From staff reports

Informed that Monroe would officially be North Rowan’s opponent tonight, normally low-key junior Michael Bowman got serious.
“So it’s definitely Monroe,” he said following a second-round win against South Stokes. “Monroe — that’s a grudge game.”
A funny thing happened to North on its march to the basketball Western Regional a year ago. Basically, Monroe happened.
The Redhawks eliminated North 54-51 in a sectional final, and no one except maybe Monroe saw it coming. North was the defending 1A state champ and was already entertaining thoughts of another scrap in the regional with Winston-Salem Prep when the Redhawks ended their season.
Suddenly the careers of Pierre Givens, Daniel Chambers and Tydler Watlington were over — just like that in their own gym, not in one of those college arenas where Cavaliers expect to peel off their jerseys for the last time. Even North players who weren’t seniors were too numb and too downcast to speak, and even coach Andrew Mitchell fought back tears.
Once again, Winston-Salem Prep is out there waiting. But Monroe is here, and this time, the Cavaliers know they have to be ready to match the ferocious Redhawks’ intensity.
The Redhawks are a reflection of Johnny Sowell, their tough coach. Sowell, a star athlete at Appalachian State, coaches the Redhawks in football and track as well as basketball.
Tonight’s sectional final matchup arguably features two of the top five teams in 1A. It’ll feel more like a regional game, only in a much tighter gym.
Third-seeded Monroe (23-4) has familiar names back from last season, and while North was starting slowly against South Stokes on Wednesday, the Redhawks were flying out of the gate and destroying Bessemer City. Monroe led Bessemer City 31-7 after a quarter and by 30 points at halftime.
Junior guard Brandon Roddy scored 23 points Wednesday. Senior guard Dikembe White added 17 points. Senior forward Quayshawn Chambers had 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Senior guard Tre Shun Wynn had nine assists.
Monroe has a lot of veterans, and some of them also played against North in a sectional final in 2011. The Cavaliers won that one 44-40 in Monroe, and that tough-minded win was the springboard to the regional and eventually a state title.
North also has veterans. This will be third battle with Monroe for senior Malik Ford and juniors Michael Connor and Bowman.It will be the second Monroe game for seniors Oshon West and T.J. Bates. Bates was hurt last season.
A healthy Bates, standout freshman Jalen Sanders and transfers Alexis Archie, Brandon Nelson and Dalton Nelson have made North (26-3) a deeper and stronger team then it was a year ago. North has won 18 straight and has won them all handily, but there’s a very tough road ahead.
Tonight at 7 p.m. is when things start getting serious.

Carson girls

Carson’s 11th-seeded girls have beaten West Rowan, a Christmas tournament and conference tournament champion, and Robinson, the SPC’s regular season and tournament champion, just to get to tonight. It’s already been a tough road for the Cougars, and now it gets tougher.
The Cougars (21-7) will play at second-seeded Charlotte Harding (20-4), the defending 3A state champs.
Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m.

This will be the first sectional final for either Carson basketball program.
Senior guard Kelly Dulkoski is having an incredible season and will again lead the Cougars, along with senior forward Allison Blackwell, but the Cougars will need strong games from everyone if they’re going to upset the fast, tall, experienced Rams.
The Cougars do have a chance. Southwestern Randolph led Harding in the third quarter on Wednesday before finally losing 82-69.
Myicha Drakeford, Abrea Harris, Ralisha Currence and Brianna Harris average double figures for the Rams.
Harris scored 28 on Wednesday, while Hamrick had 21.

Prep baseball

East Rowan beat Mount Tabor 5-0 at home on Wednesday.
Ike Freeman had three hits, while Ty Beck, Michael Caldwell and Hunter Brooks had two each.
Connor Johnson pitched five overpowering innings, allowing two hits. He struck out eight. Josh Gobble pitched the sixth and seventh innings.
East is at home today against North Davidson.
S. Stanly 5, Salisbury 3 Salisbury lost to South Stanly in eight innings on Thursday in a game that was moved to Salisbury.
Chance Bowden had a two-run double for the Hornets. Ryan Jones had a run-scoring single.
Vance Deese had the game-winning hit for the Rowdy Rebel Bulls.
“Our pitching was pretty good as well as our fielding, but we failed to take advantage of chances to go ahead late in the game, and you can’t do that against a quality team,” Salisbury coach Scott Maddox said.
Salisbury is at A.L. Brown today.
Carson 10, Cox Mill 3

Carson’s baseball team opened with a strong home win on Thursday.
Dillon Atwell pitched four sharp innings and got relief help from Ben Gragg and John Daugherty.
Dylan Carpenter went 4-for-4 at the plate, and Heath Mitchem was 3-for-3.
K.J. Pressley had a two-run single. Devon Peacock had a two-run, pinch-hit double.
“We left 13 on base and struck out way too much with men in scoring position,” Carson coach Chris Cauble said. “But the biggest story is that Dillon looked good and threw very well.”
Carson is at home against Robinson this afternoon.
West 6, Mt. Pleasant 5

West Rowan overcame a 5-2 deficit and beat the Tigers with a sixth-inning rally.
Justin Evans had the clutch hit in the sixth and produced three RBIs. Evans, Taylor Garczynski and Juan Garcia had doubles.
Michael Ball pitched a complete game for West (2-0).
“We were behind much of the game,” West coach Chad Parker said. “But we just kept battling back with good at-bats.”
South Rowan

South Rowan will be without outfielder Tyler Fuller for a few weeks. He is recovering from a thumb injury and appendicitis.
South is home today vs. NW Cabarrus for a chilly JV-varsity doubleheader.
North Rowan

The Cavaliers are at home today at 4 against North Moore.

Jayvee baseball

The Greater Cabarrrus Homeschool Stallions lost 5-4 to Davie.
Travis Cone, Caleb Threadgill and Noah Jarrett had two hits each. Hunter Shepherd and Saywer Strickland did a nice job on the mound.
Jarrett had a two-run single, Threadgill had a run-scoring double, and Dalton Lankford had a run-scoring single.
• South Rowan’s jayvees beat A.L. Brown 8-1.
Prep wrestling

Winners in the first round of the 3A state tournament in Greensboro included East’s Logan Haas, Wyatt Blume and Jason Deutsch, South’s Logan Durham, West Rowan’s Walt Waggoner, Carson’s Brandon Sloop and Alex Lyles, and A.L. Brown’s Nicholas Sexton.
In 4A, Davie’s Alex Gobble and Ryan Smith were first-round winners.

Prep softball

Sidney Grkman had three hits, including a triple and a home run, to lead Carson to a 6-2 win at Northwest Cabarrus on Thursday.
Lacee Hunsucker struck out 10 and went the distance in the circle.
Kaycee Kennedy had a triple, and Kinsley Bean and Morgan Peninger had key hits.
• West Rowan won 14-3 against Hickory Ridge, and South beat Cox Mill 14-0.
• Caroline Miller pitched a two-hitter in Davie’s 11-0 win against South Stokes. Morgan Hendrix, Abby Daniels and Kristina Parrish had three hits apiece. The War Eagles pounded out 19 hits.

Prep soccer

Kate Grant had four assists as Salisbury’s girls soccer team opened with a 5-0 win against South Rowan on Thursday.
Kristel Rodriguez and Maritsa Mourouzidis had two goals each for the Hornets. Mourouzidis, who missed last season with ACL surgery, scored her first two goals for SHS.
Freshman Kayla Honeycutt scored the other goal.
“It was obviously our first game,” SHS coach Matt Parrish said. “We’ve got lots of new pieces, but in stretches we were pretty good.”
• East Rowan fell to Robinson 8-0.
• North Rowan beat Albemarle 3-0 in a YVC match on goals by sophomores Tatiana Alvarado andCourtney Harison and freshman Kelly Martinez.
Desiree Rincon had the shutout in gol. Daisy Lemke, Mariela Bautista and Tiheosha Caldwell were defensive leaders. Dakota Honeycutt assisted on North’s first goal.

Prep golf

South Rowan’s golf team shot 166 at Rolling Hills to beat West Rowan (172) and North Rowan (222).
Davis Richards shot 37 to lead South. Evan Neas (41), Hunter Chapman (44) and Josh Pope (44) were scorers.
Jake Kennedy’s 37 led the Falcons. Scorers were Coyte Kyles (44), Denny Triche (44) and Cameron Hassard (47).
North scorers were Kevin Burnham (54), Tim Bickish (55), Luke Miller (56) and Scottie Loflin (57).
• Salisbury beat Concord 163-180 at The Club at Irish Creek.
Eric Edwards (38), Abraham Post (39), Alex Austin (41) and John Murphy (45) were scorers for the Hornets.
Walker Cress shot 38 to lead the Spiders and shared medalist honors with Edwards.

College tennis

Catawba’s women’s tennis team beat Limestone 5-4 on Wednesday.

China Grove sign-ups

Sign-ups for youth baseball and softball in China Grove will be accepted at Dale’s Sporting Goods through March 5.
Price is $65.

Call 704-857-1439 for information.

7th-grade girls hoops

West Rowan Middle rallied to beat Erwin 28-24.
West (3-9) was led by Morgan Corriher with three 3-pointers and 13 points. Niaja Wilson scored seven. Parker Greene had four key points.
Erwin (7-5) was paced by Caroline Johnson with nine points and 14 rebounds. Anna Shafer had five points and 10 rebounds.
• West Rowan Middle won 21-19 against Knox.
Corriher had 12 points and eight rebounds, and Wilson had seven points and five rebounds.
• Southeast beat Corriher-Lipe 49-18.
Olivia Gabriel scored 29 for the Patriots. Alexandra Linder and Maren Shumaker had seven apiece.
• North Rowan Middle’s girls beat Mooresville 43-17.
Egypt Alexander scored 19 points for the Mavericks and Tanajah Robinson had 18.

7th-grade boys hoops

Erwin’s boys made 10 3-pointers and beat West Rowan Middle 56-34.
Cole Perry scored 17 for the Eagles (7-5). Bryson Sprinkle had 16, and Josh Ellis had 13.