By Richard Walker A Gastonia native, an original Charlotte Hornets player and an original Carolina Panthers player highlight a group of 11 that will be honored during the 2022 induction ceremonies for the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. Gastonia’s Dave Robbins, a two-sport star at old Ashley High School, is being inducted for leading […]
By Richard Walker Inclement weather has pushed back Tuesday’s high school basketball a day as all schools in Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties will be closed on Tuesday. Here’s the schedule of girls/boys doubleheaders that have been moved: (Tuesday) Ashbrook at Huss (ppd., Wednesday) Crest at Kings Mountain (ppd., Wednesday) Forestview at Cramer (ppd., Wednesday) […]
By Richard Walker A former South Point High football state champion will finish his college career at another school. Matthew Robinson, a 2018 South Point High graduate who was a member of the Red Raiders’ 2016 state championship team, announced on Friday on twitter that he was leaving Gardner-Webb and entering the college transfer portal. […]
By Richard Walker Crest is looking for a new football coach. Nick Eddins has left after five seasons to become head coach at Class 4A Pinecrest. The ninth head coach in Crest history, Eddins had a 43-17 overall record, 6-5 playoff record and led the Chargers to the 2019 and 2021 Big South 3A Conference […]
By Richard Walker Cramer High’s boys basketball team has moved into historic territory during the Storm’s 11-0 start to the season entering Tuesday’s Big South 3A Conference game at Kings Mountain. Coach Brad Sloan’s team is off to the 11th boys basketball start of 10-0 or better in Gaston County in the last 40 years. […]
By Richard Walker Friday night was milestone night for local high school basketball as a pair of Bessemer City High juniors surpassed 1,000 career points and a Lincoln Charter coach reached a victory milestone. Bessemer City’s Janiya Adams and Randall Pettus surpassed 1,000 career points as Bessemer City swept rival Cherryville with a 75-29 girls […]
By Richard Walker Coming off its largest win over a power five conference opponent in its last game, Gardner-Webb used that momentum to open its Big South Conference schedule with an 88-63 win at Charleston Southern on Wednesday. The Runnin’ Bulldogs improved to 7-7 overall in their first game since a 77-60 win at Georgia […]
By Richard Walker A 14-point lead in the middle of the third quarter wasn’t enough for the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night in a 124-121 loss at the Washington Wizards. Charlotte, which fell to 19-19 overall, led 82-68 with 5:17 left in the third quarter before Washington rallied by Kyle Kuzma’s game-high 36 points. Gordon […]
By Richard Walker Championship games will be held at Lincolnton, East Lincoln and Kings Mountain involving high school basketball teams from Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties. In the People’s Bank Holiday Classic at Lincolnton High School, defending champion Cramer meets host Lincolnton for the boys championship and two-time defending champion Bandys meets West Lincoln for […]
By Richard Walker Wake Forest’s Isaiah Mucius hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer for an 82-79 Deacons’ victory over the Charlotte 49ers on Friday to cap the inaugural Basketball Hall of Fame Shootout at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center. The Deacons (11-1) had led by as many as 19 points before Charlotte (5-5) rallied to tie the […]
By Richard Walker Three major college recruits from Cleveland County highlighted Wednesday’s national signing day as Crest’s Eli Hall signed with Wake Forest and Shelby’s Malaki Hamrick signed with North Carolina and Santana Hopper with Appalachian State. Additionally, Charlotte and Gardner-Webb added several players to their respective programs. At Charlotte, coach Will Healy signed 12 […]
By Richard Walker In an offensive shootout against North Carolina’s most prolific high school rushing attack in history, Shelby downed Wallace-Rose Hill 55-34 to win the 2021 N.C. 2A title at N.C. State’s Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday. It was Shelby’s 19th state in school history – and seventh championship in nine years. Even after falling […]
By Richard Walker Former Ashbrook High standout British Brooks will be returning for another season with the University of North Carolina, the school announced on Wednesday. A 2018 Ashbrook graduate, Brooks has gone from recruited walkon to special teams standout and offensive contributor for the Tar Heels. This season, Brooks rushed for 223 yards and […]
By Richard Walker Lincoln County schools found out their all-conference award winners on Monday and all four schools are well represented in the Western Foothills 3A and Catawba Valley 2A conferences, respectively, in voting done by those league’s coaches. In the Western Foothills 3A, North Lincoln’s Kyle Kovalchuk and East Lincoln’s Ben Cutter came away […]
By Richard Walker It’ll be Wake Forest against Pittsburgh in next Saturday’s 8 p.m. ACC championship game at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium. Wake Forest (10-2, 7-1) clinched the Atlantic Division title on Saturday with a 41-10 win at Boston College. Pittsburgh (10-2, 7-1) wrapped up the Coastal Division title last week and closed its […]
By Richard Walker Several area players made the N.C. Soccer Coaches Association all-state teams, including one player each from the state championship teams of Shelby (David Twiggs) and Gaston Day (Marco Wright). Also honored from Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties were Joseph Bravo and Jack Matz from Cramer and Zach Zagorski from Lincolnton. Here are […]
By Richard Walker Highland Tech’s Ashlynn Stephens has been named North Carolina’s Class 1A high school player of the year by the N.C. Volleyball Coaches Association. Stephens, a senior, helped the Rams finish 19-4 overall, 10-1 in the Southern Piedmont 1A/2A Conference and to a historic playoff run as Highland Tech advanced to the third […]
By Richard Walker The excitement of the 73,350 fans who came to Bank of America Stadium on Sunday and many more who watched on television was the return of quarterback Cam Newton to town as the Carolina Panthers starting quarterback. Newton had a solid game but it was the return of three members of the […]
By Richard Walker Shelby won its third N.C. High School Athletic Association soccer championship in dramatic fashion on Saturday. After Shelby and Greene Central went 120 minutes of regulation and overtime play with a scoreless tie, Shelby won the championship 5-3 on penalty kicks at Cary’s WakeMed Soccer Park. Golden Lions keeper Eli Wilbanks, who […]
By Richard Walker Crest, Shelby and South Point will be practicing on Thanksgiving Day. All three perennial local high school football powers took convincing playoff wins on Friday night to advance into next Friday’s regional semifinal round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association playoffs. Crest scored the first 21 points of the game before […]
By Richard Walker Six teams from Cleveland and Gaston counties remain in the N.C. High School Athletic Association high school football playoffs in Friday’s third round. The four games include a pair of regular season rematches as South Point hosts Forestview in Class 3A and Shelby hosts East Gaston in Class 2A. In the other […]
By Richard Walker Shelby will meet Greene Central on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary for the 2021 N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 2A state championship. The Golden Lions have previously advanced to the state finals three times – finishing as runner-up in 2008 and winning the 2009 and 2010 […]
By Richard Walker Shelby’s Jack Berkowitz scored the only goal of the Western N.C. 2A soccer championship less than three minutes in on an assist from Carter Bridges and the Golden Lions’ defense made the goal stand up for a 1-0 victory. The win sends Shelby (22-1-2) to its fourth state title game and first […]
By Richard Walker Cramer got top honors in Big South 3A Conference soccer this season after the Storm won its first league title. In voting done by the league’s coaches, senior Joseph Bravo was named offensive player of the year, senior Noah Arrowood was named defensive player of the year and Matthew Robertson was named […]
By Richard Walker Several former local products will be playing and coaching college basketball as the 2021-22 season gets into full swing. That includes Gastonia’s Leonard Hamilton, a 1966 Highland High graduate and 1968 Gaston College graduate who entered the season as the 75th-winningest men’s basketball coach in NCAA major college history. Hamilton, who has […]
By Richard Walker Could Cam Newton’s return to the Carolina Panthers have gone any better? Signed officially on Thursday, Newton was productive in a limited role as the Panthers routed the Arizona Cardinals 34-10 on Sunday to even their record at 5-5 on the season. Arizona, whose 8-2 record remains the best in the NFC […]
By Richard Walker Wake Forest took a huge step toward the Dec. 4 ACC football championship game in Charlotte with a 45-42 home win over N.C. State Saturday night. The Deacons (9-1, 6-0) has a two-game lead over every other team in the Atlantic Division entering its final two games of the season – at […]
By Richard Walker Big South 3A Conference football teams continued their extraordinary postseason run with a perfect second round performance that included three road victories. The wins set up an all-league 3A Western semifinal in Belmont with South Point hosting Forestview. Crest and Kings Mountain also were winners from the Big South, which is off […]
By Richard Walker A week ago, 15 teams from Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties began N.C. High School Athletic Association football playoff journeys. This week, nine of them are still pursuing state titles after first-round victories. Here’s a look at each of those team’s Friday night matchups: (Class 3A) South Point at Pisgah Series: South […]
By Richard Walker After five straight losses, the Charlotte emphatically snapped their slump with a 118-108 win at the Memphis Grizzlies behind a record-setting performance from Kelly Oubre, Jr. Oubre scored 37 points to set a franchise record for points off the bench. It came in a game Charlotte trailed by eight with 5:31 left […]
By Richard Walker The Charlotte 49ers and Davidson Wildcats opened their 2021-22 college basketball seasons with home victories. Charlotte edged Monmouth 68-66 behind Clemson transfer Clyde Trapp, Jr. (20 points), Jahmir Young (14 points, 10 rebounds), Aly Khalifa (11 points) and Holy Cross transfer Austin Butler (10 points). And Davidson routed Delaware 93-71 behind Foster […]
By Richard Walker Two Lincoln County teams and a Cleveland County team advanced to Thursday’s regional semifinals of the N.C. High School Athletic Association boys soccer state playoffs. East Lincoln advanced to the Class 3A regional finals while Lincolnton and Shelby advanced to the Class 2A regional finals. Here’s Monday’s third round schedule: (3A) East […]
By Richard Walker The rollercoaster ride for the Carolina Panthers took a downward turn on Sunday as quarterback Sam Darnold’s poor play in a 24-6 home loss to the New England Patriots now has his own head coach questioning his future with the team. Darnold threw three interceptions, including one that was returned 88 yards […]
By Richard Walker Stuart Cramer’s Zachary Willer set Gaston County history on a day in which local runners dominated the competition in the Class 3A N.C. High School Athletic Association cross country championships in Kernersville. Zachary Willer became Gaston County’s first boys state champion in 43 years on a day in which North Lincoln’s boys […]
By Richard Walker Nine of the 15 teams from Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties won their opening round N.C. High School Athletic Association football state playoff games on Friday night, including four of the five Big South 3A Conference teams and all four Cleveland County teams. And they’ll move on to a second round that […]
By Richard Walker Fifteen teams from Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties begin N.C. High School Athletic Association football state title pursuits with first round games on Friday night. And Cleveland and Lincoln counties have all four of their schools in the postseason. Here’s a look at each of the games to be played in those […]
By Richard Walker A South Point High standout was honored by The Charlotte Touchdown Club on Wednesday. Ryan Harris, a senior linebacker for the Red Raiders, was named the 2021 Luke Kuechly Defensive Player of the Year. Harris has 87 tackles, including two sacks, one fumble recovery and one pass interception in 10 games this […]
By Richard Walker Gaston College’s first men’s basketball team in 50 years will compete in a 29-game schedule that features 14 games in the always-competitive Region 10 in Division I of the National Junior College Athletic Association that begins on Friday. The Rhinos, led by head coach David “Dickey” Nutt and associate head coach Jamie […]
By Richard Walker The Charlotte Hornets dug too deep of a hole to get out of on Monday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers and fell 113-110 in front of 13,889 at Spectrum Center. Charlotte (5-3) trailed by 19 points twice in the first quarter and by 17 points in the middle of the fourth quarter […]
By Richard Walker After losing four straight games, Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule earlier this week said his team needed to follow a conservative game plan that featured running the football, limiting turnovers and relying on your defense. Despite a hiccup on the game’s first play, the Panthers did just that in a 19-13 win […]
By Richard Walker Gaston Day School entered Saturday in pursuit of three N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association state titles. And the Spartans had a perfect day as they claimed titles in girls tennis and volleyball and boys soccer. In volleyball, Gaston Day knocked off Davidson Day 3-1 to finish with a 30-9 overall record. In […]
By Richard Walker Crest and Shelby came out victorious in conference championship games on Friday and will be among the top seeds when the N.C. High School Athletic Association football playoffs are announced on Saturday. Crest won 42-20 at Kings Mountain as running back Mari Adams rushed for 241 yards and four touchdowns to finish […]
By Richard Walker The final day of regular season high school football is Friday and multiple local schools have either clinched playoff berths or can win on Friday to clinch a spot and/or improve the postseason chances. Crest and Kings Mountain have wrapped up Class 3A berths, Burns and Shelby have wrapped up Class 2A […]
By Richard Walker The Charlotte Hornets matched their best five-game start in team history with a come-from-behind 120-111 victory at the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night. The Hornets (4-1) matched franchise-record best starts in the 2000-01 and 2016-17 seasons. In Wednesday’s win, Charlotte also rallied to win after trailing by double digits as the Hornets […]
By Richard Walker Three Gaston Day teams will be hosting N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association Class 2A state championships on Saturday. In boys soccer, the Spartans are in the title game for the fourth time in eight years after defeating Fayetteville Academy 5-1 on Tuesday. The Spartans (16-2) will host Fayetteville Trinity Academy (17-2-1). Gaston […]
By Richard Walker After setting history with the franchise’s first 3-0 start in history, the Charlotte Hornets were oh so close to 4-0 on Monday night in front of a vocal crowd of 17,238 at Spectrum Center. But the Boston Celtics closed the game on a 38-15 surge to pull out a 140-129 overtime victory […]
By Richard Walker It may not be rock bottom but its close for the Carolina Panthers. After Sunday’s disappointing 25-3 loss at the New York Giants, the Panthers are in a complete free fall that on a day in which one report indicated they could pursue trading for another quarterback. Head coach Matt Rhule’s decision […]
By Richard Walker Thirty-one former North Carolina high school basketball players are on NBA rosters as the 2021-22 season moves into its second week. That inclues three players on two-way contracts for their respective teams’ G-League affiliates. Here’s the full list by NBA team with school and/or graduation year listed in parentheses: Boston Celtics – […]
By Richard Walker Cleveland County will be the site of two conference championship games next week after all four of the county’s teams enjoyed blowout wins on Friday. Kings Mountain (8-1, 6-0) will host Crest (6-2, 6-0) for the Big South 3A Conference title and Shelby (8-1, 5-0) will host Burns (7-2, 5-0) for the […]
By Richard Walker A big day in the national spotlight ended with a thud for the Charlotte 49ers Thursday night in a disappointing 38-9 home loss to Florida Atlantic. Earlier Thursday, the school officially accepted an invitation to join the American Athletic Conference. The change of conference of leaving Conference USA had been reported on […]
By Richard Walker A third quarter offensive explosion propelled a Charlotte Hornets’ comeback that ended in a dramatic 123-122 victory over the Indiana Pacers in front of 15,521 at Spectrum Center. The Hornets trailed 82-59 early in the third quarter and were still behind 84-63 with 8:48 left in that quarter before scoring 24 straight […]
By Richard Walker Charlotte 49ers football coach Will Healy declined to say much about media reports about the school soon applying to leave Conference to apply for membership in the American Athletic Conference. “There’s a lot of excitement around this program,” Helay said at his weekly news conference. “It’s really exciting to see what’s been […]
By Richard Walker The Charlotte 49ers are expected to apply for membership to the American Athletic Conference this week, Yahoo sports reported on Monday. The 49ers, who are in their second stint in Conference USA, will have to pay a $3 million exit fee to the league to join the AAC along with league rivals […]
By Richard Walker Despite a disappointing offense and a suddenly struggling defense, the Carolina Panthers forced overtime with the visiting Minnesota Vikings. But the same struggles the defense endured throughout the day showed again as the Vikings drove 75 yards on the lone possession of the extra period for a 34-28 victory that pinned a […]
By Richard Walker The Charlotte Hornets now have a week to heal up and get ready for their Oct. 20 regular season opener at home against the Indiana Pacers. That comes after Wednesday’s 127-59 home loss to the Dallas Mavericks that ended the Hornets’ preseason schedule with a 1-3 record. Charlotte, already playing without starting […]
By Richard Walker Southwest’s county-record winning streak reached 31 games with a 16-8 win over Belmont for the 2021 Gaston County Conference middle school football championship game. Southwest (7-0) has won four straight county titles and hasn’t lost since 2016. Southwest has won seven county titles; The Roadrunners also won championships in 1982, 2003, 2007, […]
By Richard Walker For the sixth straight season, Belmont and Southwest will clash in a Gaston County Conference middle school football playoff game, this time for the 2021 championship. Southwest (6-0) will host Belmont (5-2) at Hunter Huss High at 6:30 p.m. Southwest is a three-time defending county champion with titles in 2017, 2018 and […]
By Richard Walker The Carolina Panthers were looking at a 4-1 record for most of Sunday’s home game against the slumping Philadelphia Eagles. But several second half mistakes allowed the Eagles to pull off a stunning 21-18 win over the Panthers much to the dismay of many of the 72,545 at Bank of America Stadium. […]
By Richard Walker A late flurry helped Campbell win 42-28 at Gardner-Webb on Saturday night in the inaugural “East-West Barbecue Bowl” Big South Conference football game. The schools, who first met on the gridiron in 1929 when they were junior colleges, decided earlier this season to add a barbecue bet to their annual matchup. As […]
By Richard Walker A strong second half allowed Kings Mountain to move into a tie atop the Big South 3A Conference standings with Crest on Friday. The Mountaineers scored 17 fourth-quarter points in a 24-7 win at South Point on Friday as Kings Mountain improved to 6-1 overall and 4-0 in the Big South. The […]