Christ School graduate Marshall Plumlee has signed a three-year contract with the New York Knicks.

Marshall Plumlee is officially locked in as a member of the New York Knicks for the 2016-17 NBA season.

The 2011 Christ School graduate signed a three-year deal with the Knicks on Thursday. The first year is guaranteed for $565,000, according to multiple reports, including from the New York Post.

Plumlee, who was on the Knicks summer league team in Orlando, told The Post he has been invited to Knicks training camp. Thursday, Plumlee signed a partially guaranteed three-year deal — the first year is fully guaranteed at the league minimum of $565,000 and the final two years are non-guaranteed, according to an NBA source. By extending a three-year offer, the Knicks are forced to dip into their eroding cap space for the money, but ensure his salary won’t skyrocket if he has success. On the flip side, Plumlee is the lone undrafted player to get a full guarantee off summer league.

Plumlee is one of three brothers from Indiana who played basketball for Christ School. Older brothers, Mason and Miles, are currently active in the NBA.

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Asheville High’s Devon Davidson (4) passed for more than 1,600 yards in 2015.

David Burdette doesn’t know exactly what to call Asheville High’s offense.

The “spread option?” he posited Friday.

Here is what we do know. The new, hard-to-classify attack being used by the Cougars and their first-year football coach has been patterned after UCLA’s scheme.

“It’s something new and something different for us. It’s basically option football with a passing game,” Burdette said.

“I think the kids are really excited about it. We’re going to spread the ball around to a lot of different people and we’re going to take advantage of mismatches when we can.”

Burdette had been an assistant for Asheville since 2000 before being hired in February to replace the winningest coach in school history. Danny Wilkins retired with 162 career victories.

The Cougars only have three starters back on both sides of the ball. They were 9-3 overall and 4-2 in the Mountain Athletic Conference last fall, and failed to win at least a share of a conference championship for the first time in 11 years.

Devon Davidson (1,632 yards and 13 touchdowns with 10 interceptions in 2015) should make the transition to a different offense go easier based off the numbers from his junior campaign. Davidson threw for more than 1,000 yards last year out of a Multiple I offense.

Other returning starters are linebacker/wide receiver Makaius Brewer, safety Micah Robertson and lineman/linebacker Andrew Leota.

Asheville captured last year’s MAC junior-varsity championship with a 5-1 mark in the league.

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Damien Ferguson (12) and Erwin will host next week’s Warrior 7-on-7 tournament.

Twelve football teams will be part of Tuesday’s Warrior 7-on-7 tournament at Erwin.

It is a round-robin tournament where every team will play five games to determine a winner. There is no admission charge for spectators.

Here is the schedule:

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Asheville School rising junior Isabella Brookshire.

Special thanks to Asheville School for this press release and the photos:

Asheville School Junior Isabella Brookshire Wins Silver and Bronze at National Championship

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (July 8, 2016) Asheville School rising junior and Twenty16 Junior Team member Isabella Brookshire (Hendersonville, N.C.) competed in the USA Cycling Amateur Road Nationals in Louisville, KY and earned two podium finishes.

Brookshire arrived to nationals with a few nerves but shook them off after the starting whistle blew. “Once you get going you get into race mode,” she said. She was excited to race against other top-ranked girls in her age range.  

On July 2 she competed in the Women’s Junior Road Race, placing second in the 15-16 age category with a time of 1:41:37. Brookshire described the course as having hills, downhills, twists, turns, and overall as “a lot of fun.” On July 3 she competed in the Women’s Junior Criterium Race, placing third in the 15-16 age category with a time of 28:22.

Brookshire will leave for Europe in two weeks to continue training and racing. She is excited for the challenge and intensity that cycling in Europe will provide. She also plans to stay focused on her academics this summer, adding, “I’m taking my SAT prep book.”

Next year she will fall in the oldest age category of junior racing (17-18), and she plans to have fun, work hard and make the most of it as she trains to continue and strengthen her cycling career.

“If you really want to do something you have to do it with your whole heart, and that is how it is with cycling,” Brookshire said.   

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Asheville School rising junior Isabella Brookshire.

Todd Anderson has resigned as Rosman’s athletic director.

Rosman athletic director Todd Anderson has resigned after serving two years in that role for the Tigers.

Anderson received an outstanding A.D. citation from the N.C. High School Athletic Directors Association last spring. He had previously been Rosman’s golf coach for three years as well as a baseball coach at Brevard College.

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Roberson graduate Cameron Maybin (4) is an outfielder for the Detroit Tigers.

Roberson alum Cameron Maybin’s second chance with the Detroit Tigers could not be going much better.

More from the Detroit News:

Toronto – Quite the batch of pepper-pot stew is this Cameron Maybin, a man with spice in his game and a certain sauciness to his personal style.

It’s no wonder Tigers fans have adopted him. In two short months, Maybin, who was drafted by the Tigers in 2005 then traded in a parcel that brought Miguel Cabrera to Detroit, has rejoined his old team and made nothing but friends, thanks to a .352 batting average and, just as much, because of his speed and zest for running the bases.

“It’s amazing the way they’ve embraced me since I got here,” Maybin said Thursday, digging through his locker in the visitor’s clubhouse at Rogers Centre, where the Tigers were about to begin a four-game series against the Blue Jays.  “It keeps me going. Fans acknowledge my effort and it makes you feel some days as if you’re doing something right.”

Maybin graduated from Roberson in 2005 and was the 10th overall pick in that year’s major league draft. He signed with the Tigers for a Western North Carolina-record $2.65 million. Maybin was traded to Detroit (from Atlanta) last November.

For more on this story, go here.

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Asheville Lightning athletes and coaches

Special thanks to the Asheville Lightning for this information and the photo:

Just a quick note to let you know that 16 Asheville Lightning Junior Olympic team athletes recently returned from the 2016 USATF Region 3 Junior Olympic Championships in Landover, Maryland.  To compete in the Region 3 Championships, athletes had to place in the top eight finishers in their event at the North Carolina USATF Junior Olympic State Championships.

Eight athletes ranging from ages 8 to 17 qualified in 11 events to advance to the USATF National Junior Olympic Championships to be held in Sacramento, California, July 25-31. To advance to the national meet, athletes had to place in the top five finishers in their event(s). Athletes qualifying for nationals include: Meredith Braxton (4th place, hammer throw); Andrew Byrd (2nd place, decathlon and 3rd place shot put); Michelle Cobb (2nd place, triple jump); Emily Kania (1st place, race walk), Lee Kania (3rd place, javelin), Chyance King (4th place, long jump and 2nd place, 200 meter run); Noela Moraga (2nd place, hammer throw); and Peter Szelwach (1st place, hammer throw and 2nd place, shot put). 

Since its inception in 1991, the team has trained thousands of area youth between the ages of 6 and 18 in track and field events. More information about the team can be found at www.ashevillelightning.org or contact head coach Richard Clarke, dickeclarke@gmail.com.

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Erwin’s Cameron Howell.

Three baseball players from Erwin and North Henderson have been named to the World Wood Bat Association National Championship’s all-tournament team.

The tournament was held July 1-8 in Emerson, Ga.

Erwin’s Cameron Howell pitched two wins for the Showcase Baseball Academy Marucci team. He had a 1.24 earned-run average and seven strikeouts in 11.1 innings pitched. Six of those innings came in a 2-1 win over Tri-State Arsenal Prime (N.J.).

North Henderson’s Ryan Decker had a 0.00 ERA and a win in his 5.2 innings on the mound. He struck out seven batters. The Knights’ Kyle Decker was 5-for-15 at the plate with two RBIs, four runs scored and a pair of stolen bases.

SBA Marucci, which is based out of Matthews, went 5-1-1 in pool play.

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Damon Harge Jr.

ARDEN – Over the years, YouTube basketball highlights of Damon Harge Jr. have racked up more than 15 million views.

Future video of the point guard will have him wearing a Christ School jersey.

Harge told USA TODAY High School Sports that he is transferring from Orlando Prep.

“I felt I needed to be pushed more in practice and learn the game from a coach that coached at the next level,” Harge told USA TODAY.

“And had a bigger expectation for me to come in and be a leader on and off the court.”

Greenies coach Scott Willard was formerly a college head coach at Lesley (Mass.) and director of basketball operations at Wisconsin.

As for Harge, the 5-foot-9 rising junior averaged 16 points and four assists per game last season. He has scholarship offers from DePaul, Memphis, Texas Tech, Pacific, Central Florida and North Carolina Central.

Harge’s primary claim to fame through the numerous YouTube videos is ball-handling, but his passing and shooting are showcased as well. A compilation of highlights from his sophomore year in Florida can be found here.

Christ School officials have declined comment since Harge is still in the process of enrolling for the 2016-17 school year. The Greenies went 23-9 last season and were the Carolinas Athletic Association regular-season and tournament champions.

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Reynolds football coach Shane Laws with Aundreas Hill and Najae Buchanan.

Here are the bios for every Western North Carolina player and coach involved in Wednesday night’s East-West All-Star football game in Greensboro. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. from Greensboro Grimsley.

PLAYERS

Isaac Allen

Isaac…Mountain Heritage…6-1, 260…DL…coached by Joey Robinson…as senior, named All-Conf, All-WNC…selected to play in the Blue/Gray game…87 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 18 tackles for loss…as junior, named All-Conf…72 tackles, 3 sacks, 10 tackles for loss…as soph, had 76 tackles, 1 sack, 4 tackles for loss…twice named Athlete of the Week…also played baseball for 3 years…3 times named Academic All-Conf…Farm City Youth Award recipient…member of Nat’l Honor Society, Nat’l Tech Honor Society, FBLA, Skills USA…scholarship to play at Wingate where he will major in accounting…wants to pursue a career in his community…Coach Joey Robinson is his role model…favorite college athlete is Joey Bosa…favorite pro is JJ Watt…says “ I am blessed to be chosen for this event. I will be only the 3rd player in my school’s history to play in this game.”

Najae Buchanan

Najae…A.C. Reynolds…6-0, 220…LB…coached by Shane Laws…as senior, named All-Conference…105 tackles, 2 forced fumbles…also named Most Outstanding Wrestler…scholarship with Mars Hill University where he will major in criminal justice…wants to pursue a career with the FBI…favorite college athlete is Shawn Oakman…favorite pro athlete is JJ Watt…says “I feel really good. Honestly, I did not know I would make it this far, and I want to show people how well I can play because I haven’t been playing for a long time.”

Wyatt Burnette

Wyatt…Franklin…6-4, 275…OL…coached by Josh Brooks….as senior, named All-Conf, Conf Lineman of the Year…as junior, named All-Conf…also played baseball and basketball…member of Tar Heels Boys State, Math Club…president of Nat’l Honor Society…Scholar Athlete…plans to attend and play for Western Carolina…his father is his role model…favorite college athlete is Leonard Fournette…favorite pro is Trai Turner…says “I’m very grateful for the opportunity to get to compete in this year’s all-star game. It is a great honor to get to represent Franklin High and Western NC.  This will be a great opportunity to prepare myself for a level of competition similar to college. I would like to thank everyone who has had a part in making this experience happen.”

Aundreas Hill

Aundreas…A.C. Reynolds…5-11, 215…LB…coached by Shane Laws…as senior, named All-Conference, All-Western NC, Defensive Player of the Year…159 tackles, 2 interceptions, 8 forced fumbles…as junior, had 105 tackles…scholarship to play at Mars Hill University where he will major in business…favorite college athlete is Braxton Miller…favorite pro athlete  is Cam Newton…says “I feel pretty good about playing in this game. This gives me a chance to show more people who I am and how I have worked to get in the position I’m in now.”

Chase Parker

Chase…North Buncombe…6-1, 170…QB…coached by Curtis Cagle…as senior, named All-Conf, All-WNC, Asheville Citizen Times / Ingles Student Athlete…passed for 2,117 yds, 19 TDs…as junior, named All-Conf, All-WNC.. . passed for 2,487 yds, 20 TDs…as sophomore, named All-Conf…passed for 1,250 yds, 15 TDs…also played baseball for 3 years and placed 1st in the regionals in the 4×200 relay in track…member of YoungLife…scholarship to play at Wingate  where he will major in business…wants to pursue a career in business and marketing…favorite college athlete is Josh Rosen…favorite pro is Tom Brady…says “I’m very excited about the opportunity to play with the best senior players in NC.  I hope to represent the West as best as I can and help bring back a win.  It will give me a jump start on playing at the next level and the very highest standards required to succeed.”

COACH

Curtis Cagle

West assistant coach  is entering his 5th season as head football coach at North Buncombe High where his teams have gone 14-27 and made one state playoff appearance in 4 seasons…previously coached at Pisgah High where he served as an assistant football coach for 15 years (compiling a record of 39-11 in 5 years as the head jv coach),  head swimming coach for 2 years (with first ever men’s regional qualifiers) and assistant and then head baseball coach and head golf coach (golf team was a 3-time regional qualifier) ….prior to that, he coached at West Henderson High, serving as an assistant football coach and head swimming coach (men’s and women’s teams twice won conference titles)…born in Waynesville, NC…1986 graduate of Pisgah High  where he was a 3-year letterman in football and baseball and a 2-year letterman in basketball and track…1993 graduate of  Western Carolina University…says “Coaching in this all-star game is a great honor and I am just glad to be a part of it.  I have watched this game played for 23 years and now I get to coach in it. I am truly blessed that I get to meet and talk football with so many great and accomplished coaches and coach some of the best football players in the state of North Carolina.  I am looking forward to this opportunity and can’t wait to get started.”

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Roberson rising senior Michelle Cobb won the NCHSAA 4-A championship in the triple jump back in May.

SKYLAND – The USA Track & Field National Junior Olympic meet is just another big jump for Michelle Cobb.

And the NCHSAA 4-A champion has made lots of those lately.

Cobb is a rising senior from Roberson who will compete in her best event (the triple jump) at next week’s national meet in Sacramento. Cobb has advanced as far as she can in her very first year of Junior Olympic competition. She’ll be joined out west by seven other athletes from the Asheville Lightning.

Cobb did not join the Lightning until this year.

“It’s going to be interesting. I’ve never been out of this area of the United States before so that is going to be an experience,” Cobb said.

“I definitely have more confidence in myself than ever before. I still feel like a normal girl (outside of track), but when random people know who I am and say they’ve heard about me, it’s a really cool feeling.”

Cobb’s personal record in the triple jump is 39 feet, 5 inches. Her winning jump at May’s 4-A state meet (38-8) was four inches better than the runner-up.

Pretty incredible considering Cobb did not qualify for the state meet at all as a sophomore.

“I’ve been tracking her the last couple of seasons and (Roberson teammate Elyse King) convinced Michelle to finally come out for our team,” said Gary Albrecht, who coaches Lightning jumpers.

“She has just blossomed this year. And she’s working hard for everything that she gets.”

The Lighting took 16 athletes to the USATF Region 3 meet which was July 7-10 in Landover, Md. Half that number will be making the trip to California for the national competition which begins Monday and runs through July 31.

Those boys and girls range in age from 8 to 17 and are Cobb, Meredith Braxton (hammer throw), Andrew Byrd (decathlon and shot put), Emily Kania (race walk), Lee Kania (javelin), Chyance King (long jump and 200-meter dash), Noela Moraga (hammer throw) and Pete Szelwach (hammer throw and shot put).

Like Cobb, Szelwach attends Roberson and was named to last month’s Citizen-Times All-WNC track team.

Many of the athletes are seeking support from the community to make the trip to Sacramento. Cobb has set up a GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/2bpxg57k. In her bio for the page, Cobb writes that she maintains a 3.9 grade-point average and wants to use her sport “to further my education as well as my cultural awareness.”

Cobb has been a track athlete since her seventh-grade year at Valley Springs Middle School.

“It’s a sport that I fell in love with immediately,” she said.

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Reynolds football players Jake Setterlind, Kyle McWhirt, Sean Jones and Keyal Talbert.

Here is the preseason coaches poll for Mountain Athletic Conference 3-A/4-A football:

• 1. Reynolds
• 2. Erwin
• 3. Asheville
• 4. Roberson
• 5. North Buncombe
• 6. McDowell
• 7. Enka

The poll was conducted for the N.C. Prep Football News Yearbook which is available for purchase here.

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Pisgah’s Trey Morgan celebrates a 2015 touchdown.

Here is the preseason coaches poll for Western North Carolina Athletic Conference 2-A/3-A football:

• 1. Franklin
• 2. Pisgah
• 3. Tuscola
• 4. West Henderson
• 5. Smoky Mountain
• 6. North Henderson
• 7. Brevard
• 8. East Henderson

The poll was conducted for the N.C. Prep Football News Yearbook which is available for purchase here.

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Mountain Heritage football coach Joey Robinson.

Here is the preseason coaches poll for Western Highlands Conference 1-A/2-A football:

• 1. Mountain Heritage
• 2. Hendersonville
• 3. Mitchell
• 4. Owen
• 5. Polk County
• 6. Avery County
• 7. Madison

The poll was conducted for the N.C. Prep Football News Yearbook which is available for purchase here.

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Kadrian McRae and Murphy are the preseason favorite in Smoky Mountain Conference football.

Here is the preseason coaches poll for Smoky Mountain Conference 1-A football:

• 1. Murphy
• 2. Swain County
• 3. Robbinsville
• 4. Cherokee
• 5. Rosman
• 6. Andrews
• 7. Hayesville

The poll was conducted for the N.C. Prep Football News Yearbook which is available for purchase here.

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Danny Wilkins retired with 162 career football wins at Asheville High.

The winningest football coach in Asheville High history will be part of radio broadcasts for WWNC (570 AM) this upcoming season.

Special thanks to WWNC for this press release:

Former Asheville High Coach Danny Wilkins Joins WWNC Broadcasting Team

ASHEVILLE- A familiar name to WNC high school football fans will be making the transition from the sidelines to the press box this season. Danny Wilkins, spent sixteen years as Asheville High’s head coach, winning 162 games and 12 conference championships and a state championship in 2005. This Fall he brings his expertise to the broadcast booth joining Brian Hall, Shawn Crowe and Mike Morgan on WWNC’s Buncombe County Game Of The Week. Wilkins will be replacing 5 time state champion and former AC Reynolds Coach Bobby Poss who is retiring. 

“I am so excited  to have Danny joining us this season,” said Hall who serves as the station’s Program and Sports Director. “Talk about a luxury. We replace one championship coach with another. More importantly we are talking about two of the finest men that I have known over the years. Danny is going to bring his football expertise to the broadcast and will be able to give our listeners that unique coach’s perspective when describing what takes place on the field.”

“I look forward to joining the WWNC team on Friday nights and staying connected to WNC High School football,” said Wilkins. “I’ve been on the other side of the microphone for so many years, it will be a nice change of pace to just sit back and talk football with Brian, Shawn and Mike”.

For more than 20 years WWNC has broadcasted the Buncombe County Game Of The Week. This season will mark 18 years  that Hall and Crowe have been calling games together and Morgan is starting his 10th year. Tank Spencer is in his 9th season handling pregame and studio host duties.  The 2016 season will start on August 19th with Enka at Owen.   

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North Henderson’s Tom Pryor Gym has a new look, courtesy of Haywood County company Carolina Hardwood.

North Henderson’s Tom Pryor Gym has a new look, courtesy of Haywood County company Carolina Hardwood.

Carolina Hardwood has also installed new courts at East Henderson and West Henderson this summer.

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Mountain Heritage rising junior Trey Robinson is the Western Highlands Conference’s preseason player of the year.

Four quarterbacks have been tabbed the preseason players of the year in their conferences by Western North Carolina football coaches.

They are Erwin rising senior Damien Ferguson (Mountain Athletic 3-A/4-A), Brevard rising senior Tanner Ellenberger (WNC Athletic 2-A/3-A), Mountain Heritage rising junior Trey Robinson (Western Highlands 1-A/2-A) and Murphy rising junior Joey Curry (Smoky Mountain 1-A).

Coaches submitted their MVP votes for the N.C. Prep Football News Yearbook, a 146-page publication which is available for purchase here.

Ferguson is a two-time Citizen-Times All-WNC and All-MAC standout who passed for 2,993 and 27 touchdowns with 11 interceptions.

Ellenberger was also the 2015 preseason player of the year for the WNCAC. He threw for 1,536 yards and 12 touchdowns with seven interceptions.

Robinson was the WHC Offensive Player of the Year as a sophomore. He had more than 2,000 passing yards and over 1,000 rushing yards.

Finally, Curry only started six games for Murphy, but they were noteworthy. Curry passed for 972 yards and nine touchdowns with one interception and rushed for more than 500 yards.

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Recent Asheville High graduate Reggie Battle has committed to play college football for Mars Hill.

ASHEVILLE – Reggie Battle was beginning to think that college football was no longer a possibility.

One of the most formidable backs in Asheville High history will in fact have a home at the next level. Battle and Mars Hill worked out the final details of a scholarship package just this week.

“I was really stressing out about it. I didn’t know what I was going to do, but God came through and gave me this chance to play,” Battle said.

“It’s a blessing.”

As a senior, Battle earned All-Mountain Athletic Conference and Citizen-Times All-WNC honors after rushing for 1,554 yards and 21 touchdowns. The four-year varsity star completed his career with 3,780 yards, the fifth-most in school history.

The deadline for athletes from the Class of 2016 to sign a national letter-of-intent is Aug. 1.

Battle needed to raise some of his test scores to gain college eligibility and has done so, making him the last college recruit for former Cougars coach Danny Wilkins. It’s a fitting bookend, according to Wilkins, who is the school record-holder for football-coaching wins (162) after his retirement in November.

“What a great kid,” Wilkins said.

“I was taking my morning walk (on Thursday) and it really set in that Reggie is my last one. Mars Hill is excited about having him, he’s excited about going and I’m excited about it, too. There is excitement all-around. I think he has the chance to be a really good player for them. He’s a good-sized running back who is going to bring the same kind of toughness to them that he gave to us. I know from talking with (Lions coach Tim Clifton) that they are a little thin at running back right now, and so that gives Reggie an opportunity to go in and compete right away.”

Battle stands 5 feet, 10 inches and weighs 210 pounds. The Cougars ran an I-formation offense throughout his career, and Battle often got double-digit carries in a single quarter.

“Playing on Friday nights meant a lot to me,” he said.

“The chemistry and teamwork around here is what made it like a brotherhood.”

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Tuscola rising junior Melody Hannah has committed to play college softball for North Greenville (S.C.).

Tuscola rising junior Melody Hannah has committed to play college softball for North Greenville (S.C.). 

Hannah was an All-Western North Carolina Athletic Conference player for the Mountaineers (13-8) this past spring and their ace pitcher with a 4.75 earned-run average and 101 strikeouts.

At the plate, she batted .397 with 25 RBIs and three home runs.

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