Prep notes: Young Cummings girls gain experience at State Games

The Cummings girls' basketball team brought back 12 players from its solid 2007-08 season. The only problem is, of those 12, eight were freshman and sophomores with limited on-court experience.

So the month's worth of summer work Cummings coach Freddie Shoffner had laid out for his team took on added importance.

The Cavaliers capped that month with a last weekend's State Games of North Carolina at Guilford College.

Cummings went 0-4, falling to Durham Riverside 63-44 and Greensboro Grimsley 50-48 on Friday. On Saturday, Cummings dropped a 53-19 decision to Lake Norman and a 53-39 contest against South Caldwell.

"It was tough, but I think we got good experience," Shoffner said. "We got better with every game."

Winston-Salem Parkland took the girls' gold medal, downing High Point Andrews in the final. Middle Creek finished with the bronze. Greensboro Dudley took the gold in the boys' competition, defeating Ragsdale in the championship game. Durham Riverside took home the bronze.

The Cavaliers are coming off of a season that saw them go 20-8 overall and 13-5 in the Mid-State 2-A Conference and reach the second round of the Class 2-A playoffs.

Shoffner said he returns just two seniors and two juniors from that squad.

The new crop of Cavaliers saw plenty of action this summer, taking part in a league with Bishop McGuinness, Graham, Greensboro Dudley, Greensboro Smith and Orange. Shoffner also took his team to scrimmages at Eastern Alamance.

"The more you play, the more you get better," Shoffner said. "I felt like we got better."

STATE-WIDE HONORS: The Gatorade Player of the Year for softball in North Carolina is Chelsea Leonard of Central Davidson. The junior pitcher posted a 29-0 record with 0.07 earned run average. She notched 439 strikeouts in 190 innings as the Spartans (33-0) won the Class 2-A state championship. She also batted .411 with 24 RBI.

The Athlete of the Year for boys' track and field in the state went to Dylan Ferris of East Forsyth, becoming the school's first selection in the sport. As a senior, he won the 800- and 1,600-meter runs in the Class 4-A state meet. He has signed a letter-of-intent to compete for Stanford.

The girls' track and field award went to Southern Durham's Jacinda Evans. The senior sprinter and jumper completed a four-year sweep of the long jump in the Class 4-A state meet. She also won the triple jump, 100 dash and 200 dash in this year's state meet. She also played volleyball, but she is headed to North Carolina on a track and field scholarship.

TEAMS NEEDED: There are openings for the 2009 Jimmie R. Grimsley Hot Stove Baseball Tournament at Guy Smith Stadium in Greenville. The tournament is held April 11, 13 and 14. Eastern Wayne and North Lenoir are already in the field. Greenville Conley plays most years. For information, contact Grimsley at (252) 917-2241 or (252) 756-2240.