Rivalry game to raise money for cancer charities

Lake Norman hosts Mooresville Tuesday night with a lot on the line, not only playing for position in the I-Meck 4A standings, but also looking to raise money to fight cancer in the Wildcats’ annual Strike Out Cancer Classic.

The game's proceeds will be donated to 24 Hours of Booty, LIVESTRONG's 24-hour cycling events that raise funds for local and national cancer charities. Charlotte's event, which will take place July 27-28, benefits the Levine Cancer Institute among other area organizations.

Both teams will wear special jerseys, featuring the 24 Hours of Booty logo, that will be auctioned off following the game. Lake Norman will wear yellow jerseys, supporting people suffering from sarcoma and bone cancers, while Mooresville will wear green, supporting those diagnosed with lymphoma.

The game, which is slated to start 7 p.m., will also have an impact in the I-Meck championship race. Mooresville, which is only one game behind first-place Hough with a 9-3 conference record, needs to win to stay in the hunt.

"We knew it was going to come down to this," said Mooresville coach Jeff Burchett. "We're set where we thought we should be. We have a chance to win it, and that's all we can ask."

 Lake Norman, which is fourth in the conference standings with an 8-4 I-Meck record, also wants to improve their position in the standings on their senior night Tuesday, but they will need some help. Hough plays Mallard Creek, which is tied for second place in the conference with a 9-3 league record, this week.

"Anything can happen," said Lake Norman coach Robert Little. "We're pulling for Mallard Creek now, unfortunately, but we've got to take care of our own business."

NCHSAA members voting on parochial, charter schools

Raleigh News & Observer prep writer Tim Stevens reports that the N.C. High School Athletic Association is allowing its 390 members to vote on whether parochial schools, such as Charlotte Catholic and soon-to-open Christ the King, can remain members of the public school association.

Members are also voting on whether charter schools, such as Lake Norman Charter and Pine Lake Prep, will get their own playoffs. The proposal would allow these schools to stay in their respective conferences, but would force the schools to play other charter schools if any of their sports teams qualify for the postseason.

The NCHSAA allows non-boarding parochial schools to be members and charter schools, which are public schools, to play along with other member schools in the playoffs, but the organization was prompted to vote on the issues following a request from Salisbury, West Rowan, East Rowan, South Rowan, North Rowan and China Grove Carson.

Salisbury High athletic director Joe Pinyan told the N&O that the main issue is the lack of geographical boundaries for parochial and charter schools.

“Our students come from a specific area. Theirs do not. Their players can come from anywhere," Pinyan told the N&O. “It is not a level playing field.”

Member schools have until April 24 to return the ballots.

Davidson Day's Johnson leaves coaching position

Courtesy of Davidson Day

Davidson Day announced Friday that boys' basketball coach Ron Johnson is leaving his post to be an assistant coach at Marist College (N.Y.).


In his three years, Johnson's Davidson Day teams went 75-21 while also reaching the state semifinals this past season. He also had 13 players move on to play Division I basketball. Johnson's last day at the school is April 13.


"My three years at Davidson Day have been some of the most rewarding years I've had as an educator and coach," said Johnson, who also served as the school's dean of student life, in a release.



"The progress that we have been able to make as a total college preparatory independent school has been remarkable. The relationships that I have been able to form with students, parents and colleagues will be ones that I will cherish forever."


According to head of school Bonnie Cotter's release, Davidson Day will undertake a national search for Johnson's replacement.

I-Meck announces basketball honors

North Mecklenburg's Shivaughn Wiggins and Hopewell's Sharee' Boyd were named the boys' and girls' basketball I-Meck Player of the Year, respectively.

Mallard Creek boys' basketball coach David Rutledge and Hopewell's girls' basketball coach Gary Richmond received I-Meck Coach of the Year honors.

Wiggins averaged 25 points a game to lead his Vikings to a 22-6 record on their way to second-place I-Meck finish, while Boyd, Hopewell's all-time leading scorer, averaged 16 points, seven rebounds, three steals,  three assists and two blocks per game.

Here are the full all-conference honors:

I-Meck girls' basketball all-conference
Bryanna Curry - Hopewell
Brandi Arey - Hough
Anna Diggs - Hough
Julia Brown - Hough
Marrisa Riley - Lake Norman
Amber Neely - Mallard Creek
Nicole Graham - Mallard Creek
Destiny Barrino - North Mecklenburg
Jasmine Bullock - North Mecklenburg
Diamond Foggie - Vance
Gabrielle McClain - West Charlotte
Rachel Porter - West Charlotte
Jessica Gaston - West Charlotte
Zana Tatum - Mooresville

Player of the Year: Sharee' Boyd - Hopewell
Coach of the Year: Gary Richmond - Hopewell

I-Meck boys' basketball all-conference

Tyrone Curry - Hopewell
Luke Maye - Hough
Josh Stepoli - North Meck
Tahjai Watt - North Meck
Bradley Robinson - Mallard Creek
Jamal White - Mallard Creek
Ryan Scott - Lake Norman
Shawn Lester - Mooresville
Dre Howell - Mooresville
Kendrick Johnson - Mooresville
Mike Brown - West Charlotte
Kennedy Meeks - West Charlotte
Derick Brewer - Vance
Caleb Davis -Vance

Player of the Year: Shivaughn Wiggins - North Meck
Coach of the Year: David Rutledge - Mallard Creek

North Meck names new football coach

North Mecklenburg High has hired Brad Baker as it's new football coach. Baker has spent the past six seasons at Mooresville High as the Blue Devils' offensive line coach.

Prior to Mooresville, Baker spent four years teaching and coaching at Reidsville in Rockingham County.

The head coaching job is the first for Baker, who will teach history at North Meck beginning in April.

Postseason update (Feb. 21)

North Mecklenburg coach Duane Lewis presents a commemorative ball to Shivaughn Wiggins after he scored his 1,000th point as a Viking. Courtesy of Kevin Wilson

Wiggins reaches milestone
North Meck's Shivaughn Wiggins scored his 1,000th point at the school. Wiggins, who spent his first two years at Lake Norman Charter, has been at the school for two seasons. Wiggins led North Meck by scoring 30 points Monday against Myers Park.

The senior has averaged 25.4 points and 4.2 assists per game for the 22-5 Vikings. North Meck will travel to I-Meck rivals West Charlotte for a second-round playoff game Wednesday.

Basketball

Here are the scores for local teams (in bold):

Boys
1A
Lake Norman Charter def. Albemarle 55-48
2A
East Lincoln def. Piedmont 66-60
Salisbury def. North Lincoln 63-47
4A
West Charlotte def. Mooresville 77-52
North Meck def. Myers Park 63-50

Girls
1A
Lake Norman Charter def. North Rowan 46-33
2A
Bandys def. Central Davidson 97-46
Salisbury def. South Iredell 81-45
North Lincoln def. Owen 80-50
4A
Hough def. South Caldwell 39-33
Hopewell def. Olympic 43-31
McDowell def. North Meck 75-54

These are the second-round match-ups (to be played Wednesday):

Boys

1A

Monroe at Lake Norman Charter, 7 p.m.

2A

Lexington at East Lincoln, 7 p.m.

4A

North Meck at West Charlotte, 7 p.m.

Girls
1A
Monroe at Lake Norman Charter, 7 p.m.
2A
Thomasville at Bandys, 7 p.m.
North Lincoln def. Pisgah, 7 p.m.
4A
Hough at Myers Park, 7 p.m.
Butler at Hopewell, 7 p.m.

Wrestling
The Lake Norman area had several regional champions this past weekend. The top four finishers at the regional meets will compete in the state championships, which will take place Thursday to Friday in Greensboro.

Here is a list of regional champions:

2A
- Moses Boyter, East Lincoln sophomore: 132 pounds
- Jeremy Tarleton, East Lincoln junior: 152 pounds.

4A

- Sam Crisp, Mooresville junior: 106 pounds.

- Cody Karns, Lake Norman junior: 113 pounds.

- Jordan Thompson, Hough freshman: 152 pounds.

- Palmer Maples, Hough junior: 160 pounds.

- Zach Brown, Mooresville senior: 285 pounds.

For full regional results and state qualifier lists, go here.

Updated I-Meck 4A and SPC 1A/2A brackets (Feb. 16)

I-Meck 4A

Girls (semifinals played Thursday at Mallard Creek):

No. 5 North Meck vs. No. 1 Hopewell, 6 p.m.
No. 3 Mallard Creek vs. No. 2 Hough, 7:30 p.m.

Boys (finals played Friday at Mallard Creek):

No. 3 Mallard Creek vs. No. 1 West Charlotte, 7:30 p.m.


Southern Piedmont 1A/2A

Girls (final played Friday at North Lincoln):

No. 2 Lake Norman Charter vs. No. 1 North Lincoln, 6 p.m.

Boys (final played Friday at North Lincoln):

No. 2 Lincolnton vs. No. 1 Highland Tech, 7:30 p.m.


* Tie-breaker between East Lincoln and North Lincoln will be played Thursday at Lincolnton.