The last two weeks have been tough for the Mount Pleasant softball team, which – led by third-year head coach Craig Carter – has been one of the strongest programs in the county all season.
Entering their April 3 non-conference home game against one of the state’s best Class 2A teams, Southwestern Randolph, the Tigers were 9-4 overall and – most important – undefeated in the Yadkin Valley 1A/2A Conference with a record of 6-0.
The latter mark provided hope that the Tigers would have a good shot at winning their first outright league championship in more than 15 years.
However, Southwestern Randolph, which is sixth in MaxPreps’ Class 2A West rankings, defeated Mount Pleasant 5-2, ending the Tigers’ five-game winning streak and ultimately sending them on a skid that has seen them lose four of their last five games.
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In addition to falling in the non-conference game, the Tigers dropped back-to-back games to YVC foe Union Academy and then split a pair of outings with North Stanly to end league play.
Going into a regular-season-ending non-conference game at Cox Mill on Wednesday, the Tigers were 10-8 overall and 7-3 in the YVC, where they are tied with North Stanly for second place.
A Mount Pleasant baserunner scores as her teammates look on.
But the Tigers have proven to be strong in the postseason.
Look at the previous two postseasons under Carter: In his first year on the bench, 2023, the Tigers tied what is believed to be school record with 16 wins and reached the third round of the Class 2A playoffs.
Last season, Mount Pleasant advanced to the second round of the state tournament before losing to state quarterfinalist Maiden.
Even before Carter came back to Mount Pleasant for his second tenure – he was also coach from 2007-10 before taking over at West Stanly and winning two state titles – the Tigers had been successful in the postseason, again winning 16 games and reaching the third round of the state playoffs in 2022.
No matter what has transpired over the past few weeks, I believe the Tigers’ time of year is coming up.
GIRLS SOCCER
Ragin’ Bulls hit a speed bump
The Hickory Ridge girls soccer team finally stubbed its toe.
But no need to get nervous that the Ragin’ Bulls’ dream season has come crashing down – this latest result is no more than a flesh wound.
Hickory Ridge actually is still undefeated, even though the Bulls and Mooresville played to 0-0 tie that required two overtimes in a highly anticipated Greater Metro 4 tilt on April 17.
The Blue Devils halted a 15-game winning streak for the Bulls, who are now 15-0-1 overall and 7-01 in the conference. But Hickory Ridge is still in first place in the league standings – second-place Mooresville lost to the Bulls in the teams’ first meeting back in March. And the Bulls maintains their national ranking, now sitting at No. 16, according to MaxPreps.com.
Mooresville is 9-3-2 overall and 6-1-1 in the GMC.
Hickory Ridge was scheduled to play host to South Iredell on Tuesday in the Bulls first game since “suffering” the tie.
TRACK AND FIELD
Jay M. Robinson’s Tucker tandem still shining
Indoor or outdoor, it doesn’t matter for Cameron Tucker and Coryn Tucker – it’s turning out to be another banner season for the Jay M. Robinson track and field stars.
Cameron Tucker, who won the Class 3A indoor state title in the boys 55-meter dash this past winter, currently also is one of the best outdoor track sprinters in the state. According to athletic.net, Cameron Tucker is ranked second in the 400-meter dash (48.02 seconds). He also is eighth in the 200 (21.67).
The athletic.net rankings includes all classifications – private as well as the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s Class 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A.
Cameron Tucker’s No. 2 ranking in the 400 is the highest among Cabarrus County boys track and field athletes. Over the winter, he also finished third at the state indoor meet in the 300-meter dash.
Coryn Tucker is acquitting herself well this spring, too.
Ranking the highest among Cabarrus girls track and field athletes, Coryn Tucker currently is third in the state in the 100 meters (11.72). She is also fourth in the 400 (56.19) and eighth in the 200 (24.42).
During indoor track season, Coryn Tucker was fifth at the state meet in the girls 55-meter dash (7.13) and seventh in the 300-meter dash, 40.94.
According to athletic.net, Coryn Tucker holds the Jay M. Robinson school records in three events – the 100, 200 and 400. Meanwhile, Cameron Tucker has the school records in the 200 and 400, and he is third in the 100.
Here’s a rundown of other Cabarrus track and field athletes who rank among the top 10 in the state’s outdoor rankings, starting with the boys:
- A.L. Brown’s Ke’Shaun Kellam is tied for third in the boys high jump (6-8)
- Hickory Ridge’s Colt Simpson is fourth in the boys discus (171-4)
- Northwest Cabarrus’s Julian William is sixth in the boys triple jump (46-3)
- Hickory Ridge’s Chase McCullough is seventh in the boys discus (169-1)
- Cox Mill’s Grant Inman is eighth in the boys 400 hurdles (56.93)
- The Northwest Cabarrus quartet of Messiah Davis, Derron Horton, Aiden Isbell and Jaden Tolliver is eighth in the boys 800-meter sprint medley (1:38.33)
- West Cabarrus’s Johnta Harrison is 10th in the boys discus (164-4)
- Cannon is third in the 1,600-meter girls sprint medley relay (4:24.98)
- Cannon’s Elise Wrenholt is sixth in the girls 1,600 meters (5:04.37)
- Central Cabarrus’s Nadira Estrada-Hill is eighth in the girls triple jump (38-6)
- Northwest Cabarrus’s Mariah Logan is tied for 10th in the girls long jump (17-11)
