Varsity Baseball

A few of our spring varsity teams had games in the NCISAA tournament this week. We are very proud of their efforts and work! Here are their updates: 

GIRLS SOCCER v. HICKORY GROVE CHRISTIAN

The girls soccer team took the long haul to Charlotte to play Hickory Grove Christian school in the first round of the playoffs. It was a rough match-up for the Warriors but they hung tough with the opponent and played hard. Putting two shots in the back of the net wasn't enough to keep up with Hickory Grove and they took a 2-8 loss. Eliza Everett and Julia painter scored the teams goals. "The team gave great effort but it just wasn't quite enough", said coach Cornejo.  

BOYS LACROSSE v. ASHEVILLE SCHOOL

The boys lacrosse team along with the varsity girls had a long 4 hour trip to Asheville to start the playoffs. "Hopes were high to bring home a victory as everyone felt we had a chance to win. As usual though, the teams that have given us the hardest time has been those with big, fast and athletic midfielders, and the Blues from Asheville were no exception" said coach Doug Hink. The face-off hero all season, Davis Wall would win the draw, but they were out manned on the wings causing the team to lose many possessions.  Asheville played hardball controlling offense and were very efficient with their passes and shots taking a commanding 1st half lead of 10-5. "During half time, we felt pretty down, but as we analyzed things, and we found that we scored on 5 of 7 shots! Unfortunately, we only control 4 minutes of the 24 during the half. We discussed 2nd half strategies which included: intensity, aggressiveness, teamwork and have a no quit attitude", added Hink. While the team still came up short, they scored 4 more goals to their 3 to finish 13-9.  Freshman goalie Jack Burke had a tough 1st half, but shut down many really good shooters in the 2nd. The Blues offense wore the Warriors down, but the long poles of (captains Clay Matthews and Henry Koon), Hart Miles, and freshman sensation Walker Tattersail played great and turn the tide in the 2nd half. Scoring for the Warrior's were; senior middies Nolan Homeister (2 goals), Redmond Smith (1 goal), Harper Pennington (1 goal). Defensive long pole Clay Matthew outdid himself again scoring his 2nd goal in as many games from inside the midfield line. Freshman attackmen Ben Brewer scored 2 goals followed by Cooper Berkoff's (1goal and 3 assists) and Owen Thompson's (1goal). Head coach Hink has some final thoughts to add. "To conclude the season, this 4-2 team will be remembered as the team that never quit, had a great deal of pride, and always conducted themselves as champions. What a privilege it has been to lead them this season. We'll done 2022 Warrior's varsity lacrosse team." 

GIRLS LACROSSE v. ASHEVILLE SCHOOL

After a long trip out to Asheville with the boys lacrosse team the girls came up against a tough team in their opponent. It was a really hot afternoon on their big turf field and the girls appeared to start with some post-season jitters. They settled down quickly and made some great plays throughout the game that just proved to not be enough against the Blues. Anisa Barutis had a great day in cage making 7 saves. Greyson Woody caused 5 turnovers and put in an amazing effort across the field. "A great effort by all and a fun trip to round out our awesome season. We will miss our seniors dearly", said head coach Christie Dougherty

BASEBALL v. CONCORD FIRST ASSEMBLY ACADEMY

After traveling to Concord Academy at their field in second round of playoffs the boys baseball team lost to a skilled opponent 0-11. Layton Bilderback thru four innings and Preston Cheek finished it out the final two innings. Davis Crowder added an exciting hit. "The seniors Luke Fuller, Jesse Martin and Luke Nelson will be missed. It was a tough loss and we fought really hard. I look forward to those guys doing big things in the future," said coach Lebeda. 

TENNIS v. COASTAL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (written by Craig Sanguilly '25)

The Warriors got outmatched in the second playoff game of the season against Coastal Christian. With Alex Barroso being absent, and the match being a long way away from home, it was an uphill battle. It started with doubles, 1 and 2 doubles lost, but 3 doubles with David Simpson and Owen Urban pulled through and won in exciting fashion. Considering it was very windy, the singles matches were even more of a challenge. Singles 1 through 5 lost, but Urban was able to pull out another win. I"t was a hard loss for the Warriors on a season ending game." Coach said, "I loved coaching these boys and seeing them improve every time we played. It was great fun, and they should feel proud of themselves." 

The varsity baseball team was eager to get the NCISAA playoffs started at home hosting Grace Christian on Tuesday, May 10th. "It was a great way to start the playoffs with a win at home against Grace Christian. We came ready to play today," said head coach Joe Lebeda. Davis Crowder threw a complete game allowing one run on three hits. Crowder seemed to have command of all the pitches he threw kicking it into the next gear for post-season. "All his hard work is paying off on mound and at the plate" added Lebeda. Layton Bilderback added 2 hits. Crowder had a hit with 1 RBI and Grey McMahon notched a hit with 2 RBIs. The team will play in the second round on Thursday, May 12th as they travel to Concord Academy in Charlotte. 

Boys varsity baseball team took on Trinity in a mid-week match-up on the heels of a successful senior night. The team stayed patient and confident throughout the game and though it was low-scoring, they came up with another important victory. In eight innings against Trinity Academy the team won 3-2. Davis Crowder led the team with three hits. Layton Bilderback threw four innings giving up two runs. Bilderback also struck out 11 batters. Preston Cheek came in and finished the last four innings without giving up a run. "It was a terrific way to finish up the regular season", said head coach Lebeda. "What a great game. I'm so proud of them!" The Warriors will hit the field again next week as they start post-season play. 

Many varsity teams, after a rain delay or two, played games on Tuesday, May 3rd. These are their updates: 

Boys Lacrosse v. Cape Fear Academy

Varsity boys lacrosse traveled to Cape Fear and took on a mature and skilled opponent in the Hurricanes who scored at will in the first 2 quarters of the game. Closing out the first half with a 13-1 lead Cape Fear kept the pressure on the Warriors who made every attempt to adjust to their offense but couldn’t keep up with the needed coverage. Many of their shots on goal were from close range – goalie Jack Burke hung in there making good stops but the onslaught continued. Offensive scoring for the Warriors came from freshman attackman Cooper Berkoff (2 goals 2 assists), Harper Pennington (2 goals 1 assist) and senior midfielder Nolan Homeister (1 goal). Reflecting on the team head coach Doug Hink said, “in evaluating our progress this season, the thing I look for is how our team reacts to the stresses of play. Can we learn from it? How do we turn it into a positive? When we do good things, how can we make it happen more often? I've see how we've grown together, how we stick up for one another. We could have quit today, but we tried our best and they just got the better. We’ll move on and be better for Thursday's game on our field at 4pm against Arendell Parrott and we'll try to sweep our series with them.” Their game on May 5^th is senior night so please come out to support our Warriors.  

Baseball v. Grace Christian

After a short delay the boys baseball team continued playing, starting putting runs on the board and didn’t look back. On their senior night they notched a 13-2 against Grace Christian. “It was a great day for baseball and our seniors did not disappoint with a win in their final home game”, said head coach Joe Lebeda.  Davis Crowder thru four innings giving up two runs. Preston Cheek came in a finished it out with a scoreless inning. Leading hitter for the game was Layton Bilderback who had three hits. Both Davis Crowder and Grey McMahon both had two hits. Davis Crowder also had team high of 5 RBIs.  The team will finish their regular season with a game against Trinity  Academy this Thursday May 5^th.

Girls Lacrosse v. Durham Academy

After a rain delay and patiently waiting to take the field after the completion of other games before theirs the girls lacrosse team played Durham Academy on their senior night! The team got to honor our 8 seniors with their families and classmates. The seniors on the team are; Elizabeth Wiley, Margaret Batchelder, Elizabeth Holderness, Ardyn Smith, Samantha Leshnock, Anne Slater Barnes, Anisa Barutis, and Ella Bilderback. Head coach Christia Dougherty said that she was “so proud of the tenacity the team showed despite playing a tough opponent in the Cavaliers. The team had goals by Barnes, Ella Carolyn and Grace Viera. Barnes also had 3 draws and 3 caused turnovers. Bilderback had 3 draws and a caused and important turnover. Youngster Kacky Chapman had two draw controls. In the gold Barutis and Leshnock split time defending a barrage of shots. Lechnock had 11 saves!

Soccer v. Grace Christian

Warriors girls soccer team played Grace Christian on a stormy afternoon that caused some delays on the fields. Once they took the field the team did well to control the ball early in the game but couldn’t quite keep up with their own pace as they only had one sub. Their 0-4 loss was still a great night because they were able to honor their three seniors;  Holden McLennan, Ingrid Moraes and Eirena Klemes. “They have been a very positive influence on the group and I was happy to be able to coach them”, said head coach Jose Cornejo. 

Some of the varsity teams played in early-week games this week despite stormy weather on Tuesday. Here are their updates: 

Varsity Girls Soccer v. Cary Christian 

The girls soccer team squeezed in a game against Cary Christian traveling there doubtful of play because of a weather system coming through that caused a lot of rain. The wetness didn't keep the team from competing though and they played a much better second half after looking a little sluggish in the first. The effort made for some great stops of the opponent in the second half and some exciting scoring opportunities that just didn't get capitalized on. The team lost 0-4 but Coach Cornejo was "proud of the team for never giving up." The play again on Thursday, April 28th at home against Arendell Parrott at 5:30pm. Come support them if you can! 

Varsity Girls Lacrosse v. Fayetteville Academy 

The girls lacrosse team took the short ride to Ravenscroft to play Fayetteville Academy. The game was a battle right from the get-go and the team fought the whole time. They were tied back and forth for the second half but the opponent pulled out two goals in the end to defeat the Warriors 18-20. "We had a ton of shots in the last two minutes but their goalie came up big time and saved them", said head coach Christie Dougherty. Carolyn Ames had 7 goals, 4 draws and 5 caused turnovers while Anne Slater Barnes had 5 goals, two assists and three draw controls. "They are a tough team but our girls worked for every ball and never gave up!" coach Christie added. The team takes a long haul to Cape Fear Academy Thursday, April 28th. 

Varsity Baseball v. Cary Christian

The boys baseball team traveled to Cary Christian on Monday, April 25th on what turned out to be a beautiful day for baseball. The team was eager to hit the field after a long break of games due to spring break and weather post-ponements. The team fell 3-7 but had impressive moments of play. Davis Crowder threw a strong 5 2/3 innings on the mound. Preston Cheek and Crowder each had two hits and an RBI each. The head coach was "proud of his team. We are improving every game and I am looking forward to us finishing up strong', he said.