High School notebook: Wakefield tennis handles challenges

The Wakefield boys’ tennis team is No. 1 in the N.C. Tennis Association’s 4A poll and it thumped No. 2-ranked Millbrook last week, 7-2, in a Cap Eight 4A match.

But Wakefield coach Ken Stewart said it has been such an unusual year that he doesn’t think the match is a true barometer of the teams.

Wintry weather and school closures essentially eliminated the preseason and teams still are catching up.

“It’s been silly, no practices, condensed schedule, players hurt and missing,” said Stewart. “In the Millbrook match, the two teams were missing a combined six starters. The match was no indicator of the teams’ strengths.”

Wakefield returned the bulk of its team from 2014, which won the N.C. High School Athletic Association 4A dual-team title and the 4A singles and doubles championships.

East Chapel Hill is tied for third in the coaches’ rankings. Enloe is seventh and Clayton is ninth.

Official change: One game official was replaced at the half of Garner’s 70-64 victory over Charlotte Ardrey Kell in the NCHSAA 4A boys’ basketball championship game Saturday.

David Fallin was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure and was treated there, but he is out and is doing extremely well, according to Rick Strunk, an NCHSAA assistant commissioner.

National tournament: Charlotte’s Myers Park, which defeated Southeast Raleigh 52-47 in the state 4A girls’ basketball championship, would like to play in a national tournament, but NCHSAA rules require teams to disband and not play again after the state finals.

The NCHSAA rule is a good one.

Is there anyone who thinks athletics are under-emphasized? Is there anyone who thinks today’s athletes don’t play enough?

The NCHSAA has turned down the Myers Park request to be exempted from the rule, but Myers Park has appealed and will have a hearing Tuesday.

Allowing teams to play in postseason events is a Pandora’s box that needs to be padlocked, not flung open.

Neuse golf: Cornelius’ Hough High was an impressive winner in the Neuse Invitational boys’ golf tournament last week at The Neuse Golf Club in Clayton.

Hough posted a 286 to top second-place Broughton (289). Southern Pines Pinecrest (295) was third.

Hough’s Matt Sharpstene was the medalist with a 4-under-par 68. Alex Smalley of Wake Forest and Josh Martin shot 69s. Stephen Franken of Millbrook and Doc Redman of Leesville Road shared fourth with 70s.

Cary Academy tennis: Cary Academy won the Florence (S.C.) Boys High School Tennis Tournament last weekend. The Chargers had won the tournament the two previous years.

Cary Academy defeated Durham Academy 5-1 in the final. Alex Yang, Calvin Ma, Kevin Wu and Patrick Mulqueen won Nos. 1 through 4 singles and Brett Hodgdon and John Peterson won at No. 2 doubles.

This story was originally published March 16, 2015 at 1:40 PM with the headline "High School notebook: Wakefield tennis handles challenges."