From staff and wire reports

Seeds and pairings for the high school football state playoffs were released on Saturday.

First-round games are Friday, with 7:30 p.m. the standard starting time.

• North Rowan (9-2) has a bye in the first round of the 1AA West playoffs.

In the second round, the third-seeded Cavaliers will take on the winner of the first-round game between No. 6 East Wilkes (7-4) and No. 11 Polk County (3-8).

• Salisbury (7-4) is the No. 12 seed in the 2AA West bracket and will travel to West Jefferson to take on No. 5 Ashe County (9-2).

Ashe County’s losses were to No. 1 seeds Watauga and Hibriten.

• In the 3A West bracket, West Rowan (6-5) is a No. 12 seed and has a tough draw at No. 5 Kings Mountain (9-2). Kings Mountain beat Crest to close the regular season.

• Also in the 3A West bracket, No. 13 East Rowan (6-5) travels to No. 4 Statesville (8-3).

Statesville pummeled the Mustangs, 53-3, on Friday

•••

In a 3AA West contest, 15th-seeded A.L. Brown (6-5) is at No. 2  Asheville A.C. Reynolds (10-1).

Women’s basketball

Catawba lost to Erskine, 86-80, on Saturday in a game played at North Greenville.

Talia Barnes had 15 points and 11 rebounds to lead the.

Freshman Mercedes Wampler (13), Taisha DeShazo (11) and Shemya Stanback (10) also scored in double figures for the Indians.

Catawba (0-2) held a slim lead entering the fourth quarter but couldn’t hold off the Flying Fleet (1-1).

Catawba had a tough shooting day from the 3-point line, making only four of 25.

Erskine shot 43 free throws but made only 24.

Catawba had a 49-36 edge on the boards.

Megan Davis led Erskine with 21 points. Alexis Scott had 20.

CATAWBA (80)  — Barnes 15, Wampler 13, DeShazo 11, Stanback 10, Hallman 9, Webb 6, Garris 6, Bruce 6, Phillips 4, Gardner, Stevenson.

ERSKINE (86) — Davis 21, Scott 20, Bell 16, Parham 12, Matson 7, Whitt 4, Felks 4, Hall 1, Gay 1.

Catawba 16   20  28  16   — 80

Erskine     18   19  26  23  — 86

Women’s soccer

Catawba ended the season with a 3-0 loss at Carson-Newman in the first round of Southeast Regional play.

The seventh-seeded Indians (13-6) had three shots on goal.

Catawba’s Shelby Thompson made two saves.

The second-seeded  Eagles (15-4) will play again today against sixth-seeded Lincoln Memorial.

Catawba (Friday)

Catawba’s women’s basketball team officially opened the season with a 67-62 loss at North Greenville on Friday night.

Catawba had earlier dropped an exhibition game at UNC Wilmington.

Catawba stayed in the game on Friday, but couldn’t overcome a 31.7-percent shooting night that included 6-for-26 on 3-pointers.

Taisha DeShazo had 16 points and seven rebounds to lead the Indians. Madison Hallman scored 11.

Karen Donehew led North Greenville with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Catawba trailed by as many as 13 in the fourth quarter before making a comeback.

CATAWBA (62) — DeShazo 16, Hallman 11, Bruce 9, Barnes 8, Stanback 6, Gardner 5, Webb 5, Wampler 2, Davie, Phillips, Garris, Stevenson.

N. GREENVILLE (67) — Donehew 18, Bell 14, Stoddard 11, Breazeale 8, Hughes 6, Muhammad 5, Averett 3, Saunders 2.

Catawba               15   19   10   18   — 62

N. Greenville      19   18   14   16    — 67

    •••

UNC Pembroke’s women won against Southern Wesleyan on Friday.

Aliyah Farmer (North Rowan) had 10 points and six rebounds for the Braves. Avery Locklear (South Rowan) scored four points.

Men’s basketball

David Tripp (A.L. Brown, DCCC) had 16 points and eight rebounds for Bluefield in a win against Bluefield State.

High school soccer

Mount Tabor edged A.L. Brown, 2-1, on Saturday in a 3A state quarterfinal.

NFL

Javon Hargrave (North Rowan) made six tackles for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Thursday’s win against Carolina.

Jayvee football

Marcus Cook scored two touchdowns to lead Salisbury to a 14-7 win against Oak Grove on Thursday.

Cook had a 65-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and scored on a 30-yard run.

Christian Zavala and Jaden Gaither blocked punts.

Isaiah Booker recovered a fumble.

Reed Fugle had a 2-point conversion run.

High school softball

South Rowan’s Anna Blume has committed to Lenoir-Rhyne and plans to sign Nov. 19.

MS girls hoops

Knox played strong defense and defeated China Grove, 58-19.

Knox was led by Kyla Bryant with 23 points and Jamecia Huntley with 21 points.

•••

Erwin’s girls started the season with a 34-21 win against North Rowan Middle.

Leah Hinceman led the Eagles with 19 points.

Haley Dalton scored 10, and Lindsey Cook had five.

Azaria Elder scored nine for North. Shykira Wiggins and Brittany Ellis scored four each.

Erwin hosts Mooresville on Tuesday.

CIAA football 

   Quarterback Amir Hall ran for three touchdowns and led Bowie State to a 30-10 win against Fayetteville State in Saturday’s CIAA championship game in Salem, Va.

Hall,  the all-time leader in touchdown passes in CIAA history, threw for another TD.

Bowie State improved to 9-2, while Fayetteville State fell to 6-3.

It’s the first CIAA title for Bowie State, which also won the CIAA title game in 1989 but had to vacate the crown for using ineligible players.

Wake Forest  vs. NC A&T

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.   — Wake Forest coach Danny Manning felt compelled to give highly-touted freshman Jaylen Hoard a pep talk at halftime of Hoard’s first career game. Manning declined to share his exact language with reporters, but the message was simple: “Play better.”

Hoard obliged, contributing 15 of his 19 points and 10 of his 13 rebounds in the second half of the Demon Deacons’ 90-78 win over North Carolina A&T to open their season on Saturday.

Hoard became the first Wake Forest freshman to record a double-double in his first game since eventual NBA lottery pick Al-Farouq Aminu tallied 21 points and 10 rebounds against North Carolina Central in 2008.

“I just needed to pick it up defensively, get more rebounds, because I was kind of slacking in that area to start the game off,” Hoard said he was told at halftime. “I needed to play with more energy. In the second half, I came out and I did that.”

“I might try it before the game next time,” Manning quipped.

The Aggies (0-2) were plagued by foul trouble. Starting center Ibrahim Sylla, who played 31 minutes in his team’s season-opening loss to UNC Greensboro, fouled out in only 8 minutes on Saturday.

That allowed Wake Forest (1-0) to dominate on the glass and at the foul line. The hosts finished with a 44-22 edge in total rebounds, turned 17 offensive boards into 24 second-chance points, and made 26 of 33 free throw attempts.

“That’s something we have to fix ASAP, because we’re not going to be successful if teams can just come into the game and say, ‘Just crash the O-glass; A&T doesn’t rebound very well,’” Aggies coach Jay Joyner said. “We went with a small lineup. When you go with three guards, they have to have some grit, get in there and help the team rebound.”

The Demon Deacons led by double digits for all but 24 seconds in the second half, comfortably earning their seventh win in the program’s last eight season-openers.

For NC A&T, Andre Jackson scored 18 points and Terry Harris added 15.

BIG PICTURE

Wake Forest: The Deacs held serve, moving to 18-1 against MEAC opponents and winning their 15th consecutive non-conference game against teams from North Carolina.

NC A&T: The Aggies have talent, but may need time to come together after a dramatic roster overhaul. Between graduation and transfers, NC A&T lost 10 players from a team that finished 20-15 last season, delivering the program’s third 20-win season in the last 30 years.

CHILDRESS IN CHARGE

While Hoard’s performance led Wake Forest statistically, guard Brandon Childress drew raves from Manning for his efficiency. The junior finished with 18 points, six assists, four rebounds, and only one turnover in 36 minutes of play.

“I thought that was really, really good from him — a great floor game,” Manning said. “That’s the type of play we need from him on a nightly basis. He’s the one guy on our team I’m going to put some pressure on to perform. He’s been there, he has the minutes, and he knows what it’s all about. That’s what he needs to do, be the quarterback of our team.”

UP NEXT

Wake Forest will travel to South Carolina to compete in the inaugural Myrtle Beach Invitational, beginning play on Thursday against Saint Joseph’s. The teams last met in the 2004 NCAA tournament when the Hawks knocked off the Demon Deacons in the Sweet 16.

NC A&T will get another chance at a road win over a power conference opponent when it plays at Maryland on Monday night.

Hoard makes impressive debut; Wake Forest tops NC A&T 90-78

By PATRICK SOUTHERN,  Associated Press

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Wake Forest coach Danny Manning felt compelled to give highly-touted freshman Jaylen Hoard a pep talk at halftime of Hoard’s first career game. Manning declined to share his exact language with reporters, but the message was simple: “Play better.”

Hoard obliged, contributing 15 of his 19 points and 10 of his 13 rebounds in the second half of the Demon Deacons’ 90-78 win over North Carolina A&T to open their season on Saturday.

Hoard became the first Wake Forest freshman to record a double-double in his first game since eventual NBA lottery pick Al-Farouq Aminu tallied 21 points and 10 rebounds against North Carolina Central in 2008.

“I just needed to pick it up defensively, get more rebounds, because I was kind of slacking in that area to start the game off,” Hoard said he was told at halftime. “I needed to play with more energy. In the second half, I came out and I did that.”

“I might try it before the game next time,” Manning quipped.

The Aggies (0-2) were plagued by foul trouble. Starting center Ibrahim Sylla, who played 31 minutes in his team’s season-opening loss to UNC Greensboro, fouled out in only 8 minutes on Saturday.

That allowed Wake Forest (1-0) to dominate on the glass and at the foul line. The hosts finished with a 44-22 edge in total rebounds, turned 17 offensive boards into 24 second-chance points, and made 26 of 33 free throw attempts.

“That’s something we have to fix ASAP, because we’re not going to be successful if teams can just come into the game and say, ‘Just crash the O-glass; A&T doesn’t rebound very well,’” Aggies coach Jay Joyner said. “We went with a small lineup. When you go with three guards, they have to have some grit, get in there and help the team rebound.”

The Demon Deacons led by double digits for all but 24 seconds in the second half, comfortably earning their seventh win in the program’s last eight season-openers.

For NC A&T, Andre Jackson scored 18 points and Terry Harris added 15.

BIG PICTURE

Wake Forest: The Deacs held serve, moving to 18-1 against MEAC opponents and winning their 15th consecutive non-conference game against teams from North Carolina.

NC A&T: The Aggies have talent, but may need time to come together after a dramatic roster overhaul. Between graduation and transfers, NC A&T lost 10 players from a team that finished 20-15 last season, delivering the program’s third 20-win season in the last 30 years.

CHILDRESS IN CHARGE

While Hoard’s performance led Wake Forest statistically, guard Brandon Childress drew raves from Manning for his efficiency. The junior finished with 18 points, six assists, four rebounds, and only one turnover in 36 minutes of play.

“I thought that was really, really good from him — a great floor game,” Manning said. “That’s the type of play we need from him on a nightly basis. He’s the one guy on our team I’m going to put some pressure on to perform. He’s been there, he has the minutes, and he knows what it’s all about. That’s what he needs to do, be the quarterback of our team.”

UP NEXT

Wake Forest will travel to South Carolina to compete in the inaugural Myrtle Beach Invitational, beginning play on Thursday against Saint Joseph’s. The teams last met in the 2004 NCAA tournament when the Hawks knocked off the Demon Deacons in the Sweet 16.

NC A&T will get another chance at a road win over a power conference opponent when it plays at Maryland on Monday night.