Highlands School
Highlands tipped off the week with road games at Murphy High School on Wednesday, Jan. 14.
Despite an impressive 15-point, seven-rebound performance from Jonathan Carpenter, the JV boys fell 52-40 and dropped to 3-10.
The Lady Highlanders put up a strong fight against the Lady Bulldogs but fell just short of a comeback, losing 37–33. Hunter Conner led the team with 15 points and eight rebounds, while Jordyn Borino added 10 points.
The varsity boys came up short against a talented Bulldogs team, falling 73-53. Bryan Jarquin finished with a team-high 13 points.
On Friday, Jan. 16, the Lady Highlanders bounced back against Nantahala, dominating the Lady Hawks on both sides of the court thanks to a 25-point performance from Borino and an 18-point, 14-rebound double-double from Hunter Connor. The varsity girls captured a 56-14 win and moved to 10-5 on the season.
In a 49-43 thriller, the varsity boys dropped a tight contest against a formidable region-opponent. Paolo McRae impressed with 20 points and nine rebounds, while Isaiah Vilardo finished with 10 points and 8 rebounds.
“Defensively we played pretty well overall, but offensively we really struggled,” said Head Coach Kaitlin Bishop. “We got a lot of really good shots throughout the game but just could not get it to go in the basket.”
Blue Ridge Early College
The Lady Bobcats earned their first victory since Nov. 24 in a strong 69-48 showing over Nantahala on Tuesday, Jan. 13. Both Brooklyn Kenney and McKenzie Woods recorded double-doubles, with Kenney scoring 23 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, and Woods adding 26 points and 11 rebounds.
“We were able to force turnovers and convert those steals into points. We went on a few runs that helped us get a big lead in the fourth quarter,” said Head Coach Tim Mayse. “I was very proud of the way our girls played the whole game.”
Despite a double-double from Dakota Kinsey, who scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, the varsity boys were unable to replicate the girls’ success, falling 62–49 to the Hawks.
On Friday, Jan. 16, both varsity teams came up short against Rosman. The girls fell 61-28, while the boys lost 73-41, leaving both teams at 2-10.
Summit Charter
The Lady Bears went 1-2 last week, earning a 61-53 win over Hiwassee Dam on Friday, Jan. 16. They sit at 9-7.
The varsity boys fell to Robbinsville and Hiwassee Dam, dropping their overall record to 4-9.
- Mitch Stone
reporter@highlandsnews.com