West Montgomery, Park Ridge Christian take state hunter-safety titles

Yadkin County schools’ hold on state meet is broken

The center of the high-school hunter safety universe in North Carolina shifted decidedly from Yadkin County to the southern Piedmont in late April.

After years of domination by teams from Yadkin County, the 2009 State Hunter Education Tournament at Millstone 4-H Camp near Ellerbe was won by a high-school team from Montgomery County and a junior team from Stanly County.

West Montgomery won the senior division title with a 3,034 points out of a possible 3,200, with North Davidson second with 3,003 and Starmount third with 2,997.

In the junior division for elementary and junior-high teams, Park Ridge Christian of Albemarle won by a single point over Yadkin County’s Fall Creek elementary, 2,955 to 2,954, with Perquimans third, 13 points farther back.

West Montgomery had the top two overall individuals, Levi Epps and Austin Warner, finished first in the team trap competition, second in rimfire rifle and fourth in hunter skills to win by a comfortable 31-point margin.

Epps finished with a 770×800 score, with teammate Warner five points back. Matthew Eaton of Jones FFA took third with 759.

Warner was the trap champion, hitting all 20 targets and winning a shoot-off against Dakota Humphrey of Eastern Randolph and Heath Layton of Edenton Holmes. He also took third in rimfire rifle with a 195×200 score. Aaron Evans of Starmount and Hanna Joyce of Forbush Blue also finished with 195×200; Evans and Joyce placed first and second for having the most X-ring shots.

In the Junior Division, Robbie Potts of Fall Creek was top overall with 763, followed by Lee Efird of Park Ridge with 759 and Logan Jenkins of Ridgecroft with 745.

Park Ridge’s team championship came from its consistent finishes in all four events; second in trap, third in rifle, second in archery and fifth in hunter skills.

Fall Creek’s Potts finished first in rifle; Hunter Efird of Park Ridge was first in archery, Ridgecroft’s Jenkins was first in trap and Grant Matthews of East Bend was first in hunter skills.