Sports – Moore County Edition

Feb

28

2024

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Azir Gillespie

Sports

Pinecrest, boys’ basketball Azir Gillespie is a senior guard for the Pinecrest boys’ basketball team. The Patriots enter the playoffs at 13-10, 7-7 in the Sandhills Conference. They earned the 22-seed in the 4A playoffs. Gillespie has been the third-leading scorer on Pinecrest this season, but he’s stepped up his production as the playoffs loomed. He’s had several double-figure scoring games over the last month, including a 20-point outburst in a win over Scotland in the conference tournament. He added 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals in the victory.

Feb

28

2024

By North State Journal Staff

Four teams from county advance to playoffs

SportsMoore County sports

The regular season and conference tournaments are over, meaning the one-and-done playoff season has begun for North Carolina high schools. Two of Moore County’s three boys’ teams, and two of the three girls’ teams will be in action this week after receiving bids from the NCHSAA. Each school in the county has at least one team representing it as teams around North Carolina begin vying for the state title. Here’s a team by team look at the county boys’ and girls’ teams. Boys North Moore saw its season end with a 80-35 loss to Northwood in the Mid-Carolina Conference Tournament…

Feb

21

2024

By Moore County Staff

Union Pines wins state title in wrestling

Sportsmoore county wrestling

A week after finishing second in the state dual team wrestling championships, Union Pines brought home the state title in the individual wrestling tournament. The Vikings were dominant as they won the first wrestling title in school history. Union Pines racked up 144.5 points to post a dominant victory in the NCHSAA 3A championships, beating second-place Eastern Guilford by a 44.5-point margin. The Vikings had two wrestlers win state titles in their respective weight classes and had a total of eight team members place in states. Junior Brock Sullivan won the state title for Union Pines in the 175-pound division.…

Feb

15

2024

By North State Journal Staff

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Christian Hackett

Sportsathlete of the week

Union Pines, track & field Christian Hackett is a senior for the Union Pines track & field team. The Vikings finished fifth in the boys’ indoor track state championships last week, and Hackett led the way in field events. His high jump of 6 feet, 8.0 inches was good for the state title, four inches higher than the next closest competitor. He also finished ninth in the triple jump with a leap of 40 feet, 5.5 inches. Hackett is a three-sport athlete who is also a forward on the boys’ basketball team and has played safety and wide receiver for…

Feb

15

2024

By Lauren Rose

Pinecrest, Union Pines compete at states in swimming, track

SportsMoore County sports, prep sports

Girls’ basketball The Pinecrest girls’ basketball team lost both games last week, falling, 61-46, at Lee County and 57-53 against Scotland. Ava Depenbrock led the way with 14 points and 17 rebounds against Scotland. Zanodiya McNair had 22 points against Lee and 10 against Scotland. The Patriots are 6-14, 4-6 in the Sandhills, good for fifth place with two games left. Union Pines went 1-1 last week, losing at Richmond, 72-37, and winning at Hoke County, 44-36. Junior Taryn Pekala had a 19-point game at Hoke. The Vikings are now 11-10 and in third in the Sandhills at 5-5. North…

Feb

07

2024

By Randolph Record

Union Pines wrestling keeps knocking at the door

Sportsunion pines wrestling

For the third straight season, the Union Pines Vikings earned a spot in the state championship match. For the third straight year, however, the season came to a bittersweet end as the Vikings watched another team celebrate a state title Union Pines took runner up in the NCHSAA 3A Dual-team championships, falling to Eastern Guilford, 36-21. It was the first state title for Eastern Guilford wrestling, and it left the Vikings still seeking to break through with a state title. The Union Pines wrestlers also finished second in the state in 2022 and 2021, losing to Fred T. Foard both…

Jan

31

2024

By North State Journal Staff

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: BROCK SULLIVAN

Sportsathlete of the week

Brock Sullivan is a junior for the Union Pines wrestling team. Sullivan rose to the top spot in the state 3A rankings at 175 pounds, and won the championships in the Sandhills Conference meet, as well as the PJ Smith Memorial, Bob Mauldin Classic, Union Pines Round Robin, Tiger Holiday Classic, Cold Turkey Invitational and Viking Invitational. As the postseason opens, he appears ready to add to his impressive accomplishments. Union Pines, the top seed in the 3A East region, swept through the first two rounds of the state Dual-Team playoffs, beating No. 16 South Johnston, 51-24, and No. 8…

Jan

24

2024

By North State Journal Staff

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Calissa Clendenin

Sportsathlete of the week

Calissa Clendenin is a junior center/forward for the North Moore girls’ basketball team. The Mustangs dropped both games this week, against Chatham Central and Northwood. Clendenin did her part to keep North Moore in the game, however. Against Chatham Central, she hit 5-of-7 shots, including a pair of three-pointers in three attempts, for a team-high 12 points. She also led the way on the Mustangs with 13 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 blocks. For the season, Clendenin leads North Moore in rebounding, shooting, assists and blocks and is second in scoring.

Jan

24

2024

By North State Journal Staff

5 members join Sandhills Community College Sports Hall of Fame

SportsSandhills Community College Sports Hall of Fame

Sandhills Community College held its induction for the school’s Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday. The group was celebrated at a morning banquet and inducted at halftime of Sandhills’ basketball game against Mountain Gateway Community College. The Flyers won, 135-100, for their fifth straight win, improving to 14-7 on the year. Five new members joined the school’s hall: Emmett “Shelton” Raynor: A Clinton native, Raynor played for the SCC baseball team in the 1970s. He continued to play semi-pro baseball until age 62. He also contributed to the region by founding the Optimist Club of the Sandhills and the Sandhills…

Jan

18

2024

By Lauren Rose

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Elijah Melton

Sportsathlete of the week

Elijah Melton is a junior forward for the Pinecrest boys’ basketball team. Melton, who also starred for the Patriots’ football team in the fall, came up big in Pinecrest’s 62-58 win over Lee County last week. Melton hit 6-of-12 from the field for 13 points, with 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Melton leads Pinecrest in scoring (13.3 ppg), shooting (63%), rebounding (5.2 rpg) and blocks. He ranks third in the Sandhills conference in double-doubles.