From staff reports

MOUNT ULLA – Mike Gurley  coached 674 West Rowan boys basketball games in a  Hall of Fame career, including 450 victories.

Dadrian Cuthbertson coached his first one at the helm of the Falcons on Tuesday, and it was an exciting debut.

West lost it 62-60 to  North Iredell. The Raiders made their height advantage pay off. Beckham Tharpe, who stands 6-foot-8, scored 28 points and got the winning two on a lob with about five seconds left.

“I thought we were going to pull it out,” Cuthbertson said. “Their size got the best of us.”

West got a timeout in the final seconds, but couldn’t get a shot off.

The Falcons got big points from three of the returners they’re counting on to score. Will Givens hit five 3-pointers and scored 21, one short of his career high. Athan Gill and Elijah Holmes scored 15 each. The trio had   51 of West’s 60.

West got down 10 points early, but came back to take a 30-28 halftime lead.

“The guys really fought hard the whole game,” Cuthbertson said. “We were right there.”

Greyson Kerr scored 15 for North Iredell (2-0).

West, which lost two big men to transfer, is tackling a tough early schedule and will play on the road at Mooresville, Davie, North Iredell, Northwest Cabarrus and North Rowan in its next five outings.

N. Iredell    19     9   21  13  — 62

W. Rowan   13   17  15  15  — 60

West scoring — Givens 21, Gill 15, Holmes 15, Graham 5, Stockton 4.

West girls roll

MOUNT ULLA — A big season is expected for West Rowan’s girls basketball squad.

The Falcons, who retturn the top seven from a strong team and made some additions, got off to a solid start on Tuesday by smashing North Iredell 77-39.

West held a comfortable 39-17  lead at halftime and put four in double figures.

Makaylah Tenor scored 14 points. Freshman Tiara Thompson scored 13. De’Mya Phifer had 12, while Lauren Arnold had 11.

Jamecia Huntley, who played for Salisbury’s 2A state champs last season, scored nine in her debut in blue. Sarah Durham connected for two 3-pointers.

Jewell Allen scored 19 for North Iredell (1-1).

N. Iredell       9   8  1 0  12 — 39

W. Rowan   21  18  17  21 — 77

West scoring — Tenor 14, Thompson 13, Phifer 12, Arnold 11, Huntley 9, Edwards 6, Durham 6, Cuthbertson 4, Clarke 2.

HS football

Salisbury junior Deuece Walker was offered by the University of Kentucky’s football program over the weekend.

It’s the fourth D-I offer for Walker, who also has offers from Duke, Charlotte and Campbell.

HS wrestling

Carson went 2-1 in the  South Iredell Viking Duals.

Carson’s Joseph Little, Griffin Barber, Parker Mills, Christian Kluttz and Trey Hill went 3-0.

HS swimming

  Carson’s boys opened the season by winning a meet with Robinson and Mount Pleasant.

Women’s basketball

Livingstone’s women’s basketball team knocked off UVa Wise 66-54 on Tuesday.

UVa Wise came into the game undefeated.

The key for Livingstone (2-2) was a 21-10 advantage in the turnover battle.

Livingstone built a 41-23  halftime lead, but squandered most of it with a cold third quarter. Then the Blue Bears finished strong.

Sha’Terra Ferrell, Andresia Alexander and Jamiah Lane scored 13 points each for the Blue Bears. Alyssa Boyce had 11.

UVa Wise       8    15  15  16  — 54

Livingstone   20   21  5    20 — 66

LC scoring — Ferrell 13, A. Alexander 13, Lane 13, Boyce 11, Lake 6, Briggs 3, Green 3, Carter 2, Papakonstantinou 2.

•••

Lenoir-Rhyne used a 32-13 advantage in the turnover column to beat Wingate 85-81 in overtime on Tuesday.

Both teams were unbeaten coming into their SAC opener.

Bryanna Troutman (Salisbury) had 17 points and nine rebounds for the Bulldogs.

•••

Hannah Wilkerson (North Rowan) had 11 points and seven rebounds for Columbia International in a 77-66 loss to Bluefield.

•••

Carleigh Perry (Carson) had five points and six rebounds for Guilford in a 61-51 win against Berry on Tuesday.

Men’s basketball

Livingstone played well enough offensively to win most games on Tuesday at New Trent Gym, but Coker shot the lights out.

The Cobras won 93-80, shooting 55.4 percent from the field and making 10 of 19 from the 3-point line.

Livingstone (1-4) put Teon Tiller (14 points), DeMarr McCrae (13), Paul Tako (10) and Detionne Leach in double figures.

Demar Anderson scored 23 to lead the visitors.

Coker    41   52   — 93

LC           33   47   — 80

LC scoring — Tiller 14, McCrae 13, Leach 10, P. Tako 10, A. Broadnax 9, Allen 5, Herd 4, Street 4, S. Tako 4, O. Broadnax 3, Henderson 2, Murray 2.

College wrestling

Freshman Jacob Cox (South Rowan) is in the lineup for N.C. State at 133 pounds.

Appalachian State’s OJ Bost (East Rowan) placed eighth at 165 pounds in the Keystone Classic.

College volleyball

Kira Rymer (South Rowan) and the Columbia International volleyball team will be playing in the NCCAA Championship in Missori.The first game for the Rams is on Dec. 1.

Basketball overseas

Keshun Sherrill (West Rowan) is averaging 14.9 points in Italy. He shot 6-for-9 on 3-pointers and scored 25 in his best game so far this season.

Running

Frank Adams IV won the 8U USATF Regional Cross Country Championship 2K at Hagan-Stone Park in Pleasant Garden on Sunday.

Adams’ first place time of 8:07.80 qualifies him for the USATF Nationals in College Station, Texas.

The young runner’s parents are   Frank and Allison Adams, a former East Rowan and Catawba runner. He is the grandson of  the late Ed Dupree, running enthusiast and Salisbury Post sports editor.

Local golf

In a McCanless Couples Captain’s Choice event, the team of Crystal Clement,   Larry Clifton and JD came in first.

Second place was won by  Byron Sheesley and David & Azalee Hunetycutt.

Heather DePalma-Spivey had longest putt.

Closest to the pin was won by David Hunetycutt

GARS

GARS members played at Warrior.  Low ‘A’ Flight player was Phil Cauble with a net of 62.02.

Low ‘B’ Flight player was Mike Whitaker with a net of 65.34.

Low ‘C’ Flight player was Bob Turner with a net of 64.88.

Low ‘D’ Flight player was Wayne Bost with a net of 60.23.

Larry Petrea took low gross with a 73.

Wayne Bost won low net and shot  83 to best his age of 86.

Larry Luther was Super Senior winner with a net of 66.52.

•••

The Tournament Committee for the annual Corbin Hills Sunday Afternoon Regulars’ Holiday Classic announced that this year’s tournament will be held at Corbin Hills Golf Club on Sunday, Dec. 11,   with a shotgun start set for noon.

The popular tournament uses a four players per team Texas Scramble format, and raises funds for The Salisbury Post Christmas Happiness Fund.

Interested local golfers may form their own team  or can sign up individually and be assigned to a team.

This year’s tournament is being played in memory of Jerry Allman, Eddie Trexler, and H.A. “Bubba” Andrews, who were long-time active members of Corbin Hills and the Rowan County golf community.

Defending champions Tim Wheet, Kip Honeycutt, Marshall Beard and Ryan Honeycutt led last year’s tourney with a score of 16-under par. The 2021 tournament raised $2,500 for The Salisbury Post’s Christmas Happiness Fund.

Teams (or individual players) may sign up by contacting the Corbin Hills Golf Club or by e-mail at corbinchristmastourney@gmail.com.

All-CCC tennis

Salisbury junior Millie Wymbs was named Central Carolina Conference Player of the Year.

Salisbury’s top six made All-CCC, with Abbey Lawson, Kate Burton, Lucy Barr, Cora Wymbs and Meredith Williams also honored.

Salisbury’s Milton Griffith was runner-up for Coach of the Year. East Davidson’s Sarah Sturdivant won.

All-SPC tennis

Rowan girls who made the All-South Piedmont Conference team are Carson’s Bree Whittington and  Allie Martin; South Rowan’s Bella Caraccio; East Rowan’s Audrey Ward, and West Rowan’s Isabel Melton.

Concord’s Pam Beech is SPC Coach of the Year. Lake Norman Charter’s Luci Fall is the SPC Player  of the Year.

All-CCC girls golf

Salisbury’s Kendall Colwell, Courtney Williams and Lola Koontz and North Rowan’s Azaria Elder made the All-Central Conference  team.

East Davidson’s Liliana Grieff took CCC Player of the Year honors. West Davidson’s David Klinkoski is the CCC Coach of the Year.

North Rowan’s Hunter Fuller was runner-up for coaching honors.

All-SPC girls golf

East Rowan’s Hannah Waddell is the South Piedmont Conference Golfer of the Year.

East’s Addison Queen and Emma Cornelison also made the six-person All-SPC team, as did South Rowan’s Kassidy Sechler.

East’s Tinsley Merrell was named  SPC Coach of the Year.

All-GMC girls tennis

A.L. Brown’s Ashley Rachels made the All-Greater Metro Conference team.