From staff reports
The 3rd annual Highway 52 Tournament begins tonight.
Livingstone is the host team this year, with Catawba, Pfeiffer and Morris joining the Blue Bears at New Trent Gym.
Catawba and Pfeiffer meet in tonight’s first game at 6 p.m., and the Blue Bears will open against Morris at 8 p.m. Morris (Sumter, S.C.) is coming off a 2-17 season.
Friday’s losers will tangle on Saturday for third place, while the winners will meet for the tournament championship.
It was announced Thursday that the Blue Bears will play in the 5 p.m. nightcap on Saturday — regardless of whether that’s the third-place game or the championship game.
Senior Greg Henry and Junior Nasir Austin are expected to lead the Blue Bears.
Sophomore Keon Moore leads Catawba, which has dropped exhibitions to Athletes in Action and Division I Tulsa.
Veteran Reggie Hollinger is a familiar face on the Pfeiffer roster.
College women’s hoops
The Livingstone women’s team opens tonight in the CIAA-WVIAC Challenge being held in West Virginia.
Livingstone plays Ohio Valley tonight at 8 p.m. and takes on Bluefield State on Saturday afternoon.
Montiya Harrison, Rashida Elbourne and Elicia Gilliam-Washington are returning standouts for the Blue Bears.
College football
Carson-Newman head coach Ken Sparks goes after his 300th career coaching victory Saturday afternoon when the Eagles travel to face 23rd-ranked Mars Hill.
A win will give Sparks No. 300, a milestone only 11 men in NCAA history have reached. A loss will give injury-plagued Carson-Newman a losing record for the first time in Sparks’ 32-year career.
“I know which one I prefer,” Sparks quipped.
Sparks is 299-79-2.
College volleyball
Catawba placed four players on the All-SAC volleyball team.
Setter Jordan Raye and outside hitter Kaitlyn Whitmer were first team picks, while outside hitter Shay Meeks and libero Jenny Young made the second team.
Catawba takes on Newberry in the SAC tournament tonight.
Local golf
Clyde Geelen made his first hole-in-one at McCanless on Wednesday.
Geelen aced the 210-yard No. 6 hole with a 5-iron. He was playing with Ron Blythe and Jeff Warren.
n Andy Nelson shot 68 and was the low pro in a Pro-Am held at the Club at Irish Creek on Thursday. He won $400.
Kannapolis’ Rick Lewallen, Todd Hutcherson, Tim Straub and Jeff Peck shot 69s.
Tying for the low team score was the team of Gordon Preddy, Phil Miller, Nate Jessup, Matt Potts and the team of Alan Cress, Jim Lynch, Hank Legner and Frank Lapsley.
Low amateur was Brian Phaup with a 68. Low senior amateur was Roger Taylor with a 68.
Pro Skins winners were Blair Smith and David Rucker. They took home $300 apiece.
Terry Rogers made a hole-in-one on No. 8 to win one of the closest to the pin holes. Other hole winners were Joel Campanella, Travis Scruggs and Mitch McCune.
Legion baseball
Mocksville first baseman Connor Bodenhamer was voted Area III Player of the Year.
Bodenhamer batted .398 with eight homers and 37 RBIs and also homered in the Area III all-star game.
Bodenhamer is the second Mocksville player to win the award and the first since Brock Walker in 1989. He’ll be honored at the North Carolina Baseball Hall of Fame banquet in Shelby in March.
The Davie graduate currently attends Surry Community College.
Prep golf
Salisbury has three seniors signing on Monday — Alex Lee (Catawba), Alex Nianouris (Davidson) and Lily Yatawara (Appalachian State).
Prep baseball
East Rowan pitcher Bradley Robbins has given a verbal commitment to Tallahassee Community College and will sign in January.
Area signees this week have included Mount Pleasant’s Jacob Kimble (Liberty) and South Stanly’s Stephen Wallace (Winthrop).
Youth football
The Rowan County Youth Football League will begin its playoffs Saturday at North Rowan High.
Saturday’s games will determine the teams play in the Super Bowl games for grades 3-4 and grades 5-6.
The Super Bowls and all-star games will be played at South Rowan High on Nov. 19.
Saturday’s schedule
Grades 3-4
8:30 — West Rowan Zakis vs. Rockwell Amvet Black Knights
11:30 — No. 2 West Rowan Lazy 5 Vet vs. No. 3 Granite Faith Food Lion Chargers
12:15 — No.1 North Rowan Cavaliers vs. No. 4 South Rowan Eureka Lodge Raiders
Grades 5-6
9:45 — Carson Chick-fil-A Cougars vs. South Rowan CLBC Raiders
1:30 — No. 2 Granite-Faith Food Lion Chargers vs. No. 3 West Falcons
2:45 — No. 1 West Rowan SMR Core Metal Warriors vs. No. 4 North Rowan Cheerwine Cavaliers
Salisbury 49ers
The Salisbury 49ers football team for ages 7-8 defeated the Rock Hill Cowboys 14-0 to reach the Eastern Division championship game of the Southland Conference.
The 49ers (8-0) will play the Charlotte Dolphins on Saturday at North Lincoln High in Lincolnton.
Sacred Heart hoops
Sacred Heart’s annual basketball tournament for middle and elementary private schools is under way, with North Hills, Salisbury Academy and Immaculate Heart joining the Dolphins.
Semifinals are tonight with consolation and championship games throughout the day Saturday. There will also be a cheerleading exhibition on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Concessions and hot meals will be provided by the boosters.
Sacred Heart’s jayvee boys won 23-21 against Immaculate Heart and plays North Hills at 12:50 Saturday for the championship.
Will Taylor scored nine points for the Dolphins, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 40 seconds left. He also had six rebounds.
Michael Childress had four points, four rebounds, three assists and five steals. Eric Turnbull had four points and five rebounds. Jack Fisher had nine rebounds.Alex Antosek had two five rebounds and three steals.
Baseball camps
Northwest Cabarrus is holding a fall hitting camp on Nov. 19, from 9-1. The camp will feature Seattle Mariners infielder Kyle Seager as one of the instructors, along with other former and current Trojans.
The cost is $40. Info on the camp can be found on the Northwest Cabarrus High School home page or by calling coach Joe Hubbard at 704-788-4111.
East Rowan High is hosting a six-week baseball camp starting on Jan. 8. East head coach Brian Hightower will direct the program in conjunction with U.S. Baseball Academy.
Classes are available for players in grades 1-12 and are limited to six players per coach.
Sessions are offered in advanced hitting, pitching, catching, fielding and baserunning at a cost as low as $99 for six weeks. Space is limited. Registration is under way. Visit www.USBaseballAcademy.com or call toll-free 866-622-4487 for info.