From staff reports

AD Empsy Thompson announced that Doug Wilson has been named interim head girls basketball coach at A.L. Brown.

Thompson explained that Wilson, 68, and a 1968 A.L. Brown graduate, will be in a “pinch-hitting role” and will give the program some time to either groom or search for a long-term head coach.

Last season’s coach, Andrew Porter, was recently married and was hired by Lexington High, where he’ll have a much shorter commute to work.

Porter’s switch came in late July, which limited Thompson’s options, but Wilson brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the table.

Wilson, a noted politician and fisherman as well as baskeball coach, knows the program and the challenges as well as anyone.

Wilson coached the Wonders for nine seasons from 1997-98 to 2005-06 and had some success. He coached 15-win teams in 2000-01 and 2001-02 and won a conference tournament title in 2001.

The Wonders were 4-18 last season.

Lexington had a coaching opening because Toccara Tatum, head coach of the Yellow Jackets the last four years, moved on to  Piedmont Bible College in Winston-Salem.

Prep football

Ledford built a 37-0 halftime lead in Wallburg and won 50-0 against South Rowan (1-3, 1-1) in Central Carolina Conference action on Wednesday.

More on that game in Friday’s edition.

Mid. school football

China Grove’s eighth-graders defeated Southeast, 24-0.

Cam Burleyson scored on an 8-yard run while D’Arrion Cuthbertson scored on runs of 15 and 43 yards. Emory Taylor kicked three PATs.

Taylor and CJ Guida intercepted passes. Jake Ross made a fumble recovery.

College women’s golf

UNC Pembroke’s Alexandria Bare (South Rowan) shot 78 in the first round of the Cutter Invitational. Weather wiped out the second round.

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East Carolina’s women placed fourth in the Minnesota Invitational.

China Grove’s Carley Cox, who played at Concord First Assembly, shot 69-73-75 — 217, 1-over, and tied for ninth.

College men’s golf

Catawba placed 13th at the Coker Fall Challenge men’s golf tournament which concluded on Tuesday at the 6,526-yard, par-70 Camden Country Club. The tournament was shortened to two rounds due to weather.

Limestone took the team title by four shots over Carson-Newman. Limestone posted a 566 score. Catawba tallied a 607 for the two rounds.

Catawba was led by Mack Sheppard, who was 30th with a 148 total and opened with a 71. Tyler Mulkey (North Rowan) had the best second round with a 75 and placed 45th on a 150 score.

The  Indians return to action next week at the Irish Creek Country Club in Kannapolis for the Queens

Prep girls golf

East Rowan won the NPC golf match played at Rolling Hills on Wednesday.

East’s Carmen Fraley shot 39 and shared medalist honors with South Iredell’s Justine Caskey.

Camryn Corriher shot 40 for the Mustangs, while Hailey Fesperman shot 42.

East shot 121. South Iredell finished four shots back.

Sophia Brown shot 40 and led Carson to third place.

Prep cross country

South Rowan’s Bethany Rymer won Tuesday’s race at Salisbury Community Park that included runners from East Davidson, Salisbury and North Davidson.

Prep volleyball

South Rowan won against Salisbury 25-10, 25-10 and 25-14 on Wednesday  in Central Carolina Conference action.

  Payton Black had 14 digs for the Raiders (10-3, 8-1). Janiya Downs had 15 kills. Anna Rymer had 13 assists. Kira Rymer had 13 kills.

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Carson beat Mount Pleasant 25-16, 25-14, 25-9 on Wednesday.

Kary Hales had 20 digs. Jaden Vaughn had 11 kills and eight digs with no errors.  Katie Blackwell had two aces and three  kills. Grace Thomas had tow aces and 22 assists. Mallory Weast had three aces and eight kills.  Nancy Gamewell  had five kills. Ella Cloninger   had three  kills.

Jayvee volleyball

South Rowan won against Salisbury 25-14 and 25-22 on Wednesday.

  Zoie Miller had five assists and seven digs for the Raiders (7-6, 5-4).  Emma Owens had seven assists.  Kali Nelson had 12 digs. Makali Strong had six kills. Kendall Walter had eight kills.

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Carson’s jayvees won against Mount Pleasant  25-12 and 25-17.

Saybrin Thomas had five digs. Tate Barger had 17 assists.

Other standouts were Kylie Judy, Alayna Slusser, Madison Berry, Ava Corriher,  Audrey Andrews  and Victoria Storey.

Catawba soccer

  The Newberry men’s soccer team won in commanding fashion Wednesday evening in its first South Atlantic Conference matchup of the season, defeating the Catawba Indians 3-0 at the Frock Soccer Complex.

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Catawba’s women’s team opened South Atlantic Conference play with a 4-1 victory over Newberry Wednesday at the Frock Soccer Complex.

The Indians (5-0, 1-0) scored all four goals in a 16-minute window, spanning the end of the first half and the beginning of the second. Catawba was in control of the match when the Wolves (3-2, 0-1) tallied their lone goal.

  Jovana Sanchez broke a scoreless tie in the 37th-minute for her team-leading leading fourth goal of the campaign.

Saturday’s game at Mars Hill has been postponed due to Hurricane Florence.

College football

Kilton Anderson threw three first-half touchdown passes to help Coastal Carolina beat Campbell 58-21 on Wednesday in a game played early and moved to Buies Creek because of Hurricane Florence.

Originally set for Saturday at Coastal Carolina in Conway, South Carolina, the game was the first time an FBS program visited an FCS school in a true road game since Army at Yale in 2014. Admission was free at Barker-Lane Stadium, with 2,047 attending.

on the mostly cloudy afternoon with the temperature in the high 80s.

With its campus evacuated, the Chanticleers (2-1) headed to St. Augustine, Florida, after the game to wait out the storm.