HS Basketball Update: No. 14 Olympic visits Harding in area’s featured game Friday
Elevator
↑Jairus Hamilton, Concord Cannon: McDonald’s All-America game nominee committed to Boston College on his birthday Thursday and will celebrated for scoring his 2,000th point before Friday’s home game with Charlotte Country Day. Hamilton is first top 100 recruit to commit to Boston College in 16 years.
↑Byron Dinkins, Carmel Christian: “Dink” is 205-28 with three state championships in eight seasons as a coach. He’s going for an eighth straight state finals appearance this season.
↑Matt Morgan, Cox Mill/Cornell: Ivy League star and former Cabarrus County star is on the Lute Olsen national college basketball player of the year watchlist.
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Kings Mountain star Adrian Delph, an Appalachian State recruit, is @theobserver winter sports athlete of the week. READ WHYhttps://t.co/6HigzHZ3th#clthsbb #NCHSAA pic.twitter.com/N47VwoOzLG
— Langston Wertz Jr. (@langstonwertzjr) January 12, 2018
New Feature: area athletes of week, prep notes, for winter sports
Phenom Hoop Report Rankings for class of 2018 feature nine area players in top 20
Phenom Hoop Report Rankings for class of 2019 heavy on Observer-area stars
Phenom Hoop Report Rankings for class of 2020 features several area top 20 players
Thursday’s Top Performers
Erin Cepeda, Fort Mill Comenius girls: 20 points, 13 rebounds, six steals, five assists in a 68-41 win over Sugar Creek Charter.
Jessyka Leak, Concord First Assembly girls: 20 points, 10 rebounds, five steals, two assists in a 66-23 win over Greater Cabarrus. Kylie Stinson (13 points, three steals), Shamani Stafford (15 points, five rebounds) and Courtney Meadows (eight points, seven assists) had strong games for First Assembly (12-6).
Observer Sweet 16 Polls
Boys Sweet 16
Rk. | Team (Class) |
1 | North Mecklenburg (4A) |
2 | Independence (4A) |
3 | Concord Cox Mill (3A) |
4 | Butler (4A) |
5 | Marshville Forest Hills (2A) |
6 | Hickory (3A) |
7 | Rocky River (4A) |
8 | Charlotte Catholic (3A) |
9 | China Grove Carson (3A) |
10 | Providence Day (IND) |
11 | Salisbury (2A) |
12 | Morganton Freedom (3A) |
13 | Charlotte Christian (IND) |
14 | Olympic (4A) |
15 | Lincoln Charter (1A) |
16 | Myers Park (4A) |
Girls Sweet 16
Rk. | School (Class) |
1. | Ardrey Kell (4A) |
2. | Hickory Ridge (4A) |
3. | Gastonia Ashbrook (3A) |
4. | Mallard Creek (4A) |
5. | South Mecklenburg (4A) |
6. | Providence Day (IND) |
7. | Rock Hill (5A) |
8. | East Burke (2A) |
9. | North Iredell (3A) |
10. | China Grove Carson (3A) |
11. | Morganton Freedom (3A) |
12. | Waxhaw Cuthbertson (3A) |
13. | Monroe Parkwood (3A) |
14. | Berry (4A) |
15. | North Mecklenburg (4A) |
16. | Rock Hill South Pointe (4A) |
Friday’s Games To Watch, Full Schedule
No. 14 Olympic (13-3, 5-0 So-Meck) at Harding (12-5, 5-0), 7:30: A showdown between unbeaten conference teams and rivals. Olympic has won four straight games under head coach Baronton Terry. Harding has gotten balanced scoring on its run to the top of the league standings. Four Rams average double figures: Brian Ross, Arvydas Jones, Quinten Thomas and Shaleek Campbell.
No. 13 Charlotte Christian (13-5, 1-0 CISAA) at No. 10 Providence Day (15-7, 1-0), 7:30: Providence Day has beaten its arch rival 11 straight times and is 45-2 in its last 47 league games. Christian, coming off Tuesday’s 73-38 win at rival Charlotte Country Day, hopes to end the Chargers run of five straight league titles. A win Friday would go along way towards that. Charlotte Christian will play the rest of the season without 6-6 forward Garrett Shrader, the CISAA football player of the year. Christian coach Shonn Brown said Shrader had a medical procedure performed over the holiday that will need time to head.....Providence Day will play the Big Apple Invitational in New York City Saturday and Monday, playing New York’s Curtis High (9-0) and Long Island Lutheran (9-2). MaxPreps ranks Curtis No. 29 and Lutheran No. 2 among all NY teams.
No. 16 Myers Park (12-4, 5-1 Southwestern 4A) at No. 2 Independence (15-1, 6-0), 7:30: Myers Park upset Butler early this season and tries to grab another big win versus a league favorite on the road. Independence, coming off a one-point win over Rocky River Tuesday, faces another team that comes into the game trailing the first-place Patriots by just one game. With a win, Independence can build a tough two-game league in the conference.
FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE
Albemarle at North Rowan A.L. Brown at Cox Mill Alexander Central at Hickory Ashbrook at Hunter Huss Ashe County at West Wilkes Avery County at Charles D. Owen Berry at West Mecklenburg Bible Baptist at Mount Calvary Bradford Prep at Cabarrus Charter Butler at East Mecklenburg Camden at Chester Carmel Christian at Forsyth Country Day Carolina International at Mountain Island Charter Carson at East Rowan Central Academy at Forest Hills Central Pageland at Buford Charlotte Christian at Providence Day Charlotte Country Day at Cannon School Charlotte Latin at Covenant Day Chase at East Rutherford Cherryville at Bessemer City Christian Academy of Myrtle Beach vs. Cheraw in Phenom Hoops’ Showcase in Charleston (Boys’ only) Clover at Nation Ford Columbia at Indian Land Concord First Assembly at SouthLake Christian Covenant Classical at Comenius Draughn at East Burke East Lincoln at Newton Conover East Montgomery at Mount Pleasant Fort Mill at Rock Hill Fred T. Foard at West Iredell Gaston Day at Metrolina Christian Great Falls at Lamar Heritage Academy at York Prep (Boys’ only) Hibriten at Patton Hickory Ridge at Porter Ridge Hopewell at West Charlotte Jay M. Robinson at Concord Kings Mountain at Crest Lake Norman at North Mecklenburg Lake Norman Charter at West Lincoln Lee Central at Andrew Jackson Liberty Heights at Comenius (Boys’ only) | Lincoln Charter at Highland Tech Maiden at Lincolnton Marvin Ridge at Monroe McBee at Governor’s School Mooresville at Mallard Creek Myers Park at Independence North Gaston at Burns North Iredell at Statesville North Lincoln at Bandys North Moore at Gray Stone Day Northside Christian at Grace Christian Northwest Cabarrus at Central Cabarrus Olympic at Harding Piedmont at Charlotte Catholic Pine Lake Prep at Community School of Davidson Richmond Senior at Scotland County Rocky River at Garinger South Caldwell at St. Stephens South Davidson at North Stanly South Iredell at West Rowan South Mecklenburg at Providence South Point at R.S. Central South Pointe (SC) at York South Rowan at Ledford Spartanburg at Northwestern Stuart Cramer at Forestview Sun Valley at Cuthbertson Thomas Jefferson Academy at Piedmont Charter Timmonsville at Lewisville Union Academy at Queens Grant University Christian at Victory Christian Vance at Hough Watauga at Freedom Weddington at Parkwood West Caldwell at McDowell West Davidson at Salisbury Westminster Catawba at Gaston Christian West Montgomery at South Stanly West Stanly at Anson County Westwood at Lancaster Woodlawn School at Statesville Christian Word of God at United Faith |
Area Boys Stat Leaders
SCORING
Name | School | Avg |
Jairus Hamilton | Concord Cannon | 28.0 |
Devon Dotson | Providence Day | 27.4 |
Hunter Tyson | Unionville Piedmont | 27.3 |
Wendell Moore | Concord Cox Mill | 26.1 |
Yasheem Kendrick | Cramerton Christian | 25.1 |
Tarik Adams | Gastonia KIPP Pride | 25.0 |
Jaden Springer | Rocky River | 23.4 |
Perez Bowser | Arborbrook Christian | 23.1 |
Qon Murphy | Concord Cannon | 23.0 |
Tripp Causby | Morganton Patton | 22.4 |
Dean Gilmore | Salisbury North Hills Christian | 22.2 |
Adrian Delph | Kings Mountain | 22.1 |
Rebounding
Name | School | Avg |
Kobe Christian | Gastonia Highland Tech | 13.3 |
Dean Gilmore | Salisbury North Hills Christian | 13.3 |
Aaron LeGrand | East Gaston | 12.5 |
Blake Preston | Charlotte Christian | 11.4 |
Jaylen Thompson | Grace Academy | 11.3 |
Jaylen Prioleau | Piedmont Community Charter | 11.1 |
Adrian Delph | Kings Mountain | 11.1 |
Jonah Watson | Hickory University Christian | 10.8 |
John Griffin | Belmont Stuart Cramer | 10.5 |
Matt Smith | Independence | 9.9 |
Hunter Tyson | Unionville Piedmont | 9.9 |
Assists
Name | School | Avg |
JC Tharrington | Charlotte Christian | 6.9 |
Adrian Delph | Kings Mountain | 6.3 |
Marcus Henderson | Statesville Christian | 6.1 |
Rylan McLaurin | Charlotte Country Day | 5.9 |
Byron Sanders | Gastonia Ashbrook | 5.8 |
Matt Broussard | South Charlotte Thunder | 5.7 |
Hayden Patel | Hickory University Christian | 5.7 |
Perez Bowser | Arborbrook Christian | 5.5 |
Jordan Stowe | Concord | 5.5 |
Jackson Perry | Lake Norman Christian | 5.5 |
Kody Shubert | Lincoln Charter | 5.5 |
Girls Stat Leaders
SCORING
Name | School | Avg |
Jessica Timmons | North Mecklenburg | 27.6 |
Erin Cepeda | Fort Mill Comenius | 23.8 |
Destiny Johnson | East Lincoln | 23.4 |
Jada Mcmillan | Concord Robinson | 22.8 |
Janiya Downs | China Grove South Rowan | 21.8 |
Kennedy Boyd | Providence Day | 21.6 |
Zaria Woods | Lancaster | 21.1 |
Amanda Cherry | Indian Trail Sun Valley | 20.0 |
Paola Martinez | Fort Mill Comenius | 19.9 |
Jermany Mapp | Rock Hill York Prep | 19.6 |
Briana Pressley | Monroe Union Academy | 18.7 |
Tanajah Hayes | Vance | 18.7 |
REBOUNDING
Name | School | Avg |
Katie Batten | Charlotte Country Day | 15.6 |
Kaitlin Walker | Charlotte Christian | 13.6 |
Summer Schloss | Gastonia Ashbrook | 13.4 |
Janiya Downs | China Grove Carson | 13.3 |
Christie Zawacki | Arborbrook Christian | 12.6 |
Yasmine Love | Gastonia Forestview | 12.2 |
Destiny Johnson | East Lincoln | 11.4 |
Zaria Woods | Lancaster | 10.9 |
Michela Lane | Butler | 10.8 |
Janazi Chambers | Concord | 10.7 |
Messiah Brown | Lawndale Burns | 10.6 |
ASSISTS
Name | School | Avg |
Osha Makerson | Forest City East Rutherford | 9.2 |
Destiny Johnson | East Lincoln | 6.9 |
Haley Bourhill | Belmont South Point | 6.0 |
Sydney Bowen | Gastonia Forestview | 5.6 |
Kennedie Gaither | Monroe Parkwood | 5.5 |
Chloe Sayles | Arborbrook Christian | 5.4 |
Alexis Murriel | Gastonia Huss | 5.2 |
Jermany Mapp | Rock Hill York Prep | 5.2 |
MaKayla Smith | Union Academy | 5.1 |
Erin Cepeda | Fort Mill Comenius | 5.0 |
Trinity Jones | Gastonia Ashbrook | 4.7 |
Thursday’s Girls summaries
CONCORD FIRST ASSEMBLY 66, GREATER CABARRUS 23
cfa Academy 28 19 9 10- 66
GCAA 7 4 3 9-23
cfa Academy- 66 Shamani Stafford 15, Jessy Leak 20, Camille Small 4, Veronika Brooks 4, Bailey Stinson 2, Kylie Stinson 13, Courtney Meadows 8
GCAA-23 Olivia Griffin 7, Makalie Beaver 1, Grace Harold 3, Amy Harrell 10, Kaneisha Haviland 2
Notable: cfa Academy (12-6) travels to Southlake Christian for a 5:30 tip-off on Friday January 12, 2018.
FORT MILL COMENIUS 68, SUGAR CREEK CHARTER 41
CSCL - 16 16 8 16= 56
SCA- 11 11 15 4 = 41
CSCL: Erin Cepeda 20, Somer Wilson 14, Paola Martinez 15
SCA: Verene 7, Shamicah Sturdivant 12, Ballard 5, Redfern 7, Louissant 2, Cunningham 2 Slawon 7
Records: CSCL Lady Knights: Overall 11-8, Conf. 3-0
Thursday’s Boys Summaries
Davidson Day 61 Woodlawn 27
DDS - 26 11 15 9 - 61
WS - 6 5 13. 3 - 27
DDS - Bryce Alfino 22, Will Coble 15, Jackson Threadgill 14, Baucom 5, Breunig 3, Scherrman 2
WS - Underwood 15, Nikolich 7, White 2, Grzechik 3
Late Wednesday
BUTLER 68, INDIAN TRAIL PORTER RIDGE 55
Butler 21 13 21 13 68
Porter Ridge 14 18 12 11 55
Butler: Raquan Brown 20, D.J.Little 14, Jalen Gibson 12, Jordan McPhatter 10, Gates 8, Muhammad 3, Connor 1.
Porter Ridge: Josh Massey 18, Cameron Stitt 15, Jide Huntley 13, Franklin 6, Smith 2, White 1.
Records: Butler 15-2 (5-2) Butler has won 9 in a row.
MARVIN RIDGE 60; SUN VALLEY 58
MRHS: 14 17 22 7 60
SVHS: 6 23 17 12 58
SVHS: Legrand 20; Goddard 19;
MRHS: Ryan 15; Bohannan 13;
This story was originally published January 11, 2018 at 11:27 PM with the headline "HS Basketball Update: No. 14 Olympic visits Harding in area’s featured game Friday."