The South Mecklenburg Sabres: 2013 Class 4A state baseball champions

“I just froze,” Tuscan said. “After the final out, my assistant coaches kind of made fun of me. I reached over and picked up my clipboard and just started to stand up really slow. I was beside myself, but I guess it all hadn’t sunk in
yet.”

It was understandable to see why all the Sabres had accomplished this season was slow to sink into their resilient coach’s mind. They began the season with just a 2-4 record but rebounded to win a share of the Southwestern 4A conference title for the first time since 2004.

After defeating Fuquay-Varina by scores of 2-1 in Game 2 and 7-4 in Game 3, South Meck (27-8) won its first state championship since 1989 and, Tuscan said, became only the sixth team since 1950 to lose the first game and rebound to take the best-of-three series.

But that’s what this South Meck team will be remembered for most: overcoming adversity. Tuscan was diagnosed with testicular cancer earlier in the season, and he still receives weekly chemotherapy treatments. But his team rallied around him and each other.

When they lost Game 1 – a 3-2 decision that resulted from a misplayed fly ball – there was a calm Tuscan said he could sense about his team.

“As coaches, we knew it was going to be a tough thing to do, to take two games on (the next day),” Tuscan said. “But a couple of the guys started saying, ‘Hey, we’re 5-0 in elimination games in the playoffs so far, so what’s two more?’”

It also helped that the Sabres witnessed Union County’s Piedmont High win the Class 2A state title before South Meck took the field.

“Our kids saw that dog pile (celebration),” Tuscan said. “I heard some of them saying, ‘Oh, man that looks like fun. We’re going to do that today.’”

Although the players were confident, the Sabres mustered just six hits in Game 2, and the game was scoreless until the sixth inning, when the Bengals touched Sabres starting pitcher Earl Oliver for a run, the only one he allowed during a seven-inning, complete-game, five-hit gem.

The Sabres entered the seventh and final inning down, 1-0. After Oliver singled, Max Bazin, the Game 1 starting pitcher, also singled, advancing pinch runner Christian Umphlett to third base and allowing Bazin to take second on the throw.

From there, the stage was set.

“We’ve talked all year about the aggressive club we have,” Tuscan said. “We knew if we got into a situation where we needed to be aggressive, we may be nervous but we had to execute.”

And that’s what the Sabres did, but in remarkably dramatic fashion.

McKay Wrenn got the comeback started by laying down a well-executed squeeze bunt that scored Umphlett. The next batter, Alex Wilson, got two strikes on him before he pulled off the improbable: another perfectly executed squeeze that scored Bazin and put the Sabres in the third and deciding game of the series.

“I told Alex, ‘You won us the state championship by getting that bunt down,’” Tuscan said. “With two strikes on him, he displayed so much heart and got us to play another day.”

Game 3 started with more adversity, as the Sabres fell in a 4-0 hole after starter Austin Wynn allowed a run in the first inning and three more in the second inning.

“After we got down 4-0, you could feel this calm in the dugout,” Tuscan said. “The confidence was there. It wasn’t overconfidence, where we were too pumped to execute. It was just a calm – and we’ve had it with us all year. We knew what we needed to do. And looking at (the players), I think I knew we were going to take it.”

With their sense of calm, the Sabres rallied the way they had all season, tying the score at 4 in the second inning. Bazin’s RBI single in the third inning gave the Sabres the lead. And after Luke Miller added two insurance runs in the fourth, the Sabres were up, 7-4, a lead they weren’t going to relinquish.

Michael Smith went 4-for-7 with two RBIs in the series for the Sabres. Yett had a three-hit game, and Smith and Brooks Kennedy each had two hits in the final game. Wynn (6-2), Bazin (10-2) and Oliver (10-3) all pitched complete games for the Sabres, limiting the Bengals to just four earned runs along the way.

When the dust finally settled, the Sabres got their dog pile they’d talked about earlier in the day and gave Tuscan and the South Meck faithful a championship they’d been waiting on for more than two decades.

“That’ s a special group of guys we have, and what we did is remarkable,” Tuscan said. “It still hasn’t sunk in yet, I guess, but it’s a great feeling and an incredible accomplishment.”

The South Mecklenburg baseball team has reached new heights this season with help from (from left) Logan Koch, Max Bazin, coach Jon Tuscan, Earl Oliver and Brooks Kennedy.

The Sabres went 16-10 in Tuscan’s first season. They matched that record in each of the next two seasons and finished in either third or fourth place in the Southwestern 4A conference standings each year.

Since 2007, either Providence or Ardrey Kell held the league’s top spot, and neither seemed ready to relinquish its role. But all that changed this spring.

With a new-found focus, the Sabres (25-7) shared the regular-season conference championship with Ardrey Kell and have stormed through the Class 4A playoffs all the way to this weekend’s championship series in Zebulon, where they’ll face Fuquay-Varinia (26-4) for a chance to win their first state title since 1989.

Sabres catcher and University of South Carolina signee Logan Koch said the turnaround started this season when he and his senior teammates, including pitcher/first baseman Earl Oliver, set out to change their status as a middle-of-the-pack team.

“For me and Earl, as long as we’ve been here, (other teams) have been getting their (success),” Koch said. “We’ve always been that No. 3 or No. 4 team, and we watched as everyone got theirs. We knew now it was our turn.”

So they set out to boost the expectations surrounding Sabres baseball.

This season, however, began a little bumpy, as the Sabres started just 2-4, dropping games to Ardrey Kell, Marvin Ridge (twice) and defending Class 3A champion Weddington.

But Tuscan said the Sabres never panicked.

“I don’t like to say it, but those were productive losses,” Tuscan said. “Honestly, we weren’t good, and we saw what could happen when you try to do too much at the plate. In the grand scheme of things, those losses helped us, because they showed us what happens when you don’t play as a team.”

With lessons learned from the early-season losses, the Sabres became even more united. The wins soon followed, as they rattled off 12 wins in their next 13 games.

“We have a term we use as a team,” said junior second baseman and University of North Carolina signee Brooks Kennedy. “We say, ‘Let’s get ours.’ We go out as a team and we all have the same goal. It doesn’t matter who does the job, that’s how we continue to win because we want it as much for each one of our teammates as we do for ourselves.”

The shared conference title was the Sabres’ first since 2004, and entering this weekend’s championship series, they have gone 11-1 in their previous 12 games. Their only setback was a 6-4 loss to Asheville T.C. Roberson in Game 2 of the Western Regional finals last week.

Now, they’re enjoying the fact that they’re two wins from a state championship.

“They’re rolling with it,” Tuscan said. “The biggest thing I’ve been telling them is to enjoy it because not too many kids get to experience what they’re going through. That’s what makes it really special.

“They’re not getting too rattled in big situations, and they’re keeping positive and just playing their games.”

After taking a one-game lead in the best-of-three series against Roberson, that calmness was on display. The Sabres fell behind, 6-0, in Game 2 but fought back. And although their 10-game win streak was snapped, Tuscan was encouraged.

“Even though we lost, again, it seemed like a productive loss,” he said. “In the dugout, we weren’t down, we weren’t discouraged and we were able to come back.”

They showed that same mentality the next night in Game 3, with the loser heading home for the summer. Roberson jumped out to a 4-1 lead, but the undeterred Sabres scored three times in the fifth inning and added two more runs in the sixth to walk away with a West regional title.

While the Sabres have a star-studded lineup featuring Koch, Kennedy, N.C. State recruit Harris Yett and Oliver (9-3 on the mound), Tuscan’s team doesn’t rely on its stars to produce every game.

“That’s what’s been so big for us,” Tuscan said. “As a coach, you always try to preach the team thing, but our (No.) 1 through (No.) 4 hitters don’t need to carry the load for us. We’re going to get production from everyone … in our lineup.”

And judging from the season’s box scores, Tuscan’s correct. Michael Smith has been tremendous defensively at third base. Sophomore Max Bazin is 11-1 on the mound and provides a solid bat in the lineup. Senior McKay Wrenn has been productive all year and had a big hit against Roberson. Luke Miller has a pair of home runs to his credit, and Austin Wynn owns a 5-2 record as the Sabres’ No. 3 pitcher.

“I feel like we have lots of depth, and (in batting spots) one to nine, we have the best lineup in the state,” Oliver said. “As a pitcher, it’s hard going through a lineup knowing that everyone (you face) can hit. When I’m pitching, it’s like I know if we get down 1-0 or 3-0 or whatever, I know these guys are going to come back.”

Koch said one of the biggest keys has been Bazin, who has solidified the rotation and come up with timely hits all season. As a sophomore, Bazin will start a state championship game on the mound and, even with all the college-bound recruits and veteran leaders this team fields, Koch said he might be the key.

“Earl and I were talking yesterday, and the one guy who has stepped up the most is Max,” Koch said. “Me, Earl and Brooks have had good years, but we’re just meeting expectations for what we should be doing. To have Max come out here and go 11-1 on the mound as a sophomore is what’s got us where we are right now.”

Bazin said he’s happy to be a part of the success, but he credits the potent lineup with helping the pitching staff produce as well as it has.

“It’s been amazing,” Bazin said. “I didn’t know what to expect (this season), but to be able to do what I’ve been fortunate to do and be a part of this is awesome.”

For the players, the season-long trek has been tough. Not only did the season start slowly, their coach and leader was diagnosed with testicular cancer. But they believe that going through Tuscan’s health battle together has made their bond stronger.

“This is awesome,” Oliver said. “To see these guys come together, especially some of the underclassmen, is great. For the seniors, we’ve been playing together since we were 10  or 11 years old. It’s fun to see how far we’ve come, and now we’re one step closer to getting a ring.”

And with just two more wins, the Sabres can earn only the third state title in the Southwestern 4A’s baseball-rich history – Ardrey Kell won in 2009 and Providence in 1995 – since South Meck last won it 24 years ago.

“We just have to keep doing what we’ve been doing,” Tuscan said. “We got here for a reason. But at the end of the day, when we get (to Zebulon this week, our players will) probably be at least a little nervous. But we can’t let the situation change what we’ve done.

“And we’ve accomplished a lot along the way.”

But Koch said the Sabres are ready to finish what he, Tuscan and the other seniors started four years ago.

“Coming in as a freshman, South Meck baseball didn’t really mean anything,” Koch said. “You’d say it, and people would (respond), ‘Yeah, whatever. They’re not that good.’

“But my goal when I got here was to help put South Meck baseball back on the map. I feel that’s exactly what we’ve done. Now when you say, ‘South Meck baseball,’ it means something to people in this state, and that feels good.”

With the Sabres set to play their championship series on Friday, May 31 and Saturday, June 1 at Zebulon’s Five County Stadium, only Fuquay-Varina stands in the way of their dream.

Oliver said the team’s success is becoming a hot topic around school. The last few playoff games have been played in front of sold-out home crowds, and he said the school has chartered buses to transport South Meck students to the series.

But no matter who’s in the stands, the Sabres say they’ll be ready.

“We’re champing at the bit to play there,” Kennedy said. “A lot of people would say, ‘Wow, it’s a really big stage’ and ‘How many people are going to be there?’

“But we feel like as many people as we can get there, the better. It doesn’t matter if it’s our fans or (Fuquay-Varina) fans, we want to play in front of as many people as possible. That’s what we’re turning our focus to. We’ve been practicing hard for eight months for just this situation, and now it’s here.

“We can’t wait to get there and show what we can do.”

The Charlotte Catholic rugby team defeated Providence, 57-0, last week and is competing in the Boys National High School Invitational in Indiana this week.

But the latest edition of Cougar rugby had a slightly different feel from previous seasons.

“I would say they are a true team,” Cougars coach Brendan Keane said. “In the past, we have had stars who scored most of our points, but this year there is much more balance in who scores and how often. There are still a few standouts, but the fact that there are more even scoring stats speaks to the way these boys play as a team.”

The results, however, remain the same.

On May 11, Charlotte Catholic stormed past Providence, 57-0, to win its fifth consecutive N.C. High School Rugby Association title.

The Cougars, who are ranked No. 6 in the nation by RUGBYMag.com, improved their record to 10-1 on the season and earned a berth to this week’s prestigious Boys National High School Invitational in Elkhart, Ind.

“It means a great deal (to win five consecutive state titles),” Keane said. “Every year, we set goals, and winning the state championship is always on the list. Meeting the goals we set is how we measure our success. Last Saturday’s win meant we had achieved one of our three goals for this season. We fell short of Goal 2 by losing to (No. 1-ranked) Gonzaga back in March, but are hoping to fulfill our final goal by coming home from the national tournament with a trophy for the first time.”

The Cougars’ win over Providence was especially impressive, as the Panthers also were one of the country’s best teams (ranked No. 25 at the time). But Charlotte Catholic’s blend of speed and power were too much for them to overcome.

“The game against Providence was all about intensity,” Keane said. “We spoke the day before about setting the tone from the opening kickoff with our physicality, speed, and power. I think we did that. Although we made mistakes throughout the game and the first half was a little sloppy at times, we recovered well and consistently were able to put pressure on them and turn that pressure into points.”

This season, the Cougars have received strong performances from a number of players. Some standouts have included captain Sam Cowley, who provides structure and a great kicking game; Maxim Bennett, an efficient tackler who also keeps the team going forward in attack; and Tyler Hatton, who makes impressive runs and provides surprising passing out of contact situations.

Still, Keane emphasized that this year’s Cougars are a team success story.

“As I said before, it’s difficult to pick just a few, as success is dependent on the effort of all 15 men on the field,” he said. “The forwards do their job and set the platform, and the backs go through the space. Without that, one or two people can’t do much alone.

“I think what has made the team so effective is the dedication the players have to being the best. We have worked hard to build a positive, winning culture within the team, and it has paid off. The boys don’t want to let down their teammates or the winning tradition the club has developed in its short history.”

The Ardrey Kell baseball team is back in the Class 4A title hunt thanks to (from left) Doug Norman, Zach Featherstone, Thomas Nantz and
Brandon Donahue.

With a star-studded roster that may have made some college programs envious, Ardrey Kell went 23-5 last year and claimed its second Southwestern 4A conference championship. But when this season began, most of the players from that team had graduated, including the majority of last year’s starting lineup and pitching staff, a potentially crippling blow for most programs.

But Ardrey Kell isn’t most programs.

“We replaced every single starter we had except for Doug (Norman),” Knights coach Hal Bagwell said. “And with that said, Doug only pitched (6 2/3) innings for us last year. We (lost) our top three pitchers who are all playing college baseball right now.

“So yeah, it was a rebuilding year.”

Former Knights’ standout Trent Thornton now pitches at the University of North Carolina, Justin French joined Army’s program and Brad Stone, who was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 35th round last year, signed with N.C. State.

But in Knights’ Country, the term “rebuilding” takes on a different meaning than most places, and Bagwell and Co. still had high expectations entering this season. There wasn’t time to think about who wasn’t on the team, so the Knights regrouped, and quickly.

Bagwell said he had a plan to get the most out of each remaining player and compete for another conference title – something outsiders may have deemed an impossibility.

And it’s worked, as this season has been business as usual for Bagwell’s program. The Knights are 21-4 overall and earned a share of their second consecutive conference title with South Mecklenburg.

“I’m very, very proud of the conference championship,” Bagwell said. “The reality is that we have tremendous kids and we have a plan for them to get them to compete in the Southwestern 4A.

“They’ve been unbelievable because we have willing kids who want to listen and want to do well for the program. We have good coaches and the kids buy into what we’re teaching. That’s what it comes down to.”

And it also comes down to talent and tradition, two qualities the Knights have in spades despite losing the majority of last year’s contributors.

Since Ardrey Kell opened in 2006, the Knights have now won three conference and district titles, two sectional championships, two western regional championships and won the 2009 Class 4A state title.

And they have enough talent on this year’s roster to add to those gaudy accomplishments.

Norman, a Georgia recruit, has blossomed into one the pitching staff’s aces after seeing spot duty last season. On the year he has a record of 7-3 with a 1.86 ERA while striking out 74 batters in 60 1/3 innings. He also doubles as a third baseman and has hit .280 with 19 RBIs.

With all of his success, Norman also has become a team leader – something Bagwell said has been vital for the Knights.

“I think coming into the year, (Bagwell) and the other coaches expected for me to take over Trent Thornton’s role,” Norman said. “But I didn’t see it as pressure because the thing with us is that no matter who (Bagwell) puts out there, it’s someone who is deserving and who is going to get the job done.”

Another integral piece to the Knights’ puzzle is Winthrop commit Brandon Donahue, one of four seniors on the squad. Donahue owns an 8-0 record on the mound and, while his record is outstanding, he’s recorded a dazzling 0.80 ERA with 62 strikeouts in just 39 innings of work. He doubles as the Knights’ designated hitter, batting .254 with 11 RBIs.

Donahue said that, although the Knights were inexperienced entering the year, he didn’t see a regular-season title as much of a stretch.

“All of my teammates are pretty skilled,” Donahue said. “To play on the Ardrey Kell baseball team is a privilege, and it wasn’t a hard step up for the guys who had never played varsity before.

“It’s wasn’t supposed to be a great year for us, and we only have four seniors, so it was supposed to be a rebuilding year. I obviously want to close my career with a state championship – that’s the goal – but it’s been a very fun and rewarding year.”

And, if the Knights are to accomplish that goal, they’ll need big contributions from two transfers who have been as responsible as anyone for their strong season: junior Zach Featherstone (Providence Day) and senior Thomas Nantz (Charlotte Christian).

“Thomas and Zach have been really good,” Bagwell said. “They’re our two leading hitters, and Thomas kind of gets us going offensively. Zach has been limited innings-wise on the mound, but the times he’s pitched he’s done extremely well in the role we’ve given him.”

Featherstone, a Duke commit, is 2-1 on the season with two saves and a 0.64 ERA on the mound.

As good as he’s been as a pitcher, Featherstone has shined in his first season at the plate in the baseball-rich Southwestern 4A conference – the outfielder leads the team in hits (32), home runs (three), RBIs (33) and total bases (48) and is second in batting average (.416).

“I think I’ve played well,” Featherstone said. “Everyone has competed, and my teammates have been very supportive and have helped me adjust. Plus, it’s great playing for a great team and a great coach. You come in here and you see the enthusiasm and the way things are and it’s like, ‘Oh, wow.’

“Baseball is the main sport here, and it’s been fun to be a part of.”

Nantz spent his freshman and sophomore years at Ardrey Kell before transferring to Charlotte Christian for his junior season, when he won a private-school state title and earned all-state honors. That seasoning has proven beneficial in his return to Ardrey Kell’s inexperienced roster.

This year, Nantz – who said he’s planning to try to walk on to the program at N.C. State, which he called a “dream school” academically – picked up where he left off and leads the team with a .423 batting average. Now, he wants to guide Ardrey Kell to its second state title.

“That would be amazing,” Nantz said. “The best part of winning it last year was the dog pile (celebration) when we won. It would be so cool to close your career with a win. Most people’s last high school game ends in misery a little because you’re thinking (about) what more you could have done.

“To close out a career with joy and a win in your final game, that would be absolutely amazing.”

While Norman, Donahue, Featherstone and Nantz have been steady all year, the Knights are loaded with other players poised to make an impact when the state playoffs begin this week.

Guys such as Cole Smith (.342 batting average, 13 RBIs), Foster

Machicote (.342, 12 RBIs, seven steals), Logan Beehler (.308, one home run and 16 RBIs) and Max Garner (.296, 15 RBIs) have all been key contributors to the Knights’ quick turnaround.

With their collection of talent the Knights have earned a No. 2 seed in the playoffs and will host Davie County on Friday, May 10.

And this group of Knights, who have united to rise from relative anonymity to league champs, has only one goal left to accomplish – and it involves walking off the field on June 1 with a state title.

“We want to make sure we know each opponent we’re playing, but it’s more about us than anything,” Bagwell said. “We need to do the things that we can to be successful. How do we do that? We’re going to win every pitch as a hitter, as a pitcher or a fielder.

“That’s it: We want to dominate every pitch.”

Which, Bagwell hopes, is the perfect recipe for the 2013 state championship – a goal few thought this edition of the Ardrey Kell Knights could strive for.

“We know there are a lot of good teams left,” Nantz said. “It’s not an easy ride going through the West part of the state in the playoffs, but we know we can get hot and stay hot.

“Since no one returned from last year, I don’t think people around here were expecting too much from us. I think … that’s made us more determined to prove people wrong, and so far we’ve done that. Now, we have to keep it
going.”

Providence Day boys lacrosse coach Bobby Thompson (far left) said his squad has received a big boost from seniors (from left) Steve Onak, Patrick White, Jonathan Henry, Brendan McArdle, Braxton Mosack and Tony Asher.

It was the greatest challenge the Providence Day boys lacrosse players had faced this season.

That 11-7 defeat to Maryland-based Archbishop Spalding in early March? Sure, that was rough. So was the narrow 12-11 victory over highly ranked Charlotte Catholic and that emotional 10-8 win at heated rival Charlotte Country Day.

But those obstacles paled in comparison to the daunting task the Providence Day players faced in Wilmington during a spring break tournament. That, they said, was like enduring cruel and unusual punishment.

“Coach (Bobby) Thompson took our phones away,” senior midfielder Brendan McArdle said.

McArdle and his fellow seniors said life was tough during what “felt like an eternity” without texting, tweeting and surfing the Web. But each player now admits that Thompson’s decision to confiscate the phones was good for the team. The time away from hand-held technology made a close, talented squad even closer and better, they said.

They have the numbers to prove it: a 14-2 record and No. 2 state ranking by laxpower.com heading into their Friday, April 26 showdown with top-ranked Charlotte Latin.

And if the Chargers eventually are able to culminate their strong season with a state championship next month, many of them will reflect on what was their version of a Spartan existence down in Wilmington as the impetus.

“We were there for four days or so, and we had a lot of time for team bonding,” McArdle said. “When Coach Thompson took our phones, we all had to hang out together. We all couldn’t just be glued to our phones and doing our own thing.

“First, we were kind of disappointed about it, but I think it really helped. We wound up having a really good time, even without our phones.”

That weekend, the Chargers, even though many of them are upperclassmen who attended Providence Day’s lower school together, got to know each other better.

“My most vivid memories are of the team at the bowling alley,” senior midfielder Tony Asher said with a smile. “We had a good team-bonding experience. (Assistant) coach Jeff Thomsen was kind of teaching everybody the way of bowling, because nobody could knock down the pins quite like he could.  And it was fun to have something other than lacrosse that we could all do together and just have fun and relax.”

But they also played some superb lacrosse, which contributed greatly to the Chargers’ confidence and momentum.

They opened that weekend with an 8-7 overtime win over hometown Hoggard High and followed that with a 19-6 victory over another local team, Ashley High, the next day. Before leaving town, the Chargers routed Cape Fear Academy, 12-7, and by then they believed in their hearts that they were the best team in the state.

But two games later, sporting an extra bounce in their steps and a 10-1 record, they traveled to Charlotte Latin and faced another major challenge. This time, things didn’t go so well.

In a grueling, double-overtime affair, Latin toppled the Chargers, 9-8, even though Asher won 72 percent of the face-offs and Steve Onak tallied three goals and an assist. But the defeat didn’t dissuade Providence Day. In fact, Onak said, the two losses have been just as helpful to the Chargers’ title push as their 14 victories.

“Going into the game against Archbishop Spalding, we kind of went in on our high horses and thought we were going to just hang in there with them and beat them,” Onak said. “That (loss) showed us that we weren’t as good as we thought we were – we still had a lot that we still needed to work on. That fed us motivation throughout the season.

“The double-overtime loss to Latin was just a tough loss. We didn’t play our best game by any means. It’s going to motivate us to do even better, just like the other (loss).”

Nearly everyone agrees that the Chargers have what it takes to win it all, particularly because of their rare combination of offensive and defensive dominance. Providence Day scores a robust average of 13.3 goals per game while allowing foes to toss in 8.6.

The highly regarded Onak is the focal point of the offense, but he receives plenty of help, as senior Jonathan Henry had scored 21 goals with 11 assists in the first 14 games. Jake Chandler and Lawson Ives lead a defense that shines in front of goalkeeper Mitch Renfrow, who has saved 60 percent of the shots that have gotten to him. Meanwhile, Asher has won 74 percent of the face-offs.

“It’s funny – on the offensive side, we’re very senior-heavy, and on the defensive side we’re very junior-heavy,” Thompson said. “They battle each other at practice all the time. There’s some very spirited competition.”

And many of them are players that others covet. Three members of the senior class have signed with college programs: Onak (Siena College in New York), McArdle (Centre College in Kentucky), Henry (Washington and Lee in Virginia).

In addition, juniors Chandler (Bryant University in Rhode Island) and Renfrow (Air Force Academy) already have committed to colleges.

That’s been a trend since Thompson took over the Providence Day program in 2005, as 12 previous Chargers had gone on to compete at the college level entering this season. And the most recent list won’t even include Asher, who Thompson said is good enough to play at the next level, but the senior recently won the prestigious Morehead-Cain Scholarship to the University of North Carolina. Thompson said Asher is considering trying out for the Tar Heels squad.

“The guys have worked hard throughout the years, and (the players on this year’s squad) are no different,” said Thompson, a Siena College graduate. “The key for us this year is we have a very strong group of seniors. Four of them have been with us since freshman year – Steve, Tony, Brendan and Jonathan. That core has been kind of driving the engine this year.

“We’ve had some ups and downs. We’ve had a lot of close games where we’ve come out on top, and we had the double-OT loss to Latin. So things aren’t as clean as the record looks, but we’re heading in the right direction and getting ready for the playoffs.”

And once the Chargers get to the postseason, good things usually happen. Providence Day has reached the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association playoffs in each of Thompson’s campaigns, but, more impressive, the team has reached the state championship game four times in those seven previous seasons. That includes 2007, when the Chargers took home the crown.

But with that success has come a little bit of heartbreak. For example, in four of the last five years, the Chargers have been eliminated from the playoffs after either an overtime or double-overtime loss.

“Our seniors have had their fair share of disappointment, to say the least,” Thompson said.

But that’s also part of what inspires this year’s edition of the Chargers. They embrace their rich tradition established under Thompson, but they also believe they have the accoutrements to write a different ending to the story this season.

“We’re definitely trying to make the most of this season,” senior attack Patrick White said. “We’ve got a lot of senior leadership to help the young guys out. Maybe a loss or two would’ve been nice, but I think we’re headed in the right direction.”

Senior midfielder Braxton Mosack echoed those sentiments.

“I think we’re still improving every game and working out the kinks,” Mosack said. “Hopefully, by the time May comes around, we’ll be hitting our full stride and clicking on all cylinders.”

But because of all they’ve been through this season – Cell Phone Gate, the two tough losses, the new-found closeness that emerged from their amateur bowling league that weekend in Wilmington – the Chargers believe they’re equipped to bring home their school’s second state title in six years.

“I think what will define us is how we do come May,” Henry said. “I think we all have that goal in the back of our minds of finally winning that state championship. But if we take flashes of moments in certain games and say, ‘Piece these together and play that complete game,’ I think that’s when something special will happen.”

Charlotte Christian senior pitcher Bailey Ober is 4-0 with a 0.56 ERA this season.

The Knights return their entire starting infield from last year’s championship team, and have at least four players who’ll add to the nearly 60 former Knights who’ve moved on to play college baseball since 1995.

Several former Knights have gone on to play professional baseball, including Daniel Bard (Boston Red Sox organization), Paul Bennett (Atlanta Braves), Chris Carrara (N.Y. Yankees), Reid Fronk (Tampa Bay Rays), Ty Linton (Arizona Diamondbacks), Michael Grant (Cincinnati Reds) and Luke Bard (Tampa Bay).

Now, after transferring from Hough High last year, senior right-hander Bailey Ober is on the fast track to finding his place near the top of Knights’ lore, according to coach Greg Simmons, who guided Christian to its 10th state title under his watch a season ago.

“He has incredible poise,” Simmons said of Ober. “He has a plan, and he sticks with it. He works hard and he isn’t overwhelmed when he gets out there. I think having a plan and not just going out there and throwing as hard as he can is what sets him apart from a lot of other high school kids.

“He doesn’t just go out there and throw, he has great command of three pitches and he can throw them all for strikes. He throws as hard as he needs to. In his last few outings his last pitch of the game mirrored his fastest pitch, and that’s after throwing 70-80 pitches already. Not a lot of high school kids can, or are willing to, do that.”

The 6-foot-8 Ober, who earlier this year signed with the College of Charleston after being courted by the likes of N.C. State and Appalachian State, among others, said he’s pleased with how his career as a Knight has gone so far and has packed on 20 pounds since last season to increase his durability.

“He tries to get ahead of batters so he can be in control,” Simmons said. “He wants to do what he needs to do, like get ahead and execute. He also has an incredible ability to hit his spots, has great movement and probably has the best changeup of any high school kid I’ve ever seen. He’s not afraid to pitch backwards and he’ll throw any pitch in any count.”

Ober threw a no-hitter last March and parlayed that early-season gem into a dominating season. He finished the year 10-1 and posted an ERA of 1.00 while striking out 80 batters, many of whom he left bewildered with a devastating changeup – which Ober calls his best pitch – that seems unfair coming from a player whose fastball routinely touches 90 miles per hour on the radar gun.

And he culminated his dominating rookie season in dramatic fashion, hurling a complete-game, two-hit shutout in the Knights’ 2-1 victory over High Point Wesleyan Christian in last season’s state championship, during which he also struck out eight batters.

Even with Ober (who plays first base when he’s not pitching) and the team’s other returning starters, there have been some adjustments to make this season, as only Wingate commit Patrick Haynes rejoined Ober on the pitching staff.

“I feel like we’re starting to hit our groove,” Ober said. “Last year still feels good and makes us want to go out and fight harder. This year is a little different with all of the new guys coming up from JV and learning their roles on a high level, but it’s been exciting to see.”

Simmons said Ober has lived up to his billing as the No. 1 pitcher and has been instrumental in mentoring the Knights’ young hurlers, who’ve learned a lot from the ace of the staff.

“The guys look up to him – figuratively and literally,” Simmons said. “He works hard and he’s a great guy in the classroom, there’s never any issues with him and he’s a kid of really high character.”

While Ober has been a great leader in the clubhouse, he’s led the way on the field, as well.

On the season, the senior is 4-0 with a mind-blowing 0.56 ERA in seven starts. He’s struck out a staggering 67 batters while walking just four and allowing a paltry three earned runs in 39 1/3 innings of work.

But Ober thinks his best is yet to come.

“I think I’ve done pretty well but I don’t know if I’ve peaked yet,” he said. “I don’t have that one start that I thought was my best one of the year, and I don’t think I’ve hit my spots as well as I’ve wanted to.”

While Ober says he hasn’t yet reached his full potential this season on the mound, he said he feels the Knights made great strides by winning the Sunshine Classic in Florida in late March by sweeping four games. Before departing for the tournament, the Knights had lost to Charlotte Country Day on March 19, but haven’t lost a game since.

“Once we started winning (in Florida), we got a little more comfortable and started playing way better as a team,” Ober said.

The Knights also boast exhibition wins over Class 4A public-school powers South Mecklenburg and Providence and were leading Ardrey Kell before rain
washed out the game in the fourth inning.

As of April 17, they find themselves 18-4 overall and 6-1 in the Charlotte Independent Schools Athletic Association, a league they’ve won 14 of the past 15 seasons, dating back to 1998.

“We’re playing well right now,” Simmons said. “But we try to take it one game at a time. I tell the guys that the most important game is the one right now.”

With Ober shining on the mound and at the plate, where he’s hit .286 while driving in 10 RBIs, the Knights are clicking. But the senior ace is far from the only
player enjoying individual success.

Shortstop Nick Owens (team-high .368 batting average, 13 runs, one home run, 15 RBIs), outfielder Reece Hampton (.364, 12 runs), catcher/first baseman Garrett Bradbury (.353, two home runs, 12 RBIs), third baseman and Lees-McRrae University recruit Matt Simmons (.333, two home runs, 15 RBIs) and outfielder Matthew Burt (.321, nine RBIs) have been among Christian’s more consistent players.

As balanced as the Knights’ offensive attack is, Simmons knows that down the stretch of the regular season, and especially in the postseason, pitching and defense come to the forefront of any championship team’s success. And so far the Knights have excelled in both areas.

“We need to keep not making errors,” Ober said. “Our defense this year has been outstanding. Last year we struggled a little bit, but this year we’re playing good defense and capitalizing on other teams’ mistakes.”

With the Knights’ defense shining, and their ace pitcher keeping runners off the base paths, Christian may have the formula needed to repeat as state champions. While that hardly is a foregone conclusion, beating the Knights when Ober is on the mound is a daunting task for any team looking to knock Christian from its perch.

But with or without another state championship, Simmons is pretty set on where his star right-hander ranks in Charlotte Christian’s baseball pantheon.

“We’ve been very blessed to have great players and a rich tradition,” Simmons said. “Bailey is certainly one of those guys. He’ll be a guy that we talk about because he should be close to, or break, our strikeout record and he sits right there in line with a lot of the guys before him.

“As far as his performances goes, he’s as good as there is in the town and he’s one that we’ll remember here for a long time.”

“I was surprised and disappointed,” Long said of the decision to let him go. “We have things going in the right direction, and I was really excited and looking forward to what we were going to be able to do next season. Now, that won’t happen.

“I had a chance this week to talk to a lot of the kids. I guess not everyone feels the same, but all of the kids that I talked to were upset about the move.”

Attempts to reach Harrill during Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ spring break were unsuccessful.

Long said he’s still employed as a physical education teacher at Providence and added that he hasn’t made any decisions about his future in coaching.

“I’ve talked about a lot of things to a lot of different people recently,” Long said. “I don’t know what the future is going to bring for me. Right now, I’m teaching so I’m focusing on that. But we’ll have to see what next year brings.”

In 2012, Long led the Panthers to the Class 4AA state playoffs, but after an opening-round loss to East Forsyth, the team finished with a 5-6 record, marking the third consecutive season it finished below .500. Long was 55-53 overall and 36-25 in the Southwestern 4A conference during his tenure.

Long’s best year came in 2005 when the Panthers went 9-2 overall and finished second with a 5-1 record in the conference. His teams won five league games in each of his first three seasons but had gone 21-20 over the last six years.

Arielle Massillon is one of the top girls sprinters in the Charlotte Independent Schools Athletic Association, but she also excels in many other sports and activities.

But that’s only because it’s springtime.

If it were autumn, this would be a story about Arielle Massillon, one of the best field hockey players in the state. Or during the winter a few years ago, this would’ve been a story about Arielle Massillon, one of the nation’s best young swimmers.

See, whatever the season, whatever the sport, Massillon not only is usually involved in it, she seems to have an uncanny ability to excel.

Right now, though, it’s track season, and the Providence Day senior is focused on putting the finishing touches on a running career that’s been strong enough to win league accolades and earn her a scholarship to Villanova University (Pa.). She wants several more school records, perhaps a few individual state titles and one precious team championship.

But considering her track record, on and off the fields of play, there’s a good chance Massillon could walk away with so much more.

“Arielle’s always been able to accomplish a lot,” said Providence Day track coach Carol Lawrence, who also happens to be Massillon’s mother.

“When she was younger, she taught golf and piano to the smaller kids. She got a purple belt in Tae Kwon Do, and she plays saxophone in the band now. She’s always done something. Whatever she set her mind to, she did it, and I just let her go about her business.

“This year was the first time she did track during the winter, and it’s already helped her for the spring season,” Lawrence continued. “In her first 200(-meter race), she ran (it in) 27.1 (seconds), which is where she was almost at the end of the season last year. I think she’ll be ready for a good season this year.”

At the very least, Massillon’s going to make it an interesting journey. She simply doesn’t know any other way.

Princess of the Queen City

Massillon was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and lived on Long Island until she was in fifth grade – a few years after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. At the time, her Jamaican-bred mother was working on Wall Street as an engineer and business analyst for JP Morgan Chase. But when the two jets plowed into the World Trade Center just two blocks from her job, Lawrence, a single parent, decided she wanted more out of life for herself and her daughter. So they packed up and moved to the Queen City.

Massillon had exhibited precociousness years earlier, and not just in sports.

“When she was 4, she started reading chapter books, laughing while she was reading,” Lawrence recalled. “She started first grade when she was 4½, and she was helping her teachers teach the class. Everybody just thought she was just leadership material.

“I remember when I used to take her to the pediatrician, she used to write out a list to take with her – it was a list of all her ailments and the questions she had about them. I wound up holding her back when she was in fourth grade. She was 8, and her friends were 11. I said, ‘You know what, you’re going to be at a point where you’re talking about the ‘Rugrats’ to your friends, and they’re going to look at you like you have two heads.’”

Lawrence shook her head.

“She already played the piano by then, but that’s when she started playing the saxophone so she could get something else going.”

A pattern was developing. One task never seemed to be enough for Massillon. She didn’t just enjoy doing multiple activities; she needed them.

“I get bored really easily,” Massillon said. “For me, I think it’s easier doing my schoolwork and focusing on my sports when I have a lot on my plate.

“There was a time when I didn’t really do much, and I feel like I struggled because there was nothing for me to do. I just had a bunch of time on my hands, so I just put things off. I feel like it’s easier for me when I have a schedule of things I have to do, because I know that, at a certain time, I have to go do this and this and this. It’s just easier for me to go through my day and check things off.”

About a year after the move from New York, in 2007, Massillon’s mother landed positions coaching track and teaching computer applications and web design at Providence Day. A short time later, Massillon transferred from South Charlotte Middle School to Providence Day as a seventh-grader, and she immediately began to reveal her myriad athletic gifts, setting the Chargers’ middle-school record for the 200 meters that spring.

In the fall of her freshman year, she played on the JV field hockey team, which was coached by her mother, a former college track all-American who also had been good enough at field hockey to represent New York City in the Empire State Games. Massillon said she wasn’t very good at first, but after joining a summer travel team, her game took off, and she went on to earn all-state honors the past two seasons.

Although she’s a defensive specialist, she made two game-winning shots during her Charger career and twice was a first-team selection to South Charlotte Weekly’s Field Hockey Super Team.

Massillon was on the Providence Day swim team during her ninth- and 10th-grade years and became a member of the school record-holding 200-yard freestyle relay team. She also reached the state finals in the 100 breaststroke and freestyle.

Some still believe swimming is Massillon’s best sport. A year-round swimmer since she was 6, she made the Junior Olympics as both a 10-and-under competitor (50 and 100 breastroke) and as an 11- and 12-year-old (in six events). But she gave up swimming after her sophomore year.

“I sort of got tired of it,” she said. “I knew there were some other things I wanted to do.”

Massillon shined on the track, of course. She’s nabbed all-conference accolades in the 100, 200 and 4×400 relay. She’s finished as high as second in the state in the 200, and she earned a trip to Australia for the Down Under Games, where she took second place in the 90-meter hurdles and was on a gold medal-winning 4×400 relay squad.

With several schools coveting her, she decided to join the program at Villanova, where she’ll join another former Charger sprinter, Varonica Johnson, on the Wildcats squad.

Of course, she’ll have her eyes on doing other things.

“I’m going to try out for the field hockey team, too,” Massillon said with a wide grin. “I think I can do it. I got scholarship offers for field hockey. But for me, academics are No. 1, and I want to study engineering. So I didn’t want to go to a liberal arts school for four years and still not have the requirements that I needed to become an engineer.

“When Villanova came along, it was perfect because it had engineering.”

But again, it’s track season now, and her emphasis is on improving her times in the 100 (12.54 seconds), 200 (26.51) and 400 (1 minute, 1 second). Having run track during the winter, she’s excited about how much better she’ll be this spring.

“In the past, I used to swim going into track season, and swimming shape definitely is different from being in track shape,” Massillon said. “I used to feel fat and chubby – very doughy. Now, doing winter track, I’m definitely more in shape going into spring track. I’ve been doing workouts this whole winter, so I was ready for the harder workouts (during spring track).

“I can’t wait. I really can’t.”

And as Massillon’s high school career winds down, her mother, often her harshest critic, is allowing herself a few precious moments to take in her daughter’s many achievements.

“A lot of times, I do (marvel) at what’s she’s done,” Lawrence said. “I have been very lucky. Knock on wood, she stays this way. She has big plans for herself. I feel really good about where she is and what she’s accomplished so far.

“A lot of people talk about single-parent kids and all those things, but she’s surpassing everything that the statistics say she couldn’t do.”

“Catchers catch the ball.”

Simple yet effective – so much so that Koch, a  South Mecklenburg High senior, has developed into one of the best catchers in the nation. Last season, he made ESPN’s North Carolina all-state team. And as a sophomore, he committed to the University of South Carolina.

“When I was 10 – and we still do this sometimes – (my dad) would sit there and throw me balls, and I’d just catch them,” Koch said. “For me, the attention to detail and all the little things, the little drills, the minor details of the game are what I focused on. And I think that’s what sets me apart from all the other guys.”

This season, the Sabres are expected to contend for the Southwestern 4A conference regular-season crown, a challenge coach Jon Tuscan said is a bit easier with Koch behind the plate.

“As a coach, having him to handle the pitchers, he’s going to do a great job of shutting down the running game against other clubs, he’s a great throw-and-catch guy and he’s experienced behind the plate,” said Tuscan. “We don’t have to go over the little things with him, and that’s a big load off my plate.”

While Koch has long been a talented catcher, his development as a hitter lagged a bit. He said he was intimidated by older players as a youngster but found his stride when he was 13 after hitting 14 home runs during a summer season.

“I guess I started believing in myself,” Koch said. “I came out and just said to myself, ‘This is your game, this is your time.’ Ever since then, I’ve been in front of everybody and always wanted to take the next step.

“Everything just clicked at one time. Ever since then, I was ready to go.”

In his first year of starting duty as a 153-pound sophomore, Koch, a switch hitter, batted .425 with five homes and 40 RBIs. Last season, he led the league with 11 doubles, but Tuscan was forced to move him to the top two spots in the lineup, which hurt many of his offensive stats. He still hit .360 but settled for one homer and 13 RBIs. There were other bright spots, such as his 21-to-eight walk-to-strikeout ratio, which gives Tuscan a pretty good indication that after sliding Koch back a spot or two in the lineup this season, he should again capitalize on having runners on base ahead of him and several good hitters behind him.

“He’s been through the grind and through the struggles and those types of things, and he’d make the adjustments now, especially as a hitter,” Tuscan said. “He’s swinging it great for us right now. I think that experience of having trouble in the past but now being where he wants to be with the spotlight on him, he’s able to handle it now.”

So now, as a 190-pounder, Koch is doing the types of things expected of a big-time recruit. And Koch hopes that’s what defines him, moreso than any award or scholarship offer he’s received.

“I always want it to be, ‘He worked hard for what he’s got,’” Koch said. “There’s not a better compliment around.”

Myers Park midfielder Drew Ortiz tallied 57 goals and 37 assists, en route to earning All-American status last season.

But to senior midfielder Drew Ortiz, it was.

Ortiz had been waiting a long time to put up a performance like he did in the Mustangs’ 14-8 win over Whitefield Academy (Ga.) on March 9. The senior netted six goals in only his second full game back on any playing field in nearly seven months.

Back in August, Ortiz was poised to be one of the top wide receivers on the Myers Park football team. One week before the season began, however, a teammate fell on Ortiz’s leg, tearing a ligament in his knee and sidelining him for the entire gridiron season.

“It was really hard to have to sit and watch,” said Ortiz, who added that he’d never missed a game in any sport until his football injury.

“The first couple of months were really bad because it was really painful, but it’s gotten better and better ever since.”

First-year Mustangs coach Kevin Iwanusa said that other than a protective knee brace Ortiz wears on his left knee – which he said is now fully healed – there hasn’t been a noticeable difference in Ortiz’s game.

“He’s the same kid,” said Iwanusa, who was the Mustangs’ offensive coordinator last season.

“If anything, I’ve been holding him back, but on the field he’s playing just as well as he did last year.”

Which says a lot, as Ortiz was sensational last season when he scored 57 goals and added 37 assists while earning all-conference, all-state and all-region honors to back up his All-American status.

Ortiz has signed a National Letter of Intent to play at High Point University, but he said just being able to get back on the field was a good starting point entering this season.

“I was really motivated to get back on the field and start competing again,” Ortiz said. “It was a little weird at first, but I played pretty well in the first game and hope to play well all year. I want to keep winning, keep the team going and get us to the state championship.”

Iwanusa said that with Ortiz and Reid Foley, an Air Force recruit and fellow All-American who scored 53 goals and added 59 assists last season, the Mustangs have an advantage over most teams.

“We’re really fortunate to have two players that are that good,” Iwanusa said. “Most teams have one really good player, but we have two. They play so fast and that, and their talent, is what separates them.”

Ortiz said he enjoys playing with Foley, with whom he combined to score nine goals in the March 9 win, because the two share a connection on the field.

“It’s fun playing with Reid,” Ortiz said. “I don’t know what it is about playing with him, we just go out there and try to have a good time. We’ve had some success together, and I’m excited we can keep it going.”

Iwanusa said that having two players of Foley and Ortiz’s stature is also a benefit to everyone else on the team because it makes them raise their levels of play in practice. The coach added that while both athletes are great at being team-first players, Ortiz exemplifies the qualities he hopes to see in his star players.

“He’s great,” Iwanusa said of Ortiz. “I talked to him (last week) about how he leads by example better than anyone that we have on the team. He goes hard all of the time, he always gives 100
percent effort, and it shows on game days.

“He’s a tremendous goal scorer and a great playmaker who can do pretty much anything he wants to, but he’s not a (newspaper) headlines guy. He doesn’t need to make sure he gets all of his goals; he’s more worried about the team winning. Having a star player, that’s one thing you look for as a coach, and it’s how Drew is.”

Ortiz is hoping to lead the Mustangs to the state championship game, which they narrowly missed last season after falling to eventual champion Lake Norman in the semifinals. Last season’s 17-4 record wasn’t just a flash in the pan, either, as the Mustangs won 11 games in 2011 and went 19-1 while winning the state title in 2010.

This year’s team is favored to win Conference 11 and is poised to be one of the state’s top teams. How well the Mustangs ultimately do depends largely on Ortiz, Foley and senior Brad Pellisaro, another important part of the Mustangs’ success.

“Those guys set such a great example for everyone,” Iwanusa said. “It really raises everyone’s level when they see how hard the best players are working.

“Some guys try to coast for a while and then turn it on during the games or when they need to. But Drew, in particular, is one who always goes hard. When you’re on the gas pedal all of the time like he is, you don’t know a different speed.”

That drive to improve is something that Iwanusa said has helped Ortiz recover from the devastating knee injury and return to form as one of the Mustangs’ key cogs. The coach also believes it will also help Ortiz on the next level.

“Having him play year-round will only help him get better,” Iwanusa said. “Right now, he’s only really playing during the season because he’s been focused on football in the past.

“Drew will be a very successful college player. When he gets to a point that he’s playing all of the time and playing with better players, that will just raise his game even higher. He’ll thrive in that system, and he’ll want to push himself to improve when he’s surrounded by better players.”

But first, Ortiz has some work to do getting this year’s Mustangs, who lost their first two games of the season before the March 9 win, back up to speed. He said at first it was just good to be competing again. But after his six-goal performance, it seems Ortiz is back to his old self.

“It’s nice to be out here,” Ortiz said. “I’m a lot more motivated for lacrosse this season than I’ve ever been because I didn’t get to play any during football (season).

“I haven’t been on a field in a while, so I hope to make the most of it.”