SSS football coach resigns

Frank Lassiter, Smithfield-Selma's football coach for the past two years, resigned as head coach and as a social studies teacher on Wednesday.

Smithfield-Selma was 0-11 in 2011 and 1-10 in 2010.

Principal Michael Taylor appointed David Lawhon, a former assistant football coach and the junior varsity baseball coach, as interim head coach. Lawhon will oversee off-season conditioning.

SSS is accepting resumes in connection with the head coaching vacancy and Taylor anticipates beginning interviews during the week of November 21.

Lassiter succeeded Anthony Barbour as head coach. Barbour's last two teams were 7-5 and 7-6, the only two winning seasons at SSS since 1998.

"I met with Mr. Taylor at the end of the season to let him know I would be leaving," Lassiter said. "I don't have any plans yet, but will be doing some job hunting soon."

Clayton coach Gary Fowler hopes Lassiter remains in coaching.

"He has an awful lot to offer high school kids," Fowler said. "He came into a tough situation at Smithfield, but his teams were always prepared, always making a effort good. It looked like he was doing all he could with what he had."

Bonk picks Virginia Tech: Raleigh Charter's Joe Bonk, one of the top swimming sprinters in the nation, will sign this week with Virginia Tech.

Bonk has won the N.C. High School Athletic Association 1A/2A 100-yard freestyle event the past three years and the 50 free the past two years. He holds the NCHSAA 1A/2A record in the 50 (20.85) and the 100 (45.33) and has set a goal to break the all-time overall record in the 50 (20.44 in 1990 by High Point Andrews' Chris Compton).

Bonk already has gone faster than the NCHSAA record in the 50 (20.34) and the 100 (44.20), but NCHSAA records can only be set in the state championship.

"All in all, Joe is one of the best, if not the best swimmer to ever come out of North Carolina high school swimming," said Raleigh Charter coach Matthew Mosher.

Bonk was the national YMCA champion in the 50, second in the 100 and third in the 200 free last summer. He also helped the YMCA of the Triangle win five national YMCA relay titles.

Tri-Nine soccer: Tri-Nine 4-A champion Green Hope (22-1) plays Fuquay-Varina (20-4-2), the No. 3 seed into the playoffs from the conference, in the NCHSAA boys soccer quarterfinals on Saturday at 6 p.m. The winner of the game at Green Hope goes to the Eastern finals.

Green Hope and Fuquay split their regular-season series. Green Hope defeated Fuquay 7-2 on Sept. 12, but lost 4-2 on Oct. 12.

Fuquay relies on the scoring of Adrian Gonzalez, who leads all area scorers with 54 goals, and teammate Andrew Sotak, who has 25 goals. Green Hope is more balanced with an attack led by Drew Altman's 16 goals and 10 assists and Tyler Carroll's 14 goals.

Green Hope averages 4.5 goals, allows 0.9 goals and has 10 shutouts. Fuquay averages 4.4 goals, allows 1.5 and has 11 shutouts.

WCA wins cross country: Wake Christian Academy won the boys' and girls' titles in the N.C. Christian Schools Association's state cross country championships last weekend, helped by freshman Sally Hart's victory in the girls race.

"We were pleased with how the teams ran," said Wake Christian head coach Ronnie Jones. "The conditions were tough because of the mud, but we handled it well."

Hart (21:15) led sophomore Rebekah Howard (22:59, who was third), eighth grader Caroline Diorio (23:19, fourth) and sixth grader Maggie Hart (23:29, fifth) as the Bulldogs place four girls among the top five.

Hunter Tart finished third (19:13) and helped Wake Christian win the boys' title.

D. Clay Best contributed to this story.