Preps Now best of the week: Word of God hopes to get back in the NCISAA

Word of God Christian Academy will learn later this month if its athletic program will be re-admitted to the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association, said athletics director Tim Woods.

Word of God was expelled from the NCISAA in September 2014 for alleged athletic recruitment. Schools are eligible to apply for reinstatement after a two-year period.

In the last two years, Word of God has maintained its strong boys basketball program and has transitioned its football program from 8-man to 11-man play. The Holy Rams’ football team even upset 4A public school Athens Drive last fall.

“Fight for 55” finale: Green Hope and Panther Creek, two west Cary high schools separated by a 2.5-mile stretch along N.C. Highway 55, will wrap up their season-long all-sports competition on Saturday with 10 games on one day.

Panther Creek, down 15-11, hosts this year’s “Fight for 55” finale starting at 9 a.m. with junior varsity girls lacrosse and ending with the varsity girls soccer game at 6:30 p.m.

The varsity contests – girls lacrosse (2:30 p.m.), boys lacrosse (4), softball (4:30), baseball (5) and girls soccer (6:30) – are worth one rivalry point each. The contest doesn’t end until after the conference championships for track and field and boys golf the following week.

One ticket is good for all games, all day.

Northern Vance history: Last week, Julian Perry became the first swimmer at Northern Vance to sign a letter-of-intent to play in college. He is going to Emanuel College (Ga.).

Tennis wins: Cardinal Gibbons tennis coach Andrew Tuttle recently passed the 500 win mark (boys and girls tennis) and Enloe coach Steven Spivey is closing in on 1,000. Spivey would likely be the first coach in N.C. High School Athletic Association history to get 1,000 wins in any sport.

Recruits: Union Pines defensive lineman Taijh Alston committed to East Carolina last week and fellow rising senior C.B. Aycock tight end Damien Darden announced in March he’ll be going to N.C. State.

Darden is 6-foot-4, 230 pounds and, according to Scout.com, made 35 catches for 320 yards and five touchdowns. Alston had 77 tackles, 13 for loss, and eight sacks.

Performers of the week

Nick Elston, Chapel Hill baseball: Threw a five-inning perfect game against Oxford Prep on Wednesday.

Anna Jasper, Northwood softball: No-hitter against Orange on Tuesday in a 2-0 win. Struck out 17 in a nine-inning 5-4 loss to Orange on Friday.

Zack Moore, Middle Creek baseball: Two-run home run to walk-off with a 3-2 victory against Athens Drive on Friday.

Spencer Brickhouse, Bunn: East Carolina recruit homered in a 6-3 victory at 4A power Richmond County on Thursday and hit two more on Friday against N.C. School of Science and Math to bring his season total to 10.

Mia Davidson, Orange softball: Launched her 14th home run of the year in a 5-4 win against Northwood on Friday. The NCHSAA record is 19.

Hailey Wood, Princeton softball: Threw a no-hitter in a 13-0 win against Rosewood on Friday with 10 strikeouts and just three walks. Also hit two home runs in the game for five RBIs.

Austin Vernon, Knightdale baseball: Threw a five-inning no-hitter in a 15-0 victory against Southeast Raleigh, the Knights’ first win of the year and a complete reversal of a 10-0 loss to the Bulldogs on Tuesday.

Clayton baseball trio: Zach Greene (3 for 4), Blake Joyner and John Messina homered for Clayton in a 12-1 win against Garner on Friday. Greene added an RBI triple. Joyner’s home run was inside-the-park.

Rachel Snyder, Athens Drive girls soccer: Had a hand in all five goals. Scored with 14 seconds left to get a hat trick and upset Fuquay-Varina 3-2 on Monday, then came back with a goal and an assist in a 2-1 win over Middle Creek Wednesday. Jags have won six of their last seven.

Jordan Lappin, Cardinal Gibbons girls lacrosse: Had 13 goals and four assists as the Crusaders defeated the current and previous No. 2 in the N&O rankings while going 3-0 on the week.

Jordan baseball: Won its sixth straight game after defeating East Chapel Hill 4-1.

Tessa Sheets, Northwood girls track and field: Her winning pole vault of 12 feet, 6 inches in the Apex Bojangles Relays tied for the state lead.

Cary Academy girls soccer duo: Three goals apiece for Abby Staker and Jessica McCoppin in a 7-0 rout of previously unbeaten Franklin Academy.

Megan Blawas, Wakefield girls lacrosse: Senior had three goals and two assists in first half of a 19-5 win against Heritage.

Taylor Drayton, Cleveland softball: Her infield single drove in the walk-off run as the Rams defeated Triton on Friday 4-3.

Logan Crabtree, Northwood baseball: Went 4-for-5 with two RBIs in a 12-8 loss to Orange on Friday.

Bryse Wilson, Orange: Scored the winning run and struck out 12 and threw the last six innings of no-hit ball in a 2-1 win over Northwood on Tuesday.

Clayton boys tennis: Has now won 60 straight Greater Neuse River Conference matches, has dropped just three doubles and single matches combined this spring.

Send nominations each Saturday to mblake@newsobserver.com.

Upset specials

▪ Jordan-Matthews softball, the 2014 2A runner-up and 16-1 this year, lost its first game of the season, 4-2 to 1A West Montgomery (8-9).

▪ Holly Springs’ Ashton Jones scattered nine hits and struck out five to knock Apex softball from the ranks of the undefeated on Friday, 2-1. Apex had been averaging more than 10 runs per game.

▪ J.F. Webb’s sweep of Cedar Ridge – winning 3-2 Tuesday and 5-2 Friday – knocked the Red Wolves out of the Big 8 title race (for now).

Best of this week

This story was originally published April 17, 2016 at 5:58 PM with the headline "Preps Now best of the week: Word of God hopes to get back in the NCISAA."