Pisgah girls basketball coach Brandon Holloway.

The coaches for the 2017 East-West All-Star games have been named, and three individuals from Western North Carolina are part of the group.

More from the N.C. Coaches Association:

Coaches for the 2017 NCCA East-West All-Star Games and the NC-SC Basketball Classic have been selected. The East-West All-Star Games will be played next July in Greensboro, and the Carolinas Basketball Classic will be played in Myrtle Beach, SC — date to be determined.

2017 All Star Coaches

East-West Football

East

Head:    Greg Lloyd                          Kings Mountain

Asst:      Larry Brow                          AC Reynolds

Asst:      Greg Hill                               Ashbrook

Asst:      DeVore Holman                                Davie County

Asst:      Lonnie Jones                      High Point Central

Asst:      Jimmy Upchurch                              West Stokes

West

Head:    Richard Bailey                    Scotland

Asst:      Jason Battle                        Rocky Mount

Asst:      Samuel Hales                     West Johnston

Asst:      Jack Holley                          East Duplin

Asst:      Caleb King                           East Carteret

Asst:      Reggie Lucas                      Wake Forest

2017 All-Star Coaches

East-West Basketball

East Men

Head:    Brett Queen                       Hoggard

Asst:      Michael Proctor                Northside

West Men

Head:    Sean Vestal                        North Forsyth

Asst:      Brian Franklin                     McDowell

East Women

Head:    Nattlie McArthur              Jack Britt

Asst:      William Owens                  Clinton

West Women

Head:    Kim Furlough                     Northern Guilford

Asst:      Brandon Holloway           Pisgah

2017 All-Star Coaches

East-West Soccer

East Women

Head:    Scott Sloan                          Heritage

West Women

Head:    Angelo Palozzi                   Newton Conover

East Men

Head:    Joe McCarthy                    Northern Nash

West Men

Head:    Jeremy Krist                       Williams

2017 All-Star Coaches

North Carolina-South Carolina Basketball Women

Head:    Sherry Norris                     Chapel Hill

Asst:      Deborah Jones                  Page

Men

Head:    Scott McInnes                   Millbrook

Asst:      Dale Hollifield    Shelby

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East Henderson alum Tyler Sexton is a senior at Western Carolina University.

Two former East Henderson football players were named to the preseason All-Southern Conference team on Wednesday.

Senior tight end Tyler Sexton (first team offense) and redshirt sophomore lineman Nathan Dalton (second team offense) are both now attending Western Carolina University which opens its season Sept. 3 at East Carolina.

The Catamounts were picked third in the SoCon preseason media poll and fourth by coaches.

Sexton is a 2012 Eagles graduate who made 31 receptions for 385 yards and three touchdowns a year ago. Dalton was a Shrine Bowl player in 2013 for East Henderson and made nine starts for WCU last season.

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Defending Western North Carolina Athletic Conference champion West Henderson will be one of the teams at next month’s Mountain Bash volleyball scrimmage jamboree.

The fifth annual Mountain Bash volleyball scrimmage jamboree will be held Aug. 6 at the Xcel Sportsplex in Hendersonville and feature 24 varsity teams and 19 JV squads. Admission is $5 for fans.

Here is the complete varsity schedule:

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Volleyball

The fifth annual Mountain Bash volleyball scrimmage jamboree will be held Aug. 6 at the Xcel Sportsplex in Hendersonville and feature 24 varsity teams and 19 JV squads. Admission is $5 for fans.

Here is the complete JV schedule:

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Six recent graduates from Western North Carolina high schools will be playing their college football for Centre (Ky.). They are, from left to right, Asheville School’s David Schill, West Henderson’s Stephen Perron, North Buncombe’s Tommy Apostolopoulos, North Henderson’s Cole McCarson, McDowell’s Blaise Parker and North Buncombe’s Mason Isgrig.

ASHEVILLE – What is so alluring about a college football program roughly 270 miles away from Asheville that cannot offer athletic scholarships?

Good question.

For starters, the six individuals from Western North Carolina who will report to Centre (Ky.) on Aug. 13 are more than just football players.

More on this story to come…

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Reynolds rising junior Hunter Macomber.

Three baseball players from the Mountain Athletic Conference came away with all-tournament honors after the Perfect Game World Wood Bat Association 16 and under national championship played July 8-15 in Emerson, Ga.

They are Reynolds rising junior Hunter Macomber, McDowell rising junior Matthew Smith and Roberson rising junior Aaron McKeithan. All three of the players belong to the Impact Baseball Dirtbags 16U Drew team.

McKeithan made the all-tournament team as a positional player while Macomber and Smith were pitchers.

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Asheville Christian Academy graduate Ben Phelps.

Asheville Christian Academy graduates Ben Phelps and Patjo Twagirayezu were named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court earlier this month.

Both former Lions play college ball for Covenant (Ga.).

More from the Scots:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) announced on Tuesday the 2015-16 NABC Honors Court, recognizing those men’s collegiate basketball student-athletes who excelled in academics during the past season. Covenant had four players, Z Arima, Robby Bell, Ben Phelps and Patjo Twagirayezu, recognized on the list

The NABC Honors Court recognizes the talents and gifts of men’s basketball players across the country and from all divisions for their efforts off the court and the hard work they exhibit in the classroom. In order to be named to the Honors Court, a student-athlete must be a junior or senior academically and a varsity player with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher at the conclusion of the 2015-16 year.

Arima, a rising senior from Herriman, Utah, earns Honors Court for the second consecutive year. Arima, who is a double major in English and History, played in 23 games and averaged a career-high 4.5 points in 2015-16. He was named to the USA South All-Academic team for a third straight year and was Covenant’s representative on the USA South All-Sportsmanship team.

Bell, also a two-time Honors Court honoree, finished up his Covenant career in 2015-16 playing in 19 games and averaged 3.4 points in 9.7 minutes per game. The Pre-Engineering major from Coral Springs, Fla., earned USA South All-Academic team honors for a third straight year.

The honor for Phelps is the first of his career for the rising senior from Asheville, N.C. On the court in 2015-16, Phelps played in 27 games and averaged a career-best 8.0 points per game, while shooting 49.5 percent from 3-point land. Phelps scored in double digits nine times on the year, with a career-high 21 points coming in a win over Huntingdon on Feb. 13. Phelps is an Interdisciplinary Studies major.

Twagirayezu, a rising junior from Kigali, Rwanda, also earns Honors Court for the first time. In his first season at Covenant, Twagirayezu averaged 7.9 points, with a career-high 22 points against Millsaps on Dec. 2, and 5.1 rebounds per game. The Computer Science major helped secured his first double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds against North Park on Dec. 21 and averaged 11.3 points in the USA South Tournament.

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Reynolds’ new wrestling coach Is 2013 Rockets graduate Nick Chianese.

Nick Chianese has been hired to coach the Reynolds wrestling team.

Chianese is a 2013 Rockets graduate and former heavyweight wrestler. He was the coach at Cane Creek Middle last school year.

“I’m super-excited about this opportunity,” Chianese said.

“It’s the chance of a lifetime to take over my old program. It was one of those things that I put four years into and won’t ever forget.”

Chianese replaces Austin Reece, who was Reynolds’ coach for three seasons.

Athletic director Steve McCurry also said Friday that Austin Sluder has been added to the football staff as an assistant coach. He will also help with golf.

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Owen incoming freshman Hunter White is a four-time state champion in the The Bass Federation’s Junior division.

SWANNANOA – This Warhorse doesn’t need any lucky horseshoes when he is out on the water.

Owen incoming freshman Hunter White is a four-time junior champion in the The Bass Federation’s Junior division.

Now that he’s conquered the rest of North Carolina more than a few times over, White is taking on the national fishing scene for the next couple weeks.

White’s mother, Delores, said he left Friday for the Junior Bassmaster Championship tournament which is Tuesday and Wednesday in Huntingdon, Tenn. After that, White will continue on to Huntersville, Ala., for the TBF Junior world championship.

The White family resides in Black Mountain. White, who has been fishing since he was 2 years old, was formally recognized for his budding outdoors career by Black Mountain mayor Michael Sobol during a town hall meeting last August.

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Austin Prichard is a rising senior at Carolina Day.

Austin Prichard has been instrumental in getting Carolina Day’s varsity baseball program off the ground.

His personal stock is rising, too.

The Wildcats shortstop has been invited to the Baseball Factory’s Arizona Senior Fall Classic which is Oct. 12-16 in Peoria, Ariz.

Prichard does not yet know if he will accept the invitation to play for an Under Armour-sponsored team as the Arizona showcase conflicts with another one that he is interested in.

Prichard is playing this summer for the Full Count (S.C.) organization. He has not yet made a college commitment.

“I’m feeling good lately, I’m feeling more confident,” said Prichard, who thanked Carolina Day coach Anthony Penland and assistant J.D. Hinson for his development.

“It was a good first year for me at Carolina Day. It was nice to meet some new people.”

Carolina Day re-started its varsity program last spring after a three-year hiatus. Prichard batted .375 for the Wildcats (3-11). He formerly attended East Henderson before transferring.

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Robbinsville graduate Colby White is the new wrestling coach at Andrews.

Robbinsville graduate Colby White is the new wrestling coach at Andrews.

White is a 2010 Black Knights graduate and was an All-Smoky Mountain Athletic Conference athlete in three sports (baseball, football and wrestling) as a senior.

His father, Kevin, was a former football coach at Andrews who went 5-30 in three seasons before stepping down in 2005.

White’s wife, Jill, will be the Wildcats’ cheerleading coach for the 2016-17 school year.

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Asheville High football players volunteered their time Saturday for two local charities — Habitat for Humanity and MANNA FoodBank.

Monday is the first official day of football practice for all NCHSAA teams.

Many of them have been trying to squeeze in as much as they can before then, but Asheville High coaches and players took a different route on Saturday.

They volunteered their time for two local charities — Habitat for Humanity and MANNA FoodBank. First-year coach David Burdette and the Cougars called it their “Make a Difference Day.”

Asheville opens its season Aug. 19 at Franklin.

Asheville High football players volunteered their time Saturday for two local charities — Habitat for Humanity and MANNA FoodBank.

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Robbinsville rising senior Lauren McGuire.

The best thing about another early college commitment for Robbinsville softball?

Coach Billy Knight feels like his team is far from done in that department.

Rising senior Lauren McGuire has committed to play at the next level for Young Harris (Ga.).

McGuire is a former two-time All-Smoky Mountain Conference performer who batted .527 with 25 RBIs, 19 stolen bases, three home runs and 35 runs scored for the Black Knights last spring. She has played two different infield positions in her varsity career (shortstop and third base), and will likely transition to the outfield for 2017.

McGuire plays her travel ball for the Western North Carolina Firecrackers 16U Kielson team out of Asheville.

Knight’s daughter, rising sophomore shortstop Abigail Knight, committed to Virginia Tech in late-June.

Lauren McGuire, rising senior, Young Harris (Ga.). played third base, plays for the WNC Firecrackers.

“Lauren has been a very valuable player for us,” Billy Knight said.

“She plays wherever you ask, gets to practice early and leaves late. She is a strong hitter with a lot of speed. I’m super-impressed with how hard she works. Lauren is just a good, solid kid. We’ve got a lot of girls coming along who can really play. We’re not done (with recruiting).”

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Carolina Day rising junior Amya Giger

Carolina Day rising junior Amya Giger is still exploring her college volleyball options.

At least one big avenue is wide open — Giger was offered a scholarship by Appalachian State after attending one of the Mountaineers’ camps earlier this month.

Giger plays middle blocker and other positions for her club team with Xcel Volleyball Performance, and similarly has been very versatile in her high school career for the Wildcats.

She was an All-Carolinas Athletic Association player in 2015. Giger has not yet made a college commitment.

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Reynolds is the host school for Saturday’s big boys soccer jamboree in Asheville.

Reynolds will host its annual boys soccer jamboree on Saturday with scrimmages at the John B. Lewis Soccer Complex and the Rockets’ Dalton Stadium.

Games are set to last 55 minutes apiece.

Here is the complete schedule:

9 a.m. games

Carolina Day vs. North Buncombe (JBL 1)

Tuscola vs. Hendersonville (JBL 2)

West Henderson vs. St. Stephens (JBL 3)

Brevard 2 vs. Reynolds 2 (JBL 4)

Reynolds vs. Charlotte Latin (ACR)

10 a.m. games

East Rutherford vs. Pisgah (JBL 1)

Providence Academy  vs. Brevard (JBL 2)

Enka vs. Owen (JBL 3)

St. Stephens 2 vs. Smoky Mountain 2 (JBL 4)

Charlotte Latin vs. Roberson

Noon games

Highlands vs. Enka (JBL 1)

Hendersonville vs. Patton (JBL 2)

Providence Academy vs. North Buncombe (JBL 3)

Smoky Mountain 2 vs. Reynolds 2 (JBL 4)

Reynolds vs. Thomas Jefferson (ACR)

1 p.m. games

Asheville vs. St. Stephens (JBL 1)

West Henderson vs. Veritas Christian (JBL 2)

Owen vs. Brevard (JBL 3)

Avery County vs. Smoky Mountain (JBL 3)

Asheville Christian Academy vs. Roberson (ACR)

2 p.m. games

Asheville vs. Patton (JBL 1)

Erwin vs. North Henderson (JBL 2)

Highlands vs. East Henderson (JBL 3)

3 p.m. games

Veritas Christian vs. North Henderson (JBL 2)

Erwin vs. East Henderson (JBL 3)

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Recent Asheville High graduate Jalann McPhail has committed to play college basketball for Montreat.

Monday (Aug. 1) is the final day for athletes from the Class of 2016 to sign an NCAA national letter-of-intent.

These 251 Western North Carolina athletes either committed or signed to play college sports since this list was started last August. The list includes scholarship and walk-on athletes.

Coaches, parents and athletes, if you know of anyone we have missed or have signing photos to share throughout the school year, please send an e-mail to apearson@citizen-times.com. All signing photos will be posted here on the High School Huddle and to our Instagram account.

BASEBALL

Garrett Blaylock, Roberson to Vanderbilt*

Kyle Cagle, Reynolds to Carson-Newman

Noah Cook, Asheville to Montreat

Trenton Davis, Roberson to Campbell

Ryan Decker, North Henderson to North Carolina Central

Cam Dotson, Rosman to Brevard College

Harrison Duncan, Murphy to Emmanuel

J.D. Edwards, Polk County to Brevard College

Zack Epps, Swain County to Chattanooga State

Will Fleming, Christ School to Wake Forest*

Nate Fore, Roberson to Belmont Abbey

Bryce Foster, Brevard to Brevard College

Zach Franklin, McDowell to Western Carolina

Colton Garland, Mountain Heritage to South Carolina-Aiken

Langston Haden, Asheville to Millsaps

Noah Heatherly, Tuscola to Piedmont

Cole Hooper, Smoky Mountain to N.C. State*

Cameron Howell, Erwin to Mars Hill*

Trystan Jones, Madison to Brevard College

Tucker Kuykendall, Enka to VMI*

Tyler Leek, Hayesville to North Greenville

Jared Patterson, Asheville to Methodist

Tyler Petit, Rosman to Brevard College

Jack Ponder, Enka to UNC Greensboro*

Michael Ponder, North Buncombe to Mars Hill

Michael Reynolds, Christ School to College of Charleston*

Josh Rice, Rosman to Central Alabama

Jake Sutton, Tuscola to Brevard College

Hunter Stewart, Blue Ridge to Mars Hill

Collin Watt, Roberson to East Carolina*

Collin Wheeler, North Buncombe to Hiwassee

Ryan Zwier, Christ School to Washington (Md.)

BASKETBALL

Tory Agrusa, Franklin to Catawba Valley

Brooklyn Allen, Pisgah to Appalachian State

Zach Cottrell, Hayesville to Appalachian State

John Fulkerson, Christ School to Tennessee

Kendra Griffin, Erwin to Charleston

Lauren Guthrie, North Buncombe to Montreat

Chapman Harwood, Temple Baptist to Bob Jones

Tess Harris, Carolina Day to Western Carolina

Jessica Hoilman, Avery County to Emory & Henry

Josh Jones, Reynolds to William Peace

Spencer Kirkpatrick, Carolina Day to North Greenville

Hayley Kropp, Polk County to Guilford Tech

LeLe Lossiah, Cherokee to Warren Wilson

Colby Maltry, North Buncombe to Brevard College

Cheyenne Matson, McDowell to Erskine

Jalann McPhail, Asheville to Montreat

Jason McMillan, Cherokee to Western Carolina

Rachel Owen, Rosman to Brevard College

Mikayla Ray, Carolina Day to William Peace

Zach Reeves, Christ School to Lindsey Wilson

Ben Riddle, Blue Ridge to Central Carolina

Damon Scott, Asheville to Emory & Henry

Jordan Shepherd, Asheville Christian Academy to Oklahoma

Zach Stroup, Rosman to Brevard College

Jamal Tanner, Polk County to Catawba Valley

Jacob Waldroop, Avery County to Milligan

Kaitlyn Wood, Smoky Mountain to Montreat

CHEERLEADING & DANCE

Jessica Clifford, Tuscola to Wake Forest

Macey Davis, Tuscola to North Carolina

FIELD HOCKEY

Lia Messersmith, Asheville to Mount Holyoke

FOOTBALL

Isaac Allen, Mountain Heritage to Wingate

Tommy Apostolopoulos, North Buncombe to Centre

Reggie Battle, Asheville to Mars Hill

Najae Buchanan, Reynolds to Mars Hill

Bryson Buckner, Enka to Mars Hill

Tanner Bullock, West Henderson to Brevard College

Britt Burleson, Mountain Heritage to Lenoir-Rhyne

Wyatt Burnette, Franklin to Western Carolina

Chase Campbell, McDowell to Emory & Henry

Michael Cantrell, Enka to Mars Hill

Jordan Cody, Swain County to Mars Hill

Michael Cook, Hendersonville to Guilford

Ozzy Corrales, Murphy to Emory & Henry

Trevor Craft, North Henderson to Brevard College

Jordan Davis, Tuscola to Carson-Newman

Rico Dowdle, Reynolds to South Carolina

Chase Fisher, Smoky Mountain to Western Carolina

Caleb Gilbert, Brevard to Brevard College

Trace Goldsmith, East Henderson to Mars Hill

Tanner Green, Rosman to Carson-Newman

Brent Hammer, Avery County to Averett

Austin Hedrick, Robbinsville to Limestone

Aundreas Hill, Reynolds to Mars Hill

Mason Isgrig, North Buncombe to Centre

Brandon Johnson, North Henderson to Brevard College

Pete Leota, Asheville to South Carolina

A.J. Logan, Reynolds to Appalachian State

David Mackey, Pisgah to Mars Hill

Jake Marr, Swain County to Carson-Newman

Cole McCarson, North Henderson to Centre

Rayonte Mills, Erwin to Maryville

Colton Millsaps, Robbinsville to Mars Hill

Drew Mitchell, North Henderson to Brevard College

Kennan Panther, Cherokee to Carson-Newman

Cameron Parker, Roberson to East Tennessee State

Blaise Parker, McDowell to Centre

Chase Parker, North Buncombe to Wingate

Willie Parker, Andrews to Emory & Henry

Michael Parrott, Pisgah to Alabama*

Stephen Perron, West Henderson to Centre

Marc Peterson, Erwin to Maryville

Clay Privette, West Henderson to Brevard College

Michael Schmidt, Hendersonville to Air Force

David Schill, Asheville School to Centre

Jay Spencer, East Henderson to Mars Hill

Hunter Stanley, Rabun Gap (Cashiers resident) to Gardner-Webb

Logan Teesateskie, Cherokee to Carson-Newman

Tristan Thomas, West Henderson to Carson-Newman

Ricky Thrash, North Buncombe to North Carolina Wesleyan

Eunique Waters, Reynolds to Shorter

Zach Webster, Tuscola to Carson-Newman

Ashton Woodring, North Henderson to Brevard College

GOLF

Chris Akers, Christ School to East Carolina

Nick Boone, Pisgah to Mars Hill

Ashley Cauthen, East Henderson to Milligan

Michael Freeman, Christ School to Davidson

Thomas Garbee, Christ School to Navy

Aaron Graham, Christ School to Appalachian State

Kelton Mills, Hendersonville to Alcorn State

Carson Ownbey, Christ School to Charlotte%

Callista Rice, North Buncombe to Clemson*

Candler Rice, Carolina Day to Berry

Matt Sharpstene, Roberson to West Virginia

Andrew Stewart, Erwin to Montreat

LACROSSE

Bailey Gentry, Franklin to Truett McConnell

Will Iorio, Christ School to VMI

Riley Smith, Christ School to High Point

ROWING

Jake Brock, Roberson to Jacksonville

Abby Hudspeth, Roberson to North Carolina

Caleigh Sewell, Roberson to North Carolina

SOCCER

Jeremy Allsbrook, Polk County to Gardner-Webb

Celine Jacobi Barham, Reynolds to Cape Fear

Corban Crosley, Asheville Christian Academy to Liberty

Kaley Cross, Reynolds to Lenoir-Rhyne

Alejandro Escobedo, Enka to Brevard College

Mac Gourlay, Carolina Day to N.C. State*

Nick Green, Avery County to Maryville

Karissa Grooms, Reynolds to Chowan

Elizabeth Guffey, home-schooled student to Taylor

Emma Hall, Asheville to Francis Marion*

Katlyn Hill, East Henderson to Brevard College

Austin Howard, Carolina Day to Denison

Emily Hull, Carolina Day to Davidson*

Will Jones, Asheville to Emory

Bryan Juarez, East Henderson to Brevard College

Caroline Lee, Polk County to Southeastern Louisiana

Joevell Lee, Enka to Brevard College

Ty Lenk, Owen to New Rochelle

Ashley Love, Polk County to Emory & Henry

Jordan Melvin, Reynolds to Tusculum

Urijah Morrison, Reynolds to North Caroina Wesleyan

River Naisang, Reynolds to Mars Hill

Ben Nickol, Tuscola to Wofford

Aidan O’Brien, Asheville to South Carolina*

Cassidy Pate-Moore, Tuscola to Queens

Ashlyn Perkins, Reynolds to Mars Hill

Young Perry, Christ School to Wofford

Abby Proben, Pisgah to Maryville

Wil Rimer, Polk County to Emory & Henry

Roberto Salazar, East Henderson to Brevard College

Christina Shimshock, Reynolds to Lenoir-Rhyne

Johanna Stichel, Asheville to Greensboro*

Rachel Swaim, Tuscola to Greensboro

Massi Tager, Asheville to Emory & Henry

Ashley Weidlich, Tuscola to Tusculum

Sidnie Yanez, Cherokee to Brevard College

SOFTBALL

Cassidy Allen, North Buncombe to Mars Hill

Kloyee Anderson, Enka to Alabama%

Michalyn Bingham, McDowell to Indian River State

Alivia Brigman, Owen to Piedmont

Teegan Bullock, North Henderson to Brevard*

Casey Gilbert, Brevard to Walters State

Brittany Fletcher, Enka to Texas Woman’s

Samantha Gosnell, Madison to Milligan

Haley Gowan, McDowell to South Carolina-Aiken

Melody Hannah, Tuscola to North Greenville%

Addison Harris, Enka to Mars Hill

Josie Harris, Reynolds to Montreat

Abigail Knight, Robbinsville to Virginia Tech#

Jordan Kielson, Pisgah to Lander%

Ashley Love, Polk County to Emory & Henry

Micayla McCoy, Smoky Mountain to Georgia Highlands

Lauren McGuire, Robbinsville to Young Harris*

Makayla McNeill, Brevard to Brevard College

Michaela Morris, West Henderson to King

Autumn Owen, Polk County to Gardner-Webb%

Courtney Pearson, Enka to Queens

Olivia Presley, Owen to Brevard College

Samantha Schmidt, Roberson to Erskine

Mikki Shelton, McDowell to Montreat

Haylie Shope, Hiwassee Dam to Kennesaw State

Jaiden Tweed, Owen to Presbyterian%

Aly Woody, McDowell to Montreat

SWIMMING

Cora Dodson, Tuscola to Lenoir-Rhyne

Annie Ly, Tuscola to King

Jack MacDonald, Tuscola to Cleveland State

Emma May, Carolina Day to Centre

Tori Rigsby, Erwin to Mars Hill

TENNIS

Christine Osborne, Owen to Montreat

Savannah Smith, West Henderson to Belmont-Abbey

TRACK & FIELD

Jessica Bailey, Polk County to Salem

Jade Baldwin, East Henderson to Campbell

Mitchell Brown, Polk County to Winston-Salem State

Nathan Brown, East Henderson to Mars Hill

Tameeia Brown, Polk County to Western Carolina

Logan Burroughs, East Henderson to Pfeiffer

Lydia Cagle, Tuscola to Shippensburg

Skyler Cantrell, Madison to Mars Hill

Kaitlyn Carringer, Robbinsville to Milligan

Naomi Cartier, Asheville to Boston College

Gabi Davis, Asheville School to Emory

Jacob Davis, Roberson to Charlotte

Rylee Dean, West Henderson to Western Carolina

Sean Doyle, Polk County to Appalachian State

Jacob Franklin, Tuscola to Adams State

Tyler Holloway, Andrews to Mars Hill

Mason Isgrig, North Buncombe to Centre

Hannah Jones, Tuscola to Gardner-Webb

Chesley Krug, Roberson to Navy

Shawnda Martin, Robbinsville to Western Carolina

Blakely Moore, Highlands to Lee

Noah Shore, Asheville to North Carolina

Brooke Turner, Tuscola to Liberty

Sage Turner, Enka to UNC Asheville

Adam Urbaniuk, Hayesville to Western Carolina

Anna Vess, Reynolds to N.C. State

Garret Welsh, Owen to Milligan

Amy Yarborough, Hendersonville to Western Carolina

VOLLEYBALL

Mary Catherine Ball, West Henderson to Belmont*

Morgan Ballard, North Buncombe to Wofford

Emma Binns, Roberson to Tennessee%

Alex Boone, Mountain Heritage to Charlotte*

Gracie Carrick, West Henderson to Winthrop

Callie Chappell, Rosman to Brevard College

Liana Elliott, McDowell to Montreat

Ramsey Fullmer, Smoky Mountain to Catawba Valley

Destynee Galloway, West Henderson Francis Marion*

Taylor Houck, West Henderson to Tennessee Tech

SallyAnne Johnson, Enka to Mars Hill

Sierra Jones, West Henderson to Presbyterian*

Courtney Koehler, Reynolds to South Carolina

Caroline Marsh, North Henderson to UNC Wilmington*

Cameron McAbee, North Buncombe to Tusculum

Isabella Perron, West Henderson to Queens

Gabrielle Rancourt, Asheville School to Muhlenberg

Savanna Roper, Hendersonville to Centre*

Emily Russell, Reynolds to Towson

WRESTLING

Solomon Duncan, Mitchell to Johns Hopkins

Conor Fenn, Asheville School to Davidson

Jon Hall, Enka to Ferrum

Jeremiah Royer, Pisgah to Greensboro

Conan Wilson, Erwin to Greensboro

* – junior

% – sophomore

# – freshman

Note: Grade levels are based off of the 2015-16 school year.

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The North Buncombe 14U softball team.

JENSEN BEACH, Fla. – The North Buncombe 14 and under softball team is 5-2 in the Babe Ruth World Series after Monday morning’s 7-2 win over the Vineland (N.J.) All-Stars in an elimination game.

North Buncombe’s next game is Monday at 2 p.m. The team is currently in the consolation bracket, but still has a chance to win the tournament which runs through Tuesday.

The Lady Hawks are representing the Southeast region as its champion. No North Buncombe team has ever advanced this far in postseason play for Babe Ruth softball.

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The Lady Xplosion eighth-grade team won the middle school division of the Hoopz Summer Championships tournament held July 23 and 24 in Gatlinburg, Tenn.

The Lady Xplosion eighth-grade team won the middle school division of the Hoopz Summer Championships tournament held July 23 and 24 in Gatlinburg, Tenn.

The Xplosion went 5-1 in the tourney, defeating teams from North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee and West Virginia. They avenged their only loss in the championship game.

The Xplosion was the runner-up team in the high school division. Coaches were David Clark, Jack Webb and Chad Parris.

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David Burdette presided over his first official practice as Asheville High’s football coach on Monday.

ASHEVILLE – David Burdette wanted to get the proverbial foot in the door 20 years ago.

Even if that meant Burdette would never see that door, or any other part of Asheville High’s locker room for that matter, each Friday.

He spent a very unglamorous first year in the profession as an advance scout for the Cougars. That meant Burdette was constantly on the road gathering what intelligence he could on the next week’s opponent.

He never saw his own team play, in-person, that rookie season.

Burdette has since coached every single aspect at Asheville – offense, defense, special teams, you name it.

He was promoted to head coach in February.

“So many (young coaches) don’t want to do the little things. They get so enamored with calling plays that they forget the little things,” Burdette said Monday, following the first official practice of the season for the Cougars.

“I don’t want to come across as critical. But you have to put in the sweat equity. I learned the value of sweat equity from a lot of old coaches. You have to scout, learn how to fix equipment, keep the locker room clean, make sure the Gatorade cooler is filled. It’s those little details that mean as much to the kids as anything.”

The most unbreakable record in Western North Carolina high school sports may be the one that is ongoing.

Murphy legend David Gentry has won 366 football games, the large majority of which have occurred since he became the Bulldogs’ coach in 1983.

Long careers at one school such as Gentry’s just don’t occur any more. To wit, there are 31 football-playing high schools in WNC and nine of them have changed coaches since the 2015 season ended in December — Burdette is a new coach along with James Phillips (Andrews), Kenneth Dockery (Hayesville), Jim Sosebee (Hendersonville), Ben Rhodarmer (Madison), Andy Morgan (McDowell), Justin Clark (North Henderson), J.D. Dinwiddie (Roberson) and Chris Brookshire (Smoky Mountain).

“There’s a lot more on you as a coach than ever before,” Gentry said Monday.

“A lot more courses have to be done, and today’s society is a little different than when I started out as far as parents and kids goes. It’s hard to stay in one place for very long.”

Burdette, 46, paid his dues and is now getting his chance.

The 1988 Cougars graduate learned quickly that he was too undersized to play high school football. But he still had the passion to coach it. Burdette studied under former Asheville coaches Lou Fogle and Danny Wilkins, who retired last November with a school-record for wins (162).

Wilkins is still involved. He was cutting fresh fruit for Cougars players out of the back of a pickup truck Monday following practice. And Wilkins will be part of local radio game broadcasts for WWNC (570 AM) this fall.

Burdette is thankful for the hands-off approach that Wilkins took in the later years of his coaching career.

“In the last five years, Danny never laid anything out for me and said this is what you have to do,” Burdette said.

“He said that this is the allotted time you have (to coach a particular unit), and that’s it. There’s a lot of organizational stuff that I’m still trying to learn, but talking to the kids is something I’m used to.”

Burdette’s players volunteered their time Saturday for two local charities — Habitat for Humanity and MANNA FoodBank — part of a “Making a Difference Day” tradition that the new coach hopes to start.

“I made some posts to Facebook about that, and it’s probably the most response I’ve ever seen,” Burdette said.

“I told these guys that they made a lot of new fans in this community. And believe me, they worked hard. I can’t promise them that we’re going to go 11-0, but this is a special group and I like where we’re at.”

Cosmetically, one of the big changes for Burdette and the Cougars is that they are going to the spread after years of being a traditional Multiple I offense. Senior Devon Davidson passed for 1,632 yards and 13 touchdowns with 10 interceptions a year ago and was named to the All-Mountain Athletic Conference team.

Asheville has been picked to finish third in the MAC coaches preseason poll.

“Everything is going good (with the offensive transition),” Davidson said Monday.

“We don’t really pay a lot of attention to the preseason polls, but it still motivates us a lot. I believe in my team and I think we’re going to shock the world.”

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Recent Asheville High graduate Jalann McPhail has signed to play college basketball for Montreat

Recent Asheville High graduate Jalann McPhail has signed to play college basketball for Montreat.

McPhail is a forward who averaged 8.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game for the Cougars (16-8) last season. He was an honorable mention All-Mountain Athletic Conference selection.

For more on McPhail’s commitment, go here.

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