From staff reports
Cabarrus County Hall of Fame inductions will be held on Thursday, with ceremonies starting at 5 p.m. at Cabarrus County Boys and Girls Club.
Inductees will be Bill Ford, E.Z. Smith, Ethan Horton, Kellie Rose Kennedy, Larry Honeycutt, Mike Morton, Leroy Scercy, John McInnis, Claude “Bear” Little, Billy Goodman and George “Ick” Alley.
The ceremonies are free and open to the public.
? Scercy, who died in Salisbury in 2011, was marvelous three-sport athlete at A.L. Brown, earning multiple All-State honors in 1955 as a 200-pound running back/safety/kicker and playing in the Shrine Bowl.
The Wonders were 23-5 in Scercy’s three football seasons.
Football was Scercy’s best sport, basketball was his favorite sport, and baseball was the sport he played professionally.
When he was 19, Scercy batted .351 for Grand Island, Neb., in the Nebraska State League.
In his final season of pro ball in 1960, Scercy came back close to home to play for Salisbury at Newman Park, tore up the Western Carolinas League and led Salisbury to the championship. He batted .303 with 16 homers, 19 doubles and four triples in 66 games.
He was only 23 then, but he’d given himself a five-year timetable to make the majors. He retired from baseball and went to work in the mills.
As modest as he was swift and powerful, when Scercy married late in life, his wife, Joan, had no clue she’d married a celebrity. At least not until she found out that everyone in Salisbury and Kannapolis knew who her husband was.
? Morton, now a successful dentist and rising referee, was an outstanding player for A.L. Brown in football and baseball. He was a big part of the 1989 3A championship football team.
He continued to star at North Carolina where he was team captain, and he was a fourth-round pick in the 1995 NFL draft.
Morton started occasionally at linebacker in the NFL, but he mostly made his mark as a dependable special teams player and lasted in the NFL seven seasons. He earned a Super Bowl ring as a member of the St. Louis Rams.
? The 6-foot-4 Horton was the quarterback of powerful A.L. Brown teams in the 1978-80 era, but he made his mark at UNC as a running back and in the NFL as a tight end.
He was the 1984 ACC Player of the Year for the Tar Heels and a first-round pick in the 1985 NFL Draft.
Horton played eight seasons in the NFL, mostly with the Raiders, and had 212 career receptions and 17 touchdowns. In 1991, he had 53 catches and made the Pro Bowl.
? Goodman, who went to Winecoff High, was the best baseball player in Cabarrus history.
He debuted in the majors in 1947 and carved out a 16-year career.
As a member of the Boston Red Sox, he hit .354 in 1950 to win the American League batting title.
Goodman didn’t hit with power, but he batted .300 for his long career with 1,691 hits. Besides hitting .300, he was remarkably versatile. He was reliable at first, second or third base and in left or right field.
? Ford was a coach and AD at Concord 29 years. Among other things, he coached the 1961 Kannapolis American Legion team that won the state championship.
He was an outstanding minor league baseball player. He hit 56 homers for the High Point-Thomasville club from 1956-58.
?Smith was a terrific, three-sport athlete at Concord in the late 1960s and early 1970s and went on to South Carolina. He returned to coach the Spiders to 254 wins and two state titles in a remarkable 29-year tenure.
? Alley was a standout player for the Spiders and a longtime coach. He was head coach of the 9-1 1964 team.
?Kennedy was a basketball standout at Concord High. She played at UNC and now is head coach at Loyola-New Orleans.
?Honeycutt was a notable coach at Mount Pleasant from 1968-84.
?Little was the executive director of the Boys Club for decades.
? McInnis is the school principal for whom Concord’s McInnis Aquatics Center is named.
This is Cabarrus’ second induction class. The initial class included Quin Troxler Dionne, Frank Cannon, Charlie Rimer, Sonny Basinger, Satch Sedberry and Gene Verble.
Prep soccer
Salisbury got four goals from Bobby Cardelle and moved into first place in the CCC with a 4-2 win against East Davidson on Thursday.
The Hornets are a game ahead of West Davidson, which lost to Central Davidson 2-1.
Zack Sukkasem had two assists. Philip Simons and Lucas Capito had one each.
The Hornets play West Davidson tonight at home at 7 p.m.
West Davidson could still tie the Hornets for first place if they win, and if the Green Dragons sweep the Hornets they’d get the league’s No. 1 seed for the 2A state playoffs.
Jayvee soccer
Salisbury got two goals from Watson Pitner and beat West Davidson 4-3 in jayvee soccer on Monday.
Alex Julian and Ahmedin Salcinovic had a goal each.
Prep dual team tennis
The second round of the dual team state playoffs are set for today.
In 2A, CCC champ Salisbury (17-2) is at Maiden (18-1). West Davidson (14-6) is at Cuthbertson (12-1).
If Salisbury wins it would take on the Cuthbertson-West Davidson winner. Salisbury would be home against either team.
In 3A, Crest (12-1) is at NPC champ East Rowan (14-1).
If East wins, it would play the winner of the Hickory vs. Asheville match. East would be on the road against either team.
Prep individual tennis
In the 2A individual state tournament, Salisbury’s Katelyn Storey-Anna Flynn doubles team will take on East Duplin’s Savannah Pierson-Abigail Grady in the first round.
The first round opponent for Salisbury’s Sallie Kate Meyerhoeffer-Alexandra Drye will take on Greene Central’s Kayla Radford-Lori Sutton.
In singles, Salisbury’s Madeline Hoskins faces First Flight’s Kate Power in the first round, and Salisbury’s Kayla Honeycutt is matched up with Swansboro’s Morgan Sheehan.
? In the 3A individual tournament, East Rowan’s Lizzie Weaver is matched against Nash Central’s Caley Bass in a first-round match.
Weaver finished third in the regional, beating Marvin Ridge’s Meredith Emery 6-4, 6-2 in the consolation final.
? In 1A singles, Gray Stone’s Meghan Hedgepeth will meet Raleigh Charter’s Darden Kim in the first round. Gray Stone’s doubles team of Libby Fowler-Brooke Herlocker will face West Columbus’ Emma Burroughs-Logan Elkins.
Hedgepeth defeated Gray Stone teammate Jordan DeJaco 6-4, 6-0 on her way to winning the regional.
Fowler-Herlocker upset a Mt. Airy team in the regional final at East Montgomery.
The state championships are Oct. 26-27. The 1A and 2A championships are in Cary. The 3A championship is at the Burlington Tennis Center.
Prep volleyball
In the second round of the 3A playoffs today, Carson (31-3) is at SPC champ Hickory Ridge (23-3). Carson won 3-1 vs. Hickory Ridge on Oct. 1.
Also in 3A, West Iredell (16-6) is at Charlotte Catholic (22-4), and Southwestern Randolph (19-3) is at North Iredell (21-1).
If Carson wins, it would be play the West Iredell-Catholic winner in the third round. Carson would host West Iredell or travel to Catholic.
? In 2A second-round matchups today, West Davidson (14-10) is at West Stanly (19-2), and Central Davidson (17-5) is home against Surry Central (17-6).
? In 4A, Davie (10-9) is at Greensboro Page (15-8) in a second-round matchup.
? In the MSAC tournament, the Cabarrus Stallions won 3-0 against Hayworth.
Anna Messisco had eight aces, six kills and 11 assists.
Alayna Long had nine digs.
Emily Messisco had eight kills. Kendyl Parker had seven kills.
College volleyball
Catawba’s Kaitlyn Whitmer earned SAC Player of the Week honors.
Whitmer had 23 kills in a win against Tusculum and 26 kills in a loss to Mars Hill.
Whitmer is sixth all-time in kills at Catawba with 1,343.
? Lenoir-Rhyne’s Kayla Morrow (South Rowan) had 11 kills in a 3-2 win against Lander and five in a sweep of Lees-McRae.
? Averett’s Nicole Barringer (South) had 38 assists and nine digs in a win against Piedmont. Barringer had 29 assists and eight digs in a 3-0 loss to Christopher Newport.
? Guilford’s Taylor Whitley (Carson) totaled 37 assists and nine digs in losses to Randolph-Macon and Virginia Wesleyan.
? Junior Shanna Stewart (Carson) helped Johnson & Wales start its program in 2010, and J&W has qualified for the national USCAA tournament in New York.
Local golf
Nick Lyerly finished second in the middle school division in the Tar Heel Youth Golf Association’s Tour Championship held at Whispering Pines.
Lyerly shot 75-69 – 144 and finished three shots off the pace.
The North Carolina Junior Golf Foundation will hold the Central Piedmont Junior Championship at the Country Club of Salisbury on Nov. 10-11.
Divisions are for boys and girls, high school and middle school.
Entry fee is $100.
Online registration is at www.ncjuniorgolf.org. Contact the Foundation at 919-858-6400 for information.
? The McCanless Couples played a Two-Man Texas Scramble on Sunday.
Roy Green and Frank Foster took first place, while Phyillis Myers and Green took second place. Green had a good day. He also won longest putt.
? In the McCanless Club Championship played On Oct. 14 and 21, Scott Curry won with a total of 153. Jim Wyatt, Ricky Honeycutt and Troy Neas shot 154s.
First Flight winner Ron Blythe shot 169. Blaine Woodin was second at 172, and Gene Seaford shot 173.
Jeff Warren won the Second Flight with a 173. Chris Curtis shot 175, and Russell Butler shot 182.
Kristi Laton won the ladies Championship Flight with a 157 total. Sharon Miller shot 161 for second, and Treva Honeycutt finished third at 167.
In the Senior Club Championship, Wyatt’s 154 won.
Evan Neas won the Junior Club Championship with a 158.
Middle school softball
West Rowan Middle beat Corriher-Lipe 17-2 in the first round of the conference tournament at Mooresville.
Parker Greene had three hits, including two doubles.
Emy Spry, Mandy Timmerman, Khara Fesperman, Timber Hedrick, Savannah Cline, Victoria Moore and Katie Williams had hits for the Bulldogs.
West plays Mooresville in a semifinal at 6 today.
Youth soccer
The local FCCA 9U team, the Green Dragons, competed on Saturday against the North Mecklenburg Soccer Club.
Bennett Clark scored. Bryson Loflin and Hank Webb anchored the team. Will Webb and Wade Robins excelled as goalkeepers.
East YMCA hoops
Register for Little Shooters Basketball (boys and girls, ages 4-6) and girls basketball (grades 2-8) at the East Rowan YMCA through Oct. 27.
Contact Joe Finney at 704-279-1742 or jfinney@rowanymca.org.