Rmani Lynch and Reynolds travel to Hendersonville on Friday.

• Reynolds 40
• Hendersonville 17 FINAL

Keep checking back here for live, continuous updates from Friday night’s football game between Hendersonville (3-1) and Reynolds (2-2). Hit refresh/reload on your web browser to view the latest update. Twitter users are encouraged to tag the Huddle with scoring updates at acthshuddle. We will retweet as many as possible.

10:06: Game over.

10:04: TOUCHDOWN HENDERSONVILLE. Ty’rese Hunt rushes for a 10-yard touchdown with 41 seconds to go. Extra point is good.

10:02: Good punt return by Tykel Landrum. Lot of starters still in for the Bearcats’ offense.

9:59: Reynolds’ ball on its 33 after the kickoff.

9:56: TOUCHDOWN HENDERSONVILLE. Tykel Landrum rushes for a 12-yard touchdown with 3:12 to go. Extra point is good by Drew Eudy.

9:54: Hendersonville inside the red zone with 3:19 on the clock.

9:50: Another punt, but Reynolds fumbles it right back. Hendersonville ball on its 43-yard line.

9:45: TOUCHDOWN REYNOLDS: Kaedin Robinson runs for a 53-yard touchdown. Extra point from Blakey is good.

9:43: After a Hendersonville punt, it’s Reynolds’ ball on the Rockets’ 47.

9:38: FIELD GOAL REYNOLDS. Ethan Blakey kicks a 23-yard field goal with 8:08 to go in the game.

9:36: First down at the Hendersonville 11.

9:35: Interception by the Rockets’ Josh Proffitt.

9:33: After a Rockets’ punt, it’s Bearcats’ ball on their 23-yard line.

9:25: End of the third quarter.

9:28: After the punt, Hendersonville has the ball on its 48-yard line. Alex Flinn has taken over at quarterback for Reynolds.

9:24: Another stop for the Rockets’ defense. They’ve been pretty solid all night.

9:23: Hendersonville ball on its 24.

9:21: TOUCHDOWN REYNOLDS. Kaedin Robinson breaks a 52-yard punt return for the Rockets with 3:44 to go in the third quarter. The extra point from Ethan Blakey is good.

9:18: Bearcats go three and out. Frank Torres with a sack on third down.

9:15: Touchback. Hendersonville ball on its 20.

9:13: TOUCHDOWN REYNOLDS. Keyal Talbert rushes for a 13-yard touchdown with 5:52 to go in the third quarter. Ethan Blakey tacks on the extra point.

9:12: Fumble. Frank Torres recovers for the Rockets after a bad snap.

9:11: Rockets are unable to do a whole lot. Hendersonville takes over on its 10-yard line after a punt.

9:05: Reynolds approaching midfield after a 4-yard carry by Sean Jones.

9:04: Rockets take over on their 23.

9:02: Bearcats’ possession stalls at the Reynolds’ 43-yard line. Looks like a punt is coming.

9:00: A 22-yard pass from Alex Williford to Tykel Landrum puts the ball at the Rockets’ 42.

8:57: Hendersonville gets the ball to start the second half at its 30-yard line.

8:34: End of the second quarter.

8:32: Only 10 seconds to go in the first half. Hendersonville has the ball at the Reynolds’ 44.

8:30: Roughing call continues this possession for Hendersonville.

8:27: Hendersonville goes three and out. Been a tough first half for both offenses.

8:26: Rockets fumble the ensuing punt return. Hendersonville ball on its 39-yard line with 1:48 to go until halftime.

8:23: Third down and 29 from the Bearcats’ 14.

8:22: Nothing doing for the Rockets. After a punt, it’s Hendersonville ball on its 33.

8:18: Reynolds’ ball on its 36-yard line with 4:18 remaining in the second quarter.

8:16: SAFETY. A bad snap to Hendersonville quarterback Alex Williford and he has no choice but to fall on it in the end zone.

8:14: Hendersonville will take over on its 6-yard line. Only 5:11 to go until halftime.

8:13: Fourth down and 14 for Reynolds at the Hendersonville 35. Rockets are going to punt.

8:10: Rockets advance to the Hendersonville 30 on a 14-yard reception by Alex Flinn.

8:09: Reynolds has the ball on its 49-yard line after the punt. There is 6:48 to go in the first half.

8:07: Another good defensive stand by the Rockets, aided by a Hendersonville holding call on second down.

8:06: Hendersonville will start this next possession from its 25-yard line.

8:04: TOUCHDOWN REYNOLDS. Will Israel rushes for a 3-yard touchdown with 8:25 to go in the second quarter. Extra point from Ethan Blakey is good.

8:02: Nathan St. Onge breaks a 43-yard run on third down. First down and goal for Reynolds at the Hendersonville 3-yard line.

8:01: Sean Jones latest carry puts the ball on the Hendersonville 45-yard line. Rockets are on the move.

7:59: Bearcats go three and out. Punt team is coming on.

7:57: Hendersonville just picked up a first down on a 14-yard completion from Alex Williford to Tykel Landrum.

7:55: End of the first quarter.

7:53: Hendersonville takes over on its 26 after the kickoff.

7:50: TOUCHDOWN REYNOLDS. On fourth down, Keyal Talbert rushes for a 33-yard touchdown with 46 seconds to go in the first quarter. Ethan Blakely tacks on the extra point.

7:48: Rockets cross into Hendersonville territory for the first time after a facemask penalty.

7:47: Reynolds ball on its 40.

7:46: Bearcats go three and out.

7:44: Hendersonville ball on its 29-yard line after the punt.

7:43: Another stop for the Hendersonville defense. Rockets will have to punt for the second time tonight.

7:42: Reynolds takes over on its 27-yard line after the kickoff.

7:40: FIELD GOAL HENDERSONVILLE. Drew Eudy kicks a 42-yard field goal with 6:16 to go in the first quarter.

7:37: Third down and 8 for the Bearcats at the Reynolds’ 12-yard line. Rockets come up with a sack.

7:36: Bearcats have advanced the ball down to the Rockets’ 25-yard line. First down.

7:35: Good field position for the Bearcats at the Reynolds’ 44.

7:34: Reynolds goes three and out. Good opening series for the Hendersonville defense which did not allow a play for any positive yardage.

7:32: Rockets will start from their 23.

7:28: Reynolds win the toss and want the ball.

7:27: The Bearcats are dressed in red tops and white pants tonight, Reynolds in white tops and gold pants. Captains are coming out to midfield for the coin toss.

7:26: Hello from Hendersonville.

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Cherokee quarterback Tye Mintz (1) carries the ball in Thursday’s game at Smoky Mountain.

North Carolina high school football analyst Brian Simmons has made his predictions for all of this week’s statewide games:

WEEK 5 – TOP 10 FEATURED GAMES    Pick
Butler (3-1, 4A) at Hough (3-1, 4A)    B by 13
Conley, D.H. (3-1, 4A) at West Craven (3-0, 3A)    W by 3
Hoggard (1-3, 4A) at Clinton (3-0, 2A)    C by 8
Myers Park (4-0, 4A) at Sun Valley (4-0, 3A)    M by 7
North Davidson (4-0, 4A) at Charlotte Christian (4-0, Ind)    C by 1
North Rowan (3-1, 2A) at South Iredell (2-1, 3A)    S by 9
Northside(Pinetown) (4-0, 1A) at Riverside(Williamston) (3-0, 1A)    R by 13
Roberson, T.C. (4-0, 4A) at Crest (2-1, 3A)    C by 8
Rocky Mount (3-1, 3A) at Rose, J.H. (1-2, 4A)    RM by 3
Surry Central (4-0, 2A) at Mount Airy (4-0, 1A)    M by 7

WEEK 5 PICKS    
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 15, 2016    Pick
Cherokee (3-1, 1A) at Smoky Mountain (3-0, 2A)    S by 5
Ravenscroft (2-2, Ind) at Trinity Christian (2-1, Ind)    R by 16
Walkertown (1-3, 1A) at West Stokes (3-1, 2A)    WS by 11

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 2016    Pick
Albemarle (0-4, 1A) at Chatham Central (1-3, 1A)*    A by 5
Alexander Central (3-0, 4A) at Ashe County (1-2, 2A)    Alex by 25
Apex (0-4, 4A) at Cary (0-4, 4A)*    C by 6
Asheville School (2-0, Ind) at Camden Military(SC) (NR)    A by 11
Ashley (2-0, 4A) at Westover (2-2, 3A)    W by 12
Avery County (1-3, 1A) at North Wilkes (2-1, 2A)    N by 11
Aycock, C.B. (3-1, 3A) at Corinth Holders (0-3, 3A)    CH by 8
Aynor(SC) (NR) at West Columbus (0-3, 1A)    A by 43
Beddingfield (2-2, 2A) at Nash Central (3-1, 3A)    B by 7
Berry Academy (0-3, 4A) at West Charlotte (0-4, 4A)    B by 7
Britt, Jack (2-2, 4A) at Swett, Purnell (2-2, 4A)    B by 7
Bunn (3-1, 2A) at Louisburg (1-2, 1A)    B by 45
Burns (4-0, 3A) at Kings Mountain (3-1, 3A)*    K by 12
Butler (3-1, 4A) at Hough (3-1, 4A)    B by 13
Camden County (1-2, 1A) at Plymouth (0-3, 1A)*    P by 29
Cape Hatteras (0-3, 1A) at Creswell (0-3, 1A)    Cr by 5
Carolina Gladiators (0-3, Ind) at Hickory Hawks (0-3, Ind)    H by 41
Carolina Pride (2-2, Ind) at Charlotte Latin (4-0, Ind)    CL by 55
Cedar Ridge (3-1, 3A) at Cardinal Gibbons (4-0, 4A)    CG by 23
Central Davidson (0-4, 3A) at Graham (0-3, 2A)    G by 19
Cherryville (0-4, 1A) at East Gaston (0-3, 3A)    E by 18
Clayton (3-1, 4A) at East Wake (2-2, 4A)*    C by 5
Cleveland (2-2, 3A) at Sanford, Terry (3-1, 3A)    S by 23
Concord (3-1, 3A) at South Rowan (0-3, 3A)*    C by 45
Concord First Assembly (4-0, Ind) at High Point Christian (4-0, Ind)    H by 21
Conley, D.H. (3-1, 4A) at West Craven (3-0, 3A)    W by 3
Cox Mill (0-3, 3A) at Hickory Ridge (2-2, 3A)*    H by 35
Croatan (3-1, 2A) at Swansboro (3-1, 3A)    C by 12
Cummings (0-4, 2A) at Andrews, T.W. (0-3, 2A)    A by 22
Currituck (2-2, 2A) at Hunt (1-2, 3A)    H by 30
Davidson Day (3-1, Ind) at Comm. Sch. of Davidson (0-4, 1A)    D by 50
Davie County (3-1, 4A) at Hopewell (1-3, 4A)    D by 45
Dixon (0-3, 2A) at Richlands (0-4, 3A)    R by 2
Draughn (1-3, 2A) at R-S Central (2-2, 2A)*    R by 21
East Bladen (2-1, 2A) at Laney (2-2, 4A)    L by 19
East Carteret (3-1, 1A) at Kenan, James (1-2, 1A)    E by 12
East Chapel Hill (1-3, 4A) at Chapel Hill (1-3, 3A)    C by 10
East Rowan (2-2, 3A) at Carson (2-1, 3A)*    C by 10
East Rutherford (2-2, 2A) at East Burke (0-3, 2A)*    EB by 6
East Wilkes (2-1, 1A) at Forbush (3-1, 2A)    E by 14
Eastern Guilford (3-0, 3A) at Northeast Guilford (1-3, 3A)*    E by 44
Eastern Randolph (2-2, 2A) at South Stanly (0-3, 1A)    E by 29
Eastern Wayne (2-1, 3A) at West Carteret (2-2, 3A)    WC by 34
Enka (1-3, 3A) at Brevard (2-1, 2A)    B by 23
Erwin (1-3, 3A) at Franklin (2-1, 2A)    F by 13
Fairmont (0-3, 2A) at South Brunswick (1-3, 3A)    F by 25
Fannin County(GA) (NR) at Andrews (1-3, 1A)    F by 14
Fayetteville Christian (1-3, Ind) at Greensboro Panthers (0-1, Ind)    F by 36
Forest Hills (0-4, 2A) at Cuthbertson (2-2, 3A)    C by 29
Franklinton (2-2, 2A) at Webb, J.F. (1-3, 3A)    F by 17
Fuquay-Varina (3-1, 4A) at Athens Drive (1-3, 4A)*    F by 24
Garner (3-1, 4A) at Southeast Raleigh (3-1, 4A)*    G by 28
Gates County (1-2, 1A) at Mattamuskeet (2-1, 1A)*    G by 41
Glenn (3-1, 4A) at Reynolds, R.J. (1-3, 4A)    G by 5
Green Hope (2-2, 4A) at Apex Friendship (1-2, 4A)*    G by 25
Greene Central (3-1, 2A) at Farmville Central (3-1, 2A)    G by 4
Grimsley (2-2, 4A) at East Forsyth (4-0, 4A)    E by 44
Harrells Christian (1-3, Ind) at Southlake Christian (2-2, Ind)    H by 17
Havelock (4-0, 3A) at Northside(Jacksonville) (3-1, 2A)    H by 20
High Point Central (2-2, 4A) at West Forsyth (3-1, 4A)    W by 34
Hillside (2-1, 4A) at Halifax County(VA) (NR)    Hil by 44
Hobbton (1-3, 1A) at Wake Christian (3-0, Ind)    W by 34
Hoggard (1-3, 4A) at Clinton (3-0, 2A)    C by 8
Jefferson, Thomas (2-1, 1A) at Central Academy (1-3, 2A)    J by 30
Jones Senior (1-2, 1A) at East Columbus (0-3, 1A)    J by 20
Jordan (0-3, 4A) at Sanderson (3-0, 4A)    S by 35
Jordan-Matthews (0-4, 2A) at Providence Grove (2-2, 2A)    P by 12
Knightdale (0-4, 4A) at Harnett Central (0-4, 4A)*    K by 8
Lake View(SC) (NR) at South Robeson (0-3, 1A)    L by 45
Lakewood (3-1, 1A) at Red Springs (2-1, 2A)    R by 1
Ledford (2-2, 3A) at Salisbury (1-3, 2A)    L by 28
Lejeune (0-4, 1A) at Pender (1-2, 1A)    P by 34
Lumberton (1-3, 4A) at Overhills (2-2, 4A)    L by 1
Maiden (2-1, 2A) at South Caldwell (0-3, 4A)    M by 35
Mallard Creek (3-0, 4A) at South Pointe(SC) (NR)    M by 13
Manteo (1-3, 1A) at Perquimans (2-2, 1A)*    P by 14
Marvin Ridge (1-3, 3A) at Garinger (0-4, 4A)    M by 48
McDowell (2-2, 4A) at Owen, C.D. (1-2, 2A)    M by 11
Mitchell (4-0, 1A) at North Buncombe (0-4, 3A)    M by 32
Monroe (2-2, 2A) at Anson (2-2, 3A)    M by 23
Morehead (0-4, 3A) at Eastern Alamance (4-0, 3A)*    E by 45
Mount Pleasant (1-3, 2A) at Robinson, Jay M. (3-1, 3A)    R by 22
Mountain Heritage (4-0, 2A) at West Henderson (2-1, 3A)    M by 28
Mountain Island Charter (2-1, 1A) at Pine Lake Prep (1-3, 1A)*    M by 8
Murphy (3-1, 1A) at Gilmer County(GA) (NR)    M by 23
Myers Park (4-0, 4A) at Sun Valley (4-0, 3A)    M by 7
New Hanover (1-2, 4A) at Scotland (4-0, 4A)    S by 24
North Brunswick (2-1, 2A) at West Brunswick (3-1, 3A)    W by 17
North Davidson (4-0, 4A) at Charlotte Christian (4-0, Ind)    C by 1
North Edgecombe (3-0, 1A) at Weldon (0-2, 1A)    N by 34
North Forsyth (2-2, 3A) at Mount Tabor (3-1, 4A)    M by 38
North Lenoir (1-3, 2A) at East Duplin (3-1, 2A)    E by 40
North Lincoln (0-3, 3A) at Bessemer City (2-2, 1A)    B by 21
North Mecklenburg (2-2, 4A) at Rocky River (1-3, 4A)    N by 3
North Moore (2-1, 1A) at West Montgomery (4-0, 1A)*    W by 28
North Rowan (3-1, 2A) at South Iredell (2-1, 3A)    S by 9
North Stanly (1-2, 1A) at South Davidson (1-3, 1A)*    N by 45
North Stokes (0-4, 1A) at Patrick County(VA) (NR)    P by 26
North Surry (1-3, 2A) at Atkins (0-4, 1A)    N by 39
Northampton County (1-3, 1A) at Southeast Halifax (2-1, 1A)    N by 4
Northeastern (3-0, 2A) at Lake Taylor(VA) (NR)    L by 13
Northern Durham (1-3, 4A) at Southern Durham (1-3, 3A)    N by 5
Northern Nash (2-2, 3A) at Goldsboro (0-4, 2A)    N by 47
Northern Vance (2-2, 3A) at Carrboro (0-4, 2A)    N by 28
Northside Christian (3-0, Ind) at Christ School (2-1, Ind)    C by 40
Northside(Pinetown) (4-0, 1A) at Riverside(Williamston) (3-0, 1A)    R by 13
Northwest Halifax (0-4, 1A) at Warren County (2-1, 2A)    W by 45
Pamlico (0-4, 1A) at Ayden-Grifton (2-2, 2A)    A by 46
Panther Creek (1-2, 4A) at Middle Creek (3-0, 4A)*    M by 46
Parkland (4-0, 4A) at Ashbrook (1-2, 3A)    P by 13
Parkwood (4-0, 2A) at Weddington (1-3, 3A)    W by 16
Pasquotank (3-0, 2A) at North Pitt (0-3, 2A)    P by 11
Person (3-1, 4A) at Enloe (2-1, 4A)    P by 5
Pine Forest (4-0, 4A) at Dudley (4-0, 4A)    D by 14
Pinewood Prep(SC) (NR) at Charlotte Country Day (1-3, Ind)    P by 7
Pisgah (3-0, 3A) at Madison (3-1, 2A)    P by 14
Polk County (1-3, 2A) at East Henderson (0-3, 3A)    P by 26
Porter Ridge (2-1, 4A) at Olympic (2-1, 4A)    O by 11
Princeton (1-3, 1A) at Union (3-0, 1A)    U by 41
Providence (0-3, 4A) at East Mecklenburg (3-1, 4A)    E by 18
Providence Day (1-3, Ind) at Victory Christian (0-2, Ind)    P by 49
Ragsdale (1-3, 4A) at Southern Guilford (2-2, 3A)    S by 14
Reagan (2-2, 4A) at Page (3-1, 4A)    P by 20
Reidsville (4-0, 2A) at Northern Guilford (0-3, 3A)    R by 6
Reynolds, A.C. (2-2, 3A) at Hendersonville (3-1, 2A)    R by 14
Riverside(Durham) (2-2, 4A) at Wakefield (2-1, 4A)    W by 13
Robbinsville (0-3, 1A) at Rabun Gap(GA) (1-2, Ind)    Rob by 15
Roberson, T.C. (4-0, 4A) at Crest (2-1, 3A)    C by 8
Rockingham County (0-4, 3A) at McMichael (0-4, 3A)*    M by 10
Rocky Mount (3-1, 3A) at Rose, J.H. (1-2, 4A)    RM by 3
Rocky Mount Prep (1-3, 1A) at Kestrel Heights (0-3, 1A)    R by 14
Rosewood (1-3, 1A) at South Lenoir (3-1, 2A)    S by 6
Sandhills Titans (2-2, Ind) at Village Christian (2-1, Ind)    V by 25
Seventy-First (3-1, 4A) at Byrd, Douglas (0-4, 3A)    S by 45
Shelby (4-0, 2A) at Chase (2-2, 2A)*    S by 54
Smith, E.E. (2-2, 4A) at Hoke County (0-4, 4A)    S by 1
Smithfield-Selma (0-4, 3A) at North Johnston (3-1, 2A)    N by 25
South Central (2-2, 4A) at Hertford County (2-2, 2A)    H by 9
South Creek (0-4, 1A) at North East Carolina Prep (0-3, Ind)    S by 27
South Granville (3-1, 2A) at Fike (3-1, 3A)    F by 12
South Johnston (1-3, 3A) at Cape Fear (4-0, 4A)    C by 43
South Stokes (1-3, 2A) at Bishop McGuinness (2-2, 1A)    B by 3
South View (3-1, 4A) at Richmond Senior (3-1, 4A)    R by 21
Southern Lee (3-0, 3A) at Pinecrest (4-0, 4A)    P by 26
Southern Wayne (1-2, 3A) at Kinston (2-2, 2A)    K by 27
Southwest Edgecombe (0-4, 2A) at Bertie (1-2, 2A)    S by 2
Southwest Guilford (4-0, 4A) at Southern Alamance (1-3, 4A)    SWG by 16
Southwest Onslow (2-2, 2A) at White Oak (0-3, 3A)    S by 4
Southwestern Randolph (0-4, 3A) at Lexington (2-2, 2A)    L by 42
Spring Creek (1-3, 1A) at Southside (2-2, 1A)    SS by 14
St. Stephens (1-2, 3A) at Bandys (1-2, 2A)    B by 2
Starmount (0-3, 1A) at Thomasville (1-3, 2A)    T by 13
Statesville (1-2, 3A) at Carver (0-4, 2A)    S by 12
Surry Central (4-0, 2A) at Mount Airy (4-0, 1A)    M by 7
Swain County (0-4, 1A) at Tuscola (3-0, 3A)    T by 38
Tarboro (3-1, 1A) at Southern Nash (4-0, 3A)    S by 17
Topsail (2-2, 3A) at Jacksonville (3-1, 3A)    J by 27
Trinity (2-2, 2A) at West Davidson (2-2, 2A)    T by 13
Trinity Academy(TN) (NR) at Rosman (0-3, 1A)    T by 3
Triton (2-1, 3A) at Gray’s Creek (1-3, 3A)    T by 3
Union Academy (2-2, 1A) at East Montgomery (4-0, 1A)*    E by 37
Union Pines (3-1, 3A) at Western Harnett (1-3, 3A)    U by 12
Vance (4-0, 4A) at Independence (0-4, 4A)    V by 39
Washington (0-3, 2A) at Roanoke Rapids (3-0, 2A)    R by 5
Washington, Booker T.(VA) (NR) at Edenton Holmes (3-1, 2A)    E by 28
West Johnston (3-0, 4A) at Rolesville (1-3, 4A)*    W by 27
West Lincoln (3-1, 2A) at Lincolnton (4-0, 2A)*    L by 39
West Rowan (2-1, 3A) at Northwest Cabarrus (1-2, 3A)*    W by 44
West Wilkes (2-1, 2A) at North Iredell (0-3, 3A)    W by 18
Western Guilford (1-3, 3A) at Orange (4-0, 3A)    O by 43
Wheatmore (1-2, 2A) at East Davidson (3-1, 2A)    E by 7
Williams (4-0, 3A) at Western Alamance (3-1, 3A)*    WA by 16
Winston-Salem Prep (1-2, 1A) at Statesville Christian (4-0, Ind)    S by 21
Yancey, Bartlett (1-2, 2A) at Granville Central (1-2, 1A)    G by 8

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2016    Pick
Cabarrus Stallions (1-3, Ind) at Asheville Saints (1-3, Ind)*    C by 8
Christ the King (0-4, Ind) at Tennessee Silverbacks(TN) (0-3, Ind)    T by 7

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Former Iowa wrestler Tony Ramos

Former NCAA champion Tony Ramos is coming to Mitchell to conduct a youth wrestling clinic on Sept. 24.

There will be two sessions — kindergarten through sixth grade from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and seventh through 12th grade from noon to 2 p.m.

The cost is $35 for USA Wrestling members and $50 for non-members if they register by Sept. 21. The price goes up to $45 for USA Wrestling members and $60 for non-members after that.

Ramos won a national championship in 2014 for the University of Iowa and is presently an assistant coach at North Carolina. He is training for the 2020 Olympics.

Pre-registration is available here or by contacting Mitchell coach Ed Duncan directly at eduncan@mhslive.net.

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Brevard’s Nijayah Cruell has transferred to Asheville Christian Academy.

SWANNANOA – Nijayah Cruell is not your stereotypical guard.

She likes to mix it up, as evidenced by Cruell’s average of 7.0 rebounds per game last basketball season for the Brevard girls.

Transylvania County has lost one of its best backcourt players — Cruell has been at Asheville Christian Academy since classes started on Aug. 24.

Lions coach John Williams said Friday that the Cruell family has decided she will reclassify due to academic considerations. That means that Cruell will be a junior for the 2016-17 season.

“Nijayah is a great listener who works hard,” Williams said.

“She shoots well, plays great defense and has a really good knack for the game. We are working to improve her ball-handling, but she has transitioned well. She is going to be a big part of our offense and free-flowing.”

Cruell averaged 14.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.8 steals last winter for Brevard (7-13).

Cruell was profiled in a Citizen-Times story last February.

More on this story to come…

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

MARSHALL – Savannah Rice was full of poise every time she was called upon as a freshman.

Western Carolina University took notice.

The Catamounts have picked up a verbal commitment from one of the best young players in mountain softball.

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

The sophomore was 7-1 in the circle as a ninth grader 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. She played right field when she wasn’t pitching for the Patriots.

“There is no more pressure (after the commitment),” Rice said.

“It relieves a little bit of stress. Now I can relax, just have fun and play ball.”

Rice has camped at WCU, North Carolina and Manhattan this summer in between her games for the Lady Lightning travel team out of Myrtle Beach (S.C.). The Catamounts partly enticed her with their academic offerings – Rice would like to pursue a career in interior design after graduating from college.

Madison only lost one regular season game last spring and expectations are naturally-high for 2017.

“The same as last year,” Rice said.

“We expect the best.”

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Carolina Day senior Halei Gillis has committed to play college basketball for Fordham.

Carolina Day senior Halei Gillis has committed to play college basketball for Fordham.

As a junior, Gillis earned NCISAA 2-A all-state, All-Carolinas Athletic Association and Citizen-Times All-WNC honors. The center averaged 11.1 points, 10.5 rebounds and three blocks per game for the six-time defending NCISAA 2-A champion Wildcats (28-2).

Gillis plays AAU ball for the WNC Lady Royals.

More from Carolina Day:

Two years and four months after being told by Doctors at Duke Medical Center that she would not be returning to basketball, Halei Gillis, a senior at Carolina Day School, has committed to play Division 1 college ball. Gillis verbally committed to Fordham University in New York City, NY today with a photo to coaches saying “New York is my Campus. Fordham is my school”. The Rams are coached by Stephanie Gaitley and play in the A10 Conference.  
 
Gillis had narrowed her choices down to three over the past few weeks with follow up “official” visits to James Madison University, Hofstra University and Fordham University. Gillis had received several Division 1 offers since her return in the summer of 2015 and been on over a dozen unofficial visits since Sept of last year. 
 
The 6’4” senior has played with the six time state champion Wildcats since 8th grade. She has been named to the NCISAA All State, Asheville Citizen-Times All-WNC, All-Carolinas Athletic Association, All Conference teams. She has played AAU with the WNC Lady Royals and been coached by Joe Carrington, Bill Parker and Jennie West.
 
Gillis is a two- time state champ in Discus and runner up in Shotput with the Wildcats and was on the WNC track honor roll throughout the spring. She was also named to the ACT -All WNC Track Team.

Gillis is the Daughter of Marcie Dicus and Harry Gillis of Asheville, NC and her brothers are Ethan (Rabun Gap) and Evan Gillis (Reynolds).

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Murphy’s Royce Peterson.

Murphy junior Royce Peterson was named to the all-tournament team following the Perfect Game Southeast Qualifier #1 held Sept. 9-11 in Cartersville, Ga.

Peterson batted .333 with three RBIs over the course of the three-day event. His fall baseball team is the Premier Showcase 18U squad out of Georgia.

Peterson was an All-Smoky Mountain Conference selection last spring who hit .457 with 24 RBIs and a team-high 33 runs scored for the SMC champion Bulldogs (20-7). He also had four doubles, two triples and a home run.

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Football

From the Associated Press:

Riverside Martin 61, Pinetown Northside 14

Alexander Central 82, Ashe County 42

Apex 35, Cary 34

Apex Middle Creek 49, Cary Panther Creek 14

Asheville Erwin 57, Franklin 34

Asheville Reynolds 40, Hendersonville 17

Avery County 28, North Wilkes 18

Ayden-Grifton 63, Pamlico County 14

Aynor, S.C. 43, West Columbus 0

Bartlett Yancey 19, Granville Central 14

Bessemer City 8, North Lincoln 6

Bethel Assembly 40, Lasker Northeast 0

Brevard 52, Enka 20

Bunn 54, Louisburg 7

Burnsville Mountain Heritage 62, West Henderson 48

Cameron Union Pines 54, Western Harnett 0

Canton Pisgah 28, Madison County 0

Cape Fear 45, South Johnston 0

Catawba Bandys 36, Hickory St. Stephens 29

Charlotte Berry Tech 14, West Charlotte 12

Charlotte Christian 52, North Davidson 38

Charlotte Country Day 22, Pinewood Prep, S.C. 6

Charlotte Latin 49, Carolina Pride 8

Charlotte Myers Park 28, Monroe Sun Valley 14

Charlotte Providence 31, East Mecklenburg 30

Charlotte Providence Day 60, Charlotte Victory Christian 0

Charlotte Vance 52, Charlotte Independence 14

Chatham Central 48, Albemarle 13

China Grove Carson 30, East Rowan 16

Chocowinity Southside 20, Seven Springs Spring Creek 18

Clayton 35, East Wake 13

Clinton 33, Wilmington Hoggard 7

Concord Robinson 42, Mt. Pleasant 14

Croatan 38, Swansboro 20

Davidson Day 61, Davidson Community School 12

Davie County 37, Huntersville Hopewell 12

Durham Hillside 43, Halifax County, Va. 6

East Burke 20, East Rutherford 10

East Carteret 53, Warsaw Kenan 31

East Chapel Hill 29, Chapel Hill 27

East Davidson 35, Trinity Wheatmore 13

East Duplin 55, North Lenoir 7

East Forsyth 46, Greensboro Grimsley 6

East Gaston 29, Cherryville 19

East Montgomery 50, Monroe Union Academy 12

East Wilkes 45, East Bend Forbush 7

Eastern Alamance 54, Eden Morehead 14

Eastern Guilford 28, Northeast Guilford 14

Eastern Randolph 43, South Stanly 0

Edenton Holmes 52, Booker T. Washington, Va. 0

Erwin Triton 16, Gray’s Creek 7

Fannin County, Ga. 42, Andrews 0

Fayetteville Christian 40, Greensboro Day 12

Fayetteville Sanford 48, Clayton Cleveland 25

Fayetteville Seventy-First 35, Fayetteville Byrd 8

Fayetteville Westover 38, Wilmington Ashley 12

Franklinton 30, Oxford Webb 6

Fuquay-Varina 57, Raleigh Athens Drive 43

Garner 25, Southeast Raleigh 6

Gates County 43, Mattamuskeet 2

Goldsboro Rosewood 53, South Lenoir 52, OT

Graham 42, Central Davidson 12

Greene Central 27, Farmville Central 20

Greensboro Dudley 35, Fayetteville Pine Forest 7

Greensboro Page 49, Pfafftown Reagan 7

Halifax Academy 68, Wayne Christian 28

Harnett Central 27, Knightdale 0

Havelock 28, Jacksonville Northside 0

Hickory Ridge 45, Concord Cox Mill 14

High Point Andrews 44, Burlington Cummings 0

High Point Christian Academy 52, Concord First Assembly 0

Hobgood Academy 60, Lawrence Academy 16

Hoke County 25, Fayetteville Smith 18

Holly Ridge Dixon 41, Richlands 8

Indian Trail Porter Ridge 20, Charlotte Olympic 14

Jacksonville 36, Topsail 15

Jones County 22, East Columbus 0

Kernersville Glenn 34, Winston-Salem Reynolds 20

Kinston 48, Southern Wayne 12

Lake Taylor, Va. 62, Elizabeth City Northeastern 41

Lake View, S.C. 44, South Robeson 14

Lawndale Burns 28, Kings Mountain 17

Lexington 42, Southwestern Randolph 13

Lincolnton 45, West Lincoln 9

Lumberton 17, Spring Lake Overhills 14

Maiden 67, South Caldwell 28

Matthews Butler 21, Cornelius Hough 10

Mayodan McMichael 24, Rockingham County 16

McDowell County 13, Swannanoa C.D. Owen 3

Mint Hill Rocky River 21, North Mecklenburg 20, 2OT

Mitchell County 49, North Buncombe 17

Monroe 18, Anson County 12, OT

Mooresboro Jefferson 40, Monroe Central 12

Morrisville Green Hope 35, Friendship 6

Mountain Island Charter 48, Mooresville Pine Lake Prep 20

Mt. Airy 42, Surry Central 7

Murphy 27, Gilmer, Ga. 6

Nash Central 43, Wilson Beddingfield 28

North Edgecombe 50, Weldon 0

North Johnston 42, Smithfield-Selma 7

North Stanly 41, South Davidson 0

North Surry 33, Winston-Salem Atkins 0

Northern Nash 48, Goldsboro 13

Northern Vance 23, Carrboro 0

Orange 37, Western Guilford 9

Pasquotank County 33, North Pitt 13

Patrick County, Va. 39, North Stokes 7

Pembroke Swett 23, Fayetteville Britt 8

Pender 63, Lejeune 0

Perquimans 24, Manteo 14

Person 32, Raleigh Enloe 14

Pikeville Aycock 34, Wendell Corinth Holders 28

Plymouth 41, Camden County 7

Polk County 27, East Henderson 13

Providence Grove 22, Siler City Jordan-Matthews 14

R-S Central 26, Valdese Draughn 7

Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons 50, Hillsborough Cedar Ridge 26

Raleigh Sanderson 55, Durham Jordan 15

Raleigh St. David’s 38, Grace Christian-Raleigh 17

Raleigh Wake Christian 37, Newton Grove Hobbton 21

Raleigh Wakefield 32, Durham Riverside 0

Red Springs 12, Salemburg Lakewood 7

Reidsville 45, Northern Guilford 28

Richmond County 21, Hope Mills South View 0

Roanoke Rapids 26, Washington 18

Robbinsville 29, Rabun Gap-Nachoochee, Ga. 3

Rocky Mount 66, Greenville Rose 41

Rocky Mount Academy def. Cary Christian, forfeit

Rocky Mount Prep 54, Kestrel Heights 26

Rosman 14, Trinity Academy 7

Scotland 40, Wilmington New Hanover 14

Shelby 48, Forest City Chase 17

Shelby Crest 20, Asheville Roberson 7

South Central Pitt 40, Hertford County 32, OT

South Granville 20, Wilson Fike 15

South Iredell 49, North Rowan 13

South Pointe, S.C. 17, Charlotte Mallard Creek 6

South Rowan 41, Concord 11

South Stokes 50, Kernersville McGuinness 26

Southampton Academy, Va. 42, Kinston Parrott Academy 22

Southern Durham 35, Northern Durham 19

Southern Nash 21, Tarboro 10

Southern Pines Pinecrest 29, Southern Lee 3

SouthWest Edgecombe 27, Bertie County 20

Southwest Guilford 55, Southern Alamance 7

Southwest Onslow 57, Jacksonville White Oak 21

Statesville Christian 42, Winston-Salem Prep 0

Thomasville 34, Boonville Starmount 14

Thomasville Ledford 41, Salisbury 7

Trinity 40, West Davidson 14

Union 43, Princeton 14

Village Christian 18, Sandhill Titans 0

Waxhaw Cuthbertson 53, Marshville Forest Hills 28

Waxhaw Marvin Ridge 56, Charlotte Garinger 6

Waynesville Tuscola 49, Swain County 6

Weddington 45, Monroe Parkwood 3

West Brunswick 24, North Brunswick 21

West Carteret 45, Eastern Wayne 21

West Craven 55, Greenville Conley 14

West Forsyth 38, High Point Central 8

West Johnston 48, Rolesville 20

West Montgomery 32, North Moore 6

West Rowan 35, Northwest Cabarrus 7

West Wilkes 7, North Iredell 6

Western Alamance 40, Burlington Williams 7

Wilmington Laney 31, East Bladen 7

Wilson Hunt 37, Currituck County 12

Winston-Salem Carver 27, Statesville 7

Winston-Salem Mt. Tabor 52, North Forsyth 6

Winston-Salem Parkland 30, Gastonia Ashbrook 26

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Christ School senior Drew Johnson.

Christ School senior Drew Johnson and Hendersonville junior Alex Williford reached the 1,000-yard mark in passing on Friday.

Johnson (1,097 yards) threw for 187 in a 56-6 rout of visiting Northside Christian. He is a second-year starter for the Greenies (3-1) who now has nearly 4,000 career yards.

Williford (1,020 yards) had 163 in Friday’s 40-17 home loss to Reynolds.This is Williford’s first season in charge of the offense for the Bearcats (3-2).

Western North Carolina’s leader in passing yardage remains Erwin senior Damien Ferguson (1,796 yards).

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The Carolina Heat will hold a tryout for its 14U softball team on Aug. 28.

CAMPS, CLINICS AND TRYOUTS

To submit a sports camp, clinic or tryout listing with the Citizen-Times, please e-mail the information to apearson@citizen-times.com.

BASEBALL

RBI 14U TRYOUT: Aug. 20 at Smoky Mountain HS. Tryout will begin at 4 p.m. For more information, contact Eric Farmer at (828) 508-2339.

LACROSSE

ASHEVILLE EMPIRE FALL LEAGUE SIGN-UPS: Registration is now open for the fall season which runs Sept. 18 to Nov. 6. The league is open to boys and girls ages 7-18. For more information about the boys league, log onto www.ashevilleempire.com. For more information about the girls league, log onto http://www.ashevilleedgelacrosse.com.

SOFTBALL

CAROLINA HEAT 14U TRYOUTS: Aug. 28. For more information, e-mail Cmcj19@msn.com or call (828) 775-8813.

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Tuscola football players take the field for a game earlier this season at McDowell. The Mountaineers are 4-0 after Friday’s home win over Swain County.

WAYNESVILLE – When Swain County stuffed runs up the middle, Tuscola ran around the edges.

When the Maroon Devils started to find some offensive traction, the Mountaineers took it away.

And when Tuscola’s Caleb Ferguson – one of the nation’s most-prolific scorers – had trouble finding open real estate, his coaches found another way to set him free.

The Mountaineers showcased their versatility in their final nonconference tuneup and rolled over Swain, 49-6, to set up a battle of unbeatens in next week’s WNCAC opener at Smoky Mountain.

“Swain is a good football team; their record doesn’t reflect it,” Tuscola coach Tommy Pursley said. “Coach (Neil) Blankenship had a good plan. But the way our offense works is we see what people are doing, and we think we have answers for it.”

Against Swain County, those answers came primarily in the form of Grayson Perkins and Brent Turner.

Perkins scored three touchdowns and passed for another, and Turner led Tuscola’s rushing attack with 145 yards on seven carries to help the Mountaineers improve to 4-0 for the first time since 2008.

Other than Turner’s 46-yard scoring run in the third quarter, most of his yardage came on sweeps. Roman Jenkins was also effective at beating the Devils to the corners and finished with 101 yards on 11 totes.

“A lot of teams around here know what Caleb Ferguson does; he’s a great back,” Turner said. “So our coaches made an adjustment and saw that plays to the outside were working well.”

Ferguson, who came into the game with 402 rushing yards and 15 total touchdowns, was held to 46 rushing yards on 12 carries but scored on a momentum-shifting 40-yard reception. He also blocked an extra point and later ran in a 6-yard touchdown.

The Mountaineers’ defense, which struggled through most of the first half, strung together four consecutive three-and-outs that allowed the offense to put the game away.

Swain (0-5) was only down a score going into the final minute of the first half, but Ferguson gave his team some breathing room with a 40-yard touchdown reception 45 seconds before intermission.

Ferguson caught a short pass from Perkins near the right sideline then lost several Maroon Devils with a slick cut to his left and sprinted to the center of the end zone. That play came seconds after Tuscola’s defense forced its first three-and-out of the night.

“The big thing was we didn’t move the ball right before the half,” Blankenship said. “Even if we hadn’t scored, we were getting the ball coming out (of halftime). But we didn’t get a first down. Anytime you give a team like this another chance, they’re going to get you. Momentum was theirs then. For a team like ours that’s trying to find our identity, plays like those are crucial.”

Swain threatened to make a game of it early after Dawson Lowe picked off Perkins near midfield and returned it to Tuscola’s 41 in the first quarter. Trailing 7-0 at the time, the Devils needed 10 plays – including a fourth-down conversion – before pulling within a single point on Keshaun Beaner’s 1-yard scoring dive.

Ferguson blocked the extra point after an illegal procedure penalty backed Swain up, and Tuscola responded with a 10-play, 80-yard scoring drive that culminated with Perkins’ 7-yard keeper to the right side.

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Erwin’s Damien Ferguson (2) threw six touchdown passes to C.J. Thompson (8) in Friday’s win at Franklin.

Quality competition or not, three straight losses is three straight losses.

Erwin (2-3) not only ended a losing streak Friday night but showed how much it has grown through a brutal nonconference schedule.

Damien Ferguson passed for 338 yards and seven touchdowns, six of which were caught by fellow senior C.J. Thompson in Friday’s 57-34 win at Franklin.

Thompson’s half-dozen touchdown catches are a Western North Carolina-record and the second-most in state history. They were for 10, 12, 15, 17, 25 and 31 yards. The former WNC record was shared by Hendersonville graduate Cole Cleary and Swain County grad Nat Watson.

Isaiah Poore hauled in one for 66 yards early in the fourth quarter. The Warriors led 36-14 at halftime and also got a 20-yard touchdown run from Quentin Smith.

“It doesn’t matter who you play, it’s pretty sweet to get back in the win column,” Erwin coach Mike Sexton said.

“To do it against a quality opponent like Franklin is special though. It’s an accomplishment to go there and play so well against a quality opponent. I’m proud of the kids. We knew it was going to be a physical game and it was. I think our kids can see now that playing tough teams really does make a difference. We’ve come a long way.”

Brock Kloeppel rushed for 139 yards and scored five touchdowns (four rushing, one receiving) for the Panthers (2-2).

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Mitchell

WEAVERVILLE — A harvest moon on Friday night delivered shadows on farms in the mountains just west of Interstate 26.

The 2016 Mitchell football squad took a large step out of the shadow that lingered over them for the first four weeks of the season in a 49-17 win at North Buncombe.

That shadow worth illuminating — the 2015 team reached the Class 1-AA state championship game — and one that will be remembered for generations in Ledger.

But the success also set a new standard the Mountaineers, one that the new team is attempting to match, or even surpass. Coach Travise Pitman noticed something that on Friday that he hadn’t seen this season. Sure there were improvements in executing, an advance in the passing game, and a typical stout defense. What the harvest moon and the lights showed Friday couldn’t be measured in the final box score. It showed on the faces of his 20 new players, those who remember the slogan of 2015 and preach the slogan for 2016.

“I thought we had fun tonight, because they didn’t feel like any pressure was on them,” Pitman said. “They went out there relaxed and played the game instead of thinking, ‘We have to win.’

“Any group follows up a team that just went to the state championship is going to feel that they have to do it also.”

Mitchell is 5-0, perfect so far this year. Its defense had been nearly-perfect for 17 straight quarters (only allowing one touchdown) until North Buncombe’s Nick Lisenbee scored from 5-yards out in the second quarter on Friday. Pressure lifted in that moment too. They didn’t have to keep the streak going.

“We got down a little bit,” junior Ben Robinson said. “Coaches told us that eventually something will go bad and we have to respond.”

North Buncombe rode the legs of Lisenbee who rushed 23 times for 151 yards and a touchdown, while teammate Skylar Jutrus carried 14 times for 71 yards and a score.

“We ran it pretty well with those two guys running hard,” coach Curtis Cagle said. “Defensively, we were so depleted with five out and four just coming back, that we had a hard time rotating our guys in.”

The Mountaineers took other steps out of the shadow, and they did it together, in-step (literally) with one another.

“The fun is that you understand that you’re competing and you’re dominating and when you’re dominating is when you’re having fun,” Pitman said. “I tell my linemen, when we’re double-teaming a guy and pancaking him, and we’re rolling for eight or 10 yards, that’s when it’s fun. I saw that quite a few times tonight.”

The Mountaineers had 10 of their 34 rushes cover at least eight yards. None of their rushes — except for taking a knee in the victory formation — were for a loss.

Landon Miller gained 105 yards on 11 carries and scored two touchdowns. Robinson gained 104 yards on nine carries and scored twice with a long run of 33 yards. Noah Pitman and Ben Young each added 16 yards on four carries. Pitman scored a rushing touchdown and Young tossed two touchdown passes.

“This is a big step forward,” Robinson said. “Our O-line stayed on blocks, backs and receivers were fighting for every yard.”

They followed the mantra of 2016: “Rise Up!”

“This is a new team,” Pitman said.  “They have to create their own identity and I tell them that week in and week out. They are their own team.”

Evidence abounded against the Black Hawks (0-4). Young completed 12-of-15 passes for 192 yards. In the third quarter, he evaded the pressure and hit Tyler McKinney for a 26-yard gain.

“In the first four games, Ben was tucking and running the ball,” the Mountaineers’ coach said. “We work that drill over and over, and it came alive tonight. Now he knows he can make plays when things break down.”

The drills will certainly continue, and so will the blocking practices. Timing will continue to improve, execution will improve, and bonds will grow.

And the shadow will continue to fade.

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Mountain Heritage’s Trey Robinson (15) hands off the ball to Junior Denton, during Friday’s win at West Henderson.

Updated after Friday’s games:

Mountain Athletic 3-A/4-A

WNC Athletic 2-A/3-A

Western Highlands 1-A/2-A

Smoky Mountain 1-A

Smoky Mountain’s Cole Hooper (14).

BEST OF THE WEST

Following are the season’s fifth Best of the West football rankings compiled by staff writer Andrew Pearson. Along with a team’s record, head-to-head matchups and strength of schedule are factored into the rankings.

Honorable mention: Christ School, Hendersonville, Murphy and West Henderson.

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

ASHEVILLE – Before the first tip-off of basketball season, Carolina Day senior Ralene Kwiatkowski already knows where she will play in college.

Kwiatkowski committed to Fordham earlier this week after also considering Manhattan and Hofstra.

Kwiatkowski liked New York since she has relatives there and enjoys cold weather.

“I think it was a good time to commit, you get the weight off your shoulders,” Kwiatkowski said. I’ve been working super hard, I didn’t know any of these schools were going to offer. I wanted to check out the campuses and see if they were the right fit and go from there.”

She noticed an immediate connection with the Jesuit school.

“I just really loved the campus, team, and the coaches,” Kwiatkowski said. “I felt a part of the team when I was there.”

However, she is more than an accomplished basketball player as Kwiatkowski has run a personal record of 18 minutes, 9 seconds for 5-kilometer cross country races. She is a former two-time state champion in the sport and won the Buncombe County cross country meet earlier this season.

She said several colleges showed interest in offering her for running.

Kwiatkowski will get to relax when she gets to Fordham since she will only be playing basketball and won’t be juggling any other sports.

“It’s been super-tough, go to cross country, then basketball,” she said. “In college, I’m looking forward to focusing on one and seeing what I can do.”

Although Kwiatkowski’s future for the next four years is set, she is still focused on her senior season and what Carolina Day can accomplish this year.

“We never beat (Charlotte) Providence Day, That’s the goal, play together, get better, and win another state championship,” Kwiatkowski said.

Kwiatkowski admired the unity team members show whether they’re on or off the court.

“We don’t yell at each other on the court. That allows us to work in unison,” she said. “This way there’s no rough patches.”

Carolina Day basketball coach Joe Carrington will soon be starting his eighth season. Under Carrington, the Wildcats finished last season 26-3 and have won six consecutive state championships in the NCISAA.

“I’m real proud of Ralene,” Carrington said.

“She’s deserving of the scholarship. She’ll be fantastic and a great success at the next level. It’s a great opportunity for Ralene. I think she made a great decision.”

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Former Roberson soccer standout Anabell Motley signed with Navy in 2015.

Former Roberson soccer standout Anabell Motley scored the winning goal in Friday’s Army-Navy game.

Motley, who is a sophomore forward for the Midshipmen (3-6-0, 1-0-0), found the back of the net in the ninth minute of a 1-0 victory in Annapolis, Md.

Friday’s goal was the first of the season for the 2015 Rams graduate.

“I honestly can’t stop smiling,” Motley said afterwards. “That goal helped pick up our energy and we were able to maintain that momentum throughout the remainder of the match.”

More from Navy:

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy women’s soccer sophomore Anabell Motley (Asheville, N.C) provided the game-winning goal in the ninth minute as Navy defeated Army West Point, 1-0, on Friday in the annual Star match at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility. Following the win, the Mids moved to 1-0 in Patriot League play, while the Black Knights fell to 0-1.

“I honestly can’t stop smiling,” said Motley about her game-winning goal. “That goal helped pick up our energy and we were able to maintain that momentum throughout the remainder of the match.”

Navy (3-6-1, 1-0 Patriot League) earned their 12th Star match victory in front of the fifth-largest Glenn Warner Soccer Facility crowd at 2,347. Navy improved to 14-11-3 all-time versus archrival Army.

“You could see the passion, the energy and the emotion from the start,” Head coach Carin Gabarra said. “I love the rivalry between these two teams because everyone fights so hard and leaves everything out on the field.”

The Mids outshot the Black Knights, 10-9, while the Black Knights held a 6-1 advantage in corner kicks. Senior goalkeeper Dayton Wetherby (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) earned her first shutout of 2016, tallying five saves in the win.

Despite Army (1-7, 0-1 Patriot League) generating heavy offensive pressure in the midfield for the first eight minutes, Navy cracked open the scoring in the ninth minute.

Wetherby sent a booming kick from the 18-yard box inside Army’s defensive third for Motley, who settled the kick and passed back to teammate Clare MacAdam (Palmyra, N.J.). MacAdam dribbled down the middle and returned the ball to a streaking Motley, who took two touches to the top of the box and ripped a hard shot that snuck over the reach of Army’s Jordan Cassalia to break the scoreless tie.

“Clare [MacAdam] normally takes that shot from where I passed it to her and I would’ve expected her to connect with a good shot,” Motley said. “Clare is an incredible forward to work with and very versatile, which made the play easy to read for the both of us and connect the way we did.”

Down 1-0, Army looked for the equalizer in the 20th minute. Samantha Sullenger received a pass a top the 18-yard box and slid a pass across the box to Clare Shea, who settled the pass with her right, switched to her left and lofted a shot that looked like the equalizer, but Wetherby used all five-foot-seven to bat the ball over the net.

The Mids defense stood strong for the final 70 minutes, allowing just three shots, one of which was on net.

Navy will look ahead to its penultimate nonconference match on Sunday against Mount St. Mary’s at 1 p.m. in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The match can be seen live and for free on NECFrontRow.com and navysports.com.

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.

VOLLEYBALL

Asheville School 2, Carolina Day 0

FIELD HOCKEY

Asheville School 2, Greensboro Day 1

TENNIS

Rabun Gap (Ga.) 5, Asheville School 4

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Asheville High’s Haven Honeycutt.

Special thanks to James Kilbourne for this information and the photos:

Paced by Sophomore Haven Honeycutt, the Asheville High Boys Cross Country Team finished 3rd in Saturday’s Sixth Annual “Hare and Hounds” Invitational at McAlpine Park in Charlotte.  The Cougars trailed only champion St. Pius X from Atlanta and Charlotte Catholic. Asheville was the highest finishing public school team among the 30 teams competing in the event.  Last year, they finished 2nd in the meet, which is widely considered as one of the top 10 meets in the State.

The Cougars were paced by Honeycutt, who finished in 16:22.62 for 10th place on a dry, fast course.  John Douglas Kelly was 26th (16:54.97) and Collin Kemper was 30th (17:02.95).

This event plays homage to the sport’s beginnings in 1837 at Rugby School in England where students first ran over a pre-set course over open country.  Previously, a group of runners would leave a trail through the woods that other runners would follow, leading to the original name of “Hares and Hounds.”

The Asheville High boys cross country team.

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Polk County’s India Godlock

Results from Saturday’s Freedom Invitational cross country meet in Morganton:

HS BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP RACE TEAM SCORES — 1. Alexander Central 69; 2. North Henderson 105; 3. Hickory 114; 4. East Burke 136; 5. St. Stephens 146; 6. Forestview 212; 7. Draughn 226; 8. Franklin 235; 9. Hendersonville 244; 10. Kings Mountain 253; 11. Freedom 267; 12. Patton 273; 13. Ashe County 295; 14. McDowell 360; 15. Bunker Hill 376; 16. Polk County 438; 17. Bandys 449; 18. Owen, Charles D. 468; 19. Mountain Heritage 532; 20. Hopewell 566; 21. Hibriten 572; 22. Newton-Conover 574;

HS BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP RACE INDIVIDUAL RESULTS — 1. Nathan Richards (Franklin) 17:01.1; 2. Cooper Castellaw (Alexander Central) 17:16.4; 3. Josh Ross (Draughn) 17:19.4; 4. Dylan Christopher (North Henderson) 17:33.7; 5. Jayden Hefner (St. Stephens) 17:36.2; 6. Hunter White (North Henderson) 17:40.3; 7. Ethan Deffke (Hickory) 17:53.1; 8. Andrew Inman (Forestview) 17:58.5; 9. Carter Patterson (Alexander Central) 18:01.9; 10. Tafton Baker (Ashe County) 18:08.7; 11. Kaleb Bebber (Alexander Central) 18:16.1; 12. Seth Warren (Alexander Central) 18:16.3; 13. Dalton McGlamery (St. Stephens) 18:20.1; 14. Aaron Bassinger (Bandys) 18:23.2; 15. Austin Walker (Burns) 18:30.8;

HS GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP RACE TEAM SCORES — 1. Providence 30; 2. Hendersonville 134; 3. St. Stephens 169; 4. Alexander Central 178; 5. Asheville 179; 6. Hickory 188; 7. Draughn 205; 8. Bandys 226; 9. West Stanly 242; 10. Ashe County 264; 11. Hopewell 271; 12. Owen, Charles D. 286; 13. Kings Mountain 327; 14. Forestview 330; 15. Bunker Hill 363; 16. Patton 380; 17. Hibriten 399; 18. McDowell 416; 19. Mountain Heritage 488;

HS GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP RACE INDIVIDUAL RESULTS — 1. Sarah Parrish (Providence) 20:06.3; 2. Lindsey Lanier (Providence) 20:30.5; 3. Lefler McManus (West Stanly) 20:40.6; 4. Amanda Watson (Providence) 20:49.3; 5. Sophia Raspanti (Forestview) 20:50.2; 6. Amber Opp (Draughn) 20:55.2; 7. Jessica Glenn (Alexander Central) 21:12.7; 8. Evan Goff (Hendersonville) 21:13.1; 9. Jan Hu (Providence) 21:16.2; 10. Ashley Ramirez (St. Stephens) 21:19.1; 11. Hannah Feinsilber (Owen, Charles D.) 21:36.5; 12. Emma Smith (Hopewell) 21:47.0; 13. Riley Carswell (Freedom) 21:48.6; 14. Caileigh Ryan (Hickory) 21:49.9; 15. Makenna Lanier (Providence) 21:52.5;

HS BOYS “A” RACE TEAM SCORES — 1. Alexander Central 30; 2. North Henderson 86; 3. Forestview 87; 4. St. Stephens 106; 5. Hickory 135; 6. R-S Central 144; 7. Chase 207; 8. Kings Mountain 229; 9. Clyde A. Erwin 249; 10. Draughn 274; 11. Hopewell 295; 12. McDowell 297; 13. Polk County 348; 14. Mountain Heritage 362;

HS BOYS “A” RACE INDIVIDUAL RESULTS — 1. Tyler Christiansen (St. Stephens) 19:35.4; 2. Jacob Campbell (Alexander Central) 19:36.6; 3. Cory Earp (Alexander Central) 20:17.3; 4. Logan Ellis (Alexander Central) 20:22.8; 5. Grant Harper (St. Stephens) 20:26.9; 6. Garrison DeJarnette (Alexander Central) 20:31.2; 7. Aden Smith (Forestview) 20:31.7; 8. Drew Hughlett (Forestview) 20:43.0; 9. Peter Clarke (Hickory) 20:43.6; 10. Sammy Peticos (Chase) 20:43.9; 11. William Rose (St. Stephens) 20:44.1; 12. Caleb Grandy (North Henderson) 20:51.6; 13. Brayden Robertson (North Henderson) 20:57.2; 14. Kevin Avalos (North Henderson) 21:06.7; 15. Kaleb Walker (Alexander Central) 21:08.7;

HS GIRLS “A” RACE TEAM SCORES — 1. Providence 20; 2. Hendersonville 57; 3. Draughn 93; 4. Alexander Central 100; 5. Polk County 113; 6. Forestview 163;

HS GIRLS “A” RACE INDIVIDUAL RESULTS — 1. India Godlock (Polk County) 20:52.5; 2. Meghan Noon (Providence) 22:10.4; 3. Helena Barley (Providence) 22:13.8; 4. Patricia Faucher (Providence) 22:26.7; 5. Taylor Houston (Providence) 22:27.1; 6. Caroline Hausler (Providence) 23:23.8; 7. Reagan Culver (Providence) 23:26.1; 8. Chloe Pryor (Hendersonville) 23:40.1; 9. Sarah Dressen (Providence) 23:42.4; 10. Bentley Strong (East Burke) 23:48.1; 11. Kennedy Conner (Franklin) 24:47.2; 12. Eden Sullivan (Asheville) 24:48.6; 13. Conner Calhoun (Kings Mountain) 24:48.8; 14. Sidonia Morales (Franklin) 25:02.2; 15. Isabel Bouchot (Clyde A. Erwin) 25:44.8;

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