Across the nation in high school sports (March)

 

 

Alabama

Birmingham Spain Park High’s boys soccer team ended a seven-year victory drought against cross-town rival Oak Mountain High, scoring a late goal on a ball that barely crossed the goal line to eke out a 2-1 victory at Oak Mountain. The two teams twice played to ties in the Metro Tournament the previous week and this game appeared headed for overtime as well. Spain Park (13-5-3, 6-1 Class 6A, Section 5) outshot Oak Mountain 10-2 in the first half, with Alex Johnson heading in a Nathan Hains corner kick in the game’s 11 th minute for a 1-0 lead. Oak Mountain (12-5-2, 4-2) tied the game 11 minutes into the second half on Chandler Hoffman’s goal. But Drew Thurmond’s deflection for the winning goal was allowed to stand after the referees conferred.

 

Alaska

Kevin Winford of Anchorage Bartlett High was named the Class 4A Boys Player of the Year, highlighting the Anchorage Daily News/Alaska Media All-State Basketball Team. The 5-foot-11 senior guard averaged 22 points, five rebounds and four assists this season, including a season-high 43 points against Las Vegas (Nev.) Durango High at the Las Vegas Valley Invitational, in helping the Golden Bears win their first Cook Inlet Conference title since 2004. Joining Winford on the All-State First Team: guard Anthony Cousin and forward Aaron Stevens from state champion Anchorage South High, 6-foot-9 center Damon Bell-Holter of Ketchikan High and forward Cory Toombs of Kenai Central High.

 

Arizona

Peoria Sunrise Mountain High’s ace pitcher, left-hander Jaff Decker, couldn’t hold an early 4-0 lead, but he saved his team with his bat, hitting a double in the sixth inning and scoring on Vince Barreda’s single to give Sunrise Mountain (17-2-1, 1-0) a 5-4 victory over Tolleson High in its quest to win its seventh Desert West region championship in the past eight years. Decker struck out 12 and also hit a three-run homer. But Tolleson (16-4, 0-1) got a home run from Christian Salas, a perfect bunt and two runs scored by Joey Clark, and took advantage of five Sunrise Mountain errors, two by Decker, to tie the score at 4-4 in the fifth inning.

 

Arkansas

A year away from going live with a state association-sanctioned wrestling program, Arkansas conducted its second state tournament at a state-of-the-art facility, the Jack Stevens Center at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, with 33 schools competing. Defending team champion Bentonville High won the Class 7-6-5A title, 284.5-232 over Little Rock Central High and North Little Rock Central Arkansas Christian School took the 4-3-2-1A team crown, 239-189 over Des Arc High. Fayetteville High got repeat titles from Cappy Leaf (135), Markies Eubanks (140) and senior Michael Gordon (152), the Outstanding Wrestler at last year’s state meet. Also repeating in 5-6-7A: Brandon McCuien (119) of Little Rock Central and junior Cody Conklin (160) of Bentonville.

 

California

                With seven of their eight wrestling state qualifiers placing – no other school had more than four – Clovis High scored 118.5 points to turn back Gilroy High (113), Modesto Central Catholic High (109), Poway High (106) and Clovis Buchanan High (102.5). The team title was the eighth for Clovis, extending their state record. Jason Welch (160) of Walnut Creek Las Lomas High and Louis Bland (189) of Central Catholic became the state’s 13th and 14th three-time state champions and the fifth and sixth four-time state finalists, and along with 171-pound state champion Hunter Collins of Gilroy, swelled the number of four-time state placewinners to just 17. Two-time state champions: seniors Gilberto Camacho (103) of Fresno Washington Union High, Anthony Meza (152) of Vista High and Rudi Burtschi (215) of Oakdale High.

 

Colorado

The loss of four senior starters who elected to play club soccer this season hasn’t affected Littleton Chatfield High so far. Ranked No. 2 in Class 5A, Chatfield (8-0, 4-0) stayed unbeaten in Jefferson County League play, shutting out cross-town rival Dakota Ridge High 3-0. Freshman Geneva Gray scored her third goal of the season on a pass from Stephanie Rowe in the 12th minute for a 1-0 lead. C.J. McNeely scored on a free kick just before halftime to make it 2-0. In the 72 nd minute, Callie Hancock scored on an assist from Kaitlyn Bassett for the Chargers’ final goal. Goalkeeper Alyssa Gilmore earned the shutout, making three saves.

 

Connecticut

Jordan Hockenberry doubled on the second pitch of the game and Glastonbury High was off and running to an 18-3 victory over host South Windsor High in their Central Connecticut Conference interdivision season opener. Bryan Mester (3-for-3, three RBIs) drove in Hockenberry (3-for-6, three RBIs, three runs scored) with a single, making it 1-0. Glastonbury then broke the game open in the second inning by scoring eight unearned runs, courtesy of three errors, three hits, two walks and two hit batters. Hockenberry’s two-run single highlighted a six-run seventh and Michael Habzda added three hits, including a home run, two RBIs and four runs scored for Glastonbury.

 

Delaware

Wilmington Charter School’s girls soccer team scored two early goals and made them stand up for a 2-1 victory over Wilmington A.I. du Pont High in a Blue Hen Conference Flight A game. The Force (2-0) struck five minutes into the game when Jess Paranczak took a pass from Hillary Hanus and found the upper right corner of the net on a left-footed shot. About 10 minutes later, Charter’s Sarah Neal fired a pass to set up Ligia Aceves, who headed it past A.I. DuPont goakeeper Christine Neal, Sarah’s twin sister, for a 2-0 advantage. The Tigers (0-1) scored their only goal of the game near the end of the half, when Andrea Siere found Kelsey McCormick, who scored from 15 feet out to make it 2-1.

 

Florida

Louise Crocco, the NHSCA’s National High School Volleyball Coach of the Year award winner in 2006, will be inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame at the National Federation of State High School Associations annual meeting at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, D.C. on July 7. Crocco will be the 11th Floridian to enter the Hall of Fame. She retired after 39 seasons at Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons High, with her teams posting a record of 1,132-123, a winning percentage of .901, and winning 18 state championships. Crocco ranks fifth all-time nationally in victories according to the NFHS National High School Sports Record Book, and her teams won 368 consecutive regular-season matches from 1975 to 1999.

Georgia

Tim McFarlin, who coached Roswell High to an 82-34-1 record in 10 seasons, announced his retirement as the school’s head football coach. McFarlin, who coached a total of 27 seasons at Roswell, led the Hornets to region championships in 2000 and 2005. His 2006 team shared the Class 5A state championship with Suwanee Peachtree Ridge High after the two teams battled to a 14-14 tie in the state championship game, which prompted the Georgia High School Association to institute overtime in title games. McFarlin’s retirement makes Roswell the 94th Georgia school to have an opening for a head football coach this off-season, the most turnover in a season in state history.

 

Hawaii

Led by three-time state champion Daniel Chow (145), Honolulu Punahou School set a state scoring record in repeating as team wrestling champion. The Buffanblu prevailed 225.5-176 over Lahaina Lahainaluna High, breaking the previous record of 224 points set by Honolulu Radford High in 1977. Chow beat fellow defending champion Keani Nishigaya of Honolulu St. Louis School 8-5 to lead 11 Punahou placewinners and Reid Oshiro (125) and Rudie Schaefer (152) also won titles for Punahou. Lahainaluna senior Travis Okano (130) joined Chow as a three-time state champion and Lake Casco (160), who will play football at the University of Pennsylvania next year, won his second title. Waianae High senior Raymond Mathewson (140) pinned all four opponents to win.

 

Idaho

Caldwell Vallivue High (23-3) won its first Class 5A boys basketball state championship, scoring 45 points in the second half for a 67-45 victory over Coeur d’Alene High. Seniors Clay Christensen, Will Bogan and Ryan Simpson, who had played together since the third grade, scored a combined 129 points in the tournament, with Simpson scoring 17 points to lead four players in double figures. Post players Jake Comfort and Zach Kelsh had 13 points apiece and Ole Miss recruit Bogan added 10. Kelsh, a 6-foot-5 sophomore, also had a game-high 12 rebounds. Vallivue entered the second half down 22-21, but went on a 12-1 run at the start of the third quarter to take a 33-23 lead and never trailed again.

 

Illinois

                Benton High's all-time leading scorer in girls basketball, Courtney Smith, was named to the Southern Illinois Coaches Association (SICA) Class 2A All-South team. Smith scored 521 points this year, averaging 17.5 points a game, six rebounds and four assists. She also racked up 97 steals, averaging over three a game. Smith finished her career with 1,875 points and was named Third Team All-State by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association and Honorable Mention All-State by the Associated Press. Two players from Zeigler-Royalton-Christopher High, senior Lara Dawson and junior Lauren Mitchell, also were named to the SICA squad. Dawson averaged 14.5 points and 10 rebounds and Mitchell, a Fourth Team All-State selection, averaged 20 points.

 

Indiana

Gordon Hayward’s twisting runner as time expired gave unranked Brownsburg High (22-5) its first-ever boys basketball state championship, 40-39 over No. 8 Marion High in the Class 4A title game. Marion’s Scott Wood had given the Giants (24-5) a 39-38 lead on a basket with 2.1 seconds left.

Brownsburg’s 40 points were the fewest by a winning team in a state championship game since Milan High, the team that inspired the movie “Hoosiers,” beat Muncie Central High 32-30 in 1954. Julian Mavunga led Brownsburg with 17 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots and Hayward scored six of his 10 points in the final quarter. Brownsburg shot just 30.2 percent from the floor, but committed just four turnovers. Marion’s Julius Mays led all scorers with 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting.

 

Iowa

Iowa City West High senior Thomas Reynolds began the high school track season Saturday by shattering a record that stood the test of time for 45 years. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Reynolds, committed to the University of Iowa, threw the discus 181 feet, 10 inches at the 49th Annual John Ask Relays, smashing the meet record by more than 10 feet and his previous personal best by over four feet. The old mark of 171 feet, 9 inches was set by Tom Knutson of Cedar Rapids Jefferson in 1963. Last season, Reynolds finished third at the state meet with a toss of 177 feet. Former West teammate Nick Brayton, now throwing for the Hawkeyes, won the state title in 2007 with a heave of 192 feet, 6 inches, setting a meet record. Reynolds also took the shot put with a throw of 52-7¼.

Kansas

Wichita Kapaun Mount Carmel High golfer Ross Snodgrass played holes 11 through 15 in three-under-par and finished with a 76, winning medalist honors as Kapaun won the team title in the Wichita Bishop Carroll Invitational. Snodgrass, who 9 of 13 fairways and 12 of 18 greens in regulation, was one of just four golfers to break 80. Kapaun placed five golfers among the top 15. Jack Cantele and A.J. Gebert shot 80 and David Auer added an 81 as Kapaun won the team title with a 317 score, eight strokes better than Topeka Hayden High. Hayden was led by sophomores Brian Walker, one shot behind Snodgrass at 77, and Riley Piles, who shot 78. 

 

Kentucky

Darius Miller, who led Maysville Mason County High to the Sweet 16 state championship, was named the state’s Mr. Basketball. Miller, a 6-foot-7 forward who is committed to the University of Kentucky, averaged 19.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.9 steals and 2.2 blocks. He shot 51.1 percent overall, 33.7 percent from three-point range and 76.9 percent from the foul line. Miller became the second winner in five seasons from Mason County, joining 2004 honoree and current University of Tennessee All-American Chris Lofton. Also the Sweet 16’s Most Valuable Player, Miller became the fourth player to win both honors in the same season since the Kentucky High School Athletic Association officially instituted the MVP award in 1981, and the first since Fairdale High's Jermaine Brown in 1991.

 

Louisiana

Denham Springs High (17-7-1, 7-0) took control of the District 5-5A girls softball race with a 7-1 victory over Baton Rouge Central High. Doubles by Kendra Harmon and Rachel Tripp gave the visiting Yellow Jackets a 1-0 lead in the first inning, the way it stayed until the sixth, when Central (19-7-1, 7-2) tied the score as Lauren Slusher’s sacrifice fly scored Jackie Couvillon. Denham Springs then exploded for six runs in the seventh. Kayla Stevens walked to open the inning and scored on Morgan Smith’s single for make it 2-1. Harmon’s RBI single scored Smith and Tripp’s second double of the game produced two runs. Stevens capped the rally with another two-run double.

 

Maine

Augusta Cony High senior forward Rachael Mack was named Gatorade Maine Girls Basketball Player of the Year. A Miss Maine Basketball finalist who is committed to Colby College, the 6-foot-2 Mack led Cony to an 18-3 record and an appearance in the Eastern Maine Class A championship game, where the Rams fell to Oxford Hills High of South Paris 52-49. She was a junior on last year’s Class A state championship squad and played a vital role as a freshman substitute on the Rams’ 2005 Class A title team. This year, Mack averaged 18.2 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3 assists per game. She also shot 74 percent from the free-throw line and was named a Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference South division first-team player.

 

Maryland

Senior pitcher-outfielder Ben Winter of Ellicott City Centennial High and junior pitcher Lauren Gibson of Pasadena Chesapeake High were named Players of the Week by the Baltimore Sun. A left-hander committed to Towson University, Winter pitched a five-inning no-hitter with eight strikeouts to beat Columbia Atholton High, 13-0, and went 5-for-10 at the plate during the week with eight RBIs. Gibson, last year's All-Metro Player of the Year, helped the Cougars to two wins in capturing the Anne Arundel Easter Classic. In an 8-2 season-opening win over No. 2 Annapolis Broadneck High, Gibson, verbally committed to the University of Tennessee, threw a four-hitter and struck out 11. She no-hit Damascus High in the Class 4A title game last year.

Massachusetts

Winchester High (30-0) ran its two-year winning streak to 61 straight dual meets, beating Wayland High 48-18 to win its second consecutive Division 3 state championship. Wayland had pinned the last loss on the Sachems, in the state finals two years ago. Wayland (21-4) tied the score at 18-18 on Matt Lombardo’s overtime win at 152 before Charlie Hale (160), Zach Gramlich (171), Mike McHugh (189), Andrew Moranian (215) and Andrew Zani (285) closed the meet with five straight pins. Lowell High (24-0-1) won its 16 th Division 1 title, pulling away from New Bedford High for a 44-22 victory, and Andover Greater Lawrence Vo-Tech moved out to a 30-0 lead and held on for a 36-32 victory over North Attleboro High.

 

Michigan

Holt High (29-0) was the state’s lone unbeaten wrestling team. They won the Division 1 dual state meet, beating Hartland High 34-19 in the quarterfinals, perennial power Davison High 34-22 in the semifinals and Temperance Bedford High 41-17 for the title. Greenville High (28-1) edged Eaton Rapids High 33-30 in Division 2, Goodrich High (45-2) edged defending Division 3 champion Dundee High 30-27 and Hesperia High (31-1) took the Division 4 crown. Goodrich’s Mark Weber (135) became the state’s 18 th four-time state champion. Rockford junior Kyle Waldo (112) overcame a torn miniscus to win his third state title and senior teammate Ben Bennett (171) rolled to his third state title. Oak Park High senior Marcel Dubose (215) breezed to his third title in Division after a pair of Division 3 crowns the past two years.

 

Minnesota

After outlasting Hastings High 40-19 in the region final, the state tournament was a walk in the park for Apple Valley High, which boatraced three state tournament opponents by an average 52-11 score. Freshman Destin McCauley (119) and senior Matt Mincey (135) won their third state titles and eighth-grader Eric Devos (103) his second title to pace five Apple Valley individual state champions. They were just part of a star-studded 3A group that included three-time state champions Derek Schreiner (140) of Plymouth Wayzata High, Jake Deitchler (152) of Anoka High, Jake Kahnke (215) of Prior Lake High and Sam Maresh (285) of Champlin Park High. Jackson County Central High’s Fab Four seniors, Cole Von Ohlen (130), Torey Stewart (145), Travis Rutt (171) and Caleb Lines (189), all rolled in Class A.

 

Mississippi

Booneville High football coach Jim Drewry has won more than 300 games and three state championships in his 43-year career – and he plans to return to the Blue Devils sidelines for the 2008 season. Not before, however, he travels to Washington, D.C. to be inducted into the National Federation of State High School Association High School Sports Hall of Fame on July 7. Drewry, who turns 77 next month, has a career record of 327-151-5, making him the winningest coach in Mississippi state history. He becomes the fifth Mississippian to be elected into the Hall of Fame, joining Marvin Reid (1987), Lindy Callahan (1995), Willie Richardson (2002) and Lum Wright (2004).

 

Missouri

With standout striker Aimee Ubriaco marked tightly by the St. Louis Mehlville High defense, St. Louis Lindbergh High got a game-tying goal from Casey Caldwell with 11 minutes remaining in the first half and Brittany Casey added the eventual game-winner early in the second half as Lindbergh (4-1) cruised to a 5-1 Suburban West Conference victory. Mehlville (2-1) got on the board first when Hunter Westbrook scored off one of four first-half corner kicks. After Casey’s goal 18 minutes into the second half, the Flyers, who built a 20-2 edge in shots, kept scoring as Alicia Ubriaco, Aimee’s sister, and Amy Massa sandwiched goals around Caldwell’s second tally.

 

Montana

Casey Rogers of Class AA state boys basketball champion Billings West High and Daniel Pearson of Billings Central Catjolic High have been selected for the boys Montana All-Star basketball team that will play the Wyoming All-Stars in June. The 6-foot-1 Rogers averaged 23 points a game in the state tournament as the Golden Bears claimed their second straight championship, while the 6-foot-3 Pearson led the Rams to the Eastern A divisional title and a berth in the consolation game of the state tournament. Players from the three other state title teams were also selected: 6-foot-5 D.J. Fish of Class A champion Browning High, 6-foot-2 Trey Wanty of Class B champion Shelby High and 6-foot-2 Brian Foran of Class V champion Winifred High.

Nebraska

Gretna High’s girls soccer team, ranked No. 4 in Class B, made the most of their half with a strong wind, getting two second-half goals from senior forward Allyssa Cirian for a 2-1 victory over No. 5 Omaha Mercy High (3-3), which played without four injured or missing starters. The visiting Dragons (5-0) took five shots on goal in the first half, and had 15 in the game, and spent most of their time on offense but trailed 1-0 at halftime as Mercy sophomore midfielder Amy Slater tallied on a free kick in the fourth minute of the match – also with the wind. Cirian, who led the state last season with 32 goals, finally broke through for the tying goal with 23:13 remaining. She added the game-winner off a corner kick by senior Rhea Mason with 2:16 remaining.

 

Nevada

Ashley Gayle of Las Vegas Bishop Gorman High, selected to play in the McDonald’s All-American game, headlines the girls basketball All-State First Team, selected by the Las Vegas Review- Journal. Gayle, a 6-foot-4 senior center committed to the University of Texas, had 18 points, 16 rebounds and 10 blocked shots in the state title game. Sparks Edward C. Reed High had two selections, senior forward Kayla Williams (14 points, 14 rebounds per game) and sophomore center Danielle Peacon (18 points, 12 rebounds). Also selected: senior guards Chelsea Hopkins of North Las Vegas Mojave High (28.5 points), committed to Duke University, and Lindy LaRocque of Las Vegas Durango High, the state’s all-time leading scorer (2,678 points), committed to Stanford University, and junior forward Johnna Brown of Las Vegas Centennial High (15.9 points, 9.5 rebounds).

 

New Hampshire

The unusually harsh winter in New England – New Hampshire experienced its second snowiest winter on record – has pushed back the start of the spring baseball and softball seasons. With many parts of the state still covered with snow and many teams two to three weeks away from being able to play games due to field conditions, the New Hampshire Interscholastic Activities Association (NHIAA) is extending both seasons by one week. The schedules for other spring sports are not affected. Decisions on games that cannot played due to the restart will be handled on a case-by-case basis. The revised playoff schedule has the baseball playoff season opening Thursday, June 5, and the softball playoffs beginning on Wednesday, June 4.

 

New Jersey

                Jackson Memorial High’s Scott Winston (160) added his name to the argument for the state’s greatest wrestler ever, becoming the first in state history to finish his career unbeaten. Winston pinned three of four opponents, going the distance only in a 17-5 quarterfinal victory, to become the state’s 22nd three-time state champion. He finished the season 36-0 and his career 137-0, winning his second straight Outstanding Wrestler award. A broken wrist the week prior to the district tournament his freshman year prevented him from becoming a four-time state champion. The only other defending champion to repeat: Oakhurst Ocean Township senior Nick Menditto (152).

 

New Mexico

Santa Fe High eased into Class 5A, Region 2 play with an 11-1 six-inning win over Albuquerque High in the league opener for both teams. The Demons (11-2) already have matched their win total from last season. After Konrad Mueller was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the second inning, Jerome Romero’s two-run triple capped a three-run third inning. Left-hander Herbie Romero (4-0) struck out 10 and was even more impressive at the plate, hitting his team-leading fifth and sixth home runs of the season and reaching base five times, also walking twice and being hit by a pitch. Albuquerque (3-10) scored its only run on A.J. Healy’s RBI double in the fourth.

 

New York

After establishing itself as the state’s top team with a dominating 18-0 season, Spencerport High joined Clifton Park Shenendehowa High, Wantagh High, Johnson City High and Troy LaSalle Institute (Division 1) and Watertown Immaculate Heart High (Division 2) by crowing two state champions. The marquee finals match took place at 130 pounds in Division 2, where defending champions squared. Ian Paddock of Warsaw High won his third state – and the meet’s Outstanding Wrestler award – with a 9-4 victory over fellow junior Kyle Dake of Lansing High. Brothers Austin and Hunter Meys of Shenendehowa won their second Division 1 titles – at 171 and 189, respectively – with Austin, a junior, taking the OW his brother, a senior, won a year ago at the same weight.

North Carolina

Chapel Hill High moved past fall leader Charlotte Myers Park High to take over first place in the Class 4A standings for the Wachovia Cup, presented annually by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association, at the close of winter sports. Chapel Hill swept the boys and girls swimming titles and has 337.5 points, 30 more than Myers Park. Charlotte Catholic High, which also swept swimming titles, remained in first in 3A (362.5), 55 points ahead of Asheville High. Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons High (440) leads the 2A race by nearly 200 points after sweeping its division’s swimming titles. Kernersville Bishop McGuinness High successfully defended its women’s basketball title and leads Class A with 372.5 points.

 

North Dakota

Fargo South High senior Adam Isakson, the reigning Class A outdoor pole vault champion, cleared 14 feet, 6 inches to win the event in the Eastern Dakota Conference Indoor track and field championships. Isakson also won the long jump with a career-best leap of 21-1¼ to help the Bruins rally past West Fargo High, 116-103.5, for the boys team title. The South girls also won over West Fargo, 179-122 as sophomores Katie Dockter and Laura Roesler each won two events. Dockter won the triple jump (35-0) and long jump (17-7¾.). Roesler took first place in the 400 (1:00.24) and 800 meters (2:14.31). West Fargo’s Ellie Grooters, also a sophomore, won three individual titles, the 60 hurdles (9.50), 200 (26.54) and high jump (5-1).

 

Ohio

The nation’s No. 1 wrestling team, St. Paris Graham High, broke its own Division 2 scoring record with 221.5 points, with junior David Taylor (112) and senior Ben Jordan (145) winning their third state titles to lead four Graham state champions. Lakewood St. Edward High won its record 12th straight Division 1 title, 147.5-90 over Massillon Perry High as junior Collin Palmer (135) won his third title. Troy Christian High (162 points) broke its own Division 3 scoring record, with Monroeville High finishing just third despite dominating performances from the nation’s top group of underclassmen: sophomore two-time state champion Logan Stieber (119) and freshman champions Hunter Stieber (103), Cam Tessari (112) and Chris Phillips (171).

 

Oklahoma

Next season, Norman High will play its first football game without longtime coaching staff member Butch Peters on its sideline since 1972. Peters retired after 35 seasons on the Norman staff. As head coach for the past 12 seasons, Peters posted a career record of 75-54. Prior to that, he spent 23 seasons as an assistant under three different head coaches. Peters coached 13 All-State linemen during that span and was assistant head coach on the last Norman team to win a state championship, in 1992. Prior to taking the reins as head coach, Peters coached the school’s volleyball team for 14 seasons, leading the Tigers to four state championships. His final team finished 50-0 in 1990.

 

Oregon

Down four runs with only six outs left, host West Albany High (4-2-1, 3-0) rallied for a 9-8 victory over Corvallis Crescent Valley High on Kayleen Gary’s RBI single in the seventh inning. The win kept the Bulldogs perfect in Mid-Willamette Conference softball play. Gary, Lacey Dixon and Kilee Hancock finished with two RBIs apiece and Kayla Dell and Jean Stevens also knocked in runs for West Albany. Aryn Grause homered to lead off the game and also doubled for Crescent Valley, which led 8-4 after back-to-back three-run rallies in the fifth and sixth innings. But five straight two-out hits, including Hancock’s two-run double and Dell’s RBI single, highlighted a four-run sixth that helped West Albany tie the score at 8-8 in the sixth.

 

Pennsylvania

There was plenty of drama in the Class 3A state wrestling tournament, with Harrisburg Central Dauphin High sweeping the dual and individual team titles. Central Dauphin had little trouble handling Northampton High, 37-21 in the dual final and outscored Mill Hall Central Mountain High 85-70 in the individual meet. Central Dauphin got a huge performance from Marshall Peppelman (140), who outlasted Central Mountain’s Andrew Alton 7-3 in a semifinal matching two of the nation’s top sophomores en route to the title. Easton High senior Jordan Oliver (130) won his third state title, but got all he wanted from another stud sophomore, Josh Kindig (130) Schuylkill Haven Blue Mountain High, in a 4-2 finals win. Quentin Wright (171) of Wingate Bald Eagle Area High won his second title.

 

Rhode Island

Cumberland High won its first Division 2 boys hockey state championship in 19 years by sweeping Pawtucket St. Raphael Academy, 2-0 in the state final series. Jonathan Cox notched a hat trick in an 8-2 victory in the series opener and Nick Haase, Matt Jones and Jonathan Pora also scoring. Kyle McLaughlin scored a pair of early goals and the Clippers never trailed in the finale, a 5-3 victory. McLaughlin added a clinching goal in the third period for a hat trick. In the second period, Haase scored on assists from Jones and Eric Meunier and Matt Hayes also scored for Cumberland. In the semifinals, Cumberland (15-2-1) edged Esmond Smithfield High, two games to one.

 

South Carolina

Columbia Blythewood High’s Keisha Henderson was named the Region 3-3A girls basketball Player of the Year. Henderson averaged eight points and four rebounds a game for the Bengals, who rang up a 24-2 record, advanced to the Upper State championship game and shared the region title with Columbia A.C. Flora High. Blythewood’s Ashleigh Edwards, Michelle Goodman and Chelsea Krick also earned All-Region honors. The rest of the All-Region squad: Tiara Knotts, Kim Roach, Jasmine Stubbs and Emani Harrison of A.C. Flora, Kirsten Martin, Breonda Shannon and Janae Stevenson of Columbia Eau Claire High, Laporschia Carter, Jasmine Sanders and Micah Wessinger of Chester High, Nikki Craig of Fairfield Central High, Jasmine Eley of Camden High and Portia Thomas of Lugoff-Elgin High.

 

South Dakota

Highmore High’s Kristi Ryan scored a game-high 20 points to lead the Grey team to a 75-62 victory over the Black team at the Northeast Area All-Star Game. Ryan, who was named as the Most Valuable Player for the Grey team, scored 14 of her points in the opening half, with nine of them coming on 3-pointers, to pace the Grey to a 40-22 halftime lead. Amber Schmidt of Woonsocket High and Pam Trautner of Roslyn High each scored 10 points each. Emily Goedert of Britton-Hecla led the Black team with 17 points. The Grey team also won the boys game, 99-91 as Milbank High’s Cory Lesnar earned MVP honors with 24 points and Mitch Reed of Mellette Northwestern High added 20. Brandon Spanier of Groton High led the Black team with 22 points.

 

Tennessee

Gallatin Station Camp High junior John Jenkins, who led the state with an average of 30.9 points per game, was named the Boys Basketball Player of the Year by the Nashville Tennessean. Verbally committed to Vanderbilt University, Jenkins led Station Camp to a 24-7 record and berth in the Region 4-AA semifinals, and was voted the Class AA Mr. Basketball award winner, a rarity for a junior. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard/wing player scored 30-plus points 16 times this season, dropping in a season-high 54 points in a Feb. 5 victory over Greenbrier High. Jenkins was deadly from behind the three-point line, connecting on 93 of 193 attempts (48.2 per cent).

 

Texas

The Lubbock Coronado High girls soccer team advanced to the Region 1-5A quarterfinals for the first time in program history, then blanked El Paso Franklin High, 3-0, to advance to its first-ever regional semifinal. Junior forward K.K. Rhodes, who has scored 21 of the Lady Mustangs’ 51 goals this season, gave Coronado the only goal it would need in the 33rd minute on an assist from Ashley Moreno. Rhodes then set up Leah Bowyer for a 2-0 Coronado lead in the 40th minute. Melissa Coquelin added an unassisted goal in the 45th minute to finish the scoring. The Lady Mustangs (18-7-1) advanced to meet Southlake Carroll High (20-4-4), which advanced by beating Grapevine High 1-0.

 

Utah

                Roy High freshman pitcher MaCauley Flint threw the first no-hitter of her high school career and the Royals exploded for seven runs in the third inning as they cruised past Smithfield Sky View High 10-0 in five innings. Flint struck out 10 of the 19 batters she faced as the Royals (10-3) won their fifth straight game. Krystin Jachim (2-for-3, 4 RBIs) started the offensive onslaught for Roy with an RBI triple in the first inning. The Royals got two more runs in the second, then blew the game open with seven hits in the third, highlighted by a bases-clearing double by Alexis Jorgensen and a two-run triple by Cierra Mitchell.
Mitchell, Jachim, Jorgensen and Jessica Kirvan all had two hits apiece for the Royals.

 

Vermont

Milton High made its third victory over Lamoille High this season a charm, downing the Lancers 42-38 for the Division 2 girls basketball state championship. The Yellowjacket win also avenged a semi-final loss to the Lancers in last year's playoffs. Seniors Heather Little and Ashleigh Adams led Milton with 10 points each and keyed a second-quarter spurt that turned a one-point lead after one quarter into a 26-13 lead just before halftime. Lamoille rallied in the fourth quarter behind junior Rachel Wellman (game-high 15 points) and senior Angela Locke (nine points), who hit a layup to cut Milton’s lead to 39-36 late in the quarter. But Milton, after missing 10 of its first 11 free throws in the half, got 1-of-2 from Little late to make it a two-possession game.

 

Virginia

Stafford Colonial Forge High, which made history last season by ending Chesapeake Great Bridge’s streak of eight straight Group 3A state wrestling crowns and 14 in 15 years, repeated as juniors Michael Garofalo (119) and Max Huntley (189) and seniors Joe Pantaleo (130) and Oscar Huntley (171) won titles. Junior George Billy (112) of Burke Lake Braddock High won his third state title. Christiansburg High won its fifth consecutive AA title, but not without resistance from Grundy High in a 161.5-129.5 victory. Senior Sam Rakes (152) won his third title for Christiansburg and Yorktown Tabb High junior Andrew Williams (130) also won for the third time. Junior Daniel McGillivray (160) repeated as A champion with four first-period pins to pace Manassas Park High to the team title.

 

Washington

Spokane University High got the upper hand in a matchup of teams with Division 1-laden pitching staffs. The visiting Titans beat Veradale Central Valley High 10-0 and 9-0 in a doubleheader. Danny Jordan pitched a two-hitter and outdueled Rusty Shellhorn after a virtual five-inning standoff and Billy Moon also tossed a two-hitter in the nightcap, outdueling Trevor Shull. Jordan and Moon combined for 26 strikeouts. Offensively, Jordan walked and scored five times in the two games and Moon, Jacob Olsufka and Tyler Olson each had three hits for the Titans. Olson hit his third home run of the season and John Rapose also homered. Sophomore David Borgman had three of Central Valley’s four hits in the twin bill.

 

West Virginia

South Charleston High leadoff hitter Jim Petry got on base three times – each time after being hit by a pitch – and scored twice as the Black Eagles (3-6) beat Charleston Capital High 10-2. Senior right-hander Trey King (2-1) pitched a four-hitter with seven strikeouts and also was a big contributor offensively, going 2-for-3 with a walk and scoring three runs. Jack Hudson also scored three times and delivered a two-run double, and Dylan Turner and Pat Lively added two RBIs apiece. Capital (3-7), which lost its sixth straight game, took a 1-0 lead on an unearned run in the second inning before South Charleston came back with 10 unanswered runs to pull away.

 

Wisconsin

Wausau West High earned a state-best eight state qualifiers and six state placewinners, then overcame Kaukauna High 33-27 to win its first Division 1 dual state title. Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High, winners of 12 of the past 13 Division 1 state crowns, was eliminated by Green Bay Ashwaubenon High, 32-31 in the sectional final. Division 2’s individual star power was highlighted by the meeting of a pair of two-time state champions in the 125-pound final, with Bobby Wunnicke of Dodgeville High beating Thane Antczak of Chetek/Prairie Farm High 8-4. A trio of dominating seniors, Nick Hucke (135) of Hartland Arrowhead High, Billy Schlottke (160) of Mukwonago High and Joe Budi (189) of Kaukauna High, all repeated in Division 1, posting unbeaten seasons.

 

Wyoming

Gillette Campbell County High’s boys basketball team won its first Class 4A state title since 2002, hitting six of its first eight three-point attempts and cruising to a 68-53 victory over Rock Springs High. Rock Springs had upset Casper Natrona County High in the semifinals, handing the Mustangs their only loss to a Wyoming team this season. Gillette was not as fortunate in the girls title game, falling 58-55 in overtime to Cheyenne Central High. In Class 3A, Jackson Hole Jackson High’s girls team won its second straight state title, 46-37 over Torrington High. The Lady Broncs (27-1) hit 10 of 12 free throws down the stretch to complete their best season ever.