By Richard Walker Former Crest High standout Riley Cheek earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors while also helping Queens in its first season of NCAA Division I baseball. Also named the Atlantic Sun Conference Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Cheek was a third team honoree after maintaining a 4.0 grade point average. A 2018 […]
By Richard Walker One of the area’s most prominent softball players recently received arguably the highest honor he has ever received with induction into the 41st annual National Softball Hall of Fame. Kings Mountain’s Rusty Bumgardner was among 11 inductees on Nov. 12 in a ceremony held in Shreveport, La. A 1987 Kings Mountain High […]
By Richard Walker Former Huss standout Cress Worthy is a preseason All-CIAA selection at Fayetteville State. A senior guard, Worthy was named first team All-CIAA in the 2021-22 season when he averaged 14.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 30 games (28 starts) for the Broncos. The 2017 Huss graduate is one of several […]
By Richard Walker When Stan Crisson grew up in Cherryville in the 1950s, he was like many youngsters who were determined to help the town’s high school and American Legion Post 100 baseball teams win titles and pursue greatness. However, it was a football injury during one of the best starts in Cherryville High School […]
By Richard Walker When Alec Burleson was helping lead the East Lincoln High baseball program to four straight state playoff appearances as a standout pitcher and hitter, he dreamed of making the major leagues. Now in his third year as a professional in the St. Louis Cardinals’ organization, Burleson is one step away as a […]
By Richard Walker Eighty-six Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln county products begin college baseball seasons all over the country this month, including a preseason All-American and a starting outfielder for nationally-ranked East Carolina, Sophomore left-hander C.J. Mayhue, a 2019 Crest High graduate, was named third team preseason All-American by National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) earlier […]
By Richard Walker The Gaston County Sports Hall of Fame has selected five new inductees for its 2022 class that will be honored May 2 at the Gastonia Conference Center. Former University of North Carolina player and administrator John Swofford will be the featured speaker. The induction class is comprised of Cherryville’s Stan Crisson, Cramerton’s […]
By Richard Walker College basketball has begun all across the country and several former standouts from Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties are playing and coaching. That includes two with the Elon’s women’s basketball program that opens its season on Wednesday at Gardner-Webb. Charlotte Smith, a 1991 Shelby High graduate, begins her 10th season as head […]
By Richard Walker When former Crest High standout Jonathan Bullard made one tackle in the Seattle Seahawks’ 27-26 home win over the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday, he was just adding to a long professional football history for Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties. Bullard, a 2012 Crest High graduate, is the 20th local product to play […]
By Richard Walker Six local high school football products and the Charlotte 49ers were to get national television exposure at 8 p.m. Saturday night on ESPNU in their home opener until a late Thursday night game postponement. The 49ers (1-2, 1-1 C-USA) were to host Florida International on Saturday at 8 p.m. until COVID-19 issues […]