by Chris Hunt





Hopewell High wrestler Nick Watson swept his matches to win the 215-pound division at the 43rd annual Jim Hayes Invitational at East Mecklenburg High Dec. 4.



Watson pinned the field in a combined 3 minutes, 43 seconds. In the first round, he defeated Boiling Springs Crest’s Thomas Willis in 34 seconds. His next match, against Ardrey Kell’s Danny Kim, took 1:03, followed by wins over Independence’s Jabari Cuffie (57 seconds) and North Gaston’s Cody Willett (1:09).



The Titans finished ninth among 20 teams. Hopewell’s Wesley Petrick was second in the 112-pound weight class with a 3-1 record. Ed Stokes (135 pounds) and Tyshaun Cochran (285) were fourth.







Hough swimmers make history



The first-year Hough boys and girls swim teams won their first I-MECK 4A conference matches, defeating Mooresville and West Charlotte.



The Huskies boys outscored the Blue Devils, 201-55, and the Lions, 202-20. The Hough girls were even more impressive with routs of Mooresville (213-53) and West Charlotte (216-3).



The Huskies won every event in the three-team meet. Alexandria Kitchens (200-yard freestyle), Payton Schrum (200 individual



medley, 100 breaststroke), Carson Slayton (50 free), Shannon Bauer (100 butterfly), Heather Merritt (100 free, 100 backstroke) and Brooke Schroeder (500 free) took individual events for the Hough girls. Jack Manchester (200 free, 500 free), Andrew Botelho (200 IM, 100 backstroke), Max Hofman (50 free), Alex Kirven (100 fly), Patrick Cowley (100 free) and Andrew Petry (100 breaststroke) chipped in wins on the boys side.



Patriot football players honored



Four Davidson Day football players will compete in the Elite High School Underclassmen Showcase on Dec. 29.



Tight end/defensive end Aaron D. Seward, quarterback Will Grier, receiver/defensive back Ronnie Jenkins and running back/defensive back Jordan Brown were selected for the 2010 Junior Rank Elite High School Underclassman Showcase Dec. 29 in Tempe, Arizona.



The Davidson Day players also will attend the Insight Bowl and receive recognition at halftime on ESPN’s broadcast of the game on Dec. 28.



Wildcats coach wins golf tournament



On Dec. 2, Davidson College men’s golf coach Tim Straub teamed with Wake Forest coach Jerry Haas to win the 2010 Carolinas PGA AHEAD E-Z-GO Pro-Pro Championship presented by Sundog Eyewear.



The duo posted scores of 64, 65 and 66 to claim their first championship and a two-shot victory at 20 under par. The event was held at Pine Needles Golf Club, Pinewild Country Club of Pinehurst and Pinehurst No. 8. Haas and Straub made just two bogeys in the 54-hole tournament, firing birdies on 20 holes and making one eagle.



Lake Norman hosts fishing event



Visit Lake Norman will host the fifth annual Ryan Newman Foundation Charity Fishing Tournament at Blythe Landing on Saturday, Dec. 11.  The tournament features NASCAR stars and professional anglers, as well as open registration for amateur fisherman.



Proceeds from the event will benefit the Ryan Newman Charity Foundation. Tournament Anglers will launch from Blythe at sunrise, with the celebrity portion of the tournament beginning at 10 a.m. Weigh-ins for anglers and celebrities both begin at 3 p.m. on the BASS tournament stage. Celebrity fishermen include NASCAR’s Newman, Martin Truex Jr. and Clint Bowyer; country music star Bridgette Tatum; and Nashville songwriters Danny Myrick, Kendall Marvel and Tim James. The public is welcome to attend the launches and weigh-ins.



For more information, visit www.ryannewmanfoundation.org/comingevents/fishingtournament.