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Memorial Stadium: What a year for the 24,000-seat arena to be down for the count. Indy and Butler play one of the biggest regular-season games in county history and now are about to play a rematch in a state semifinal that is even more important. The game will be played at 6,000-seat Providence. Several fans are writing hoping Jerry Richardson will give Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools an early Christmas present and allow the teams to play at Bank of America Stadium.
Mecklenburg County football: Sixth time in 10 seasons that two local teams have met in the regional final. Independence beat East Mecklenburg in 2001, Butler in 2002, Myers Park in 2005, Butler in 2006 and West Charlotte in 2007.
Ian Miller, United Faith boys basketball: Reigning
Observer player of the year, and Florida State signee, is off to a strong senior year. Friday, in the first round of the Word Of God Holiday tournament, he led his team to an 85-65 win over Wayne Country Day and 6-6 Virginia Commonwealth recruit Reco McCarter. Kadeem Green, a Missouri signee, had 16 points and 16 rebounds for United Faith.
In Saturday's final against Word of God and top 15 national recruit C.J. Leslie, Miller had 27 points, 8 rebounds and 8 rebounds, leading his team to an 80-66 win and the tournament title. Miller was named tournament MVP. Former East Meck star Paris Roberts-Campbell had 20 points. Leslie had 37 points for Word of God. United Faith (4-0) plays at Fayetteville Trinity Christian Friday.
Bubbles Phifer, Salisbury girls basketball: 10 steals in 51-30 win over Mount Tabor last week. The Hornets (3-0), a 2A team ranked No. 4 in the Sweet 16, held Mount Tabor to 10 points in the second half.
Players of the week
Monet Tellier, East Mecklenburg girls basketball: Virginia Tech recruit had 26 points and 6 rebounds as the Eagles, No. 2 in the Sweet 16, beat No. 5 Concord 60-43 Saturday. Teammates Aliyah Kirkpatrick (18 points) and Chaylia Coleman (7 blocks) also had big games.
Jason Hargrave, North Rowan boys basketball: Scored 22 points, all in the second half, of Tuesday's 73-70 overtime win over Salisbury
Hot Players
Aaron Crumbley, Belmont South Point football: Rushed for 76 yards on 16 carries and scored a touchdown in N.C. 3AA playoff win over Kannapolis Brown Friday. Crumbley has 84 career touchdowns, setting a new Gaston County record.
Nyshia Hammonds, Concord girls basketball: Charlotte 49ers recruit had 15 of her team's first 23 points in a 75-60 win over East Rowan last week. She finished with 30 points, making four 3-point attempts.
Kyle Kinnaird, Alexander Central football: Named Northwestern 3A/4A offensive player of the year. Lenoir Hibriten's Josh Dula is defensive player of the year. Hickory St. Stephens' Keith Cooper is special teams player of the year and Alexander coach Tom Harper is coach of the year. Complete team is available at prepinsiders.blogspot.com
Jamarr Robinson, Maryland football: Former Myers Park star, a family science major, is a sophomore quarterback for the Terrapins. He completed 9-of-15 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown against Boston College Saturday. He finished the season with no interceptions in 52 attempts and two touchdown passes.
Justin Worley, Rock Hill Northwestern football: Worley's team started 0-4 this season but is 9-1 since and qualified for its second straight S.C. 4A Division II state final. Worley, a 6-foot-5, 195-pound junior quarterback, has thrown for 4,111 yards and 40 touchdowns this season. He had 3,648 yards and 50 touchdowns last year as a sophomore. His top receiver, Robert Joseph, has an S.C. state record 140 catches for 1,760 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Mark Your Calendar
No. 3 Gastonia Forestview girls basketball (3-0) at No. 1 Butler (0-0), Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.: Forestview got 25 points from UNC recruit Shannon Smith and 10 from Elon recruit Kelsey Harris in a 47-40 win over Greensboro Dudley Saturday, a rematch of Dudley's 3A state championship win last March. Butler is ranked No. 23 nationally by USA Today, No. 28 by MaxPreps and No. 36 by ESPN. The Bulldogs open the season Tuesday at home against Vance. Butler's boys are No. 11 in the Sweet 16. Vance is No. 5.
North Mecklenburg boys basketball at Providence, Tuesday, 8 p.m.: Two of the area's best post players meet: Providence's Terrance Hampton and North Mecklenburg's Bernard Sullivan.
No. 14 Mallard Creek girls basketball at No. 2 East Mecklenburg, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.: Two regional semifinalists from last March meet in big early-season matchup.
No. 4 Lake Norman boys (3-0) at No. 9 Concord, Wednesday, 8 p.m.: A rematch of a third round playoff game last season that Concord won.
Raleigh Word of God boys basketball at Victory Christian, Saturday, 4:30 p.m.: Talented Victory faces Word of God and star forward C.J. Leslie, one of the nation's best recruits.
Tonight's Mecklenburg County games (girls at 6:30, boys to follow): West Charlotte at West Meck; South Meck at Olympic; Independence at Porter Ridge (Complete schedule at charlotteobserver.com/preps)
