From staff reports
Catawba defensive lineman C.J. Barksdale was named SAC Defensive Freshman of the Year on Tuesday.
Barksdale, a 250-pounder from Simpsonville, S.C., had 101/2 tackles for loss, with four sacks and three fumble recoveries. He was credited with 52 tackles and also forced a fumble.
Catawba senior linebacker Lakeem Perry (108 tackles) and junior cornerback Jumal Rolle (two interceptions, 12 pass breakups) made the All-SAC first team.
Indians on the All-SAC second team included Barksdale, running back Josh Wright (685 rushing yards) and long snapper D.J. Davis.
Notable omissions from the All-SAC teams were linebacker Cory Johnson and receiver Nate Charest.
Mars Hill back Jonas Randolph was an obvious choice for SAC Offensive Player of the Year. Lenoir-Rhyne’s Demetrius Green was SAC Defensive Player of the Year.
The SAC Offensive Freshman of the Year is Mars Hill receiver Dimitri Holmes, and L-R’s Chandler Rearden won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy.
L-R’s Mike Houston and Mars Hill’s Tim Clifton were named co-coaches of the year. Their teams tied for the SAC championship.
Wingate guard Austin Lowe (West Rowan) was named to the Academic All-Super Region 2 team.
A student-athlete must be at least a sophomore with a 3.3 cumulative grade point average and must be a starter or a significant reserve to qualify. Lowe, a two-year starter for the Bulldogs, was named Academic All-District in 2009.
Lowe received his undergraduate degree (accounting) in May, finishing with a 3.69 GPA. He is currently enrolled in Wingate’s Master of Accounting program.
College women’s hoops
The Catawba women’s basketball team opened the season with a 69-49 win against visiting Queens on Tuesday. Chloe Bully and Nisha Long each had 14 points in the winning effort.
Taylor May (South Rowan) had four points and five rebounds.
The Indians put the game away with a 16-2 run late.
Pfeiffer defeated Anderson 74-65 on Tuesday. Brittany Cox led the Falcons with 31 points.
College volleyball
Guilford sophomore Taylor Whitley (Carson) had 814 assists this season and ranked fifth in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.
Whitley also had 171 digs, 49 kills, 36 service aces and 22 blocks.
Whitley’s 1,476 assists already rank seventh all-time at Guilford.
College cross country
Catawba junior Christian Crifasi broke the school 10K record and ran to All-Southeast Region honors in the recent D-II Championships. Crifasi finished ninth in a time of 32:14, beating the old Catawba mark of 33:09 set by Ryan Willis.
Olivia Myers ran 24:57 in a 6K to lead Catawba’s women. Devin Purvis (Carson) was clocked in 28:09.
College women’s soccer
Pfeiffer’s Alyssa Wombwell was named to the All-Southeast Region second team.
Middle school hoops
Knox’s 8th-grade boys beat North Rowan 65-46.
The defending conference champs Knox jumped out to a 59-26 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Leading scorers for the Trojans was Jalen Sanders with 19 points, Donnell Alexander had 17 points and 10 rebounds. Deshawn Troutman scored 11, and Corban Usry added nine.
North Hills won the varsity boys division at the Sacred Heart Tip Off Tournament.
Sam McNeely scored 12 points, Jacob Crosby scored six, and Harrison Smith had seven rebounds in a 55-32 semifinal win over Salisbury Academy.
In a 56-29 win against Sacred Heart in the championship game, Wes Fazia scored 17 to lead the Eagles, Ian Bradshaw had 11 points, and Grayson Whicker had eight boards.
Joseph Harrison scored 18 for the Dolphins. Arun Kelly-Rajan had five points and seven rebounds.
Salisbury Academy topped Immaculate Heart of Mary 32-29 for a 32-29 consolation win. Robbie Bergstone led the Jaguars with nine points. Marcus Corry had six steaks.
The All tournament team consisted of Fazia, Wicker, Bergstone, McNeely, Harrison and Sacred Heart’s Max Fisher.
Sacred Heart’s girls topped Salisbury Academy 27-21 in a consolation game. Salisbury Academy’s Emily Capito and Jenny Kribbs made all-tournament, along with Sacred Heart’s Caroline Parrott and Kaytee Leongurerro.
The North Hills girls fell to Immaculate Heart of Mary in the championship game but got strong play from all-tourney players Olivia Houghton and Sierra Eagle. n Sacred Heart won the jayvee boys division with a 32-23 victory against North Hills.
All-tournament picks were Sacred Heart’s Will Taylor and Michael Childress, North Hills’ Trey Carlton and James Houghton and Salisbury Academy’s Sam Combs.
Houghton scored 18 in North Hills’ semifinal win against Salisbury Academy and scored 11 in the final.
Immaculate Heart won the jayvee girls division by beating Salisbury Academy. Sacred Heart beat North Hills in the consolation.
All-tournament picks included Salisbury Academy’s Madison Day, and Katie White.
Stampede softball
The Carolina Stampede 16U softball team won the high school division of the NSA Showcase Christmas Tournament in Salisbury.
The Stampede won the championship game 9-6 with a comeback in the last inning. Morgan Peninger got the game-winning hit with a bases-clearing triple.
Taylor Wilson went 2-for-2 with a double and a homer and Molly Shue had two hits. Jana Bradshaw, Lauren Wilson, Caroline Hubbard and Kaydi Pinion all had hits.
Taylor Sells was the winning pitcher.
Stampede team members are Logan Lowery (South), Hubbard (South), Peninger (Carson), Bradshaw (Carson), Mariah Morgan (Carson), Shue (Carson), Lindsey Hinson (North), Sells (North), Lauren Wilson (West Davidson), Taylor Wilson (Spencer Learning Academy), Kaydi Pinion (Faith Assembly) and Kortni Pinion (Faith Assembly).
The Stampede is coached by Tiffany Poole Carter and Tim Shue.
Youth soccer
The FCCA U13 Rowan Elite boys soccer team competed in the FCCA Carolina Shootout over the weekend and placed second in its bracket.
Pedro Perez scored twice and Raunel Vasquez had a goal in a 3-2 win against DSC 98 Discoveries Green.
Rowan lost to FCCA Huntersville Elite 4-0 in its second outing.
Yoris Vanegas scored twice in Rowan’s 5-0 win against Vallense. Raunel Vasquez, Coby Weant and Andrew Kalogeromitros scored a goal each.
Rowan lost to Huntersville Elite 4-0 for the second time in its final game.
Anyone interested in the FCCA organization is encouraged to contact FCCA directly at soccer@fccasoccer.com or 704-597-5150.
Local golf
Seventy-eight GARS members played at Warrior on Monday.
Low ‘A’ flight player with a net of 63.68 was Clifford Full.
Low ‘B’ flight player with a net of 56.75 was Boyce Caudle. Caudle had a sizzling round, shooting 10 under his age.
Low ‘C’ flight player with a net of 59.82 was Bobby Bryant.
Low ‘D’ flight player with a net of 64.17 was Harold Hattaway.