Area Sports Briefs: Kannapolis Legion wins on walk-off; All-CCC spring teams announced

Published 4:52 am Wednesday, May 24, 2023

From staff reports

The Kannapolis American Legion baseball team scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh to beat Matthews 12-11 on Tuesday.

Brooks Hubbard had a  two-run walk-off single for Kannapolis (3-0). Drew Blackwell scored the winning run.

Aaron Jones was the winning pitcher.

Jalan Chambers went 4-for-4 with two doubles. Daniel Savage had three hits and scored three runs. Terry Kaler drove in three runs. Conner Coy had two hits, including a triple.

Kannapolis is getting a lot of help this year from South Rowan (Hubbard, Jones, Coy, Brett Morris, Blackwell)  and Carson (Savage).

All-CCC baseball

Salisbury Carson Herndon is the Central Carolina Coach of the Year.

Salisbury’s Hank Webb, Evan Koontz, Mike Geter and Aiden Mowery made the All-CCC team, along with North Rowan’s Malakie Harris.

East Davidson’s Trey Kennedy is the CCC Player of the Year.

West Davidson’s Trent Lowe is the CCC Pitcher of the Year.

All-CCC girls track

North Rowan’s Tai’lah Ward is the Sprint MVP for Central Carolina Conference track and field.

North’s Brittany Ellis and Salisbury’s Arnasjelle Corpening were Co-Field Events MVPs.

East Davidson’s Fatima Cepeda  is the CCC Distance MVP.

Salisbury’s Christyonna Lewis, MIllie Wymbs, Kimora Chawlk, Kendall Henderson, Dashia Canada and Mya Noble made All-CCC. North Rowan’s Aniya Brown, Bailee Goodlett, Azarea Miller and Keynai Ambers made All-CCC.

CCC Coach of the Year was West Davidson’s Kenneth Elmore. Salisbury’s Chelsea Morris was runner-up.

All-CCC boys track

Salisbury’s Romar Morris is the Central Carolina Conference Coach of the Year.

Salisbury’s Sean Young is Sprint MVP. West Davidson’s Jesus Carmona is Field MVP. South Davidson’s Ethan Byerly is Distance MVP.

Salisbury’s Nate Shaffer, Torian Brown, Jamal Rule, Andrew Huffman, Quincy Robinson and Jaylin Johnson made the All-CCC team.

North Rowan’s Quintin Wilson, Kemon O’Kelly, Amari McArthur, Emanuel Lewis and Kemyon Oglesby are All-CCC.

All-CCC golf

Salisbury freshman John McCoy is the Central Carolina Conference Player of the Year.

Salisbury’s Bryant Davis was runner-up.

Salisbury’s Bo Brincefield, Jackson Sparger and Warren Fesperman made the All-CCC team.

Salisbury’s Josh Brincefield was voted CCC Coach of the Year.

All-CCC tennis

Salisbury’s Gray Davis is the Central Carolina Conference Tennis Player of the Year.

Salisbury’s Reid Hlavacek, Wyatt Goodnight, Soyer Cornelison and Marcus Everson made the All-CCC team.

South Davidson’s Levi Bruff was voted CCC Coach of the Year.

All-CCC softball

North Rowan senior Chloee Stoner is the Central Carolina Conference Player of the Year.

Salisbury’s Katie Peeler, Ashley Yang and Allison Peeler made the All-CCC team.

West Davidson’s Hannah Rollins is the CCC Pitcher of the Year.

West Davidson’s Amanda Jones is the CCC Coach of the Year.

All-CCC girls soccer

Salisbury’s Kyna Zaldivar, Addie Griffith, Abigail Perez, Cora Wymbs and Stella Koontz made the All-Central Carolina Conference team.

Salisbury’s Matt Parrish is the CCC Coach of the Year.

West Davidson’s Allie Brown and East Davidson’s Abby Connolly were voted  Co-Offensive Player of the Year.

West Davidson’s Olivia Snyder was the CCC  Defensive Player of the Year.

     

College baseball

Liberty’s Kane Kepley (South Rowan) was named to the All-Freshman team for the Atlantic Sun Conference.

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UNC center fielder Vance Honeycutt (Salisbury) will miss the ACC tournament with a lower body injury.

Honeycutt was voted ACC Defensive Player of the Year over the weekend.

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Surry Community College’s Jack Weaver (S. Rowan) announced that he will continue his baseball career at Brevard.

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Catawba announced the signing of Trace Humberger, a pitcher/infielder from West Cabarrus High, and Jack Cuba, a catcher from Wilmington.

College basketball

Catawba men’s basketball announced the signing of Justin Mitchel, Montraivis White  and Shad Thomas for the 2003-04 season.

  “Our class isn’t completed just yet, but this trio provides a great mix of youth and experience with a proven ability to win games which will provide a smooth transition entering our program,” head coach Robert Perron said. “All three of these guys have high character, have been extremely well coached and only will enhance our chemistry.”   

Mitchel is a 6-foot-5 guard from Lexington, Ky., and played four years at Tusculum. He averaged 9 points and 5 rebounds last season.

White, a 5-11 guard from Jenkinsville, S.C., is a highly regarded point guard. He was the 2A Player of the Year, All-State and a three-time state champion.

Thomas is a 6-7 forward from Union Island of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Thomas comes to the Indians from Catawba Valley Community College. He averaged 16 points and 14 rebounds last season for the Red Hawks. He is an elite rebounder.

HS baseball

  South Rowan left-hander Haiden Leffew has private workouts scheduled with two MLB teams and also has been invited to throw at the MLB Draft Combine to be held in Phoenix on June 20-25..

The 6-foot-3 Leffew projects to be drafted in the first five rounds of the MLB draft.

He is a Wake Forest signee and an excellent student and is scheduled to report to school on July 5.

The draft will take place on July 9-11 in Seattle, and Leffew may have a decision to make.

HS football

Salisbury defensive back Deuce Walker added an offer from Georgia State.

HS basketball

Central Cabarrus’ Jaiden Thompson was chosen for the East-West All-Star game.

NBA

Central Cabarrus graduate Ish Smith is a member of the Denver Nuggets, who  swept the L.A. Lakers to reach the NBA Finals.

Signers

Salisbury’s Haley Dalton signed with Winston-Salem State’s women’s basketball program.

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Carson’s Borst sisters (Hayley and Makayla) and  East Rowan’s Ritchie brothers (Cameron and Carson)  signed with Pfeiffer for track and field and cross country.

Runners

More than 100 runners participated in the annual Ed Dupree  5K race, including many alums from the Faith Flyers Track Club that Dupree founded.

East Rowan athletes Peyton Whicker, Dylan Valley and Whitt Hoesman received $1,500 scholarships this year through the Ed Dupree Memorial Scholarship program and a donation will be made to the Novant Health Foundation.

Local golf

GARS members played at Warrior this week.

Low’ A’ Flight player was Larry Petrea with a net of 65.46.

Low’ B’ Flight player was Ray Pope with a net of 60.02.

Low ‘C’ Flight player was John Cress with a net of 60.86.

Low ‘D’ Flight player was Tommy Seamon with a net of 60.89.

Petrea shot a 72 to take low gross, while Pope won low net.

Super Senior winner was Jim Brown with a net of 61.96.

Four members shot their age or better.

Donald, Martin 79, shot a 78. Bobby Clark, 83, shot an 82.  Dale Cobb, 84, shot an 82. Ed Lockhart, 85, shot an 85.

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Terry Evans made a recent ace on No. 15 at the Revival Golf Course at the Crescent.

Evans used a pitching wedge from 127 yards.

The shot was witnessed by Ken Crooms, Mike Blume and Nick Mueller.

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Michelle Frederickson on made a hole-in-one at Warrior. She used a 7-iron to ace the No. 3 hole from the gold tees.

Witnesses  included Bob Frederickson and Dave Ober.

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Entries are being accepted for the 20th Annual Rowan Masters Tournament at Warrior.

Qualifying is June 16-18 with the tournament set for June 23-25.

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  The team of Byron Sheesley, Calvin Smith and Ralph & Pam Carver took first place in the latest McCanless Couples event. Ralph Carver had a big day. He also won longest putt and closest to the pin.

Susan Wydner, Heather DePalma-Spivey,   P-Daber and Camden Snow placed second.

College softball

Pfeiffer lost to Rowan 5-3 in the regional championship game in Ohio.

Pfeiffer won three games in the tournament and finished 35-13.

College track & field

Four Catawba Indians qualified for the Division II National Championship Meet in Pueblo, Colo., on May 25-27.

Barja Walter will compete in the men’s 200 meters.

MeKayla White will compete in the women’s long jump. Samantha Payne will compete in the 200 and 400. Madison Clay will compete in the women’s 10k.

College golf

After a successful debut in 2022, the SAS Championship HBCU Invitational will return in 2023 as a part of the annual PGA Tour Champions Tournament. Seventeen teams from 14 leading Historically Black Colleges and Universities   will compete from Oct. 13-15 alongside the legends of the  PGA Tour Champions.

The 2023 field will include seven women’s teams and 10 men’s teams playing in the three-round event.

The men’s field ioncludes returners Livingstone and Winston-Salem State and newcomers Johnson C. Smith and Fayetteville State.

Parks and Rec

  Salisbury Parks and Recreation announced dates for 2023 summer sports camps.

• Baseball, June 5-8, 9 to noon daily, $40

• Volleyball, June 5-8 and July 10-13, 9 to 12:30 p.m., $40

  Fast-Pitchsoftball,  June 12-15, 9 to noon, $40

  Pickleball, June 12-15, 9 to noon, $20

For further information, ages, instructors, location and to register visit www.salisburync.gov/play  or call 704-638-5289.