From staff reports
Catawba’s men’s soccer team extended its season with a 1-0 road upset of nationally ranked Mars Hill in a SAC tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday.
The sixth-seeded Indians (9-8-2) scored in the 58th minute on Danny Sassano’s 20-yard rocket. The opportunity was created by Spencer Preston’s breakaway run and through ball.
Catawba keeper Evan Harvey made the goal stand up. He stopped 11 shots to shut out the Lions (11-5-1).
Catawba advances to play No. 7 seed Lenoir-Rhyne in a semifinal on Friday afternoon in Rock Hill.
The Bears surprised No. 2 seed Tusculum 3-0.
The SAC women’s tournament starts tonight, with No. 7 Catawba at No. 2 Wingate.
Prep cross country
The NCHSAA cross country state championships return to Beeson Park in Kernersville on Saturday.
The day begins with the 2A boys championship at 10 a.m.
In 1A boys, North Rowan’s Neegbeah Reeves was an individual qualifier.
Gray Stone’s team qualified for the 1A girls competition.
In 2A girls, Salisbury’s Susannah Dixon was an individual qualifier.
In 3A boys, East Rowan’s team, led by Midwest Regional runner-up Cole Honeycutt, qualified for the event. Carson’s Jacob Fink and Nathan McMasters were individual qualifiers, along with A.L. Brown’s Jose Navarrete and Northwest Cabarrus’ Gil Gilreath. In 3A girls, West Rowan’s Rebecca Parker, A.L. Brown’s Natalie Tresslar and Northwest’s Maddie Lowe were individual qualifiers.
In 4A girls, Davie’s Anna McBride goes into the state event as the Midwest Regional champion.
Prep tennis
Technically, it’s the Western final, but the 2A state championship may very well be on the line today when Salisbury (18-1) plays at unbeaten Shelby (18-0) at 3 p.m.
The contest is a rematch of last season’s Western final for the tradition-laden programs.
The Bridges sisters, Nancy and Emily, and Hillary Lutz, the 2010 2A individual singles champ, lead a formidable collection of Golden Lions.
Salisbury has won three straight state championships and will be led today by the state-champion doubles pairing of Erika Nelson-Joy Loeblein and singles runner-up Katelyn Storey. Nelson and Loeblein beat the Bridges sisters in an epic match in the recent state individual tourney.
Shelby won 2A state titles in 1997 and 1998 and took 3A titles in 1995 and 1996.
Salisbury has claimed the 2A title four of the past five seasons and was runner-up in 2007 when it fell to Greene Central 5-4 in the final.
The Hornets also collected 1A-2A state crowns in 1985, 1994, 1995 and 1996.
Prep volleyball
NPC champ North Iredell has advanced to Saturday’s 3A championship match in Raleigh against Cardinal Gibbons.
North Iredell swept Franklin in the West final.
Prep boys soccer
Salisbury opens the 2A prep playoffs tonight at 7 p.m. against West Stanly.
East Rowan is at Marvin Ridge in the 3A playoffs.
Prep golf
Concord junior Sarah Bertram finished second in the 3A golf championships with rounds of 86-75 — 161.
Local golf
Fifty-eight GARS members played at Lexington Country Club on Monday.
Low ‘A’ flight player with a net of 65.50 was Ross Howard.
Low ‘B’ flight player with a net of 67.73 was Harry Agner.
Low ‘C’ flight player with a net of 66.96 was Norman Schenk. Low ‘D’ flight player with a net of 64.53 was Johnny Graham.
Boyce Caudle shot his age.
Bulldogs football
Dearius Phillips scored on runs of 3 and 5 yards and added a two-point conversion run to lead West Rowan to a 14-6 win against Mooresville.
Jalyn Cagle and Kreshon Alexander had good rushing games, and the offensive line of Derrick Moreland, Caleb Epps, Jonathan Luther, Sam Kennedy, Wyatt Martin, Jeremy Fortson and Shane Barber blocked well on two long scoring drives.
Pedro Nichols, Johnathan Johnson, Amari Morris, Wade Phillips, Caleb Link, Juwan Houston, Devona Brown led the defense. Cagle recovered a fumble.
West (7-1, 6-1) allowed only 20 points in seven league games. Erich Epps, Danny Phillips, William Wallace and Jeff Lindsey coached the Bulldogs.
Mooresville finished 5-3.