East Surry’s Folger Boaz (2) scrambles for a first down in the 2021 season opener against Starmount.

Mount Airy’s Ian Gallimore (15) looks to burst through North Surry defenders for a touchdown run in the 2021 season opener.

Jimmy Kuhn | Special to the News

Surry Central’s Avery Wilmoth (9) drags East Wilkes defenders as he lunges for a first down during the 2021 season.

Charles Leftwich | Special to the News

Football season in Surry County will start one day earlier than originally planned due to potential bad weather on Friday.

East Surry High School announced Wednesday morning that its Week One varsity home game against Starmount was being moved from August 19 to August 18. The school cited the high percentage for inclement weather as the reason for the scheduling change.

The varsity Cardinals will play Aug. 18 at 7:00 at David H. Diamont Stadium. The JV game originally scheduled for Aug. 18 is being moved to Monday, Aug. 22 at Starmount High.

As of Wednesday afternoon, neither Surry Central, Mount Airy or North Surry announced plans to change their 7:30 kickoff time for Aug. 19.

All three season openers for local teams are rematches from Week One of the 2021 season.

East Surry hasn’t played, or defeated, any team more than Starmount in the past seven years

The Cardinals have won nine-straight games against the Rams, which is East’s longest winning streak in the rivalry that dates back to 1967. This includes six regular season matchups and three playoff games. East defeated Starmount in three-consecutive postseasons 2017-19.

Starmount holds the edge in the overall series with 30 wins to East’s 23. The Cardinals won the most recent game in the series 37-0 on Aug. 20, 2021.

East Surry has outscored Starmount 152-9 in the schools’ past three meetings.

East finished the 2021 season 13-1 overall and 6-0 in conference. The Cardinals won the Foothills 2A Conference Championship and finished 2A West Regional Runner-up. MaxPreps ranked East Surry No. 5 in the 2A West Preseason Poll.

Starmount finished this past season 8-5 overall and 5-1 in conference. The Rams finished second in the Northwest 1A Conference and reached the third round of the 1A State Playoffs. MaxPreps ranked Starmount No. 9 in the 1A West Preseason Poll.

North Surry vs. Mount Airy

One of the most anticipated season openers in recent memory will see Mount Airy travel to North Surry.

The county foes each return a big chunk of talent from the 2021 season. North Surry lost just four seniors, while Mount Airy graduated 13.

Mount Airy has won the past 14 games in the series against North Surry and 19 of the past 20. The Greyhounds’ lone victory over the Granite Bears since 2001 was a 27-26 home win in 2006.

Mount Airy leads the overall series against North Surry with a 42-19-1 record.

The Bears won the most recent rivalry game against the Hounds 43-0 to begin the 2021 season. This was Mount Airy’s fourth shutout victory against North Surry since 1963 and the eighth overall.

North Surry finished the 2021 season 5-5 overall and 4-2 in conference. The Greyhounds tied for second in the Foothills 2A Conference and reached the first round of the 2A State Playoffs. MaxPreps ranked North Surry No. 31 in the 2A West Preseason Poll.

Mount Airy finished the 2021 season 13-1 overall and 6-0 in conference. The Bears won the Northwest 1A Conference Championship and reached the fourth round of the 1A State Playoffs. MaxPreps ranked Mount Airy No. 2 in the 1A West Preseason Poll.

Surry Central takes the field on Friday for the first time since graduating 17 seniors from the Class of 2022.

The new-look Golden Eagles return just one player that received All-Conference Honors in the 2021 season. However, coach Monty Southern – who returns for his 16th season as Central head coach – said the team has a lot of young, hungry players ready to hit the field. The team also has a host of returning players that got significant minutes last season.

Central’s 2021 season opener at Alleghany was the first meeting between the schools since 2004. The Eagles won both matchups, with the latter being a 31-7 road victory.

Surry Central finished the 2021 season 6-5 overall and 4-2 in conference. The Greyhounds tied for second in the Foothills 2A Conference and reached the first round of the 2A State Playoffs. MaxPreps ranked Central No. 44 in the 2A West Preseason Poll.

Alleghany finished the 2021 season 2-8 overall and 1-5 in conference. The Trojans finished seventh in the Northwest 1A Conference and reached the first round of the 1A State Playoffs. MaxPreps ranked Alleghany No. 23 in the 1A West Preseason Poll.

Law enforcement training offered at SCC

PILOT MOUNTAIN — Even after losing a few multi-year varsity starters to graduation, East Surry has set its expectations high for the 2022 season.

The defending 2A West Regional Runners-up reloaded and are ready to make a repeat run at the Foothills 2A Conference Championship. The Cardinals took step one in that process by sweeping its first two FH2A games.

The Cardinals went on the road and topped North Wilkes 3-0 on Aug. 30, then beat North Surry 3-0 at home on Sept. 1.

“There was definitely a lot we still need to clean up, but it did feel good to start off 2-0 in the conference,” said East Surry coach Katelyn Markle, who is 40-6 as the Cardinals head coach.

“We’ve had moments this year where everything came together and we looked really good, like when we played at North Wilkes. Other times it’s been a little up-and-down, but we’re getting better and getting used to playing with each other so that’s the most important thing.”

The win over North puts East at 5-2 on the season.

Coming off a 26-2 season in which the Cardinals started 16-0, went undefeated in the conference play and came within a few points of a state championship appearance, Markle said she wanted to test the girls early with a tough nonconference schedule.

East Surry opened the season in the most challenging way possible: a road game at 4A Ronald Reagan High School. Reagan – who won the match 3-0 – is currently 9-0, hasn’t lost a set all season and is ranked No. 1 in the state by MaxPreps.

The match vs. Reagan was one of the 4A opponents the Cards have faced this season. East Surry also won a five-setter against Davie, and lost a five-set match against West Forsyth – ranked No. 15 in the 4A division.

North Surry coach Shane Slate is no stranger to grueling nonconference schedules meant to challenge a promising team. Slate is in his 24th season as North Surry head coach, during which he has guided the Greyhounds to more than 500 wins, multiple state titles and countless player of the year awards.

The Greyhounds, who drop to 3-5 with the loss to East Surry, began the season with matches against Davie and West Forsyth as well. The junior-heavy Hounds recently opened conference play with a loss to Wilkes Central, though every set was decided by four points or fewer.

In Thursday’s match, East Surry never trailed in either the first or third set.

The Cards led 4-3 early in the first before going on a 6-1 run. East Surry’s arsenal of attacking players took turns sending attacks over the net that were set up by Kate McCraw, though Greyhound libero Reece Niston and the North Surry back line did well to weather the early storm.

Callie Robertson and Aniya Joyce rallied the Hounds back by putting away Ella Riggs’ sets, though a service error derailed the team’s momentum. East capitalized with a 4-1 run that forced a Greyhound timeout, then put away the next two points to force another timeout.

The regrouped North Surry squad crossed into double digits to make it 18-12, but East closed the set with a 7-1 run to win 25-13.

The Hounds took their only lead of the night early in the second set. A kill from Madeline Dayton was East Surry’s only point during a 3-1 North run. The Greyhound girls held on to their lead until up 4-3, then East rattled off seven-consecutive points.

Bella Hutchens and Merry Parker Boaz combined for nine kills in the second set. The duo finished the night with a combined 21 kills.

North Riggs and Haylee Smith rallied the team back within a handful of points before East Surry went off. The Cardinals ended the set on a 13-3 run to win 25-10.

The final set began with a 4-1 Cardinal lead. East Surry service errors allowed North to fight back within two points at 6-4, then Lily Watson had a block and a kill to go with a Maggy Sechrist kill on a 3-0 run.

The Cards and Hounds continued to scrap until East took control late in the set. East Surry led 12-9 before going on a 5-0 run. For the remainder of the match, East earned two points for every point North scored, winning 25-14 to complete the sweep.

East Surry and Surry Central are the only FH2A teams undefeated in conference play. The Cards and Eagles are both 2-0, followed by Wilkes Central and West Wilkes at 1-1. Forbush and North Wilkes are both 0-1, and North Surry is 0-2.

East Surry is set to host Wilkes Central (3-5, 1-1 FH2A) on Sept. 6, and North Surry hosts Forbush (0-6, 0-1 FH2A) the same day.

PILOT MOUNTAIN — East Surry and West Stokes got all tied up during a nonconference soccer match on Wednesday.

Both squads were looking for their first wins of the 2022 season, but instead both added a “one” to the tie column. East Surry is now 0-2-1 on the season, and West Stokes is 0-4-1.

“We’ve definitely still got work to do,” said East coach Samuel Lowe. “I’m not unhappy about the outcome, of course 0-0 was not what we wanted but it wasn’t a loss either. But, I’m still happy about how the boys are working. They’re still working hard at practice.”

East and West have been evenly matched for nearly a decade in the boys soccer chapter of the “Battle for the County Line.” Since 2013, the Cardinals and Wildcats have played 15 times: East Surry won four times, West Stokes won six times and the teams tied five times.

“That’s a well-coached team over there,” Lowe said. “They’ve got a great coach and they’re a disciplined team, so I knew it was going to be a tough game. But, I’m extremely happy with the way my boys played tonight.

“Tomorrow, we just have to go back to the drawing board, maybe watch some film and get some pointers to see where we messed up at.”

Both sides looked to utilize their speed up top, leaving each back line on their toes for the better part of all 80 minutes. For East, Alex Galvan and Logan Fagg were the primary center backs while Kevin Blakeney and Levi Watson manned the outside. Michael Youngblood earned his first clean sheet as East Surry’s keeper.

Lupe Chavez rotated to the back line when needed, but spent most of his time in the midfield.

The Cardinals struggled to time their runs throughout the game and were often called offside. East retaliated in the second half with a modified offside trap of their own that caught the Wildcats off guard multiple times.

East thought it broke the scoreless tie as early as 12 minutes into the first half. Fagg floated a free kick from midfield to the top of West Stokes’ 18-yard box where it was received by striker Jonathan De La Cruz. Cruz one-touched a pass to Mario Flores who placed a shot into the back of the net, but the goal was called back due to an offside call.

Galvan and Chavez each sent through balls to Cruz in the first half, but most were intercepted by the Wildcat keeper (note: West Stokes’ roster was not available on MaxPreps). Cruz had a few shots deflected out for corner kicks, but none of the corners led to shots on goal.

West Stokes pushed into East territory late in the first half and put a number of shots on goal. The Cardinals defense fended off some of the attacks up the middle, but the Cats’ best weapon was utilized when attacking up the wing. A West Stokes player with a cannon-like throw-in could place the ball inside the six-yard box easily, leading to a number of 50-50s in dangerous territory.

East Surry’s best chance to strike came in the 62nd minute. Chavez took a throw-in near the Cards’ bench and the throw was passed back to him on the sideline. The junior crossed into the 18 to Kade Talton, who redirected the lob to Cruz. Cruz zigzagged through three defenders to face the keeper one-on-one, but sent the shot over the crossbar.

“We’ve still got to work on our touches,” Lowe said. “Our touches let us down some tonight. We definitely should’ve had a goal; Jonathon, he got a little excited there and kicked the ball through the uprights. That’s something that we’ll get more comfortable with after more playing experience.”

The teams fought until the final whistle. West Stokes even had a long throw in as the announcer counted down the final 10 seconds of the game, but it was headed out by the Cards to keep the tie alive.

Though the Cards have yet to win a match this season, Lowe said he isn’t concerned and is instead focusing on the team’s progression from match to match.

”I really do think that we’ll be fine. We just need time and things will work out,” Lowe said. “I’ve got freshmen, and I’ve got kids that – I’ll be honest with you – have never played before that want to play, which is fine. I’ll take anybody that wants to come out here and play with us. But, it’s going to take time. Touching the ball always comes with time.”

The Cardinals do have experience mixed in with youth, but it’s been difficult to build team chemistry with only three matches through the first three weeks of competition. Two of those matches were against Mount Airy, a perennial powerhouse that’s only lost four matches since the beginning of the 2019 season.

“I hate that we didn’t have a better schedule than we had,” Lowe said. “Hopefully we can get another game scheduled next week. We’re working on that so we can give them some more practice before we actually start in the conference.”

Surry Central volleyball broke into the win column Tuesday by defeating West Wilkes 3-0.

The sweep of the Blackhawks, with set scores of 25-21, 25-14 and 25-19, gives the Golden Eagles a 1-0 record in the Foothills 2A Conference. Central’s first win comes after starting the season 0-4.

“Winning our first game means the world to me,” said first-year Central coach Maddison Payne. “I’m just glad the girls were finally able to show everyone what they are made of, and that their hard work finally paid off.”

Despite a rough start to the season, Payne had plenty of reasons to keep her eyes on Central’s bright future.

The Eagles recently graduated five players from a near-20 win squad, many of whom were multi-year starters. This meant the 2022 team would need time to adjust with new faces taking on some of the top roles.

“We played hard with everyone our first four games, but we were still adjusting to our new roles,” Payne said. “We are really young, and the nerves got the best of them when we played Mount Airy. Alleghany has a great program, and we played them tough but they made us a better team. We made a lot of changes, and I think that is what led us to our victory tonight.”

The Golden Eagles opened the season on Aug. 16 with a 3-0 loss at Mount Airy. Two days later, Payne saw improvement in Central’s home opener but the team came up short 3-2 against Alleghany.

The Eagles dropped a close match to West Stokes the following week. West won 3-1, but all four sets were decided by three points or fewer.

Surry Central followed with another five-set thriller against Alleghany, which also went the way of the Trojans.

“The girls have developed so much these first two weeks of the season,” Payne said. “Most of the girls have never played together, so it’s been a huge adjustment getting everyone to trust and play together. We are a really young team. I’m just so proud of the improvement they have made with each set and game they have played.”

Payne added that everything clicked for Central (1-4, 1-0 FH2A) in the match against West Wilkes.

After trailing early in the first set, Central used a 5-0 run behind Lily O’Neal’s serving to go up 9-8. The visiting Blackhawks (2-5, 0-1 FH2A) interrupted the run to tie the score at 9-9 before an Aubrey Hodges block started another big run for the Eagles.

West Wilkes cut Central’s advantage to a point at 17-16, but never tied the game up again in the set. Marissa McCann, who is Central’s leading returning attacker from last season, put away a kill as part of 3-0 run that forced West Wilkes to call timeout.

The Blackhawks never recovered an dropped the first set 25-21.

West took its only lead of the second set early on by going up 3-2. O’Neal got the Eagles going with a kill, then McCann went to the baseline and served up a pair of aces as part of the set’s only lead change.

A Central net violation put West Wilkes within one at 8-7. Then, the Eagles went off for a 10-3 run. Surry Central first-years Presley Smith and Mallie Southern put away attacks at the net to garner a few “she’s a freshman,” chants from the crowd during the run.

The Eagles won five of the final six points in the set to increase the lead to 2-0.

Like the two previous sets, the third set started close before Central went on a big run. The biggest of these runs came in the final set when the Golden Eagles won 14-of-17 points during one stretch.

West Wilkes took a 9-8 lead after an attack error from Surry Central, then the Eagles tied the score at 9-9 thanks to a McCann kill. The senior then served Central on a 5-0 run before West scored again.

Kylee Schendel had a big block for Central before serving an ace of her own during a 3-0 run. The Eagles committed an attack error to make it 16-11, then scored the next six points to go up 22-11. Smith had a trio of blocks during the final run.

West Wilkes rallied late with a 6-2 run before a McCann kill ended the set at 25-19.

“I knew it was coming, because with each set and game the girls have been improving so much,” Payne said on the Eagles’ first win. “I’m just so proud of them.”

Following a nonconference game against Elkin, Surry Central resumes FH2A competition against Wilkes Central on Sept. 1.

North Surry swept Mount Airy Monday to give the Greyhounds their third win of the season.

The Hounds won the opening set 25-18 before facing heavy resistance in the second. The Bears came back from a four-point deficit to lead 25-24, but the Greyhounds still managed to pull away for the win 28-26.

The third and ultimately final set was all North Surry. The Greyhounds never trailed and went on to clinch the match with a 25-17 victory.

Though North Surry has just two seniors on its roster, the team has more varsity experience that meets the eye. Last year’s team had four seniors, but – due to various injuries – a plethora of underclassmen received significant minutes throughout the season.

The Greyhounds continue their evolution as a junior-heavy team this season.

“The experience we have together helps us look toward advancing the level of offense we are trying to run,” said North Surry coach Shane Slate. “If we wish to continue to improve, our consistency passing the ball and not committing unforced errors are the two things that are better from last year but still need to get better.”

This year’s team has two seniors, seven juniors and a sophomore.

Both the Greyhound seniors, Aniya Joyce and Kyra Stanley, are multi-year varsity players. Stanley is an outside hitter, and Joyce a middle hitter.

Joyce has been the team’s top attacking option the past two seasons. She’s continued to develop her game, and has become even more deadly as a senior.

“Aniya has started to come into own and play with more confidence,” Slate said. “She has hit above .400 in three matches this year and has a run every match where she really pounds the ball.”

When Mount Airy mounted its comeback in the second set, it was attacks from Joyce that helped North Surry pull away for a 2-0 set advantage. Had Mount Airy won the second set, the match then becomes a best 2-of-3 with momentum on the Bears’ side.

North led 22-18 when a kill from Mount Airy’s Morgan Mayfield started a 3-0 run. Abby Epperson got an ace to cut the lead to two, and a block by Kinlee Reece led to Mount Airy coming within a point. North’s Callie Robertson kept the Greyhound lead alive with a back-row kill, but the Bears followed with two more points to tie the game at 23.

A kill from Joyce put North Surry within a point of winning the set, prompting Mount Airy to call a timeout. Isabella Allen and Alissa Clabo flipped the script for the Bears and then the Hounds used a timeout.

North came out of the timeout and tied things up at 25 with a Joyce Kill. Stanley aced the Bears to take an advantage, but an attack error from the Hounds tied the game once again. Yet another Joyce kill put North on top once again, and this time it led to the Hounds winning the set.

North Surry came out serving strong in the third set. The Hounds jumped out to a 5-1 lead and never looked back.

A key piece of the Greyhound offense is the team’s lone sophomore Ella Riggs. Riggs served as setter her freshman year and has continued her ascent at the position as a sophomore.

“Ella is getting more comfortable running the offense, and as her understanding of situations improves things will get easier,” Slate said.

A kill from Allen cut the lead to one point at 8-7, but then the Hounds followed with a 7-1 run. North Surry led by as many as eight in the final set, going on to win 25-17.

The Hounds still have a lot of work to do to get where Slate wants them to be. However, being able to building chemistry this season with a group of experienced players will help greatly as North Surry enters conference play.

“We need to just focus on some basic things being consistent so we can play faster and more aggressively,” Slate said.

Mount Airy and North Surry both opened conference play on Aug. 30.

The Bears traded sets with East Wilkes before winning it all 3-2. Mount Airy won its Northwest 1A Conference opener with set scores of 25-22, 22-25, 25-22, 20-25 and 15-11.

Mount Airy improves to 2-3 overall with the victory and returns to action Sept. 1 at South Stokes.

North Surry hosted Wilkes Central and fell 3-0 to the Eagles. Central won the Foothills 2A Conference matchup with set scores of 25-23, 25-22 and 25-21.

The Hounds drop to 3-4 overall and return to action Sept. 1 at East Surry.

The Mount Airy tennis team took on its biggest challenge in years by facing Forsyth Country Day in a nonconference match on Monday.

The match was the latest obstacle in the Granite Bears’ gauntlet of nonconference opponents from higher divisions. The defending N.C. High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) 1A Dual Team State Champions, Mount Airy looked to push itself during nonconference play in preparation of another deep run this season.

A challenge is exactly what the Bears got in Forsyth Country Day: 4-of-6 singles matches were decided in third-set tiebreakers, Forsyth became the first school to win more than two singles matches against Mount Airy since the 2020-21 season, and the overall match went down to the final doubles competition.

Forsyth Country Day ended Mount Airy’s 27-match winning streak by defeating the Bears 5-4.

“I tried to stress to the team after the loss that I know it hurts right now and we could’ve played it safe and scheduled to protect our record, but that doesn’t make us any better,” said Luke Graham, who is in his third season as the Lady Bears’ head coach.

“I think you need to feel the pressure and the stress and be uncomfortable against a team as good as they are. Win or lose, you have that experience to draw on for the next time you’re in that situation.”

Mount Airy began the season with three matches against teams from higher divisions, taking on 4A RJ Reynolds, and 2A teams Surry Central and East Surry. After opening Northwest 1A Conference play with a win over East Wilkes – who ranked No. 4 in 1A at the time – the Bears defeated 3A Central Davidson before falling to Forsyth Country Day.

“I’m extremely proud of our effort,” Graham said. “I hate we came up short, but firmly believe we’ll be better collectively in the long term because of that match, along with the other teams we played in the first two weeks of the season.”

Forsyth Country Day competes in the N.C. Independent School Athletic Association (NCISAA), which features most of the state’s private schools. The Furies finished 15-3 in 2021-22 and reached the quarterfinals of the NCISAA 3A State Tournament.

Mount Airy came into Monday’s match ranked No. 1 in the NCHSAA’s 1A Division by the N.C. High School Tennis Coaches Association. The Bears were No. 1 in the NCHSTCA Preseason Poll, dropped to No. 3 in the Week One Poll then took the top spot back for Week Two.

No. 5 and No. 6 singles were the only singles matches to end in straight sets. Mount Airy’s Audrey Brown defeated Mary Brooks Hall 6-3, 6-3 on court six, and Forsyth’s Erika Choopani defeated Charlotte Hauser by the same score.

Courts one through four all needed third-set tiebreakers. On all four courts, the girl that won the first set went on to win the match.

The top two seeds followed a similar script. Forsyth’s No. 1 Sophia Spalcke defeated Carrie Marion 6-4 in the first set, and the Furies’ No. 2 Sydney Simmons topped Ella Brant by the same score.

Spalcke led 5-2 in the second set before Carrie won the next five games to win the set 7-5. Spalcke went on to win the tiebreaker 10-4.

Brant trailed 5-4 in No. 2 singles before winning three consecutive games, taking the set 7-5. The pair went back-and-forth in the tiebreaker before Simmons came away with the 10-8 victory.

The Bears No. 3 seed Kancie Tate pulled away from Julia Kincaid to win the first set 7-5. Tate dropped the second set 6-0, but then rallied to win the third-set tiebreaker 10-8.

Audrey Marion won the first set of the No. 4 singles match 6-4 for Mount Airy. Her opponent, Forsyth’s Zayla Smith, took the second set 6-3.

The Granite Bear senior won the third-set tiebreaker 10-7 to tie the teams up at 3-3 entering doubles.

Brant and Carrie Marion earned Mount Airy’s fourth win by taking No. 1 singles by an 8-6 score. However, the Furies won No. 2 and No. 3 doubles to come away with the overall win.

Simmons and Kincaid defeated Tate and Hauser 8-4 to win No. 2 doubles, and Choopani and Hall defeated Brown and Audrey Marion 8-6 to take No. 3 doubles.

Mount Airy’s next two nonconference games aren’t for another few weeks, when the team hosts West Stokes on Sept. 19 and travels to Wheatmore two days later.

The Granite Bears resume NW1A Conference Play on Sept. 1 by traveling to North Stokes.

Match results vs. Forsyth Country Day

1. Sophia Spalcke (FCD) def. Carrie Marion 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 (10-4)

2. Sydney Simmons (FCD) def. Ella Brant 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 (10-8)

3. Kancie Tate (MA) def. Julia Kincaid 7-5, 0-6, 1-0 (10-8)

4. Audrey Marion (MA) def. Zayla Smith6-4, 3-6, 1-0 (10-7)

5. Erika Choopani (FCD) def. Charlotte Hauser 6-3, 6-3

6. Audrey Brown (MA) def. Mary Brooks Hall 6-3, 6-3

1. C. Marion/Brant (MA) def. Spalcke/Smith 8-6

2. Simmons/Kincaid (FCD) def. Tate/Hauser 8-4

3. Choopani/Hall (RJR) def. A. Marion/Brown 8-6

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Mount Airy and East Surry last played in April 2021. In the 16 months between meetings each school graduated two classes of seniors, one of the schools made two regional championship appearances and one state championship appearance, and both football programs shattered records as part of 13-1 seasons last fall.

Despite many new faces on both sides, the 58th edition of Mount Airy-East Surry went a lot like the previous installment: a low-scoring defensive battle at Wallace Shelton Stadium in which the winner scored all of its points in the first half, holding a double-digit lead at halftime. Then, the other team rallies late to make it a one-score game, but comes up short in the end.

East Surry emerged victorious on both occasions, winning Friday’s game 14-12.

The Cardinals have now won four consecutive meetings against the Granite Bears and eight of the past 11.

“We knew coming in that East Surry returned a lot of starters from a team that was very good last year,” said Mount Airy coach JK Adkins. “Had hoped that we would have been more effective moving the ball in the first half. We were so proud to see our defense play like they did. I thought our defensive coaching staff did a phenomenal job and our kids played with tremendous effort.”

Cardinal coach Trent Lowman called Friday’s game “eerily similar,” to the April 2021 battle between East and Mount Airy, saying he felt like he had déjà vu at points.

“I walked off the field at halftime and, looking at the score, it struck me that we’ve been here before,” Lowman said. The Cards had scored their first touchdown late in the first quarter, then added another score with less than 30 seconds remaining in the second to go up 14-0 at the half.

“We did some good things offensively and we got a touchdown in late in the half, so much like that game in the spring. You kind of knew what was coming in the second half. You knew they were going to come out with some fire, they were getting the football and they were pumped up.”

The coach was correct, and the Bears stormed back and scored on the opening drive of the second half. Colby Johnson jumped in the way of the PAT to leave the score at 14-6, which would come into play later in the night.

Mount Airy’s offense went on to move the chains nine times in the second half after doing so just twice in the first 24 minutes of play. The Bears were also able to move on the ground more after being held to -25 yards rushing in the first half.

East Surry, alternatively, moved the chains 10 times in the first half, but only twice in the second half. The second instance didn’t occur until there was less than 60 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

Following the 2021 Bears-Cardinals game, Adkins said he felt his defense played well enough to win the game while the offense’s struggle to move the ball on the ground ultimately hindered them. He echoed that sentiment after Friday’s game.

“A lot of different factors contributed to that,” Adkins said. “East Surry’s defensive speed, our inability to protect the passer to hit big plays in the passing game, confusion up front and a couple key injuries all played a part.”

“Their defense out-played our offense,” Lowman said. “But, we made some mistakes and let them outplay us. So we’ve got to go in and get some things fixed.”

Down eight points entering the fourth quarter, Mount Airy began a drive on its own 20 following a Stephen Brantley punt. The Granite Bears’ drive started with 11:43 on the clock and spanned 8:45 of game time over 17 plays. During the drive, the Cardinals where flagged for disconcerting signals, pass interference and encroachment, while the Bears were flagged for a false start and assisting the runner.

The Bears faced fourth-and-12 on the drive and survived thanks to an Ian Gallimore pass to Taeshon Martin. Later in the drive, Mount Airy faced third-and-goal from the 10 and Gallimore once again looked to pass. When pressured by Cardinal defenders, Gallimore scrambled and ran the touchdown in himself with 2:58 to play.

Mount Airy lined up to go for two down 14-12, but had to burn a timeout to set a play up. When lining up after the timeout, the Bears’ coaching staff noticed something was off and had to use another timeout. The Cardinals were still able to stop the Bears short on the conversion and maintain the lead.

Mount Airy’s Walker Stroup took a short kickoff in hopes of recovering it for the Bears, but the Cards’ Gabriel Harpe dove on the ball.

Two short runs from Cardinal QB Folger Boaz set up third-and-5, then Devin Williams converted the first down to effectively end the game. Williams added another short run to force Mount Airy to burn their final timeout, then Boaz kneeled twice.

Lowman said he didn’t really get nervous during Mount Airy’s comeback, but added that it wasn’t for the reason one might expect.

“I didn’t really have time to get nervous during the game. I was just focusing on what we needed to do to win,” Lowman said. “If anything, I was more anxious this week about coming into a place like this where, yeah, it’s a rivalry, but you’re also going up against a really good football team. They’re in the hunt for a state championship every year for a reason.

“They’re extremely well-coached, they play extremely hard and they have good players on the field – and that’s a deadly combination.”

Both sides had defensive standouts in the rivalry game.

Mount Airy’s defense forced 13 plays of either no gain or negative yards. Gallimore, Stroup, Tyler Mason, Cam’Ron Webster, Blake Hawks and Deric Dandy each picked up tackles for a loss, while Gallimore and Dandy each picked up sacks.

The Bears also held Boaz to 9-of-21 passing for 120 yards, marking just the third time in Boaz’s three-year career as a starting quarterback that he was held to single digit completions while playing an entire game. Boaz did throw for both Cardinal touchdowns, but was picked off by both Stroup and Logan Fonville.

East Surry’s defense forced 21 plays of no gain or negative yards. Brett Clayton, Kyle Zinn, Trey Grubbs, Anderson Badgett and Hatcher Hamm each picked up tackles for a loss. Zinn and Badgett recorded multiple sacks, and Eli Becker added one.

The Cards held Gallimore to 4-of-10 passing for 64 yards. This is Gallimore’s lowest completion percentage in 16 games as a starting QB, and is just the third game in which he hasn’t thrown a passing touchdown. Gallimore was picked off once by East’s Will Jones, and the QB lost a fumble that was forced by Zinn and recovered by Colby Johnson.

East Surry (2-0) finished the game with 240 total yards coming from 120 yards passing and 120 yards rushing. Matthew Keener led the Cards in yards receiving with three receptions for 74 yards a touchdown, followed by Johnson with four receptions for 43 yards and a touchdown, and Williams with two receptions for three yards.

Williams led East Surry’s ground game with 13 carries for 75 yards. Boaz was next with 17 carries for 25 yards, followed by Zinn with four carries for 14 yards and Johnson with one carry for 6 yards.

Mount Airy (1-1) finished with 118 total yards coming from 64 yards passing and 54 yards rushing. Stroup grabbed two receptions for 50 yards, Martin had one reception for 20 yards and Mario Revels caught one pass for a loss of six yards.

Mason led the Bears’ running backs with 18 carries for 56 yards and a touchdown, followed by Martin with four carries for three yards, Gallimore with 15 carries for -2 yards and a touchdown, and Traven Thompson with one carry for -3 yards.

Both squads have big expectations for the 2022 season and look to use this game as a jumping off point.

In the preseason, Lowman said the goal for the Cardinal coaching staff is to have the team peaking at the end of the regular season and beginning of the postseason. Playing Mount Airy, one of if not the outright toughest team they’ll play in the regular season, just two games in didn’t change that strategy.

“We didn’t change much before this, and we’re not going to change,” Lowman said. “We’re doing it the same way this year as we always have. Our entire playbook is in, and we’re just trying to get better at everything as the season goes as opposed to trying to do two things now, a third thing next week and a fourth thing after that.

“We’re not changing because our method has worked, and I hope it works again. I hope we’re peaking in late October/early November for a run. It’s on our guys to stay healthy, and take care of their bodies and keep learning what we do and just get cleaner and crisper as we go along.”

For Mount Airy, the loss breaks an 11-game winning streak of regular season games. The loss itself stings, but Adkins said he believes this game – much like the season opener against North Surry – will be extremely beneficial to the Bears in the long run.

“There is no such thing as a good loss, but our team grew exponentially tonight,” Adkins said. “Things like this galvanize a team and a coaching staff.”

Mount Airy’s focus now shifts to getting players healthy, while also maintaining a “commitment to basics and fundamentals,” Adkins said.

“I’m proud of our guys. We move forward from here.”

2:29 ESHS 0-7 – Colby Johnson 9-yard TD reception on Folger Boaz pass, Joshua Parker PAT

0:22 ESHS 0-14 – Matthew Keener 22-yard TD reception on Folger Boaz pass, Joshua Parker PAT

7:19 MAHS 6-14 – Tyler Mason 1-yard rushing TD, PAT blocked by Colby Johnson

2:58 MAHS 12-14 – Ian Gallimore 10-yard rushing TD, 2-point conversion no good

DOBSON — A 77th-minute goal from Lucas Keller lifted Elkin over Surry Central on August 24.

Central built a 2-0 lead late in the first half, but Elkin began to turn momentum by striking just before the halftime whistle. The Buckin’ Elks then scored an equalizer early in the second 40-minute period.

The score was level at two apiece for more than 35 minutes before Keller broke free and netted the game-winner.

Wednesday’s victory marks Elkin’s first win over Surry Central since 2003.

“It’s the same thing that happened with Statesville: we started to goof off too much,” said Central coach Adan Garcia, referencing a match the day before.

“If we would’ve stuck to our guns like in the first half when we were moving the ball and had a lot of 1-2s…that’s where we had our success. For some reason, something happened and we gave away too many possessions in the middle, and they’ve got some speed up top so they were able to hit us on the counters. They punished us. They took the chances that they had and put them away.”

A lot went right for Surry Central in its third match of the season. The Golden Eagles’ (1-2) offense advanced up the sidelines and was putting shots on target for most of the first half. Central out-shot Elkin 11-6 in the first half, while putting nine of those shots on frame; six were saved by Elkin keeper Chip Sloop, one hit the right post and two found the back of the net.

Surry Central’s defense also held the Elks (3-1) scoreless for 38 minutes. The back line was hesitant to just boot clearances into the abyss of the midfield, instead playing a slower game and using triangle passing to advance.

Both of Central’s goals were scored with most of the Eagles already in Elkin’s defensive third. While the speedy Elks relied on counters and through balls, Surry Central took its time and widened the field. This led to both goals for the home team.

Sophomore Luke Creed broke the 0-0 tie in the 32nd minute. Freshman Alberto Talavera ripped a shot from 35 yards out that bounced off the right crossbar. While most of the players waited for Sloop to pounce on the deflection, Creed didn’t, instead opting to time his run just right so he was the only player around when the rebound rolled out of the six-yard box.

A simple redirect from Creed put the Eagles up 1-0.

Diego Sonato, another sophomore, added to the lead with a goal six minutes later.

“Honestly, everybody was talking and everybody was doing their movements off the ball [in the first half]; that’s something we’ve been working on,” Garcia said. “They’re used to being static, and I’ve told them you can’t do that at this level. They were moving off the ball, their runs were good, their through balls were good, everything that we’ve been working on was clicking.

“When they decided to go away from that is when we were punished.”

Elkin also picked its shots well. The visitors put 4-of-6 first-half shots on frame, including the team’s opening goal with less than two minutes remaining in the half.

The Buckin Elks earned a corner kick less than 30 seconds after Central’s second goal, again using its speed up front to catch the Eagles sleeping. Elkin freshman Charlie Pelkey took the corner and set junior Alejandro Lopez-Canobbio up for the goal.

The second half started with more Central offense, though the Eagles weren’t able to find the back of the net. Daniel Urquiza put a header off frame after a Cristofer Tello corner kick, and Luis Gonzalez had a shot shortly after that was deflected out for another corner.

In a flash, Elkin tied the score at 2-2. Lopez-Canobbio was left up top for the Elks while most of the team retreated to play defense. A timely clearance left Lopez-Canobbio alone on Central’s half, where he made a beeline for the opposing net and scored his second goal of the game.

Elkin had a chance to go up earlier in the second half off another counter. Pelkey send a through ball to Lopez-Canobbio, and the striker dribbled past the charging Central keeper to face a wide open net. Lopez-Canobbio skied the shot, however, to leave the game tied at two each.

Most of the second half was contested in the middle third of the field, and Surry Central only had one shot in the final 20 minutes. That shot sailed north of the crossbar by about 10 yards.

The clocked was stopped with less than four minutes left in the game after Talavera went down with an injury. Central advanced into Elkin territory off the ensuing free kick, but then Elkin made a quick counter that saw Keller run free on Central’s half.

Keller came at the goal from the right side and made it past a charging keeper. Urquiza was the last line of defense covering the near post, but Keller placed a shot out of reach to give Elkin the advantage.

Golden Eagle Cesar Guerrero made a last-minute cross to try and tie the game at 3-3, but the Elks defense cleared it and ran out the clock in the midfield.

Surry Central’s schedule doesn’t get any easier with matches against three 4A teams – Glenn, Reagan and Davie – scheduled for the week of August 29-September 2. Before taking on the trio of large schools in nonconference play, Garcia hopes the Eagles can sit down and review the past few matches to hopefully avoid similar collapses in the future.

“Tomorrow is our game film day so we can watch the last two games,” Garcia said. “It’s tough for us just to talk about it, they actually need to watch it and actually see the details we’re talking about. We’re a very detailed team, but a lot of the younger guys just aren’t used to it yet. They’re just so used to playing that middle school ball where there’s no tactics it’s just hit the ball and chase it down.”

Garcia has a positive outlook moving forward, and said he knows there is work to do on a team that has 13 underclassmen and just two seniors.

“If we can play this bad – from my point of view – and still compete, imagine what we can do when we start clicking,” he said. “We’ll get there.”

Elkin returns home on August 29 to host Gray Stone Day.

Goals: Luke Creed (SC) from Alberto Talavera assist 32’, Diego Sonato (SC) 38’, Alejandro Lopez-Canobbio (Elk) from Charlie Pelkey assist 38’ | Alejandro Lopez-Canobbio (Elk) 51’, Lucas Keller (Elk) 77’

Mount Airy moved to 3-0 on the season with a 6-0 win over North Surry.

The shutout is Mount Airy’s first of the year after posting wins of 6-1 and 4-2 during the first week of the season. The nonconference match is North Surry’s second of the season, with the Hounds previously defeating West Stokes 2-0.

“North Surry soccer is kind of rebuilding right now,” said Greyhound coach Kevin Shore. “We have a lot of freshmen and sophomores, just not a lot of juniors and seniors. We’re still getting our chemistry together, and definitely have some things to figure out, but I know we’ll get it all together as the season progresses.”

The Greyhounds started six freshman against the veteran Granite Bears, who have 10 seniors and are coming off a 26-1 season. Though, Mount Airy isn’t immune to growing pains of their own.

“We were in way too big a hurry tonight,” said Bears coach Will Hurley. “Don’t get me wrong, I love that we were possessing the ball as much as we were, but we have got to slow down and play our game when we get close to their goal.”

Mount Airy attempted 37 total shots during Tuesday’s match. However, the Bears only scored two goals in the opening 40 minutes and both came in the first 10 minutes of play.

This was partly due to Greyhound keeper Josh Garcia, who came away with north of 15 saves in the game.

“Without Josh back there, we may’ve been scored on eight or nine times in the first half,” Shore said. “He played a heck of a game tonight. He really did.”

While some of the shots that weren’t scored were blocked by Garcia, whose efforts Hurley called, “exceptional,” most of Mount Airy’s first-half shots were off frame.

“I’m happy with how we’re playing, I’m just not thrilled with how we’re finishing,” Hurley said.

In the season opener against West Stokes, Shore said North Surry did well to control possession while winning most of the 50-50 balls. Goals from Jimmy Burnette and Edgar Vasquez lifted the Hounds to victory in that match.

Against Mount Airy, the possession split was closer to 75-25 in favor of the Bears. North did well to keep Mount Airy, a team that scored 156 goals in 2021, from running up the score early, but could only hold on so long.

“We weathered the storm for a pretty long time,” Shore said. “Our kids didn’t do bad at all, they were just up against a really talented veteran team. Those early goals, for instance, were just good plays on the ball. It’s one of those things where we just have to just acknowledge they made a good play and move on.

“It is humbling to play a game like this early on and find out you aren’t as good as you think you are. We’ve got some personalities we’re going to manage, and we’re going to take this chance to grow as a team.”

Mount Airy’s Gavin Guerrero scored two goals within the first 10 minutes of the match. He netted the first by curving a corner kick past the keeper, then scored the second on an assist from Elkin Lopez.

North Surry then held Mount Airy scoreless for the remainder of the first half. The Hounds tried different combinations of lineups as they tried to find the best options for different scenarios, but one cornerstone of the defense was Hector Hernandez – one of the team’s only seniors.

“Hector will help fill the gap left by Jair,” Shore said of 2022 Greyhound graduate Jair Gonzalez. Gonzalez was a four-year member of the varsity soccer team, spending his last few years on defense, that is continuing his soccer career at the collegiate level.

“Hector is only going to get better as the season progresses. He’s got great anticipation, great footwork and a great presence for not being the biggest guy on the field. It’s going to take us a few games to get our feet under us, but he’s one of those returning guys that’s going to help us a lot.”

As efficient as the Hounds’ defense was throughout the latter part of the first half, fatigue set in during the second. Guerrero took advantage and scored his third goal in the 48th minute. Then, the floodgates opened.

Mount Airy’s experienced midfield kept pressure on North’s defense for most of the second half. Hurley applauded midfielders Saeed Saavedra and Vicente Gomez for their play in the game, calling them, “phenomenal.”

The Bears’ accuracy improved for the second half. Of 11 shots in the half: five were saved, four were scored on only two were off target.

“We’re getting there, I may just be impatient. I’m not sure,” Hurley said. “We’re trying different things and attempting to break some bad habits. The quicker we can, the better off we will be in the long run.”

Breaking some of those habits is something Hurley would like to see progress with over the next three games, which will be a trio of rematches from the Bears first three games of the year.

“This time around I would love to see us have better finishing early on,” he said. “I’d just like to see us possess the ball and slow it down in front of the goal. We don’t have to hurry up, panic and kick it over.”

For North Surry, Shore said cohesion and respect are the team’s two biggest focal points moving forward through nonconference play.

“Our leadership needs to work within the team,” Shore said. “It’s almost difficult to put into words, but I need players to be players and coaches to be coaches. I get that having that many freshman join upperclassmen isn’t easy, but that’s just going to take time to adjust to.

“Our goal this year is to be able to compete in every match, and we’re not quite where we want to be just yet.”

Goals: Gavin Guerrero (MA) from Elkin Lopez assist 2’, Gavin Guerrero (MA) from Elkin Lopez assist 9’ | Gavin Guerrero (MA) from Adrian Rodriguez assist 48’, Vicente Gomez 56’, Elkin Lopez from Brayden James assist 74’, Elkin Lopez 76’

The North Surry girls tennis team posted a dominant victory over Wilkes Central to begin the 2022 season.

Playing against a team that defeated them 5-4 twice last season, North Surry swept all six singles matches and all three doubles matches for the 9-0 win. The victory puts the Greyhounds at 1-0 overall and in the Foothills 2A Conference.

The Hounds finished fifth in the FH2A Conference a year ago, while Wilkes Central finished fourth. This year’s North squad looks to ascend the conference rankings.

North Surry is led by a pair of seniors that have been with the team all four years. Whitley Hege and Katie Butler have played in the top three for the majority of their high school careers, and currently compete as the team’s No. 1 and No. 2 seeds.

The pair are also the Hounds’ top-ranked doubles team and are coming off an appearance in the 2A Regional Doubles Tournament in 2021.

The Lady Greyhounds only gave up eight combined games in singles competition. No. 3 seed Clara Burke, a sophomore, posted a double-bagel win, while Hege, Butler and junior Molly Reeves only gave up one game each.

Hege defeated Meagan Black 6-1, 6-0 in the No. 1 spot, and Butler topped Whitney Webster 6-0, 6-1 in the No. 2 spot. Burke won 6-0, 6-0 over Susan Vasquez on court three.

Reeves beat Kyara Parson 6-0, 6-1 in No. 4 singles.

Sophomores Mattie Bare and Brianna Baker held down the No. 5 and No. 6 spots. Bare defeated Catherine Matheson 6-0, 6-2, and Baker defeated Lacie Jones 6-1, 6-2.

In doubles: Hege and Butler reunited to defeated Black and Webster 8-2 on court one, Burke and Bare defeated Vasquez and Parsons 8-3 on court two, and Reeves teamed with Sparrow Krantz to beat Matheson and Jones 8-2.

North Surry resumes conference play at East Surry on August 24, then hosts West Stokes in a nonconference match on Aug. 25.

The state’s No. 1-ranked 1A tennis team opened conference play with a win over a fellow top-5 team.

Mount Airy defeated East Wilkes 8-1 to move to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the Northwest 1A Conference. The Granite Bears won the NW1A Title with an undefeated record in 2021, and the Cardinals finished second at 10-2.

The Bears won the overall match before the completion of singles play, winning No. 1 singles as well as the No. 3-No. 6 spots.

No. 1 seed Carrie Marion and No. 4 seed Audrey Marion each posted double bagel wins in singles. Carrie topped East’s Hallie Younger 6-0, 6-0, and Audrey beat Emily Spicer by the same score on court four.

Mount Airy seniors Kancie Tate and Charlotte Hauser only combined to give up three games. Tate defeated Ava Darnell 6-2, 6-0 in No. 3 singles, and Hauser defeated No. 5 Valerie Schubart 6-1, 6-0.

Granite Bear freshman Audrey Brown wasn’t far behind on court six. Brown took the first set over Salem Sparks 6-1, then won the second set 6-3 to give Mount Airy its fifth win of the match.

Mount Airy’s Ella Brant and East Wilkes’ Savannah Sparks went to war in No. 2 singles. Savannah won the first set 7-6 after winning the set-tiebreaker 7-3, then Brant won the second set 6-4.

The third-set tiebreaker ends when a player reaches 10 points, but has to win by two points. The pair needed extra points to decide a winner, and one was finally named after hours of play. Savannah walked away with the victory thanks to a 13-11 win in the final tiebreaker.

Defending 1A Doubles State Champions Brant and Carrie Marion bounced back from their only doubles defeat of the season by topping Sparks and Darnell in the No. 1 spot.

The senior duo of Tate and Hauser took on Young and Spicer in No. 2 doubles and traded wins for the first 11 games. The Bears led 6-5 before winning back-to-back games.

The Audreys, Marion and Brown, swept East Wilkes’ Kelsea Absher and Kali Cook in No. 3 doubles to wrap up the 8-1 match win.

East Wilkes falls to 1-2 overall. The Cardinals other loss came against Bishop McGuinness, who is ranked No. 2 in 1A by the N.C. High School Tennis Coaches Association, by a score of 6-3.

Mount Airy takes a break from conference play by traveling to Central Davidson on Aug. 25, then hosts Forsyth Country Day on Aug. 29.

The defending 1A Dual Team State Champions began the road to a repeat by going 3-0 in Week One of competition.

Mount Airy’s quest for a second-consecutive team title is just one of the many storylines to watch this tennis season. There are individuals with undefeated streaks, doubles teams looking to return to their respective state tournaments and a host of young athletes ranked in the top six for the first time at the high school level.

Three of the four local tennis programs opened the 2022 season with matches the week of August 15-19: East Surry, Mount Airy and Surry Central. North Surry was scheduled to compete, but its scheduled opponent did not field a team.

Mount Airy started the year with a trio of wins over teams in higher divisions. East Surry went 1-1, with its loss coming against the aforementioned 1A champs, and Surry Central started 0-1 by also facing Mount Airy.

Brief recaps of each Week One match are listed below:

Tuesday, Aug. 16: Mount Airy def. RJ Reynolds 8-1

Mount Airy, ranked No. 1 in the 1A division in the N.C. High School Tennis Coaches Association Preseason Poll, traveled to 4A Reynolds to open the season.

The Granite Bears didn’t graduate any seniors from their 22-0 championship squad. Five of the players that started in the state championship last season also started in this year’s first match at Reynolds.

The Bears swept singles and won each match in straight sets. There were two tiebreakers – one in the first set of No. 2 singles, and the other in the second set of No. 6 singles – and both went the way of Mount Airy.

The Granite City girls won 2-of-3 doubles matches as well, but dropped No. 3 doubles in a tiebreaker.

1. Carrie Marion (MA) def. Sarah Rhoades Cox 6-0, 6-1

2. Ella Brant (MA) def. May Lewis 7-6 (9-7), 6-1

3. Kancie Tate (MA) def. Elizabeth Kim 6-3, 6-0

4. Audrey Marion (MA) def. Noora Hosseinzadeh 6-0, 6-0

5. Charlotte Hauser (MA) def. Lily Zaks 6-4, 6-4

6. Audrey Brown (MA) def. McKenna Trull 6-4, 7-6 (7-2)

1. C. Marion/Brant (MA) def. Kim/Ally MacCorkle 8-0

2. Tate/A. Marion (MA) def. Hayden Austin/Harper Jenkins 8-1

3. Zaks/Anne Overman (RJR) def. Hauser/Brown 9-8 (7-2)

Tuesday, Aug. 16: East Surry def. West Stokes 9-0

The defending Foothills 2A Conference Champions began nonconference play by hosting their neighbor from across the county line.

The Cardinals graduated three seniors that each spent time in the starting lineup last season. This year’s East Surry team is led by two seniors that have been the top two seeds the past three seasons.

Since West Stokes only had five players, East won No. 6 singles and No. 3 doubles via forfeit. The Wildcats only won a combined five games in the remaining seven matches.

1. Tara Martin (ES) def. Piper Pollard 6-0, 6-0

2. Evelyn Ruedisueli (ES) def. Alyssa Sparks 6-0, 6-0

3. Sophie Hutchens (ES) def. Sadie Hartle 6-0, 6-0

4. Chloe Koons (ES) def. Gordon Grabs 6-1, 6-1

5. Taylor Bullington (ES) def. Kathryn Davis 6-0, 6-1

6. East Surry won via forfeit

1. Martin/Ruedisueli (ES) def. Pollard/Sparks 8-0

2. Hutchens/Mallory Estrada (ES) def. Hartle/Grabs 8-2

3. East Surry won via forfeit

Wednesday, Aug. 17: Mount Airy def. Surry Central 9-0

Surry Central comes into the 2022 season having lost its top two seeds to graduation.

This pair of seniors helped lead the Golden Eagles to a second-place finish in the Foothills 2A Conference, then the pair went on to qualify for the 2A State Doubles Tournament.

This year’s Central team features just one senior. Of the 10 players on the roster, seven are underclassmen.

Mount Airy swept both singles and doubles. One match, No. 2 singles, went to a third-set tiebreaker. Central junior Karlie Robertson won the first set 6-3, then Mount Airy junior Ella Brant won the second set by the same score.

Brant walked away with the win after taking the tiebreaker 10-3.

1. Carrie Marion (MA) def. McKenna Merritt 6-0, 6-0

2. Ella Brant (MA) def. Karlie Robertson 3-6, 6-3, 10-3

3. Kancie Tate (MA) def. Priscilla Gentry 6-1, 6-0

4. Audrey Marion (MA) def. Emma Bryant 6-0, 6-0

5. Charlotte Hauser (MA) def. Madelyn Wilmoth 6-1, 6-2

6. Audrey Brown (MA) def. Kaesi Blythe 6-0, 6-0

1. C. Marion/Brant (MA) def. Merritt/Robertson 8-0

2. Tate/Hauser (MA) def. Gentry/Bryant 8-2

3. A. Marion/Brown (MA) def. Wilmoth/Blythe 8-3

Thursday, Aug. 18: Mount Airy def. East Surry 6-3

Two teams that won conference titles in 2021 faced off to end the week. In 2021, East Surry was the only one of Mount Airy’s opponents to win three individual matches against the Bears. The same was true of their first 2022 matchup, but the overall win still went the way of Mount Airy.

East Surry’s Tara Martin and Evelyn Ruedisueli, the team’s two seniors, came away with wins in singles and doubles. The Cardinal duo is the only team to have defeated Carrie Marion and Ella Brant, the 2021 1A Doubles State Champions, in doubles since the beginning of the fall 2021 season.

Martin and Ruedisueli were also All-State competitors in 2021, reaching the semifinals of the 2A State Doubles Tournament.

1. Tara Martin (ES) def. Carrie Marion 6-3, 6-1

2. Evelyn Ruedisueli (ES) def. Ella Brant 6-4, 6-0

3. Kancie Tate (MA) def. Sophie Hutchens 6-2, 6-3

4. Audrey Marion (MA) def. Chloe Koons 6-0, 6-1

5. Charlotte Hauser (MA) def. Taylor Bullington 6-2, 6-0

6. Audrey Brown (MA) def. Mallory Estrada 6-0, 6-0

1. Martin/Ruedisueli (ES) def. C. Marion/Brant 8-4

2. Tate/Hauser (MA) def. Hutchens/Koons 8-2

3. A. Marion/Brown (MA) def. Bullington/Estrada 8-3

Charles Atkins Stadium was packed to maximum capacity Friday to see North Surry host rival Mount Airy in the season opener for both teams.

Playing the Bears in Atkins Stadium for the first time since 2019, the Greyhounds came out of the gate and put six points on the board then forced a three-and-out. When Mount Airy finally got the chance to set its offense into motion the teams traded touchdowns through the third quarter.

The Granite Bears led by five entering the fourth quarter, but quickly ran away with the victory. Mount Airy not only scored on its first play of the fourth, but scored three times on just four offensive plays during the final 12-minute period.

Mount Airy outscored North 23-0 in the final quarter to come away with the 46-18 win. The Bears have now won 15 consecutive meetings against their crosstown rival.

“Charles Atkins Stadium is a special place with a fantastic community and fan base,” said first-year Greyhound head coach Jackson Smith. “The atmosphere is electric, and I can’t wait to get to work and experience a win in front of that crowd. This rivalry is one of the best in the state and I’m glad our kids got to experience it.”

Both squads looked to prove themselves in the season opener. Mount Airy returned most of its offense from the 2021 season, but was without key defensive cornerstones that were multi-year contributors for the team. This opened holes for a group of hungry athletes ready to continue the school’s winning tradition.

“Feels great to be back out under the lights watching our guys compete,” said JK Adkins, who enters his fifth season as Mount Airy head coach.

North Surry returned almost all if its starting lineup from 2021. The Hounds did, however, gain a new head coach, a new quarterback and were running different schemes in multiple phases.

North Surry challenged their fellow Granite City school in ways only one team did last season. In 2021, only the Bears’ fourth-round playoff opponent Mitchell – that went on to finish 1A State Runner-up – was the only one of Mount Airy’s foes to: score a touchdown in the first quarter, score more than six overall points, hold Mount Airy scoreless in the first quarter and take a lead against the Bears.

Coach Adkins acknowledged North Surry’s toughness in the game, and went on to praise his team for their resilience shown when challenged Friday night.

“Throughout the 2021 season, we were not in a close game until the last game,” Adkins said. “Lack of adversity can prohibit growth. The presence of adversity can be a catalyst for growth, and sometimes growth can be painful.”

Both teams faced adversity in the form of injuries and cramps, which forced coaches to try out new lineup combinations while players were being taken care of by the medical staff. While players are traditionally the focus of cheers from the crowd, a voice from the home sideline praised the medical team for quickly and efficiently tending to downed players on both squads.

The story early on was North Surry’s ability to keep Mount Airy’s offense off the field. The Hounds opened the game with an 11-play, 5:33 drive that ended with sophomore quarterback Colton Allen punching in a 2-yard touchdown run.

Ten of the Greyhounds’ plays on the drive were rushes, with Allen and junior running back Jake Simmons moving the chains behind their offensive line. The Hounds finished the game with 346 total yards, which included 47 rushes for 203 yards and two rushing touchdowns.

“North Surry did a good job of controlling the time of possession, especially in the first half,” Adkins said. “We did not play much offense in the first half.”

After the opening touchdown, the Greyhound defense forced a three-and-out and continued rushing through the end of the first quarter.

“I think we have an identity of both sides of the ball; I was really proud of our effort, attitude and physicality,” Smith said. “That is really motivating to get back to work this week and try to sharpen what we are doing.

“I thought Daniel Draughn had a really tough task as his first game as defensive coordinator and he got a lot out of our unit. Offensive Coordinator Tanner Hiatt has cultivated an offense that really maximizes our personnel.”

The regrouped Bears offense needed just two plays to respond and take its first lead of the year. Junior quarterback Ian Gallimore broke free for a 68-yard run, then Caleb Reid scored a 5-yard touchdown on the following play.

North incorporated the passing game more as the night progressed. On the drive after Mount Airy first scored, Allen found Jared Hiatt for a 47-yard touchdown reception on fourth-and-5.

The Bears also relied heavily on the ground game, with 342 of the team’s 432 total yards being rushes. Ian Gallimore and Landon Gallimore each completed one pass; Ian’s was a 59-yard completion to Walker Stroup in the second quarter, and Landon’s was a 31-yard completion to Mario Revels in the third.

Stroup’s touchdown paired with a 2-point conversion punched in by Ian Gallimore put the Bears up 15-12. Mount Airy’s defense halted North Surry on its final drive of the first half, then the Granite Bears extended their lead with a Landon Gallimore touchdown run to open the second half.

What followed was the longest drive of the game. North Surry traveled 80 yards in 15 plays on a drive that lasted 9:36 of game time. Simmons, who led the Hounds with 29 carries for 139 yards and a touchdown, rushed 11 times during the drive and scored a 1-yard touchdown. A failed 2-point conversion left the Bears lead alive at 23-18.

Big plays were the difference maker for Mount Airy. On the second play of the following drive, Reid took a handoff and ran 51 yards to enter the red zone. Two plays after that Tyler Mason started the fourth quarter with an 11-yard TD run. Reid’s 2-point conversion increased the lead to 18-31.

Smith and his coaching staff noticed Mount Airy’s offense making changes as the game progressed, but the coach said the Hounds’ attempts to counter the Bears weren’t enough in the end.

“We made adjustments as well that I thought gave us a chance to make some plays, but with that offense it’s give and take,” Smith said. “JK Adkins and Mount Airy are one of the best in the business running the triple. With the guys they have it’s really tough.”

North continued to fight and made it back to the red zone with less than eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Back-to-back penalties moved the Greyhounds back, and Mount Airy’s defense forced multiple incompletions as North Surry turned the ball over on downs.

Mason, who led Mount Airy with 101 yards rushing, scored his second touchdown of the night with a 73-yard run on the next drive. The Bears forced a Greyhound three-and-out, then freshman Taeshon Martin scored the exclamation mark with a 72-yard touchdown run.

Four Bears had at least 60 yards rushing in Friday’s game. Mason led the way at 101, followed by Ian Gallimore at 93, Martin at 72 and Reid at 60. Landon Gallimore added two rushes for 16 yards.

Simmons was the Greyhounds’ leading rusher with 139 yards. Allen was second with 56 yards, followed by Jahreece Lynch with 5 and Fisher Leftwich with 3.

Allen finished 9-of-17 passing for 146 yards and a touchdown. Lynch collected six receptions for 82 yards, Hiatt had one reception for 47 yards and a touchdown, and Simmons added two receptions for 17 yards.

“We had a lot of different guys impact the game tonight,” Smith said. “I can’t say how grateful I am for these kids and this staff. Everyone in this program has busted their tails this offseason. I’ll never be complacent after a loss, but I am fired up to get back to work.”

Both North Surry and Mount Airy continue nonconference play in Week Two. North Surry stays at home to face West Stokes (1-0), and Mount Airy makes its debut in Wallace Shelton Stadium by hosting East Surry (1-0).

6:27 NSHS 6-0 – Colton Allen 2-yard rush TD, 2-point conversion no good

10:05 MAHS 6-7 – Caleb Reid 5-yard rushing TD, Walker Stroup PAT

7:38 NSHS 12-7 – Jared Hiatt 47-yard TD reception on Colton Allen pass, 2-point conversion no good

1:42 MAHS 12-15 – Walker Stroup 59-yard TD reception on Ian Gallimore pass, Ian Gallimore 2-point conversion

10:32 MAHS 12-23 – Landon Gallimore 4-yard rushing TD, Tyler Mason 2-point conversion

0:56 NSHS 18-23 – Jake Simmons 1-yard rush TD, 2-point conversion no good

11:54 MAHS 18-31 – Tyler Mason 5-yard rushing TD, Caleb Reid 2-point conversion

6:58 MAHS 18-39 – Tyler Mason 5-yard rushing TD, Deric Dandy 2-point conversion reception on Landon Gallimore pass

3:58 MAHS 18-46 – Taeshon Martin 72-yard rushing TD, Walker Stroup PAT

Mount Airy won a war of attrition over East Surry in Wednesday’s season opener

The young Cardinal team, who graduated seven of its 14 players from last season, had the defending 1A West Regional Runner-up in a 2-1 game with the first half winding down. The veteran Bears team responded with a third first-half goal with less than 60 seconds on the clock, then piled on three more goals in the second for the 6-1 win.

“Having this for our first full-speed game I think we did good,” said East Surry coach Samuel Lowe. Lowe is in his first season as Cardinal head coach after serving as an assistant to previous head coaches Andy Jessup and Neal Oliver.

“Of course we are young, but I thought they played darn good against a tough Mount Airy team – which I see probably at the state championship game when it’s all said and done. I really do. They’re that good.”

While the Bears would love to make another deep playoff run this season, coach Will Hurley said the team’s only concern is winning the game in front of them.

“It feels awesome to be back out here,” Hurley said. “It’s a good group of kids, and a lot of them of played for me for a long time.”

Mount Airy’s 2022 team features 10 seniors, many of whom were key parts of last year’s team that finished 26-1 and set numerous school records.

One thing this Granite Bear group isn’t very familiar with is giving up goals. In 27 matches last season, the 2021 team had 16 shutouts and only surrendered goals in seven regular season matches.

Mount Airy went up 1-0 after Gavin Guerrero scored in the 16th minute. Bear senior Agripino Perez added a goal off an assist from Jonathan Valadez in the 38th minute.

East Surry switched into attack mode after the second goal, as the Cards only had one shot on goal to this point. East drew a foul near midfield, and Logan Fagg floated a free kick into the 18-yard box of Mount Airy. Alex Galvan redirected Fagg’s kick to Jonathan De La Cruz to put into the back of the net.

“I think we got out of our shape on that free kick; we went back too far and didn’t hold our line, which led to that goal,” Hurley said. “It’ll be a good learning tool later on. We’ve started seasons off like that before where we don’t give up a goal until like the 10th or 12th game, then when you give it up it hurts so bad. Now, we’ve got that over with and I think that’ll help us.”

Mount Airy needed less than 60 seconds to strike again, with Perez netting his second goal of the evening.

Despite giving up three goals, Lowe said he was proud of team in the first half. The young Cardinals defense gave up 12 shots, but successfully defended five corner kicks and only allowed five of those shots to land on target.

The second half was all Mount Airy, though. The Bears pelted 14 total shots in the second 40-minute period, 10 of which were on target and three that got by the keeper.

“I thought we played great in the first half, but that was before everybody got their cramps – which just shows you what kind of shape we really are in,” Lowe said. “It’s a little different playing game speed than practice speed. We moved the ball a whole lot better in the first half than we did in the second half. We just got wore down. They beat on my defense more in the second half, that’s all it was.

“I’m just proud of the way my boys worked. We’ve got a little conditioning to do, but I believe we’re going to be okay as the season goes on.”

Even with the lopsided victory, Hurley said the Bears have a lot to improve on before facing East again on August 25. At the top of the list is creating more offense by advancing up the wings and using their passing as a weapon.

“We’re going to focus more on doing what we do,” Hurley said. “I don’t like the kick-and-run style, and that’s not our game. We can get an occasional run going like that, but to me a run starts on the outside and not up the middle like that. We’re doing that ‘indoor’ thing and we’ve got to spread it wide and play our game.”

The Cardinals have more than a week until playing again, and Lowe also has a list of changes the team can make before rematching their county rivals.

“Conditioning for sure is at the top of the list,” Lowe said. “A whole lot of us are out of shape, but that falls on me as a coach to make sure these boys are game-shape ready. I’d also like to see us maybe move the ball a little bit better. Let’s get the ball off our foot quicker, and let’s move through the midfield better. That comes with practice and game experience, and I think we’ll definitely improve as the season goes on.”

Goals: Gavin Guerrero (MA) 16’, Agripino Perez (MA) from Jonathan Valadez assist 38’, Jonathan De La Cruz (ES) from Alex Galvan assist 38’, Agripino Perez (MA) from Jonathan Valadez assist 39’ | Elkin Lopez (MA) 47’, Angel Osorno (MA) from Agripino Perez assist 62’, Gavin Guerrero (MA) 67’

A lot can change in a year’s time.

When Mount Airy and Surry Central opened the 2021 volleyball season, both squads were filled with seniors – most of which spent a good portion of their high school careers at the varsity level. With the teams graduating a combined 12 seniors from last season, the 2022 season opener was a fresh matchup featuring numerous new faces.

Mount Airy’s stayed in the driver’s seat for most of the first and third sets. Central kept things close, even holding a 24-23 advantage at one point in the second set, but came up short each time.

The Granite Bears emerged with a 3-0 victory, with set scores of 25-19, 26-24 and 25-21, for the program’s first straight-set win over the Golden Eagles since 2016.

Mount Airy graduated seven seniors from the 2021 season. This includes three of the team’s four All-Conference selections, 4-of-5 leading attackers, the assist leader and 4-of-5 leading blockers. One of the seven seniors signed to continue her volleyball career at the collegiate level.

The experienced Bears finished the year 18-9 overall and won the Northwest 1A Conference Tournament, which was the school’s first conference tournament championship in 29 years.

Surry Central graduated five seniors from the 2021 season. Like the Bears, last year’s Golden Eagle seniors accounted for four of the team’s five All-Conference selections, and the team’s only All-State selection was also a senior. Four of Central’s 2022 graduates signed to play collegiate sports, including three that extended their volleyball careers.

Central finished 18-7 overall and reached the Foothills 2A Conference Tournament Championship. Three of the team’s seven losses came against the eventual 2A West Regional Runner-up.

Mount Airy never trailed in the opening set of Tuesday’s match, but Central kept the score within arm’s length until the Bears took a 19-14 advantage. A timely Eagles timeout halted momentum, allowing Central to cut the lead to three, but then the Bears regrouped and won the set 25-19.

There were five lead changes and nine ties in the second set but the result was the same. Central rallied off back-to-back-to-back points late to take a 24-23 lead. The Bears’ Morgan Mayfield evened the score with a kill from the back row, then two attack errors by the visitors gave Mount Airy the 2-0 set lead.

Surry Central took a brief lead in the third set at 1-0 and 3-2, but it was all Mount Airy after this. The Bears scored seven of the next eight points to force an Eagles timeout.

Central managed to cut the lead to 16-13 at one point, however, Mount Airy scored the next six points to all but end the match. The Bears went on to complete the sweep with a 25-18 set victory.

PILOT MOUNTAIN — East Surry won its season opener 55-7 against Starmount on Thursday.

The visiting Rams struck first and seemed to have the Cardinals figured out through the first quarter, but 55 unanswered points from the Cards – including 27 in just the second quarter – erased any doubts.

The win marks East Surry’s 10th-consecutive win in its series against Starmount.

“It’s great to be back,” said East Surry coach Trent Lowman. “There’s nowhere I’d rather play a high school football game than here at East Surry in David H. Diamont Stadium, and to get a win feels great. I’m proud of this group. They’ve put in a lot of work and had a great offseason. I’m just happy they got to begin the year like this; now, it’s time to go back to work.”

Lowman praised the leadership of his 21 seniors in the win. After facing an early deficit, the Cardinals were able to regroup and refocus late in the first quarter. East Surry then went on to put up 466 total yards while holding Starmount to 156.

The team shared the wealth in all three phases: six different players scored, 10 recorded carries or receptions, two forced turnovers and two converted PATs.

“We didn’t make any changes schematically, but I think our guys settled in and got some confidence,” Lowman said. “We narrowed down some things offensively and tried to get a little better at those things. We have a lot of work to do still. We have a lot to work on and get better at.”

Starmount’s defense came out of the gate hot by forcing a three-and-out, which was a rare occurrence for one of the 2A division’s top offenses in 2021.

The Rams played tight pass coverage forcing an incompletion, tackled a Cardinal receiver in the backfield for a loss then contained a quarterback scramble on third down.

“They did a good job of recognizing and adjusting to our formations,” Lowman said. “They are very well coached and play hard. They’ve been solid for a long time, and I expect them to have a really good year.”

Even after a booming 66-yard punt from Stephen Brantley put the Rams on their own 10 yard line, Starmount wasn’t deterred and was able to chip away at East to continually move the chains. The visitors also caught the Cardinals off-guard three times for offsides penalties as part of the 4:33 drive that covered 90 yards.

The drive concluded with QB Luke Kimmer finding AJ Pardue for a 17-yard reception.

With Starmount mounting a strong resistance to East Surry’s passing offense, the Cards adjusted and utilized more than a handful of running backs. East’s 290 yards rushing against the Rams is the team’s second-most in a game the past four seasons.

Devin Williams led the way for the Cardinals with 15 carries for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Hayden Sammons was next with seven carries for 45 yards and a TD, Lindann Fleming also surpassed 40 yards and scored a touchdown, and Kyle Zinn rushed for 21 yards and a touchdown.

The Cards also found their footing in the passing game as the game progressed. After being held to two completions for no gain through most of the first quarter, QB Folger Boaz connected with Brantley for a 31-yard touchdown with 1:49 on the clock. This was the longest play from scrimmage by either team Thursday night.

Boaz went on to finish 16-of-25 passing for 163 yards, three touchdowns, a 2-point conversion and an interception. He also rushed eight times for 45 yards.

Colby Johnson led all receivers with six catches for 55 yards and a touchdown. He also completed 1-of-2 passes for 13 yards.

Brantley added three catches for 41 yards and a TD, and Luke Brown had two catches for 17 yards to go with his touchdown grab.

Dylan Cox, Matthew Keener and Williams combined for the remaining five catches for 50 yards.

East’s defense started clicking around the same time as the offense. Starmount was held to just one first down in the second quarter, two in the third and one in the fourth.

The Rams also turned the ball over twice in the game, the first of which worked to heavily shift momentum in the Cardinals’ favor.

East Surry scored on four consecutive possessions in the first half, and the most recent of these saw Williams plug in a 4-yard run. This was followed by a Boaz-Johnson connection on the 2-point conversion as the first half was coming to a close.

Starmount’s leading back Zack Dezern, who was the Northwest 1A Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2021, had the ball knocked loose on the first play of the next drive and it was recovered by Fleming. East got the ball back with 52 seconds on the clock and only needed 36 to score again.

The second turnover came on the second play of the third quarter, when Williams picked off Kimmer.

Hatcher Hamm led East Surry with 10 tackles. Brett Clayton added seven tackles and a sack, and Fleming had four tackles to go with his fumble recovery.

Dezern was Starmount’s leading rusher with 12 carries for 75 yards. Pardue added three rushes for 24 yards, Zion Ramseur had two carries for 17 yards, Corey Armstrong had two carries for 15 yards, Preston Williams carried twice for five yards, Ryan Kimmer and Evan Shore each rushed once for no gain and QB Luke Kimmer was brought down behind the line of scrimmage twice for a loss of 12 yards.

Luke Kimmer completed 6-of-18 passes for 43 yards. Luke’s 17-yard TD pass to Pardue was Starmount’s only pass greater than 10 yards.

Though week one games are always tricky to game plan for, Lowman said he was happy with the result and said the team will look to tweak a few things to be ready for Mount Airy in week two.

“We have to be better at more things,” Lowman said. “We did a few things well, but we need to be cleaner and crisper in more areas than the few we were tonight.”

6:03 STAR 0-7 – AJ Pardue 17-yard TD reception on Luke Kimmer pass, Alex Mora PAT

1:49 ESHS 7-7 – Stephen Brantley 31-yard TD reception on Folger Boaz pass, Stephen Brantley PAT

9:21 ESHS 14-7 – Kyle Zinn 7-yard rush TD, Stephen Brantley PAT

4:07 ESHS 20-7 – Luke Brown 12-yard TD reception on Folger Boaz pass, PAT blocked by AJ Pardue

0:59 ESHS 28-7 – Devin Williams 7-yard rush TD, Colby Johnson 2-point conversion reception on Folger Boaz pass

4:07 ESHS 34-7 – Colby Johnson 18-yard TD reception on Folger Boaz pass, PAT no good

2:06 ESHS 41-7 – Lindann Fleming 13-yard rush TD, Stephen Brantley PAT

9:43 ESHS 48-7 – Devin Williams 4-yard rush TD, Joshua Parker PAT

2:18 ESHS 55-7 – Hayden Sammons 4-yard rush TD, Joshua Parker PAT

Football season in Surry County will start one day earlier than originally planned due to potential bad weather on Friday.

East Surry High School announced Wednesday morning that its Week One varsity home game against Starmount was being moved from August 19 to August 18. The school cited the high percentage for inclement weather as the reason for the scheduling change.

The varsity Cardinals will play Aug. 18 at 7:00 at David H. Diamont Stadium. The JV game originally scheduled for Aug. 18 is being moved to Monday, Aug. 22 at Starmount High.

As of Wednesday afternoon, neither Surry Central, Mount Airy or North Surry announced plans to change their 7:30 kickoff time for Aug. 19.

All three season openers for local teams are rematches from Week One of the 2021 season.

East Surry hasn’t played, or defeated, any team more than Starmount in the past seven years

The Cardinals have won nine-straight games against the Rams, which is East’s longest winning streak in the rivalry that dates back to 1967. This includes six regular season matchups and three playoff games. East defeated Starmount in three-consecutive postseasons 2017-19.

Starmount holds the edge in the overall series with 30 wins to East’s 23. The Cardinals won the most recent game in the series 37-0 on Aug. 20, 2021.

East Surry has outscored Starmount 152-9 in the schools’ past three meetings.

East finished the 2021 season 13-1 overall and 6-0 in conference. The Cardinals won the Foothills 2A Conference Championship and finished 2A West Regional Runner-up. MaxPreps ranked East Surry No. 5 in the 2A West Preseason Poll.

Starmount finished this past season 8-5 overall and 5-1 in conference. The Rams finished second in the Northwest 1A Conference and reached the third round of the 1A State Playoffs. MaxPreps ranked Starmount No. 9 in the 1A West Preseason Poll.

North Surry vs. Mount Airy

One of the most anticipated season openers in recent memory will see Mount Airy travel to North Surry.

The county foes each return a big chunk of talent from the 2021 season. North Surry lost just four seniors, while Mount Airy graduated 13.

Mount Airy has won the past 14 games in the series against North Surry and 19 of the past 20. The Greyhounds’ lone victory over the Granite Bears since 2001 was a 27-26 home win in 2006.

Mount Airy leads the overall series against North Surry with a 42-19-1 record.

The Bears won the most recent rivalry game against the Hounds 43-0 to begin the 2021 season. This was Mount Airy’s fourth shutout victory against North Surry since 1963 and the eighth overall.

North Surry finished the 2021 season 5-5 overall and 4-2 in conference. The Greyhounds tied for second in the Foothills 2A Conference and reached the first round of the 2A State Playoffs. MaxPreps ranked North Surry No. 31 in the 2A West Preseason Poll.

Mount Airy finished the 2021 season 13-1 overall and 6-0 in conference. The Bears won the Northwest 1A Conference Championship and reached the fourth round of the 1A State Playoffs. MaxPreps ranked Mount Airy No. 2 in the 1A West Preseason Poll.

Surry Central takes the field on Friday for the first time since graduating 17 seniors from the Class of 2022.

The new-look Golden Eagles return just one player that received All-Conference Honors in the 2021 season. However, coach Monty Southern – who returns for his 16th season as Central head coach – said the team has a lot of young, hungry players ready to hit the field. The team also has a host of returning players that got significant minutes last season.

Central’s 2021 season opener at Alleghany was the first meeting between the schools since 2004. The Eagles won both matchups, with the latter being a 31-7 road victory.

Surry Central finished the 2021 season 6-5 overall and 4-2 in conference. The Greyhounds tied for second in the Foothills 2A Conference and reached the first round of the 2A State Playoffs. MaxPreps ranked Central No. 44 in the 2A West Preseason Poll.

Alleghany finished the 2021 season 2-8 overall and 1-5 in conference. The Trojans finished seventh in the Northwest 1A Conference and reached the first round of the 1A State Playoffs. MaxPreps ranked Alleghany No. 23 in the 1A West Preseason Poll.

Former East Surry Cardinal Carson Willoughby was named the recipient of the first-ever Ty Montgomery Memorial Scholarship.

The scholarship was created to honor the legacy of Ty Montgomery, a 2021 graduate of North Surry High School that passed away in January 2022. Montgomery was a member of the football and baseball teams at North Surry, as well as the Post 123 Senior Legion baseball team.

Willoughby and Montgomery were teammates on the Legion team in 2020.

“Ty was the ultimate team player, and to be nominated by my fellow players and coaches for this special award is an honor,” Willoughby said.

The Ty Montgomery scholarship was funded by Foothills Senior Legion baseball games this past season. Despite being unable to play several home games during the final stretch of the regular season – including a scrimmage with the Carolina Disco Turkey’s semi-professional woodbat team – the team was still able to raise $750 for the scholarship.

Willoughby is a 2021 graduate of East Surry High School. He helped the Cardinals win the 1A West Regional Championship and reach the 1A State Championship Series his senior season.

Carson continued his baseball career at Gardner-Webb University this past year, then joined the Post 123 team while home for the summer.

“He has an excellent attitude and is a great team player with a very high baseball IQ,” said Post 123 coach Brian Hawks. “He gives his all in every game he plays in and never holds back.”

Willoughby played in 19 of Post 123’s 20 games this season, which was the most of any player. He also led the team in multiple offensive categories, including: hits (28), doubles (7), triples (4), RBIs (25), runs (18), on-base percentage (.526) and slugging percentage (.672).

Willoughby played multiple positions for the Senior Legion Team, including center field and pitcher. He only committed one error in 31 chances.

“He was a huge reason for our success and winning record this year,” Hawks said.

Foothills Post 123 finished the season 14-6 overall.

Surry Central’s boys soccer team hosted a special scrimmage on August 8, one week before officially kicking off the 2022-23 season.

Instead of facing another high school team, this year’s Golden Eagle squad went up against some of the top Surry Central players of the past 22 years.

Eighteen former Eagles soccer players returned to their home field for the Adan Huerta Memorial Alumni Game. The game honors 2004 graduate Adan Huerta, who was a freshman on Central’s first-ever team in 2000. Huerta was part of the Eagles team that reached the 1A Final Four in 2002, then went on to be named player of the year as a senior.

A full list of participating alumni can be found at this article’s conclusion.

“It was amazing,” said Central coach Adan Garcia, who enters his fourth season as head coach. “We kind of did it last minute, and we weren’t sure if we’d be able to do it or not. I talked with my AD, Wes Evans, and the former coach Blake Roth, and together we were able to pull it off. I’m really glad we were able to do it.”

The alumni team featured players from Central’s first-ever team, as well as players that graduated earlier in 2022 and everywhere in between.

“For me to be able to see all those generations of great players was pretty cool,” Garcia said. “They all came together to play the sport and put on a show for the fans.”

The home bleachers were packed like they would be for a playoff match. In addition to different generations of players getting the chance to interact, Golden Eagle fans of all ages got to see their favorite players take the field once again.

“That’s the most fans I’ve ever seen at a game,” Garcia said. “They were great, and they reacted like any fan would. It was a great environment.”

Fans were also treated to a surprise guest referee: 2010 Surry Central graduate and current assistant coach Bernardo Leandro. Leandro, who is one of three Eagles that hold the school record for playoff wins, heroically stepped in to officiate the game when the referees didn’t show. He didn’t even need shoes to keep the game under control.

Fans of Surry Central’s early years were treated to a familiar site: a Mike Richardson goal. Richardson, a 2003 graduate of Surry Central, scored 205 goals in just three seasons. This ranked No. 1 in North Carolina and No. 3 in the nation for 14 years, and currently ranks No. 2 in the state and No. 4 in the nation.

Richardson also had seasons of 92 goals and 87 goals in 2001-02. These are the two highest-scoring seasons in North Carolina history and Nos. 2 and 4 in the nation.

Surry Central’s current players were able to interact with alumni during the game.

“I heard so many of those guys giving the team advice,” Garcia said. “You could see their eyes light up. It meant the world to have these guys they’ve heard stories about talk with them.

“After the game I told the guys, ‘They believe in you. They’ve been in your shoes, and this is a reminder that it’s something special to play for Surry Central.’ Now they’re looking forward to representing those alumni as we proceed into the regular season.”

The alumni game marked Central’s first time playing on its home field since November 1, 2021, when the Eagles defeated East Rutherford 3-0 in the first round of the 2A State Playoffs. Surry Central reached the second round before falling to North Forsyth in overtime.

“It really didn’t seem like long ago that we just finished the season, and now we just got done with workouts and have filled out forms for eligibility,” Garcia said.

Garcia went on to explain how great it felt to be playing under the stadium lights again.

“Playing underneath those lights is something special,” he said. “Not everyone can say they did that. It’s not a right; it’s a privilege. I even asked some of the alumni about playing under the lights, and they said there were no words to describe how it felt to come back out there.”

The 2022 season begins match play on August 15. Central hosts West Caldwell on opening day.

“You know, I don’t think I ever feel ready when the season actually gets here,” Garcia said. “I always say I wish we had a little more time, especially with a young team that’s just not used to playing at this level. But, we’re just going to have to push through it and take things game by game.

Part three of three in a series highlighting Surry County athletes that were named All-State by HighSchoolOT in 2021-22.

Surry County student-athletes showed they could compete with the best high schoolers in the state this past school year.

Student-athletes are recognized on a number of levels depending on their level of success. North Carolinians are first honored on an All-Conference basis, then the best of those selections are given All-Region/All-District Honors depending on the sport. Only a select few athletes are recognized as the best in the state.

The 2021-22 school year marked the second year that HighSchoolOT, a high school sports news site anchored in Raleigh, released All-State teams for every sport offered by the N.C. High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA). However, HSOT’s awards not only featured student-athletes from all four public school classifications in the NCHSAA, but private schools in the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association (NCISAA) and some homeschools as well.

The All-State awards were decided based on statistics, postseason results and the input of a panel of high school sports journalists statewide. The number of selections was different for each sport.

Part one of this series, featured in the August 4 edition of the News, highlighted athletes named HSOT All-State in sports from the fall 2021 season. Part two, featured in the August 6 editions, recognized All-State athletes from winter 2021-22, and part three acknowledges All-State athletes from the spring 2022 season.

Jared Hiatt (NSHS ‘23) – Outdoor Track Second Team, Long Jump

Outdoor track selections were recognized according to their performances in either the NCHSAA State Championship Meet or NCISAA Invitational. The top two performances in every event – regardless of classification – earned athletes first-team honors. The third- and fourth-highest performances were given second-team honors, and the next-best two finishes were given third-team honors.

Honorable mentions were not named for outdoor track and field.

Hiatt looked to replicate his successful, state championship-winning indoor track season when things moved outside for the spring.

He started by winning the Foothills 2A Conference Championship in long jump and triple jump, then took second in high jump. The only two performances at the FH2A Championship that met the MileSplit U.S. Second Team Standard were Hiatt and Wilkes Central’s Terry Hayes’ marks in long jump.

Hiatt and Hayes continued dueling at the 2A Midwest Regional Championship. Both upped their games in long jump, but this time Hayes finished first and Hiatt took second. Both distances once again met the Second Team Standard. Hiatt did top Hayes in high jump to win a regional title of his own.

Hiatt took home the ultimate prize at the 2A State Championship with a jump of 22-10.75 feet. He also took home a bronze medal in high jump with a leap of 6-04.00. Jared’s championship-winning distance once again met the Second Team Standard, and he was just one of 15 boys at the championship meet – across all events – to qualify for the honor across all events.

Hiatt’s distance was the fourth best in the state and would have put him on the podium in all four public school divisions. On the first team, the 3A champion posted a mark of 23-04.00 and the NCISAA Division 1 champion finished at 23-01.25. Hiatt was joined on the second team by the 4A gold medalist, who had a mark of 22-11.5. The third team saw the 4A runner-up and 2A runner-up post distances of 22-10.00 and 22-09.25.

Bradley Davis Jr. (ESHS ‘22) – Boys Golf Second Team

All-State golf selections were determined based on an average handicap index. For members of the NCHSAA, the index from the two-day championship tournament was used, while the NCISAA’s index game from the one-day championship and one-day qualifier. According to HSOT, additional steps were taken in order to weigh the NCISAA’s championship more than the qualifier.

There were 10 golfers each named to the first, second and third teams. Honorable mentions were not named for golf.

Davis was named Second Team All-State after finishing second overall in the 2A division. He led East Surry through all 36 holes of play at Foxfire Resort’s Red Fox Course. Davis shot 75 (+3) on the first 18 holes, then matched it through the second 18.

The Cardinal was East Surry’s top golfer as the school won the 2A State Championship.

Bradley was also East Surry’s most consistent golfer through the 2022 regular season. By posting the lowest combined score through seven conference meets, Davis was named Foothills 2A Conference Golfer of the Year. The Cardinals won the FH2A Conference Championship by 31 strokes, then captured the 2A Midwest Regional Championship with a 19-stroke advantage.

He will continue his golf career at Gardner-Webb University.

Josh Pardue (SCHS ‘23) – Boys Tennis Third Team

HSOT named a first, second and third team for boys tennis. There were 12 selections for each team, adding up to 36 total selections for the state. Regular season competition was the main factor for determining an individual’s selection as the NCISAA does not hold individual championships.

Pardue was named a member of the All-State Third Team. He served as Surry Central’s No. 1 seed all year and helped lead the Eagles to an undefeated 12-0 conference campaign, marking the school’s first conference championship in the sport in well over a decade.

Josh went 14-0 in singles through the regular season to be named Foothills 2A Conference Player of the Year. He won his match in the first round of the 2A Dual Team State Tournament, then suffered his only loss to the eventual 2A Singles Champion.

Pardue went 13-0 through the regular season with doubles partner Jacob Edmonds. The duo went on to win the FH2A Doubles Championship, finish 2A Midwest Regional Runner-up and qualified for the 2A State Doubles Tournament. Pardue and Edmonds finished the year 19-2 as a team.

Folger Boaz (ESHS ‘23) – Baseball Second Team

A total of 125 players were named All-State in baseball. There were 25 players each on the first, second and third teams, and each of these team had minimum requirements for each position. The Honorable Mention team contained 50 spots regardless of position or classification.

Boaz was one of 32 repeat selections to the All-State team. He was named an Honorable Mention for his sophomore year, and a member of the Second Team as a senior.

Boaz, who was named a member of the N.C. Baseball Coaches Association’s (NCBCA) 2A All-State team, helped East Surry to a 24-2 overall record. The Cardinals won the FH2A regular season and conference tournament championships with an undefeated record, and their only division loss came in the fourth round of the state playoffs against the eventual state champion.

According to MaxPreps, the left-handed pitcher finished third in the state among all classifications in wins with an 11-0 record. He led the 2A division and was third in the state with 126 strikeouts, and was one of five players to throw at least 60 innings and have an ERA of .89 or lower.

As a hitter, Boaz tied for the most RBIs in the state with 49 – which set a new school record – and was ninth in the state in home runs with seven. He finished the year with a .390 batting average and a .521 on-base percentage.

He is a UNC-Chapel Hill Baseball commit.

Dakota Mills (SCHS ‘22) – Baseball Third Team

Mills was named to the All-State Third Team after a historic senior season at Surry Central.

The catcher/shortstop, who was also named to the NCBCA 2A All-State Team in addition to being Surry Central’s Male Athlete of the Year, finished the year with a .985 fielding percentage. He made 82 put-outs on 196 total chances while adding 11 assists, two double plays and committing just three errors.

He set two school records this season in batting average and stolen bases. Mills’.568 average (42/74) is tied for No. 19 in state history, and his 30 stolen bases rank No. 27 all-time.

Mills also posted a .667 on-base percentage with 42 hits and 22 base on balls. He hit 5 home runs, 3 triples, 7 doubles and 19 RBIs while scoring 42 runs

The Golden Eagles were 12-13 overall and 6-6 in conference play.

He will continue his baseball career at Surry Community College.

Rylan Venable (MAHS ‘24) – Baseball Honorable Mention

Venable was one of just two Surry County sophomores recognized on the HSOT All-State Teams, the other being Surry Central wrestler Jacob Price.

The Granite Bear, named an All-State Honorable Mention, helped Mount Airy to a 19-9 season in which the team finished second in the Northwest 1A Conference. The 2022 team’s 19 victories are the second-most in school history according to Mount Airy sports historian Doug McDaniel, trailing only the 1939 team that finished 20-0.

This year’s team also won seven consecutive games at one point – a feat last accomplished by the 1958 Bears who won 10 consecutive games.

The right-handed pitcher threw 91 strikeouts in 55.2 innings, had an ERA of 0.88 and an OBA of .172. He ranked No. 5 in the 1A division and No. 19 in the state in strikeouts.

Venable, the NW1A Pitcher of the Year, was also No. 2 in the 1A division in ERA among pitchers with 50 or more innings pitched. He was No. 9 in the state overall in this category.

At the plate, Venable finished with .402 batting average with 37 hits, 20 RBIs and 32 runs. Of his 37 hits: four were home runs, two were triples, five were doubles and 26 were singles.

He also stole 22 bases this season.

HICKORY — The Carolina Cardinals Triad 12U Softball Team posted four shutout victories to win a recent tournament.

The team traveled to Hickory’s Stanford Park on July 30 to compete in the National Softball Association NC/SC End of Season Closer Tournament. The girls outscored opponents 29-0 to come away with the tournament victory.

The tournament featured five teams: the Cardinals, NC Hustle, Five Star Heat, Bandits NC Glossner/Noonan and Blue Ridge Thunder.

The Cardinals opened group play at 10:15 Saturday morning with a 5-0 win over the Bandits. Jaidyn Blankenship pitched all four innings for the Cards and threw four strikeouts, walked one batter and gave up five hits. Two of the Bandits’ hits came in the top of the final inning when attempting a comeback, but it was halted by a Blankenship strikeout to end the game.

The Triad team had eight hits in the opener. Drew Younginger and Mackenzie Boyles each had two, and Addison Hawks, Tesslea Colbert, Halo Akers and Blankenship each had one.

Next the Cards faced the Blue Ridge Thunder at 12:45 and ran away with an 11-0 win. Hawks threw the entire game for Carolina, finishing with five strikeouts, one walk and one hit allowed.

Seven Cardinal players recorded a hit, including a 3RBI triple from Colbert as part of a 9-run second inning. Younginger, Boyles, Hawks, Jaiden Dixon, Jayden Robertson and Alina Gutierrez all added hits.

With two wins and 16 runs scored, the Cardinals emerged as the No. 1 seed for bracket play. The team earned a first-round BYE then faced the winner of the No. 4-No. 5 matchup.

This put the Triad team up against Five Star Heat in the semifinal, which ended up being another lopsided victory for the Cardinals at 12-0. Dixon threw a no-hitter with five strikeouts and only allowed one walk.

Emme Martin had two of the team’s eight hits, and the following Carolina players each had one hit: Hawks, Blankenship, Colbert, Dixon, Gutierrez and Ava Edwards.

The Cardinals ran into the No. 3-seeded Bandits again in the championship game. The teams combined for just one run in five innings despite combining for 11 hits.

Dixon threw 2.2 innings for Carolina with three strikeouts, two walks and two hits allowed. Blankenship pitched two innings with three strikeouts and no hits allowed, and Robertson allowed one hit in .1 inning on the mound.

Martin and Dixon each had two hits for the Cardinals, followed by one hit each from Younginger, Hawks, Blankenship and Akers.

The decisive run in the 1-0 Cardinals victory came in the bottom of the third inning. Edwards led off with a fly ball to center field and made it all the way to second due to an error by a Bandits player. Edwards stole third with Gutierrez at the plate, then scored on a wild pitch thrown at Martin.

The Cardinals, coached by Christie Robertson, were named tournament champions and given trophies. Blankenship was named MVP of the tournament.

Part two of three in a series highlighting Surry County athletes that were named All-State by HighSchoolOT in 2021-22.

Surry County student-athletes showed they could compete with the best high schoolers in the state this past school year.

Student-athletes are recognized on a number of levels depending on their level of success. North Carolinians are first honored on an All-Conference basis, then the best of those selections are given All-Region/All-District Honors depending on the sport. Only a select few athletes are recognized as the best in the state.

The 2021-22 school year marked the second year that HighSchoolOT, a high school sports news site anchored in Raleigh, released All-State teams for every sport offered by the N.C. High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA). However, HSOT’s awards not only featured student-athletes from all four public school classifications in the NCHSAA, but private schools in the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association (NCISAA) and some homeschools as well.

The All-State awards were decided based on statistics, postseason results and the input of a panel of high school sports journalists statewide. The number of selections was different for each sport.

Part one of this series, featured in the August 4 edition of the News, highlighted athletes named HSOT All-State in sports from the fall 2021 season. Part two recognizes All-State athletes from winter 2021-22, and part three will acknowledge All-State athletes from the spring 2022 season.

Jared Hiatt (NSHS ‘23) – Indoor Track Second Team, Long Jump

This year’s indoor track and field All-State teams served as the inaugural edition since the sport wasn’t held during the 2020-21 school year.

Selections were recognized by their performances in either the NCHSAA State Championship Meet or NCISAA Invitational. The top two performances in every event – regardless of classification – earned athletes first-team honors. The third- and fourth-highest performances were given second-team honors.

No honorable mentions were named for indoor track and field.

Jared Hiatt was named Foothills 2A Conference Male Athlete of the Championship Meet in his first-ever season of indoor track. He won a trio of gold medals at the FH2A Championship in long jump, high jump and triple jump, as well as a silver medal in the 4×400-meter relay.

Hiatt qualified for the NCHSAA 1A/2A State Championship Meet in all three jumping events. His mark of 41-03.50 feet earned fifth place in triple jump, and he posted a leap of 6-00.00 to win a bronze medal in high jump.

Jared’s top finish came in long jump. His mark of 22-06.00 earned him a state championship, and the second-place finisher was 15 inches behind him.

Hiatt’s distance was the third best in the state. The 4A champion posted a mark of 23-01.00, and the 4A runner-up finished 22-10.25 to also earn first-team honors. Hiatt was joined on the second team by the 4A bronze medalist, who had a mark of 21-09.75.

Jack Zamudio (EHS ‘22) – Swimming Third Team, 100 Breaststroke

Similar to indoor track, All-State selections in swimming and diving were determined by a competitor’s finish in their respective championship meet.

The top two performances in each event earned athletes first team honors. The third- and fourth-highest performances were given second team honors, and the fourth- and fifth-highest performances were given third team honors.

No honorable mentions were named for swimming.

Zamudio helped lead Elkin to the Northwest 1A Conference Championship with four gold medals: two in individual events, and two in relay races. He went on to win two Midwest 1A/2A Regional Championships in the 100-meter breaststroke and 400 freestyle relay, while also finishing third in the 200 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay.

The Buckin’ Elk senior won three medals at the 1A/2A State Championship. He took bronze in the 400 freestyle relay, and gold in the 200 freestyle relay and 100 breaststroke.

Zamudio’s breaststroke time of 56.21 was the sixth-best in the state overall. The top two spots went to the champions of the NCHSAA’s 3A and 4A divisions. The third-best time was held by the No. 2 finisher in 4A, the fourth spot by the NCISAA Division-II Champ and the fifth by the No. 3 finisher in 4A.

Mia McMillen (SCHS ‘22) – Girls Basketball Honorable Mention, Limestone U Volleyball

The HSOT All-State Basketball Teams honored 75 of the best hoops stars in North Carolina. The first, second and third teams each contained 15 players, and the honorable mention list was made up of 30 selections.

Mia was named FH2A Conference Co-Player of the Year in basketball after averaging 21.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 5.2 steals, 2.8 assists and 0.5 blocks playing more than 31 minutes per game. She was a prolific scorer that had four games of 30 or points, 14 games of 20 or more points, 18 games of 15 or more points and at least 10 points in all 22 games.

Despite her junior year being shortened due to the coronavirus pandemic, McMillen still surpassed the mark of 1,000 career points.

McMillen was also selected for the East-West All-Star Game, represented the West in the Triad High School All-Star Classic and had the second-most votes in All-District voting.

She will continue her athletic career by playing volleyball at Limestone University.

Jahreece Lynch (NSHS ‘23) – Boys Basketball Third Team

After back-to-back years finishing third and fourth in conference play, the Greyhounds ran through the Foothills 2A Conference with a perfect 12-0 record. North won the FH2A Conference Regular Season and Tournament titles in convincing fashion; a three-game lead secured the Regular Season Championship, and a 17-point win over an impressive Forbush team gave the Hounds the Tournament Championship.

North Surry finished the year 23-5 after being knocked out by the eventual 2A State Champs.

Lynch was North’s leader in points and assists during its run to the 2A West Regional Championship. He averaged 21.7 points, 5.4 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 2.3 steals. He shot 48% from the field, 37% from beyond the arc and 67% from the free throw line.

Lynch scored 15 or more points in 26-of-28 games, 20 or more in 15 games and 30 or more in four games. He also shot at least 40% from the field in 22 games.

Despite only playing eight games his sophomore year, Lynch already surpassed the 1,000-point mark and still has a season remaining.

Jeremiah Price (SCHS ‘23) – Wrestling First Team, 152 pounds

Wrestling was Surry County’s most represented sport on the HSOT All-State Teams.

There were 104 wrestlers recognized on the All-State teams: two each on the first, second and third teams for all 14 weight classes, and 20 honorable mentions regardless of weight class.

Jeremiah Price was one of 45 wrestlers in the state to be named to the All-State team for a second consecutive year. He was also one of just 11 wrestlers to make a repeat appearance on the All-State First Team for his weight class. He was recognized in the 145-pound weight class in 2020-21, and the 152 class in 2021-22.

Jeremiah finished the year with a 42-0 individual record. Out of 42 total matches, Price won: 27 via fall, seven via technical fall, six via forfeit and just three via decision.

All three wrestlers to last a full six-minute match against Jeremiah went on to win state championships: one in 4A, one in 3A and one in 1A.

He won the FH2A Conference Championship, Midwest 2A Regional Championship and 2A State Championship at 152 in 2022 – marking his third state championship in as many years.

Jeremiah won his first two matches at the state tournament in a combined 36 seconds, then won his semifinal and championship matches via technical fall (25-10, 26-9). He was later named Most Outstanding Wrestler of the 2A State Meet.

Jeremiah is an NC State Wrestling commit.

Connor Medvar (MAHS ‘22) – Wrestling Second Team, 170 pounds

Medvar is also one of the 45 repeat selections to the All-State Wrestling Team. After earning third team honors in the 152 division as a junior, Medvar was recognized on the 170 All-State Second Team his senior year.

Including the dual team championship, Connor finished the year with a 34-1 record. Of his 34 wins, he won: 14 via fall, four via technical fall, nine by decision – including three major decision wins – and seven via forfeit.

He won the Northwest 1A Championship, 1A West Regional Championship and 1A State Championship at 170 – marking his second state championship in as many years. Medvar only had one close match throughout the regional and state tournaments, which he won via 9-5 decision. His other matches were: a 32-second win, a 17-0 tech fall, a 60-second win, a 13-4 major decision and a 10-3 decision.

Medvar was one point away from winning the state championship match via major decision while already wrestling up a weight class.

Eli Becker (ESHS ‘23) – Wrestling Third Team, 182 pounds

A change in classification wasn’t enough to contain Becker’s ascent as a competitor.

After falling short of qualifying for the state wrestling tournament his freshman year, Becker went on a tear and finished third in the 1A 182 bracket his sophomore season. He only lost three matches that year, and two of the three came against the eventual state champion in the weight class.

After a short offseason, Becker picked up where he left off and dominated opponents on the mat. He won his first 27 matches of the year which included 19 wins via fall, four via decision and four via forfeit. Becker won the Foothills 2A Conference Championship and 2A Midwest Regional Championship in the 182 bracket to return to the state tournament.

Becker won his opening match at the state championship tournament via first-period fall, then won the next two the same way but in the second period. He made it all the way to the 182 Championship Match before falling to the eventual undefeated state champion.

Jacob Price (SCHS ‘24) – Wrestling Third Team, 145 pounds

Jacob Price was one of just two Surry County sophomores recognized on the HSOT All-State Teams, with the other being featured in the article for spring sports.

Jacob competed in his second state tournament in as many years. As a freshman, he went 18-3 overall while dealing with a back injury. Following his loss in the 2021 2A State Tournament, Surry Central coach Stephen Priddy said the following about the younger Price: “Next year, he will come back healthy and probably wrestle for a state title.”

Jacob returned his sophomore year and received a clean bill of health not too far into the season. He started the season 9-0 before dropping a pair of matches in the Holy Angels Invitational. One of the wrestlers that defeated him went on to win the NCISAA Championship, and the other was a state medalist in the AAA Division in West Virginia.

Jacob won all his remaining matches in the 2021-22 season, finishing with a 32-2 overall record. Of his 32 victories, he won: 24 via fall, three via decision, one via technical fall and four via forfeit.

He won the Foothills 2A Conference Championship, was named Most Outstanding Wrestler of the conference championship, then went on to win the 2A Midwest Regional Championship. At the state tournament, Jacob won his first match via first-period fall, then posted back-to-back wins via major decision and technical fall. He won the 145 Championship Match via 8-2 decision.

Part one of three in a series highlighting Surry County athletes that were named All-State by HighSchoolOT in 2021-22.

Surry County student-athletes showed they could compete with the best high schoolers in the state this past school year.

Student-athletes are recognized on a number of levels depending on their level of success. North Carolinians are first honored on an All-Conference basis, then the best of those selections are given All-Region/All-District Honors depending on the sport. Only a select few athletes are recognized as the best in the state.

The 2021-22 school year marked the second year that HighSchoolOT, a high school sports news site anchored in Raleigh, released All-State teams for every sport offered by the N.C. High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA). However, HSOT’s awards not only featured student-athletes from all four public school classifications in the NCHSAA, but private schools in the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association (NCISAA) and some homeschools as well.

The All-State awards were decided based on statistics, postseason results and the input of a panel of high school sports journalists statewide. The number of selections was different for each sport.

Surry County was represented by eight selections when HSOT released its first All-State awards in 2020-21: three from East Surry, two from Surry Central, two from Elkin and one from Mount Airy. Wrestling and football were Surry County’s most represented sports with three selections each, while baseball and track each had one selection.

The number of Surry All-State selections nearly tripled for the 2021-22 school year, with 21 student-athletes given HSOT’s top honors. Wrestling was the most represented sport with four selections. Football and baseball each had three, followed by tennis, soccer, basketball and track with two, and volleyball, swimming and golf with one.

Surry Central had the most selections of any Surry school with seven. East Surry was next with six selections, followed by Mount Airy and North Surry with three each, and Elkin with two.

Three student-athletes repeated as All-State selections in their respective sports: Surry Central’s Jeremiah Price in wrestling, Mount Airy’s Connor Medvar in wrestling and East Surry’s Folger Boaz in baseball.

Surry Central’s Mia McMillen was named an All-State athlete both years, but in different sports each time.

McMillen, Boaz and North Surry’s Jared Hiatt were each named to two All-State teams for the 2021-22 school year.

Part one of this series will highlight athletes named HSOT All-State in sports from the fall 2021 season. Part two will recognize All-State athletes from winter 2021-22, and part three will acknowledge All-State athletes from the spring 2022 season.

Tara Martin (ESHS ‘23) – Girls Tennis Honorable Mention

A total of 42 athletes were honored on the All-State Tennis Teams. The first, second and third teams were each made up of 12 people, and six were named honorable mentions.

East Surry’s Tara Martin was named one of the six honorable mentions. According to MaxPreps, Martin went 14-0 in singles during her junior year. She was named Foothills 2A Conference Player of the Year and helped East Surry win the FH2A Title with a 12-0 record.

Tara has yet to lose a singles match in high school. Only one opponent won more than four games against her in a match during the 2021 season. After giving up three games in the first singles match of the year, Martin completed the remainder of the season without ever surrendering three games in a set again.

Martin finished the year 20-2 in doubles. She won the FH2A Conference Doubles Championship with teammate Evelyn Ruedisueli, and the duo went on to finish runner-up in the 2A Midwest Regional Championship and reached the semifinals of the 2A State Doubles Championship.

Mia McMillen (SCHS ’22) – Volleyball Honorable Mention

A total of 75 players were recognized on the Volleyball All-State teams. The first, second and third teams each consisted of 15 players divided by position, and the honorable mention list featured 30 players regardless of position.

McMillen’s selection to the Volleyball All-State team was her first of two recognitions by HSOT in 2021-22 as she later made the All-State Basketball team.

An outside/right-side hitter, McMillen finished No. 6 in the 2A division in kills in 2021 with 340. This was No. 28 in the state among all public school classifications.

Mia also finished in the top 20 in 2A for digs with 316, which propelled her over the 1,000 mark for her career.

She graduates with 877 kills, 1,297 digs, 208 aces and 53 blocks.

McMillen will continue her volleyball career at Limestone University.

Elkin Lopez (MAHS ‘23) – Boys Soccer Third Team

A total of 75 players were recognized on the Boys Soccer All-State teams. The first, second and third teams were each made up of 15 players with position minimums for midfielders, forwards, defenders, goalkeepers and at-large picks. The honorable mention team featured 30 players regardless of position.

A forward for Mount Airy, Lopez tied a school record with 45 goals to pace the Bears to a new school record of 156 goals in 2021. His 45 goals were tied for the fifth-most of any player in the state and tied for No. 36 in the nation.

By recording 45 goals and 15 assists, Lopez finished the year with 105 points. This was No. 5 in the state and tied for No. 40 in the country.

Lopez repeated as Northwest 1A Conference Player of the Year as Mount Airy won the conference title. The Granite Bears finished the year 26-1 and 1A West Regional Runners-up, with the team’s only loss coming to the private school that won the state title.

In addition to being named HSOT All-State, Lopez was named to the N.C. Soccer Coaches Association’s 1A All-Region and 1A All-State teams. He also represented the state as the MaxPreps/United Soccer Coaches State Player of the Week for the week of October 11-17.

Thomas McComb (EHS ‘22) – Boys Soccer Honorable Mention

Elkin High School’s Thomas McComb was also named to the All-State teams.

A goalkeeper, McComb had a 1.000 goals against average by allowing just 20 goals in as many matches. The goalie had seven shutouts and only allowed one goal in another seven matches.

McComb posted 155 saves, or 7.8 per game, and saved one penalty kick.

The Buckin’ Elks finished the year 13-7-1 and reached the second round of the 1A State Playoffs.

He will continue his soccer career at Lees-McRae College.

Memphis Bolatto (SCHS ‘22) – Football Third Team Defense

Since football teams typically have the largest rosters of any high school sport, the football All-State teams also feature the most available spots.

The first, second and third teams each feature 39 players: 15 on offense, 15 on defense, five two-way players and four from special teams. Each group was subdivided to include all position groups. The honorable mention team featured 30 players on offense, 30 players on defense, 15 two-way players and 12 from special teams.

Bolatto made his mark in Surry Central’s secondary by setting the school record for interceptions with 10 in 2021. This was the most of any player in the 2A division, second in the state among all classifications and tied for No. 15 in the nation.

Memphis also recorded 56 total tackles, or 5.1 per game, as well as 3.0 tackles for a loss. The senior returned two interceptions for touchdowns, blocked two field goals, forced one fumble and deflected two passes.

He will continue his football career at Ferrum College.

Sam Whitt (ESHS ‘22) – Football Honorable Mention Offense

Whitt was a four-year starter and four-year All-Conference player for an East Surry team that played in three consecutive 1A State Championship games and four consecutive West Regional Championships.

As a member of the Cardinals’ offensive line, Whitt helped East Surry finish with nearly 6,000 yards of total offense in 2021. The Cards rushed for more than 2,400 yards and passed for more than 3,500, averaging 426 yards per game.

East Surry won the Foothills 2A Conference Championship with a 6-0 record, then finished the season 2A West Regional Runner-up. The 13-1 Cards’ only loss came to the eventual state champion, Shelby.

In addition to being named an All-State player, Whitt was: one of 10 offensive lineman in the state to be selected for the 2021 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas, one of seven offensive lineman that represented the West in the N.C. Coaches Association’s East-West All-Star Game, named a member of the 2021 Carolina Bowl Senior Showcase team and recognized as a member of the N.C. Football Recruiting Blue Sheet Academic All-State Team.

He will continue his football career at Lenoir-Rhyne University.

Folger Boaz (ESHS ‘23) – Football Honorable Mention Offense

Boaz was named an All-State Player in two sports: football and baseball.

His first selection came after leading East Surry to a 13-1 overall record that ended with the Cardinals taking home the 2A West Regional Runner-up Trophy. Boaz was named FH2A Offensive Player of the Year as the Cards won the FH2A Championship with an undefeated record.

The dual-threat quarterback finished the year with 4,435 total yards, which was second in the state among all classifications and No. 26 in the nation.

Boaz completed 227-of-324 passes for 3,475 yards and 29 touchdowns while throwing just seven interceptions. He was fourth in the state in yards passing, and his .701 completion percentage was the highest of any quarterback in the state that attempted at least 275 passes.

He is just the fifth player in state history with a single-season completion percentage greater than 70% with at least 275 pass attempts.

Boaz is a UNC-Chapel Hill Baseball commit.

Mount Airy High School hosted the final 7-on-7 scrimmages of the offseason on July 29.

The Granite Bears were one of seven teams that took part in the scrimmages. Mount Airy welcomed fellow Northwest 1A Conference teams North Stokes and South Stokes, as well as the Foothills 2A Conference’s North Surry, Surry Central and Forbush, and the Mid-State 2A Conference’s West Stokes.

Games were held simultaneously at three locations on campus: the game field inside Wallace Shelton Stadium, the offensive practice field and defensive practice field. Since there was an odd number of teams, three teams would rotate their offense and defenses in round robin format on the defensive practice field.

The 7-on-7 served as the teams’ final offseason exercises before the season officially kicked off on August 1.

The Bears are coached by JK Adkins, who enters his fifth season with the team. Adkins holds a 37-9 record as Mount Airy’s head coach.

The 2021-22 season marked the Bears’ second trip to the 1A West Regional Semifinals under Adkins. The team finished 13-1 overall, won the NW1A Conference Championship and Adkins was named NW1A Coach of the Year. The 2021 Bears also set multiple school records, such as most shutouts and fewest points allowed in the modern era.

Mount Airy opens the season at North Surry on August 19.

Surry Central enters the 2022 season with the most new faces of any team around after graduating 17 seniors. One key returner is head coach Monty Southern, who enters his 16th season with the Golden Eagles. Southern holds an overall record of 63-102 at Central.

The Eagles are coming off back-to-back winning seasons; the team went 4-3 in the shortened 2020-21 season, then finished 6-5 in 2021-22. This is just the third time in school history that Surry Central posted back-to-back seasons with winning percentages greater than .500. The last time this happened was 1968-69.

The 2021 Surry Central team finished 6-5 overall and reached the first round of the 2A State Playoffs. Central also tied for second place in the FH2A Conference with a 4-2 record.

Central begins its season by hosting Alleghany on August 19.

North Surry enters the 2022-23 season in the opposite situation of Surry Central, in that North returns all but a handful of players but has a new head coach. Jackson Smith, who previously served as an assistant coach at North Surry, takes over the reins for the upcoming season.

The 2021 Greyhounds finished 5-5 overall and reached the first round of the 2A State Playoffs. North Surry tied for second in the FH2A Conference at 4-2.

The one team North Surry didn’t get to scrimmage at the 7-on-7, Mount Airy, is the Greyhounds’ Week One opponent come August 19.

KERNERSVILLE — The Armfield Civic Center Tritons concluded their swim season with the Tri-County Swim League Championship on July 16.

The championship was held at the Kernersville YMCA. Most of the championship races were held as scheduled, but the final few relay races were cancelled due to bad weather.

The Tritons finished fourth overall in the team standings. Despite being much smaller than teams from Winston-Salem and Kernersville, the ACC team still had multiple swimmers finish at the top of their age group in points.

Two Tritons, AnnaClaire Casstevens and Claire Hull, accumulated the most points in their respective divisions.

The ACC team was coached by a trio of standout area swimmers: Cassidy Hull, a 2022 graduate of North Surry High School that won Foothills 2A Conference Swimmer of the Year in 2021-22, is a multi-time state qualifier and will continue her swimming career at Mars Hill; Haley Joyce, a rising senior at East Surry that earned All-Conference Honors and was a state qualifier this past season; and Claire Hull, a rising sophomore at East Surry that earned All-Conference Honors and was a state qualifier this past season.

The following swimmers were the ACC’s top point winners per age group. The number listed prior to each name is the swimmer’s overall finish in their respective age group.

ACC Results by event (in yards)

2. AnnaClaire Casstevens, Phoebe Chesnet, Salem Cook, Elaina Joyce 1:36.32

1. Samuel Comer, Davis Haymore, Riggs Key, River Venable 1:54.89

1. Terrah Howlett, Stella Joyce, Gracie Key 1:11.15

3. Katherine Brinkley, Addie Graves, Emilynn Haymore, Kynlee Venable 2:29.59

1. Ashlyn Comer, Layla Comer, Caitlin Joyce 2:01.48

1. Marissa Casstevnes, Kaci Collins, Kennedy Hook, Claire Hull 2:00.45

1. AnnaClaire Simmons, Salem Cook, Elaina Joyce 1:52.36

2. Sophie Chesnet, Terrah Howlett, Stella Joyce, Gracie Key 1:25.13

3. Katherine Brinkley, Addi Graves, Emilynn Haymore, Kynlee Venable 2:53.96

Several weeks ago, the NFHS hosted its annual Summer Meeting involving key leaders from the 51 state high school associations. In addition to celebrating the 50th anniversary of Title IX, one of the highlights was the induction of the 2022 class into the National High School Hall of Fame.

Among the 12 inductees this year were four former high school athletes, who not only were involved in multiple sports and activities in their high school days, but who have “paid it back” through the years to ensure that others have opportunities.

These former high school athletes emphatically noted that the most important individuals who helped them achieve success during high school – and into their future careers and lives – were their coaches; and in most cases, that athlete-coach relationship continues today.

In his video remarks, Notah Begay III, a three-sport athlete at Albuquerque Academy in New Mexico in the late 1980s and a four-time winner – and only Native-American – on the PGA Tour, talked about the importance of his coaches – and the school – in keeping him in the right lane.

“The relationships I built at Albuquerque Academy and the wonderful coaches I had were keys to my success,” Begay said. “My soccer coach in my senior year, Bruce Musgrave, was the head of the English department. I wasn’t able to initially achieve the required minimum score on the verbal part of the SAT that I needed to qualify to get into Stanford.

“Well, who tutored me? Who got me ready? Who trained me at 6:00 a.m. in the morning on weekdays at school to take the SAT again? It was my soccer coach, Bruce Musgrave. I’m indebted to him for putting that time in and believing in me that I had the ability to do what I did. I look back on those years fondly. They were wonderful. It was sports and the people affiliated with those sports teams that were provided by the school that gave me that pathway to my future.”

Some might say success for a high school coach is winning 80 percent of the games, being named coach of the year or bringing home successive state titles. Begay would say success comes in the form of a coach taking extra time to help a student-athlete with homework.

Other measures of success are consistent teaching of values, character and sportsmanship. We are indebted to the hundreds of thousands of high school coaches who will take the field, court, band room or music hall this year to serve as important role models.

In addition to the significant role played by his coaches, Begay, during his Hall of Fame acceptance speech, also referenced the high school “experience” itself, relationships formed with peers and the importance of high school sports in shaping a student’s life.

“What I really appreciate – and still to this day appreciate, especially having seen sports go in a variety of different directions over the last five or six years – is just the purity of the high school game,” Begay said. “How an athlete can show up with very little experience as a freshman, but with an interest and a love for whatever that particular activity may be, and be able to be coached, be able to be developed, be able to be guided – not just on the field, but also in the classroom.

“I just think that’s a wonderful gift that each and every one of us as athletes has experienced in our lives. We all had a chance to receive an education at some wonderful universities – myself, at Stanford – and I wouldn’t have been able to do that without, of course, my soccer coach who tutored me, but also anyone and everyone who put their time and effort into my life. My parents, my two sisters, my wife have been paramount supporters of me throughout our lives.

“As an athlete, you have to be so selfish and focused in order to do your sport, and as I got away from my athletics and I segued into television, I had to grow up. I had to learn. I had to not be so selfish and be a parent and be a husband and a friend. And those are all things that I knew how to do because I had great guides and mentors in high school.

“My high school friends are still my best friends in the world, and they still treat me the same way… So, when you want to keep it real, you always go back to your high school friends because that’s where everything is pure, and in a lot of cases, for good or bad, high school is forever.”

We recall another former high school athlete and Hall of Fame inductee – former NFL tight end Keith Jackson of Arkansas – who during his speech in 2001 said, “There’s no time like high school.”

Those men and women serving as high school coaches are the lifeblood of our programs. The past few years with the pandemic have been challenging for high school students – and coaches – as mental health issues have accelerated.

As another year of high school sports and performing arts programs is at our doorstep – one filled with hope and expectations for the 12-plus million student participants nationwide – first and foremost let’s take care of each other every single day.

DOBSON — East Surry joined the fun of preseason volleyball by taking part in Surry Community College’s Jamboree on July 26 and 27.

The Jamboree, put on by Surry Community College, featured high schools from nine counties. Games were played at both Surry Community’s gym and Surry Central High School’s gym just across the road.

A previous News article incorrectly stated that Surry Central was the host of the Jamboree.

The Jamboree lasted three days, July 25-27, with different combinations of schools taking part each day. Both varsity and JV teams were able to compete.

Participating schools included: Surry Central, North Surry, Mount Airy, East Surry, East Rowan, Oak Grove, McMichael, West Rowan, Reagan, South Stokes, West Stokes, Starmount, Bishop McGuinness, East Wilkes, Wilkes Central, Central Davidson, North Wilkes, Alleghany, West Forsyth, Lake Norman and Glenn.

JV games began at 3:30 each afternoon. Each JV game went 20 minutes, and teams were given a 10 minute break between games one and two to allow for warm ups. Each remaining game was separated by a three minute break.

Varsity games began at 5:30 and lasted 25 minutes each. Teams were given the same breaks as JV before them.

Surry Central, Mount Airy and North Surry all competed in the first day of competition and were featured in the aforementioned article. East Surry began competing on days two and three of the Jamboree.

The Cardinals are coached by Katelyn Markle, who enters her third season as head coach. She previously served as an assistant coach at East Surry for five seasons.

The 2021-22 Cardinals finished 26-2 overall and 12-0 in the Foothills 2A Conference. East won the FH2A Regular Season and Tournament Championships without dropping a conference match; this marked East Surry’s eighth consecutive conference tournament championship.

Last season’s Cardinals reached the 2A West Regional Championship before falling 3-2 to the eventual state champs. East lost four players from its Regional Runner-up team to graduation.

CHARLOTTE — The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) recognized student-athletes from across the country for their dedication in the classroom with the announcement of the 2021-22 All-Academic Teams.

Surry Community College had fourteen student-athletes earn All-Academic accolades for the past academic year. The Knights also led Region 10 – which consists of 33 schools from North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia – in First Team All-Academic selections with ten.

“I am extremely proud of our 14 student-athletes on earning NJCAA Academic Awards,” said Athletic Director Mark Tucker. “This is recognition of how hard our student-athletes work at achieving academic excellence while competing at the highest level. To have the most NJCAA First Team selections among all the 35 Region 10 member colleges is a tremendous accomplishment.”

Student-athletes are eligible to earn academic honors by achieving an overall grade point average of 3.60 or higher for the 2021-22 academic year. The criteria for the three All-Academic teams are:

NJCAA All-Academic First Team: 4.00 GPA

NJCAA All-Academic Second Team: 3.80-3.99 GPA

NJCAA All-Academic Third Team: 3.60-3.79 GPA

First Team honors went to the following Surry student-athletes: Brayden Adams (Baseball, Metrolina High School), Skylar Amos (Volleyball, North Stokes HS), Chelsey Atkins (Softball, Surry Central HS), Bryson Bebber (Baseball, South Rowan HS), Allie Bruner (Softball, East Surry HS), Jordyn Coe (Volleyball, Surry Central HS), Colby Crater (Volleyball, Forbush HS), Abbigail Draughn (Softball, North Surry HS), Emma Freed (Volleyball, Starmount HS) and Kalie Mabe (Volleyball, Mount Airy HS).

Abby Walker (Volleyball, West Stokes HS) and Makara Woodbury (Softball, North Surry HS) were Second Team recipients, while Michelle Thao (Volleyball, Foard HS), and Ethan Watson (Baseball, Hibriten HS) earned Third Team Honors.

“We had almost half of our student-athletes named to the Region 10 All-Academic team during the past academic year, and now to have 14 of our student-athletes honored with a national academic award is truly exceptional,” added Tucker. “Additionally, to have 10 of the 55 student-athletes that earned First Team honors from Region 10 is an incredible achievement.”

Surry’s 14 selections rank third among N.C. community colleges. The Knights joined Catawba Valley as the only North Carolina community colleges having multiple All-Academic teams while also having numerous individual selections.

In addition, Surry was the only college in Region 10 to have two athletic teams named All-Academic and also be nationally ranked during their season of competition.

For a full list of all student-athletes honored, visit njcaa.org

DOBSON — Three local teams got a taste of volleyball action during day one of the Surry Central Volleyball Jamboree.

The three-day event runs July 25-27 and features teams from Surry, Stokes, Forsyth, Yadkin, Wilkes, Davidson, Alleghany, Rowan and Rockingham Counties. Games were held in the gyms of both Surry Central High School and Surry Community College. Both varsity and JV teams took part.

Surry Central, North Surry and Mount Airy High Schools all faced off during the first day of the Jamboree. The teams got a first look at their competition a week before official practices begin on August 1.

JV games began at 3:30 Monday afternoon. Each JV game went 20 minutes, and teams were given a 10 minute break between games one and two to allow for warm ups. Each remaining game was separated by a three minute break.

Varsity games began at 5:30 and lasted 25 minutes each. Teams were given the same breaks as JV before them.

The Jamboree gave athletes a chance to compete in full-speed game situations before the official beginning of the season. Coaches were also given opportunities to try out new lineups and strategies against live competition.

Jamboree host Surry Central comes into the 2022-23 season with a new coach, Maddison Payne. The Golden Eagles graduated five seniors from last season; three will continue their volleyball careers at the college level, and another is set to play college softball.

The 2021-22 Eagles team finished 18-7 overall and 8-4 in the Foothills 2A Conference. Central was third in the FH2A regular season standings before being runner-up in the FH2A Tournament. The team reached the second round of the 2A state playoffs.

North Surry is coached by Shane Slate, who is entering his 24th season as Greyhound head coach. The Hounds graduated four seniors from last season.

The 2021-22 North team finished 6-17 overall and 5-7 in the FH2A Conference, good enough for fourth place. After being eliminated in the first round of the FH2A Tournament the Hounds did not qualify for the 2A State Playoffs.

Mount Airy enters its second season under the leadership of head coach Shelby Bryant. This year’s team looks much different after the team graduated seven seniors.

The 2021-22 Granite Bears finished the year 18-9 overall and 9-3 in the Northwest 1A Conference. Mount Airy tied for second in the regular season standings before winning the NW1A Tournament, which was the team’s first conference tournament championship in 30 years.

CHARLOTTE — The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) recently announced the 2021-22 Academic Teams of the Year.

Both the Surry Community College softball and volleyball programs received the distinction of All-Academic teams. To earn this recognition, the entire team must maintain a combined grade point average above a 3.0.

Among the 35 total schools in Region 10, Surry is the only one to have multiple teams earn All-Academic accolades along with those teams being ranked nationally in their sport by the NJCAA.

“Our student-athletes proved their commitment to academics while also having incredible success on the court and field,” said Surry athletic director Mark Tucker. “These awards are a direct reflection of the hard work from our student-athletes and our coaches. Surry Community College is fortunate to have student-athletes that strive to pursue their educational goals along with coaches that emphasize academic excellence on a daily basis.”

The Lady Knights volleyball team finished the year with a combined GPA of 3.45, which is the as the top overall volleyball program in Region 10 and No. 35 in the nation. The team finished among more than 180 Region 10 teams, trailing only USC-Sumter’s men’s tennis team (3.52) and Spartanburg-Methodist’s softball team (3.49).

On the court, the Surry Volleyball Team posted a 24-5 record in the fall of 2021. The team captured the Region 10 Western Division Championship while being ranked in the top 20 nationally by the NJCAA.

Team members included: Lyza Addington (West Stokes HS), Skylar Amos (North Stokes HS), Jordyn Coe (Surry Central HS), Colby Crater (Forbush HS), Natalie Eaton (North Surry HS), Emma Freed (Starmount HS), Camilla Garner (SW Guilford HS), Abigail Johnson (Surry Central HS), Kalie Mabe (Mount Airy HS), Anna Stevens (Oak Grove HS), Michelle Thao (Foard HS), Elizabeth Tilley (Davie HS) and Abby Walker (West Stokes HS).

The Surry Community softball team posted a 3.13 GPA which ranked third among all Region 10 softball programs. The Lady Knights finished with a 35-11 record while being ranked in the NJCAA national poll during the season.

Team members included: Taylor Allen (Alleghany HS), Chelsey Atkins (Surry Central HS), Megan Atkins (Surry Central HS), Allie Bruner (East Surry HS), Rachel Cooke (Maiden HS), Kelsey Craven (Eastern Randolph HS), Abbigail Draughn (North Surry HS), Kassie Eldreth (Alexander Central HS), Kaybree Martin (East Wilkes HS), Alexis Seagle (East Burke HS), Kaylee Snow (Surry Central HS), Kennedy-Grace White (Starmount HS), Lainey Williamson (Reagan HS), Makara Woodbury (North Surry HS) and Haley Wright (North Iredell HS).

Surry was also only one of four Region 10 colleges with multiple teams honored by the NJCAA joining Spartanburg Methodist, Catawba Valley, and USC-Sumter.

“We are incredibly proud of our athletic teams for their academic achievements,” stated Tucker. “Our overall grade point average this past academic year was a combined 3.10 from all of student-athletes. Our coaches are outstanding with putting an emphasis on academic success.”

A full list of all teams honored can be found at njcaa.org

Mount Airy High School hosted the Junior Granite Bear Youth Football Camp July 21-22.

The camp was led by head coach JK Adkins, members of the Bears coaching staff, as well as current and former players. The camp ran 6-8:30 p.m. each night.

All campers received certificates for taking part in the camp. Additional awards were given to winners in an obstacle course and punt, pass and kick competitions in each age group: kindergarten through second grade, third through fifth grade and sixth through eighth grade. The person with the best combined finish across the punt, pass and kick competitions was named Punt-Pass-Kick Champion and given a personalized Granite Bears football helmet.

Obstacle Course Champion: Juna Goins – 20.93 seconds

Punt Champion: Gunnar Bennett – 15 yards

Pass Champion: Gunnar Bennett – 15 yards

Kick Champion: Landry O’Neal – 16 yards

Obstacle Course Champion: Bates Currin – 18.87 seconds

Punt Champion: Baker Leathers – 28 yards

Pass Champion: Bates Currin – 18.87 seconds

Kick Champion: Baker Leathers – 20 yards

Obstacle Course Champion: Braylen George – 18.22 seconds

Punt Champion: Kylan Mason – 33 yards

Pass Champion: Ty Hemric – 43 yards

Kick Champion: McKennon Hiatt – 40 yards

North Surry High School hosted its Greyhound Youth Football Camp on July 22.

More than 60 kids showed up bright and early for the camp, which ran from 9 a.m to noon. Campers received instruction from the North Surry coaching staff, including head coach Jackson Smith, as well as current and former Greyhound players.

At the conclusion of the camp, awards were given to the fastest campers in four different age groups. Those awards went to: Luke Casstevens, Grady Swift, Malachi Smith and Elijah Jenkins.

Awards were also given to the best tackler and best blocker in two age groups. One set of awards was given to campers in first through fourth grade, and the other was given to anyone in fifth grade or above.

In the young group: Corleel Simmons was named best blocker, and Carter Simmons was named best tackler.

For the older kids: Lane Ramey was named best blocker, and Landon Ward was named best tackler.

Three local wrestlers earned All-American Honors during the offseason of interscholastic competition.

The student-athletes all finished in the top eight of their respective tournaments to receive All-American Honors. Two of the national tournaments were held in March, and the third took place in July. One was held Virginia, another in Colorado and the third in North Dakota.

Two of the three wrestlers are part of the Mount Airy City School System: rising freshman Talon Smith and rising junior Hope Horan. The third All-American wrestler is Jeremiah Price, a rising senior at Surry Central High School.

All three grapplers won gold medals at the state level before testing themselves on the national stage.

As an eighth grader at Mount Airy Middle School, Smith traveled with Mount Airy Wrestling Club to compete in the NCUSA Wrestling State Tournament.

The Tournament was held at the Rise Indoor Sports Complex in Bermuda Run and ran February 4-5. Smith won the state title competing in the 230-pound division, which helped the Club finish fourth out of 95 teams in the Junior High Division. Mount Airy Wrestling Club was just three points out of first place.

Smith went on to face some of the top wrestlers in the country as part of the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) Middle School National Tournament. Middle School Nationals were held March 25-27 at the Virginia Beach Sports Center.

In the opening round, Smith defeated Virginia’s own Caleb Hosey. Smith led 2-0 when he won via fall just 38 seconds into the first period.

Smith dropped his quarterfinal match to New York’s Christopher Belmonte via 2-0 decision. Belmonte scored a one-point escape in the second period, then recorded another escape in the third period for the match’s only points.

Belmonte went on to finish first in the 230-pound bracket.

Smith defeated Cayden Caplette of Connecticut via fall just 30 seconds into their consolation match. The win guaranteed Smith would finish in the top eight, which earned him All-American status.

The Bear dropped a match to fellow North Carolinian Conrad Sherburne via 4-2 decision, then fell in the seventh-place match to Tennessee’s Kenny Harris via 4-0 decision.

Hope Horan was one of 20 women from North Carolina to compete in the 2022 USA Wrestling Girls Folkstyle Nationals. The group was N.C.’s first to ever attend the event.

The tournament was held March 18-20 at the Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs. All-American awards were given to the top eight individuals in each weight class in the following divisions: 8U, 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U and Junior.

Making history is nothing new to Horan who, in 2021, was the first female freshman to place at the N.C. High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) State Tournament. She is also a two-time medalist at the N.C. Women’s Wrestling Invitational; Horan captured a silver medal in the 113A class in 2021, then won the 114-pound Women’s Wrestling Invitational State Championship in 2022.

Horan competed in the 117-pound weight class at nationals.

The Granite Bear won her first two matches via fall in the 32-person bracket. Horan led Oregon’s Arianne Korish 3-1 before pinning her in the second period, then led Texas’ Alyssa Martinez 13-2 when she picked up the win.

Horan and Minnesota’s Rian Grunwald were engaged in a tight 7-4 match when Grunwald picked up the win via fall. Grunwald went on to finish fifth in the 117 bracket.

Hope bounced back in the consolation round to defeat Aubrey Burns of Indiana. Horan reached the All-American status with the 7-6 decision victory.

The next rounds would short out the order in which the top eight finished. Indiana’s Phoebe Dowty defeated Horan via fall in the second period, then went on to finish fourth overall. Hope then ran into Texas’ Bayley Trang in the seventh-place match and was pinned late in the first period.

Jeremiah Price capped off his junior season at Surry Central by winning his third NCHSAA State Championship. He was also named Most Outstanding Wrestler of the 2A Division at the state championship.

Price, an N.C. State University commit, won his 100th career high school match during the 2021-22 season. Jeremiah also helped Surry Central win the Foothills 2A Conference Championship as well as the Midwest 2A Regional Championship.

Price went on to represent Team NC at the USMC/USAW Junior and 16U Nationals. The National Tournament was held July 16-22 in Fargo, North Dakota.

Jeremiah competed in the 152-pound weight class of the Junior Freestyle division, which featured 121 wrestlers.

Price opened the tournament with a dominant win over Minnesota’s Joshua Route. The Golden Eagle led 15-4 before pinning his opponent late in the second period. He followed with another second-period win via fall in the Round of 64, this time defeating Nebraska’s Adam Kruse.

Price made it to the final 16 competitors with a decision win over Iowa’s Carter Martinson. After Martinson took a 4-0 lead in the first period, Price scored five unanswered points to secure the victory.

Jeremiah ran into New Jersey’s William Henckel in the Round of 16 and was defeated via third-period fall. Henckel went on to finish fourth overall.

The three-time state champion bounced back in the consolation bracket by rattling off three consecutive wins: a 6-2 decision against Indiana’s Hunter May, a 10-8 decision against Maryland’s Paul Ognissanti and a win via fall against Wisconsin’s Zane Licht.

The trio of consolation wins guaranteed Price a spot in the top eight, with the next two matches deciding the final order of the All-Americans. Price was defeated by North Dakota’s Boeden Greenley via 7-4 decision, then lost via fall to Wisconsin’s Charlie Millard in the seventh-place match.

This is not Jeremiah’s first time earning All-American Honors. He most recently finished third overall in the 2021 Grappler Fall Classic held October 1-3 in Myrtle Beach.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Six Surry Community softball players were recognized by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) for their success in the classroom during the 2021-22 academic year.

The six Lady Knights were named Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athletes for achieving a grade point average of 3.50 or higher.

Those earning the prestigious award were: Chelsey Atkins (Surry Central HS), Megan Atkins (Surry Central HS), Allie Bruner (East Surry HS), Abbigail Draughn (North Surry HS), Makara Woodbury (North Surry HS) and Kassie Eldreth (Alexander Central HS).

“We are extremely proud of our student-athletes for their commitment to academics in the classroom while striving to compete on the field at their highest level,” said Surry head coach,Blaine Bullington. “The academic recognition these student-athletes have received is well deserved and sheds a positive light on Surry and our softball program.”

The Lady Knights finished the past season with a 35-11 overall record along with a 22-6 record in Region 10 conference play. In addition, Surry was nationally ranked during the season by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).

“We are extremely proud of our softball student-athletes,” stated Surry athletic director, Mark Tucker. “Our softball coaches – Blaine Bullington, Joel Jones and Gary Stone – are outstanding at emphasizing academics, and these awards certainly prove that.”

The NFCA, established in 1983, is the professional growth organization for fastpitch softball coaches from all competitive levels of play. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky and growing from 40 members in 1983 to over 5,500 today, the NFCA boasts members from all 50 states and several countries.

DOBSON – The Surry Community volleyball team looks to build on last year’s success in which the Lady Knights captured the Region 10 Western Division Championship while being nationally ranked.

The Knights finished the season 24-5 while being ranked in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) poll during the season.

“There are high expectations in our gym to be great and build upon the success of last year’s team,” said Surry coach Caleb Gilley.

The Lady Knights recruiting class will welcome eight new players to campus this fall: Hannah Broman, Bella Cline, McKinley Duncan, Laci Hash, Pachia Khang, Anna Martin, Kara Moore and Coree Parker.

“We lost some really talented players, but we also lost some key leadership,” Gilley said. “If we can find the leadership it takes to be successful, then I think we will be just as good, if not better than last year’s team. The incoming freshman are going to be counted on from day one. I feel like between them and our sophomores, we have the pieces to compete at the national level again.”

The Lady Knights open the 2022 season on August 19 in the Cape Fear Invitational Tournament in Wilmington, NC. Surry’s home opener is set for August 23 against Rockingham Community College at 6:30 pm.

Coach Gilley on Hannah Broman: “Hannah is another big and physical player. She was a big part of the success of Alleghany High School the last few seasons. Hannah will be someone that her blocking and power will be a big tool for us this season.”

Coach Gilley on Bella Cline: “Bella is another talented middle that comes with a great work ethic. I am excited to see how much Bella develops as a player throughout the season. I think she has the tools to be a great player and with her work ethic, I think she will be successful.”

6’3” Outside Hitter/Right-side

Coach Gilley on McKinley Duncan: “McKinley was the Player of the Year in her Region in Tennessee, and we look forward to her bringing that talent into our gym. She is a physical blocker and can swing from either pin which will be good for us as it allows us to move her around to find mismatches.”

5’5” Libero/Defensive Specialist

Coach Gilley on Laci Hash: “Laci was a big part of Galax High School’s recent success in volleyball. She brings quality ball control along with a great personality into our gym.”

5’5” Libero/Defensive Specialist

Coach Gilley on Pachia Khang: “Pachia will instantly be able to bring ball control into our gym. She is a great outdoor player who will benefit from that experience. We lost three really experienced ball control kids from our team last year so Laci and Pachia will help bridge that gap for us.”

5’8” Outside Hitter/Right-side

Coach Gilley on Anna Martin: “Anna will bring leadership into our gym and depth at our pin position. She has had to be a go-to player for her high school team the last four seasons. Anna has a good swing and has proven to be someone that can score points.”

Coach Gilley on Kara Moore: “Kara is an athletic and quick setter that comes from one of the more successful programs in the state at Wheatmore High School. She was unable to play her senior season because of an injury, but she has worked hard in physical therapy, and I think she will come in our gym and immediately help us.”

Coach Gilley on Coree Parker: “Coree is a physical and experienced player. She has played at the highest of levels and been successful. She was originally committed to UNC-Charlotte out of high school, so we are happy to have a terminal middle of her level in our gym.”

East Surry welcomed RJ Reynolds and North Iredell to David H. Diamont Stadium on Wednesday for 7-on-7 scrimmages.

East Surry graduate Bradley Davis Jr. capped off his high school golf career with an appearance in the Tarheel Cup.

The tournament brought together graduating high school seniors from North Carolina to compete in an East-West format. This year’s Cup was held July 15-17 at Maple Chase Golf and Country Club in Winston-Salem.

Unlike traditional tournaments, the Tarheel Cup featured three days of unique events. After a practice round and opening day dinner on Friday, the teams competed in alternate shot and mixed four-ball competitions Saturday followed by singles matches on Sunday.

The first Tarheel Cup was held in 2015. After dividing the state in half by counties, coaches for the event each picked teams of 12 recently graduated high schoolers: six male and six female. Each team’s first four male and first four female choices must come from the four classifications of N.C. public schools, and the remaining two choices for each could come from any classification.

Below are the full rosters for each team:

WEST: Shea Smith, Katie Kubec, Ruth Ann Asbill, Rae Watson, Madison Logan, Elli Finchum, Lawson Harkey, Sam Mace, Bradley Davis Jr., Sean Finan, Max Cranford, Jack Boyer

EAST: Kaitlyn Rand, Sadler Miller, Jenna Rutledge, Jayden Ford, Sidney Renville, Jiya Patel, Jacob Conklin, Simon Burgos, Jacob Bradley, Spencer Edwards, Shawn Benson, Caden Hodges

Davis entered the Tarheel Cup after helping East Surry win the 2A Golf State Championship in the spring. Davis, who was also named Foothills 2A Conference Golfer of the Year, finished State Runner-up in the 2A State Tournament.

He continued his winning ways by emerging victorious in all three stages of the Tarheel Cup. Davis teamed with Shea Smith to win the alternate shot round, then partnered with Elli Finchum to four-ball later that day.

On Sunday, the West defeated the East in the team competition.

Davis will continue his golf career at Gardner-Webb University.

GREENSBORO — Three members of the Class of 2022 represented their Surry County high schools one final time as part of the N.C. Coaches Association’s East-West All-Star games.

Surry Central’s Mia McMillen took part in the East-West All-Star Women’s Basketball Game, which took place at the Greensboro Coliseum on July 11. East Surry’s Layton Allen and Sam Whitt competed in the East-West All-Star Football Game held on July 13 at Grimsley High School’s Robert B. Jamieson Stadium.

The NCCA sponsors five All-Star games annually for recent high school graduates: girls soccer, boys soccer, girls basketball, boys basketball and football.

The first Women’s East-West All-Star Basketball Game was held in 1975 and has since been held at the Greensboro Coliseum annually. The 2020 Games were cancelled due to the pandemic, but resumed in 2021.

McMillen is the first Surry Central girls basketball player to be selected for the East-West All-Star game. She’s also the third athlete from Surry Central to be selected for any East-West All-Star Game, joining Benny Callahan (basketball, 1975) and Michael Richardson (Soccer, 2003).

During her senior year, McMillen averaged 21.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 5.2 steals, 2.8 assists and 0.5 blocks while playing more than 31 minutes per game. She had four games of at least 30 points, 14 games of 20 or more points, 18 games of 15 or more points and scored at least 10 points in all 22 games. She also scored her 1,000th-career point as a senior.

Mia was named FH2A Conference Co-Player of the Year and recognized on the All-District team. She also represented the West in the Triad High School All-Star Classic.

McMillen helped the West basketball team defeat the East 62-55. She scored five points, grabbed four rebounds, and added one steal in 16 minutes.

The West’s Kate Hollifield, of Shelby High School, was named MVP of the game with 18 points, five rebounds, one assist, three steals and one block.

McMillen will continue her athletic career in college, just not in basketball. She will attend Limestone University to play volleyball.

The first East-West All-Star Football Game was played in 1949. Like the Basketball All-Star Game, the Football East-West Game was cancelled in 2020 before returning in 2021.

With Whitt and Allen’s inclusion in this year’s game, East Surry has now been represented in the All-Star game 18 times across all three sports and 11 times in football. The duo were preceded by the following Cardinal football players/coaches:

Earl Sheppard in 1965, Bill Edwards in 1967, Jody Hooder in 1984, Clifford Cain and coach David Diamont in 1985, Daniel Lynch in 2000, Davey Diamont and coach David Diamont in 2008, and Quincy Smith in 2020.

Whitt, an offensive lineman, was an All-Conference player all four years of high school and Northwest 1A Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Year his junior year. He started in three state championship games – including East Surry’s 2019 1AA State Championship win – as well as four regional championship games.

This past season, Whitt and the “Fat Cowboys” offensive line helped East Surry put up 426.1 total yards per game. The Cardinals ran for 173.3 YPG and passed for 252.8.

Allen was named an All-Conference player his senior year after etching his name in the Cards’ record book. Allen, a wide receiver, graduates as the team’s all-time leader in single-season receptions (83), career receptions (123) and is in the top five of every receiving category. His 83 receptions for 1,294 yards led the 2A division in 2021.

Both Cardinals were named starters for the West’s offense: Whitt at right guard and Allen at receiver.

The West dominated their way to a 33-14 win. The victors racked up 356 total yards on 65 offensive plays while allowing just 119 yards. Allen grabbed two receptions for 33 yards.

The West’s Jabrii Carolina (Thomasville HS) was the game’s Most Valuable Offensive Player, and Brub Hines (R-S Central HS) was the Most Valuable Defensive Player.

Both Allen and Whitt will continue their football careers at Lenoir-Rhyne University.

Jackson Ferris sat anxiously on the deck of Chase & Charli’s Restaurant Sunday night waiting to hear his name called.

After more than three hours and 46 picks, the Mount Airy native – surrounded by his family and closest friends – had a monumental weight lifted off his shoulders thanks to an announcement from former Cy Young Award winner Rick Sutcliffe.

“With the 47th pick of the 2022 MLB Draft, the Chicago Cubs select Jackson Ferris – a left-handed pitcher from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.”

Jackson, 18, is the son of Jason and Lena Ferris. He also has one brother, Spencer.

Ferris is a two-time MaxPreps All-American at IMG. Over two seasons at the school, Ferris went 16-0 on the mound with a 0.80 ERA and threw 189 strikeouts in 105 innings.

IMG finished 23-2 this past season and ranked No. 4 in the nation by MaxPreps. Ferris went 8-0 with a 1.03 ERA and threw 103 strikeouts in 54.1 innings.

Jackson played his first two seasons of high school ball at Mount Airy before transferring in mid-2020.

The full results from the first two rounds of the MLB Draft, provided by the Associated Press, are listed below:

1. Baltimore Orioles, Jackson Holliday, SS, Stillwater H.S., Okla.

2. Arizona Diamondbacks, Druw Jones, OF, Wesleyan H.S., Ga.

3. Texas Rangers, Kumar Rocker, RHP, Farragut, Tenn.

4. Pittsburgh Pirates, Termarr Johnson, SS, Mays H.S., Ga.

5. Washington Nationals, Elijah Green, OF, IMG Academy, Fla.

6. Miami Marlins, Jacob Berry, 3B, LSU.

7. Chicago Cubs, Cade Horton, RHP, Oklahoma.

8. Minnesota Twins, Brooks Lee, SS, Cal Poly.

9. Kansas City Royals, Gavin Cross, OF, Virginia Tech.

10. Colorado Rockies, Gabriel Hughes, RHP, Gonzaga.

11. New York Mets, Kevin Parada, C, Georgia Tech.

12. Detroit Tigers, Jace Jung, 2B, Texas Tech.

13. Los Angeles Angels, Zach Neto, SS, Campbell.

14. New York Mets, Jett Williams, SS, Rockwall-Heath H.S., Texas.

15. San Diego Padres, Dylan Lesko, RHP, Buford H.S., Ga.

16. Cleveland Guardians, Chase DeLauter, OF, James Madison.

17. Philadelphia Phillies, Justin Crawford, OF, Bishop Gorman H.S., Nev.

18. Cincinnati Reds, Cam Collier, 3B, Chipola College.

19. Oakland Athletics, Daniel Susac, C, Arizona.

20. Atlanta Braves, Owen Murphy, RHP, Riverside Brookfield H.S., Ill.

21. Seattle Mariners, Cole Young, SS, North Allegheny H.S., Pa.

22. St. Louis Cardinals, Cooper Hjerpe, LHP, Oregon St.

23. Toronto Blue Jays, Brandon Barriera, LHP, American Heritage School, Fla.

24. Boston Red Sox, Mikey Romero, SS, Orange Lutheran H.S., Calif.

25. New York Yankees, Spencer Jones, OF, Vanderbilt.

26. Chicago White Sox, Noah Schultz, LHP, Oswego East H.S., Ill.

27. Milwaukee Brewers, Eric Brown Jr., SS, Coastal Carolina.

28. Houston Astros, Drew Gilbert, OF, Tennessee.

29. Tampa Bay Rays, Xavier Isaac, 1B, East Forsyth H.S., N.C.

30. San Francisco Giants, Reggie Crawford, TWP, UConn.

31. Colorado Rockies, Sterlin Thompson, OF, Florida.

32. Cincinnati Reds, Sal Stewart, 3B, Westminster Christian School, Fla.

33. Baltimore Orioles, Dylan Beavers, OF, California.

34. Arizona Diamondbacks, Landon Sims, RHP, Mississippi St.

35. Atlanta Braves, JR Ritchie, RHP, Bainbridge H.S., Wash.

36. Pittsburgh Pirates, Thomas Harrington, RHP, Campbell.

37. Cleveland, Justin Campbell, RHP, Oklahoma St.

38. Colorado Rockies, Jordan Beck, OF, Tennessee.

39. San Diego Padres, Robby Snelling, LHP, McQueen H.S., Nev.

40. Los Angeles Dodgers, Dalton Rushing, C, Louisville.

41. Boston Red Sox, Cutter Coffey, SS, Liberty H.S., Calif.

42. Baltimore Orioles, Max Wagner, 3B, Clemson.

43. Arizona Diamondbacks, Ivan Melendez, 1B, Texas.

44. Pittsburgh Pirates, Hunter Barco, LHP, Florida.

45. Washington Nationals, Jake Bennett, LHP, Oklahoma.

46. Miami Marlins, Jacob Miller, Liberty Union H.S., Ohio.

47. Chicago Cubs, Jackson Ferris, LHP, IMG Academy, Fla.

48. Minnesota Twins, Connor Prielipp, LHP, Alabama.

49. Kansas City Royals, Cayden Wallace, 3B, Arkansas.

50. Colorado Rockies, Jackson Cox, Toutle Lake H.S., Wash.

51. Detroit Tigers, Peyton Graham, SS, Oklahoma.

52. New York Mets, Blade Tidwell, RHP, Tennessee.

53. San Diego Padres, Adam Mazur, RHP, Iowa.

54. Cleveland Guardians, Parker Messick, LHP, Florida St.

55. Cincinnati Reds, Logan Tanner, C, Mississippi St.

56. Oakland Athletics, Henry Bolte, OF, Palo Alto H.S., Calif.

57. Atlanta Braves, Cole Phillips, RHP, Boerne H.S., Texas.

58. Seattle Mariners, Tyler Locklear, 3B, VCU.

59. St. Louis Cardinals, Brycen Mautz, LHP, San Diego.

60. Toronto Blue Jays, Josh Kasevich, SS, Oregon.

61. New York Yankees, Drew Thorpe, RHP, Cal Poly.

62. Chicago White Sox, Peyton Pallette, RHP, Arkansas.

63. Milwaukee Brewers, Jacob Misiorowski, RHP, Crowder College.

64. Houston Astros, Jacob Melton, OF, Oregon St.

65. Tampa Bay Rays, Brock Jones, OF, Stanford.

66. San Francisco Giants, Carson Whisenhunt, LHP, East Carolina.

67. Baltimore Orioles, Jud Fabian, OF, Florida.

68. Minnesota Twins, Tanner Schobel, SS, Virginia Tech.

69. Oakland Athletics, Clark Elliott, OF, Michigan.

70. Tampa Bay Rays, Chandler Simpson, SS, Georgia Tech.

71. Tampa Bay Rays, Ryan Cermak, OF, Illinois St.

72. Milwaukee Brewers, Robert Moore, SS, Arkansas.

73. Cincinatti Reds, Justin Boyd, OF, Oregon St.

74. Seattle Mariners, Walter Ford, RHP, Pace H.S., Fla.

75. New York Mets, Nick Morabito, OF, Gonzaga College H.S., D.C.

76. Atlanta Braves, Blake Burkhalter, RHP, Auburn.

77. Toronto Blue Jays, Tucker Toman, SS, Hammond School, S.C.

78. Toronto Blue Jays, Cade Doughty, 2B, LSU.

79. Boston Red Sox, Roman Anthony, OF, Stoneman Douglas H.S., Fla.

80. Houston Astros, Andrew Taylor, RHP, Central Michigan

North Surry High School will host its Youth Football Camp on July 22.

The camp, which is open to rising first graders through rising ninth graders, will be held at Charlie Atkins Stadium from 9 a.m. to noon. Cost of registration is $40 and includes a t-shirt.

Payment will be accepted in either cash or checks made out to North Surry High School. Payment will need to be dropped off, mailed to North Surry at 2440 W. Pine Street or accepted on the day of the camp.

Registration forms can be found at bit.ly/3ocOy5z

The camp will be led by Varsity Head Coach Jackson Smith, the North Surry Coaching Staff, as well as current and former Greyhound players.

A message from the coaching staff: “The North Surry Youth Football Camp will provide young athletes with individual instruction, competitive drills/games and a positive learning environment. Our goal is to create a foundation for athletes to build upon; no matter their football background.”

With questions, contact Coach Smith at smithjac@surry.k12.nc.us

Mount Airy High School will host the Junior Granite Bear Football Camp July 21-22.

Camp will take place at the Wallace Shelton Stadium each evening from 6-8:30 p.m. Cost of registration is $40 if registered before the first day of the camp and $50 for same-day registration.

Registration forms can be found at bit.ly/3O9EkgP

The Junior Granite Bear Football Camp is designed to give children from kindergarten to eighth grade the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of being a great football player by teaching the fundamentals of each position and enhancing their athletic ability.

Each camper will have a better understanding of the “basics” and “fundamentals” of each position including stance, footwork and position specific fundamentals. Agility and speed work will also be administered each day.

The Granite Bear Football Camp will give each participant a maximum of drill periods supplemented by lectures. The objective is to give each camper a foundation on how to be a better athlete as well as a great position player, and at the same time, teach them to have a great attitude and learn how to compete within the framework of being a good sport and a team player through discipline and hard work.

“I would like to express an invitation to every young person involved in athletics in our area to be a part of our Granite Bear Football Camp,” said Mount Airy varsity head coach J.K. Adkins. “The camp will not only give your child a great foundation in football skills, but life skills which will help them in ALL their endeavors. We work the campers very hard but have a lot of fun also. Our coaching staff, as well as our players, look forward to meeting and working with the future of Mount Airy football.”

The camp director can be contacted at Mount Airy High School. The school phone number is (336) 789-5147, and Coach Adkins’ email is jadkins@mtairy.k12.nc.us

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. — The Women’s Golf Coaches Association recently announced Surry Community College’s Hadly Tucker as an All-American Scholar Team selection for the 2021-22 year.

The criteria for being named to the WGCA All-American Scholar Team is some of the most stringent in all of college athletics. Student-athletes must earn a minimum 3.50 grade point average during the academic year while participating in college golf.

“We are very proud of Hadly as a student-athlete in earning this prestigious award,” said Surry athletic director Mark Tucker. “Her pursuit of excellence in the classroom was rewarded by receiving this honor.”

Hadly finished eighth overall in the Sandhills Flyers Invitational hosted by the Longleaf Golf Course in Southern Pines. The East Surry graduate recorded her highest finish at fourth overall in the Davidson-Davie Storm Invitational hosted by Colonial Country Club in Thomasville.

“While Hadly was new to golf, she made improvements throughout the season,” Mark said.

Tucker graduated from Surry this past spring with an Associate in Arts degree. She will be pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro starting this fall.

The WGCA, founded in 1983, is a non-profit organization representing women’s collegiate golf coaches. The WGCA was formed to encourage the playing of college golf for women in correlation with a general objective of education and in accordance with the highest tradition of intercollegiate competition.

Today, the WGCA represents over 600 coaches throughout the U.S. and is dedicated to educating, promoting and recognizing both its members and the student-athletes they represent.

Surry Central High School hosted the first-ever Golden Eagle Tennis Camp July 12-14.

The camp was led by Surry Central boys tennis coach Mason Midkiff, as well as current/former members of the boys and girls varsity tennis teams.

The Mount Airy Granite Bears were named the Northwest 1A Conference Cup Champions for the 2021-22 school year.

This marks Mount Airy’s first Conference Cup since the 2017-18 school year. The Granite Bears most recently finished third in the NW1A Cup in 2020-21.

The Wells Fargo Conference Cup is a companion to the Wells Fargo Cup and recognizes schools with the best overall interscholastic athletic performances within individual conferences. In most conferences, points are awarded based on participation and standings in conference play. Each conference determines its own method of awarding points.

Since the NW1A Conference is composed of seven schools, teams were awarded seven points for each conference championship victory. Second-place finishes earned a school six points, third-place finishes earned five points and one fewer through seventh place.

If schools tied in the final standings, each team would split an equal amount of points. For example: Mount Airy, Elkin and South Stokes tied for first place in girls soccer so all three teams received six points.

Schools that did not have enough participants to compete as a team in a particular sport weren’t given any points in that sport.

Full standings for the NW1A Conference Cup are below:

Mount Airy won eight conference championships out of 21 total sports; seven of the eight were outright championships, while one was shared. The Bears conference titles came in the following sports: football, boys soccer, girls tennis, girls basketball, wrestling, girls indoor track, girls soccer (tied) and boys tennis.

In addition to winning the most conference titles of any NW1A team, the Granite Bears also had the most second-place finishes in the conference. Mount Airy finished second in seven sports: girls golf, volleyball (tie), boys basketball, boys swim, girls swim, baseball and boys golf. The Bears also finished third in boys indoor track and boys outdoor track.

Mount Airy fielded teams in 19-of-21 total sports and finished in the top three of 17. The school only had one seventh-place finish this school year.

Elkin had the second-most conference championships with seven – six outright and one shared – and tied with East Wilkes for the second-most second-place finishes.

The Buckin’ Elks’ won the following conference titles: boys cross country, girls cross country, volleyball, boys swim, girls swim, girls soccer (tie) and girls outdoor track. Elkin’s four runner-up finishes came in: boys soccer, girls indoor track, boys golf and boys tennis (tie). The school’s three third-place finishes came in girls golf, girls tennis (tie) and softball (tie).

Elkin fielded a team in 20-of-21 sports; no NW1A fielded all 21 sports. The Elks finished outside the top three in six sports, including two seventh-place finishes.

After Elkin was South Stokes. South won five conference championships, including one shared title.

The Sauras five conference titles came in the following sports: girls golf, boys basketball, baseball, boys golf and girls soccer (tie). South finished second in girls cross country and girls outdoor track, and third in both football and softball (tie).

South Stokes fielded teams in 16-of-21 sports. The Sauras finished outside the top three in seven sports, and were seventh in one.

Starmount followed South Stokes in the final standings. The Rams won two conference championships: an outright title in boys outdoor track, and a shared title in softball.

Starmount added two second-place finishes – football and wrestling – and had the most third-place finishes of any NW1A team with six: boys soccer, girls tennis (tie), girls basketball, boys swim, girls swim and baseball.

The Rams fielded teams in 16-of-21 sports. Starmount finished outside the top three in eight sports, and didn’t have any seventh-place finishes.

East Wilkes won its only conference championship by sharing the softball title with Starmount. The Cardinals tied Mount Airy with the most second-place finishes with four, coming in the following sports: girls tennis, girls basketball, boys indoor track and boys tennis (tie).

East Wilkes added third-place finishes in wrestling, girls indoor track and girls outdoor track.

The Cards fielded teams in 17-of-21 sports. East Wilkes finished outside the top three in nine sports, and didn’t have any seventh-place finishes.

North Stokes won its only conference title in boys indoor track. The Vikings added a second-place finish in boys outdoor track, and two third-place finishes in girls tennis (tie) and boys basketball.

North fielded teams in 15-of-21 sports. The Vikings finished outside the top three in 11 sports, including four seventh-place finishes.

Alleghany’s only top three appearance was in volleyball, where the Trojans tied for second with Mount Airy. Alleghany fielded 16-of-21 teams, finished outside the top three in 15 of those and had four seventh-place finishes.

DOBSON — The Surry Community College volleyball team hosted its annual youth camp July 11-13.

The camp was held in the campus gym and consisted of 78 campers ranging from rising fourth graders to rising eighth graders. Coaches and members of the Surry volleyball team instructed each camper in the areas of serving, passing, spiking, digging and other skills during the camp.

“We had a tremendous camp, and all of those that attended received some great instruction from our players and coaches,” said head coach Caleb Gilley. “Our college team members did an outstanding job with helping teach and develop the fundamentals of volleyball. Hopefully this camp helped to spark an interest in young girls to play volleyball. There are a lot of very talented young volleyball players in our area.”

Several campers earned individual honors by grade.

Coaches Award: Lori Lynn Whitaker

Server of the Week Award: Hannah Smith

Camper of the Wee Award: Ada King

Server of the Week Award: Adelyn Wall

Camper of the Wee Award: Lilyana Mathis

Server of the Week Award: Sammi Moser

Camper of the Wee Award: Peyton Cameron

Server of the Week Award: Rozlyn Oakley/Lilie Allen

Camper of the Wee Award: Makenzie Wall

Server of the Week Award: Alyssa Jenkins

Camper of the Wee Award: Mae Danley

At the conclusion of the camp, several door prizes and awards were presented along with all participants receiving a camp shirt.

Surry Community is coming off a 24-5 season finishing as Region 10 Western Division Champions along with being ranked nationally by the NJCAA. The Lady Knights will open up the 2022 fall volleyball season on August 19 traveling to Wilmington for the Cape Fear Invitational Tournament. Surry’s home opener is scheduled for August 23 at 6:30 pm against Rockingham.

For more information on Surry volleyball, visit knights.surry.edu

Three teams from Millennium Charter Academy were recognized for their academic achievement at the 2022 N.C. Coaches Association’s annual Coaching Clinic.

Both the Lions’ boys and girls outdoor track teams from this past spring were awarded the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s (NCHSAA) Scholar-Athlete Team Award.

The Award is given in every sport to the team that recorded the highest combined grade point average. There were more than 420 eligible NCHSAA member schools for the 2021-22 school year.

Millennium’s girls track team had a perfect 4.0 GPA, and the boys team had a 3.7 GPA.

In addition to the track awards given to teams competing in the 2021-22 school year, MCA also had a team from the 2020-21 school year recognized. The Lions’ softball team from spring 2021 was also presented the Scholar-Athlete Team Award in just the school’s first year as an NCHSAA member.

Millennium’s softball team also had a combined 4.0 GPA.

“Our athletes are students first, and they are required to put a lot of hard work in their academics at MCA in order to play sports,” said Athletic Director Rodney King. “MCA athletes are held to a very high academic standard due to the rigorous academic classes. Ninety-five percent of our student-athletes have a 3.5 or higher GPA.

“Being recognized by NCHSAA for having the highest team GPAs in men’s and women’s track and softball was a great honor, and we at MCA are proud of how hard our student-athletes work to maintain such high GPAs while also excelling athletically in their sports.”

Awards for both the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years were presented at this year’s Coaches Clinic since no clinic was held the past two years due to the pandemic.

DOBSON — The Foothills Senior Legion Team didn’t go down without a fight in its Area III Tournament Series against Mocksville Post 174.

Post 123 trailed for the better part of five innings in Game Three, which was hosted at Surry Central High School on July 11. A 3-run performance in the bottom of the fifth inning put the Foothills seniors ahead for the first time at 4-2. However, Post 174 bounced back and scored four runs over the next two innings – including three runs in the top of the seventh – to come away with the 6-4 victory.

The fourth-seeded Foothills team won the opening game of the best 2-of-3 series by shutting out Mocksville 4-0. Post 123 only allowed one hit while picking up eight of their own. Mason Howell (West Stokes High School ‘22) got the win on the mound by throwing 10 strikeouts in four innings, then Brady Edmonds (Surry Central HS ‘22) threw three innings and struck out four batters.

Post 174 kept the series alive by defeating Post 123 6-5 in a 10-inning thriller that featured a combined 23 hits. A 2-2 game through seven innings, Mocksville and Foothills each scored once in the eighth inning and twice in the ninth. Post 174 forced a Game Three with a 10th-inning walk-off.

Mocksville came out swinging in the win-or-go-home game. With just one out on the board, Post 174’s Dan Loyd hit a solo home run out of left field in the top of the first inning. Mocksville added two singles with a strikeout thrown by Styles Geramita (Carlisle School, Va. ‘23) sandwiched in-between, and then Post 123 escaped without any further damage.

The visitors put another runner on base in the top of the second inning, but this one was thrown out attempting to steal second by Foothills catcher Reece Hagwood (Elkin HS ‘23). Logan Dowell (Mount Airy HS ‘22) made the tag, then Edmonds forced a ground out with a throw to Ethan Ball (West Stokes HS ‘22) that ended the inning.

Hagwood had Foothills’ only hit of the first two innings in the bottom of the second. He sent a hard ground ball between third and short, then took advantage of a fielding error in left field to go to second base. Hagwood moved to third when Beau Callahan (Elkin HS ‘23) flied out, but was left on base at the end of the inning.

Four consecutive singles by Post 174 led to the team’s second run. Mocksville even had two runners on base when Tristen Mason (East Surry HS ‘22) caught a pop fly for out No. 3 in the top of the third.

Post 123 was able to mount some offense in the bottom of the third after going down two runs. Carson Willoughby (East Surry HS ‘21) was walked with two outs, then advanced to second when a pick-off attempt hit the dirt and sailed into right field. Mason scored his former Cardinal teammate with a hit to left field.

Foothills didn’t have any problems connecting with Mocksville pitches, which was apparent given Post 174 didn’t strike out a Post 123 player until the bottom of the sixth. However, the Foothills seniors struggled to find holes in Mocksville’s defense.

Even when Post 123 did get a runner on base, it seemed like it always came with two outs already on the board.

This all changed in the bottom of the fifth inning. Daniel Shearin (Grayson County HS, Va. ‘22) led off with a stand-up double, then was moved to third on a bunt from Landon Jackson (Elkin HS ‘21). Jackson also beat the throw to first to put runners on the corners.

Willoughby brought Shearin in for the score by taking Post 174’s first pitch and sending it to left field. Jackson advanced to third on the throw home, and Willoughby moved to second at the same time.

Mason flied out on a hit down the third-base line. Jackson tagged up and beat the throw home to give Foothills a 3-2 advantage – the home team’s first lead of the game. Dowell extended the lead to 4-2 with an RBI single that scored Willoughby.

Mocksville cut into the Foothills lead in the sixth to make it a one-run game. The Post 174 leadoff doubled, moved to third on a ground out and ran home on another ground out.

Callahan got on base in the bottom of the seventh with a chance to extend the lead, but three quick outs left the score at 4-3.

Willoughby took over on the mound for Post 123 in the seventh. Mocksville’s first batter was walked after facing a full count. While many of the home fans clamored that Willoughby’s pitch warranted strike three, the umpires sent the batter to first for a base on balls.

The next batter was Loyd, who was 3-for-3 on the night with a home run and two singles. A similar situation saw the batter face a full count, but this time strike three was called and the first out was put on the scoreboard.

Post 174’s Ryan Thiel picked up a hit to right field that sent his teammate around second and headed to third. An error getting the ball back to the infield allowed the runner to score the game-tying run, while also allowing Thiel to reach third. The next batter was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners.

Post 123 had a chance to escape the inning with a tie after Jackson Sink hit a ground ball to the middle infield. Foothills tagged second and attempted to throw to first for a double play, but the throw missed the mark allowing Thiel to score and Sink to reach second. The next batter hit an RBI single to score Sink and make it 6-4 in the visitors’ favor.

Down but not out, Post 123 went to bat needing two runs to force another extra-inning game.

Shearin faced a full count and was walked, then Jackson struck out with a full count. Willoughby was walked as well to join Zach Bryant (North Surry HS ‘21), who was running for Shearin, on base. Both runners moved to scoring position on a ground out, then a strikeout ended the game.

Mocksville Post 174 advances in the Area III Tournament and will face the No. 1-seeded Rowan County team in the next round.

Post 123’s season ends with a 14-6 overall record.

The East Surry Cardinals were named the Foothills 2A Conference Cup Champions for the 2021-22 school year.

East Surry has now won a Conference Cup each of the past four years. The Cards’ previous three Cup victories came as part of the Northwest 1A Conference.

The Wells Fargo Conference Cup is a companion to the Wells Fargo Cup and recognizes schools with the best overall interscholastic athletic performances within individual conferences. In most conferences, points are awarded based on participation and standings in conference play. Each conference determines its own method of awarding points.

Since the FH2A Conference is composed of seven schools, teams were awarded seven points for each conference championship victory. Second-place finishes earned a school six points, third-place finishes earned five points and one fewer through seventh place.

If schools tied in the final standings, each team would split an equal amount of points. For example: West Wilkes and Forbush tied for first in softball, so instead of one getting seven points and the other getting six points, both teams received 6.5 points.

Schools that did not have enough participants to compete as a team in a particular sport weren’t given any points in that sport.

The full standings for the FH2A Conference Cup are below:

East Surry won seven conference championships out of 21 total sports. The Cardinals won conference titles in: football, volleyball, girls tennis, boys indoor track, boys swimming, baseball and boys golf.

East also finished second in three sports – boys basketball (tied), girls indoor track and boys tennis – and third in three sports – girls basketball (tied), girls swim and girls soccer.

The Cards fielded a team in all 21 sports, finished outside the top three in eight sports, didn’t finish last in any sport and only finished sixth once.

FH2A Conference Cup Runner-up Surry Central won five conference championships: girls cross country, wrestling, girls indoor track, girls outdoor track and boys tennis.

The Golden Eagles finished second in six sports – boys cross country, boys soccer, football (tied), girls tennis (tied), boys indoor track and girls swimming – and third in four sports – volleyball, boys swimming, boys outdoor track and boys golf.

Surry Central fielded a team in 20-of-21 sports, only finished outside the top three in four sports and only finished seventh once.

Just behind Surry Central was Forbush, who most recently won the Western Piedmont 2A Conference Cup in 2020-21. Forbush was joined in the WPAC by North Surry and Surry Central from 2013-2021.

Despite only winning conference championships in two sports – boys soccer and softball (tied) – Forbush was runner-up in 10 sports: football (tied), girls tennis (tied), girls basketball, boys basketball (tied), boys swimming, baseball, girls outdoor track, boys outdoor track, boys golf and girls soccer.

The Falcons fielded teams in 20-of-21 sports, finished outside the top three in six sports and had one seventh-place finish.

North Surry, who finished fourth in the Conference Cup standings, won four conference championships in 2021-22. The Greyhounds finished first in: girls golf, girls basketball, boys basketball and girls swimming.

North Surry also tied for second in football, and finished third in: girls cross country, boys soccer, boys indoor track and baseball (tied). The Hounds fielded 21-of-21 teams, finished outside the top three in 12 sports and finished seventh once.

Wilkes Central, who finished fifth in the FH2A Cup standings, was the only other team to win multiple conference titles. The Eagles won conference championships in the following sports: boys cross country, boys outdoor track and girls soccer.

Wilkes Central finished second in two sports – girls cross country and girls golf – and finished third in three sports: girls basketball (tied), girls indoor track and softball. The Wilkes Eagles fielded teams in all 21 sports, finished outside the top three in 13 sports and never finished seventh.

Wilkes Central and East Surry were the only two FH2A teams that fielded all 21 teams and never finished in seventh place.

West Wilkes won its only conference title by tying Forbush in the softball standings. The Blackhawks finished second in both volleyball and wrestling, then finished third in baseball (tied) and girls outdoor track.

West Wilkes fielded 17-of-21 sports, finished outside the three in 10 sports and finished seventh once.

North Wilkes did not finish in the top two of any sport, but finished third in both girls golf and wrestling. The Vikings fielded 18-of-21 sports, finished outside the top three in 16 sports and finished seventh in nine sports.

With the 2021-22 school year complete, The News is recognizing the local student-athletes that were presented with All-Conference Honors for their respective sports during the spring.

Mount Airy competes in the Northwest 1A Conference (NW1A), Millennium Charter Academy competes in the Northwest Piedmont 1A Conference (NWPC), and East Surry, North Surry and Surry Central all compete in the Foothills 2A Conference (FH2A).

No All-Conference Honorable Mentions were named in Outdoor Track and Field.

Student-athletes that earned All-Conference Honors in multiple events have the corresponding number listed after their name in parentheses

Boys Track and Field All-Conference

East Surry – Layton Allen, Lindann Fleming, Colby Johnson, Cooper Motsinger, Isaac Vaden (2), Kyle Zinn

Millennium Charter – no male All-Conference selections

Mount Airy – Connor Burrell (2), Declan Conner (2), Deric Dandy (2), Blake Hawks, Mason Hill, Tyler Mason, Caden Ratcliff (3), Caleb Reid (2), Mario Revels (2), Anthony Valadez, Ware Viers

Surry Central – Isaac Eller, Allen Huffman (2), Ignacio Morales (3), Chris Nava, Josue Rodriguez

East Surry finished fifth out of seven teams in the FH2A team standings, No. 11 of 26 teams at the 2A Midwest Regional Championship, and tied for No. 17 of 60 teams at the 2A State Championship.

Isaac Vaden swept the throwing events at the FH2A Championship by winning discus throw and shot put, Cooper Motsinger added a silver medal in the 3,200-meter run, and the relay team of Layton Allen, Kyle Zinn, Colby Johnson and Lindann Fleming finished second in the 4×100-meter relay.

Motsinger and Vaden went on to qualify for the state championship. Vaden won the 2A Midwest Regional Championship in discus throw while meeting the MileSplit US Second Team standard, and Motsinger finished fourth at regionals in the 3,200 meters. Vaden went on to win the 2A State Discus Championship, becoming East’s first-ever male track state champion, and Motsinger was No. 6 in the 3,200.

Millennium Charter finished sixth out of six teams in the NWPC team standings and No. 15 of 16 teams at the 2A Midwest Regional Championship.

Brody Krakenberg and Calvin Devore qualified for regionals as individuals, with Krakenberg competing in the 3,200 meters and Devore in the 800 meters. The pair also teamed with Hartley Devore and Isaac Shipley to compete in the 4×800 relay. The Lions did not send any male runners to the 1A State Championship.

Mount Airy finished third out of seven teams in the NW1A team standings and tied for No. 20 of 48 teams at the 1A State Championship. Team scores for the 1A West Regional Championship are not available on MileSplit.

Individually, four Granite Bears won conference titles: Caden Ratcliff in the 800 meters, Mario Revels in high jump, Deric Dandy in discus throw and Mason Hill in shot put. Blake Hawks and Declan Conner added individual silver medals: Hawks in the 200 meters and Conner in the 3,200 meters. Three Mount Airy relay teams finished second in their respective races: Connor Burrell, Tyler Mason, Caleb Reid and Dandy in the 4×100; Burrell, Reid, Ratcliff and Revels; Conner, Ratcliff, Ware Viers and Anthony Valadez in the 4×800.

Ratcliff and Hawks had second-place finishes at the 1A West Regional Championship; Ratcliff took silver in the 800 meters, and Hawks did so in triple jump. Dandy finished third in discus, and the 4×100 team of Revels, Burrell, Reid and Mason finished fourth.

The Bears’ 4×100 team wasn’t able to compete at the 1A State Championship due to an injury, but the three individuals did. Dandy finished fifth in discus, Hawks finished fifth in triple jump and Ratcliff finished fifth in the 800.

North Surry finished sixth out of seven teams in the FH2A team standings, No. 13 of 26 teams at the 2A Midwest Regional Championship, and tied for No. 15 of 60 teams at the 2A State Championship.

Jared Hiatt won all three of North Surry’s medals at the conference championship. Hiatt won the individual titles in long jump and triple jump, while finishing second in high jump. His mark in long jump met the MileSplit US Second Team Standard. Hiatt went on to win the 2A Midwest Regional high jump title and finish second in long jump, once against meeting the US Second Team standard. Hiatt won the 2A State Championship in long jump, and won a bronze medal in high jump.

Surry Central finished third out of seven teams in the FH2A team standings, No. 14 of 26 teams at the 2A Midwest Regional Championship, and tied for No. 31 of 60 teams at the 2A State Championship.

Ignacio Morales won the FH2A titles for the 1,600 and 3,200 meters, while also finishing second in the 800 meters. Allen Huffman won gold in the 300 hurdles, and joined Isaac Eller, Josue Rodriguez and Chris Nava on the Eagles’ 4×400 relay team that finished second. Morales and Huffman both qualified for the 2A State Championship, Morales by winning the 3,200 meters and Huffman for finishing third in the 300 hurdles at the 2A Midwest Regional Championship.

Morales went on to finish third in the 3,200 meters at the 2A State Championship, and Huffman was No. 15 in 300 hurdles.

The Foothills Post 123 Senior Legion team concluded its regular season with a home game against Eastern Randolph Post 81 on July 7.

Despite the scoreboard tilting in Randolph’s favor at the conclusion of Thursday’s game, the Foothills Senior Legion team came away with the victory due to an ineligible player on Post 81’s roster. The victory gave Post 123 win No. 13 on the season.

The Seniors finish the year 13-4 overall and 6-4 in conference competition, which is a vast improvement for the Mount Airy team compared to the past two seasons. The Post 123 Senior team went 0-17 in 2020 and 5-10 in 2021.

“The merging of West Stokes Seniors and Mount Airy Seniors to form the Foothills Seniors for 2022 has proved to be a great combination of talent and coaching that has helped us become more successful this season,” said coach Brian Hawks.

The 2022 Foothills team includes players from 10 different high schools in N.C. and Virginia: Mount Airy, East Surry, North Surry, Surry Central, Elkin, West Stokes, Carlisle School (Va.), Carroll County (Va.), Grayson County (Va.) and Patrick County (Va.).

The Seniors started the year 9-0. Eight of the team’s first nine wins came by multiple runs, with a 7-6 road victory over Greensboro being the team’s only one-run margin during that time.

Post 123 was 12-1 after its first month of competition. The team dropped its next three games in a five-day span, including back-to-back losses to the top-ranked team in Area III, Rowan County.

“Early on, our pitching and offense got the job done,” Hawks said. “But, as of late, that has been our Achilles’ heel, and is something we definitely have to turn around to win in the playoffs.”

The Post 123 Seniors begin the conference tournament against Mocksville-Davie. The first round is a best 2-of-3 series and is scheduled to run July 8-11 weather permitting. The winner of that series will take on the top-seeded Rowan team.

In addition to the Senior Legion team, Foothills Post 123 was able to field two junior squads in 2022. The Foothills Juniors are made up of all rising high school sophomores and juniors as well as a few rising seniors. Surry Pride primarily consists of rising high school freshman, with a few sophomores and juniors also on the team.

“Our future looks bright now that we have three teams and will possibly add a third Junior Team in 2023,” Hawks said. “The Foothills Juniors finished second in conference and made the playoffs, and our Surry Pride Team competed very well this season as a developmental team. The Stokes Juniors will also feed our senior team next year for what should be another great season for Post 123 baseball.”

“Special thanks to Mount Airy High School, East Surry High School and Surry Central High School and all of the coaches for their help making this season successful and for use of the facilities.”

A field of 72 ladies from across North Carolina and Southwest Virginia competed on Thursday, June 23, at Cross Creek Country Club in the 15th Annual Janice McCullough Memorial Tournament.

The tournament, sponsored by the Cross Creek Ladies Golf Association, features a Captain’s Choice format.

Two teams tied for first place with a score of 64, but following a playoff on the card, the team of Beth Anne Aheron of Deep Springs Country Club in Stoneville; Linda Collier of Hallifax Country Club in Hallifax, VA; Joanne Harper of Mountain Aire Golf Club in Ashe County; and Barbara Berrier of Cross Creek, took first place, while the team of Kelly Peircy of Silo Run Golf Course in Boonville; Linda Lumsden of Hallifax Country Club; Laurie Trout of Mountain Aire Golf Club, and Travis Underhill of Cross Creek finished in second place.

The team of Bonnie Montgomery of Bryan Park Golf Course in Greensboro; Jean Johnson of New River Golf Club in Sparta; Linda Kiser of Pilot Mountain; and Natasha Parsons of Mountain Aire finished in third place with a score of 65.

Three teams tied for fourth place with scores of 68. Following another playoff on the card, the team of Beth Calhoun of Mooresville; Kim Spivey of Skyland Lakes Golf Club in Fancy Gap, VA; Laurie Borgerson of Tanglewood, and Sara Bryant of Cross Creek finished in 4th place while the team of Kim Webb of Cross Creek; Alice Hill of Blue Ridge Country Club in Galax, VA; Sherry Tarnok of Oak Valley Golf Club in Advance; and Erika Cowez of Cross Creek won fifth place.

The team of Susan Morris from The Country Club of Salisbury; Alice Connolly of Cross Creek; Alphy Brandt of Skyland Lakes; and Molly Griesner of New River won sixth place.

The tournament is held each year in memory of Janice McCoullough, who was an enthusiastic golfer, instrumental in establishing the inclusive invitational format, open to all female golfers, regardless of club affiliation.

Tournament chairman Gina Vogler wishes to thank McCullough Tile and Stone in Winston Salem for their major contribution to the success of the tournament over the years along with Brannock & Hiatt Furniture Company in Mount Airy.

The tournament is held each year on the third Thursday in June.

© 2018 The Mount Airy News