Pender-Topsail Post & Voice, Thursday, November 12, 2015, Page 9A
State football playoffs
Topsail at home, Trask on the road in round one By Bobby Norris Post & Voice Sports Writer Two Pender County teams are in the NCHSAA state football playoffs Friday night. Topsail will be at home and Trask will hit the road for first round games.
Trask at Tarboro The Trask Titans won their big showdown with Pender last week and are now staring straight down the barrel of a Tarboro Viking team that averages a whopping 336 yards a game on the ground.
Tarboro has three running backs that have at least 655 yards or more. Senior Shamar Pippen leads the team with 851 yards on just 86 carries. The 5-3 135-pound scat back has scored 11 touchdowns. The Vikings have amassed 3,698 yards on the ground. They have only thrown the ball 19 times all year. This is a powerful running attack buoyed by a very good offensive line. The Titans first order of business will be to find a way to slow the Viking running game down. This will be a tall order as this seems to be one of the Titans weak points. That being said the Trask defense has made progress this season as was the case when they slowed Clintons Ryheem Skinner down. There is no gimmick defense that will work here
and the Titan coaching staff knows this. Coach Doug Rabalai will have to lean on his vast amount of knowledge and experience to find a way to keep the Titans in the game. The Titan offense has become a diversified squad that can pass the ball as well as run it. Sophomore Tyrease Armstrong has come into his own and the addition of Tony Holmes to the running game has paid dividends as well. Steven Jordan had the best game of the year against Pender. The Titans will need another effort like this to be able to stay close to the Vikings. Trask needs to hold the ball and methodically run right at the Vikings. The key is to keep the ball away from the Viking offense. Tarboro has scored 50 points or more at least four
times this year while eclipsing 60 twice. This is a tough one for the Titans. The score 48-12.
Topsail hosts Wilson Fike The Topsail Pirates have navigated their way through another season of Mid-Eastern 3A-4A football. This year they find themselves with the top 3A spot out of the conference and a home playoff game. This is no coincidence as the Pirates have taken to Head Coach Wayne Inman’s grind it out style of play. Wilson Fike is out of the Big East 3A conference where they finished fourth out of six
teams. The Demons are a run first team that relies on three backs to carry the load. The top back for the Demons is senior A.J. Hines. He is a bruiser that can turn it outside or run it up the middle. He averages 9.2 yards a carry and will test the Pirate defense. Fike does not throw the ball very often but has nine touchdown passes along with eight interceptions. Topsail relies on a big offensive line to go along with a bevy of talented running backs. Freshman D.J. Montano has more than 900 yards rushing while Justin Smith and fullback Drew Gaithers are very good at what they do as well. Montano has been nicked up late in the season. The Pirates need him healthy for the Demons. Topsail will try to push the
Demons around. Junior lineman Jarrett Radley missed the Hoggard game. Topsail needs him back and healthy. If that Pirate offensive line is healthy the Demons may be in trouble. Inman will try and hit the Demons in the mouth from the opening kickoff. The Pirates need to get off to a fast start. If Montano is healthy and Gaithers and Smith get off quickly the Pirates will have a very good chance of advancing to the second round. Remember, Topsail has played a very tough MEC schedule. I find it hard to believe that the Demons have faced the same caliber of competition. The Pirates take it to the Demons. When the dust is settled in Hampstead the Pirates stand tall. The score: Topsail 33, Wilson Fike 21.
Post & Voice
All County Volleyball Team By Bobby Norris Post & Voice Sports Writer The 2015 volleyball season was one of highs and lows. Both Trask and Pender struggled through the regular season. Neither team made the post season. The Topsail Pirate spikers played well and earned the top 3A seed out of the Mid-Eastern Conference. The Lady Pirates made it to the third round of the playoffs before bowing out. This is the top volleyball players in Pender County Lakirah Forney (Pender) Forney had 62 kills, three blocks, 51 aces, and 69 digs on the year. She is one of most consistent players on the Pender roster. Imani Newkirk (Pender) Newkirk had 70 kills, 46 aces, and 97 digs on the year. Imani is very athletic and can make a team better in many ways. Caroline Peterson (Pender) The sophomore setter had 148 assists 34 aces and 16 digs. She will be the next great setter at Pender. Coach Matt Davis raved about her improvement.
Brittany Foy (Trask) The sophomore standout averaged 21.7 digs a game and was among the team’s best servers. Brittany is a very smart player with athleticism. Emily Oyler (Trask) Oyler led the Titans in kills and was a force at the net. A very athletic player with tons of potential, she is part of a bright future at Trask. Kyra Holmes (Trask) The senior standout was among the team leaders in several categories including blocks and kills. Holmes makes people around her better. Angelica Biele (Topsail) Only a sophomore, the 5-11 Biele had 310 digs and 161 kills. She may be the next big hitter for the Pirates. Payton Schoenleber (Topsail) The super senior is a prime time player. She was a finalist for the all-county player of the year. She had 296 digs and 177 kills. Throw in 4.6 assists a set and she is a complete player. Marlee Marrotta (Topsail) Marrotta is a digger extraordinaire. She finished the
year with an astounding 595 digs to lead the MEC. She may be the best at that trade to ever wear a Pirate uniform. Player of the year Madi Ford (Topsai) Madi Ford is the most under rated player in the MidEastern Conference. She led the Pirates with 225 kills and in blocks with 106. She added 219 digs and 107 points serving, including 24 aces. This young lady does all of this with a fierceness that becomes a top-notch player. If the Pirates had a hall of fame Miss Ford would be on it with the likes of Carly Smith. Coach of the Year Hill Pearsall (Topsail) To describe Hill Pearsall is to describe the complete high school volleyball coach. He works well with the young ladies on his team and commands respect without raising his voice. He reached 300 wins this year and is on his way to becoming the best high school volleyball coach to ever lead a Pender County team. He is right up there with the legendary Ray Horton and is one of the best in North Carolina.
Post & Voice Top Performers By Bobby Norris Post & Voice Sports Writer The state soccer playoffs started last week with all three high school teams involved. All three lost in the first round with Trask losing in overtime and Topsail and Pender falling in regulation. The Titan soccer team fell to Manteo despite 23 saves by senior keeper Blake Joyce. Fernando Aldama scored the Titans only goal. The Topsail soccer team fell to Southern Wayne. Topsail senior goalkeeper Tyler Davis had 13 saves while se-
Holmes steps up for the Trask Titans By Bobby Norris Post & Voice Sports Writer When the Heide Trask Titan football team began the 2015 season there were several players that were expected to be called upon to be movers and shakers. Among those that were not mentioned on the offensive side of the ball was junior Tony Holmes. Holmes has filled in for Coach Johnathan Taylor at different positions on the field. One of those spots was at running back. When starting halfback Steven Jordan needed a break Tony stepped in and had great success. All of the hard work that the junior standout has done over the course of the year has enabled the young man to become a very good running back. With the Titans heading to Tarboro to face what is considered to be one of the best 1A schools in the state, there will be a need to for several good backs. That is where Tony Holmes will be called upon to step up for the Titans.
nior Derek Bryant scored both of the Pirates goals. The Topsail football team fell to Hoggard 17-0. Senior Danny McDonald had 11 tackles while sophomore Trey Ayres had seven solo stops. Senior linebacker Tomas Canfield had eight tackles with junior Hunter Hall adding seven tackles for the Pirates on defense. The Trask and Pender football game was very competitive in the first half before the Titans scored two touchdown in the second half to take the win. Justin Hooper led the Patriots with 168 yards rush-
ing and a touchdown. Steven Jordan led the Titan running attack with 117 yards while sophomore signal caller Tyrease Armstrong was 8-14 for 87 yards with one touchdown. Tynaffitt Davis had four catches for 61 yards. Defensively, Kansas Bannerman had nine tackles and a fumble recovery. This week’s top performer is Titan senior Goal keeper Blake Joyce. He had 23 saves in the Titans overtime loss. He finished the year with 240 saves, averaging 11.4 saves a game.
Intrepid Hardware
Bryant the final line of defense for the Topsail Pirates
presents this week’s
Hardware Athlete Athlete presents this week’s Spotlight Spotlight Athlete Spotlight Intrepid
Tony Holmes Heide Trask Michael High School Stroman
Heide Trask INTREPID High School HARDWARE INTREPID Intrepid Square HARDWARE 8206 Hwy. 117
Rocky Point, NC Intrepid Square 910-675-1157 8206 Hwy. 117 Rocky Point, NC 910-675-1157
By Bobby Norris Post & Voice Sports Writer In the game of soccer, there are several layers of defense. The final layer of defense is always the goal keeper. He is charged with making sure the team has an opportunity to outscore the other team. At Topsail High School this year that person is senior goal keeper Derek Bryant. Although the Pirate kickers struggled in the mighty Mid-eastern 4A-3A Conference he never gave up and always played hard. He kept the Pirates in most of the games and was a constant source of energy for the young team. Last week the Pirates lost in the first round of the 3A state playoffs by one goal to a very good Southern Wayne team. Bryant had 11 saves in a solid outing. As Mr. Bryant’s senior season comes to a close, he can take solace in knowing that he gave his all for the Pirates.
Staff photo by Andy Pettigrew
Titan football coach Johnathan Taylor talks to Trask and Pender players gathered together at midfield in a demonstration of sportsmanship following last Friday’s game.
Late goal ends Topsail soccer season By Lee Wagner Contributing Sports Writer When you look at the overall statistics from Thursday night’s NCHSAA 3A state soccer playoff game between the visiting Saints from Southern Wayne High School and the host Topsail Pirates you almost had to assume the best – if you were a Topsail fan. The Pirates outshot the visitors 26-15, they played a good portion of the game in front of the Saints’ goalkeeper, and Topsail senior goalkeeper Tyler Davis came up with a solid 13 saves. Unfortunately on the scoreboard – the one place where the numbers count the most – the home team fell one number short. Saints’ sophomore Darwin Sure score the tie-breaking goal with 2:17 left in regulation and Southern Wayne held on to defeat Topsail 3-2 in the state tournament’s opening round. The 25th-seeded Saints (10-
The Pender-Topsail Post & Voice presents this week’s
The Pender-Topsail Post & Voice Athlete Athlete presents this week’s Spotlight Spotlight Athlete Spotlight
Derek Bryant Topsail High Jake School Madole Topsail High School
The Media of Record for the People of Pender County 108 W. Wilmington St. • Burgaw, NC 910.259.9111 www.post-voice.com Media of Record e-mail: The posteditor@post-voice.com
for the People of Pender County
108 W. Wilmington St. • Burgaw, NC 910.259.9111 www.post-voice.com e-mail: posteditor@post-voice.com
6-4) moved on to face No. 9-seed Terry Sanford, which defeated Gray’s Creek 5-1 on Thursday, last Saturday. The loss ended the season for the Pirates (4-13-2), but left the door open for the future as Topsail loses just two seniors that played a significant amount of time, with one junior (starter Josh Madole), 13 sophomores (seven starters), and a freshman back in the fold next year for first-year Coach Courtney Burghardt. “It was definitely a heart-wrenching loss,” Burghardt said. “We struggled all year with the ability to finish on the attack, and about halfway through the year we started being able to score but we were still a second-half team. “We struggled coming out of warmups and started by giving up that first goal. You can’t expect to give up early goals and comeback in the second half and be successful.
It’s a frustrating loss but they left their hearts on the field and I’m proud of them.” The early-game struggles that Burghardt referred to came quickly. Sure, who scored all three Saints’ goals, chased down a high ball on the right side of the Topsail goal, and sent it into the far left side of the net just 2:49 into the game for a 1-0 Souther n Wayne lead. It stayed that way until there was 4:48 remaining in the opening 40-minute stanza when Sure took a sharp pass from teammate Rodolph Enescar and punched it into the right side of the net, just out of the reach of Davis. The Pirates answered right back when senior Derek Bryant drilled a shot past Saints’ ‘keeper Michael Ponce with 2:47 left in the opening 40-minute first half, cutting the two-goal deficit to one at
Nixon will be tough for the Pender cagers
A River Runs by Me Photography
By Bobby Norris Post & Voice Sports Writer Last year the Pender Patriot women’s varsity basketball team found itself to be a work in progress. As the year progressed the team became better and head coach Gardner Eakins began to find players that fit his scheme and mold. One of those players is Kamaya Nixon. Miss Nixon is one of those players that have a good mix of athleticism to go with a motor that never stops. She has been known for her defensive intensity as well as her ability to run the floor with the best of them. Although some say that Kamaya’s best sport is softball, she is making her name on the hard woods at Pender High school. With the high school basketball season set to begin play in the next few weeks, look for Kamaya Nixon to become one of the Patriots better players. Kamaya Nixon will be tough to tame for the Patriots.
Continued on page 13A
presents this week’s
The Pender-Topsail Athlete Post & Voice Athlete presents this week’s Spotlight Spotlight Athlete Spotlight
Kamaya Nixon
Pender High School Jake
Madole
Topsail High School
910.470.9561
The Media of Record for the People of Pender County 108 W. Wilmington St. • Burgaw, NC 910.259.9111 www.post-voice.com e-mail: posteditor@post-voice.com