Aeration - Carolina Weekly Newspapers
Aeration - Carolina Weekly Newspapers
Aeration - Carolina Weekly Newspapers
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SPORTS<br />
Titans don’t have stars, but<br />
well-rounded effort could yield title<br />
by Chris Hunt<br />
chris@huntersvilleherald.com<br />
When it comes to winning a high school state championship,<br />
it seems easier for Mecklenburg County schools<br />
to stockpile talent instead of squeezing maximum effort<br />
out of a close-knit group of overachieving athletes. These<br />
days, there simply are more stories about teams loaded<br />
with college-level talent that have gone on to win titles<br />
than there are heartwarming accounts of underdogs rising<br />
to the occasion.<br />
But if you’re interested in a unassuming team that just<br />
might be on a championship run, than you should follow<br />
Hopewell’s girls volleyball team this season.<br />
After graduating their top two athletes from a unit that<br />
finished with a 23-6 record last season, the Titans gelled<br />
to win their first 18 matches in 2010. What’s surprising<br />
about Hopewell is that it’s dismantling the competition<br />
without Division I college recruits.<br />
More than halfway through the I-MECK 4A schedule,<br />
the Titans have lost just three games in best-out-of-three<br />
matches and hold a commanding lead at the top of the<br />
standings with a 11-0 mark. Hopewell is doing it without<br />
a towering 6-foot-3 outside hitter most powerhouse<br />
clubs use to climb high above opposing team’s blocks<br />
for key points. The Titans’ early-season performance is<br />
so impressive; it’s been a surprise to their own coach,<br />
Rhonda Auman, who knew the team’s potential better<br />
than anyone.<br />
“Entering the season, I thought we could be in first<br />
place in the conference, but I didn’t think we would be<br />
undefeated after 18 games,” said Auman. “We have a tight<br />
bunch of girls that generally like each other. It would be<br />
nice to have two more 6-foot players, but I wouldn’t trade<br />
The Hopewell volleyball team is off to an 18-1 start this season. The team includes (from left) Dallas Burnette, Adrian Eppley and<br />
Caroline Hughes.<br />
any of my girls for them.”<br />
The groundwork for Hopewell’s run was laid out last<br />
season when the Titans had two tall outside hitters in<br />
North <strong>Carolina</strong> recruit Chaniel Nelson, who led the team<br />
with 204 kills, and hard-spiking Brie Levitski. When<br />
both battled long stretches off the floor with injuries, the<br />
Titans needed to find another way to win matches. They<br />
did so by relying on the entire squad instead of expecting<br />
too much from one or two players.<br />
This season, eight seniors returned to the floor with a<br />
confidence that caught many teams by surprise. A valiant,<br />
come-from-behind victory over state powerhouse<br />
Winston-Salem Mount Tabor (14-2) for their 14th victory<br />
was the Titans’ coming-out party. In that match, the<br />
Titans were down two games before rallying to win 26-28,<br />
25-16, 25-22, 25-23, 15-13. Senior Hannah Early led the<br />
Titans with 18 kills, while outside hitter Rachel Eppley<br />
chipped in 10 points and 42 digs. Eppley’s older sister,<br />
Adrian, controlled the floor with 30 assists from the setter<br />
(see Titans on page 41)<br />
Chris Hunt/Herald photo<br />
Are JV Patriots ready for big time?<br />
Chris Hunt/Herald photo<br />
The Davidson Day junior varsity football team is scoring more than 50 points per game this season.<br />
Pictured above (from left) are Josh Barclay, Will Grier, coach Chad Grier, Aaron Seward and Jordan<br />
Young.<br />
Page 34 • The Herald <strong>Weekly</strong> • Oct. 1-7, 2010<br />
by Chris Hunt<br />
chris@huntersvilleherald.com<br />
It seems the Davidson Day football<br />
program has been getting a lot of attention<br />
these days. Some might think all the<br />
hoopla is unwarranted because the Patriots<br />
are still in their infancy, just a junior<br />
varsity squad in the program’s inaugural<br />
season.<br />
Right now, it’s difficult to argue against<br />
the skeptics. Davidson Day still needs to<br />
prove itself at the varsity level next season<br />
before donning the crown as the county’s<br />
next great private-school football program.<br />
Yet it’s still hard to ignore the way the<br />
Patriots have dismantled the feeder programs<br />
to some of the most respected<br />
teams in the state. In its first three games,<br />
Davidson Day manhandled the junior<br />
varsity teams of state championship<br />
programs from Charlotte Latin, Rock Hill<br />
South Pointe and Hilton Head Christian<br />
by a combined score of 174-12. Since<br />
then, the Patriots have rocked independent<br />
teams Arden Christ School, Asheville<br />
School and the AFC Rangers by doubledigit<br />
margins.<br />
The Patriot defense is just as stout, having<br />
scored 11 touchdowns on its own and<br />
allowing just 18 points in Davidson Day’s<br />
six victories this season. And when opponents<br />
did score, it was with the emphasis<br />
of a popgun instead of a cannon. One<br />
of those touchdowns was the result of a<br />
1-yard drive after a Patriot turnover, while<br />
the second score came courtesy of an<br />
opponent’s rare kickoff return.<br />
And to think, Davidson Day coach Chad<br />
Grier was worried about his team’s schedule<br />
entering the season.<br />
“We put together a strong schedule for<br />
(see Patriots on page 41)<br />
www.huntersvilleherald.com
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