Patton soccer tops Freedom 4-1 to remain undefeated

The Patton boys soccer team remained unbeaten after topping rival Freedom at home, 4-1, on Monday in the team’s only game over the past week.

The Panthers’ Abraham Miguel scored in both the 10th minute (Andres Garcia assist) and 54th minute (Noah Krogel assist) before Tony Vicente notched the hosts’ final tally in the 78th minute. In between Miguel’s goals, Aldair Pinto found the back of the net in the 36th minute for a 2-0 halftime advantage.

Patton goalkeeper Colsyn Queen posted three saves, allowing only a penalty-kick goal in the second half by Freedom’s Edras Galindo, as the Panthers (3-0-1) outshot the Patriots (1-2-1) by a 17-5 margin.

Freedom also lost 3-0 at Hibriten on Aug. 21 and battled to a scoreless tie against visiting Statesville on Tuesday.

In other recent county action, NCSSM-Morganton (1-1-1, 0-1 Catawba River 1A/2A/3A Conf.) tied host Draughn 2-2 on Aug. 21 before falling 2-1 at Jackson Day in the team’s league opener on Wednesday.

Bertan Karamavruc and Ford Bunter scored a goal apiece and Gavin Tarrant supplied an assist for the Dragons in Valdese, while the Wildcats (0-2-1) countered with goals via Talon Denton and Jake Powell, who added an assist.

No individual statistics were available from NCSSM-M’s loss this week.

Draughn followed with a 3-0 loss Tuesday at home against Maiden despite battling to a 0-0 halftime tie. No Draughn individual statistics were available.

And also Tuesday, East Burke (0-3) lost by a 5-2 margin against visiting Bessemer City despite a goal apiece from Tucker Chapman and Cavin Bishop.

VOLLEYBALL

Draughn, Patton set up showdown

The Lady Wildcats and Lady Panthers claimed league openers Tuesday ahead of their first-place showdown late Thursday in Valdese, and all three other Burke County squads also won matches over the past seven days.

Patton (4-2, 1-0 Western Piedmont 3A/4A Conf.) gained a win in sweep fashion at East Burke (2-3, 0-1 WPC 3A/4A) on Tuesday, 25-14, 25-21, 25-22.

The Lady Panthers were led on the stat sheet by Hannah Huggins (14 kills, two blocks), Soraya Hartman (14 assists, 13 digs, eight kills, three aces, two blocks), Carly Setterlind (20 digs, four aces), Elliot Wilson (16 digs, three assists, two aces), Leah Clark (six kills), and Kynzlee Worley (five kills, four blocks).

For EB, Hermione Garro supplied 13 digs, Carissa Towery had seven digs and six assists, Amanda McLean posted five kills plus five blocks, and Karlie Chester added four kills and two aces.

Draughn (3-3, 1-0 WPC 3A/4A) edged host R-S Central on Tuesday in five sets (18-25, 25-15, 25-18, 27-29, 15-9) after dropping a five-setter at home versus nonconference St. Stephens (25-22, 24-26, 23-25, 25-14, 12-15) on Aug. 21.

The Lady ’Cats were led in the win by Ashlyn Heavner (22 assists, four digs), Shelby Proffitt (18 assists, eight digs), Bailey Mozeley (15 kills, nine digs), Lillian Collins (12 kills), Kylie Corpening (11 kills), Macy Auton (13 digs, eight aces, four assists), and Peyton Brewer (11 digs, two aces).

Against Saint, Draughn’s statistical leaders were Auton (25 digs, two aces), Mozeley (17 digs, eight kills, eight aces), Corpening (11 kills, four blocks), Bella Whitson (10 kills, four blocks), Proffitt (19 assists, 13 digs), Heavner (11 digs, 10 assists), and Ava Aldridge (six kills, three blocks).

EB traveled to rival Freedom (2-6) on Monday and pulled out a 25-22, 18-25, 25-23, 21-25, 15-12 victory. The Lady Cavaliers were again paced in the victory by Chester (16 kills, five digs, four aces, two blocks), Towery (19 assists, five digs, four kills), Garro (20 digs, two aces), and McLean (five blocks), and other EB stat leaders included Sarah Angel (15 digs), Braleigh Carswell (11 assists, two aces), Sydney Pyatte (eight kills, three blocks, two aces), and freshman Ava Bivens (11 kills).

Freedom’s stat leaders were Camryn Warlick (47 assists, 25 digs, five aces), Kaitlyn Hagmann (33 kills, seven digs, four aces, two blocks), Josie Morgan (29 digs, two aces, two assists), Mia Furches (17 kills, 14 digs, and four aces), and Madelyn LeMaster (six kills, five digs, two blocks).

The Lady Patriots rebounded on Wednesday to sweep visiting West Caldwell in nonconference play, 25-18, 25-19, 25-18, as they avenged an earlier loss in Gamewell.

Freedom was led by Hagmann (18 kills, nine digs, three blocks, two aces), Warlick (24 assists, six digs, two aces), Morgan (12 digs, two aces), Furches (nine kills, two digs, two aces), LeMaster (five aces, three kills, three digs), and Nhiya Caldwell (five blocks).

And NCSSM-Morganton (2-2 CRC 1A/2A/3A) swept visiting Bonnie Cone Leadership Academy on Aug. 21 (25-3, 25-10, 25-19) before falling at Jackson Day on Aug. 22 (15-25, 17-25, 25-14, 24-26) and at home against Thomas Jefferson on Tuesday (25-16, 13-25, 18-25, 16-25).

The Lady Dragons’ standout performers against Bonnie Cone were Lola Wilson (middle hitter), Emma Johnson (setter), Ella Burke (setter), Anshita Bhunia (outside), and Ennis Marcus (setter, outside, right side), while Marcus, Johnson, and Wilson again led the way statistically in Tuesday’s setback.

GIRLS TENNIS

Lady ’Cats start 2-0 in WPC

Draughn blanked visiting Patton, 9-0, on Monday to open the season and improved to 2-0 in WPC action with a hard-fought 5-4 triumph Wednesday at East Rutherford.

On Monday, Lady Wildcats’ singles winners were No. 1 Aubrey Childers (8-0), No. 2 Maria Medrano (8-1), No. 3 Mati Kincaid (8-3), No. 4 Addelynn Honeycutt (8-5), No. 5 Maddy Hudson (8-0), and No. 6 Peyton Dale (8-5).

In doubles, No. 1 Childers/Kincaid won 8-1, No. 2 Medrano/Hudson won 8-2, and No. 3 Honeycutt/Dale won 8-0.

Draughn then pulled out Wednesday’s win in Forest City by taking two of the three doubles matches after the teams split in singles play. No. 2 Medrano (6-1, 6-1), No. 5 Hudson (6-2, 6-1), and No. 6 Dale (6-0, 6-0) were victorious in singles before No. 1 Childers/Kincaid (9-7) and No. 3 Honeycutt/Dale (9-8) earned the clinching points in a pivotal pair of thrilling doubles matches.

Patton (1-1 WPC 3A/4A) rebounded for a 6-3 home conference victory over R-S Central on Wednesday. Lady Panthers’ singles winners were No. 3 Kinley Acord (8-2), No. 4 Madeline Norman (9-7), No. 5 London Berry (8-3), and No. 6 LJ Bielski (8-6).

Berry/Katrina Vu (8-5) and Norman/Bielski (8-1) won at Nos. 2 and 3 doubles, respectively, and the duos of Mahi Shah/Maggie Gibby (8-2) and Madison Carswell/Charlotte Winters (8-2) claimed exhibition doubles matches.

And East Burke (0-2, 0-1 WPC 3A/4A) opened with 9-0 losses at home against nonconference Bandys on Aug. 21 and at home versus Hibriten on Monday.

The Lady Cavs’ No. 5 Sarabeth Bradley and No. 6 Thea Gilbert on Monday won a team-high four games apiece in straight-set singles losses, and Bradley also teamed with Olivia Garcia to win a team-high three games on the No. 2 doubles line.

CROSS COUNTRY

Dragon boys, Panther girls win

The NCSSM-Morganton boys and Patton girls won the team varsity portions of Chase’s 2 Mile Invite/Hoka Postal Nationals on Aug. 22.

Draughn’s Noah Thomas won the varsity boys race (11:52.45), and NCSSM-M’s Stella Friedman won the girls race (11:52.42).

The Dragons’ victorious effort was fueled by the performances of Alexander Hruby (third), Owen Howard (fifth), and Josh Gandy (sixth), while the Patton boys were led by Beckham Welch in ninth place.

Burke runners swept the top eight spots in the girls race, with Patton’s Elisabeth Sawdy and Layla McGuire taking second and third, respectively, Draughn’s Adelei Morrow placing fourth, NCSSM-M’s Lilah Johnson and Gracie Toplitz finishing fifth and sixth, and Patton’s Julia Niehoff and Anna Aiken taking seventh and eighth.

The Lady Dragons’ Crystal Garcia won the JV one-mile race.

NCSSM-M was back in action Wednesday at A.C. Reynolds’ fifth annual Rocket Chase Race, with the girls placing fourth and the boys seventh in the 11-team 3K meet.

Amelia Fleury (sixth; 12:26.70) was the Dragons’ top finisher and was followed on the girls side by teammates Alexandra Hexemer (15th), Toplitz (31st), Johnson (35th), and Lia Gracia (42nd).

Aiden Marshall (21st; 11:04.00) paced the Dragon boys in Asheville, aided by Hruby (36th), Gandy (40th), Howard (43rd), and Peter Tenholder (47th).

JV FOOTBALL

Freedom opens with victory

The JV Patriots shut out host Patton, 32-0, on Aug. 21 in both teams’ season opener behind a huge game from sophomore Jusian Perkins.

Perkins rushed for touchdowns covering 20 and 62 yards and also returned a punt 49 yards for a TD. Qamar Rasheed (41 yards) and Christian Chapman (7 yards) also scored on the ground for Freedom, while Hunter Powell helped spearhead the team’s defensive effort.

East Burke also opened the season last week, falling at West Iredell by a 26-6 margin. Brayden Sigmon scored the JV Cavaliers’ lone touchdown in defeat.