From staff reports
Curtis Walker (Catawba) was one of 20 coaches selected nationally to participate in the NCAA Expert Coaches Forum to be held in Orlando on June 16-18.
The Expert Coaches Forum is designed to improve and reinforce various aspects of securing, managing and excelling in head football coaching positions at the intercollegiate level.
Recognized football coaches, leaders in athletics and higher education will serve as faculty for the three-day workshop.
Walker was a standout football player for Catawba and became a coach for the Indians. He’s now the defensive coordinator for David Bennett at Coastal Carolina.
Walker resides in Conway, S.C.. He’s married to LaSheka Foxx Walker and has two sons, Jalon and Curtis (Deuce) Walker II. Walker is the son of Carnell Holmes of Burlington.
American Legion
The Mooresville Moors beat Stanly County 10-4 on Thursday in a lightning-delayed game.
Taylor Thurber did the job on the mound for the Moors. Nick Keith and Alex Cagide had two hits each. Sam Marshall had a big, two-run single.
Junior Legion
Carson’s Junior Legion team overwhelmed North Iredell 24-5 on Thursday.
Winner John Daugherty and Blake Cauble did the work on the mound.
K.J. Pressley had four hits to lead the Cougars, while Dylan Carpenter, Austin McNeill and Devon Peacock had three apiece. Off the bench, Heath Mitchem and Jacob Fink went 2-for-2, and Matt Saul, Elijah Beaver and Jacob Morrison had hits.
Earlier, Carson rode a complete-game effort by Daugherty to a 5-0 win against Rowan County.
Carson also beat Cornelius 13-10 with Mitchem winning in relief. Carson fell to West Iredell 10-4.
Pro baseball
The Los Angeles Dodgers optioned Jerry Sands (Catawba) to Triple A Albuquerque on Thursday.
Sands batted .200 in 41 games with 10 doubles, two homers, 17 walks and 17 RBIs. He struck out 33 times in 144 plate appearances.
The Kannapolis Intimidators topped Greensboro 8-3 on the road on Thursday.
Trayce Thompson hit his 11th homer for Kannapolis, while Dan Black pounded his seventh. Brady Shoemaker had three hits.
Daniel Wagner (South Rowan) was 1-for-3 and scored a run for Winston-Salem in an 8-4 loss to Myrtle Beach.
Jackson’s Kyle Seager (NW Cabarrus) had two hits on Thursday to continue a hot streak. Seager is batting .320 and has hit .410 in his last 10 games. He may not be far away from a callup to Seattle’s Triple A club.
Wade Moore (West Rowan, Catawba) had two hits in Hagerstown’s 4-1 SAL win against Delmarva on Thursday and picked up his 15th RBI of the season with a run-scoring single in the seventh.
Short-season leagues start in 10 days, and outfielder Craige Lyerly (East Rowan, Catawba), Rudy Brown (South) and Keegan Linza (North Rowan) are expected to get assignments.
Ryan Query (A.L. Brown, Catawba) played in three games this season for the Double A Mississippi Braves and went 5-for-8 with two doubles and a homer.
Query has been assigned to Danville by the Braves and should see regular action when the short-season Appalachian League begins play on June 21.
David Thomas (Catawba) is playing well for the Grand Prairie Air Hogs of the independent American Association.
Thomas has boosted his batting average to .270 and is seven for eight stealing bases. He has two homers and 15 RBIs.
Zach Ward (A.L. Brown) is 2-2 with a 5.18 ERA in five starts for the Fargo-Moorehead Redhawks of the American Association.
Ward leads the team with 23 strikeouts.
Bad news for Garrett Sherrill (A.L. Brown) fans. Sherrill was placed on the DL by the Lincoln Saltdogs and hasn’t pitched in June.
Wood bat leagues
Trey Holmes (East Rowan) is off to a strong start for the Asheboro Copperheads of the Coastal Plain League.
Holmes is batting .375 with three homers and 10 RBIs.
Noah Holmes (East) is also playing for the Copperheads and is 1-for-8 so far.
Ryan Bostian (South Rowan, Catawba) also is in the lineup for the Copperheads. He’s batting .231 with three RBIs.
Blake Houston (South, Catawba) went 2-for-4 in his debut with the Morganton Aggies of the Southern Collegiate Baseball League.
John Tuttle (A.L. Brown, Catawba) pitched well in his first start for Morganton, allowing two runs in 61/3 innings and striking out four.
Wachovia Cup
Wachovia Cup winners for overall athletic excellence in each conference were announced by the NCHSAA on Thursday. n Albemarle (707.5 points) held off North Rowan (677.5) and Gray Stone (652.5) to win the YVC crown.
Salisbury (161.5) took titles in boys golf, boys tennis and boys and girls track to win the CCC cup.
Central Davidson (151) was second, with West Davidson (143) third.n East Rowan (777.5) used titles in baseball, softball and track to win the NPC Cup. Carson (677.5) was second, with West Rowan (672.5) third. South Rowan (600) was seventh.
Robinson (792.5) won the Cup in the SPC, with Hickory Ridge (712.5) runner-up. Cox Mill (647.5) was third.
Concord (642.5), Mount Pleasant (565), A.L. Brown (563.5) and Northwest Cabarrus (562.5) followed.
Davie finished third in the CPC behind Mount Tabor and Reagan.
Heart of a Champion
Twenty-two student-athletes will receive “Heart of a Champion” recognition by the NCHSAA on June 11 in the Triangle.
Area honorees include West Rowan’s Trey Mashore, Albemarle’s Keston Frazier, North Stanly’s Jenna Hough, Thomasville’s Sam Nelson, West Iredell’s Sara Marshall and Austin Smith and Hickory Ridge’s Taryn Stern.
Athletics directors had an opportunity to nominate one male and one female from their school. Mashore was nominated by Todd Bell.
Mashore, a track and football standout for the Falcons, will play football at Catawba.
Catawba Chiefs
Renewal forms for Chiefs Club members have been mailed.
Catawba has a very attractive home football schedule this season. The five home games include a meeting with UNC Pembroke.
Chiefs membership entitles the use of all athletic facilities and athletic events including Goodman Gym (basketball), Johnson Tennis Complex, Johnson Indoor Swimming Pool, Frock Fields (soccer, softball), Shuford Stadium (running /walking track) and Meyer Gym (racquetball).
Contact Gordon Kirkland in the Catawba College Development Office at (704) 637-4394 or e-mail Gordon at gakirkla@catawba.edu for information on the Chiefs Club.
Prep football
North Davidson’s 6-foot-6 football, basketball and track standout Bryce Williams has signed with Marshall. He’s expected to be a football tight end for the Thundering Herd.
Local golf
Amateur Scott Harvey of Greensboro won the 47th Toshiba/EMC North Carolina Open held at The Club at Irish Creek. Harvey’s father Bill won the inaugural North Carolina Open in 1965.
Harvey shot 64-67-68 —199 to finish at 14-under.
Kannapolis pro Rick Lewallen tied for second at 10-under with rounds of 65-68-70 — 203. Lewallen collected the $4,500 first prize in the PGA Professional contest.
The 9th annual Rowan County Masters is set for Warrior on June 24-26.
Qualifying is on June 18. The low 31 scores in stroke play join defending champ Keith Dorsett in a match-play tournament.
Entry is $30 for members and $60 for non-members and is open to Rowan residents or members of Rowan clubs who have amateur status.
Fees for tournament rounds will be $15 for members and $20 for non-members.
YMCA volleyball
Registration is in progress for a county-wide Church Youth Volleyball League.
The league is coed, and all church youth groups are invited to play.
The league is for boys and girls in grades 6-12.
Games are played on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There will be playoffs following the regular season.
The cost is $170 per team.
Contact Gary Earnhardt at South Rowan YMCA at 704-857-7011, Joe Finney at East YMCA at 704-279-1742 or Phil Hilliard or Kenno Shoaf at Salisbury’s Hurley YMCA at 704-636-0111.
Basketball camps
The 3rd annual Coach Tony Hillian’s Basketball Skills Training Camp will be held June 21-23 at North Rowan High.
The camp fee is $25 per person. The camp is from 8-12 daily and is for boys and girls ages 6-16.
Registration dates are:
Sunday, June 12, 4-5:30
Thursday, June 16, 6-7:30
Monday, June 20, 11-2 and 5:30-7
Contact Coach Hillian at 704-202-7275 or tonyhillian@gmail.com.
Middle school officials
Potential refs and umpires planning to officiate middle school football and softball in Rowan need to attend a meeting on Monday, June 20, at 7 p.m. at Erwin Middle School.
Football officials should register with the association by June 15.
Contact Chuck Stanley at 704-279-7546 for information.
Soccer camp
Catawba soccer camp dates are June 26-30, July 17-21 and July 30. Contact coach Liam Farrell at 704-637-4348 for information.