Annual NC East-West All-Star Games cap big week

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GREENSBORO — During the week-long North Carolina Coaches Convention at the Greensboro Coliseum the annual East-West All-Star games continued to prosper.

Last week was no exception as more than 100 student-athletes across the Tar Heel state, including Woods Charter’s own Luka Noronha, competed in three sports.

On Monday night at the Greensboro Coliseum, women’s basketball kicked off the highly-anticipated games with the East downing the West 81-78 behind a game-high 20 points and eight rebounds from Alexandria Scrugg of E.E. Smith who was named as the MVP of the contest. Kendal Moore of Pine Forest added 17 points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal in the victory for the East which used a 30-17 run second quarter to take a lead that it never would relinquish.

The West placed four players in double figures in the loss including Ellie Sutphin of East Surry with 17, Lyrik Thorne of Ledford with 16, Janiya Downs of South Rowan with 12, and Shaunae Sawyers of Mount Airy with 10.

In the men’s contest later that evening it was Jay’den Turner of Southwest Guilford collecting 24 points and eight rebounds to spark the West to a dominating 119-80 thrashing of the East.

The West outscored the East 30-17 in the opening period and 31-11 in the second to go up by a commanding 61-28 tally at the intermission.

Turner was one of six players in double figures as Gavin Rains of Wheatmore added 16, Dhieu Deing 15 of High Point Central, Bryson Childress 14 of North Stanly, and Ben Beeker of Hendersonville and Fletcher Abee of Morganton Freedom 11 points each. Rains added 13 boards in the win.

The East was led by 19 points and nine rebounds from Imajae Dodd of Greene Central while Shykiem Phillips of South Central chipped in 12 points and Phillip Burwell of Millbrook and Brion McLaurin of Seventy-First 11 points apiece.

On Tuesday evening at MacPherson Stadium in Browns Summit, the women’s soccer match started the evening with the West edging the East 3-2 in an exciting contest.

Alex Kerr of Chapel Hill was the difference in the game as the Tigers’ star tallied three goals in the win, both coming in the opening half. Kerr scored at the 14:06 mark of the opening period on a quick turnaround blast from 19 yards into the top left corner before adding a bending crossing shot 38:02 into the period to send the East up 2-1 at the half. Tatum Neff of Page scored on a breakaway goal off a nice assist from Laura Harris of Grimsley to tie the score at 1-1 at the 20:17 mark of the opening half.

The East would collect the eventual game-winner at the 53:13 mark of the second period when Gracie Stoltz of Green Hope punched in a rebound shot.

Logan Farrelly of Northwest Guilford scored 70:14 into the game to draw the West within 3-2 before the East held on for the victory.

Kerr was chosen as the MVP of the game.

In the men’s game, Noronha earned the start for the East squad but it was the West that came out on top 1-0 behind a second half goal at the 69;05 mark by Jair Alvarez of Watauga off an assist from Brandon Linares of Bishop McGuiness. Alvarez scored from 10 yards out after an initial shot from 23 yards out.

Alvarez was named the MVP of the game.

The games concluded on Wednesday night with the always highly anticipated football game complete with a halftime fireworks display that rivals any in the state of North Carolina.

When all was said and done, it was the East All-Stars using a tenacious defensive effort to best the West 20-8 at Jamieson Stadium on the campus of Grimsley High School in front of over 6,000 fans.

The East All-Stars didn’t allow a first down by the West in the contest while limiting its adversaries to just 15 total yards on 32 offensive plays behind stalwart defensive efforts from the likes of linebacker Josh Williams of Havelock, Milton Chandler of Jacksonville, Isaac Anderson of Southwest Onslow and Kentreaz Coston of Edenton Holmes. Williams had two unassisted tackles and three assisted tackles in the contest while Coston stepped in front of a Trey Sheppard pass and returned it 20 yards with just 1:29 left in the opening half to give the victors the lead for good at 13-8.

Despite the offensive woes of the West the contest was still in doubt until 1:34 left in the game when Keon Caudle of Tarboro darted in from 8 yards out before Declan Hall of South Brunswick punched through the PAT kick to make the final 20-8. Caudle finished with 119 yards rushing on 18 carries in the contest while Kyler Davis of Seventy-First was 5-of-9 passing for 116 yards for the East, with Lamont Murray of Pamlico catching two of those aerials for 88 yards, including an 81 yard touchdown at the 8:15 mark of the first quarter to give the victors an early 7-0 advantage.

The West would take the lead moments later when the teams traded possessions and Kenneth Washington of picked up a loose pigskin and rambled 69 yards for a defensive touchdown. JahTwan Stafford of Monroe hauled in the conversion pass from Jackson Greene of Watauga to give the West an 8-7 lead.

In the end the dominance of the East defensively was the difference in the contest as the winners completely stuffed the West on the line of scrimmage before storming back with 13 unanswered points to get the 20-8 victory.

Caudle was named the Offensive MVP of the contest while Alex Kale of Shelby Crest was chosen the Defensive MVP after garnering 7 tackles, including a pair of solos.