Patton soccer stays atop MF7 conference race

The Patton boys soccer team remained in first place in the Mountain Foothills 7 1A/2A Conference race thanks to Wednesday night’s 2-0 road win over East Rutherford.

The Panthers (9-3-1, 2-0 MF7) set themselves up for 17 shot attempts but converted only the two goals, both of which came in the latter part of the opening half. In the 23rd minute, Patton’s Noah Krogel converted a penalty kick after he was taken down in the box before Trevin Lavoie provided the final margin with a goal nine minutes later.

Patton notched its fourth shutout of the season – to go with six more contests in which the team has allowed just one goal — as coach Keith Scott praised his team’s defense, highlighted by goalkeeper Isai Jimenez’s two saves in his second clean sheet in as many league matches.

“We played well in the back with several combinations: Allen Morales, Gabino Vasquez, Jacob Batz, Jacob Ruiz, Gabe Batz, Colsyn Queen, Brennan White, and Greyson Gomes,” Scott said.

Patton on Monday had stepped out of conference play and lost 3-2 at Hibriten; each of the Panthers’ three losses to date have come by that same score.

Patton never led but tied things up on a Krogel 33rd-minute goal and an Aldair Pinto 46th-minute goal. In between, PHS allowed an own goal that ultimately proved the difference in the outcome. Jimenez finished with three saves for the guests.

Patton next hosts R-S Central on Monday before a showdown against fellow league leader Brevard to end next week.

Freedom (4-6) and Draughn (2-5, 1-3 Western Highlands 1A/2A Conf.) also earned victories on Wednesday, winning against McDowell at home 5-2 and at Mitchell 9-0 respectively. No more details were available for either match. The Wildcats had opened the week with a 4-0 loss at Avery County on Monday.

NCSSM-Morganton (4-3-1, 1-1-1 WHC) dropped its lone match of the week Thursday at the Catawba River Soccer Complex as Avery stayed unbeaten in league play, storming back from a 1-0 halftime hole to win 2-1 in overtime. Dragons’ individual statistics were not available.

And East Burke (1-7-1, 0-2 Catawba Valley 2A Conf.) was blanked twice, 5-0 at Bandys on Wednesday and 3-0 at Maiden on Thursday, losing despite 12 total saves in those matches from keeper Jaydon Fair.

VOLLEYBALL

Lady ’Cats cruise twice

Conference-leading Draughn (12-3, 7-0 WHC) ran its winning streak to seven this week with victories on Tuesday at NCSSM-Morganton (1-9, 0-7 WHC) and Thursday at Mountain Heritage.

The Lady Wildcats swept the Dragons, 25-10, 25-9, 25-12, before rebounding from a first-set loss in Burnsville and getting better as the match went on, 25-27, 25-22, 25-17, 25-12.

Draughn was paced on the stat sheet by Allyson Auton’s nine assists; Kylie Corpening (three blocks) and Ella Anthony’s five kills each; Ava Aldridge’s eight aces; and Macy Auton and Bailey Mozeley’s six digs. Bella Whitson added four kills and three aces. (DHS stats were not available from Thursday’s win.)

Meanwhile, Patton (12-4, 4-3 MF7) and East Burke (8-7, 4-4 CVAC) saw win streaks snapped on Thursday.

The Lady Panthers claimed the opening set from reigning 1A state champion Polk County but eventually fell at home, 25-22, 15-25, 19-25, 22-25, in a battle for second place in the league as the Wolverines swept the teams’ regular-season series.

All three of PHS’ conference losses have now come against teams who won state titles last year (also including one against Brevard); Patton stats were not available.

Two days prior, Patton had won its fourth five-setter of the season and third in league action, 25-15, 12-25, 25-27, 25-23, 15-10, at home over Hendersonville on Tuesday to claim a fifth win in a six-match span on the schedule.

Patton got solid play across the board on Tuesday, led statistically by Anna Lynn Ripley (17 digs, eight kills, three aces), Abigail Carpenter (16 digs, 16 assists), Carly Setterlind and Kate Clark (13 digs apiece), Reece Edwards (12 kills, two aces), Soraya Hartman (10 kills, four blocks), Emma Griffin (eight assists), Hannah Huggins (seven digs, six aces, five kills, three blocks), and Kynzlee Worley (six blocks).

The Lady Cavs won 25-22, 25-9, 25-17 at West Caldwell on Tuesday for a fifth consecutive triumph but lost at unbeaten league-leading Maiden on Thursday to end the week, 18-25, 15-25, 25-21, 10-25.

EB’s Addy Fortenberry supplied 14 assists, eight digs, and five blocks in Gamewell, while Sarah Angel added 12 digs and four aces, Hermione Garro had 11 digs and two aces, Karlie Chester had nine kills, and Raegan Carter finished with six kills and six blocks.

Fortenberry’s 16 assists and 10 digs led EB again on Thursday, with Garro adding 13 digs, Carter (five blocks) and Chester four kills each, and Lindsay Erskine leading the Lady Cavs with two aces.

And Freedom (3-11, 0-3 Northwestern 3A/4A Conf.) lost its two matches, 25-20, 17-25, 22-25, 12-25 at home against South Caldwell on Monday and 8-25, 21-25, 13-25 at league-leading Ashe County on Wednesday.

The Lady Patriots were paced Monday by Kennedy Denton (14 assists, ace) and Kaitlyn Hagmann (11 kills, four aces, block).

CROSS COUNTRY

Friedman, Lady Dragons win

The host NCSSM-Morganton girls team won its Sept. 11 host meet at Western Piedmont Community College, with Lady Dragons runner Stella Friedman (19:56.93) taking the top spot individually.

The NCSSM-M girls also got top-six finishes from Nicole Taylor (third), Elizabeth Fleury (fifth), and Sahara Wiggins (sixth). The Dragons boys placed second as a team, led by Max Vaughan (second, 17:10.75), Brayden Tody (eighth), and Nash Taylor (ninth).

Draughn’s girls placed third at the meet, led by fourth-place finisher Adelei Morrow, and the DHS boys did not produce a team score as they were led individually by Tray Powell (11th).

Freedom hosted a meet the day before in which the Patriots boys took second place and the girls third place. Christopher Uren (20:07) took fourth and freshman Nick Chiota sixth (20:48) to lead the boys’ effort, while Leah Kirksey (23:45) was runner-up in the girls race.

GIRLS GOLF

Draughn shorthanded twice

The Lady Wildcats participated in WHC matches each of the past two Thursdays, placing third at Mount Mitchell Golf Club on Sept. 12 and not recording a team score this week at Grassy Creek Golf Course.

Just three DHS golfers were in action last week, the minimum for a team total, and only two played this week, with returning state qualifier Laney Hodge missing both.

Ellie Cline shot 53 to pace Draughn a week ago, with Kennedy Stroupe adding a 59 and Anna Cannon 62 before Cline shot 49 at Grassy Creek and Stroupe added a 58.

NCSSM-Morganton scores were not available from either match.

GIRLS TENNIS

EB falls but Stilwell stays hot

In the county’s lone match in a wet week, East Burke (1-6, 0-2 CVAC) fell 7-2 at Newton-Conover on Thursday despite more individual success from senior Braelyn Stilwell.

The reigning league singles champ Stilwell won her No. 1 singles match, 6-2, 6-2 and teamed with Macy McNeil in an 8-3 victory at No. 1 doubles. Stilwell is now 7-0 in singles action and 13-1 overall on the hardcourt this season.

JV FOOTBALL

Freedom collects fourth win

Freedom (4-1) won for a second straight week, 32-14 at Chase in nonconference play, and was Burke County’s lone winner on a busy Thursday night on the JV gridiron.

Patton (2-2) endured a second close loss in a row, falling 29-27 in overtime at home against Lincoln Charter, and Draughn (0-4) remained winless in 50-0 fashion against Ambassador Christian (S.C.) one week after dropping a 44-36 shootout at home against Chase. No more details were available from any of those three games.

East Burke (1-3, 0-1 CVAC) opened league play with a 32-8 home loss to Maiden. The JV Cavaliers were led statistically by Tyler Brown (10 tackles, one for loss; 41 rushing yards) and Jesiah Rees (33 rushing yards, touchdown, two-point conversion).