Northwestern 3A-4A has trio of head
coaches with 400 or more career wins
By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
HIGH SCHOOL VARSITY BASEBALL
Note: COVID-19 eventually forced the 2020 season to be stopped and there were no state playoffs.
SOUTH FORK 2A
Conf All
Maiden 2-0 6-0
LN Charter 2-0 3-2
Lincolnton 1-1 4-1
N. Lincoln 1-1 4-1
W. Lincoln 1-1 3-1
E. Lincoln 1-1 2-3
Bandys 0-2 3-3
Newton-Con. 0-2 0-4
NORTHWESTERN FOOTHILLS 2A
Conf All
Bunker Hill 2-0 4-2
Hibriten 1-0 3-1
Patton 1-0 3-2
Fred T. Foard 1-0 2-3
E. Burke 0-1 0-3
Draughn 0-1 0-4
W. Caldwell 0-1 0-5
W. Iredell 0-2 2-3
NORTHWESTERN 3A-4A
Conf All
S. Caldwell 1-0 4-0
Hickory 1-0 4-1
Alex Central 1-0 3-2
Freedom 1-0 3-2
McDowell 1-1 4-2
Watauga 0-2 1-3
St. Stephens 0-2 1-5
RECORDS OVER PREVIOUS 10 SEASONS
(Ranked by winning percentage, unofficial records from 2011 through 2020)
School Wins Pct.
S. Caldwell 204 .829
Bunker Hill 176 .712
Alex Central 150 .597
Hickory 136 .578
Patton 125 .527
Fred T. Foard 116 .517
Maiden 115 .522
Bandys 108 .497
Hibriten 106 .493
St. Stephens 95 .450
Draughn 85 .416
W. Caldwell 77 .367
Freedom 69 .333
E. Burke 51 .242
Newton-Con. 47 .221
SOURCE: HobbsDailyReport.com research and files.
TIDBITS ENTERING THE 2021 SEASON
NEW FORMAT
— The South Fork 2A and Northwestern Foothills 2A adopted schedules that have teams playing back-to-back games in the same week/series.
For example, Maiden will visit Bandys on Tuesday in the South Fork 2A and the Blue Devils play the Trojans at Maiden on Friday.
TEAMS
— Bunker Hill has had 12 straight winning seasons.
— Hibriten has had a winning record for four straight years and in seven of the last eight.
— Hickory has four straight winning records and has had only three losing years in the last 24, winning 10, 10 and 11 games in those losing seasons.
— West Caldwell has seven straight losing records since going 13-11 in 2013.
— East Burke has posted a losing record in 11 straight seasons, since going 12-10 in 2009.
— Freedom has had three straight winning records, that coming after it went .500, had 10 straight losing years, posted a .500 record and then had three straight losing records. By going 3-2 last season, the Patriots posted their first winning mark since going 14-12 in 2000.
— Newton-Conover hasn’t had a winning record since going 13-9 in 2001; the Red Devils have had a losing record in each of the last 19 years.
— South Caldwell has had a winning record in at least 22 straight seasons (in records dating back to 1997). The Spartans’ fewest wins in that stretch: 16 in 2004 and 14 in 2013.
COACHES
HARDEE
CRAFT
— Unofficially, the leaders in career wins heading into 2021 are: David Craft of Hickory at 479; Pete Hardee of Alexander Central at 444 and Jeff Parham at South Caldwell at 422… Leaders by league in wins other than Craft are Chris Matile of East Lincoln in the South Fork 2A (243) and Channon Vogel of Fred T. Foard in the Northwestern Foothills 2A (144).
PARHAM
— These head coaches could reach milestone wins in 2021, unofficial win totals: Hardee needs six to reach 450; Craft needs 21 to reach 500 and need 16 to reach 475 in 31 seasons at Hickory.
– New head coaches for 2021: Brad Gates at Lincolnton (Cole Sigmon retired) and Jimmy Bowman at St. Stephens (replaces Adam Windham, who took a central office position with Catawba County Schools).
