Fall Sports 2012 by The Pilot LLC

& FALL SPORTS PREVIEW Friday, Aug. 17, 2012

PAGE 2

THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2012

Defense Leads the Way for Patriots BY CHARLIE BERGMANN Special to The Pilot

In its first scrimmage opportunity last week against Douglas Byrd, the Pinecrest defense came out flying to the ball. The starting unit that includes nine players that started football games last season gave up ground grudgingly. The defense showed more of the same against Terry Sanford two days later. “I think defensively it’s pretty cut and dry, but on offense there’s some pretty significant competition,” Patriot head coach Chris Metzger said, looking ahead to tonight’s season opener at Jack Britt. “The defense has a chance to be really special. They’ve just got to keep getting better. They will not let themselves be complacent.” Special teams also look solid, but there are question marks on the offensive side where almost all of the personnel are varsity newcomers. A week from taking on the fourthranked Buccaneers (NC-Preps.com preseason

poll), the competition for the starting quarterback job between seniors Dwayne Simpson and Aaron Reimer was still not settled. “Basically we have two unbelievable kids that are willing to do whatever it takes,” says Metzger, who also serves as offensive coordinator of the multiple split-back veer. “Right now it’s a battle. We’re definitely going to have a two-headed monster because Aaron is more comfortable passing and Dwayne poses a threat wherever he is at. So we’re going to take that into account.” Simpson was the team’s second leading ground gainer a year ago. In the scrimmage against Terry Sanford he demonstrated his pass catching ability. In one of the 10-play series, he caught about a 20-yard fade from Reimer in the right corner of the end zone for a touchdown. Two plays later, the pair duplicated the hookup on the left side for another score. PHOTOS BY DONNA FORD/The Pilot

see PATRIOTS, page 16

The Patriot defense, which will be the anchor for the 2012 squad, in action last season.

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THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2012

‘Burn the Boats’ No Turning Back for Optimistic Mustangs BY JAMES W. HOUSTON Special to The Pilot

When you’re around the North Moore football team and its coaching staff, you can sense an air of optimism and a change in the attitude for the 2012 season. One of the reasons for the optimism is that third-year head coach Greg Simmons has 17 seniors on the team, many of whom played at the varsity level as sophomores. “We’ve got a good group of seniors that know how to play football and are ready to win,” said Simmons. “They’ve worked hard and have endured some rough times, but I think this is the year we start winning some games. They deserve to win — they’re a good group of kids. It’s time for something good to happen for them. They’ve paid the price.” The change in attitude comes from the philosophy the coaching staff and players adopted: “burn the boats.” The term comes from the time when the Spanish were a world power and when they would embark on a new campaign to conquer a country, they would burn the boats, so the only way they could get back home was to be victorious. “We really needed to change the culture around here and not be afraid of failure and what people would say or think about us,” said Simmons. “By using the phrase ‘burn the boats,’ we’re saying, ‘no more excuses for not winning games.’ You have to eliminate excuses or you’ll never be a good football team.” The Mustangs have only one way to go and that is up, since they haven’t won a game on the field the past two seasons. They received a forfeit from West Montgomery during the 2010 season. The last time North Moore won a game was Nov. 6, 2009, when they defeated Chatham Central 22-13. Another goal for the Mustangs is to make the state playoffs, where they haven’t played since 2008. “It would be great for the kids if we qualified for the playoffs,” said Simmons. “It’s tough on the players when the regular season is over and they’re not playing and most everyone else is. Being on the sidelines at that time of the year is hard.” While the Mustangs have 17 seniors starting out the season, one of the main concerns is depth, since they will dress out 23 to 25 players for the varsity. The junior varsity should have around 25 players, many of them freshmen. With the lack of numbers, it will be important for the players to be in good shape. Several of the players will be expected to go both ways with the coaches searching for times to give them a breather. One of the players that the coaches are

DONNA FORD/The Pilot

Coach Greg Simmons talks with Luke Auman during practice. expecting a lot from is senior Kyle Kidd, who is one of the leaders on defense at one of the linebacker spots. Kidd will also see plenty of action as a tailback. Another player expected to go both ways is Landon Auman, who was one of the team’s top tacklers last year before being injured. Auman will be one of the safeties on defense and a wide receiver in the Mustangs’ newly installed spread offense that features one running back. Fellow senior Ethan Morrison will line up in the slot on offense and play inside linebacker on defense. The success of the Mustangs’ offense, according to new offensive coordinator Mike Loutzenheiser, will depend on the five linemen up front. Anchoring the line is center Ethan Sessoms, who started last year at the spot. D.J. Smith, Cody Maness and Richard Sullivan should see plenty of action at the tackle

both good players, and there will be times when we have both on the field.” Richardson is slotted as safety on defense and Luke Auman at outside linebacker. One of the luxuries that Simmons has is an abundance of slot backs and wide receivers with Justin Allred, Cody Vaughn and Michael McNeill. Adrain Wall, a transfer from East Montgomery, will be vying for playing time at tailback. Vaughn will be counted on to return punts and kickoffs. Allred is one of the team’s better playmakers and may have the best hands on the team. He will be a corner on defense. A couple of juniors on the team that will be contributing are Will Noll and Jacob Green, Noll either at slot back or wide receiver. McNeill will be counted on as an inside linebacker. Sophomore Nathan Hussey has worked hard over the summer and will play along the offensive line and inside linebacker. A couple of freshmen that could see some varsity action are Patrick Horner and Aaron Richardson, both who are very athletic. The Mustangs have a very tough, four-game non-conference schedule with all the games on the road. They open tonight at Union Academy then travel to cross-county rival Union Pines Aug. 24, journey to Fayetteville Christian Aug. 31 and finally to Red Springs on Sept. 7 North Moore’s first home and Yadkin Valley Conference game is Sept. 14, when West Montgomery comes to Robbins. “The last couple of years, our goal had been to be in games, stay close,” said Simmons. “This year the goal is to win games and know what that feels like. I want the people to come out and see how hard the kids have worked. I think the supporters DONNA FORD/The Pilot of North Moore will Kyle Kidd is one of the Mustangs’ mainstays. be very surprised.”

positions while Dillon Caviness and Caleb Galloway are penciled in at the guard spots. These linemen will have to be interchangeable and know all the line positions. This group will also see action along the defensive front. One of the important positions on offense is at the quarterback spot, where Luke Auman and Xavier Richardson are battling for the starting spot. “We’ll go with whichever player gives us the best shot at winning,” said Simmons. “They’re

S c h e du l e : A u g. 1 7 — at Union Academy; 2 4 — at Union Pines; 3 1 — at Fayetteville Christian; S ep t . 7 — at Red Springs; 1 4 — West Montgomery; 2 1 — South Davidson; 2 8 — North Rowan; O c t . 5 — at East Montgomery; 1 2 — at South Stanly; 1 9 — Albemarle; 2 6 — Chatham Central.

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THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2012

Hardworking Vikings Hope for Turnaround BY F.W. MANNING II Sports Writer

Over at Union Pines, head coach Ryan Riggan and his Viking football team are approaching the 2012 season by rallying around each other in an effort to constantly give their all while striving to be competitive. Coming off a year where the squad went 2-9 overall and 0-6 in its 3-A Cape Fear Valley Conference campaign, viable competiveness is something the team lacked for a vast majority of the 2011 season effort. Over the span of summer workouts on up through the second full week of official practices, Riggan has seen plenty of proof that this year’s Viking squad has the ability to shift the downward progression the program has seen of late and reset the course on a much more positive plane. “This team has a strong desire to get better every day,” said Riggan. “They work really hard as a unit and have played well and hung together in the scrimmages. They really seem to enjoy working together and being around each other at practice. “The intensity and drive they bring to practice every day has been awesome. They give it their all and would bounce from station to station. I think they will make a lot of improvements if they continue to bring this effort every day all season long. Some changes have been made since Union Pines last took to the field in a lopsided loss to Douglas Byrd to close the 2011 season. The most significant and noticeable of those modifications occurred in the form of a retooled assistant coaching staff that features several new and experienced faces on the Viking sidelines. Greg Mayer, Mark Trueblood, Buck Fry and Frank Rodriguez join Riggan, Tyler Callahan, Don Hooker and Colton Long in making up the 2012 Union Pines varsity coaching staff.

see VIKES, page 16

PHILIP TAYLOR/The Pilot

The Vikings take a break during the heat of August preseason practice for the upcoming 2012 season.

About This Issue On the Cover Pinecrest Patriot Dwayne Simpson pulls away from a Richmond Raider last season.

Contributing Photographers Donna Ford, Philip Taylor, F.W. Manning II and Norma Stilwell

Cover Photography Donna Ford

Contributing Writers Charlie Bergmann, F.W. Manning II and James W. Houston

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PAGE 8

THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2012

Patriot Netters Turn to Hitters

Chemistry Key For Lady Vikes

BY CHARLIE BERGMANN

BY F.W. MANNING II

Special to The Pilot

Sports Writer

Informed that she was only nine assists away from 1,000 in her volleyball career at Pinecrest, Megan Thomas was surprised. With the help of a formidable group of hitters that includes 6-foot Felicia Painter, 6-3 Janea Williams and 510 Amber Goodwin, the senior setter was likely to achieve that milestone in last Monday’s season opener at home against Jack Britt. “I have the confidence that they can basically hit whatever I set,” Thomas, who was an All-Southeastern Conference selection and shared team-MVP honors with Painter last season, said. “They’re strong hitters and I think they’ll take us far this year.” Thomas and Painter have played a part in adding 58 wins to Barbara Foxx’s career total of 636 during her coaching career at Pinecrest. The Patriots were 21-9 a year ago, with Scotland High defeating them three times on the way to its seventh conference title in a row. Painter, who had 391 kills, and Keegan Lynch, another senior, also earned all-league honors. Along with Thomas and Williams, all four were starters on the Patriot basketball team. The versatile Lynch will make the move from sharing the

PHILIP TAYLOR/The Pilot

The 2012 Union Pines Lady Viking volleyball team will have a different look this year, as coach Leslie Fish enters her seventh season at the helm of the program. Gone are five seniors that each played key roles for a squad that finished its 2011 campaign with a record of 21-4, bowing out in the second round of the 3-A state playoffs. Along the way, led in large part by seniors Crystal Hicks, Morgan Bridgers, Lexi Byrd, Anna Sadler and Cassidy Walker, Union Pines earned a share of the 3-A Cape Fear Valley Conference regular season championships, along with Overhills and Western Harnett, with a league mark of 10-2. At a Thursday practice that took place less than five days before her squad hit the floor in Rockingham for its season opener, Fish addressed the status of her current squad as it braces for the campaign ahead. “Our summer has been pretty steady with jamborees, workouts and weight room sessions,” said Fish. “The jamboree was especially good because it allowed our girls a chance to get used to each other with the loss of our five seniors who all played varsity several years. “Then we went to Campbell University for team camp

see HITTERS, page 9

One of the highlights of the volleyball season is when Union Pines and Pinecrest face off. They play on Sept. 5 and 19.

see CHEMISTRY, page 9

Young Mustangs Look to Seniors for Leadership BY JAMES W. HOUSTON Special to The Pilot

As North Moore head volleyball coach Emily Coleman starts her second season at the helm of the program, she will be doing so with one of the youngest teams in the Yadkin Valley Conference. While Coleman had one of the largest number ever to tryout for both varsity and junior varsity teams, only two were seniors, Jalisa Davis and Mone’ Little. “We’re a very young team and will be counting on a lot of those younger girls to step up,” said Coleman, whose record was 10-10 in her first year of guiding the program. “I tried to keep the freshmen and sophomores on the junior varsity, but I kept three sophomores on the varsity. The varsity will be made up mostly of juniors, some who played varsity last year. They may be young, but they’re a hard-working group.” With the large turnout for the program, Coleman has 13 players on the varsity and 15 playing on the junior varsity squad. While having to deal with a young team, Coleman will have to replace two all-conference performers off last year’s state playoff

team in Coco Brower and Holly Green. The two seniors on this year’s squad could very easily step into the roles of Green and Brower. Davis is coming off an injury and is finally cleared to play at full speed. Davis is one of the team’s better leapers and blockers at her middle hitter spot. Little is an outside hitter, a good passer, and she brings a lot of energy to the team. “I expect these two seniors to be leaders for the younger girls on the team,” said Coleman. “They’re both good players and bring a lot to the game.” Along with the two seniors on the squad, there are eight juniors and three sophomores. Coleman is still experimenting with a starting lineup and the rotation, so the lineup can change over the course of the season. One of the outside hitters slated to start is junior Dara Forrest, who hits the ball hard and is very competitive. Fellow junior and the tallest player on the team is middle hitter Dana Wolfe. Wolfe is a strong blocker with fast feet. Junior Erica Kennedy will see a lot of action as middle hitter and on the right outside. Kennedy was one of the top players on the junior varsity squad last year and has good hands

for her position. Coleman plans on starting junior Alex Williams at the important setter position. According to Coleman, Williams is a rock out on the court and knows how to run the show. Juniors Holly English and Payton Wall are the defensive aces on the team, with Wall being used mostly as the libero. Wall is very good at digs and is a very vocal leader. English is a good defender on the back row and is a good passer. A couple of juniors that should see plenty of playing time are Casey Rouse and Tristen Honeycutt. Rouse is an outside hitter, but has been dealing with injury. Honeycutt is a good defender and will substitute for Wall at the libero position and is also a good passer. The three sophomores that are on the varsity squad are Kasi Martin, Gwen Steslicke and Erica Vasquez. Vasquez was one of the leaders on the junior varsity last year and will back up Williams as a setter. Martin can play either the middle or the outside while Steslicke is good on defense as a middle hitter. Coleman expects the conference to be very competitive this year with defending champion Albemarle, West Montgomery and Gray Stone

as the teams to beat. Chatham Central, South Stanly and East Montgomery usually field competitive teams while South Davidson and North Rowan could surprise some teams this season. “This should be a very balanced conference with anyone capable of beating anyone,” said Coleman. “Gray Stone is very strong on defense while Albemarle and West have some good hitters. We played some close matches with them last year. Our top goal, of course, is to win the conference and we want to make the playoffs and go past the first round where we lost last year to Union Academy. “We’ve been working hard on defense and passing and I’ve been stressing speed and playing together as a team. I expect the girls to work hard, play as a team, have a positive attitude and give it a 100 percent all the time. I’m really excited about this team and the season. It should be fun.”

S c h e du l e : A u g. 1 6 — at Providence Grove; 2 1 — South Stanly; 2 3 — at North Rowan; 2 7 — O’Neal; 2 8 — at South Davidson; 3 0 — Albemarle; S ep t . 4 — West Montgomery; 1 0 — East Montgomery; 1 1 — Gray Stone; 1 3 — at Chatham Central; 1 7 — Providence; 1 8 — at South Stanly; 2 0 — North Rowan; 2 4 — South Davidson; 2 5 — at Albemarle; 2 7 — at West Montgomery; O c t . 4 — at East Montgomery; 9 — at Gray Stone; 1 1 — Chatham Central.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2012

THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.

important on the back row and it has been steadily improving. Meanwhile, our attackers have been doing well when the sets are there.” From Page 8 In terms of numbers, Fish and the Vike program had so many players turn out for tryouts that she actually had to cut some girls — someand had a great experience. For me, the chem- thing she had not had to do in four years. istry this unit has built from our early summer “Our numbers have been getting better at jamboree to the end of our team camp is camp the past few years so I think that is one amazing — they have been working hard.” thing that can attribute to it,” said Fish, whose Despite losing five seniors, Fish admitted she team scrimmaged against O’Neal the day prior is not really concerned with leadership being a in a final preparatory exercise. problem for the Vikings. “At the scrimmage yesterday, I saw a lot of “I am not all that worried about our ability to good things,” said Fish. “We were making sure compete or stay composed,” said Fish. “I think to back each other up out there and as a group these girls will be fine. I am not questioning we passed really well, which are two things we whether players will step up and be have been talking about and will leaders on the team because I see be critical to our success all season it happening already long.” “Brittany Erickson is a natural Fish made it clear that on-theleader, Tiffany Hicks has a lot of the court success is among her team’s same quality characteristics that her most primary of objectives. sister, Crystal Hicks, had. Kelsey “This season, our ultimate goal is Troyer has also been stepping up to claim the top-seed going into by being a vocal leader so I am our league tournament outright,” real pleased with her. Also Zazil she said. “Even though we were Porras is stepping into a prominent the top seed last season, we got role where she is leading by examthe seed through luck of the draw. ple.” This season we don’t want to leave Vike seniors Erickson, Porras and it to luck.” Troyer along with junior Tiffany Joining the five returners to Hicks form the nucleus of returners round out the Viking varsity roster from last year’s squad, and all are Shelby Boyette, Rachel Vike Senior played significant minutes as either Breasseale, Melissa Green, Megan Brittany Erickson a starter or key reserve. The other Harris, Charlotte Holder, Stephanie returnee is junior Ashlyn Owens, Johnson, Alex Prots and Brook who did see some time on the Phillips. court last season but in a limited Union Pines started its season with two road role. matches, first on Aug 13 at Richmond Senior Erickson proved to be a versatile player for High and then against the West Montgomery Union Pines last season as one of the Vikes bet- Warriors in Mt. Gilead on Aug. 15 before hostter servers as well as being a superior defender ing Purnell Swett in the Vikes’ home opener on that could pass with precision and slam home Aug. 16. a kill at the net on the outside. “Looking at our team, I think we have a good S c h e du l e : A u g. 1 3 — at Richmond; 1 5 — at West Montgomery; 1 6 — mix of veteran players and some younger ones Purnell Swett; 2 1 — Richmond; 2 2 — West Montgomery; 2 3 — at Purnell coming up to the varsity level,” said Erickson. Swett; 2 7 — at Terry Sanford; 2 8 — at Douglas Byrd*; 3 0 — at Overhills*; S e p t . 4 — Gray’s Creek*; 5 — at Pinecrest; 6 — Southern “More than anything, I think this year is going Lee*; 1 1 — at Western Harnett*; 1 2 — Terry Sanford; 1 3 — The O’Neal to be fun and full of excitement because our School; 1 8 — Westover*; 1 9 — Pinecrest; 2 0 — Douglas Byrd*; 2 5 — team chemistry is so strong. Overhills*; 2 7 — at Gray’s Creek; O c t . 2 — at Southern Lee*; 4 — “Being a senior I am really stoked about it all Western Harnett* (Senior Night); 1 5 - 1 6 — CFVC Tournament (Location and ready to get the season going. Our passTBA) ing and communication is going to be very * Cape Fear Valley Conference games

PAGE 9

Chemistry

“ I think we have a good mix of veteran players and some younger ones coming up to the varsity level.”

Hitters From Page 8 setting duties to using her passing and digging ability at the defensive specialist (libero) position. Painter and Goodwin will be deployed as middle blockers. Williams, who missed last season because of shoulder surgery, will be one of the outside hitters along with senior Devin Lally and varsity newcomers in sophomore Olivia McKinney and senior Mary Grace Phipps. Sophomore Alysha Gaffney is another middle blocker. Returnee Katie Smith, Madison Walling and Ella Cotton, all juniors, are defensive specialists. “Our hitting is great and our setting is amazing,” Painter said. “We have great chemistry, especially with Megan, Keegan and

PHILIP TAYLOR/The Pilot

Pinecrest volleyball coach Barbara Foxx and Union Pines coach Leslie Fish (foreground) are both expecting successful seasons for their teams.

me. It’s like a bond we have. We jell.” Missing will be two players who could have helped a lot. After enjoying a strong sophomore season as a defensive specialist, and an impressive summer camp with the team at UNC Greensboro, Rae Nunez moved to Texas. Molly Maples, impressive as a freshman varsity player two years ago, will miss her second season in a row because of a knee injury. The nucleus of the team played Junior Olympic volleyball for the AC Sandhills club during the offseason. Foxx, who is within 21 wins of second place on the state’s all-time win list, looks for her experienced squad to get off to a good start. “We have a lot of talent, but this year we’re looking for consistency,” the coach said. “We’re looking forward to a big year and going farther than we did last year. The conference should be strong this year and I’m looking forward to that. That only makes us better.”

But can the Patriots finally displace the Scots as conference champions? Painter thinks so. “We cannot wait to play them,” she says. “I wish we could play them tomorrow. I think that seven years is going to come to an end. I think we will beat them this year.” The Pats would also like to go farther than the third round of the state playoffs as they did the past two years. “We’re going to be pretty tough to beat, but we can’t take anybody for granted,” Painter says. “Everybody in our conference is pretty tough so we have to play hard all season.”

S c h e du l e : A u g. 1 3 — Jack Britt; 1 4 — Lee County; 1 6 — E.E. Smith; 2 0 — at Jack Britt; 2 1 — Western Harnett; 2 7 — at E.E. Smith; S e p t . 5 — Union Pines; 6 — Lumberton; 8 — tournament at Laney; 1 1 — Scotland; 1 2 — at Lee County; 1 3 — at Purnell Swett; 1 8 — at Richmond; 1 9 — at Union Pines; 2 0 — Hoke; 2 4 — Middle Creek; 2 6 — at Western Harnett; 2 7 — at Lumberton; O c t . 2 — at Scotland; 3 — at Overhills; 4 — Purnell Swett; 9 — Richmond; 1 0 — Overhills; 1 1 — at Hoke; 1 5 — start of SEC Tournament.

PAGE 10

THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2012

Union Pines Boys Ready to Build on Last Season BY F. W. MANNING II Sports Writer

After a concerted rebuilding effort last season, head coach Mike Mibb and the Union Pines boys’ soccer team are hoping a solid foundation and some stability will be the building blocks to a successful 2012 on-pitch campaign. After a 1-4 start under new head coach Mibb last season, the Vikings later suffered a threegame league-losing skid as they fell to 2-3 in 3-A Cape Fear Valley Conference play and 3-7-1 overall. From that point on, Union Pines went 6-2 to close the season with a renewed sense of pride and belief in their abilities as a team. One reason for the mid-season turnaround was the process the team endured in the early going of learning the system and philosophy of a new coach. Mibb, who was the team’s third head coach in as many seasons, opted to start from scratch when he took the helm of the team. The result was a resolute focus on fitness, along with aptitude in fundamental skills and tactical thinking. This season with Mibb back on the sidelines and a large contingent of varsity returners, the summer training sessions have been less about learning the basics and more about how to implement those basics into more complex sets and game time strategies. “I have 13 returning juniors and four seniors,”

Mibb said “and they all played a substantial amount of time, although not all on varsity. But there is a strong core of guys that saw a substantial amount of time on the varsity level and we got to know each other.” Mibb served as both the varsity and junior varsity head coach last season and will be doing so again this year. “At the end of the season that familiarity began to show on the field in terms of our level of competitiveness and with results,” said Mibb. “I have been able to work with the boys since last spring semester three times a week and then all during the summer I had a core that was here — just getting fitter, faster and softer with their touches. “As a result I have not had to spend the time working so much on the basic fundamentals in terms of dribbling and how to defend. That has allowed us to put a whole lot more emphasis on (the) small-sided game scenarios where they are working as units instead of individuals. So they are working more cohesively, they are thinking a little better and are anticipating in terms of looking ahead as the game unfolds in front of them.” Adam Howard, one of the Vikes’ top goal scorers last season, returns for Union Pines this year for his senior year, and he is pleased to have some steadiness back in the soccer program. “We have been getting a good number of guys out consistently with good workouts,” Howard

F.W. MANNING II/The Pilot

Adam Howard is one of the top players returning for the Vikings. said, “and we finally have a dedicated coach who comes out and really cares about us. So that is something nice to have finally. “As a result I would say that we are going into this season better than we have in the past since I have been here. I feel like based on the work and sacrifice we made to get better last season, coming into this year we have a general idea of what

we want to do and what our coach expects. The way the preseason has gone, I think we are ready to prove something, but we will see.” Union Pines opened its season Wednesday, Aug. 15, with a road match against intra-county rival The O’Neal School in Southern Pines. In terms of his team’s prospects for the upcoming season, Mibb is optimistic. “I know more about our league now,” he said. “I really like the way Southern Lee plays soccer — they play a beautiful fluid game for a high school team.” Last season, Southern Lee won the CFVC regular-season championship with a perfect league mark of 12-0, going 17-4 overall “My guys are getting closer, but until we get to that level we can’t beat them (Southern Lee),” Mibb said. “Having said that, we should be no less than second in the conference. Still we have to play better as a unit, we have to play quicker and we have to be able change speeds effectively.”

S c h e du l e : A u g. 1 5 — at The O’Neal School; 2 0 — at Richmond; 2 2 — Jordan-Matthews; 2 3 — at Lee County; S e pt . 4 — at East Montgomery; 5 — Lee County; 1 0 — at Douglas Byrd*; 1 2 — at Overhills*; 1 7 — Gray’s Creek*; 1 9 — Southern Lee*; 2 4 — at Western Harnett*; 2 7 — Hoke County; O c t . 1 — Westover*; 3 — Douglas Byrd*; 8 — Overhills; 1 0 — at Gray’s Creek*; 1 5 — at Southern Lee*; 1 7 — Western Harnett*; 1 8 — at Hoke; 2 2 — at Jordan-Matthews; 2 4 — at Westover*. *Cape Fear Valley Conference games

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2012

THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.

PAGE 11

Veteran Mustangs Make Run at Top BY JAMES W. HOUSTON Special to The Pilot

NORMAL STILWELL/Special to The Pilot

Hayden Little, here scoring a regular-season goal, had five goals during the Patriots’ playoff run last season.

New Coach Guides Patriots BY CHARLIE BERGMANN Special to The Pilot

When Taylor Morton joined the Pinecrest boys’ soccer team two years ago as a sophomore, it was loaded with experienced players that would go on to make history at the school. The Patriots head into this season minus 16 members that graduated after helping the team make it to the 4-A East Regional championship match for the third year in a row. A 22-3-2 2011 season ended with a 4-0 loss to eventual state champion Green Hope. “It’s weird not having guys like Richard (Palmer), Barrett (Goulden) and Nick (Kruyer) to look up to,” Morton said before a practice last week. “They were so good. Now we’re in that position and we’re leading everybody.” Todd Abbey, the Patriot coach during the run, has stepped down and been replaced by junior varsity coach Evan Saleeby. In addition to Morton, who was credited with seven goals and 17 assists a year ago as an outside midfielder, the seven returnees included Hayden Little. The senior striker led the team with 28 goals, including five in the state playoffs. Senior Luke Lynch is the lone returning defensive starter. Midfield returnees are seniors Hunter Oliver, Jake Harbeck and Drew Phillips, and junior Rene Cruz. Saleeby, a Virginia native who played four years of college soccer at UNC Pembroke, is well-acquainted with the varsity newcomers moving up from the jayvee team that went 14-0. He also got to see them work with the returnees during a team camp held at UNC Greensboro this summer. “The most important thing we have to work on is the chemistry because there are a lot of jayvee players coming up,” he said. “I feel good about the team offensively with Hayden Little back.” At 6-foot-4, Little provides a lot more problems for defenders than just his size. “He’s not just a target person,” his coach said. “It’s part of his game, but he’s also dynamic. He’s pretty fast and his feet are very good. And he’s a good finisher. He’s the whole package.” Little will be on top in a 4-2-3-1 formation that Saleeby says

is popular among the top European teams. The Patriots will also use a 4-3-3. Looking at the other projected starters, sophomore Gerardo Peraza moves up from the jayvee team to be the inside attacking midfielder. He is flanked by Cruz and Harbeck. Phillips and Oliver take over the holding midfield spots from Palmer, a twotime all-state selection, and Goulden, an all-region pick. “I really like that position,” Phillips said. “Obviously, I have big shoes to fill, but I think I can handle it. Last year my role was to come in when somebody needed a break. Now I need to be there and give it everything I have for the whole game.” Because of a shortage of experienced defenders to start the season, Morton volunteered to pitch in. He was expected to be in the right back position for last Monday’s season opening match against Jack Britt. Junior Steven Sawyer, Lynch and senior Jeffrey Maser complete the back four. Junior Garrett Melia will be the goalkeeper, backed up by senior Jordan Wilkins. Saleeby appreciates the leadership being provided by Morton. “As soon as we started the summer workouts, he was the guy getting everybody together,” the coach said. “That’s a very important role this year with all the new faces.” Other varsity newcomers include seniors Phillip Lett, Clay Ritcher, Ryan Garner and Eisaku Sato, juniors Felix Licerio, Sam Alexander, Spencer Eltschlager, Jovanny Gonzalez, Nick Guyon, Mark Kropp, Michael Phelps, Josh Rhea and Mike Tzavlas. The Patriots will be seeking their 16th conference title in a row. They are 160-5-5 over the last 15 years in league matches. Steve Tarr replaces Saleeby as the jayvee coach. “We’re looking to get back to the semis for sure and I don’t see any reason why we can’t,” Morton says. “If we don’t, I’m going to be pretty disappointed.” S c h e du l e : A u g. 1 3 — Jack Britt; 2 7 — at Sanderson; S e pt . 6 — East Chapel Hill; 1 0 — Holly Springs; 1 2 — Lumberton; 1 7 — Scotland; 1 9 — at Purnell Swett; 2 4 — at Richmond; 2 5 — Hoke; 2 7 — at East Chapel Hill; Oc t . 3 — at Lumberton; 8 — at Scotland; 1 0 — Purnell Swett; 1 5 — Richmond; 1 7 — at Hoke.

With longtime North Moore boys’ soccer coach Michael Shamberger missing most of the preseason doing mission work in Kenya, one might think he wouldn’t be familiar with his 2012 team. That may not be case with 10 returning starters, including four all-conference performers returning from last year’s second-place team. With the number of veterans hitting the field for the season, the Mustangs could unseat longtime Yadkin Valley Conference champion East Montgomery for the league title. “If we live up to our potential, we can be pretty good,” said Shamberger, who is starting his 14th season at the helm of the Mustang program. “But you never know when it comes to soccer. We have a good mix of younger and older players, and a lot depends on how well they adjust to each other.” The four returning all-conference players include last year’s top scorer, sophomore Pedro Ugarte, who mans one of the forward positions. A pair of seniors, Oliver Castrejon and Gerbacio Cabrera, are also returning all-conference players and are this year’s captains. Castrejon will be a defender while Cabrera is a midfielder. The fourth member who received all-league honors last year is sophomore Fernando Lopez, who was a defender last year, but moves to a midfielder position this year. The team’s roster is made up of five seniors, six juniors, six sophomores and four freshmen. The other three seniors on the team are all starters with Brandon Ambriz and Brian Morales being defenders and Luis Solache playing a forward position. Junior Alejandro Mendoza is slated to start as a midfielder. There are two other sophomore starters, Danny Garcia and Fredy Loza, with Garcia being the goalkeeper and Loza a midfielder. The lone newcomer on the starting squad is freshman defender David Benitez. The other juniors on the squad that are expected to see plenty of playing time are Julio Parra, Edgar Catalan, Roque Popoca, Cesar Rojo and Rodolfo Zamora. The rest of the sophomores are Juan Cruz and Toni Cruz. The other three freshmen on the 21-man team are Iban Catalan, Eddie Garcia and Anselmo Gonzalez. Shamberger expects the competition for the conference championship to be fierce between the Mustangs, East Montgomery, Albemarle and Gray Stone. He also thinks South Stanly could be a dark horse or maybe spoil one of the top teams’ chances for a title. South Davidson has shown improvement over the years and could create some problems if overlooked. There are three conference teams, West Montgomery, North Rowan and Chatham Central, not fielding teams this year, so it will be a six-team race for the championship. Shamberger always plays a tough nonconference schedule that includes several 3-A and 4-A schools in hopes of preparing the team for the demanding conference slate. “Our goal is to compete for the conference championship and if we live up to our potential, we have a good chance to meet that goal,” said Shamberger, whose team finished last year with a 10-9 overall mark and a second-round playoff exit. “We also want to make a deeper run in the state playoffs.”

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THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2012

N.M. Coach Excited About Upcoming Season BY JAMES W. HOUSTON Special to The Pilot

When North Moore cross country coach Chris Coble speaks about the upcoming season for his boys’ and girls’ teams, you can’t help but notice the contagious excitement in his voice. One of the reasons is the large turnout he had for both teams, plus the number of returning top runners from last year boys’ team. “I have been a coach at North Moore for 11 years, seven doing the cross country team, and we’ve never had this many to come out,” said Coble, whose boys’ team finished third in the Yadkin Valley Conference last season. “We had 26 boys and 16 girls come out for the two teams. We had a lot of freshmen come out, and that is good for the future.” With five of his top-seven runners from last season’s boys’ team coming back, including all-conference performer senior Alex Landers, Coble has a right to feel optimistic about this year’s chances of finishing high in the conference standings. “Alex finished fifth last year in the conference meet and I’m looking for him to improve,” said Coble. “He’s been working

real hard in the offseason and if he stays healthy, he should compete with the top runners in the conference.” The other runners returning that were among the Mustangs’ top-seven are seniors Cole Garner, Luke Moore, Daniel Purvis and sophomore Tristin Mackey. Other seniors on the boys’ squad who will be pushing the top of the lineup are Paul Grant, Mason Morris, Brandon Purvis and Ollie Seawell. Coble has three juniors on the team in Tristan Britt, Austin Hunsucker and Jesse Priest. The sophomores on the team besides Mackey are Jacob Lewis, Jacob Marley, Josh May and Tristan McDonald, who Coble thinks should compete in the top seven. There are eight newcomers on the team from the freshman class, Ivan Bunjume, Kylie Bouplon, Jacob Britt, Justin Edmonds, Tyler Hunsucker, Jarrett Hussey, Camden Little and Travis Shelton. “I look for us to be competing for one of the upper spots in the conference,” said Coble. “But you never know what the other teams might pick up. Last year West Montgomery won the conference, but they had a lot of seniors. If I had to pick a team, I would have to say Chatham Central, who has everybody back,

including last year’s top runner Chris Jaeger.” Coble has his best runner back from last year’s girls’ team, senior Jourdan Wofford, who is healthy this year. “We had a small team last year and we were banged up,” said Coble. “But if Jourdan stays healthy, along with senior Miranda Freeman, and we get some help from the younger girls, we hope to move into the upper half of the conference.” Coble has a third senior on the team in Bethany Robbins, along with junior Kristin Garner, sophomores Merlin Cabrera, Morgan Jeffries, Judith Pulido, freshmen Haley Davis, Cristina Guillen, Kayla Kidd, Stephanie Maness, Taylor Sheffield and Emiliee Brown. Coble is assisted this year by coach Brandon Reynolds and the team’s first meet is the conference preseason meet at Chuck Morehead Park hosted by Gray Stone Aug. 21. The meet is scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m. S c h e du l e : A u g . 2 8 — at Chatham Central; S e pt . 4 — at East Montgomery; 1 1 — home meet; 1 8 — Chatham Central; 2 5 — at North Rowan; O c t . 2 — at West Montgomery; 9 — at East Montgomery; 1 6 — conference championship.

League Crown in Sight For Vike Cross Country BY F.W. MANNING II Sports Writer

PHILIP TAYLOR/The Pilot

Union Pines cross country coach Nat Carter shares a light moment with sophomore Abby Verchick, who was named the 3-A Cape Fear Valley Conference’s Female Runner of the Year in her freshman season.

Longtime Union Pines cross country coach Nat Carter had a modest number of athletes participating in summer workouts as the Viking boys’ and girls’ squads readied for the 2012 campaign. Those numbers have since grown a bit, as 33 runners comprise the Union Pines overall cross country roster. “We have been training for over a month now and the numbers are starting to pick up some, which is something we need,” said Carter. “It will be the second or third meet of the season before some of these people start to come around. As a result I will need to continue to run in longer distances before I can appreciate what they are doing, and capable of doing in their interval work.” Union Pines’ Abby Verchick made her mark in the 3-A Cape Fear Valley Conference in a major way her freshman season. Verchick was named the conference’s female runner of the year. She did so by winning all seven of her regular season races. Now with one season under her belt, Verchick is excited to get her sophomore season started. “Things have been going pretty well from a training standpoint,” she said. “Now coming into August, I need to push a little bit more and focus on what needs to be accomplished this season.” The Vike girls placed second in the regularseason standings a year ago and finished third

at the league meet to make it to the regional race. Both Verchick and her coach believe that this year’s squad of 19 runners can compete for and possibly win a league crown. Of the 19 girls, nine are upperclassmen with Laura Haulsee and Brianna Stengel serving as the senior captains. Other seniors include Debbie Gibson and Tayloranne Kramer. The team has five juniors competing in Katlyn Benton, Joe Kelly, Hannah Phillips, Katlin Richards and Danielle Wilson, while the five sophomores include Verchick, Mackenzie Francisco, Jessica Galloway, Erin Metcalf and Rachel Peterson. A group of five freshmen, including Alizabeth Bowlus, Aubrey Dalton, Lillie Majuri, Emma Short and Ali Wadsworth, round out the girls’ roster. “We are going to see if we can go out there this season and get our conference championship back,” said Carter. “I know Overhills is going to be tough again, and Western Harnett was doing pretty well late last year and Southern Lee has been sneaking in there, so it will be challenging. But I like our chances and think this group has the potential to take the title if they want it.” The Viking boys are 24 runners strong this year with three seniors, including captain Storm Jessup along with Zack Sprouse and Robert Sibley. “Being a captain is a great honor, but it is also a lot on me,” said Jessup. “I want to do

see CROWN, page 13

FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2012

THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.

PAGE 13

DONNA FORD/The Pilot

The Patriots, attired in green uniforms, send wave after wave of talented runners into cross country action each season. This year both boys and girls are ranked in the top 10.

Coaches, Pollsters Recognize Patriots’ Potential BY CHARLIE BERGMANN Special to The Pilot

As successful as the Pinecrest cross country program has been at the conference and regional levels, it has been a while since they’ve been in the state equation. With a tightly knit group of talented runners on both squads, girls’ coach John Buchholz and boys’ mentor Jeremy Swofford size things up similarly. “In order to break into the top five in the state, we are going to have to have five girls in the mid-19s or better,” Buchholz says. “Every guy in the top five from last year’s state meet is going to have to improve last year’s times by at least 30 seconds,” is the way Swofford puts it. The pollsters also recognize the possibilities for the Patriots. NC Runners ranks the boys No. 3 behind Broughton and Watauga, and the girls No. 7. Another poll has them at No. 4 and No. 10, respectively. Patriot senior Jennie Cunningham’s personal best of 18:42 is only five seconds off the Pinecrest record of 18:37 set by Lexie Schustrom in 2010. Senior Sarah Pressley and juniors Katie Hayes, Jaleigh Jensen and Mulloy Manning have all broken 20 minutes during their running careers. Senior Hayden Rudd and junior Sarah Klug have knocked on

Crown From Page 12

my best to get the guys motivated and do what they are supposed to do. So in a way it is nerve-racking but I will try my best to learn as I go how to be a leader, because we have a lot of new runners.” Last season, the boys won five of their final seven regular-season CFVC races but placed second in the league championship meet to Overhills.

the door. Another is senior Savannah Merritt, a transfer from The O’Neal School, who finished eighth at last year’s 2-A NCISAA meet in 20:27. Other experienced seniors are Kara Zoellner, who competed in last year’s state meet, Hannah Barnhorst and Allie Schustrom. Junior Zia Matti is among the others who have a chance to break into the top seven. Cunningham, the school record holder in the 800-meter run, East Regional runner-up and defending Southeastern Conference champion, had surgery in June to correct a deviated septum and sinus problems. “I can definitely tell on runs I have more energy,” she said by phone from the team camp held in Charlottesville, Va., last week. “This week has really clarified how united we are and work as a team. That will be a key to our being a top-five team.” The Patriot girls won their 20th conference title in a row last fall while the boys squad that had no seniors came out on top for the 17th time in the last 18 years. The Pats swept the East Regional. Junior Chris Kelly is back after earning SEC Runner of the Year honors a year ago. Senior Jacob Troutman’s eighth-place finish in 16:39 led the Patriots at the regional. Seniors Will Pearson and Becket Killam and juniors Kelly and Matt Harmody all finished within 12 seconds of him.

“We look to be in the top three of the league this season,” said Carter. “Overhills will still be the team to beat, and Douglas Byrd has two or three real solid runners, though I am not sure they will have the overall depth they had a season ago. “For us we should be pretty deep from our first through seventh spots if the guys start coming along.” The Vike boys have seven juniors, including Clay Davis, Anthony Heinauer, Patrick O’Sullivan, Waylin Owsley, Jake Strickland, Ira VanPelt and Peter Whitehouse, eight sophomores in Nicolas Campbell Noah HarveyFonvil, Shane Medlin, James Pederson, Brian

Senior Graham Hawes and junior Javier Bustos, who Swofford says has improved dramatically, are among the others that will compete for the top-seven positions. The turnout of 13 freshmen for summer workouts is the largest the coach has had. “We’ve built a program where we’re feeding in constantly,” he says. “The middle school program is what has really helped us. At Southern Middle School, they’re training them the right way and that’s helping us. “Barring injuries, we should have one of the best finishes since we won the state meet (2004).” The season gets under way with the annual Jungle Run at South View High School on Sept. 1. “It’s exciting going into it,” Troutman says of his senior year, “but at the same time it’s almost a bittersweet feeling. It’s my last year so I really want us to do well. After four years of running together, we’re really tight. We pick on each other, but at the end of the day we’re all friends. It’s a real close team.”

S c h e du l e : S e p t . 1 — Jungle Run at South View; 5 — SEC at Hoke; 8 — Fundraiser (ACT); 1 1 — SEC at Purnell Swett; 1 5 — Patriot Derby Invitational; 1 8 — Hagan Stone Invitational; 2 5 — SEC at Lumberton; 2 9 — Great American CC Festival at Wake Med; Oc t . 2 — SEC at Pinecrest; 6 — Wendy’s at McAlpine Park; 9 — SEC at Scotland; 1 3 — Beeson Park Invitational; 1 6 — SEC championship at Carolina Horse Park; 2 7 — East Regional at Carolina Horse Park; N o v. 3 — 4-A state meet at Beeson Park, Kernersville.

Porter, Kenneth Skipper and Benjamin White, along with six freshmen in Wade Benton, Jake Chavis, Reagan Fedowitz, Joshua Kegley, Noland Kraemer and Cullen Owens. Both the boys and girls Viking cross country teams open the season Aug. 29 in Lillington at a tri-school CFVC meet hosted by Western Harnett. S c h e du l e : A u g 2 9 — at Western Harnett; S e p t . 1 — Jungle Run Invitational at South View; 5 — at Overhills; 1 2 — home CFVC tri-school meet; 1 5 — Patriotic Derby Invitational at Carolina Horse Park; 1 9 — at Southern Lee; 2 6 — at Westover; 2 9 — Greensboro Invitational at Hagan Stone Park; Oc t . 3 — Douglas Byrd; 1 0 — home CFVC tri-school meet; 1 7 — CFVC championship meet at Southern Pines Reservoir Park.

O’Neal Coverage For preview stories of The O’Neal School’s fall sports teams, see Friday and Sunday’s editions of The Pilot. The Falcons have teams playing boys’ soccer, girls’ tennis, cross country and volleyball in the Cape Fear Independent Conference.

PAGE 14

THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.

Expectations Are High for Vikings BY F.W. MANNING II Sports Writer

Led by a group of five savvy seniors, the Union Pines girls’ tennis team approaches the 2012 season with expectations of competing for league, regional and state honors. According to head coach John Frye, the squad should be among the early favorites to win the 3-A Cape Fear Valley Conference (CFVC) championship. Last season the Lady Vikings finished 17-1 overall, capturing their seventh straight CFVC crown along the way before reaching the round of 16 in the state dual team playoffs. As the most heralded senior of the bunch, Melissa Tally went 34-3 in 2011 and became a member of Union Pines’ exclusive 100career-win club. All indications point toward Tally being set for her final season in the Viking blue, where she returns to the court as a two-time CFVC singles champion. “Being here since I was a freshman, it is so exciting to come into my senior year having played with all these girls,” said Tally. “For me, the fact I have already accomplished the 100 wins and have the two (singles) titles just makes me want to work even harder “Also as a senior I want to do my share to help lead our team in league play and keep our conference championship winning streak alive. As far as leadership, all five of us (seniors) are excited to and embrace that role.” An all-conference selection Tally will be joined by fellow seniors Laura Cameron, Elena D’Argenio and Maddie Walden.

Also in that group is fourth-year standout Jones, Priest, Kramer, Cameron and Madi Kramer, who finished last year at 28-5. D’Argenio. However, the two-time CFVC doubles champiThe four returning all-conference selections will be joined by five on is nursing a signifiincoming freshmen, cant shoulder injury, including Southern making her status Championship qualifiuncertain. The team will also be er Mary Beth Jackson, without conference sinalong with Maudie gles runner-up Brittany Chalflinch, Meagan Jones and Virginia Pusser, Megan Smith Priest, who are preparand Kailee Southworth. ing for college tennis Junior Celine Bullock careers. and sophomore “We hope to get Tabitha Hamilton Madi back by midseareturn along with son,” Frye said, “but as Audrey Van Arsdale. of now three places are According to Frye the open in our dual-team trio figures to compete for playing time. lineup. So we will have to fill those slots in the Union Pines opened early going, as we will the season on the road be facing some real against the Chapel Hill PHILIP TAYLOR/The Pilot challenges at the outTigers on Aug. 13 and Union Pines’ Melissa Tally returns for in Siler City against the set. her senior campaign. Jordan-Matthews Jets “But still, we feel on Aug. 16. good about our girls. They have tremendous work ethic and we have been able to do a lot with them this sum- S c h e d u l e: A u g . 1 3 — at Chapel Hill; 1 6 — at Jordan-Matthews; 2 0 — at Douglas Byrd*; 2 2 — at Overhills*; 2 7 — Gray’s Creek*; 2 9 — mer. We have had tremendous camps and Southern Lee; S e p t . 4 — at Western Harnett*; 1 0 — Westover*; 1 2 great drill sessions, so the progress we are — Douglas Byrd*; 1 7 — Overhills*; 1 9 — at Gray’s Creek*; 2 4 — at making is noticeable. Every player is improved Southern Lee; 2 6 — Western Harnett*; O c t . 1 0 - 1 1 — CFVC Tournament at Southern Lee; 1 6 — Dual team playoffs; 1 9 - 2 0 — so we are looking forward to the season.” Individual regional tournament at Burlington. As the CFVC singles champion, Tally was one of six all-conference selections along with *Cape Fear Valley Conference games.

Making Playoffs Is Goal for Lady ’Stangs BY JAMES W. HOUSTON Special to The Pilot

As North Moore coach Cheryl Brewer opens her third season back on the job coaching the Lady Mustangs girls’ tennis team, she does have eight returning players from last year’s team. That sounds like a lot of veterans, but many are inexperienced and still learning the game of tennis. “We lost only two players from last year (Julie Williams and April Warren), but we do have some returners from last year,” said Brewer, who coached for 22 years before coming back into coaching ranks after a few years of retirement. “We’re very inexperienced and we’re working hard to improve. I tell the girls to try to come off the court better than when they went on the court.” The Mustangs’ top player is senior Shannon Marley, who didn’t play last year but was allconference her sophomore season as a member of the team. Brewer stated that Marley is the only girl to wrap up her position on the team and the rest of the lineup is uncertain as

the girls battle each other for playing time. Brewer has three other players that were in the top six last year, senior Clerisa Gomez, junior Ciera McDonald and sophomore Melanie Stewart. All three should challenge for playing time again this year. The team has four other players that were members of last season’s team, seniors Leslie Avila, Sabrina Garner, junior Sara Comer and sophomore Melissa Kennedy. Sophomore Lydia Priest is a member of the team after not playing last season as a freshman. The Mustangs have five freshmen on the team, making the future to look bright as Brewer rebuilds the tennis program. The freshman group of players are Amber Hussey, Stephanie McNeill, Keely Cleaveland, Mariana Ortuno and Birianda Lira Guiterrez. As the group learns the game, the competition should make the girls better players for the future. This year’s Yadkin Valley Conference race should once again be a three-team battle for the top spot. Chatham Central is the early choice for the league title that East Montgomery won last season.

After finishing third last season in a tightly contested battle with East Montgomery and Gray Stone, the Lady Bears return all six starters from last year’s team. East Montgomery and Gray Stone, who finished second last year, have players to replace in their starting lineup. “Our goal is to get better every day and try to make it the playoffs,” said Brewer. “I’m really looking forward to this season. The girls are eager to learn and they’re working hard to improve. This is a great group of kids and we should have some fun.” The Mustangs open their Yadkin Valley Conference slate Aug. 20 when they host South Stanly. They are on the road the next two matches, traveling to North Rowan Aug. 22 and South Davidson Aug. 23. All the matches are scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m. S c h e d u l e: A u g. 2 0 — South Stanly; 2 2 — at North Rowan; 2 3 — at South Davidson; 2 9 — Albemarle; 3 0 — West Montgomery; S e p t . 5 — East Montgomery; 6 — Gray Stone; 1 0 — at Chatham Central; 1 2 — at South Stanly; 1 3 — North Rowan; 1 7 — South Davidson; 1 9 — at Albemarle; 2 0 — at West Montgomery; 2 6 — at East Montgomery; O c t . 1 — at Gray Stone; 3 — Chatham Central.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2012

Determined Pats Ready BY CHARLIE BERGMANN Special to The Pilot

It’s been almost four years since thenPinecrest freshman Chrissy Nurnberg showed some true grit in the final consolation singles match of the Southeastern Conference tennis tournament. Playing for the fourth time that day, she rallied from a 6-1 loss in the first set to defeat her Scotland High opponent in an excruciatingly tense match under the lights at the Pinehurst Tennis Center. “Well, I really wanted to go to regionals,” she said moments after that victory. Nurnberg and another determined player in junior Caroline Decker won the conference doubles title the last two years. That qualified them for the regionals twice and they made it to the state tournament a year ago. They are also expected to be the top singles duo for a Patriot squad coached by Gail Deese that begins a new season seeking its fifth league title in a row. “I think my No. 1 and No. 2 are going to be hard to beat,” Deese says. The Patriots will be without two-time conference singles champion Ally Parziale and last year’s No. 4, Antonia Meyers, through graduation. They may not match last year’s league dominance that included winning 58 of 59 sets in singles. But Deese likes what she has seen of the talent so far. “We’re not real powerful, but very steady,” last season’s conference coach of the year says. “Our top-six players are very determined, especially in singles.” Nurnberg and Decker were both 11-2, including non-conference play and 15-2 in doubles. Senior Karen Smith (7-4) and sophomores Brittany Jenkins (9-2) and Piper Davis are other returnees that were in the singles rotation a year ago and received All-SEC honorable mention recognition. Among those back vying for a singles spot is sophomore Delaney Kjellson. With additional players still expected to come out for the team, juniors Kaitlyn Newman, Josie Lee, Amanda McCauley and Lynsi Beers, and freshmen Samara Wright and Paige Sumner, are also providing competition. “We have a bunch of young girls on the team this year,” Nurnberg says. “I’m hoping all the girls can step it up. They’re going to be good.” The Patriots open the season at Jack Britt on Monday. S c h e du l e : A u g. 2 0 — at Jack Britt; 3 0 — Lumberton; S e pt . 4 — Scotland; 6 — at Purnell Swett; 1 1 — at Richmond; 1 3 — Hoke County; 1 4 — Chapel Hill; 2 0 — at Lumberton; 2 5 — at Scotland; 2 7 — Purnell Swett; O c t . 1 — Union Pines; 2 — Richmond; 4 — at Hoke County; 9 - 1 0 — conference tournament.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2012

THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.

PAGE 15

Pinecrest Girls Take Veteran Vikings Aim at State Title Poised to Make Run BY CHARLIE BERGMANN Special to The Pilot

Coming off a fourth-place finish in last year’s 4-A state golf tournament, the Pinecrest girls have their sights set on bigger things this time around. Junior Savannah Thompson’s confidence was buoyed by a fifth-place finish individually after earning Southeastern Conference Player of the Year honors. She and senior Hailey Crider led the Patriots to the East Regional title as five players qualified for the state event. Four of those five are back, but Crider, who was the team captain and conference player of the year as a sophomore in 2010, will be unable to play for health reasons. She will share the team captain honors this season with Haley Robinson, another fourth-year and all-conference player. Sophomore Catherine Cirigliano, who also gained state tournament experience, and junior Elaine Kearney, are the other returnees. A strong addition to the squad is Pennsylvania transplant Gabrielle Weiss, who is currently ranked No. 9 among North Carolina junior girls by Golfweek. A good turnout of new players also includes seniors Shayla Birath and Alexandra Sarsozo, juniors Chrissy Boals and Veronica Ogbe and freshman Caroline Miller. “Being a captain and being on the team for four years, it’s a big disappointment,” Crider says of her situation. “It makes me feel better that we have so many girls here.” Thompson added to her experiential memory bank in June by

representing The First Tee of the Sandhills at the Champions Tour’s Nature Valley First Tee Open held at Pebble Beach. Her professional partner was Fred Funk. “When I was there they put us in situations where we had to be social,” she said before a practice round at Pinehurst No. 4 last week. “I was in an atmosphere with all those professional golfers and cameras. I feel it made me more confident all around.” Weiss and her family became acquainted with this area when she participated in the U.S. Junior Girls Amateur held at CCNC in 2010. “That’s pretty much why we moved here,” she says. “We really liked the area.” The junior enrolled at Pinecrest last fall after finishing ninth at Pennsylvania’s (PIAA) state high school championships and earning all-state honors. An AJGA tour regular, she first tried to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Amateur as a 13-year-old and made another bid to make it this summer. “I really enjoy Pinecrest,” she says. “I’ve never learned so much. I’ve never played on a girls’ team before so I’m pretty excited about that.” Second-year coach Jennifer Kearney will be assisted by Pinehurst Resort professionals Rich Wainwright and Eric Alpenfels. The first match of the season will be a conference affair on Sept. 10 at one of the Pinehurst Resort courses, but the overall schedule has not been finalized. Thompson was asked about her goals for the new season. “One of my goals is for our team to win states,” she said. “I don’t really have a lot of personal goals.”

BY F.W. MANNING II Sports Writer

Entering his second season with the Union Pines girls’ golf team, head coach Raymond Groseclose feels his squad has plenty to be optimistic about. The Lady Vikings return five players from last year’s group that placed third in the 3-A Cape Fear Valley Conference (CFVC) despite being a relatively young unit. Three of those golfers, juniors Lindsay Dakin and Channah Valkos, along with sophomore Kayla Jackson, enter the current season as 2011 all-league performers. Other returners for the Vikings are juniors Olivia Blue and Shannen Burns. “Lindsay has been playing in tournaments all summer, so she is poised for another strong season,” said Groseclose. “Channah Valkos has been playing every day after she gets done (with her job) lifeguarding and I can really tell a difference in the way she is hitting the ball.” Union Pines, which officially began team practices on Aug. 6 at Whispering Pines Country Club, lost two seniors to graduation in Riley Whalen and Mackenzie Koppenhofer. Whalen was an all-conference performer, while Koppenhofer served as the 2011 squad’s captain. Nevertheless, Groseclose feels that the addition of two solid freshmen in Hanna Duncan and Abby Parsons will help his team work to achieve its goal of claiming a CFVC championship. “Abby Parsons has a swingand-a-half that you would not believe,” said Groseclose. “She is a

solid player who has been taught well and I look for her to be a major contributor for us right off the bat. “So overall I think we are looking stronger than we were last year — last year we were right there at first, second or third every match with Southern Lee and Western Harnett. The hope is to push on ahead of them this year for the title. “Our group of juniors will be anchored by Channah (Valkos) and Lindsay (Dakin). Those two have the most experience and we will naturally be looking for them to lead us. “Meanwhile Shannen Burns and Olivia Blue showed strong signs of improvement last season and I hope both will be big contributors for us this year.” Last year, Union Pines broke a threeseason team postseason drought by qualifying for the Mideast Regional. Prior to that team-playoff dry spell Union Pines won back-to-back 1-A/2-A/3-A state team championships in the 2007 and 2008 seasons. The Vikings start their campaign Aug. 27 with a CFVC match in Sanford at Quail Ridge.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2012

THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.

PAGE 15

Pinecrest Girls Take Veteran Vikings Aim at State Title Poised to Make Run BY CHARLIE BERGMANN Special to The Pilot

BY F.W. MANNING II Sports Writer