Lake Norman football playoff update - week 2

Patriots wins state championship
Davidson Day's football team won the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association Division III title Friday in a 41-26 rout of Trinity Christian. The Patriots, in their first year as a varsity program, were led by quarterback Will Grier, who threw for 300 yards and four touchdowns. The sophomore was also key on defense, recovering a fumble for a touchdown while also picking off a pass and recording six tackles. The Patriots went 11-1 for the year and are slated to return all but two of its players next year.

SouthLake eliminated in quarterfinals
SouthLake Christian came just short of reaching the NCISAA Division II championship game, losing to Asheville School 21-17 Friday. The Eagles, the No. 1-ranked team in their bracket, had a 17-14 lead with four minutes left in the game after a field goal, but allowed Asheville to return the ensuing kickoff for the winning touchdown. SouthLake made a long drive, which included a couple of fourth-down conversions, afterwards but  a turnover with a minute left allowed Asheville School to drain the clock and upset the Eagles. SouthLake finished the year with a 10-2 record.


NCHSAA playoff update
Bandys, South Iredell and Mooresville are the only Lake Norman area teams left in the N.C. High School Athletic Association football playoffs. The Trojans (2AA), the Vikings(2AA) and the Blue Devils (4A) will play in their respective sectional finals Friday. Here are last week's scores (local teams in bold):


2AA
South Iredell def. Forest Hills 51-21
Bandys def. Smoky Mountain 26-0


4ASun Valley def. Hopewell 35-28
Mooresville def. Watauga 38-7


Friday's games:
Bandys at Shelby
South Iredell at West Stokes
Sun Valley at Mooresville

Lake Norman Charter girls win state cross country title

Lake Norman Charter's girls' cross country team won the N.C. High School School Athletic Association 1A championship. The Knights were led by Sarah Hardin, who finished in second place with a time of 19:44.31, and Stephanie Zaino, who was fifth with a 20:11.36. Danielle Clark finished 14th, while Lauren Swift was 24th.

The Knight boys finished state runners-up behind N.C. School of Math and Science.  They were led by Michael Westbay's sixth-place finish. Participating without No. 2 runner Jordan Wallace, who was injured, Chris Hack (11th), Matt Panza (21st), Bryan Hooker (23rd) and Sean Kenney (26th) also had strong races.

In the 2A championship, North Lincoln's boys were crowned state champions behind Chris Boyle's third-place finish. Three other Knights finished in the top 10. East Lincoln was sixth as a team. Justin Wilkes, who finished sixth in the race, led the Mustangs. North Lincoln's girls finished second behind Allie Castro and Savannah Fornshell, who were seventh and eighth in the race respectively. Alley Whitley's  26th-place finish led the East Lincoln girls to finish eighth as a team.

Lake Norman's Michael Rupinski was the best local finisher at the 4A boys' race, finishing 17th. Teammate Patrick Sheehan was 37th.

Three teams remain in boys' soccer playoffs

Three Lake Norman-area boys' soccer teams are still alive in the N.C. High School Athletic Association playoffs. Here are Saturday's scores (local teams in bold):

1A

Lake Norman Charter def. North Moore 3-0

2A

East Lincoln def. Polk County 2-0

Cuthbertson def. South Iredell 3-1

4A

Lake Norman def. Olympic 4-4 (4-2 penalty kicks)

Third-round games (must be played by Wednesday):

Hendersonville at Lake Norman Charter

Lincolnton at East Lincoln

Mallard Creek at Lake Norman

Lake Norman football playoff update - week 1

NCHSAA football
First-round playoff play for the N.C. High School Athletic Association got under way Friday. Hopewell pulled a big upset, defeating T.C. Roberson, the No. 1 seed in the 4A West bracket, 14-9 to move on to the second round.

Mooresville (4A) and South Iredell (2AA) were the only other Lake Norman-area public schools to get out of the first round. Here are full results and second-round match ups (local teams in bold):

1AA
South Stokes def. Lake Norman Charter 35-26

2A
Starmount def. East Lincoln 21-13

2AA
South Iredell def. East Davidson 47-6

4A
Hopewell def. T.C. Roberson 14-9
Mooresville def. East Gaston 35-15

4AA
South Caldwell def. Lake Norman 35-0

Friday's games:
Forest Hills at South Iredell
Hopewell at Sun Valley
Watauga at Mooresville

NCISAA football
Davidson Day will play for a state championship in its first season as a varsity program after defeating Fayetteville Christian Friday 35-21 at Hopewell Friday. The Patriots (10-1) will play Trinity Christian (4-5) for the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association Division II title. Davidson Day defeated Trinity Christian 61-34 in August.

In Division II play, No. 1 seed SouthLake Christian (10-1) moved on to the second round of play, defeating Forsyth Country Day for a second week in a row. The 35-21 win secured the Eagles a spot in the state semifinal game Friday. They will face Asheville School (8-2). It will be the team's second meeting this season. SouthLake won the first game 27-14 in late September.

11/3 playoff update

NCHSAA boys' soccer

The Observer's Sweet 16's No. 1 team, Hough, was eliminated in the first round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 4A boys' soccer playoffs as Ardrey Kell outlasted them 2-1 Wednesday.

The Huskies were one of six local teams that fell in the first round of their respective brackets. Only Lake Norman Charter, which had a bye in the 1A bracket, 2A's East Lincoln and South Iredell and 4A's Lake Norman will play in the next round.

Here are scores from first-round play (local teams in bold):

1A

Thomas Jefferson def. Pine Lake Prep 5-1

Lake Norman Charter BYE

2A

Shelby def. North Lincoln 3-0

East Lincoln def. Maiden 6-2

South Iredell def. Starmount 3-1

Surry Central def. Bandys 6-1

4A

Lake Norman def. Sun Valley 1-0

Watauga def. Mooresville 2-1

Porter Ridge def. Hopewell 4-1

Ardrey Kell def. Hough 2-1

Second-round game must be played by Saturday.

1A

North Moore at Lake Norman Charter

2A

Polk County at East Lincoln

South Iredell at Cuthbertsom

4A

Lake Norman at Olympic

NCHSAA girls' tennis

Lake Norman's girls' tennis team was eliminated from the NCHSAA dual team playoffs Monday, losing to Myers Park 5-1. The Mustangs lost Wednesday in the state semis to Greensboro Grimsley.

Mustang golfer finishes 21st at states

East Lincoln's Brittany Smith led Lake Norman-area golfers at the N.C. High School Athletic Association's 1A/2A girls' golf championships, which were held Monday and Tuesday at Longleaf Golf and Country Club in Southern Pines.

Smith finished 21st overall with a 188, while Lake Norman Charter's Meagan Ports (195) and Kaelyn Pack (197) were 28th and 31st respectively. The Knights finished 10th as a team, while North Lincoln finished 13th.

For full results visit the NCHSAA website.

Forward caps off freshman year being named all-state

Davidson Day freshman C.J. Bradley, who led his Patriots and the area with 25 goals in the regular season, was named to the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 2A boys' soccer all-state team.

Bradley, who was the Southern Piedmont Athletic Association Player of the Year, led Davidson Day to a 13-4-2 record. The team's 13 wins was a school record. The Patriots finished their year in the first-round of the NCISAA 2A playoffs, losing 4-1 to Caldwell Academy.


For more on Bradley, check out last week's Lake Norman News feature story on the freshman.


For full all-state soccer honors, visit the NCISAA website.

SouthLake volleyball players get all-state nod

After leading SouthLake Christian to the state 3A finals, Katie Schoenrock and Kayla Summer were named to the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association all-state team.


The Eagles finished their first season at the 3A class with a school-record 27 wins, losing its lone game of the year to eight-time consecutive champ Charlotte Latin in the state title game.


This is the second year that Schoenrock and Summer have earned all-state honors. Last season the duo earned the recognition after leading SouthLake to the 2A state championship.


Davidson Day's Jessi Harris was named to the 2A all-state team.


For full volleyball all-state teams, visit the NCISAA website.

Patriot cross country runners named all-state

Davidson Day sophomores Melissa Zammitti and Rachel Bringewatt earned N.C. Independent School Athletic Association all-state cross country honors after finishing in the top 10 at last weekend's 2A championships.

Zammitti finished fourth in the race with a time of 20:01.72, while Bringewatt was ninth with a 20:28.36.


Visit the NCISAA website for a complete list of all-state runners.

NCHSAA soccer playoffs released

The N.C. High School Athletic Association released its boys' soccer playoffs Monday morning.

In the 1A bracket, Pine Lake Prep and Lake Norman Charter made the tournament. The Knights earned a first-round bye and will play the winner of the South Stanly at North Moore game.

North Lincoln and East Lincoln made the 2A tournament from the Southern Piedmont Conference, while South Iredell and Bandys are the local teams representing the Catawba Vally Conference.

The I-Meck had six selections to the playoffs, including Lake Norman, Mooresville, Hopewell and Hough.

First-round games have to be played by Wednesday. Here are the match-ups (local teams in bold):

1A
Pine Lake Prep at Thomas Jefferson
Lake Norman Charter BYE

2A
North Lincoln at Shelby
Maiden at East Lincoln
Starmount at South Iredell
Bandys at Surry Central

4A
Sun Valley at Lake Norman
Mooresville at Watauga
Hopewell at Porter Ridge
Ardrey Kell at Hough


For full brackets, visit the NCHSAA website.

10/31 playoff update

Football

Brackets for both the N.C. High School Athletic Association and N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association football playoffs were released during the weekend. Here are the match-ups for Lake Norman-area teams (local teams in bold):


NCHSAA
1AA
No. 5 Lake Norman Charter at No. 4 South Stokes


2A
No. 8 East Lincoln at No. 1 Starmount


2AA

No. 7 East Davidson at No. 2 South Iredell

No. 6 Ashe County at No. 3 Bandys


4A

No. 8 Hopewell at No. 1 TC Roberson

No. 7 East Gaston at No. 2 Mooresville


4AA

No. 7 Lake Norman at No. 2 South Caldwell


NCISAA

Div. II

No. 8 Forsyth Country Day at No. 1 SouthLake Christian


Div. III

No. 4 Fayetteville Christian at No. 1 Davidson Day (to be played at Hopewell High)


Volleyball

In the NCHSAA playoffs, Bandys and Hough both lost in the fourth round of their respective brackets.


2A

North Surry def. Bandys 3-2


4A

Watauga def. Hough 3-0


NCISAA

SouthLake Christian wrapped up its season Saturday, losing its first match of the year in the 3A state championship game against Charlotte Latin, which won its eighth consecutive state title. The Eagles finished the year with a 27-1 record.


SouthLake Christian def. Charlotte Latin 3-0


Cross country

The NCHSAA regionals were held Saturday. Lake Norman Charter and North Lincoln had a good weekend, winning both the girls' and boys' West regional titles in the 1A and 2A classes, respectively.


The Knight boys were led by Michael Westbay and Jordan Wallace, who finished third and fourth respectively in the race. On the girls' side, Sarah Hardin won the regional title with a time of 20:18, while Stephanie Zaino finished second in the race.


North Lincoln's boys were led by regional champion Chris Boyle and Andrew Fea, who finished second., while Savannah Fornshell's second-place finish led the girls. East Lincoln finished second in the boys' side and fourth in the girls' standings.


At the 4A regional races, Lake Norman and Mooresville finished sixth and seventh in the boys' standings, while Hough finished 10th, Hopewell 17th and North Mecklenburg 18th.The Wildcats' girls led local teams, finishing sixth, while Hough was ninth. North Meck was 14th, Mooresville 15th and Hopewell 16th.


For complete results, N.C. Runners has them compiled.


The state championships take place Saturday.


NCISAA

The NCISAA state championships were held this weekend. Davidson Day's girls had the best outcome, finishing secon at the event. They were led by Melissa Zammitti, who was fourth in the race, and Rachel Bringewatt, who was eighth. The Patriot boys  finished sixth at the event. SouthLake was 14th in the girls' side and 16th in the boys' standings at the 2A races.


For complete results, check out the NCISAA's website.

10/28 playoff update

NCHSAA volleyball

Hough and Bandys are the lone Lake Norman-area teams that survived the third round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association volleyball playoffs, as Lake Norman Charter (26-1) and Lake Norman (22-6) were eliminated in their respective brackets.

Lake Norman Charter's loss, to Randleman, in the 1A bracket was the team's first of the season.

Here are Thursday's results (with local teams in bold):

1A

Hendersonville def. Lake Norman Charter 3-2

2A

Bandys def. Randleman 3-0

4A

Watauga def. Lake Norman 3-0

Hough def. McDowell 3-1

Fourth-round games, the sectional championships, will take place Saturday. Hough (26-3) will travel to Boone to face Watauga (21-7), while Bandys (19-3) will play at North Surry (29-2) in Mount Airy for a trip to the state semifinals. 

10/26 playoff update

NCHSAA girls' tennis

Lake Norman Charter lost in the second round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association girls' tennis dual playoffs, while Lake Norman High moved on to the third round.

1A

East Wilkes def. Lake Norman Charter 5-1

4A

Lake Norman def. Northwest Guildford 6-0

Third round (Monday 4 p.m.)

Myers Park at Lake Norman

NCHSAA volleyball

Four Lake Norman-area teams moved on to the district round of the NCHSAA playoffs.

Still-undefeated Lake Norman Charter (25-0) swept Avery 3-0, while I-Meck teams Lake Norman and Hough defeated conference foes North Meck and Hopewell, respectively, to move on to the third round of the playoffs.

Here are how local teams fared Tuesday (local teams in bold):

1A

Lake Norman Charter def. Avery 3-0

2A

Mountain Heritage def. North Lincoln 3-2

Newton Conover def. East Lincoln 3-0

Bandys def. Piedmont 3-0

4A

Lake Norman def. North Meck 3-1

Hough def. Hopewell 3-0

  

Third round (Thursday 7 p.m.)

Hendersonville at Lake Norman Charter

Randleman at Bandys

Watauga at Lake Norman

Hough at McDowell

NCISAA volleyball

Davidson Day was upset in its first-round game by Halifax Academy the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 2A volleyball playoffs. The Patriots lost 3-2.

Undefeated SouthLake Christian (25-0) had a first-round bye and will play Forsyth Country Day in the 3A quarterfinals at Cary Academy's SEA Gym Friday at 1 p.m.

Patriots, Eagles earn volleyball playoff berths

Davidson Day and SouthLake Christian earned spots in the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association volleyball playoffs.

Davidson Day is the 2A tournament's No. 6 seed after going 13-3 this season. The Patriots will host No. 11 seed Halifax Academy, which comes into the tournament with a 13-7 record.

SouthLake has a first-round bye after earning the No. 2 seed in the 3A tournament. The undefeated Eagles (25-0) will host the winner of the game between No. 7 Covenant Day (17-8) and No. 10 Forsyth Country Day (12-6).

For full brackets, visit the NCISAA's volleyball website.

10/24 playoff update

NCHSAA volleyball
Lake Norman-area volleyball teams had a pretty good weekend. Of the nine local teams that made the N.C. High School Athletic Association playoffs, seven moved on to the second round of play. Here are the scores from Saturday's first-round matches:

1A
Lake Norman Charter def. Mitchell 3-0
Albemarle def. Lincoln Charter 3-0

2A
North Lincoln def. East Burke 3-1
East Lincoln def. Trinity 3-0

4A
North Meck def. East Gaston 3-0
Lake Norman def. Sun Vally 3-0
Hopewell def. Porter Ridge 3-2
Hough def. South Meck 3-0
McDowell def. Mooresville 3-0


Second round matches (Tuesday 7 p.m.):
Avery at Lake Norman Charter
Mountain Heritage at North Lincoln
East Lincoln at Newton-Conover
Hopewell at Hough
North Meck at Lake Norman

NCISAA boys' soccer
The lone Lake Norman-area soccer team in the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association boys' soccer playoffs, Davidson Day, fell in the first round of play in the 2A bracket. The Patriots, the SPAA conference champions and theh tournament's No. 10 seed, lost to No. 7 Caldwell Academy 4-1 Friday.

Girls' tennis playoff update - first round

Lake Norman-area girls' tennis squads had mixed results in the first round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association dual team playoffs, as only two of the six local teams moved on to the second round.

Lake Norman and Lake Norman Charter were the lone two teams who won their first-round matchups.

The Wildcats will travel to Northwest Guilford, while the Knights will host East Wilkes. Both teams will play Tuesday at 4 p.m.

Here are the scores of Tuesday's matches.

1A
Lake Norman Charter defeated Pine Lake Prep 5-1

2A
Brevard defeated Bandys 6-2
West Davidson defeated North Lincoln 5-4

4A

Lake Norman defeated Davie 5-1

Grimsley defeated Hough 5-1

For full brackets, visit the NCHSAA website.

Volleyball playoffs begin Saturday

The N.C. High School Athletic Association released its volleyball playoff brackets Thursday. First round of play begins Saturday.

Several Lake Norman-area squads made the postseason.

Lake Norman Charter, which was undefeated in its first season in the Southern Piedmont 1A/2A, claimed a No. 1 seed in the 1A playoffs, while Hough claimed a top seed in the 4A brackets after outlasting I-Meck co-champions Lake Norman in five sets 25-14, 21-25, 22-25, 25-23, 15-10.

Here are the draws for local teams, which are highlighted:

1A

No. 3 Mitchell (2-18) at No. 1 Lake Norman Charter (23-0)

WC Lincoln Charter (13-4) at No. 1 Albermarle (21-6)

2A

No. 5 East Burke (12-9) at No. 1 North Lincoln (14-10)

No. 3 Trinity (8-12) at No. 2 East Lincoln (9-9)

4A

No. 3 North Meck (18-8) at No. 1 East Gaston (13-10)

No. 2 Sun Valley (3-16) at No. 2 Lake Norman (20-5)

No. 5 Hopewell (5-18) at No. 1 Porter Ridge (11-11)

No. 4 South Meck (11-8) at No. 1 Hough (23-3)

No. 4 Mooresville (16-7) at No. 1 McDowell (17-4)

For links to the full brackets, visit the NCHSAA website.

Mustangs win SPC girls' golf title

Behind Brittany Smith's 18-hole score of 83, the East Lincoln girls' golf team was crowned Southern Piedmont 1A/2A champions Monday. Tori Morgan, who shot a 102, and Taylor Johnson, who shot a 111, also scored for the Mustangs.

East Lincoln's final score of 296 was only one stroke better than runners-up Lake Norman Charter. The Knights were led by Maegan Ports, who shot an 88, as well as Kaelyn Pack and Brittany Buckstad.

North Lincoln, which finished the tournament with a score of 305, finished third.


East Lincoln
Brittany Smith - 83
Tori Morgan - 102
Taylor Johnson - 111
TOTAL - 296

Lake Norman Charter
Maegan Ports - 88
Kaelyn Pack - 99
Brittany Buckstad - 110
TOTAL - 297

North Lincoln
KC Krisler - 98
Hanna Nixon - 103
Brooke Bennes - 104
TOTAL - 305

Girls' tennis dual team brackets released

The N.C. High School Athletic Association released its girls' tennis dual team brackets Monday morning.

Six Lake Norman-area teams - Lake Norman Charter (1A), Pine Lake Prep (1A), North Lincoln (2A), Bandys (2A), Hough (4A) and Lake Norman (4A) - made their respective postseason tournaments.

First round of play is slated for tomorrow.

Here are the full brackets. Local teams are bolded.

1A brackets

BYE No. 1 N.C. School of Science and Math

WC NH-East (4-6) at No. 1 Gates (8-7)

BYE No. 1 Riverside (9-3)

WC Franklin Academy (8-8) at No. 1 Dixon (5-2)

BYE No. 1 Spring Creek (9-1)

WC Lejeune (10-1) at No. 1 Pender (3-3)

BYE No. 1 East Columbus (9-5)

No. 2 Raleigh Charter (10-8) at No. 2 Rosewood (6-4)

BYE No. 1 Thomas Jefferson (8-2)

WC North Stokes (11-5) at No. 1 East Montgomery (19-0)

No. 1 Pine Lake Prep (2-8) at No. 1 Lake Norman Charter (10-2)

No. 2 Bishop McGuinness (14-2) at No. 2 East Wilkes (14-3)

BYE No. 1 Union Academy (3-4)

WC Chatham Central (13-6) at No. 2 Gray Stone (12-3)

BYE No. 1 Mt. Airy (22-1)

WC Hendersonville (10-4) at No. 1 Elkin (16-2)


2A brackets

No. 2 Tarboro (17-2) at No. 1 First Flight (13-0)

No. 2 Swansboro (13-3) at No. 1 Roan Rapids (13-3)

No. 2 Reidsville (12-5) at No. 1 Cedar Ridge (17-2)

WC Croatan (13-3) at No. 1 Fairmong (13-0)

No. 2 Warren (10-2) at No. 1 Topsai (14-4)

No. 2 Holmes (13-5) at No. 1 Greene Central (17-7)

No. 2 Carrboro (13-4) at No. 1 Whiteville (13-2)

WC East Duplin (12-4) at No. 1 Jordan Matthews (14-3)

No. 2 Bandys (14-3) at No. 1 Brevard (14-0)

No. 1 Salisbury (15-1) at No. 1 Surry Central (8-7)

WC Bunker Hill (15-5) at No. 1 Polk County (14-1)

No. 2 Trinity (6-10) at No. 1 Cuthbertson (10-1)

No. 1 Maiden (18-2) at No. 1 Wilkes Central (12-4)

No. 2 Central Davidson (14-3) at No. 1 Shelby (15-0)

WC West Davidson (13-6) at No. 1 North Lincoln (8-2)

No. 2 North Stanly (8-3) at No. 1 Wheatmore (17-2)


3A brackets

No. 1 Nash Central (15-0) at No. 1 Aycock (22-1)

No. 2 Jacksonville (12-3) at No. 1 South Brunswick (12-4)

No. 2 Eastern Wayne (13-4) at No. 1 Currituck (6-8)

No. 2 Rocky Mount (10-6) at No. 1 West Carteret (13-0)

No. 2 Chapel Hill (9-3) at No. 1 Walter Williams (15-1)

No. 2 Ledford (14-7) at No. 1 Union Pines (16-0)

No. 2 Northern Guilford (14-2) at No. 1 Asheboro (15-3)

No. 2 Western Harnett (11-4) at No. 1 Cardinal Gibbons (20-5)

No. 2 Mount Pleasant (15-2) at No. 1 East Rowan (14-0)

WC Northwest Cabarrus (11-6) at No. 1 Weddington (12-1)

No. 1 Charlotte Catholic (16-2) at No. 1 Cox Mill (14-2)

WC Marvin Ridge (11-3) at No. 1 Forestview (11-1)

No. 2 Jesse Carson (14-3) at No. 1 Hickory (15-2)

WC Harding (7-1) at No. 1 Patton (11-2)

No. 2 South Point (6-2) at No. 1 Asheville (15-3)

WC Hibriten (10-5) at No. 1 Franklin (12-2)


4A brackets

No. 2 Person (16-3) at No. 1 Hoggard (7-4)

No. 2 Panther Creek (15-2) at No. 1 Clayton (19-1)

WC Smithfield Selma (15-5) at No. 1 Terry Sanford (16-0)

No. 2 Millbrook (15-5) at No. 1 Pinecrest (11-2)

No. 2 Scotland County (9-4) at No. 1 East Chapel Hill (17-3)

No. 2 New Hanover (14-3) at No. 1 Broughton (18-0)

No. 2 Garner (12-4) at No. 2 Jack Britt (11-3)

WC Enloe (10-4) at No. 1 Green Hope (19-1)

No. 2 Hough (11-2) at No. 1 Grimsley (12-3)

No. 2 Southwest Guilford (7-10) at No. 1 Porter Ridge (10-5)

WC Southeast Guilford (13-3) at No. 1West Forsyth (10-0)

No.1 Providence (10-2) at No. 1 Olympic (9-4)

No. 2 Page (14-2) at No. 1 Northwest Guilford (12-2-1)

No. 2 Davie (8-5) at No. 1 Lake Norman (15-2)

WC Reagan (11-4) at No. 1 AC Reynolds (11-2)

No. 2 Myers Park (11-3) at No. 1 Watauga (13-4)

Davidson Day senior commits to VMI

Photo courtesy of Paul Cotter

 Davidson Day guard/forward Dorian Albritton committed to play basketball at Virginia Military Institute, the school announced Wednesday.

The 6-foot-4 senior averaged 11 points and five rebounds per game last season for the 22-10 Patriots.



“It’s a great feeling to know that the hard work I’ve invested provided me with a number of college options,” said Albritton in a statement. “It was a challenging process, but I felt that VMI sets me up for success beyond graduation. Also, I was very impressed with the coaching staff. I really like their style of play.”

Albritton, who also considered Boston University, Yale, Colgate, Winthrop and New Hampshire, will sign his national letter of intent next month.

“I am very proud and excited for Dorian,” said Davidson Day boys' basketball coach Ron Johnson in a statement. “He's worked incredibly hard to earn this opportunity.”

East Lincoln forfeits game

East Lincoln's football team was forced to forfeit its Sept. 16 win against Bessemer City after having an ineligible player dress out, the Gaston Gazette reports.  The Mustangs' record is now 3-3 (1-1 in the Southern Piedmont 1A/2A).

The Mustangs travels to Lincolnton for their annual rivalry game tonight. Instead of being tied with the Wolves (5-1, 2-0) on top of the SPC standings, East Lincoln is now a game behind after the forfeit.

For more info: http://bit.ly/q4VgL5.

Wildcat teams honored for academics

The N.C. High School Athletics Association recognized two Lake Norman High teams for their work in the classroom Tuesday, as the school's boys' track and boys' lacrosse squads were named the recipients of the AAA NCHSAA Scholar-Athlete Team Award.

The honor is given to the team with the best grade point average in the state for the semester in which its sport competes.

Lake Norman's boy's track team had a GPA of 3.527, while the Wildcats' boys' lacrosse team earned a 3.360 this spring.

AAA NCHSAA Scholar-Athlete Team Awards - Spring 2011

SPORT	SCHOOL	GPA
Softball	Hayesville	3.891
Baseball	Western Alamance	3.649
Men's Tennis	Walter Williams	3.880
Women's Soccer	Western Alamance	3.747
Men's Track	Lake Norman	3.527
Women's Track	Tuscola	3.683
Men’s Golf	Walter Williams	3.840
Women's Lacrosse	Mount Tabor	3.510
Men's Lacrosse	Lake Norman	3.360

Mustang running back continues to put up big numbers

East Lincoln's Marcus "Bubba" McDowell had a big game Friday night against Southern Piedmont 1A/2A rivals North Lincoln.

The senior running back rushed for 237 yards and five touchdowns on 15 carries in the Mustangs' 47-7 win.

McDowell is averaging 9.78 yards per carry this season, already surpassing the 1,000-yard mark and scoring 19 touchdowns on the ground. He's also caught nine passes for 316 yards - an average of 35 yards per catch - and five touchdowns.

The explosive, speedy McDowell and East Lincoln (4-2, 2-0) will travel to archival Lincolnton (5-1, 2-0) Friday with first place in the SPC at stake.

Sophomore golfer picked to play in junior tournament

COURTESY OF DAVIDSON DAY

Davidson Day sophomore golfer Kyle Fuller has been selected to play in the Dormie Cup, Oct. 15-16, in West End, N.C.

The competition pairs some of the top 24 junior golfers in the country in a two-day, Ryder Cup-style event. Fuller, the son of Micah and Sandra Fuller of Huntersville, is trying to raise $1,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project as part of his participation in the tournament. For details, click here.

Recently, Fuller shot a 1-under 71 in the American Junior Golf Association's Webb Simpson Tournament in Winston-Salem. He placed fourth out of 85, earning him an AJGA tour exemption in 2012.

His new playing partner and instructor is Nationwide tour player Corey Nagy, a four-time All-American and Atlantic-10 Player of the Year at UNC Charlotte.

Fuller led Davidson Day to its first Southern Piedmont Athletic Association championship and a fifth-place finish in the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association's 1A tournament last year. He finished third in the state and earned all-state honors.

Blue Devil guard commits to Charlotte

Shawn Lester, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard from Mooresville High, has committed to Charlotte. Lester chose the 49ers over Clemson and South Carolina.

Lester, a senior, averaged 18.5 points, five assists and five steals for the Blue Devils (19-11 last year), who lost to Western 4A regional qualifier Olympic in the first round of the playoffs.

"I thought that was right for me," Lester said. "It'll help me get my degree and help me be a better player and I hope to help them win."

Lester said the Charlotte staff told him he'd play shooting guard.

"I'm comfortable with the shooting guard position," he said. "I'm glad I can get this (college choice) done early and focus on my academics and focus on getting ready for my senior season."

- Langston Wertz Jr.

Mooney named high school catcher of the year

North Mecklenburg's Sarah "Boomer" Mooney continues to garner more honors.

After being named All-I-Meck conference, all-state and even All-American, today she was named the 2011 national high school catcher of the year by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and Diamond Sports. This is the second year Mooney has earned the honor.

The award is presented annually to the top catcher from an NFCA member institution in each of the following divisions: NCAA (Divisions I, II and III), NAIA, NJCAA (Divisions I, II and III), Cal JC, NWAACC and high school.

Mooney, a James Madison commit, had a .779 batting average this spring, hitting 19 home runs along the way to lead her Vikings to a 24-4 record. Behind the plate, Mooney did not allow a single error in 272 chances and allowed only two passed balls while also throwing out 12 base runners.