From staff reports
Rowan Rampage quarterback D’Andre Hopper, center Justin Parker, tackle Wayne Thomas, guard Mike Singleton, tight end Hakim Pearce, guard Dorsett Beasley, linebacker Nichael Hill, defensive end Steven Blanton, defensive tackle Garette Knight, linebacker De’Arron Cole, linebacker Maurice Swaringen, linebacker Will Himes, defensive back Benji Greene, receiver D.J. Lyles and receiver Justin Davis were named to play in the upcoming CCFL All-Star Game in Concord.
The Rampage will stage a victory celebration tonight at 10 p.m. at Attractions at 612 S. Main St. The championship trophy will be on display.
Raffle tickets can be purchased at the gathering for $1, and prizes will include Sony electronics, Rampage jerseys and Forum memberships.
The raffle will provide funds for championship rings, new jerseys for next season and Rampage community projects.
The Rampage are in the process of lining up sponsors for 2009. Interested parties should call owner-coach Larry Bryant at 704-779-7515.
– Minor leagues
Ernie Young, hitting coach at Great Falls, Mont., last summer, will manage The Kannapolis Intimidators in 2009.
Young retired as a player in 2007 after 17 years in the majors and minors. He played for Oakland, Kansas City, Arizona, Detroit and Cleveland.
His best season was 1996 when he hit 19 homers and knocked in 64 runs for the A’s.
Young will be joined on the Intimidators staff by pitching coach Larry Owens and strength and conditioning coach Tom Rodmaker. New faces will include hitting coach Greg “Pee Wee” Briley, who played at N.C. State, and trainer Kevin Pillfant.
* Chris Chambliss, standout first baseman for the Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves, will manage the Charlotte Knights next spring.n Dula featured
Salisbury native Caroline Dula appears on page 50 of the December issue of Golf Digest in an article with her instructor Hank Haney (who is Tiger Woods’ coach).
She attends the Hank Haney Junior Golf Academy where she is a sophomore in her fourth year of attendance. She is also featured on the “Get a Grip” segment of the Golf Channel reality show “School of Golf” which was filmed at the Academy. This segment will be re-run several times this month including 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 24.
– Salisbury fan bus
Depending on interest, Salisbury plans to take a chartered fan bus to Canton for Friday’s football playoff game against Pisgah.
The bus will leave at 3 p.m.. The fee is $30 and includes transportation and game ticket. For reservations, advanced tickets need to be purchased in the school office by Thursday at 8 a.m.
For more information, call the school at 636-1221.
– South playoff game
Pre-sale tickets for South Rowan’s football playoff game at Belmont South Point will be sold at South Rowan on Thursday and Friday from 8-3.
To get to South Point, take I-85 to Exit 27. Go left off the exit toward Belmont. You will be on Highway 273 South and you can follow 273 (watch for one left turn) to the school.
– A.L. Brown game
Tickets for A.L. Brown’s home playoff game with Lake Norman on Friday will be on sale at A.L. Brown Thursday and Friday from 11:30 until 1. Presale price is $6. Tickets at the gate cost $7.
Gates open at 5:30 Friday. Metal detectors will be in use. Go early.
– Cannon hoops tourney
Cannon School will host its annual Cannon Classic Basketball Tournament this weekend with some of the state’s top prospects competing in early-season action.
The tournament tips off Friday.
Cannon’s Krista Gross is one of the nation’s top female high school players and has committed to UNC.
Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for students. Weekend passes are available for adults ($8 per person) and students ($3 per person). Children 5 and under will be admitted free.
– Golf benefit
The 2nd Annual “Saving Grace” Cystic Fibrosis Golf Tournament was held recently at Corbin Hills.
The first-place team was Wayne Kluttz, Barry Curlee, Mark Johnson and Ronnie Edison.
Dan Wales, Jeff Chapman, Pat Phifer and Coleman Phifer finished second.
Golfers, sponsors, donors, and volunteers raised money to support Grace Hodge and the 30,000 nationwide who suffer from the disease.
– College football
East Carolina’s Scotty Robinson (Salisbury) returned to action Saturday and shared a tackle for loss in the overtime victory against Marshall.
* Ibn Ali (Salisbury) made a tackle and had kickoff returns of 24 and 17 yards for Western Carolina in Saturday’s loss against Elon.
* Josh Eury (East Rowan) started his seventh straight game on the offensive line for Averett in Saturday’s loss against Christopher Newport.
* Averett free safety Justin McCauley (A.L. Brown) made 10 tackles against Christopher Newport.
* Gordy Witte (Salisbury) has played in nine games for Appalachian State. He has seven tackles, including one sack and another tackle for loss.
* Greensboro tailback Cal Bacon (A.L. Brown) rushed for 41 yards in a loss against Methodist on Saturday.
* D.J. Rice (Davie) made a team-high eight tackles for Coastal Carolina in Saturday’s victory against Gardner-Webb. Ryan Boehm (Davie) started on the O-line for the Chanticleers.
* Raeshon McNeil (Davie) had two tackles and three pass breakups for Notre Dame in Saturday’s loss against Boston College.
* South Carolina punter Spencer Lanning was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week recently for averaging 45.0 yards on eight kicks against Tennessee.
Lanning is from Rock Hill but has family ties to North Rowan.
– GARS outing
Sixty-three members played in a GARS event at Crescent Golf Club on Monday.
Low ‘A’ Flight player was Tom Talbert with a net of 64.72. Talbert made an eagle on No. 17.
Low ‘B’ player was O.J. Chandler with a net of 67.21. Low ‘C’ player with a net of 63.83 was Donald Martin. Low ‘D’ player with a net of 71.12 was Guy Schenk.
– Overseas hoops
Carlos Dixon (South Rowan) scored 15 and 10 points in his first two outings for his team in Argentina.
* Damien Argrett (South, Pfeiffer) averaged 7.7 points and 4.9 rebounds in his first seven games in Poland.
* Phillip Williams (West Rowan) averaged 6.8 points and 4.4 boards in his first five games in Lithuania.
* Bryan McCullough (North Rowan) averaged 8.0 points in his first four games in Hungary.
* Donte Minter (West) averaged 18.3 points and 8.0 rebounds in his first four games in Portugal.
* Rico Grier (Pfeiffer) averaged 6.5 points in his first six games in Ukraine.
– College hoops
Wesley Honeycutt (South Rowan) is off to a good start at Davidson County Community College.
Honeycutt scored 31 points in two weekend games. He scored 11 in a 74-72 loss to Dundalk and had 20 points in an 89-80 victory over Tidewater.
Honeycutt was 6-for-9 on 3-pointers in the Tidewater game.
– DCDS hoops tournament
Davidson Country Day School is holding a Tip Off Tournament at its Lexington campus on Nov. 13-15.
There will be 16 area middle school teams competing in four divisions. First-round games begin Thursday and continue Friday with consolation and championship games Saturday. There will be a cheerleading exhibition on Saturday at 12:15 p.m.
Concessions will be sold.
– Hounds seek challenge
Statesville’s girls, the favorite in the upcoming NPC basketball race, took on East Mecklenburg, West Charlotte and McDowell in a recent scrimmage at Morganton.