From staff reports
Salisbury returned from a two-week hiatus to beat East Lincoln 3-1 on Thursday.
Connor Miller again provided stellar goalkeeping for the Hornets (10-0-1).
B.J. Woods put away a cross by Michael Mazur to open the scoring. Gerardo Sosa scored off a sharp diagonal pass from Wes McNeely. Matt Cervantes hammered in a 30-yarder from the left side after a nice setup by Paul Kollie.
Salisbury led 3-0 at halftime.
“We played a very solid first half, but then the long break we had killed us,” Salisbury coach Tom Sexton said. “We’ve lost some game fitness and it’s going to take a little time to get it back.”
Salisbury has outscored foes 58-5 and is ranked fourth in 2A.
* Salisbury’s jayvees finally had a chance to open the season on Thursday and beat East Lincoln 3-1.
Christian Mendoza scored two goals. Donovan Perez had the other goal. Tyler Petty and Rasheen Samaru and keeper Brian Vanegas led the defense.
* East Rowan’s varsity battled to a 2-2 tie with Thomasville on Thursday. East failed on 18 shots and trailed 1-0 at halftime.
East trailed 2-0 with nine minutes remaining when Jan Garus found Reid Lippard in the middle of the field. Lippard made a move on a defender and placed the ball in the back of the net for his first goal of the season.
Robbie Barnes converted a penalty kick for the tying goal after Gaige Vandezande was pulled down in the box.
“Most teams would have folded after the second goal,” East coach John McNeil said. “But the guys kept plugging away and found away to at least grab a draw. It was good to see that desire.”
– Prep golf
Salisbury’s girls golf team shot 117 in a match against NPC teams at Statesville Country Club on Thursday. Lily Yatawara made an eagle on the No. 3 hole and led the Hornets with a 1-over 37.
Madison Kennedy shot 39. Amber Lyerly (41) was the third scorer for the Hornets. Catherine Parks (46) and Brooke Smith (54) also competed.
“I’m very proud of how our girls bounced back after Wednesday’s tough match, especially Amber,” SHS coach Dale Snyder said.
The county championship is set for Warrior on Oct. 8.
* West Rowan shot 150 and won Wednesday’s match at Twin Oaks.
Statesville (151), East Rowan (157), North Iredell (172) and South Iredell (182) rounded out the field.
Katie Knepp led the Falcons with a 48 and finished second. Micah Cottingham and Alex Mills shot 51s and tied for fifth. Knepp overcame two early triple bogeys to help the Falcons win.
Samantha Haviland shot 49 and tied for third to lead East. East’s Emily Cleveland shot 52 and tied for seventh. South Rowan’s Courtney Barbee competed as an individual and shot 49.
Statesville’s Kathryn Vance was medalist with a 45.
“The course played extremely tough and long for the girls,” East coach Rhett Teems said. “Bogey was not a bad score.”
* In Monday’s match at Warrior, Statesville won with a 137 tally. West Rowan (144), East (156) and North Iredell (176) completed the field.
Knepp was medalist with a 40. Kathryn Palmes led Statesville with a 42. Haviland’s 46 led the Mustangs.
“The Warrior was in great condition,” Teems said. “Knepp is having an excellent year. She is currently leading the NPC. She has one of the best attitudes and work ethics for the game.”
– World Duathlon
Salisbury’s Katherine and Emily Shields are competing Saturday in The World Duathlon Short Course Championships.
The sisters are part of the five-person Team USA junior squad.
The event takes place at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Competitor will run a 5K, bike 20K, and then run another 2.5K.
– Prep volleyball
Carson topped Statesville 25-10, 25-17, 25-20 to finish a season sweep of the Greyhounds on Thursday.
Carson (13-2, 5-2) is third in the NPC behind West Iredell and North Iredell.
* Carson’s jayvees topped Statesville 25-13, 25-17.
* Carson’s varsity won a nonconference match at Southwestern Randolph on Wednesday.
– Jayvee football
Salisbury fell 26-8 to Davie on Thursday.
Keion Adams rushed for a Salisbury TD, while Justin Ruffin ran for a two-point conversion and a short-lived 8-6 lead.
Jalen Warren led the blocking for the Hornets (3-2).
* A.L. Brown stayed unbeaten with a 39-0 romp against Jay M. Robinson.
Demetrius Jackson scored four TDs for the Wonders. Tevin Jones scored on a 55-yard punt return. Quarterback Damien Washington broke a 52-yard scoring run. Nathaniel Sexton kicked three PATs.
– Middle school football
West Rowan’s eighth-graders rolled over Knox 44-0.
Keyows Weeks had scoring runs of 35 and 56 yards and added a two-point conversion.
Daisean Reddick caught a 60-yard TD pass from Michael Pinkston. Nick Collins scored on an 8-yard run and caught a two-point pass from Pinkston.
Derrick Fortson scored on a 65-yard run and added a two-point conversion. Broderick Avery returned an interception 45 yards for a score.
Tyler Kennedy added a two-point conversion run.
West’s offensive line of Zeke Blackwood, Jesse Moore, Trey Brawley, Jacob Kennedy and Teoz Mauney blocked well. The defense was led by Parrish Poteat, Andrew Jiles, Malik Crudup and Jacob Steele.
West (3-0) plays at Southeast on Wednesday.
– Middle school softball
Erwin defeated Knox 17-2.
Josie McNeely, Kaleigh Troutman and Alisha Beam had three hits each to lead a 19-hit attack. Kennedy Lambert and Mariah Morgan had two hits each.
Beam struck out nine batters, while Hayley Hepburn fanned two.
– SA cross country
Salisbury Academy competed in its first home meet of the year at East Rowan YMCA.
SA’s Samantha Wright (17:48) was the top individual girl. Madeline Hoskins (18:16) finished third. Morgan Warren (20:36) and Amery Barton (20:50) did well.
Philip Simons ran 13:16 and finished third to lead the Jaguar boys. John Latimer(14:43) was sixth. Coleman Bergsma (15:49), Matt Washko (15:50) and Chris Distin (17:48) did well.
– Middle school tennis
Salisbury Academy defeated Sacred Heart 8-1 on Wednesday. Anna Flynn, Alexandra Drye, Mackenzie Beaver, Ann Rollins Johnson and Olivia Smith were singles winners for Salisbury Academy. Lauren Roy won for Sacred Heart.
– Local golf
Scott Brown shot a second-round 63 on Thursday and leads the Cabarrus Classic by one stroke.
– College volleyball
Pfeiffer beat Limestone 3-2 on Thursday, with Kristina Mordini supplying 17 kills for the Falcons (8-6, 5-1 CC).
– College football
Wingate piled up 450 yards of offense and forced three turnovers to beat Tusculum 42-31 in the first SAC game of the season on Thursday. The Bulldogs snapped Tusculum’s 12-game home winning streak.
Nelson Woods rushed for a season-high 133 yards on 17 carries and scored three TDs for Wingate (3-1).
Former Livingstone player Delric Ellington set a career-high with 103 receiving yards.
Phillip Hilliard (Salisbury) officially averaged 43.8 yards on four punts. He also had one punt that was partially blocked.