GREAT TRIVIA QUESTION
Name the schools that have beaten beat Alexander Central in the first round of the state softball playoffs since 1984.
A hint: The first letter of the school’s names: S, H, M.
Send your guesses, with your name and hometown, to hobbsdailyreport@gmail.com by 4 p.m. on Thursday and we’ll post the answer plus your name if you get all three correct.
HobbsDailyReport.com
Maiden High earned a spot in the second round in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2003 in girls’ softball on Wednesday, tripping No. 11 North Surry 13-3 on the road in a first-round 2A game.
The Blue Devils (13-7) will travel to play No. 5 R-S Central (19-2), a 10-1 winner over No. 29 Surry Central in the opening round, in the second round. The game must be played by Saturday.
Maiden won its postseason opener for the second season in a row and will be trying to get out of the second round for the first time. The Blue Devils, who first postseason bid was in 1996, fell 7-2 in the second round last season at Forbush, and they’re winless in five second-round games.
Should Maiden gain its first third round bid, it would play No 13 Black Mountain Owen or No. 4 Lake Norman Charter by Tuesday.
No. 14 Draughn 11, No. 21 Thomasville 1: Draughn won its sixth postseason game in school history by eliminating the Bulldogs in Valdese.
The Wildcats face No. 3 Forbush, a 10-4 winner over No. 32 Chase, in a second round game that must be played by Saturday.
Draughn has reached the third round once in school history, falling to Canton Pisgah (2011).
No. 5 R-S Central 10, No. 29 Surry Central 1: The Hilltoppers rolled to a home first-round win and now get a visit from Maiden in the second round.
R-S Central has won 12 straight and has outscored foes 83-12 in that stretch.
No. 3 Forbush 10, No. 32 Chase 4: The Falcons ran their win streak to five and remained unbeaten at home (9-0) this season, eliminating the Trojans (9-12).
Forbush is at home against Draughn in the second round with the winner moving to the third round against No. 20 Polk County or No. 26 South Stokes.
3A
No. 13 Sun Valley 3, No. 19 Kings Mountain 0: The Spartans handed the Mountaineers only their second shutout loss of the season to advance.
Next up for the Spartans is a trip to No. 3 Enka for a game that must be played by Saturday.
The Sugar Jets advanced with a 2-1 home win over No. 31 South Rowan.
The winner will meet No. 8 Fred T. Foard or No. 9 West Iredell next week in a third-round game.
No. 2 Ledford 11, No 28 St. Stephens 1: The Indians’ 26th postseason appearance ended with a road loss to the Panthers.
Ledford cleared double-digits for the 11th time this year to advance. Next up is a visit from No. 16 Waynesville Tuscola, a 6-2 winner over No. 18 Carson.
St. Stephens, enjoying a dozen consecutive trips to the state playoffs, fell in the opening round for the fourth straight season.
No. 1 Hickory Ridge 10, No. 32 Patton 0: The top seed halted the Panthers’ fourth postseason bid with a home victory.
Patton’s season ended with a seventh straight loss and via shutout for the fourth time.
Hickory Ridge (23-2) is 15-0 at home and awaits a visit from No. 17 North Buncombe, a 10-=8 winner over No. 14 West Rowan.
No. 12 Central Cabarrus 6, No. 20 Hibriten 5: Hibriten dipped to 1-5 in one-run games this season and was knocked out of the playoffs by the Vikings (18-6), who was for the seventh time in eight games.
Central Cabarrus meets No. 5 Canton Pisgah in the mountains next in a game that must be played by Saturday.
The Black Bears edged No 30 East Rowan 3-2 to advance.
4A
No. 21 Greensboro Page 4, No. 13 Lake Norman 3: The Pirates gained their first one-run win of the year by knocking the visiting Wildcats (19-6) out of the playoffs.
Four of Lake Norman’s six losses this season were at home.
Page heads to No. 3 North Davidson next for a game that must be played by Saturday.
No. 3 North Davidson 10, No. 29 Watauga 0: North Davidson (25-2) rebounded from a rare loss (to Davie County) to eliminate visiting Watauga (9-13).
The Pioneers failed to score for only the third time this season and ended it on a three-game losing streak in which they were outscored 28-1.
North Davidson is now at home to face No. 21 Greensboro Page in a game that must be played by Saturday.
THURSDAY’S GAME
No. 17 SE Guilford at No. 1 Alexander Central, 6 p.m.: The Cougars (23-3) attempt to reach at least the third round for the ninth consecutive season and for the 11th time in a dozen years.
Alexander Central is pursuing its ninth state title since 1990, picking up one in 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2014.
Since 1984, the Cougars have lost in the first round only three times (1984, 2005 and 2008) and – gasp – missed the postseason only once (2003).
SECOND ROUND GAMES
(for area schools; must be played by Saturday)
WEST 2A
No. 19 Maiden at No. 5 R-S Central
No. 14 Draughn at No. 3 Forbush
No. 15 E. Lincoln at No. 2 W. Wilkes
WEST 3A
No. 9 W. Iredell at No. 8 Fred T. Foard, Fri., 6 p.m.
WEST 4A
No. 17 SE Guilford at No. 1 Alexander Central, Thurs., 6 p.m.
No. 20 Hopewell at No. 7 South Caldwell
No. 10 Mooresville at No. 4 A.L. Brown, Thurs., 6:30 p.m.