It’s official.

David Bennett, the architect of Catawba College’s 11-1 football season that saw the Indians ranked as high as second nationally in Division II, has signed a contract extension.

Bennett, who took over in 1995 as the head coach, signed a three-year deal, according to athletic director Dennis Davidson. The contract is a rollover, which means a year is added after every season.

Terms of the contract were undisclosed.

Just another reason I hate polls.

Catawba’s women’s basketball team had its most successful season ever. John Duncan’s club won the South Atlantic Conference regular season and tournament titles, was one of two SAC team to make the national playoffs and finished 25-5.

So when the national polls came out, Presbyterian was ranked 23rd.

Catawba was not ranked.

And oh, by the way, Presbyterian did not make the postseason and its coach was one of the voters.

n

Lakai Brice certainly couldn’t believe it. She ended one of the most brilliant careers in Catawba history.

“We never got any recognition,” she said.

But individual glory might come later for Brice, a 5-5 guard.

She is making a highlight film to send overseas and feels there is a chance at making money bouncing a basketball.

n

Livingstone’s 6-5 center Julie Tarrance attended the WNBA Combine recently.

Coach Andrew Mitchell has talked with Los Angeles and Miami officials who told him she has the potential to be drafted.

“She felt pretty good about it,” said Mitchell.

Tarrance and Rodney Gidney will be represented in the Black College All-Star Game in Baltimore April 21. The women play at 7 p.m. and the men at 9 p.m.

n

This might turn out to be the greatest sports year in Catawba’s school history.

The two basketball teams combined to go 50-10, which is third best in the country.

Only Southern Indiana (54-8) and Nebraska-Kearney (49-9) were better.

North Carolina dominated the combined-records statistics with five of the top 20 teams. Queens (49-11) was fourth, Wingate (48-12) ninth, Winston-Salem State (45-14) was 13th and Johnson C.Smith (46-15) was 16th.

n

Just thought you ought to know: Catawba men’s basketball coach Jim Baker is the father of a brand new baby girl, Madison Marie, born April 2.

n

Salisbury High’s Leonard Owens recently finished his junior year with the University of Texas at El Paso Miners, who went 23-9 and made the NIT.

Owens started 22 games for the Miners, shooting 45 percent from the field and 70 percent from the line.

Owens averaged 5.8 points and 4 rebounds. He scored in double figures eight times and had 103 assists and 35 blocked shots.

n

South Rowan’s Richard Gaston started 14 games this past season at Eastern Kentucky University, which competes in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Gaston’s team went 7-19.

The junior averaged 4.7 points and 3.7 rebounds.

n

South Rowan’s Carlos Dixon was the No. 2 scorer for Virginia Tech as a freshman.

Dixon, who averaged 11 points (second on the team), poured in 50 3-pointers in 144 attempts (34.7 percent). He also averaged nearly four rebounds and nearly three assists.

Dixon started all 27 games for the 8-19 Hokies.

n

The NFL has completed its realignment.

For instance the Carolina Panthers are in the South Division. The Green Bay Packers are in the North Division.

And the NFL placed the San Diego Chargers in the pee-wee division.

n

Peterson and Lockhart update:

DeVonte Peterson and Radell Lockhart, the two Catawba football studs who worked out for NFL coaches and scouts at the end of March, must have made an impression.

Tim Krumrie, the Cincinnati Bengals defensive line coach, is flying Lockhart, a quick, 6-4, 260-pound defensive end, up to Cincy for a workout in front of the brass.

Peterson, the 6-4, 280-pound mammoth defensive lineman, impressed enough to get a personal tryout next week with the defensive line coach from Miami.

The NFL Draft is April 21-22.

n

After 10 concussions, Troy Aikman is headed for the TV booth. He says he wants to be on the same level as Terry Bradshaw.

For that to happen, he’ll need three or four more concussions.

n

East Rowan boys basketball coach update: Athletic director Worth Roberts said last week the Mustangs are still looking to replace Mark Flynn, who resigned a month ago.

“We’re interested in anyone who is interested in us,” Roberts said.

n

Don’t do it, Mike: Jay Mariotti of the Chicago Sun-Times writes that Americans don’t really care if Michael Jordan makes another comeback as a player, adding, “Why junk up the perfect career with a cobwebbed Globetrotters act? Magic Johnson tried the same sort of comeback. Wasn’t it awful?”

n

More Jordan: Michael Wilbon of The Washington Post takes a different view:

“It’s amazing how magical (the prospect or Jordan’s return) still is. Phone calls came into my office from New Zealand, Germany and Japan. The obsession with Jordan is jolting.

“He’s the only person on the planet who can put Tiger Woods in the passenger seat.”

n

And finally ...

I just can’t win.

A friend of mine was recently invited to be a contestant on Regis Philbin’s “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”

At the same time, I was invited to be a contestant on “Who wants to be the owner of this big jar of pennies?”

And that’s about all this column is worth. See ya.

n

Ronnie Gallagher is the sports editor of the Post.