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Winter weather, COVID pound HS hoops schedule. Here's what remains for the regular season

joe l hughes ii, the gaston gazette
·6 min read
Even as a second round of winter weather bore down on Gaston County on Friday, Jan. 21, rivals Stuart Cramer hosted South Point in a high school basketball doubleheader.
Even as a second round of winter weather bore down on Gaston County on Friday, Jan. 21, rivals Stuart Cramer hosted South Point in a high school basketball doubleheader.

There aren’t too many guarantees in life, but in the midst of an early January road test Stuart Cramer boys basketball coach Brad Sloan felt he had one in the bag.

“I told one of the referees during a free throw, ‘I don’t know if this game (at Kings Mountain) is going to work in our favor or not, but man this is a heckuva game,’” he said. “(The basketball referee) then told me that he loved being part of these types of games, and that he wouldn’t see another like it for another month. To which I told him, ‘With these guys, Crest and others in our conference, come to our place and I guarantee you’ll see it again.’”

Of late however, the uncertainties of life have proven more problematic.

Already stressed due to COVID-19 protocols, recent winter weather has only added to scheduling concerns for area high school basketball coaches and athletic directors.

“We just had to reschedule (an early January game), so I only wonder how much more our schedule can take,” Sloan said following Stuart Cramer’s 88-82 loss to Stuart Cramer on Jan. 11.

That was before snow and ice crippled Gaston County, closing schools Tuesday and Wednesday of last week. Stuart Cramer eventually took the floor on Thursday and Friday, following a hard-fought win over Forestview with a gut-wrenching defeat at the hand of rival South Point.

Stuart Cramer will play three games each of the next two weeks, taking care of a scheduling glut caused by COVID-19 protocols. The schedules for Shelby’s hoops programs are under similar stress, now to hit the floor five times in seven nights after this past week’s slate was scrubbed due to recent winter weather.

Kings Mountain’s boys squad was in the gym Friday night when its matchup with Hunter Huss was postponed. Two other Mountaineer attempts to play last week were unsuccessful, one a highly-anticipated clash with rival Crest for the Big South 3A lead.

Those games have been rescheduled.

Below is a look at the remaining schedules for basketball teams in Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties, including games rescheduled due to COVID protocols, weather or otherwise.

More: Quick Hits: Bessemer City's dynamic duo turns it up a notch in conference road test

More: Quick Hits: Quadruple-double at Gaston Christian, South Point boys settle score with rival

Remaining schedules

Ashbrook's Emerald Butler tries to lift a shot as Kings Mountain's Tyasa Bell defends during Friday's game in Gastonia.
Ashbrook's Emerald Butler tries to lift a shot as Kings Mountain's Tyasa Bell defends during Friday's game in Gastonia.

Big South 3A

Tuesday, Jan. 25: Kings Mountain at North Gaston, Crest at Stuart Cramer, Forestview at Ashbrook, Hunter Huss at South Point

Wednesday, Jan. 26: Hunter Huss at Stuart Cramer, Ashbrook at Forestview, Crest at Kings Mountain

Friday, Jan. 28: Crest at South Point, Stuart Cramer at Hunter Huss, Ashbrook at North Gaston, Kings Mountain at Forestview

Tuesday, Feb. 1: Stuart Cramer at Ashbrook, South Point at Kings Mountain, North Gaston at Crest, Forestview at Hunter Huss

Wednesday, Feb. 2: Stuart Cramer at Crest, Highland Tech at Ashbrook, Kings Mountain at Shelby

Thursday, Feb. 3: Forestview at North Gaston

Friday, Feb. 4: Hunter Huss at North Gaston, Kings Mountain at Stuart Cramer, Crest at Forestview, South Point at Ashbrook

Saturday, Feb. 5: Forestview at Kings Mountain

Monday, Feb. 7: Forestview at Crest

Tuesday, Feb. 8: Crest at Hunter Huss, North Gaston at Stuart Cramer, Ashbrook at Kings Mountain, Forestview at South Point

Wednesday, Feb. 9: South Point at East Gaston, Hunter Huss at Kings Mountain (boys)

Friday, Feb. 11: South Point at North Gaston, Kings Mountain at Crest, Stuart Cramer at Forestview, Hunter Huss at Ashbrook

Dates to be determined: Hunter Huss at Crest

Shelby's Drew Hollifield (right) goes strong toward the basket during his team's hoops matchup with Cherryville on Dec. 17, 2021.
Shelby's Drew Hollifield (right) goes strong toward the basket during his team's hoops matchup with Cherryville on Dec. 17, 2021.

Southern Piedmont 1A/2A

Monday, Jan. 24: NC School for the Deaf at Cherryville

Tuesday, Jan. 25: Thomas Jefferson at Bessemer City, Burns at Highland Tech, Cherryville at Shelby

Wednesday, Jan. 26: Thomas Jefferson at East Gaston, Bessemer City at Highland Tech, Shelby at Burns

Friday, Jan. 28: Highland Tech at Shelby, Bessemer City at Cherryville, East Gaston at Thomas Jefferson

Monday, Jan. 31: Shelby at Thomas Jefferson, East Rutherford at Burns

Tuesday, Feb. 1: Bessemer City at East Gaston, Thomas Jefferson at Highland Tech, Cherryville at Burns

Wednesday, Feb. 2: Highland Tech at Ashbrook, Kings Mountain at Shelby

Friday, Feb. 4: Shelby at East Gaston, Cherryville at Highland Tech, Burns at Bessemer City, Asheville Trailblazers at Thomas Jefferson

Monday, Feb. 7: Cherryville at NC School for the Deaf, Shelby at Bessemer City

Tuesday, Feb. 8: Burns at East Gaston, Thomas Jefferson at Shelby

Wednesday, Feb. 9: South Point at East Gaston

Friday, Feb. 11: East Gaston at Bessemer City, Thomas Jefferson at Burns

Date to be determined: Highland Tech at Bessemer City

Other area schools

East Lincoln: at Statesville (Jan. 25), at North Lincoln (Jan. 26), vs. West Iredell (Jan. 28), at Foard (Feb. 1), vs. Hickory (Feb. 2), at St. Stephens (Feb. 4), at North Iredell (Feb. 8), vs. North Lincoln (Feb. 11)

Gaston Christian: at Northside Christian (Jan. 25), vs. Gaston Day (Jan. 27), vs. Westminster Catawba (Jan. 28), vs. Concord Academy (Feb. 1), at Metrolina Christian (Feb. 3), at Hickory Grove Christian (Feb. 4)

Gaston Day: at Westminster Catawba (Jan. 25), at Gaston Christian (Jan. 27), at SouthLake Christian (Jan. 29), vs. Hickory Grove Christian (Feb. 1), at Northside Christian (Feb. 4)

Lincolnton: vs. Maiden (TBD), at West Lincoln (TBD), Bunker Hill (TBD), at Newton-Conover (Jan. 25), at Bandys (Jan. 28), vs. West Caldwell (Feb. 1), vs. East Burke (Feb. 4), at Maiden (Feb. 8), vs. West Lincoln (Feb. 11)

Lincoln Charter: at Pine Lake Prep (TBD), at Langtree Charter (Jan. 25), vs. Christ the King (Jan. 28), vs. Henderson Collegiate (Jan. 29), at Mountain Island Charter (Feb. 1), at Community School of Davidson (Feb. 4), vs. Pine Lake Prep (Feb. 8)

Mountain Island Charter: vs. Pine Lake Prep (Jan. 24), at Pine Lake Prep (Jan. 26), vs. Community School of Davidson (Jan. 28), vs. Langtree Charter (Jan. 31), vs. Lincoln Charter (Feb. 1), vs. Christ the King (Feb. 3), at Christ the King (Feb. 8), at Langtree Charter (Feb. 10)

North Lincoln: vs. Statesville (TBD), at Hickory (Jan. 25), vs. East Lincoln (Jan. 26), vs. North Iredell (Jan. 28), at St. Stephens (Feb. 1), vs. Foard (Feb. 4), at West Iredell (Feb. 8), at East Lincoln (Feb. 11)

Piedmont Community Charter: vs. Apprentice Academy, at Bradford Prep (TBD); vs. Carolina International (Jan. 25), at Arborbrook Christian (Jan. 27), vs. Sugar Creek (Jan. 28), at Cabarrus Charter (Feb. 1), vs. Queen’s Grant (Feb. 4), at Sugar Creek (Feb. 7), at Corvian Community (Feb. 8), vs. Bradford Prep (Feb. 11)

West Lincoln: at Bandys (Jan. 21), at Maiden (Jan. 25), vs. Bunker Hill (Jan. 28), vs. Newton-Conover (Feb. 1), vs. West Caldwell (Feb. 4), at East Burke (Feb. 8), at Lincolnton (Feb. 11)

You can reach Joe Hughes at 704-914-8138, email jhughes@gastongazette.com and follow on Twitter @JoeLHughesII.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: COVID, winter weather continue to alter HS sports schedule