Saturday’s rewind: Providence Day soccer rolls, Mallard Creek wins 4A track regionals
Providence Day continued its march toward a seventh straight girls’ soccer championship match Saturday with a 9-0 playoff quarterfinal rout of visiting Carmel Christian on Saturday, but Chargers’ head coach Dan Dudley said he is looking at more than offense.
“At this point, you don’t win a championship by scoring more than the opponent,” said Dudley, whose Chargers (22-1-1) are nationally ranked this season. “You win by not allowing the opponent to score.”
That’s what Providence Day did Saturday. The Chargers didn’t allow Carmel Christian to cross midfield until the ninth minute of the match, and the Cougars (10-8-1) only really threatened the Chargers twice in the match.
Dudley’s team, top-seeded in the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association’s 4A division, advances to a semifinal match at home on Tuesday, between the winner of Saturday night’s North Raleigh Christian-Charlotte Country Day quarterfinal.
Of course, Providence Day got plenty of offense Saturday — mostly from sisters Devin and Blane McElroy.
Devin, a sophomore, scored four goals and added an assist. Blane, a junior, had three goals and four assists.
Devin McElroy got the opening goal, six minutes into the match, and the finale, with eight minutes remaining. That last goal ended the match, due to the nine-goal mercy rule.
“We can’t afford a letup — not if we want to win a championship,” Blane McElroy said. “We are staying focused.”
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NCHSAA tennis: Providence’s Jack Dimenna wins state title
In the finals of the NCHSAA 4A singles tennis championship, Providence High’s Jack Dimenna lost the opening set against Cary Green Hope’s Jimin Jung, but then stormed back for the title.
After losing 7-5 in the opening set, Dimenna took the next two, 6-3 and 7-5, to claim the championship.
Hough’s Jesus Espinoza and Jackson Davis lost 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 in the doubles finals match to Green Hope’s Stephen Gervase and Vivek Indlamuri.
▪ In the 1A finals, Eno River Academy’s Nathan Bermeo beat Langtree Charter’s Nikhil Deshpande 6-2, 6-2 in the singles final. Deshpande had won the past two state titles. Elkin’s Aidan and Connor Ballard, who are twins, won the doubles champonship 6-3, 6-3 over Triangle Math and Science’s team of Prahalad Srinivasan and Cooper Fielding.
▪ In 2A, Alphonso Sison of Franklin Academy won his second straight state title, beating Green Central’s Williams Drake 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-3. Franklin Academy’s doubles team of Derek Shute and Nick DeLiso beat Research Triangle’s Matthew Southern and Jackson Doyle 6-3, 6-2.
▪ Fayetteville Sanford’s Drew Hedgecoe won the 3A title, his third straight, beating South Central’s Shaw Akula 6-2, 6-3. Hedgecoe lost just eight games during the two-day championship event. In doubles, Hickory’s Graham and Clinton Powers beat Wilson Fike’s Synder and Collins Pearson 6-4, 6-4. Graham Powers of Hickory shared the 2023 doubles championship with Giffin Lovern.
NCISAA baseball
Charlotte Christian and Metrolina Christian advanced to the 4A semifinals with wins Saturday.
Charlotte Christian (22-7) beat North Raleigh Christian 4-2. Metrolina Christian (26-1) beat Christ School 2-0. Metrolina Christian will host Rabun Gap (20-4) in its semifinal. Rabun Gap is the No. 2 seed. Metrolina is No. 3.
Charlotte Christian, the No. 4 seed, will play at No. 1 seeded High Point Wesleyan (21-5).
On Saturday, Charlotte Christian scored four runs in the fourth inning. North Raleigh got two in the fourth. The Knights’ Cohen Bettencourt, a junior, had all four RBIs. Christian pitcher Grant Nicholson threw all seven innings, allowing three hits and striking out eight.
Metrolina Christian pitcher Chase Kiker, a sophomore, threw seven innings and allowed two hits and struck out eight.
▪ In 3A, Gaston Christian (16-4) beat High Point Christian 2-1 to advance to the semifinals Tuesday against either Grace Christian or John Paul II. Hickory Grove (17-8) also advanced with a 1-0 win over Cary Christian.
Hickory Grove will host Asheville Christian (15-7) in its semifinal Tuesday.
NCISAA softball
Providence Day and Cannon School advanced to the semifinal round next week.
Providence Day (11-5) beat Charlotte Christian 4-1 Friday and will play at North Raleigh Christian on Tuesday. North Raleigh (12-2) beat Charlotte Latin 3-0 in its quarterfinal.
Cannon School (14-8-1) beat Metrolina Christian 2-1 to advance and will play either Covenant Day or Wesleyan Christian in next week’s semifinals.
Down 1-0 heading into the sixth, Providene Day scored four runs. Charlotte Christian outhit the Chargers 8-3. Chargers’ pitcher Rachel Lyons struck out 14.
Cannon scored the winning run in the seventh and final inning of regulation. Cannon got RBIs from junior Andie Evans and freshman Clark Hudson.
NCHSAA track: Mallard Creek wins 4A Western Regional
Mallard Creek’s boys and girls won the N.C. 4A Western Regional in Charlotte on Saturday. The Mavericks dominated the relay events, winning five relay titles.
Individually, Independence’s Maya Love won the girls 100-, 200- and 400-meter titles.
▪ The N.C. state championships are next weekend in Greensboro.
Observer-area winners:
▪ Hough 3,200 girls relay
▪ Hough 3,200 boys relay
▪ Makhiyah Pittman, Palisades, girls 100 hurdles
▪ Kristoffer Jones, North Mecklenburg, boys 110 hurdles
▪ Maya Love, Independence, girls 100, girls 400, girls 200
▪ Tyson Williams, Mallard Creek, boys 100, boys 200
▪ Mallard Creek 800 girls relay
▪ Mallard Creek 800 boys relay
▪ Mallard Creek 400 girls relay
▪ Mallard Creek 400 boys relay
▪ Josiah Wrice, Butler, boys 400
▪ Carmen PenaSoto, Olympic, girls 300 hurdles
▪ Jaylen Morrow, Chambers, boys 300 hurdles
▪ Molly Canon, Charlotte Catholic, girls 800
▪ Mary Bonner Dalton, Myers Park, girls 3,200
▪ Olympic girls 1,600 relay
▪ Mallard Creek boys 1,600 relay
▪ Chazmin Johnson, Berry, girls high jump, girls long lump
▪ Andrew Davis, Ardrey Kell, boys long jump
▪ Mariama Hunt, Myers Park, girls triple jump
▪ Armon Wright, Chambers, boys triple jump
▪ Tyson Glover, Ardrey Kell, girls discus, girls shot put
▪ Bryce Lee, East Mecklenburg, boys shot put
▪ Logan Hill, Charlotte Catholic, boys 800
