LOCAL ROUNDUP: PTFC to become Carolina Core FC Youth
Feb. 29—HIGH POINT — Carolina Core FC and Piedmont Triad FC will be joining forces this fall. PTFC will become Carolina Core FC Youth.
Through the years, the club has been High Point Stars, Piedmont Soccer Alliance and, when it joined with Kernersville Soccer Association, it became PTFC. Over 2,000 athletes participate in PTFC's U4 through U19 age groups.
David Upchurch, the club's longtime director of coaching and formerly the girls coach at High Point Central where he won two state titles, will serve as the Executive Director of CCFC Youth.
"I'm extremely excited for the opportunities this partnership presents for our current players and families," Upchurch said in a release. "Aligning with Carolina Core FC creates a clear developmental pathway from our grassroots programs to our competitive youth programs, all the way to the professional level."
The goal is to create easier ways for soccer players to pursue the game from the youth level all the way up to the professional ranks.
"I grew up playing for the High Point Stars, which is the current-day PTFC," said Eddie Pope, Carolina Core FC's Chief Sporting Officer, a former Southwest Guilford standout and one of the area's most acclaimed professional players. "And at that time, there was no professional player pathway.
"Through this partnership, CCFC Youth players will now have the opportunity to pursue a career in the professional ranks or have the opportunity to play at the college level while also acquiring an education."
Beginning in the fall of the 2024 season, all PTFC soccer players will compete as 'CCFC Youth' while wearing identical uniforms as the CCFC professional players.
CENTRAL-ANDREWS BASEBALL TO PLAY AT TRUIST POINT
HIGH POINT — Crosstown rivals High Point Central and T.W. Andrews will once again take the field this season for a pair of games at Truist Point.
The Bison, who will be the home team in the opener, and the Red Raiders will square off Friday at 6 p.m. Andrews will be the home team for the second game Wednesday, March 14. Tickets are $7 and gates are set to open at 5:30.
Central and Andrews have met over 100 times in baseball since Andrews opened in 1968. The game will also be a memorial to Bison coach Andy Harper, who died in 2021. He was the founder of the Touch 'Em All organization and had strong ties throughout the Triad baseball community.
NCISAA ALL-STATE
HIGH POINT — Five area basketball players have been selected for the NCISAA's winter sports all-state teams.
In the 3A, High Point Christian's Isaiah Sanders and Toot Clay were chosen on the boys side, while Kylie Torrence was selected on the girls side. In the 4A, Wesleyan Christian's Zacch Wiggins was chosen for the boys and Taylor Hawley was selected for the girls.
All four teams are coming off strong seasons. HPCA's boys were the top seed and reached the state semifinals, while the girls reached the state championship game for the third straight season. Wesleyan's girls made the state semifinals while the boys made the quarterfinals — both falling to the eventual champions.
GIRLS SOCCER
WESLEYAN CHRISTIAN, CALVARY DAY
HIGH POINT — Wesleyan Christian fell 3-1 against Calvary Day in PTAC girls soccer Wednesday at Wesleyan. The Trojans moved to 1-1 overall and 0-1 in the conference.
HPU BASEBALL
HIGH POINT — High Point University will shift its weekend baseball schedule to include a doubleheader Saturday, moving its game from Friday due to the weather.
The Panthers will host Dayton for the nonconference series opener Saturday at noon, followed by the second game 40 minutes after the conclusion of the first. The teams will then conclude the series Sunday at 1 p.m.
