Sports – Moore County Edition

Jan

24

2024

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.

Jan

18

2024

By Randolph Record

New leader in boys power rankings as Union Pines falls

SportsMoore County sports

Boys’ basketball The Pinecrest boys snapped a two-game losing streak with a 62-58 win over Lee County. The win earned the Patriots their first conference win of the season and was enough to move Pinecrest past a slumping Union Pines in the Moore County rankings. Jaden Saunders had 15 points and Elijah Melton 13. Azir Gillespie had four steals. Pinecrest is now 7-4, 1-2 in the Sandhills. The Union Pines boys lost their second straight game and fourth in the last five outings. Richmond blew the Vikings out on their home floor, 75-47. Jaylen Kyle got a double-double for Union…

Jan

11

2024

By North State Journal Staff

Union Pines still atop rankings as local teams struggle to start new year

SportsMoore County sports

Boys’ basketball The Union Pines boys have hit a slump. The Vikings lost two of three in holiday tournament action, then dropped their first game of the new year, 58-52, at Scotland. A 68-32 win over Western Harnett to close December broke up the three losses. In the two days prior, Union Pines fell to Overhills and Triton. Jaylen Kyle and Trent Hilburn tied for top scoring honors in two of the three holiday games, while Kingsley Donaldson led the way in the third. Union Pines is now 9-4, 1-1 on the year. The Pinecrest boys dropped their first game…

Dec

20

2023

By Randolph Record

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Jaylen Kyle

Sportsathlete of the week

Jaylen Kyle is a junior guard for the Union Pines basketball team. The Vikings won their conference opener last week at Lee County, beating the Yellow Jackets 79-71. Kyle was the game’s leading scorer, hitting 10 of 13 shots from the field for 23 points. He added a team-high 9 rebounds, 5 of them on the offensive boards. He also led Union Pines with 6 steals and threw in a blocked shot and a pair of assists. For the season, Kyle leads the Vikings in shooting percentage, is second in scoring and third in blocks and steals. ‌

Dec

14

2023

By Shawn Krest

North Moore girls top the power rankings

Sportsgirls' basketball, North Moore

Union Pines sees streak snapped The Union Pines girls team saw its four-game winning streak come to an end last week. After winning at Douglas Byrd, 65-30 and beating Gray’s Creek in overtime, 48-45, the Vikings came back from South Johnston with a 48-31 defeat and a 4-4 record on the year. Sophomore Savannah McCaskill had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds against Byrd. Junior Taryn Pekala (13 points) and junior Sashay Thompson (10) were also in double figures. McCaskill, senior Natalie Auman and Pekala all had at least four steals in the game, led by Pekala’s 6.…

Dec

13

2023

By North State Journal Staff

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Colby Pennington

Sportsathlete of the week

Colby Pennington is a junior for the North Moore basketball team … among other things. Pennington just finished a football season that saw him earn first-team All-Conference honors after finishing as the leading receiver and second leading scorer for the Mustangs. He’s stepped things up on the hardwood, leading North Moore in scoring and rebounding so far this season. Last week, he was top scorer in all three of the Mustangs’ games. He scored 21 against Grey Stone Day, 16 of the team’s 30 points in a loss to Northwood and 30 points, including 4-of-6 from three, against South Stanly.…

Dec

07

2023

By Randolph Record

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Justin Travers

Sportsathlete of the week

Justin Travers is a senior in the 132 lb. weight class for the Pinecrest Patriots wrestling team. Justin posted a big win during Pinecrest’s senior night win over Fuquay Varina last week. He recorded a win by pinfall during his match. (He’s shown with his family during senior night ceremonies in the photo above.) It was part of a hot streak on the mat for Travers who recorded three wins, two by fall and one by decision, during the Mason Wagner Memorial Duals over the weekend. He also recorded four wins, all by fall, at the Pirate Round Robin in…

Nov

29

2023

By Randolph Record

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Zanodiya McNair

Sports

Zanodiya McNair is a junior guard for the Pinecrest Patriots girls basketball team. McNair was the game’s top scorer in the Patriots’ 55-43 loss to Jack Britt last week, pouring in 19 points in 20 minutes. She hit 8-of-14 shots from two-point range and added a game-high 5 steals. She was also the leading scorer for Pinecrest in the season opener, with 9 points, adding 5 rebounds in that game. ‌