From staff reports
Salisbury’s boys soccer team scrapped to a 1-1 tie with strong Lake Norman on Thursday.
“You’re never totally happy with a tie, and this was the first game we didn’t win,” Salisbury coach Matt Parrish said. “But I was more pleased with this result than any of our previous games.”
Ranked 10th in 4A, Lake Norman scored a fluke goal in the opening minutes when a Salisbury defender tried to clear the ball and it ricocheted off a Wildcat and into the net.
“We came out a little timid, maybe because we’re not used to playing someone on their level,” Parrish said. “But that goal actually seemed to calm us down. From that point, for the next 70 minutes or so, I felt like we outplayed them until we got a little sloppy at the very end. We possessed the ball more, had more opportunities, had more corners.”
Parrish is more Tom Landry than Knute Rockne, but he was unusually fired-up at halftime.
“Do you understand now why we’re here on this field, playing this team?” he asked the Hornets. “How many 2A teams in this state do you think could play with Lake Norman?”
“Not very many,” one of the Hornets answered.
“That’s right,” Parrish said. “But I believe you guys can play with anyone.”
Salisbury, ranked fifth in 2A, justified Parrish’s belief in the second half. The Hornets took the field energized, and 15 minutes later they had the tying goal. Bobby Cardelle delivered the ball to Kenny Bonilla, and Bonilla beat the keeper with a low, left-footed kick into the side netting.
Lake Norman attacked late, but was denied by a diving save by keeper Connor Miller. He was shielded but made the save at the last instant.
The Hornets are 7-0-1. Lake Norman, which lost 3-0 to Ardrey Kell, is 4-1-3.
Salisbury had a match with Kell scheduled this week, but it was postponed by weather issues.
“We had a disappointing loss in the playoffs last year,” Parrish said. “That’s why we’re taking on the most challenging schedule we can.”
Jayvee football
Salisbury’s jayvees stayed undefeated with a 28-6 win against South Rowan.
A.J. Hill had three TDs for the Hornets (4-0), scoring on runs of 5, 8 and 72 yards.
South scored first, but Salisbury came back to lead 14-6 at halftime.
Roy Vinson had an 18-yard scoring run to push Salisbury’s lead to 21-6, and Hill broke his 72-yarder to close the scoring.
Stephen Mazur kicked four PATs, as the SHS jayvees won for the ninth straight time, dating back to last season.
Desmond Millsaps and Jaquez Finger were defensive beasts, while Antwuan Payne contributed an interception and a pass breakup.
East Rowan’s jayvees beat Hickory Ridge 24-15 as Noah Drye scored twice on runs and fired a 44-yard scoring pass to Seth Wyrick.
Donte Means hit Wyrick with a 28-yard TD pass.
East (2-2) was led defensively by Tyler Lloyd, Austin Hill and Michael Collins.
A.L. Brown edged Porter Ridge 34-27 in a back-and-forth game.
E.J. Dean had a huge outing for the Wonders (3-0), carrying 29 times for four touchdowns and tacking on two conversion runs. Dean had 267 of Brown’s 315 rushing yards.
Johnny Delahoussaey caught a TD pass from Andrew Ramirez for the Wonders’ other TD.
The Wonders never had to punt.
Prep golf
Salisbury’s girls golf team shot 115 and won its first match of the year Wednesday against Ledford (127) and Grimsley (139).
Freshman Isabella Rusher debuted with a 1-under 35, making two birdies.
Senior Lily Yatawara made nine straight pars for 36.
Junior Brooke Smith shot 44, and sophomore Madeline Hoskins shot 45.
Alexis Kershaw shot 39 to lead Ledford. Shelby Paylor shot 40 to pace the Whirlies.
Prep tennis
Salisbury defeated West Davidson 9-0 on Thursday. Singles winners for the Hornets (8-1, 2-0 CCC) were Erika Nelson, Madeline Hoskins, Sallie Kate Meyerhoeffer, Alexandra Drye and Caroline Graham.
In doubles, Storey-Hoskins, Meyerhoeffer-Drye and Graham-Meredith Hovis were winners.
Prep volleyball
Clara Macdonnell had five aces and six kills as Davie beat East Forsyth 25-12, 25-12, 25-13 on Thursday. Leslie Fulton and Heather Kimel had seven kills each for Davie.
Prep football
West Rowan will host a rare high school doubleheader on Saturday.
North Rowan will play University Christian School (Jacksonville, Fla.) at 11 a.m. Then West Rowan will play South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C.) at 4 p m.
The $10 admission will cover the cost of both games. No passes will be accepted for either game. West Rowan reserved seating will be honored, but season passes will not grant admission.
Middle school football
West Rowan’s seventh-graders opened with a 30-22 victory against Mooresville.
Javon Quarles’ 62-yard scoring run and a 22-yard TD run by Armoni Hogue gave West a 12-8 halftime lead.
Quarles had a 23-yard scoring run and a 75-yard kickoff return for a TD in the second half, while Hogue returned a pick 45 yards for a score.
Quarles rushed for 115 yards, while Hogue had 43.
Offensive standouts included Kortez Weeks, Jacob Morris and Toby Brown. Defensive Standouts included Quarles, Tyler Wheeler, Brendon Westbrook and Tyler Nicholas.
West is home against Corriher-Lipe on Tuesday afternoon.
China Grove’s seventh-graders thumped Corriher-Lipe 32-0.
Donuvan Hopewell scored on a 3-yard run and a 70-yard run. Ray Garmon scored on a 12-yard run. Austin Chrismon scored on a 4-yard run.
Cole Howard kicked four PATs — worth two points each.
On defense, Isaac Bell had a blocked punt and a fumble recovery, while Garmon and Dakota Dennis recovered a fumble apiece.
West Rowan’s eighth-graders opened with a 32-22 win against Mooresville.
Dearius Phillips rushed for 280 yards and had scoring runs of 15, 21, 26 and 70 yards to lead the Bulldogs.
Kreshon Alexander added a 2-yard TD run.
West scored on five of its seven possessions behind strong blocking from Jeremy Fortson, Hezekiah Banks, Pedro Nichols, Sam Kennedy, Caleb Epps, Carter Gannon and Shane Barber.
The West defense was led by Wade Phillips, Johnathan Johnson and Derrick Moreland.
Alexander recovered a fumble, while Juwan Houston had a key interception. Kacey Otto played well on defense and returned a kick 45 yards to set up a West touchdown
West hosts Corriher-Lipe on Wednesday.
China Grove’s eighth-graders defeated Corriher-Lipe 22-8.
Dylan Livengood scored on runs of 7 and 20 yards, while Michael Morrison scored on a 46-yard run. Brennan Lambert added two PAT kicks.
Standouts on defense for the Red Devils included Livengood, Jacob McCurry and Brandon Huneycutt. Morrison had a sack.
Middle school softball
Caroline Forbis struck out 19 hitters as Knox’s softball team beat North Rowan 11-8.
Raven Truitt was 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs, Jacara Morris was 2-for-4, and Antaneia Glover and Deasia Jones scored two runs each for the Trojans.
West Rowan lost to Mooresville 11-0. Peyton Greene had four strikeouts for the Bulldogs and Paije Kistler hit a double.
West (2-2) will be back in action next Tuesday at Southeast at 4:30.
Middle school soccer
Sacred Heart’s coed soccer team beat Burlington Christian 5-1.
Riley Gokey scored the first goal for the Dolphins, but Burlington Christian tied it 1-1 at the half on a deflected shot.
Sacred Heart played better in the second half. Justin Boyd scored on Annie Habeeb’s assist for the go-ahead goal, and Gokey assisted on Walker Latimer’s first two goals of the season for a 4-1 lead.
Boyd scored his second goal on an assist by Mathias de Comarmond for the final margin.
Local golf
Logan Shuping tied for fourth in the National Junior Golf Tour Invitational held on Myrtle Beach National’s West Course.
Shuping shot 75-76 — 151 while competing against 24 top players from the Carolinas, Virginia and Tennessee.
College volleyball
Averett setter Nicole Barringer (South Rowan) was named USA South Rookie of the Week. Barringer had 10 assists and three digs in an easy sweep of Hollins on Tuesday.
College football
Carson-Newman, ranked 20th, battered visiting Fayetteville State 56-7 on Thursday night. Carson-Newman recorded five sacks and the offense scored eight touchdowns.
Carson-Newman picked off two passes and held Fayetteville State to just 165 total yards.