffs Friday evening. Sam Johnson led the Mariners with 20 points. Tanner Woodard emerged as the Bulldogs' top scorer with 16 points. Princeton concluded...

Aycock boys fall to Terry Sanford

FAYETTEVILLE -- Jarde Spruill knocked down seven points in Charles B. Aycock's season-ending, 85-23 loss to top-seeded Fayetteville Terry Sanford in the NCHSAA 3-A playoffs Friday evening. Ian Best added six points for the Golden Falcons. Aycock concluded the year...

Defending east champ Riverside Martin beats Princeton girls

WILLIAMSTON -- Defending eastern champion Riverside handed Princeton a season-ending 70-24 defeat in the NCHSAA 1-A playoffs Friday evening. Charley Cox paced the Bulldogs' offense with eight points. Maddie Adkins and Emily Ricks provided five points apiece. Kayla Jones led...

Friday, February 27, 2015

Trojan women growing up at right time

cellis@newsargus.com MOUNT OLIVE -- It's been a trying year for the University of Mount Olive women's basketball team. The young Trojans have shown promise occasionally, but have struggled with inexperience and lost several games in the final minutes. UMO finished...

Trojan men hold postseason destiny in own hands

aetzler@newsargus.com MOUNT OLIVE -- After what his teams have been through the last two years, University of Mount Olive head men's basketball coach Joey Higginbotham doesn't want the decision of whether the Trojans make the NCAA Division II tournament bid...

Burlington School bumps WCDS boys from NCISAA 1A basketball playoffs

ASHEVILLE -- Joel Davis scored 11 points in his final prep game as Wayne Country Day endured a season-ending, 73-49 loss to The Burlington School in quarterfinal-round play of the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association Class 1-A boys' basketball playoffs...

NCHSAA advisory: Basketball playoffs

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association has released the following information about the NCHSAA basketball playoffs, which have been hit hard by the snow across the state. A total of 13 first-round games in all classifications, out of 128,...

Ellis' humble discussion led to Freedom Classic, now in 5th year

rcoggins@newsargus.com KINSTON -- Bill Ellis never anticipated the response he'd get by having a three-game series between two military academies at historic Grainger Stadium. But that one conversation with a U.S. Naval Academy baseball coach eventually launched the Freedom Classic...

Area athletes find pick-up games during inclement weather break

aetzler@newsargus.com Eastern Wayne guard Tianna Christopher had never been more ready. The team had just come off a tough Monday practice and everyone was excited to try and continue their undefeated streak into the playoffs. Then the snow came. Tuesday's...

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Snow Daze: Area spring sports coaches waiting to practice, rescheduling games

rcoggins@newsargus.com You can't control Mother Nature. Or Old Man Winter for that matter. But each has certainly caused enough havoc -- and headaches -- among spring sports coaches in Wayne County and surrounding areas over the past 10 days. Somebody...

Updated prep basketball playoff schedule

Prep basketball 2015 NCHSAA playoffs Girls South Brunswick at Eastern Wayne    5 p.m. Princeton at Riverside-Martin    5 p.m. Raleigh Charter at Rosewood    6 p.m. Southern Vance at Goldsboro    6 p.m. Fay. Westover at C.B. Aycock    6 p.m. Boys Cedar Ridge...

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Hargrove's double-double leads UMO men past Barton

WILSON -- Kendall Hargrove recorded a double-double and led five University of Mount Olive players in double figures during a 79-68 conquest of Conference Carolinas archrival Barton College on Tuesday evening. Hargrove netted 23 points on 8 of 10...

Barton women complete regular-season sweep of UMO

WILSON -- Anamaria Zjacic and Ty Wallace notched 12 points apiece as the University of Mount Olive dropped a 70-56 decision to Conference Carolinas archrival Barton inside Wilson Gymnasium on Tuesday evening. It was the regular-season finale for both...

Whitfield: NCHSAA keeping close eye on weather

CHAPEL HILL -- Contingency plans are in place to handle Tuesday's inclement weather, but with the threat of another snowstorm, the window of playing days has become smaller. That's the main consensus Davis Whitfield, commissioner of the N.C. High School...

Carolina Elite Stars compete

RALEIGH -- The Carolina Elite Stars competed at the All-Star Challenge Clash of the Titans national competition and returned home with two championship squads. The Mini Level 1 Little Dippers and Senior Level 3 Super Sonic each placed first...

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Charging on: WCDS defense stifles Knights

rcoggins@newsargus.com Play defense. It's the single-most request Wayne Country Day head basketball coach David Flowers has requested of his team all season. He finally saw it in full force Monday evening. The Chargers held Hickory Christian to nine field goals,...

Boxscore: Wayne Country Day-Hickory box

2015 N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association Class 1-A playoffs (First round) Hickory 10 2 11 0 -- 23 W. Country Day 23 20 19 12 -- 74 HICKORY CHRISTIAN (13-10) Noah Hewitt 1 0 0-0 2, Casey Broome 1 0...

UMO teams ranked in latest polls; women's golf in 2nd place

UMO Media Relations MOUNT OLIVE -- Winner in 10 of its last 11 games, University of Mount Olive vaulted to No. 4 in the latest Collegiate Baseball Division II top 30 poll based on votes submitted through the American Baseball...

Snow school again

From staff reportsCHAPEL HILL -- Due to this morning's snowfall, many basketball playoff games in eastern North Carolina have been postponed due to travel issues. Rick Strunk, associate commissioner of communications at the N.C. High School Athletic Association, said this...

Monday, February 23, 2015

STATE CHAMP -- Rosewood's Taylor wins 1A heavyweight crown

rcoggins@newsargus.com GREENSBORO -- Kaleb Taylor watched as several of his teammates stumbled in their respective semifinal-round matches Saturday afternoon. The goal of returning home with a team state title vanished. "(The losses) kind of worked both ways because I was...

State wrestling results

GREENSBORO -- Results from the 2015 N.C. High School Athletic Association state individual wrestling championships contested at Greensboro Coliseum. Wrestler is listed by weight class with FINAL overall record in parentheses behind name. CLASS 1-A Rosewood HS 120: Malique Boyd...

Rosewood's Sam Drew fights through pain

rcoggins@newsargus.com GREENSBORO -- Pain seared through his body as Rosewood wrestler Sam Drew talked with his coaches after an opening-round loss in the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A individual state championships. They wanted to medically forfeit the injured...

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Gators top James Kenan

Cam Ellis cellis@newsargus.com CALYPSO -- It's not a secret that when Spring Creek's starting backcourt of Brandon Gonzalez and Trey Hammonds are playing well, they're tough to beat. But when the Gators get big time contributions from other players -...

Flu-stricken Eagles beat Lakewood

CALYPSO -- Imagine a dynamic basketball player from North Carolina, playing in a championship game and carrying the scoring load all while fighting a vicious case of the flu. Sound familiar? Lexi Mercer took a page out of Michael...

Ice can't cool down Eastern Wayne, neither can CB Aycock

The snow from this past week kept kids out of school, but it couldn't keep Eastern Wayne's Micah Smith out of the gym. Smith has been one of the hottest players in the area over the past four games,...

Four local athletes selected to All-Star games

Four area players have been selected for all-star games on the private school circuit. Tyrique McClain, of Wayne Christian School, was selected to the Super 60 Showdown and Goldsboro native Coby White of Greenfield got invited to the North...

Allen iced by mother nature

A sickness and some pesky icy roads kept me on the sidelines this week. Despite not being able to get on a practice field or court, I had my first experience at Wilber's Barbecue since moving down here, and I...

Goldsboro Heat finish runner-up in conference tournament

The Goldsboro ended up runners-up in the NCHEAC Eastern Conference tournament after losing to the South Wake Sabres 51-42 on Saturday evening. Gavin Portela led the Heat with 15 points, eight rebounds four steals and three assists, just missing...

Friday, February 20, 2015

UMO Women

MOUNT OLIVE -- It's been a season filled with missed opportunities and bad breaks for the University of Mount Olive women's basketball team. And it looked like it was headed that way again Thursday night. Emmanuel had clawed back...

UMO Boys

cellis@newsargus.com MOUNT OLIVE - If you had watched the post-game celebration, you would have never guessed what the Mount Olive men's basketball team had just been through. If you had watched Mike Moore cutting down the nets, you would have...

Outdoors column

Last week, I headed for Boone for a hunt for ruffed grouse with my son, Justin. I made the trip from Wilmington while Justin was heading up into the high country from Charlotte. I had been in contact with Jim...

Monday, February 16, 2015

Wayne Country Day to face Hickory Christian Academy

By RUDY COGGINS rcoggins@newsargus.com David Flowers spent most of Sunday evening on the phone talking with coaches and searching the internet for any information on Hickory Christian Academy. He undoubtedly expects a tough test when his Wayne Country Day squad...

Wrestling

By RUDY COGGINS rcoggins@newsargus.com LILLINGTON - Charles B. Aycock's "Big 3" and Eastern Wayne's Andre Smith have some extra practice time scheduled on the wrestling mat this week. That's because the foursome qualified for the season-ending N.C. High School Athletic...

WCDS bball

David Flowers spent most of Sunday evening on the phone talking with coaches and searching the internet for any information on Hickory Christian Academy. He undoubtedly expects a tough test when his Wayne Country Day squad entertains the Knights...

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Spring Creek boys earn share of Carolina 1A boys' basketball crown

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Time to take down the conference championship board in Spring Creek's gym and stencil some new letters in dark blue. Brandon Gonzalez and Gary Williams pumped in 22 points apiece as the Gators earned a share...

Put Me in Coach: Single-leg takedown not a good idea

I've always admired high school wrestlers. Way back in the day, when I was in high school seven years ago, I used to watch my school's two best wrestlers -- they were twins -- walk in to school everyday in...

Boxscores: Goldsboro-Greene Central boys, girls

BOYS Goldsboro 11 11 6 9 -- 37 Greene Central 17 15 7 16 -- 55 GOLDSBORO (19-4, 7-3 ECC) Rasheen Artis 3 0 3-7 9, Myron Carmon 2 3 0-0 15, D'Onte Russell 0 0 0-0 0, Joseph Baker...

Davis saves Cougar girls with pivotal offensive rebound

rcoggins@newsargus.com SNOW HILL -- Haunted by near misses and hard "no calls" underneath the basket, Goldsboro High forward Alexus Davis converted one offensive rebound when it counted the most. And it saved teammate Lashiya Lofton. The junior guard aggravated a...

Stephens: Goldsboro played "embarrassing" game in ECC 2-A regular-season finale

rcoggins@newsargus.com SNOW HILL -- His dark blue toboggan balled up in one hand, Russell Stephens walked out of the locker room Friday evening. Frustrated and somewhat confused, he offered no excuses for his team's play. In fact, Stephens described the...

State champ: Aycock's Warner wins 300-meter indoor track title

rcoggins@newsargus.com WINSTON-SALEM -- Courtney Warner walked around, shook out her legs, settled her nerves and waited for her next race. She vowed not to false start a second time. When Warner reported for the 300-meter dash, tournament officials had placed...

Darden's silver mine: WSE senior claims pair of runner-up finishes in 1A state swim meet

rcoggins@newsargus.com CARY -- Zach Darden used every ounce of energy as he churned through the clear-blue Triangle Aquatic Center water Friday afternoon. He reached the medals podium twice. But not in the fashion that he had hoped. The Wayne School...

Buchan, Marriner lead SC girls against North Duplin

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Amber Buchan pumped in a game-high 20 points, and led Spring Creek to a 56-50 triumph over North Duplin in the Carolina 1-A Conference regular-season finale for both teams Friday evening. Ashley Marriner added 14 points. Rylee...

WCDS girls snap 17-game skid, reach CPIC tournament final

WILSON -- Wayne Country Day snapped a 17-game losing streak with a 31-24 conquest of Pope John Paul II Catholic HS, 31-24, in semifinal-round play of the Coastal Plains Independent 1-A/2-A Conference tournament Friday evening. PJP had swept the regular-season...

Nemesis Greenfield bumps Chargers from boy's CPIC tournament

WILSON -- Wayne Country Day held one-possession leads after the first three quarters, but nemesis Greenfield rallied for a 77-64 victory in semifinal-round play of the Coastal Plains Independent 1-A/2-A Conference tournament Friday evening. Joel Davis paced the Chargers with...

Gators' McCollum finishes 8th in shot put at 1A/2A state indoor track meet

WINSTON-SALEM -- Spring Creek senior Rachel McCollum wound up eighth overall in the shot put during the season-ending N.C. High School Athletic Association Classes 1-A/2-A women's indoor track championships. McCollum logged a distance of 34 feet, 1 inch. On the...

Friday, February 13, 2015

Rosewood girls earn share of second straight Carolina 1A title

rcoggins@newsargus.com Balloons in one hand and a big smile on her face, Krystal Yelverton walked toward the Rosewood locker room Thursday night. This win had a special meaning. Not only was it Yelverton's senior night, but the Eagles -- despite...

Eagles weather pair of fourth-quarter Bulldog rallies

rcoggins@newsargus.com A dash of Ethan Chapin. A pinch of Zack Barnes. A heavy dose of Dennis Mitchell. All those ingredients blended together allowed Rosewood to turn back archrival Princeton, 52-42, in the Carolina 1-A Conference regular-season finale for both teams...

Boxscores: Rosewood-Princeton boys, girls

BOYS Princeton 5 13 11 13 -- 42 Rosewood 10 14 12 16 -- 52 PRINCETON (8-14, 6-8 CC) DeMarcus Ellis 0 0 2-3 2, Michael Wooten 1 0 9-12 11, Earl Gibson Jr. 2 1 2-2 9, Tyler Beasley...

Aycock's Chastain, Sauls compete in 3A state swim meet

CARY -- Charles B. Aycock's Zech Chastain ended up 13th in the consolation finals of the 100-yard freestyle during the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 3-A swimming championships at the Triangle Aquatic Center. Chastain touched the wall in 50.25...

Preps digest: JV news

JV * Girls' basketball: Wayne Country Day 27, Greenfield 21 -- Langley Barnes pumped in a team-high 10 points for the Chargers, who advanced to the championship game of the 2015 Coastal Plains Independent 1-A/2-A Conference tournament. Janae Jones...

Eastern Wayne girls achieve perfection (23-0) in regular-season play

cellis@newsargus.com DUDLEY -- Megan Mozingo scored a team-high 13 points and Eastern Wayne improved to 23-0 overall with a 63-46 conquest of county and Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference rival Southern Wayne on Thursday evening. The Warriors finished unbeaten in regular-season...

Boxscores: E. Wayne-So. Wayne boys, girls

EASTERN WAYNE 17 19 12 15 - 63 SOUTHERN WAYNE 9 11 8 18 - 46 EASTERN WAYNE (23-0, 12-0) Megan Mozingo 4 1 2-2 13 Natasha Johnson 2 0 2-3 6 Jasmine Covington 4 0 1-3 9 Cameron Dove...

Eastern Wayne boys clinch playoff berth

cellis@newsargus.com DUDLEY -- Don't remind Eastern Wayne of their record -- or the fact they've lost twice as many games as they've won this season. That doesn't matter any more. The Warriors clinched a playoff berth with a 72-62 triumph...

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Local opinion: Smith's passing brings back memories of Saturday afternoons, 1982 title game

Saturday afternoons, in my house, were reserved for two things during the winter -- burgers with melted cheese and dripping with chili from Ms. Lucy's diner and ACC men's basketball. I'd grab my glass of tea and hustle into the...

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Preps digest: JV, middle schools

JV * Girls' basketball: Eastern Wayne 44, C.B. Aycock 38 (OT) -- Eastern Wayne outscored Charles B. Aycock by six points in overtime. Cassandra Lassiter led CBA with 14 points and Hannah Vinson had 12. Middle schools * Boys'...

Champs: Eagles take ENCCC tournament crown

The Wayne Christian middle school girls' basketball team emerged as the Eastern North Carolina Christian Conference tournament champion with a 37-20 triumph over Faith Christian of Rocky Mount inside Clifford Gymnatorium on Tuesday evening. Beverly Table led all scorers...

UMO bats heat up on cool winter day

cellis@newsargus.com MOUNT OLIVE -- About the only thing hot at Scarborough Field on Tuesday afternoon were the University of Mount Olive bats. With a wind chill in the low 20s and 20 fans (optimistically estimated), the nationally-ranked Trojans pounded out...

Gators keep poise in fourth quarter

rcoggins@newsargus.com SEVEN SPRINGS -- Spring Creek head coach Taylor Jones constantly glanced at the scoreboard as the numbers quickly changed on each possession. He wrestled with two thoughts -- should he burn a timeout and break his team's rhythm or...

Boxscores: Spring Creek-James Kenan boys, girls

BOYS James Kenan 20 11 26 27 -- 84 Spring Creek 17 18 22 34 -- 91 JAMES KENAN (14-5, 11-2 CC) Karon Williams 4 1 1-2 12, Greg Washington 4 0 1-2 9, Juan Hooper 0 1 2-2 5,...

Boxscore: E. Wayne-C.B. Aycock boys

CB Aycock    17    8    22    12    --    59 Eastern Wayne    12    18    16    15    --    61 CHARLES B. AYCOCK (5-19) Jarde Spruill 7 0 2-4 16, Ian Best 2 2 2-2 12, Cameron Kornegay 3 2 0-0 12, Keyshawn Cobb...

Sessoms paces Tigers' attack with double-double

SEVEN SPRINGS -- James Kenan capitalized on an 8 1/2-minute scoring drought, and cruised past Spring Creek, 51-40, in Carolina 1-A Conference play Tuesday evening. Haley Sessoms logged a double-double -- 20 points, 10 rebounds -- for the Tigers, who...

North Lenoir girls shock Goldsboro, 50-45

La GRANGE -- Tyona Moses scored 17 points as Goldsboro fell to North Lenoir, 50-45, in an Eastern Carolina 2-A Conference game Tuesday. Destini Covington had eight points for the Cougars, who led by five at halftime and were tied...

Hobbton girls knock off North Duplin

Shanona Bell and Nilinic Devone combined for 34 points to lead Hobbton past Carolina 1-A foe North Duplin, 47-34, on Tuesday. Deja Aycock led North Duplin with eight points. The Rebels fell to 0-19 on the season and travel to...

Atkins posts double-double, So. Wayne falls to Rose

A double-double from Zaria Atkins wasn't enough to keep Southern Wayne in the game during a 53-32 loss against J.H. Rose on the Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A scene Tuesday evening. Atkins finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds and five assists....

Carolina 1A co-leader Lakewood tops Princeton girls

Lakewood had four girls score in double figures in a 45-22 rout of Carolina 1-A opponent Princeton on Tuesday. Kiara Rich led the Leopards with 11 points. Justina Henry, Brianna Evans and Jade Moore had 10 points apiece. Charley Cox...

Rosewood girls cruise past Neuse Charter

Rosewood dominated from the opening tip in a 57-25 Carolina 1-A victory over Neuse Charter on Tuesday. The Eagles led 43-7 at halftime. Lexi Mercer led the way with 18 points, nine rebounds, five steals and two blocked shots. Krystal...

Hobbton boys defeat North Duplin

Collin King scored 23 points to lead Hobbton to a 60-57 win over North Duplin in Carolina 1-A action Tuesday. The Rebels outscored Hobbton 29-15 in the third to take a 10-point lead into the final frame but let it...

Pearsall scores 22 points in Saints' loss

Southern Wayne lost to J.H. Rose, 63-61, on Tuesday night, which allowed Charles B. Aycock to clinch a playoff berth from the Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference. Xzavier Pearsall led the Saints with 22 points and Montrell Plummer chipped in 12....

RHS boys lose 2nd straight league game

Rosewood dropped its second straight Carolina 1-A Conference game and fell two games behind league co-leaders James Kenan and Spring Creek with a 58-51 loss to Neuse Charter on Tuesday. Dennis Mitchell led the way with 14 points and Zack...

Sasser collects career-high 42 points in Faith Christian win

Richard Sasser scored a career-high 42 points to lead Faith Christian past N.C. Christian Schools Association 2-A rival Greenville Christian, 81-73, on Tuesday. Sasser was 14 of 31 from the field. Raleigh Anderson added 13 points for Faith....

Princeton boys notch 4th win in last 5 outings

Princeton won its fourth game in its last five tries, 52-44 over Carolina 1-A Conference foe Lakewood on Tuesday night. "We're finally playing like the team I thought we would be all season," Princeton coach Jeff Davis said. Mike Wooten...

Atkins has double-double in Goldsboro's road win

La GRANGE -- Nakia Atkins scored a season-high 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and Goldsboro routed Eastern Carolina 2-A Conference foe North Lenoir, 92-61, at Wooten Gym on Tuesday evening. Myron Carmon and Rasheen Artis each scored 14 points....

Boxscore: E. Wayne-C.B. Aycock girls

CB Aycock 16 8 11 12 -- 47 Eastern Wayne 5 18 20 10 -- 53 CB Aycock Myleah Jones 10 0 3-7 23, Taylor Daniels 5 0 3-6 13, Ashley Darden 1 1 0-0 5, Mookie Powell 0 0...

Eastern Wayne girls stage another comeback

aetzler@newsargus.com The Eastern Wayne girls basketball team has been riding some pretty thin lines of late. But coach Phil Gray doesn't have any complaints. After all, they're 22-0. Despite another slow start Tuesday evening, the Warriors made up a double-digit...

Bench leader: Smith uses reserve role in positive fashion

aetlzer@newsargus.com Over the past three games, Micah Smith has sat on the bench and averaged 20-plus points in a reserve role. "I think he just started seeing the game open up from the bench and then when he came on...

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Chargers save best for last regular-season swim meet

rcoggins@newsargus.com Abby Skinner has just missed meeting the state-qualifying standard for the 50-yard freestyle on several occasions this season. So, first-year Wayne Country Day head coach Tracy Burns switched tactics. She entered Skinner in the 100-yard freestyle during the team's...

Preps digest: JV, middle schools

Middle schools * Girls' basketball: Wayne Christian 22, Community Christian 21 -- Beverly Tabe led the Eagles' offense with 11 points. Allison Whitfield and Abi Harrelson knocked down four points apiece. Wayne Christian (11-4 overall) faces Faith Christian of Rocky...

Monday, February 9, 2015

Rosewood, CBA sending swimmers to state finals

rcoggins@newsargus.com CARY -- Regional competition brings out the very best in each athlete. Several Wayne County swimmers proved that adage during the N.C. High School Athletic Association eastern regional championships contested in the Triangle Aquatic Center pool. Seven competitors punched...

Saturday, February 7, 2015

Preps digest: JV, middle schools

JV * Boys' basketball: Goldsboro 76, Ayden-Grifton 63 -- Isaiah Cogdell emerged as the Cougars' top scorer with 18 points. Aaron Smith collected 14 points, while Jaryan Hargis contributed 11 points. * Boys' basketball: Wayne Country Day 57, Greenfield...

Wigler matches single-game record in UMO lacrosse win

aetzler@newsargus.com MOUNT OLIVE -- Claire Wigler is quickly making her presence felt on the University of Mount Olive campus. The junior transfer from Onondaga (N.Y.) Community College tied a school record Saturday with six goals to give the Trojans to...

Wallace scores career-high 29 points, UMO women fall

cellis@newsargus.com MOUNT OLIVE -- The players couldn't help but hang their heads. After another heartbreaking loss -- the second in a four-day period -- the University of Mount Olive women's basketball team was left looking for answers. A turnover off...

No. 13-ranked UMO sweeps doubleheader from Saint Anselm

UMO Media Relations MOUNT OLIVE -- Kodi Whitley and Gunnar Kines each earned their first mound decision of the season, and Jason Morozowski cranked out five hits as No. 13-ranked University of Mount Olive swept a non-conference doubleheader from Saint...

Trojan men beat North Greenville, now 22-2 overall

cellis@newsargus.com MOUNT OLIVE -- Coach Joey Higginbotham pumped his fist in the air and ran down the sideline, high-fiving all of his assistant coaches. The Trojans had just ran an impressive offensive set, moving the ball from wing to wing...

Boxscores: Rosewood-Spring Creek girls, boys

GIRLS Spring Creek 3 2 4 7 -- 16 Rosewood 19 20 13 7 -- 59 SPRING CREEK (4-18, 3-9 CC) Ashley Marriner 1 0 0-0 2, Amber Buchan 2 0 3-4 7, Tysha Teachey 1 0 0-0 2, Rebecca...

Spring Creek boys beat Rosewood, again

aetzler@newsargus.com Spring Creek fans clamored, screamed and implored Rosewood to take a shot as the seconds ticked down in a tight game. No matter what they tried in the final 25 seconds, the Eagles couldn't get a good look at...

Put Me in Coach -- No air balls, no end of practice sprints

Please just hit the rim. That was the only thought running through my head as I readied to shoot before starting practice with the Eastern Wayne varsity boys' basketball team. I picked a safe distance of about 12 feet and...

Cougars wake up in second half

rcoggins@newsargus.com Frank Preston's buzzer-beating 3-pointer created a 32-32 deadlock Friday evening and gave Ayden-Grifton some much-needed confidence as they trotted toward the locker room. Just one thing, Chargers. You never wake up a sleeping Cougar. Goldsboro yawned, stretched its paws...

Boxscores: Goldsboro-AG boys, girls

BOYS Ayden-Grifton 14 18 13 12 -- 57 Goldsboro 13 19 22 12 -- 66 AYDEN-GRIFTON (4-13, 2-6 CC) Keishmund Taylor 0 2 4-5 10, Thurman Savage 0 0 0-0 0, Malik Boney 0 0 0-0 0, Khalif Harper 2...

Boxscore: D.H. Conley-Eastern Wayne girls

D.H. Conley 20 8 2 19 4 -- 53 Eastern Wayne 10 11 10 18 15 -- 64 D.H. CONLEY (11-8, 6-4 ECC) Khadijah Daniels 2 0 1-2 5, Lavivica Wilson 0 0 5-9 5, Madison Maloney 0 3 3-4...

No. 6-ranked, unbeaten Warriors survive OT scare

cellis@newsargus.com Jasmine Covington's night hadn't gone according to plan. The guard, usually one of Eastern Wayne's primary scoring options, had only five points through 311/2 minutes of play -- one of the many reasons why the Warriors were down two...

Boxscore: D.H. Conley-Eastern Wayne boys

D.H. Conley 18 14 12 15 -- 59 Eastern Wayne 6 23 9 14 -- 52 D.H. CONLEY (15-4, 7-3 ECC) Kendrick Greene 0 2 3-4 9, Pat Coffey 3 0 2-5 8, Peyton Ahlers 5 0 2-4 12, Jordan...

Kornegay's 3-pointer caps Aycock's upset of South Central

PIKEVILLE -- Cam Kornegay swished the game-winning 3-pointer as time expired, and Charles B. Aycock stunned No. 9-ranked South Central, 49-48, on Friday evening. Knotted at 43 after regulation, South moved in front 44-43 on a free throw. Kornegay answered...

DHC boys rally past Eastern Wayne

Jeremy Cox knocked down of 10 his team-high 23 points in the fourth quarter, and D.H. Conley defeated Eastern Wayne, 59-52, in their Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference game Friday. Cox shot 6 of 7 from the free throw line in...

McClain has double-double in Wayne Christian loss

Ty McClain recorded yet another double-double, 39 points and 12 rebounds, but Wayne Christian dropped a 73-63 decision to Community Christian on Friday evening. McClain also passed out three assists. Blake Floars logged 13 points, two rebounds and two assists....

WCDS boys fall to nemesis Greenfield

WILSON -- Joel Davis led three Wayne Country Day players in double figures with 15 points during a 73-53 loss to Coastal Plains Independent 1-A/2-A archrival Greenfield. Jamal Forde added 13 points. Vic Miller chipped in nine. "Greenfield had a...

Rosewood girls roll past Spring Creek

Rick Grantham has been on the wrong end of some blowouts during his coaching career. He knows how it feels to watch a team run the score up relentlessly. Grantham cleared the bench early in the second half of a...

Goldsboro girls bomb Ayden-Grifton from long distance

Goldsboro nailed five 3-pointers in the opening quarter and 10 overall during a 62-23 romp over hapless Eastern Carolina 2-A foe Ayden-Grifton inside Norvell T. Lee Gym on Friday evening. Tyona Moses paced the Cougars' offense with 28 points, including...

CBA girls continue late-season swoon

PIKEVILLE -- Charles B. Aycock continued its late-season swoon with a 53-50 loss to Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A foe South Central on Friday evening. Myleah Jones pumped in a game-high 28 points for the Golden Falcons, who dropped their second straight...

Princeton girls slip past North Duplin

PRINCETON -- Charley Cox tickled the twine for a game-high 23 points as Princeton turned back North Duplin, 37-32, on the Carolina 1-A Conference scene Friday evening. Cox pulled down 17 rebounds, pick-pocketed the Rebels for four steals and shot...

Atkins has 30 points in Saints' conquest of New Bern

NEW BERN -- Zaria Atkins flirted with a double-double, 30 points and eight rebounds, as Southern Wayne handed New Bern a 52-44 loss in Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference play. Atkins dished out five assists and blocked two points. Teammate Cierra...

Friday, February 6, 2015

Chatham Central defeats Rosewood in east 1A dual-team final

CARTHAGE -- Rosewood finished eastern runner-up for the third consecutive year with a season-ending, 34-31 loss to nemesis Chatham Central in the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A dual-team playoffs Thursday evening. The Eagles received individual victories from David...

McClain knocks down 43 points, Wayne Christian upends Lee Christian

Ty McClain logged a double-double with 43 points and 14 rebounds, and Wayne Christian handed Lee Christian a 63-59 defeat inside Clifford Gymnatorium on Thursday evening. McClain also had three steals. Blake Floars emerged as the Eagles' next top scorer...

Saints' Warren signs to play softball at Pitt CC

rcoggins@newsargus.com DUDLEY -- The word reached Southern Wayne head softball coach Michael Wiggs long before Haley Warren stepped onto the Saints' diamond as a freshman. Warren could pitch, could hit and could play any position, according to her coaches at...

Preps digest: JV, middle schools

JV * Boys' basketball: Wayne Christian 42, Lee Christian 29 -- Austin Kornegay collected a double-double (16 points, 12 rebounds) in the Eagles' home win. Logan Jackson added six points. Jaxon Anderson contributed six points, 10 rebounds and two...

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Barton women fend off last-minute Trojan rally

cellis@newsargus.com MOUNT OLIVE -- It almost seemed too good to be true. Down by 18 at one point in the second half, University of Mount Olive was charging. The Trojan women, playing at home against archrival Barton College, trimmed the...

McCain just misses double-double as UMO handles Barton's men

aetzler@newsargus.com MOUNT OLIVE -- While University of Mount Olive forward Mike Moore continues to ease his way back from an ankle injury, fellow forward Jordan McCain has taken the reins in the starting lineup. And Trojans haven't missed a beat....

National signing day: Foursome from Bulldogs' best senior class announce intentions

cellis@newsargus.com PRINCETON -- Johnny Frasier's commitment to North Carolina State may have been the headliner, but in a testament to the depth and talent of Princeton football's senior class, three of his classmates signed to play college football Wednesday morning....

UMO softball preview: Trojans eager to take next step in program

By RUDY COGGINS rcoggins@newsargus.com MOUNT OLIVE -- After two consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional, the University of Mount Olive softball team seeks redemption. And a little more respect. They're eager to extend their postseason to at...

Barton's Khari Faison enjoys homecoming

aetzler@newsargus.com MOUNT OLIVE -- The start was better than he imagined. The first time he touched the ball, Khari Faison jumped from underneath one side of the basket to the other to tip slam home a missed shot by a...

National signing day: Rosewood's Chavious seals deal with James Madison

aetzler@newsargus.com National Signing Day is often a day filled with uncertainty and decisions. Not for Rosewood's Tyree Chavious, who made his decision during mid-summer. Wednesday was just a formality as he signed a national letter-of-intent to attend James Madison University....

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Preps digest: JV, middle schools

JV * Boys' basketball: D.H. Conley 60, C.B. Aycock 32 -- Sophomore Michael Evans led the Golden Falcons with 12 points. Freshman Tayquan Hampton added eight points. * Girls' basketball: D.H. Conley 49, C.B. Aycock 43 -- Hannah Vinson...

Gators avenge double-OT loss against Bulldogs

cellis@newsargus.com SEVEN SPRINGS -- Spring Creek wanted revenge. With the memory last week's double-overtime loss still fresh in their minds, the Gators played with intensity and defeated Princeton, 59-53, in Carolina 1-A Conference play Tuesday evening. Trey Hammonds led Spring...

Freeman scores career-high 23 points, Chargers lose heart breaker

Pope John Paul turned a last-second turnover into a game-winning layup and nipped Wayne Country Day, 41-39, in a Coastal Plains Independent 1-A/2-A Conference game. WCDS committed a turnover with 8 seconds to play. Lillian Freeman torched the nets for...

Ricks, Cox provide majority of Princeton's offense vs. SC

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Emily Ricks and Charley Cox were a two-woman wrecking crew Princeton defeated Spring Creek, 34-31, in a Carolina 1-A Conference game at "The Swamp." The two combined for 30 points -- Cox had 11 and Ricks had...

Atkins scores 29 points in Saints' league loss

Zaria Atkins pumped in a game-high 29 points in Southern Wayne's 61-52 loss to Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A foe South Central on Tuesday eening. Iyahna Bess added seven points. The Saints (6-12 overall, 2-7 ECC) visit New Bern on Friday....

Kinston girls complete league sweep of GHS

KINSTON -- Goldsboro faltered in the third quarter against Eastern Carolina 2-A foe Kinston for the second straight time, and fell 53-45 on Tuesday evening. The Vikings, led by four three-pointers, scored 25 points and held Goldsboro to five points....

Golden Falcons' second-half offense disappears against DHC girls

HOLLYWOOD CROSSROADS -- D.H. Conley held C.B. Aycock to seven second-half points and cruised to a 50-29 win in Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference play Tuesday evening. Taylor Daniels and Lorie Edmundson scored eight points apiece for the Golden Falcons. Ashley...

Mozingo drops in 13 points, unbeaten Warriors pick off Rose

GREENVILLE -- Megan Mozingo emerged as the lone scorer in double figures with 13 points, and Eastern Wayne remained unbeaten with a 45-35 conquest of Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A foe J.H. Rose on Tuesday evening. Shontel Monk supplied eight points and...

Rosewood girls keep share of Carolina 1A lead

CALYPSO -- Rosewood seized a 24-point halftime lead and cruised past North Duplin, 54-21, in Carolina 1-A Conference play Tuesday evening. Lexi Mercer led all scorers with 22 points for the Eagles. Deja Aycock led North Duplin with six. North...

Rosewood grapplers thrash Pamlico County

Rosewood emerged victorious in the first 10 individual bouts and dismantled Pamlico County, 74-6, in opening-round action of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 1-A dual-team playoffs Tuesday evening. The Eagles (40-4 overall) face wild-card entrant East Montgomery (22-15) in...

Conley boys slip past Aycock in ECC 3A/4A hoops

HOLLYWOOD CROSSROADS -- Cameron Kornegay collected a team-high 15 points in Charles B. Aycock's 49-43 loss against D.H. Conley on the Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference scene Tuesday evening. Ian Best provided 13 points....

Chargers' Miller knocks down 24 points in regular-season home finale

Victor Miller led three Wayne Country Day players in double figures with 24 points in an 83-70 triumph over Pope John Paul II Catholic HS in Coastal Plains Independent 1-A/2-A Conference play Tuesday. Jamal Forde added 14 points, while DJ...

Mitchell, Eagles cruise by North Duplin

CALYPSO -- Rosewood outscored North Duplin 26-6 in the third quarter and triumphed 75-49 in Carolina 1-A Conference play Tuesday evening. Dennis Mitchell poured in a game-high 28 points for the Eagles, who extended their win streak to six. Zack...

Boxscores: Princeton-Spring Creek boys

Princeton 6 19 10 18 -- 53 Spring Creek 14 12 18 15 -- 59 PRINCETON Michael Wooten 4 2 1-3 15, DeMarcus Ellis 2 1 2-2 9, Tanner Woodard 5 0 0-0 10, Tyler Beasley 0 0 2-2 2,...

Frasier stays put, signs with N.C. State

aetzler@newsargus.com PRINCETON -- Derrick Minor had never seen his running back smile more than the day Florida State University offered him a scholarship to play football. "I think it was like his dream school, because of how good they were,...

Kinston defense shuts down Goldsboro's outside shooting

aetzler@newsargus.com KINSTON -- When Goldsboro and Kinston squared off two weeks ago, Cougars guard Myron Carmon knocked down big shot after big shot, hit deep 3-pointers and got into the lane to finish at the rim. Goldsboro couldn't even get...

Boxscores: Goldsboro-Kinston boys, girls

BOYS Goldsboro 10 19 21 7 -- 57 Kinston 19 13 20 19 -- 71 GOLDSBORO Rasheen Artis 6 1 7-8 22, Myron Carmon 2 2 4-4 14, Joe Baker 1 0 0-0 2, Jaylin Thomas 3 0 0-2 6,...

CBA-Northern Nash wrestling box

2014 N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 3-A Dual-team playoffs (at C.B. Aycock HS, Pikeville) 1st round Northern Nash 40 C.B. Aycock 36 152 -- Daniel Bryant (CBA) wbf Jalen Spooner, 2:24; 160 -- Joshua Wallace (CBA) wbf Javon...

Knights bump Golden Falcons from 3A dual-team wrestling playoffs

rcoggins@newsargus.com PIKEVILLE -- One thread unraveled. Then another. And another. Charles B. Aycock did its best to "patch" the holes, but dropped a season-ending 40-36 decision to Northern Nash in opening-round action of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class...

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

2015 Wayne County Hot Stove: Brewers' Wooten returns home

rcoggins@newsargus.com Jerry Narron likes to tease Rob Wooten once in a while. He usually baits Wooten by asking if he has as many days in the Big Leagues as Narron has years. Wooten just smiles at the friendly jab and...

Battle of the East: No. 15-ranked UMO, Barton meet for Round 1

cellis@newsargus.com MOUNT OLIVE -- With only a handful of regular-season games left on the calendar, the University of Mount Olive basketball men's basketball team is looking to make the most of every challenge it has remaining. Up next: archrival Barton...

Preps digest: JV, middle schools

JV * Girls' basketball: Faith of Rocky Mount 35, Wayne Christian 21 -- Holly Gurley scored nine points in Wayne Christian's loss to Faith of Rocky Mount on Monday. Madison Wells contributed four points for the Eagles. The Eagles conclude...

Dual-team wrestling playoffs: Aycock, Rosewood at home today

Rosewood (39-4 overall) plays host to Pamlico County (16-14) in opening-round action of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A ranks today at 6:30 p.m.. The Eagles have advanced to the eastern regional finals each of the past two...

2015 Wayne County Hot Stove: Individual award winners

The past, present and future success of Wayne County baseball is developed by its coaches, players and umpires. Six individuals were recognized and each received a plaque for either their achievements or contributions on the baseball diamond in 2014. *...

2015 Wayne County Hot Stove: Public library starts baseball project

Wooten's journey from a small town to baseball's biggest stage is just one of many stories in Wayne County's tradition-rich history of the national pastime. Marty Tschetter, local history curator of Wayne County Public Library, set up displays that documented...

Monday, February 2, 2015

Super Bowl XLIX: Local fans watch thrilling finish

Ernest Johnson sat back in his chair, confident as ever, eyes peeled on the 60-plus inch projection screen on the top floor at Heroes Bar & Grill. He had no doubt that with two minutes remaining and the Seahawks trailing...

County grapplers fare well in ECC 3A-4A tournament

NEW BERN -- Michael Daughtry predicted heavyweights Bryan Wooten and Bobby Stocks would see each other again in the season-ending Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference wrestling tournament. The Eastern Wayne coach wasn't wrong. Wooten, this time, pinned Stocks -- just...

Rosewood dominates Carolina/Coastal 10/Two Rivers wrestling tournament

PRINCETON -- Ten Rosewood grapplers secured gold medals during the season-ending Carolina/Coastal 10/Two Rivers 1-A wrestling tournament contested at Princeton High School. The Eagles amassed 151 points, giving them their 19th conference tournament championship in program history. It's the...

Warriors' Williams resigns as head football coach

rcoggins@newsargus.com Eastern Wayne principal Gene Byrd wasn't sure what to expect when he hired a shy, reserved coach who had been reared in one of eastern North Carolina's most-respected football families. But he often -- and proudly -- stated that...