Monday, Jan. 28, 2013

The Point After: Mustangs affecting Mustangs

Is it possible for one sports team at a high school to influence others?

Middle Creek girls’ basketball coach Wes Petty will tell you the answer is yes.

After a road win at Fuquay-Varina, Petty had some interesting things to say about his team’s cohesiveness.

“I think if you look at all the sports at Middle Creek, I think a lot of us learned from the baseball team last year. Coach (Jeremy) Thompson and those kids, when they won that state championship, they really cared about each other,” he said.

“There was no selfishness, there was no ‘me,’ there was no ‘I,’ it was all about the team. And I think that carried over to all of our teams.”

Nassif to coach Falcons

The defending girls’ lacrosse state champions finally have a new coach.

Joe Nassif, who has assisted with the school’s football and boys’ lacrosse teams in the past, will take over the Falcons this year. Green Hope went 20-0 last season.

Stevens returns for Cary

Cary’s girls’ basketball team had high hopes for this season but started the year 5-13 as junior forward Azura Stevens sat out with a fractured leg.

The 6-foot-6 Stevens returned last Wednesday for Cary, and the result was a 51-40 win against Apex as Stevens scored 18. The seventh-place Imps could throw a wrench into the race for a playoff spot.

Beeler signs with Campbell

Middle Creek offensive lineman Ryan Beeler committed to Campbell, and it’s worth noting that he’ll be protecting the same quarterback he did last season: David Salmon.

Salmon graduated Middle Creek early and already is attending Campbell.

Salmon’s graduation also is a blow to Middle Creek’s baseball team, as Salmon was a standout right fielder for the 2012 4A state champions.

McDonnell going to ECU

Maura McDonnell, the standout Green Hope athlete on track for 16 varsity letters – four years of cross country, indoor track, outdoor track and girls’ soccer – knows what she’ll be doing next year. McDonnell has committed to East Carolina for cross country.