CHAPEL HILL – The football season and winter sports seasons were shortened by a week for the upcoming years in action taking by the N.C. High School Athletic Association Board of Directors at its two-day spring meeting that concluded Wednesday.
Starting with the 2011-12 academic year, football teams will play 11 regular-season games in 11 weeks (including the Endowment game, which is optional) rather than the current 12-week format. The Endowment game also would be dropped for playoff seeding purposes.
And starting this year, the winter sports season will lose one week of competition, with practices still allowed to start Nov. 1.
In other matters, the Board also added a “pod” seeding format to the football playoffs beginning this year, which means schools would be grouped into four different sections (East, Mideast, Midwest, West) to help reduce long trips under the current format.
“Opt-out” declarations also may be issued for schools that do not wish to enter the NCHSAA playoffs, with a form that would be signed by an athletic director, principal and superintendent and submitted by an established deadline prior to the release of the brackets in that sport.
The wrestling state championships will be shifted to a three-day event, with one specific classification to wrestle on Thursday night. And the 2010-13 state cross country championships will be held in Kernersville’s Beeson Park.
NCISAA Playoffs
HIGH POINT – Westchester Country Day School earned the No. 1 seed and High Point Christian Academy took No. 2 in the 2A baseball brackets released Wednesday by the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association.
Westchester will play host to No. 16 Village Christian on Saturday at 1 p.m., while HPCA will welcome No. 15 Halifax Academy on Friday at 4:30 p.m. The 2A quarterfinals will be played Tuesday at the site of the higher-seeded squad, with Thursday’s semifinals and the weekend’s three-game championship series set for Wingate University.
Wesleyan Christian Academy is a No. 3 seed in the 3A bracket and earned a first-round bye. The Trojans will welcome the winner of No. 6 Rabun Gap vs. No. 11 Cannon School on Tuesday, and Wesleyan will host the 3A semifinals and finals on Friday and Saturday.
The NCISAA also released its soccer championship brackets on Wednesday. In 2A, 11th-seeded Westchester will visit No. 6 St. David’s, while No. 15 HPCA will travel to No. 2 Cary Christian. Wesleyan made the 3A field as an eighth seed and will play host to Forsyth Country Day. All first-round soccer games will be played either Friday or Saturday.
BASEBALL
Trinity 10, Wheatmore 0
TRINITY – PAC-6 Tournament host Trinity handed Wheatmore a 10-0 loss in the semifinals Wednesday night, setting up a title-game matchup with top seed Randleman tonight at 7.
Chad Wagoner got the win for the Bulldogs, allowing just two hits while striking out seven in four innings of work. Wagoner also went 2-for-3 at the plate with three runs scored to pace the offense. David Newcomer was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, Ryan Spencer finished 2-for-3 with one run driven in, and Chris Sexton brought home three runs as Trinity improved to 18-6 for the year.
Southwest Guilford 3, High Point Central 0
HIGH POINT – Matt Orth struck out 15 batters and allowed just two hits and a walk Wednesday as Southwest Guilford beat High Point Central 3-0 in the first round of the Piedmont Triad 4A Conference Tournament.
The freshman left-hander also helped his cause at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles. He twice knocked home Brock Hudgens, who was 3-for-3 with a triple and all three runs scored for the Cowboys.
In the first, Hudgens singled and scored on Orth’s double, and in the fifth he tripled and came home on Orth’s hit. Hudgens also singled in the third, reached third and scored on a double-steal with Orth.
Ragsdale 12, Parkland 5
JAMESTOWN – Walt Sparks connected for a home run and two doubles to power Ragsdale to a 12-5 victory over Parkland in Wednesday’s opener of the Piedmont Triad 4A Conference Tournament.
Sparks drove in four runs in the Tigers’ 14-hit attack. Zach Hodges, Mitch Carstens, DeSean Anderson and Mike Whited each finished with two hits. Hodges scored a pair of runs and Carstens notched two RBIs.
Hodges got the mound win, improving to 6-2 for the year after allowing three hits, two walks and zero earned runs. He struck out seven.
Asheboro 8, Ledford 4
MCLEANSVILLE – Ledford dropped an 8-4 decision to Asheboro in the semifinals of the Mid-Piedmont Conference Tournament at Northeast Guilford.
The Blue Comets picked up 12 hits and scored three runs in the third inning and four in the fifth to take control. Ledford struck for singles runs in the first and sixth frames and two in the seventh.
Matt Thorburn led the Panthers with two doubles and three RBIs, while Brock Phillips also went 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI. Brian Connolly took the mound loss for Ledford (11-10).
Salisbury 6, East Davidson 2
SALISBURY – The host Hornets scored five runs in the final three innings to top East Davidson 6-2 in the Central Carolina 2A Conference finale.
The Golden Eagles (13-8, 7-3) led 2-1 in the fourth inning after Tyler Lequire’s home run, but Salisbury (14-9, 8-2) responded with two of its own in the bottom half and tacked on two more in the sixth, all on six hits.
SOFTBALL
Trinity 16, Carver 0
TRINITY – The Bulldogs closed the regular season Wednesday with a 16-0 win over Carver in three innings.
Tori Butler allowed just one hit and two walks to go with seven strikeouts for Trinity. She also was 2-for-3 at the plate, along with Scout Albertson, Ashley Stacy, Hannah Haggerty and Massoni Wright.
Albertson drove in five runs for Trinity.
Southwest Guilford 11, Rockingham 1
WENTWORTH – Sarah Warnock finished 4-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs and Ally Davenport was 4-for-5 with two runs scored and three driven in to lead Southwest Guilford’s 11-1 romp past Rockingham County on Wednesday.
Meredith Davenport also was 3-for-5 for the Cowgirls, scoring twice, while Savannah Peck had a single, triple, two RBIs and three runs scored and Whitney Tobin finished 1-for-2 with a run.
Jessica Becher got the pitching win for Southwest, striking out seven.
Chatham Central 5, Wheatmore 1
TRINITY – Wheatmore saw four unearned runs cross the plate in a 5-1 loss to nonconference foe Chatham Central on Wednesday.
Cat Tupper took the hard-luck loss despite recording 11 strikeouts. Taylar Pridgen and Taylor Walker each were 2-for-4 at the plate for the Warriors, with Pridgen connecting for a double.
Wesleyan 6, Forsyth Country Day 0
HIGH POINT – Wesleyan Christian Academy topped Forsyth Country Day 6-0 to win the PACIS title.
The Trojans (10-6) saw Sarah Horne pitch a complete game for the win. She struck out eight and allowed seven hits, and got a strong defensive performance behind her to save the shutout.
At the plate, Leah Workman connected for a big two-run hit to get the offense started, while Lauren Mock was 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Horne also drove in a run, with Rachael Luck finishing 2-for-4.
Thomasville 26, Lexington 6
THOMASVILLE – The Bulldogs celebrated Senior Day in style with a 26-6 win over Lexington.
The winning pitcher was Beni Harris, one of Thomasville’s seniors along with Stephanie Mize and Dominique Lindsay. Mize had a double and a triple in the game, and Kristen Culler played a strong defensive game at catcher.
SOCCER
Wheatmore 9, Andrews 0
HIGH POINT – Candice Lockhart scored two goals and netted three assists, and Leah Wright had a hat trick to lead Wheatmore to a 9-0 victory over T. Wingate Andrews.
The Warriors closed the regular season at 15-2-1 overall and 6-2 in the PAC-6, good for second place and a first-round home game in next week’s 2A playoffs.
Hannah Johnson also scored a pair of goals against Andrews, with Lexa Wall and Maddy Myers adding single scores. Paige Hudson and Emmie Grantham also had assists, and Hannah Ryan got the shutout in goal.
Post a Comment
