West Bladen Teams Secure Wins in Volleyball, Soccer, Cross Country

West Bladen High School's athletic teams achieved multiple victories on Wednesday, September 30. The volleyball team swept Red Springs, the boys' soccer team dominated South Columbus, and a freshman runner won a cross country event.

Volleyball Team Sweeps Red Springs

The West Bladen volleyball team defeated Red Springs in a Southeastern Conference match, posting set scores of 25-13, 25-15, and 25-7. Addi Wilcox led the team with 10 aces, while Kimberly Dowless contributed eight kills. Greer Pope recorded 19 assists during the match.

Shanna Lewis added six aces and five kills for the Knights, who now hold a 10-6 overall record and a 6-2 conference standing. The team will conclude its regular season next week with matches against second-place South Columbus and first-place South Brunswick.

Boys' Soccer Dominates South Columbus

West Bladen's boys' soccer team secured a decisive 9-1 victory over South Columbus in Tabor City. Diego Santos scored five goals, and Alejandro Lopez Sandoval contributed three goals and three assists. Wilvert Funez Munoz, the team's goalkeeper, made nine saves.

Levi Garcia added another goal and an assist for West Bladen, improving its record to 11-2-3 overall and 2-0-1 in the Southeastern Conference. Andrew Martinez, Jonathan Mejia, and Santos also provided assists in the match.

Hester Wins Cross Country Race

Freshman Charlotte Hester from West Bladen won the Freshman Charlotte Hester from West Bladen won the girls' cross country race at Luther Britt Park for the second consecutive week. She completed the 5-kilometer course in 23 minutes, 52 seconds. In the boys' race, West Bladen's Ahmed Morris finished 13th with a time of 23:53, nearly a minute faster than his previous week's performance. The West Bladen boys' team tied Red Springs for third place in the team competition; South Brunswick's Evan Williamson won the individual race in 20:27. Girls' Tennis Faces Mixed Results The West Bladen girls' tennis team lost 5-4 to Red Springs in a Southeastern Conference match. Abigail Dew, Charlotte Cookson, and Jaidyn Taylor each secured singles victories for the Knights. The team, with a 0-7 overall record and 0-6 in conference play, will play South Brunswick in a doubleheader to close its regular season.

East Bladen's girls' tennis team concluded its regular season with a 6-3 loss to Pender. Sana'a Singletary and Aubrey Lewis won singles matches for the Eagles, who finished with a 3-4 record.

Junior Varsity Volleyball Also Victorious

West Bladen's junior varsity volleyball team also achieved a sweep against Red Springs, winning 25-7 and 25-17. This victory keeps the Knights in contention for the Southeastern Conference championship. West Bladen (13-3, 7-1 Southeastern), South Brunswick, and South Columbus each have one conference loss. The JV season concludes on October 8.

Upcoming Athletic Schedule

The local high school athletic schedule for Thursday, October 1, includes Union at East Bladen for volleyball, Clinton at East Bladen for boys' soccer, and West Bladen at South Brunswick for a girls' tennis doubleheader. Junior varsity football games feature West Bladen at Whiteville and East Bladen at North Duplin.