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the courier-times | roxboro, Nc
saturday, oct. 4, 2014
Season-saving win for Rockets
person stuns Jordan in four sets, now tied for third in pac-6 By Kelly Snow courier-times sports editor kellysnow@roxboro-courier.com
The Person High School volleyball team entered Thursday’s PAC-6 showdown with Jordan in desperate need of a victory if it had any hopes of earning one of the conference’s automatic bids into the state playoffs. If that was even going to be a possibility, the Rockets were going to need huge performances from its two big hitters — Casey Goodwin and Courtney Jackson. Both 6-footers were at their best, and helped carry their team to a crucial 3-1 (25-22, 25-18, 21-25, 25-22) win against Jordan Thursday at home. The win puts Person (8-8 overall, 4-3 PAC-6) and Jordan (11-7, 4-3) in a tie for third place in the conference heading into the final two weeks of the regular season. The teams split both meetings and each have matches remaining with conference co-leaders Riverside and East Chapel Hill. A Jordan victory would have given it a two-match lead and the tiebreaker over Person and would have all but locked up an automatic berth to the playoffs for the Falcons. “Instead of thinking we were going to come in and win it, we came in thinking we want to win it,” Person coach Amanda Ramirez said. “It’s a completely different attitude. The complete difference for us than the previous two nights (at Webb Monday, at Northern Durham Tuesday) was that we came out with fire. We came in with the desire to win, not the thought that we’ve got this. We came in thinking that we had to go after every ball, play every point hard, and that everything matters.” The Rockets got tremendous performances from Goodwin and Jackson. Jackson opened the match with a tone-setting block of Jordan’s Makaela Johnson and finished with 19 kills, three blocks, seven digs and a pair of aces. The sophomore hitter and freshman setter Carlee Hawkins connected on several key slide kills, including one that set up matchpoint in the fourth set. Jackson pounded out eight kills in the fourth set, including a stretch of four consecutive points won on See ROCKETS, Page 7
Kelly sNow | courier times
Members of the Person High School volleyball team celebrate after Carlee Hawkins served an ace on match point to lift the Rockets to a 3-1 win against Jordan Thursday
The Blizzard
Kelly sNow
It’s coming together at the right time for the PHS volleyball team...finally
I
would love to be able to write a column about how much I have thoroughly enjoyed covering most of the Person High School volleyball matches this season. I haven’t missed many. But I really can’t because of the sheer frustration I feel watching this team sometimes. These Rockets has shown flashes of absolute brilliance this season. There are individuals on this team that have top-
shelf, Division-1 talent and make remarkably difficult plays looks effortless. This group has so many good kids who, when they play together, are a pretty formidable team. There have been moments when Person has played brilliant sets and looked like the group that was expected to contend for a PAC-6 title and make a deep playoff run. And then there’s been the othSee BLIZZARD, Page 7
Martinsville readies for Late Model racing this weekend MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Even though most Late Model Stock Car drivers spend their summer nights getting ready for the racing at their home tracks, Martinsville Speedway is always on their minds. The historic half-mile racetrack only plays host to one Late Model Stock Car race a year. However, when that race pays $25,000 to the winner and $1,000 for a 42nd place finish, teams come prepared. “Some people prepare for this all year long. They’ll bring brand new cars for this race,” said Dennis Holdren, who finished a career best ninth at Martinsville last year. “We prepare for it along the way. When we go to different tracks and stuff we try and get setups and say ‘okay, we’re going to use this for Martinsville.’ We prepare all year long, in order for us to compete there.” Brian Reedy, a third-generation Martinsville driver, echoed those thoughts.
“There’s a lot of preparation that goes into it,” Reedy said. “Guys end up rebuilding their engines. They bring their best stuff.” With more than 75 teams competing for only 42 spots, competition is fierce. “Let’s say there’s five good competitors from every track and there’s 10 tracks, well that’s 50 competitors that are on the top of their game,” Holdren said. One slip up could be the difference between taking home money and going home early. “If you’re not on your “A” game you’re not going to make the field,” Reedy said. With no driver guaranteed a spot in the race, making the field can be a victory in and of itself. “It’s like a win,” said Michael McGuire, who at the time, became the youngest winner ever in a NASCAR sanctioned race, when he was just 14. “If you make the race, it’s like a win.” “To make that race, for our team, that’s what we’re all look-
ing to do,” Holdren said. “For our team it’s a sense of accomplishment. We’re just thrilled if we can do that, just like we did last year.” Race weekend starts Saturday with practice and qualifying for the MDCU 300. The fun continues into the evening with Party in the Plaza, featuring live music from Don Jordan and the Highrollers. Race day kicks off Sunday at 10 a.m. with an autograph session on the front stretch featuring the entire field of drivers. The first heat race will take the green at 12 p.m., with the 200-lap feature beginning at approximately 3 p.m. NASCAR’s richest and most prestigious Late Model Stock Car race is sponsored by Martinsville DuPont Credit Union. Tickets for qualifying, Party in the Plaza and the MDCU 300 are on sale and may be purchased by calling 877.RACE. TIX or online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.
Kelly sNow | courier times
Person’s Rylee Bledsoe digs out a Jordan spike while teammates Katie Slaughter (left) and Carlee Hawkins look on.
Late goal lifts Roxboro Community School past Person rcs completes season sweep of cross-county rival
The Roxboro Community School soccer team got a late second-half goal to knock off Person 3-2 Thursday at home. The game went back and forth until Daniel Taylor connected with Paul Luebbert for a goal with 10 minutes to play in the game. RCS kept the Rockets out of the goal for the remainder of the game to claim the victory. Person jumped out to a 1-0 lead early in the first half before RCS countered with a goal from Collin Winstead on a free kick after Alex Shaw drew a foul just past midfield. RCS took its first lead of the game late in the first half when Bryce Snow scored off a rebound maggie harper | roxboro commuNity school on a shot from Daniel Oakley. Roxboro Community School soccer player Alex Shaw and PerSee SOCCER, Page 8
son’s Jose Ceja chase after a loose ball during Thursday’s matchup. The Bulldogs won 3-2 to sweep the season series.