Lee Christian, Ascend do last-minute construction
Mar. 1—In addition to the programs at the two Lee County traditional schools, Lee County and Southern Lee, and the one at Grace Christian, both Lee Christian School and Ascend Leadership Academy will be fielding baseball teams for the 2022-23 season.
The publication deadline for this issue took place before the rosters and schedules for the Falcons and the Aviators had been finalized and released. The Sanford Herald will cover both teams during the season and provide more complete information as it becomes available.
Lee ChristianThe Lee Christian baseball program has been in a state of transition in the two years since the Falcons made a surprising run to the NCISAA 1A Final Four. A year ago, the team found itself without a coach going into the preseason. Fortunately, head of school Andrew Ricabal, a former baseball coach at various levels of competition, was able to assume the reins as interim coach for a year and guide a young team through the season.
Lee Christian lost its first eight games of the season, but it was clear that the Falcons were improving. Three of the last four losses in that losing streak were by just one run each. Before the team's season ended, they notched three wins, all in conference play, before bowing out to Cape Fear Christian in the first round of the NCISAA 1A state playoffs.
A number of returning Lee baseball players just recently wrapped up the state basketball playoffs, such as senior Maddoc Glines and sophomore Danny Rumbold.
Much of the Falcons' schedule is already set. Lee Christian remains in the Mid-Carolina Conference of the NCISAA and will face the same teams it did a year ago, with the except that Grace Christian and Southside Christian have left the league and Cape Fear Christian has rejoined, meaning that games against CFCA will be conference games this spring, while games with Southside will not. Crossroads Christian and Cresset remain in the MCC, although games with the latter are not on the slate yet.
Lee Christian is tentatively scheduled to begin its season on March 2 against Northwood Temple Academy in Fayetteville.
Current scheduled games include:
March 7 — vs. Cape Fear Christian
March 14 — vs. Northwood Temple
March 17 — at Crossroads Christian
March 20 — at Fayetteville Christian
March 21 — at Cape Fear Christian
April 4 — vs. Southside Christian
April 21 — at Southside Christian
April 28 — vs. Crossroads Christian
Ascend LeadershipAscend publishes its complete season schedules and updates them as needed on the school's website at ascendleadershipacademy.org, but had not finalized its spring slates at press time for this section. Tentatively, the Aviators are scheduled to begin their 2023 season on Monday, March 6 at Northwood Temple Academy.
While Ascend is a public charter school, it does not yet play in a conference or participate in an organization such as the NCHSAA or the NC Athletic Association for Schools of Choice. Most of its opponents are other small charter schools trying to build an athletic program, or 1A private schools from the NCISAA or the NC Christian Schools Athletic Association.
Current games on the schedule after the opener with Northwood Temple are:
March 10 — at American Leadership Academy of Johnston Co.
March 14 — at Cape Fear Christian Academy
April 4 — vs. Northwood Temple Academy
April 7 — vs. American Leadership Academy of Johnston Co.
The Aviators will also host Cape Fear Christian at a to-be-determined date. More games are expected, but had not been finalized yet.
