Athletics News

CHARLOTTE - Some teams are an enigma. It could take a coaching staff an entire season to figure what makes their players tick.  

Fortunately, Christ School varsity basketball is not one of those teams.

Full-court pressure and shooting range are a potent combination.

Christ School varsity basketball’s defense made life uncomfortable for Covenant Day from the second the ball was inbounded Friday night. Turnovers and long rebounds led to plenty of open looks when possession changed. 

Christ School swimming had its second meet in 48 hours Wednesday at Asheville School. 

Given his potential, Thomas Vickery ’27 will alternate between Christ School’s Middle School and JV Basketball teams this season. It’s too bad for IC Imagine that there wasn’t a scheduling conflict Wednesday night.

Christ School swimming began its 2022-23 season with a four-team meet Tuesday at Charlotte Latin.

Restraint was the name of the game Tuesday.

Christ School varsity basketball stormed out to a 28-0 lead in the first 7 minutes and 30 seconds, then purposely dialed everything back.

The Greenies subbed freely and passed up all fastbreak opportunities once the game got out of hand. With the integration of some players from football, a 61-17 home win over Hickory’s University Christian came at perhaps the perfect time on the schedule.

Justice Ajogbor ’20 couldn’t shake the smile from his face if he tried, an exhilaration that lasted all weekend long. 

Christ School students, faculty, and alumni turned out to make the big man feel right at home throughout the Asheville Championship basketball tournament.

CHARLOTTE - Keenan Wilkins ’24 is getting more comfortable running the point for Christ School.

Whether it was facilitating for teammates or providing the offense himself, the junior's instincts were keen Saturday against Raleigh's Grace Christian. Keenan led three Greenies in double figures with 19 points. Jamari Briggs ’24 was close behind with 17 points, and Anthony Robinson ’23 added 13 points in a 68-55 win, his first game since officially signing with the University of South Florida.

Josh Coley was not interested in nitpicking a 28-point win Tuesday night.

The coach firmly believes that Christ School varsity basketball can and will improve on the effort – a 70-42 home game with Charlotte's Victory Christian. Nine different Greenies scored in their 2022-23 season opener, led by double figures from Jamari Briggs ’24 (13 points), Emanuel Richards ’23 (11), and Keenan Wilkins ’24 (10).

"The Green Race" kind of sounds like an event tailor-made for a couple kayakers from Christ School, doesn't it?

Rainy weather did not hamper Saturday's performance by Chapin Mohney '23, who paddled to a third-place finish in the Juniors division (4:24.05), or Assistant Dean of Students/Outdoor Program coach Wesley Shelmire, who was sixth in the Men's division (4:19.83).

CHARLOTTE – Gutsy call for a gutsy team.

Coach Chad Walker burned a timeout to buy a few more seconds Friday. But everything in his mind was saying that Christ School needed to go for a 2-point conversion to win its NCISAA Division I state playoff game at Charlotte Latin, rather than extend overtime.

And after everything the coach saw his team overcome this week, he liked the odds even more.

Congratulations to Carter Compton '24 on being named to the NCISAA 4-A all-state soccer team for the second consecutive year.

No matter the sport, there is always a curiosity as to how state champions would stack up against one another. Who really is the best overall team, regardless of size or classification?

The answer in North Carolina cross country this season is Christ School.

It has hardly been a boring offseason for Greenie basketball.

College programs from far and wide have shown great attention to the Big 3 of Anthony Robinson ’23, Emanuel Richards ’23, and Bryson Cokley ’24 since their last game for Christ School.

Each of the players found their best fit.

Some Greenie was industrious enough to calculate how many days the Fayssoux-Arbogast Trophy has been in Christ School’s possession. Naturally, the next step was to write the number (4,018) on a banner hanging from the Young House dorm for all to see Saturday.

Tack on another 365 days.

PLEASANT GARDENS – Eyob Gill ’24 had just run the race of his life. All he could think about is how it affected the bigger picture for Christ School cross country.

“I knew my teammates were hurting. I had to hurt with them, too. I had to keep going,” Eyob said.

Indeed, the Greenies hurt together as a team and won in glorious unison Friday at Hagan-Stone Park.  

SWANNANOA - Asheville Christian Academy enlisted a staff member to drive around a cart Wednesday afternoon, leading the race through its grass and wooded cross country course.  

A motorized vehicle was the only thing outrunning Christ School at the Carolinas Athletic Association meet.  

Continued excellence in the classroom and on the playing field has made Christ School one of the leading athletic programs in the NCISAA. 

New for this year, the Athletic Department will be recognizing boys who set the standard for what it means to be a Greenie student-athlete with All-Academic teams for the Fall, Winter, and Spring sports seasons.  

Anything can happen in playoff soccer.

Christ School is thankful that the weather was the only unfavorable and unpredictable element to Tuesday’s opening round.

Momentum can be a team’s best friend or worst enemy.

Christ School soccer is home for the start of the NCISAA 4-A state playoffs in large part because the Greenies (10-9) won six of their last eight regular-season games.