What’s Up in Local Sports

By Calvin Hastings

Forestview’s Shannon Smith was named the MVP of the annual East/West Girls All Star basketball game last week at the Greensboro Coliseum.  Smith led the West to a 62-55 win over the East scoring 15 points and dishing out five assists in the game.   Smith led the Lady Jaguars to the State 3A girls basketball championship last season.   Teammate, Kelsey Harris of the Lady Jaguars, added 10 points in the game.  East Lincoln’s Lindsy Wright added seven points.

Forestview’s Kevin Jeter scored a touchdown in the annual East/West All Star Football Game last week.  Jeter helped lead the West to a 22-7 win in the 62nd annual game.   Jeter will be playing football and running track at Brevard.

Former Forestview and Clemson University sprinter, Stomy Kendrick, took home a gold medal in the 200 meters last week at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.   Kendrick ran a personal best of 22.99 seconds in the event.

The North Carolina Baseball Coaches Association has named their All-State baseball team.   Julian Ridings of Crest was the only 3A team representative.   Ridings hit .432 with eight home runs and 22 RBIs for the Chargers.   2A All State team members included Drew Reynolds of East Rutherford, Parker Hills of East Lincoln and Dakotah Thomas of East Rutherford.   Blake Mosteller of Cherryville and Seth Weekly of Bessemer City were named to the All State 1A team.   Mosteller hit .368 and added six saves on the mound for the Ironmen.   Weekly hit .468 with 10 RBIs for the Yellow Jackets

Hats off to the Shelby City Park Junior Tar Heel All-Stars as they won the 13/14 year old state championship on Sunday with an 8-6 win over Siler City.   Shelby went undefeated in the tournament winning all four games.

At press time, Cherryville Post 100 had advanced to the state finals of the American Legion State Baseball Tournament.   We wish Post 100 the best of luck.  We’ll be recapping the tournament in next week’s article.

Former Crest Charger, Brandon Spikes has signed a four year contract to play for the New England Patriots in a deal worth $3.21 million dollars per year.   The deal also includes a $960,000 signing bonus and a one time incentive of $450,000.   Spikes was a 2nd round selection and the 62nd overall pick.

Former Crest Charger, Nelson Bullard, has been named to the preseason All-South Atlantic Conference football team.   Bullard made 32 tackles and three quarterback sacks in 10 games last year at Lenior Rhyne College.

Gastonia native. Donna Barnette-Noblitt. was on the winning team as the Carolinas team won the annual Carolinas/Virginia Golf Tournament.   48 golfers competed in the event at the River Run Country Club in Davidson.   The Carolinas team won 66-42 in the 54 hole event.

West Lincoln’s Dustin Richardson has signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Stanly Community College.  Richardson is the winner of the Trey Whitesides Memorial and the Jonathan Brookins Memorial Scholarship.   He was a Southern Piedmont All-Conference selection this  past season for the Rebels posting a .338 batting average in his career.

Cherryville Post 100 won their fourth straight Area IV Championship with an 18-8 win over Rutherford County last week.   Cherryville won the three games series two games to one and earned them the top seed from Area IV.  Cherryville Post 100 now owns 14 Area IV titles.

The East downed the West in the annual East/West All Star basketball game last week in Greensboro by a 99-98 score.   East Lincoln’s Kenny Bethea played for the West and netted three points in the contest.   North Carolina signee Reggie Bullock scored 20points for the east and was named the games Most Valuable Player.

Big Game James Worthy was in Gastonia last week, and he threw out the first pitch for the Gastonia Grizzlies.  Worthy was voted recently one of the best 50 players to ever play in the NBA and helped lead North Carolina to a National Title in 1982.  Fans poured into Sims Legion Park to get autographs and talk with the legend who used to chase foul balls for 35 cents at Sims when a kid.   Worthy played at Ashbrook High School.

Hats off to the 11/12 year old East Lincoln Optimist All Star baseball team!  They went undefeated after two weeks of play and won the Pony League Bronco District Tournament and the Pony League Sectional Tournament.  The team now advances to the Regional Tournament.   Team members include Carson Roberts, Nate Kinsch, Cam Davis, Chris Jorgenson, Zach McGinnis, Trey Johnson, Justin Elchak, Matthew Davis, Nathan Johnson, Chase Watson, Daniel Thompson, Blake Strupp and Spencer Gaston.  The team is coached by Mark McGinnis, Tom Gasperson and Alan Thompson.

The annual Gaston County Amateur golf tournament is set for September 17th-19th.  The field will be limited to the first 96 paid entries.   This includes 72 for the amateur division and 24 for the senior division age 55 and up.   The tournament will be played again at the Gastonia Municipal Course with the top 30 players competing the final day at the Gaston Country Club.   Entry forms are available at area golf courses.  Entry fee is $95.00, and applications are due by September 14th.   For more information call Pat Morrow at 704-864-9678.  Proceeds from the tournament will benefit Cancer Services of Gaston County.   Larry Cloninger is the defending champion after defeating 14 year old Archer Price to win his third title last summer.

Former Lincolnton football star, Dennis Byrd, passed away last Saturday.   Byrd was a former defensive tackle at N.C. State and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame last December.  Byrd  suffered a heart attack on July 15th while undergoing back surgery and never regained consciousness.   Byrd was a three time All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection and was All-American in 1966 and 1967.   He was drafted by the Boston Patriots in 1968 and played two seasons in the AFL.  Byrd is survived by his wife and four children.

Hats off to Steve Harper, Jr!   Harper won the Ernest W. Spangler Memorial Shriner’s Golf Tournament last weekend at the River Bend YMCA Golf Course.   Harper shot a 71 and 70 to take the win over Patrick Waters in the Championship Flight.   Ronnie Martin won the Shriner’s Flight and Tom Wright won the Super Senior Flight.

Lincolnton’s Larry and Brent Long, father and son duo, took home the 2010 FLW Fantasy Fishing Grand Prize of $50,000 last weekend.

I learned something this week.  On Tuesday, former Oakland Raider Safety Jack Tatum passed away.  I found out that Tatum was a Cherryville native who grew up later in New Jersey.   Tatum was nicknamed “The Assassin” and died of a heart attack.