Prep notebook: P.J. Lowman leaves Jordan-Matthews for Apex Friendship boys basketball
Coach P.J. Lowman saw the double-team coming and called a timeout.
Lowman, 38, left his post as boys basketball coach at Jordan-Matthews, his alma mater, to take the opening at Apex Friendship, the school to which he lives the closest.
Lowman and his wife already have one set of twins and another is on the way. The long drives to Siler City had to change.
“Being closer to my family when I’m needed most is a huge part of this,” he said. “Everybody that I’ve met at Apex Friendship has been fantastic. They’ve made me feel really good about the transition.”
Lowman was 222-109 in 12 years at Jordan-Matthews with a slew of third-round appearances. This year’s Jets lost 48-44 in the third round at Elizabeth City’s Northeastern High in the 2A playoffs.
He’s coached players like Creighton’s James Miliken and Winston-Salem State’s Justin Glover.
“I love it here. I’ve been happy here. It’s been probably the best 12 years professionally in my life,” Lowman said. “Since I’ve put a lot of time in here, I’m OK with where we are OK with the program.”
Jordan-Matthews was 23-6 this year and ranked No. 15 in the final N&O boys basketball rankings. Friendship will have only juniors, sophomores and freshmen next season. The Patriots were 0-20 last season including 59-15 and 82-59 losses to Lowman’s Jets.
NCHSAA tennis change: The N.C. High School Athletic Association is moving the boys tennis championships indoors to the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center at UNC-Chapel Hill in lieu of a rainy forecast. The championships will now have a rolling schedule beginning at 9 a.m. with the 1A title between Raleigh Charter and Mooresville’s Pine Lake Prep.
The 3A title (Fayetteville Terry Sanford vs. Marvin Ridge), 2A title (Brevard vs. N.C. School of Science and Math) and 4A title (Panther Creek vs. Greensboro’s Page High) will start at approximately 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m., respectively.
NCISAA playoffs: The N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association championships are set. Greenville’s Oakwood School will play Lawrence Academy in the 1A baseball title at Wilson’s Fleming Stadium (best of three series: Friday 2 p.m., Friday 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.)
Ravenscroft will host Arden’s Christ School for the Division I boys lacrosse title Saturday at 2 p.m. Durham Academy’s girls travel to Charlotte Country Day at 1 p.m. in other lacrosse championship action.
Cary Academy and Durham Academy are in Friday’s 3A girls soccer semifinals at Charlotte Latin; St. David’s and Grace Christian Raleigh are in the 2A semis at Greensboro’s Caldwell Academy and in 1A, Grace Christian Sanford and Wilson’s Community Christian are in the semis at Wayne Country Day.
In the boys tennis semifinals, Oakwood School is alive in 1A and O’Neal School and Trinity School Durham-Chapel Hill are going in 2A – both at Barton College. Cary Academy and Durham Academy are both in the 3A semis at the Charlotte Indoor Tennis Club.
PLAYOFF SCOREBOARD BASEBALL
4A East
Third-round scores: 17-J.H. Rose 2, 24-Fuquay-Varina 1; 4-Green Hope 2, 12-Pine Forest 1; 3-Hoggard 9, 6-Sanderson 0; 2-D.H. Conley 2, 23-New Hanover 1
Fourth round: 4-Green Hope vs. 17-J.H. Rose (Fri. 7 p.m.); 2-D.H. Conley vs. 3-Hoggard (Fri. 7 p.m.)
3A East
Third-round scores: 17-Topsail 7, 24-Triton 1; 5-Orange 6, 13-South Johnston 3; 19-Corinth Holders 3, 11-Northern Guilford 1; 2-West Brunswick 14, 7-Rockingham County 4
Fourth round: 5-Orange vs. 17-Topsail (Fri. 7 p.m.); 2-West Brunswick vs. 19-Corinth Holders (Fri. 7 p.m.)
2A East
Third-round scores: 17-South Columbus 9, 24-St. Pauls 2; 4-Edenton Holmes 6, 28-Currituck County 2; 3-Fairmont 3, 11-North Brunswick 0; 15-South Granville 13, 10-South Lenoir 4
Fourth round: 4-Edenton Holmes vs. 17-South Columbus (Fri. 7 p.m.); 3-Fairmont vs. 15-South Granville (Fri. 7 p.m.)
1A East
Third-round scores: 1-Whiteville 7, 8-Wallace-Rose Hill 0; 4-Voyager Academy vs. 21-Gates County (Fri. 5 p.m. at Duke); 6-Spring Creek 4, 14-Princeton 3; 7-East Carteret 7, 15-Perquimans 4
Fourth round: 1-Whiteville vs. TBA (Sat.); 6-Spring Creek vs. 7-East Carteret
SOFTBALL
4A East
Third-round scores: 1-Cape Fear 10, 9-Apex 0; 5-Fuquay-Varina 7, 20-Wakefield 1; 11-Wake Forest 6, 14-Hoggard 1; 2-D.H. Conley 2, 10-West Johnston 1
Fourth round: 1-Cape Fear vs. 5-Fuquay-Varina (Fri. 7 p.m.); 2-D.H. Conley vs. 11-Wake Forest (Fri. 6 p.m.)
3A East
Third-round scores: 1-C.B. Aycock vs. 8-Orange (Fri.); 4-Lee County 4, 12-Cleveland 0; 3-Topsail 10, 6-Northern Nash 1; 2-Northwood vs. 26-Corinth Holders (Fri. 6 p.m.)
Fourth round: TBA vs. 4-Lee County (Sat.); TBA vs. 3-Topsail
2A East
Third-round scores: 1-Jordan-Matthews 12, 8-North Johnston 3; 12-Washington 12, 4-East Duplin 3; 3-Eastern Randolph 3, 11-Greene Central 2; 2-South Granville 11, 10-Bunn 3
Fourth round: 1-Jordan-Matthews vs. 12-Washington (Fri. 6 p.m.); 2-South Granville vs. 3-Eastern Randolph
1A East
Third-round scores: 1-Princeton 2, 8-East Carteret 1; 4-Perquimans 8, 21-Jones 3; 14-Northside (Pinetown) 8, 6-Louisburg 7; 7-North Duplin 8, 2-Trask 0
Fourth round: 1-Princeton vs. 4-Perquimans (Fri. 7 p.m.); 7-North Duplin vs. 14-Northside Pinetown (TBA)
GIRLS’ SOCCER
4A East
Third-round scores: 24-Athens Drive 3, 1-Clayton 1; 4-Leesville Road 1, 28-Holly Springs 0; 30-Panther Creek 1, 22-Sanderson 0; 26-Middle Creek 1, 2-Cardinal Gibbons 0
Fourth round: 4-Leesville Road vs. 24-Athens Drive (Fri. 7 p.m.); 26-Middle Creek vs. 30-Panther Creek (Sat. 7 p.m.)
3A East
Third-round scores: 9-Swansboro 4, 17-Hunt 0 (Tue.); 4-Chapel Hill 3, 5-Northern Guilford 2; 6-Fike 2, 3-Corinth Holders 1; 2-Jacksonville 5, 10-Rocky Mount 1 (Tue.)
Fourth round: 4-Chapel Hill vs. 9-Swansboro (Fri. 6 p.m.); 2-Jacksonville vs. 6-Fike (Fri. 5 p.m.)
2A East
Third-round scores: 1-Carrboro 5, 25-Midway 0; 4-Clinton 7, 5-N.C. School of Science and Math 0; 11-Currituck County 6, 3-Dixon 1; 7-First Flight 2, 18-Southwest Onslow 0
Fourth round: 1-Carrboro vs. 4-Clinton (Sat. 7 p.m.); 7-First Flight vs. 11-Currituck County (Fri. 6 p.m.)
1A East
Third-round scores: 1-Franklin Academy 3, 8-Woods Charter 1; 4-East Carteret 4, 12-Camden County 0; 3-Whiteville 6, 6-Trask 0; 10-Rosewood 4, 2-Spring Creek 0
Fourth round: 1-Franklin Academy vs. 4-East Carteret (Fri. 5 p.m.); 3-Whiteville vs. 10-Rosewood (Fri. 6 p.m.)
BOYS’ TENNIS
4A championship: Panther Creek vs. Page (Sat. approx. 1 p.m.
3A championship: Terry Sanford vs. Marvin Ridge (Sat. approx. 11 a.m.)
2A championship: N.C. School of Science and Math vs. Brevard (Sat. approx. noon)
1A championsihp: Raleigh Charter vs. Pine Lake Prep (Sat. 9 a.m.)
BOYS’ LACROSSE
4A championship: Cardinal Gibbons vs. Lake Norman (Sat. noon)
1A/2A/3A championship: Carrboro vs. Marvin Ridge (Fri. 7:30 p.m.)
GIRLS’ LACROSSE
Championship: Cardinal Gibbons vs. Lake Norman (Sat. 4 p.m.)
This story was originally published May 19, 2016 at 7:37 PM with the headline "Prep notebook: P.J. Lowman leaves Jordan-Matthews for Apex Friendship boys basketball."