4-30-26 roundup: Pro basketball, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, High school baseball, tennis, soccer and softball, Middle school baseball, girls soccer, tennis and track
By Richard Walker
Cramerton’s boys and Belmont’s girls won the Gaston County Conference track championships on Wednesday in the 2026 meet at the Cramer High School track.
Cramerton, coached by Rovahnda Tate, won its first boys championship since 2011. It was the Eagles’ fifth championship overall.
Belmont, coached by Brianna Beaver, won its fourth straight title and fifth overall.
Four county records were set in the meet – all in the boys competition.
One Holbrook individual set two records with a Holbrook relay team setting a record and a Belmont individual set a new standard.
Holbrook’s Messiah Patterson set the long jump record (20 feet, 3 inches) and 200-meter dash record (22.84 seconds). Cramerton’s Tristan Holt held the previous long jump (19-8 3/4 in 2022) and Aaron Gettys held the previous 200-meter dash record (23.05).
The Lions’ 1600-meter relay team of Deon Carter, Nayir Thomas, LaDarrius Pratt and Hudaifah Jamal set a record with a 3:48.44 clocking to surpass Grier’s previous 2013 record of 3:53.43 that was held by Delante’ Sykes, Caleb Wilson, Ishune Wright and Jaquaious Miller.
And Belmont’s Wilson Browning is the new 800-meter run record holder after 2:12.05 clocking to surpass the 2015 set by Stanley’s Braden McGuirt (2:12.18).
Here are the 2026 county championship results:
Boys team scores: Cramerton 91, Holbrook 82, Belmont 73, Stanley 56, Southwest 35, Mount Holly 13, York Chester 10, Chavis 2, W.C. Friday 1
Boys individual champions:
1600 relay- Holbrook 3:48.44
High jump- Travis “Jake” Pritchet (Cramerton) 5-8
400 relay- Cramerton 46.54
Shot put- Lachay Duncan (Stanley) 42-4
Discus- Lachay Duncan (Stanley) 134-11
Long jump- Messiah Patterson (Holbrook) 20-3
400- Hudaifah Jamal (Holbrook) 54.23
100- Messiah Patterson (Holbrook) 11.40
200- Messiah Patterson (Holbrook) 22.84
110 hurdles- Camden Mims (Cramerton) 13.81
800- Browning Wilson (Belmont) 2:12.05
1600- Grey McWhirter (Belmont) 4:53.85
Girls team scores: Belmont 76, Cramerton 63.3, Stanley 51.3, Mount Holly 50, Holbrook 44.3, Grier 40, W.C. Friday 23, Southwest 22, Chavis 3, York Chester 0
Girls individual champions:
Long jump- Kennedi Johnson (Holbrook) 14-10 1/2
400 relay- Stanley 53.75
1600 relay- Stanley 4:49.74
Discus- Kieran Scott (Cramerton) 70-1
High jump- Quinn Cooper (Belmont) 4-11
Shot put- Jeriyah Williams (Grier) 27-7 1/2
200- Avery Price (Stanley) 27.02
400- Quinn Cooper (Belmont) 1:04.04
100- Skylah Gray (Holbrook) 13.04
1600- Abbie Luck (Cramerton) 6:04.63
110 hurdles- Journee Sadler (Grier) 16.78
800- Whitney Clark (Cramerton) 2:47.03
College football
Two-sport star Jaxon Dollar of East Lincoln will be heading to the SEC after he made his college commitment official on Thursday.
Ranked the No. 1 football recruit in North Carolina for the 2027 class, Dollar picked Georgia over other finalists are Clemson, Miami, Notre Dame and Texas.
Also a basketball standout, the 6-foot-6, 230-pound football tight end Dollar is considering playing both sports in college.
High school baseball
Here are the area’s results/schedule:
(Monday, April 20)
Ashbrook 14, Huss 12
Burns 11, Highland Tech 3
Cherryville 13, East Gaston 0 (5 innings)
North Lincoln 15, Bandys 2
South Point 7, Palisades 3
Piedmont Community Charter 12, Bessemer City Community Christian 4
(Tuesday, April 21)
North Gaston 13, Ashbrook 3 (5 innings)
Crest 15, Forestview 1 (5 innings)
South Point 21, Huss 3
West Lincoln 10, East Gaston 7
Shelby 13, Bessemer City 1 (5 innings)
East Lincoln 10, Foard 0 (6 innings)
Lake Norman Charter 2, Lincoln Charter 0
Mountain Island Charter 5, Queen’s Grant 0
SouthLake Christian 9, Gaston Day 2
Gaston Christian 20, Hickory Christian Academy 1 (3 innings)
(Wednesday, April 22)
Burns 15, Polk County 3
Charlotte Stampede 10, Mountain Island Charter 2
Lincolnton 9, Forestview 0
North Lincoln 5, Lincoln Charter 0
Piedmont Community Charter 1, Highland Tech 0
East Lincoln 6, North Gaston 1
(Thursday, April 23)
South Point 5, Crest 3
Cherryville 4, Cramer 3
Burns 10, Highland Tech 0 (5 innings)
Lincoln Charter 4, Lake Norman Charter 3
Gaston Christian 5, SouthLake Christian 4
Metrolina Christian 15, Gaston Day 0 (3 innings)
(Friday, April 24)
Ashbrook 22, Chambers 7 (5 innings)
Forestview 15, Huss 0 (3 innings)
North Gaston 9, Kings Mountain 8 (9 innings)
Shelby 8, Bessemer City 4
Cramer 3, Cherryville 1
West Lincoln 8, East Gaston 5
East Lincoln 5, Hickory 1
Mountain Island Charter 4, Jackson Day 2
Gaston Day 12, Pinnacle Classical 1 (5 innings)
(Monday, April 27)
Cramer 14, East Gaston 1 (5 innings)
Gaston Christian 11, Concord Academy 1 (5 innings)
Highland Tech 13, Pinnacle Classical 3
(Tuesday, April 28)
Kings Mountain 16, Ashbrook 1
Crest 20, Huss 0 (3 innings)
South Point 7, North Gaston 3
Cherryville 10, Bessemer City 0 (5 innings)
Burns 21, Shelby 0 (5 innings)
West Lincoln 1, Lincolnton 0
North Lincoln 10, Bunker Hill 0 (6 innings)
East Lincoln 4, Maiden 3
Gaston Day 8, Westminster Catawba 4
(Wednesday, April 29)
East Gaston 11, Highland Tech 1 (5 innings)
Burns 5, Crest 3
Cramer 8, Forestview 1
East Lincoln 6, Cherryville 5
(Thursday, April 30)
Crest 11, North Gaston 8
North Lincoln 10, Foard 0
Gaston Christian 2, Metrolina Christian 0
Gaston Day 4, Concord Academy 2
(Friday, May 1)
Forestview at Ashbrook
South Point at Kings Mountain
Burns at Shelby
Cherryville at Bessemer City
Cramer at East Gaston
Lincolnton at West Lincoln
Pinnacle Classical at Highland Tech
High school tennis
Twenty area teams qualified for the N.C. High School Athletic Association dual team tennis playoffs.
Here are the area pairings:
(First round- Monday, April 27)
Class 1A/2A West No. 2 Highland Tech- bye
Class 1A/2A West No. 3 Cherryville- bye
Class 1A/2A West No. 4 Thomas Jefferson- bye
Class 3A West No. 12 West Lincoln- bye
Class 3A West No. 15 Lincolnton hosts No. 18 Piedmont Community Charter – Piedmont Community Charter 6-3
Class 3A West No. 19 Shelby at No. 14 Union Academy – Union Academy 5-2
Class 3A West No. 18 Piedmont Community Charter at No. 15 Lincolnton – Piedmont Community Charter 6-3
Class 4A West No. 6 Cramer- bye
Class 4A West No. 10 Lincoln Charter- bye
Class 4A West No. 11 East Gaston hosts No. 22 Tuscola – Tuscola 5-4
Class 4A West No. 14 Burns hosts No. 19 Bandys – Bandys 5-4
Class 5A West No. 3 Crest- bye
Class 5A West No. 4 South Point- bye
Class 5A West No. 6 North Lincoln- bye
Class 5A West No. 9 Forestview hosts No. 24 Robinson – Forestview 6-0
Class 5A West No. 13 East Lincoln hosts No. 20 High Point Central – East Lincoln 6-1
Class 5A West No. 21 North Gaston at No. 12 Oak Grove – Oak Grove 7-0
Class 5A West No. 23 Huss at No. 10 W-S Atkins – W-S Atkins 5-0
Class 6A West No. 12 Kings Mountain hosts No. 21 Harding – Kings Mountain
Class 6A West No. 18 Ashbrook at No. 15 Piedmont – Piedmont 6-0
(Second round- Wednesday, April 29)
Class 1A/2A West No. 2 Highland Tech hosts No. 15 Clover Garden – Highland Tech 5-1
Class 1A/2A West No. 3 Cherryville hosts No. 14 Christ the King – Christ the King 6-3
Class 1A/2A West No. 4 Thomas Jefferson hosts No. 13 Cornerstone Charter – Thomas Jefferson 9-0
Class 3A West No. 12 West Lincoln at West No. 5 Patton – Patton 7-2
Class 3A West No. 18 Piedmont Community Charter at No. 2 Pine Lake Prep – Pine Lake Prep 6-0
Class 4A West No. 6 Cramer hosts No. 22 Tuscola – Cramer 6-3
Class 4A West No. 10 Lincoln Charter at No. 7 Foard – Lincoln Charter 5-2
Class 5A West No. 3 Crest hosts No. 14 Concord – Crest 5-1
Class 5A West No. 4 South Point hosts No. 13 East Lincoln – South Point 5-1
Class 5A West No. 6 North Lincoln hosts No. 11 Carson – North Lincoln 5-1
Class 5A West No. 9 Forestview at No. 8 Smoky Mountain – Smoky Mountain 7-2
Class 5A West No. 13 East Lincoln at No. 4 South Point – South Point 5-1
Class 6A West No. 12 Kings Mountain at No. 5 Western Guilford – Western Guilford 5-2
(Third round- Monday, May 4)
Class 1A/2A West No. 2 Highland Tech hosts No. 7 NCSSM Morganton
Class 1A/2A West No. 4 Thomas Jefferson hosts No. 5 Community School of Davidson
Class 4A West No. 6 Cramer at No. 3 East Burke
Class 4A West No. 10 Lincoln Charter at No. 2 Salisbury
Class 5A West No. 3 Crest hosts No. 6 North Lincoln
Class 5A West No. 4 South Point hosts No. 5 North Buncombe
Class 5A West No. 6 North Lincoln at No. 3 Crest
(Fourth round- Wednesday, May 6)
(Regional finals- Tuesday, May 12)
(State championships at Burlington Tennis Center- Friday, May 15)
Class 6A and 8A, 8:30 a.m.
Class 5A and 7A, noon
(State championships at Burlington Tennis Center- Saturday, May 16)
Class 1A/2A and 4A, 8:30 a.m.
Class 3A, noon
High school softball
(Thursday, April 30)
East Lincoln 5, Lincoln Charter 2: Jordyn Aungst (5 innings, 5 strikeouts for win as pitcher, 2 singles, RBI as batter), Ava Cook (2 innings, 2 strikeouts as pitcher), Maliya Fletcher-McLean (double, run), Peyton Passmore (single, run), Kaitlyn Gust (single, walk, 2 runs, RBI, stolen base), Gabby Vaughn (2 singles, 2 RBIs), Lyla Haywood (2 singles, home run, RBI),
Keylee Donaldson (single), Raegan Beheler (single, fielders choice), Brylee Belcher (single) and Kiley Crowe (single) led East Lincoln and Ave Patterson (2 singles, home run, run, RBI) led Lincoln Charter.
College baseball
Here are the 2026 Conference Carolinas Baseball Championship pairings:
(Play-in Round – Wednesday, April 29)
Game 1: No. 8 Emmanuel vs. No. 9 King – King 10-6
Game 2: No. 7 Erskine vs. No. 10 Southern Wesleyan – Erskine 14-1
(First Round – Thursday, April 30)
Game 3: No. 1 North Greenville vs. No. 9 King – North Greenville 7-3
Game 4: No. 4 Young Harris vs. No. 5 UNC Pembroke – Young Harris 5-4 in 10
Game 5: No. 2 Francis Marion vs. No. 7 Erskine – Francis Marion 11-7
Game 6: No. 3 Belmont Abbey vs. No. 6 Mount Olive – Belmont Abbey 13-11
(Second Round – Friday, May 1)
Game 7: King vs. UNC Pembroke, 11 a.m.
Game 8: Erskine vs. Mount Olive, 1 p.m. (at Sims Legion Park)
Game 9: North Greenville vs. Young Harris, 3 p.m.
Game 10: Francis Marion vs. Belmont Abbey, 7 p.m.
(Semifinal Round – Saturday, May 2)
Game 11: Winner Game 8 vs. Loser Game 9, 11 a.m.
Game 12: Loser Game 10 vs. Winner Game 7, 11 a.m. (at Sims Legion Park)
Game 13: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 3 p.m.
Game 14: Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12, 7 p.m.
(Championship – Sunday, May 3)
Game 15: Winner Game 14 vs. Loser Game 13, 1 p.m.
Game 16: Winner Game 13 vs. Winner Game 15, 4 p.m.
(Championship – Monday, May 6 – If Necessary)
Game 17 – Loser Game 16 vs. Winner Game 15, 1 p.m.
Pro soccer
The 2026 Charlotte FC schedule:
(4-4-2 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 (W 6-1)
Saturday, Apr. 4 Philadelphia (W 2-1)
Saturday, Apr. 11 Nashville (L 1-2)
Saturday, Apr. 18 at New York (W 2-1)
Wednesday, Apr. 22 at Orlando (L 1-4)
Saturday, Apr. 25 at Nashville (L 2-4)
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
(U.S. Open Cup)
Wednesday, Apr. 15 Charlotte Independence (W 6-0)
…at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex
Tuesday, Apr. 28 Atlanta United FC (L 0-2)
…at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex
Pro basketball
(Eastern Conference play-in tournament)
Tuesday, April 14: Miami at Charlotte – Charlotte 127-126 in OT
Wednesday, April 15: Orlando at Philadelphia – Philadelphia 109-97
Friday, April 17: Charlotte at Orlando – Orlando 121-90
(Eastern Conference quarterfinals)
*-if necessary
No. 1 Detroit vs. No. 8 Orlando
Game 1: Orlando at Detroit- Sunday April 19 – Orlando 112-101
Game 2: Orlando at Detroit- Wednesday, April 22 – Detroit 98-83
Game 3: Detroit at Orlando- Saturday, April 25 – Orlando 113-105
Game 4: Detroit at Orlando- Monday, April 27 – Orlando 94-88
Game 5: Orlando at Detroit- Wednesday, April 29 – Detroit 116-109
Game 6: Detroit at Orlando- Friday, May 1 (7 ET, Prime)
Game 7: Orlando at Detroit*- Sunday, May 3 (TBD, TBD)
No. 2 Boston vs. No. 7 Philadelphia
Game 1: Philadelphia at Boston- Sunday April 19 – Boston 123-91
Game 2: Philadelphia at Boston- Tuesday, April 21 – Philadelphia 101-97
Game 3: Boston at Philadelphia- Friday, April 24 – Boston 108-100
Game 4: Boston at Philadelphia- Sunday, April 26 – Boston 128-96
Game 5: Philadelphia at Boston- Tuesday, April 28 – Philadelphia 113-97
Game 6: Boston at Philadelphia- Thursday, April 30 – Philadelphia 106-93
Game 7: Philadelphia at Boston- Saturday, May 2 (4 ET, Prime)
No. 3 New York vs. No. 6 Atlanta
Game 1: Atlanta at New York- Saturday April 18 – New York 113-102
Game 2: Atlanta at New York- Monday, April 20 – Atlanta 107-106
Game 3: New York at Atlanta- Thursday, April 23 – Atlanta 109-108
Game 4: New York at Atlanta- Saturday, April 25 – New York 114-98
Game 5: Atlanta at New York- Tuesday, April 28 – New York 126-97
Game 6: New York at Atlanta- Thursday, April 30 – New York 140-89 (New York wins series 4-2)
No. 4 Cleveland vs. No. 5 Toronto
Game 1: Toronto at Cleveland- Saturday April 18 – Cleveland 126-113
Game 2: Toronto at Cleveland- Monday, April 20 – Cleveland 115-105
Game 3: Cleveland at Toronto- Thursday, April 23 – Toronto 126-104
Game 4: Cleveland at Toronto- Sunday, April 26 – Toronto 93-89
Game 5: Toronto at Cleveland- Wednesday, April 29 – Cleveland 125-120
Game 6: Cleveland at Toronto- Friday, May 1 (7:30 ET, Prime)
Game 7: Toronto at Cleveland*- Sunday, May 3 (TBD, TBD)
(Eastern Conference semifinals)
No. 1-8 winner vs. No. 4-5 winner
No. 2-7 winner vs. No. 3 New York
(Eastern Conference finals)
TBD
(Western Conference play-in tournament)
Tuesday, April 14: Portland at Phoenix – Portland 114-110
Wednesday, April 15: Golden State at L.A. Clippers – Golden State 126-121
Friday, April 17: Golden State at Phoenix – Phoenix 111-96
(Western Conference quarterfinals)
*-if necessary
No. 1 Oklahoma City vs. No. 8 Phoenix
Game 1: Phoenix at Oklahoma City- Sunday April 19 – Oklahoma City 119-84
Game 2: Phoenix at Oklahoma City- Wednesday, April 22 – Oklahoma City 120-107
Game 3: Oklahoma City at Phoenix- Saturday, April 25 – Oklahoma City 121-109
Game 4: Oklahoma City at Phoenix- Monday, April 27 – Oklahoma City 131-122 (Oklahoma City wins series 4-0)
No. 2 San Antonio vs. No. 7 Portland
Game 1: Portland at San Antonio- Sunday April 19 – San Antonio 111-98
Game 2: Portland at San Antonio- Tuesday, April 21 – Portland 106-103
Game 3: San Antonio at Portland- Friday, April 24 – San Antonio 120-108
Game 4: San Antonio at Portland- Sunday, April 26 – San Antonio 114-93
Game 5: Portland at San Antonio- Tuesday, April 28 – San Antonio 114-95 (San Antonio wins series 4-1)
No. 3 Denver vs. No. 6 Minnesota
Game 1: Minnesota at Denver- Saturday April 18 – Denver 116-105
Game 2: Minnesota at Denver- Monday, April 20 – Minnesota 119-114
Game 3: Denver at Minnesota- Thursday, April 23 – Minnesota 113-96
Game 4: Denver at Minnesota- Saturday, April 25 – Minnesota 112-96
Game 5: Minnesota at Denver- Monday, April 27 – Denver 125-113
Game 6: Denver at Minnesota- Thursday, April 30 (9:30 ET, ESPN)
Game 7: Minnesota at Denver*- Saturday, May 2 (TBD, TBD)
No. 4 L.A. Lakers vs. No. 5 Houston
Game 1: Houston at Los Angeles- Saturday April 18 – L.A. Lakers 107-98
Game 2: Houston at Los Angeles- Tuesday, April 21 – L.A. Lakers 101-94
Game 3: Los Angeles at Houston- Friday, April 24 – L.A. Lakers 112-108 in OT
Game 4: Los Angeles at Houston- Sunday, April 26 – Houston 115-96
Game 5: Houston at Los Angeles- Wednesday, April 29 – Houston 99-93
Game 6: Los Angeles at Houston- Friday, May 1 (9:30 ET, Prime)
Game 7: Houston at Los Angeles*- Sunday, May 3 (TBD, TBD)
(Western Conference semifinals)
No. 1 Oklahoma City vs. No. 4-5 winner
No. 2 San Antonio vs. No. 3-6 winner
(Western Conference finals)
TBD
(NBA finals)
TBD
Pro hockey
NHL playoff results/schedule for Carolina Hurricanes and Stanley Cup playoff pairings (*-if necessary):
(Eastern Conference Round 1)
-No. 1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. Wild Card No. 2 Ottawa Senators
Game 1: Saturday, April 18- at Carolina – Carolina 2-0
Game 2: Monday, April 20- at Carolina – Carolina 3-2 in 2 OT
Game 3: Thursday, April 23- at Ottawa – Carolina 2-1
Game 4: Saturday, April 25- at Ottawa – Carolina 4-2 (Carolina wins series 4-0)
-No. 2 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. 3 Philadelphia Flyers (Philadelphia wins series 4-2)
-No. 1 Buffalo Sabres vs. Wild Card No. 1 Boston Bruins
-No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. No. 3 Montreal Canadiens
(Western Conference Round 1)
-No. 1 Colorado Avalanche vs. Wild Card No. 2 Los Angeles Kings (Colorado wins series 4-0)
-No. 2 Dallas Stars vs. No. 3 Minnesota Wild (Minnesota wins series 4-2)
-No. 1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. Wild Card No. 1 Utah Mammoth
-No. 2 Edmonton Oilers vs. No. 3 Anaheim Ducks
(Eastern Conference Round 2)
-No. 1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. No. 3 Philadelphia Flyers
-No. 1 Buffalo Sabres-Wild Card No. 1 Boston Bruins winner vs. No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning-No. 3 Montreal Canadiens winner
(Western Conference Round 2)
-No. 1 Colorado Avalanche vs. No. 3 Minnesota Wild
-No. 1 Vegas Golden Knights-Wild Card No. 1 Utah Mammoth winner vs. No. 2 Edmonton Oilers-No. 3 Anaheim Ducks winner
Calder Cup playoff results/schedule for Charlotte Checkers:
(Atlantic Division First Round)
-No. 3 Charlotte vs. No. 6 Springfield
Game 1: Wednesday, April 22- at Charlotte – Charlotte 8-1
Game 2: Friday, April 24- at Charlotte – Springfield 5-2
Game 3: Saturday, April 25- at Charlotte – Springfield 2-1 in OT (Springfield wins series 2-1)
Middle school baseball
Gaston County Conference regular season standings:
Stanley 9-1
Mount Holly 9-1
Belmont 8-2
Cramerton 7-3
Chavis 7-3
Bessemer City 5-5
W.C. Friday 4-6
Holbrook 3-7
York Chester 2-8
Grier 1-9
Southwest 0-10
The Gaston County Conference schedule:
(Tuesday, April 28)
Semifinal: No. 3 (Belmont) at No. 2 (Mount Holly) – Belmont 11-1 in 5
(Thursday, April 30)
Semifinal: No. 4 (Cramerton) at No. 1 (Stanley) – Stanley 11-0 in 5: Luke Addington (6 strikeouts as pitcher, hit as batter), Brayden Silvers (hit), Tallon (hit) and Aiden Whisnant (hit) led Stanley.
(Wednesday, May 6)
Final: Belmont at Stanley, 4:15 p.m.
Tri-County Conference regular season standings:
(Eastern Division)
North Lincoln 9-1
Burns 8-2
East Lincoln 5-5
West Lincoln 5-5
Kings Mountain 3-7
Lincolnton 0-10
(Western Division)
R-S Central 10-0
Crest 8-2
Thomas Jefferson 6-4
East Rutherford 4-6
Chase 2-8
Shelby 0-10
(Tuesday, April 28)
Semifinal- Burns at R-S Central – Burns
Semifinal- Crest at North Lincoln – NL
(Thursday, April 30)
Championship- Burns at North Lincoln
Middle school girls soccer
Gaston County Conference standings through April 23:
Belmont 10-0
Cramerton 9-1
W.C. Friday 8-2
Mount Holly 7-3
Stanley 6-4
Chavis 4-6
Holbrook 4-6
Bessemer City 3-7
York Chester 3-7
Southwest 1-9
Grier 0-10
The Gaston County Conference schedule:
(Thursday, April 30)
Semifinal: No. 3 (W.C. Friday) at No. 2 (Cramerton) – Cramerton 4-0: Brynn Dubios (1 goal), Olivia Powers (1 goal, 1 assist), Rae Richards (1 goal), Londyn Jones (1 goal), Sara Garcia (1 assist) and defenders Eason Hobbs, Sophia Sale, Haley Rolland and Sara Hellams led Cramerton.
Semifinal: No. 4 (Mount Holly) at No. 1 (Belmont) – Belmont 2-0
(Tuesday, May 5)
Final: Cramerton at Belmont, 4 p.m.
Tri-County Conference regular season standings:
(Eastern Division)
East Lincoln 10-0
North Lincoln 8-2
Kings Mountain 6-4
Burns 3-7
Lincolnton 3-7
West Lincoln 0-10
(Western Division)
Thomas Jefferson 10-0
R-S Central 7-3
Shelby 5-5
Crest 4-6
Chase 4-6
East Rutherford 0-10
(Tuesday, April 28)
Semifinal- North Lincoln at Thomas Jefferson – NL
Semifinal- R-S Central at East Lincoln – EL
(Thursday, April 30)
Championship- North Lincoln at East Lincoln
Pro baseball
Gwinnett 9, Charlotte 5: The visiting Stripers scored four runs in the third inning and never trailed in the third game of the six-game series at Charlotte’s Truist Field. The fourth game is 7:04 p.m. on Friday.
Here is the full Charlotte Knights’ 2026 schedule:
(14-16 record 1st half)
March 27-29 Durham 3-0 (W 19-2, W 2-1 in 11, W 4-3)
March 31-April 5 at Nashville 1-4 (L 3-7, W 9-3, L 0-4, L 6-7, ppd, L 5-7)
April 7-12 Memphis 3-3 (L 4-9, W 7-3, L 1-4, W 9-8 in 10, L 4-6, W 13-4)
April 14-19 at Jacksonville 2-4 (L 0-3, L 2-3, L 3-5, L 1-4, W 2-0, W 9-4)
April 21-26 Nashville 4-3 (L 1-5, W 9-4, W 3-2 in 10, W 11-9, L 5-12, W 16-6, L 1-5)
April 28-May 3 Gwinnett 1-2 (L 7-10, W 10-9, L 5-9)
May 5-10 at Jacksonville
May 12-17 Norfolk
May 19-24 at Gwinnett
May 26-31 Jacksonville
June 2-7 at Durham
June 9-14 Oklahoma City
June 16-21 at Buffalo
June 23-28 Rochester
June 30-July 5 at Memphis
July 7-12 Nashville
July 17-19 at Durham
July 21-26 Norfolk
July 28-August 2 at Nashville
August 4-9 Durham
August 11-16 at Rochester
August 18-23 at Scranton-WB
August 25-30 Memphis
September 1-6 at Gwinnett
September 8-13 Buffalo
September 15-20 at Norfolk
Here is the full Gastonia Ghost Peppers’ 2026 schedule:
(7-2 record, 7-2 1st half, 0-0 2nd half)
-1st half
April 21-23 at High Point 1-2 (W 3-1, L 5-6, L 0-5)
April 24-26 High Point 3-0 (W 4-3, W 18-8, W 9-2)
April 28-May 3 at York 3-0 (W 14-2, ppd, W 2-1, W 5-4)
May 5-10 Southern Maryland
May 12-17 at Long Island
May 19-20 Charleston, W.Va.
May 22-24 at Charleston, W.Va.
May 26-28 at Lexington
May 29-31 Charleston, W.Va.
June 2-7 Lancaster
June 9-14 at Lexington
June 16-21 Staten Island
June 23-28 at Lexington
June 30-July 2 Lexington
-2nd half
July 3-5 Charleston, W.Va.
July 7-12 at Hagerstown
July 14-19 Lexington
July 21-26 at Charleston, W.Va.
July 28, 30-31-Aug. 2 Hagerstown
Aug. 4-6 Southern Maryland
Aug. 7-9 at Lexington
Aug. 11-16 at High Point
Aug. 18-23 Charleston, W.Va.
Aug. 25-30 at Southern Maryland
Sept. 1-6 High Point
Sept. 8-10 Lexington
Sept. 11-13 at High Point
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 (Reddick-4)
March 29 — Martinsville, Virginia (Chase Elliott)
April 5 — off weekend
April 12 — Bristol, Tennessee (Ty Gibbs)
April 19 — Kansas (Reddick-5)
April 26 — Talladega, Alabama (Carson Hocevar)
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- Nashville Stampede (W 88.70- 0.00)
(DNQ for playoffs)
Team Challenge playoff results
March 29 at Albuquerque: Semifinal- (No. 1 Missouri Thunder def. No. 4 Florida Freedom 83.65-0.00)
April 17 at Billings: Semifinal- (No. 2 Austin Gamblers def. No. 3 Kansas City Outlaws 87.10-84.50)
April 26 at Tacoma: Championship- (No. 1 Missouri Thunder def. No. 2 Austin Gamblers 254.75-171.35)
Upcoming events:
May 10 – PBR World Finals at Cowtown Coliseum
Sept. 18-20 – Greensboro First Horizon Coliseum Complex
Golf
The Rutherford County Sports Hall Of Fame (RCSHOF), presented by Hardin’s Drug, in conjunction with Golf Sponsors Forest City Honda and Chick-fil-A of Forest City, is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the 2026 T. Max Champion Memorial Golf Tournament.
The tournament will be held on Friday, July 31 at the Apple Vally Golf Course in Lake Luke, with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. Registration fee is $100.00 per player or $400.00 for a team of four and covers the green fee, cart usage and lunch.
First prize for Gross and Net Winners is $600.00 per team. Other prizes will be awarded based on the number of entries. Proceeds from the event go to support the RCSHOF Scholarship Fund and registration deadline is July 21.
For information or to register, please visit the RCSHOF website: https://www.rcshof.org/ or call Randy Page at 828-429-7773.