From staff reports
Longtime North Rowan track coach Robert Steele is one of eight individuals selected for induction into the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame.
The others are Donnie Baxter (Asheboro), Ronnie Chavis (Pembroke), Lawrence Dunn (Raleigh), Doug Henderson (Greensboro), Lindsey Page (Burlington), Larry Rhodes (Gastonia) and Jim Taylor (Shelby).
This will be the 27th group of inductees and increases the number enshrined to 148. The class will be honored at halftime of the North Carolina-East Carolina football game at Kenan Stadium on Sept. 22.
“These individuals joining the Association Hall of Fame this year have had a tremendous impact on high school athletics across North Carolina,” NCHSAA commissioner Davis Whitfield said. “Their accomplishments are impressive, but the character they exemplify and the lives they touched are truly representative of what the NCHSAA stands for. Their selection maintains the standards of excellence established by our previous inductees, and we are proud to honor these deserving individuals.”
Steele has been one of the state’s most outstanding coaches in track and field for a number of years and built North Rowan into a state powerhouse in the sport.
A graduate of East Rowan and Livingstone, Steele coached from 1977-86 at Webb High School in Oxford, guiding the track team to six conference titles. Then he moved to North Rowan, where his teams have rolled up an incredible 15 NCHSAA state championships.
Steele’s boys track and field squads at North have earned 11 state crowns, including five in a row from 1994-98. He also served as an assistant football coach at Webb and North.
Steele has earned numerous coach of the year honors as well as national recognitions from the National Scholastic Sports Foundation, and has been honored for his community service in Rowan County.
Steele has previously been inducted into the Rowan-Salisbury Hall of Fame and the Livingstone College Hall of Fame.
Baxter coached Eastern Randolph to the 3A football state championship in 1983.
Chavis was baseball coach and AD at West Roberson for 20 years.
Dunn coached the Garner girls basketball team to an undefeated season in 1978 and coached the Garner boys team to 445 wins.
Henderson won 216 games as a head football coach and had great success at Western Guilford.
Page coached boys basketball at Bartlett Yancey for 34 years. His teams won 519 games, including the 3A championship in 1988.
Rhodes coached 336 basketball victories, mostly at Gastonia Ashbrook. His team won the 1967 4A state title.
Taylor compiled a brilliant record as a football coach, mostly at Shelby. His teams were 201-54-2.
Youth track
Andrew Burgess of the Hurley YMCA Warriors ran the 3000 meters in 10:35 in the Junior Olympic Nationals in Houston.
Burgess finished seventh to earn All-America honors.
His time was a personal best, 21 seconds better than his previous best. Top-eight finishers earned medals.
Alex Crook of the Warriors ran 2:12 in the 800, but did not make the final for 14-year-olds in a very fast field.
College baseball
Pfeiffer AD Mary Ann Sunbury has announced the hiring of Dusty Blake as head baseball coach.
Blake replaces Mark Hayes, who has joined former Pfeiffer and Appalachian State coach Chris Pollard’s staff at Duke.
Blake most recently was an assistant at USC-Upstate where he handled the pitching staff and coordinated recruiting, among other duties.
“I couldn’t be more ecstatic to join Pfeiffer as the head baseball coach,” Blake said. “This is a tremendous opportunity for me and my family. We are thrilled and it is an honor to be welcomed into the Pfeiffer family.”
Blake also has been an assistant coach at Wofford and Pfeiffer and he was on Catawba’s staff for two seasons.
He played at Appalachian State.
College football
Legend Ken Sparks will coach Carson-Newman this season despite being diagnosed with prostate cancer a month ago.
“My (recent) tests were excellent, I was cleared to run four miles the other day, and it was a lovely pain,” Sparks said. “I’m scheduled for radiation starting in December after we win the national championship game.”
This will be Sparks’ 33rd season at the helm of the Eagles. He owns 299 victories.
Sparks, 68, is on the verge of becoming the 11th coach to hit the 300-win mark.
“The Lord called me to coach,” Sparks said. “He’ll let me know when it’s time not to coach.”
American Legion
Wednesday’s first-round matchups in the state tournament at Lenoir’s Deal Stadium are: Randolph (30-9) vs. Whiteville (19-6); Apex (20-6) vs. Cherryville (34-10); Wilmington (28-7) vs. High Point (29-7), and Pitt County (18-5) vs. Caldwell County (26-8).
A.L. Brown seats
The Kannapolis Booster Club is selling football reserved seats and reserved parking at Bullock Gym on Aug. 2 from 5-7 p.m.
Also on sale are pavers for the stadium project and VIP seats.
Rowan seats
South Rowan football seating sales to current season-ticket holders continues through today.
Remaining seats will go on sale to the general public, beginning Wednesday, Aug. 1.
This year there are five regular-season home games included in the $35 price.
Tickets may be purchased in the main office of the school, Monday through Thursday, from 8-12 or 1-3:30. Call the school if these dates pose a problem (704-857-1161).
Anyone interested in reserved parking for Friday night football, should contact Ann White at 704-857-5159.
Carson is ready to sell stadium seats for the upcoming football season.
All existing reserved seat holders can renew by Aug. 2 by calling Jimmy Denton at 703-202-9389 or Tim Shue at 704-223-0210.
On Aug. 6, 7 and 8, seats can be purchased at the school from 5-6:30 p.m.
Fall baseball
Spencer
Registration for Spencer Little League/Franklin Ellis Pee Wee League baseball will be held on Fridays, Aug. 3 and 10 from 4-7 p.m. and on Saturdays, Aug. 4 and 11, from 9-12.
Register at 8th Street Ballpark.
Contact William Noles at 704-633-0151 or Rodney Goodine at 704-636-7088 or Craige Farmer at 704-216-7783 for information.
Registration is for ages 4-14. Cost is $30 for player. Leagues are Coach Pitch, B, A and Junior. This is an instructional league for improving current skills or preparing for a new league. Register online at www.eteamz.com/spencerlittleleague1.
Rowan
Rowan Little League is taking sign-ups through Aug. 24 at Godley’s Garden Center for fall baseball and girls softball leagues.
Online registrations are accepted at http://www.rowanlittleague.com.
Fall ball is for ages 3-14. Cost is $50. Baseball ages are as of April 30, 2013, and softball ages are as of December 31, 2012. Games begin after Labor Day. Pre-T-Ball for ages 3 and 4 will be included.
Contact Wade Furches at 704-633-2873 or Jeff Bernhardt at 704-326-5255 for information.
China Grove
Registration for China Grove youth baseball and softball fall leagues is under way at Dale’s Sporting Goods in China Grove.
Early registration fee is $40 through Aug. 18.
After Aug. 18, cost is $50.
Leagues offered are Coach Pitch baseball (ages 5-6 and ages 7-8), baseball (ages 9-10 and ages 11-12), softball (ages 5-6-7, ages 8-9-10 and ages 11-12-13).
Contact James Solomon at 704-857-1439 or e-mail ymcanewhouse@yahoo.com.
Local golf
The team of Corbin Hills pro Jay Hill and Jr. Amateur partner Nick Lyerly represented Corbin Hills in the 7th Annual Pro-Junior played at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary on Monday.
The team combined for seven birdies and posted a round of 64 to tie for second in the event. The tournament was sponsored by the Carolinas PGA and the Carolinas Golf Association.
Jim Hesley made a recent hole-in-one at The Badin Inn & Golf Club.
He made the ace with a 7-wood on the 200-yard No. 2 hole.
Minor leagues
The Kannapolis Intimidators lost 4-3 at Hickory on Monday.
Kevin Torres singled to left field in the ninth to drive in the deciding run.
Joey DeMichele singled in two runs for Kannapolis.
Albuquerque’s Jerry Sands (Catawba) had two hits and knocked in a run in a 4-3 loss to Nashville on Monday.
Sands had 12 RBIs in the four-game series.
Rudy Brown (South Rowan) pitched a scoreless sixth inning for Kane County on Monday in the Midwest League and lowered his ERA to 2.22.
Keegan Linza (North Rowan) did not fare well in his start for Great Falls on Monday.
Linza was locked up in a 1-1 pitchers’ duel until the bottom of the fifth, but he wound up allowing six runs. He struck out two and walked none.
Youth racing
The next race at Millbridge is on Wednesday, Aug. 8.
Parks & Rec
Salisbury Parks and Recreation Department will conduct a wrestling Camp in the Hall Gym wrestling room on Aug. 6-9 from 6-8 p.m. each day.
Cost of the camp is $40 for ages 6-14. Camp will be instructed by the Rowan County Youth Wrestling Association.
A speed and agility camp will be held at Hall Gym on Aug. 6-7 from 9-12.
Cost of the camp is $25 for ages 7-15. Camp will be instructed by Corey Ready.
For more information or to register call Lakai Brice at 704-638-5289 or email at lbric@salisburync.gov.
Prep basketball
Derrick Stokes was hired as the new boys basketball coach at West Davidson.
Stokes is a West Davidson graduate and played football at Catawba. He has been the head coach at Southwestern Randolph.
Previous WD coach Russ Snyder is moving into administration at North Davidson.
Prep football
North Iredell’s new head football coach is Sandy Grinton. Grinton, who was an assistant at Starmount, was hired last month. The Statesville Record and Landmark reported about 70 players were out for Monday’s start of official practice.