Archive - Sports Article
October 13th, 2011
The 19th edition of the United Way Invitational at Southside Park in Newton saw some new blood rise to the top, while one runner continued her dominance at the event.
Repeating as winner in the girlsâ competition was T.C. Robersonâs Brooke Gordon.
Last year, Gordon ran a 17:55.63. She improved upon that time by a few seconds this year, completing the 5K race in a time of 17:51.34.
October 11th
The 19th annual United Way Unifour Cross Country Invitational takes place today at Southside Park in Newton.
Thirty-seven high schools and 1,189 runners will participate in the event, which is scheduled to have six races between approximately 3:45 p.m. and 6:15 p.m.
âThis is really unique in that it is a high school athletic event,â said organizer John Hall. âItâs certainly one of the largest events in this area. Weâve got some of the best 3A and 4A teams in the state coming. We also have some really great 2A teams. There will be some really good competition.â
Members of the St. Stephens High School football team lost hair and gained unity last week in honoring a family member of one of their teammates.
The father of tight end Zach Bumgarner is undergoing treatments for cancer. In light of the battle, half of the players on the squad decided to honor the man who has attended every one of their games this season despite the toll the disease has taken on him.
It all started with an early-week talk on Monday with Zach's dad, David Bumgarner, about his ongoing and previous battles.
October 10th
The conference regular season of high school volleyball came to a close Monday with Bandys picking up a road win against Bunker Hill, 25-13, 25-6, 25-19.
Monday was less about the actual game and more about the festivities of the evening with the Lady Bears putting together their first-ever âDig Pinkâ night to help raise money for cancer awareness through the Side-Out Foundation.
Through the sales of T-shirts and a silent auction, the Bunker Hill community raised more than $2,000 for the foundation, which is centered around the sport of volleyball and cancer awareness.
October 7th
A rough couple of weeks for Newton-Conover ended Friday with a victory, while Bunker Hillâs slide continued.
Despite trailing 17-7, the Red Devils (4-4, 1-3) rallied behind quarterback Kevin Cline and running back Thomas Corpening. The duo scored three second-half touchdowns between them on the way to a 35-25 comeback victory on homecoming at Gurley Stadium.
Trailing Bandys 14-10 at halftime, Maiden wasted no time taking control of the game in the second half.
âWe were getting the ball in the second half, and we just had to make some plays,â said Maiden coach Brian Brown.
Maidenâs Will Jenkins was the first Blue Devil to answer his coachâs challenge to âmake some plays.â He returned the second half kick-off 53 yards. Four plays later, Jenkins raced 36 yards into the end zone to score his second touchdown of the night and give the Blue Devils the lead for good.
St. Stephens used a 56-yard touchdown run by Matt Williams and a momentum swing going into half-time to collect a 56-36 win over North Buncombe on Friday.
The win marks the Indiansâ third in as many weeks and sets up St. Stephens (3-5, 1-2) to take on 3a rival Fred T. Foard next week.
Trailing 20-14 in the second quarter, Williams touchdown run lifted the Indians to a 21-20 lead to end the opening half.
After Jon Sweet gave St. Stephens a 28-20 lead, the Indians put together back-to-back scoring drives that both ended with Williams crossing the goal line.
October 6th
Growing up playing tackle football, Matt Johnson was a member of the Newton Recreation 49ers.
On Thursday, he once again decided to become a 49er.
Johnson, a 6-foot-3-inch, 215-pound starting quarterback for Maiden, announced that he has verbally agreed to play football for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
The 49ers are starting a brand new football program in the 2013 season. Johnson and other in-coming football players will redshirt in 2012 and enter as the first official football class during the 2013 football season.
October 5th
Bunker Hill pushed as hard as they could on the tennis court Wednesday, but Maiden refused to yield.
The Lady Blue Devils (17-2, 13-0) knocked off the Lady Bears (10-3, 14-4) for the second time this season, and in the process, clinched their third-straight conference title.
âIt really is quite an accomplishment,â said Maiden coach Jon Huffman. âWhen I started here a couple of years ago, we had to start from scratch. It was tough. That first year was tough. The last three years, weâve been very fortunate.â
October 3rd
Dennis Ly has stepped down as the head coach of Maiden High Schoolâs boys and girls soccer teams.
Ly, a 1992 Maiden graduate, said he made the move because of âpersonal reasons.â
âIt was in the best interest of the kids that I chose a different profession,â Ly said in a phone conversation Thursday.
Butch Parker, Maiden's assistant athletic director, called the move a âpersonnel decision.â Parker confirmed Ly is no longer employed by the school system.
Ly also served as Maiden's head JV boys basketball coach and as an in-school suspension coordinator.
