Carolina Day senior Ralene Kwiatkowski has committed to play college basketball for Fordham.

As of today, the following 42 athletes from Western North Carolina have committed or signed to play college sports.

This list includes scholarship athletes and walk-ons.

Readers, 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 (10)

Garrett Blaylock, Roberson to Vanderbilt

Michael Connelly, Carolina Day to Carson-Newman

Josh Dotson, Reynolds to North Carolina*

Will Fleming, Christ School to Wake Forest

Cole Hooper, Smoky Mountain to N.C. State

Cameron Howell, Erwin to Mars Hill

Tucker Kuykendall, Enka to VMI

Jack Ponder, Enka to UNC Greensboro

Michael Reynolds, Christ School to College of Charleston

Collin Watt, Roberson to East Carolina

BASKETBALL (1)

Ralene Kwiatkowski, Carolina Day to Fordham

FOOTBALL (1)

Michael Parrott, Pisgah to Alabama

GOLF (2)

Carson Ownbey, Christ School to Charlotte*

Callista Rice, North Buncombe to Clemson

LACROSSE (4)

Joey Cinque, Christ School to Rollins

Will Iorio, Christ School to VMI

Jonah Roberts, Christ School to Drexel

Riley Smith, Christ School to High Point

SOCCER (5)

Mac Gourlay, Carolina Day to N.C. State

Emma Hall, Asheville to Francis Marion

Emily Hull, Carolina Day to Davidson

Aidan O’Brien, Asheville to South Carolina

Johanna Stichel, Asheville to Greensboro

SOFTBALL (11)

Kloyee Anderson, Enka to Alabama*

Anissa Avila, Owen to East Tennessee State

Savannah Buchanan, Tuscola to Belmont Abbey*

Teegan Bullock, North Henderson to Brevard

Melody Hannah, Tuscola to North Greenville*

Abigail Knight, Robbinsville to Virginia Tech%

Jordan Kielson, Pisgah to Lander*

Lauren McGuire, Robbinsville to Young Harris

Autumn Owen, Polk County to Gardner-Webb*

Allison Plafcan, Tuscola to Converse

Jaiden Tweed, Owen to Presbyterian*

VOLLEYBALL (8)

Mary Catherine Ball, West Henderson to Belmont

Emma Binns, Roberson to Tennessee*

Alex Boone, Mountain Heritage to Charlotte

Destynee Galloway, West Henderson Francis Marion

Sierra Jones, West Henderson to Presbyterian

Caroline Marsh, North Henderson to UNC Wilmington

Savanna Roper, Hendersonville to Centre

Kendall Wick, Hendersonville to Montreat

* – junior

% – sophomore

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Veritas Christian Academy replaced its 75-year-old gym floor this summer.

Special thanks to Veritas Christian Academy for this information and the photo:

75 Year Old Fletcher High School / Veritas Christian Academy Gym Gets Complete Makeover

Ever wonder what a gym was built like back in the 1950’s when there were no tools like we have today? Here it is. We had the pleasure this summer to completely remove our 75 year old gym floor due to sagging beams, dead spots in the floor and wood rot from years and years of exposure to the elements. It was surprising that back in the 1950’s , gym floors were engineered and built on crawl spaces with concrete peers holding up massive wood beams in order to support the floor approximately 40” off the dirt floor. 75 years later, the floor was in bad shape and needed to be replaced completely. Veritas Christian Academy now owns the old Fletcher High School and former Fletcher Elementary.  With the help of several fundraisers and extensive planning, Veritas began the process of replacing the floor on May 30 of this year. The process which is chronicled by pictures took the entire summer and was completed on August 17. The old wood gym floor and supports were completely torn out and filled 18 forty yard dumpsters.  Then came the daunting task of refilling the 40” crawlspace void with over 2.4 million pounds of washed stone to bring the floor back up to grade. The process then called for a 6” concrete slab to be poured in preparation for the brand new wood floor to be installed. Alexander Construction and TNNC oversaw the project with Carolina Hardwood out of Haywood County installing the entire floor and new playing surface. So for all of you former Fletcher High School and Fletcher Elementary school graduates that played thousands of games on the old floor, please come by when you get a chance and shoot a hoop or two on our new floor.

Thanks,
Jason Alexander
Director of Athletic
Veritas Christian Academy

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Asheville High’s Devon Davidson (3).

WNC FOOTBALL LEADERS

Western North Carolina football teams have been asked to submit their statistical leaders in the following categories. Schools which did not turn in stats are not included. Statistics may be e-mailed each Wednesday by noon to apearson@citizen-times.com.

PASSING             

Smoky Mountain’s Matthew Ridley.

WNC FOOTBALL LEADERS

Western North Carolina football teams have been asked to submit their statistical leaders in the following categories. Schools which did not turn in stats are not included. Statistics may be e-mailed each Wednesday by noon to apearson@citizen-times.com.

RUSHING

Hendersonville’s Tykel Landrum.

WNC FOOTBALL LEADERS

Western North Carolina football teams have been asked to submit their statistical leaders in the following categories. Schools which did not turn in stats are not included. Statistics may be e-mailed each Wednesday by noon to apearson@citizen-times.com.

RECEIVING

Ethan Shook (44) leads Brevard in tackles.

WNC FOOTBALL LEADERS

Western North Carolina football teams have been asked to submit their statistical leaders in the following categories. Schools which did not turn in stats are not included. Statistics may be e-mailed each Wednesday by noon to apearson@citizen-times.com.

TACKLES

Pisgah’s Allison Merrell returns a ball during Tuesday’s match against Smoky Mountain in Canton.

CANTON – Tennis is a game of reflexes.

Whether the thinking required for shot-making is quick or deliberate, the Pisgah girls have got it handled.

The Black Bears boast a weighted grade-point average of 4.39 amongst their 16 players.

Let that sink in, along with the fact that the girls from Haywood County are 5-2 overall and 5-0 in the Western North Carolina Conference after a marathon 5-4 match with visiting Smoky Mountain on Tuesday afternoon.

“Our final record was 2-12 last year, so that gives you a good idea of how much things have changed,” fourth-year coach Harold Shepard said.

“They were all first-timers last year and it showed. But they’ve played and gotten better. We want to get better every year.”

All this trail-blazing is coming from not a single player in the top-six who is a senior. They are junior Cheyanne King (3-4), sophomore Allie Fisher (4-3), freshman Maeanna Norris (6-1), sophomore Carli Styles (6-1), sophomore Brooke Garland (5-2) and junior Megan Rathbone (4-1).

Twelth-graders on the roster are Allison Merrill, Autumn Dillingham and Thea Boone. The next match for the Black Bears is Thursday at Brevard (5-1, 5-0).

“It’s a really cool feeling to have this kind of season,” Fisher said.

“We’ve had a lot more fans. Before, we barely had any. We are bringing more people in and getting (tennis) more popular.”

Pisgah was beaten handily in a couple early-season nonconference matches (8-1 at Carolina Day on Aug. 18) and (6-3 at home against Enka on Aug. 24). The next scheduled match for the team is Thursday at Brevard.

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Scoreboard

Coaches, please report your scores by calling (828) 232-5863. Box scores may also be e-mailed to apearson@citizen-times.com. Twitter users are encouraged to tag the Huddle with scoring updates at acthshuddle.

SOCCER

Reynolds 1, Asheville 0

Roberson 5, Veritas Christian Academy 1

North Buncombe 7, McDowell 0

West Henderson 6, Smoky Mountain 3

North Henderson 4, East Henderson 0

Enka 3, Erwin 2

VOLLEYBALL

North Buncombe 3, Owen 0

Asheville School 3, Erwin 0

Rabun Gap (Ga.) 3, Blue Ridge 2

Brevard 3, Hendersonville 0

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Madison sophomore Savannah Rice has committed to play college softball for Western Carolina University.

Madison sophomore Savannah Rice has committed to play college softball for Western Carolina University.

Rice was an All-Western Highlands Conference pitcher/utility player for the WHC champion Patriots (22-2) last spring.

She was 7-1 in the circle with a 1.56 earned-run average and 58 strikeouts in 54 innings pitched. At the plate, Rice batted .303 with 21 RBIs, four doubles and two home runs.

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Tennis

Coaches, please report your scores by calling (828) 232-5863. Box scores may also be e-mailed to apearson@citizen-times.com. Twitter users are encouraged to tag the Huddle with scoring updates at acthshuddle.

Smoky Mountain 9, North Henderson 0

Singles

Veronica Judson (SM) d. Brittany Brewer 6-2, 6-0; Madison Polyasko (SM) d. Breanna Slagle 6-0, 6-0; Taylor Moranda (SM) d. Sophia Cruz 6-3, 2-6, 10-7; Mira Mault (SM) d. Adela Gutierrez 6-3, 6-2; McKenna Enloe (SM) d. Mitali Merchant 6-1, 6-1; Jordan Fox (SM) d. April Mendez 6-1, 6-0.

Doubles

Judson-Polyasko (SM) d. Brewer-Slagle 8-1; Moranda-Mault (SM) d. Cruz-Gutierrez 8-5; Enloe-Hammer (SM) d. Merchant-Slagle 8-2.

Reynolds 7, North Buncombe 2

Singles

Ellie Moran (ACR) d. Sophie Robinson 6-3, 6-2; Madison Wommack (ACR) d. Ashton Rogers 6-3, 7-5; Emma Jones (ACR) d. Cailee Henderson 6-0, 6-0; Sarah Groce (ACR) d. Christina Corle 6-0, 6-0; Gabby Cole (ACR) d. Willow Dorris 6-1, 6-0; Kendall Henretta (ACR) d. Haley Phillips 6-1, 6-0.

Doubles

Robinson-Rogers (NB) d. Wommack-Zavylalova 8-0; Adams-Diez (ACR) d. Henderson-Corle 8-2; Dorris-Sandoval (NB) d. Frempong-Edwards, 8-2.

Asheville School 9, Statesville Christian 0

Singles:

Rachel Kuehn (AS) d. Tina Perumalla 6-0, 6-0; Sarah Abernethy (AS) d. Jess Stephenson 6-0, 6-0; Elise Huff (AS) d. Brooke Boan 6-1, 6-2; Sarah Mims (AS) d. Alyssa Farmer 6-4, 6-1; Madeleine Hepting (AS) d. Olivia Cooper 6-0, 6-1; Anna Bernstein (AS) d. Emma Schopps 6-2, 6-0.

Doubles

Kuehn-Abernethy (AS) d. Stephenson-Boan 8-1; Huff-Mims (AS) d. Perumalla-Cooper 8-6; Hepting-Bernstein (AS) d. Farmer-Kylie Haarmann 8-0.

Records: AS 3-1

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Soccer

Coaches, please report your scores by calling (828) 232-5863. Box scores may also be e-mailed to apearson@citizen-times.com. Twitter users are encouraged to tag the Huddle with scoring updates at acthshuddle.

Enka 3, Erwin 2

Scoring: En, Ruben Diaz PK, 57:00; Erw, Tim Veselovsky, 64:00; En, Diaz 85:00; Erw, Romeric Cruz Ventura 87:00; En, Jaune Garcia (Diaz) 91:00.

Shots: Enka 22, Erwin 7.

Saves: Enka, Jarrett Payne 5. Erwin, Sergio Gomez 16.

Records: Enka 8-0-2, 2-0. Erwin 7-4, 0-2.

JV: Erwin 3-2.

West Henderson 6, Smoky Mountain 3

Scoring: WH, 4:00 Victor Islas 4:00; WH, Chano Gonzalez (Jesus Diaz) 5:00; WH Gonzalez (Trevor Laffin) 7:00; WH, Tyson Hichman 34:00; WH, Gonzalez (Hichman) 38:00; SM, Genaro Carcamo (Clay Long) 44:00; WH, Hichman (Islas) 54:00; SM, Carcamo (Dawson Karup) 75:00; SM Carcamo (Karup) 77:00.

Shots: : SM 8, WH 17.

Saves: SM 5 (Toedt 3, McDonald 2). WH 2 (Cesar Aguillar).

Roberson 5, Veritas 1

Scoring: TCR, Kevin Ramirez (Rhett Soule) 38:30; TCR, Thomas Hanson (Jack Sandstedt) 39:54; TCR, Jason Ingerick (Jeffrey Whitenace) 51:50; Ver, Josh Gilpin (direct kick) 60:40; TCR, Luke Jennings (Tanner McElreath) 70:37; TCR, Imanol Yepez-Frias (Rhett Soule) 71:40.

Shots: V, 10; R, 24.

Saves: V, James Madison, 10. TCR, Zac Hudspeth 2; Lukas Wehrli 1.

Records: V, 1-5-0; R, 8-2-1.

North Buncombe 7, McDowell 0

Scoring: NB, Hector Hernandez (Daniel Dor-El) 14:00; NB, Daniel Dor-El (Jason Ortiz) 37:00; NB, Nathan Girardi (Daniel Dor-El) 44:00; NB, Tal Dor-El (Daniel Dor-El) 58:00; NB, Austin Earley (PK) 63:00; NB, Tal Dor-El (Daniel Dor-El) 66:00; NB, Jason Ortiz 76:00.

Shots: NBHS 33, McDowell 3.

Saves: NBHS, Earley, Arroyo and Kniffin 0, McD, Efrain Rojas 18.

Records: NBHS 7-4-1.

JV: NBHS 2, McDowell 0.

Reynolds 1, Asheville 0

Scoring: ACR, Matthew Kennedy (Will German) 42:00.

Shots: ACR 12; Ash 8.

Saves: ACR, Griffith Porter 7; Ash, Ethan Heilig  3.

Records: ACR 9-1-1, 2-0-0.

Polk County 6, Mitchell 1

Scoring: Mit, Jonathan Mills.

Saves: Mit, Shane Greene 19.

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Volleyball

Coaches, please report your scores by calling (828) 232-5863. Box scores may also be e-mailed to apearson@citizen-times.com. Twitter users are encouraged to tag the Huddle with scoring updates at acthshuddle.

Asheville School 3, Erwin 0

Leaders: Erwin, Treasure Bailey 14 kills, 2 blocks; Jaia Grant 8 kills, 2 blocks; Rebekah Dover 11 digs. AS, Azana Green 21 kills; Elly Reed 12 assists; Heather Capps 12 assists; SJ Klein 15 digs.

Records: Erwin 3-9.

JV: Erwin 2-0

North Buncombe 3, Owen 0

Leaders: Owen, Chesney Gardner 9 digs, 7 kills, 3 blocks; Kathryn Wilkos 21 digs; Kylie Edwards 8 kills, 2 blocks; Caitlyn Ledford 7 digs, 15 assists. NB, Abbey Darress 10 kills, 9 digs; Bre Myers 9 digs, 2 aces; Brittany Johnson 9 digs; Caitlin Griffin 13 assists, 2 aces; Shelby Clark, 11 assists.

Records: Owen 1-8. NB 9-3.

JV: NB 2-0.

Brevard 3, Hendersonville 0

Leaders: Brevard, A. McBee, 11 kills, 5 digs, 2 aces, 19 assists; B. Betts, 12 kills, 9 digs.

Records: Brevard 6-2, 3-1.

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Reynolds’ Matthew Kennedy.

ASHEVILLE – Matthew Kennedy was still drying off from a halftime rain shower Wednesday when the ball came to rest on his back heel.

One swift kick later, the Reynolds soccer team was on its way to a huge Mountain Athletic Conference road win.

Kennedy’s goal in the 42nd minute stood up as the only one by either rival in a 1-0 game at Asheville High Memorial Stadium.

“It wasn’t the prettiest soccer, but we’ll take it,” Rockets coach Patrick Gladys said.

“Our goalkeeper Griffith Porter had a great game. Luke Sloan was outstanding on defense, all the guys were. Any time you come over here to Asheville and win, it’s big.”

Reynolds (9-1-1, 2-0-0) outshot the Cougars (5-3-1, 0-1-0) by a 12-8 count and Porter made seven saves.

Neither side put a ton of shots on frame. Kennedy’s goal was a matter of cleaning up a scrum in front of the Cougars’ goal. Fellow junior Will German was credited with the assist.

Wednesday was the eighth consecutive win for the Rockets.

The Reynolds soccer team celebrates after Matthew Kennedy scored a goal at Asheville September 14, 2016.

Reynolds’ Mike Scarbrough hits header in the game at Asheville September 14, 2016.

“Both teams played hard,” Asheville coach Mike Flowe said.

“Things didn’t go our way tonight, but this is just the beginning. There’s a lot of soccer left to play and there’s going to be a lot of tough games in this conference.”

Gladys was in complete agreement.

“From top to bottom, it’s going to be a challenge every night,” Gladys said.

Reynolds returns to action Monday with a nonconference game at Asheville Christian Academy. Asheville’s next game is Monday at home against undefeated Enka (8-0-2, 2-0-0).

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Former All-WNC striker Tyson Hichman (10) scored his 100th career goal Wednesday night for West Henderson.

Former All-WNC striker Tyson Hichman scored his 100th career goal Wednesday night for West Henderson.

And later in the evening, he got No. 101, too. The Falcons (6-3-1, 2-0-0) doubled up Smoky Mountain, 6-3, in a Western North Carolina Athletic Conference soccer game played in Sylva.

Hichman is a senior and was the 2015 WNCAC Offensive Player of the Year. He scored 45 times as a junior. Hichman has 83 goals in his varsity career at West Henderson and put home 18 as a sophomore for Carolina Day.

The above photo is from the company Blue Ridge Expressions. Check out more of photographer Pat Shrader’s work here.

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Smoky Mountain is home for Thursday’s live TV game against Cherokee.

• Smoky Mountain 45
• Cherokee 18 Fourth quarter 5:18

Keep checking back here for live, continuous updates from Thursday night’s football game between Cherokee (3-1) and undefeated Smoky Mountain (3-0). Hit refresh/reload on your web browser to view the latest update.

9:51: TOUCHDOWN SMOKY MOUNTAIN. Cyrus Lanning rushes for a 2-yard touchdown with 5:18 remaining in the game. Devon Macke hits the extra point.

9:48: Cyrus Lanning breaks a 36-yard run. After a facemask penalty, ball is spotted at the Cherokee 15-yard line.

9:45: Mustangs nearing midfield with 7:15 to go in the game.

9:43: Nate Coffey is in to play quarterback for Smoky Mountain.

9:40: TOUCHDOWN CHEROKEE. Tye Mintz throws another touchdown pass to Toineeta, this one covers 44 yards with 9:37 remaining. Two-point conversion pass is incomplete.

9:37: Interception for George Swayney gives the ball back to Cherokee.

9:31: TOUCHDOWN CHEROKEE. Tye Mintz throws a 22-yard touchdown to Anthony Toineeta with 10:59 to go in the game. Two-point conversion attempt fails.

9:28: End of the third quarter.

9:25: Cherokee ball on the Smoky Mountain 40 with 1:00 to go in the third quarter.

9:19: TOUCHDOWN SMOKY MOUNTAIN. Matthew Ridley rushes for a 22-yard touchdown with 1:31 to go in the third quarter. Devon Macke adds the extra point.

9:15: Mustangs are back in Cherokee territory after a nice carry by Matthew Ridley.

9:12: Turnover on downs at the Smoky Mountain 19.

9:09: Cherokee quarterback Tye Mintz breaks a 56-yard run down to the Smoky Mountain 26. He now has 118 rushing yards. First down.

9:05: Touchback on the kickoff. Cherokee ball on its 20-yard line.

9:01: TOUCHDOWN SMOKY MOUNTAIN. Matthew Ridley rushes for a 1-yard touchdown with 6:20 to go in the second quarter. Devon Macke tacks on the extra point.

8:59: Cherokee’s Byron Locust helped off the field.

8:57: Mustangs convert on a 24-yard run by Connor Moore. First and goal.

8:55: Fourth down and 19 for Smoky Mountain at the Cherokee 29-yard line.

8:52: Mustangs are driving again with lots of carries by Matthew Ridley. First down at Cherokee 18. Ridley just went over 100 yards.

8:49: After the punt, it’s Smoky Mountain’s ball on the Cherokee 45.

8:47: Cherokee goes three and out.

8:45: Cherokee gets the ball to start the second half. Braves will have it at their 22.

8:37: Smoky Mountain Cole Hooper has passed for 139 yards at the half.

8:24: End of the second quarter.

8:21: FIELD GOAL. Devon Macke hits a 33-yard field goal with 14.9 seconds to go in the second quarter. Commanding lead for Smoky Mountain.

8:18: Penalties are killing Cherokee here and giving Smoky Mountain a chance to score again before halftime. Mustangs now at the Cherokee 26 with 41 seconds to go in the second quarter.

8:14: Turnover on downs at the Mustangs’ 22-yard line. There is only 1:43 to go until halftime.

8:12: Fresh set of downs for Cherokee at the Smoky Mountain 25 after a pass-interference penalty.

8:09: Cherokee crosses into Smoky Mountain territory. Braves ball at the Smoky Mountain 46-yard line with 4:14 to go until halftime.

8:05: TOUCHDOWN SMOKY MOUNTAIN. Cole Hooper rushes for a 4-yard touchdown with 5:28 to go in the second quarter. Devon Macke adds the extra point.

8:03: They convert on a 23-yard pass from Cole Hooper to Gage Kosnik.

8:02: Fourth down and 10 for Smoky Mountain at the Cherokee 27. Mustangs are going for it.

8:00: Mustangs have something going. They are already down at the Cherokee 27.

7:55: Cole Hooper is back in the game for Smoky Mountain.

7:54: Good field position for Smoky Mountain which will start from its 46-yard line.

7:51: Conversion fails.

7:49: TOUCHDOWN CHEROKEE. Tye Mintz rushes for a 9-yard touchdown with 8:01 to go in the second quarter. Looks like the Braves will go for two.

7:45: Cherokee is on the move. Braves near midfield after a short carry by Blake Smith.

7:42: Smoky Mountain turns the ball over on downs at the Cherokee 25.

7:39: End of the first quarter.

7:38: Mustangs are making sure that Matthew Ridley gets a lot of carries. He is now up to 63 yards.

7:37: Hooper has not returned. Junior Nate Coffey has taken over at quarterback.

7:34: Smoky Mountain will have the ball on its 41. Only 1:58 to go in the first quarter.

7:33: Cherokee goes three and out. Braves will have to punt.

7:28: Smoky Mountain goes three and out. Facing fourth down and 10 from the Cherokee 39. Punt team will come on after Mustangs quarterback Cole Hooper is shaken up.

7:25: Fumble by the Braves, their second turnover of the game, and it’s recovered by Smoky.

7:24: Braves take over on their 20-yard line after the kickoff.

7:23: TOUCHDOWN SMOKY MOUNTAIN. Cole Hooper throws a 79-yard touchdown pass to Connor Moore with 4:40 to go in the first quarter. Devon Macke tacks on the extra point.

7:20: Interception by Smoky Mountain’s Tristen Kenyon. Mustangs have the ball on their 25-yard line with 5:15 to go in the first quarter. Timeout on the field.

7:18: Smoky Mountain turns the ball over on downs at the Cherokee 45-yard line.

7:15: Cherokee turns the ball over on downs at the Smoky Mountain 38-yard line.

7:09: Mustangs needed just over two minutes to drive 87 yards.

7:07: TOUCHDOWN SMOKY MOUNTAIN. Austin Baumgarner’s first reception of the game is a 9-yard throw from Cole Hooper with 9:57 to go in the first quarter. Extra point is good.

7:05: Smoky Mountain is marching down the field. After a quarterback keeper by Cole Hooper, the Mustangs have already advanced to the Cherokee

7:00: Smoky Mountain will get the ball first.

6:55: Cherokee dressed in white tops and gold pants. Smoky in all grey.

6:52: Been raining here for about the last 15-20 minutes so will be interestling to see how that affects things.

6:50: Hello from Sylva.

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Swain County alum Faith Long was recently rewarded with a roster spot on the Carson-Newman (Tenn.) track and field team.

Swain County alum Faith Long was recently rewarded with a roster spot on the Carson-Newman (Tenn.) track and field team.

Long graduated from high school in 2015.

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Micah Jenkins and Roberson are one of seven undefeated teams in Western North Carolina football.

ASHEVILLE – September is the month where summer dovetails into the fall.

Seven undefeated teams from Western North Carolina would love for that to be the only change of seasons in the near future. Because football-wise, they have no complaints about their seasons so far.

Mitchell (4-0), Mountain Heritage (4-0), Roberson (4-0), Pisgah (3-0), Smoky Mountain (3-0), Tuscola (3-0) and Asheville School (2-0) were all undefeated as of Thursday.

The Rams (J.D. Dinwiddie) and Mustangs (Chris Brookshire) are walking that thin line of perfection with first-year coaches.

“These kids are playing hard and working their tails off every day,” Dinwiddie said.

“This is new territory for them. This group of kids have never been 4-0 before (the last such occurrence for Roberson football was 2012). Yeah, we’re having a good time and it’s fun. It’s very business-oriented, too. You have to learn how to handle not only adversity, but success. We’re happy with what we’ve done so far, but we want to compete for a Mountain Athletic Conference championship and that’s constantly on your mind.”

The Rams travel to two-time defending state champion Shelby Crest (2-1) on Friday.

Imagine how many ticket stubs will be ripped off if everyone keeps winning between now and the Pisgah-Tuscola game (Oct. 14 in Canton) or the Mitchell-Mountain Heritage game (Oct. 21 in Ledger)?

Heritage will try to continue holding up its end of the bargain with Friday’s trip to West Henderson (3-1). The usual traffic congestion on Interstate 26, exacerbated by the Mountain State Fair, aren’t the only worries for Cougars coach Joey Robinson and the No. 1 team in the Citizen-Times Best of the West rankings.

“(West Henderson) is absolutely always well-coached,” Robinson said.

“They are a lot like us in what they try to do. Defensively, they probably gave us as tough a time as any team we played last year. I feel good about where we’re at. As far as execution goes, this is the best we’ve been in a long time. I’m really pleased with how all the kids are playing, even the backups. We’re a little deeper than I thought and defense to be is the biggest difference in us from some years past.”

Mountain Heritage has scored on all but one possession the past two weeks in wins over North Buncombe and Rosman. And a touchdown was called back for a flag on that one possession in question.

Pisgah’s last game was Sept. 1 (a 17-14 live TV win over visiting Asheville High). The Black Bears pay a visit to former assistant coach Ben Rhodarmer and Madison (3-1) on Friday.

“Coming off an open week, you wonder are you going to be rusty? Are you going to come out and finish plays the way you should? We won’t know until kickoff,” Pisgah coach Brett Chappell said.

“I think it’s going to be a really good atmosphere over there. I think it’s going to be a great ballgame.”

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WNC football capsules – Week 5

Golf

Coaches, please report your scores by calling (828) 232-5863. Box scores may also be e-mailed to apearson@citizen-times.com. Twitter users are encouraged to tag the Huddle with scoring updates at acthshuddle.

Thursday at Red Fox Golf Club

Team scores

1. West Henderson 163; 2. North Henderson and Brevard no score.

Individual results

1. Meredith Barton (B) 49; 2. Bailey Swayngim (WH) 53; 3. Rachel Byrd (B) 54; 4. Victoria McGraw (NH) 54.

Thursday at Braoadmoor Golf Links

Team scores

1. Enka 150; 2. Roberson 151; 3. McDowell 155; 4. Asheville 170; 5. Reynolds 177.

Individual results

1. Maya White (TCR) 38; 2. Caitlynn Stewart (En) 44; 3. Ana Tsiros (Ash) 44; 4. Madison Lytle (McD) 46; 5. Isabella Prelaz (TCR) 50.

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Tennis

Coaches, please report your scores by calling (828) 232-5863. Box scores may also be e-mailed to apearson@citizen-times.com. Twitter users are encouraged to tag the Huddle with scoring updates at acthshuddle.

Roberson 8, McDowell 1

Singles

Ava Manley (TCR) d. Jasmine Smith 6-0, 6-2; Sarah Interlicchia (TCR) d. Kaitlyn Helton 6-0, 6-0; Jasmine Gallaway (TCR) d. Kaila Montague (McD) 6-1, 6-2; Gracie Reinhardt (TCR) d. River Price 7-6 (7-5); 7-6 (7-4); Shaina Masterman (TCR) d. Korryn Shedlock 6-2, 6-4; Paige Horner (TCR) d. Kendall Brooks 6-0, 6-0.

Doubles

Smith-Helton (McD) d. Interlicchia-Rand 9-7; Butler-Champlin (TCR) d. Montague-Logan 8-0; Curriden-Neal (TCR) d. Weaver-Mathison 8-4.

Hendersonville 6, Avery County 3

Singles

Annabelle Webb (Hen) d. Morgan Paris 10-2; Hamrick Perry (Hen) d. Ollianne Ramey 10-4; Madison Johnson (AC) d. Ellie Jull 10-4; Celia Donaldson (Hen) d. Alexis Hayes 10-0; Georgia Long (Hen) d. Ellie Kitchin 10-6; Aidan Betz (AC) d. Madison Ogden 11-9.

Doubles

Paris-Ramey (AC) d. Webb-Jull 9-8; Perry-Donaldson (Hen) d. Johnson-Kitchin 8-1; Long-Thompson (Hen) d. Betz-Carroll 8-4.

Carolina Day 7, Reynolds 2

Singles

Elizabeth Wood (CDS) d. Ellie Moran 6-1, 6-2; Katie Hull (CDS) d. Madison Wommack 6-1, 1-6, (10-8); Emma Jones (ACR) d. Alice Wood 4-6, 4-2, Ret.; Caroline Wood (CDS) d. Sarah Groce 6-0, 6-1; Hannah Matin (CDS) d. Gabby Cole 6-2, 6-3; Carolyn Diez (ACR) d. Bergen Murray 6-4, 6-7 (5-7) (11-9).

Doubles

E. Wood-C. Wood (CDS) d. Moran/Jones 8-4; Hull-Anna Kate Baechtold (CDS) d. Wommack-Genna Zavyalova 8-5; Matin-Murray (CDS) d. Groce-Cole 8-3

Records CDS 6-0, 1-0.

Enka 8, North Buncombe 1

Singles

Meredith Anderson (En) d. Sophie Robinson 6-0, 6-0; Danielle Harris (En) d. Ashton Rogers 6-2, 6-2; Micealle Ensley (En) d. Sabrina Sandoval 6-3, 6-1; Cailee Henderson (NB) d. Taylor Shipman 7-6 (2), 6-0; Nicole Freeman (En) d. Christina Corle 6-3, 6-2; Lindsey Bull (En) d. Hailee Phillips 6-1, 6-4

Doubles

Anderson-Harris (En) d. Robinson-Rogers 8-4; Saajana Bhakta-Lauren Zavagila (En) d. Christina Corle-Moriah Bullman 8-4; Christi Olsen-Carly Banks (En) d. Sabrina Sandoval-Willow Dorris 8-6.

Owen 6, Polk County 3

Singles

Hannah Jenne (PC) d. Jaiden Tweed 10-0; Tana Harris (PC) d. Ashley Valencia 10-6; Camryn Bolick (Ow) d. Haven Dufford 10-2; Margaret Hey (Ow) d. Alicia Twitty 10-2; Madison Devan (Ow) d. Bella Marino 10-4; Avery Burleson (Ow) d. Trinity Branham 10-2.

Doubles

Jenne-Harris (PC) d. Valencia-Burleson 8-3; Bolick-Devan (Ow) d. Dufford-Ava Marino 8-2; Tweed-Anne Thomas Mathews (Ow) d. Marino-Branham 8-3.

Pisgah 5, Brevard 4

Singles

Aly Henneberry (B) d. Cheyenne King 6-3, 6-2; Delaney Holland (B) d. Allie Fisher 6-2, 6-3; Maeanna Norris (P)  d. Bailkey Shuler 6-2, 6-2; Carli Styles (P) d. Hannah Stancil 7-5, 6-1; Brooke Garland (P) d. Meredith Hooper 7-5, 6-4; Megan Rathbone (P) d. Sam Baughman 6-2, 6-0.

Doubles

Hennebery-Stancil (B) d. King-Styles 8-4; Holland-Shuler (B) d. Fisher-Norris 8-1; Rathbone-Breanna Metcalf (P) d. Hooper-Lauren Smith 8-3.

Pisgah 6-2, 6-0; Brevard 5-2, 5-1.

West Henderson 9, East Henderson 0

Singles

Bridges (WH) d. Guerrero 6-0, 6-0; Cooper (WH) d. Maybin 6-1, 6-4; Welch (WH) d. Thiessen 6-1, 6-0; Mossi (WH) d. Cram 6-2, 4-6, 10-8; Robinson (WH) d. Mentch 6-2, 6-2; Cavanaugh (WH) d. Green 6-2, 6-2.

Doubles

Bridges-Mosso (WH) d. Guerrero-Thiessen 8-0; Welch-Ochs (WH) d. Maybin-Cram 8-6; Robinson-Cavanaugh d. Mentch-Green 8-2.

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Field hockey

Coaches, please report your scores by calling (828) 232-5863. Box scores may also be e-mailed to apearson@citizen-times.com. Twitter users are encouraged to tag the Huddle with scoring updates at acthshuddle.

Asheville 4, Marvin Ridge 0

Scoring: Ash, Katie Kayser (2); Milly Etheridge (2).

Saves: Ash, Millie Johnson 2.

JV: Asheville 1, Porter Ridge 1.

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