Hibriten grabs quick lead, eliminates Eagles

Hibriten High used two turnovers by East Henderson to build an 18-point lead on Friday night en route to a 38-25 victory in the second round of the state 3A football playoffs. Hibriten (11-2), the overall West No. 3 seed and a second seed in the West pod, moves to the pod title game next Friday at home at 7:30 p.m.

The Panthers will face Asheville (10-2, West No. 5 seed and No. 4 pod seed), which outlasted Burns 38-35 in three overtimes on Friday night in Lawndale. On Friday night, Hibriten punted on its first possession before Eagles quarterback Seth Owen’s first pass was picked off by Devin Simon, who received an escort of Panthers on his way to a 42-yard touchdown and early 7-0 lead. East Henderson (10-3) quickly shook off the early miscue as Shaq Davis broke off a 70-yard run on the second play of the drive, all the way to the Panthers’ 10. But Hibriten’s defense held as the Eagles settled for a 20-yard field goal by Daniel Valdez.

The early track meet continued as Hibriten used a quick four-play drive to boost its lead to 14-3. Tripp Patterson (12 carries for 126 yards) spun out of a tackle at the 40, then sped away for a 66-yard score. On the ensuing drive by East Henderson, a lateral from Owen to Jonathan Maybin fell to the turf with Hibriten recovering at the Eagles’ 21. Four plays later, Hunt Prestwood barreled in from the 1 for the Panthers’ third score of the first quarter. The Eagles bounced back on the first play of the second quarter as Davis split the middle of line before hitting a fifth gear, speeding to a 79-yard TD run.  Davis finished the first half with 181 yards on his way to 284 yards on 32 carries. Hibriten took a 24-13 lead on a 26-yard field goal by Bobby Caudle just before the half. The Panthers essentially put the game away early in the third quarter on their first drive, when quarterback Michael Isbell shook off a blitz and found Trey Booker over the middle for a 62-yard pass play deep into Eagles’ territory. Two plays later, Jamaris Davenport made a leaping catch over two defenders, dragging one into the end zone on a 12-yard score. Davis added an 11-yard score later in the third quarter, but the Panthers padded the lead to 38-17 on a 44-yard run by Isbell early in the fourth quarter. East Henderson scored a safety by tackling Prestwood in the end zone, then added a 47-yard pass by Owen to Anthony Hampton for the final margin.

Halladay is unanimous Cy Young winner

Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies has unanimously won the NL Cy Young Award, making him the fifth pitcher to earn the honor in both leagues. Halladay pitched a perfect game in May and then threw a no-hitter in the playoffs. In his first season with the Phillies, he led the NL with 21 wins and topped the majors in innings, shutouts and complete games. Halladay received all 32 first-place votes in results released Tuesday by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Adam Wainwright of St. Louis was second and Ubaldo Jimenez of Colorado was third. San Francisco ace Tim Lincecum, who won the past two NL Cy Youngs, finished 11th.

Appalachian Wins Sixth-Straight SoCon Title

No. 3 Appalachian State University raced out to 38-0 lead and cruised to a record sixth-consecutive Southern Conference championship by dismantling No. 4 Wofford, 43-13, on Saturday afternoon at Kidd Brewer Stadium. With the easy victory in the de facto SoCon championship game, Appalachian (9-1, 7-1 SoCon) not only cliched at least a share of its sixth-straight conference title but also sealed the league’s automatic bid to the 2010 NCAA Division I Football Championship. ASU tied the SoCon record for consecutive conference crowns, set originally by Georgia Southern from 1997-2002. The SoCon championship is the Mountaineers’ 11th in 39 seasons in the conference. Since the SoCon began crowning a champion in 1933, only Furman, which has won 12 titles in 72 years in the league, has claimed more championships than ASU. Appalachian dominated Wofford in all phases of the game. Offensively, senior running back Devon Moore and junior wide receiver Brian Quick combined to score all five of the Mountaineers’ touchdowns. Moore turned in his finest performance of the season, rushing for 115 yards on 17 carries and three scores, all season highs. The 100-yard effort was his first of the season and eighth of his career. Quick caught five passes for 73 yards and scored on six- and 34-yard receptions. In three career games against Wofford, Quick has torched the Terriers for 426 yards and seven touchdowns on 17 receptions. Quarterback DeAndre Presley bounced back from last week’s sub-par performance at Georgia Southern to complete 15 of his first 17 passes and finish with 192 yards on 17-of-26 completions and 17 more yards on 11 rushes.

High School Football Playoffs: Round 1

Nine local teams came into the first round of the playoffs looking to keep their seasons alive. In the 4A West bracket, #6 West Charlotte traveled to Taylorsville to take on the #3 Alexander Central. But in the end, West Charlotte prevailed with a 20-7 win over the Cougars. In the 4AA West, #6 South Caldwell traveled to #3 Vance, only to come up short with a 13-7 loss to the Cougars. In 3AA West, #7 Enka traveled to Morganton to take on #2 Freedom. The Patriots prevailed with a 44-21 win over Enka. In the 3A Midwest, #7 Hickory traveled to China Grove to take on #2 Carson. Carson ended Hickory's season with a 45-33 win over the Red Tornadoes. In the 3A West, #7 Patton traveled to Lenoir to face #2 Hibriten. Hibriten shut out Patton with a 42-0 win. In the 2AA West, #6 Black Mountain Owen traveled to Newton to face #3 Newton-Conover. Owen defeated the Red Devils 28-25. Also in the 2AA West, #7 Bunker Hill traveled to #2 Shelby. Shelby prevailed 38-6 over the Bears. In the 2A West, #6 Maiden traveled to Columbus to face #3 Polk County. The Wolverines topped the Blue Devils 52-21.

Bears look to take down Shelby

Coming off a 49-20 win over arch rival Bandys, the Bears head to the playoffs to take on the Shelby Golden Lions in first round play. In their playoff meeting last season, the Golden Lions rolled with a 40-9 victory at Shelby. The Bears return to Shelby tonight looking for some payback. There's something the Bears have this season that they didn't last year, a secret weapon. Justin Lynch has been a major threat all season in the Bears backfield. Only a sophomore, Lynch ran for a career-high 226 yards last week against the Trojans. This kid is the real deal. The Bears will look to him to dominate the Golden Lion defense and lead the Bears to victory.

Player Profile: CJ Costabile- Duke Lacrosse

2010: Played in all 20 contests as a longstick midfielder … voted to USILA All-America third team … named to the NCAA All-Tournament team after scoring the overtime game-winning goal in the NCAA Championship game versus Notre Dame (5/31) … won 6-of-10 faceoffs against the Fighting Irish, including winning the faceoff en route to tallying the game-winner … finished the year with four goals and five assists for nine points … posted a .543 win percentage (75-of-138) in restarts and picked up 65 ground balls to rank third on the team in pickups … registered four goals, won 15-of-22 battles at the X and forced five turnovers in the four NCAA Tournament games … chipped in two markers and won 7-of-9 faceoffs in the NCAA quarterfinal win over North Carolina (5/22) … added one goal in the semifinal victory over Virginia (5/29) … registered game-winning assist and captured 10-of-13 restarts in regular season contest against Virginia (4/17) … was named ACC Player of the Week after his performance against the Cavaliers … won a season-high 13 faceoffs  and picked up nine ground balls against Maryland (3/6) … named to the All-ACC Academic Team.

Beckham keys Galaxy to victory

David Beckham set up goals by Edson Buddle with a corner kick and Omar Gonzalez with a free kick in an 8-minute span of the first half to lead the Los Angeles Galaxy to a 2-1 victory over Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer's Western Conference semifinal Sunday night. Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts made three saves for the Galaxy, who will play host to FC Dallas after winning the two-game series against Seattle 3-1. Galaxy coach Bruce Arena called Beckham's set pieces "terrific," he said, especially after the midfielder played the first game on a wet artificial surface in Seattle. "That was the difference in the game," Arena said of Beckham's set pieces. "He had a tough week recovering from the field in Seattle but he started coming around Friday." Steve Zakuani scored for Seattle Sounders FC to break a playoff goalless streak of 386 minutes over two years. "We still have to grow up a little bit," Sounders FC coach Sigi Schmid said. "For a couple of guys on our team, the game was too big for them. It was too big an occasion for them. They just turned over the ball in bad positions, bad spots. "We can't give up goals on set pieces like that and we can't start to play 20 minutes into the game." Buddle scored his second goal of the playoffs in the 19th minute. He escaped defender Tyrone Marshall's grasp to head Beckham's corner kick inside the left post from eight yards. Gonzalez made it 2-0 in the 27th minute. After Beckham took a 32-yard free kick, Gonzalez dived to head the ball inside the left post from seven yards.

Bears end regular season with BIG win

After gaining a 6-0 lead in the first quarter, that is the last lead the Trojans had. Bunker Hill scored five unanswered scores. Two of them coming from sophomore Justin Lynch, one by quarterback Joe Litton, and one each by running backs Davontaye Wilson and Reggie Davis. Lynch gained a career-high 226 yards on the ground in the win. Later scores for the Bears were on 2 yard runs by Garrett and Peoples. The Trojans' scores came on passes of 42 yards(kicked failed) and 68 yards from quarterback David Barrow to Kenny Hodge, and a 3 yard run by Ryan Hoilman.

Tim Lincecum, Edgar Renteria deliver Giants' first title since 1954

The prize that eluded Willie and Barry for so long finally belongs to the San Francisco Giants, thanks to a band of self-described castoffs and misfits and their shaggy-haired ace. Tim Lincecum, Edgar Renteria and the Giants won the title Monday night, beating the Texas Rangers 3-1 in a tense Game 5 and taking the trophy home to the city by the Bay for the first time. Lincecum outdueled Cliff Lee in a matchup that was scoreless until Renteria earned the Series MVP award by hitting a stunning three-run homer with two outs in the seventh inning. Nelson Cruz homered in the bottom half, but Lincecum returned to his wicked self and preserved the lead. Lincecum won this game of Texas Hold 'em, beating Lee for the second time in a week. He gave up three hits over eight innings and struck out 10.

21-Year Old Shuts Down Rangers In Game 4

In Game 4, former South Caldwell ace Madison pitched a shut out leading the Giants to a 4-0 victory over the Rangers in Arlington. Bumgarner took the hill looking to stop the Texas Rangers' momentum from a Game 3 win and did just that on Sunday night. Bumgarner went eight solid innings, giving up three hits and walked two while striking out six as the Giants went on to beat the Rangers 4-0. The young left-hander didn't allow a runner past second base the entire game as Texas struggled again at the plate. Bumgarner became the youngest left-hander in history to throw at least eight scoreless innings in a World Series start. The lefty's effort was boosted by home runs from Aubrey Huff and rookie catching sensation Buster Posey as the Giants outplayed the Rangers in yet another dominant performance. Now San Francisco leads the series 3-1 and is just one game away from winning its first championship since moving from New York and will have ace Tim Lincecum going up against Cliff Lee in Game 5.

Game of the Week: Newton-Conover at South Iredell

Last night, the undefeated Red Devils traveled to Troutman to face the undefeated South Iredell Vikings. Newton-Conover to first blood, scoring on a 6 yard run by quarterback Adonis Hewitt. Newton-Conover scored again on an 85 yard interception by Octavius Harden. South Iredell first scored came on a 22 yard run by South Iredell quarterback Corey Powell. The Red Devils led 14-6 going into the second quarter. But the Vikings fought back scoring  13 points in the second quarter to take a 19-14 lead at halftime. South Iredell retained the lead the rest of the game. In the third quarter the Vikings scored first, scoring on a 1 yard run by Cameron Mattox, with a failed two-point conversion. However, the Red Devils scored on a 32 yard run with a failed two-point conversion to cut the lead to 5. South Iredell's Cameron Mattox scored the Vikings' last touchdown of the game, scoring on a 3 yard run with an extra point. The last score of the night came from Newton-Conover's Jamal Coastes on a 2 yard run, with a run by Jervasse Herrin for a two-point conversion. With the win, the Vikings remain undefeated with a record of 10-0.

Pack topples #16 Florida State in an ACC thriller

Russell Wilson's 1-yard pass to George Bryan with 2:40 remaining gave the Wolfpack the lead and Florida State's fumble near NC State's goalline in the final moments preserved the win. With less than a minute to go, Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder fumbled the ball inside the NC State 10 yard line. After which Russell Wilson kneeled the ball to seal the win for the Pack. In the win, Wilson completed 18 of 28 passes for 178 yards. He also added 69 yards on 17 carries and 3 TDs to his totals. Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder completed 17 for 28 passes for 196 yards. He also had 21 yards on 11 carries with 2 TDs.

Bunker Hill? Maiden? Who will win?

On Friday, the Bunker Hill Bears will travel to Maiden to face the 6-3 Blue Devils. Maiden senior quarterback Matt Johnson led the way for the Blue Devils last week in a 49-7 win over East Burke. While Bunker Hill snapped a three-game losing streak with a 39-21 win over West Caldwell in the Bears' homecoming game. The Bears are led by junior running back Reggie Davis and senior running back Davontaye Wilson. In Bunker Hill's homecoming win, both Davis and Wilson had two scores. Sophomore running back Justin Lynch also added one score for the Bears.

No. 1 Appalachian Thumps WCU to Keep Jug

On Saturday, Appalachian State traveled to Cullowhee to face arch rival Western Carolina. Appalachian State prevailed with a 37-14 victory over the Catamounts. With the win, the Mountaineers maintained possession of the Old Mountain Jug. This was Appalachian's 24th win of the last 26 meetings with Western Carolina. Travaris Cadet set the tone for the dominating first period by returning the opening kickoff 56 yards to the WCU 44. Eight plays later, DeAndre Presley scored on an 11-yard run to make it 7-0 just 3:22 into the game. Western Carolina (2-6, 1-4 SoCon) pulled out all the stops early in the game in hopes of an upset, beginning with its opening play when it picked up 50 yards on a flea-flicker. However, the trickery backfired for the rest of the period, which was a big factor in ASU building what proved to be an insurmountable lead. In the win, App State junior quarterback DeAndre Presley completed 21 of 29 passes for 185 yards passing. He also added 87 yards on 9 carries, rushing for 3 TDs.

Davis and Wilson lead Bears past West Caldwell

Last night in Claremont, the Bunker Hill Bears were seeking redemption after a three-game losing streak. While West Caldwell were looking for their third straight win. But on homecoming night, the Bears left the field victorious. The Bears backfield stole the show with two scores by Reggie Davis, two by Davontaye Wilson, and one by Justin Lynch. Davis' TDs came on a 30 yard run and a 56 yard pass. Wilson scored on 34 yard run and a 68 yard punt return. Bunker Hill's final score came from Justin Lynch on a 3 yard run, with a block extra point. West Caldwell's three scores came from Ryan Corpening with a 3 yard run, D.J. Dula with a 10 yard pass, and a 3 yard run by quarterback Logan Carlton.

Rooney agrees new contract with United

Wayne Rooney has signed a new five-year contract with Manchester United in a dramatic U-turn after saying he wanted to leave Old Trafford. Rooney had announced on Wednesday that he intended to quit the club due to a perceived lack of ambition by the owners but meetings with the club have seen him change his mind. The England striker has become the best-paid player in United's history, with reports claiming the new deal is worth as much as £180,000-a-week.

David Beckham heading Down Under

David Beckham will travel to Australia next month with his LA Galaxy team mates for an exhibition game. Becks will play against the Newcastle Jets in a showcase game organized to boost Australia's chances of hosting the 2022 World Cup. The game will take place at the Energy Australia Stadium in Newcastle, New South Wales, on November 27. Kristina Keneally, Premier of New South Wales, made the announcement that the superstar would visit Australia for the first time since 2007. The former England captain played for Galaxy in an exhibition game against Sydney FC at the ANZ Stadium three years ago. His presence helped attract a sell-out 80,000 crowd.

NFL to begin suspending players for dangerous or flagrant hits

Who ever heard of football without hard hits? It's what the sport is all about, FULL CONTACT. Without the hard hits, what is it? Soccer? Yet another stupid rule implemented by the National Football League. Events last week has caused this stupid rule to be entered into the rule book. In several games players got injured because of the dirty hits. IT'S JUST FOOTBALL!!! Players are gonna get hurt anyway. Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison laid two big hits in Pittsburgh's 28-10 win against the Browns. It also happened in several other games around the league. I say "If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen." What is gonna happen next?

Lee K's 13; Rangers grab 2-1 edge

On Monday night, the Texas Rangers took a 2-1 series lead with a victory over New York at Yankees Stadium. Rangers pitcher Cliff Lee pitched 8 innings, only giving up 2 hits and striking out 13, leading the Rangers to an  8-0 win. The Rangers were led offensively by center fielder Josh Hamilton, who had a home run and a double. The series remains in New York for two more games. Then heads to Arlington for games 6 and 7 if necessary.

OREGON DUCKS CLIMB TO #1

After a 31-18 loss to the Wisconsin Badgers, the Ohio State Buckeyes are no longer #1. In the latest AP poll #2 Oregon has risen to #1, while Ohio State was bumped to #11 after the loss to the Badgers. The Ducks remained undefeated after their latest victory on October 9th. A 43-23 win @ Washington State. Oregon's next game will be at home vs. the UCLA Bruins on Thursday. Oregon is one of only 10 undefeated teams in the AP Top 25. Oregon is led by sophomore quarterback Darron Thomas, who has completed 87 of 148 passes for 1231 yards passing this season. The Ducks leading rusher is sophomore running back LaMichael James, who has 848 yards rushing on 114 carries.

Wisconsin downs Buckeyes

There will be a new #1 in Monday's AP poll, after #18 Wisconsin beat #1 Ohio State 31-18 last night in Madison. The Badgers led by running back John Clay, who had 104 yards on 13 carries and two touchdown. Ohio State was down 21-3 at halftime, only to come back within 4 in the 3rd quarter. But The Badgers dominated in the 4th quarter, outscoring the Buckeyes 10-8 in the last quarter of regulation. The Buckeyes were led by quarterback Terelle Pryor with 156 yards passing and 1 interception. The Buckeyes were also led by wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher with 6 receptions for 94 yards.

Game of the Week- Maiden vs. Bandys

Bandys traveled to Maiden last night to face arch rival, the Maiden Blue Devils. Maiden senior quarterback Matt Johnson stole the show, hooking up with Hasan Hopper several times, as the Blue Devils topped the Trojans 35-20. Maiden scored their first touchdown with a 7 yard pass from Matt Johnson to wide receiver Nate Johnson. Maiden's 6'3" quarterback scored 3 TDs from runs of 6, 25, and 65 yards in the win. Bandys first touchdown was scored when quarterback David Barrow hooked up with wide receiver Jesse Goodwin for a 37 yard touchdown. Bandys last two scores came from running back Dylan King, with a 9 yard TD run and a 3 yard TD run, with a failed extra point.

Football Friday Night

The undefeated Newton-Conover Red Devils travel to Claremont tonight to take on the Bunker Hill Bears. Bunker Hill’s Reggie Davis leads the Catawba Valley 2A in rushing. While Newton-Conover’s Octavius Harden, is in third, just behind South Iredell’s Cameron Mattox. After a 35-18 loss to Draughn, the Bears look to rebound at home against the Red Devils. Bunker Hill head coach Travis Conner will be looking for his sixth win in his first year as Bunker Hill’s head football coach. While Newton-Conover is looking to remain undefeated in this clash between two of the CVAC’s ground game greats.

Things to look for: Bunker Hill sophomore running back Justin Lynch is looking to have a big game against the Red Devils. Lynch is 7^th in the CVAC in rushing.

Player Profile: David Beckham- Los Angeles Galaxy

One of the most recognisable sportsmen on the planet, Beckham has enjoyed the spotlight since making his Premier League debut for Manchester United in 1995. Cast as both hero and villain during his career, he was taunted and abused after being sent off against Argentina in 1998, but won back the public's affection and rose to captain his country.

Strengths: An incredible crosser of the ball, Beckham has the ability to put the ball where he wants it and creates numerous scoring chances with his vision. He also boasts one of the deadliest free-kicks in the business.

Weaknesses: A lack of pace has hindered his impact somewhat at the highest level, but Beckham's real weakness is a hot-headed temperament which has seen him sent off for petulance in the past.
Career high: Captaining England and sealing their progress to the 2002 World Cup with a last-minute free-kick winner against Greece.
Career low: Being sent off for flicking out at Argentina's Diego Simeone at the 1998 World Cup and consequently becoming the subject of a nation's abuse for his behaviour. Missing out on the 2010 World Cup through injury was also a crushing blow.

Style: Hard working, unselfish, inspirational and a real team player.

Player Profile: Reggie Davis- Bunker Hill

#33 Reggie Davis: The leading rusher in the Catawba Valley Athletic 2A Conference. Reggie is a running back built with immense power and a relentless attitude. He is Bunker Hill’s top rusher, averaging over 100 yards per game this season. Alongside teammates Davontaye Wilson and Justin Lynch, the three make a relentless combination of both power and speed in the backfield for Bunker Hill. In Bunker Hill’s latest game, Reggie had two scores and racked up the yardage against the Wildcats defense.

Legendary manager retires

After 20+ years of managing the Atlanta Braves, legendary manager Boby Cox is retiring. Cox was manager of the Braves from 1978-1981. Leaving them to go to Toronto for 3 years. After his return to Atlanta, he spent the remainder of his managing career coaching the Braves. During his career, Cox was named Manager of the year four times (1985, 1991, 2004, and 2005). On May 12, 2007, Cox passed Sparky Johnson to become the fourth-winningest manager in major league history. On September 17, 2010, Cox was ejected for the 158th time in his Major League coaching career during the second inning of a Braves game against the New York Mets; he currently holds the all-time record for most ejections (set on August 14, 2007 with his 132nd), previously held by John McGraw. In his final season with the Braves, he led them to a 91-71 regular season record. Making the playoffs as a wild card team. Only to lose 3-1 in a best-of-5 series against the Giants.

Beckham's £2 million pay cut

England and Los Angeles Galaxy star midfielder David Beckham will be taking a huge £2 million pay cut after his company’s profits plunged. The L.A. Galaxy star paid himself £10.8 million in 2009 but due to decline in profits, he only received £9 million. But despite a drop in worth of £25 million, Beckham is still valued at £100 million.

Mountaineers top Elon 34-31 for Homecoming victory

On Saturday in Boone, the Appalachian State Mountaineers celebrated their homecoming with a 34-31 victory over Elon at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Junior quarterback DeAndre Presley netted a career-best 170 yards on the ground on 23 rushes with two scores. Presley also added 204 yards through the air, completing 14 of 19 attempts. Running back Cedric Baker added 41 yards on 4 rushes and one score for the Mountaineers. Leading receivers for the Appalachian State were Matt Cline with 5 receptions for 30 yards, Brian Quick added 65 yards on 4 receptions, and CoCo Hillary, who had 3 receptions for 76 yards and one score.

Leaders for the Phoenix were quarterback Scott Riddle who completed 31 of 43 attempts for 394 yards. Riddle also had 9 carries for 43 yards on the ground. Elon running back A.J. Harris also added 9 carries for 37 yards. Leading receivers for the Phoenix were Aaron Mellette with 9 receptions for 127 yards and three scores, and Sean Jeffcoat with 8 receptions for 102 yards and one score.

Atlanta rallies by Giants

In San Francisco, Rick Ankiel splashed a tiebreaking home run into McCovey Cove in the 11th inning for his first career postseason clout, and the comeback Atlanta Braves rallied from a four-run deficit to beat the San Francisco Giants 5-4 on Friday night. The Braves earned 46 come-from-behind victories this season and did it again when it counted in October. Atlanta now heads home to Turner Field for Sunday's Game 3 even at 1-all in the best-of-five NL division series.