Fifth Third Bank Holiday Classic: Day 2 results

Girls:

East Gaston Warriors 38
South Meck Sabres 22

East Gaston: LaCresha Gore 15, Hayley Black 10, Hawley 5, Shelby Winchester 10, Hayes 5, Kluttz 3, Clippard 9

South Meck: Cobb 2, Sanderson 1, Coughlin 1, McArthur 2, Saunders 7, Wallace 4



Mooresville Blue Devils 45
Northwest Cabarrus Trojans 44

Mooresville: Faulker 8, Sullivan 0, Pridgen 2, Ellis 1, Stockton 9, Shakirah McLaughlin 12, Jasmine Berryman 11, Thomas 0, Holbrooks 2, Tatum 0

Northwest Cabarrus: Johnson 5, Imani Williams 13, Pethel 7, Merriman 3, Broome 8, Allen 4, Blakeley 2, Herring 2



Hickory Ridge Ragin Bulls 47
North Meck Vikings 32

Hickory Ridge: Scott 0, Buddenbaum 2, Robson 2, Ferguson 2, Tanquay 4, Candra Mathis 6, Akysia Resper 13, Yeargin 0, Yeager 0, Jordan Strode 16, Darnley 2

North Meck: Lauren Lewis 19, Kayla Lemke 1, Lehnert 5, Bullock 0, McKee 2, Garst 3, Beasley 2, Destefano 0



Myers Park Mustangs 60
East Lincoln Mustangs 48

Myers Park: Iacopetti 8, Cherry 0, Rebecca Raffler 4, Carly Hammack 13, Hunter 0, Smith 0, Timpton 5, Jeffries 7, Herring 8, Winn 0, Tiffani Stephens 15

East Lincoln: Courtney Ashley 6, Long 11, Frazier 1, Davis 8, Lindsy Wright 22

Boys:

Northwest Cabarrus Trojans 77
J.F. Webb Warriors 48

Northwest Cabarrus: Tyler Honeycutt 20, Broome 2, Justin Seager 13, Chris Lockridge 11, Jackson 9, Arlan Wallace 13, Church 2, C. Seager 2, Lane 5

J.F. Webb: Thomas 6, Devante Hicks 2, Isaiah Hicks 6, Darquis Thomas 12, Lyon 3, Leon Greene 5, Seifert 4, Cooper 1, Richardson 0, Hamlet 9



Mallard Creek Mavericks 48
East Lincoln Mustangs 46

Mallard Creek: Drabot 0, Williams 2, Moye 4, White 6, Whaley 13, Gordon 2, Terrell Stembridge 8, Jessie Stimac 10, Bradley Robinson 3

East Lincoln: Marquise McLean 5, Antwaine McLean 11, Wilson 0, David 3, Rendleman 7, Corona 0, Creed 0, Kendall Bethea 20, Hills 0



East Gaston Warriors 46
Mooresville Blue Devils 44

East Gaston: Clark 5, Trevor Burgess 15, O'Meara 1, McGee 0, Vidol Crawford 11, John Floyd 6, Sterling 2, Thrams 6

Mooresville: Shawn Lester 24, Isaiah Johnson 5, O'Brien 0, Willis 0, Caldwell 1, Howell 6, Kendrick Johnson 2, Carson 2, Miller 2, Haslett 2

Forestview Jaguars 58
Myers Park Mustangs 54

Forestview: Preston Holmes 17, Jack Sumner 11, Calvin Johnson 2, Catrell Boyd 7, Chris Johnson 11, Tyshem Sharpe 10, Adams 0

Myers Park: Brafford 8, Atkins 0, Frank Elliot 14, Griffin Shaw 16, Wilson 3, Powell 2, Michael Humphries 11, Jenkins 0

Games will be played from 10 a.m. on today in the main gym, with the 7th place and 5th place games first and the girls' championship at 7 p.m. and the boys' championship at 8:30 p.m.

Forestview will take on East Gaston in the boys' championship while Myers Park will face Hickory Ridge in the girls' championship game.

Fifth Third Bank Holiday Classic: Day 1 results

Here are the results from the first day of Fifth Third Bank Holiday Classic, hosted by East Lincoln High School.

Boys:

Mooresville Blue Devils 60
J.F. Webb Warriors 55

Mooresville: Shawn Lester 21, Isaiah Johnson 11, O'Brien 2, Willis 4, Kendrick Johnson 13, Carson 4, Haslett 5

J.F. Webb: Thomas 4, Hicks 6, Darquis Thomas 18, Leon Greene 13, Lyon 2, Seifert 5, Richardson 4, Hamlet 3



Myers Park Mustangs 52
Mallard Creek Mavericks 44

Myers Park: Brafford 9, Atikins 3, F. Elliot 11, G. Shaw 16, M. Humphries 11, Jenkins 2

Mallard Creek: Drabot 6, Williams 4, Whaley 6, Gordon 2, Terrell Stembridge 13, Bradley Robinson 13



East Gaston Warriors 58
Northwest Cabarrus Trojans 52

East Gaston: Clark 2, Burgess 8, McGee 4, Vidol Crawford 21, John Floyd 16, Thrams 7

Northwest Cabarrus: Tyler Honeycutt 11, Broome 2, Justin Seager 16, Lockridge 1, Jackson 8, Wallace 3, Church 6, C. Seager 5



Forestview Jaguars 59
East Lincoln Mustangs 44

Forestview: Preston Holmes 11, Sumner 7, Johnson 4, Catrell Boyd 12, Chris Johnson 19, Sharpe 5, Adams 1

East Lincoln: Marquise McLean 13, A. McLean 2, Wilson 4, David 6, Rendleman 2, Creed 3, Kendall Bethea 13, Hills 1

Girls:

Hickory Ridge Ragin Bulls 57
Mooresville Blue Devils 34

Hickory Ridge: Scott 3, Buddenbaum 5, Candra Mathis 11, Resper 8, Yeargin 1, Yeager 6, Jordan Strode 15, Darnley 8

Mooresville: Faulker 4, Sullivan 2, Ellis 4, Stockton 8, McLaughlin 4, Berreman 6, Thomas 2, Tatum 4


North Meck Vikings 49
Northwest Cabarrus 30

North Meck: Lauren Lewis 13, Kayla Lemke 14, Bullock 6, McKee 8, Garst 6, Destefano 2

Northwest Cabarrus: Johnson 4, Williams 8, Pethel 6, Merriman 2, Allen 4, Blakeley 6



Myers Park Mustangs 67
East Gaston Warriors 38

Myers Park: Iacopetti 3, Cherry 5, Rebecca Raffler 13, Carly Hammack 11, Hunter 1, Smith 7, Timpton 2, Jeffries 3, Winn 6, Tiffani Stephens 16

East Gaston: Gore 3, Hayley Black 12, Hawley 4, Shelby Winchester 11, Stallings 2, Hayes 3, Kluttz 2, Clippard 1



East Lincoln Mustangs 49
South Meck Sabres 22

East Lincoln: Kandiko 2, Forney 4, Courtney Ashley 13, Long 4, Frazier 5, Davis 3, Lindsy Wright 18

South Meck: Cobb 4, Sanderson 4, Coughlin 4, McArthur 4, Saunders 3, Wallace 3

Tuesday's schedule:

Old Gym

1 p.m. Girls -- South Meck vs. East Gaston

2:30 p.m. Girls -- Northwest Cabarrus vs. Mooresville

New Gym

1 p.m. Boys -- J.F. Webb vs. Northwest Cabarrus

2:30 p.m. Boys -- Mallard Creek vs. East Lincoln

4 p.m. Girls -- Hickory Ridge vs. North Meck

5:30 p.m. Boys -- Mooresville vs. East Gaston

7 p.m. Girls -- East Lincoln vs. Myers Park

8:30 Boys -- Forestview vs. Myers Park

Soccer All-Observer, all-region and all-Mecklenburg teams announced

The Observer released their picks for All-Observer, all-Mecklenburg and all-region boys' soccer teams today.

North Mecklenburg coach Paul Kikta was All-Mecklenburg coach of the year and two of his senior players, Will Krentz and Spencer Jackson were named to the All-Mecklenburg second team.

Junior Marcus Lohrmann of Lake Norman was named to the All-Region second team.

Matt Sarett from Cannon School made the All-Observer team.

Click here to see the full list.

Hough High chooses mascot, colors

Cornelius' William A. Hough High School, which will open in the fall of 2010, has selected its mascot and colors after allowing the public to vote on the school's Web site.

They will be known as the Huskies and will wear black, silver and white. Other nominees for mascots were Wolves and Hornets.

From their Web site:

"Attributes of a Husky: Strong, compact, hard-working and team-oriented.

"Temperament: Loving, gentle, playful, happy-go-lucky, keen, social, rather casual, high energy and very intelligent."

Future Hough High students who are interested in serving on the student committee to choose the school logo, motto and crest should e-mail Terry Barbee at t.barbee@cms.k12.nc.us. Include your name and e-mail address and/or phone number.

Wachovia Cup leaders

Wachovia Bank, a Wells Fargo company, along with the North Carolina High School Athletic Association, today announced the standings for fall sports in the Wachovia Cup competitions for the 2009-10 academic year.

The Wachovia Cup award, sponsored by Wachovia and the NCHSAA, recognizes the high schools that achieve the best overall interscholastic athletic performance within each of the state’s four competitive classifications. Wachovia has sponsored the conference awards program since 1980.

The Wachovia Conference Cup, formerly known as the Wachovia Trophy, is a companion to the Wachovia Cup. The Conference Cup is awarded to schools with the best overall interscholastic athletic performance in each individual
athletic conference.

In most conferences, points are awarded based on participation and standings in conference play. Each conference determines its own method of awarding points.

Here are how Lake Norman area teams are doing in their conferences.

Southern Piedmont 1A/2A conference standings: East Lincoln 72, North Lincoln 62, Lincolnton 54, West Lincoln 42, Highland 35, Cherryville 16, Bessemer City 10, Challenger 8.

I-Meck 4A conference standings: Lake Norman 33.5, Mallard Creek 29.5, North Mecklenburg 29, Mooresville 27, Hopewell 23, Vance 14, West Charlotte 12.

See the standings for all the state's conferences at the Prep Insiders blog.

Cornelius/Huntersville youth spring lacrosse programs

The Towns of Cornelius and Huntersville will host their fifth spring season of youth lacrosse. Registration for the 2010 spring season opens Monday, Jan. 4 and will close on Tuesday, Jan. 26. The program is open to boys and girls in kindergarten through 8th grade, with divisions determined by gender and age.

Program registration will be accepted at Cornelius Town Hall or online at www.corneliuspr.org. Divisions will be formed for grades K-1st coed, Boys U-15, Boys U- 13, Boys U-11, Boys U-9, Girls Middle School, and Girls Youth.

The resident fee is $60 for the Instructional Division (K-1st) and $70 for non-residents. The resident fee for all remaining divisions is $100 and $110 for non-residents. Financial assistance is available on a limited basis.

Practices will start the week of Feb. 15 and games will begin in March, with weeknight practices and weekend games being held at locations in Cornelius and Huntersville. All participants will receive a jersey and a trophy at the end of the season. Additional equipment will be required. A copy of the participant's birth certificate is required at time of registration.

Volunteer coaches are needed for the spring lacrosse program. For more information, please contact the Cornelius PARC Department at 704-892-6031 ext. 160. Information about other recreational and athletic programs is available online at www.corneliuspr.org and www.huntersville.org.

Lake Norman teams well represented in Sweet 16

Lake Norman high schools have a very strong showing in the first regular season boys' Observer Sweet 16 poll released today.

Hopewell (8-0) is still on top and Lake Norman (5-0) moved up to second from fourth. Fellow I-Meck teams Vance (4-0) and West Charlotte (7-0) are third and fourth, respectively. North Mecklenburg (7-0) went from being unranked in the preseason to No. 8 this week.

Hopewell plays West Charlotte tonight while Lake Norman will take on North Mecklenburg.

East Lincoln made the biggest jump, moving to sixth after not being ranked in the preseason. The Mustangs open conference play at No. 10 Cherryville tonight.

----

In the girls' poll, Lake Norman (4-2) fell from 12th to 16th.

West Charlotte correction

A West Charlotte score was misreported which led to a couple mistakes in the "game of the week" article in this week's Lake Norman News. West Charlotte won the one-point game against Berry, which makes them 7-0 on the season after beating Butler in double overtime last night.

I apologize for the mistake. It has been changed in the online version.

Big week for high school basketball

Hopewell Titans before Dec. 2 game against Independence -- Corey Inscoe

If you like good high school basketball, you should be in for a thrill these next two weeks.

Cannon has a big game against Oak Ridge Military Academy tomorrow night. The Cougars (4-4) have struggled some early this season, but still have two of the best players in the area in Jarell Eddie and Keith Belfield.

I-Meck conference play finally gets started this week which means there are some high-profile match-ups coming up.

But before conference play, the No. 1 (Observer Sweet 16) Hopewell boys' team and No. 9 Concord have a non-conference game Wednesday night. Then on Friday No. 8 West Charlotte visits the Titans for both team's first conference game. Then Hopewell's next game is against No. 4 Lake Norman on Dec. 17, the last game before winter break.

North Mecklenburg boys' dive into conference play this week also with a game Friday against Lake Norman and next Tuesday visit West Charlotte. North Mecklenburg doesn't quite have the talent they did last year, but have been impressive so far this season in staying undefeated in non-conference play.

East Lincoln boys' take an undefeated team to play No. 10 Cherryville on Friday.

The girls' games will be great, too, with No. 12 Hopewell and No. 13 Lake Norman meeting next week.

Expect a lot of excitement with high school basketball leading up to the holiday tournaments.

I-Meck All-Conference football team announced

I-MECK 4A 2009-2010 FOOTBALL ALL-CONFERENCE

Coach of the Year: Michael Palmieri, Mallard Creek
Offensive Player of the Year: Marquise Williams, Mallard Creek
Defensive Player of the Year: Dovonte Grant, Mallard Creek
Special Teams Player of the Year: Calvin Hunter, Vance
Punter of the Year: Michael Tart, Mallard Creek
Kicker of the Year: Michael Watson, Mooresville


Quarterbacks:
Brad Clay Senior North Mecklenburg

Running Backs:
James Cloud Senior Lake Norman
Taylor Beamon Senior Mallard Creek
Jalen Simmons Junior West Charlotte
Dondre Lewis-Freeman Junior Hopewell
Xavier Joplin Senior North Mecklenburg
Marshaun Edwards Senior Mooresville

Wide Receivers/Tight ends:
Jaquez Vanderburg Senior Lake Norman
Jela Duncan Sophomore Mallard Creek
Louis Mitchell Senior Mallard Creek
Tyler Hamilton Junior Vance
Michael Haffner Senior Hopewell
Taylor Chiesa Senior North Mecklenburg
Dalton Pierce Senior Mooresville

Offensive Linemen:
Kane Sherrill Senior Lake Norman
Chris Timmons Senior Lake Norman
Devin Flowers Junior Mallard Creek
Clearance Montgomery Senior West Charlotte
Jaquan Mobley Senior West Charlotte
Pablo Alva Junior Vance
Sean Beaty Senior Hopewell
Jonathan Jones Senior Hopewell
Anthony Hill Senior Mooresville

Defensive Lineman:
Chandler Caldwell Senior Lake Norman
Dirqual Ellis Senior Lake Norman
Lynden Pinnock Senior Mallard Creek
Brent Spisak Junior Mallard Creek
Alex Glover Junior Mallard Creek
Britton Grier Junior West Charlotte
Joseph Goodman Senior West Charlotte
Casey Ifedi Senior Vance
Malcolm Bryant Senior Vance
Kevin Hart Senior Hopewell
Latham York Junior North Mecklenburg

Linebacker:
Connor Donoghue Senior Lake Norman
Cameron Stephenson Senior Mallard Creek
Evan Strange Senior Mallard Creek
Barrett Blue Senior West Charlotte
Jarvaris Massey Senior West Charlotte
Darius Williams Senior Vance
Devonte Applewhite Senior Vance
Justin Avery Senior Hopewell
Chance Miller Senior Hopewell

Defensive Backs:
Davis Ray Senior Lake Norman
Matt Browning Junior Mallard Creek
Ardy Holmes Junior West Charlotte
Dechane Durante Senior Vance
Calvin Hunter Junior Vance
Justin Beatty Junior Vance
Donshae Joyce Senior North Mecklenburg
Barkley Torrence Senior Mooresville

Cannon 4th-grade golfer competes nationally

Cannon School fourth-grader Michael Sanders of Davidson, N.C., recently completed a busy season of golf. He traveled throughout the Carolinas during the summer and fall to play in tournaments with both the National Junior Golf Club and U.S. Kids Golf.

He won at Northstone Country Club in Huntersville (score of 76) and Rocky River Golf Club in Concord (73), placed 2nd at TPC Piper Glen in Charlotte (73), and 3rd at the Club at Irish Creek in Kannapolis (74). Because of his level of play, he qualified for the National Junior Golf Club World Championship, which was played at Sea Trails Resort in Sunset Beach, N.C. over Labor Day weekend. Michael placed 3rd out of 10 boys in his age group.

He won a U.S. Kids Golf World Qualifier tournament at Beacon Ridge in Pinehurst, N.C. last summer, which qualified him for the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship in Pinehurst in August. Michael placed 43rd out of 143 boys in the nine-year old division.

This fall, he has participated in several other tournaments with the U.S. Kids Golf program. He finished 4th at Highland Creek Golf Club in Charlotte (37 for 9 holes) and 2nd at Cherokee Valley Golf Club in Travelers Rest, S.C, (37 for 9 holes). At River Run, he won his flight in the Junior Club championship and finished his season by winning the Junior Member-Member championship with a 15-year old partner.

Cannon School wins Cannon Classic

Cannon School beat Northside Christian Friday and Mt. Zion Saturday to win their own Cannon Classic for the first time in school history.

Jarell Eddie and Keith Belfield dominated in both games to give the Cougars the win. Belfield scored 37 and Eddie scored 33 in the 100-72 win over Northside. Eddie also had 10 rebounds and three blocked shots.

In the championship game against Mt. Zion, Eddie had another 33-point performance and grabbed nine rebounds. Belfield had 21 points and nine rebounds in the 75-72 win.

Belfield and Eddie's younger brother, Jason, made the all-tournament team. Jarell Eddie was named the tournament MVP.

Cannon travels to Red Springs on Thursday to play in a tournament hosted by Flora MacDonald Academy. Other teams in the tournament include Quality Education Academy (Winston Salem), Mt. Zion (Durham), Upper Room Christian (Raleigh), Wesleyan Academy (High Point), Christian Faith Academy (Creedmoor) and Red Springs.

East Lincoln soccer earns several post-season awards

Several East Lincoln soccer players and coaches earned conference and regional recognition this year.

Seniors Chad Salter, Nik Geerken, Eian Fowler, junior Tyler Matner, sophomore Rolando Miranda and freshman Justin Williams earned made the Southern Piedmont All-Conference Team. Williams was named player of the year, and coach Jason Dragoon is coach of the year after leading the Mustangs to a 18-7-1 (9-1) record.

Salter, Matner, Geerken and Williams also earned North Carolina Soccer Coaches Association all-region honors and assistant coach Darryl White is the NCSCA Regional assistant coach of the year.

The Mustangs made it to the third round of the NCHSAA 2A state playoffs, but lost in sudden death to Salisbury 3-2 on Saturday.

Here is the rest of the all-conference team:

Colin Bish Jr. North Lincoln
Meng Lee, Sr. Challenger

Steven Harrison Jr. North Lincoln

Mario Xiong, Jr. Challenger
Nate Smith Jr. North Lincoln

Mitch Vodanacharski, Sr. Highland Tech
Dylan Lawing Sr. North Lincoln

Andrew Harris, Jr. Highland Tech
Moises Rivera Jr. Lincolnton

Aaron Marlowe, Fr. Highland Tech
Manuel Ibarra Sr. Lincolnton

Fernando Ibarra Jr. Lincolnton
Rodolfo Hernandez Sr. Lincolnton
Jose Trejo So. Lincolton
Jorge Rosales So. Lincolnton
Ethan Bumgarner Fr. West Lincoln
Juan Barajas So. West Lincoln

Hopewell preseason No. 1 in boys' basketball

The Hopewell boys' basketball team is ranked at the top of the Observer's preseason Sweet 16 basketball poll. The Titans went 29-1 last year, but lost their star player in Brandyn Curry. The Titans have reloaded and look like they will make another deep playoff run this year.

Lake Norman is fourth in the poll, Vance fifth and West Charlotte eighth, meaning the new I-Meck Conference will be very competitive this year.

Hopewell (No. 12) and Lake Norman (No. 13) also made the preseason girls' Sweet 16.

Look for a full basketball preview for both girls' and boys' in the Lake Norman News Wednesday.

Soccer: East Lincoln

East Lincoln coach Jason Dragoon will finally shave his mustache. The Mustangs fell to Salisbury 3-2 Saturday night in the third round of the NCHSAA 2A playoffs.

Salisbury is ranked No. 9 in the Observer's Sweet 16 soccer poll. They will face Shelby in the quarterfinals.

Football scores: Nov. 13

The NCHSAA playoffs started on Friday, with East Lincoln, Hopewell, North Mecklenburg and Lake Norman making the playoffs.

4AA West:

Mallard Creek 28, Hopewell 7
Olympic 54, North Mecklenburg 14
West Forsyth 14, Lake Norman 12

2AA West:
East Lincoln 30, Ashe County 16

North Mecklenburg postpones soccer match

North Mecklenburg's third round playoff soccer match against Roberson has been postponed until tomorrow (Thursday) night at 6 p.m.

Many local schools are dealing with wet fields after several inches of rain as they prepare for playoff soccer and football games this week.

Langston Wertz Jr. over at the Prep Insiders blog has more about the soggy conditions.

Giants beat Giants in Optimist Bowl

You read the headline right.

Two teams from the Lake Norman Giants Junior Pee Wee Pop Warner league played against each other in the Optimist Bowl Saturday. The Optimist Bowl is essentially the Charlotte-area championship, with teams from all around the area vying for a spot in the game.

The team coached by David Serepca beat John Bertone's team 26-0 in the game played at Charlotte Christian. Serepca finished the season 10-0 while Bertone's team finished at 8-2.

North Meck, East Lincoln still alive in soccer playoffs

North Mecklenburg took down conference rival Vance in the second round of the NCHSAA 4A men's soccer playoffs Friday 2-0. East Lincoln also moved on to the third round in the 2A bracket with a win over East Davidson.

After upsetting Alexander Central in the first round, Hopewell lost 1-0 in the second round of the 4A playoffs to A.C. Reynolds.

North Mecklenburg will face T.C. Roberson and East Lincoln has Salisbury in the third round.

Football playoff pairings announced

The NCHSAA announced football playoff brackets on Saturday. Hopewell, North Mecklenburg and Lake Norman, along with fellow I-Meck members Vance, West Charlotte and Mallard Creek are in the 4AA playoffs.

East Lincoln is the No. 3 seed in the 2AA West bracket.

First round pairings:

Class 4AA West:

No. 9 Lake Norman at No. 8 West Forsyth
No. 13 North Mecklenburg at No. 4 Olympic
No. 14 Hopewell at No. 3 Mallard Creek

(Butler is No. 1 in he 4AA bracket.)

Class 2AA West:

No. 14 Ashe County at No. 3 East Lincoln


Some interesting notes: North Mecklenburg beat Olympic in the first game of the season 41-30, leading to a 5-1 start. Hopewell lost their last match-up with conference foe Mallard Creek 14-41.

The first round games will be played Friday. For full playoff brackets, go to www.nchsaa.org.

Football scores: Nov. 6

Hopewell 42, North Mecklenburg 7

East Lincoln 56, North Lincoln 7

Soccer: East Lincoln moves on to second round

Coach Jason Dragoon will keep his “Hulk Hogan handlebar” mustache for at least a few more days.

The East Lincoln men’s soccer coach made a promise to his players after they won the conference that he would grow out his facial hair. He’s not going to shave it until the season is over.

The Mustangs ensured that the coach wouldn’t pull out the razor last night with a 2-0 win over Bandys in the first round of the NCHSAA 2A state tournament.

The two goals, the first by Justin Williams and the second by Rolando Miranda, came within two minutes of each other early in the first half.

East Lincoln (17-6-1, 9-1) continued to attack the entire game, but could never convert and put the game out of reach.

“Finishing has been good all year,” said Dragoon. He said it was like his players weren't being greedy enough, passing instead of attacking and shooting.

The Mustangs have outscored their opponent 64-36 this year and have eight shutouts. Keeper Austin Putnam recorded the shutout against Bandys (10-9-3).

Dragoon credited the lack of scoring to first-round nerves. It’s no surprise that the Mustangs were nervous. Despite going 15-4 in the regular season last year, they lost in the first round of the state tournament to East Davidson, who they will play in the second round on Saturday.

“East Davidson is a problem for us,” said Dragoon. “It’s like they’ve got our number.”

Regardless of the history between the two teams, Dragoon is confident that his Mustangs will play will in the next game. His team has been playing very well, winning 12 of their last 13 games.

“We feel comfortable with what we have,” he said. “This group is all about each other.”

-- Corey Inscoe

Giants vs. Giants in the Pop Warner Optimist Bowl

Two Lake Norman Giants Pop Warner teams will face off in the Optimist Bowl in the Junior Pee-Wee division. The teams are coached by John Bertone and David Serepca.

"This is the first time that I am aware of that two of our teams from the same age group played each other for the City Championship," said Ron Turner, the Giants' president.

The game will be played Saturday at 11 a.m. at Charlotte Christian.

One of the other Giants coaches, Tim Wolter, was recognized with the Doc Martin Award for Sportsmanship, given to one team in the Charlotte area for for outstanding sportsmanship. It is voted on by the coaches.

CORRECTION: Sports score in Nov. 4 Lake Norman News

In the Nov. 4 Lake Norman News, I published the wrong score in the "Friday's Games" section of the paper for the North Mecklenburg and Mooresville football game.

The correct score is North Mecklenburg 35, Mooresville 23.

I apologize for the error.

North Meck falls short in state semifinal

The North Mecklenburg Vikings powered through the first four rounds of the playoffs and looked poised to have a shot at their first state championship. But the Vikings fell one game short, losing to Ardrey Kell in the state semifinals 3-2 (21-25, 25-13, 25-15, 19-25, 8-15).

After losing a close first game, North Meck came back strong with commanding wins in the second and third games. But, in the end, Ardrey Kell was able to overpower them and earn a spot in their first state championship game.

Cooke had 22 kills, 11 digs and three blocks for the Vikings, and Sarah Weise had 16 kills and served seven aces. Atkinson, who was sidelined midway through the fifth game with a knee injury, had 39 assists.

North Meck finished the season 25-3. Ardrey Kell is now 24-5 and will face Greenville Rose in the championship match.

Davidson Day's Jenny Falcone wins 1A State Girls Tennis 2009 Championship

Junior Jenny Falcone, of Davidson Day School, won the N.C. Independent Schools state championship Sunday in Wilson, N.C. by defeating Katy Cananda (The Elon School) 6-0, 6-0.

This state championship for Jenny caps off an impressive season. Falcone, a Davidson resident who is ranked 59th in the country (Girls 18-under), didn't lose a set the entire season and finished with a game record of 144 wins to 4 losses.

Photo by Paul Cotter.

NCHSAA Boys Soccer Tournament seeding announced

The NCHSAA Boys Soccer Tournament brackets were released today. Hopewell will face Alexander Central in the first round, and North Mecklenburg, I-Meck champions, will play South Mecklenburg in the 4A playoffs.

In the 2A playoffs, East Lincoln will play Bandys in the first round.

First round games will be played Tuesday and Wednesday.

Also, North Mecklenburg jumped from 11th to seventh in this week's Observer Sweet 16 Soccer poll.

Volleyball: North Meck beats Hopewell in 4th round of playoffs

Cross-town rivals North Mecklenburg and Hopewell met for the fourth time this season Saturday in the fourth round of the NCHSAA 4A playoffs. North Meck won the match 3-0 (25-18, 25-23, 25-20) and move on to the semifinals, where they will face Ardrey Kell.

Hopewell won the last match between the two in the I-Meck conference finals.

Ali Cooke led the Vikings with 16 kills and 21 digs. Blair Atkinson had 10 digs and 31 assists.

Football scores: Oct. 30

East Lincoln 41, West Lincoln 9

The Mustangs have won seven straight games and hope to finish undefeated in conference with a win over North Lincoln on Friday. Bubba McDowell carried the ball 19 times for 223 yards against West Lincoln.

Hopewell 7, Vance 0

North Mecklenburg 35, Mooresville 23

Hopewell and North Mecklenburg come into Friday's rivalry game off a win and tied for third in the conference with Lake Norman.

Forsyth Country Day 45, Southlake Christian 22

Four Cannon soccer players named all-conference

Four Cannon School boys soccer players were named to the CISAA All-Conference team: Dillon Freer, Zach Roositch, Matt Sarett and Zach Tysinger.

The four players are joined by:

Country Day: John Kendall and States Lee.
Charlotte Christian: Will Readhead.
Charlotte Latin: Michael Grace, Jonathan Grad, David Limentani, Will McGinnis, Will O'Brien and Harper Williams.
Providence Day: Richie Erb, PJ Heacock and Conor Redmond.

Soccer: North Meck 1, Hopewell 0

North Mecklenburg finished their season with a win over cross-town rival Hopewell 1-0. Patrick Harrow scored the lone goal and Peter Rhines and Jaron Bradley teamed up for the shut out.

North Meck came back from an 0-2 start in the conference to win the I-Meck crown.

Other scores from around the area:

East Lincoln 1, North Lincoln 0

Playoff update: Oct. 28

Hopewell and North Mecklenburg both advanced to the third round of the NCHSAA volleyball tournament with wins against Lake Norman and Mallard Creek respectively. The wins set up the interesting possibility of yet another rivalry match between the two teams in the fourth round of the tournament on Saturday.

Cannon School won 4-3 over North Raleigh Christian in the NCISAA 3A boys soccer tournament.

The Cannon volleyball team fell short in the NCISAA tournament against Wesleyan Christian, losing in three straight.

North Meck golfer finishes fourth in state tournament

North Mecklenburg junior Katie Kirk finished fourth in the individual standings of the NCHSAA 4A women's golf state championship. Kirk shot a 1-under 72 on Monday and a 4-over 77 on Tuesday at Foxfire Golf and Country Club.

Katherine Perry from Athens Drive in Raleigh won the tournament (73, 71), while Allison Emrey of Ardrey Kell and Sarah Bae of Athens Drive tied for second.

Athens Drive (incidentally, coached by my step-father, Tony Alcon) won their second straight team championship by nine strokes after trailing Ardrey Kell by eight strokes after the first day.

Mattie Toby of East Lincoln tied for third in the NCHSAA 1A/2A/3A tournament. The team finished in sixth.

Cannon School junior named girls' golf CISAA player of the year

Brianna Ratté, a Cannon School junior who resides in Huntersville, was named the Charlotte Independent Schools Athletic Association (CISAA) player of the year in girls’ golf following an undefeated season. The 16-year-old was also named to the all-conference team for the second time along with golfers from Charlotte Country Day School and Providence Day School.

Cannon School’s girls’ golf team finished behind conference champion Charlotte Country Day School in the CISAA Conference Tournament held Oct. 20 at Skybrook Golf Course in Huntersville. This is Cannon’s second year of CISAA competition.

Playoff update: Oct. 27

North Mecklenburg plays Mallard Creek and Hopewell takes on Lake Norman in the second round of the NCHSAA 4A state volleyball playoffs tonight. East Lincoln volleyball is in the second round of the 2A tournament, where they will take on Piedmont.

Southlake Christian faces Calvary Baptist in the NCISAA 2A volleyball championships and Cannon School takes on Wesleyan in the 3A championships tonight.

In the NCISAA 3A boys soccer tournament, Cannon plays North Raleigh Christian.

Soccer: North Meck 1, Mooresville 0

The North Mecklenburg Vikings clinched the I-Meck championship last night with at 1-0 win over the Mooresville Blue Devils. The Vikings (14-4-2, 9-2) started out 0-2 in the conference, but are now on an eight game win streak.

The lone goal was scored by Jordan Marcom, with an assist from Spencer Jackson.

North Meck finishes their season Wednesday at rival Hopewell, while the Blue Devils (13-5-1, 7-4) face Lake Norman at home Wednesday.

Other soccer scores from the area:

Hopewell 2, Vance 0.

Soccer: North Meck vs. Mooresville tonight

Two of the top three teams in the competitive I-Meck conference meet tonight. North Mecklenburg, No. 11 in the Observer Sweet 16 soccer poll, will play at No. 14 Mooresville.

The game, featured as the Lake Norman News "Game of the week," could decide the conference championship. North Meck is at the top of the conference at 8-2, while Mooresville is tied with Mallard Creek in second at 7-3.

This is the next to last game for both of the teams. North Meck finishes off their season at Hopewell on Wednesday while Mooresville will face Lake Norman at home on Wednesday.

Game time is 6:30 at Mooresville High School.

Volleyball State Tournament: first round

The first round of the NCHSAA volleyball 4A state tournament was Saturday. Both North Mecklenburg and Hopewell dominated their first round matches and move on to the second round Tuesday.

North Mecklenburg beat Butler 25-24, 25-20 and 25-16 with Ali Cooke leading the team with 11 kills and 14 digs. The Vikings will face another fellow I-Meck school Mallard Creek in the second round. North Meck beat Mallard Creek in three games in both of their previous matches this season.

Hopewell dominated Sun Valley in three games, 25-12, 25-9 and 25-6. They will also face a I-Meck conference foe, Lake Norman, in the second round. Hopewell won both preseason matches against Lake Norman.

Football Scores: Oct. 23

North Mecklenburg 13, Vance 21

Hopewell 14, Mallard Creek 41

Southlake Christian 8, Northside Christian 30

East Lincoln 49, Cherryville 6