3-17-26 roundup: Pro basketball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, College basketball, High school baseball, soccer and softball, Middle school baseball and girls soccer
By Richard Walker
On Tuesday, the Charlotte 49ers announced head coach Aaron Fearne will not return after his 3rd season at the helm.
Originally an interim following Ron Sanchez’s resignation following the 2022-23 season, Fearne guided the 49ers to their best league finish in 18 years (13-5, 3rd place in the American Conference) in his 1st season of 2023-24 that ended with a 19-12 overall record.
But Charlotte fell to 11-22 overall and 3-15 in the American last season and 17-17 overall and 9-9 in the American this season.
“We have high expectations for all of our athletic programs at Charlotte, and while difficult, making a head coaching change is necessary to allow for greater success,” 49ers athletic director Kevin White said in a news release. “Aaron Fearne has been an invaluable assistant and head coach at Charlotte. We thank him for all that he has done and wish him the very best in his career. Our Men’s Basketball program is critical to the department’s overall success, and it must regularly compete for American Conference championships and NCAA Tournament berths. We will continue to invest in the program and provide support to our coaches and student-athletes. We have incredible fans, a growing national brand, and an institution on the rise. I look forward to the next chapter of 49er Men’s Basketball.”
Chancellor Sharon Gaber said in a new release: “Charlotte Athletics is a critical part of our campus community and the success of our sports teams helps elevate the entire institution. In partnership with Director of Athletics Kevin White, and after a thorough evaluation of where our program stands and where it is headed, we made the decision to make a change in the head coach. We thank Coach Fearne for his commitment to Charlotte and to our student-athletes. I am excited about what lies ahead and have full confidence that Kevin will identify a great pool of candidates from which our new head coach will emerge. We continue to be grateful to our generous donors and fans for their support of our student-athletes.”
Fearne is just the latest coach who tried in vain to return the 49ers to the NCAA tournament.
Since coach Bobby Lutz guided Charlotte to the 2005 NCAA tournament – the 49ers’ 11th appearance in that event in 29 years – Charlotte has advanced to the postseason just 4 more times since.
In 2006, 2008 and 2013, they participated in the NIT and in Sanchez’s final year of 2023 they won the CBI championship.
Since Lutz was fired following the 2009-10 season, Charlotte hired Alan Major, Mark Price, Ron Sanchez and Fearne and Lane Odom (after Major went on medical leave) and Houston Fancher (after Price was fired) have been the school’s head coaches.
Women’s college basketball
Cleveland Community College women’s basketball finished 1-1 at the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II national championship tournament at Catawba Valley Community College’s Tarlton Complex in Hickory.
A No. 17 seed in the 20-team event, the Yetis beat Moraine Valley Community College, Ill., 55-46 on Monday before losing 83-58 to top-seeded Johnson County Community College, Kansas on Tuesday.
The Yetis, in their 3rd season of competition under the direction of former Shelby High and Crest High boys basketball coach Scooter Lawrence, won the Region 10 Division II tournament last week to qualify for the national tournament.
College basketball
First Four and opening round 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament pairings:
FIRST FOUR
(Tuesday, March 17)
-UD Arena, Dayton OH
16 UMBC vs. 16 Howard – Howard 86-83
11 Texas vs. 11 N.C. State – Texas 68-66
(Wednesday, March 18)
16 Prairie View A&M vs. 16 Lehigh, 6:40 PM truTV
11 Miami OH vs. 11 SMU, 9:15 PM truTV
FIRST ROUND
(Thursday, March 19)
-Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville SC
9 TCU vs. 8 Ohio State, 12:15 PM CBS
16 Siena vs. 1 Duke, 2:50 PM CBS
11 VCU vs. 6 North Carolina, 6:50 PM TNT
14 Pennsylvania vs. 3 Illinois, 9:25 PM TNT
-Paycom Center, Oklahoma City OK
13. Troy vs. 4. Nebraska, 12:40 PM truTV
12 McNeese vs. 5 Vanderbilt, 3:15 PM truTV
10 Texas A&M vs. 7 Saint Mary’s, 7:35 PM truTV
15 Idaho vs. 2 Houston, 10:10 PM truTV
-KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY
11 South Florida vs. 6 Louisville, 1:30 PM TNT
14 North Dakota State vs. 3 Michigan State, 4:05 PM TNT
16 Howard vs. 1 Michigan, 7:10 PM CBS
9 Saint Louis vs. 8 Georgia, 9:45 PM CBS
-Moda Center, Portland, OR
12 High Point vs. 5 Wisconsin, 1:50 PM TBS
13 Hawai’i vs. 4 Arkansas, 4:25 PM TBS
11 Texas vs. 6 BYU, 7:25 PM TBS
14 Kennesaw State vs. 3 Gonzaga, 10:00 PM TBS
(Friday, March 20)
-Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO
10 Santa Clara vs. 7 Kentucky, 12:15 PM CBS
15 Tennessee State vs. 2 Iowa State, 2:50 PM CBS
15 Queens University vs. 2 Purdue, 7:35 PM truTV
10 Missouri vs. 7 Miami FL, 10:10 PM truTV
-Benchmark International Arena, Tampa, FL
12 Akron vs. 5 Texas Tech, 12:40 PM truTV
13 Hofstra vs. 4 Alabama, 3:15 PM truTV
9 Iowa vs. 8 Clemson, 6:50 PM TNT
16 Prairie View A&M/Lehigh winner vs. 1 Florida, 9:25 PM TNT
-Viejas Arena, San Diego, CA
16 Long Island University vs. 1 Arizona, 1:35 PM TNT
9 Utah State vs. 8 Villanova, 4:10 PM TNT
12 Northern Iowa vs. 5 St. John’s, 7:10 PM CBS
13 California Baptist vs. 4 Kansas, 9:45 PM CBS
-Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
14 Wright State vs. 3 Virginia, 1:50 PM TBS
11 Miami OH/SMU winner vs. 6 Tennessee, 4:25 PM TBS
10 UCF vs. 7 UCLA, 7:25 PM TBS
15 Furman vs. 2 UConn, 10:00 PM TBS
Second round: Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22
Sweet 16: Thursday, March 26 and Friday, March 27
Elite Eight: Saturday, March 28 and Sunday, March 29
Final Four: Saturday, April 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
NCAA championship game: Monday, April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
Pro basketball
Charlotte 136, Miami 106: LaMelo Ball (30 points, 6 rebounds, 13 assists), Coby White (24 points) and Kon Knueppel (22 points) led the Hornets to their 3rd win in the last 4 games.
The Charlotte Hornets full 2025-26 regular season schedule:
OCTOBER
Wednesday 22 BROOKLYN (W 136-117)
Saturday 25 at Philadelphia (L 121-125)
Sunday 26 at Washington (W 139-113)
Tuesday 28 at Miami (L 117-144)
Thursday 30 ORLANDO (L 107-123)
NOVEMBER
Saturday 1 MINNESOTA (L 105-122)
Sunday 2 UTAH (W 126-103)
Tuesday 4 at New Orleans (L 112-116)
Friday 7 at Miami* (L 108-126)
Monday 10 L.A. LAKERS (L 111-121)
Wed. 12 MILWAUKEE (W 111-100)
Friday 14 at Milwaukee* (L 134-147, OT)
Saturday 15 OKLAHOMA CITY (L 96-109)
Monday 17 at Toronto (L 108-110)
Wednesday 19 at Indiana (L 118-127)
Saturday 22 LA CLIPPERS (L 116-131)
Sunday 23 at Atlanta (L 110-113)
Wednesday 26 NEW YORK* (L 101-129)
Friday 28 CHICAGO* (W 123-116)
Saturday 29 TORONTO (W 118-111, OT)
DECEMBER
Monday 1 at Brooklyn (L 103-116)
Wednesday 3 at New York (L 104-119)
Friday 5 at Toronto (W 111-86 )
Sunday 7 DENVER (L 106-115)
Friday 12 CHICAGO (L 126-129)
Sunday 14 at Cleveland (W 119-111)
Thursday 18 ATLANTA (W 133-126)
Saturday 20 at Detroit (L 86-112)
Monday 22 at Cleveland (L 132-139)
Tuesday 23 WASHINGTON (W 126-109)
Friday 26 at Orlando (W 120-105)
Monday 29 MILWAUKEE (L 113-123)
Wednesday 31 GOLDEN STATE (L 125-132)
JANUARY
Friday 2 at Milwaukee (L 121-122)
Saturday 3 at Chicago (W 112-99 )
Monday 5 at Oklahoma City (W 124-97 )
Wednesday 7 TORONTO (L 96-97 )
Thursday 8 INDIANA (L 109-112)
Saturday 10 at Utah (W 150-95 )
Monday 12 at LA Clippers (L 109-117)
Thursday 15 at L.A. Lakers (W 135-117)
Saturday 17 at Golden State (L 116-136)
Sunday 18 at Denver (W 110-87 )
Wednesday 21 CLEVELAND (L 87-94 )
Thursday 22 at Orlando (W 124-97 )
Saturday 24 WASHINGTON (W 119-115)
Monday 26 PHILADELPHIA (W 130-93 )
Wednesday 28 at Memphis (W 112-97 )
Thursday 29 at Dallas (W 123-121)
Saturday 31 SAN ANTONIO (W 111-106)
FEBRUARY
Monday 2 NEW ORLEANS (W 102-95 )
Thursday 5 at Houston (W 109-99 )
Saturday 7 at Atlanta (W 126-119)
Monday 9 DETROIT (W 110-104)
Wednesday 11 ATLANTA (W 110-107)
Thursday 19 HOUSTON (L 101-105)
Friday 20 CLEVELAND (L 113-118)
Sunday 22 at Washington (W 129-112)
Tuesday 24 at Chicago (W 131-99 )
Thursday 26 at Indiana (W 133-109)
Saturday 28 PORTLAND (W 109-93 )
MARCH
Tuesday 3 DALLAS (W 117-90 )
Wednesday 4 at Boston (W 116-89 )
Friday 6 MIAMI (L 120-128)
Sunday 8 at Phoenix (L 99-111)
Tuesday 10 at Portland (W 103-101)
Wednesday 11 at Sacramento (W 117-109)
Saturday 14 at San Antonio (L 102-115)
Tuesday 17 MIAMI (W 136-106)
Thursday 19 ORLANDO 7:00 p.m.
Saturday 21 MEMPHIS 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday 24 SACRAMENTO 7:00 p.m.
Thursday 26 NEW YORK 7:00 p.m.
Saturday 28 PHILADELPHIA 6:00 p.m.
Sunday 30 BOSTON 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday 31 at Brooklyn 7:30 p.m.
APRIL
Thursday 2 PHOENIX 7:00 p.m.
Friday 3 INDIANA 7:00 p.m.
Sunday 5 at Minnesota 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday 7 at Boston 7:30 p.m.
Friday 10 DETROIT 7:00 p.m.
Sunday 12 at New York 6:00 p.m.
Home games in CAPS
All times listed are Eastern
* Denotes Emirates NBA Cup Group Play game
Schedule to be announced following Emirates NBA Cup Group Play: Dec. 9, 10, 13, 16- Emirates NBA Cup Knockout Rounds, Dec. 11, 12, 14, 15- Additional regular-season games for eliminated teams
The Charlotte Hornets 2025 preseason schedule:
Sunday, Oct. 5 Oklahoma City (at N. Charleston Col.) L 114-135
Thursday, Oct. 9 at Oklahoma City L 116-122
Saturday, Oct. 11 at Dallas W 120-116
Wednesday, Oct. 15 Memphis (at First Horizon Col., Gboro) W 145-116
Friday, Oct. 17 at New York L 108-113
Pro soccer
The 2026 Charlotte FC schedule:
(1-1-2 record)
Saturday, Feb. 21 at St. Louis (T 1-1)
Saturday, Feb. 28 at L.A. Galaxy (L 0-3)
Saturday, March 7 Austin (W 3-1)
Saturday, March 14 Miami (T 0-0)
Saturday, March 21 New York Red Bulls, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Apr. 4 Philadelphia, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Apr. 11 Nashville, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Apr. 18 at New York, 7:30 PM
Wednesday, Apr. 22 at Orlando, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Apr. 25 at Nashville, 8:30 PM
Saturday, May 2 at New England, 7:30 PM
Saturday, May 9 Cincinnati, 7:30 PM
Wednesday, May 13 New York, 7:00 PM
Saturday, May 16 Toronto, 7:30 PM
Saturday, May 23 New England, 7:30 PM
Wednesday, July 22 Atlanta, 8:00 PM
Saturday, July 25 at New York Red Bulls, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Aug. 1 at Chicago, 8:30 PM
Saturday, Aug. 15 Columbus, 7:30 PM
Wednesday, Aug. 19 at Toronto, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Aug. 22 DC, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Aug. 29 at Atlanta, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Sept. 5 Houston, 7:30 PM
Wednesday, Sept. 9 at Montreal, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Sept. 12 at Cincinnati, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Sept. 19 at DC, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Sept. 26 Chicago, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Oct. 10 Dallas, 7:30 PM
Wednesday, Oct. 14 at Columbus, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Oct. 17 at Philadelphia, 2:30 PM
Saturday, Oct. 24 at Portland, 10:30 PM
Wednesday, Oct. 28 Montreal, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Oct. 31 Orlando, 1:00 PM
Saturday, Nov. 7 at Miami, 4:00 PM
High school baseball
The area’s results/schedule:
(Wednesday, Feb. 25)
West Lincoln 12, Bessemer City 0 (5 innings)
Burns 11, East Gaston 0 (6 innings)
Cherryville 13, Lincolnton 1 (5 innings)
Shelby 6, Highland Tech 5
Newton-Conover 4, East Lincoln 0
North Lincoln 13, Maiden 1 (5 innings)
Palisades 8, Mountain Island Charter 3
Thomas Jefferson 4, Piedmont Community Charter 2
Kings Mountain 7, East Rutherford 4
Gaston Christian 7, Charlotte Latin 0
South Point 11, Lake Norman Charter 3
Lincoln Charter 10, Mallard Creek 1
(Friday, Feb. 27)
Burns 8, East Gaston 2
Cherryville 17, Lincolnton 0 (5 innings)
Highland Tech 8, Shelby 5
West Lincoln at Bessemer City, ppd., no date
Mountain Island Charter 17, Piedmont Community Charter 9
Gaston Christian 13, Charlotte Country Day 3 (5 innings)
Roberson 1, Crest 0
Gaston Day 10, Pinnacle Classical 0 (6 innings)
A.C. Reynolds 3, Kings Mountain 0
Lincoln Charter 8, South Point 4
(Monday, March 2)
Greensboro Caldwell Academy 10, Gaston Day 0 (5 innings)
Mountain Island Charter 20, Sugar Creek Charter 0 (3 innings)
Piedmont Community Charter 5, Queen’s Grant 3
(Tuesday, March 3)
Burns 13, Lincolnton 0 (6 innings)
Cramer 15, Bessemer City 0 (5 innings)
Cherryville 10, Highland Tech 0 (5 innings)
Shelby 9, West Lincoln 4
North Lincoln 11, East Lincoln 1
Lincoln Charter 5, Corvian Community 2
Ashbrook 18, Chambers 2 (5 innings)
Crest 6, West Henderson 1
East Gaston 4, Forestview 2
South Point 5, at North Stanly
(Wednesday, March 4)
Piedmont Community Charter 14, Jackson Day 11
East Lincoln 7, Bandys 2
Burns 7, Draughn 0
Cramer 12, Mount Pleasant 2
East Rutherford 7, North Gaston 1
Kings Mountain 13, West Lincoln 3 (6 innings)
Lincoln Charter 3, Mooresville 2
Lake Norman Charter 7, Mountain Island Charter 0
Ashbrook 8, Thomas Jefferson 7
York Prep 12, Gaston Day 2 (6 innings)
(Thursday, March 5)
Cramer 11, Bessemer City 0 (5 innings)
North Lincoln 14, West Iredell 2 (6 innings)
Crest 11, Tuscola 8
(Friday, March 6)
Cherryville 3, Highland Tech 0
Burns 12, Lincolnton 2 (5 innings)
West Lincoln 12, Shelby 1
East Lincoln 8, West Iredell 3
North Lincoln 4, Newton-Conover 1
Lincoln Charter 13, Corvian Community 2
A.C. Reynolds 5, Crest 0
Ashbrook 23, Statesville 12
Forestview 12, Bessemer City 2 (5 innings)
North Gaston 19, East Gaston 0 (5 innings)
High Point Westchester Country Day 14, Gaston Day 0 (4 innings)
Chase 12, Piedmont Community Charter 0 (5 innings)
East Rutherford 5, South Point 0
(Monday, March 9)
Mountain Island Charter 8, Thomas Jefferson 7
Hickory Grove Christian 11, Gaston Day 1
South Caldwell 15, North Gaston 3 (5 innings)
Highland Tech 10, Piedmont Community Charter 0 (5 innings)
(Tuesday, March 10)
Crest 16, Ashbrook 1 (4 innings)
South Point 17, Forestview 0 (5 innings)
Kings Mountain 15, Huss 0 (5 innings)
Burns 12, Bessemer City 0 (5 innings)
Cramer 14, Highland Tech 6
East Gaston 2, Lincolnton 0
Cherryville 10, Shelby 0 (6 innings)
East Lincoln 8, Bunker Hill 3
North Lincoln 5, Hickory 0
Lincoln Charter 9, Community School of Davidson 3
Gaston Christian 10, Charlotte Stampede 0 (5 innings)
Gaston Day 13, Statesville Christian 1 (4 innings)
(Wednesday, March 11)
Piedmont Community Charter 21, Sugar Creek Charter 0
West Lincoln 4, Bandys 0
Christ the King 8, Mountain Island Charter 6
Cherryville 16, East Burke 0 (5 innings)
Hendersonville 7, Shelby 5
Lincoln Charter 16, East Lincoln 3 (6 innings)
North Gaston 13, East Gaston 3
(Thursday, March 12)
South Point at Burns, canceled
(Friday, March 13)
Ashbrook at Huss, ppd., no date
Crest 10, Kings Mountain 4
North Gaston 13, Forestview 0 (5 innings)
Burns 10, Bessemer City 0 (6 innings)
Cherryville 14, Shelby 0 (5 innings)
East Gaston 13, Lincolnton 0 (5 innings)
Cramer 9, Highland Tech 2
East Lincoln 13, Bunker Hill 4
North Lincoln 5, Hickory 4
Lincoln Charter 17, Community School of Davidson 4 (5 innings)
Gaston Christian 11, Asheville Trailblazers 0 (5 innings)
(Monday, March 16)
Cramer 12, Shelby 1 (6 innings): Starter and winner Kingston Womack (4 innings, 3 strikeouts), relievers Channing Wright (1 2/3 innings, 1 strikeout) and Case Nixon (1/3 inning) and hitters David Palmeros (3 hits, 2 Runs) and Chris Wurster (1 hit, 3 Runs, 2 SB) led Cramer.
(Tuesday, March 17)
North Gaston 28, Huss 0 (4 innings): Blake Mitchell (2 innings, 4 strikeouts) and relievers Noah Withers (1 inning, 1 strikeout) and Jaxen Noblett (1 inning, 2 strikeouts) combined on a no-hitter for North Gaston, whose offense was led by Jackson Livingston (3 hits, 2 RBIs) and Connor Bates (3 hits, 2 RBIs).
Kings Mountain 12, Forestview 2
South Point 21, Ashbrook 1 (3 innings)
Burns 6, West Lincoln 1
East Gaston at Bessemer City
Highland Tech at Lincolnton
North Lincoln 8, Bandys 5
East Lincoln at Foard
Gaston Christian 6, Concord Academy 2
Cherryville 5, Crest 3
Mountain Island Charter 17, Jackson Day 7 (5 innings)
(Wednesday, March 18)
Cherryville at Patton
Cramer at North Gaston
East Gaston at South Point
North Lincoln at West Lincoln
South Caldwell at Kings Mountain
(Thursday, March 19)
Ashbrook at Berry Academy
Hickory Grove Christian at Gaston Christian
Lincoln Charter at Sun Valley
Mountain Island Charter at Union Academy
(Friday, March 20)
Forestview at Crest
Huss at South Point
North Gaston at Ashbrook
Bessemer City at East Gaston
Cramer at Shelby
Lincolnton at Highland Tech
West Lincoln at Burns
Hickory at East Lincoln
Langtree Charter at Lincoln Charter
Mountain Island Charter at Cone Leadership
Piedmont Community Charter at Thomas Jefferson
A.C. Reynolds at North Lincoln
Cherryville at Kings Mountain
Gaston Christian at Carmel Christian
(Saturday, March 21)
Cramer at Concord Robinson
High school softball
(Tuesday, March 17)
East Lincoln 6, Foard 1: Jordyn Aungst (4-hitter, 10 strikeouts as pitcher, single, RBI as batter), Maliya Fletcher-McLean (single, run), Kaitlyn Gust (single, triple, run, RBI), Lyla Haywood (home run, run, RBI stolen base), Ava Cook (single), Raegan Beheler (double, RBI) and Brylee Belcher (single, run) led East Lincoln, which also won the JV game 8-3.
West Lincoln 11, Burns 1 (5 innings): D Lewis and G Wright combined on the 8-hitter for West Lincoln, whose offense was led by K Pardo (4 hits, home run, 3 RBIs), M Hoffman (2 hits, 1 RBI) and A Sutton (2 hits, double, 1 RBI).
High school girls soccer
-Gaston High School Soccer Cup at Poston Park, Lowell
Here is the schedule of games:
(Wednesday, March 4)
Bessemer City vs. Forestview – Forestview 9-0
East Gaston vs. Huss – East Gaston 9-0
Ashbrook vs. Highland Tech – Highland Tech 9-0
Cramer vs. Newton-Conover – Newton-Conover 8-0
(Wednesday, March 11)
Bessemer City vs. Huss – Huss 3-0
Ashbrook vs. Cramer – Cramer 5-0
Forestview vs. East Gaston – Forestview 5-0
Highland Tech vs. Newton-Conover – Newton-Conover 2-0
(Saturday, March 21 with all games at Field 1)
7th place- Ashbrook vs. Bessemer City, noon
5th place- Cramer vs. Huss, 2 p.m.
3rd place- East Gaston vs. Highland Tech (will not play)
Championship- Forestview vs. Newton-Conover, 4 p.m.
Middle school baseball
The Gaston County Conference schedule:
(Tuesday, March 17)
W.C. Friday 15, Grier 0 (5 innings)
(Wednesday, March 18)
Belmont at Stanley
Bessemer City at Southwest
Chavis at Mount Holly
(Thursday, March 19)
Southwest at York Chester
Mount Holly at Belmont
Holbrook at Bessemer City
Grier at Chavis
W.C. Friday at Cramerton
BYE – Stanley
(Friday, March 20)
Cramerton at Holbrook
(Monday, March 23)
Stanley at Mount Holly
York Chester at Holbrook
Belmont at Grier
Bessemer City at W.C. Friday
Chavis at Cramerton
BYE – Southwest
Middle school girls soccer
The Gaston County Conference schedule:
(Tuesday, March 17)
W.C. Friday at Grier
(Wednesday, March 18)
Belmont at Stanley
Bessemer City at Southwest
Chavis at Mount Holly
(Thursday, March 19)
Southwest at York Chester
Mount Holly at Belmont
Holbrook at Bessemer City
Grier at Chavis
W.C. Friday at Cramerton
BYE – Stanley
(Friday, March 20)
Cramerton at Holbrook
(Monday, March 23)
Stanley at Mount Holly
York Chester at Holbrook
Belmont at Grier
Bessemer City at W.C. Friday
Chavis at Cramerton
BYE – Southwest
Middle school track
The Gaston County schedule
(Wednesday, March 18)
Bessemer City, Chavis, York Chester, Stanley at Stanley, ppd., no date
Grier, Belmont, Holbrook, Cramerton at Belmont
(Monday, March 23)
Cramerton, Grier, Chavis at Stuart Cramer
(Wednesday, March 25)
Stanley, Bessemer City, Holbrook, Southwest at Stanley
Belmont, Mount Holly, W.C. Friday, York Chester at Belmont
(Tuesday, March 31)
W.C. Friday, Mount Holly, Southwest at North Gaston
(Wednesday, April 1)
Holbrook, Stanley, Chavis, W.C. Friday at Bessemer City HS
Mount Holly, York Chester, Southwest, Cramerton at Stanley
Belmont, Bessemer City, Grier at Belmont
(Tuesday, April 14)
York Chester, Holbrook, Cramerton at Bessemer City HS
(Wednesday, April 15)
Southwest, Belmont, Grier, W.C. Friday at Belmont
Chavis, Mount Holly, Stanley, Bessemer City at Stanley
(Wednesday, April 22)
Division 1 Meet – Host: Southwest at Bessemer City HS
Division 2 Meet – Host: Stanley at Bessemer City HS
(Wednesday, April 29)
County Championship – Host: Cramerton at Stuart Cramer
Auto racing
Here is the full 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule with race winners in parentheses:
Feb. 4 — Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium (Ryan Preece)
Feb. 15 — Daytona 500 (Tyler Reddick)
Feb. 22 — Atlanta (Reddick-2)
March 1 — Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas (Reddick-3)
March 8 — Phoenix (Ryan Blaney)
March 15 — Las Vegas (Denny Hamlin)
March 22 — Darlington, South Carolina
March 29 — Martinsville, Virginia
April 5 — off weekend
April 12 — Bristol, Tennessee
April 19 — Kansas
April 26 — Talladega, Alabama
May 3 — Texas
May 10 — Watkins Glen, New York
May 17 — All-Star Race (Dover)
May 24 — Coca-Cola 600 (Charlotte)
May 31 — Nashville, Tennessee
June 7 — Michigan
June 14 — Pocono in Long Pond, Pennsylvania
June 21 — San Diego
June 28 — Sonoma, California
July 5 — Chicagoland
July 12 — Atlanta
July 19 — North Wilkesboro
July 26 — Brickyard 400 (Indianapolis)
Aug. 2 — off weekend
Aug. 9 — Iowa
Aug. 15 — Richmond, Virginia
Aug. 23 — New Hampshire
Aug. 29 — Daytona, Florida
Sept. 6 — Darlington
Sept. 13 — Gateway in Madison, Illinois
Sept. 19 — Bristol
Sept. 27 — Kansas
Oct. 4 — Las Vegas
Oct. 11 — Charlotte Roval
Oct. 18 — Phoenix
Oct. 25 — Talladega
Nov. 1 — Martinsville
Nov. 8 — Homestead, Florida
Rodeo
Professional Bull Riding Unleash the Beast tour schedule for Greensboro-based Carolina Cowboys:
Feb. 1 – Golden 1 Center Sacramento- Austin Gamblers (L 173.90-256.90)
Feb. 21 – Progressive PBR Jacksonville- Florida Freedom (L 158.70-169.25)
March 22 – Ram Trucks PBR Indianapolis
March 29 – PBR Albuquerque
April 12 – First Premier Bank PBR Sioux Falls
April 18 – PBR Billings
April 24 – Cooper Tires PBR Tacoma
May 10 – PBR World Finals at Cowtown Coliseum
Sept. 18-20 – Greensboro First Horizon Coliseum Complex