ELIZABETHTOWN – League champion West Bladen placed six players on the All-Southeastern 2-A Conference baseball team and first-year coach Clint Allen shared Coach of the Year honors with Midway’s Justin Carroll among 28 Knights athletes honored for their performances during spring sports seasons.
Garrett Dunham, Cade Allen, Brady Durden, Hunter Hester, J.T. Hepler and Ashton Davis represented West Bladen on the baseball team that beat Midway 8-6 in a playoff game to win the league title. Hepler (.434) and Allen (.419) each batted over .400. Dunham batted .369 and struck out 21 batters in 16 innings on the mound. Durden was the Knights’ pitching ace, allowing only 3 earned run in 40.1 innings. Hester batted. 320. Davis batted .338.
The Knights finished 17-5 and were seeded No. 1 in the East for the N.C. High School Athletic Association playoffs, but were upset by conference rival St. Pauls 5-4 in the first round.
West Bladen softball players selected to the all-conference squad were Kali Allen (.375, 16 RBIs), Addison Wilcox (.357, 11 stolen bases), Marlene Crabtree (6-3, 3.71 ERA), Brenna Hester (4 runners caught stealing, .217) and Holland Davis (.259, 10 RBIs.)
The Knights (10-8) placed second in the conference and lost to Bunn 5-3 in the first round of the state playoffs.
Makenna Thurman, Faith Wren and Jazmy Funez Aranda represented West Bladen on the all-conference girls’ soccer team. Funez Aranda led the Knights (2-17-3) with 8 goals. Thurman had a team high 97 steals. Wren had 66 steals.
Other West Bladen all-conference selections were:
Boys’ Tennis: Luke Beck.
Boys’ Golf: Seth Faircloth.
Boys’ Track: Damontre Love, Calvin Sinclair, Raul Morales, Jennsen Martinez, Michael Maldonado and Dylan Taylor.
Girls’ Track: Janavia Adams, Tahlela Bethea, JaNya McKeithan, Honesti Sinclair, Alajeh McMillan and Jrya Best.
Also selected to all-conference teams were:
Baseball: Midway – Wyatt Scott, Wyatt Herring, Carson Tew, Tanner Williams, Harry Johnson and Luke Peterson; Clinton – Jaxson Smith, Henry Bass, Brennon Bell and Cooper Sessoms; Fairmont – Nehemiah Chavis and Mynkoda Smith; St. Pauls – Jaylen Jacobs; Red Springs – Xavier Sinclair and Terry Locklear. Player of the Year – Jaxson Smith, Clinton.
Softball: Midway – Jordyn Christopher, Ella Clark, Mollie Bass, Kiley Ives, Karabeth Benton and Sam Carter; St. Pauls – Madison Locklear, Angel Purcell, Hailey Ray and Kayla Williams; Fairmont – Jamey Quinata, Layla Hunt and Cecila Chavis; Clinton – Carmela Charlton and Krislyn Bryant; Red Springs – Ava Goins and Telina Pate. Player of the Year – Kyleigh Stonerock, Midway. Coach of the Year – Susan Clark, Midway.