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 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 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 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 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 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 North Lincoln’s girls set history and Huss’ boys continued theirs as both area teams won N.C. High School Athletic Association championships on Saturday at Winston-Salem’s Joel Coliseum. North Lincoln, which was the 3A Western runner-up last season, had recently had to forfeit 17 games due an ineligible player. But the Knights of […]
By Richard Walker Cramer, East Lincoln and Huss received top honors in the N.C. Basketball Coaches Association (NCBCA) all-district team for this area. East Lincoln junior Jaxson Dollar and Cramer senior Oshauna Holland were named NCBCA District 10 boys and girls players of the year, respectively, for the district that includes teams from Cleveland, Gaston, […]
By Richard Walker Kings Mountain suffered heartbreak in Thursday’s N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 6A boys basketball state title game. The Mountaineers, who had started the playoffs with a losing record, had made a magical playoff run by knocking off the Nos. 1, 2, 4 and 5 seeds among their 5 playoff victories in […]
By Richard Walker Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy came up short in its first high school basketball state title game appearance. The Gryphons lost 79-54 to Vance Charter on Wednesday in Class 1A championship game at Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem. Thomas Jefferson, which finished fourth in the powerful Catawba River 1A/2A/3A Conference in the regular season, […]
By Richard Walker Boys basketball teams from Kings Mountain, Thomas Jefferson and Huss and the North Lincoln girls play for state championships this week. And no one’s story is more unexpected than Kings Mountain. After finishing second in the highly-competitive Big South 5A/6A Conference race with a losing overall record, the Mountaineers have caught fire […]
By Richard Walker Ten teams are slated to play in North Carolina Area IV American Legion baseball when the 2026 season begins in May after Sunday’s organizational meeting at Cherryville Post 100. It’s the same 10 teams as participated last year when Asheville Post 70 became the first Area IV team to advance to the […]
By Richard Walker The N.C. High School Athletic Association state championship game times and dates were announced on Sunday night – and include- the Huss, Kings Mountain and Thomas Jefferson boys and the North Lincoln girls. Here are the pairings: -State championship games at Joel Coliseum, Winston-Salem (Wednesday, March, 11) 1A boys- Vance Charter vs. […]
By Richard Walker Four area teams will be pursuing N.C. High School Athletic Association state titles next week – the Huss, Kings Mountain and Thomas Jefferson boys and the North Lincoln girls. Official times and dates for the 4 teams’ state title games will be announced on Sunday. Here is the NCHSAA postseason schedule for […]
By Richard Walker Rick Barnes, one of the winningest college basketball coaches in history, will be the featured speaker at the 2026 Gaston County Sports Hall of Fame banquet on May 4 at the Gastonia Conference Center. Currently in his 11th season as University of Tennessee head coach, Barnes has more than 850 overall victories, […]
By Richard Walker American Legion baseball will be dominating the local sports scene for the months of July and August like never before this summer. With Shelby the permanent host of the American Legion World Series, Cherryville’s Fraley Field hosting two national regionals for the next two years and the N.C. state tournament being hosted […]
By Richard Walker Holbrook Middle School’s girls basketball extended their historic winning streak to 61 by winning their 5th straight Gaston County Conference title in a 49-43 victory over Bessemer City at the Ashbrook gymnasium on Wednesday. The 2026 Gaston County Conference regular season standings: -BOYS York Chester 10-0 Belmont 9-1 Stanley 8-2 Holbrook 7-3 […]
By Richard Walker Belmont Middle School won its fourth Gaston County Conference basketball title on Tuesday when it upset previously unbeaten York Chester 42-34 in the 2026 title game at Huss High School. Belmont won previous titles in 2001, 2011 and 2022. The 2026 Gaston County Conference regular season standings: -BOYS York Chester 10-0 Belmont […]
By Richard Walker Holbrook Middle School’s girls basketball team looks to extend a county-record winning streak while York Chester’s boys basketball team seeks to return to previous success in this week’s 2026 Gaston County Conference title games. Holbrook has won 60 consecutive games and four state county titles entering Wednesday’s 6 p.m. championship game against […]
By Richard Walker A tight race is expected in the Big South 5A/6A Conference high school baseball race as Crest, South Point and North Gaston all received first-place votes in coaching voting. Defending league champion Crest is the favorite in coaches’ voting while 2025 playoff participants South Point, North Gaston and Kings Mountain follow close […]
By Richard Walker Cramer’s Oshauna Holland set N.C. High School Athletic Association girls basketball history as the Storm advanced to the Class 4A quarterfinals with a 66-24 win over Foard. Holland, a senior guard and Wake Forest signee, scored 34 points to break a 37-year-old record for career scoring. Holland now has 3,232 points to […]
By Richard Walker One day after announcing he had resigned as head coach at North Gaston High School, longtime area coach Darrel Wilson was hired as defensive coordinator at Charlotte’s Palisades High School. Wilson guided the Wildcats to a 4-16 record in 2 seasons as head coach after a 24-year stint as an assistant coach […]
By Richard Walker Crest’s boys and Kings Mountain’s girls on Tuesday won the Tri-County Conference basketball championships. Both teams finished the season with perfect records as Crest went 12-0 and Kings Mountain 14-0. The Crest Dragons defeated Kings Mountain 57-32 in their title game and Kings Mountain’s Lady Patriots won 42-34 over R-S Central to […]
By Richard Walker One of the area’s former standout athletes and winningest coaches recently passed away when Tommy Pruett died at 79 on Feb. 10. Pruett, a championship-winning coach for Kings Mountain Junior High, Burns High School and Shelby American Legion Post 82, first made local headlines as a multi-sport athlete at Shelby High School. […]
By Richard Walker High school baseball begins with conference play in several area conferences today. With that in mind, we’re previewing the area teams in the Southern Piedmont 2A/3A/4A, Western Foothills 4A/5A, Catawba Shores 2A/3A/4A and Catawba River 1A/2A/3A conferences today and will preview the Big South 5A/6A conference, which doesn’t begin league play until […]
By Richard Walker The 2026 Gaston County Conference basketball regular season concluded on Monday and the upcoming playoff field has been set. In boys competition, York Chester is the No. 1 seed for the first time since 2004 after finishing with its first unbeaten season (10-0) since 1991 when it was a junior high. Belmont […]
By Richard Walker Boys high school basketball teams from Shelby, Lincolnton, Bessemer City, Cherryville, East Lincoln, Ashbrook, Huss and Crest and girls teams from Lincolnton, Shelby, Crest and East Lincoln are the area’s top historical postseason participants as the 2026 N.C. High School Athletic Association basketball playoffs begin on Tuesday. Shelby’s boys will be making […]
By Richard Walker Thirty-nine teams from Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties are in the field for the 2026 N.C. High School Athletic Association basketball playoffs – 20 girls teams and 19 boys teams. Here’s the first round schedule for local teams (Tuesday, Feb. 24) 1A boys- No. 8 Thomas Jefferson bye 2A boys- No. 13 […]
By Richard Walker After back-to-back MLS Cup playoff appearances under head coach Dean Smith, Charlotte FC opens its 2026 season at St. Louis City Soccer Club on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Following a 19-13-2 record a year ago, Wilfried Zaha, Pep Biel, Tim Ream and other top returnees will look to improve on a 4th […]
By Richard Walker Earlier this week, North Lincoln High’s girls basketball team was ranked No. 3 in N.C. Class 5A and considered one of the favorites to win a state title. But after determining it was playing a player in spending her fifth year in high school, the Knights forfeited 17 games and may not […]
By Richard Walker One of Gaston College’s most accomplished alumni will be honored on February 23 as a biographical documentary called “ACC Legend” will be done in Leonard Hamilton’s honor. A racial pioneer for the school when he played basketball at Gaston College from 1966 to 1968, Hamilton’s life and career will be on display […]
By Richard Walker Charlotte FC’s Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte may not be hosting any FIFA World Cup 2026 matches. But the venue will host an already announced Team USA exhibition match shortly before it begins competition in the World Cup. And on Tuesday, the team team announced its training facility will be the […]
By Richard Walker New Gardner-Webb head football coach Kris McCullough has released the school’s 12-game 2026 football schedule. The Bulldogs have seven OVC-Big South Association league games and five non-conference matchups, among them two against Bowl Championship Series opponents Liberty and Marshall. Gardner-Webb has only four home games, which is the school’s lowest total since […]
By Richard Walker Here are the area’s high school basketball standings through Feb. 13 games. -BOYS (Big South 5A/6A) Huss 11-0, 20-2 Crest 6-4, 13-6 South Point 6-4, 10-11 Kings Mountain 6-4, 9-12 Ashbrook 5-5, 9-9 Forestview 2-8, 5-15 North Gaston 0-11, 9-12 (Southern Piedmont 2A/3A/4A) Burns 14-2, 14-8 Shelby 13-3, 18-4 Lincolnton 12-4, 16-8 […]
By Richard Walker Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel concluded a busy weekend on Saturday night with impressive finishes in two different competitions at Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome. Knueppel finished third in the 3-Point Contest, then was runner-up in the Kia Shooting Stars Competition as part of Team Cameron with former Charlotte Bobcats player Corey Maggette […]
By Richard Walker Belmont Abbey won the 2026 Conference Carolinas Women’s Basketball Developmental Championship on Monday in a 60-38 win over Young Harris at the Wheeler Center. The Crusaders earned the title after earning two wins in the tournament. In the opener, a 60-27 win over Ferrum, the Crusaders held the Panthers to just 10 […]
By Richard Walker Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Knueppel will participate in a pair of All-Star Weekend events. The rookie forward has been selected for the Castrol Rising Stars game on Feb. 13 at 9:55 p.m. at Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome. He is the 1st Hornets player chosen for the Rising Stars competition since Brandon Miller […]
By Richard Walker On a day when the NBA suspended two Charlotte players for their roles in Monday’s on-court altercation during a loss to the Detroit Pistons, the Hornets will head into the All-Star break as one of the hottest teams in the league following Wednesday’s 110-107 win over Atlanta. Brandon Miller had 31 points […]
By Richard Walker Charlotte FC on Monday officially unveiled the Club’s new primary kit for the 2026 Major League Soccer season. The new kit will be available in person at the Team Store at Bank of America Stadium starting on Wednesday at 11 a.m. It is currently available online at mlsstore.com and adidas.com. The new […]
By Richard Walker One of the biggest regular season games in years for the Charlotte Hornets ended in a defeat during a game that saw four players ejected after punches were thrown in the third quarter. Cade Cunningham had 33 points and nine rebounds as the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons edged the Hornets 110-104. hung […]
By Richard Walker Seattle Seahawks linebacker Chazz Surratt may have been declared inactive before Sunday’s Super Bowl 60 but he became 6th participant in the game from Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties to get a title ring. Surratt, who had missed the Seahawks last 8 games with an ankle injury, was activated last week but […]
By Richard Walker Five Cleveland County products have played or coached in the Super Bowl and two from Gaston County. On Sunday, when the AFC champion New England Patriots meet the NFC champion Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Cal., Lincoln County will make its debut. Chazz Surratt, a […]
By Richard Walker A historic selection on Wednesday night will give the Carolina Panthers their seventh former player or executive in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Luke Kuechly, a seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro during his eight-year career, will be enshrined Aug. 8 with four other players – quarterback Drew Brees, wide receiver […]
By Richard Walker After recording the longest winning streak in franchise history in nearly 10 years, the Charlotte Hornets used the NBA trade deadline to upgrade their roster in hopes of a playoff push. The Hornets’ trades were highlighted by picking up all-time N.C. prep scorer Coby White of Wilson’s Greenfield School. Charlotte acquired White, […]
By Richard Walker Former East Lincoln softball standout Taliyah Thomas has been named preseason Big South Conference player of the year. A senior at USC Upstate, Thomas becomes the 3rd Spartans player to be named that league’s preseason player of the year – and 4th overall. The 2022 East Lincoln graduate enters her senior year […]
By Richard Walker A pair of longtime area sports figures has passed away in recent weeks as Cherryville’s Sam Homesley, a longtime baseball umpire and a coach at Burns High School, died Jan. 16 and former Stanley High basketball standout and South Point High coach Rod Rudisill died Jan. 30. A 2022 inductee into the […]
By Richard Walker The Charlotte Hornets won their 7th straight game on Monday afternoon as they rallied from a 22-point 2nd quarter deficit to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans 102-95. Playing their 4th straight home game where the original time was moved up due to recent wintry weather, the Hornets were behind 56-34 with 3:21 […]
By Richard Walker Cherryville’s Clay Guiton was the individual standout on Sunday’s Professional Bull Riding (PBR) matchup between the last two champions. Guiton, a 20-year-old 2024 Burns High graduate, finished with an individual score of 87.30 but the Greensboro-based Carolina Cowboys lost 256.90 to 173.90 to the Austin Gamblers; Austin won the 2024 title and […]
By Richard Walker The Charlotte Hornets are on their longest winning streak in 10 years after Brandon Miller scored 26 points and Collin Sexton had 21 points and made each of his 5 3-pointers in a 111-106 victory over San Antonio on Saturday afternoon. The game was moved up to noon due to Charlotte’s largest […]
By Richard Walker The Charlotte Hornets’ will pursue their longest winning streak in nearly 10 years on Saturday when they host the San Antonio Spurs in a game televised by Prime Video. The Hornets enter the game on a 5-game winning streak with a 21-28 overall that is already 2 wins ahead of last season’s […]
By Richard Walker The Charlotte Hornets continued their recent hot streak with their 5th straight victory on Thursday. The Hornets won 123-121 at Dallas for their first 5-game winning streak since Feb. 13-27 of 2023. Rookie Kon Knueppel (34 points) led a balanced attack for a starting lineup that is now 11-1; The others were […]
By Richard Walker Brandon Miller scored 26 points, Miles Bridges 20 and Moussa Diabate had 18 points and 19 rebounds as the Charlotte Hornets topped their victory total from all of last season in a 112-97 at Memphis on Wednesday. Charlotte had won 4 straight for the first time since Feb. 2024 to improve to […]
By Richard Walker Charlotte Hornets’ rookie forward Kon Knueppel has been selected for the Castrol Rising Stars game during the Feb. 13-15 NBA All-Star Weekend 2026 in Los Angeles. Knueppel is the 1st Hornets player chosen for the Rising Stars competition since Brandon Miller 2024 and the 16th player in Hornets history to be selected […]
By Richard Walker The Charlotte Hornets are currently enjoying their hottest stretch in years – and that continued Monday afternoon in their 130-93 blowout win over the Philadelphia 76ers. It gives the Hornets their first 3-game winning streak in more than a year and they’ve also won 4 of their last 5 and 8 of […]
By Richard Walker Just 11 years ago, Charlotte’s Drake Maye attended Super Bowl 50 to watching his hometown team in Santa Clara, Cal. Maye, a 2021 Myers Park graduate, quarterbacked New England to this year’s Super Bowl in the same location. The Patriots will meet Seattle in a rematch of Super Bowl 49. New England […]