From staff reports

West Rowan’s volleyball team lost at top-seeded Marvin Ridge  25-23, 25-18 and 25-18 in the third round of the 3A state playoffs on Saturday.

Tori Hester had nine kills for the eighth-seeded Falcons (19-5). KK Dowling had nine kills and 11 digs. Allison Ennis had 27 assists and nine digs. Hannah Pratt had 10 digs. Regan Roakes had eight digs.

“We played tough,” West coach Jan Dowling said. “We had to change our rotation with Ava Link (ankle) out, but Regan Roakes stepped up. We played very well and we pushed them. Marvin Ridge is really good. We couldn’t block them on the right side and they’ve got two of the best middles I’ve seen in the last 10 years.”

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Fourth-seeded West Davidson  swept No. 5  Forbush in the 2A playoffs.

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Reagan won at top-seeded Davie County in the 4A playoffs 27-25, 17-25, 25-22 and 25-23.

HS cross country

In the 2A Midwest Regional in Kernersville, South Rowan’s boys finished seventh.

South’s Noah Julian placed 10th and qualified for the state meet. Julian ran 17:25 and made the all-region  team.

Ari Moya (35th, 18:33) was South’s second runner. Ian Waugh (45th, 18:52) was next.

Michael Lowry (61st, 19:19) led Salisbury runners. Salisbury was 18th.

North Lincoln won the regional

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In the 2A Midwest Regional girls race, South freshman Bethany Rymer ran 20:35 for seventh place. She qualified for the state meet and made the all-region team. Madison McGuire (42nd,  23:19) was the second runner for South. South didn’t have Madison Henry on Saturday.

Salisbury’s Leah Cressler was 24th in 22:16. and Ellen Simons was 27th in 22:34. Salisbury finished 13th.

North Lincoln won the regional.

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In the 3A Midwest Regional in Charlotte, West Rowan’s Thomas Waldo led Rowan runners. He ran 17:09 for 23rd.

Carson’s Zac Barbee was 29th in 17:19.

Weddington won the regional.

West was eighth, Carson was ninth, A.L. Brown was 12th, and East Rowan was 15th. Jake Earnhart (57th, 18:39) led the Mustangs.

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In the 3A Midwest Regional girls race, Carson’s Taylor Conrad led Rowan runners and was 33rd in 21:29. Carson’s Kimberly Barrera was 48th in 22:15.  Megan Deal was 50th in 22:48.

East Rowan was led by Adalie Harrison (47th, 22:11).

Megyn Spicer (52nd, 22:53) led West Rowan.

Carson was seventh, West was 10th, and East was 11th.

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The top four teams from each regional advance to the state meet, along with the top five individuals not on those four teams.

High school tennis

Girls tennis individual state tournaments  started on Friday in 1A, 2A and 3A.

Salisbury’s doubles team of Skye Mowery/Margaret Thurman won in the first round, but lost in second round.

West Rowan’s Payton Holt lost in the first round.

Gray Stone’s Emma Bost lost in the 1A final.

Davie’s Laura Becker has won two matches and will play in the 4A semifinals today.

Dual team tennis

2A: Salisbury (20-1) is home on Monday against Surry Central (16-1) in a third-round matchup.

8th-grade football

West Rowan won against China Grove, 22-20.

Cam Burleyson threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to Emory Taylor for a quick 6-0 China Grove lead.

Damarion Phillips answered with a 46-yard touchdown run and Juan Arteaga added the conversion kick for an 8-6 West lead.

D’Arrion Cuthbertson scored for China Grove in the second quarter on a 20-yard pass from Burleyson. Cuthbertson added the conversion run for a 14-8 China Grove lead.

West scored right before the half on a 19-yard run by Lee Vaughters, but failed on the conversion for a 14-14 score at the half.

In the second half, Cuthbertson scored on a 47-yard run and China Grove took a 20-14 lead.

West put together a drive in the fourth quarter and Phillips scored on a 5-yard run. Arteaga added the conversion kick and West lead 22-20.

China Grove drove the ball to the West 20 before Canyon Turner had a huge sack as West held China Grove on downs to end the game.

Charles Brucker had an interception, while Asriel Mauney had an interception for West.

West Rowan finished in second place behind Mooresville with a 5-2 record.

The game was the last at West Rowan Middle for coach Erich Epps who has been at the school for 31 years.

Coach Epps ended with a 215-30 overall record (160-13 in Rowan County games), 24 championships, and 13 undefeated teams.

In the last 23 years teams coached by Epps finished either first or second in the conference.

Catawba athletics

Catawba’s men’s soccer team dropped the season finale to Carson-Newman, 2-1, on Saturday at Harvey Stadium.

The Indians were 3-12 and 0-10 in the South Atlantic Conference.

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Catawba’s women ended the regular season with a 2-1 overtime loss at Carson-Newman on Saturday.

The Indians (12-4, 6-4) fell when Holly Talbut-Smith beat Catawba’s goal keeper, Shelby Thompson, 50 seconds into the final overtime period.

Courtney Reavis scored for Catawba.

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Catawba volleyball won against Tusculum on Saturday in five sets.

  The Catawba Indians (8-20, 4-13 SAC)  claimed a 25-21, 29-27, 21-25, 27-29 and 15-12 victory.

  Kylie Morgan delivered a career-high 25 kills with 27 digs in the win for Catawba. Allie Grubb produced a career-best 21 kills with four blocks. Micah Ensor tallied 14 kills, while Morgan Hester (Carson) handed out 69 assists with 23 digs and four aces.

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Catawba’s women lost at UNC Wilmington on Saturday in an exhibition basketball game.

Taisha DeShazo scored 13 points and Talia Barnes added 10 for the Indians. DeShazo had eight rebounds.

Catawba fell behind 32-13 after a quarter then held its own over the final three periods.  Catawba shot 33 percent.

Anna Gardner hit a pair of 3-pointers and scored seven points for Catawba, while handing out a pair of assists. Marissa Bruce collected five points. Shemya Stanbeck (A.L. Brown)  had three assists and a pair of steals.

GiGi Smith led UNCW with 13 points. Lacey Suggs and Ashli Jeune each tossed in 11.

Catawba will open its season on Nov. 9 at North Greenville

   

Local golf

The McCanless Couples played their 18-hole fall tournament on Saturday.

David & Azalee Huneycutt took first place, with Gene & Mary Seaford second. Walt Kincaid won closest to the pin on No. 3, while David Huneycutt won on No. 12.

Ty Cobb made the longest putt on No. 7, and Ralph Craver made the longest on No. 16.

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Claude Gaines had a hole-in-one on the 144-yard No. 8 hole at Warrior on Thursday.

He used a 9-iron and was playing with Wendy Patterson and Bud Williams.

It was his first ace.

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Dan Williams made a recent hole-in-one on No. 14 at the Country Club of Salisbury.

He used a 7 rescue club to ace the 132-yard hole.

Witnesses included Harold Deal, John Carter and Jim Wydner.