Friday, Aug. 31 scores and updates

Post any scores from tonight's games here

Shelby 14, Ashbrook 7 Final

Burns 24, E. Gaston 6, Final

Crest 17, Freedom 10 Final

South Point 53, KM 3, Final

Friday's N.C. scores
Associated Press
Andrews 40, Temple, Tenn. 0
Anson County 35, Richmond County 13
Ashe County 21, Grayson County, Va. 0
Asheville Erwin 28, Madison County 8
Asheville Reynolds 28, Black Mountain Owen 19
Asheville Roberson 27, Brevard 7
Ayden-Grifton 50, North Pitt 8
Belmont South Point 53, Kings Mountain 3
Bessemer City 12, Forest City Chase 9
Boonville Starmount 31, Elkin 15
Bunn 42, Jamesville 0
Burns 24, East Gaston 6
Burnsville Mountain Heritage 12, Rosman 2
Cameron Union Pines 35, North Moore 0
Charlotte Ardrey Kell 38, Charlotte Olympic 35
Charlotte Christian 24, Asheville 21
Charlotte Country Day 14, Charlotte Catholic 6
Charlotte Providence 27, North Mecklenburg 14
Chatahoochee, Ga. 35, Murphy 7
Cherokee 48, Copper Basin, Tenn. 0
Chocowinity Southside 41, Pamlico County 0
Clover, S.C. 34, Gastonia Forestview 0
Concord Robinson 32, Concord 27
Crest 17, Morganton Freedom 0
Dixon 26, Princeton 6
East Burke 35, Newton-Conover 7
East Henderson 19, Enka 3
East Mecklenburg 19, West Mecklenburg 0
East Rowan 27, North Rowan 14
East Surry 30, Surry Central 12
Eastern Alamance 48, Yanceyville Yancey 0
Eastern Randolph 18, High Point Central 17, OT
Eastern Wayne 27, South Central Pitt 13
Eden Morehead 27, Mayodan McMichael 9
Erwin Triton 28, Morrisville Green Hope 8
Farmville Central 50, Southern Wayne 22
Fayetteville Byrd 21, Cape Fear 6
Fayetteville Seventy-First 28, Fayetteville Pine Forest 7
Fayetteville Smith 14, Fayetteville Westover 7
Franklin 31, Robbinsville 14
Fuquay-Varina 38, Holly Springs 0
Gastonia Huss 31, Charlotte Waddell 13
Greensboro Grimsley 21, Greensboro Dudley 0
Greensboro Page 27, Southern Lee 26
Greenville Rose 27, New Hanover County 24
Hendersonville 14, West Henderson 7
Hickory 40, Alexander Central 12
Hickory St. Stephens 19, Swain County 0
Hillsborough Cedar Ridge 21, East Chapel Hill 12
Hope Mills South View 35, Fayetteville Britt 28
Huntersville Hopewell 34, Charlotte Myers Park 7
Jacksonville Northside 14, Jacksonville 10
Kannapolis Brown 29, Mooresville 26
Kernersville Glenn 41, East Forsyth 7
Lee County 41, Western Harnett 21
Lenoir Hibriten 40, Catawba Bandys 26
Louisburg 30, Franklinton 0
Lumberton 41, Spring Lake Overhills 14
Maiden 26, Lincolnton 22
Matthews Butler 47, Charlotte Vance 0
Monroe 48, Indian Trail Porter Ridge 14
Monroe Sun Valley 35, Weddington 0
Mt. Airy 34, North Surry 14
Myrtle Beach, S.C. 42, West Brunswick 0
New Bern 33, Bertie County 8
North Brunswick 27, West Columbus 19
North Buncombe 37, Mitchell County 19
North Davidson 15, East Davidson 13
North Duplin 28, Jones County 12
North Forsyth 20, Pfafftown Reagan 18
North Henderson 22, Gastonia Highland Tech 14
North Lincoln 21, North Iredell 0
Northeast Guilford 42, Eastern Guilford 9
Northwest Guilford 14, Jamestown Ragsdale 0
Polk County 27, R-S Central 0
Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons 51, Carrboro 8
Raleigh Leesville Road 47, Apex 7
Raleigh Millbrook 42, East Wake 14
Raleigh Sanderson 24, Apex Middle Creek 21
Raleigh Wakefield 53, Knightdale 0
Reidsville 36, Burlington Cummings 16
Rocky Mount 21, Northern Vance 6
Salisbury 48, China Grove Carson 14
Shelby 14, Gastonia Ashbrook 7
Smithfield-Selma 21, Chapel Hill 16
South Caldwell 42, West Caldwell 13
South Granville 20, Orange County 10
South Johnston 10, Clayton 7
South Stokes 29, Kernersville McGuinness 14
Southern Alamance 34, Graham 14
Southern Nash 32, Warren County 6
Southern Vance 37, Oxford Webb 27
Southwest Onslow 47, Lejeune 0
Statesville 14, Lake Norman 10
SW Edgecombe 34, North Edgecombe 0
Sylva Smoky Mountain 34, Hayesville 20
Tarboro 20, Northern Nash 0
Thomasville Ledford 14, Asheboro 10
Topsail 42, Clinton Union 28
Trinity 27, Southern Guilford 25
Wake Forest-Rolesville 10, Southern Durham 0
Washington 48, Pinetown Northside 8
Watauga County 31, Avery County 14
Waynesville Tuscola 22, Canton Pisgah 7
West Charlotte 34, Charlotte Harding 14
West Davidson 33, Southwestern Randolph 0
West Johnston 24, North Johnston 8
West Montgomery 41, Albemarle 0
West Stanly 28, Monroe Piedmont 13
Western Alamance 47, Burlington Williams 14
Western Guilford 17, Greensboro Smith 6
Wilmington Hoggard 38, Harnett Central 6
Wilmington Laney 31, Havelock 14
Winston-Salem Carver 35, West Forsyth 14

Ashbrook at Shelby updates

Game just under way here at Blanton Stadium
Great rendition of the National Anthem before the game by SHS junior Caroline Allen


- Ashbrook starts with the ball as Shelby defers to the second half
- Ashbrook punts away first possession, then SHS drives to 13 and fumbles back to AHS.
- Midway through the first, AHS with the ball near midfield with no score
2nd
- 0-0 after first quarter ... SHS with 3&16 to start the 2nd
- SHS forces turnover on downs with 6:36 left in the second and ball at its own 30
- The first half will end with the game scoreless at 0-0.
Recap: Defensive struggle with Shelby with two lost fumbles and one turnover on downs. Ashbrook has one fumble and two turnovers on downs. Shelby's Corey Brooks with a sack near the end of the half that forced a fumble before the Lions turned it over on downs as the Wave ran out the clock.
Stat leaders: Shelby - Donovan Gidney with 51 yards rushing. Ashbrook - Gabe Beverly with 91 yards passing on 4-of-9 passing. Jheranie Boyd with all four of the catches for 91 yards.

3rd quarter
Almost set to get under way. SHS will receive to start the half
Early offensive fireworks - Shelby's Larry Raper with a 46-yard touchdown grab from Howard Thompson, Almond's kick makes it 7-0 at 9:10
AHS' Boyd answers with 92-yard kick return, Cullem's kick makes it 7-7 at 8:55.
SHS scores after a failed fake punt deep in its own territory. Marc Williams rushed in from the 9. Almond's kick makes it 14-7 at 3:54
4th quarter
AHS with ball at SHS 42 with 4th and 8 and 5:24 left. SHS still leads 14-7
Tim Gullatte picks off a pass for SHS with 5 minutes left
Javis Whitesides picks off a pass for SHS with 2 minutes left
Shelby runs out the clock, wins 14-7

My take on tonight's games

First, want to let people know The Star Car will be at Ashbrook at Shelby and I will be posting live updates from that game on Friday.
I'll also put up another link for folks to post scores, so feel free to check back frequently.

Enjoy the games!

Week 2
Ashbrook (0-2) at Shelby (1-0)
Losers of two straight by a wide margin to open the season, you know the Green Wave will come into Blanton Stadium hungry. The Golden Lions have won two straight against Ashbrook and will be looking to perform well in front of their fans in their home opener.
Ashbrook’s defense has been porous against the run against West Charlotte and Clover, S.C., so Shelby should have plenty of success on the ground.

East Gaston (0-1) at Burns (0-1)
Turnovers were key in both of these teams’ season-opening losses last week, so the squad that gets that corrected in Week 2 will likely come out of this one with their first win. The Bulldogs’ defense showed plenty of fight and swarmed around the ball last week against Crest, but their offense must be more consistent and sustain drives.
The Warriors won a close one last year in Mount Holly, and the 2007 matchup could be another barn-burner in Lawndale.

Crest (1-0) at Freedom (0-1)
The Chargers won their opener at Burns, but came out of the overtime triumph with plenty to work on … namely turnovers and penalties. On a positive note, Crest’s defense was stout against the run and pass as it kept the Bulldogs out of the end zone.
If Crest turns in a more crisp performance on offense, look for the Chargers to be 2-0 heading into next Friday’s contest against rival Shelby.

South Point (1-0) at Kings Mountain (1-0)
If you like watching stout running games, this is the game for you. In their respective openers, the Red Raiders racked up 368 yards on the ground against Lincolnton, while the Mountaineers rushed for 316 against Hunter Huss. To keep the chains moving this week, Kings Mountain will have to mix in some pass with the run.
The big key for the Mounties will be how well their defense holds up against South Point’s "Red Bone" offense.

A look back at Week 1

This season, I plan on putting together a weekly notebook that will focus on high school football in Cleveland County and the surrounding area.

I would like to get some feedback for these, so if you see something happen in a game (whether it be large or small) and feel like it deserves mentioning, drop me an e-mail or post on my blog and let me know.

Here’s a few takes from Week 1 …
I’ve heard the Crest-Burns contest in Lawndale described several ways … wild, sloppy, even ugly. I can agree with all of those descriptions to a certain point, but I would like to add a couple more — intense and hard-nosed.

Say what you want about the lack of offensive consistency on both sides, but it was still a game between two rivals that had fans on the edge of their seats through most of the four quarters and overtime.

The key element I took away from that battle was how hard both defenses played on every down, even though both were on the field for a lot of minutes due to the combined nine turnovers and quick changes of possession.

From Burns, I had Julian Kee with two interceptions and a sack, while Aldrick Watson had an interception and stripped another takeaway. Cory Smith had at least one sack for the Bulldog defense.

Crest’s Justin Price and Tosh Toms picked off one pass each with Wesley Haynes and Nelson Bullard leading the effort up front.

After glancing over the stats of the Hunter Huss-Kings Mountain and Shelby-Freedom contests:

The Golden Lions’ defense pitched a shutout in the second half and only allowed seven first downs overall …Despite losing the turnover battle 2-0, Shelby still came out of Morganton with a win … Tim Gullatte finished with four catches for 68 yards and his athleticism and 6’4 frame should be a tough match up for opposing defenses all year.

The Mountaineers displayed balance in their running game as Leon Stanton (130 yards), Lance Surratt (54), Mike Roberts (46), C.J. Belcher (43) and Trevarris Crosby (35) all rushed for more than 35 yards … This week’s South Point-Kings Mountain game should be a good one in the trenches as both racked up over 300 yards on the ground in their openers.

Interesting scores from around the state:
Burlington Cummings 89, Carrboro 0 — Cummings has now scored 146 points in two games … wow.

R-S Central 49, Cherryville 32 — Speaking of points, the Hilltoppers have scored 51 and 49, respectively, in their first two games.

Charlotte Country Day 51, Northwestern, S.C. 48, 4OT — It’s early, but this could go down as one of the best games of the year.

Clayton 3, Pikeville Aycock 0 — And you thought Crest-Burns was a defensive struggle.

Aug. 24 scores and updates

Got word that the Hunter Huss-Kings Mountain will be delayed and will start at 8:30 p.m. due to lightning in the area.

Post any scores and updates here

Crest at Burns updates

First post from the Burns Stadium pressbox ... about 25 minutes from kickoff as both Crest and Burns are in the middle of pre-game warm-ups.

Uniforms - Burns is in its Columbia Blue tops and pants, while Crest is in its white tops and gold pants.
Captains - Crest - Zac Halbert; Ryan Black; Tim Cobb; Dwayne Maddox.
Burns - Aaron Mayhew; Kenny Lail; Darrell Coates; Duston Jones

Crest won the toss and will receive to start the game

- 0-0 midway through the first quarter. Crest and Burns both forced to punt on its first drives. Crest at its own 45 after a 12 yard pass from Zac Halbert to Tosh Toms with 6:42 left in the first.
- Crest uses first timeout at 6:05 after first two, first downs of the game by either team.
- Crest goes up 6-0 on a 12-yard touchdown run up the middle by Tosh Toms at 3:58; Austin's extra point failed.
- Crest leads 6-0 after the first quarter. Stat leaders - Crest's Ryan Black has 7 rushes for 41 yards, while Toms has 3 carries for 17 yards with a touchdown. Burns' Varan Hamrick has 2 rushes for 7 yards ... no first downs in the first quarter by the Bulldogs.
2nd quarter
- Crest goes up 9-0 on Trever Austin's 41 yard field goal at 8:31 - FG set up by short field after a short Burns punt from its own 1.
- Burns gets a big kick return from Keron Phelps, then two big runs from QB Tyler Gill to march down to the goal line. A third-down stop by the CHS defense, then a 5-yard Burns penalty forces a 25-yard field goal by Ethan Martin to make it 9-3 at 4:02 of the 2nd.
- Burns' Julian Kee picks off a Halbert pass with 20 seconds left in the half.
- Burns' Ethan Martin nails a 29-yard field goal to end the half. There was 0:0.1 seconds on the clock as time expired when the kick sailed through the uprights.
3rd quarter
- 2nd half just underway with Burns with the ball near midfield
- Martin's 34 FG attempt sailed wide right at 8:10
- CHS' Black breaks a 47 yarder down the left side to put Crest down to the 20
- BHS' Aldrick Watson steps up with interception near the goal line after a series of Crest penalties backs the Chargers up. Watson brings it back to the 33 and another CHS penalty puts it at the 48 after the return.
4th
4th quater just underway with Burns near midfield
- Crest's Justin Price picks off a pass near the goal line on a deep pass by Gill and brings it back across midfield. CHS with the ball at the BHS 20 with 8:41 left.
- Crest fumbles near its own goal line and Burns recovers
- Burns with the ball at its own 3 with 6:00 left
- Crest forces punt and gets the ball back at the Burns 30
- Burns' Julian Keen with his second INT brought back from the BHS 30 to the Crest 30.
- Burns with the ball at its own 8 yard line with 4th and 3 ... will try a field goal with 2:10 left to tie it.
- Martin ties it at 9-9 with 2:05 left with a 25 yard FG
- Both teams trade turnovers inside the 1 minute mark in wild series of plays. Crest with the ball with at the Burns 47 with :18 seconds left.
- Crest punts, Burns takes a knee and this wild one is headed to OT tied at 9-9.
Overtime
- Burns wins the toss and elects to play defense. Crest gets the ball on its 10 to start the alternating-possession OT.
- CHS' Austin kicks a 24-yarder on fourth down to put the Chargers up 12-9.
- BHS with the ball at the 10
- Burns' Gill picked off at the 2 by Tosh Toms to end the game. CHS wins a wild contest, 12-9.

Week 1 coverage

The Star Car will be at Burns High tonight for the battle between Burns and Crest, and I'll be providing live updates from the game. My plan is to post a blog everytime there is a score, or after every quarter when there is a break in the action.

Also, check my blog for score updates from Hunter Huss at Kings Mountain, Shelby at Freedom and any other scores I get from around the area. Feel free to post scores on the blog as well if you're listening on the radio or have a contact at the games.

For photo updates from Crest at Burns, check Star photographer Jeff Melton's blog at http://jeffmeltonstar.blogspot.com/

Enjoy the games!

Fantasy Football time

Here's the result of my recent Fantasy Football draft ... I like my squad, especially at RB and WR. Like anyone else, I'll need all of my corps starters to stay healthy to win the 10-team league I'm in. Donovan McNabb's injury was one of the big reasons I fell out of contention last year, so hopefully No. 5 will stay upright and put up big numbers this season.

I'll post some fantasy updates through the season. And I'll try not to whine (or brag) too much about my own team ...

Team Satisfied
Donovan McNabb - QB
Larry Fitzgerald - WR
Marques Colston - WR
Larry Johnson - RB
Joseph Addai - RB
Jeremy Shockey - TE
Marshawn Lynch - WR/RB
Shayne Graham - K
Dallas - Defense
Bench
Ahman Green - RB
Jon Kitna - QB
Daunte Culpepper - QB
Plaxico Burress - WR
Muhsin Muhammad - WR
Marcus Pollard - TE

Live from the Jamboree

Hot, hot, hot here in the Burns pressbox ...

Logged on via the wireless connection in The Star Car real quick. I'll try to get on and post a blog at the end of every scrimmage.

Due to deadline constraints, I will not likely be able to stick around for much of the final game between Burns and Hunter Huss. As soon as we get a call-in from the game, I will post the info. on here.

Also, I'm going to try to do live updates during the season at the games I attend if there is wireless internet or the Star Car at the venue. I'll also be posting scores from other games on here as well when I get calls. So, come on back Friday nights if you can't make it out to the stadium.

Shelby 21, East Gaston 13
Shelby scored on its first possession on a Marc Williams 70-yard touchdown scamper as the Golden Lions claimed the opener of the Cleveland County Jamboree.
Donovan Gidney added a short touchdown run for Shelby in the first quarter, while Lance Jackson capped the Shelby scoring with a five-yard dash in the second quarter. Turner Almond was 3-for-3 on extra points.
East Gaston got a 12-yard strike from Charles Johnson to Justin Clark and a touchdown reception on the final play of the game by Brent Rankin for its scoring.

Lexington 21, Kings Mountain 10
Kings Mountain’s Michael Roberts connected with Neil Scott on a long touchdown strike early in the first quarter, but Lexington bounced back to win 21-10 in the second game.
The Mountaineers’ Alex Randall booted a 33-yard field goal midway through the second quarter before the Yellow Jackets completed the scoring on a short touchdown run by quarterback Teland Todd.
Lexington’s Warren Holmes turned in a 99-yard interception return for a score in the first quarter, while Cameron Barksdale rumbled in from short yardage for the first touchdown.

Crest 16, Hickory 14
Crest freshman Trevor Austin drilled a 28-yard field goal with 4:00 left to boost the Chargers past Hickory in the third game.
Crest senior running back Ryan Black posted a pair of short-yardage touchdowns – the first set up by a long run by quarterback Zac Halbert and the other set up by a pass from Halbert to Reggie Wikins.
Hickory rushed for one score by Darrien Burch and passed for another on a long catch-and-run from Kevin Shelton to Austin Johnson. The Red Tornadoes had a golden chance to take the lead late, but a long pass was dropped near the endzone by an open receiver before Hickory turned it over on downs.

Burns 15, Hunter Huss 7
Burns never trailed and handed Hunter Huss a 15-7 setback in the nightcap of the Cleveland County Jamboree.

Varan Hamrick posted a 10-yard rushing score, while Donta Hopper ran in from four yards out for the Bulldogs’ two touchdowns. Ethan Martin added a 21-yard field goal for Burns, which led 15-0 before the Huskies lone score.

If the MLB season ended today ...

Heading into Thursday (Aug. 9)) night's games, here's how the MLB Divisional Series' would look ...

American League
Boston (East) vs. Seattle (WC)
Cleveland (Central) vs. L.A. Angels (West)

National League
N.Y. Mets (East) vs. San Diego (WC)
Milwaukee (Central) vs. Arizona (West)

Here's how I think they will eventually shake out ...
American League
Boston (East) vs. L.A. Angels (West)
Detroit (Central) vs. N.Y. Yankees (WC)

National League
N.Y. Mets (East) vs. Chicago (Central)
San Diego (West) vs. Atlanta (WC)

A look back at my preseason predictions from April, I've still got a decent shot at 5 out of 8 (maybe 6 if the Dodgers finish strong). But, the Rangers? What was I thinking?

AL East - Red Sox
AL Central - Tigers
AL West - Rangers
Wild Card - Yankees

NL East - Braves
NL Central - Cardinals
NL West - Dodgers
Wild Card - Mets

Will Ferrell/Panthers' Ryan Kalil NFL draft comedy bit

"See, did you see that tenacious tenacity?

10 key questions heading into college football season

A few days late on posting this ...

Who will land in the BCS Championship game?

Will there be an undefeated team from a smaller conference to throw a kink in the system once again?

Who wins the coveted Heisman Trophy?

The start of the college football season is a little more than a month away, but it’s never too early to take a glance around the college landscape.
Here’s 10 key questions heading into the 2007 campaign:

1 — Can Appalachian State repeat as Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) champs? I don’t see why not. They’ve got one of the top offensive players, RB Kevin Richardson, and one of the best defensive players, DB Corey Lynch, in the country — both named preseason players of the year in the Southern Conference. The beauty of the FCS is that no polls or computer systems will decide whether the Mounties get a chance to repeat — they settle that on the field.

2 — What will be the impact of the youth movement at Gardner-Webb? Head coach Steve Patton has just 11 seniors on the roster, but they do have their fair share of regulars back — especially on the defensive side of the ball. I’m looking forward to seeing Gaffney, S.C. product, freshman Tyson Petty (WR, 6-0, 165), who should give the Bulldogs a strong, young threat on the outside.

3 — Will Wake Forest match its run of a year ago? I don’t see the Demon Deacons back in a BCS bowl, but contending in the Atlantic Division of the ACC is well within reach. Jim Grobe has this program built on the foundations of discipline and depth. I can’t wait for the week 1 match up between Wake Forest and Nebraska.

4 — How will the new coaches fare at UNC and N.C. State? I think both North Carolina’s Butch Davis and N.C. State’s Tom O’Brien can get their respective programs into the top tier of the ACC, but it’s not likely going to happen in their first years at the helm. Like anywhere, quarterback play will be key as the Heels and Pack will both have unproven players under center.

5 — Can Duke win an ACC game? The Blue Devils have 18 starters and 44 lettermen back, so Ted Roof doesn’t lack experience this year. Somewhat-bold prediction … I think Duke breaks through in league play and catches Virginia napping in Charlottesville in Week 2 for what will likely be its only ACC victory.

6 — Can “The Old Ball Coach” get the Gamecocks in the SEC championship? With the likes of Florida, Georgia and Tennessee in the SEC East, it’s going to be tough for Steve Spurrier and USC to make that stride this year. But give Spurrier one or two more solid recruiting classes and the sky is the limit in Columbia, S.C.

7 — Best bet to be in the BCS title game in New Orleans? USC vs. West Virginia. The Trojans are loaded once again out West with Cal being its biggest hurdle in the Pac 10. The Mountaineers are due to represent the Big East in the title game. I like the toughness of WVU to overcome USC’s speed in a high-scoring championship.

8 — Is Tim Tebow ready to be the full-time QB for the Gators? Yes, and it should be a lot of fun to watch. Look for Tebow, used occasionally last year, to tuck it under and run a lot for Urban Meyer’s squad.

9 — Way too early Heisman prediction? RB Darren McFadden of Arkansas. Look for USC QB John David Booty and Michigan’s Michael Hart to also get a lot of Heisman hype.

10 — Is there another Boise State out there? Many think TCU can come on strong out of the Mountain West. If they can pull a big upset at Texas in week 2, the Horned Frogs’ schedule sets up nice the rest of the way.