Lady Raiders still perfect after beating Walter Johnson, Liberty
East Burke’s Sarabeth Bradley rises for a shot against Walter Johnson during Monday’s girls basketball game in Icard.
East Burke’s Greyson Roberts shoots a jumper during Monday’s home boys basketball contest against Walter Johnson.
The East Burke Middle School girls basketball team moved to 6-0 in Foothills Athletic Conference play this week thanks to wins over Walter Johnson and Liberty, meaning it will begin the second half of the season in January as the only undefeated girls squad in the league.
Following a 33-23 home victory over the Lady Yellow Jackets on Monday – EB’s second straight win over a previously unbeaten opponent after last week’s 49-39 triumph at West McDowell – the Lady Raiders added a 42-13 win over the Lady Knights on Thursday in Morganton. EB’s leading scorers against Walter Johnson were Sarabeth Bradley and Emma Price with 10 points each and Maggie Mace with nine, while Price had 14 points against Liberty to go with eight from Bradley and five from Taylor Parker.
Walter Johnson (5-1) bounced back from the loss on Monday – when the Lady Yellows Jackets were paced by 13 points from Alayla Beam and six from Ava Beam – with a 38-36 home victory over West McDowell on Thursday. Ava Beam had 18 points against the Lady Spartans, while Paris Conley finished with 10 and Alayla Beam scored eight.
Prior to Thursday’s defeat, Liberty (2-3) slipped past East McDowell by a 26-25 score on the road Monday. Leading the way for the Lady Knights on Monday were Piper Ellis (11 points, six rebounds, six steals) and Harper Robison (six points, four rebounds, three steals), while Thursday’s game saw Ellis finish with a team-high eight points as well as two rebounds and two steals.
Finally, Heritage (1-5) picked up its first win of the season on Monday, edging visiting Table Rock (0-5) – which also lost by a 38-32 final at the hands of East McDowell on Thursday in Morganton but didn’t report any individual statistics from that contest – by a 39-36 score in overtime. The Lady Eagles got 20 points from Ansley Compton, seven from Grace Bugg, and five from Madeline Bowman, while the Lady Falcons received 14 points from Alyasia Mosley and seven apiece from Megan Robinson and Emma Ashe.
BOYS BASKETBALL
TR, WJ each win twice; Liberty goes 1-1
Table Rock (5-0) enters the holiday break as the only unbeaten team in the FAC after topping Heritage (0-6) by a 58-42 final on Monday in Valdese and East McDowell by a 54-51 score on Thursday in Morganton.
The Falcons were led by 17 points from Jordan Debro against the Eagles, who received 13 points from Christian Williams, nine from Mckinley Miller, six from Talen Denton, and five from Gage Smith. Meanwhile, Xander Summers added nine points and Kyeon Avery and Raphael Cuthbertson had eight apiece for Table Rock, which didn’t report any individual stats from Thursday’s win.
In other action this week, Walter Johnson (5-1) was a 48-18 road winner over East Burke on Monday and a 37-22 home winner over West McDowell on Thursday. Kylen Caldwell was the Yellow Jackets’ leading scorer in both contests, finishing with 26 points against the Raiders and 17 against the Spartans.
EB (2-4), which didn’t report any individual stats this week, also lost to Liberty (3-2) by a 48-37 score on Thursday in Morganton. Thursday’s stats also weren’t available for the Knights, who previously suffered a 42-38 road loss at the hands of East McDowell on Monday despite getting 15 points and three rebounds from Nate Coffey, nine points and two boards from Brad Gadell, seven points and two steals from Jack Jandrew, and five points from Jacoby Bonkowske.
WRESTLING
Four county teams earn one win apiece
All four Burke County squads were victorious this week, with Monday’s matches seeing Heritage (3-2) defeat Table Rock by a 54-47 score in Morganton and Liberty collect a 96-12 home victory over East McDowell. As for Thursday’s matches, they included a 73-24 win for Table Rock (2-3) at East McDowell and a 64-39 victory for East Burke (1-3) over Liberty (3-2) in Icard.
The Eagles won 10 bouts on Monday, with Nolan Russ (90 pounds), Joseph Yang (98), Eli Fortune (144), Larry Sarver (157), Asher Mishler (175), and Collin Molnar (190) all winning via pinfall, Jackson Walker (132) and Bryson Maynor (215) nabbing forfeit victories, and Rammelio Sevcik (126) and Elijah Morgan (150) winning by decision. Meanwhile, the Falcons’ victories came from Grayson Yang (76; pin), Noah Yang (83; pin), Ethan Yang (106; pin), Collin Pearson (113; pin), Clayton Chapman (120; pin), Tristen Romero (138; pin), Weston Gragg (165; pin), and Luke Kota (250; forfeit).
Also on Monday, the Knights received pins from (no weight classes reported) Rylan McCormick, Blaize Phipps, Zachary Holland, Hunter Carroll, Nate Holland, Mckinley Reed, Gunner King, Mason Black, Trenton Abee, Oliver Olson, Liam Singleton, Miles Nieft, Trevor Seitz, Conner Mahoney, Mason Taylor, and Riley Singleton.
The Raiders’ winning grapplers on Thursday included Landon Miller (83; pin), Cassius Kershner (90; major decision), Landon Williams (98; forfeit), Noah Thomas (106; pin), Corbin Hoke (120; pin), Zach Davis (132; pin), Klay Kircher (138; pin), Khalil Moore (150; pin), Clint Sweet (157; pin), Austin Sanderfer (175; pin), and Dominic Adams (250; pin), while Liberty got victories from McCormick (76; forfeit), Nate Holland (113; pin), King (126; major decision), Olson (144; pin), Seitz (165; forfeit), Taylor (190; pin), and Riley Singleton (215; forfeit).
And during the Falcons’ win on Thursday, their victorious wrestlers were as follows: Grayson Yang (76; pin), Noah Yang (83; forfeit), Zeathen-Blake Sigman (90; technical fall), Zenen Sigmon (98; forfeit), Pearson (106; pin), Ethan Yang (113; pin), Chapman (120; pin), Romero (138; major decision), William Patrik Happoldt (144; forfeit); Nickolas Davis (150; technical fall), Gragg (157; pin), Ian Webb (165; forfeit), and Kota (215; pin).
Josh McKinney can be reached at 828-445-8595 or josh@thepaper.media.
