Tonight is the last night of the regular season for the state’s high school basketball teams and it’s a big one because the four automatic bids from each region will be determined.
Three Herald-area schools go in as possible No. 1 seeds because of region championships. Northwestern’s girls are champs on Region 3-AAAA, Great Falls boys from Class A have locked up the Region 3-A championship, and Chester in Class AAA is one win away from winning the Region 4-AAA title.
All three sport impressive records. Northwestern is 21-1 going on the road to Gaffney.
Chester hosts Lower Richland and is 20-2. The Lady Cyclones are 8-1 in the region after losing to A.C. Flora on Tuesday. A.C. Flora is 7-2 in the region, same as Lower Richland. If Chester wins, the Lady Cyclones are No. 1. If Chester loses and A.C. Flora wins at home against Lugoff-Elgin on Thursday night, there will be a three-way tie for first and the champ will be decided by tiebreakers.
Great Falls played rival Lewisville last night – see page 1C for the game story – and went into the game 21-1. The Red Devils have sealed their title and are led by Torrey Craig, an all-state player last season as a junior. He is averaging 24.1 points and 13.7 rebounds per game.
The following is the first-round schedule for next week’s playoffs. Pairings will be set this weekend at the South Carolina High School League office in Columbia and will run in Sunday’s sports section.
Monday: Class AAA girls; Class A girls. Tuesday: Class AAAA girls; Class AAA boys; Class AA girls; Class A boys. Wednesday: Class AAAA boys; Class AA boys. Single games will be played starting at 7 p.m.
WRESTLING – Lots of good wrestling is coming up over the next three weekends.
It starts on Saturday, when Rock Hill and Fort Dorchester hook up for a rematch of last year’s duals state championship.
Rock Hill won 28-24 last season. Fort Dorchester is ranked No. 1 by SCMat.com and is 17-2. Rock Hill, 26-4, is No. 2. Fort Dorchester won 45-21 in an earlier meeting this season.
Next Friday and Saturday, Class AAAA Upper State wrestlers will gather at Northwestern with hopes of qualifying for the individuals’ state championship. The top four placers in each of the 14 weight classes advance to the state championship round on Feb. 26-27 at Rock Hill High School.
VOTE NOW – Now is your chance to cast a vote for Clayton Gladden, a former Northwestern soccer player and goalie for the Discoveries Green 18-under Mutiny team that went undefeated and won the US Youth Soccer National Championship in August.
Gladden is a freshman at USC Upstate in Spartanburg and plays soccer for the school. He is one of 10 goalkeepers nominated for save of the year by U.S. Youth Soccer.
To vote, go to usyouthsoccer.org and open the home page, look for a red bar in the right corner that says “Vote for Goal and Save.” A video off all 10 nominees can be viewed. Be sure to click the right category. There are also 10 players nominated for best goal and votes can be cast next week in that category. None of the goals are by local players.
SPECIAL – The Rock Hill Backers athletic booster club is sponsoring two upcoming events to raise money for the school’s athletic teams.
The school will host “Meet the Bearcats II” on Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. in the school’s gym. It will include a hot dog supper, followed at 7 p.m. with introductions of the Bearcats from this winter and the upcoming spring sport.
Backer volunteers will be on hand conducting Bearcat apparel sales. Spring season tickets for each sport will be offered at a discount rate.
“The Traditions Banquet” will be held March 26 at the Rock Hill Country Club.
The school will retire Gerald Dixon’s and Chris Hope’s Bearcats’ football jerseys. Former Bearcat athletes Jimmy “Moose” Wallace, Wes Hayes and Phylis Paden-Adams will be honored. There will be a special presentation to Eric Lessmeister, the school’s late principal.
The cost is $50 per person. Reserved tables of 10, which are limited, are available at $500 each.
For more information and for where to send checks, call Cindy Elder at 803-524-1855.
SPECIAL II – Northwestern’s soccer team is hosting Saturday Soccer’ on Saturday at the school, with four segments to choose from.
From 10 a.m. until noon, the Northwestern boys soccer coaches and players will conduct youth soccer players and soccer coaches clinics. The cost is $25 per player.
Northwestern boys, defending state and national champions, host Wando in an exhibition game from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. It is free to the public.
The Northwestern girls will also play, but an opponent has yet to be established.
There will be an alumni game and cookout from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. The cost $10.
Contact Rose Baker at or 803-981-1989 for additional information.
THINK PINK – York and Clover fans basketball fans can purchase a pink T-shirt at the game tonight in York while they last.
The cost is $10 each. The “pink out” is in observance of “Playing for a Cure,” which raises money and provides awareness for breast cancer. The day begins with a 5 p.m. JV girls game, followed by the varsity girls at 6:30 p.m. and the varsity boys at 8 p.m.
Barry Byers 329-4099
bbyers@heraldonline.com
February 12, 2010 | Herald, The (Rock Hill, SC)
Page: 4C | Section: Sports