Wednesday evening at South Central was business as usual for the Falcons’ basketball team. The squad ran drills and practiced ahead of Saturday’s 4-A state championship matchup with West Charlotte.

Working with his team was multi-sport star Jeremy Lewis, who will play in his final high school athletic event Saturday. After four seasons of basketball and football, Lewis has secured his lasting legacy at SC, currently holding a 40-2 combined record in his senior season.

“It would mean everything (to win the state championship),” Lewis said. “Getting a ring in basketball means a lot, but if we could have got that ring from football it would have meant a whole lot, having two rings for both of my favorite sports. It is still going to mean a lot.”

Along with his success on the court, Lewis — an East Carolina football signee from December to play tight end — has continued to stay active on the football field ahead of his transition to the Pirates. ECU football will open spring practice this morning.

“Football hasn’t really ended for me,” Lewis said. “Me and my best friend work out before basketball practice and after basketball practice. Sometimes we go out to the field and get some work in before games and work our legs, warm up for the game. It’s year-long and it’s like football never ended for me.”

SC’s football team finished 11-1 in 2018, winning the 3-A/4-A Eastern Carolina Conference title. The team’s only loss came in the second round of the state playoffs, 33-32, to South View on a touchdown as time expired. Lewis and the Falcons’ basketball squad holds a 29-1 record, its only loss to Ranney (N.J.) in the John Wall Invitational.

After not leaving a state champion on the field, Lewis is determined to pick up one final accolade on the court before heading to ECU. 

He will often be asked to guard West Charlotte’s Patrick Williams, who is a Florida State basketball recruit.

“(The pressure) doesn’t really affect me,” Lewis said. “The task of holding the No. 2 player in the state for the class of 2019 (Williams) maybe, but I know we have big-time players, Shykeim (Phillips), Day’Ron (Sharpe), Jahzeer (Baker), I know they are going to show up like they always do. My role of defending the best player, it’s a little nerve-racking.

“He could probably average about 30 (points a game) and I have to stop him from doing that.” 

Through all of the awards, accomplishments and highlights, Lewis is still just a normal high school senior and taking classes and preparing for college in his final semester as a Falcon.

“It’s a lot,” Lewis said. “It’s my last semester at South Central, Saturday will be my final game at South Central, this is my last year at South Central, it’s just been everything. You just have to go out and give it your all as a student, you’re not going to have another chance to do this.”

Contact Jake Keator at jkeator@reflector.com, 252-329-9594 and follow @JakeKeatorDR on Twitter.

BASEBALL

D.H. Con­ley 8, Wake­field 5

Con­ley scored four runs in the fifth in­ning and got solid bullpen work from Ea­son War­ren and Chan­dler Bal­dree to close out Wake­field.

War­ren struck out 11 bat­ters in 5.2 in­nings in re­lief. Bal­dree got the save.

DHC’s of­fense got home runs from Cam Jack­son (2-for-3) and Rob­bie O’Neal (2-for-5).


GIRLS’ SOCCER

D.H. Conley 8, Rocky Mount 0

Conley routed Rocky Mount in nonconference action, including jumping out to a 5-0 halftime lead. Maeve English earned the shutout in net.

Goals were scored by Jenna Rupp (4), Mary McKnight (3) and Autumn Sorrell.

TRACK AND FIELD 

First for Conley girls

D.H. Conley’s girls’ team finished tied for first place in a tri-meet.

Ariana Crumpler led the way by winning the shot put (33-10) and taking first in the discus (104-9). Also winning individual races for DHC were Riviera Bennett (100 hurdles, 17.5), Eve Curtis (800 meters, 2:48), Caitlyn Brown (1600m, 6:37), Alice Guth (3200m, 15:16).

The Vikings were second in the boys’ competition. First-place finishes for Conley went to Zach Tucker (800m, 52.5), Jalen Wilson (1600m, 4:54), Nate McPherson (3200m, 12:07) and Nick Pope (triple jump, 35-3).

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

SOCCER

Hope 9, Far­mville 0

Hope im­proved its record to 5-0 with its lat­est win. Marissa Sut­ton net­ted three goals, fol­lowed by two each from Henry Con­way and Corbin Jef­fer­son.

SOFTBALL

Hope 12, Chicod 4

Emma Kate Reynolds was the win­ning pitcher in Hope’s shutout of Chicod. Ri­ley True­blood was 3-for-4 at the plate, and Bri Bow­ers and Say­lor Whit­ley each fin­ished 2-for-3.

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