Prep notebook: Soccer playoffs begin Wednesday
Four area teams will be at home while three others hit the road as the state soccer playoffs begin Wednesday.
Big South 3A Conference champion Kings Mountain (15-6) will play host to R-S Central (8-7) while Big South runner-up Forestview (14-5) defends its home turf against St. Stephens (15-5-3).
South Point, the Big South’s fourth-place team travels to Morganton Patton (12-5-3).
East Gaston earned the No. 2 Class 4A seed out of the MEGA-7 3A/4A Conference and a first-round home game against Alexander Central (6-13-1).
In the 2A brackets, North Lincoln (14-5) drew a first-round bye while East Lincoln and Lincolnton earned wild-card berths.
Highland Tech (6-11-2), the Southern Piedmont 1A/2A Conference’s top 1A team, will be at home against Jefferson Academy (19-3), which entered the playoffs with a wild-card berth.
Tennis rained out
Second-round dual-team tennis playoff matches involving Forestview and Highland Tech were rained out Tuesday.
Highland Tech’s 1A match against North Moore was postponed to Thursday at the Bradley Center. Forestview (12-1) moved its home match against Morganton Patton (13-7) to Wednesday.
Ashbrook football players honored
Ashbrook juniors Norkeithus Otis and Zeek Bigger were among 400 players nationwide to make the first cut for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
Otis, a defensive end, and Bigger, a linebacker, will find out in the fall whether they’re among the 90 selected for the Jan. 8 game in San Antonio.
The selections were based on football performance as well as academics and community involvement.
Former KM coach excels in Charlotte
Former Kings Mountain boys basketball coach Danny McDowell guided Charlotte Christian’s girls’ basketball program to a 20-8 record and semifinal appearance at the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 3A state tournament this past season.
The Knights went 6-20 last season before McDowell took over. He was named area coach of the year by Carolina Weekly.
Charlotte Christian reached the state semifinals, where it lost to Hickory Grove 35-33. Charlotte Christian placed three players on the all-conference team: Gigi Bailey, Christal Barnett and Maryah Mazyck. Bailey, a 6-foot-4 freshman, also made the all-state team after averaging 17.6 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4.9 blocks. The Knights had only nine girls on the team.
You can reach Phillip Gardner at 704-869-1843.
