BLACKSBURG
ACC honors local native
Virginia Tech freshman and Andrews native Tucker Holloway was named Atlantic Coast Conference honorable mention by a panel featuring all 14 team’s head coaches and a selection of media members for his efforts as a punt returner this fall.
Holloway played in five games this fall, and was the Hokies starting punt returner in four of them. He returned a 90-yard punt for a touchdown against Georgia Tech on Nov. 2 as part of a day where he set a single-game school record for most punt return yards with 188.
For his performance, he was named ACC Specialist of the Week. He averaged 21.2 yards per return this season, and also had three catches for 18 yards as a wide receiver.
YOUNG HARRIS, Ga.
Changing conferences
Young Harris College will move from its current home in the Peach Belt Conference to Conference Carolinas starting with the 2023-24 academic year.
The Lions will be the 14th member of the conference, which has members in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee and has been around since 1930.
“This is a very exciting time for our athletics department,” Young Harris Director of Athletics Jennifer Rushton said. “Conference Carolinas embodies the values that are the most important to us at YHC. Our shared belief in developing the whole student-athlete allows this move to be a great fit for us. We look forward to developing new rivalries in Conference Carolinas while our student-athletes continue to pursue their academic, athletic and personal aspirations.”
RALEIGH
Officials get a pay raise
At their yearly board of directors meeting held Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, the N.C. High School Athletic Association agreed to increase the game fees for officials by 10 percent starting on Jan. 1.
Basketball officials are paid $69.50 for one game and $105 for a doubleheader. The raise will increase pay to $76 per game and eliminate the doubleheader rate, which means officials will make $152 for a doubleheader.
The move comes to help try to curb the officiating shortage that is happening both in North Carolina and nationwide.
PREP SCHEDULE
Thursday
Basketball: Andrews at Highlands, 6 p.m.
Friday
Basketball: Nantahala at Andrews, 6 p.m.
Hiwassee Dam at Murphy, 6 p.m.
Saturday
Basketball: Fannin County, Ga., at Murphy, 6 p.m.
Tuesday
Basketball: Highlands at Nantahala, 6 p.m.
Hiwassee Dam at Blue Ridge, 6 p.m.
Murphy at Hayesville, 6 p.m.
Swain County at Andrews, 6:30 p.m.
Wrestling: Murphy at Cherokee, 6 p.m.
Note: For basketball, the start time listed is the start of the varsity game. Junior varsity games will take place beforehand if the opponent has a junior varsity team.
PREP RESULTS
Nov. 29
Boys basketball: Andrews 78, Blue Ridge 25
Gilmer, Ga., 91, Murphy 62
Girls basketball: Blue Ridge 77, Andrews 41
Gilmer, Ga., 54, Murphy 51 (OT)
Wrestling: Union County, Ga., 60, Murphy 18
Dec. 2
Boys basketball:
Andrews 55, Towns County, Ga., 37
Murphy 71, Highlands 29
Swain County 63, Hiwassee Dam 58
Robbinsville 85, Nantahala 43
Girls basketball: Swain County 50,
Hiwassee Dam 45 Highlands 38, Murphy 24
Towns County, Ga., 59, Andrews 33
Robbinsville 73, Nantahala 22
Dec. 5
Boys basketball: Victory Christian 59, Nantahala 57
Girls basketball: Victory Christian 69, Nantahala 48
Compiled by Sports Writer Justin Fitzgerald.