By Richard Walker The 2025-26 College Football Playoff runner-up Miami has been selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference football championship, according to the media’s predicted order of finish after a vote of 188 media members that were credentialed at this year’s ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte. The Hurricanes received […]
By Richard Walker Former Lincolnton multi-sport athlete Brett Carey has a new coaching home. A longtime college basketball assistant, Carey has been named associate head coach at Gardner-Webb University by head coach Jeremy Luther. Carey comes to Gardner-Webb after one year at UNC Charlotte. A former All-Big South player at UNC-Asheville who played professionally, Carey […]
By Richard Walker Former Gaston College baseball standouts Trevor Lucas and Brandon Crabtree were selected during the July 11-12 Major League Baseball Draft. And Lucas became the highest-drafted player in school history. A standout on Gaston College’s 2024 team, Lucas was a fourth round selection (129th overall) of the Seattle Mariners in the 2026 Major […]
By Richard Walker In its sixth year as a program, Cleveland Community College’s baseball recently had its first Major League Baseball draft pick. Jackson Nash, a right-handed pitcher, was selected in the 12th round of the 2026 draft by the Texas Rangers with the 357th overall pick on July 12 out of Longwood University. A […]
By Richard Walker A pair of recent Burns High baseball standouts have had a big week as Joseph Webb signed a major league free agent contract with the Seattle Mariners and Colby Putnam made his a successful first pitching start in the prestigious Cape Cod League. Webb, a 2022 Burns graduate, was signed out of […]
By Richard Walker The Atlantic Coast Conference has announced the dates and locations for its 27 ACC Championship events for the upcoming 2026-27 academic year. “We are looking forward to another incredible year in the ACC and are dedicated to providing first-class championship events for student-athletes, coaches, programs, alumni and fans,” ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips […]
By Richard Walker Charlotte 49ers director of athletics Kevin White announced that Charlotte’s 1977 Men’s Basketball Final Four team will be inducted into the Charlotte Athletics Hall of Fame. Charlotte will celebrate the team during the 50th anniversary of its historic season with a Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremony during the 2026-27 basketball […]
By Richard Walker The ACC’s tradition of runner-up finishes continued Monday after Oklahoma won the 2026 College World Series two games to one. It dropped the ACC to 2-7 all-time in CWS championship games – and North Carolina to 0-3. The Tar Heels, who had previously lost in the 2006 and 2007 CWS finals, lost […]
By Richard Walker Already the state’s highest girls high school basketball scorer, Cramer’s Oshauna Holland was named to her third all-state team by the website HighSchoolOT.com. Also named to a third straight all-state team is East Lincoln’s Emma Montanari. Holland, who finished with 3,252 career points, was selected to the first team for a second […]
By Richard Walker The Carolina Hurricanes had already set North Carolina history 20 years ago. By winning a second NHL Stanley Cup title on Sunday, the Hurricanes solidified their spot even more with their second major sports title. That championship was celebrated in a big way in downtown Raleigh on Saturday. That celebration of arguably […]
By Richard Walker Two of Lincoln County’s most highly-recruited football players in history have committed to out-of-state football programs. Nearly two months after East Lincoln’s five-star tight end Jaxon Dollar committed to play at the University of Georgia, Lincolnton’s four-star linebacker Jalaythan Mayfield committed to Indiana University on Friday. Dollar is a 6-foot-5, 222-pound two-sport […]
By Richard Walker One of the state’s top annual American Legion baseball events returns to Shelby’s Veterans Field at Keeter Stadium this weekend when the North/South Challenge is played. The event that started in 2007 pits three North Carolina Legion teams against three South Carolina Legion teams in a round robin scheduling format over three […]
By Richard Walker For the second straight year, a local high school basketball star is transferring away from the area as Huss sophomore Jaleel Smith is transferring to Oak Hill, Va., Academy. The Charlotte Observer basketball player of the year in the 2025-26 season after he led the Huskies to their first state championship in […]
By Richard Walker Gastonia native and former Gaston Gazette and Charlotte Observer reporter Mike Purkey has released a book about some of the greatest golfing legends in the sport’s history. Purkey, a 1972 Huss High graduate, worked at the Gazette as a business editor, assistant sports editor, sports columnist and lifestyle and as a sports […]
By Richard Walker Five area products have been named to National Junior College Athletic Association All-American baseball and softball teams. In baseball, two Gaston College standouts and a former North Gaston standout have been named to the NJCAA All-American baseball teams. Gaston College’s baseball team had two of its top players honored with selection to […]
By Richard Walker The Stanley Cup trophy will be coming back to North Carolina. Taylor Hall, Jackson Blake and Nikolaj Ehlers scored goals and the Carolina Hurricanes won 3-0 at the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday night to win the NHL’s Stanley Cup championship series four games to two. It gives the Hurricanes, who moved […]
By Richard Walker South Point and Kings Mountain led the All-Big South 5A/6A all-conference girls soccer team. South Point’s Jyi Watkins was named player of the year, Kate Hux defensive player of the year and Richard Lewandowski coach of the year and Kings Mountain’s Brooke Salvator was named goalie of the year. The full all-conference […]
By Richard Walker North Carolina opened its 2026 College World Series appearance with an impressive 6-2 victory over Mississippi on Friday night. The win moves the Tar Heels (51-12-1) into Sunday’s winner’s bracket matchup against West Virginia (46-15). The 2026 College World Series pairings: (Friday, June 12) Game 1- Troy (38-30) vs. No. 16 West […]
By Richard Walker North Carolina’s dramatic super regional series win over Southern California last Sunday means the ACC’s streak of consecutive College World Series appearances has increased to 20. The Tar Heels, who rallied for a 4-3 win in the decisive third game after trailing 3-1, will be making their 13th CWS appearance in program […]
By Richard Walker Nine area players have been named to the N.C. Baseball Coaches Association all-state teams in each of the eight classifications. The local honorees are highlighted by N.C. Class 4A player of the year Drew Dixon of Burns. Already named Southern Piedmont 2A/3A/4A Conference player of the year, Dixon helped the Bulldogs advance […]
By Richard Walker Gaston College’s baseball program added another professional baseball signee earlier this month when the Gastonia Ghost Peppers signed former Rhinos outfielder Wade Kelly to a contract. Kelly, who played on Gaston College’s 2022 and 2023 teams, becomes the sixth alumnus to sign a professional baseball contract in school history – and fifth […]
By Richard Walker Drew Burress became Georgia Tech’s career leader in home runs, Alex Hernandez drove in four runs as the Yellow Jackets defeated North Carolina 13-6 on Sunday to claim the ACC baseball championship for the 10th time. The top-seeded and third-ranked Yellow Jackets (48-9) won the tournament for the first time since 2014. […]
By Richard Walker The top seeds and two of the winningest ACC tournament programs in history have advanced to Sunday’s ACC baseball championship game at Charlotte’s Truist Field. No. 1 Georgia Tech will meet No. 2 North Carolina in a matchup whose winner becomes the second-winningest tournament program in league history. Both enter with nine […]
By Richard Walker Football at Crest and Burns high schools was celebrated on Monday night at the 59th Cleveland County Sports Hall of Fame ceremony at Shelby’s City Park. On a night where ACC championship-winning quarterback Charlie Noggle of Shelby was the featured speaker, former Crest standouts Chris Coleman, Tyrone “Dawson” Odums and Brandon Spikes […]
By Richard Walker The honors keep coming for the Charlotte Hornets as forward Kon Knueppel was named to the 2025-26 Kia NBA All-Rookie First Team. The No. 4 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Knueppel averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game in 81 appearances (80 starts) and finished second in Rookie […]
By Richard Walker Gaston College will meet Wabash Valley, Ill., in its opening game of the National Junior College Athletic Association softball World Series at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Ala., at 1:15 Central Time on Monday. The Rhinos are the No. 14 seed in the 20-team tournament and enter with a 60-4 record, Region 10 […]
By Richard Walker Belmont won its ninth straight Gaston County Conference Winner’s Cup trophy for all-sports excellence for the 2025-26 school year. The Wildcats, who won five county championships, are now the all-time champion of the Winner’s Cup with 12 titles. Cramerton was previously tied with Belmont with 11. York Chester won the Karen Sheppard […]
By Richard Walker American Legion baseball is set to start this week and longtime observer Don Hines has released his preseason rankings that include three Area IV teams. Defending Area IV and state champion Asheville is atop the rankings, with perennial Area IV powers Cherryville (5th) and Shelby (honorable mention) also in the poll. Here […]
By Richard Walker Burns, Cherryville, Lincoln Charter, North Lincoln and South Point join a rich history of success from area high school baseball teams. In truth, it’s no surprise as Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties are in an area loaded with postseason success in the sport. Those five schools give the area 128 appearances in […]
By Richard Walker Georgia Tech is the top seed as the 2026 ACC baseball tournament begins this week at Charlotte Truist Field. Charlotte is hosting the event for the seventh time in history – and fourth time in the past six seasons as the home of the Class AAA Charlotte Knights. Final ACC regular season […]
By Richard Walker Cramer High School is enjoying its best baseball season in the school’s 13-year history. But the season saw unimaginable hardship as Friday’s fourth round Class 4A playoff game at Burns was postponed after Storm baseball coach Samuel “Casey” McMillen, the head junior varsity coach and a varsity assistant, passed out during pregame […]
By Richard Walker The Carolina Panthers are coming off their first playoff appearance since 2017 and first division title since 2015. If the franchise wants to repeat next season, they’ll have to do so against arguably the most challenging schedule in the NFL that was released on Thursday night. The Panthers will open a 17-game […]
By Richard Walker Gastonia American Legion Post 23’s baseball program has produced 13 major leaguers, which is more than any other team in state history. The 13th, Tyler White, on May 7 was inducted into the Rutherford County Sports Hall of Fame. White, a 2009 Chase High graduate, got releases from several area programs in […]
By Richard Walker Cramer became a back-to-back N.C. High School Athletic Association boys golf state champion and junior Lane Crotts became the 10th state medalist on Tuesday at Longleaf Golf and Family Club in Southern Pines. Cramer joins Huss (1969 NCHSAA Open), East Gaston (1977 Western N.C. High School Activities Association), Forestview (2012, 2013, 2014, […]
By Richard Walker Five former area products are on major league baseball rosters and eight others are in minor leagues or independent leagues, including two in Gastonia for the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball’s Ghost Peppers. The major leaguers are former Gardner-Webb (2010-11) and Belmont Abbey (2012-13) standout Emilio Pagan, 2011 South Point High graduate […]
By Richard Walker Fifty area high school baseball and softball teams begin state playoff quests this week in the N.C. High School Athletic Association and N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association. In baseball, 19 teams qualified in the NCHSAA and 2 in NCISAA. And in softball, 18 NCHSAA teams and one NCISAA squad made the postseason […]
By Richard Walker Cherryville High School has a rich baseball history with 10 state titles and 1,451 all time victories entering this week’s state playoffs. Just last week, the Ironmen added to that history with one of the rarest of baseball feats when Camden Williams threw a perfect game in Tuesday’s 10-0, 5-inning home win […]
By Richard Walker West Charlotte and Appalachian State football alumnus and former Carolina Panthers coach Steve Wilks is returning to his college alma mater. Wilks has been named Special Assistant to Athletics at Appalachian State and will assist in a variety of areas, including fundraising initiatives, capital projects and special events. He will work in […]
By Richard Walker Football success will be the theme for the 2026 Cleveland County Sports Hall of Fame ceremony that will be held on May 18 at the Shelby City Park. Former Crest High standouts Chris Coleman, Tyrone “Blue” Odoms and Brandon Spikes and former Burns High standout Troy Goss make up the 59th annual […]
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 […]
By Richard Walker Local products litter the rosters of Gaston College’s Region 10 regular season championship-winning baseball and softball teams who enter their respective tournaments in South Carolina this week as favorites. The softball Rhinos, 55-4 overall and ranked No. 17 nationally, begin action on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. in Spartanburg, S.C. against the winner […]
By Richard Walker The Conference Carolinas baseball tournament returns to Gastonia’s CaroMont Health Park and Sims Legion Park for a fourth straight season and Belmont Abbey is one of the top seeds in the event. North Greenville won the regular season title and the top seed for the tournament, which begins on Wednesday. The regular […]
By Richard Walker Twenty-three years before Title IX changed women’s athletics forever, Hester Martin Haynes was a pioneer for women’s athletics. That’s when she garnered local, state and national attention after becoming the first female pitcher in a high school baseball game in North Carolina history. Now in her 90s, she’s still active in athletics […]
By Richard Walker A pair of former Charlotte Hornets first-round draft picks and several free agents players have led the team’s Greensboro Swarm affiliate into this week’s best-of-three G League championship series. Liam McNeeley, a 2025 1st-rounder, and 2024 1st-round Tidjane Salaun helped the Swarm advance with three single-elimination victories in the Eastern Conference playoffs. […]
By Richard Walker Gastonia’s Danny Anderson spent the 2025-26 season coming closer and closer to one of the state’s greatest records: Most high school basketball coaching victories. And while Anderson has built his coaching his success in Rockingham, Yadkin, Caldwell and Catawba counties, he’s quick to tell you his foundation comes what may be most […]
By Richard Walker Two long-running high school baseball holiday tournaments begin on Monday in Gastonia and Shelby. Stuart Cramer is the defending champion at the 38th Gaston County Easter tournament held at Gastonia’s Sims Legion Park and hosted this year by Highland Tech. The Storm won their first title in that event a year ago […]
By Richard Walker The Charlotte Hornets, already certain of making the NBA play-in tournament, won their third straight game on Friday in a convincing 129-108 victory over the Indiana Pacers. Playing in front of the 24th sellout crowd this year at the Spectrum Center – and 14th in a row – the Hornets took charge […]
By Richard Walker It’s probably safe to say the ACC has been quite spoiled when it comes to NCAA tournament basketball. After all, this weekend marks only the 29th time in 73 NCAA tournaments since the league was formed in the 1953-54 season – and first since the COVID-altered 2021 season – that the ACC […]
By Richard Walker The first major leaguer produced by Gastonia’s old Coastal Plain League Gastonia Grizzlies’ team will be inducted into his hometown Hall of Fame. Tyler White, who also played for Gastonia American Legion Post 23, will be inducted into the 2026 Rutherford County Sports Hall of Fame on May 7 at the Foundation […]
By Richard Walker Cramer’s Oshauna Holland, already named the state’s girls high school player of the year by several publications, is the area’s leading scorer for the 2025-26 basketball season. She also finished as the state’s highest scorer in N.C. High School Athletic Association five-on-five girls basketball history with 3,252 points after a 1,006-point season. […]
By Richard Walker Area standings through March 27. (Big South 5A/6A) Crest 5-0, 7-3 South Point 4-1, 7-3 Kings Mountain 4-1, 6-5 North Gaston 3-2, 5-4 Forestview 1-4, 3-6 Ashbrook 0-4, 4-6 Huss 0-5, 0-5 (Southern Piedmont 2A/3A/4A) Cherryville 8-0, 12-0 Burns 9-1, 10-1 Cramer 7-1, 9-1 East Gaston 5-2, 7-5 West Lincoln 3-5, 4-7 […]
By Richard Walker For just the fourth time in the new year, the Charlotte Hornets have dropped back-to-back games – and Sunday’s 114-99 loss to the Boston Celtics keeps Charlotte in 10th place of a tight Eastern Conference race. The Hornets (39-36) entered the weekend with an opportunity to move up to seventh place but […]
By Richard Walker With a chance to move into seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings, the Charlotte Hornets couldn’t hold on to a 15-point third quarter lead as the Philadelphia 76ers rallied for a 118-114 victory. The result allowed the 76ers (41-33) to remain in seventh place, grab the season tie-breaker between the teams […]
By Richard Walker Wes Miller played to his Charlotte and North Carolina roots on Wednesday when he was introduced as the Charlotte 49ers’ new basketball coach. He should. After all, the 49ers have succeeded whenever they’ve embraced recruiting in-state and local players and frequently with coaches that had local ties. The school’s first conference champion, […]
By Richard Walker The Charlotte Hornets continued their recent surge with a 114-103 victory over the New York Knicks in front of the 20th sellout crowd of the year at Spectrum Center. A crowd of 19,625 that included vocal Knicks’ supporters saw the Hornets trailed only briefly in the first half as rookie Kon Knueppel […]
By Richard Walker Cramer’s Oshauna Holland keeps adding honors after her record-setting senior season. The senior guard and Wake Forest University signee, Holland broke the N.C. High School Athletic Association girls basketball scoring record with 3,252 points and has since added two state player of the year honors. On March 12, she was named North […]
By Richard Walker Forestview High’s girls soccer team became the all-time winner of the Gaston Cup tournament last Saturday with a 2-0 championship game victory over Newton-Conover. The Jaguars have won eight championships in 11 title game appearances since the tournament began in 1999. Forestview’s Ava Cabe was named tournament MVP for coach Madison Mathis’ […]
By Richard Walker The Charlotte 49ers have their new men’s basketball coach – and he’s a familiar name to in-state basketball fans. Former Charlotte Country Day and University of North Carolina basketball player Wes Miller has been hired as the 49ers’ 16th head coach, including two interim coaches, in school history. Charlotte director of athletics […]
By Richard Walker Tim Albin begins his 2nd Charlotte 49ers spring football practice on Tuesday and will use the 15 practices allowed by the NCAA over the next 5 weeks to prepare for the 2026 campaign. “The staff is looking forward to the next phase of building for the 2026 football season with spring practice […]
By Richard Walker The Charlotte Hornets continued their hot streak with a 124-101 win over Memphis Saturday night in front of the 18th sellout crowd of the year at Spectrum Center – and eighth in a row. The Hornets are 3-0 on the current 7-game home stand after trailing only briefly on Saturday in front […]