Sports notes

Prep Football Postseason Honors

All-State Football Selections: Monroe senior defensive back Jermany Hammond and Porter Ridge senior placekicker Matt Wogan have been named to the AP All-State football team, which includes all four state classifications.

Hammond had a breakout season for the Redhawks, blocking 14 kicks and eight punts.

He also tallied eight interceptions as Monroe advanced to the state semifinal before falling at Swain County 28-21.

Wogan is a University of Oregon commit who was also named to the USA Today All-America team.

The four-year starter set a Union County record with a 58-yard field goal this season and his 11 field goals in 2012 helped lead the Pirates to a second consecutive state final appearance.

Parkwood High

Hot start for girls’ basketball: Junior forward Emry Tsitouris has helped the Parkwood Rebels to a 6-0 start heading into the team’s post-Christmas tournament.

That winning streak included a 68-59 road win over 8-2 Forest Hills.

Tsitouris is one of the leading scoring and rebound producers in the Charlotte metro area, averaging 22.8 points and 14.7 rebounds per game over the first month.

Sophomore guard Lauren Brown and senior guard Maggie Smith are each averaging doubles figures as well, at 11 and 10.5 points per game, respectively.

The Rebels open conference play Jan. 8 against Weddington.

Piedmont High

New era for boys’ basketball: Piedmont began the season 7-0 going into last week’s Lee County Holiday Classic, with the team’s first six wins coming against 3A and 4A opponents.

Head coach Rudi Heath is in his first year guiding the Panthers after 27 combined years of coaching experience at North Stanly and West Stanly.

Piedmont is led on the court by senior co-captains Brady Meggs and Qualen Blakeney.

Meggs missed much of last season with an injury, and his return (including a 27-point performance in a Dec. 13 win at Sun Valley) has been a big factor in the fast start.

Forest Hills High

1,000 points scorers: Junior girls’ basketball players Tonjai Everett and “Sha” Bivens each recorded their 1,000th career points recently for the Yellow Jackets.

Everett notched her milestone point in a 53-44 win over Concord on Dec. 13. Bivens followed on Dec. 22 in a 50-28 victory against Anson County in the Rock Hill Christmas tournament.

The Yellow Jackets went 2-1 in the tournament to finish third and improve to 8-2 overall, including a win over 4A Olympic. Forest Hills returns to action Jan. 2 at Weddington.

Wingate University

Future Bulldog Day: The Wingate women’s basketball team welcomed more than 400 local fifth-graders to campus Dec. 19 as the team hosted its first Future Bulldog Day.

Students from Wingate, Union, New Salem, Rock Rest, East Albemarle and Union Academy elementary schools spent their last day before Christmas break at Wingate University.

The fifth graders were able to hear from football player Robert Fletcher and go on a campus tour before enjoying a pizza lunch and the women’s basketball game against Lander.

Compiled by Daniel Smith