Photos by Ron Morris
Nov 092011
RJ Baker dives for extra yards in the first half of Friday's game. (Photo by Mark Sward at swardpics.com)
Independence played a solid game on offense and defence against one of the best teams in the state, but it wasn’t enough Friday as cross-town rival Butler retained the King of the Hill trophy, winning 38-26.
The Bulldogs finished the regular season 9-1 and first place in the Southwest 4A, while the Patriots dropped to 9-2 and third place in the conference. Ardrey Kell took second place in the conference.
In front of a nearly sold out home crowd, the Patriots would rally in the second half, pulling with four points on an R.J. Baker four yard touchdown run.
Butler would come right back on its only meaningful possession of the fourth quarter, driving 80 yards for the touchdown. Josh Glisson ran the ball nine times on the drive, busting into the end zone on a one-yard carry to give the Bulldogs a 38-26 lead.
Butler’s other touchdown of the second half was the result of an interception by Channing Stribling. The referees were unsure if the ball had hit the ground before Stribling snagged it, but after a discussion, awarded the Bulldogs a touchdown. Others saw it differently. Continue reading »
Sep 222011
Ardrey Kell Knights
2-2 (1-0, Southwestern 4A Conference)
at
Independence Patriots
5-0 (1-0, I-Meck Conf.)
Patriot Stadium in Mint Hill
Friday at 7pm
Independence’s ‘Season of Redemption’ continues this Friday as the Patriots host Ardrey Kell. It’s the Knights who will be seeking revenge in this contest as the Patriots spoiled Ardrey Kell’s homecoming game last season with a 51-30 beat-down.
This contest will be a test for Indy’s vaunted offense, as Ardrey Kell’s defense has been giving up an average of 22 points per game this season. That is well below the Patriots’ scoring average of 45 points per game.
Independence will need to game-plan plays away from the Knights’ defensive end Romeo Okwara. The senior is ranked at number 65 in the state recruiting class and has committed to Notre Dame next season.
The Patriots offensive line has been excellent all season, but Friday night’s test could be their biggest yet.
Also on Friday…
Butler Bulldogs
3-1 (1-0, Southwestern 4A Conference)
at
Rocky River Ravens
2-3 (0-1, I-Meck Conf.)
“The Rock” in Mint Hill
Friday at 7pm
Head Coach Brian Hales has Butler looking as dominating as last year’s version, if not more so. After dropping a heart-breaker on the road to the number one ranked team in the state, the Bulldogs seem to be taking it out on the remainder of their schedule. No one needs to be reminded that this team is still the two-time defending state 4AA champion.
Quarterback Riley Ferguson is ranked as the fourth best recruit in the state according to MaxPreps, and he’s only a junior.
Butler put 77 on the scoreboard last week against Myers Park, a team that had only been giving up 15 points per game in their previous four contests. It looks as if the entire Southwestern 4A Conference will be lining up for their annual Butler smack-down.
Next up on the list is Rocky River. The Ravens are definitely not the team they were last season. They are vastly improved on both sides of the ball, and have already notched two wins.
The game against Butler will be a good chance for the Ravens’ players to garner some needed experience against a local powerhouse.
One other thing for sure, as Butler will take the win in this game, the Ravens fans will still fill the stadium at “The Rock” and be extremely vocal for their team. Rocky River’s players are never short on support from their coaches, fans, and family.
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September 22, 2011
Butler High School, Independence High School, Rocky River High School, Sports No Responses »
Former Butler High School football star Mike Ingersoll will get his shot at making an NFL team. The Kansas City Chiefs inked a deal with Ingersoll yesterday in a flurry of signings around the NFL.
Ingersoll, who is from Mint Hill, finished his senior year at UNC last year. The 6 foot 5, 305 pound offensive lineman will suit up for the Chiefs when camp opens at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph at 3:30 pm Friday.
http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/article-2/KANSAS-CITY-SIGNS-10-ROOKIE-FREE-AGENTS/0dbb8baa-3890-4e07-b0b1-3844aa6fbf76
Cierra Burdick last year when she signed the letter of intent to play for Tennessee next season. She is standing next to her mother.
Butler High School’s Cierra Burdick was one of 15 finalists who were named to the 2011 USA Women’s U19 World Championship Team, USA Basketball announced last week. Finalists were selected by the USA Basketball Women’s Junior National Team Committee, chaired by Sue Donohoe, NCAA vice president for Division I women’s basketball.
“The fact that so many of these kids had played together for USA Basketball was a factor,” said Donohoe. “Certainly you like kids who have good experience, whether it’s USA Basketball experience or it’s experience playing together. It’s the same situation with any team that we select: what skill sets do those kids bring? How do you mold those skill sets together as one unit in order to win a gold medal.”
Trials were held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colo.
The USA U19 team finalists will reconvene on June 1 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., as part of the ESPN RISE Girls Showcase. The USA will train for four days before facing the Brazil U19 National Team on June 5 (12:30 p.m. EDT). The game will be televised on ESPNU and also shown online at ESPN3.com. Following the USA’s game against Brazil, the final 12-member team will be announced.
Garrett Guion from Butler High School was among three CMS students who were named National Merit Scholarship winners. Guion will attend New York University next year. The other CMS winners were Emily Auerbach from Myers Park and Tyler Kroeschell from Providence. Auerbach will attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Kroeschell will attend Auburn University. Continue reading »
Coach Mike Newsome
On Monday A.L. Brown High School in Kannapolis announced Butler’s Mike Newsome would be taking over as head coach of their football team.
“It was an extremely tough decision. My wife and I sat down and we discussed the pros and cons. In the end I think this is the best decision for me. The opportunity to move to a school with such a huge football tradition doesn’t come around very often.”
Newsome is leaving quite a legacy at Butler. The Bulldogs are the reigning two-time North Carolina 4AA state champions. They have a 31-game winning streak. Newsome has been their head coach for the past nine seasons. He has been a member of Butler’s coaching staff since the school opened in 1997. Newsome was named the national high school football coach of the year for the 2009 season.
When asked about his time at Butler, Newsome has strong feelings about the school.
“What we were able to accomplish was unbelievable. It was awesome to start-up a program. The whole experience helped me grow as a coach. I just hope the kids learned as much from me as I learned.”
Read more about Coach Newsome’s move in this Thursday’s edition of The Mint Hill Times.
It’s a bittersweet day for Butler’s Cierra Burdick. Last night, the Lady Bulldogs lost to Mallard Creek 50-45 in the state playoffs, snapping a 42-game win streak and ending the Lady Bulldog’s chance of winning back-to-back state titles. It’s one of the biggest upsets in Mecklenburg County high school basketball history.
Today, Burdick was named one of the four finalists for the McDonald’s All American National Player of the Year award. Others on the list are Ariel Massengale (Bolingbrook High School — Bolingbrook, Ill.), Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (Mater Dei High School — Santa Ana, Calif.) and Elizabeth Williams (Princess Anne High School — Virginia Beach, Va.).
Feb 232011
The Butler High School girls basketball team defeated Northwest Guilford 50-40 on Wednesday night in the second round of the North Carolina 4A state playoffs. Cierra Burdick led all scorers with 26 points. Mayhana Dunovant scored 11 for Butler, who now posts a 29-0 record for the season. The Butler ladies will play Dudley (Greensboro) Friday night at Butler High School. Dudley has a 25-1 record this season.
The Butler boys beat Parkland 90-62 in their playoff game on Wednesday. Marcus Burton scored 29 points for the Bulldogs, who are now 25-3 on the season. Junior Zach Ferguson scored 17, freshman Matthew Fisher-Davis hit for 12, and junior Jalen White scored 10 points for Butler. The Bulldogs will host Mt. Tabor (Winston-Salem) in the third round of the North Carolina 4A playoffs on Friday.
Feb 212011
The Independence Patriots girls’ basketball team lost 63-41 to Skyland Roberson of Asheville on Monday night. The game marked the first round of the North Carolina 4A playoffs.
Independence’s season ends with a 7-17 record, four wins more than last year’s squad.
Butler’s girls defeated Western Guilford 68-42 on Monday, giving the team a 28-0 record this season and a 40-game winning streak dating back to last season. The Bulldogs’ girls team will play Northwest Guilford on Wednesday in the second round of the 4A playoffs. Game time is 6:00 at Butler High School.
The Butler boys defeated Dudley (Greensboro) 73-65 Monday night. Jalen White led all scorers with 22 points. Dudley’s Panthers held Butler to zero field goals in the third quarter while erasing a double-digit deficit. With the game tied in the fourth quarter the Bulldogs relied on their speed and transition game to pull away for the win. Butler’s record for the season is now 24-3. The Bulldogs have won their last 17 games.
Butler’s boys play Parkland (Winston-Salem) Wednesday night in the 4A playoffs’ second round. Game time is 7:30 at Butler High School.
The Butler Lady Bulldogs won the 2011 SW4A Conference championship Friday night.
The Butler Bulldogs won both the boys’ and girls’ Southwestern 4A Conference Basketball Tournaments Friday night.
The girls defeated Myers Park 66-35. Cierra Burdick led the Bulldogs with 27 points. Junior Jaymee Fisher-Davis scored 17 and Senior Jadda Atkinson hit for 13. Even with the impressive win Burdick feels the team needs to improve for the post-season.
“We need to get stronger with the ball. We were bobbling the ball too much tonight. We played well on defense, but we gave up too many three’s. We’ve got to work on closing out possessions and watching the shooters better.”
The win makes the Butler girls’ record this season 27-0. They also have a 39-game winning streak dating back to last season.
The Butler boys’ beat South Meck 77-53 on Friday to take their second straight conference title. Senior Marcus Burton scored 27 points to lead all players. Senior Anthony Stitt had 13 points and junior Zach Ferguson added 11.
South Meck started out with a strong, physical game and took a three-point lead into the second quarter. The Bulldogs then used their quickness and full-court press to grab multiple steals which led to transition points. Butler outscored the Sabres 43-22 in the middle two quarters to break the game open.
“When you have senior guards like we have, you’re able to execute the plays you want,” says Butler Head Coach Kurt Wessler. “We made multiple defensive adjustments that turned the game. Our guards accomplished what we wanted to do, closing the trap, creating turnovers, and dictating which opponents will shoot the ball.”
The Butler boys dominated SM in the second half.
Wessler was also impressed with the performance of his young bench players.
“It’s unbelieveable. We were running ten guys tonight. Game after game, third and fourth quarters, we have been able to put it on people. That is a direct compliment to our bench.”
Both Butler’s girls’ and boys’ teams will begin the North Carolina state playoffs next week at home.
Feb 162011
Independence Coach Preston Davis chats with the referee.
The Independence Patriots boys’ basketball team lost 56-42 to South Meck in the first round of the Southwestern 4A Conference tournament Tuesday night. The Patriots played a gritty game, taking a four-point lead into the fourth quarter. But the Sabres’ size and quickness was too tough in the final period.
Brandon Davis led the Patriots with 13 points. Ivan Blair added nine points and eight rebounds. Independence’s season comes to an end with a 7-17 record. Head Coach Preston Davis is pleased with his players’ performance against a tough opponent.
“Overall our effort was there. Our execution started getting a little sloppy on offense. We just have some little things here and there to work on.”
The game marks the end of the careers for seniors Brandon Davis, Ramon Bing, and Christian Truesdale. Coach Davis knows these core leaders will be missed next season.
“Brandon has been a leader on and off the court. He has a great attitude, he works hard, and he is a good student. He’s the type of kid that we want to model the rest of our players after. I think he’s done a great job in helping other guys develop the same habits.”
“Because of this senior class our team has continued the growth process. I think now it’s up to the younger guys to remember how hard these seniors worked, and to push forward and add onto it next year.”
Two years ago the Patriots recorded two wins. Last year they won four games. Independence’s seven wins this season shows that the program is still moving in the right direction.
The Rocky River boys’ basketball team ended their season on Tuesday night with a 75-46 loss to Myers Park in the first round of the Southwestern 4A Conference tournament. Dequann Simpson led the Ravens with 11 points.
Rocky River ends their season with a 13-11 mark, impressive in that they played the entire year with no seniors. The Ravens will certainly be a conference contender the next few seasons.
Butler defeated Providence 75-50 on Tuesday to advance to the semi-finals of the Southwestern 4A Conference tournament.
Boys’ Southwestern 4A Conference Tournament Semi-Finals, Thursday at Rocky River High School
South Meck vs. Myers Park (6:00)
Ardrey Kell vs. Butler (7:30)
February 16, 2011
Butler High School, Independence High School, Rocky River High School, Sports 5 Responses »
The Butler Boys’ basketball team beat Independence 77-71 last Friday night. The win gave Butler a perfect 14-0 record in the Southwestern 4A Conference.
The Bulldogs’ Marcus Burton led all scorers with 25 points. Zach Ferguson scored 16 and Anthony Stitt added 14.
The Patriots came out of halftime with a strong second half, but it wasn’t enough. Brandon Davis led Indy with 21 points. Ivan Blair hit for 14 points and Christian Truesdale scored 12.
The Butler girls capped a memorable regular season with a 70-31 win over Independence last Friday. The win gave the Bulldogs a perfect 14-0 record in the Southwestern 4A Conference and a 24-0 record for the regular season.
Independence has made vast improvements to their team, more than doubling their win total from last season. As most of the Patriot players are underclassmen, look for Indy to improve yet again next year.
