North Lenoir rallied late to defeat North Johnston 2–1 in overtime to advance to the 4A second round, while Greene Central, Jones Senior, and Spring Creek also moved forward in playoff action.
#14 North Lenoir (11-12) hosts #19 North Johnston (7-15-2) in a 4A first-round rematch of conference rivals, while #10 Spring Creek (11-12-1) welcomes #23 South Lenoir (6-13-2) in 3A action, with the Gators holding a 7-0 all-time edge in Tuesday’s playoff openers.
North Lenoir enters year three under head coach Larry Dale with plenty of roster holes to fill, but with playmaker RJ Warren and a fast defense, the Hawks aim to stay competitive in a tough 4A conference.
North Lenoir boys tennis clinched the conference championship with wins over North Johnston and Martin County, improving to 12-1 overall behind Casey Alston’s redemption victory and a complete team effort.
North Lenoir tennis remains undefeated at 6-0 (1-0 conference) after dominant wins over North Johnston (7-1) and Rosewood (9-0), showcasing depth and consistency in both singles and doubles play.
Jones Senior’s Payten Plyler earns this week’s Female Athlete of the Week after an impressive offensive performance in two games for the Trojans. The senior shortstop showcased her power at the plate, hitting .625 over the two-game stretch against North Johnston and Bethel Christian Academy, tallying five hits, five RBIs, and two home runs.