ALL SECTIONS SEARCH 55° Clear SUBSCRIBE SIGN UP LOG IN NEWS CALENDAR PETS OPINION OBITUARIES CLASSIFIEDS JOBS SHOP LOCAL CONTESTS THE LATEST SPORTS FEATURED Roundup: Pinecrest Shakes Off Scoring Drought, Tops Middle Creek By JONATHAN BYM || jonathan@thepilot.com Nearly five minutes without posting a point on the board in the second quarter, the Pinecrest girls basketball team saw its lead evaporate. North Moore Fall Athletes Named All-Conference North Moore had 11 fall sport student-athletes named first team all-conference from the Mid-Carolina Conference following the conclusion of fall sports season over the weekend. Local Grapplers Take the Mats Two county wrestlers took home state titles last season as wrestling was one of the final sports taking place this past school year due to changes with the COVID-19 pandemic. Postseason Football Awards: Brock Named Top Defender In Sandhills Athletic Conference A dominant force up front for a greedy Pinecrest defense this season, senior defensive end Will Brock was well known by opposing offenses this season with his name coming out over the speakers at football stadiums across the Sandhills Athletic Conference this fall. Vikings Finish Runner Up at Jim Key Invitational With several starters out and four weight classes without an entry, the Union Pines wrestling team managed to finish second at the Jim Key Invitational hosted at Southern Durham Saturday. Ofosu, McMinimy Highlight Soccer Awards To close out their Pinecrest soccer careers, seniors Gerald Ofosu and Landon McMinimy were selected to the N.C. Soccer Coaches Association’s all-state team this week. Roundup: Late Push Leads Vikings Over Corinth Holders In Home Opener For the second night in a row, the Union Pines boys basketball team closed with an emphatic run to secure a nonconference win. County Teams Tip Off Hoops Season With the close of all fall sports last Friday, winter sports now takes centerstage with a few games scheduled the short week before Thanksgiving, only to pick up in full force next week. Driver Finds Validation in Signing with Belmont Abbey When Faith Driver signed her name on a National Letter of Intent to play volleyball next year at Belmont Abbey College, the Union Pines senior had the emotions that many high school seniors have of joy, relief and a surreal feeling. Roundup: UP's Boney Coaches 100th Win In Victory at Jack Britt The Union Pines boys basketball team opened their 2021-22 season with a road win over Jack Britt Monday night. It was back and forth all night between the two sides with the Vikings coming out on top to win 40-35 to give head coach Nick Boney his 100th win as the coach of the Vikings. Ketchum, Mitchell Finish Tops in Elite Invitational A field of 109 of some of the top junior golfers in the country descended to the area last weekend for the second annual Elite Invitational, with the two champions holding off a loaded field with a tough set up at the Longleaf Golf and Family Club. Pender Ends Mustangs’ Playoff Run, Historic Season Gathered under the shadows of one of the goalposts overlooking an empty football field Friday night, one word from North Moore coach Andrew Carrouth resonated through the frigid air to the ears of his team huddled up for one last time in uniform. Vikings Seniors’ Work Pays Off With College Signing The difference between good high school players and the ones that get a chance to play at the college level often comes down to hard work. Mustangs Prep for Different Rushing Attack in Pender Through nine games on the field this season, the North Moore football team has faced a variety of offensive schemes, but the team’s matchup in the third round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 1A state playoffs against Pender provides a look the Mustangs haven’t seen before. North Moore’s Not So Typical Two-Sport Athletes It’s not uncommon to see a boys soccer player dress out Friday nights to handle kicking duties for the football team. The football practice time for those types of players competing for two fall sports at the same time is usually a few minutes at the end of the week to go over the special te… Brase’s Journey Reaches 100 Wins at O’Neal The Hannah Center was center stage to a feat that not many coaches, at any level, are able to accomplish – 100 victories at a single school. Friday night, the Falcons added the illustrious 100th victory for varsity girls basketball coach Lulu Brase on their home floor over NCISAA 4A powerhou… The Right Mindset: Mustangs Defeat Gates to Snap Playoff Skid The North Moore football team has built up a reputation locally with their style of play. Hard-nosed and blue-collar like the area the players have grown up in, the Mustangs take pride in power running the ball and a stifling defense. Modlin, Marks Awarded Sandhills Volleyball Recognition The individual awards from the Sandhills Athletic Conference postseason volleyball honors were swept by Moore County’s two teams in the conference, the league announced this week. North Moore Soccer’s Run Ends at Rosewood More than 100 minutes of scoreless soccer between North Moore and Rosewood in the fourth round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 1A boys soccer state playoffs led to a dramatic finish in Rosewood Thursday. Four Pinecrest Student-Athletes Sign to Colleges A quartet of Pinecrest seniors inked their names on their National Letter of Intent to play sports at in-state colleges next year on the first day of the early signing period Wednesday inside the Pinecrest media center. Mustangs Host First Playoff Game Since 1996 North Moore football has been among the bottom tier of 1A football since the turn of the 21st century. Now one of the top seeds in the 1A East, the Mustangs’ historic season continues its meteoric rise into the postseason with the team looks to end a dry spell in the playoffs. Mustangs Soccer Gallops to Fourth Round For many of the 10 seniors on the North Moore boys soccer team, making a run to the fourth round of the state playoffs as a freshman has been a marquee moment in their high school careers. Moore County Runners Compete at State Championships Ten Moore County cross country runners went to the N.C. High School Athletic Association state championships hosted in Kernersville Saturday. Mustangs Advance to Third Round in Soccer Playoffs The North Moore boys soccer team continued on in the 1A state playoffs with a 5-1 win over Neuse Charter at home Friday in the second round. Rolesville Turns Away Patriots In Football Playoffs While the matchup was the same opponent as the one to open the season for the Pinecrest football team, the second half of the rematch Friday showed a Rolesville team battle tested and developed from the Week 1 version the Patriots claimed a win over. Hawks Soar to Third Round And End Pats Season After the first goal found the back of the net, and even after the second goal snuck into the Pinecrest goal, the Patriot boys soccer team’s demeanor didn’t stay down, and that’s what senior Landon McMinimy was proud of in his final high school soccer match. Elite Invitational Brings Top Future of Golf to Area Growing up in the game through the junior ranks all the way to some professional tours, Mason Carmel has experienced a lot of different types of golf tournaments in his lifetime. Pinecrest, Rolesville to Battle Again In what came as a surprise to many in Week 1 of the high school football season when the days were longer and the temperatures were higher, the Pinecrest football team defeated the reigning state runners-up, Rolesville, on the road. Roundup: Bentancourt’s Hat Trick Helps Mustangs to Second Round Lightning quick with the ball in his possession, North Moore sophomore Ricky Bentancourt has a way of making goal-scoring look easy, but his coach wanted him to try to variate his offensive attacks in the first round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 1A state playoffs Monday. 10 Local Runners Qualify for Cross Country States The Union Pines boys cross country team qualified for the N.C. High School Athletic Association cross country championships on Saturday with a fifth-place finish at the 3A Mideast regional hosted at Northwood. Quick Hits: Patriots Thump Rivals to Close Regular Season The build up for the Battle of the Pines matchup was there before kickoff. Students sections chanting back and forth, a parking lot packed with cars and people flooding into Woodrow Wilhoit Stadium, making the regular season finale have an electric feel before kickoff. Pinecrest, North Moore at Home to Start Football Playoffs Two Moore County football teams are in the field for the N.C. High School Athletic Association state playoffs that begin next week. Blitzed From The Start: Pinecrest Continues Run over Vikings From setting the tone on the opening kickoff, fueled partly by a prank left outside of the Pinecrest fieldhouse overnight, the Pinecrest football team continued its roll to close out the regular season in convincing fashion Friday at rival Union Pines. Mustangs, Patriots, Vikings Seeded in Soccer State Playoffs All three Moore County boys soccer teams were placed in the field for the N.C. High School Athletic Association state championships beginning Monday. What The Players Say About the Battle of the Pines Pinecrest and Union Pines meet on the football field for the second time in more than a decade this Friday in Carthage. This meeting comes at the end of the season as both teams are Sandhills Conference opponents. No Love Lost It’s finally rivalry week for high school football teams across the state, but with that comes a bittersweet moment. Mustangs Eye Best Regular Season Finish Since 1994 A win at Chatham Central Friday night could lead to the North Moore football team finishing the regular season with a 9-1 record, a finish that hasn’t happened at the school since the 1994 season. Battle of the Pines Preview: Rivalry Opens A New Chapter The rivalry between Pinecrest and Union Pines on the football field enters a new chapter this week. The cross-county matchup that had an eight-year hiatus following an on-field altercation between the sides in 2010 resumed two years ago, and now the Patriots and Vikings find themselves as co… Roundup: Playoff runs end for Vikings, Patriots in Volleyball Adjustments were made, but not quick enough for the Union Pines volleyball team at home Tuesday in the second round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association state playoffs at home. Vikings Take Second, Pinecrest Third at State Championships Improving by 16 strokes as a team from the first round to the final round on Tuesday, the Union Pines girls golf team stormed back to finish three shots off the lead at the N.C. High School Athletic Association 3A golf championship. Roundup: O’Neal Wins State Golf Title in Greensboro The O’Neal girls golf team rebounded after coming up short last year at the N.C. Independent School Athletic Association last season to win the Division II title Monday in Greensboro with an eight-shot win. Quick Hits: Everyone’s Happy After a Friday Full of Wins For the first time this season, all three county high schools walked off the football field with wins in Week 10. Pinecrest, Union Pines into Volleyball Second Round Three-set wins for the Pinecrest and Union Pines volleyball teams kicked off the first round of the NCHSAA state playoffs at home Saturday. Pinecrest's Karjala Reaches Milestone, But Strives for More Her career assists total now is more than 1,000, but Pinecrest volleyball junior Sydney Karjala knows that the total is much more than just a perfectly placed two-handed set to her hitters. A 3-0 Friday: Vikings Lock Down Southern Lee While the last win for the Union Pines football team came in its last home game four weeks ago, the time since has felt a lot longer for the Vikings. O’Neal’s Captain’s Council a New Element of the Leadership Program The O'Neal School's Athletic Department is proud to announce the inaugural year of the "Captains Council." The Captain's Council is the newest component of the O’Neal School’s broader Leadership Program and seeks to develop responsible and respected captains on our sports teams. Three Home Volleyball Playoff Games in First Round All three Moore County volleyball teams were given home contests to open the N.C. High School Athletic Association state volleyball playoffs that open Saturday. Home Sweet Home It’s been a while since any of the three Moore County football teams have played a home game on a Friday night. Roundup: Pinecrest Earns Third Win Over Vikings for Tourney Title The third meeting between Pinecrest and Union Pines in volleyball came on the biggest conference stage for the Sandhills Athletic Conference tournament championship match. Both teams were already locked into the top seed in their respective classifications, but the third meeting between the … Week 10 Preview: Vikings, Cavs Vie for First Conference Win On top of the homecoming buzz around Union Pines’ home Sandhills Athletic Conference matchup against Southern Lee, both sides come into the contest looking to claim a much needed win. Roundup: Pinecrest, Union Pines Set For Round 3 In Volleyball Shaking off slow starts, the Pinecrest volleyball team defeated Southern Lee at home Tuesday in the semifinals of the Sandhills Athletic Conference championships. CALENDAR DEC 1 The Lure of Southern Pines Postcard Exhibit Wed, Dec 1, 2021 DEC 2 The Lure of Southern Pines Postcard Exhibit Thu, Dec 2, 2021 DEC 2 Christmas Spectacular for BackPack Pals Thu, Dec 2, 2021 DEC 3 The Lure of Southern Pines Postcard Exhibit Fri, Dec 3, 2021 DEC 3 A Christmas Story Fri, Dec 3, 2021 SITE FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES/PAY BILL VACATION STARTS/STOPS SUBSCRIBE ADVERTISE ABOUT US CONTACT US ARCHIVES SEARCH Facebook Twitter YouTube © 2020 All contents © The Pilot LLC. Contents cannot be reproduced or used without express written consent of the publisher. Please read our TERMS OF USE and our PRIVACY POLICY. Physical Address: 145 W Pennsylvania Avenue, Southern Pines, NC Mailing Address: P.O. Box 58, Southern Pines, NC 28388 910-692-7271 Fax:910-692-9382