From staff reports
Drew Absher scored 26 points to lead Davie County’s boys basketball team to a 77-72 victory against Ledford on Thursday.
Davie (4-5) jumped out to an early 17-4 lead and maintained control by shooting 9-for-10 on free throws in the fourth quarter.Absher, who bounced back from a scoreless outing against West Rowan 24 hours earlier, hit four 3-pointers in the first half and scored 12 points in the final quarter.
Davie put five players in double figures. Landon Harris (16), Alex Marion (career-high 14), Jamal Mayfield (11) and James Mayfield (10) also had productive scoring nights.
n Davie will be part of the field for the Christmas tournament that starts at Catawba on Dec. 27.
West (4-0) and Salisbury (6-1) are still in the running for the top seed and a first-day bye.
Salisbury (7-0) has secured the No. 1 seed in the girls bracket.
n Wonders lose in OT
A.L. Brown’s boys basketball team lost to SPC rival Sun Valley 64-59 in overtime on Thursday at Bullock Gym.
Demarcus Phifer led the Wonders (2-4, 0-2) with 20 points. Jaques Deese scored 15.
Brown, which has recently added football players T.J. Johnson, Jacob Newman, Xavier Watson, Vance Chapman and Zach Massey to the mix, plays its third game in three nights when it entertains SPC foe Piedmont tonight.
Coach Shelwyn Klutz said he expects to have football standout Billy Simiton available once he recovers from a concussion suffered in the 3AA state championship game.
Klutz said Jamill Lott isn’t planning to play basketball this season.
Sun Valley improved to 4-1 in the SPC.
n East jayvee girls roll
East Rowan’s jayvee girls basketball team beat Carson 50-25 on Wednesday.
Amber Boling was 5-for-6 on 3-pointers and scored 16 points for the Mustangs. Lindsey Dunlap had 10 points, six rebounds and four steals.
n Big CCC matchup
Salisbury’s boys basketball team travels to Central Davidson tonight for a key, early CCC clash.
Salisbury is 6-1. Central, which is led by sharpshooter Trevor Leonard and big man Shawn Davis, is 7-0.
Leonard hit eight 3-pointers and scored 30 points in Central’s victory over North Stanly on Wednesday.
n Prep wrestling
The Rowan County Wrestling Championships will be held Saturday morning and afternoon at Salisbury.
East Rowan is two-time defending champion.
n In the recent Trinity High Tournament, East placed fifth, and Aaron Plyler won his weight class. Mark Almeida and Kory Shaffer finished third. Colton Merritt and Kendall Morgan placed fourth. A.J. Ewing, Cameron Ferrante and Josiah Hurst were fifth.
n East placed eighth in a tournament at Ledford. Hurst won his weight class. Hunter Arey finished second. Donovan Smoot and Alex Lawson placed fourth.
n In East’s 63-9 NPC loss against Mooresville, Merritt won by pin and Shaffer won a decision.
n East dropped an NPC match to West Iredell. The teams tied 36-36, but the Warriors prevailed on criteria. Plyler, Lawson and Franklin Wright had pins for the Mustangs.
n Prep swimming
Salisbury swim teams finished second to Central Davidson in a CCC quad meet that also involved Ledford and Providence Grove.
Central’s girls outscored the Hornets (132) and Panthers (109).
Central’s boys scored 161 points to outdistance the Hornets (77).
For the Salisbury girls:
Madi Ralston won the 100 butterfly (1:04.50) and 500 free (5:27.89).
Garrison Stevens won the 200 IM (2:25.10) and was second in the 100 free (57.49).
Molly Robinson won the 50 free in 28.76.
Carley Drye was second in the 200 IM (2:32.61) and the 100 backstroke (1:08.38). Shelby Carrion was second in the 100 fly (1:07.46).
Carrion, Drye, Ralston and Stevens won the 200 medley relay in 2:02.69 and the 400 free relay in 4:02.06. Carrion, Kristy McSwain, Charlotte Mills and Robinson finished third in the 200 free relay (2:00.89).
For the Salisbury boys:
Andrew McCollister won the 200 IM (2:12.57) and the 100 breaststroke (1:07).
Max Messinger was third in the 200 free in 3:08.15. Braxton Whitaker was third in the 200 IM in 2:53.37. Grant Martz was third in the 500 free in 7:58.51.
Martz, McCollister, John Thompson and Whitaker placed second in the 200 medley relay in 2:13.48.
Martz, McCollister, Thompson and Austin Flynn finished third in the 400 free relay in 4:37.11.
n 8th-grade hoops
Southeast’s boys beat Knox 54-52 in overtime on Thursday.
Andrew Purcell scored the first five points of overtime to spark the Patriots. K.J. Pressley’s free throws provided the winning margin.
Casey Stiller had 20 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks for Southeast.
Kaison Denton scored eight points, and Purcell had seven. Travis Abbitt and Greg Tonneson added six each.
Buster Hillie led Knox with 11 points. Keiro Cuthbertson and Scott Freidrich had 10 each. Keion Adams and Laron Lane scored six apiece, and Deshaun Provoid added five.
n Southeast’s girls cruised past Knox 47-24 as Allison Blackwell and Tyesha Phillips scored 17 points each.
Blackwell grabbed 21 rebounds for the Cougars, while Phillips had 10 boards and five blocks.
Vashti Usry scored 11 points for the Trojans.
n North Rowan’s girls stayed unbeaten with a 41-32 victory against Erwin.
Daterria Connor scored 11 points and Nikhyia Polk 10 to lead the Mavericks (7-0). Taylor Sells and Amber Carter added eight points each. Connor paced the winners on the boards.
Erwin, which cut a 16-point halftime deficit to seven several times, was led by Sydney Poole with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Bobbi Thomas had six points and nine boards for the Eagles (5-4, 4-3). Jessica Rummage added five points and three steals.
n North Rowan’s unbeaten boys romped 51-11 over Erwin.
Kihrey Ellis and T.J. Bates scored 10 points each. Malik Ford scored eight points, and Noah Stoyanov added six for the Mavericks (7-0).
Erwin (0-9, 0-7) was led by Tyler L’Hommedieu with seven points.
n Sacred Heart hoops
Sacred Heart beat Statesville Montessori 40-15 behind Kelly Dulkoski’s 20 points and nine steals.
Alison Sobataka scored six points and pulled down nine rebounds for the Dolphins. Lauren Gray came off the bench to contribute six points.
n Homeschool Stallions
The Cabarrus-Rowan varsity girls basketball team won 35-23 against Grace Academy. Hannah Holm scored 21, and Rebecca Bare had six points.
– The Stallion middle school boys beat St. Ann’s Catholic 40-16. Jordan Long scored 10 for the Stallions (4-6), while Grant Stroller had eight.
n Salisbury Academy hoopsSalisbury Academy’s varsity boys Red team beat Sacred Heart 39-22 to avenge their only loss.
Tyler Petty had 20 points and 16 rebounds for the Jaguars (10-1).
Jon Mark Petty scored seven points for the Jaguars.
n Salisbury Academy’s varsity girls topped Woodlawn 20-7.
Madeline Hoskins scored 12 points to lead the Jaguars, and Allie Billings and Alexandra Drye had four each.
n Salisbury Academy’s varsity boys Blue team lost to Woodlawn 45-16.
Alex Wimmer had five points for the Jaguars.
n Pfeiffer hoops
Pfeiffer’s men’s basketball team forced 42 turnovers and won at Columbia Union 96-65 earlier this week.
Pfeiffer (4-1) was led by Chris Woods, who scored 18 points on 9-for-11 shooting in 19 minutes.
n Intimidators make hire
The Kannapolis Intimidators announced Alex Gyr will serve as its Broadcaster and Media Relations Director for the 2009 season.
Gyr will handle all play-by-play duties this season, while also taking charge of the media relations department.
Gyr, 23, joins the Intimidators after a season calling games for the Lakewood BlueClaws.
n Catawba softball
Catawba’s softball program announced the signing of infielder/pitcher Casey Baucom (Piedmont), a two-time All-State performer and the Union County Player of the Year.
Catawba also signed pitcher Kelsie Hudson (Mechanicsville, Va.), an all-district athlete who also excels in volleyball.
n Griffith honored
Greensboro College’s Drew Griffith (Salisbury) was named to the North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association College Division All-State soccer team.