EB tennis finishes first-ever undefeated regular season

The East Burke boys tennis team added another feather to its collective cap on Wednesday as it swept visiting East Rutherford, 9-0, on Senior Day in Icard to complete the program’s first-ever undefeated regular season.

The Cavaliers (13-0, 10-0 Western Piedmont 3A/4A Conf.) — who had already clinched their first league regular-season championship since 1975 in outright fashion — celebrated in fitting fashion as all five of the team’s seniors won matches.

In singles play, No. 1 Braxton Kirkland won 8-0, No. 2 Haiden Dale won 8-1, No. 3 Noah Ramsey won 8-1, No. 4 Kevin Lee won 8-3, and No. 5 Yingchi Yang won 8-2, while underclassman Landon Yang won by forfeit on the No. 6 line.

The wins meant that Ramsey, who recently crossed the 50-win mark for his EBHS career, wrapped up an 11-0 season at Nos. 3 and 4 singles, while Yingchi Yang (13-0) and Lee (8-0) remained perfect in matches at the Nos. 4, 5, and 6 singles lines.

EB junior two-time state qualifier Luke Borders did not take the court Wednesday but also finished the regular season perfect at No. 1 singles (12-0) as well as overall (15-0).

In Wednesday’s doubles action, No. 1 Dale/Ramsey and No. 2 Kirkland/Lee won by matching 8-0 margins, while No. 3 Daniel Capps/Jackson Wall won by forfeit. Dale/Ramsey added to EB’s undefeated club by improving their No. 1 doubles mark to 8-0, with Dale now 10-0 and Ramsey 9-0 altogether in doubles.

EB next participates in the 4A West Pre-Regional individual tournament at Brevard on April 20 before starting the NCHSAA 4A dual-team playoffs at home on April 27.

Patton (6-4 WPC) also figures to earn a postseason berth after finishing its third-place league finish by clipping host East Rutherford 5-4 on Monday and falling 8-1 at Hibriten on Wednesday.

The Panthers split the singles matches in Forest City, with wins from No. 1 Bryant Arrowood (6-0, 6-0), No. 2 Ethan Beall (6-2, 6-3), and No. 3 Carter Johnson (6-4, 6-0) before No. 1 Arrowood/Dev Patel (8-1) and No. 2 Johnson/Beall (10-8) clinched the team triumph with doubles victories. Arrowood (6-0, 6-1) then claimed PHS’ lone win Wednesday at No. 1 singles.

NCSSM-Morganton (6-3, 5-1 Catawba River 1A/2A/3A Conf.) struggled to the tune of two recent losses, including its first league loss of the spring.

The Dragons lost 5-4 on April 9 at Thomas Jefferson, who moved into a first-place tie with an NCSSM-M squad it had lost to by an 8-1 margin earlier this spring. NCSSM-M got singles wins from No. 2 Nash Taylor (6-2, 6-3) and No. 6 Riley Mearns (7-5, 6-1) and doubles wins from No. 1 Taylor/Andy Quach (8-5) and No. 2 Mearns/Quincy Stanley (8-3) in the setback.

The Dragons then fell in nonconference play, 6-3, at home against Watauga on Monday despite singles wins from No. 3 Taylor (6-2, 6-4) and No. 4 Akshaj Puttoju (3-6, 6-0, 10-3) plus a doubles win from No. 1 Puttoju/Nicholas Levine (9-7).

And Freedom (1-8 Northwestern 6A/7A Conf.) lost 9-0 at Alexander Central on Tuesday, leaving the Patriots eyeing a sweep of rival McDowell to finish the regular season late Thursday.

GIRLS SOCCER

Three county squads pick up wins

Patton (11-1-1, 6-1-1 WPC) remained in a second-place tie in its conference after a 3-0 home win over R-S Central on Tuesday.

The Lady Panthers scored all three of their goals after halftime as two Carlie Harris goals bookended Becca Velasquez’s Burke County-leading 18th goal of the season.

Harris first found the back of the net off a deflection from a Kacey Mendoza shot before Velasquez outhustled the defense and sneaked a shot past the keeper. Harris’ final goal came after a solid passing sequence to send the ball forward, first-year coach Will Singley said after his team completed the season sweep of R-S.

“Great win tonight,” Singley added. “Outstanding defensive job from Kacey and Jaxyn Nolen tonight, but credit also has to be given to Adisyn Smith, Nataly Morales-Sale, Claire Przywara, and Mia Chapman.”

NCSSM-Morganton (6-4, 6-2 CRC) capped a busy seven days with a pair of blowout wins to remain in third place in its league, taking care of visiting Carolina International 10-0 on Wednesday and host Jackson Day 6-0 on Monday after a heartbreaking 1-0 overtime loss at Thomas Jefferson on April 9.

Hannah Xu scored four goals for the Lady Dragons on Monday, while teammates Amelia Fleury and Elyse Rea both added a goal and two assists, and Brenna Lowman supplied one assist. Then on Wednesday, NCSSM-M received three goals from Ennis Marcus, two goals and two assists from Nicole Taylor, two goals from Janhavi Lonari, one goal and two assists from Xu, one goal and one assist from Fleury, one goal from Addy Murphy, and one assist from Rea.

East Burke (3-7-1, 3-5 WPC) also won this past week, topping West Caldwell by a 4-1 margin at home on Tuesday for the team’s third victory in its last five matches.

EB’s Tatiana Fung scored two goals, Kiyiah Pyatte and Leila Fung added one goal each, Winter Hicks dished out two assists, and Alondra Retana Juarez had one assist.

And Freedom (3-9-1, 1-4 NWC) and Draughn (1-7-4, 0-6-2 WPC) were shut out in their lone matches this week, with the Lady Patriots falling 5-0 to St. Stephens at home Tuesday and the Lady Wildcats losing 9-0 at East Rutherford on Wednesday.

BOYS GOLF

Cavs, Dragons collect team triumphs

Four of the five county golf squads either picked up a team win or second-place finish or an individual win in recent action.

NCSSM-Morganton accomplished both feats the same day, shooting 173 and tying for the team title in a seven-team, nine-hole CRC 1A/2A/3A match at Sifford Golf Course at Revolution Park in Charlotte on Monday while Davis McColley shot a 3-over par 38 for medalist honors.

It was the Dragons’ second team win of the season to go with four second-place finishes, two of which came recently in a host league match at Silver Creek Golf Club on April 7 and in a nonconference match with Draughn and East Burke at Silver Creek on Wednesday.

In addition to McColley, Lance Morgan (42), August Cook (45), and Will Thompson (48) all contributed toward the team total in Monday’s win.

One day after winning the county individual title at Silver Creek, McColley shot 40 and tied for fourth place as the Dragons’ lone golfer in a league match at Charlotte’s Pine Island Country Club on April 2.

McColley then led NCSSM-M with a 40 on April 7, while Colten Keller carded 41, Morgan 42, and Thompson 46.

On Wednesday at Silver Creek, EB (177) earned its first team title of the season, fueled by consistent nine-hole performances across the board from Conner Kerley (43), Brody Simpson (44), Blake Turner (45), and Cash Wittenberg (45), each of whom tied for fifth or better individually.

Draughn freshman Ethan Cline carded a 4-over par 40 for his first prep medalist honor, and teammate Cash Baker’s 41 was good for outright second place. Third-place Draughn’s Daniel Spottswood added a 52, and Liam Hibbard shot 56.

Runner-up NCSSM-M (185) was led by Thompson (45), McColley (46), Arti Phoncharoensri (46), and Morgan (48).

Two days earlier, Draughn and host EB played alongside Patton in a WPC 3A/4A 18-hole match at Silver Creek, with the Panthers (344) leading the way with a second-place finish.

PHS’ Matthew Piercy shot 80 and finished in fourth place, and teammate Mason Brown shot 81 to claim fifth, while the Panther team total was completed by Marshall Keathley (89) and Jackson Zook (94).

The Cavs (350) finished fourth, led by Trevor Fraley’s 84. Kerley shot 86, Wittenberg 88, and Turner 92. And Cline’s 88 paced seventh-place Draughn (388), who also got scores of 94 from Baker, 99 from Spottswood, and 107 from Noah Hoyle.

Finally, Freedom (338) finished sixth at Orchard Hills Golf Course on Tuesday in NWC 6A/7A action in its only recent match. Greyson Snipes’ 79 was Freedom’s best score, while Cooper Price shot 82, Trenton Smith 87, and Charlie Walker 90.

TRACK & FIELD

Freedom girls win host four-team meet

With sweeps of the top three spots in the 100 and 3200 meters and a top-four sweep of the 200 meters, the Freedom girls team won its host four-team meet on Wednesday.

In the 100, Aniah Queen (13.23) finished just ahead of teammates Cynica Caldwell and Jolaina Operato. The girls 200-meter finishers, in order, were: Queen (27.60), Drew Rogers, Operato, and Jamersa Stewart. Later, Aida Ruechel (17:10.20) won the 3200, followed by Abigail Call and Sophie Schweikert.

Other FHS girls event winners were Operato in the pole vault (7’6”), Ava Cooke in the 400 meters (1:04.38), and Kaylin Norman in the 100-meter hurdles (18.88). The Freedom girls also claimed the 4x200-meter relay, and ExZandria Horton took second place in the long jump.

Micah Phasiname won both the boys long jump (19’9”) and triple jump (40’2”) to lead the third-place Patriot boys, who also got a win from Bryce Chapman in the 100 meters (10.98).

Chapman also was runner-up in the 200 meters, as were teammates Nick Chiota in the 3200 meters and Brody Powell in the high jump.

In the only other recent local action, East Burke and NCSSM-Morganton each collected wins at the All the Smoke Greyhound Invitational hosted by Statesville on April 11.

The Dragons’ Max Vaughan won the boys 1600 meters (4:40.94), while the Cavaliers’ Bryson Church claimed the title in the boys shot put (50’5”).

The NCSSM-M girls also claimed the 4x800 relay, and the Dragons’ runners up included Lilah Johnson (girls 3200 meters), Stella Friedman (girls 1600 meters), Emery Miller (girls pole vault), and the boys 4x400 relay.