HIGH-SCHOOL

Pair of local boys soccer, volleyball rivalries highlight prep week ahead

Joe Hughes jhughes@gastongazette.com
Kings Mountain's Emma Goff sends the ball over the net Thursday against Stuart Cramer. The Mountaineers defeated the Storm 3-0 to remain undefeated in Big South 3A conference action. (Brian Mayhew / Special to the Gazette)

QUICK HITS

- Kings Mountain seized control of Big South 3A volleyball last Tuesday with a 3-0 sweep of Crest. The Lady Mountaineers followed that up with another sweep over Stuart Cramer to improve to 15-1 on the season, 8-0 in league play. In conference play, Kings Mountain has yet to lose a set.

- East Lincoln remains the area’s lone undefeated squad on the volleyball court, improving to 13-0, 8-0 in South Fork 2A play last week with wins over Newton-Conover and Lake Norman Charter. Thus far, the Lady Mustangs have lost only three sets - one of those rare occurrences coming last week against Lake Norman Charter. Senior Hailey Buchanan leads the team with 150 kills this season, with junior Gabby Leach behind her with 121.Buchanan also leads the team in digs with 181.

- Ashbrook’s boys soccer team made a statement last week, as it took down local powerhouse Kings Mountain 4-2. With the win, the Green Wave are now the lone team in Big South 3A yet to suffer a loss.Sophomore Jayden Dixon leads the team with 15 goals, while junior Tristan Mantecon has five of his own. Ashbrook is currently riding a 10-game undefeated streak.

- This last seven-day stretch was mighty kind to a pair of Gaston Day soccer standouts. In a pair of games last week, the Spartans’ Alonzo Edmond scored six goals, while teammate Max Wright netted five of his own and two assists. The pair particularly went off in Thursday’s contest against Metrolina Christian, Edmond scoring four goals while Wright notched a hat trick in n 8-0 win.

BOYS SOCCER GAME OF THE WEEK: Forestview at Hunter Huss (Monday). Forestview's success is expected, but to see Hunter Huss playing well has been somewhat of a revelation. Both teams have only one loss in Big South 3A play, so this one could loom large as conference play hits the stretch.

VOLLEYBALL MATCH OF THE WEEK: South Point at East Gaston (Monday). Already a rivalry on the volleyball court, Monday's matchup between South Point and East Gaston has a little added meaning. Both teams arrive for this clash 3-1 in Southwestern 2A play - each suffering a loss to R-S Central. If either wants to keep pace with the first-place Lady Hilltoppers, winning is a must. 

Joe Hughes can be reached at 704-869-1843 or via e-mail at jhughes@gastongazette.com. Find him on Twitter @JoeLHughesII.

Monday, Sept. 24

Boys soccer

Cherryville at Piedmont Community Charter

Bandys at Lincoln Charter

Thomas Jefferson Classical at Highland Tech

Westminster Catawba Christian at Gaston Day

Maiden at East Lincoln

Lincolnton at Lake Norman Charter

Forestview at Hunter Huss

Chase at Shelby

Burns at Kings Mountain

Stuart Cramer at Ashbrook

Newton-Conover at North Lincoln

South Point at East Gaston

North Gaston at Crest

SouthLake Christian at Gaston Christian

Volleyball

Chase at Shelby

North Lincoln at Kings Mountain

SouthLake Christian at Gaston Christian

Westminster Catawba Christian at Gaston Day

South Point at East Gaston

Tuesday, Sept. 25

Boys soccer

Gaston Christian at Westminster Catawba Christian

Gaston Day at Northside Christian

Volleyball

Burns at Hunter Huss

Piedmont Community Charter at Lincoln Charter

North Lincoln at Lake Norman Charter

Lincolnton at East Lincoln

Highland Tech at Bessemer City

Maiden at West Lincoln

Gaston Christian at Westminster Catawba Christian

Gaston Day at Northside Christian

North Gaston at Kings Mountain

Forestview at Ashbrook

Stuart Cramer at Crest

Thomas Jefferson Classical at Cherryville

Wednesday, Sept. 26

Boys soccer

Highland Tech at Lincoln Charter

East Lincoln at West Lincoln

Piedmont Community Charter at Thomas Jefferson Classical

Shelby at R-S Central

Hunter Huss at Stuart Cramer

Burns at Crest

East Gaston at Chase

Kings Mountain at Forestview

Ashbrook at North Gaston

South Point at East Rutherford

North Lincoln at Lincolnton

Volleyball

Ashbrook at Highland Tech

East Gaston at Chase

Clover at Forestview

South Point at East Rutherford

Shelby at R-S Central

Cherryville at Burns

Thursday, Sept. 27

Boys soccer

Jay M. Robinson at Lincoln Charter

South Point at North Gaston

Volleyball

East Lincoln at North Lincoln

Highland Tech at Thomas Jefferson Classical

Stuart Cramer at Burns

Bessemer City at Lincoln Charter

Kings Mountain at Hunter Huss

West Lincoln at Newton-Conover

Forestview at North Gaston

Nation Ford at Clover

Crest at Ashbrook

Bandys at Lincolnton

Piedmont Community Charter at Cherryville