Belmont Abbey hit a season-high .277 and Paige Rawlins tallied her eighth double-double of the season, lifting the Crusaders to a 3-0 (25-14, 26-24, 25-12) victory over Converse in Conference Carolinas women’s volleyball action last Saturday afternoon.
With their fourth win in the last six matches, The Abbey improves to 5-16 overall and 5-6 in league play. The Valkyries fall to 3-16, 3-7.
How It Happened
The Crusaders tallied 45 kills against just 14 errors in 112 chances. Converse connected at only a .062 pace (25-18-112). Rawlins registered 35 assists and 12 digs. She also had three kills and three block assists. Cameron Young had a season-high 16 kills, hitting .170. She had three assists, one ace and five digs. Lauren Hamilton also reached double figures in kills with 10. Hailey Ryan led the defensive effort with 17 digs. Maya Simmons equaled her career high with 12 digs.

The Belmont Abbey field hockey team closed out its regular season home schedule on a good note in a 3-1 victory over Coker in South Atlantic Conference Carolinas play Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field. Madison Mitchell, Ashley Hubbard and Camrynn Aiello were all honored on Senior Day during a pregame ceremony. Belmont Abbey moved to 7-5 overall and 5-4 in league play with the victory while Coker is now 2-9 overall and 2-8 in the SACC standings.

How It Happened
The Crusaders generated pressure on the Cobras early with three shots and three penalty corners in the first quarter. Abigail Kane scored her first goal of the season for The Abbey with 1:25 left before halftime. Her goal was set up off of a Crusaders penalty corner and was assisted by Casey Etter. Etter tallied her seventh goal of the season in the third quarter to give Belmont Abbey a 2-0 lead. She finished with a game-high five shots. Coker responded later in the third with a goal off of a penalty stroke. Samantha Moore scored her first goal of the season with 2:45 remaining in the game to seal the victory for The Abbey. Chloe Parker finished with eight saves, all of which came in the second half. It matched a season high that Parker accomplished Sept. 7 against Converse and Sept. 15 against Shippensburg. The Crusaders finished the game with 11 shots on goal.
Belmont Abbey story/photo
 

By John Wilson
John.bannernews@gmail.com
There is only one more game left in the 2021 high school football regular season, but it looks like the South Point Red Raiders are well on the way to finishing the season strong with back-to-back wins against Ashbrook and Forestview.
South Point 35
Ashbrook 21
Last week South Point ended up playing two games in five days. Their first game was on Monday when the Red Raiders lined up against the Ashbrook Greenwave.
The Greenwave managed to keep the ball away from the Red Raiders offense early in the game, but South Point was able to recover and went into the half up 14-7.
In the second half South Point was able to put another 21 points on the score board and easily outpaced the 14 points scored by Ashbrook.
The Red Raiders kept it on the ground only attempting one pass all game.
In the end South Point finished with 236 yards of total offense.
Solid performances were put in by Tyson Riley, Ashton Harris and Elijah Phifer.
Riley rushed for 107 yards and a pair of touchdowns while Harris had 59 yards and a touchdown and Phifer finished up with 48 yards and one TD.
On the other side of the ball, the South Point defense played Ashbrook tough. The Red Raiders defense generated three turnovers.
Will Ross was Big Red’s top tackler with 16 stops. Not far behind Harris were Jaquis Rumph, Matt Hastings and Shane Wilson who all had 11 tackles a piece.
The Greenwave fought hard but in the end South Point took care of business.
“I thought we played pretty good,” head coach Hodge said. “They limited our possessions early in the game, but we were able to win the game. I’m proud of the kids.”
South Point 17
Forestview 14
After beating Ashbrook the Red Raiders only had a few days to prep before they faced the Forestview Jaguars in another important Big South 3A matchup last Friday.
This contest proved to be a real slugfest with both squads playing good football on both sides of the ball.
The South Point offense was powered by some strong running by senior Tyson Riley. Riley fought for every yard running for 79 yards off of 23 carries and scoring two touchdowns.
On the defensive side Ryan Harris led the Red Raider “D” with 11 tackles.
When regulation ended the game was tied up 14-14.
The battle continued well into two overtimes as the Jaguars and the Red Raiders both fought to get the upper hand.
In the second overtime it looked like Forestview may pull out the win, but missed a 42-yard field goal.
That misfire gave South Point the opportunity they needed to seal the deal.
A few plays later kicker Charles Birtwhistle had a chance to put the Red Raiders on top. Birtwhistle didn’t let his shot go to waste. The six-foot three-inch sophomore lined up and drilled a 27-yard field goal to give the Red Raiders the win.
With the playoffs coming up any conference win is a big deal. After beating Forestview the Red Raiders improved their record to 6-3. They are now in sole position of third place in the Big South 3A.
Coach Hodge was definitely pleased with how this one went down and is gearing up for the next game.
“A good high school football game,” Hodge added. “I’m proud of our kids and how they finished. They stuck together and won the game. Now we got to get ready for the next one. As Coach Lineberger would say, “Biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.”
This week South Point finishes up the regular season hosting the 1-8 North Gaston Wildcats.

The Gaston County Board of Education received the following “good news” for the month of September 2021:
Bessemer City High School, East Gaston High School, Forestview High School, Highland School of Technology, and South Point High School were recognized by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association for outstanding sportsmanship.  The five schools did not have any athlete/coach ejections during the 2020-2021 school year.
Letters written 20 years ago by students at Tryon Elementary School were included in a display by the U.S. Secret Service in Washington, D.C. to commemorate the anniversary of 9-11.
Stuart W. Cramer High School senior Gwen Campau and Highland School of Technology senior Travis Rainwater are among 16,000 students who were named National Merit semifinalists. They will have an opportunity to compete for 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $30 million, which will be awarded next spring.
North Belmont Elementary School received a $9,150 donation from Vallen Corporation to purchase 20 computer stations.  In addition, Vallen employees donated three boxes of school supplies for students and teachers.
Rankin Lake Baptist Church packed and delivered 480 goodie bags for employees at North Gaston High School, W.C. Friday Middle School, Carr Elementary, Costner Elementary, Highland School of Technology, and Woodhill Elementary.
Highland School of Technology graduate Maggie Ferguson is the recipient of the Steagall Family Foundation Scholarship.  The scholarship provides $10,000 a year for college education along with an additional $6,000 per year for a summer internship program at Holy Angels. Maggie is attending UNC-Chapel Hill where she is studying speech pathology.
Gaston County Schools received 50 book bags from Direct Auto Insurance filled with school supplies.
H.H. Beam Elementary School received 96 book bags filled with school supplies from the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.
W.B. Beam Intermediate School counselor Mark Reep shared information about the school’s amateur radio club with members of the Cherryville Rotary Club.  In addition, students in the Falcon Radio Club participated in the “Parks on the Air” amateur radio program this summer at Crowders Mountain State Park.
The cafeteria staff at Belmont Middle School and Page Primary received a 100 percent sanitation score.
The W.A. Bess Elementary PTO sponsored a school beautification project to prepare for the new school year. A team of school volunteers spent time planting flowers and spreading mulch to beautify the school grounds.
Bessemer City Primary celebrated “K is for Kindness Day” on September 10 in commemoration of September 11 and to honor the memory of Kay Scearce, who taught at the school for 31 years.
Classroom Central sponsored a school supply drive at Carr Elementary.  Nearly 190 teachers from across Gaston County received a box of school supplies.
Cake Me Away Bakery provided school supplies for Carr Elementary, Costner Elementary, W.C. Friday Middle, and North Gaston High School.
The Cherryville High School “Kindness Club” created posters for W.B. Beam Intermediate School.  Each poster has a unique message such as “One kind word can change someone’s entire day.” Senior Landrie Wofford organized the project.
Carr Elementary received school supplies from the Kiwanis Club, Dallas Baptist Church, and the Dallas Police Department. In addition, the school received a school supplies donation from third grade student Natalie Day.
In partnership with the Carolina Panthers, Carr Elementary teacher Diane Baron was nominated as a FSI Teacher of the Week.
Carr Elementary received the “Best of Gaston” award from The Gaston Gazette as a top public school in Gaston County.
Carr Elementary was selected to receive a Duke Energy Science Night Kit, which provides materials for students to participate in STEM-related (science, technology, engineering, math) activities.
North Gaston High School art teacher Tammy Hovis organized an art project at Carr Elementary that involved high school students painting a mural of the Leader in Me “7 Habits of Happy Kids.”
Chapel Grove Elementary teachers received gas gift cards from Gastonia Seventh Day Adventist Church. In addition, Southside Baptist Church, Carolinas Telco Credit Union, and Communities in School donated school supplies and backpacks.
More than 100 students at Gaston Early College High School have qualified for membership in the National Beta Club.
Gaston Early College High School students assisted Keep Gastonia Beautiful volunteers with a cleanup of the Highland Community Garden.
Gaston Early College of Medical Sciences school counselor Desiree Lackey and Gaston College liaison Misti Elting met with students and families to create four-year plans and discuss career and college goals. In addition, the school is developing clubs and a student council and working on inviting medical professionals to meet virtually with students to talk about their career journeys.
Hawks Nest STEAM Academy held a “Spruce Up The Nest” beautification day to prepare for the new school year.
The Hunter Huss High School football team assisted with a landscaping and mulching project at Lingerfeldt Elementary prior to the start of the school year.
McAdenville Elementary received a donation of school supplies from the Cramer Mountain Investment Club and Cramerton Community Committee.
Through the school’s “Penny March Madness” fundraiser, the New Hope Elementary PTO purchased new indoor basketball goals.
Each week at Page Primary, one kindergarten class and one first grade class have the opportunity to earn “The Golden Brick” as a part of the school’s behavior/character education program.  Classes must show the characteristics of respect, responsibility, and safety to be selected for “The Golden Brick.”
Pleasant Ridge Elementary received signs from Cliff Dixon and Pressbox Creative to help with morning and afternoon traffic flow.
Parkwood Baptist Church and Creekside Nursery volunteers planted 60 shrubs as part of a beautification project to repurpose the interior courtyard at Sherwood Elementary.
Sherwood Elementary received a donation of school supplies from Myers Memorial United Methodist Church.

Eric Morgan converted a kick on the final play of the game, leading 21st-ranked Belmont Abbey to a 10-7 win over UNC Charlotte in rugby action Thursday night.
The game was played at Martha Rivers Park in Gastonia.
How It Happened- UNCC opened the scoring with a short try and conversion midway through the first half. The Crusaders (3-1-1) tied the game at 7-7 a short time later after Michael Brennan broke through the defense, the made the conversion. The Abbey played most of the second half in the 49ers’ end, but could not score until the final kick.
Belmont Abbey photo/story

Originally from Washington, DC, Raphael was a dual sport athlete at Woodrow Wilson High School. There, he played football and baseball as a three year varsity standout. Recruited to play both sports in college, he chose to continue his student-athlete career at Radford University in Virginia.
At Radford, Raphael showed promise as one of the emerging stars for the program but a roller coaster career due to injuries all but solidified an opportunity that would allow him to play beyond college. In his five years of attendance, he majored in Sports Management while also obtaining a minor in Business Management. Raphael would go on to play three years on the independent professional circuit.
After his baseball career, Raphael founded Unmatched Performance Athletics in Charlotte, NC. He and the coaches he partnered with, developed a youth baseball organization designed around using baseball as a tool to create hard working, humble, team players and young men. He served players from ages six to nineteen years of age.
Raphael parlayed the opportunity with Unmatched and local athletes as a chance to leave a greater footprint on the game of baseball. Always being in love with the most mysterious part of the game, “the art of hitting,” he welcomed a following that wanted the knowledge he possessed. He is now known on a national scale in the baseball community as “@thathittingguy” on all major social media platforms.
The only thing Raphael loves more than coaching is learning how to be the best husband and father possible. Raphael lives in Denver, NC with his wife Joy and their children where they attend Church of Denver.

The Belmont Abbey men’s soccer team opened its 2021 season at Limestone.  The Saints won the contest 3-0. How It Happened - In the 17th minute, Kevin Daly took the first shot of the year for the Crusaders. Limestone took the lead in the 13th minute, and held the 1-0 advantage at halftime.  The defense was strong throughout the half, limiting the Saints to just three shots in the period. The Saints scored in the 63rd and 65th minutes to take a 3-0 lead. Ben Knust made four saves in goal.     Belmont Abbey photo
 

Former Belmont Abbey cyclist Nat Worcester has been named as the Crusaders’ new head coach, Vice President and Director of Athletics announced today. Worcester begins his duties immediately.
“We are thrilled to name Nat Worcester as our new Head Cycling Coach at Belmont Abbey College,” Vice-President and Director of Athletics Stephen Miss said. “As an alumnus of our college and cycling program, as well as a recent convert to Catholicism, Coach Worcester is the ideal individual to form and develop our students, maintain continuity and build upon the foundation established during his athletic career.”
A 2020 graduate of The Abbey, Worcester returns to his alma mater where he was a four-year letterman and team captain, participating in the disciplines of track and road. Since graduation, he has been working at the Giordana Velodrome as a Track Assistant, providing instruction in the rider certification program, ensuring operational safety at the track and supervising equipment. He also has served as Director of the DDP Cycling Team, coordinating logistics for races and planning and implementing race strategies.
He holds a Level 3 coaching license from USA Cycling.
“I am extremely honored and grateful to Abbot Placid Solari, O.S.B., President Thierfelder and Stephen Miss for the opportunity to return to my alma mater and lead a program that I helped form in its early years,” Worcester said. “Belmont Abbey is a special place with a growing cycling tradition. I am fully committed to continuing the successes of this program.”
Worcester earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology with a minor in sport management. He is currently working towards a master’s in psychology with a specialization in sports psychology.