North Valley Christian Academy (NVCA), a faith-based school serving more than 500 K-12 students, is hosting its first Unified Sports basketball game on Wednesday, March 23, beginning at 2:30 p.m.
The one-day event is designed to celebrate differences by bringing together teams of students with and without disabilities for a fun, rewarding and competitive experience. Inspired by a previous NVCA event hosted with Special Olympics Unified Sports®, this unique game is hosted solely by NVCA. However, the event will retain the same spirit of inclusion as the larger Special Olympics Unified Sports competitions, which serve more than 1.4 million people worldwide.
“As someone who has worked with Special Olympics for several years, I have seen the impact sport can have on young people and it is truly life changing, especially for those who may have previously thought they could ever compete at this level,” said NVCA athletic director Scott Brown. is that there will be hundreds of their comrades and families in the stands to cheer them on.”
Brown, the former director of AIA (Arizona Interscholastic Association) Unified Sports, seamlessly added Unified Sports and Special Olympics programs to the school’s already successful sports programs and offerings. His dedication to promoting social inclusion through the sharing of sports training and competition experiences is one of the main reasons that the NVCA sports program has not only grown rapidly, but has remained successful. . In fact, the NVCA Men’s High School Basketball Team won the 2021 AIA 1A State Championship Tournament, just three years into the program’s history and under the leadership of the ‘ head coach Randy Walker, marking the second time the team has advanced to the state championship game under Walker.
“The arrival of Unified Sports in our athletic department and around the world has been a gift to millions of young people and has helped break down stereotypes and misconceptions about people with disabilities,” Walker said. “Team sports are an integral part of our society. They bring people together and there’s no reason anyone should be left out; That’s what it’s about.
NVCA’s strong support of Unified Sports and Special Olympics also stems from the school’s commitment to providing a safe, strength-based, research-based, positive response strategic plan, in addition to an experienced faith-based education for every child. A great example of this commitment includes the school’s BEST program, which is a student success program to support, nurture, challenge, celebrate and encourage eligible students with disabilities and gifted and talented traits.
“Our parents and students love the BEST program because it helps us identify where children are at in their development and move them forward to reach their highest and best potential,” said BEST program director, Lori Fox. “The BEST program is designed to help our students gain confidence, overcome obstacles, and achieve even higher goals because they know they have a committed team behind them.”
Emily Ciliberti, a BEST Coach for the program, has been dedicated this year to making the Unified Olympics a positive and uplifting experience for the entire campus.
For those unable to attend the NVCA Unified Sports Basketball Game, the event will be streamed live on Facebook at Facebook.com/NorthValleyChristianAcademy. To learn more about North Valley Christian Academy and its sports, please visit NorthValleyCA.org.
Alex Sing needed a break.
Break time is over.
The former North Myrtle Beach volleyball coach who led the team to back-to-back state championships in 2018 and 2019 has been rehired for his former job with the Chiefs.
“I enjoyed my two years away, but I missed it,” Sing said. “I knew I would probably come back to it eventually. But our high school season collided with the club season and I did that for 14 seasons.
Sing, whose full-time job is the volleyball program director for the Grand Strand Juniors club, has been credited with developing talent across the region. In addition to this role with the club, he has also served as head coach at Waccamaw (2008-2011), Myrtle Beach Christian Academy (2011-2014) and Socastee (2015).
His first stint at Little River was from 2016 to 2019. In total, he has three state titles on his resume — two with the Chiefs and a third with Christian Academy in 2013.
In Sing’s absence, North Myrtle Beach won the VI-4A Region crown both years. However, the Chiefs were ousted in 2020 in the first round of the state playoffs and then fell in the third round last fall.
Certainly no bad seasons, but not up to par for a program that also had a 2012 state crown under its belt.
“As for volleyball in North Myrtle Beach, they have won three state championships. It was a rental that we [had] do it the right way,” Chiefs Athletics manager Tony Heilbronn said. “Coach Sing’s resume speaks for itself. When he left, he left in the lead. He had expressed his interest in returning and said he was ready for a new challenge. It’s not every day that a state champion coach wants to come to your school.
Sing stopped long before promising an immediate return to form. However, he said a small number of graduations combined with the return of outside hitters Olivia Borgman and Clara Cloninger, nothing is out of the question.
“There’s a talented group of kids putting in the time and the hard work,” Sing said. “At the end of the day, that’s their hope. It takes a team effort between players and coaches to get there. North Myrtle Beach has always been very supportive of this team. It was an important factor in my return, it was this return to this level.
As fans flock to Indian Wells to watch the pro stars play, nearly all of them started out as high school athletes. Our desert trails, our diamonds, our golf courses, our swimming pools and our tennis courts are teeming with athletes, perhaps with plans to become a future professional.
Let’s take a look at some of their recent efforts:
Desert Mirage girls beat Indio: Abelinda Solano took first place in the shot put and Patricia Parra took the discus as part of the Rams victory. Caitlyn Hill won the long jump and runner-up Gabriela Perez won the 3,200 and 800 meter races.
Girls La Quinta 107, Hemet 20: The Blackhawks picked up a non-league victory with several game-winning performances:
Boys of La Quinta 102, Hemet 25: The Blackhawks beat Hemet in the last meeting before the start of Wednesday’s championship game against Xavier Prep.
Here are the Blackhawks’ winning efforts:
Shadow Hills vs. Palm Springs vs. Beaumont: The Knights men’s team picked up two wins in the doubleheader, beating Beaumont 88-39 and Palm Springs 114-13.
The event winners for the Knights were:
On the boys side for Palm Springs, Evan Zakian had a personal best in three events to lead the way. Jankarl Castillo won the drive with a 126-0 throw.
On the girls side, the Knights lost to Beaumont 78-48 but beat Palm Springs 107-10. The winners for the Knights were:
Shadow Hills starts the league Wednesday at Rancho Mirage. The Knights will face La Quinta the following week (March 23) at home in a meeting that could determine this year’s league champion.
Palm Desert 226, La Quinta 263: In the Blackhawks’ loss, Tyler Garrison led the way with a 47 and Leonardo Perez-Menor added a 50. Daxton Westlakes had a 52, Jonathan Charos a 54 and Sinjin Armstrong a 60.
No results were reported in Palm Desert.
Desert Christian Academy 14, Calipatria 6: Dusty Nixon pitched four innings with 10 strikeouts and went 2-for-4 to trigger the Conquerors. Dakota Young was 4 for 5 and Christian Adamson was 3 for 4 with a double.
Rancho Mirage 15, Palm Springs 9: The Rattlers battled the Indians and the Wind and came out with a win. Marcos Ceja Jr. rode four rounds for the win, while Andres Orellana closed it out for the final three rounds. Offensively, Jose Diaz had three hits and five RBIs, while Orellana had three hits and four RBIs. Adrian Vasquez went 2 for 2 with a walk, three and RBI and a steal. Rancho Mirage is now 2-2 in the DEL.
In the Indians’ loss, Zack Thomason was 3-for-4 and Isaac Barranco and Robbie Katrenich each had two hits.
Palm Springs 7, Santa Rosa 6: The Indian Bats came alive with seven hits on two strikes in a non-league win over Santa Rosa. Zack Thomason and Isaac Barranco led the way with two hits. Isaac Barranco pitched five quality innings in the win.
Yucca Valley 16, Twentynine Palms 2: The Trojans scored a comfortable DVL victory. In the Wildcats’ loss, doubles teams Amiel Escobal and Jovan Delonguerrero and Hunter Branch and Brayden Chambers each won a set. Twentynine Palms are 1-1 in the league and host Desert Hot Springs on Monday.
To report a high school result, please email the information to [email protected].
FLINT — This has been a year of historic milestones for the Genesee Christian women’s basketball team.
First, senior Ava Boike broke the 1,500 career point barrier and became the school’s all-time leading scorer for both boys and girls.
Now, the Soldiers are celebrating the first regional women’s basketball championship in school history after beating Clarkston Everest 46-34 in the Division 4 title game at Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes.
Boike led Genesee Christian with 15 points, 10 rebounds, six steals and two blocks. Haven Chapman added 16 points and the Soldiers got eight points apiece from Brooklyn Lange and Carpenter.
Genesee Christian (20-4) takes on Plymouth Christian Academy (20-4) at 7 p.m. on March 15 at St. Clair Shores Fieldhouse.
In Division 2, Marysville beat Lake Fenton 20-7 in the first quarter en route to a 34-18 halftime lead. Kaitlyn Walters led Marysville with 22 points. Savannah Fellenbaum scored 16 points to lead Lake Fenton, who got 12 points from Cola Sisk.
Lake Fenton finished 20-4.
Marysville (22-2) won its 19th straight game to earn a quarterfinal game with Detroit Country Day at 5:30 a.m. on March 15 at the University of Detroit-Mercy.
In Division 3, Ryleigh Zinn led Genesee with nine points, 10 rebounds, six blocks and assists despite being a double and triple team throughout the game. Nadia Martinez and Madison Knag added eight points each for Genesee, and Harleigh Bradley had six points and nine rebounds.
Knag finished with 993 career points.
Genesee (17-7) set a school record for wins and was playing for the first regional title in school history.
Bishop Foley (19-3) will face Reese (20-4) at 7 p.m. on March 15 in the quarterfinals at West Bloomfield.
CONTINUED:
Midland Dow beat Big White in Division 1
Flint Area Regional Championship Results
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Apple Valley City Council will hold a public hearing on Tuesday as it considers approving changes to the master plan for building homes at multiple sites.
If approved, the amendments would allow the construction of single-family residences on properties previously set aside for multi-family or mixed-use developments.
The first area for a zoning transition from professional office to multi-family residential would affect nine lots north of Quantico Road and along both sides of Apple Valley Road just south of Highway 18.
The second area, which includes four parcels located on the west side of Itoya Vista Street between Sequoia Road and Laurel Lane, would transition from mixed-use to residential. Three of the four plots already contain single-family residences and the new owner of one of the properties wishes to build a single-family house consistent with the adjacent properties to the north and west.
The third location, five parcels on the south side of Outer Highway 18 and east of Tenaya Road, would change from a multi-family residence to a single-family residence.
The sewer is located between 1,800 and 2,400 feet west on Central Road and Highway 18, making multi-family development on these properties impractical due to distance.
Of the estimated 20,000 single-family homes in Apple Valley, 7,726 are connected to the city’s sewer system, with the remaining homes fitted with a septic tank, Mayor Pro Tem Art Bishop told the Daily Press.
The fourth zone, at the northeast corner of Mohawk and Laguna Roads, would change from a multi-family residence to a single-family residence.
Although the property is currently zoned multi-family residential, multi-family development is not possible unless a sewer extension is made 3,200 feet east or 4,000 feet west.
The owner has requested that the property be rezoned to build a single family residence. Zoning would be compatible with properties to the south.
Council will hold its third public hearing regarding the redistricting maps, which will include an update to the staff report regarding the redistricting process and a review of draft maps prepared by the city’s redistricting consultant.
At the January 11 council meeting, the city attorney gave an update on the redistricting process. Meanwhile, council members have asked the prosecutor to give them the opportunity to consider a transition to a “4+1” system with a mayor at large.
On January 24, the city entered into a contract with the National Demographics Corporation to perform redistricting services, including map drawing.
A fourth public hearing on March 22 will include the selection of the final voting card and its formal adoption on April 12.
The city is currently divided into five districts, which were based on several factors including geography, the use of major roads as boundary lines, and consideration for future growth areas.
In Apple Valley, Hesperia, and Victorville, voters elect council members in their respective districts, and the councils later vote to appoint one of their own to serve as mayor and acting mayor.
On February 22, the city council voted to move to a four-district electoral map with a general mayoral election scheduled every two years.
The 3-2 vote came after Mayor Kari Leon and councilors Scott Nassif and Larry Cusack voiced support for the mayoral election, a first since the city was incorporated in 1988.
Mayor Pro Tem Art Bishop said he ultimately voted no after hearing the phrase “If it ain’t broke, why fix it?” from a number of townspeople, who expressed their opinion on the addition of the mayoral election.
Councilman Curt Emick said he was unsure whether the mayoral election was the best-case scenario and many residents were unaware of electoral district boundaries, the district they resided in or their district representative.
Leon, Nassif and Cusack said their votes came after residents told them a mayoral election would allow the public to have a voice for the whole community, something that does not happen in voting by county.
In the high desert, the towns of Adelanto and Barstow hold general mayoral elections every four years.
Over the years, elected officials have told the Daily Press that having a mayor on council allows them to learn meeting protocols, hone their skills at the dais and gain support from their colleagues. council members before being named mayor.
New district maps and the Apple Valley mayoral election will be included in the November general election.
To comment on or learn more about the proposed new district maps and processes, and to identify your potential electoral district, visit av.town/redistricting.
Council will proceed to a second reading as it considers an amendment relating to the city’s requirement to recycle construction and demolition debris from certain projects within the city limits.
The amendment relates to the city’s municipal solid waste, recyclables and organic waste code. Senate Bill 1383 regulations that went into effect Jan. 1 require the city to pass an ordinance to enforce the bill’s regulations.
The amendment aligns the city’s municipal code with CalRecycle’s published model ordinance and preserves the majority of the pre-existing underlying sections of the solid waste code that are specific and unique to the city.
The council will consider awarding a contract to Superior Pavement Markings for the city-wide school zone traffic control update project.
After identifying road improvements, the city will upgrade 17 school zones within the Apple Valley Unified School District, San Bernardino County school campuses, Academy for Academic Excellence and Christian Academy of ‘Apple Valley.
Upgrades will include signage and tagging in each school zone to ensure compliance with the updated Uniform Traffic Control Devices Handbook.
The rollout of the recommended updates has already been completed at Rio Vista School of Applied Learning and Apple Valley High School by the city’s public works department.
Work on the remaining schools will begin on or about March 28 and be completed by May 6.
The council will consider updating its final version of the historic points of interest brochure to include people and events such as the filming of Beyonce’s song “Spirit” for the “Lion King” at the Horsemen’s Center, the American Idol 2021 winner Chayce Beckham and the Olympic bronze medal. cyclist Megan Jastrab.
Tuesday’s meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in the Apple Valley Town Hall Council Chambers, 14955 Dale Evans Parkway. The full agenda and meeting can also be viewed online at AppleValley.org.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz can be reached at 760-951-6227 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz.
Ohio State is hosting one of the nation’s top 2023 prospects as Wichita (Kan.) Sunrise Christian wing Scotty Middleton is on campus this weekend for an official junior year visit.
The 6-foot-7, 180-pound Middleton helped Sunrise Christian go 24-1 this season. The Buffaloes will wrap up their year playing in the Geico Nationals later this month.
Middleton is ranked 50th among prospects in the country and 10th small forward, according to 247Sports.composite. He transferred to Sunrise Christian last year after preparing at Patrick School in Hillside, NJ.
He has already made an official visit to the state of Kansas. Other top schools that have offered include Kansas, UConn, Pittsburgh, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Xavier, Georgia, and others.
Speaking to 247Sports in a recent interview, Middleton explained what college coaches like about his game.
“I feel like a leader,” Middleton said. “I can score the ball at all three levels. I’m a really good shooter at the moment. And I think I’m trying to get out of my defense and that gets me and my team going. I’m setting the tone defensively at every game. So I’m going to give my team some spark and some energy.”
He explained how defense has become one of his calling cards.
“When I started to really get into basketball, I couldn’t really score like that,” Middleton said. “I couldn’t really score, I was really bad at basketball. So defense was the only thing I could do. It was like, I had to play defense to get on the court. So now that’s it natural, I want to play defense.
Middleton talked about some of the things he looks for in his choice of college.
“Certainly relationships, obviously I want to be close to all the coaches on the coaching staff,” Middleton said. “I don’t know yet what position I want to play in college. But I want to go to a college where it doesn’t really matter where I can play [different perimeter positions] depending on the situations of the game. And whatever school is going to put me in a better situation, to really improve me off the pitch. I’m working on being a better communicator off the pitch, on being better as a person. I really want my coaches to really push me to be a better person because basketball isn’t going to last forever. So I want my coaches to really love, push me to really be a better person.”
Ohio State already has two commitments for the Class of 2023 with Christian Academy of Louisville combo guard George Washington III (ranked 46th nationally) and St. Marys (Ohio) Memorial Center Austin Parks (ranked 149th).
Okpara, Gayle visiting this weekend
2022 Ohio State commitments Felix Okpara and Roddy Gayle are also expected on campus this weekend and will attend Sunday’s game against Michigan.
The 6-4 Gayle plays for Wasatch Academy in Utah. He’s ranked as the nation’s No. 59 prospect and No. 4 shooting guard in the Class of 2022.
The 6-11 Okpara plays for Link Academy in Missouri. His team is also expected to be tagged for the Geico Nationals. He is ranked as the No. 50 prospect and No. 11 center in the nation.
More basketball coverage
Ohio State will recognize a unique senior class on Sunday
OSU’s ‘other guys’ moved on against Michigan State
Illinois State taps OSU’s Pedon as new head coach
MSU’s Izzo disappointed with OSU fans after loss
MSU was unprepared for OSU Brunk backup center
Buckeyes bounce back with huge 80-69 win over Spartans
The OSAA basketball playoffs continued Thursday with the Class 3A, 2A and 1A tournaments.
Scores and schedules for these games are below.
The playoffs continue Friday and Saturday.
Boys quarter-finals
Westside Christian 81, Pleasant Hill 51
Waterfall Christian 66, Umatilla 36
Dayton 55, Valley 50
De La Salle North Catholic 76, Oregon Episcopal 47
Boys semi-finals – Friday
Cascade Christian versus Westside Christian, noon
Dayton vs. De La Salle North Catholic, 1:45 p.m.
Consolation Boys – Friday
Umatilla vs. Pleasant Hill, 8 a.m.
Vale vs. Oregon Episcopal, 9:45 a.m.
Girls quarter-finals
Oregon Episcopal 39, Creswell 32
Burns 47, Santiam Christian 43
Sutherlin 64, Friendship 31
Nyssa 51, Brookings Harbor 27
Girls semi-finals – Friday
Oregon Episcopal vs. Burns, 4:15 p.m.
Sutherlin vs. Nyssa, 6 p.m.
Girls Consolation – Friday
Creswell vs. Santiam Christian, 9 a.m.
Amity vs. Brookings-Harbor, 10:45 a.m.
Boys quarter-finals
Western Christian 46, Kennedy 43
East Linn Christian Academy 74, Bonanza 55
Salem Academy 59, Regis 49
Knappa 63, Heppner 50
Boys semi-finals – Friday
Western Christian vs. East Linn Christian Academy, 1:30 p.m.
Salem Academy vs. Knappa, 3:15 p.m.
Consolation Boys – Friday
Bonanza vs. Kennedy, 9 a.m.
Regis vs. Heppner, 10:45 a.m.
Girls quarter-finals
Salem Academy 49, Stanfield 39
Bandon 39, Gervais 30
Union 53, Faith Bible 50
Linn Center 55, Lakeview 43
Girls semi-finals – Friday
Bandon vs. Salem Academy, 6:30 p.m.
Union vs. Central Linn, 8:15 p.m.
Girls Consolation – Friday
Stanfield vs. Gervais, 9 a.m.
Faith Bible vs. Lakeview, 10:45 a.m.
consolation of the boys
North Douglas 61, Enigma 56
Nixyaawii 69, Rogue Valley Adventist Academy 56
Boys’ Fourth Place Game
North Doulas vs. Nixyaawii, 8 a.m.
Girls quarter-finals
Crane 45, Jordan Valley 35
Christian Country 53, Nixyaawii 46
Damascus Christian 51, Trout Lake 27
North Douglas 54, Echo 37
Girls semi-finals – Friday
Country Christian vs. Crane, 6:30 p.m.
Damascus Christian vs. North Douglas, 8:15 p.m.
Girls Consolation – Friday
Jordan Valley vs. Nixyaawii, 9 a.m.
Trout Lake vs. Echo, 10:45 a.m.
The TSSAA Division II High School Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball State Championships kicked off Thursday at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville.
The high school association will crown four state champions – boys and girls winners in grades A and AA.
Admission is $12 for those ordering online at https://gofan.co/app/school/TSSAA and $15 cash at the door.
Here’s what you need to know:
Brentwood Academy (30-0) and the Christian Brothers (26-0) head to the semi-finals with unbeaten records. The two cannot meet before the championship game – if the Eagles beat Knoxville Catholic at 5 p.m. Thursday and CBHS beats Lipscomb Academy at 3:30 p.m.
Webb School – Bell Buckle (28-6) had never reached the TSSAA State Tournament until a year ago. Now the Lady Feet are aiming for a second consecutive championship. Webb is undefeated against Division II, Class A foes and his lone loss in the state is against Ensworth to open the season.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE:TSSAA BlueCross Division II Basketball State Championship Schedule and How to Buy Tickets
WEBB FEET:How rural Webb School became a high school basketball transfer destination
TYLER TANNER:What Drives Brentwood Academy’s Tyler Tanner During Breakout Season Two
Middle Tennessee Christian (25-9) opens Friday’s game in their first TSSAA women’s basketball tournament game. The Lady Cougars take on the Christian Academy of Knoxville (26-7) Friday noon. The Girls of MTCS is the only program to make its first appearance in a TSSAA state basketball tournament.
Here are 20 players to watch this week – 10 boys and 10 girls.
Blue Cain, Catholic from Knoxville, Jr.: Cain is posting averages of 19.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.9 steals and 2.8 assists.
BJ Edwards, Catholic from Knoxville, Sr.: The Division II-AA Mr. Basketball finalist and Tennessee signing is averaging 20.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 3.2 steals.
Daniel Egbuniwe, FACS, Sr.: The Division II-A finalist Mr. Basketball is averaging 21.7 points, 12.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists.
Chandler Jackson, Christian Brethren, Sr.: The Division II-AA Mr. Basketball finalist and Florida State signee averaged 18 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists.
CHANDLER’S TIME:Chandler Jackson, the top college basketball prospect in the Memphis area, thinks he can surpass his father, a professional player in France
THE NEXT CATHOLIC STAR:The 6ft 7in freshman from Knoxville Catholic is a rising star behind BJ Edwards, Blue Cain
TRENT MCNAIR EVOLVED:Trent McNair is taller. He is tougher. And he became a leader like his father Steve McNair
Jayden Jones, Goodpasture, Fr.: Jones is averaging 14 points, six rebounds and three steals.
Trent McNair, Brentwood Academy, Sr.: McNair, the son of former Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair, is averaging 14.5 points and 5.1 rebounds.
Eddie Ricks III, Clarksville Academy, Jr.: Mr. Basketball Division II-A runner-up Ricks is averaging 21.6 points and 7.4 rebounds.
Josh Scretchen, USN, Sr.: Scretchen is averaging 18 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.
Tyler Tanner, Brentwood Academy, so: The Division II-AA runner-up Mr. Basketball is averaging 18 points, 4.0 steals and 3.7 assists.
Willie Walton, Lipscomb Academy, Sr.: Walton is averaging 16.2 points and 7.3 rebounds for the Mustangs with eight double-doubles.
Jailyn Banks, MTCS, Jr.: Banks is averaging a team-high 16.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.2 rebounds.
Jaloni Cambridge, Ensworth, So. : Division II-AA runner-up Miss Basketball is averaging 16.9 points on 52.4 percent shooting. She also averaged 6.5 rebounds, 3.9 steals and 3.1 assists.
Kennedy Cambridge, Ensworth, Sr.: Cambridge are averaging 14.8 points on 47.9% shooting. She also averaged 4.6 rebounds, 3.6 steals and 3.0 assists.
JALONI CAMBRIDGE:A family of basketball stars pushes Ensworth’s Jaloni Cambridge to be the best
LED ROSARIO:How Miss Basketball finalist Aalyah Del Rosario gets extra training from another country
BI-SPORT STAR:How All-State Football Player Olivia Lee Was Destined to Play Basketball and Carry On the Family Legacy
Aalyah Del Rosario, Webb School – Bell Buckle, Jr.: The 6-foot-6 Division II-A Miss Basketball finalist is averaging 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Madelyn Ladd, Knoxville Webb, Jr.: Ladd is averaging 13 points per game and has topped 1,000 points this season. She also averages six rebounds.
Olivia Lee, CAW, Jr.: The Division II-A Miss Basketball finalist is averaging 26.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists.
Keira Leffew, CAK, Jr.: Leffew means. 14.4 points and 9.4 rebounds.
Sydney Mains, Catholic of Knoxville, So. : Mains is averaging 21.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.4 steals.
Abby Smith, Lipscomb Academy, Sr.: Smith is averaging 9.6 points and 6.6 rebounds to lead the Lady Mustangs.
Angelica Velez, Webb School – Bell Buckle, Jr.: Velez, a point guard, is averaging 10 points and six assists.
Contact Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 or [email protected] and on Twitter @Kreager.
Pungo Christian Academy will play its first women’s soccer game in school history on Thursday at home against Epiphany School in New Bern.
Previously, the only spring sport for girls was softball, and athletic director Logan Van Staalduinen thought there would be enough players for both teams.
“We had 40 girls interested in softball, which is way too many,” he said. “Enough of them also wanted to play football, so we formed a team. We’ve had good training so far and the girls are excited to play the first game in school history.
Sophomore hitter Katie Baxter is among the most experienced Lady Raiders after transferring from Christ Covenant School in Winterville. The Washington native made the 1A All-State team last spring and was on a runner-up state team prior to his transfer.
“She was my coach on the pitch,” Van Staalduinen said. “She’s been very patient with her teammates because most of them haven’t played much soccer. Katie appreciates being able to keep playing and looks forward to helping her teammates improve.
Conditioning and learning the fundamentals made up most of the training until Van Staalduinen entered his first year as a football coach.
“It’s like any other sport in that you have to be fit and know the techniques to compete,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of fun learning the game so far and are looking forward to the season.”
The PCA will play home games at the Union Grove Church of Christ.
Meanwhile, the softball team prepares for another deep run in the NCISAA playoffs.
They return eight players, including Tar Heel Independent Conference Player of the Year Reagan Stoop, All-ICT Conference Melanie Rutledge and outfielder Emma Hanna.
The line combined for 71 hits and 59 RBIs in just 17 games last spring. Stoop has a 1.87 ERA with 280 strikeouts in 228.2 innings pitched.
She and Rutledge have each done NCISAA All-State honors since 7th grade. The Lady Raiders are led by ninth-year head coach Leigh Stoop and opened the season at home Tuesday against Community Christian of Wilson.
The Baseball Raiders are returning nine players from last year’s team who went 8-10 and advanced to the second round of the NCISAA State Playoffs.
They are led by senior SS/P Devin Cadle, who is expected to be their ace on the mound this season. Cadle was TIC All Conference last year with second INF Bo Spencer. The Raiders are coached this year by Jay Etheridge. PCA finished third in the conference last year behind Lawrence Academy and Ridgecroft School. The Raiders’ season kicked off Tuesday at home against Community Christian.
Desert Christian Academy may have a CIF women’s basketball title in its future, but it wasn’t supposed to be Saturday night. The Conquerors encountered a juggernaut in the CIF-SS 5AA Championship game at Bermuda Dunes.
Desert Christian scored the first five points, but the rest of the game belonged to Capistrano Valley Christian, who ran away with the game ending in 7024.
“They were the best team,” Desert Christian head coach Chris Johnson said. “Sometimes it happens.”
The loss marked the end of an unlikely run for the Conquerors, who opened the divisional playoffs as the 11th seed and fought their way into the championship game with a trio of wins against the seventh seed. seed University Prep, second seed Milken Community and third seed Laguna Beach.
Each of those three games was close, and the Laguna Beach semi-final was won in overtime. The Conquerors scored four points in the final 12 seconds of the 53-50 win.
But Saturday was a different story. Once Capistrano Valley Christian got going, there was no turning back. The Eagles led 22-10 after the first quarter, 39-16 at halftime and outclassed DCA 31-8 in the second half.
“They are well trained, they have great players,” Johnson said. “They are the real deal.”
The Eagles played running backs Desert Christian (17-11) throughout the game, forcing them to back long passes that were often intercepted and led to quick break points. The Conquerors returned the ball 18 times.
Capistrano Valley Christian (17-6) isn’t very tall, so in a half-court offense they became a 3-point team and had nine shots from beyond the arc on Saturday. Five of them came in the third quarter, during a four-minute kill streak that saw the Eagles make seven of 10 shots and put the game away.
Still, Johnson’s daughter Melia, the team’s only senior, said the sting of the loss won’t diminish what the Conquerors have accomplished in the playoffs.
“When we played as a team,” Melia Johnson said, “it was really something special.”
Marin Olsen led Desert Christian with nine points and Natalie Duncan added eight, including a pair of 3-pointers. Hannah Shaver contributed four points, Johnson finished with two points and Maddie Reedman scored one.
Mariah Streeter and Hall Sii led the Eagles with 23 points apiece.
Although Melia is the coach’s youngest daughter, her father said the plan is to resume coaching Desert Christian next year. His daughter is the only player not expected to return.
That means the Conquerors could be pretty good. Among the returning players will be Shaver, a freshman center who scored 27 points in the quarterfinals.
She is expected to lead a group of players who now know what it takes to get to the championship game. This could mean that next year’s squad could take the season one step further.
At least one person thinks it could very well happen.
“Tons of potential,” said Melia Johnson. “Extremely hardworking group, and I’m so excited to see what they can do.”
Andrew John covers sports for The Desert Sun and USA Today Network. Email him at [email protected] and find him on Twitter at @Andrew_L_John.