From staff reports
Scooter Sherrill’s second annual Alumni Throwback Basketball Tournament will be held Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Carson High.
The tournament includes squads representing all six Rowan schools, plus North Meck, a first-time entry that is replacing Davie County.
“Last year was great, and we want this to get a little bigger and better every year,” Sherrill said. “We want to encourage all the current players to come out and see some of the guys that built Rowan County basketball into what it is today.”
The tournament opens with Carson taking on North Meck on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $5.
Expected to pace the North Meck entry is Titus Ivory, who led Penn State to an NCAA victory over UNC in the 2001 NCAA Tournament.
Admission for Friday’s tripleheader is $6. North Rowan faces South Rowan at 6:30 p.m., with West Rowan tangling with the North Meck-Carson winner at 7:45, and Salisbury playing East Rowan in a nightcap scheduled for 9 p.m.
The West team will include the 1-2 punch of Sherrill and Donte Minter, the county’s top two all-time male scorers. International player Terris Sifford won’t be able to play, however, as he has a broken wrist.
South Rowan will be led by Carlos Dixon, a former Virginia Tech standout and a veteran of international competition.
Marvin Dixon is expected to lead the Salisbury squad.
The tournament will go all day on Saturday, starting at 1 p.m. Admission will be $10 for a slate of five tournament games, plus an AAU contest.
Sherrill said professional cheerleaders will be part of Saturday night’s championship game.
West beat Salisbury in the title game last summer.
Minor leagues
This was stuff right out of the movies.
A.L. Brown graduate Ryan Query wrecked the Kannapolis Intimidators in a South Atlantic League game played in Georgia on Tuesday.
Former Catawba All-American Query had a homer, double and four RBIs as the Rome Braves beat Kannapolis 9-8. Query hit a tiebreaking homer in the fifth.
Wood bat leagues
John J. Tuttle (A.L. Brown, Catawba) finished his season with the Morganton Aggies with his best game of a great summer in the first round of the SCBL playoffs, getting the win in a 10-1 victory over the Spartanburg Spartans.
Tuttle pitched seven innings, allowing three hits and no walks . He struck out 10 and finished with the Southern Collegiate Baseball League’s lowest ERA at 1.96 and the lowest batting average by opponents at .203. In 362/3 innings, he had 37 strike-outs, while allowing 27 hits and 10 walks.
Tuttle has now joined the Asheboro Copperheads of the Coastal Plain League.
NCHSAA
Rosalie Barden of Wilson, Sheila Boles of Wilmington, Jimmy Fleming of Creedmore, John Frye of Vass, Jerry Johnson of Goldsboro, the late Mike Matheson of Catawba, the late John Morris of High Point and Tom Suiter of Raleigh have been selected for induction into the NCHSAA Hall of Fame.
They’ll be honored during halftime ceremonies at a football game at Kenan Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 10, and will be inducted next spring.
Youth football
The Salisbury 49ers youth program will hold registration for the fall football season at Hall Gym on July 30-Aug. 13.
All prospective players and cheerleaders should register during this period.
The 49ers will play in the Southland Conference, consisting of teams in both Carolinas.
Youngsters ages 5-12 are eligible. Prospects should bring their birth certificate to registration. For more information contact Brian (Shorty) Miller at 704-754-1863 or Steve Robb at 704-232-0564.
College track
The late Terry Helms (A.L. Brown) will be inducted into the Western Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame the weekend of Nov. 4-6.
Helms twice won the mile run in the WNCHSAA Meet, running 4:43.1 in 1966 and 4:37.4 in 1968. Helms helped the Wonders win their only WNCHSAA track title in 1968.
At Western, Helms won nine of his 11 cross country meets as a freshman, breaking five course records. He placed sixth in the 1969 NAIA Championships and was Western’s first cross country All-American.
Helms taught for 32 years, including 26 at Ledford Middle School. He died in 2008.
Pro football
Former Elon quarterback Scott Riddle will sign a free-agent contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Riddle is the leading passer in Elon and Southern Conference history.
Elon receiver Sean Jeffcoat, has agreed on a deal with the Arizona Cardinals.
Youth softball
The Carolina Stampede, girls fastpitch softball team, is transitioning from 14U to 16U showcase. Open tryouts are at Faith Jaycee Park on Thursday, Aug. 4, from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
The team is looking for a few serious softball players.
Please contact Tiffany Poole at tiffanypoole@hotmail.com.