8-10-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, basketball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball, High school football and soccer

By Richard Walker

Nick Muse has another NFL opportunity after being signed by the Detroit Lions.

The Lions signed Muse after rookie Miles Kitselman suffered a leg injury in training camp.

Muse, a 27-year-old 2017 South Point High graduate, has appeared in 16 career NFL games in three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings from 2022 to 2024.

Muse was a seventh-round draft pick of the Vikings after a five-year collegiate career (two years at William & Mary in 2017 and 2018 and three years at South Carolina from 2019 to 2021).

After playing for the Vikings, Muse picked up a Super Bowl championship ring as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad in February 2025. He has later been on the practice squad for the Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams and New York Jets organizations.

 

 

 

 

 

Legion baseball

Here’s the 2026 ALWS pairings:

-American Legion World Series (at Shelby NC)
Stars division: Northeast (Bedford, N.H.), Southeast (Jacksonville, Fla.), Great Lakes (Midland, Mich.), Northwest (Portland, Ore.)
Stripes division: Mid-Atlantic (Whitehouse, N.J.), Mid-South (Tupelo, Miss.), Central Plains (Lincoln, Neb.), Western (Fairfield, Calif.)

(Thursday, Aug. 13)
Northeast vs. Great Lakes, 10 a.m.
Central Plains vs. Western, 1 p.m.
Southeast vs. Northwest, 4 p.m.
Mid-Atlantic vs. Mid-South, 7:30 p.m.

(Friday, Aug. 14)
Northeast vs. Northwest, 4 p.m.
Southeast vs. Great Lakes, 7 p.m.

(Saturday, Aug. 15)
Mid-Atlantic vs. Western, noon
Mid-South vs. Central Plains, 3 p.m.
Southeast vs. Northeast, 7:30 p.m.

(Sunday, Aug. 16)
Mid-Atlantic vs. Central Plains, 1 p.m.
Great Lakes vs. Northwest, 4 p.m.
Mid-South vs. Western, 7 p.m.

(Monday, Aug. 17)
Semifinals: Stripes winner vs. Stars runner-up, 4 p.m.
Semifinals: Stars winner vs. Stripes runner-up, 7 p.m.

(Tuesday, Aug. 18)
Championship: Monday winners, 6 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

High school football

Week-by-week 2026 area high school football schedule:

(Friday, Aug. 21)
Burns at Crest
Cramer at Forestview
East Gaston at North Gaston
East Lincoln at South Iredell
Highland Tech at Langtree Charter
Kings Mountain at Shelby
Lincolnton at Maiden
Mountain Island Charter at Lincoln Charter
North Lincoln at West Lincoln
North Stokes at Cherryville
Palisades at Ashbrook
Pine Lake Prep at Bessemer City
Roberson at Huss
South Point at Hickory

(Friday, Aug. 28)
Berry Academy at Ashbrook
Bessemer City at Huss
Burns at Kings Mountain
Cherryville at Owen
College Prep & Leadership Academy at Mountain Island Charter
East Lincoln at Providence
Forestview at East Gaston
Highland Tech at Bradford Prep
Lincoln Charter at West Lincoln
North Gaston at Cramer
North Lincoln at Lincolnton
Shelby at Crest
South Point at Charlotte Latin

(Friday, Sept. 4)
Bessemer City at West Lincoln
Burns at East Gaston
Cherryville at Lincolnton
Highland Tech at Shelby
East Lincoln at Newton-Conover
Maiden at North Lincoln
Crest at Asheville
Forestview at Smoky Mountain
Kings Mountain at Bandys
North Gaston at Concord
North Meck at Huss
Northwest Cabarrus at Ashbrook
Roberson at South Point
Union Academy at Lincoln Charter
Off- Cramer, Mountain Island Charter

(Thursday, Sept. 10)
Ashbrook at Marvin Ridge
Crest at Weddington

(Friday, Sept. 11)
Burns at Lincolnton
Cramer at Bessemer City
Highland Tech at Cherryville
West Lincoln at Shelby
East Lincoln at Bandys
West Iredell at North Lincoln
Charlotte Catholic at Kings Mountain
Draughn at Mountain Island Charter
Huss at Lake Wylie, S.C.
Lake Norman Charter at Forestview
Mount Pleasant at South Point
South Caldwell at North Gaston
Off- East Gaston, Lincoln Charter

(Friday, Sept. 18)
Ashbrook at South Point
Forestview at Kings Mountain
North Gaston at Huss
Bessemer City at Burns
Cramer at Highland Tech
Lincolnton at East Gaston
Shelby at Cherryville
North Lincoln at East Lincoln
Lincoln Charter at Christ the King
North Stanly at Mountain Island Charter
Off- Crest, West Lincoln

(Friday, Sept. 25)
Crest at Forestview
North Gaston at Ashbrook
South Point at Huss
Burns at West Lincoln
East Gaston at Bessemer City
Lincolnton at Highland Tech
Shelby at Cramer
Bunker Hill at East Lincoln
North Lincoln at Hickory
Lincoln Charter at Corvian Charter
Mountain Island Charter at Albemarle
Off- Cherryville, Kings Mountain

(Friday, Oct. 2)
Crest at South Point
Huss at Forestview
Kings Mountain at North Gaston
Cramer at Burns
Cherryville at West Lincoln
Highland Tech at East Gaston
Lincolnton at Bessemer City
East Lincoln at West Iredell
Newton-Conover at North Lincoln
Langtree Charter at Lincoln Charter
Thomas Jefferson at Mountain Island Charter
Off- Ashbrook, Shelby

(Friday, Oct. 9)
Ashbrook at Kings Mountain
Huss at Crest
North Gaston at South Point
Bessemer City at Highland Tech
Cherryville at East Gaston
Lincolnton at Shelby
West Lincoln at Cramer
Foard at East Lincoln
North Lincoln at Bandys
Community School of Davidson at Lincoln Charter
Bonnie Cone Academy at Mountain Island Charter
Off- Burns, Forestview

(Friday, Oct. 16)
Crest at North Gaston
Forestview at Ashbrook
South Point at Kings Mountain
Burns at Cherryville
Cramer at Lincolnton
East Gaston at Shelby
Highland Tech at West Lincoln
East Lincoln at Hickory
Lincoln Charter at Bradford Prep
Mountain Island Charter at Union Academy
Off- Bessemer City, Huss, North Lincoln

(Friday, Oct. 23)
Ashbrook at Crest
Kings Mountain at Huss
South Point at Forestview
Highland Tech at Burns
Cherryville at Cramer
East Gaston at West Lincoln
Shelby at Bessemer City
Bunker Hill at North Lincoln
Maiden at East Lincoln
Pine Lake Prep at Lincoln Charter
South Stanly at Mountain Island Charter
Off- North Gaston

(Friday, Oct. 30)
Forestview at North Gaston
Huss at Ashbrook
Kings Mountain at Crest
Bessemer City at Cherryville
East Gaston at Cramer
Shelby at Burns
West Lincoln at Lincolnton
North Lincoln at Foard
Lincoln Charter at Lake Norman Charter
Mountain Island Charter at North Rowan
Off- Highland Tech, East Lincoln, South Point

(State playoffs)
1st Round: Nov. 6
2nd Round: Nov. 13
3rd Round: Nov. 20
4th Round: Nov. 27
Regionals: Dec. 4
State Championships: Dec. 10-12

 

 

 

 

 

High school soccer

Pairings have been released for the 2026 Gaston boys high school Soccer Cup:

-Gaston Soccer Cup Division I at Field 1
(Monday, Aug. 17)
East Lincoln vs. Huss, 5 p.m.
Piedmont Community Charter vs. Forestview, 7 p.m.
(Tuesday, Aug. 18)
South Point vs. Statesville, 5 p.m.
Highland Tech vs. North Lincoln, 7 p.m.
(Wednesday, Aug. 19)
East Lincoln-Huss loser vs. Piedmont Community Charter-Forestview loser, 5 p.m.
East Lincoln-Huss winner vs. Piedmont Community Charter-Forestview winner, 7 p.m.
(Thursday, Aug. 20)
South Point-Statesville loser vs. Highland Tech-North Lincoln loser, 5 p.m.
South Point-Statesville winner vs. Highland Tech-North Lincoln winner, 7 p.m.
(Saturday, Aug. 22)
7th place, noon
5th place, 2 p.m.
3rd place, 4 p.m.
Championship, 6 p.m.

-Gaston Soccer Cup Division II at Field 2
(Monday, Aug. 17)
North Gaston vs. Cramer, 5 p.m.
Shelby vs. Kings Mountain, 7 p.m.
(Tuesday, Aug. 18)
West Lincoln vs. Crest, 5 p.m.
Gaston Christian vs. Ashbrook, 7 p.m.
(Wednesday, Aug. 19)
North Gaston-Cramer loser vs. Shelby-Kings Mountain loser, 5 p.m.
North Gaston-Cramer winner vs. Shelby-Kings Mountain winner, 7 p.m.
(Thursday, Aug. 20)
West Lincoln-Crest loser vs. Gaston Christian-Ashbrook loser, 5 p.m.
West Lincoln-Crest winner vs. Gaston Christian-Ashbrook winner, 7 p.m.
(Saturday, Aug. 22)
7th place, 11 a.m.
5th place, 1 p.m.
3rd place, 3 p.m.
Championship, 5 p.m.

 

 

 

 

Pro football

Here is the Panthers’ full 2026 schedule:

(preseason)
Aug. 6 – Arizona (at Canton, Ohio) W 33-30
Aug. 15 – at Buffalo, 1 p.m.
Aug. 21 – at Jacksonville, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 28 – Houston, 7 p.m.
(regular season)
Sept. 13 – Chicago, 1 p.m.
Sept. 20 – at Atlanta, 1 p.m.
Sept. 27 – at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Oct. 4 – Detroit, 8:20 p.m.
Oct. 8-12 – BYE week
Oct. 18 – at Philadelphia, 1 p.m.
Oct. 25 – Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.
Oct. 29 – at Green Bay, 8:15 p.m.
Nov. 8 – Denver, 1 p.m.
Nov. 15 – at New Orleans, 1 p.m.
Nov. 22 – Baltimore, 1 p.m.
Nov. 30 – at Tampa Bay, 8:15 p.m.
Dec. 6 – at Minnesota, 4:25 p.m.
Dec. 13 – New Orleans, 1 p.m.
Dec. 20 – Cincinnati, 1 p.m.
Dec. 24-28 TBA – at Pittsburgh, TBA
Jan. 3 – Seattle, 1 p.m.
Jan. 9-10 TBA – Atlanta, TBA

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pro soccer

The 2026 Charlotte FC schedule:

(7-7-4 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 (L 0-1)
Saturday, May 9 Cincinnati (T 2-2)
Wednesday, May 13 New York (L 0-1)
Saturday, May 16 Toronto (W 3-1)
Saturday, May 23 New England (W 1-0)
Wednesday, July 22 Atlanta, 8:00 PM (T 2-2)
Saturday, July 25 at New York Red Bulls (W 2-0)
Saturday, Aug. 1 at Chicago (L 1-2)
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

(Leagues Cup)
Tuesday, Aug. 4 Pumas UNAM (W 3-0)
Friday, Aug. 7 Atlas (W 2-0)
Tuesday, Aug. 11 Pachuca, 7:30 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

Pro basketball

The Charlotte Hornets have announced their 2026 preseason schedule that features two home games and two road games. The full 2026-27 regular season game will be released in the next few weeks.

The Charlotte Hornets’ 2026-27 schedule:

(Preseason)

Oct. 6 Brooklyn (at Spectrum Center), 7 p.m.
Oct. 11 Milwaukee (Spectrum Center), 7 p.m.
Oct. 14 at Boston, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 16 at Memphis, 8 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pro baseball

After a day off on Monday, the Knights begin a six-game road series at Rochester that begins on Tuesday at 6:45 p.m.

Here is the full Charlotte Knights’ 2026 schedule:

(62-52 record, 42-33 1st half, 20-19 2nd half)
-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 3-3 (L 7-10, W 10-9, L 5-9, L 3-4, W 21-1, W 10-9)
May 5-10 at Jacksonville 3-3 (W 5-3, L 6-8, W 16-1, W 8-5, L 5-6, L 1-6)
May 12-17 Norfolk 3-3 (L 6-9, L 8-9, W 4-1, W 4-1, L 10-11, W 15-3)
May 19-24 at Gwinnett 4-2 (W 5-4, W 4-3, L 3-7, W 4-3 in 10, L 1-5, W 3-2)
May 26-31 Jacksonville 3-3 (W 4-0, susp, L 3-6, W 12-5, W 12-4, L 6-15, L 5-6)
June 2-7 at Durham 6-0 (W 6-1, W 18-7, W 11-6, W 4-3, W 7-5, W 12-5)
June 9-14 Oklahoma City 3-3 (L 3-6, L 1-10, W 9-8, W 12-7, L 7-11, W 4-3)
June 16-21 at Buffalo 4-2 (L 5-9, W 5-1, W 4-0, W 10-5, L 2-4, W 5-0)
-2nd half
June 23-28 Rochester 2-4 (L 9-10, W 10-2, W 7-6 in 11, L 2-6, L 1-3, L 4-9)
June 30-July 5 at Memphis 2-4 (L 5-10, W 2-0 in 8, L 6-8, L 3-4 in 11, W 8-6, L 1-2 in 11)
July 7-12 Nashville 3-3 (W 8-2, L 3-6, W 9-2, L 9-11, L 2-4, W 12-4)
July 17-19 at Durham 1-2 (L 2-8, W 7-5, L 2-3)
July 21-26 Norfolk 5-1 (W 7-6, W 8-4, ppd, L 1-2, W 6-1, W 7-6 in 10, W 7-4)
July 28-August 2 at Nashville 3-3 (W 6-1, W 12-5, W 6-4, L 2-4, L 3-6, L 3-5)
August 4-9 Durham 4-2 (ppd, W 4-1, L 1-7, W 8-5, W 5-4, L 6-9, W 5-3)
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:

(56-39 record, 40-23 1st half, 16-16 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 4-2 (W 14-2, ppd, W 2-1, W 5-4, L 4-5, W 10-2, L 3-9)
May 5-10 Southern Maryland 1-5 (L 2-3, L 11-18, L 2-12, L 4-5, W 7-3, L 1-14)
May 12-17 at Long Island 3-3 (L 3-6, L 3-11, W 10-0, L 4-6, W 8-6, W 6-5)
May 19-20 Charleston, W.Va. 3-0 (W 9-4, W 6-2, W 9-6)
May 22-24 at Charleston, W.Va. 3-0 (W 17-4, W 8-4, W 12-4)
May 26-28 at Lexington 3-0 (W 10-6, W 3-2, W 3-1)
May 29-31 Charleston, W.Va. 3-0 (W 6-3, W 10-7, W 9-2)
June 2-7 Lancaster 2-4 (W 11-2, L 1-3, W 14-3, L 3-4, L 8-9, L 5-17)
June 9-14 at Lexington 3-3 (L 13-15, L 6-8, W 7-5, L 9-10, W 7-1, W 12-8)
June 16-21 Staten Island 6-0 (W 10-4, W 9-6, W 26-3, W 11-4, W 12-3, W 13-8)
June 23-28 at Lexington 4-2 (W 4-3, W 6-3, W 7-4, W 8-6, L 5-12, L 4-9)
June 30-July 2 Lexington 1-2 (L 7-9, L 1-11, W 14-6)
-2nd half
July 3-5 Charleston, W.Va. 2-1 (L 13-16, W 10-3, W 13-9)
July 7-12 at Hagerstown 1-5 (L 4-13, L 4-14, L 5-6, L 3-10, W 7-3, L 6-13)
July 14-19 Lexington 2-4 (L 2-9, W 16-5, W 12-11, L 0-9, L 5-7, L 2-6)
July 21-26 at Charleston, W.Va. 4-2 (ppd, L 8-9, W 9-8, W 5-1, L 4-9, W 11-3, W 15-6)
July 28, 30-31-Aug. 2 Hagerstown 4-2 (W 9-8, L 0-5, W 9-6, W 8-2, W 7-4, L 0-1)
Aug. 4-6 Southern Maryland 2-0 (W 10-4, W 20-3, ccd)
Aug. 7-9 at Lexington 1-2 (W 8-1, L 5-6, L 5-6)
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 (Elliott-2)
May 10 — Watkins Glen, New York (Shane van Gisbergen)
May 17 — All-Star Race (Dover) (Hamlin-2)
May 24 — Coca-Cola 600 (Charlotte) (Daniel Suarez)
May 31 — Nashville, Tennessee (Hamlin-3)
June 7 — Michigan (Hamlin-4)
June 14 — Pocono in Long Pond, Pennsylvania (Hamlin-5)
June 21 — San Diego (Corey Heim)
June 28 — Sonoma, California (Shane van Gisbergen)
July 5 — Chicagoland (Chase Briscoe)
July 12 — Atlanta (Blaney-2)
July 19 — North Wilkesboro (Joey Logano)
July 26 — Brickyard 400 (Indianapolis) (Corey Heim)
Aug. 2 — off weekend
Aug. 9 — Iowa (Ty Gibbs)
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:
Sept. 18-20 – Greensboro First Horizon Coliseum Complex