Prep notebook: Travis Seese named new Athens Drive athletics director
Athens Drive announced on Friday that athletics director Alvin Thompson is retiring. His replacement has already been found. Soccer coach Travis Seese will take over as AD on May 1.
Thompson, who won the 2001 2A boys basketball title at East Bladen, has been instrumental in Athens Drive finding stability in the Southwest Wake 4A Conference and leading the school’s push for a new on-campus stadium that will open in the fall.
AP all-state basketball: Voyager Academy’s Jay Huff, Apex’s Ian Boyd, Cary’s Cory Gensler, Roxboro Community’s Darius McGhee were among the 12 boys basketball players who made the AP all-state team. Rosewood’s Lexi Mercer, Millbrook’s Kai Crutchfield and Hillside’s Elisa Grissett were among those on the girls’ 13-member team.
High Point Christian’s Bam Adebayo and (Charlotte) Providence Day’s Erin Whalen were named players of the year. Farmville Central’s Larry Williford was named boys coach of the year while (Morganton) Freedom’s Amber Reddick won the girls’ award.
Full boys team: Bam Adebayo, High Point Christian (POTY); Sage Surratt, East Lincoln; Huff; Kyran Bowman, Havelock; Gensler; Davion Mintz, North Mecklenburg; Boyd, Grant Williams, Providence Day; Lavar Batts Jr., Jay M. Robinson; McGhee, Leaky Black, Concord; Alshaquan Williams, Fairmont.
Full girls team: Erin Whalen, Providence Day (POTY); Crutchfield; Mercer; Ariyana Williams, Freedom; Elissa Cunane, Northern Guilford; A’Terria Quick, South Robeson; Grissett; Lacey Suggs, East Bladen; Bayley Plummer, East Davidson; Jordan Chavis, Central Davidson; Zaria Wright, Concord First Assembly; Brooklyn Allen, Pisgah; Ra’Shika White, Berry Academy.
RDU all-star game: Raleigh swept Durham in the RDU boys and girls all-star basketball games on Saturday at Millbrook High, and Knightdale seniors Dondre Griffin and Mickaya Wilson swept MVP honors.
Griffin, a Murray State recruit, had 37 points and five assists in a 128-96 win.
“Everything was positive,” Griffin said. “Once my shot started falling, I started fueling off of that. My teammates kept letting me bring the ball up the court, and the defense kept backing us up.”
The Raleigh girls won 65-57 as Wilson, who will play for Appalachian State next year, finished with 10 points, five rebounds and six assists.
Performers of the week
Cary Academy boys tennis: The two-time defending champion Chargers are undefeated and have big wins: Green Hope 8-1, Cardinal Gibbons 9-0 and Convenant Day on Saturday 5-4.
Camryn Dixon, Green Hope girls soccer: Freshman had three assists and one goal in a 4-2 win against Holly Springs on Wednesday.
Apex trio, girls lacrosse: In an important 3-0 week, Apex’s Graci Fulkerson had 14 goals (seven assists) while Kristen Maselli (nine assists) and Tess Meurling (eight assists) each had 13 goals.
Reid Herring, Millbrook baseball: Pitched a two-hit shutout against Heritage on Wednesday for a 5-0 win and sole possession of first in the Cap-8 4A.
Marcus Krah, Hillside track and field: His time in the 110 hurdles (14.02) at the Taco Bell Championship in Columbia, S.C. is the second-fastest in the U.S. this year. He also took second in the triple jump.
Send nominations each Saturday to mblake@newsobserver.com.
Upset special
Apex girls soccer (4-7-1) beat previously undefeated Middle Creek (6-1-3) 2-0 on Monday.
Best of this week
Baseball: Tuesday – Cleveland at Corinth Holders, Orange at Northwood; Friday – Triton at Cleveland, Green Hope at Fuquay-Varina, Apex at Holly Springs, Northwood at Orange.
Softball: Monday – Garner at Holly Springs; Tuesday – Orange at Northwood, West Johnston at Harnett Central, Cedar Ridge at J.F. Webb, Panther Creek at Middle Creek; Wednesday – Heritage at Fuquay-Varina; Friday – J.F. Webb at Cedar Ridge, Harnett Central at West Johnston, Apex at Holly Springs, Northwood at Orange; Saturday – North Johnston at Northwood.
Girls soccer: Monday – Panther Creek at Middle Creek, Millbrook at Sanderson, Wakefield at Leesville Road; Wednesday – Wakefield at Sanderson, Green Hope at Fuquay-Varina, Heritage at Leesville Road.
Boys lacrosse: Tuesday – Holly Springs at Apex; Wednesday – Wakefield at Athens Drive; Thursday – Green Hope at Broughton; Friday – Holly Springs at Middle Creek.
Girls lacrosse: Monday – Cardinal Gibbons at Durham Academy; Tuesday – East Chapel Hill at Carrboro; Wednesday – Cardinal Gibbons at Chapel Hill.
Boys tennis: Monday – Green Hope at Panther Creek; Tuesday – Clayton at Garner, Millbrook at Wakefield, Cary Academy at East Chapel Hill.
J. Mike Blake: 919-460-2606, @JMBpreps
This story was originally published April 10, 2016 at 8:03 PM with the headline "Prep notebook: Travis Seese named new Athens Drive athletics director."