Two goals within a five-minute span in the second half enabled Rocky Mount Academy’s boys’ soccer team to break away from rival Faith Christian and claim a 3-1 Carolina Independent Conference victory at home on Senior Night (Thursday).
The teams battled and each had some offensive runs in the first half but were not able to score for the first 20 minutes.
RMA took a 1-0 lead on a penalty kick by Colin Agan after a handball occurred in the penalty box following a long throw-in from Thomas Honey. That goal was the only tally of the half.
The Eagles got some breathing room with 15 minutes left in the match when Carter Ingram scored on whet RMA coach Eric Gutshall called “a fantastic header” off a solid corner kick from Stone Ramey to make it 2-0.
RMA then scored its final goal five minutes later when Christopher Harper found the net on a touch volley following a cross from Ingram.
Faith Christian (4-4 conference, 6-5 overall) scored in the final two minutes on a tally by Chris Lopez off an assist from Tanner Belk.
RMA goalie Mitchell Hinson picked up the win by making eight saves while the Eagle defense of Honey, Hank Berry, Henry Dunton and Spencer Thorne were solid for 80 minutes, according to Gutshall.
“It’s always a good game when we play RMA,” said FCS coach Conly Belk. “We had so many opportunities and just couldn’t capitalize on them. Perhaps next Thursday when we play them at home it will be different.”
(FOOTBALL) FCS 64, Capodanno 0Blayde Hinton completed 9 of 10 passes for 123 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 47 yards and two more scores as Faith Christian rolled past Father Capodanno in a nonconference game on Thursday in Rocky Mount.
The Patriots improved to 4-3 overall as Austin Gaertner provided 67 yards and a TD on six carries rushing. FCS finished with 291 total yards of offense.
Paxton Vick (three catches, 28 yards, TD), Aiden Parks (2-25), Gaertner (2-17), Vicent Wilson (1-32-TD), Ramsey Ward (1-3), Isaac Suber (1-25-TD), Ayden Tyndall (1-18) and Jackson Ream (1-20) all caught passes from either Hinton or Andrew Rine, who completed 3 of 3 for 45 yards.
Ward and Cooper Aldrich led the Faith defense with six tackles while Parks, Rine, Ream, and Jeremiah Keeney added four tackles each and Vick, Landon Williams and Joshua Barbour contributed three tackles each. Aldrich and Barbour had sacks; Ward caused a fumble; Ream and Rine recovered fumbles and Tyndall blocked and recovered a punt for the Patriots.
(GIRLS’ TENNIS) Rocky Mount 9, Northern Nash 0Rocky Mount wrapped up another unbeaten run through the Big East 2A/3A Conference (12-0) and emerged 13-1 overall with a shutout over Northern Nash in the league’s regular-season finale on Senior Night (Thursday).
The Gryphons’ entire starting lineup is made up of seniors. McKinley Battle, another senior and the defending Class 3A state singles champion, missed the season due to an injury.
In singles, No. 1 Maddie Girouard defeated Esther Edgerton 6-2, 6-3; No. 2 Lauren Tedford stopped Taylor McIntyre 6-1, 6-2; No. 3 Hannah Richardson eased past Shaniya Taylor 6-0, 6-2; No. 4 Lynzie Richardson shut out Carisma Deans 6-0, 6-0; No. 5 Chandler Logan defeated Joy Aycock 6-2, 6-1 and No. 6 Kaelyn Ward won 6-1, 6-1 over Ella Mallory.
Rocky Mount coach Charlie Lawrence Jr. commended Tedford for her play.
“Her play in singles and doubles was extremely intelligent, aggressive and dominant in all aspects of her game,” Lawrence said. “Her full offensive and defensive skill sets were on display.”
The Gryphons also swept the doubles events, as the No. 1 duo of Girouard and Tedford defeated McIntyre and Taylor 8-1; the No. 2 pairing of Hannah Richardson and Lynzie Richardson won 8-0 over Edgerton and Avionna Beck and the No. 3 tandem of Logan and Ward defeated Deans and Mallory 8-5.
Rocky Mount and Northern Nash will compete in the conference tournament Oct. 8-9 at North Carolina Wesleyan University.
Southern Nash 7, Franklinton 2Southern Nash ended the regular season with a Big East 2A/3A Conference win over Franklinton on Thursday.
Singles winners for the Ladybirds were No. 2 Melanie Olvera, No. 3 Lauren Maldonado, No. 4 Savannah Wood, No. 5 Taryn Reams and No. 6 Hayden Baker.
The doubles teams of Wood and Olvera, Julissa Maldonado and Reams and Diana Perez and Lauren Maldonado were also victorious.
Southern Nash will compete in the conference tournament Oct. 8-9 at North Carolina Wesleyan University.
(VOLLEYBALL)
Southern Nash 3, Rocky Mount 2The Ladybirds needed five sets but came away with a Big East 2A/3A Conference victory over the Gryphons on Senior Night Thursday, 25-17, 22-25, 25-13, 24-26, 15-11.
Southern Nash improved to 8-2 in the conference and 15-2 overall, while Rocky Mount fell to 0-10 in league play and 2-15 overall.
Savanna Baines led the Ladybirds with 14 kills and two blocks, while Carlee Beckham added eight service aces, 11 kills and 26 digs and Hailey Glover chipped in with six kills.
The much-improved Gryphons came to play and forced a fifth set, but Southern’s Abigail Marks started with a run of nine straight points and the Ladybirds were able to hold off the visitors late.
Martin 3, NECP 0
North East Carolina Prep fell to 4-5 in the Four Rivers 1A Conference and 4-8 overall after being swept by Martin County 25-10, 25-5, 25-4 in Williamston on Thursday in a conference match.
The Gators improved to 7-2 in league play and evened their overall record at 10-10.
Perquimans 3, Tarboro 0
Tarboro remained winless (0-10, 0-15) on the season after the Four Rivers 1A Conference-leading Pirates swept the Vikings 25-4, 25-11, 25-5 in a league match in Tarboro on Thursday.
Perquimans remained unbeaten in conference play at 9-0 and emerged 17-1 overall.
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