Vote for the Charlotte Observer high school athletes of the week (12.17.21)
By Jay Edwards and
Langston Wertz Jr.
Charlotte Observer athletes of the week
Here are the nominees for the Charlotte Observer high school athlete of the week.
Readers can vote as often as they want until Friday, around noon, when the polls will close.
Charlotte Observer athletes of the week
Boys’ Basketball
Donovan Atwell, Providence Day Basketball: After missing the previous two games with the flu, the 6-foot-5 senior erupted for 31 points, making eight three-pointers, to lead Providence Day to a 74-30 win over Corvian Community, Dec. 10.
Caleb Beals, Cuthbertson Basketball: The 5-foot-11 sophomore set a school-record with nine three pointers, netting 30 points, to lead Cuthbertson to an 82-33 win over Buford (SC), Dec. 8.
Beals played but did not score in Cuthbertson’s 68-57 win over Hickory Dec. 7 and the Cavaliers’ 58-50 win over Comenius in the Hickory Tavern/Chik-Fil-A Classic at Ardrey Kell Dec. 10.
Ty Black, Butler Basketball: The 6-foot senior guard made 15 three-pointers as Butler split games with Garinger and Harding.
Black had 25 points, including seven three-pointers, in a 58-56 loss at Harding Dec. 8.
He followed that up with 26 points, including eight treys, in a 64-51 victory at Garinger Dec. 10.
Black is averaging 18.9 points per game for Butler.
Logan Blair, Harding Basketball: The 6-foot-5 senior averaged 19.3 points and 14.7 rebounds per game as Harding went 3-0 with wins over Butler, Olympic and West Mecklenburg.
Blair had a season-high 33 points and 23 rebounds to go with five assists in a 59-42 win at West Mecklenburg Dec. 7.
The next night, Blair had 15 points and 10 rebounds in a 58-56 win over Butler.
He had his third double-double of the week with 10 points and 11 boards in a 51-42 win over Olympic Dec. 10.
Blair is averaging 18.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game for Harding.
Tre McKinnon, Lake Norman Basketball: The 6-foot-5 freshman had 27 points and seven rebounds to lead the Wildcats to a 79-78 overtime win over R.J. Reynolds Dec. 8.
The previous night, McKinnon posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds in a 83-57 victory at Statesville.
McKinnon is averaging 13.8 points and 7.2 rebounds for Lake Norman.
Evan Presnell, Alexander Central Basketball: The 6-foot senior averaged 20 points, six assists, 4.3 rebounds and 3.7 steals as Alexander Central beat Bunker Hill, Newton Conover and North Iredell.
Presnell had 13 points, five assists and three rebounds in a 62-36 win at Newton Conover Dec. 7.
The next night, he had 26 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals in a 65-39 victory over North Iredell.
Presnell finished off the week with 21 points, eight assists, three rebounds and two steals in a 67-51 win over Bunker Hill Dec. 10.
Presnell is averaging 17.6 points, 4.6 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game for a Alexander Central team (6-1) that has won six straight games through Sunday.
Jaiden Thompson, Central Cabarrus Basketball: The 6-foot junior guard averaged 22.7 points and six rebounds per game as Central Cabarrus beat A.L. Brown, Concord and Lake Norman Charter.
Thompson had 22 points, seven rebounds and three steals in an 85-43 win at Lake Norman Charter Dec. 7.
The next night, he posted 15 points and four rebounds in an 81-41 victory over A.L. Brown.
Thompson also had 28 points and seven boards in an 80-50 win at Concord, Dec. 10.
Thompson is averaging 20.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game for a Central Cabarrus team that is still perfect at 7-0 this season.
Shalyn Bell, North Stanly Basketball: The 6-foot freshman had a quadruple-double with 16 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists and 12 blocks to lead North Stanly to a 59-46 win over Montgomery Central Dec. 7.
Bell also had 19 points, 14 rebounds and nine steals in a 62-42 win at Jay M. Robinson Dec. 10.
Bell is averaging 16 points, 12 rebounds, and seven steals per game for North Stanly.
Betsey Burnett, Garinger Basketball: The 5-foot-8 junior had 26 points, five rebounds and four steals to lead Garinger to a 57-44 win over Mooresville Dec. 8.
Burnett also had 17 points, eight assists, four rebounds and two steals in a 64-42 victory over Butler Dec. 10.
Burnett is averaging 22 points, six rebounds, six assists, three blocks and three steals per game for Garinger.
Senali Moss, South Mecklenburg Basketball: The 5-foot-8 senior averaged 20.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists as South Mecklenburg beat Concord Academy, Weddington and West Cabarrus.
Moss had 12 points, two rebounds and two assists in a 66-20 win over West Cabarrus Dec. 7.
She followed that up with 27 points, six rebounds, seven steals and five assists in a 74-29 win at Weddington Dec. 10.
Moss finished off her week with 23 points, 15 rebounds and four assists in a 58-45 win over Concord Academy in the LBI Best of the Carolinas’ Classic, Dec. 11.
Moss is averaging 20.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 6.7 steals per game for South Mecklenburg (7-0, through Sunday).
Nora Schroeder, Charlotte Christian Basketball: The 5-foot-10 senior had 29 points, 14 rebounds and four steals in a 61-11 win at United Faith Dec. 7.
Schroeder is averaging 15.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game for Charlotte Christian (2-5, through Sunday).
Mary Schleusner, Charlotte Latin Basketball: The 6-foot-1 senior had 28 points, 17 rebounds, five assists, four blocks and four steals to lead Charlotte Latin to a 57-28 win over Davidson Day Dec. 10.
Schleusner also had 15 points, nine rebounds and three steals in a 64-19 win over United Faith Dec. 9.
Charlotte Latin (7-1) has won five straight games.
Tristan Carswell, East Burke Swimming: The Cavaliers’ junior won all four events he competed to help East Burke to a win over West Caldwell Dec. 8.
Carswell won the 50 freestyle (29.82), the 100 freestyle (1:09.35) and helped the 200 medley relay (2:08.37) and the 200 freestyle relay (2:04.45) to victories in the same meet.
Akala Garrett, Harding Indoor Track: The Rams’ junior is off to a fast start to her indoor track season with the No. 1 time in the country in the 55-meter hurdles (7.92), 60-meter hurdles (8.39), and 500-meter dash (1:14.03), while running the third-best time in the nation in the 300-meter dash (39.05).
Garrett won the 300 (39.05) and 500-meter (1:14.03) dashes at the Liberty High School Opener at Liberty University with personal-best times in both events, Dec. 11.
Garrett has run the No. 1 time in the state in the 55 and 60-meter hurdles, and 300 and 500-meter dashes.
Devin Poteat, East Lincoln Swimming: The Mustangs’ senior won all four individual events she competed in in meets on back-to-back days.
Poteat won the 200 individual medley (2:27.04) and the 100 breaststroke (1:17.18) in a quad meet with Fred T. Foard, North Iredell and North Lincoln Dec. 8.
She also won the 200 individual medley (2:23.87) and the 100 freestyle (56.78) against Crest, Kings Mountain and Lincolnton Dec. 9.
The East Lincoln girls’ swim team is 8-2 through Sunday.
Alyssa Preisano, Cuthbertson Indoor Track: The Cavaliers’ junior won the 1600-meter run with a personal-best 5:00.67 at the Liberty High School Opener at Liberty University, Dec. 11.
Preisano’s 1600-meter time was the No. 1 time run in the state and No. 5 in the nation this indoor season.
She also finished second in the 1000-meter run at the same meet with another personal-record 2:58.39, the second fastest time run in the state this indoor season.
Preisano also helped the Cavaliers’ 4 X 400-meter relay to a third-place finish at the Liberty High School Opener.
** Information published today includes statistics through Dec. 11.
Want to nominate an athlete?: Athletes of the week highlights high school players with outstanding performances. The goal is to recognize all athletes in all sports, both the most accomplished and the underrated or underappreciated players. If you want to suggest someone to be included in the Athletes of the week column, send email to Jay Edwards at edwardswork23@gmail.com. Please include the athletes’ name, school, class and applicable game performance statistics. Coaches must be willing to verify information.
