From Observer News Services
Wharton, N.J. (Nov. 12, 2012) - Quarterback Will Grier of Davidson Day (N.C.) High School was named the U.S. Army All-American Bowl High School Player of the Week, for the week ending November 11. Will Grier threw for a national record 837 yards and 10 touchdowns as Davidson Day defeated Harrells Christian 104-80. Grier shattered the previous national mark of 764 set in 2000 by Pacific Palisades (Calif.) quarterback David Koral.
Grier was joined by some other outstanding players who earned U.S. Army All-American Bowl High School Player of the Week nomination honors. One nominee was U.S. Army All-American running back Thomas Tyner of Aloha (Ore.) High School. Tyner’s 431 yard performance increased his total yards for the year to over 3,000. Tyner’s 5 touchdowns helped Aloha High School win its playoff game against Glencoe (Ore.) High School 38-35. The U.S. Army All-American Bowl High School Player of the Week was designed to recognize the nation’s top high school performance of the week.
30 Kasım 2012 Cuma
Davidson Day's Will Grier wins national player of week award after 837 yard pass night
A few final thoughts on Davidson Day QB Will Grier's record-breaking season
Davidson Day’s Will Grier finished his junior season with 5,609 yards passing. No N.C. quarterback has ever thrown for as many. No N.C. quarterback has ever thrown for 68 touchdown passes like Grier did, either.
Nationally, only three QBs have thrown for more yards in one year, and only three have thrown for more touchdowns. Grier’s records might not be entered into the national or N.C. High School Athletic Association state record books because he plays for a private school.
There’s also a push to discredit him for the competition he plays against. I’ve seen public school athletes run up incredible numbers against worse competition and their records are proudly listed in the record books. But I’d also love to see what Grier could do playing for, say, Butler, against, say, Mallard Creek – or vice versa. I’d love to see him play at a big private school, like Charlotte Latin where his father played, playing against the stiff competition the Hawks face.
But he’s at the school his family has chosen for him, and all I can tell you about him is that I think he’s the real thing. His multiple BCS college offers prove it, and I’ve had three high school coaches tell me – this year – that he’s among the best they’ve ever seen.
Friday night, after Grier’s 315-yard, four-touchdown performance in a state final win at Arden’s Christ School, Christ School coach Mark Monroe had this to say about Grier:
“I’ve been coaching for a long time, and he’s the best quarterback I’ve seen.”
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/11/17/3672498/palmieris-prediction-comes-true.html#storylink=cpy
Nation's top BB recruit here for Charlotte Challenge Fri-Sat
On Tap: The Charlotte Hoops ChallengeThe nation’s No. 1 recruit, Andrew Wiggins, will be at Waddell Language Academy, 7030 Nations Ford Rd, for the tournament today and Saturday. Wiggins, a 6-foot-7 forward, plays for Huntington Prep ans has schools like Florida State, Kansas, Ketucky, North Carolina, Ohio State and Syracuse among his finalists
There’s also some big games on the schedule like Berry’s girls, No. 4 in the Sweet 16, against No. 9 Providence Day, or Cuthbertson’s boys, a state runner-up last season, facing another in Davidson Day.
Here’s the scheduleFriday: Davidson Day vs. Cuthbertson, 11 a.m.; Heathwood girls vs. Charlotte Christian, 12:30 p.m.; N. Rowan vs. Peachtree Ridge, 2; Mt Tabor vs. South Meck, 3:30; Quality Eduation vs. Huntington Prep, 5; Berry girls vs. Providence Day, 6:30; Oldsmar vs. Kennedy Charter, 8Saturday: W. Craven vs. Davidson Day, 11 a.m.; Providence Day girls vs. W. Craven, 12:30 p.m.; Kennedy Charter vs. Huntington Prep, 2 p.m.; Oldsmar vs. Quality Education, 3:30; Peachtree Ridge vs. Berry, 5; S. Meck girls vs. Heathwood Hall, 6:30; N. Rowan vs. Cuthbertson, 8
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/11/21/3679682/high-school-basketball-update.html#storylink=cpy
Davidson Day QB Will Grier trims college list to five
Davidson Day's record setting quarterback Will Grier, a junior, has narrowed his potential list of college choices.
Grier said Florida is the leader followed by, in order, UNC, Tennessee, N.C. State and Oregon.
Here's some thoughts I offered up on Grier last week after he led his team to a second straight state title
Davidson Day’s Will Grier finished his junior season with 5,609 yards passing. No N.C. quarterback has ever thrown for as many. No N.C. quarterback has ever thrown for 68 touchdown passes like Grier did, either.
Nationally, only three QBs have thrown for more yards in one year, and only three have thrown for more touchdowns. Grier’s records might not be entered into the national or N.C. High School Athletic Association state record books because he plays for a private school.
There’s also a push to discredit him for the competition he plays against. I’ve seen public school athletes run up incredible numbers against worse competition and their records are proudly listed in the record books. But I’d also love to see what Grier could do playing for, say, Butler, against, say, Mallard Creek – or vice versa. I’d love to see him play at a big private school, like Charlotte Latin where his father played, playing against the stiff competition the Hawks face.
But he’s at the school his family has chosen for him, and all I can tell you about him is that I think he’s the real thing. His multiple BCS college offers prove it, and I’ve had three high school coaches tell me – this year – that he’s among the best they’ve ever seen.
Friday night, after Grier’s 315-yard, four-touchdown performance in a state final win at Arden’s Christ School, Christ School coach Mark Monroe had this to say about Grier:
“I’ve been coaching for a long time, and he’s the best quarterback I’ve seen.”
Read more here: http://prepinsiders.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-few-final-thoughts-on-davidson-day-qb.html#storylink=cpy
N.C. state finals to be televised
From staff reports
For the second consecutive year, Time Warner Cable will air all eight North Carolina High School Athletic Association, football championship games live.
All of the championship games will air on Time Warner Cable Special Events Channels 520 or 521 with the exception of the 4AA title game that can be seen on News 14 Carolina. Time Warner Cable customers can catch the action online as well, with live streaming at news14.com.
Replays will also be available free on Time Warner Cable’s Carolina On Demand.
NCHSAA State Football Championship Schedule:
Friday, November 30 – NCHSAA 4A game, New Bern vs. Porter Ridge – 7:30p.m. – Channel 520
Saturday, December 1 – NCHSAA 1A game, Plymouth vs. Murphy – 11:00a.m. – Channel 520
Saturday, December 1 – NCHSAA 2A game, Tarboro vs. East Lincoln – 11:00a.m. – Channel 521
Saturday, December 1 – NCHSAA 4AA game, Jack Britt vs. Butler – 11:00a.m. – Channels 14, 114, 414, 1114
Saturday, December 1 – NCHSAA 1AA game, Southwest Onslow vs. Swain 3:00p.m. – Channel 520
Saturday, December 1 – NCHSAA 3A game, Havelock vs. Concord – 3:00p.m. – Channel 521
Saturday, December 1 – NCHSAA 2AA game, Carrboro vs. South Iredell – 7:00p.m. – Channel 520
Saturday, December 1 – NCHSAA 3AA, Northern Guilford vs. Charlotte Catholic – 7:00p.m. – Channel 521
On Sunday, following the live coverage of the games, Time Warner Cable digital customers can fast-forward, rewind or pause all of the plays as many times as they want on Time Warner Cable’s Carolina On Demand, channels 199 and 1047. Carolina On Demand is Time Warner Cable’s award-winning On Demand channel dedicated to bringing Carolina-oriented programming into the homes of nearly one million customers across the Carolinas.
29 Kasım 2012 Perşembe
Remembering The Titans... and Refiners
Zig and Zag
Originally uploaded by mdt1960This past Sunday morning’s edition of the Billings Gazette had the typical listings of high school football scores. It’s usually pretty thorough when it comes to getting all the scores, but sitting in the Laurel City Brew coffee shop that morning, I noticed that there was no mention of the game I attended on Saturday afternoon in Moore.
A grin came across my face as I said to myself, “Another mission in obscurity completed.”
Although nothing was printed about the game, it was a doozy as the Tri-City Titans and the Sunburst Refiners rumbled in a knock-down, drag-out, eight-man shoot-out that resulted in over 100 total points on the scoreboard—with the lead changing hands several times before the final gun sounded. In a reference to the high-scoring game, one of the four officials on the field turned to me and said, “I didn’t know we were working a six-man game.”
Great Falls Refs
Originally uploaded by mdt1960 On paper, the game probably didn’t have that much appeal to someone who might be looking for a battle of undefeated teams. In this case, both teams were winless coming into the contest and even though there was a victor and a runner-up, both teams had something in common to cheer about—each scored a lot of points.
Billings Gazette take note: Tri-City Titans 59, Sunburst Refiners 44.
On a related note...
The Tri-City Titans represent the high schools located in Hobson, Moore and Judith Gap—a three-school co-op. I asked about how the colours of green, black and white along with the mascot name were selected. One source told me the following: about three years ago each school submitted two mascot names for the co-op. With six names coming forward, the three schools voted and “Titans” tallied the most votes. The colours are neutral to all three schools. The Hobson Tigers are orange and black, the Moore Bulldogs are Columbia blue and gold and the Judith Gap Tigers are royal blue and gold. The Titans rotate their home games between Friday nights in Hobson and Saturday afternoons in Moore. During basketball season, Hobson students put the orange and black on, making up their own team while Judith Gap and Moore form another co-op.
Shout-out: Congratulations to the Hays-Lodgepole Thunderbirds for already notching their first victory of the year (48-30) over the Froid-Medicine Lake-Grenora Red Hawks.
Plan B and Zenning in Bridger, Montana
Score Crowd
Originally uploaded by mdt1960Like some guy who just retired, I just sat there and watched the game—for once. Well, a good part of it anyway.
Plans for Great Falls Central to see their six-man showdown with Stanford-Geyser were nixed due to the loss of a friend and the resulting funeral to attend on Saturday. I considered the next best thing—the nearby Bridger Scouts were at home on Friday night for a six-man contest with Reed Point-Rapelje—a mere one-hour drive from home.
I’ve attended at least two other games in Bridger over the years, so this was probably more about a trip to get my weekly dose of small town high school football rather than attend a game in some remote location I’d never visited. Thus, my decision to sit and watch the game as the camera equipment was demoted to secondary.
But, strange things happen when you sit and “observe” from one location. You start seeing things that you might not see while moving about during a given event like a football game in Bridger, Montana—things that an image from a camera might not illustrate very well.
Anxious Parents.
Near the back corner of an end zone, I watched with fascination as a concerned Reed Point-Rapelje mother juggled a conversation with (what were probably) other parents while intensely watching the game. I suspect she had a son on the field. The group of parents were right at the back corner but as each play came up, this particular mother would drift away from them—perhaps only five or ten yards—toward the goal post and once the play ended, she drifted back toward the congregation and picked up the conversation again. This went on for at least an entire quarter.
A Scoreboard Community.
Bridger has a low-seated scoreboard that is placed on a small hill overlooking the gridiron. It is so low, that an adult could stand in front of the lower-positioned stats (such as the down or quarter indicator) and block a good portion of the displayed numeral. Further, the scoreboard is beyond the lighting of the gridiron floodlights and as a result, makes for its own “illuminated community.” Here—away from the gridiron’s lighted perimeter—is where you’ll find many of the students congregating, or as in the case of the younger kids, taking up their own football game just like any other Friday night football setting in the country.
While those approaching retirement consider the climate (as in weather) of what will likely be their final residence, I suspect one of the retirement home factors for me (when that day comes) will likely include the proximity to the settings and action of small town high school football.
Shoutout: Chinook Sugarbeeters and their resounding victory over Power-Dutton-Brady complicating the Class C eight-man North with a three-way tie for first: Chinook, PDB and Ft. Benton.
The Waiting Game... It's Worth It
Savage Indeed
Originally uploaded by mdt1960Maybe it’s the excitement related to teams who have never battled one another or maybe it’s the opportunity to attend a daytime game where I’ve never been, but I find the height of the Montana Class C (both eight-man and six-man) season comes during those first two weeks of the playoffs—the first round and the quarterfinals. It’s a “rich” time in that there are still so many venues to choose from and often the outcomes are very uncertain.
With the title games on the docket this coming weekend, and the available games are now whittled down to the bare minimum (even if they are the title games), I found myself reflecting on this juncture of the football season while attending the semifinal game at Big Sandy this past weekend.
It seems with each passing year, the ongoings of the other playoff games (i.e., those that are happening at the same time) become more available—even the other classes. For example, during the Big Sandy-Savage six-man shoot-out, we were updated several times by the announcer on the progress of the eight-man game at Chinook with Power-Dutton-Brady. Later we heard updates on the score in the other six-man semifinal game between Denton and Hysham. I suppose we can credit the infusion of cell phones for this effortless flow of scores between the obscure towns of Montana and other western states.
Oddly, there came no word from the showdown at Wibaux with Drummond nor was there anything mentioned about the other class games around the state. I wondered, was this simply because the games that were reported were fairly close by? It seemed reasonable that there might be someone from Big Sandy attending the game in Chinook because their nephew was playing, or something like that. And, wouldn’t Big Sandy have sent a scout to the Denton game should the Pioneers emerge victorious, allowing the scout to call in scores while working up a fresh scouting report on the victor from that game?
Elevator Stage
Originally uploaded by mdt1960Maybe I read too much into this little sidebar of an event. Even so, with improved and more ubiquitous technology and communications, I wonder if the day will come when we will see the scores from other six-man and eight-man games around the state posted on the scoreboards like they’ve been doing for years in the professional stadiums. It seems like a stretch here in 2010, but few of us probably thought cell phones would be so prolific a mere twenty years ago.
As the Big Sandy-Savage game was drawing to its exciting close, we were informed that Chinook had overtaken Power-Dutton-Brady in the fourth quarter and Denton was still in control of their game with Hysham. Despite all of this, after the Warriors of Savage were crowned the victors at Big Sandy, there was never another word on those other games. Walking to my truck afterwards, I kept my ears perked for that one last announcement, but it never came.
Into the Montana darkness and on to Eddie’s Corner, I remained in the metaphorical darkness as well regarding the outcome of those other games. At first I considered checking on-line via my phone to see if the scores were posted, but decided I would wait and hear about the outcomes via the old-fashioned method—reading about them in the next day’s newspapers.
I half expected to hear about one of the other games while eating my dinner at the Eddie's Corner café—given it is such a central junction in the state. If that had been the case, I would have welcomed the news.
Nevertheless, after dinner I walked out into the darkest outlying areas of the truck stop’s parking area—beyond the parked semis—climbed into my cold sleeping bag in the bed of my pickup and wondered if Chinook had indeed held their lead after claiming it late in the game. “And what about Drummond and Wibaux,” I asked myself as I set the alarm on the cell phone? Was the Rainbow Club in Wibaux jumping with delight or were they drowning their sorrows again, almost a year later after losing to Drummond at home in the title game?
In an era that is being defined for its instant gratification, I fell asleep at Eddie’s Corner content with the idea of waiting to read about the scores in the Sunday newspapers, and therefore in synch with the rhythms of small town high school football.
Going Deep
Originally uploaded by mdt1960 ShoutoutHere’s to the Big Sandy football team in giving the undefeated Warriors of Savage all they could handle. I’d especially like to salute the savvy play of sophomore quarterback Trevor Lackner. He may have thrown three interceptions in battling a swift Savage defense but he also connected two of his four touchdown passes to his “big men.” The Pioneers’ first touchdown came on a 36-yard pass to Dallas Briese—a five-foot, ten-inch, 220-pound junior and later in the game he found sophomore Kaden Beck on a 34-yard strike who stands at six-foot and tips the scales at 260 pounds. It’s doubtful that Briese and Beck could outrun any of the Warriors on the field, but it was Lackner who saw them open and had the confidence to throw in their direction.
The Rivals: Montana's New Co-op
Six-Man Solitude, a photo by mdt1960 on Flickr.When it comes to playing football under the circumstances of dwindling enrollment numbers, six-man football is the ultimate story of adaptation. A school with only fifteen players could prop up an eleven-man team with the hope that injuries don’t finish off their season. However, a better scenario would be for the same team to play six-man football and have enough players to scrimmage during practice and field a respectable and competitive team.
But, what if a school doesn’t even have twelve players—enough to scrimmage in six-man? In the case of Highwood and Geraldine—two perennial powerhouses in Montana six-man play—this is exactly what happened.
Since 1988 these two six-man teams have notched 18 championship game appearances… that’s 18 of the last 23 title games. Of those 18 title games, 15 resulted in victory. In five of those title games, the two rivals faced each other.
Beginning this year, due to a decline in classroom enrollments, the high-octane rivalry of Highwood and Geraldine will transform into a six-man football co-op that is already turning heads. Lead by Geraldine’s veteran coach, Rod Tweet, the Rivals will be competing in Montana’s Six-Man Northern Conference.
Tweet is cautious about making any kind of predictions regarding his team as a state contender. “We don’t have the number of kids to compete anymore,” declared Tweet. “The kids we have are good kids, but injuries play a big role in the game. So, it’s not like we’re going to get together and have 25 kids to play football.” The Rivals started their first week of practice with 16 kids on the roster.
Talk of the merge commenced during last year’s football season. Both teams starting looking at their (already low) numbers and anticipated that each school would barely have enough to field a six-man team. The initial projections were seven players from each school. Tweet’s first discussions were with his players. “I told the boys we were at a spot where I didn’t know if we could finish the season, because injuries are part of football and we’ve had more than are fair share in the last two or three years.”
Tigers and Mountaineers, a photo by mdt1960 on Flickr.Not only was that a dismal outlook for having a competitive season, but it also threatened either program’s future should injuries force such a small-staffed football team to forfeit games. According to Montana High School Association, if a school forfeits two of its games in a season, they are required to compete at a junior varsity level the following year. This would have been a setback for the upperclassmen of either school if they found themselves competing at the junior varsity level in their senior year.
Born from a need to survive, the two Chouteau County football programs will forego their annual contest on the gridiron and whatever rivalry remains between the two schools will be nourished from the volleyball and basketball courts or the track.
Creating and maintaining any kind of athletic co-op is never easy—ask the folks in Custer and Melstone or Broadview and Lavina. There’s much to consider in all of the messy logistics that come together to make for a successful season regardless of the win-loss record. Some of the trickier orchestrations include: coordinating transportation for practices, selecting a team mascot and colors that both schools will adopt, choosing captains without showing favor to one school over the other, making homecoming week arrangements—all of these while pulling support from the participating communities. This becomes even more challenging and complex when two hotly-contested opponents like Geraldine and Highwood are asked to work together.
Highwood Mountains Network, a photo by mdt1960 on Flickr.It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that this first year for the Rivals will be a bumpy ride, but how well they fair in their new co-op relationship will be critical in establishing how smooth their co-op runs in future seasons. “The obvious problem with co-ops is getting kids on the same page,” according to Coach Tweet. “You’ve got two towns with their own identities and trying to blend them together takes time. I don’t know how long that really takes to get it so they think of it as one team.”
If there is one thing that might keep the bumps to a minimum, it will be the fact that the two communities have already established and maintained a co-op between their two junior high football programs for the past five years.
Even if the Geraldine-Highwood co-op is not the first, it is likely pushing the limits of daily operations required of a football team given the one-hour travel time between each school. Perhaps they can look to the six-man football co-op of Custer and Melstone for inspiration. These two schools have survived for over ten years with a 40-mile stretch of dirt road between them. But, there are casualties to consider as well, such as the short-lived Rapelje-Ryegate co-op. Rapelje now co-ops with Reed Point, while any Ryegate kids that wish to play football travel to Harlowton.
Despite the rich tradition of winning at Geraldine and Highwood, their real adversary in whether they ever bring a six-man title trophy home again might not be in the stiff competition they see each week on the gridiron, but all of the off-field logistical struggles required in maintaining a healthy and working co-op.
Postscript: The Rivals have four home games on the schedule, two will be played in Geraldine and two in Highwood.
Dubois, Wyoming: America's Newest 6-Man Gem
12 Players, Count 'em, a photo by mdt1960 on Flickr.The last time I saw a football game in Dubois, the home team could barely field an eleven-man team. There might have been three to four reserves on the sideline, and anytime a team’s bench is that thin, there’s bound to be someone who is reluctant for any action—a five-foot, four-inch, 115-pound freshman in particular.
Beginning this season, for better or worse, the Dubois Rams are amongst Wyoming’s six-man ranks. Personally, I think it’s a good fit.
Unlike many “six-man towns” I’ve visited, Dubois is a big town. In the last census, they notched 971 residents. In my travels, six-man communities are typically between 200 and 300 residents. Yet, the high school enrollment (9-12) at Dubois is a mere 54, which is right in the ballpark of a six-man program. Might we draw up a theory or two from these numbers regarding Dubois and its residents? One: there are an unusual number of households without children. Two: Many of these childless households are retired folks. Whether I’m right or wrong in my novice demographic analysis here doesn’t really matter. What matters is the Rams have a great fan base to draw on, and should they continue in winning, I suspect attendance could be daunting for home games.
Despite moving down in class, Dubois has at least one outstanding item to improve upon. Most shocking to me was the absence of game programs. Just to be sure, I asked around. I’ve seen many football games over the years in some of the poorest and smallest school districts, but never have I attended a game where programs weren’t waiting for spectators at the gate. Hopefully this was just a one-time slip up at Dubois. Small town high school football has much charm in the things that are not present, but found in larger class games. I’d like to think that missing programs are not one of those charms.
PAT4 Rattlers, a photo by mdt1960 on Flickr.As it turned out, program or no program, I was pretty stoked to be attending this particular game in Dubois, nestled up to the Wind River mountain range. My excitement had nothing to do with Dubois hosting their first home game as a six-man team or the fact that the Rams were ranked number-two and were about to battle Little Snake River, the number-one ranked team. Nope, it was because the game was on Saturday.
It’s been a lament of mine for years when it comes to attending Wyoming small town high school football games. In the past, if a game wasn’t on Friday night because a school didn’t have lights, they would hold their games on Thursday or Friday afternoons—never Saturdays like Montana—which was always extremely prohibitive for me working on Fridays. Even attending a game as close as Burlington (only 40 miles away) has required some conniving and/or sacrifice in the past. But here in the last couple of years (and maybe it has something to do with the formation of the six-man class), there are more games played on Saturday afternoons. So, I’m tipping my hat to the all the schools embracing Saturday games as well as the Wyoming High School Activities Association—I’m sure they’ve had something to do with this new scheduling trend too.
By the way, this particular game at Dubois was not only on Saturday, but at 3:00 instead of 1:00—providing even more cushion for travel time.
On a final and unrelated note… What are we to make of Tongue River’s woes? Playing in Wyoming’s 2A eleven-man class, the Eagles have forfeit their season because not enough kids signed up to play.Those students who did sign up are playing down the road with their 2A rival, Big Horn.
28 Kasım 2012 Çarşamba
South Charlotte scores and top performers: Week 11
The final week of the regular season brought out some impressive performances from south Charlotte athletes. Starting with ...
Elijah Hood, RB, Charlotte Catholic: 360 yards on 18 carries and four touchdowns in a win over Olympic. That broke a school record for yardage and is also the third-highest single game total in county history. The scary part is that I was at the game watching and, yes, he was playing well, but it just seemed like any other game with Hood. Until I looked at the numbers.
Josh Glisson, RB, Butler: 20 carries for 167 yards and three scores in the Bulldogs’ 33-14 win over Independence in the Southwestern 4A championship game. He also had a 50-yard kick return for a score plus three receptions for 57 yards.Glisson doesn't always get the recognition during games, but he's been crucial for the Bulldogs while Riley Ferguson has been injured.
Jaquavion Alexander, RB, Ross Jeffries, QB, Myers Park: Alexander had 152 yards and two touchdowns rushing and Jeffries was 10-for-15 passing for 188 yards and three touchdowns in Myers Park's upset over Rocky River to earn a spot in the playoffs. Impressive play in a clutch game for the Mustangs.
CJ Thompson, WR, South Mecklenburg: 11 catches for 190 yards, a touchdown, an interception and the game winning two-point conversion in South Meck's come from behind win against East Meck.
Week 11 scores:
Charlotte Catholic 56, Olympic 35. My pick: Charlotte Catholic
Charlotte Christian 24, Providence Day 16. My pick: Providence Day
Charlotte Country Day 33, Charlotte Latin 7. My pick: Charlotte Country Day
Myers Park 36, Rocky River 13. My pick: Rocky River
Providence High 31, Ardrey Kell 17. My pick: Providence High
Butler 33, Independence 14. My pick: Butler
South Mecklenburg 21, East Mecklenburg 20. My pick: East Meck
Private school all-state and all-conference field hockey teams
Here are the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association all-state and All-CISAA conference field hockey teams.
Providence Day made it to the state championship game, losing in overtime to Durham Academy.
2012 NCISAA Field Hockey All State Team
Jordan Barry - Durham Academy
Sarah Barry - Charlotte Latin School
Robin Blazing - Durham Academy
Mac Busby - Providence Day School
Meredith Clay - Providence Day School
Cannon Clough - Charlotte Latin School
Taylor Ednie - Ravenscroft School
Beth Erb - Charlotte Country Day School
Taylor Fleck - Ravenscroft School
Rebecca Kenney - Cary Academy
Chloe Lewis - Durham Academy
Carrie Logie - Forsyth Country Day School
Lauren McFayden - Charlotte Country Day School
Arielle Massillon - Providence Day School
Ellie Shields - Charlotte Latin School
Savannah Story - Ravenscroft School
Maggie Whitley - Charlotte Country Day School
2012 CISAA Field Hockey All Conference Team:
Caroline Allbert- Sr-CCDS
Sarah Barry-Jr-Latin
Mary Corbin Burlingame-Jr-Latin
Mackenzie Busby-Sr-PDS
Meredith Clay -Jr-PDS
Cannon Clough-Jr-Latin
Beth Erb - Sr- CCDS
Leila Evans- So-Latin
Becca Jones-Sr-Latin
Kate Lorenz- Jr- PDS
Lauren McFayden-Sr-CCDS
Arielle Massillon-Sr-PDS
Madison Penegar-Jr-CCDS
Stephanie Pham-Jr-PDS
Ellie Shields-Sr-Latin
Princess Sutherland-Jr-CCDS
Maggie Whitley-Sr-CCDS
Butler's Kalambayi received his jersey for the All-American Bowl Friday
Peter Kalambayi of Butler High School has been selected to play in the 2013 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, joining an elite group of All-Americans. Those selected will play in the game on Saturday, January 5, 2013, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The annual East vs. West match-up will be televised live on NBC at 1:00 p.m. EST and will feature the nation’s top 90 high school football players.
Kalambayi was presented with his jersey for the game during a ceremony at the school Friday.
“Peter is a talented athlete whose leadership and teamwork qualities have made him a standout at Butler High School,” said John Myers, Director of Marketing, Army Marketing and Research Group. “Only the strongest wear the Army colors, and Peter possesses mental, emotional and physical strengths similar to the Army Strong Soldier, that have afforded him that honor. We are proud to welcome all of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl players and commend each of them on their selection.”
Kalambayi was selected by the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Selection Committee, which consists of All American Games’ network of regional directors and Rivals.com. U.S. Army All-Americans are eligible for the U.S. Army Player of the Year Award, the Anthony Muñoz Lineman of the Year Award, the American Family Insurance Defensive Player of the Year Award, the Pete Dawkins Game MVP Award, and the Felix “Doc” Blanchard and Glenn Davis Awards.
As a result of Kalambayi being selected to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, his head coach Brian Hales is invited to travel to San Antonio and attend the U.S. Army Coaches Academy, an elite three-day learning experience featuring NFL coaches, as well as participate in bowl-week activities.
For more than a decade, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl has been the Nation’s premier high school football game, serving as the preeminent launching pad for America’s future college and NFL stars. Percy Harvin, Jamaal Charles, Patrick Peterson, and Andrew Luck all made their national debuts as U.S. Army All-Americans. In the 2012 NFL Draft Andrew Luck became the first U.S. Army All-American Bowl alumnus to be selected with the first overall pick. The 2012 U.S. Army All-American Bowl drew a record crowd of 39,011 to the Alamodome, and was the most-watched sporting event on television over the weekend, excluding the NFL playoffs.
For more information on the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and its related events visit www.usarmyallamericanbowl.com and www.goarmy.com/events/aab or the official Facebook and Twitter pages located at http://www.facebook.com/USArmyAllAmericanBowl and www.twitter.com/armyallamerican.
-U.S. Army All-American Bowl release
Butler's Kalambayi a finalist for the Butkus Award
Butler senior linebacker Peter Kalambayi is one of five finalists for the high school Butkus Award, honoring the nation's top linebackers and awarded by the Butkus foundation.
Finalists were selected by a panel of 51 coaches, scouts and journalists. Winners for the high school, college and professional award will be announced the first week of December.
High school finalists include:
- Reuben Foster, Auburn, Alabama
- Trey Johnson, Central Gwinett, Lawrenceville, Georgia
- Peter Kalambayi, Butler, Matthews, North Carolina
- Isaac Savaiinaea, Punahou, Honolulu, Hawaii
- Jaylon Smith, Bishop Luers, Fort Wayne, Indiana
For more information, visit www.thebutkusaward.com.
Charlotte Hounds to host high school lacrosse recruiting seminar
The Charlotte Hounds lacrosse team is hosting a Charlotte Recruiting Seminar for boys' and girls' high school lacrosse players Dec. 1 at Queens University of Charlotte's sports complex.
The event, which runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., is open to all boys and girls in eighth through 11th grades and their parents. Cost is $35 and it benefits the Head Strong and Junior Hounds Foundations.
Several college lacrosse coaches will speak at the seminar. Duke men's lacrosse coach John Danowski will talk to the entire group to start the event before the players are split up into boys' and girls' groups.
Full list of speakers:
- John Danowski (Keynote) - Duke Head Men's Lacrosse Coach
- JB Clarke - Limestone Head Men's Lacrosse Coach
- Mike Cerino - Limestone AD and Head Charlotte Hounds Coach
- Jim Fritz - Queens Head Men's Lacrosse Coach
- Phil Barnes - UNC Asst Women's Lacrosse Coach
- Lyndsey Boswell - High Point Head Women's Lacrosse Coach
- Carlee Buck - Limestone Asst Women's Lacrosse Coach
- Michele Dombrowski - Sewanee Head Women's Lacrosse Coach
For more information, and to register, visit www.charlottehounds.com.
27 Kasım 2012 Salı
Butler's Kalambayi received his jersey for the All-American Bowl Friday
Peter Kalambayi of Butler High School has been selected to play in the 2013 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, joining an elite group of All-Americans. Those selected will play in the game on Saturday, January 5, 2013, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The annual East vs. West match-up will be televised live on NBC at 1:00 p.m. EST and will feature the nation’s top 90 high school football players.
Kalambayi was presented with his jersey for the game during a ceremony at the school Friday.
“Peter is a talented athlete whose leadership and teamwork qualities have made him a standout at Butler High School,” said John Myers, Director of Marketing, Army Marketing and Research Group. “Only the strongest wear the Army colors, and Peter possesses mental, emotional and physical strengths similar to the Army Strong Soldier, that have afforded him that honor. We are proud to welcome all of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl players and commend each of them on their selection.”
Kalambayi was selected by the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Selection Committee, which consists of All American Games’ network of regional directors and Rivals.com. U.S. Army All-Americans are eligible for the U.S. Army Player of the Year Award, the Anthony Muñoz Lineman of the Year Award, the American Family Insurance Defensive Player of the Year Award, the Pete Dawkins Game MVP Award, and the Felix “Doc” Blanchard and Glenn Davis Awards.
As a result of Kalambayi being selected to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, his head coach Brian Hales is invited to travel to San Antonio and attend the U.S. Army Coaches Academy, an elite three-day learning experience featuring NFL coaches, as well as participate in bowl-week activities.
For more than a decade, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl has been the Nation’s premier high school football game, serving as the preeminent launching pad for America’s future college and NFL stars. Percy Harvin, Jamaal Charles, Patrick Peterson, and Andrew Luck all made their national debuts as U.S. Army All-Americans. In the 2012 NFL Draft Andrew Luck became the first U.S. Army All-American Bowl alumnus to be selected with the first overall pick. The 2012 U.S. Army All-American Bowl drew a record crowd of 39,011 to the Alamodome, and was the most-watched sporting event on television over the weekend, excluding the NFL playoffs.
For more information on the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and its related events visit www.usarmyallamericanbowl.com and www.goarmy.com/events/aab or the official Facebook and Twitter pages located at http://www.facebook.com/USArmyAllAmericanBowl and www.twitter.com/armyallamerican.
-U.S. Army All-American Bowl release
Butler's Kalambayi a finalist for the Butkus Award
Butler senior linebacker Peter Kalambayi is one of five finalists for the high school Butkus Award, honoring the nation's top linebackers and awarded by the Butkus foundation.
Finalists were selected by a panel of 51 coaches, scouts and journalists. Winners for the high school, college and professional award will be announced the first week of December.
High school finalists include:
- Reuben Foster, Auburn, Alabama
- Trey Johnson, Central Gwinett, Lawrenceville, Georgia
- Peter Kalambayi, Butler, Matthews, North Carolina
- Isaac Savaiinaea, Punahou, Honolulu, Hawaii
- Jaylon Smith, Bishop Luers, Fort Wayne, Indiana
For more information, visit www.thebutkusaward.com.
South Charlotte football previews and predictions: Playoff Week 4
Each week, South Charlotte News prep sports writer Corey Inscoe breaks down the biggest south Charlotte football games and gives predictions for every area contest.
Last week: 3-0
Overall: 79-18
Butler vs. Mallard Creek, Memorial Stadium -- I've said it all season: I have yet to see a team that comes anywhere close to the talent of Butler. Mallard Creek may be the closest. Butler beat Mallard Creek 27-6 in the first game of the season this year at Memorial Stadium. Will we see a repeat? My pick: Butler.
Charlotte Catholic at Statesville - There's one key to stopping Charlotte Catholic: Stop Elijah Hood. No one has done that since Charlotte Country Day beat the Cougars earlier this year. From what I hear, Statesville as a fast, athletic defense and the Greyhounds beat a good South Point team last week. The Cougars haven't been to the state championship game since 2007. Is this the year they make it back? My pick: Charlotte Catholic. (I'll be covering this game for the Observer tonight. Follow along on Twitter @CoreyInscoe.)
Providence Day runner qualifies for Nike Cross Nationals
Providence Day cross country runner Ben Huffman finished fifth at the Nike Cross Southeast Regional Saturday, qualifying him for the Nike Cross National meet in Portland, Ore., Dec. 1.
Huffman finished with a time of 15 minutes, 22.8 seconds on the 5-kilometer WakeMed Soccer Park course in Cary, N.C. He was 13 seconds behind the first place finisher.
"Honestly, it wasn't a great race for him, but he's so mentally strong," wrote Providence Day cross country coach Ben Hovis in an email. "It was crazy windy on the WakeMed course, with the wind blowing in their faces going up the 600-meter hill (twice)."
The Southeast Regional included runners from Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. There were 229 runners in the Boys' Championship race.
Twenty-two seven-member club teams and 45 individual runners from across the country qualify for the Nike Cross Nationals.
For more, check out a feature on Huffman I did earlier this fall: "Providence Day runner gaining speed."
Learn more about the Nike Cross Nationals at www.nxn.com.
2012 - Playoff Week #3 Scores
| 7A | 6A |
| 5A | 4A |
| 3A | 2A |
7A
- Bentonville 28, Ft. Smith Southside 21
- Fayetteville 30, North Little Rock 28
6A
- Greenwood 42, El Dorado 39
- Pine Bluff 24, Jonesboro 0
5A
- Camden Fairview 34, Wynne 21
- Batesville 40, Pulaski Academy 21
4A
- Ozark 35, Booneville 14
- Highland 40, Heber Springs 14
- Stuttgart 27, Warren 6
- Prairie Grove 41, Nashville 34
3A
- Glen Rose 31, Charleston 28
- Prescott 49, Greenland 14
- Harding Academy 62, McGehee 33
- Fountain Lake 27, Paris 6
2A
- Bearden 35, Magnet Cove 7
- Mineral Springs 22, Carlisle 21
- Junction City 34, Salem 6
- Walnut Ridge 50, Murfreesboro 26
26 Kasım 2012 Pazartesi
Football: Stone Bridge Back to Practicing on Thanksgiving with 33-14 Win Over Langley in Regional Semifinals
Dan Sousa
Ashburn (Nov. 22, 2012) – Last year the Stone Bridge High School football team had a rare Thanksgiving off after an earlier than expected exit from the playoffs but the Bulldogs were back to working out on Turkey Day after a 33-14 win over a tough Langley squad in the Northern Region Division 5 semifinals on Nov. 16.
Bulldog junior Sterling Dailey had a career-high 192 yards rushing on 28 carries and two TD runs as Stone Bridge (12-0 record) advanced to their 10th regional final in 11 seasons.
“Our goal is to definitely get to States,” said junior DB/WR Tyler Banks.First Stone Bridge must host undefeated Yorktown (12-0) at 1:30 p.m. Friday in the regional finals. The Bulldogs are looking for an 8th regional title since 2002.
Coming into the Langley game, the Bulldog boosters were confident as Stone Bridge faced a Langley squad they had beaten 27-6 in the regular season and the Bulldogs record vs. Liberty District foes is a mind-blowing 64-1 all-time.
“Considering Stone Bridge beat Langley last year (in the playoffs), I’m confident that we’ll win again,” said sophomore Isaac Sheikh, in the bulldog marching band.
“It’s good to play Langley again,” said Nicolas Marchio, head cheerleading coach. Neither team, however, could score in the opening quarter, which didn’t surprise Marchio: “They were our toughest competition during our regular season,” said Marchio.
The 0-0 stalemate continued until 4:02 was left in the first half when the Bulldogs finally broke through with a 3-yard TD run by senior Christian Strahin. Brendan Smedley’s extra point made it Stone Bridge 7-0.
With sixteen seconds left of the second quarter Stone Bridge scores a second touchdown. This time it was Dailey on an 8-yard run. The extra point failed making it Stone Bridge 13-0 going into the half.
The Stone Bridge team felt good about making it to the regional finals this year, said Banks, especially since this time last year Stone Bridge lost to South County at home, ending their season short of the regional finals.
During halftime, while Langley was busy reorganizing and creating new strategies. The fans were talking amongst themselves and going to the concession stands for hot chocolate.
“We beat Langley last time and we’re amazing,” said sophomore Brady Smith, in bulldog marching band.
In the third quarter with 6:31 minutes Stone Bridge added insurance with a 6-yard TD pass from senior Ryan Burns to senior Jimmy Higgins. Another failed PAT made it 19-0 Stone Bridge.
In the fourth quarter Langley scored finally against the stout Stone Bridge defense on a 1-yard run by Philip Novacki. Brian Ochoa’s PAT cut Stone Bridge’s lead to 19-7.
With only 4:18 minutes left of the game Stone Bridge gave their fans another reason to warm their hands with more applause as Dailey danced in from five yards out. Smedley’s PAT made it 26-7.
Langley didn’t go down without a fight as the Saxons scored on a 20-yard TD pass from Nick Casso to Ochoa. That made it 26-14 Stone Bridge.
With three seconds left in the game, Stone Bridge put the exclamation point on the win as Burns hooked up with junior D’Ante Yarborough on a 50-yard TD pass. Smedley’s PAT left the final score 33-14 as fans filed into the parking lot.
“I want to play South County next since they knocked us out last year,” said Banks.
Yorktown, however, knocked off South County in the other semifinal and the Bulldogs and Banks were busy preparing for the Patriots on Thanksgiving while the rest of Ashburn was busy preparing for their annual holiday meal.
Stone Bridge 33, Langley 14
| Langley | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| Stone Bridge | 0 | 13 | 6 | 14 | 33 |
| Team | Period | Scoring Play | Conversion |
| B | 2nd | 3yd run by Christian Strahin | Brendan Smedley kick |
| B | 2nd | 8yd run by Sterling Dailey | Brendan Smedley kick No Good |
| B | 3rd | 6yd pass from Ryan Burns to Jimmy Higgins | 2pt conversion No Good |
| L | 4th | 1yd run by Philip Novacki | Brian Ochoa kick |
| B | 4th | 5yd run by Sterling Dailey | Brendan Smedley kick |
| L | 4th | 20yd pass from Nick Casso to Brian Ochoa | Brian Ochoa kick |
| B | 4th | 50yd pass from Ryan Burns to D’Ante Yarborough | Brendan Smedley kick |
RUSHING -- INDIVIDUAL
| BULLDOGS | Carries | Yards | | OPPONENT | Carries | Yards |
| Sterling Dailey | 28 | 192 | | Nick Casso | 17 | 3 |
| Christian Strahin | 11 | 73 | | Philip Mun | 15 | 136 |
| D’Ante Yarborough | 7 | 29 | | Philip Novacki | 4 | 5 |
| Rassaun Goldring | 3 | 11 | | Team | 2 | -23 |
| Ryan Burns | 3 | 0 | | | | |
| Team | 1 | -4 | | | | |
PASSING -- INDIVIDUAL
| BULLDOGS | Att | Cmp | Yds | Int | | OPPONENT | Att | Cmp | Yds | Int |
| Ryan Burns | 9 | 6 | 101 | 1 | | Nick Casso | 14 | 8 | 166 | 0 |
RECEIVING -- INDIVIDUAL
| BULLDOGS | Catches | Yards | | OPPONENT | Catches | Yards |
| D’Ante Yarborough | 3 | 63 | | Garrett Collier | 4 | 77 |
| Jimmy Higgins | 3 | 38 | | Philip Novacki | 2 | 61 |
| | | | | Brian Ochoa | 1 | 20 |
| | | | | Philip Mun | 1 | 4 |