The Western Regional notebook ...

HICKORY — North Rowan, only undefeated boys basketball team in the Western Regionals — regardless of classification — was the talk of the town Monday morning at the Metro Convention Center.

Everyone who made it to the Western Regionals, including coaching legends like R.J. Reynolds’ Howard West, had a pat on the back and a hug for North’s third-year coach Kelly Everhart, but, then again, maybe they were just trying to get close enough to get some advice.

“Not from me. I was just telling Howard to please take it easy on people,” quipped Everhart, who was accompanied by assistant principal Bill Mauldin.

North (26-0) will tangle with surging Shelby (20-7) in a regional semifinal at Hickory High’s Craft Gymnasium at 7 on Friday. In the 8:30 semifinal, West Caldwell’s Warriors (27-1) scrap with dangerous Lexington (17-12), a Central Carolina Conference club which North has already beaten three times.

The winners meet Saturday afternoon at 3 for the Western title and a trip to Chapel Hill for the state championship game.

“Friday night to Saturday afternoon. That’s a quick turnaround,” said Everhart. “Thank goodness, we’re not playing that late game on Friday.”

That’s as close as Everhart will come to talking about anything beyond Friday. He tells everyone who asks — and a whole bunch of people ask — that the Cavs have gotten where they are by focusing on one game at a time and refusing to look past any opponent.

If you took a poll, 90 percent of the people in the room predict a North Rowan-West Caldwell meeting in Saturday’s finals. One scribe, who shadows West Caldwell, declares that North Rowan-West Caldwell will be a titanic battle of the ages and will decide the state title — not just the regional title.

But Everhart politely reminds anyone who will listen that his only concern at the moment is Shelby.

North would be wise to concentrate on Shelby, not on that feisty West Caldwell team which chopped down undefeated powerhouse Northwood’s trees in a sectional final last week. Shelby’s seven losses keep it from being ranked in the polls, but its record is deceiving. For one thing, several of those losses were to 4A Charlotte teams in a Christmas tournament. For another, Shelby is an impressive 15-1 since it got two key players eligible at the semester break.

Shelby even has a spectacular guy named “Scooter,” which should fire the Cavs up. But more on the Golden Lions later this week.

n

TICKETS:Tickets are $7 and will go on sale an hour before game-time. There will be no pre-sale of tickets.

n

OLD HANDS: The Cavs got used to Hickory during the sectionals, playing at Catawba Valley Community College.

Everhart said he wished the Cavs could have remained at that venue, rather than moving over to Hickory High.

“Catawba Valley is a wonderful facility,” he said.

n

SUCCESSSTORY:The feel-good story of this regional has to be former North Rowan star Larry Dixon.

Dixon, No. 15 on North’s all-time scoring list and a former South Rowan assistant, is now the head coach at Garinger in Charlotte.

Dixon was hired to lead the Wildcats just before the 1999-2000 season, after coach Rick Lewis moved over to North Stanly. Dixon got started late and his first team won just four games, losing eight games by three or fewer points. But this season, the Wildcats have roared to 21-6 and reached Hickory with a 53-52 win over Myers Park. It’s Garinger’s first regional appearance since 1989.

“We won all those close games we lost last season,” said Dixon.

Dixon didn’t exactly get a favorable draw and must take on 4A favorite R.J. Reynolds on Wednesday at 8:30.

“Win or lose Wednesday, I’ll be up here to support the Cavaliers on Friday,” said Dixon, who shared a happy reunion with Everhart.

n

BETTERTHANADVERTISED:Some downplayed North’s unbeaten league season, because the competition was perceived to be weak. The sectionals disproved that theory.

The league’s No. 4 team Ledford won a playoff game before falling to North.

One sectional final actually pitted the CCC’s No. 2 team Lexington against its No. 3 — High Point Central.

Lexington, by the way, has gone 13-1 against teams not named North Rowan since it started conference play. So don’t write the obit for coach Don Corry’s Yellow Jackets just yet.

n

ASGOODASADVERTISED: The showing by the CCC boys is the the sort of stuff we’ve gotten used to seeing from the 4A Central Piedmont, which put two boys teams (R.J. Reynolds and Mount Tabor) in the regionals. Mount Tabor beat CPC rival West Forsyth in a sectional final, while Reynolds made it to Hickory by destroying Crest.

The CCC girls, who are represented by Ledford and High Point Central, continued their dominance. Ledford’s been to the regional level seven straight times. The Bison have won three state titles and are favored to grab a fourth.

n

NOTEASY:The perennial success of girls teams like HPCentral and Ledford and boys teams like West Rowan ( nine regional appearances in the last dozen years) tend to make fans forget what an accomplishment it is just to get to Hickory. North’s boys had been absent for 15 years until this season. Boys teams from South Rowan, East Rowan and Davie County have never made it.

n

GOLDENGIRLS: Post coverage area girls teams have been able to win sectionals to reach Hickory, but their records in regional play are pretty scary. They’ve combined for exactly one win in 14 tries.

A.L. Brown (0-4), Davie County (0-2), East Rowan (0-1), North Rowan (0-1), Salisbury (0-1) and South Rowan (0-2) have been blanked. West(1-2) is the only local girls team ever to win a regional game, according to records provided by the NCHSAA. The Falcons beat Smoky Mountain in overtime in 1993, but then fell in the regional finals to North Iredell, one step short of Chapel Hill.

n

GOODNEIGHBORS:Did anyone notice that the nearby Mooresville boys reached the regionals for the first time ever?

Athletics director Mike Carter and coach Stephen Mauney were on hand in Hickory representing the Blue Devils. Mooresville lost two close games to South (66-60 and 67-66) in its only Rowan County encounters this season, so fans may not have noticed it was going 19-10.

With realignment prior to next season, the Moors will turn east for a change and will compete in the same league as East Rowan, West Rowan and A.L. Brown.

n

There will be more information on the Cavs and the 2A field in Hickory as the week progresses.