2017 PLAYOFFS: Area teams face 'one-and-done' scenario

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on May 9, 2017 10:00 AM

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Area teams needed the week-long break to recuperate either physically or mentally from a grueling final two weeks of regular-season play.

They have 24 more hours.

Then 16 schools in the News-Argus readership area begin their respective quests for N.C. High School Athletic Association state championships in three sports -- softball, baseball and girls' soccer -- on Wednesday.

"Survive and advance," said Charles B. Aycock head baseball coach Charles Davis, whose team opens the 3-A playoffs at home against Northeast Guilford.

"Everybody's record is 0-0. Anything can happen in a one-game playoff. We'll have to pitch well, play good defense and manufacture some runs."

Less than a stone's throw from Charles Davis Field in Pikeville, the Golden Falcons' softball team -- state runner-up a year ago -- welcomes Western Harnett.

Both games start at 6 p.m.

Inside the city limits, Eastern Carolina 2-A champion Goldsboro (16-2-3) takes on Reidsville. The Cougars are led by Juanita Cortes-Torres, who ranks among the county's top goal scorers.

Across the county, Eastern Wayne (14-6-1 overall) gets a first-round home date with Rockingham County in the girls' 3-A soccer playoffs. The Warriors are seeded third in the East region, while the Cougars (6-7-2) are the No. 14 seed from the Mideast.

"(We're) going in full strength and healthy," said second-year EW head coach Scott Summers said. "My girls are peaking at the right time. (We) have progressed the entire season and playing our best soccer going into the playoffs.

"The girls have to be ready to perform and protect our house."

The Warriors' deadly scoring duo of Brennan Dove and Claire Molloy have combined for 55 goals and 28 assists this season.

Carolina Conference co-champion Spring Creek (13-5-1) plays host to Chatham Central. First-year head coach Jared Miller said he felt comfortable about the team's draw and that having a first-round game should help the team's mentality.

"The girls have had time to recover from the last week of the regular season and are ready to show the state that being conference champs of a conference like ours means that whoever plays us should be ready and watch out," Miller said.

Across the Little River, the purple-and-gold is in action today and Wednesday. Rosewood entertains Voyager Academy in second-round action of the NCHSAA dual-team boys' tennis playoffs this afternoon. First serve is 4 p.m.

The Eagles' baseball team takes on East Carteret, the 2016 East 1-A runner-up from a year ago, on Wednesday. The lights will shine at Branch Pope Field as the Eagles' soccer team plays host to league foe Hobbton.

Creswell gets the unenviable task of visiting defending state 1-A softball champ Princeton in the first round. The baseball team heads to Gates Couty.

The Bulldogs' soccer team plays host to Voyager Academy today.

North Duplin, the 2015 state 1-A softball champ, is at home against South Creek. The Rebels travel to Pinetown Northside in baseball, while the soccer team visits Whiteville.

Southern Wayne, directed by first-year head coach Jamie Williams, starts its softball journey at Lee County.