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. […]
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 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 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 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 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 […]
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 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 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 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 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 As local teams prepare for the end of the first round of the abbreviated 2021 high school baseball schedule, five local teams remain unbeaten: Cherryville in the Southern Piedmont 1A Conference, Crest and Kings Mountain in the Big South 3A and East Lincoln in the South Fork 2A and Mountain Island Charter […]
By Richard Walker Jake Buchanan’s hometown pro debut got put on hold Friday afternoon when the Los Angeles Angels signed the former North Gaston High standout to a minor league contract. Buchanan had signed with the first-year Gastonia Honey Hunters of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball on March 4. But on Friday, the Los […]
By Richard Walker Two local coaches and nine players have been invited to participate in the North Carolina Coaches’ Association East-West All-Star football game this summer. The contest, which began in 1949, will be held on July 21 at Greensboro Grimsley’s Jamieson Stadium this summer after the coronavirus cancelled the 2020 event. Local coaches for […]
By Richard Walker Former Burns High and Cherryville Legion Post 100 standout Christopher Proctor is one step away from the major leagues after being promoted to Class AAA Toledo on Wednesday. Proctor, a 2015 Burns High graduate, had been playing for the West Michigan Whitecaps of the High Class A Central League where he was […]
By Richard Walker West Lincoln High School won its first state title in girls golf behind balance as the Rebels beat Pine Lake Prep by a 10-shot margin in the Class 1A/2A state championships played at Pinehurst No. 8 on Tuesday. Other state champions were Freedom in Class 3A and Pfafftown Reagan in 4A. Leah […]
By Richard Walker Three Mecklenburg County high schools and hometown Pinecrest took the championships in the 2021 N.C. High School Athletic Association golf championships on Monday. Community School of Davidson won Class 1A, Lake Norman Charter Class 2A, Charlotte Catholic Class 3A and Pinecrest Class 4A in a one-day event played at Foxfire Village, Pinehurst […]
Before integration (A 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 cultural icon depicted in […]
By Richard Walker Rory McIlrory entered the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship PGA tournament at Charlotte’s Quail Hollow Country as the event’s only two-time winner. After a strong finish on Sunday, he became the only three-time Wells Fargo Championship winner. McIlrory, who won in 2010 and 2015, shot 72-66-68-68 to win by one stroke over second-place […]
By Richard Walker The softall teams from East Lincoln and Mountain Island Charter high schools and South Point High’s girls soccer team will play on Tuesday in Western N.C. championship games. Only East Lincoln has ever been this far – and that was 40 seasons ago and the rules of softball were different than they […]
By Richard Walker Matt Wallace, Gary Woodland and Patrick Rodgers enter the weekend atop the Wells Fargo Championship PGA tournament leaderboard with 6-under-par scores at Charlotte’s Quail Hollow Country Club. Gastonia’s Harold Varner III missed the cut by one shot as he finished with a two-day score of three-over-par 145. A 2008 Forestview High graduate, […]
By Richard Walker Gastonia’s Harold Varner III tees off at 12:32 p.m. Thursday on the first hole tee as he tries to improve on what has so far been his best year on the PGA tour. A 2008 Forestview High graduate and former East Carolina University standout, Varner is current ranked 56th in the FedEx […]
By Richard Walker Belmont Abbey College’s historic men’s volleyball season came to an end Monday as the Crusaders fell three sets to none decision to two-time NCAA champion Penn State in the opening round of the NCAA championships in Columbus, Ohio. The Abbey, which won its first Conference Carolinas championship to advance, ends its season […]
By Richard Walker South Point High’s all-time leading receiver has made a decision about where he’ll play college football after announcing on twitter he’ll be transferring to East Carolina. Ray Rose announced via his twitter account at 11:25 a.m. on Sunday he’ll be playing for the Pirates after entering the transfer portal on March 25 […]
By Richard Walker Despite being the high-rated player in the estimation of ESPN’s NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper for much of the late stages of the 2021 NFL Draft, former East Lincoln and Lincolnton star Sage Surratt wasn’t selected. No matter. Surratt, a wide receiver from Wake Forest, signed a free agent deal to play […]
By Richard Walker Twelve Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln county teams will enter the state playoffs next week seeking more glory after the N.C. High School Athletic Association announced postseason pairings for softball and girls soccer teams. In softball, Crest, East Lincoln and Mountain Island Charter will host Monday first round games after winning their respective […]
By Richard Walker The N.C. High School Athletic Association football championship game schedule will be finalized on Saturday after Friday’s regional finals. Here’s are the pairings and results so far in the 2021 winter/spring season: Class 1A April 16 first round: (East) #8 Pamlico County 50, #1 West Columbus 8 #5 Northside-Pinetown 35, #4 Rosewood […]
By Richard Walker Here’s a look at area teams as many of them got their 2021 seasons underway this week: Ashbrook Head coach: Jake Eccles (17th year, 327-92) Assistant coach: Chad Silverstrim Starters returning: 7 Returnees: Collin Ardrey, Ethan Rhyne, Cullen Watkins, Chandler McQueen, Jay Littlejohn Newcomers: Elijah Antis Bessemer City Head coach: Scott Hardin […]
By Richard Walker Eighteen Gaston County players were named to the All-Southern Piedmont 1A Conference football team. Five apiece were honored from Cherryville, Highland Tech and Mountain Island Charter and three from Bessemer City. Christian Hahn, Landon Hahn, Cooper Sloan, Kadin Beaver and Mitchell Lackey were honored from Cherryville, Caleb Foster, Tyier Camp, Trent Dockery, […]
By Richard Walker Two former local products for Belmont Abbey College were among those honored by Conference Carolinas for the 2021 baseball season. Dylan Smith, a 2015 Forestview High graduate, was named first team relief pitcher after going 2-2 with four saves and a 2.31 ERA in 17 appearances for the Crusaders. And Sam High, […]
By Richard Walker Kings Mountain, Crest and Huss got top honors on the All-Big South Conference high school football team for the 2021 winter/spring season. Kings Mountain, which went unbeaten against league opposition, picked up four major honors – coach of the year Greg Lloyd, defensive player of the year Javari Rice-Wilson, offensive lineman of […]
Before integration (A 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 2: Basketball has long been a passion for North Carolinians and that was no different in the NCHSAC, including a high-scoring champion led by a future NFL Hall […]
By Richard Walker American Legion National Commander James W. “Bill” Oxford announced Monday that The American Legion World Series will be played in Shelby this year. The eight-team championship tournament will be played Aug. 12-17 at Veterans Field at Keeter Stadium and is returning after being cancelled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. “As […]
By Richard Walker The COVID pandemic has affected all walks of life in this country and nothing was more affected in this area than 2020 high school baseball. After having its 2020 season cancelled after two weeks, its teams, players and coaches return on Monday and are eager to get back in action after the […]
By Richard Walker For the third time in school history, Belmont Abbey is a Conference Carolinas men’s lacrosse champion. The Crusaders knocked off top-seeded Mount Olive 12-7 on Saturday at North Greenville University to win the 2021 league tournament title. The Abbey (10-4) was led by Noah Haas’s four goals and Thomas Sullivan’s 10 saves […]
By Richard Walker Cleveland County’s high school football has been so dominant for so long, it’s hard to imagine a season without at least one of the county’s schools in a regional final. But after a historic winless 0-3 night in the regional semifinals on Friday night, Cleveland County will be shut out of the […]
By Richard Walker One of the most stunning nights in Cleveland County history struck on Friday as all three teams lost in the high school playoff teams lost on the same night for the first time since 2009 – and third time in history (2002 was first time). Burns suffered the biggest heartbreaker as Salisbury […]
By Richard Walker Less than a week after its 2021 spring season ended, Gardner-Webb University has its full 2021 fall football schedule that includes seven league games for the first time in Big South Conference history. An inaugural member of the Big South in 2002, Gardner-Webb and coach Tre Lamb will play an 11-game schedule […]
By Richard Walker Cleveland County high schools have long enjoyed high school football playoff success. In fact, each school that has regularly played football in the county has won at least one state title and Shelby is the winningest program in North Carolina history with 815 documented victories. Last week, three county schools won opening […]
By Richard Walker Gardner-Webb’s Devron Harper and Ty French took major honors on Big South Conference postseason football awards and five other Bulldogs players were honored. Harper, a sophomore from Conyers, Ga., was named special teams player of the year and earned all-league honors at three different positions; He was named 1st team kickoff return […]
By Richard Walker Former Lincolnton High and Cherryville Post 100 standout Robbie Cowie picked up his eighth save of the year on Monday night at first-year Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis to preserve Catawba’s 5-4 win over Belmont Abbey. A 2018 Lincolnton High graduate, Cowie struck out two of the three batters he faced for […]
By Richard Walker Eight years ago, Belmont Abbey College started its men’s volleyball program. On Sunday, a member of that inaugural team coached the Crusaders to their first-ever title and trip to the NCAA national tournament. Matteo Miselli and Andrew Kohut each topped 20 kills and Brennan Davis dished out 57 assists as No. 2 […]