American Legion 2021 Area IV standings (thru June 21) Eastern Division Division Overall Gaston Post 144-266 2-1 2-1 Mint Hill 2-1 2-1 Queen City 2-2 2-2 Lincoln County Post 455 1-1 1-1 Gastonia Post 23 1-2 1-2 Union County Post 535 0-0 0-0 Pineville Post 337 0-1 0-1 Western Division Division Overall Cleveland County Post […]
By Richard Walker Cherryville and East Lincoln led their respective all-conference baseball teams after each team won or shared their league titles. In the Southern Piedmont 1A Conference, Cherryville’s Dalton Pence was named player of the year and Scott Heavner coach of the in voting by league coaches. Pence also was one of five Ironmen […]
By Richard Walker Cleveland County American Legion Post 82-155 opened its 2021 season Sunday with an 8-5 road win at Hickory. Colby Humphries picked up the pitching win and Bradley Jordan got the save for Post 82-155 and Luke Reynolds, Porter Hall and Ryan Emery had two hits apiece to lead the offense. […]
American Legion 2021 Area IV standings (thru June 20) Eastern Division Division Overall Lincoln County Post 455 1-0 1-0 Queen City 2-1 2-1 Gaston Post 144-266 1-1 1-1 Mint Hill 1-1 1-1 Gastonia Post 23 1-2 1-2 Union County Post 535 0-0 0-0 Pineville Post 337 0-1 0-1 Western Division Division Overall Asheville Post 70 […]
By Richard Walker Mountain Island Charter continues its history-setting high school baseball season after the Raptors advanced to the Western N.C. 1A championship with 4-3 win over visiting Lincoln Charter on Saturday. The Raptors (13-2), who had one playoff victory in school history entering this season, have won three postseason games and will seek a […]
American Legion 2021 Area IV standings (thru June 19) Eastern Division Division Overall Lincoln County Post 455 1-0 1-0 Queen City 2-1 2-1 Gaston Post 144-266 1-1 1-1 Mint Hill 1-1 1-1 Gastonia Post 23 1-2 1-2 Union County Post 535 0-0 0-0 Pineville Post 337 0-1 0-1 Western Division Division Overall Asheville Post 70 […]
By Richard Walker After winning its third straight Big South 3A Conference baseball title, Crest took two of the top honors in postseason voting done by the league’s coaches. Crest senior pitcher and shortstop Ben Hodge was named the league’s player of the year after hitting .500 and going unbeaten (6-0) as a pitcher. And […]
American Legion 2021 Area IV standings (thru June 18) Eastern Division Division Overall Queen City 2-1 2-1 Gaston Post 144-266 1-1 1-1 Gastonia Post 23 1-1 1-1 Mint Hill 1-1 1-1 Lincoln County Post 455 0-0 0-0 Union County Post 535 0-0 0-0 Pineville Post 337 0-1 0-1 Western Division Division Overall Asheville Post 70 […]
By Richard Walker East Lincoln, Lincoln Charter and Mountain Island Charter stayed alive on Thursday in the N.C. High School Athletic Association baseball playoffs. East Lincoln routed Thomasville Ledford 11-1 in five innings in Class 2A. And in Class 1A, Mountain Island Charter won 12-9 at top-seeded Hayesville and Lincoln Charter knocked off North Moore […]
By Richard Walker Five Gaston and Lincoln county teams remain alive in the N.C. High School Athletic Association baseball playoffs that move into the second round on Thursday night. In Class 2A, East Lincoln will host Thomasville Ledford and South Point will visit R-S Central. And in Class 1A, Mountain Island Charter will visit Hayesville, […]
American Legion 2021 Area IV standings (thru June 16) Eastern Division Division Overall Gaston Post 144-266 1-0 1-0 Queen City 2-1 2-1 Lincoln County Post 455 0-0 0-0 Pineville Post 337 0-0 0-0 Union County Post 535 0-0 0-0 Gastonia Post 23 0-1 0-1 Mint Hill 0-1 0-1 Western Division Division Overall Asheville Post 70 […]
By Richard Walker Charlotte Hornets rookie guard LaMelo Ball joined select company on Wednesday night – both in team franchise history and NBA history. The NBA announced that Ball was the runaway in media voting for the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy as the 2020-21 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year. Ball received 84 of of 99 […]
By Richard Walker Cherryville scored three runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to take a dramatic 6-5 win over Pine Lake Prep in the opening round of the N.C. 1A high school baseball playoffs. Cherryville was one of five local winners in Tuesday’s opening round; East Lincoln and South Point […]
American Legion 2021 Area IV standings (thru June 15) Eastern Division Division Overall Gaston Post 144-266 1-0 1-0 Queen City 1-1 1-1 Lincoln County Post 455 0-0 0-0 Mint Hill 0-0 0-0 Pineville Post 337 0-0 0-0 Union County Post 535 0-0 0-0 Gastonia Post 23 0-1 0-1 Western Division Division Overall Maiden Post 240 […]
By Richard Walker Former Crest baseball standout Jack Millen was honored Monday as the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy athletic department Julie Berke Rookie of the Year Award male winner for the 2020-21 season. Millen, a 2020 Crest High graduate, also was named the Skyline Conference Rookie of the Year after he helped the Mariners advance […]
American Legion 2021 Area IV standings (thru June 14) Eastern Division Division Overall Queen City 1-0 1-0 Gaston Post 144-266 0-0 0-0 Lincoln County Post 455 0-0 0-0 Mint Hill 0-0 0-0 Pineville Post 337 0-0 0-0 Union County Post 535 0-0 0-0 Gastonia Post 23 0-1 0-1 Western Division Division Overall Maiden Post 240 […]
By Richard Walker Crest High enters the 2021 high school baseball playoffs as one of the favorites to take home the N.C. 3A state title. The Chargers also know it’ll be the last time they’ll be under the direction of record-setting head coach Steven Hodge. Steven Hodge’s retirement will allow him to enjoy his son […]
By Richard Walker Cherryville American Legion Post 100’s Jerry Hudson was inducted into the North Carolina American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame on Saturday in Raleigh during the annual North Carolina American Legion convention. Hudson, currently the N.C. Area IV commissioner, also is a longtime Cherryville Post 100 athletic officer. Hudson was inducted with Rowan […]
American Legion 2021 Area IV standings Eastern Division Division Overall Queen City 1-0 1-0 Gaston Post 144-266 0-0 0-0 Lincoln County Post 455 0-0 0-0 Mint Hill 0-0 0-0 Pineville Post 337 0-0 0-0 Union County Post 535 0-0 0-0 Gastonia Post 23 0-1 0-1 Western Division Division Overall Maiden Post 240 1-0 1-0 Asheville […]
By Richard Walker Crest got the No. 1 seed in the Western Class 3A bracket of the N.C. High School baseball playoff brackets that were released on Sunday. Crest is one of eight area schools in the state playoffs that begin on Tuesday and are scheduled to be completed by June 26. The Chargers (12-0) […]
By Richard Walker Wingate University completed its comeback run through the NCAA Division II World Series to finish as 2021 baseball national champions. And former Crest standout Logan McNeely was named tournament most valuable player after helping the Bulldogs beat Central Missouri 5-3 in Saturday’s championship game at the USA National Training Complex in Cary. […]
American Legion 2021 Area IV standings Eastern Division Division Overall Gaston Post 144-266 0-0 0-0 Gastonia Post 23 0-0 0-0 Lincoln County Post 455 0-0 0-0 Mint Hill 0-0 0-0 Pineville Post 337 0-0 0-0 Queen City 0-0 0-0 Western Division Division Overall Asheville Post 70 0-0 0-0 Burke County Post 21 0-0 0-0 Caldwell […]
By Richard Walker Wingate wasn’t just satisfied with making its first NCAA Division II World Series. The Bulldogs’ fourth straight win at the event at the USA National Training Complex in Cary – an 8-7, 11-inning thriller over Angelo State – will give the school the chance to play for a national championship on Saturday. […]
By Richard Walker Crest puts the wraps on an outright Big South 3A Conference baseball title with a dramatic 5-4 win over Kings Mountain on Thursday night. The win improved the Chargers to 12-0 overall and in Big South play this season and ensures a home playoff game next Tuesday when N.C. High School Athletic […]
By Richard Walker Former Crest standout Logan McNeely had a RBI hit as Wingate advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Division II World Series with a 5-1 win over Seton Hill on Wedneday at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary. A 2017 Crest High graduate, is now six for 11 at the […]
By Richard Walker Lincoln Charter ended Cherryville’s season-opening 12-game winning streak as well as clinching at least a share of the Southern Piedmont 1A Conference baseball title on Tuesday night. The Eagles knocked off Cherryville 5-1 at Fraley Field. It gave Lincoln Charter a 12-1 overall record and 11-1 league record entering its Friday non-conference […]
By Richard Walker Former East Lincoln High standout Alec Burleson was honored by the St. Louis Cardinals organization as its Minor League Player of the MOnth for May. A 2017 East Lincoln graduate, Burleson was a second-round pick of the Cardinals in the 2020 draft after a standout three-year career at East Carolina. Burleson didn’t […]
By Richard Walker The Charlotte 49ers athletic department announced Monday that the last player from the school’s first football team in 1946 had died. Charlotte’s Carroll York died peacefully on June 2 surrounded by his family. York played on the Charlotte Center of the University of North Carolina Owls football teams in 1946 and 1947. […]
By Richard Walker Crest, East Lincoln, Mountain Island Charter and R-S Central have clinched at least a share of their respective league titles as the regular season comes to a close this week – and Cherryville and Lincoln Charter play a huge matchup that’ll decide the area’s other league title. Crest (11-0, 11-0) will take […]
By Richard Walker Cherryville American Legion Post 100 opened its 2021 season in dramatic fashion. Post 100, whose 2020 season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, played its first game since the 2019 state tournament at home Saturday night in a non-division matchup with Rock Hill, S.C. And Cherryville scored all of its run […]
By Richard Walker Crest High School kept its unbeaten season alive with a dramatic 5-4 win at North Gaston on Friday night. The Chargers, who haven’t lost a conference game or regular season game since 2018, scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning before surviving a late North Gaston rally to wrap […]
By Richard Walker North Gaston took its second straight Big South 3A Conference wrestling title in Wednesday’s league championships held at Kings Mountain High’s Parker Gymnasium. The Wildcats racked up 187 team points to outdistance second-place Cramer’s 121 points. Rounding out the team standings were Crest (98), Forestview (96), Kings Mountain (80 1-2), Huss (76) […]
By Richard Walker The Gaston County Sports Hall of Fame will return in 2021 after the coronavirus forced a year off in 2020. This year’s banquet will be held Oct. 16 at the Gastonia Conference Center. National championship-winning college football coach and respected TV analyst Lou Holtz is the featured speaker and Belmont’s Stanley Dudko […]
By Richard Walker After a slow start, the Gastonia Honey Hunters are one of the hottest teams in pro baseball. The first-year Atlantic League of Professional Baseball team evened its record at 3-3 on Wednesday with a 7-3 victory over the York Revolution to extend its winning streak to three games. Gastonia started 0-3 before […]
By Richard Walker The college basketball has been shaken twice this offseason by decisions made by legendary ACC coaches. In April, it was the University of North Carolina’s Roy Williams announcing his immediate retirement from coaching. On Wednesday, reports began circulating that Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski would also be retiring. By the end of the day, […]
By Richard Walker In only its second season of high school baseball, Rock Hill’s Legion Collegiate Academy is in the South Carolina High School League state championship series this week. Coached by former Lincoln Charter and Clover High coach Devon Lowery, the Lancers are 21-7 overall after going 13-1 to win the Class 2A League […]
By Richard Walker Eight Carolinas teams and six local products will be participating this weekend in the NCAA college baseball championships after the 64-team field was announced on Monday. East Carolina, which won the American Athletic Conference regular season title, is the only top-seeded Carolinas team and the Pirates also have three local products who […]
By Richard Walker Duke set history on Sunday with its first ACC baseball tournament title in a 1-0 win over N.C. State at Charlotte’s Truist Field in the championship game. The Blue Devils, who finished in last place in the seven-team Coastal Division, extended their winning streak to 12 games as coach Chris Pollard guided […]
By Richard Walker A pair of North Carolina schools will get a chance to snap long championship droughts on Sunday at noon when Duke and N.C. State play at Charlotte’s Truist Field in the title game of the ACC baseball tournament. Duke, the last place team in the seven-team Coastal Division, gained its berth with […]
By Richard Walker Ever since Cherryville Post 100 began its American Legion baseball program in 1937, success has often followed. Cherryville has set Area IV records for championships (18) and regular season titles (22) in addition to building one of North Carolina’s top programs with seven state titles, five state runner-up finishes and 11 state […]
By Richard Walker A pair of North Carolina schools that haven’t won an ACC tournament in years and a pair of teams with titles within the last 10 years square off today in the ACC baseball semifinals. Duke, which has never won an ACC tournament and hasn’t won an ACC baseball title since 1961, meets […]
By Richard Walker Three teams punched their tickets to Saturday’s ACC baseball tournament semifinals with wins on Thursday as Duke, Georgia Tech and N.C. State were victorious in back-to-back-to-back nail-biting finishes. Duke edged Miami, Fla., 3-2 in Thursday’s opener to wrap up the Pool D championship, then Georgia Tech edged Louisville 9-8 in 12 innings […]
By Richard Walker Kings Mountain’s boys and Cramer’s girls claimed the team titles at the two-day Big South Conference track on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Cramer track. Kings Mountain racked up 228 team points in the boys race, to finish ahead of Forestview (133). Cramer (118), Ashbrook (39), Crest (36), Huss (30) and North […]
By Richard Walker Local favorite North Carolina was eliminated from championship contention on Tuesday night in the first day of the ACC baseball tournament at Charlotte’s Truist Field. Pitt (23-19), which entered the tournament on a seven-game losing streak, disappointed a partisan crowd of 3,235 as Ron Washington Jr.’s two-run home run in the eighth […]
By Richard Walker A former East Lincoln High standout is headed to the NCAA softball super regionals. Kylie Thress, a 2020 East Lincoln graduate, scored one run in each of James Madison’s three wins as a pinch-runner in the Knoxville regional last weekend as the Dukes improved to 37-31 on the season by increasing their […]
By Richard Walker The pool play schedule has been set for this week’s ACC baseball tournament at Charlotte’s Truist Field. Atlantic Division champion Notre Dame and Coastal Division champion Georgia Tech are the top-seeded teams in the tournament that will be completed next weekend with a four-team, single-elimination bracket to determine a champion. The pool […]
By Richard Walker Pool play has been set for this week’s ACC baseball tournament at Charlotte’s Truist Field. Atlantic Division champion Notre Dame and Coastal Division champion Georgia Tech are the top-seeded teams in the tournament that will be completed next weekend with a four-team, single-elimination bracket to determine a champion. The pools, where each […]
(This is the third of a three-part series on the football, basketball and baseball exploits of African-American athletics before full integration came to North Carolina in the 1970-71 school year) Part 1: The NCHSAC began crowning state champions in 1928 and featured memorable teams, coaches and players and 28 eventual NFL players, among them a […]
By Richard Walker When the American Legion World Series makes its return to Shelby after being cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Veterans Field and Keeter Stadium will be allowed full capacity. This comes after N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper’s May 14 announcement that most restrictions put in place to control the spread of COVID-19 […]
By Richard Walker Zane Brockman threw another gem for Kings Mountain as the Mountaineers edged Cramer 3-2 on Thursday night at the Gastonia FUSE stadium in a Big South 3A Conference game. Kings Mountain improved to 7-1 overall and 6-1 in the league. Cramer (3-5, 2-5) has played all of its home games at the […]
By Richard Walker Before Lowell’s Holbrook High School combined with Gastonia’s Ashley High School in 1970 to form Ashbrook, the fortunes of Lowell basketball were limited to the mid-1950s. On Wednesday, the person most responsible for the Lions’ greatest basketball success died at 85. Joe Ladd, a 1955 Lowell High graduate, died with his family […]
By Richard Walker Former West Lincoln High and Cherryville American Legion Post 100 standout Brett Eurey received first team All-Region 10 outfield honors on Wednesday as part of a record number of Catawba Valley Community College honorees. One of six team captains for the Red Hawks this season, Eurey finished his final season at CVCC […]
By Richard Walker Charlotte Hornets coach James Borrego knows there’s pain and disappointment over the way his team’s 2020-21 season ended. After all, after climbing as high as fourth place in the Eastern Conference in early April, Charlotte ended the regular season with a season-long five-game losing streak that dropped the team to 10th place. […]
By Richard Walker Bessemer City’s Savannah LaCount set Cleveland Community College history on Tuesday when she was named to the All-Region X team LaCount, a 2020 Bessemer City High graduate, is the first spring sports athlete at CCC to earn all-region honors. A pitcher, third baseman and outfielder, LaCount hit .229 with four home runs […]
By Richard Walker Notes and observations from Tuesday’s 144-117 Hornets’ road loss to the Indiana Pacers that eliminated Charlotte from the NBA play-in tournament: … Perhaps veteran Hornets center Cody Zeller summed up the disappointment he and his Charlotte teammates felt after losing Tuesday in a game Indiana never trailed and led by as many […]
By Richard Walker Gastonia’s Nate Hinton not only made his NBA debut this season but he’s playing for a playoff team as the Dallas Mavericks finished fifth in the Western Conference and will open their playoff series against the No. 4 seed Los Angeles Clippers later this week. Hinton, a 2018 Gaston Day School graduate […]
By Richard Walker The good news for the Charlotte Hornets is that Tuesday’s 6:30 p.m. Eastern Conference play-in game at Indiana Pacers is a new season. The bad news is the Hornets are the last team in the four-team Eastern Conference play-in tournament so they’ll have to win two games to advance into the 16-team […]
By Richard Walker After an abbreviated spring season caused by the pandemic, local high school football teams will return to full schedules for the fall 2021 season. There will be some changes as the N.C. High School Athletic Association has eliminated the 11th game and many schools are in new conferences and will play new […]
By Richard Walker It was NFL rookie mini camp weekend and three former local products participated for their respective teams – Lincoln County brothers Chazz and Sage Surratt and former Crest High standout Tre Harbison. Chazz Surratt, a third round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings and 2016 East Lincoln High graduate, will be No. […]
By Richard Walker Notes and observations from Sunday’s 115-110 Hornets’ road loss to the Washington Wizards that ended Charlotte’s regular season with a 33-39 record: … As painful losses go, this has to rank right at the top in franchise history. With back-to-back days having the chance to wrap up the No. 8 seed in […]