MOLENA, Ga. — East Surry made waves on a national scale by finishing sixth in the U.S. Army National Raider Championships.

An estimated 1,500 Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) Cadets made the trip to Molena, Georgia to test themselves physically and mentally. The competition was held at Gerald Lawhorn Boy Scout Camp on November 2-3. Wire Drawing Copper

East’s sixth-place finish showed it’s not the size of the school that matters, but rather the work ethic of the Raiders that makes a team truly great.

“If they believe and work hard enough, I always tell them that they can achieve whatever they set their mind to,” said East Surry’s First Sergeant Ronald Montgomery. “Sometimes I wondered whether they believed me or not, but now that they’ve been down there, I think they know if they believe hard enough they can achieve anything they want to. Hard work beats talent that doesn’t work. There are probably a lot more stronger and more athletic teams than us, but nobody outworked us.”

In response to 1SG’s comments, Nicholas Montgomery chimed in saying,”I don’t think anybody else had this good of a coach either. The way he trained us we could be number one, we just had to give it 100 percent every single time.”

The team consisted of 12 members: Team Captain Allen Myers, Cade Williams, Cameron Edwards, Joseph Ellison, Anderson Allred, Nicholas Montgomery, Wyatt Hart, Nicholas Boggs, Joshua Pack, Nathanial Pack, Travis Watson and Dylan Myers. The team had five seniors, three juniors, three sophomores and one freshman.

The “A Team” faced a disadvantage on paper by drawing Raiders from a school of less than 600 students while other schools from the Fourth Brigade (Washington D.C., West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina) draw from thousands of students. A number of schools in the competition are also military academies.

“I think us going down there, putting in all the work and finishing sixth, above all those other big schools, is really meaningful for my team and I,” said team captain Alan Myers.

But East Surry wasn’t about to let anyone outwork them. There is no off-season for this team. Many of the members had spent years training for such a competition and it paid off. East Surry placed 11th in the Physical Team Test, ninth in the 5K Run, fifth in the Gauntlet, eighth in the cross country rescue and fourth in the Rope Bridge.

The Cardinals’ point total of 37 was the highest of any school from the Fourth Brigade, beating Buckingham County High School by three points. The Cardinal Raiders bested Buckingham earlier in the year as part of a competition in Pilot Mountain, and proved home-field advantage had nothing to do with it at Nationals.

1SG Montgomery said the trip wouldn’t have been possible had it not been for the generosity of a number of sponsors: Hodges Realty, Pilot Mechanical, Simmons Nissan, New Atlantic Contracting, Johnson Granite and Carport Central. The sponsors helped pay for training equipment such as a new rope bridge and obstacles, food, transportation and so much more.

The team faced a curve-ball at the onset of the competition when it was decided that Raiders had to wear combat boots for the opening event, the 5,000-meter run. Alan Myers said the team prepared to run the race in tennis shoes, but that a decision was made in the Commander’s meeting that Raiders would wear boots for ankle safety.

“The change was kind of scary, I’m not going to lie,” Myers said.

Each member of the Raider squad also competed on East Surry’s cross country team, so the 5K was nothing new. Once they swapped out their footwear, the event began and East was off to the races.

“Personally, whenever we first started the 5K and took up the hill I was kind of getting in my feels a little bit,” Myers said. “I felt that me and my team had made it where we wanted to be and where we needed to be. As soon as he blew the whistle to start, it just made me emotional to be out there competing with my team.”

This event differed from a traditional 5K because the team had to finish as a unit. The Cardinals 11th-place finish came with a time of 25:21.41.

The second event was the Cross Country Rescue. Teams first had to get over an eight-foot wall carrying six 35-pound rucksacks, which Nicolas Montgomery described as, “book bags filled with all the biology books you can fit.” Next, the Raiders picked up a 150-lb litter and low-crawled through mud and then had more running to do. The course took 10:33.56 to complete, good enough for eighth place overall.

“At the end of the Cross Country Rescue it was very emotional,” Nicholas Montgomery said. “I was out in the lead and ran back to help the rest of the team get through. It’s just very emotional going through that with your team.”

The event was made even more special when Aaron Spahl, Command Sergeant Major of the Fourth Brigade, joined in and competed with East Surry.

The first event after lunch was the rope bridge. This required Raiders to construct a rope bridge 100-feet over water, travel across the bridge upside-down, and break down the bridge.

“I think the rope bridge is the most team-focused event,” Joshua Pack said. “If one person doesn’t do their job right, it screws up everything.”

Alan Myers broke down the bridge and ran through the creek as fast as he could to finish at the 2:13.63 mark, putting East as the fourth-overall finishers. Myers said he poured water out of his boots for almost 45 seconds after the event.

Teams went from the rope bridge to the Gauntlet. As the name implies, each team had to complete a number of challenging tasks in order to accomplish a larger goal. Alan Myers created a colorful metaphor that compared the event to Thanos’ plot to obtain all six infinity stones in Avengers: Infinity War.

East started by jumping though a suspended tire and transporting four 35-lb rucksacks and two 60-lb ammo crates. They each moved to an 11-foot wall with the rucksacks and then over an eight-foot wall. The Raiders then put their claustrophobia to the test by crawling through a 30-foot culvert. Once reaching the end, they ran a few hundred yards and again traversed a 30-foot culvert before sprinting to the finish. East Surry finished fifth with a time of 8:41.31.

Next up was what 1SG Montgomery called the team’s best event…taking pictures.

“We’re first in the nation at that,” Nicholas Montgomery said.

The final group event was the Physical Team Test. Raiders had to transport 15-lb water cans and five 50-lb ammo cans over a platform. East Surry finished 11th overall with a time of 3:26.66.

The day concluded with the Ultimate Raider Competition. The competition saw one male and one female Raider endure a host of events. Anderson Allred competed for East Surry and was awarded the Fourth Brigade command coin from CSM Spahl.

1SG Montgomery is extremely proud of how his team trained and performed. This was his first time returning to the competition since 2014, but there is already talk among the Raiders about returning next year.

“This team has accomplished a lot and they’ve still got some goals that they want to achieve,” 1SG Montgomery said. “This is not the end. They’ve got to work to get back next year.”

Reach Cory on Twitter @MrCoryLeeSmith

Reach Cory on Twitter @MrCoryLeeSmith

Cards, Bears ranked in final AP poll

Be a Santa program seeks to serve seniors

PILOT MOUNTAIN — It was only a matter of time before Jordan Davis broke East Surry’s single-game record for 3-pointers, and when the time came he did more than just break the record: he shattered it.

Davis made a record 10 3-pointers during a Jan. 10 game against Forbush, which the Cardinals won 84-38. He made his 10 triples on just 12 attempts, meaning he made 83% of his shots from downtown.

Jordan nearly outscored Forbush himself with 36 points, which was just one point shy of his career high.

The previous East Surry record was held by four East Surry players: Scott Meredith, Jefferson Boaz, Dillon Mosley and – you guessed it – Jordan Davis.

The record was originally set by Meredith, a 2014 graduate who held the East Surry all-time scoring record when he graduated with 1,351 points. That record is now held by another player in this article.

Meredith later went on to make 18 3-pointers in a game on 31 attempts (58%) for Virginia’s Hargrave Military Academy in 2015. Meredith finished that game with 55 points as Hargrave defeated Combine International of Charlotte.

Meredith went on to play basketball for St. Francis University in Pennsylvania.

Jefferson Boaz, a 2020 graduate and East Surry’s current all-time leading scorer with 1,882 points, went on to tie Meredith’s record by making 7-of-10 (70%) 3-pointers in a Feb. 1, 2019 game against Bishop McGuinness. Fellow 2020 graduate Dillon Mosley tied the record less than a month after Boaz by making 7-of-9 (78%) attempts against Queen’s Grant on Feb. 26.

Boaz and Mosley both continued their football careers in college, with Boaz attending UNC-Chapel Hill and Mosley attending N.C. State.

Davis, a member of the class of 2023, hit seven 3-pointers on three occasions before eventually obliterating the record.

Davis originally tied the school record on Dec. 21, 2021, by making 7-of-14 (50%) 3-point attempts in a win over North Wilkes. He finished the game with a career-high 31 points, making all seven of his 3-pointers in the first quarter.

His next two games of seven triples occured within a five-game span. Davis went 7-of-13 from deep on Feb. 11, 2022 against Surry Central, during which he scored a career-high 37 in the overtime victory, then went 7-of-11 in a Feb. 16 game against Forbush.

Davis is committed to Geneva College in Pennsylvania to continue his basketball career.

Mount Airy High School’s basketball teams will host their home games at Surry Community College for the foreseeable future.

Due to freezing temperatures over winter break, Mount Airy’s Howard M. Finch Gymnasium suffered water damage from busted pipes.

According to Carrie Venable, Mount Airy City Schools’ Executive Officer of Communication, multiple experts were called in to assess the damage to a portion of the basketball court. Attempts to dry out the floor to resume the basketball season at home have failed.

“Thanks to our staff at MAHS we were able to catch the water leak quickly at the high school gym,” said MACS Superintendent Dr. Kim Morrison. “Unfortunately, the damage caused to the back left side of the floor requires us to remove the wood and replace it. We hope to get it repaired quickly, and we are thankful for our community and business partners that are helping us move forward with the repairs.”

Due to the water damage, all remaining JV and varsity home games have been moved to Surry Community College’s (SCC) gymnasium located at 630 S Main St. in Dobson.

“It’s unfortunate that we were forced to relocate during the heart of basketball season,” said MAHS Principal Jason Dorsett. “Providing that ‘home’ atmosphere is important and thankfully, with the help and support of Surry Community College, we have an outstanding facility to play. As the repair project is now underway, our goal will remain to return to MAHS by senior night.”

Venable added that Mount Airy City Schools is grateful to Dr. David Shockley, SCC President, for allowing students to complete their season on the Knights’ court. All Granite Bear fans are encouraged to travel to Dobson to support students as they compete this season.

SCC’s Gymnasium is located in the back left corner of campus in building P on the map of the campus. College Circle can be accessed in two locations. It circles the campus and you will find building P closest to Surry Central High School.

Parking for the gym is located in the two small lots closest to the building and overflows in the student parking areas across campus. Once the two lots near the gym fill, spectators will need to park in one of the other marked areas and walk through campus to the gym.

More information on Surry Community College can be found at surry.edu.

MACS student/staff, MAYF, Northwest 1A Conference, NCCA and NCHSAA passes will be accepted at home games played at SCC for the Granite Bears. IDs must be shown at the door for admission.

The regular price for admission is $7.00. Limited concessions (candy, drinks, and nachos) will also be available during games.

As of Jan. 13, the varsity girls team sits at 7-3 overall and 2-1 in the Northwest 1A Conference, and the varsity boys are 2-7 overall and 0-3 in conference play.

PILOT MOUNTAIN — The race for the Foothills 2A Conference’s top spot got a little clearer Monday as North Surry handed East Surry its first FH2A loss of the season.

The Greyhounds, the No. 1 team in the 2A West via the NCHSAA’s RPI rankings, never trailed in the 72-50 victory on Jan. 9. North seniors James McCreary and Jahreece Lynch combined to outscore East Surry 51-50.

North Surry is tied for first in the conference with Surry Central (12-1, 4-0 FH2A), who is also undefeated in league play.

Lynch scored 17 of his 22 points in the first half while making four of his first six 3-point attempts, including three consecutive makes. McCreary – who went off for a game-high 29 points – scored 2o across the second and third quarters. McCreary had a quiet night from deep with only one 3-pointer, but made up for it by knocking down eight 2-pointers and shooting 9-of-11 (82%) from the free throw line.

The Cardinals (5-5, 3-1 FH2A) held North Surry below its season average of 80.2 points, but failed to convert on the offensive end of the floor. The game marked East Surry’s fourth consecutive loss as well as the team’s fourth time in five games failing to surpass 50 points.

East Surry made two of its first six 3-point attempts, but missed the next 13 to finish 2-of-19 (11%) from deep.

North (14-1, 5-0 FH2A) went up by as many as 9 in the first quarter at 13-4 as East went scoreless for nearly four minutes. Daniel Creech ended the run by scoring off a Brett Clayton pass with 21 seconds on the clock, but Lynch rounded out his eight first-quarter points with and-1 bucket with 10 seconds to play.

East’s Luke Brown, who had an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double, added two free throws at the end of the quarter.

A free throw from Fisher Leftwich started a 7-0 Greyhound run in the second, with Lynch and McCreary each knocking down 3-pointers. Creech then hit a 3-pointer to start East Surry’s biggest run of the game. Creech, Brown and Jordan Davis each hit two free throws as the Cards entered the bonus, then Brown put back an offensive board to cap off the 10-2 run.

The Hounds entered the bonus as well and attempts 13 free throws in the quarter, making 10. The visitors’ lead once again reached double-digits and went as high as 15 after 3-pointers from Lynch and Kam McKnight. Davis responded with a 3-pointer of his own just before the break to make it 40-28.

Good defense from both sides saw the teams combine for just 11 points through the first five minutes of the second half. North’s early advantage during that span was the difference in the quarter as the teams were evenly matched through the final three minutes.

North once again held East to just four points through the first five minutes of a quarter, during which time the Hounds went up 66-44. The Cards eventually found their shot, but the 22-point deficit remained for the final few minutes of the game.

NS: James McCreary 29, Jahreece Lynch 22, Jackson Smith 7, Fisher Leftwich 5, Kolby Watson 3, Kam McKnight 3, Isaac Johnson 2, Cam Taylor 1

ES: Luke Brown 18, Daniel Creech 11, Jordan Davis 11, Tyler Reeves 4, Colby Johnson 2, Folger Boaz 2, Jace Hazelwood 2

Will Hurley recently announced he was stepping down as the head coach of both the boys and girls soccer teams at Mount Airy High School.

“I just think it was time for a change,” Hurley said. “It wasn’t an easy decision to make, and it’s still weird to think about not coaching, but I’m good with the decision. I’m definitely going to miss the kids though.”

Hurley steps down with a combined record of 330-137-27 at Mount Airy, going 203-41-13 in boys soccer from 2012-2022, and 127-96-14 in girls from 2011-2022. He also won 41 games as the head coach at Midway High School between 2006-10, bringing Hurley’s career win total up to 371.

He was named Northwest 1A Conference Coach of the Year on six occasions – five times in boys soccer and once in girls. Hurley was also named Region Coach of the Year four times and was State Coach of the Year in 2017.

The coach always stressed to his players that they were like a family, and many of the teams used to break down huddles with the mantra.

“I’ve always believed that no matter what you’re doing, if you can surround yourself with great people great things can happen,” Hurley said. “We worked to create an environment that made people want to play and look forward to soccer season. We started kids camps and ran offseason workouts with [Carson-Newman University] coach Stephen Lyons, and I think that really set the pace for creating a family in our boys and girls programs.

“We had so many kids that would come out their junior or senior year and then say they wish they had played all four years because they loved their teammates. Hearing something like that means the world to me.”

A quote from Coach Hurley after winning his 250th career game (boys and girls soccer combined) in 2020 best embodies the type of environment he aimed for in both programs.

“The biggest thing overall was transforming [the program] into a family,” Hurley said. “I’ve had kids in the past that lose and honestly couldn’t have cared less. You know, I don’t like for kids to cry, but when they do, you realize it meant something to them. You’re coaching kids that want to win and want to play for something. They’re invested in one another and don’t want to let anyone down.”

The belief that soccer could bring people together as family applied to the coaching staff as well as Hurley was able to coach alongside his two sons, Holden and Wes. Holden was named State Assistant Coach of the Year twice, and Wes earned the honor once.

“That was really special,” Hurley said. “I don’t even know how to explain it, it was just so awesome to be able to bring them into it. I just thank the Lord for that. That’s meant a whole lot to me.”

Hurley also said a long coaching career wouldn’t be possible without his wife, Sandy.

“I really want to thank my wife who has been very, very supportive over the years,” Hurley said. “She relives every single play and game with me when I come home and watch film. She’ll come to the games in 100-degree weather and 30-degree weather. She’s always been there for me, so really special thanks to her.”

Coach Hurley originally came to the Granite City to coach the girls soccer team, taking over the program in the spring of 2011.

After going 6-11-1 and 8-11-1 in his first two seasons, Mount Airy finished at least .500 in nine of the next 10 seasons. The only exception was the 2020-21 coronavirus-shortened season, in which the Bears finished just below .500 at 5-7-1.

Mount Airy also posted double-digit wins in every full season from 2013-2022.

When Hurley won his 200th career game (boys and girls soccer combined) back in 2017, he said seeing the girls team progress every year made his milestone win that much more rewarding.

“Normally, accomplishments like this aren’t glamorous [to me],” Hurley said. “But it was special in the fact that when I first came here the girls were winning like three or four games a year. Then my first year we won six. We got a little bit better and won eight, and then we won 10.

“It was a tough achievement when you’re looking at eight games a year. So we’ve turned those things around and really turned a corner.”

The 2022 Lady Bears put their names in the history books by finishing 17-3-4. The team set school records for: most wins in a season (17), most consecutive matches without a loss (17; 13 wins and four ties), most shutouts (14) and fewest goals allowed in the regular season (17).

The 2022 girls also won the program’s first conference championship, and Hurley said the 2023 team has the skills and experience to contend for a repeat.

“They’ve got a lot of really awesome kids, and I mean that in terms of their skills on the field as well as their character,” Hurley said. “I think they’ll be successful. It won’t be easy, but I think they can win the conference and I’m encouraging them do to it.”

The Mount Airy boys soccer team became one of the most dominant programs in the state, especially during the latter half of Hurley’s tenure as head coach. The Bears won at least 15 matches in nine of Hurley’s 11 seasons with the boys, and one of the two exceptions – just like the girls team – was the 2020-21 abbreviated season.

Mount Airy still managed to finish 9-1-3 that year.

The Bears had successful teams throughout Hurley’s early years as coach, even going 22-1-2 in 2013 to set the school records for total wins and consecutive wins. However, the program turned a corner in 2017 and went on incredible runs year after year.

From 2017-2022, Mount Airy’s boys accumulated an overall record of 119 wins, 10 losses and five ties. All six of those Mount Airy teams won the Northwest 1A Conference Championship, tying for the title three times and winning it outright the other three. The Bears also haven’t lost a regular season match since 2019.

The Bears haven’t lost to a 1A traditional public school since 2016. The only 1A teams to defeat Mount Airy in the span were either public charters or non-boarding parochial schools.

The 2017 season also marked Mount Airy’s first of three appearances in the 1A West Regional Final. The Bears finished 1A West Regional Runners-up in 2017, 2019 and 2021, each time falling to one of the 1A non-boarding parochial schools.

The team that defeated Mount Airy went on to win the 1A State Championship in both 2017 and 2021.

Hurley’s squads would set school records one year and then broke their own records the following year. The current single-season school records for the team are:

Mount Airy has also had numerous players in both programs set records and receive top honors on both a state and national scale during Hurley’s time as coach.

“We’ve been blessed with an unbelievable group of kids over the years,” Hurley said. “That’s what it’s always been about: the kids. All the attention should go to them. They put in the work and made Mount Airy soccer what it is today.

“Being there to witness their success will stick with me forever, and I’m so thankful for that.”

Hurley said he wouldn’t name specific players because, “there are so many that someone really important would inevitably get left out.”

Some of the individual records set during Hurley’s time as coach are as follows.

PILOT MOUNTAIN — An improbable double-digit comeback in the fourth quarter helped lift North Surry over top-ranked East Surry on Jan. 9.

Greyhound junior Sadie Badgett scored 15 of her 18 total points in the fourth quarter and overtime. This included the game-tying 3-pointer with just two seconds left in regulation.

The Hounds stayed even or a step ahead of the Cards throughout the overtime period. North Surry freshman Kalyn Collins capped off a 19-point performance with a drive to the basket with 16 seconds on the clock, then East Surry’s potential game-winning 3-pointer failed to find the mark as North won 64-62.

Both teams’ performances at the free throw line kept North Surry in the game. The Cardinals shot 14-of-25 (56%) from the line, including 9-of-19 (47%) shooting in the fourth quarter and overtime. North Surry, meanwhile, made 19-of-22 (86%) total foul shots, including 16-of-17 (94%) in the fourth quarter and OT.

Badgett and Collins combined to make 10-of-10 free throws through the first 7:58 of the fourth quarter to help the Greyhounds close the gap. Badgett was fouled when she knocked down her 3-pointer to make it 54-54 with two seconds left in regulation, but missed the free throw that would’ve put the Hounds ahead for the first time since the second quarter.

Badgett did manage to grab her own rebound, her seventh of the game, after the miss and had a chance to put the game away with a buzzer beater that fell short.

Collins made two free throws to start overtime and give the Greyhounds the lead. East Surry’s Bella Hutchens missed her first shot of the double bonus less than 30 seconds later, then East Surry was called for a lane violation on the second shot. East made up for the blunder when Brooklyn Gammons evened the game up at 56.

East missed another two free throws after Reece Niston scored for North, but a Gammons steal led to two more opportunities at the free throw line. Gammons made both to once again even the score.

The trend of North Surry scoring two points and East Surry retaliating continued into the final few seconds of play. Cardinal freshman Izzy Cline went 2-for-2 from the stripe with 27 seconds left in overtime to tie the game at 62, then Collins attacked the basket to put the Hounds up with 16 seconds to play.

East Surry ran up the floor as the home team was out of timeouts. The Cards struggled to get to the basket, eventually settling for a Cline 3-pointer that sailed off target as the final buzzer sounded.

The loss is East Surry’s second of the season and the team’s first since Nov. 19. North Surry’s victory – which served as the team’s fifth consecutive win – breaks East Surry’s eight-game winning streak.

East Surry built up its original lead by pounding the ball inside. The Cardinals used their height advantage and scored all but two of their first-half field goals within 10 feet of the hoop.

Hutchens, who finished with a 20 point, 11 rebound double-double, scored 19 of her points through the first three quarters. Hutchens and Merry Parker Boaz, who scored a game-high 23 points, combined to score 30 points in just the second and third quarters.

A 3-pointer from Badgett cut East Surry’s lead to 28-26 with 6:27 left in the third quarter, then East Surry went on a 13-3 run. East outscored North 19-9 in the third quarter to go up 45-35 at the start of the fourth quarter.

The final quarter of regulation began with Collins making two free throws for North and East’s Maggy Sechrist scoring off an offensive rebound. The Cardinals won the overall rebounding battle 25-22 and grabbed 14 offensive rebounds to the Hounds’ four.

North then went on an 8-0 run over the next 2:11 of game time, consisting of a Niston elbow jumper and six free throws from Badgett. Boaz scored for East Surry to end a dry spell of nearly three minutes, then Badgett turned around and made two more free throws. The Hounds eventually tied things up at 51-51 with 2:40 to play, marking the first tie since the second quarter.

East Surry missed six consecutive free throws after scoring its 51st point. East’s defense kept North Surry from scoring for 2:38 of game time, but the Cards couldn’t make a field goal to cement their victory.

Hutchens ended the streak of missed free throws by knocking down her second of two foul shots with 55 seconds to play, then Boaz went 2-of-2 from the line with 13 seconds to play. North’s Callie Robertson found Badgett in the corner for the game-tying 3-pointer that would force overtime and give North the shot it needed to secure the win.

East Surry drops to 8-2 overall and 2-1 in the Foothills 2A Conference, while North Surry improves to 9-4 overall and 5-0 in conference play.

North Surry, the defending FH2A Conference Champions, now hold full control of first place. Forbush is second at 3-1, followed by East Surry at 2-1 and North Wilkes at 2-2. The bottom three teams are Wilkes Central at 1-4, Surry Central at 0-2 and West Wilkes at 0-3.

Collins led North Surry in scoring with 19 points. Badgett led the way in two categories with seven rebounds and five steals, and she and Collins each had one block. Sarah Mauldin dished out a team-high four assists.

Boaz led East Surry in scoring with 23 points. Hutchens was second in scoring with 20 points while leading the Cards in rebounds (11), assists (4) and blocks (1). Addie Phipps led East in steals with five.

NS: Kalyn Collins 19, Sadie Badgett 18, Reece Niston 13, Sarah Mauldin 9, Josie Tompkins 5

ES: Merry Parker Boaz 23, Bella Hutchens 20, Brooklyn Gammons 8, Addie Phipps 4, Grace Phillips 3, Maggy Sechrist 2, Izzy Cline 2

DANBURY — Despite a game-high 27 points from Mount Airy senior Morgan Mayfield, North Stokes was able to stave off a fourth quarter comeback and win 46-41 on Jan. 6.

The win broke North Stokes’ 39-game losing streak against Mount Airy that dated back to the 2004-05 season.

“I’ve told the girls all year that we need to compete in every game and most importantly finish it,” said Viking coach Scott Smith. “During that last timeout, I told the girls that we need a leader to step up and that we weren’t going to lose this game. I’m proud of them, they played hard and finished.

“It’s pretty special to beat a team like Mount Airy that’s always at the top of the conference every year. Our team is special, special kids, special parents, and I’m just along for the ride.”

Mount Airy held its largest lead of the game at 7-2 following an inside basket by Da’nya Mills. The Vikings were able to close the gap on Tela Wright’s score and took an 8-7 lead before Mayfield’s free throws gave the Bears a 9-8 edge after the first quarter of play.

Trailing 12-8, the Vikings reeled off 12 consecutive points and took a 20-15 lead into the locker room at the half. North Stokes outscored the Bears 12-6 in the quarter with four different players scoring. Leigha Wyrick led the way with five points.

Mayfield paced the Bears in the first half with 13 points that included a 3-pointer right before the halftime horn.

Mayfield added the Bears’ first five points of the third period and cut the deficit to 21-20, but that would be as close as the visitors would get the remainder of the game.

Wright’s free throw and Wyrick’s 3-pointer pushed the Viking advantage back to 25-20, and then another 6-0 run put the home team up 37-27 as the quarter ended.

North Stokes largest lead of the game was 41-28 with more than five minutes to play in the contest, but the reigning Northwest 1A Conference champs had one more push in them. Trailing 43-32, the Bears went on a 9-0 run with Alissa Clabo’s three-pointer making it a two-point game with more than a minute left in the game.

Freshman Gabbi Greer secured the win for the Lady Vikings by making 3-of-4 free throws in the final seconds.

North Stokes out-rebounded Mount Airy 33-31. Both teams committed 16 turnovers.

Caroline Mabe and Lexie Knight led the Vikings with 10 points each, Wyrick chipped in nine, and Greer had seven points and 10 rebounds.

Helping Mayfield in the scoring efforts for the Bears were Clabo with six, Mills with four, and Addie Marshall and Jalaya Revels with two points each.

North Stokes improves to 10-6 overall and 3-1 in league play, while Mount Airy drops to 7-3 and 2-1 in league play.

The Vikings will travel to East Wilkes (9-3) on Jan. 10, and then host county-rival South Stokes on Jan. 13. The Bears’ next game is on Friday at Elkin (2-11).

Scoring (free throws in parentheses)

Mount Airy: Alissa Clabo 6 (1-4), Addie Marshall 2 (0-0), Morgan Mayfield 27 (7-9), Da’nya Mills 4 (0-1), Jalaya Revels 2 (0-2). Totals 41 (8-16); 3-pointers (3) – Clabo, Mayfield (2).

North Stokes: Caroline Mabe 10 (2-7), Lexie Knight 10 (0-2), Lydia Cook 2 (0-0), Gabbi Greer 7 (3-7), Kathryn Collins 2 (0-0), Leigha Wyrick 9 (1-1), Tela Wright 6 (1-3). Totals 46 (7-20); 3-pointers (5) – Knight (2), Wyrick (2), Wright.

Records: Mount Airy 7-3 (2-1 NW1A); North Stokes 10-6 (3-1 NW1A)

DANBURY — Strong performances from North Stokes’ Samuel Collins and Will Greer led the Vikings over Mount Airy on Jan. 6.

Collins scored 22 points and Will Greer had a big game with 16 points and 12 rebounds as North Stokes defeated Mount Airy 71-47. North Stokes, ranked No. 4 in the 1A West in the NCHSAA RPI rankings, improves to 14-2 overall and 4-0 in the Northwest 1A Conference game.

The Bears’ Mario Revels hit his first of seven 3-pointers in the contest to give his team an early 3-0 advantage. Two free throws by Collins cut into the deficit, but then another 3-pointer by Logan Fonville gave the visitors a 6-2 edge.

With the Bears up 8-4, the Vikings went on a tear by scoring the game’s next 15 points. Collins scored eight points during the stretch with Mount Airy committing four turnovers. Fonville broke the scoring drought for the visitors, and Taeshon Martin’s long-distance shot from behind the arc cut the North Stokes advantage to 19-14 after the first quarter.

The Vikings grew their largest lead of the first half to 36-24 before Tyler Mason’s field goal drew the Bears deficit to 36-26 at halftime.

North Stokes went up 47-34 in the third quarter, but another Mount Airy run led by Mason and Revels’ 3-pointers cut the score to 47-42 in the last minute of the period. The Vikings’ Michael Mabe’s quick score gave the home team a 49-42 lead with one quarter to play.

The Mean Green put the Bears to rest early in the fourth quarter. Collins, Mabe, and Cole Hicks hit 3-pointers to ignite a 19-0 run, giving the Vikings a 70-45 advantage and causing both coaches to empty their benches in the last minute of the game.

North Stokes shot 62% (30-of-48) from the field and outrebounded the Bears 33-30. Helping Collins and Greer’s offensive efforts were Mabe’s 11 points and Wood’s nine. Collins led the team in assists (four) and steals (four).

Revels paced Mount Airy with 21 points, and Fonville and Mason had eight and seven points respectively.

The Vikings improved its record to 14-2 overall and 4-0 in conference play. The Bears dropped to 2-7 overall and 0-3 in league play. North Stokes will travel to East Wilkes (5-7) on Tuesday and host county-rival South Stokes (10-6, 4-0) on Friday. Mount Airy will play at Elkin on Friday at 8 p.m.

Scoring (free throws in parentheses)

Mount Airy: Zach Goins 2 (0-0), Mario Revels 21 (0-0), Taeshon Martin 5 (0-0), Tyler Mason 7 (0-0), Logan Fonville 8 (3-6), Caleb Reid 4 (0-0). Totals 47 (3-6); 3-pointers (10) – Revels (7), Martin, Mason, Fonville.

North Stokes: Brandon Shemo 5 (0-2), Jamison Wood 9 (0-0), Bryce Hairston 2 (0-0), Samuel Collins 22 (2-4), Kaiden Deskins 1 (1-2), Cole Hicks 5 (0-0), Michael Mabe 11 (0-1), Will Greer 16 (2-2). Totals 71 (5-11); 3-pointers (6) – Shemo, Wood, Collins (2), Hicks, Mabe.

Records: Mount Airy 2-7 (0-3); North Stokes 14-2 (4-0)

A victory over South Stokes has East Surry riding its longest winning streak since the 2020-21 Covid-shortened season.

The Cardinals defeated South Stokes 73-29 on Jan. 6 for East Surry’s eighth consecutive win. This surpasses East’s longest winning streak of the 2021-22 season, seven games, making it the program’s most since the 2020-21 Cards started 13-0.

The 44-point win is also East Surry’s largest margin of victory since the pandemic season when the Cards defeated Clover Garden 75-30.

Everything went the way of the home team as East posted its: highest scoring output of the season (73), second-highest field goal percentage (52%), second-highest 3-point shooting percentage (39%), second-most rebounds (35), second-most assists (18) and second-fewest turnovers (11) in a game this season.

East Surry (8-1), the No. 1 team in the 2A West via the NCHSAA’s RPI rankings, went straight to the basket early on. A jump shot from Addie Phipps and two free throws from Merry Parker Boaz were East Surry’s only three points scored outside the paint in the first quarter.

Bella Hutchens, who tied Boaz for the most points in the game with 17, scored eight first-quarter points. Hutchens nearly had a double-double with nine rebounds, while Boaz led the Cards with three steals and tied for the team’s most assists with five.

Despite its final shooting percentage being one of the team’s best all season, East Surry missed its first six 3-point attempts – all coming in the first quarter. South Stokes’ Rebecca Amos actually made the first triple of the game, but that would be the Sauras’ only 3-pointer of the night.

The second quarter was a different story as the Cardinals made 4-of-7 3-pointers in a span of just over four minutes. East shot 7-of-12 from deep over the second and third quarters after starting 0-of-6; the Cards didn’t attempt a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter.

Haley Tyndall scored for South (6-6) to cut the East lead to 18-9 with 5:36 to play in the second quarter. Grace Phillips then knocked down the Cardinals’ first 3-pointer of the game off an assist from Brooklyn Gammons, who tied Boaz with five assists.

Gammons matched her five assists with a career-high five 3-pointers. The senior already had three games making four 3-pointers this season after four such games in her first three years with the varsity Cardinals.

In a stark contrast to the first quarter, East Surry didn’t score a single point in the paint in the second quarter: Boaz and Izzy Cline each made jump shots from the top of the key, Gammons made three 3-pointers, Phillips had one triple, and Boaz and Cline each made a free throw as part of an 18-point quarter.

East Surry’s also had five steals in the second quarter, holding South to just one field goal through the first 6:13 of game time.

South came out of halftime and scored on back-to-back possessions for the first time as Savannah Wilson, who led the Sauras with 14 points, scored on a pair of layups. Wilson scored 10 points in the third quarter after South only scored 13 as a team in the first half.

Despite South Stokes’ best offense of the game, it wasn’t enough to close the gap as East Surry had its best offensive quarter as well. Gammons made her next two 3-point attempts, and Emory Anderson joined Gammons by making her first basket from downtown.

Phipps scored the first three Cardinal points of the quarter, and then Boaz and Hutchens combined for 10 as East once again pounded the ball inside.

East Surry went up 53-21 late in the quarter when an all freshmen lineup took the floor, consisting of: Anderson, Cline, Maggy Sechrist, Addyson Boaz and Addison Green.

The game went to a running clock after East Surry started the fourth quarter with a 10-0 run.

SS: Savannah Wilson 14, Rebecca Amos 6, Sage Stovall 5, Haley Tyndall 2, Abby Cain 2

ES: Bella Hutchens 17, Merry Parker Boaz 17, Brooklyn Gammons 15, Addie Phipps 5, Emory Anderson 5, Addison Green 4, Maggy Sechrist 4, Izzy Cline 3, Grace Phillips 3

PILOT MOUNTAIN — A sharpshooting South Stokes squad went on the road and defeated East Surry 59-44 on Jan. 6.

Led by 25 points from Ethan Moran, the Sauras knocked down eight 3-pointers while shooting 47.1% from beyond the arc. Moran himself made 5-of-9 (55.6%) shots from deep, while East Surry went 3-of-16 (18.8%) from 3-point land as a team.

The Sauras win their third game in three days to improve to 10-4 overall and 3-0 in 2023. East Surry drops its third straight to fall to 4-3 overall.

South, the No. 6 team in the 1A West via the NCHSAA’s RPI rankings, never trailed during Friday’s game. East Surry stayed within single digits until midway through the third quarter when South went on a 21-8 run, with Moran scoring 10 of his 25 in the third.

South Stokes’ big run in the third quarter resulted from the Sauras stingy defense. East was held to one field goal in the third quarter, that coming from a Will Jones jump shot with 4:15 to play, while scoring the remaining six points at the free throw line.

Free throw shooting was a positive for the Cardinals. East shot 15-of-17 (88.2%) from the line, while South made 7-of-12 (58.3%) foul shot attempts.

The Sauras also had three steals and two blocks in the quarter while winning the rebounding battle in each of the four quarters. South finished plus-10 in rebounding; Isiah Lash, Barry Hairston Jr. and Jonah Fie each grabbed six boards for the Sauras, and Moran added five.

Lash also dished out a game-high five assists, and Hairston led all players with four blocks.

The Cardinals kept the game within reach for as long as they did because of their defense. While East struggled on the boards, the team grabbed nine steals and recorded three blocks. Folger Boaz led the Cards with four steals.

The Cardinals opened the game in a 3-2 zone, though South quickly adjusted with backdoor cuts and off-ball screens paired with two 3-pointers from Moran. East was able to get in the paint multiple times as Boaz, Luke Brown and Brett Clayton all finished at the rim, while Jordan Davis and Colby Johnson drew shooting fouls in the lane.

Davis also knocked down a 3-pointer off an assist from Brown.

The game was tied 9-9, which was the only tie of the evening, then Moran hit his second 3-pointer for South. The Sauras missed their next four attempts from deep, but offensive rebounds helped the visitors go on a 7-0 run. With the pace of the game slowed down, this 7-0 run was crucial and the second-longest run by either team all night.

Moran’s third 3-pointer went through the net with 6:15 left in the second quarter, putting the Sauras up 23-14. East only had one field goal in the first 2:50 of the second quarter, then scored six points in the next 70 seconds for its best run of the game. Moran hit another triple to end the run as South scored the next six points, then East’s Daniel Creech hit a 3-pointer and a floater to close the half down 29-25.

With the exception of a few missed free throws, everything went well for the Sauras in the third quarter. South made 3-of-6 3-pointers as Lash, Carson White and Brendon Bradford each made their first of the night. The Sauras started the quarter with a 5-0 run, then ended it with an 8-0 run.

South’s lead grew to 19 after Moran made his final 3-pointer of the evening in the fourth quarter. A 2-point field goal and free throw from Boaz gave East its only points through the first 5:06 of the quarter.

East was held to three field goals in the fourth quarter: Creech made his second 3-pointer, Boaz scored in the paint and Luke Brown converted an old-fashioned 3-point play after being fouled attempting a layup.

SS: Ethan Moran 25, Isiah Lash 11, Barry Hairston Jr. 9, Jonah Fie 6, Carson White 5 Brendon Bradford 3

ES: Luke Brown 11, Jordan Davis 9, Daniel Creech 8, Folger Boaz 7, Brett Clayton 4, Jace Hazelwood 2, Will Jones 2, Colby Johnson 1

Surry Central’s four elder statesmen led the team to a pair of team victories on Senior Night.

The Golden Eagles recognized Luis Insunza, Alex Kinton, Enoc Lopez and Jeremiah prior to the Jan. 5 tri-match. Surry Central went on to defeat North Wilkes 44-33 and Atkins 70-6, with all four seniors picking up at least one win on the night.

“Luis decided he wanted to come out and wrestle this year and he has been working hard to learn and brings a great attitude to practice and matches, ” said Central coach Stephen Priddy. “Alex, Enoc and Jeremiah have been a huge part of our success these past four years. They all mean a great deal to me and the program.

“They are tremendous leaders and they will be missed greatly.”

Surry Central improves to 11-4 overall and 2-2 in the Foothills 2A Conference with the two victories. The Golden Eagles have won eight consecutive dual team matches after starting the season 3-4.

Central has defeated the following teams during its winning streak: Galax (Va.), Giles (Va.), Patrick County (Va.), West Stokes, East Surry, NC Leadership, North Wilkes and Atkins.

Surry Central vs. North Wilkes

Central got back to .500 in conference competition with the 44-33 win over North Wilkes.

The Eagles won eight individual matches to the Vikings’ six, with Central winning six of those matches via fall, one via decision and one via technical fall.

Ayden Norman started the night with a 19-2 tech fall, with the 106-pound match being stopped in the second period. Surry Central’s Jose Trejo followed with a win in 36 seconds in the 113 bout.

Xavier Salazar and North Wilkes’ Phillip Dancy needed all six minutes of match time, plus about 90 seconds of injury time, at 120 to determine a winner. The pair were scoreless through the first two periods, then Salazar picked up a 2-point reversal less than five seconds into the third period.

Dancy executed an escape for a point with 14 seconds left in the match, but it was too little too late as Salazar won 2-1.

The Eagles forfeited at 126 for their first loss of the match, then North Wilkes’ Chase Eller defeated Sam Wood via fall at 132.

Kinton avenged the loss at 138 with a second-period fall. He trailed North Wilkes’ Ben South 6-5 after the first period, but turned things around with an escape and takedown in the second period before pinning the Viking.

North Wilkes’ Alex ball then defeated Wyatt Wall via 14-7 decision at 145.

Central won four of the next six matches, all via fall, to secure the team win. Three-time defending state champion Jeremiah Price won in 22 seconds at 152, Allen Huffman won in 48 seconds at 160, defending state champion Jacob Price won in 17 seconds at 170, and Lopez won in 2:38 at 220.

North Wilkes’ final three wins came in the 182, 195 and 285 bouts. Mason Dancy defeated Marshall LeClair at 182, Avery Brafford beat Hunter Gillmore at 195 and Blaine Shell defeated Insunza at 285.

The Eagles returned to the mat to face Atkins after North Wilkes defeated the Camels.

Surry Central won 12-of-13 matches against Atkins (120 was a double forfeit) to win 70-6. Ten of the Golden Eagles’ wins came via fall, one was via forfeit and the remaining two were via tech fall.

The following Eagles won their match against Atkins via fall: Salazar (126), Wood (132), Kinton (138), Samuel Simpson (145), Huffman (160), Jacob Price (170), LeClair (182), Lopez (220) and Insunza (285).

Trejo won the 113 match via forfeit, while Norman and Jeremiah Price each won via 17-2 tech fall.

Atkins picked up its only win in the 195 match where Cooper Ranson defeated Gillmore via fall.

PILOT MOUNTAIN — East Surry bested Ronald Reagan High School for the second time in a week on Jan. 4.

The Cardinals and Raiders closed 2022 with a nonconference game in Pfafftown on Dec. 29, with East Surry taking the win 59-47. Reagan traveled to East Surry six days later for a rematch, but the result was nearly identical as East won 58-47.

East Surry led by as many as 24 as the Cards secured their seventh consecutive victory.

The victory over 4A Reagan propelled East Surry to No. 2 in the NCHSAA. The Cards also have the highest strength of schedule of any team in the MaxPreps 2A West top-25.

Bella Hutchens led East Surry with a season-high 21 points on 63% shooting to go with eight rebounds, four steals and two assists. Hutchens led the Cards’ effort to score inside as the team made 18-of-37 (48.6%) 2-point field goals while making just 2-of-14 (14.3%) 3-point attempts.

Hutchens also helped guard Reagan’s 6’2” center Emma Pendleton, a senior who signed to play basketball at Lenoir-Rhyne University. Pendleton was held to just three points in the first half and 14 overall. Reagan was held to just 11 made field goals in the game and Pendleton had four of those.

The Cardinals started the game in a big way by holding the Raiders (5-7) to just four first-quarter points. Hutchens outscored Reagan herself 7-4 in the first quarter, and Maggy Sechrist, Merry Parker Boaz, Izzy Cline, Brooklyn Gammons and Addie Phipps all added points in the quarter to put East up 16-4.

Reagan started to build some momentum in the second quarter before it was squashed by a Phipps 3-pointer. Hutchens then grabbed an offensive board, went back up and got the hoop and the harm to fire the team up.

East Surry stayed on offense most of the quarter as Reagan struggled to fight the Cards’ full-court press, then East took its time on offense while navigating against Reagan’s 2-3 zone.

The Cards finished with 19 steals, one shy of a season high. Sechrist led the way with five steals, followed by Hutchens with four, Phipps and Grace Phillips with three, Gammons with two, and Boaz and Cline with one each.

The Cardinal lead was cut to seven at one point in the second quarter until East closed the half with a 7-1 run. The Cards then opened the second half by scoring 14 points in less than four minutes to go up 42-20.

The Raiders still had signs of life and closed the third quarter with a 9-0 run. The Cards had foul trouble that put Reagan in the bonus early, leading to the Raiders attempting 16 free throws in the second half.

The Reagan 9-0 run to close the third quarter was extended as the Raiders scored the first six points of the fourth, cutting the Cardinal lead to single digits at 44-35. Hutchens hit a field goal with 6:11 left in the fourth quarter, then Gammons added a pair of free throws that were immediately countered by four Reagan free throws.

East called a timeout with 4:59 and used it to regroup. Hutchens, Gammons and Boaz each scored in the next few minutes as part of a 6-0 Cardinal run, then Gammons knocked down multiple free throws when Reagan began to foul. The Cards made 12-of-13 free throws in the second half.

East Surry led 58-42 with 1:42 left on the clock, then Reagan added five points in the little time remaining.

RR: Emma Pendleton 14, Emily Smith 10, Grace Galyon 8, Marlena Hall 5, Makeva Hines 3, Bri’Kayla Forte 3, Haley Beltz 2

ES: Bella Hutchens 21, Brooklyn Gammons 13, Merry Parker Boaz 11, Addie Phipps 7, Maggy Sechrist 4, Izzy Cline 2

PILOT MOUNTAIN — East Surry dropped a nonconference rematch to Reagan 59-42 on Jan. 4.

East hosted Reagan just six days after the 4A Raiders handed the Cardinals their first loss of the season 48-47.

Rebounding was key in the game, and East controlled the boards early as Reagan big man Cooper Jackson sat with foul trouble. Neither side led by more than two possessions in the first half, with the Cards going up by five at halftime, but the second half was a different story.

Reagan scored 13 points in the third quarter – all coming from inside the paint or the free throw line – while East Surry was held scoreless in the half until the 7:36 mark of the fourth quarter. It was still a single-digit game entering the fourth quarter, but 24 fourth-quarter points from the visitors put the game out of reach.

Reagan’s Jackson, a 6’6” center, and Carl Ford, a 6’4” forward, combined for 24 total rebounds and eight offensive rebounds. Ford had a double-double with 12 points and 15 rebounds.

East Surry’s leading rebounder was Brett Clayton with eight total boards and three on the offensive end. Clayton had six boards in the first quarter, but had to sit for extended periods of time with foul trouble. Matthew Keener added seven rebounds off the bench for East Surry (4-2), but the Cards struggled to turn those boards into points as he and Clayton combined for just one field goal.

East Surry built a 9-2 lead out of the gate with Jordan Davis and Daniel Creech each knocking down triples early. Reagan (9-4), the winner of nine consecutive games, matched with a pair of 3-pointers in the first and used its perimeter shooting to go on a 12-2 run.

Creech, Davis, Folger Boaz, Luke Brown and Colby Johnson all scored for East in a second quarter in which the Cards put up 16 points to Reagan’s eight. Creech hit his second 3-pointer of the night late in the quarter to bring the lead up to five at 27-22.

Reagan was able to play both Jackson and Ford in the third quarter and their presence on the boards showed. Each player grabbed five rebounds in the third quarter which led to eight points. East Surry already had a tough time shooting in the third quarter, but the Raiders’ interior presence made second-chance points nearly impossible.

Tyler Reeves ended East’s scoring drought early in the fourth quarter to make it 36-29. Reagan’s K.J. Ford and Jalill Rogers drilled 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to give the Raiders their first double-digit lead, but Davis responded with a triple of his own.

Despite trailing by nine, East Surry was able to put pressure on Reagan with a full-court press that started to give the home team some momentum. However, the Raiders squashed the Cards’ comeback hopes by going on a 15-3 run. Reagan scored 25 points in the fourth quarter and led by as many as 21.

RR: Jalill Rogers 12, Carl Ford 12, Caleb Ellison 12, K.J. Ford 10, Cooper Jackson 7, Lincoln Jackson 3, Yazir Wilson 2, Jake Phillips 1

ES: Jordan Davis 12, Luke Brown 8, Daniel Creech 6, Folger Boaz 5, Levi Watson 3, Jace Goldbach 2, Brett Clayton 2, Tyler Reeves 2, Colby Johnson 2

North Surry had revenge on its mind when hosting Mount Airy on Jan. 3.

The crosstown rivals only faced off once during the 2021-22 season, with the Bears winning that matchup 73-69. This was North Surry’s only home loss of the season as well as the calendar year of 2022. North came into that game riding a 6-game winning streak, then the Hounds won their next nine games to finish 2A West Regional Runners-up.

This year, North Surry took a lead late in the first quarter and never looked back en route to a 73-50 win.

The Greyhounds’ 23-point margin of victory was the largest by either team in the rivalry game since 2008 according to MaxPreps; Mount Airy defeated North Surry 71-44 on Nov. 22 of that year.

The Greyhounds (12-1), ranked No. 1 in the 2A West in the NCHSAA’s RPI rankings as well as the MaxPreps Poll, used a number of uninterrupted scoring streaks to build and maintain its lead. North went on a 13-0 run to close the first quarter and open the second, forcing the third and final lead change of the game, then went on a 10-0 run late in the second quarter and finally a 9-0 run in the third quarter.

Mount Airy (2-5) graduated eight seniors from its 2021-22 squad and has worked to find consistency in a season with a delayed start. Despite this, the Granite Bears appeared to be in mid-season form out of the gate as they nearly took a double-digit lead in the first quarter.

Caleb Reid, who had an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double in the game, grabbed four offensive boards in the first period and turned those into six points. Tyler Mason and Mario Revels each hit 3-pointers in the quarter to help the Bears’ advantage balloon to eight points at 17-9.

North held Mount Airy scoreless in the final 2:17 of the quarter as a part of a 10-0 run. James McCreary, who led the Hounds in scoring with 18 points, had 12 in the first quarter. Fellow Greyhound double-digit scorers Kam McKnight, who finished with 15, and Kolby Watson, who finished with 14, scored on the run to put North up 19-17 after eight minutes of play.

McKnight’s 15 points off the bench helped North outscore Mount Airy 17-0 in bench points.

Jahreece Lynch scored his first of 15 points in the game by nailing a 3-pointer to begin the second quarter. North Surry shot 5-of-8 (62.5%) from deep in the first half and 8-of-16 (50%) from beyond the arc for the game.

The Bears stayed within two possessions until the Hounds went on a 12-2 run to close the quarter, then North maintained a double-digit lead for most of the second half.

After making 4-of-9 (44.4%) 3-point attempts in the first half, Mount Airy made just 1-of-12 (8.3%) perimeter shots in the second half.

Mount Airy won the rebounding battle in the game, grabbing 38 total boards and 13 on offense compared to North’s 26 overall and six on offense. However, turnovers proved costly for the Bears as they couldn’t turn those rebounds into points.

North grabbed 11 steals as a team to Mount Airy’s three.

Jackson Smith was North Surry’s leading rebounder with 11 to go with his seven points. Lynch dished out a team-high four assists while recording three steals, and Cam Taylor led the Hounds with two blocks. McCreary also filled the stat sheet for North Surry by tallying five rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.

Revels was Mount Airy’s leading scorer with 14 points. Mason added 12 points, five rebounds and two assists, Reid had a double-double with 11 points and 11 boards, and Carson Hill came close to a double-double with eight points and 12 rebounds. Reid and Hill each had three assists.

MA: Mario Revels 14, Tyler Mason 12, Caleb Reid 11, Carson Hill 8, Logan Fonville 5

NS: James McCreary 18, Jahreece Lynch 15, Kam McKnight 15, Kolby Watson 14, Jackson Smith 7, Cam Taylor 2, Makiyon Woodbury 2

An electric two-quarter stretch for North Surry helped the Greyhounds snap Mount Airy’s four-game winning streak.

Greyhound junior Sadie Badgett continued her hot scoring streak with a 24-point performance in the 51-33 win on Jan. 3. Badgett scored 17 points in just the second and third quarters, knocking down 3-of-5 3-pointers in the process, as North outscored Mount Airy 34-10 during that stretch.

The Hounds also held Mount Airy (6-2) to their lowest scoring total of the season, with the Bears scoring 16 points through the first three quarters before more than doubling their total in the fourth quarter alone.

North Surry (7-4) has now won five of its past six games after starting the season 2-3.

Both teams competed twice in Ron King Gymnasium to close 2022 as part of the Chick-Fil-A Holiday Invitational. The two Granite City squads didn’t cross paths during the tournament, however, as North defeated West Stokes and Starmount while Mount Airy took down Galax (Va.) and West Stokes.

A low-scoring first quarter saw the teams score just four combined points through the first six minutes of action. Badgett, Josie Tompkins and Reece Niston each added field goals in the final two minutes for the Hounds, while Granite Bears senior Morgan Mayfield scored once in the paint and hit two free throws for the visitors.

Business picked up for the home team in the second quarter as the Greyhound went on an 8-0 run in the first 3:59 of game time. Badgett, Peyton Utt, Callie Robertson and Kalyn Collins each scored on the run before Mount Airy’s Da’nya Mills put back an offensive board.

Utt knocked down a 3-pointer off a pass from Tompkins to bring the lead to 19-8, then Badgett hit a pair of back-to-back triples to counter two free throws from Mount Airy’s Addie Marshall and a layup from Mayfield.

Mount Airy easily won the rebounding battle in the second quarter 8-3, with Mills and Mckenna Watson each grabbing three boards, but a trio of steals from North Surry helped the Hounds extend their lead to 27-14 at the break.

Mayfield found Mills on the low block to begin the second half, and Mount Airy even held North scoreless for nearly three minutes. However, a drive from Collins with 5:16 to play was the start of a 15-0 Greyhound run in the quarter.

North’s biggest lead of the night came early in the fourth quarter. A Sarah Mauldin free throw made it 48-19 with 5:48 left in the game.

Mount Airy managed to outscore North Surry 14-4 in the final 5:48 and 17-9 in the fourth quarter. Mayfield scored 15 of her team-high 23 in the final quarter.

MA: Morgan Mayfield 23, Addie Marshall 6, Da’nya Mills 4

NS: Sadie Badgett 24, Kalyn Collins 7, Peyton Utt 5, Reece Niston 4, Jaxie Draughn 4, Sarah Mauldin 3, Josie Tompkins 2, Callie Robertson 2

National recognition continues to pour in for Ethan Evans.

Evans is a 2019 graduate of North Surry High School and a Dec. 2022 graduate of Wingate University. The punter/placekicker built up an impressive resume during his time as a Greyhound as well as a Bulldog, and his football career isn’t over yet as Evans has the NFL in his sights.

The All-American will have a chance to further prove himself in front of NFL scouts when he takes part in two of the most prestigious post-season events for college football players: the 77th annual Hula Bowl and the 98th annual East-West Shrine Bowl.

“My time playing at Wingate was the best four years of my life,” Evans said after being selected for the nationwide Shrine Bowl. “I’m blessed to be able to wear the Wingate helmet one last time and to show the world what it truly means to be a Wingate Bulldog.”

Evans left a permanent mark on North Surry football during his time as a Greyhound.

The 2019 graduate holds school records for career PATs (77), career field goals (17) and the longest made field goal (51 yards). He was named Western Piedmont 2A Conference Specialist of the Year in 2017 and 2018, and had a 75% touchback rate in 2018.

Evans represented North Surry at the N.C. East-West All-Star Game in July 2019. He was just the eighth player from North Surry to compete in the East-West game and the first in 23 years.

Evans finished his college career as one of Wingate’s best special teams players.

In 39 career games, Evans recorded the following stats as a punter: 186 punts for 8,027 yards (43.2 average) with a career long of 72 yards, as well as 47 fair catches, 89 punts inside the 20-yard line and 53 punts of 50 yards or more.

As a placekicker, Evans finished his career with: 213 kickoffs for 13,230 yards (62.1 average) and 120 touchbacks.

As a senior, Evans recorded: 67 kickoffs for 4,180 yards (62.4 average) with 44 touchbacks, 77 punts for 3,518 yards (45.69 average) with a long of 67 yards, 39 punts inside the 20-yard line and 30 punts of at least 50 yards.

Ethan’s mark of 45.69 yards per punt ranked No. 2 in the NCAA’s Division II. Only 11 kickers in the NCAA in any division averaged more yards per punt: nine in DI-FBS, one in DI-FCS and one in DII.

Evans and the Bulldogs ranked fourth nationally in net punting in 2022.

He also took over field goals and PATs as a senior, making 10-of-18 field goal attempts (long of 41) while converting 43-of-44 PATs.

Wingate advanced to the national quarterfinals for the first time in program history in 2022, winning a program-record 11 games. Evans was named D2Foootball.com’s National Special Teams Player of the Week twice in 2022, and was honored on the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) All-Conference First Team and the NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-Region Team.

Evans was named a D2CCA First-Team All-American on Dec. 14. Four Wingate players received D2CCA Honors, tied for the most in the nation, with Evans being the only Bulldog to receive First-Team Honors.

Later in the day on Dec. 14, Evans was named an AP All-American. Wingate led every team in Division II with five student-athletes earning All-American honors from the Associated Press. The Bulldogs had a nation’s-best three first team selections in Ethan Evans, Davon Gilmore and Tre Morrison, with D.J. Horne and Evan Surgeon picking up second team accolades.

Evans was selected to compete in the 77th-annual Hula Bowl, which will take place on Saturday, Jan. 14, at the University of Central Florida’s FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando.

Via hulabowl.com, “The Hula Bowl is the Nation’s Premier College Football All-Star Game. The Hula Bowl is an event where all NFL, XFL, USFL and CFL teams will be represented by top scout players during Hula Bowl week.”

“Athletes chosen to participate in the Hula Bowl are selected by the Hula Bowl Selection Committee. This committee is made up of former College and Professional football players and coaches. The invitations are primarily based on an athletes potential to make a professional football team roster.

“Scouts representing from the NFL, XFL, USFL and CFL teams are invited to provide their input for athletes that they may want to see in the Hula Bowl game for additional evaluation.”

Since its inception in 1946, the Hula Bowl has featured over 6,000 players from every DI college and multiple DII and DII schools. Over 1,000 NCAA and NFL coaches have prepared players for being scouted (with over a 100+ head coaches).

Notable players include NFL MVPS (Deion Sanders and Dan Marino), Heisman winners (Ricky Williams and Billy Sims), and NFL/CFL Hall of Famers (including Tony Dorsett, Eric Dickerson, and Junior Ah You). Legendary coaches include Mike White, Grant Teaff, Rex Ryan, and Mike Smith.

Evans’ final game as a Wingate Bulldog will come on Feb. 2 as part of the 98th annual East-West Shrine Bowl. The game will be held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Evans is one of only four players from NCAA Division II to earn an invitation to this year’s Shrine Bowl.

“We are very excited for Ethan to have this unbelievable opportunity,” said Wingate head coach Joe Reich. “It’s totally the result of his hard work and dedication to his craft.”

The East-West Shrine Bowl is the longest-running college all-star football game in the nation. An important part of America’s football tradition, the event gives top college players a chance to showcase their talents to NFL scouts and a national television audience.

This year, the East-West Shrine Bowl is part of the NFL’s Pro Bowl Week events in Las Vegas.

Since 1925, the East-West Shrine Bowl has benefited Shriners Children’s and its mission to provide excellent specialty care for children.

North Surry host five other schools as part of the Chick-fil-A Mount Airy Holiday Invitational on Dec. 28-29.

Varsity girls and boys teams from the following schools took part in the two-day basketball invitational: North Surry, Surry Central, Mount Airy, Starmount, West Stokes and Galax (Va.).

The festivities began at noon with the three Surry County teams competing in the same time slots both days. Surry Central competed in its girls and boys games, followed by the Mount Airy girls and boys, then each night closed with the North Surry girls then boys.

North Surry and Mount Airy’s girls both went 2-0 in the tournament. North Surry is currently ranked No. 14 in the 2A West by MaxPreps, while Mount Airy is No. 10 in the 1A West.

Surry Central and Starmount’s girls split their games, while Galax and West Stokes went 0-2.

Two of the 2A West’s top-ranked boys teams according to MaxPreps – No. 1 North Surry and No. 6 Surry Central – went 2-0 in the tournament. Mount Airy and West Stokes went 1-1, while Starmount and Galax went 0-2.

The six teams hold the following overall records as 2022 comes to a close:

—DAY ONE: DEC. 28—

Surry Central girls vs. Starmount

Surry Central had to fight from behind all game and couldn’t overcome Starmount as the Rams held on to win 57-48.

The Rams went up 14-6 after the first quarter and consistently scored between 13-15 in each subsequent quarter. The Eagles added 17 second-quarter points, but fell short by one or two points in the third and fourth quarters.

Two of Central’s three losses this season came against Starmount.

Despite tying its second-most points of any game this season, Surry Central tied its second-lowest overall field goal percentage (26%) and its second-lowest 3-point percentage (8%) of the season.

Layla Wall nearly had a double-double with 11 points and seven rebounds.

SC: Layla Wall 11, Ashley Santamaria 11, Mallie Southern 9, Jenna Cave 7, Ragan Hall 5, Gaby Montero 4, Presley Smith 1

Surry Central boys vs. Starmount

Though it was closer than their first encounter, Surry Central defeated Starmount for the second time in a month. A strong third quarter from the Eagles gave them the win 74-66.

Central made a season-low four 3-pointers on a season-low 20% shooting from deep, but used a strong interior presence – making 58% of 2-point field goals – to come away with the victory. The Eagles were led by Tripp McMillen’s career-high 22 points, which came on 46% shooting from inside the arc.

Central’s four leading scorers all shot at least 45% on 2-point field goals.

McMillen added six steals to go with 22 points, and Jacob Mitchell had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

ST: Xavier King 18, Cole Longworth 15, Zack Armstrong 12, Zack Dezern 7, A.J. Pardue 6, Anthony Rangel 4, Jadon Hurt-Bailey 4

SC: Tripp McMillen 22, Jacob Mitchell 17, Ayden Wilmoth 12, Josh Pardue 11, Mason Jewell 4, Lucas Johnson 3, Landon Johnson 3, Adam Hege 2

Mount Airy girls vs. Galax

Having competed in the Fort Chiswell Holiday Tournament the week prior, Mount Airy’s game against Galax was its fourth consecutive meeting with a team from Virginia.

The Granite Bears dropped their opening game of the Fort Chiswell tournament to Blacksburg, but won the next two before capping off its Virginia road tour with a 45-33 win over Galax.

Mount Airy led 23-19 at halftime before outscoring the Maroon Tide by 10 in the third quarter. Morgan Mayfield, who led the way with 18 points, had eight points in the quarter to outscore Galax’s entire team. Addie Marshall matched Galax’s six points in the third quarter.

Clabo and Marshall also finished in double figures with 12 and 11 respectively.

GX: Jenna Sawyers 13, Makayla Miller 6, Carly Sturgill 5, Jayden Leonard 4, Emily Edwards 3, Lena King 2

MA: Morgan Mayfield 18, Alissa Clabo 12, Addie Marshall 11, Kancie Tate 4

Mount Airy boys vs. Galax

Mount Airy posted its largest win of the season by defeating Galax 67-49.

Granite Bears Tyler Mason (26), Caleb Reid (14) and Ethan Clabo (12) combined to outscore the Maroon Tide 52-49. Mason and Reid both tied career highs in the win, while the freshman Clabo scored eight more than his previous high this season.

Galax’s Josh Jimenson, Xavier Blevins and Mason Cox scored all but three of the Maroon Tide’s points. Jimenson’s 15-point second half wasn’t enough to close the gap as Mount Airy saw scoring contributions from seven players in the half alone.

GX: Josh Jimenson 18, Xavier Blevins 16, Mason Cox 13, Tommy Jones 2

MA: Tyler Mason 26, Caleb Reid 14, Ethan Clabo 12, Carson Hill 5, Logan Fonville 4, Taeshon Martin 3, Mario Revels 2, Zach Goins 2

North Surry girls vs. West Stokes

Sadie Badgett went off for 17 first-half points as North Surry defeated West Stokes 61-21. The junior hit three first-half 3-pointers as she nearly outscored West’s entire team in the game.

Seven different Greyhounds scored in the win, with Badgett, Reece Niston and Peyton Utt each reaching double figures.

North Surry led 54-10 through three quarters before West scored 11 in the final quarter.

WS: Meg White 6, Sadie Knox 4, Jessica Beasley 4, Kathryn Davis 3, Ashlyn Elbadla 2, Ava Santoro 1, Mikayla Nixon 1

NS: Sadie Badgett 17, Reece Niston 12, Peyton Utt 10, Sarah Mauldin 8, Josie Tompkins 7, Kayln Collins 5, Jaxie Draughn 2

North Surry boys vs. West Stokes

North Surry and West Stokes have played each other close in most of their recent meetings, with seven of the past nine meetings being decided by single digits. Wednesday’s 79-71 win by North continued that trend.

Neither side led by more than four points in the second half until the final two minutes. North and West were tied at 68-68 with 2:32 to play, then the Greyhounds closed the game with an 11-3 run

West Stokes’ Cam Edmonds was the game’s leading scorer with 32 points. He had 29 points through three quarters, but only added three in the fourth. The Wildcats’ Matt Allen controlled the paint with eight of his 18 points in the final quarter.

All of West Stokes’ 71 points were scored by four players, while North Surry had scoring contributions from six players in the fourth quarter alone. James McCreary hit a pair of 3-pointers and a jumper in the fourth, helping the junior finish with a team-high 23.

McCreary nearly had a double-double with eight rebounds to go with his 23 points, while also adding three assists, two steals and a block. Jahreece Lynch had a team-high four steals to go with his 21 points, and Kam McKnight led the Hounds with five assists.

Edmonds had four steals, three rebounds and two assists to go with his 32 points. West Stokes’ Bryson Bowman fell a point shy of a double-double with nine points and 10 boards.

WS: Cam Edmonds 32, Matt Allen 18, Keyon Rawley 12, Bryson Bowman 9

NS: James McCreary 23, Jahreece Lynch 21, Kolby Watson 16, Cam Taylor 12, Kam McKnight 5, Jackson Smith 2

—DAY TWO: DEC. 29—

Surry Central girls vs. Galax

Surry Central bounced back from its third loss of the season by defeating Galax 46-42. Individual stats for the game were not available on MaxPreps at the time of publication.

More details will be added online as they become available.

Surry Central boys vs. Galax

Surry Central posted its second-highest scoring total of the past 15 seasons in an 88-38 win over Galax. The game was second to 90-63 win over East Wilkes on Jan. 18, 2012.

Central had 78 points through three quarters in Thursday’s victory. Led by a career-high 25 points from Ayden Wilmoth, four Golden Eagles scored in double figures: Wilmoth, Tripp McMillen (13), Mason Jewell (13) and Josh Pardue (12).

Surry Central shot 46% from the field overall and 42% from deep, knocking down 15 3-pointers. Wilmoth led the way with seven triples on 7-of-14 shooting from beyond the arc.

Pardue had a 12 point, 12 rebound double-double as well as three blocks.

The Eagles assisted on 24-of-30 field goals, with Adam Hege leading the way with seven assists.

SC: Ayden Wilmoth 25, Tripp McMillen 13, Mason Jewell 13, Josh Pardue 12, Jacob Mitchell 9, Landon Johnson 6, Mason Cox 6, Lucas Johnson 3, Brian Williams 1

Mount Airy girls vs. West Stokes

A strong finish overshadowed a cold start for Mount Airy as the Bears defeated West Stokes 41-29.

After scoring just three points through the first 6:32 of the third quarter, Mount Airy’s Alissa Clabo drilled a 3-pointer to give the Bears a 29-27 lead. Kancie Tate and Morgan Mayfield hit free throws early in the fourth quarter, then a 3-pointer from Mayfield capped off an 8-0 run.

Ava Santoro put back an offensive rebound to end the run, but it didn’t matter as Mount Airy scored the next seven points without giving up any.

The Wildcats ran ahead to a 13-6 lead in the game, scoring nearly half their total points in the first quarter. Mayfield, who led all scorers with 23, helped bring the Bears back to life with a 10-point second quarter in which Mount Airy outscored West Stokes 17-6.

Though West kept the game close in the third quarter, Mount Airy’s 12-2 fourth quarter proved to be the difference maker.

Mayfield was also Mount Airy’s leader in rebounds (5), steals (4) and assists (3). Clabo added three rebounds a block to go with her 12 points, while West’s Santoro nearly had a double-double with 10 points and seven rebounds.

WS: Ava Santoro 10, Sadie Knox 6, Meg White 5, Mikayla Nixon 4, Jessica Beasley 4

MA: Morgan Mayfield 23, Alissa Clabo 12, Kancie Tate 3, Addie Marshall 2, Niya Smith 1

Mount Airy boys vs. West Stokes

A strong third-quarter from Mount Airy wasn’t enough to catch up to West Stokes as the Wildcats held to win 50-37.

Mount Airy started the game with a 12-6 advantage, but West closed the gap with a 11-0 run from the 3:02 mark of the first quarter until the 5:21 mark of the second quarter. Caleb Reid ended the run by scoring in the paint for the Bears, but West followed with a 9-0 run.

West Stokes ran away with the lead by outscoring Mount Airy 18-4 in the second quarter, shooting 3-of-5 from beyond the arc during this span. Wildcats Cam Edmonds and Matt Allen each hit double figures in scoring by halftime.

Tyler Mason spearheaded a 12-2 run for the Bears in the third quarter. Logan Fonville scored nine second into the third off a steal, then Mason had the next 15 points for the Bears. Mount Airy never closed the gap completely despite trailing by just two at 33-31 and 35-33. A 3-pointer from Bryson Bowman extended the lead to five at the end of the quarter.

Scoring was slow in the fourth as each team only scored once in the first two minutes of the quarter. Edmonds, who led the game with 25 points, converted an old fashioned 3-point play with 5:37 to play spark a 10-2 run.

Mason had 21 points through three quarters to record his fourth 20-point game of the season, but did not play the final five minutes.

WS: Cam Edmonds 25, Bryson Bowman 10, Matt Allen 9, Tyler Moran 3, Keyon Rawley 3

MA: Tyler Mason 21, Logan Fonville 6, Caleb Reid 6, Carson Hill 2, Mario Revels 2

North Surry girls vs. Starmount

North Surry and Starmount had the closest finish of any game in the tournament at 48-46, with the Hounds taking the victory. The game featured 11 ties and eight lead changes.

The Greyhounds were held without a field goal in the final 3:45 of the game, but made 7-of-9 free throws down the stretch to hold on the victory.

Sadie Badgett had one of her four blocks in the game that set Peyton Utt up to score on the other end and tie the game at 39-39. Kalyn Collins drove to the basket to score North’s final field goal with 3:45 left in the game, which also put North Surry up 41-39 for the game’s final lead change.

Starmount’s Amelia Vanhoy hit a pair of free throws with 2:34 to play, but then the Rams wouldn’t score again until there were 21 seconds remaining. In the time between Starmount points, North Surry’s Sarah Mauldin went 4-for-4 from the charity stripe, Collins made both of her free throw attempts, and Josie Tompkins went 1-of-2 from the line.

The Rams trailed by four before Vanhoy hit a 2-point shot at the buzzer.

Badgett led all scorers with 16 points. The junior scored nine of her points in the first quarter; she assisted Jaxie Draughn on the game’s first field goal, then scored the next nine points herself as North went up 11-2.

Badgett also had four blocks, five rebounds, two assists and a steal. Tompkins led the team with seven rebounds.

ST: Morgan Pinnix 13, Molly Swaim 12, Amelia Vanhoy 9, Layken Mathis 8, Emma Smith 4

NS: Sadie Badgett 16, Sarah Mauldin 10, Kayln Collins 9, Josie Tompkins 7, Jaxie Draughn 2, Reece Niston 2, Peyton Utt 2

North Surry boys vs. Starmount

A second-quarter scoring surge lifted North Surry over Starmount 79-56 in the final game of the two-day tournament.

Six Greyhounds contributed points in a 31-point second quarter in which Starmount was held to just nine points. The Hounds were even without one of their two leading scorers, James McCreary, for most of the game.

The teams were actually tied 16-16 through the first eight minutes. North Surry shot just 1-of-8 from beyond the arc, while Starmount pounded the ball inside and had 10 first-quarter points from Zack Armstrong.

Starmount took the lead when Anthony Rangel hit the team’s first 3-point attempt early in the second quarter. A steal and score from Kolby Watson gave North Surry its only two points through the first 2:52 of the quarter.

North Surry held on to its lead by a slim margin, 25-23, with 3:00 left in the half. Jahreece Lynch scored to spark a 22-2 Greyhound run in the final three minutes of the second quarter.

Starmount came out of halftime and went on a 12-2 run of its own, but North found its groove again and held on to win by 23.

Lynch led the way for North with 25 points, eight rebounds, five steals, three assists and one block. Cam Taylor was the team’s leading rebounder with 11 to go with three steals and four points.

Starmount’s Cole Longworth was a rebounding machine, grabbing 15 total boards in the game while the rest of the team combined for 19 rebounds.

ST: Zack Armstrong 16, Xavier King 10, Cole Longworth 8, A.J. Pardue 7, Anthony Rangel 5, Jadon Hurt-Bailey 3, Dylan Ball 3, Zack Dezern 2, Preston Williams 2

NS: Jahreece Lynch 25, Kolby Watson 20, Kam McKnight 15, Jackson Smith 11, Cam Taylor 4, Fisher Leftwich 4

DANBURY – Despite knocking down 12 3-pointers Surry Central dropped its first game of the season to a surging North Stokes squad on Dec. 21.

Viking senior Samuel Collins led the way with 24 points, but it was Will Greer’s double-double of 19 points and 17 rebounds that helped the Vikings win the rebound battle at 46-25. North Stokes went on to win the game 74-69.

Both squads entered the game highly ranked in their respective divisions by MaxPreps. North Stokes, who improved to 10-1 with the win, was ranked No. 5 in the 1A West at the time, while Central, who fell to 7-1, was No. 2 in the 2A West.

Surry Central jumped out to an 8-0 lead behind Mason Jewell and Ayden Wilmoth’s three-pointers and Jewell’s 2-point basket forced Viking coach David Anderson into a timeout with 4:58 left in the opening quarter.

Greer scored the Vikings’ first point after going 1-for-2 at the free throw line making it 8-1. Tripp McMillen added to the Eagles scoring making it 10-2. Collins and Wilmoth traded 3-point baskets, and then another score by McMillen gave Surry Central its’ largest lead of the game at 17-5.

North’s full-court press forced the Eagles into miscues that ignited a 9-0 run by the home team. Collins scored seven of the nine points with Greer adding two free throws. The Golden Eagles led 20-14 after the first quarter of play.

Surry Central extended its’ lead to 28-19 before the Vikings made another run, outscoring the Eagles 12-3 tying the game at 31-31. Collins added six points in the run, with Greer recording four and Cole Hicks two.

The Eagles countered the Vikings run with McMillen’s 3-pointer giving the visitors a nine-point advantage. Brandon Shemo closed the quarter with a free throw making it 42-34 at the half.

Jamison Wood, the team’s leading scorer last season, added four points and Collins contributed two cutting the Eagles led down to 42-40. After another Wood basket, Michael Mabe’s layup and free throw knotted the game at 45-45 with 4:12 left in the third period.

North Stokes took its first lead of the contest when Greer grabbed an offensive rebound scoring underneath the basket. Wood connected on another jump-shot making it 58-54 and Connor Mabe’s free throw made it 59-54 as the third period ended.

Wilmoth begin the last quarter with an old-fashioned 3-point play making it 59-57 and then Lucas Johnson’s 3-pointer gave Surry Central the lead back at 60-59. Michael Mabe gave the advantage back to the Vikings at 61-60 with a layup.

The Eagles reclaimed the lead at 65-63 for the last time on McMillen’s layup with 5:13 left in the game. Greer added a free throw and Wood’s 3-pointer gave the Vikings the lead for good at 69-67 with 3:21 showing on the game clock.

After the teams traded baskets from Greer and Wilmoth. Collins added two free throws and Shemo one to help hold off the Eagles in the last minute of the game.

Helping Collins and Greer in the scoring column was Michael Mabe with 15 points and Wood adding 11. Wood was one rebound away from matching Greer’s double-double with nine. Wilmoth led the Eagles with 22 points and McMillen had 15.

Surry Central: Josh Pardue 8 (0-1), Ayden Wilmoth 22 (1-1), Trey McMillen 15 (0-2), Mason Jewell 5 (0-0), Brian Williams 3 (0-0), Adam Hege (0-0), Landon Johnson 3 (0-0), Lucas Johnson 6 (0-0), Eli Scott 4 (0-1). Totals 69 (1-5); 3-pointers (12) – Wilmoth (5), McMillen, Jewell, Williams, Hege, Landon Johnson, Lucas Johnson (2).

North Stokes: Brandon Shemo 2 (2-4), Jamison Wood 11 (0-2), Connor Mabe 1 (1-2), Samuel Collins 24 (5-10), Cole Hicks 2 (0-0), Michael Mabe 15 (1-4), Will Greer 19 (7-11). Totals 74 (16-33); 3-pointers (4) – Wood, Collins (3).

KING — Chris Johnson stepped down as West Stokes head football coach on Dec. 21.

Johnson led the football program for three seasons, finishing 12-15 with two state playoff appearances. The coach has a 56-82 overall record including the 10 years he spent at Forbush High.

“We are grateful for Coach Johnson’s time at West Stokes,” said Travis Gammons, the school’s athletic director. “He led our program through the COVID-19 pandemic and provided stability during a very difficult time for high school athletics. Coach Johnson is a quality football coach and a great man. We understand his decision and wish him the best of luck.”

Coach Johnson will continue teaching at West Stokes, but does not believe he is finished with coaching.

“Everything has a season and, while I still have a passion for teaching and coaching the game of football, I do believe it is the right time for me to step down as the head football coach at West Stokes,” Johnson said. “I believe our program is in a good place to make this transition. We made the state playoffs the past two years, increased the number of players in our program and have a quality group of players returning.

”I am grateful for my time at West Stokes and wish the school and football program the best as they move forward.“

Johnson said he wasn’t sure what the future holds and will take the next few weeks to explore his options in both North Carolina and Virginia. West Stokes will begin their search for the next football coach immediately.

“The goal is to work diligently over the next few weeks to identify the right person to lead the program,” Gammons added. “Our hope is to have the next football coach in place for the second semester.”

DANBURY — Ragan Hall drained five 3-pointers against North Stokes on Dec. 21, including two in overtime, to helped her team conquer the Vikings 41-39.

North Stokes led 37-35 with 1:34 left in regulation when Central’s Brianna Wilmoth scored the bucket to send the game to OT. Wilmoth scored all four of her points in the final quarter.

Gabbi Greer gave North Stokes a four-point lead late in the overtime period with two free throws and a layup. Hall came alive with back-to-back 3-pointers, giving the Golden Eagles the lead and eventually the win.

Surry Central led the Vikings 7-4 after the first quarter and 19-16 at the half. North Stokes won the second half 19-16 with Lexie Knight scoring six of those points to lead the Vikings.

Hall led all scorers with 18 points and Greer led the Vikings with 12.

Surry Central 7-12-10-6-6 – 41

North Stokes 4-12-12-7-4 – 39

Surry Central: Ashley Santamaria 5 (0-7), Layla Wall 10 (2-3), Gaby Montero 4 (0-1), Ragan Hall 18 (1-3), Brianna Wilmoth 4 (0-0). Totals 41 (3-14); 3-pointers (6) – Santamaria, Hall (5).

North Stokes: Caroline Mabe 4 (0-0), Lexie Knight 6 (0-0), Gabbi Greer 12 (5-8), Kathryn Collins 6 (0-0), Leigha Wyrick 7 (2-2), Tela Wright 4 (2-4). Totals 39 (9-14); 3-pointers (2) – Greer, Wyrick.

WINSTON-SALEM — North Surry won a pair of thrillers in the Frank Spencer Holiday Classic Tournament before falling to Mount Tabor in the championship game.

The Greyhounds, who started the season 9-0 before falling to one of the top-ranked 4A teams in the state, looked to win their first Frank Spencer Holiday Classic Championship since the 1980s in this year’s tournament. Games were held at R.J. Reynolds and North Forsyth High Schools from Dec. 21-23.

North Surry was one of two 2A teams in the Pepsi Bracket – the tougher of the tournament’s two brackets. Seeded No. 3 in the tournament, the Greyhounds (9-1) topped 4A schools R.J. Reynolds, seeded No. 6, and East Forsyth, seeded No. 2, before running into the top-ranked Mount Tabor squad.

Mount Tabor, ranked No. 5 in the 4A West, fended off a North Surry comeback in the fourth quarter to win the game 79-74.

North Surry seniors Jahreece Lynch and James McCreary were named to the All-Tournament team. Lynch averaged 27.3 points, 7.7 assists, 6.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals in the tournament, while McCreary averaged 24.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 61% from beyond the arc.

North Surry maintained its No. 1 spot in the 2A West MaxPreps poll despite the loss to Tabor.

No. 3 North Surry vs. No. 6 R.J. Reynolds

The Hounds opened the tournament by taking down R.J. Reynolds 87-86.

Lynch posted a season-high 42 points in the game, 23 of which came in the second-half. No other player in the game had more than 22 total points.

Two Reynolds seniors, Sethan Reed and Wyatt Mowery, each went off for 22 while combining to shoot 50% from the field.

North Surry led 56-52 entering the fourth quarter, then the teams combined for 65 points in the final eight minutes.

McCreary added 19 for the Greyhounds, followed by Kolby Watson with 10, Kam McKnight with nine, Cam Taylor with five and Jackson Smith with two.

No. 3 North Surry vs. No. 2 East Forsyth

North Surry competed in its first overtime game of the year in a 93-90 victory over East Forsyth.

It was McCreary’s turn to go off for North Surry as the senior dropped 33 points while making 8-of-10 3-pointers. McCreary made six of those triples in the first two quarters as he racked up 23 points by halftime.

Despite McCreary’s hot night, East Forsyth went into the fourth quarter with a 67-64 advantage. East went up by as many as seven at 74-67 before North Surry closed the fourth on a 14-7 run. Watson and McCreary each had five in the fourth quarter.

Lynch scored eight of his 24 points in overtime as the Hounds punched their ticket to the championship. Watson added 11 points, followed by McKnight with nine, Smith and Taylor with six each, and Fisher Leftwich with four.

No. 3 North Surry vs. No. 1 Mount Tabor

North Surry jumped out to an 18-13 lead over Mount Tabor, a team that won all nine of its games this season by at least 10 points. Lynch made three 3-points en route to 11 first-quarter points.

The Spartans battled back by outscoring the Hounds 47-33 over the next quarters. North was able to make six 3-pointers across the second and third quarters, but only made six 2-point field goals while attempting just five free throws.

North actually made more 3-point field goals (16) than 2-point field goals (11) in the game.

North Surry continued to knock shots down from deep in the fourth quarter, this time outscoring East Forsyth 23-19. The Hounds made seven 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the deficit.

McCreary had 22 in the loss, followed by 16 from Lynch, 14 from Taylor, 12 from McKnight and 10 from Watson.

A round-up of recent North Surry basketball games.

North Surry’s varsity girls split meetings with Ashe County and Wilkes Central.

The Greyhounds traveled to Ashe County on Dec. 7, then hosted Wilkes Central on Dec. 9.

North Surry and Ashe County (7-1), ranked No. 5 in the 3A West, stayed about even through the first two quarters of action. After being tied at 20-20 at halftime, Ashe County outscored North 31-10 in the second half to win 51-30.

Sadie Badgett had five in the third quarter, including her third 3-pointer of the game, but a free throw from Reece Niston was the only Greyhound point of the fourth quarter.

“We have developed some chemistry but are looking to improve our consistency with some details,” said Greyhound coach Shane Slate. “Those little things will be key to our success going forward.”

NS: Sadie Badgett 17, Reece Niston 4, Kayln Collins 3, Josie Tompkins 3, Zarah Love 2, Callie Robertson 1

AC: Paige Overcash 16, Abigail Tones 10, Lexie Dawson 10, Morgan Phipps 8, Abby Sheets 4, Abby Eller 3

The Hounds bounced back two days later with a 72-13 win over Wilkes Central. The win moved North Surry to 2-0 in the Foothills 2A conference, having previously defeated North Wilkes.

North Surry (3-3, 2-0 FH2A) nearly surpassed its point total from the Ashe County game in the first quarter against Wilkes Central. Six Hounds scored in the opening quarter, led by 7 from Badgett.

The Greyhounds knocked down seven 3-pointers in the game.

NS: Sadie Badgett 19, Sarah Mauldin 11, Kayln Collins 10, Peyton Utt 9, Jaxie Draughn 7, Callie Robertson 6, Josie Tompkins 6, Reece Niston 2, Zarah Love 2

WC: Anna Rollins 6, Jayla Smoker 4, Taylor Munsey 2, Payton McManus 1

North Surry, ranked No. 1 in the 2A West, continued its dominance with a pair of 40-plus point wins against Ashe County and Wilkes Central.

The Greyhounds had 50 combined assists in the two games with just 10 total turnovers.

“This is a really fun team to coach, and now one cares who scores,” said coach Tyler Bentley. “We are sharing the ball, competing at a high level and having a lot of fun so far.”

Eight different Greyhounds scored at least eight points against Ashe County, with five of those in double figures. No player had more than 19 points.

Kolby Watson had 11 of his 15 points in just the first quarter, which was more than all but one Ashe County player had in the game.

North Surry knocked down 11 3-pointers in the win.

NS: James McCreary 19, Jahreece Lynch 17, Kolby Watson 15, Kam McKnight 11, Fisher Leftwich 11, Cam Taylor 9, Jackson Smith 8, Isaac Johnson 8

AC: Jake Grub 25, Bryce Little 7, Sawyer Eller 6, Austin Grogan 6, Colin Peterman 2

North continued to show out in their second FH2A game of the season. Facing Wilkes Central, the Greyhounds (6-0, 2-0 FH2A) once again went up by 20 points in the first quarter.

Four Hounds scored in double figures this time, with James McCreary going off for a career-high 33 points in the conference victory. All 33 of McCreary’s points were scored in the first three quarters.

North had another night making at least 10 3-pointers against Wilkes Central.

WC: Kamen Smith 16, Tyson Owens 6, Anthony Graham 5, Noah McNeil 4, Aiden Parks 4, Aithen Allen 3, Brady Scott 2, Layne Broyhill 1

NS: James McCreary 33, Kolby Watson 17, Kam McKnight 11, Cam Taylor 11, Jahreece Lynch 5, Fisher Leftwich 5, Keaton Leonard 3

A round-up of recent Surry Central basketball games.

Surry Central dropped its Foothills 2A Conference opener to Wilkes Central on Dec. 13.

The Golden Eagle boys opened conference play on Dec. 9 against West Wilkes, but neither the JV girls nor varsity girls competed that night.

Surry Central drops to 4-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play after starting the season 4-0.

Surry Central got off to a hot start against Wilkes Central, going up 13-5 after the first quarter, but then posted back-to-back quarters of single-digit scoring. The Golden Eagles shot just 14-of-53 (26%) from the field, 2-of-16 (13%) from beyond the arc and 7-of-14 (50%) from the line.

Despite a poor shooting performance, Surry Central was still in the game late and led 24-22 entering the fourth quarter. A 19-point fourth quarter from Wilkes Central gave the home team the victory.

SC: Ashley Santamaria 13, Layla Wall 8, Ragan Hall 6, Ally Crotts 3, Mallie Southern 3, Gaby Montero 2, Brianna Wilmoth 2

WC: Individual stats not available on MaxPreps

Surry Central extended its hot start to the 2022-23 season with double-digit victories over West Wilkes and Wilkes Central.

Prior to this season, Surry Central’s best start since 2006 was 3-0 in 2014-15. This year’s team has already surpassed the 2014-15 team’s win total for the season as Central went 6-18 that season.

The Golden Eagles are currently ranked No. 2 in the 2A West, trailing only their Foothills 2A Conference foe North Surry.

“It is just a special group of guys who enjoy being around each other and work their tails off every day,” said Eagles coach Marty Behrens. “Everyone has accepted their role and does not care who gets the credit as long as the team succeeds.

“I am lucky to have a group like this who are not only great athletes but are better people. Every day is a joy to work with them.”

Four Golden Eagles combined to outscore West Wilkes’ entire team in Surry Central’s Foothills 2A Conference opener: Tripp McMillen led the way with 21, followed by Josh Pardue with 19, Mason Jewell with 12 and Jacob Mitchell with 12.

Despite shooting just 6-of-28 (21%) from deep, Surry Central finished with a field goal percentage of 40% by making 23-of-45 (51%) 2-point attempts.

Mitchell had a double-double in the win with 12 points and 14 rebounds, while McMillen fell one rebound short of a double-double and Pardue finished three rebounds and four steals away from a triple-double.

SC: Tripp McMillen 21, Josh Pardue 19, Mason Jewell 12, Jacob Mitchell 12, Ayden Wilmoth 9, Landon Johnson 3, Brian Williams 1

WW: Individual stats not available on MaxPreps

The Golden Eagles had another efficient shooting night inside the arc in the 71-46 win over Wilkes Central. The team made 21-of-40 (53%) 2-point attempts, marking their sixth game of the season shooting better than 50% from the field.

By making 27-of-63 (43%) total field goal attempts, Surry Central has shot at least 40% from the field in all seven games this season.

Mitchell filled the stat sheet with 16 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four steals – leading the team in all four categories. McMillen also had four steals, while finishing second in the other three categories with 13 points, five rebounds and four assists.

The Eagles also had seven blocks as a team, with Mason Jewell leading the way with three, Pardue recording two, and McMillen and Brian Williams each recording one.

SC: Jacob Mitchell 16, Tripp McMillen 13, Josh Pardue 12, Adam Hege 12, Ayden Wilmoth 5, Mason Jewell 5, Mason Cox 4, Landon Johnson 2, Brian Williams 2

WC: Kamen Smith 13, Tyson Owens 10, Gavin Cheek 5, Noah McGuill 4, Aiden Parks 4, Hunter Wyles 2, Gus Keener 2, Anthony Graham 1

WALNUT COVE — Mount Airy became the final team in Surry County to open basketball season with games at South Stokes on Dec. 13.

The season was delayed due to the football team’s run to the 1A State Championship. The girls team had already been practicing for a month before playing their first game, while nearly two-thirds of the boys team only had one official practice before playing their first game.

Mount Airy girls at South Stokes

The Lady Bears began their quest to repeat as Northwest 1A Conference Champions with a 68-61 double-overtime victory on the road.

“It was great to finally get on the court and compete with someone besides each other,” said Mount Airy coach Angela Mayfield. “We did some good things, but the game also provided plenty of learning opportunities and exposed some things that we can work on to get better. South obviously had more game experience this season and played us very tough.

“It was definitely a battle and we are thankful to get that conference win on the road.”

Mount Airy graduated its leading scorer from a year ago, Grey Moore, who also won NW1A Player of the Year Honors, as well as two of team’s three remaining All-Conference selections.

Returning All-Conference player Morgan Mayfield led the Granite Bears with a career-high 29 points in the victory, while junior Alissa Clabo also posted a career-high with 19 points.

Clabo scored 10 of her 19 points in just the first quarter. The Bears led 29-22 at the half, and that lead grew to 43-31 at the start of the fourth quarter.

South’s Sage Stovall outscored Mount Airy herself in the fourth quarter with 11 points. The Sauras scored 21 in the fourth to force OT tied 52-52.

The teams were still knotted up at 57-57 after the first OT. Mount Airy and South Stokes (4-4, 1-1 NW1A) combined to make just one field goal in the second overtime with most of the action taking place on the free throw line. The Bears made 9-of-14 attempts in the second OT, while South made 4-of-6.

MA: Morgan Mayfield 29, Alissa Clabo 19, Niya Smith 5, Jalaya Revels 4, McKenna Watson 4, Kancie Tate 3, Addie Marshall 2, Da'Nya Mills 2

SS: Rebecca Amos 24, Sage Stovall 19, Tyla Whitehead 10, Savannah Wilson 6, Olivia Amos 2

Mount Airy boys at South Stokes

The Granite Bear boys faced a tough test in their first game of the season by taking on the defending NW1A Champions, which returned almost all their players from this past season, on the road.

The Sauras (6-2, 2-0 NW1A) jumped out to an early lead and never let up, going on to win 71-44. MaxPreps has South Stokes ranked No. 4 in the 1A West, with their only losses coming against the 2A West’s top-ranked team: North Surry.

“It’s impossible to overcome the challenge of only having your whole team for one practice before playing, especially playing a team as good as South Stokes,” said Bears coach Bryan Hayes. “There’s not enough time to accomplish anywhere near what you want or need to accomplish.

“We played hard, but we were not ready to compete at that level yet. We will get back in the gym and work. We will watch film and learn. We will get better every day.”

The experience factor showed in Tuesday’s game. Not only had South played seven games coming into the clash with Mount Airy, but the Bears come into the 2022-23 season having graduated eight seniors from a year ago.

MA: Tyler Mason 22, Zach Goins 5, Carson Hill 3, Ethan Clabo 3, Logan Fonville 3, Chad Johnson 2, Taeshon Martin 2, Jourdain Hill 2, Caleb Reid 2

SS: Carson White 19, Isiah Lash 10, Jonah Fie 10, Barry Hairston Jr. 9, Ethan Moran 6, Brendon Bradford 5, , Trey Wilmoth 3, Ian Clark 2, William Tilley 2, Larsen Gallimore 2, Jake Lozzi 2

North Surry High School recognized James McCreary for scoring his 1,000th career point during a Dec. 9 home game.

McCreary, a senior, is a multi-year starter that helped North Surry reach the 2A West Regional Finals this past season. He received All-Conference Honors each of the past two seasons, and was named to the N.C. Basketball Coaches Association’s All-District Second Team in 2021-22.

James picked up his 1,000th point during a Dec. 7 away game at Ashe County. He led the Greyhounds in scoring that night as the team defeated Ashe 98-46.

“James is a team-first player, and his 1000-point accomplishment wouldn’t be possible without his teammates and the hours of hard work he has put in – both in and out of the season over the last four years,” said North Surry coach Tyler Bentley. “He is a fierce competitor and no stage is too big for him. I’m glad he’s on our team and that we don’t have to play against him.”

“We are extremely proud of James and I can’t wait to see what the rest of this season and the future holds for him.”

McCreary reached 1,000 points during the first half of the Ashe County game but didn’t slow down his hot streak there. The senior followed up his big game against Ashe County by scoring a career-high 33 points against Wilkes Central – with all 33 points coming in just three quarters.

He becomes the 19th North Surry player since 1970 to reach 1,000 points. McCreary is also the third player to reach 1,000 points since Bentley took over as head coach in 2018, joining 2020 graduate Nick Badgett and fellow class of 2023 member Jahreece Lynch.

North Surry is 6-0 on the season overall and 2-0 in the Foothills 2A Conference. The Greyhounds are ranked No. 1 in the 2A West by MaxPreps.

DOBSON — The Surry Community College baseball team volunteered with the Surry County Sheriff’s Food Drive and Delivery on Dec. 10.

Members of the Knights’ baseball team assisted with packing and distributing 375 food boxes at Surry Central High School in Dobson. This year marked the 18th consecutive year that Surry Baseball volunteered their services to the drive.

Former Surry County Sheriff and event founder Graham Atkinson was quick to praise the players and coaches for all of their help.

“The Surry baseball team members were incredible as usual this year,” Atkinson said. “We are so appreciative of this partnership and all of their many years of service. I hope that we can continue this effort together for many more years to come because it would be extremely difficult without their assistance.”

Surry head coach Tim Collins said this year’s team was eager to help and give back to the community.

“The Surry County Sheriff’s Food Drive and Delivery is one of our most enjoyable team moments,” Collins said “It gives the team an opportunity to give back to the community. When we recruit our young men, we talk to their parents about trying to develop the entire person, not just the athlete. This is one of the events that helps us pursue this goal.

“We are extremely honored to be a part of this event every year.”

For Athletic Director Mark Tucker, it is another example of the SCC athletic program’s commitment to community service.

“Our student-athletes are tremendous with helping out in our community,” Tucker said. “In the past, our teams have assisted with Operation Christmas Child, collected food donations for needy area residents, visited long-term residents in the hospital, helped elderly community members with needed yard work, and volunteered with youth sports practices.

“We greatly appreciate Surry County Sheriff, Steve Hiatt and former Sheriff, Graham Atkinson for allowing us to be a part of this special project for all of these years. It has been amazing to watch it grow during the past 18 years.”

On the field, the Knights completed a strong fall schedule and look to build off that momentum heading into the spring.

“We finished as Region 10 runner-up last season and look to challenge for the championship again this year,” Collins said. “We will start back to practice on the field in early January and open our spring season in early February. I feel like we have a good group of young men that are eager for the challenge of competing for a Region 10 championship.”

The Knights will open the 2023 season on Feb. 4 by hosting a double header against Anne Arundel Community College (Maryland).

RALEIGH — Mount Airy won the 2022 1A State Championship on Dec. 10 by defeating two-time defending state champion Tarboro 20-7.

The Granite Bears captured their eighth state title in school history, joining the following Mount Airy teams: 1935, 1938, 1942, 1946, 1948, 1968 and 2008.

Mount Airy (15-1) scored on the game’s opening drive, with junior Tyler Mason running in his first of three rushing touchdowns. The Bears’ lead increased to 20-0 before the Vikings’ Kamerin McDowell-Moore found the end zone late in the third quarter.

Tarboro forced a Mount Airy punt then went on a 16-play drive that lasted from the 1:11 mark of the third quarter to the 5:58 mark of the fourth quarter. The Vikings converted on fourth down three times on the drive to reach the Bears’ 29-yard line, but then a fumble caused and recovered by Granite Bear junior Walker Stroup put the game on ice.

“I’m so thankful, so blessed to be surrounded by these guys and those guys in the locker room; I love these guys,” said Mount Airy coach J.K. Adkins. “[They’ve got] hearts of champions and they showed that tonight.

“I’m proud of our team, I’m very prideful for our community and for our school. This is an awesome, awesome experience and I just feel blessed.”

Mason was named the Most Valuable Player of the championship game, finishing with a game-high 139 yards rushing and three rushing touchdowns on 23 carries. The junior also had one punt return for 30 yards, a kickoff return for 31 yards, and six tackles.

Stroup was named Mount Airy’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player, finishing with nine total tackles, one caused fumble and one fumble recovery. Junior Caleb Reid was named Mount Airy’s Most Outstanding Offensive Player, finishing with nine carries for 43 yards.

The 2022 1A Football N.C. Farm Bureau Sportsmanship Award winners were Joshua Bradley from Tarboro and Josh Chavis from Mount Airy.

Tarboro’s only two losses to 1A opponents since 2017 have come against teams from Surry County. East Surry defeated Tarboro in the 2019 1AA State Championship to stop the Vikings short of a three-peat, just as Mount Airy did in 2022.

“We’ve been to six straight, which is a tremendous accomplishment,” said Tarboro coach Jeff Craddock. “Fortunately we’ve won four out of six, which is pretty good, but unfortunately we lost the one tonight.

On his team, Craddock said: “They don’t have to hang their heads for anything. Yeah, we came up short today. In life you come up short sometimes. It’s hard, but it’s life.”

The state championship was held at N.C. State University’s Carter-Finley Stadium, which was also the site of the 2017 1AA Championship game between Mount Airy and Tarboro.

The rematch five years later saw Mount Airy’s defense put on a historic performance. By holding the Vikings to just 7 points – 20 fewer than any other game this season – the Bears’ victory marks the first time in more than 15 years that Tarboro was held to fewer than 10 points by a team in the same state classification.

The last team to do so was Goldsboro, who defeated Tarboro 20-0 on Oct. 5, 2007. Both schools were part of the 2A classification at the time.

Tarboro (13-2) finished with 179 total yards of offense, all of which came on the ground. Quarterback Omarion Lewis only attempted three passes: two fell incomplete and one was intercepted by Granite Bear junior Mario Revels.

Only two 1A teams have held Tarboro to less than 180 total yards since the Vikings became a 1A school in 2013: James Kenan on Nov. 27, 2015 (161 total) and Mount Airy on Dec. 10, 2022 (179 total).

“I think one of our identities over the past two years has been a tremendous defense,” Adkins said. “We were good at stopping the run and the pass, and anytime you have that you have a chance to win on any given night. Our coaching staff – Darron and Austin Taylor and the rest of those guys – they do a tremendous job each week of game planning.

“I think the biggest thing we do is we play with tremendous effort. We’ve got guys playing both ways. You see it at the end of the game, when we needed a stop we found a way to get the ball stopped. I think our effort level sets us apart.”

The Granite Bear defense stepped up and made stops even when injuries threw a wrench in their usual starting lineup. Caden Joyce, who plays on both the offensive and defensive lines, went down with an injury against Draughn, while Deric Dandy, Mount Airy’s leader in tackles for a loss, sacks and QB hurries, left the state championship in the first quarter.

Tarboro was held to 54 yards of offense in the first half, picking up three first downs in the first quarter and none in the second.

Viking freshman Kamerin McDowell-Moore highlighted Tarboro’s offense and was named the team’s Most Outstanding Offensive Player. McDowell-Moore finished with 119 yards on 25 carries, and sophomore Mason Satterfield added seven carries for 42 yards and a touchdown.

No other Viking player averaged more than 1.8 yards per carry.

‘Special Teams was huge’

Special teams also played a factor all night.

Tarboro punted four times in Saturday’s game: the first rolled all the way to the 1-yard line, but then the next one was blocked by Webster, the following punt was returned by Mason to the Viking 14 to set up his second score, and the next was blocked by Mount Airy freshman D.J. Joyce in the third quarter to set up Mason’s final score.

Craddock said the two blocked punts resulted from a “lack of execution.”

“We looked at the film and we knew that we were a lot better than them in special teams,” Adkins said. “We wanted to get after it and try to get to the football, and if we couldn’t we wanted to get away from the ball because their punts typically didn’t travel very far.

“I thought special teams was huge. Walker flipped the field several times.”

Stroup punted three times for 119 yards, averaging 39.7 yards per kick.

Bears run away with the win

Mount Airy’s offense also stayed primarily on the ground, with junior quarterback Ian Gallimore only attempting four passes.

Gallimore made his lone completion to Revels at a key time: on third down when the Bears were backed up on their own 4-yard line. Craddock referenced that drive in his post-game comments, saying a stop there could’ve given Tarboro a short field down just 7-0 – potentially changing the flow of the game from that point on.

Mason’s 23 carries are the most in any game of his career. His 139 yards accounted for 63.8% of Mount Airy’s 218 total yards, while also giving Mason his 11th game this season of at least 100 yards rushing.

Mason finishes the year with 49 rushing touchdowns. This not only gives Mason the most rushing touchdowns in the state among all classifications this season, but ties him for No. 6 all-time in NCHSAA history.

Mason tied the mark set by Nyheim Hines – who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills – at Garner in 2013.

“I was seeing my lineman really get off the ball,” Mason said. “I was seeing holes well and I used those holes to my advantage to get up the field. I just came out hot.”

Gallimore and Reid combined for 15 carries for 63 yards, and the Bears had -14 yards go against the team.

Craddock commended the Vikings defense for holding Mount Airy, a team that averaged 50.5 points coming into the state championship, to 20 – the Bears’ lowest point total of the season next to a 14-12 loss to East Surry.

“We played good enough defense to win the game, we just didn’t execute enough on offense or special teams and that cost us the game,” Craddock said.

After Mount Airy scored on its initial drive, Tarboro forced punts on two of the Bears’ next three possessions as well as a turnover-on-downs. Then in the second half the Vikings forced an interception and a late punt.

“Our guys didn’t quit,” Craddock said. “They fought to the end. I was very proud of their effort, but at the end of the day we didn’t play the game we needed to play to beat a great team like Mount Airy.”

Mount Airy’s 2021 season ended in the fourth round of the 1A State Playoffs.

The Granite Bears fell 21-14 to Mitchell at home in a year that they felt they could compete for a state title. Instead, Mitchell went on to win the 1A West Regional Championship and finished State Runner-up.

“The pain of the exit versus Michell was real,” Adkins said. “It was real for all of us. We felt like we were better, to be honest. We didn’t get to advance and there were reasons for it.

“Sometimes pain promotes growth as painful as that is. We identified the reasons why and we went to work, and the guys have done a tremendous job.”

The ending of the 2021 season stayed with Mount Airy throughout the 2022 campaign. It helped the Granite Bears stay focused on the moment against opponents they felt they should beat, and motivated the players to push through adversity when they faced tough opponents

“I think our composure has been better this season than last season,” Reid said. “We’ve basically had no unsportsmanlike conduct penalties this year. We just go out there and play football, have fun and do our job.”

The Bears came to work every day, and for their efforts will be immortalized as champions.

8:47 MA 7-0 – Tyler Mason 15-yard TD run, Walker Stroup PAT

2:29 MA 14-0 – Tyler Mason 1-yard TD run, Walker Stroup PAT

8:58 MA 20-0 – Tyler Mason 1-yard TD run, PAT no good

3:52 TB 20-7 – Mason Satterfield 9-yard TD run, Clay Craddock PAT

30 yards passing on one completion, one interception

188 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 41 carries

Passing: Ian Gallimore 1-of-4 for 30 yards, one interception

Receiving: Mario Revels one reception for 30 yards

Rushing: Tyler Mason 23 carries for 139 yards, three touchdowns; Caleb Reid 9 carries for 43 yards; Ian Gallimore 6 carries for 20 yards; Team three carries for -14 yards

Kicking: Walker Stroup 2-of-3 PATs, three punts for 119 yards (39.7 average)

Total Tackles: Ian Gallimore 14, Connor Burrell 9, Walker Stroup 9, Caleb Reid 9, D.J. Joyce 7, Jonah Bilyeu 7, Tyler Mason 6, Cam’Ron Webster 5, Third Floyd 5, Landon Cox 3, Logan Fonville 2, Deric Dandy 2, Mario Revels 1

Tackles for a loss: Jonah Bilyeu 1.5, Landon Cox 1, Cam’Ron Webster 1, D.J. Joyce 1, Ian Gallimore 0.5

QB Hurries: Landon Cox 1, Cam’Ron Webster 1

Blocked Punts: D.J. Joyce 1, Cam’Ron Webster 1

Zero yards passing, one interception

179 yards rushing on 50 carries, one touchdown

Passing: Omarion Lewis 0-of-3 for zero yards, one interception

Rushing: Kamerin McDowell-Moore 25 carries for 119 yards; Mason Satterfield seven carries for 42 yards, one touchdown; Bruce Shipman Jr five carries for 9 yards; Tremaine McDaniels four carries for 7 yards, Christian Gunter three carries for 4 yards; Omarion Lewis six carries for -2 yards

Kicking: Cole Craddock 1-of-1 PATs

Total Tackles: Isaiah Jones 9, Omarion Lewis 8, Jamarion Smith 7, Shermardra Clark 5, Jamarion Dozier 4, Melvin Sherrod 3, Tra’kevious Jones 3, Quaytavious Jones 3, Tremaine McDaniels 2, Nathan Sherrod 1, Cole Craddock 1, Bruce Shipman Jr. 1, Joshua Bradley 1, Mason Satterfield 1

Tackles for a loss: Tremaine McDaniels 1, Cole Craddock 1, Shermardra Clark 0.5, Isaiah Jones 0.5

RALEIGH — The Mount Airy Granite Bears captured their eighth state championship in school history by defeating the Tarboro Vikings 20-7.

Saturday’s championship victory was Mount Airy’s first since winning the 1A State Title in 2008. Tarboro (13-2) won the previous two 1A State Championships and had just one loss to a 1A opponent since 2017.

Junior Tyler Mason was named the Most Valuable Player of the championship game, finishing with a game-high 139 yards rushing and three rushing touchdowns on 23 carries.

Junior Walker Stroup was named Mount Airy’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player, finishing with nine total tackles, one caused fumble and one fumble recovery.

Junior Caleb Reid was named Mount Airy’s Most Outstanding Offensive Player, finishing with nine carries for 43 yards.

For the full story of Mount Airy’s championship victory, stayed tuned to mtairynews.com/sports as well as the Tuesday Print Edition of The News.

8:47 MA 7-0 – Tyler Mason 15-yard TD run, Walker Stroup PAT

2:29 MA 14-0 – Tyler Mason 1-yard TD run, Walker Stroup PAT

8:58 MA 20-0 – Tyler Mason 1-yard TD run, PAT no good

3:52 TB 20-7 – Mason Satterfield 9-yard TD run, Clay Craddock PAT

30 yards passing on one completion, one interception

188 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 41 carries

Passing: Ian Gallimore 1-of-4 for 30 yards, one interception

Receiving: Mario Revels one reception for 30 yards

Rushing: Tyler Mason 23 carries for 139 yards, three touchdowns; Caleb Reid 9 carries for 43 yards; Ian Gallimore 6 carries for 20 yards; Team three carries for -14 yards

Kicking: Walker Stroup 2-of-3 PATs, three punts for 119 yards (39.7 average)

Total Tackles: Ian Gallimore 14, Connor Burrell 9, Walker Stroup 9, Caleb Reid 9, D.J. Joyce 7, Jonah Bilyeu 7, Tyler Mason 6, Cam’Ron Webster 5, Third Floyd 5, Landon Cox 3, Logan Fonville 2, Deric Dandy 2, Mario Revels 1

Tackles for a loss: Jonah Bilyeu 1.5, Landon Cox 1, Cam’Ron Webster 1, D.J. Joyce 1, Ian Gallimore 0.5

QB Hurries: Landon Cox 1, Cam’Ron Webster 1

Blocked Punts: D.J. Joyce 1, Cam’Ron Webster 1

Zero yards passing, one interception

179 yards rushing on 50 carries, one touchdown

Passing: Omarion Lewis 0-of-3 for zero yards, one interception

Rushing: Kamerin McDowell-Moore 25 carries for 119 yards; Mason Satterfield seven carries for 42 yards, one touchdown; Bruce Shipman Jr five carries for 9 yards; Tremaine McDaniels four carries for 7 yards, Christian Gunter three carries for 4 yards; Omarion Lewis six carries for -2 yards

Total Tackles: Isaiah Jones 9, Omarion Lewis 8, Jamarion Smith 7, Shermardra Clark 5, Jamarion Dozier 4, Melvin Sherrod 3, Tra’kevious Jones 3, Quaytavious Jones 3, Tremaine McDaniels 2, Nathan Sherrod 1, Cole Craddock 1, Bruce Shipman Jr. 1, Joshua Bradley 1, Mason Satterfield 1

Tackles for a loss: Tremaine McDaniels 1, Cole Craddock 1, Shermardra Clark 0.5, Isaiah Jones 0.5

CHARLOTTE — Surry Community College sophomore Michelle Thao was named to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II All-American team as announced by the national office on Thursday.

Thao, a graduate of Fred T. Foard High School (Hickory, N.C.) was named Second-Team All-American.

“I am super excited to see Michelle get awarded for her talents and hard work,” said Surry head volleyball coach Caleb Gilley. “She has been a big piece of our team the last two seasons, and it is great to see her name among some of the best players in the country.”

Thao helped lead Surry to a 23-3 record in 2022 while capturing the Region 10 Western Division championship. She was named to the All-Region 10 First-Team, in addition to earning Region 10 All-Tournament honors by leading Surry to a quarterfinal sweep of Bryant and Stratton College.

An outside hitter, Thao led Region 10 in kills per set with a 3.89 average, and service aces per set (0.93 aces/set). She ranked ninth overall in Region 10 with 300 digs (3.75 digs/set).

Thao was named the Region 10 Division II Volleyball Player of the Year in 2021 while leading Surry to a 25-4 overall record and the Region 10 Western Division Championship. She was also named a NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American.

In addition to her on court success, Thao was named to the Region 10 All-Academic team in 2021 and honored as an NJCAA All-Academic recipient for the 2021-22 academic year.

North Surry paid South Stokes back for a loss by defeating the Sauras 45-40 on Dec. 6.

The Greyhounds had redemption on their minds after the Sauras won their first game against North Surry in more than a dozen years back on Nov. 30. The Hounds took care of business at home by jumping out to a big lead and maintaining it through the final whistle.

The Greyhounds led by as many as 14 in Tuesday’s game. South rallied late and came within two possessions of North Surry, but the Hounds held on to win 45-40.

North Surry (2-2) was led in scoring by Sadie Badgett with 19 points. The junior guard was the only player on either team to score in each quarter, and her 14 first-half points were more than any other players scoring total.

Badgett had all four of North’s first-quarter field goals and seven of the team’s 10 field goals in the first half.

South Stokes only had one field goal in the first quarter as North went up 11-3 after eight minutes of action. Rebecca Amos hit a 3-pointer in the second quarter to help the Sauras (3-2) battle back, but North’s Reece Niston, Zarah Love and Josie Tompkins joined in the scoring fun in the second to put the Hounds up 24-16 at the half.

North and South combined for 17 points in the first five minutes of the third quarter after scoring just 14 total points in the first quarter. The teams traded buckets, but North Surry never relinquished its advantage. Love scored in the post on back-to-back possessions to bring the lead up to 31-22, but South’s Sage Stovall scored twice in the lane to prompt a Greyhound timeout.

North Surry’s defense locked South down for the final three minutes of the third quarter as part of a 9-0 run. Niston, Tompkins and Jaxie Draughn each hit jump shots as part of the run, then Sarah Mauldin found Tompkins for an open 3-point look as the quarter came to a close. North matched South Stokes’ first-half scoring total in just the third quarter to go up 40-26 with eight minutes left to play.

Niston scored what would be North Surry’s only field goal of the fourth quarter with 7:27 left to play. The Greyhounds were able to get stops on defense, but then turned the ball over on four consecutive offensive possessions. South Stokes also limited second chances by grabbing all the defensive rebounds.

South’s Amos, Stovall and Savannah Wilson – who each scored in double figures and combined to score 33 of the Sauras’ 40 total points – led the visitors on a meticulous 9-2 run in the fourth quarter. Each of the Sauras’ field goals during this time were separated by at least 90 seconds of game time.

A pair of offensive fouls called on North Surry kept the Greyhounds’ scoring drought alive once South cut the lead to 42-35. South still struggled to score, but Wilson was finally able to nail a 3-pointer with 36 seconds remaining to make it a two-possession game.

Badgett scored her 18th and 19th points by hitting two bonus free throws with 25.7 on the clock, which were North’s first points since the 7:27 mark of the fourth quarter. Stovall responded with two points for South to make it 44-40. The Hounds missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity with 12 seconds remaining, but Callie Robertson grabbed a rebound from a Saura 3-point attempt and put the game on ice at the free throw line.

SS: Savannah Wilson 12, Rebecca Amos 11, Sage Stovall 10, Korbyn Tyler 4, Haley Tyndall 2, Tyla Whitehead 1

NS: Sadie Badgett 19, Zarah Love 7, Josie Tompkins 7, Reece Niston 6, Kayln Collins 3, Jaxie Draughn 2, Callie Robertson 1

North Surry used another second-half scoring surge to pull away from South Stokes six days after their initial encounter.

The rematch of defending conference champions was held in Toast this time around on Dec. 6. After eight first-half lead changes, North Surry began the second half with a 6-0 run and never trailed again.

While the second half scoring gap was closer than the lopsided 50-28 margin of the first meeting between the Greyhounds and Sauras, North Surry still outscored South Stokes 38-29 in the second half to secure the 69-60 victory.

North Surry improved to 4-0 on the season with the nonconference win over South, then defeated Ashe County 98-46 on the road on Dec. 7 to win their fifth game of the season. The Greyhounds have now started 5-0 in back-to-back seasons for the first time in the MaxPreps Era (2006-Present).

North Surry, ranked No. 1 in the 2A West by MaxPreps, was led in scoring by senior Jahreece Lynch with 26 points. Nearly half of Lynch’s scoring total came in the third quarter alone as he totaled 12 points in the eight-minute span.

The Greyhounds picked up their rebounding in the second half after grabbing just two in the entire second quarter. North didn’t have a single offensive board in the second quarter, and didn’t have many chances on the defensive end as South (3-2) made its first six shots of the quarter.

Instead of relying on timely 3-pointers like they did in the first meeting, North Surry primarily scored in the paint in the second half. In fact, North Surry only shot 1-of-15 from deep.

Offensive boards from Jackson Smith helped the home team quickly surpass their second-quarter total and helped North start with a 10-3 run. South fought back with 3-pointers from Brendon Bradford and Ethan Moran to come within a point, but James McCreary added to the lead by making three free throws.

Lynch scored North Surry’s final eight points of the second quarter, but Moran scored eight of his team-high 17 points in the third to keep South alive.

The fourth quarter featured three huge momentum shifts. The first saw North Surry score 10 of the first 12 points. The Greyhounds used defense to create offense as Kolby Watson has three of his five steals in the fourth, while Cam Taylor recorded three blocks in the final quarter.

As a team, North Surry had three blocks and two steals in the first 3:30 of the quarter.

The Hounds went without a field goal for the rest of the game, though, after taking a 62-50 lead. Isiah Lash, who recorded a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double for the Sauras, made back-to-back trips to the line to begin a 7-0 run for South. The Sauras controlled the boards during this time while also forcing Greyhound turnovers.

Watson put an end to the run with 1:30 on the clock by making a pair of bonus free throws. South Stokes’ Barry Hairston Jr. missed a 3-pointer on the other end that was rebounded by Watson, and then the senior added two more free throws for the Greyhounds.

South Stokes kept hope alive after North Surry missed five of its next six free throws, but the Sauras never could get back within six points.

Both starting fives dominated the scoring, with North Surry only scoring four bench points and South scoring five. North Surry had seven steals as a team to South Stokes’ two, and the Hounds also recorded nine blocks to the Sauras’ four.

Each team finished with 30 rebounds. Taylor led North Surry with seven, followed by Smith and McCreary with six. Lash had 12 of South Stokes’ boards, but no other Saura had more than five.

SS: Ethan Moran 17, Isiah Lash 13, Jonah Fie 12, Barry Hairston Jr. 11, Brandon Bradford 3, Larson Gallimore 2, Carson White 2

NS: Jahreece Lynch 26, James McCreary 19, Kolby Watson 12, Jackson Smith 6, Kam McKnight 4

An Op-Ed by Dr. Karissa Niehoff, Chief Executive Officer of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), and Que Tucker, Commissioner of the North Carolina High School Athletic Assocation

There’s an unfortunate trend continuing in North Carolina and across the nation that must be stopped: the bad behavior of coaches, parents and fans at high school athletic events.

We’ve all seen it: the yelling, harassing, berating, disrespecting and even physically assaulting high school referees, umpires and other officials during and after games. And oftentimes, the harassment continues on social media. Perhaps you’ve witnessed it firsthand or even been one of those offenders yourself.

Not only is this behavior unacceptable and embarrassing, but it’s also having serious consequences on the future of high school sports.

That’s because another unfortunate trend is sweeping the nation: a critical shortage of high school officials in every state. The #1 reason? You guessed it: Coaches, parents and fans mistreating officials.

National surveys of officials report alarming statistics:

• 55% of officials say verbal abuse from coaches, parents and fans is the #1 reason they quit.

• 59% don’t feel respected.

• 57% think sportsmanship is getting worse.

• 84% feel officials are treated unfairly by spectators.

• 46% have felt unsafe or feared for their safety due to spectator, coach, administrator or player behavior.

Officials are quitting faster than new ones are signing up. It’s a major area of concern for states like North Carolina just to cover games. We’re already seeing middle school and JV games being cancelled and, in some cases, varsity games too. All because there aren’t enough officials.

Unfortunately, bad behavior at high school athletic events has become normalized. It is almost expected that coaches, parents and fans will disrespect the individuals serving as officials.

This culture of bad behavior and the negative perception of officials must change now. Everyone involved in high school sports—parents, coaches, administrators, fans, the media—must turn their focus to the student-athletes playing the games and away from the individuals officiating the contests.

The bottom line: With no high school officials, there can be no high school sports.

That’s why the NFHS is partnering with state high school associations across the country to launch the nationwide #BenchBadBehavior campaign. We’ll use the power of social media along with other tools to help educate everyone about the importance of good behavior at high school athletic events.

You can help by being a positive role model at your high school’s athletic events. And if you think you have what it takes to be a licensed official, sign up today at HighSchoolOfficials.com and help fill an urgent need in North Carolina!

DOBSON — Surry Central defeated West Stokes for the second time in 10 days to win its fourth game of the season.

The Golden Eagles went wire-to-wire with the Wildcats, never trailing in the 19-point nonconference victory. Surry Central recorded a season-high 23 steals while also holding West to just eight field goals.

Senior Ashley Santamaria nearly had a double-double for Central with 11 points and a career-best nine steals. Santamaria’s 11 points came on 45% shooting, and she only committed one turnover.

The young Golden Eagles weren’t immune to turnovers of their own, though. While Central did its job on defense in the second quarter by holding West to just one field goal through the first 5:51, the Eagles were also held scoreless for the opening 4:30 of the quarter.

Freshman Ragan Hall finally ended the dry spell with a 3-pointer off an assist from fellow first-year Jenna Cave, increasing the home team’s lead to 16-8. Cave herself had the Eagles’ only other field goal of the quarter by scoring off a steal with 1:33 left in the half. Central’s other three points of the quarter came from the free throw line.

Hall, who scored a team-high 16 points, scored six points in 75 seconds to open the third quarter and increase the lead to 27-12. Santamaria and Layla Wall each added four points in the quarter, and Cave scored two as the lead grew to 19 points.

Central’s lead grew to as many as 23 in the fourth quarter before West scored four points late.

WS: Meg White 10, Sadie Knox 6, Jessica Beasley 4, Reese Hall 3, Mikayla Nixon 3, Ava Santoro 2

SC: Ragan Hall 16, Ashley Santamaria 11, Jenna Cave 8, Layla Wall 8, Brianna Wilmoth 2, Gaby Montero 2

Well, here we go again.

Mount Airy is set to take on Tarboro in the 1A State Championship game on Saturday, Dec. 10. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. at N.C. State’s Carter-Finley Stadium.

Tarboro has become a household name in Surry County for anyone that has followed high school football in recent years, and to those across the state for much longer. To call the Vikings the standard bearers of the 1A division would be an understatement as winners of four of the past five state championships in the division.

Tarboro is the only team in the NCHSAA – across all divisions – to reach a state championship in each of the past six seasons.

The 2022 championship game marks the fifth time in six years that a team from Surry County will compete against Tarboro for the top prize in the 1A division. This streak began with Mount Airy in 2017 (1AA subdivided) and now 2022 (1A), while East Surry battled Tarboro three consecutive seasons, 2018-2020 (1AA subdivided).

Both Mount Airy and Tarboro have a rich tradition of football.

The Vikings are set to compete in their 14th State Championship-level game, pursuing their second three-peat in school history.

Tarboro has an 8-4 record in state championship games, having won: the 3A Championship in 1984, the 2A Championship in 1998, the subdivided 2A Championship 2009-11, the subdivided 1AA Championship in 2017, 2018 and 2020, and finally the 1A Championship in 2021.

The Vikings also won the 3A Region 1 Championship in 1965 as there wasn’t a unified state championship game in the division.

Mount Airy will compete in its 13th State Championship-level game. The Granite Bears pursue their first state title since 2008.

The Bears have a 6-4 record in state championship games, having won: the Class B Championship in 1935 and 1938, the Class A Championship in 1942, 1946 and 1948, and the subdivided 1A State Championship in 2008.

Mount Airy also has a 1-1 record in the 3A West Championship, winning in 1968 and losing in 1969. Similar to Tarboro’s Region 1 Title in 1965, there wasn’t a unified state title for the division in 1968-69.

Tarboro defeated Mount Airy 32-7 in the 2017 1AA State Championship game.

Record: 14-1 overall, 6-0 Northwest 1A Conference (Champion)

Playoff seed: No. 4, 1A West Regional Champions

Key regular season victories: 51-29 at Ashe County, 62-7 vs. East Wilkes, 44-7 vs. Starmount

Losses: 14-12 vs. East Surry

Opponents’ final winning percentage: .474 (83-92)

Wins against teams that finished over .500: 6

Playoff scores: 72-0 vs. No. 29 North Stokes, 57-7 vs. No. 13 North Rowan, 49-0 vs. No. 12 Hayesville, 35-17 at No. 1 Eastern Randolph, 35-7 vs. No. 6 Draughn

Record: 13-1 overall, 6-0 Four Rivers 1A Conference (Champion)

Playoff seed: No. 1, 1A East Regional Champion

Key regular season victories: 35-7 vs. Rocky Mount, 48-15 at Northeast Edgecombe, 50-14 at Riverside-Martin

Losses: 56-54 at Hertfort County

Opponents’ final winning percentage: .561 (96-75)

Wins against teams that finished over .500: 8

Playoff scores: First-round bye, 48-0 vs. No. 17 Southeast Halifax, 34-14 vs. No. 8 Riverside-Martin, 45-20 vs. No. 4 Northampton, 35-7 vs. No. 2 Rosewood

Tarboro offense vs. Mount Airy defense

Tarboro boasts the best rushing offense that Mount Airy will have seen all season in 1A. The same is true as it relates to Tarboro’s offense going against the stifling defense of the Granite Bears.

The Vikings’ “Tarboro T” offense is a multi-back set that uses both brute force and misdirection to wear down opponents. Tarboro has rushed for more than 5,000 yards and 79 touchdowns in 2022, while passing for 453 with seven touchdowns through the air.

While the Tarboro T is designed to get a lot of players a lot of carries, two underclassmen have emerged as the top ball-carriers for the Vikings: sophomore Mason Satterfield and freshman Kamerin McDowell-Moore. Satterfield has more yards rushing and carries than McDowell-Moore, but the freshman didn’t play his first varsity game until Week 3.

McDowell-Moore has 1,274 yards on 120 carries for an average of 10.6 yards per carry. He averages 106.2 yards per game and has 21 rushing touchdowns. McDowell-Moore has five games of at least 100 yards rushing, including a 50-14 win over Riverside-Martin with 16 carries for 230 yards (14.4 YPC) and two touchdowns.

Satterfield has 157 carries for 1,403 yards on the season. He averages 8.9 yards per carry and has scored 20 touchdowns. Satterfield has seven games of at least 100 yards rushing, posting a season-high 205 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries against Hertford County. More on the Hertford Co. game in the next section.

Including McDowell-Moore and Satterfield, Tarboro has eight players with at least 200 yards rushing and 32 carries on the season, and none of those players average fewer than 6.5 yards per carry. The team also has four players with at least one game of 100 yards rushing or more.

Junior quarterback Omarion Lewis, who is tied for third on the team with eight rushing touchdowns, has completed 18 passes for 453 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022 while only throwing one interception. Lewis averages 25.2 yards per completion.

Tarboro has rushed for at least 350 yards in eight games this season. Even in games with less than 350 yards rushing, all 13 of the Vikings’ wins have come by at least 20 points. The Viks scored at least 35 points in 11-of-13 games.

Mount Airy’s defense, meanwhile, has only allowed more than 55 yards rushing three times this season against 1A competition: Starmount rushed for 162 yards, top-ranked Eastern Randolph rushed for 174 yards in the 1A West Regional Semifinal, and Draughn rushed for 144 yards in the 1A West Regional Championship.

Eastern Randolph is the only 1A team to score more than seven points on the Bears, doing so in a 35-17 game. 2A North Surry, 2A East Surry and 3A Ashe County are the only other teams to score more than seven points on Mount Airy.

Mount Airy averages more than 10 tackles for a loss per game. Five Granite Bears have double-digit TFLs on the season: junior Deric Dandy (33), junior Ian Gallimore (25), senior Cam’Ron Webster (20), junior Caleb Reid (16) and junior Caden Joyce (11).

Dandy and Webster lead a defensive line that causes havoc on opposing offenses. The pair have combined for 11.5 sacks on the season, while Dandy has 32 QB hurries.

Mount Airy has forced 14 fumbles this season and made 19 interceptions.

Tarboro defense vs. Mount Airy offense

Since the beginning of the 2017 season, Tarboro only has 10 games in which the point differential was less than 20 points. Seven of these games were Viking victories, and only one team lost by single digits: 3A Rocky Mount in 2019.

Tarboro has only lost three games since 2017: East Surry, the only 1A team to defeat Tarboro since 2017, won 56-28 in the 2019 1AA State Championship; 3A Rocky Mount won 12-0 in 2021; and 2A Hertford County won 56-54 earlier this season.

All three teams to beat Tarboro passed for at least 38% of their total yards in the game. This isn’t to say teams can’t rush against Tarboro, though.

Of the statistics available on MaxPreps, Hertford County is the only team in 2022 to rush for more than 100 yards against Tarboro. Hertford Co., also the Bears, ran for 327 yards and six touchdowns while also passing for 207 yards and two touchdowns.

Hertford dual-threat quarterback Keveon Rodgers, who rushed for 1,581 yards this season, averaged more than 17 yards per carry in a 225-yard performance with five rushing touchdown against the Vikings.

Tarboro’s physical defense has recovered 17 fumbles in 2022, returning two for touchdowns, and caught 14 interceptions. The Vikings have one pick-6 on the season.

Tarboro also has 63 tackles for a loss and 11 sacks.

Mount Airy looks to become the second team this season to put up big rushing numbers on Tarboro.

Mount Airy isn’t just another rushing team, as the Bears – like Tarboro – has also rushed for more than 5,000 yards as a team this season. The Bears operate in a variant of the triple option in shotgun formation. Mount Airy has rushed for at least 300 yards in 9-of-14 games, and four of the remaining five were blowouts of at least 58 points.

Like the Tarboro T, Mount Airy’s offense is designed to hurt opponents with multiple backs. Six Mount Airy players have at least 270 yards rushing this season, and four of those have at least 550. Two of the Bears’ leading rushers – Reid and freshman Taeshon Martin – have double-digit rushing touchdowns despite missing three games this year.

Junior Tyler Mason leads the Bears with 2,160 yards on the season, which ranks No. 3 in 1A and No. 10 in the state overall. Mason leads the state in yards per carry with 14.4, and is second in the state in rushing touchdowns with 46.

Mason is averaging 206.5 yards and four touchdowns over the past four games. According to MaxPreps, the junior recorded a career-high 297 yards rushing and five touchdowns on just 17 carries in the 1A West Regional Championship.

Reid and Gallimore, both juniors, are Mount Airy’s primary ball-carriers alongside Mason, though Martin, senior Traven Thompson and junior Nas Lemon have also shouldered the load when called upon. Reid and Gallimore have combined for five games of at least 100 yards rushing, and Reid has 14 rushing touchdowns.

In addition to his 559 yards rushing, Gallimore has thrown for 1,028 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022. The Granite Bears haven’t needed to pass much this season, but Gallimore does have three games of at least 100 yards passing – including two in the playoffs.

Juniors Walker Stroup and Mario Revels are the two leading receivers, and each averages more than 15 yards per catch.

Stroup has made 80-of-85 PATs for the Granite Bears, which is the most in the state among all classifications, and has just one miss since the start of October. Stroup also made his only field goal attempt of the season.

Stroup has 49 touchbacks on 106 kickoffs and averages 36.6 yards per punt.

Mason, Revels and Stroup are the primary return men for Mount Airy. Mason has returned two punts for touchdowns and one kickoff for a touchdown with 287 return yards, while Revels has one punt return for a touchdown and 98 return yards, and Stroup has 170 return yards.

McDowell-Moore, senior Zavian Massenburg and sophomore Clay Craddock have split kickoff duties for the Vikings. The trio have combined for four touchbacks and average 38.2 yards per kickoff.

Sophomore Clay Craddock has made 25-of-36 PATs. The Vikings have also gone for the 2-point conversion and succeeded 28 times this season. McDowell-Moore has 10 conversions in 2022, and Satterfield is second on the team with five.

Senior Tremaine McDaniels leads the team with 164 return yards and returned one kickoff for a touchdown. Satterfield is second on the team with 120 return yards and returned one punt for a touchdown.

McDowell-Moore and junior Jamarion Dozier are the other two return men for Tarboro.

DOBSON — Surry Central is officially off to its best start in more than 15 years following a 66-57 win over West Stokes on Dec. 5.

The Eagles scored early and led for all but nine seconds in the first half despite a turnover-filled second quarter. Central once again jumped back on top in the fourth following a back-and-forth third quarter, but the visiting Wildcats stayed within two possessions until the final two minutes.

Surry Central outscored West Stokes 8-1 in the final two minutes of the game to win its fourth consecutive meeting with West. The Eagles made 8-of-11 free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.

Prior to this season, Central’s best start came in 2014-15 by winning its first three games. The Eagles are now 4-0 on the season.

Monday’s home game looked to be another high-scoring affair after Central, who averaged 79.3 points through its first three games this season, scored 22 points in the first quarter. The Eagles were passing well, defending well and scoring from all over the court.

Senior forward Josh Pardue had eight points in just the opening quarter, all scored in the paint, while junior Ayden Wilmoth and senior Adam Hege each hit their first of many 3-pointers.

While the Eagles defense stood tall the opening minutes of the second quarter, Central couldn’t hold onto the ball and committed a season-high 26 turnovers in the game – 10 more than any other game this season. Empty possessions held Surry Central from scoring for the first 5:22 of the quarter.

Neither side scored until the 5:09 mark of the second quarter. West Stokes scored first, then slowly closed the gap with a 9-0 run. A steal from West’s Cam Edmonds set Keyon Rawley up for a fast-break layup with 2:47 remaining in the half, giving the Wildcats their first lead of the game at 23-22.

Nine seconds after Rawley’s field goal, sophomore Mason Jewell found Hege open on the perimeter for the senior’s second triple of the game. Central was 0-for-5 from deep to that point in the quarter.

The Eagles offense continued to struggle as the first half came to a close. Central committed an offensive foul on its penultimate possession of the second quarter, then failed to get a shot up at the buzzer.

West Stokes shot 1-for-8 from beyond the arc in the first half, but nailed its first and only 3-point attempt of the third quarter to go up 30-27. This was the beginning of a closely contested quarter that featured four lead changes after just two in the entire first half.

A pair of free throws from Tyler Moran gave West its largest lead of the night at 32-27. Wilmoth, who led Central with 21 points, hit a pair of corner 3-pointers and a layup as part of an 8-0 run for the Eagles. Moran scored off a Rawley assist again to end the run.

Perhaps the loudest the Eagles Nest got during Monday’s game was in the third quarter. Pardue had a chasedown block on defense, then sprinted to the other end where he finished with his left hand. Central stayed on that end with a full-court press and forced a Wildcat timeout.

The Cats’ came out of the timeout and went on a 5-0 run to lead 39-37. Junior Landon Johnson put the Eagles back on top with a 3-pointer to close the quarter.

Both teams had their highest-scoring quarters in the fourth. West took a brief lead after Bryson Bowman put back an offensive rebound, but a layup from Central sophomore Tripp McMillen started a 5-0 run for the home team that was the final lead change of the game.

McMillen had six of his 10 points in the fourth quarter. Eagle senior Jacob Mitchell also grabbed five of his team-high 12 boards in the fourth quarter.

Bowman led the Wildcats back into the game with 11 fourth-quarter points, having scored just two in the previous three quarters. At one point Bowman scored on three consecutive West possessions, ending with a 3-pointer with 2:02 remaining that cut the lead to 58-56. West Stokes called an immediate timeout following Bowman’s triple.

West got the ball back after a missed shot from Central, but a Wilmoth steal led to McMillen scoring on the other end. The next two Wildcat possessions ended with Bowman missing the front end of a 1-and-1 and then falling short on a 3-point attempt. Mitchell added to Surry Central’s lead with a pair of free throws as the Eagles were now in the double bonus.

West Stokes committed offensive fouls on its next two possessions, which Surry Central used to increase its lead by four after Hege and Wilmoth each made free throws. West scored its only point of the final 2:02 on a free throw from Matt Allen with less than 10 seconds on the clock.

Surry Central has made at least eight 3-pointers in all four games this season, though the win over West Stokes saw the Eagles shoot a season-low 30% from deep (8-of-27). The Wildcats shot 3-of-13 (23.1%) from beyond the arc.

WS: Cam Edmonds 19, Bryson Bowman 13, Matt Allen 10, Keyon Rawley 7, Tyler Moran 5, Derek Studer 3

SC: Ayden Wilmoth 21, Josh Pardue 14, Tripp McMillen 10, Adam Hege 8, Landon Johnson 5, Mason Jewell 4, Jacob Mitchell 4

PILOT MOUNTAIN — The East Surry varsity girls basketball team is off to a 3-1 start after a home win over Central Davidson.

The Cardinals never trailed in the Dec. 1 home opener, but held just a 2-point lead after the first eight minutes of action. East Surry’s defense came to life in the second quarter and forced 10 turnovers, allowing the Cardinals to outscore the 3A Spartans 28-4 in the quarter.

The Cards never slowed down after the reinvigorating second quarter. East Surry nearly doubled Central Davidson’s scoring output in the second half to secure the win 68-27.

East Surry enters the 2022-23 season with a number of fresh faces. The team graduated four seniors in the Class of 2022, with those being the final players tied to East’s 2018-19 team that won the 1A West Regional Championship. The Cardinals look to replace the production of the Class of 2022 with its three returning varsity players, three players new to the program as well as four freshmen.

After a slow start against Central Davidson (3-1), in which East Surry shot 1-of-5 from beyond the arc and 2-of-6 from the free throw line, the Cardinals started firing on all cylinders.

East Surry led 9-7 at the beginning of the second quarter. Senior Addie Phipps knocked down a 3-pointer off an assist from junior Khloe Bennett, then East’s defense forced a turnover that led to a quick timeout from the Spartans.

The Cards minimized their own turnovers while putting full-court pressure on the visitors in the second quarter. East Surry began the quarter with a 13-0 run, and all five field goals came off assists; two points on the run resulted from a pair of free throws from sophomore Merry Parker Boaz.

The team’s 21 assists were a season-high for East Surry, led by five from junior Bella Hutchens and three from senior Brooklyn Gammons. The Cards’ also committed a season-low 13 turnovers as the team continues to build chemistry.

East Surry’s 28 second-quarter points were more than previously unbeaten Central Davidson scored in the game. Phipps and Boaz, who led the team with 14 and 12 points respectively, each scored eight in the second quarter.

All 10 Cardinal players scored in the win as the team shot 45% from the field and a season-best 41% from deep.

Phipps, Hutchens and Boaz each average double-digits scoring, and all three have been the leading scorer in a game this season at least once. Phipps leads the way with 12.5 points and is tied with Boaz for the most steals per game with 3.8. Hutchens has averaged 11.3 points and a team-high 7.8 rebounds, while Boaz averaged 11 points and a team-high 3.3 assists.

The Cards are riding a three-game winning streak after dropping their season opener 40-35 to East Wilkes (4-1). East Wilkes, the 2021-22 Northwest 1A Conference Tournament Champions, defeated East Surry in the first round of the Mary Garber Tip-off Classic.

East Wilkes went on to finish third in the Bell Davis Pitt Bracket, losing only to tournament Runner-up East Forsyth. East Surry went on to defeat Lexington (0-6) and North Wilkes (3-3) in the tournament to finish fifth.

East Surry was originally slated to travel to Mount Airy on Dec. 6, but the game was postponed. The Cardinals will be back in action Friday, Dec. 9 to open Foothills 2A Conference play at North Wilkes.

CD: Riley Elliot 7, Ella Trantham 7, Brooke Young 6, Abigail Thomas 4, Alex Myers 3

ES: Addie Phipps 14, Merry Parker Boaz 12, Grace Phillips 9, Bella Hutchens 9, Maggy Sechrist 6, Emory Anderson 6, Addyson Boaz 4, Khloe Bennett 4, Brooklyn Gammons 2, Addison Green 2

True stars shine brightest on the biggest stages, and that’s exactly what Mount Airy did in Friday’s regional championship.

Behind one of the most dominant rushing performances in Mount Airy football history, the Granite Bears defeated the Draughn Wildcats 35-6 to win the 2022 1A West Regional Championship.

“I’m proud of our guys,” said Mount Airy coach J.K. Adkins, who wins his first regional championship as a head coach. “I’m so happy for our community and our school. It’s just a great feeling.”

The Granite Bears (14-1) ran all over the visiting Wildcats. Mount Airy finished the night with 516 yards rushing – a historic number for the storied program.

In the past 15 seasons, Mount Airy has rushed for at least 450 yards in a single game on four occasions. According to MaxPreps, the Bears recorded: 467 yards rushing against Chatham Charter on Nov. 14, 2008, 483 yards rushing against Central Academy of Technology and Arts on Nov. 2, 2012, 462 yards rushing against Bishop McGuinness on Oct. 27, 2017, and finally 516 yards rushing against Draughn on Dec. 2, 2022.

Three of those four games occurred in seasons that the Granite Bears reached a state championship. Mount Airy won the subdivided 1A State Championship in 2008, finished runner-up in the 2017 subdivided 1AA State Championship, and will now compete in the 1A State Championship in 2022.

More than half of the Bears’ 516 yards on the ground came from junior Tyler Mason, who ran for a career-high 290 yards while also scoring all five Mount Airy touchdowns. This marks the third game this season that Mason rushed for at least 200 yards and scored five touchdowns, previously doing so against Surry Central and East Wilkes.

According to Mason, the Bears’ offense didn’t do anything different than usual against the Wildcats (13-2).

“Same old Mount Airy game plan; that’s all it was,” Mason said “It was just straight from day one since we played North Surry.”

Staying the course was a theme for the 2022 Granite Bears after their 2021 season ended – in their eyes – prematurely. Mount Airy was one game away from the Regional Final amidst one of the school’s most dominant campaigns, but was upset at home in the fourth round.

The returning players had the same championship aspirations when the 2022 season rolled around, but knew they weren’t going to win a conference, regional or state title in August. Mason called 2022 a “redemption season” and said that the entire team came in focused and ready to put in the work.

Adkins referenced the 2021 loss to Mitchell as a key factor in Mount Airy’s 35-17 win over Eastern Randolph in the fourth round, saying the experience of high-stakes, high-pressure games was crucial to the team’s success. He echoed that sentiment following the Draughn win.

“I think it’s the reason why we are where we are,” Adkins said. “You have to experience pain in order to understand how to get away from it or how to fix it. We learned a lot from that game, it was important in our growth phase.”

Just as the 2021 Mitchell game was a test for Mount Airy’s Granite Wall defense, the Bears knew slowing down Draughn’s dynamic, high-scoring offense would be one of their toughest tests to date. The Wildcats came into the regional final having scored 676 points, which was third in the state at the time behind only Mount Airy (723) and 2A Princeton (690).

The Bears locked down the Cats’ passing offense that averaged 184.1 yards. Junior quarterback Elijah Tillery was held to just 5-of-20 passing for 96 yards and an interception. Tillery had his lowest completion percentage of the season, only his second game of the season throwing for fewer than 130 yards and was picked off for the fifth time.

Defensive ends Cam’Ron Webster and Deric Dandy made sure Tillery never had too much time to throw. The pair, along with linebackers Caleb Reid, Ian Gallimore and Connor Burrell, kept the QB on his toes. Webster, Dandy, D.J. Joyce and Dee Dawkins were all able to get their hands on Tillery, and Dandy even forced the Wildcat to make a throw that warranted an intentional grounding penalty late in the game.

If Tillery was able to get a pass off, Mount Airy’s defensive backs Logan Fonville, Walker Stroup, Mario Revels and Mason were there to provide coverage. Mason even picked the opposing quarterback off in the second quarter.

“We just wanted to apply good pressure,” Adkins said. “We wanted to play up on their receivers, and I don’t think anyone had really done that this year. We felt like we had some guys that could run with those guys, and anytime you can do that you can put on good pressure.

“We knew if we could do that and stop [Nigel] Dula all we had to worry about was the screen game, which their screen game is really good. They got a few off on us. So proud of our defensive effort.”

Dula, a junior running back, averaged more than 150 yards rushing ahead of the regional final and carried 26 times for 166 yards and three touchdowns in Draughn’s win over No. 2 Andrews. Dula was able to break off big plays with runs of 67, 41 and 26 yards, and also had receptions of 35 and 24 yards, but all of his remaining carries were for five yards or fewer.

Dula carried for 67 yards on Draughn’s first play of the game to put the Wildcats in the red zone, but four plays later the Cats turned the ball over on downs. Draughn had starting field position on Mount Airy’s half of the field twice, and both times the visitors failed to move the chains more than once.

Draughn even started on the Mount Airy 28 late in the third quarter. The Wildcats quickly faced fourth-and-10 before a Tillery pass to Zach Pinkerton put Draughn on the 2-yard line. Dandy took Dula down for a loss on first- and second-and-goal, then Dandy forced intentional grounding which put the Wildcats back on the 20.

Tillery targeted Pinkerton again on fourth down, but this time his pass was broken up by Fonville.

Mason called the Bears “focused” from day one, and that didn’t change even as the lead continued to grow. Mason, as well as fellow juniors Reid and Gallimore, alternated carries throughout the night and never seemed to get rattled even when faced with third or fourth downs.

The Bears converted 6-of-10 third downs and 2-of-3 fourth downs. On nine offensive drives, Mount Airy: scored five times, threw one interception, lost one fumble, punted once and then kneeled down in victory formation for the final drive of the game.

Draughn converted 1-of-8 third downs and 1-of-5 fourth downs. The Wildcats turned the ball over on downs four times, punted twice, threw one interception and scored on their final offensive drive.

On the topic of focus, Adkins said he was so dialed in on winning the regional final that he didn’t even know where the 1A State Championship was being held this year until a postgame interview with BSYNC Media’s Brendan Beavers.

“I didn’t allow myself to look,” the coach said.

The 1A West Regional Champions will travel to N.C. State’s Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 10, with kickoff scheduled for 3:00 p.m. Mount Airy will take on the 2-time defending state champion Tarboro Vikings (14-1).

“Tarboro is a really good team,” Mason said. “They run that T-set very well. We just gotta come in prepared to be physical.”

A full preview for the 1A State Championship Game will be featured in an upcoming edition of The News.

Quotes for this article were provided by Brendan Beavers of BSYNC Media.

10:00 MA 7-0 – Tyler Mason 83-yard TD run, Walker Stroup PAT

6:01 MA 14-0 – Tyler Mason 16-yard TD run, Walker Stroup PAT

5:39 MA 21-0 – Tyler Mason 13-yard TD run, Walker Stroup PAT

3:35 MA 28-0 – Tyler Mason 86-yard TD run, Walker Stroup PAT

6:50 MA 35-0 – Tyler Mason 16-yard TD run, Walker Stroup PAT

3:38 MA 35-6 – Nigel Dula 24-yard TD reception on Elijah Tillery pass, PAT no good

12 yards passing on three completions, one interception

516 yards rushing and five touchdowns on 45 carries, one fumble

Passing: Ian Gallimore 3-of-9 for 12 yards, one interception

Receiving: Logan Fonville one reception for 9 yards; Mario Revels one reception for 5 yards; Tyler Mason one reception for -2 yards

Rushing: Tyler Mason 17 carries for 290 yards, five touchdowns; Ian Gallimore 11 carries for 97 yards, one fumble; Caleb Reid 12 carries for 68 yards; Taeshon Martin two carries for 54 yards; Mario Revels one carry for 5 yards; Landon Gallimore two carries for 2 yards; Traven Thompson one carry for zero yards

Kicking: Walker Stroup 5-of-5 PATs

96 yards passing and one touchdown on five completions, one interception

Passing: Elijah Tillery 5-of-20 for 96 yards, one interception

Receiving: Nigel Dula three receptions for 56 yards, one touchdown; Zach Pinkerton two receptions for 40 yards

Rushing: Nigel Dula 17 carries for 141 yards; Justice Cunningham two carries for 4 yards; Elijah Tillery five carries for -1 yard

WALNUT COVE — Two teams with championship aspirations – in their respective conferences and beyond – met in preseason action on Wednesday.

South Stokes and North Surry faced off for the first time since 2019, and the Nov. 30 game was the first time the teams played one another in Walnut Cove since 2017.

The home Sauras controlled the boards early and took a 33-31 halftime lead behind 10 second-quarter points from Barry Hairston Jr. The Greyhounds used 3-pointers from seniors James McCreary and Jahreece Lynch to spark a 16-5 run in the third quarter, and North went on to outscore South 50-28 in the second half to win 81-61.

North Surry’s three leading scorers – McCreary, Lynch and Cam Taylor – combined to outscore South Stokes 64-61.

McCreary led the Greyhounds (2-0) with 28 points on better than 47% shooting from the field and 85% from the foul line. Lynch had a double-double that was nearly a triple-double with 25 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and three steals.

North Surry has now won eight of its past nine meetings against South Stokes (2-1). The Hounds haven’t lost to the Sauras in Walnut Cove since 2012.

North and South’s 2022 teams have a lot of similarities.

Both schools swept their respective regular season and conference tournament championships, North in the Foothills 2A Conference and South in the Northwest 1A Conference. Greyhound coach Tyler Bentley and Saura coach Jason Clark both won conference coach of the year.

Both schools are coming off 23-5 seasons in which they suffered similar losses: both lost to West Stokes by one possession, both lost once to Mount Airy – giving up 73 points in the game, both suffered a double-digit loss to a team in their division in the Frank Spencer Tournament, both of their remaining regular season losses came against a team from a higher division, and both made deep playoff runs before their seasons came to an end.

South Stokes was the No. 5 seed in the 1A West and reached the third round of the 1A State Playoffs, while North Surry was the No. 4 seed and finished 2A West Regional Runner-up.

Finally, North Surry returned all five starters from a season ago, while South got back 4-of-5 players in the starting lineup. Seniors accounted for 78 of North Surry’s 81 points on Wednesday.

Even though five of the seven Saura players to score were seniors, the team was led in scoring by a pair of juniors: Isiah Lash had a near double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds, while Hairston finished with 12 points, six rebounds and three blocks.

North and South only scored 10 points each in the opening quarter, but Hairston matched that himself in the second. A pair of free throws from the junior gave South Stokes a 32-27 lead with 29.6 seconds remaining in the half, but momentum would soon shift to the Hounds.

North Surry freshman Fisher Leftwich cut into the lead by hitting 1-of-2 free throws with 10 seconds on the clock. South went down and missed a 3-point shot, and Lynch grabbed the rebound before sprinting to halfcourt. Lynch fired a shot as he crossed over the mid-court line and it swooshed through the net as the buzzer sounded.

The Hounds hit two 3-pointers in the first minute of the second half to force the game’s final lead change. North shot 5-of-15 (33.3%) from beyond the arc in the win, while South shot 3-of-20 (15%) from deep.

The game sped up in the third quarter thanks to multiple turnovers forced by North Surry. Five steals in the first four minutes of the quarter helped the Hounds go on a 16-5 run, later going on to outscore South 23-11 in the third.

The Greyhounds grew their lead even more with 27 fourth-quarter points. North led by as many as 21 in the fourth.

NS: James McCreary 28, Jahreece Lynch 25, Cam Taylor 11, Kolby Watson 10, Jackson Smith 4, Kam McKnight 2, Fisher Leftwich 1

SS: Isiah Lash 18, Barry Hairston Jr. 12, Jonah Fie 12, Ethan Moran 10, Trey Wilmoth 4, Larson Gallimore 3, Carson White 2

Before besting South Stokes, North Surry opened the season with a home game against Ashe County on Nov. 29.

Unlike the South Stokes game in which North scored 50 of its 81 points in the second half, the Greyhounds ran away with a strong first-half performance against Ashe County to win 78-57.

Lynch and McCreary combined for 33 first-half points to help North score 53 through two quarters. Lynch went on to score a team-high 22 points, followed by McCreary with 16 – all scored in the first half.

Kolby Watson and Kam McKnight each had 11, Jackson Smith was next with eight points, Makiyon Woodbury scored five, Leftwich had three and Taylor had two.

WALNUT COVE — A pair of new-look teams, North Surry and South Stokes, faced off in a nonconference game on Nov. 30.

North Surry took an 12-11 lead early in the second quarter and held that lead until late in the third. The visiting Greyhounds led by as many as seven in the second quarter, but the Sauras quickly closed the gap and kept the game tight all evening – even briefly taking the lead in a back-and-forth third quarter.

South Stokes sophomore Savannah Wilson, who led all scorers with 14 points, nailed a 3-pointer 17 seconds into the fourth quarter to force the game’s final lead change. North Surry was held without a field goal in the fourth as South held on to win 44-38.

According to MaxPreps, North Surry was 18-0 against South Stokes from 2010 through the 2021-22 season.

Both squads relied on contributions from younger players as North and South only have one senior each.

The home Sauras graduated three starters from their 6-16 team a year ago. This year’s South Stokes team has one freshmen, five sophomores and two juniors to pair with senior Abby Cain.

North Surry was 19-6 in 2021-22 and came within a game of the 2A West Regional Final, falling to the eventual state champions Salisbury in the fourth round of the playoffs. The Hounds lost the 2021-22 Foothills 2A Conference Co-Player of the Year, Callie Allen, as well as four other players from last year’s team.

The 2022-23 Greyhounds have four freshmen and six juniors to go with senior Sarah Mauldin, a four-year player for North Surry. North went down another player less than four minutes into the South Stokes game when junior Haylee Smith left the game with an injury.

The Greyhounds allowed a 6-1 Saura run to end the first quarter following Smith’s injury, but a quick bucket from Jaxie Draughn on a Callie Robertson assist evened the score up at 10-10. North Surry was able to attack the basket more in the second quarter and used its interior presence to go up 16-11 and later 22-15.

South called a timeout with 2:54 left in the half to halt North’s momentum. South then went on another big run to end a quarter, this time scoring seven of the half’s final eight points to make it 23-22.

The Sauras continued their run into the second half and took a 27-25 lead. Mauldin got the Greyhounds back into the game with an old-fashioned 3-point play, then the team’s traded points for the remainder of the quarter. North held on to its one-point advantage as the final quarter began.

North’s biggest strength from earlier in the game, attacking the basket, was taken away in the fourth. After Wilson made South’s only 3-pointer of the game to put her team ahead 37-35, North Surry settled for jump shots and went scoreless for nearly five minutes of game time.

South went to the line for bonus free throws early in the quarter but couldn’t convert, although the Saura lead remained intact as neither side scored. Sage Stovall finally added two points for South by scoring off an offensive rebound.

North Surry freshman Kalyn Collins, who also led the team with five steals, scored the Hounds’ first two points of the quarter with 3:08 remaining. Collins was fouled on a shot and then made 2-of-2 field goals.

The Greyhounds got stops on defense for the next 90 seconds and even got some help as South missed most of its bonus free throws, going 1-for-7 in the fourth. However, North failed to convert on offense. A free throw from Josie Tompkins was the only other point scored by North Surry in the fourth quarter.

These teams will face off again on Dec. 6 in Toast.

NS: Sadie Badgett 10, Callie Robertson 7, Sarah Mauldin 6, Josie Tompkins 6, Reece Niston 3, Zarah Love 2, Kayln Collins 2, Jaxie Draughn 2

SS: Savannah Wilson 14, Sage Stovall 11, Korbyn Tyler 6, Rebecca Amos 5, Tyla Whitehead 4, Haley Tyndall 4

DOBSON — Championships aren’t won in the first two weeks of the season, but the Surry Central varsity boys basketball team is using a strong start to set the bar for their entire 2022-23 campaign.

An 84-52 win over Alleghany on Nov. 29 put the Golden Eagles at 3-0 on the season. Sophomore Tripp McMillen and junior Ayden Wilmoth combined for 39 points as Central shot nearly 50% from the field and 44% from beyond the arc in the win.

MaxPreps records for Surry Central basketball date back to the 2005-06 season. In the 18 seasons featured on the site, including the current season, Central has only started 3-0 twice: 2014-15 and 2022-23.

The Eagles are averaging 79.3 points with wins of 77-28 at Elkin, 77-71 at West Stokes and 84-52 versus Alleghany. This is not only Surry Central’s highest average through the first three games in the past 18 seasons, but it is also the team’s highest three-game scoring average of any three consecutive games in that span.

Of the games available on MaxPreps, Surry Central only had more than three 70-point games in a full season on five occasions: 2009-10, 2011-12, 2015-16, 2017-18 and 2021-22.

The Eagles have only scored 80 or more points seven times since 2005, and never more than twice in a season; the 2011-12 team had games of 82 points and 90 points, the 2013-14 team had a game of 83 points, the 2017-18 had a game of 80 points, the 2021-22 team had games of 82 and 84 points, and now the 2022-23 team has a game of 84 points in just its third bout of the season.

Central has a mix of youth and experience to go with their new head coach, Marty Behrens. Senior forwards Josh Pardue and Jacob Mitchell both received All-Conference honors in 2021-22, and senior Adam Hege helped distribute as the only one of the Eagles’ point guards to play all 27 games last season.

Mitchell (14.7 ppg) and Pardue (8.0 ppg) are third and fourth in scoring this season, while also ranking No. 2 and No. 3 on the team in rebounding – Pardue averaging 4.7 and Mitchell with 4.3. Pardue leads the team with 2.0 blocks per game, and Mitchell is second in steal with 1.7 per game.

Hege averages 5.7 assists and 1.3 steals.

Two young guns, McMillen and Wilmoth, were both varsity players in 2021-22 but have taken on much bigger roles this season. McMillen leads the team in scoring with 16.7 points, rebounding with 5.7, is third in assists with 2.7 and tied for second in steals with 1.7.

The Golden Eagles are filled out by a host of talented players that make the team even more dangerous. At least one player has scored at least 20 in each game, but Central has had three different leading scorers in three games.

Twelve players scored in the win over Elkin as the team shot 50% from the field and 42% from deep, knocking down eight triples.

Only six players scored against West Stokes, but Central was able to pick up just its fourth win over West since 2006. The Eagles made 13 3-pointers shooting 38% from deep. Wilmoth led Central with 20 points – 18 of which came from beyond the arc.

Most recently, 11 different Eagles scored in the win over Alleghany.

A slow first quarter saw Surry Central take an 11-8 lead, then things picked up in the second when Wilmoth knocked down a 3-pointer and Hege scored on a give-and-go with Pardue. Alleghany’s Brock McKnight, who led the visitors with 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting, knocked down a 3-pointer to go with a Mack Lemasters layup to cut the lead to 16-13.

McKnight hit his triple with 5:37 left in the first half, but the Trojans wouldn’t score another field goal until the third quarter. The Eagles defense stepped up and helped the team go on a 14-2 run to close the half.

Both sides caught fire from deep in the third quarter, with Central making 4-of-5 attempts and Alleghany making 5-of-6. However, the Trojans never got back withing single digits partly due to 25 turnovers.

After just two games scoring in double figures his freshman year, McMillen scored his third such game of the season with a career-high 21 points on 40% shooting.

AL: Brock McKnight 17, Mack Lemasters 13, Colby Crouse 8, Zander Russell 8, Nick Rea 4, Dalton Blevins 2

SC: Tripp McMillen 21, Ayden Wilmoth 18, Jacob Mitchell 9, Josh Pardue 8, Lucas Johnson 8, Landon Johnson 6, Eli Scott 6, Adam Hege 2, Mason Jewell 2, Brian Williams 2, Mason Cox 2

DOBSON — After graduating six seniors from its 2021-22 team, it seemed like 2022-23 would be a rebuilding year for Surry Central’s varsity girls basketball team.

But, it looks like no one told Surry Central that.

The Golden Eagles took down Alleghany 56-19 as part of the team’s home opener on Nov. 29. With the win, Surry Central is off to a 3-0 start for just the fourth time in the past 15 seasons.

The Eagles previously started 3-0 in 2021-22, 5-0 in 2018-19 and 4-0 in 2017-18.

Surry Central comes into the 2022-23 season with an almost entirely new look as only one returning player, senior Ashley Santamaria, averaged more than eight minutes per game last season. Missing from last season’s team are: the top four scorers, the top three rebounders, the leader in assists, the two leaders in steals and the top four leaders in blocks.

A new group of young players, combined with the handful or so varsity returners, has led the Eagles to three wins in their first three games. The team is made up of two seniors, three juniors, one sophomore and five freshmen.

First-years Jenna Cave, Layla Wall and Ragan Hall lead the team in minutes per game, while Hall and Cave are the two leading scorers through three games. Coach Mandy Holt has kept players’ legs fresh as nine different players average double-digit minutes.

Central’s inexperience has shown at times, but the Eagles are learning as they go.

Surry Central and Alleghany began the game with only five points each in the first quarter. The Golden Eagle defense was able to get stops on most plays, but the offense had trouble with the Trojans’ zone defense. Surry Central tried to shoot their way out of it with looks from beyond the arc but went 0-for-7 through the first eight minutes.

A free throw from Cave was the only point of the second quarter until the 4:47 mark. Wall knocked down a deep 2-point jumper, then junior Brianna Wilmoth scored in the paint after the defense made a stop.

The Eagles turned defense into offense with six steals in the second quarter. Six players recorded steals for the home team, led by a career-high eight from Santamaria.

Central put up 12 points in 60 seconds after scoring just one point in the first 3:13 of the quarter. Surry Central scored 19 points in the final 4:47 of the first half, which matched Alleghany’s total for the game. The Golden Eagles went on a 33-1 run from the start of the second quarter to the 3:30 mark of the third quarter.

The 3-pointers began to fall in the second half. Central missed its first 10 attempts from beyond the arc, then made 4-of-7 attempts to close the third quarter and made 1-of-2 attempts in the fourth. Cave and Hall each made two triples, and Santamaria added one.

The Eagles cruised to a 37-point win after outscoring the Trojans 40-5 in the second and third quarters.

AL: Christabella Williams 6, Phoebe Murphy 4, Paula Martinez 3, Ellie Crouse 3, Ally Glenn 2, Amber Hirschy 1

SC: Ragan Hall 13, Jenna Cave 12, Layla Wall 11, Gaby Montero 7, Brianna Wilmoth 6, Ashley Santamaria 5, Presley Smith 2

Mount Airy is set to host the 1A West Regional Final for the second time in six seasons when the No. 4 Granite Bears welcome No. 6 Draughn on Dec. 2.

With Mount Airy reaching regional championship this season, a Surry County team has reached at least the regional final round in each of the past seven seasons: Mount Airy in 2016-17 (1AA subdivided) and 2022 (1A), and East Surry 2018-2021 (1AA subdivided 2018-20, 2A 2021).

A total of 56 counties had a team compete in at least one regional final, among all public school classifications in North Carolina, in the past seven seasons. Only four counties had a team get that far all seven years: Surry, Guilford, Wake and Edgecombe.

According to the Morganton News Herald, Draughn is the first Burke Co. team to reach the fifth round of the football playoffs. Draughn is also the first Burke team to compete in a regional final since Freedom High School reached the subdivided 3A West Regional Championship in 2012.

Friday’s regional championship between the Bears and Wildcats marks just the second meeting between the two schools. Their first meeting came on August 28, 2021, and only came about after that season’s Mount Airy-East Surry game was cancelled due to COVID-19 protocol. The game was called off five hours before kickoff, so Mount Airy quickly found another opponent that also had its game cancelled that week.

The Bears traveled to Valdese the following day and defeated the Wildcats 56-6. Mount Airy forced a school-record six turnovers – four interceptions and two fumbles – in the victory. Draughn went on to finish 6-6 in 2021 and win the school’s second-ever playoff game, while Mount Airy finished 13-1 and reached the fourth round of the 1A State Playoffs.

This season, Mount Airy and Draughn both: went 9-1 in the regular season with their only loss coming against a 2A team, won conference championships with undefeated records, rank in the top-five in the state in scoring and upset a top-seeded team on the road to reach the regional championship.

Record: 13-1 overall, 6-0 Northwest 1A Conference (Champion)

Key regular season victories: 51-29 at Ashe County, 62-7 vs. East Wilkes, 44-7 vs. Starmount

Losses: 14-12 vs. East Surry

Opponents’ winning percentage: .438 (70-90)

Wins against teams that finished over .500: 5

Playoff scores: 72-0 vs. No. 29 North Stokes, 57-7 vs. No. 13 North Rowan, 49-0 vs. No. 12 Hayesville, 35-17 at No. 1 Eastern Randolph

Record: 13-1 overall, 5-0 Western Highlands 1A/2A Conference (Champion)

Key regular season victories: 56-21 vs. Mitchell, 49-21 vs. Mountain Heritage

Losses: 28-27 (OT) at East Burke

Opponents’ winning percentage: .386 (61-97)

Wins against teams that finished over .500: 4

Playoff scores: 66-14 vs. No. 27 Union Academy, 35-10 vs. No. 11 Mitchell, 19-14 at No. 3 Thomasville, 42-21 at No. 2 Andrews

Draughn offense vs. Mount Airy defense

Draughn’s offense and Mount Airy’s defense have both proven to be two of the best units in the division this season.

Draughn’s 676 points scored are second in 1A, trailing only Mount Airy’s 723, and third in the state overall. The Wildcats would move into second place with at least 15 points in the regional championship as the second-highest team, Princeton, was eliminated from the 2A East in the fourth round.

Draughn’s offense will test Mount Airy’s rock-solid defense as a dynamic unit that has had success rushing and passing. The ‘Cats rush for an average of 224.4 yards per game and pass for 184.1.

The Wildcats, like Mount Airy, are junior-heavy. The team’s lead back is junior Nigel Dula, who averages 150.7 yards per game. Dula has 182 carries for 1,658 yards and 29 touchdowns in only 11 games played as he missed the first three games of the regular season.

Dula had five carries for 52 yards and a touchdown his first week back, 11 carries for 75 yards and two touchdowns his second week back, and ever since has recorded at least 100 yards and a touchdown each week.

Dula rushed at least 23 times in each of Draughn’s past three playoff games. Against No. 1 Andrews, Dula recorded 26 carries for 166 yards and three touchdowns.

Junior Justice Cunningham serves as a secondary back and has 110 carries for 827 yards and 16 TDs. Cunningham averages 7.5 yards per carry.

While Dula was out at the beginning of the season, Cunningham averaged 21 carries for 143.7 yards rushing and three touchdowns.

Wildcat quarterback Elijah Tillery, another junior, averages 175.1 yards passing and 2.2 passing touchdowns while completing 63.9% of passes. Tillery has only four interceptions on the year with 241 passing attempts. The QB has only thrown one interception since September.

Tillery also serves as a third running back for Draughn, averaging 41.5 yards on the ground with 10 rushing touchdowns. He finished the game against Andrews 13-of-18 (72.2%) passing for 183 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing six times for 18 yards and a touchdown.

Draughn’s receiving corps is one of its most experienced units on the team. Senior Zach Pinkerton has 53 receptions on the season for 1,064 and 18 touchdowns, good enough for 76 yards per game and 20.1 yards per reception. Pinkerton had five receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown versus Andrews.

Fellow senior Elijah Pritchard is the secondary receiver with 28 receptions for 395 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. Pritchard averages 28.2 yards per game and 14.1 yards per reception.

Draughn has five receivers – three seniors and two juniors – with at least 14 receptions that average more than 11 yards per reception.

The Granite Bears have only given up 38 combined points against 1A opponents. East Wilkes, Starmount and Hayesville each put 7 on Mount Airy, and the 1A West’s No. 1-seeded team Eastern Randolph scored 17.

Mount Airy has faced three opponents in 2022 that primarily passed: East Surry, Ashe County and Surry Central.

The Bears held both East Surry and Surry Central well below their season averages. East Surry finished the year averaging 243.7 yards passing, 3.7 passing touchdowns and only .38 interceptions, but Mount Airy held East to 120 yards passing, two TDs and forced two interceptions.

Surry Central averaged 121.1 yards passing, one passing touchdown and 0.9 interceptions, and Mount Airy held the Golden Eagles to 20 yards passing, one touchdown and forced one interception.

Ashe County is the only team to pass for more than 120 yards against Mount Airy. The Huskies completed 26-of-50 passes for 297 yards and four touchdowns while being intercepted twice. Mount Airy won that game 51-29.

Mount Airy has eight players with at least one interception on the year, and three with multiple picks. Senior Logan Fonville leads the way with four, followed by juniors Mario Revels and Walker Stroup with three and junior Blake Hawks with two. The Bears have also defensed 55 passes and caused 14 fumbles.

The Granite Bears’ defense has held two teams to negative total yards, four teams to negative rushing yards, six teams to fewer than 70 total yards and eight teams to fewer than 130 total yards. Eastern Randolph’s 265 total yards were the most allowed by Mount Airy against a 1A opponent.

Eastern Randolph and Starmount are the only 1A teams to surpass 55 yards rushing against Mount Airy. Starmount rushed for 162 yards, and Eastern Randolph had 174 yards.

The Bears average more than 10 tackles for a loss as a team, and five players have double-digit TFLs: junior Deric Dandy (28), junior Ian Gallimore (24), senior Cam’Ron Webster (18), junior Caleb Reid (16) and junior Caden Joyce (11).

Mount Airy offense vs. Draughn defense

No 1A opponent has been able to slow down Mount Airy’s rushing offense this season. In fact, Mount Airy’s only games with less than 250 yards rushing were: a 14-12 loss to East Surry, and a 62-0 win over North Stokes in which the Bears had short fields almost every drive.

The Granite Bears have rushed for at least 300 yards in 9-of-14 games, most recently going for 346 and four touchdowns against Eastern Randolph. Mount Airy had at least four rushing touchdowns in 13-of-14 games and at least six rushing touchdowns in 7-of-14.

Spearheading the offense is junior running back Tyler Mason. Mason has rushed for 1,863 yards and a school-record 41 touchdowns on only 133 carries. He leads the state with more than 14 yards per carry and is second in N.C. in rushing touchdowns. The state’s leader in rushing touchdowns, Princeton senior Christian Perris, has 47 touchdowns on 279 carries.

Mason has averaged 11 carries for 176.3 yards and 3.7 touchdowns in Mount Airy’s past three games.

The Bears’ strength comes in numbers behind a physical offensive line. Mount Airy has three players averaging more than 11 yards per carry with at least 46 carries, as well as five players with games of at least 100 yards rushing this season.

Reid and Gallimore join Mason as the primary pieces in the option offense. Despite missing three games, Reid has 61 carries for 760 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season. Reid didn’t rush more than eight times or surpass the 100-yard mark in a game until the Bears’ third-round game against Hayesville, and now the junior has averaged 141.5 yards and one touchdown on 11.5 carries the past two games.

Gallimore, the quarterback, has 75 carries for 450 yards and six touchdowns.

Freshman Taeshon Martin has also been a force, recording 46 carries for 523 yards and 10 touchdowns in 11 games. Martin scored a 71-yard rushing touchdown on his first carry as a Granite Bear and posted a career-high 115 yards on 10 carries against Ashe County.

Gallimore surpassed the 1,000-yard passing mark for the second consecutive season with 52 yards passing and a touchdown against Eastern Randolph. The junior dual-threat QB averages 73.2 yards passing and only has two interceptions all season. Gallimore averages 21.4 yards per completion.

Stroup and Revels have split receiving duties with 18 receptions each. Stroup leads the team with 511 yards and six touchdowns, while Revels has 290 yards and three touchdowns.

On paper, Mount Airy’s offense is similar to that of the Andrews team that Draughn upset in the fourth round.

Mount Airy averages 322.6 yards rushing, while Andrews finished the year averaging 324.6. Andrews had two main running backs that combined for more than 2,500 yards and 40 touchdowns, as well as three other players that had quality rushing numbers. Reid and Mason combine for more than 2,600 yards and 55 touchdowns, and three other Bears have at least 300 yards rushing on the season.

Though no Andrews stats were available for the Draughn game at the time of publication, it is known that Draughn held an undefeated team averaging 46 points to just 21 – including just seven in the second half. The Wildcats had two interceptions against Andrews.

Thomasville, Draughn’s third round opponent, had a pair of 1,000-yard rushers as well as a mobile quarterback. The Wildcats held Thomasville to fewer than 100 yards rushing and forced a fumble in the fourth quarter that sealed the 19-14 win.

Mitchell was the other star rushing team that Draughn faced in 2022, and the Wildcats and Mountaineers actually did battle twice. Mitchell finished the season averaging 257.6 yards rushing behind its senior trio of Chad Giarrusso, Gage Young and Ty Turbyfill. The three Mitchell players combined for 337 carries for 2,598 yards and 36 touchdowns.

Mitchell rushed for 190 yards and passed for 178 in its regular season meeting with Draughn, but Draughn’s offense couldn’t be contained as Dula rushed 26 times for 246 yards and five touchdowns en route to a 56-21 win. In the playoff rematch, Mitchell ran for 204 yards, but gave up an interception and a fumble while only scoring one touchdown. Draughn won the rematch 35-10.

Draughn’s defense is led by senior linebacker Ronald Donnell Wilkins II, who leads the 1A division with 150 total tackles. Junior Hampton Blackwell has also surpassed 100 tackles and leads the team with 19 tackles for a loss and five fumble recoveries.

Draughn averages seven tackles for a loss and 1.8 sacks per game.

The Wildcats have 17 interceptions on the year, led by four each from junior Shaydon Pino and senior Trevor Houston. Houston has 22 passes defensed, and fellow senior Will Price has 10.

Mount Airy and Draughn’s high-scoring offenses come with a pair of quality placekickers.

Stroup has made 75-of-80 PATs for the Granite Bears, which is the most in the state among all classifications, and made his only field goal attempt of the season. Stroup also has 47 touchbacks on 100 kickoffs and averages 38.2 yards per punt.

Mason, Revels and Stroup are the primary return men for Mount Airy. Mason has returned two punts for touchdowns and one kickoff for a touchdown with 287 return yards, while Revels has one punt return for a touchdown and 98 return yards, and Stroup has 170 return yards.

Draughn junior Rudy Mendoza ranks No. 2 in the 1A division and No. 5 in the state in PATs with 67, knocking down 67-of-79 attempts this season. Mendoza is also 1-of-2 on field goals with a long of 25 yards and handles kickoff duties.

Wildcat senior John Abernathy averages 31.5 yards per punt.

Price, Dula and senior Tywan Nemorin split return duties for Draughn. Price has 379 return yards, Dula has 203 return yards and one kickoff return for a touchdown, and Nemorin has 133 return yards.

Talk about an amazing comeback.

Two years ago, the National Athletic Directors Conference (NADC) sponsored by the NFHS and the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) was cancelled due to the pandemic. A virtual meeting was held in its place.

Next week in Nashville, Tennessee, an all-time attendance record will be established, or shall we say obliterated, when about 2,500 high school and middle school athletic directors are expected to gather for the 53rd annual conference December 9-13.

The previous mark of 2,092 attendees was set four years ago at the conference in San Antonio. And perhaps even more exciting for the future of sports in our nation’s schools is that more than 850 are first-time attendees – also a record number.

This is great news in a year that has also seen education-based sports and performing arts back in full force in the nation’s 19,500-plus high schools – not to mention the thousands of middle schools across the country. The 50th anniversary of the passage of Title IX was celebrated this past summer, and the first post-pandemic survey of sports participation showed that students are re-engaging and returning to the fields and courts.

Unlike national conferences for some groups, professional development is among the main reasons that athletic directors attend the National Athletic Directors Conference, which was started by the NFHS in 1971 with 355 attendees in St. Louis, Missouri.

The growth of the high school athletic administration profession as well as the NADC was fueled in 1977 when the NFHS formed the NIAAA, a national professional organization for high school athletic administrators. Membership in the NIAAA expanded rapidly and, in 2006, it became its own organization. Since that time, the NFHS – the national leader and advocate for high school athletics and performing arts – and the NIAAA, with more than 12,000 members, have worked together annually to conduct the NADC.

Attendees at this year’s conference are signed up for more than 1,800 Leadership Training Institute courses sponsored by the NIAAA. The 54 course topics address legal issues, as well as marketing and promotion, technology, sports medicine, mental health, hiring and mentoring coaches, managing fields and equipment, building positive culture and much more.

In a similar fashion that the NFHS Learning Center has been one of the most successful programs in the 103-year history of the organization, the Leadership Training Program has been among the most significant efforts in the 45-year history of the NIAAA. When combined with the 90-plus courses available online through the Learning Center, many of which are applicable to athletic administrators as well, it is obvious that athletic directors are vitally interested in growing professionally and learning more about various aspects of their important positions.

In addition to the professional development courses being offered in Nashville, 40 workshops will be offered on key issues facing high school athletic directors, including one of the newest challenges facing schools today – “Name, Image and Likeness.”

Some of the other topics include Building Culture Through Positive Leadership, Addressing Student Behaviors During Contests, Increasing Multi-sport Participation, Promoting Leadership Among Coaches, Supporting Student Mental Health, Crowd and Conflict Management, along with legal issues and the use of social media.

Many of the nation’s athletic directors were previously coaches, and some continue with double duties. They have a tremendous heart for student-athletes in their schools, but now their task includes being the “coach of coaches.”

High school athletic directors work long hours and are not in the limelight, but they are the heart and soul of education-based programs. We salute these individuals and encourage school administrators and school boards to support athletic directors in their schools.

The success of organized sports in an education-based setting in our nation’s schools for more than 100 years has been due in large part to these individuals. Local schools depend on athletic administrators to lead their programs, our member state high school associations depend on these men and women, and the NFHS and NIAAA look to athletic directors for leadership at the national level.

Collectively and collaboratively, we can meet the challenges ahead to protect and promote education-based sports and activities.

North Surry’s wrestling team looks to build off a strong 2021-22 season with most of last year’s team returning.

The Greyhounds were young in 2021-22 with only two seniors, but were still able to finish 15-6 as a team overall and 3-3 in the competitive Foothills 2A Conference.

The 2021-22 Hounds had eight wrestlers qualify for the 2A Midwest Regional Championship under first-year head coach Josh McCreary: Isaac Tate, Will Brickell, Caleb Utt, Austin Goins, William France, Garrett Shore, Jase Hernandez and Ty Gwyn. Shore was a state qualifier, while Utt, Hernandez and Gwyn each finished in the top six of their respective weight classes.

Seven of the eight regional qualifiers are back with the team this season and have helped the Greyhounds start 6-2 in dual team competition.

North Surry started the season with a quad match against 3A Central Davidson, 4A Glenn and 4A Ragsdale on Nov. 17. The Hounds defeated Glenn 69-9 and Central Davidson 54-30, while falling to Ragsdale 47-36.

Tate, Utt, William France, Alex Cazares, Goins, Shore Adam Slate and Aiden Martin all picked up wins against both Glenn and Central Davidson. Jefferson Gomez, Garrett France, Harley Felts and Gwyn had wins against Glenn, and Brickell won his match against Central Davidson.

Ragsdale won the match against North Surry by winning most of the upper and lower-weight matches, while the Hounds won six-of-seven matches between 138 and 195.

Ragsdale won the 106, 113, 120, 126 and 132 matches to go up 29-0. William France won via fall at 138, then Cazares and Garrett France followed suit at 145 and 152. The Tigers took the 160 match, but then North won the next three.

Felts won his match at 170, Shore took the 182 match and Slate won at 195 to give North Surry a 36-35 advantage. However, Ragsdale won the 220 and 285 matches to secure the 47-36 overall victory.

The Greyhounds took on North Stokes and East Surry in Toast on Nov. 22.

The match versus North Stokes saw the visiting Vikings win at 152, but the Hounds won every other match that wasn’t a double forfeit. Wins from the following wrestlers helped North Surry win 60-6: Tate, Ever Eldridge, Brickell, Utt, William France, Cazares, Felts, Shore, Martin and Gwyn.

East Surry briefly held a 6-0 lead over North Surry when Cameron Hayden won the 106 match via forfeit, but North won the next six matches to go up 36-6. Tate, Eldridge, Brickell, Utt, William France and Cazares all picked up victories before East’s Troy Haywood defeated Garrett France at 152.

Following a double forfeit at 160, East Surry’s Andrew Meadows and Lucas East had the Cardinals’ two remaining wins. Shore, Joseph Ravit and Gwyn finished the match off with victories.

North Surry added a pair of close wins in a Nov. 23 quad match at Alleghany, defeating the hosts 45-33 and South Stokes 48-35.

Gomez, Brickell, William France, Shore and Gwyn each had wins over both Alleghany and South Stokes. Tate, Eldridge and Felts won against Alleghany, and Utt Slate and Ravit won against South Stokes.

The Ashe County match went down to the wire with neither team winning more than two consecutive matches. Gomez, Brickell, Utt, Garrett France, Shore, Ravit and Gwyn won North Surry’s seven matches, while Ashe County wrestlers also won seven. The match was decided by a tiebreaker that went the way of Ashe County.

Ashe County finished 22-7 in 2021-22 and was ranked No. 14 in the West among all divisions by HighSchoolOT.

In addition to dual team competition, North Surry took part in the Craig White Invitational Tournament on Nov. 19.

Three Greyhounds – Cazares, Shore and Slate – reached medal matches at the tournament: Cazares took second in 145 falling to North Iredell’s Bray Trivette, a 3A State Runner-up last season, in the finals; Shore reached the championship match of the 182 bracket before suffering his only loss of the season; and Adam Slate finished fourth in the 195 bracket.

RAMSEUR — The Mount Airy sideline erupted as Tyler Mason ran in a 16-yard touchdown with 1:43 to play in Friday’s game at Eastern Randolph.

Mason’s third touchdown run of the night was the exclamation point of the Granite Bears’ 35-17 victory over the No. 1-seeded Wildcats. Mount Airy only needed 1 yard to convert on fourth down, but – just as they have all season – the Bears put forth the extra effort to put the game away.

“I’m happy for our kids, fans and our coaches,” said Mount Airy coach J.K. Adkins. “The guys put a lot of hard work into getting to this point, and I’m so proud of them. Our backs were against the wall; it didn’t start out great for us. We had to figure out how to recapture momentum. We stuck together and just kept plugging.”

Mount Airy scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter after going scoreless in the third. The Bears put up 223 total yards in the second half, including 196 on the ground, while holding Eastern Randolph to just 47 total yards in the final two quarters.

“There was a point that I thought – from a physicality standpoint – we overtook the game,” Adkins said. “I felt like they (Eastern Randolph) were more physical in the first half, then somewhere in there in the third quarter it shifted. We started winning battles up front and we started getting a good pass rush. We shut the run game down and that was huge. Once it shifted they just never did get it back.”

The Granite Bears (13-1) found themselves in a strange situation in the first half when the Wildcats scored first. East Wilkes was the only 1A team prior to Friday to take a lead against Mount Airy, and even then it only took Mount Airy 16 seconds to even the game up.

The athletic Eastern Randolph squad scored on its second drive of the night. Davonte Brooks, who led the Cats with 106 total yards (64 rushing, 42 receiving), ran his first of two rushing touchdowns in with 2:56 remaining in the first quarter.

Despite not trailing for long in either of the past two seasons, Mount Airy was familiar with fighting from behind in high-pressure games. Adkins said the Bears were able to draw from their experiences against Mitchell in the 2021 playoffs and East Surry earlier this season.

“It’s huge to have been in these situations and understand what it feels like to come up short,” Adkins said. “Understanding what that feels like is a big deal, and just the experience of being in these situations is a big deal. It definitely helped us tonight.”

Eastern Randolph seemed poised to score again in the second quarter after stopping Mount Airy’s next drive. The Wildcats landed on the Bears 5-yard line as part of a 6:04 drive that began on their own 3-yard line.

The next four plays saw momentum begin to shift to the visitors. Mount Airy’s Caleb Reid tackled Ervodd at the line of scrimmage on first down, then Deric Dandy took Brooks down for a loss of a yard on second down before Connor Burrell and Ian Gallimore stopped Brooks on third down. The Wildcats settled for a 23-yard field goal, increasing their lead to 10-0.

Mason, who led all players with 193 yards rushing and three touchdowns, started the next drive with a 22-yard carry off a pitch from Gallimore. The junior didn’t carry again until the end of the seven-play drive when he ran in a 26-yard touchdown.

Mason then intercepted Eastern Randolph’s Stratton Barwick, which set the Bears up to score two plays later on a Gallimore pass to Walker Stroup. Stroup hit his second PAT of the game to put the Bears up 14-10.

Eastern Randolph kept the Bears from scoring again at the onset of the second half by sacking Gallimore twice. The tackles for a loss made Mount Airy punt from its own end zone.

The Cats’ only score of the second half came on the ensuing possession as part of a short field. Eastern Randolph started on the Mount Airy 49, then immediately advanced 5 yards due to an offsides penalty. The Wildcats were in the end zone seven plays later.

The Bears faced a hiccup on their next drive. Mount Airy was moving well on the ground until the ball popped out in Wildcat territory. The Bears’ sideline called for a facemask penalty, but no such penalty was awarded and Eastern Randolph took over on their own 43.

Instead of getting deflated after the fumble, the fired up Mount Airy defense forced a three-and-out to regain possession with 30 seconds left in the third quarter.

Mason forced the game’s final lead change on the first play of the fourth quarter. The running back used excellent blocking from his teammates to score a 53-yard touchdown run, and the Stroup PAT put Mount Airy up 21-17.

Eastern Randolph felt the true wrath of the Granite Bears’ defense in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats moved the chains once on their next drive, but this would be the final Eastern Randolph first down of the season.

Barwick was sacked on first-and-10, with Dandy wrapping up the quarterback’s feet and Third Floyd taking him to the ground. Gallimore sacked Barwick on the next play, then Mason provided coverage on an attempted pass to force a punt.

Reid scored a 67-yard touchdown run on Mount Airy’s first offensive play on the next drive. The blocking once again opened a wide hole for the running back, who finished with a season-high 134 yards on 10 carries by The News calculations.

Adkins applauded the Bears’ offensive and defensive lines for competing all night against a very tough and sizable Wildcat squad.

“When we’re on the practice field we get after each other pretty good, especially our linemen,” Adkins said. “Everything’s competitive and it’s just drilling fundamentals and making sure that we’re staying sharp as far as that’s concerned.

“That’s a big football team. They’re huge. They’re as big as anybody I’ve seen in 1A. We knew we had our work cut out for us, but there in the third and fourth quarter we lived inside the box and took the game over that way.”

Sacks from Dandy and Cam’Ron Webster forced another Wildcat three-and-out, which led to Mason running in his third touchdown of the game.

Eastern Randolph’s D.J. Thomas would’ve moved the chains on the team’s final drive, but he fumbled and the ball was recovered by Reid.

Due to an upset on the other side of the 1A West bracket, No. 4 Mount Airy will host No. 6 Draughn in the 1A West Regional Championship next week. This marks Mount Airy’s sixth regional championship appearance since 2006 and the team’s first since 2017.

Draughn (13-1) defeated No. 2 Andrews 42-21 in the fourth round.

2:56 ER 7-0 – Davonte Brooks 27-yard TD run, Yane Jaimes PAT

6:11 ER 10-0 – Yane Jaimes 23-yard field goal

2:58 MA 10-7 – Tyler Mason 26-yard TD run, Walker Stroup PAT

0:56 MA 10-14 – Walker Stroup 29-yard TD reception on Ian Gallimore pass, Walker Stroup PAT

6:04 ER 17-14 – Davonte Brooks 1-yard TD run, Yane Jaimes PAT

11:48 MA 17-21 – Tyler Mason 53-yard TD run, Walker Stroup PAT

8:23 MA 17-28 – Caleb Reid 67-yard TD run, Walker Stroup PAT

1:43 MA 17-35 – Tyler Mason 16-yard TD run, Walker Stroup PAT

54 yards passing and one touchdown on three completions

336 yards rushing and four touchdowns on 36 carries, one fumble

Passing: Ian Gallimore 3-of-5 for 54 yards, one touchdown

Receiving: Walker Stroup two receptions for 47 yards, one touchdown; Mario Revels one reception for 7 yards

Rushing: Tyler Mason 14 carries for 193 yards, three touchdowns; Caleb Reid 10 carries for 134 yards, one touchdown; Ian Gallimore 11 carries for 7 yards, one fumble; Mario Revels one carry for 2 yards

Kicking: Walker Stroup 5-of-5 PATs

91 yards passing on six completions, one interception

174 yards rushing on 35 carries, two touchdowns, one fumble

Passing: Stratton Barwick 6-of-16 for 91 yards, one interception

Receiving: Devonte Brooks two receptions for 42 yards; Nicah Taylor two catches for 38 yards; D.J. Thomas one reception for 8 yards; Ervodd Cassady one reception for 3 yards

Rushing: Ervodd Cassady 11 carries for 98 yards; Devonte Brooks 14 carries for 64 yards, two touchdowns; D.J. Thomas one carry for 22 yards, one fumble; Lucas Smith one carry for -1 yard; Stratton Barwick eight carries for -9 yards

Kicking: Yane Jaimes 2-of-2 PATs, 1-of-1 field goals (23 yards)

DOBSON — The defending 2A Midwest Regional and Foothills 2A Conference Champions began the 2022-23 season with a home match on Nov. 22.

Surry Central, who finished 15-1 as a team in 2021-22, opened the new season with a 51-30 victory against Elkin underneath its new spotlight.

“I thought for opening night we wrestled well,” said Surry Central coach Stephen Priddy. “We didn’t have Jacob and Jeremiah [Price] tonight, but the guys really stepped up for us. I hope we get those guys back and get back to full strength. It should be an exciting season.”

The Golden Eagles graduated four wrestlers from last season’s team: Cole Butcher, Spencer LeClair, Juan Cisneros and Karson Crouse. Crouse and LeClair were both state qualifiers that finished fifth in their respective weight class: Crouse in 160 and LeClair in 170.

Four of Central’s six state qualifiers this past season returned: Xavier Salazar, Enoc Lopez, Jacob Price and Jeremiah Price. Salazar (106) and Lopez (195) each went 1-2 at the state tournament, while both Price’s won state championships – Jacob at 145 and Jeremiah at 152.

Jeremiah, who recently signed to wrestle at Appalachian State, is a three-time state champion in the 2A division.

Surry Central never trailed in its match against Elkin. Six of the Eagles’ nine wins came via fall, and only two of the six went longer than one period.

Ayden Norman started things off for Surry Central with a 34-second win over Elkin’s Alejandro Diaz in the 106-pound match. Jose Trejo followed in the 113 match by building a 6-1 lead before pinning Elkin’s Victor Vargas 1:04 into the first period.

Central’s Salazar battled David Rojas in the 120 match. The pair were tied 2-2 after the first period and 4-4 after the second, becoming the only match of the night that would be decided by points.

A two-point takedown put Rojas up 6-4, but Salazar cut into the lead with an escape worth one point. Salazar trailed as the clock dropped below 30 seconds, but managed to complete the comeback win with a two-point reversal in the closing moments.

Elkin picked up its first two wins of the night in the 126 and 132 matches. Miguel Salas pinned Central’s Cole Snow 31 seconds into the second period of the 126 match, and Jake Wright pinned Central’s Sam Wood 60 seconds into the 132 bout.

Golden Eagle Alex Kinton picked up a win at 138 to keep Central’s lead alive, pinning Elkin’s Yovanni Martinez in 38 seconds, but the Buckin’ Elks immediately fired back. Elkin’s Alejandro Lopez held a 7-1 advantage over Adrian Garcia late in the third period before pinning the Golden Eagle.

Elkin closed the gap to 21-18, but fell behind after forfeiting the 152 and 160 matches. Surry Central’s Wyatt Wall and Rylee Anderson were credited for wins in the two forfeits.

Central’s Allen Huffman and Elkin’s James Steele resumed competition in the 170 bout. Steele scored on three takedowns in the opening period, while Huffman accumulated a pair of points on escapes. Huffman had his first takedown in the second period, but a reversal and takedown from Steel gave the Buckin’ Elk a 10-4 lead heading into the final period of regulation.

Steele used one final takedown in the third period to set Huffman up for a fall. Elkin’s Bo Huff followed with a win via fall in the 195 match, pinning Central’s Hunter Gilmore in the first period.

Huff’s win cut the Central lead to 39-30, but the Eagles secured the team victory by winning the final two matches. Enoc Lopez pinned Jayden Martin in the first period of the 220 match, and Luis Insunza pinned William Santos in the first period of the heavyweight match.

Surry Central is set to continue its wrestling season on Nov. 26 by taking part in the Danny Linker Invitational Tournament at Alleghany High School.

PILOT MOUNTAIN — East Surry started wrestling season with a pair of split results in a home tri-match.

East Surry hosted North Stokes as well as East Wilkes on Nov. 21 for the first match of the 2022-23 season. The Surry Cardinals defeated the Vikings 78-0, but fell to the Wilkes Cardinals 46-33.

“That’s the first match out with a very young team and I feel like we competed,” said East Surry coach Darrin Haywood. “I’m excited to see what the future holds here. The kids are progressing.

“We’re not to the elite level we want to be at yet, but if these kids stick together and stick with it I think they can be really good. We just have to get mat time. A lot of mat time is going to be good for this team.”

East Surry doesn’t have a complete roster just yet. For starters, the school’s football team just wrapped up its season on Nov. 18, a Friday, and the tri took place the following Monday.

Both of East Surry’s returning state qualifiers – seniors Daniel Villasenor and Eli Becker – were members of the football team. Becker reached the 2A State Championship match for the 182-pound weight class last season before suffering his first loss, and Villasenor finished fourth in the 2A 195-pound class.

Villasenor wrestled against East Wilkes while Becker did not.

The Cardinals were also down a few key wrestlers due to other reasons.

“Even without them we still did a good job against a talented team,” Haywood said. “East Wilkes has had a really good team for a few years now. I think that was good for us. We can compete with some of those top teams in North Carolina.

“Overall, I’m very pleased with how we did.”

North Stokes’ only had one wrestler make the trip to Pilot Mountain: Lane Stephens. Stephens competed against East Surry’s Andrew Meadows in the 160 match, and Meadows won via fall in the first period.

The following East Surry wrestlers won via forfeit against North Stokes: Cameron Hayden, Alex Martin, Reid Lynch, Jordan Dezarn, Michael Fischer, Johnny de la Cruz, Michael Youngblood, Troy Haywood, Preston Lineberry, Villasenor, Domenico Coppela and Charles Summers.

The match vs. East Wilkes began with East Surry’s Gaven Heath taking on Vance Harris in the 120 class. Harris got East Wilkes on the board with a first-period fall, then the visitors’ Collin White added to the lead by defeating Dezarn via second-period fall at 126.

Fischer had East Surry’s first win in the battle of the Cardinals. The freshman went up 7-1 over Blake Caudill with a takedown and two near falls in the first period, then led 13-2 in the third period before pinning his opponent.

Cruz followed in the 138 match and never trailed against Tylor White. Cruz had a pair of takedowns in the first period, then had an escape and takedown in the second period before getting the win via fall. Cruz’s win put the overall score at 12-12.

The only tie of the match was broken after Zac Helms and Kaden Royal posted wins for East Wilkes in the 145 and 152 matches. Helms pinned Youngblood in the 145 match, and Royal outlasted Haywood in the 152 match 15-5.

Meadows picked up his second win of the night at 160 by pinning Dylan Ramage, then East Wilkes’ Bryson Shumate won the 170 match via forfeit.

Villasenor came into the 182 match straight from football season and still picked up a win. The senior was tied with East Wilkes’ Tristan Alkire 6-6 after the first period, then trailed 11-9 heading into the third period. Alkire added three points in the final period, but Villasenor took the lead with a reversal, near fall and escape to win 14-12.

East Wilkes built its overall lead with two consecutive wins. Raul Lopez topped Coppela with a second-period fall in the 195 match, then Jonathan Hanlin won the 220 match via forfeit.

East Surry’s Summers then pinned Kaydon Lane in the first period of the 285 match, and Hayden won via forfeit at 106.

East Wilkes’ Alan Lopez won the 113 match via first-period fall to wrap up the 46-33 victory for the visitors.

East Surry returns home Nov. 29 to host Atkins.

Mount Airy will compete in its first away playoff game since the 2020-21 season when it travels to top-seeded Eastern Randolph on Nov. 25.

The matchup of the Granite Bears and Wildcats were the top two seeds in the 2021 1A State Playoffs, and are once again top teams in the division. Eastern Randolph holds the No. 1 spot, and Mount Airy now No. 4. The winner will advance to the 1A West Regional Championship to face the winner of No. 2 Andrews (13-0) and No. 6 Draughn (12-1).

Mount Airy’s last regional championship appearance came in 2017. The Bears defeated Murphy 49-35, then advanced to the subdivided 1AA Championship Game before falling to Tarboro.

Eastern Randolph looks to make its first regional championship appearance since winning the subdivided 3AA East Regional Championship in 2006. The Wildcats defeated Williams 34-20 and went on to win the 3AA State Championship.

Record: 12-1 overall, 6-0 Northwest 1A Conference (Champion)

Key regular season victories: 51-29 at Ashe County, 62-7 vs. East Wilkes, 44-7 vs. Starmount

Losses: 14-12 vs. East Surry

Opponents’ winning percentage: .401 (59-88)

Wins against teams that finished over .500: 4

Playoff scores: 72-0 vs. No. 29 North Stokes, 57-7 vs. No. 13 North Rowan, 49-0 vs. No. 12 Hayesville

Record: 11-1 overall, 5-0 Piedmont Athletic 1A/2A Conference (Champion)

Key regular season victories: 35-21 at Walkertown, 28-21 vs. Williams, 28-7 at Providence Grove, 28-13 vs. Randleman

Opponents’ winning percentage: .530 (71-63)

Wins against teams that finished over .500: 7

Playoff scores: BYE, 28-12 vs. No. 17 Mountain Heritage, 29-26 vs. No. 8 Robbinsville

These playoff previews normally include breakdowns of individual statistics in all three phases while also highlighting certain players for each team. However, this specific preview will be slightly different as Eastern Randolph has not posted stats on MaxPreps the past two seasons.

The information for the Wildcats included in this preview was gathered from a combination of game film, team info shared on MaxPreps and other news reports.

Mount Airy and Eastern Randolph had vastly different schedules this season.

Mount Airy opened the season with three nonconference games against 2A opponents and one 3A opponent before playing its next nine games against 1A competition. The Bears are the highest scoring team in the 1A division with 688 total points. Mount Airy has also outscored 1A teams 621-21 in 2022.

Eastern Randolph, meanwhile, didn’t play a single 1A team during the regular season. Three of the Wildcats’ first four games came against 3A teams, and the rest were against 2A squads. ER is the only 1A team in the Piedmont Athletic 1A/2A Conference.

The Bears and Cats are similar in that both suffered their only defeat early in the season and at the hands of a team in a higher division. Mount Airy fell 14-12 to East Surry (12-1), who reached the third round of the 2A State Playoffs, and Eastern Randolph lost its only game to Eastern Alamance (10-3) by a score of 42-27. Eastern Alamance reached the third round of the 3A State Playoffs.

Eastern Randolph’s only games against 1A teams came in the second and third rounds of the State Playoffs. The Wildcats had a first-round bye, then won 28-12 vs. No. 17 Mountain Heritage (5-7) and 29-26 vs. No. 8 Robbinsville (9-4).

Mount Airy defense vs. Eastern Randolph offense

Mount Airy’s defense, which has only allowed 21 points in the past two months, has grown into an elite unit similar to the 2021 defense. In nine games against 1A opponents, the Bears’ defense has held: two teams to negative total yards, four teams to negative rushing yards, six to fewer than 70 total yards, and eight to fewer than 130 total yards.

Only Starmount, East Wilkes and North Rowan recorded at least 100 total yards against Mount Airy. All three made the 1A State Playoffs with winning records, and East Wilkes and North Rowan each won their first-round games.

Starmount is the only 1A team to record more than 55 yards rushing against Mount Airy. The Rams rushed 162 yards in a 44-7 loss to the Bears, but only passed for 2 yards. Most of Starmount’s yards came from 2021 Northwest 1A Conference Offensive Player of the Year Zack Dezern, who finished the season with 176 carries for 1,637 yards and 23 rushing touchdowns in 11 games.

This complicates things for Eastern Randolph as a primarily rushing team. Wildcat running back Ervodd Cassady rushed for 141 yards and three touchdowns in the team’s 29-26 playoff win over Robbinsville. Cassady had 205 yards rushing and two rushing touchdowns against Mountain Heritage, while also posting games of three rushing touchdowns vs. Wheatmore and Walkertown.

Cassady also had a four-touchdown game against Asheboro.

Eastern Randolph’s Davonte Brooks has missed time for the team at different points in the season due to injury, but has been a weapon when he’s played. Brooks had two rushing touchdowns in games against Williams, West Stanly, Trinity and Randleman, as well as three rushing touchdowns in games against Southwestern Randolph and Providence Grove.

Quarterback Stratton Barwick is protected by a veteran offensive line and can use his feet when needed. The QB threw for a season-high four touchdowns against Wheatmore, had multiple touchdown passes against Asheboro and Trinity, and also threw for TDs against Williams, West Stanly, and Randleman.

Mount Airy offense vs. Eastern Randolph defense

Mount Airy’s offense has continued to develop and has shined when needed. With their defense and special teams setting the Bears up with short fields in most 1A games, the offense hasn’t always needed to put up video game-like numbers in order to win. That hasn’t stopped them from recording at least 400 total yards in eight games.

Running back Tyler Mason recently set a new school record for single-season rushing touchdowns with 38 and has 41 total touchdowns on the year. Mason has rushed for nearly 1,700 yards this season.

While Mason gets a lot of the attention on Mount Airy’s offense, the unit as a whole has shown it can hurt opponents in a variety of ways. The team rushes for more than 300 yards per game behind an ever-improving offensive line, and junior quarterback Ian Gallimore is closing in on 1,000 yards passing for the season.

Junior Caleb Reid and freshman Taeshon Martin have shouldered the load of the ground game as well. Reid most recently had 111 yards and two touchdowns against Hayesville and has nearly 600 yards and 14 touchdowns in just 10 games this season. Martin also missed time with an injury earlier in the year, but has more than 500 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns.

Mason, Reid, Martin, Ian Gallimore and Landon Gallimore have each had games rushing at least 100 yards, and seven different Bears have scored multiple rushing touchdowns.

Walker Stroup and Mario Revels each have double-digit receptions on the year with multiple receiving touchdowns. Stroup is the team’s leading receiver with more than 460 yards receiving and five touchdowns, and Revels has close to 300 yards receiving and three touchdowns.

Stroup averages around 30 yards per reception, and seven of his teammates also average 10 yards or more per reception: Revels, Martin, Mason, Blake Hawks, Logan Fonville, Avery Poindexter and Cash Hemric.

While there isn’t much published on Eastern Randolph’s defense, the Wildcats have only allowed 14.5 points per game. This includes 19 points per game in two playoff matchups.

Defensively, the Wildcats have held eight opponents to 13 or fewer points, with two games being shutout victories. The Bears have held 10 opponents to 7 or fewer points and have six shutouts on the year.

Robbinsville used its ground game to turn a 22-14 halftime deficit into a 26-22 lead at the end of the third quarter. Eastern Randolph trailed for more time against Robbinsville than Mount Airy has trailed against 1A opponents all season.

The Wildcats gave up 323 yards rushing against the Black Knights according to Robbinsville’s MaxPreps page. Junior running back Cuttler Adams led Robbinsville back into the game with 34 carries for 206 yards and a touchdown.

Eastern Randolph did manage to score with just over six minutes left in the fourth quarter, then the Wildcats made two big stops in the red zone to hold on to the win.

Very little could be found about Eastern Randolph’s special teams play. D.J. Thomas returned a kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown against Robbinsville, and the Wildcats made all three PATs against the Black Knights while adding one 2-point conversion.

Mason, Revels and Stroup are the primary return men for Mount Airy. Mason has returned two punts for touchdowns and one kickoff for a touchdown, while Revels has one punt return for a touchdown.

Stroup had 66 made PATs and four field goals coming into the Hayesville game.

Surry County Parks and Recreation continued the tradition of honoring past athletes and those who have made contributions to further athletics in the county.

The Surry County Sports Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor inducted the Class of 2022 at a ceremony held earlier this month.

The Surry County Sports Hall of Fame is dedicated to preserving the history of sports in Surry County. Its purpose is to recognize and perpetuate the noteworthy athletic tradition of residents by honoring and memorializing individuals, teams, corporations, companies, and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to this tradition.

Unveiling of the monument took place at Fisher River Park on Nov. 5 with the nominees and their families in attendance. As the cover was pulled from the monument, the nominees were the first to see their names carved in the granite which will mark their achievement for generations to come.

After the unveiling, the induction ceremony took place in the auditorium at Surry Community College, where Bradley Key and Donna Collins introduced the Ring of Honor and Hall of Fame Class of 2022.

The 2022 Hall of Fame inductees were: Marli Bennett, Eddie R. Cobb, Charles “Buster” Cox, Elder Manuel Owens Jessup, Dr. Daniel Merritt, and Derek Slate.

The 2022 Ring of Honor inductees were A.M. “AB” Crater and the 2003-2004 Elkin High Wrestlers consisting of Caleb Pardue, Austin Beshears, Cory Combs, Felix Hernandez, Adam Combs, Eric Gutkowski, Mitch Anderson, Patrick Humphrey, William Hosier Jr., Brad Walsh, Coad Westra, Greg Hurt, Alex Lazaro-Lopez, Matt Nixon, Dustin Miles, and Coaches Perry Lloyd, Josh Price, and John Orta.

Each nominee took a few minutes to reflect on their accomplishments and thank those who helped them achieve so much. Upon completion of the ceremony honorees and their guests were invited to stay for lunch and share even more stories that have contributed to the rich sports history of Surry County.

The Surry County Sports Hall of Fame consists of both the Hall of Fame and the Ring of Honor. The Hall of Fame will honor those individuals who have achieved athletic accomplishments as a player, coach, or administrator. The Ring of Honor will honor those individuals, teams, and organizations that have made a significant impact on sports in Surry County through contributions in the field of athletics.

Nominations for the 2023 class of the Surry County Sports Hall of Fame will open again next year. Information on the Hall of Fame, Ring of Honor, and all other happenings with county parks and recreation can be found on their social media: http://www.facebook.com/surryparks.

“Off to Asheboro.”

Those were the exact words that one fan hollered to Mount Airy head football coach J.K. Adkins just minutes after the Granite Bears 49-0 win over Hayesville on Friday night at Wallace Shelton Stadium.

Asheboro (or Ramseur to be exact) happens to be the location of Eastern Randolph — Mount Airy’s fourth round opponent for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 1A playoffs. The top-seeded Wildcats (11-1) held off Robbinsville, 29-26, in their third-round game.

That west regional semifinal game is slated for next Friday, which means the No. 4 Granite Bears will be practicing on Thanksgiving for the second year in a row.

Mount Airy, which won its 11th-straight game, improved to 12-1 this fall. Defensively, it has allowed just one touchdown in the last six games and just 21 points in the last nine.

“I’m proud of our guys, proud of their effort and hopefully we can take another step next week,” said Adkins. “I think we’re better (than we were at this point last year) and I didn’t think I’d be able to say that at this point in the year, but I think we’re a better football team all the way around — offensively, defensively and special teams.

“We’re extremely aggressive on both sides, our line play is better than it was and we’re winning some battles inside that are really paying dividends right now.”

Much like all season, Tyler Mason played a key role for Mount Airy on Friday.

The junior running back scored on his very first touch of the game — an 84-yard scamper on the Granite Bears’ third play from scrimmage.

Mason finished with a game-high 164 yards and four touchdowns on just a dozen carries. The junior received probably the ovation of the night late in the third quarter on a 27-yard rushing score.

Not only did the touchdown make it 42-0 Mount Airy to institute the NCHSAA-mandated running clock, but the junior scored his 38th rushing touchdown of the season

According to Mount Airy sports historian Doug McDaniel, Mason’s rushing score eclipsed the previous record held by Michael Dodson back in the Granite Bears’ state championship season in 2008. Dodson had 34 rushing touchdowns that season.

Mason now has 41 total touchdowns this fall (Dodson also held that previous record with 36).

“He had a big night and he’s just one of the athletes we have who are tremendous,” said Adkins. “We can get the ball out to different people in space, Tyler being one of them and Caleb (Reid) and Mario (Revels) and Walker (Stroup) — they’re some real weapons and that’s a luxury — so anytime you can do that, it really puts people in a bind.”

With the running clock, Mount Airy’s backups gained some valuable reps, and found the end zone with 5:43 left on a 21-yard rushing score from freshman Taeshon Martin.

Mason also forced a turnover when he intercepted Hayesville quarterback Logan Caldwell in the third quarter.

The Granite Bears came up empty on the ensuing drive as it fumbled in the red zone and the No. 12 Yellow Jackets recovered.

However, Mount Airy’s defense buckled down thanks to a pair of sacks from Ian Gallimore.

The Granite Bears held the Yellow Jackets, who didn’t get across midfield the entire game, to just eight yards of offense.

Taylor McClure, Hayesville’s leading rusher, was held to just six yards on 13 carries. The junior paced the visitor’s on defense with nine tackles.

Hayesville (7-6), which got as close as its own 49 on the final drive of the game, had its next best opportunity come in the opening quarter as they reached their own 44-yard line.

But Revels intercepted Caldwell to end the drive and returned it back to the Hayesville 35; the pick set up Mason’s second touchdown of the night.

Revels ultimately found the end zone when Gallimore found him, in stride, for a 75-yard touchdown to put the hosts up 27-0 just before halftime. Revels finished with three receptions for 93 yards.

“He’s a dynamic player, he’s a playmaker, he’s a warrior, a foxhole guy and someone you want to have go fight with,” Adkins said of the junior Revels. “I was really proud him and it was good to see him do some things tonight.”

Caleb Reid, who served as the primary back for the Granite Bears in the second half, tacked on a 24-yard touchdown run on the opening drive of the third quarter.

The junior joined Mason in triple-digit rushing with 111 yards. Gallimore added 109 yards through the air.

According to McDaniel, this year’s team has scored the third-most points in a season with 687 (only the 2008 and 2009 teams have more and they played 16 games each) and has averaged 52.8 points a game. This year’s Granite Bears are only 30 points away (and three fewer games) from moving into second place. The 2008 squad led the nation in scoring with 846 points (52.9 points a game).

Mason has rushed for more than 3,000 yards in his career.

Asher Brown had one of Hayesville’s few highlights on Friday when he intercepted Gallimore midway through the second quarter; Kyle Lunsford had another with a fumble recovery.

MA — Tyler Mason 84-yard run (Walker Stroup kick) 7:03

MA — Mason 7-yard run (Stroup kick) 10:17

MA— Mason 10-yard run (Stroup kick) 9:01

MA — Mario Revels 75-yard pass from Ian Gallimore (kick fail) 1:00

MA — Caleb Reid 24-yard run (Reid run) 10:10

MA — Mason 27-yard run (Stroup kick) 2:46

MA — Taeshon Martin 21-yard run (Anthony Valadez kick) 5:43

Rushing: Kyle Lunsford 2-15; Michael Mauney 1-7; Taylor McClure 13-6; Dawson Devane 2-3; Tre Graves 3-2; Avery Leatherwood 1-(-5); Logan Caldwell 7-(-49).

Passing: Logan Caldwell 5-13-2 for 29 yards.

Receiving: Avery Leatherwood 3-15; Taylor McClure 4-13; Kyle Lunsford 2-1.

Rushing: Tyler Mason 12-164 and 4 TD; Caleb Reid 25-111 and 1 TD; Taeshon Martin 6-57 and 1 TD; Nas Lemon 1-18; Ian Gallimore 2-2.

Passing: Ian Gallimore 4-8-1 for 106 yards and 1 TD.

Receiving: Mario Revels 3-93 and 1 TD; Walker Stroup 1-13.

The National Federation of State High School Associations and ADVANCE, powered by Anomaly and TeamAltemus, have partnered to address Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) with a new, free course by the NFHS Learning Center that details the expectations and realities of NIL in the current interscholastic landscape.

Since July 1, 2021, at which time college student-athletes could officially profit from their name, image and likeness, the topic of NIL has remained at the forefront of discussion for interscholastic athletics and activities. The NFHS and ADVANCE designed the “Name, Image and Likeness” course to not only define NIL, but to also provide examples of how it can be leveraged by high school students, identify misconceptions that various stakeholders have about NIL, and highlight aspects that students and families should consider when interested in pursuing NIL opportunities.

“The NFHS Learning Center is excited to bring increased awareness of name, image and likeness to the interscholastic community and beyond,” said Dan Schuster, NFHS director of educational services. “We believe that this course will help people better understand what NIL is, and, maybe more importantly, what it is not.”

The “Name, Image and Likeness” course suggests ways in which student-athletes can leverage NIL to promote their own identity via a brand or business. The course also addresses intellectual property such as shirts, flyers and artwork, which belong to the student-athlete who is promoting his or her own identity. Permitted profit from NIL is absent of promotion of direct competition or performance. In addition to providing other examples of ways to leverage NIL, the course explores differences in NIL and “Pay-for-Play,” a forbidden practice that occurs when a student-athlete earns money for competing.

The launch of “Name, Image and Likeness” coincides with the unveiling of a new user experience that Schuster said will “better showcase” the NFHS Learning Center’s accredited content. It features improved navigation, resources, transcripts, higher quality videos and a larger screen.

“The upgrades to course-taking will enhance the experience and better showcase the high-quality accredited content to learners across the country,” Schuster said.

The NFHS Learning Center’s development of the course took place in concert with ADVANCE, the contributor of the course’s content. ADVANCE provides comprehensive advisory and strategic NIL solutions that educate, empower and equip all stakeholders in the collegiate and high school athletics ecosystem. Its work with NIL curriculum development includes in-depth evaluation and collaborative solutions designed to maximize on-campus resources, knowledge, athlete instruction and live data.

“The NFHS recognized an increasing need for insightful, thorough education on name, image and likeness for its members across the education-based activities landscape,” said Dr. Karissa Niehoff, CEO of the NFHS. “Since NIL’s emergence, ADVANCE has been committed to providing individuals with education and strategies to succeed in the world it’s introduced us to. Thanks to that expertise, we are able to develop and offer this much-needed course at a time when NIL is beginning to trickle down to our high school student-athletes.”

“We are excited to partner with the NFHS in delivering this much needed education to student-athletes, coaches, administrators and families,” said ADVANCE Co-Managing Partner Luke Fedlam. “This movement towards NIL at the High School level requires an understanding of protective education to ensure families and student-athletes navigate these new business responsibilities effectively.”

“From the onset, we saw the passion the NFHS had in making sure that student-athletes and their families across the country where not overwhelmed by NIL and trying to fully understand a new business environment,” said ADVANCE Managing Partner Courtney Altemus. “We’re grateful for the NFHS’ leadership in providing multiple engagement opportunities to their state association staffs, and now to school AD’s and student-athletes through NFHS Learn.”

Although some states currently permit NIL participation for student-athletes, the rules may not be the same in each. Many states continue to work through NIL legislation and proposals, while others do not permit NIL involvement. NIL participants are encouraged to review the policies of their state, league or school before engaging in any form of NIL compensation.

For more information and to take the “Name, Image and Likeness” course, please visit the NFHS Learning Center at nfhslearn.com. You can also learn more about ADVANCE and NIL education by visiting advancenil.com.

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