HS Rewind: Central Cabarrus moving on at The Throne High School national tournament
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Make that 33-0.
Central Cabarrus, the N.C. 3A state champion, won its opening round game at “The Throne,” a new 16-team national elimination tournament in Atlanta.
Central Cabarrus improved to 33-0 on the season with a 62-51 win over S.C. state champion Dorman. The game was nationally televised on NBA TV.
Due to N.C. rules, Central Cabarrus is called the N.C. Vikings and are wearing powder blue uniforms and not their usual green and gold. Also, head coach Jim Baker is not allowed to coach. A team parent, Bronwyn Smyre Kent-Glover, is coaching their team.
Her son, Desmond Kent, was MVP of the N.C. 3A state championship game and was named Charlotte Observer sixth man of the year. Kent-Glover was recently inducted into the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (GA) Hall of Fame.
And she’ll coach Central Cabarrus in Thursday’s national quarterfinal against the winner of Wednesday’s opening round game between overall No. 1 seed Judges (VA) and No. 16 seed, the Golden Eagles (GA). That game will tip at 4 p.m. Thursday on NBA TV.
Wednesday, Central Cabarrus -- which has lost one game in two seasons -- started slow and trailed against Dorman, the largest high school in South Carolina, but seemed to wear down the S.C. power with constant pressure defense and a fast-breaking offense. Star guard and first team All-Observer selection Jaiden Thompson led a late second quarter rally to get Central Cabarrus the lead.
In the second half, the Vikings extended the lead to nearly 20 points and Dorman never was able to make a run to get close.
BASEBALL
North Mecklenburg 13, West Meck 3: North meck scored eight runs in the third and fourth inning en route to the easy win. Pitchers Andrew Rhoden and Ryan Clark combined to throw five innings, allowing four hits and striking out seven.
Union Academy 3, South Stanly 1: Union Academy scored all three of its runs in the fourth inning. Pitcher Garrett Brocke, a freshman, had seven strikeouts and allowed seven hits but just one run.
SOCCER
Ardrey Kell 9, Berry 0: Ellie Riechman and Brooke Watts had two goals each in the win. The Knights also got goals from Taylor Suarez, Maddie Montgomery, Caroline McSweeney, Kristin Sullivan and Carly Montgomery.
Charlotte Latin 6, Parkwood 0: Latin’s Ella Smith had three goals and two assists. The Hawks also go scores from Lucy Dempsey, Claire Zhang and Marina Horiuchi.
Lake Norman Charter 9, South Rowan 0: Riley Cook had six goals and an assist. Lake Norman Charter also got scores from Madison Buffington, Kayla Patel and Lauryn Laatsch.
GIRLS LACROSSE
Cannon School 13, Community School of Davidson 7: Julia Schattner had three goals and seven draw controls in the win. Teammates London Barnhardt, Caroline Mills and Ella Kungl each had two goals.
Monday’s Rewind: Central Cabarrus hoops readies for national TV debut, Hough soccer wins
It’s been a crazy couple of weeks for Central Cabarrus High’s boys basketball team, and it’s about to become even crazier.
Two weeks ago, the Vikings finished their season unbeaten, beating Northwood to win their first state championship in 23 years. The city of Concord is planning a special celebration for the 3A team on April 6. And on April 17, the Cabarrus County School board will also honor the team, coach Jim Baker said.
But before all of that, Central Cabarrus will make its national TV debut.
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Tuesday afternoon, the team was scheduled to take a chartered bus to Atlanta to play in “The Throne,” a made-for-TV national high school tournament. The four-day, single-elimination event features 16 of the nation’s top high school teams. Central Cabarrus will play S.C. state champion Dorman Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. on NBA TV.
“The kids are pumped up,” Baker said Tuesday morning, “and we all know there are some really good teams there. I told some people that once word got out about this tournament, there are going to be so many more teams lobbying to go next year. It’s just a big honor.”
The tournament was created by Gold Level Sports & Entertainment along with the National Basketball Players Association. Co-founders of the event are Darren Duncan and 3-time NBA champ and former UNC star Danny Green.
Due to N.C. rules, Central Cabarrus can’t use its school name, uniforms or coaching staff, so the team will be called the N.C. Vikings. Baker can’t coach, either, so the mother of Desmond Kent -- The Observer’s Sixth Man of the year -- will coach the team.
Baker said that tournament founders Duncan and Green heard about Central Cabarrus during the season and began talking with Denver Nuggets guard Ish Smith, who averaged 25 points and 10 assists per game at Central Cabarrus as a senior in 2006.
“After they talked to Ish,” Baker said, “things exploded.”
This week’s tournament wlll be the final “school” games for five Vikings who won’t return next season, including three starters -- Lees McRae signee Gavin Bullock, Mars Hill football signee Adriel Miller and first-team All-Observer guard Jaiden Thompson.
Baker said his seniors -- and everyone on his team -- are making memories that they’ll never forget.
“We laugh about it,” Baker said, “but I don’t think they come back down to earth yet. It may take awhile.”
Monday’s #BIG5 Top Performers
Morgan Banks, Charlotte Christian softball: threw an eight strikeout, no-hitter against Freedom Christian
Jack Dalton, Lake Norman Charter boys lacrosse: four goals and four assists in a 13-2 win over Community School of Davidson.
Grace Maddox, Community School of Davidson girls lacrosse: four goals, two assists in a 13-9 win over Lake Norman Charter.
Matthew Makowski, Lake Norman Charter baseball: 3-for-5 with a home run and five RBIs in a 17-5 win over Cox Mill. Makowski hits .485 with 18 RBIs in 10 games
Madison Waldron, Hough girls soccer: two goals in a 2-1 win over Lake Norman.
Monday’s Rewind
BASEBALL
Bessemer City 7, Pinnacle Classical 3
Charlotte Christian 11, Corvian Community 1: Three Knights pitchers had a role in the victory, limiting Corvian to two hits and striking out 11. Tanner McCammon drove in three runs.
Gaston Day 3, Hickory Grove Christian 2: Hollis Morphy had two hits and two RBI for Hickory Grove in its Metrolina Athletic Conference setback.
Highland Tech 15, Ashbrook 4: The Rams jumped on Ashbrook with 11 runs in the top of the first. Gavin Blackwood homered and drove in four runs.
Hopewell 10, East Mecklenburg 0
Lake Norman Charter 17, Cox Mill 5: Matthew Makowski continued his torrid start to the season, going 3-for-5 with a home run and five RBI. Makowski is batting .485 with 18 RBIs in 10 games this spring.
Metrolina Christian 14, Gaston Christian 4: Metrolina scored eight runs in the top of the second, improving to 4-0 in Metrolina Athletic Conference play.
Olentangy (OH) Orange 7, Charlotte Catholic 5: The visitors, from the Columbus area, opened their season by handing the Cougars their third loss in 11 games. Jake Kernodle drove in four runs for Charlotte Catholic.
West Cabarrus 17, Pine Lake Prep 2
SOFTBALL
Ardrey Kell 10, Cuthbertson 5: Grace McKee went 4-for-4, scoring four runs, and Sydney Powell had two RBI for the Knights. Cuthbertson’s Kristine DiPiazza singled and tripled.
Central Academy 7, Charlotte Country Day 4: Anna Crown had two hits and an RBI for CATA.
Charlotte Christian 5, Freedom Christian 0: Freshman Morgan Banks tossed a no-hitter, and Anna Hinde led the Knights’ offense with a home run and a double.
Lincolnton 7, Bessemer City 4
GIRLS’ SOCCER
Ashbrook 6, Cherryville 1
Carmel Christian 1, Charlotte Country Day 0
Community School of Davidson 0, Christ the King 0: Christ the King had 11 shots on goal, to four for the Spartans, but the Spartan defense preserved a shutout.
East Lincoln 6, Statesville 0: Berklie Greene scored three times, and Emma Strauss added two goals and an assist for East Lincoln.
East Mecklenburg 2, Palisades 0: The Eagles’ Alice Tyson made five saves in the first half, and Ester Pineda had two saves in the second half of the shutout. Brandy Sanchez and Carolina Cannella scored goals for the victors.
Hough 2, Lake Norman 1: Hough broke a 1-1 halftime tie and remained unbeaten (9-0-1).
Independence 1, Porter Ridge 1: Mia Telerig scored on an assist from Samantha Swinson for Independence.
Jay M. Robinson 9, South Stanly 1
Mount Pleasant 7, North Stanly 0
Myers Park 2, Weddington 1:
North Gaston 2, Bessemer City 2
Providence Day 3, Fort Mill 0: Chandler Brooks made six saves in goal, and Cameryn Sicard had a goal and an assist for the Chargers.
Queens Grant Charter 2, Corvian Community 0
West Iredell 6, Langtree Charter 1: Kelsey Brown scored twice and had two assists, and Litzy Flores-Cruz and Allie Lackey each added two goals for the Falcons.
BOYS’ LACROSSE
Catawba Ridge 16, Parkwood 6
Christ the King 15, Bishop McGuinness 12: Ryan Jones (four goals, two assists) and Ben Habel (five goals, one assist) lifted the host Crusaders to victory.
Lake Norman Charter 13, Community School of Davidson 2: Jack Dalton’s four goals and four assists led the Knights.
Marvin Ridge 27, Porter Ridge 3: The Mavericks cruised to victory, behind Jack Nicolette (four goals, one assist) and Ryan Ormond (three goals, three assists).
Pine Lake Prep 12, Mountain Island Charter 4
GIRLS’ LACROSSE
Butler 14, SouthLake Christian 6: Ashelynn Jacobson stopped nine of 13 SouthLake shots, and Kendall Middleton led the Butler attack with six goals, one assists, and 13 ground balls.
Catawba Ridge 16, Parkwood 2
Community School of Davidson 13, Lake Norman Charter 10: Lake Norman Charter senior co-captains Meredith Bordeaux and Gaby Bernardo had milestones in the loss. Bordeaux got her 100th career draw and Bernado got her 100th career goal, including two in the game.
Weddington 21, Cuthbertson 4: Elektra Kolouris had seven goals and three assists, and she won 10 of 12 draws for Weddington.
Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle
