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 countyr-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 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 […]
By Richard Walker Cramer and East Gaston won a pair of high-scoring Gaston County high school matchups on Thursday night in games that were moved up from Friday due to the threat of inclement weather. Cramer improved to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the Big South 3A Conference with a 31-20 win over visiting Ashbrook. […]
By Richard Walker Cramerton Middle School beat visiting Chavis 10-3 on Wednesday to win the 2021 Gaston County Conference championship. It’s the Eagles’ fourth county title all-time and first since 2013. Cramerton also won in 2001 and 2002. In Wednesday’s victory that completed Cramerton’s season with a 12-0 record, Kayla Johnson threw a complete game […]
By Richard Walker Chavis won its second Gaston County Conference Middle School team golf title in school history on Monday with a one-stroke victory over Belmont for the 2021 Gaston County Conference championship. Coached by Timmy Fleming, the Wolverines won their first title since 2001. Belmont’s Will Monteath was the county individual champion with a […]
By Richard Walker When Wes Helms was named Charlotte Knights manager in January 2020, it was considered one of the best “feel good” homecoming stories in the region. Despite the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 that cancelled the Knights season that year and a challenging 2021 season that included more than 150 player transactions, Helms remains […]
By Richard Walker A strong start and fast finish wasn’t enough for the Carolina Panthers on Sunday at AT&T Stadium against the Dallas Cowboys. And the Cowboys used a streak of 20 straight points to take a 36-28 victory and knock Carolina from the unbeaten ranks in the NFL. The Panthers (3-1) were seeking their […]
By Richard Walker The Carolina Panthers pursue their first 4-0 start since 2015 – and third in team history – when they visit the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at 1 p.m. Even as the Panthers are 3-0 and Dallas 2-1, Las Vegas oddsmakers have the Cowboys a comfortable favorite for the first meeting between the […]
By Richard Walker The Crest Chargers pulled off an improbable come-from-behind 27-26 win over visiting South Point on Friday night to remain atop the Big South 3A Conference standings. Crest (4-1, 4-0) trailed 26-14 with 6 1-2 minutes left before scoring two touchdowns in the next 2 1-2 minutes to take the lead and later […]
By Richard Walker Frequently on ESPN’s college football and basketball game days, they’ll discuss “Judgement Day” when a slate of games will determine who’s at the top of the league standings. In the Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties area, Friday night is “Judgement Day” for 2021 Big South 3A Conference football. It’s because the league […]
By Richard Walker It’s always good to be remembered in your hometown by your old school and mixed martial arts fighter and television star Justine Kish will be honored by Cramerton Middle School on Thursday. A 2007 South Point High graduate, Justine Kish attended Cramerton in the 2001-02 and 2002-03 school years back when she […]
By Richard Walker After suffering injuries that cost him 29 games last season, Charlotte Hornets forward Gordon Hayward is eager to be healthy this season as the team pursues its goal of making the NBA playoffs. Hayward missed 29 games last year, including the last 24 of the regular season with a right foot injury […]
By Richard Walker Local products came away with top league honors on Monday after having impressive efforts in Saturday college football games. At Charlotte, quarterback Chris Reynolds was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week. At Gardner-Webb, two players were honored by the Big South Conference. And at N.C. State and Wake Forest, local […]
By Richard Walker Former South Point High standout Garrett Davila last week won his second minor league championship as a member of the Kansas City Royals’ organization. A 2015 South Point High graduate, Davila was the winning pitcher for Northwest Arkansas in the second game of the Naturals’ three games to none Class AA Central […]
By Richard Walker The first big Southern Piedmont 1A/2A matchup of the season turned into a rout for Shelby as the Golden Lions rolled to a 55-7 win at previously unbeaten Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy on Friday night. Shelby improved to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in league play by scoring the game’s last 49 points […]
By Richard Walker As the high school football season hits the midway point of the 11-week, 10-game season on Friday, we look at individuals who have shined brighest so far this season. Already, two quarterbacks in Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties have surpassed 1,000 yards passing and many others are having strong seasons. No running […]
By Richard Walker Can the Carolina Panthers’ defense keep it up? And can the offense continue it fast starts? If Carolina can keep doing both, the Panthers will become the first 3-0 team in the NFL this season if they can win Thursday’s 8:20 p.m. game at the Houston Texans. The Panthers also are seeking […]
By Richard Walker Several former local products are nearing the end of their professional baseball seasons. Here’s a look at how they are doing with statistics through Monday’s games: Emilio Pagan (former Gardner-Webb and Belmont Abbey): The right-handed pitcher is 4-2 with a 4.50 ERA in 66 appearances for the San Diego Padres. Jeffrey Springs […]
By Richard Walker During Big South Conference football media day this summer, Gardner-Webb coach Tre Lamb said former Crest standout Jalin Graham would be a future standout in his program. Graham, a 2020 Crest graduate, proved his coach correct on in the Bulldogs’ 56-0 home win over Lincoln, Pa., with a brief but very effective […]
By Richard Walker A dominating defensive effort in Sunday’s 26-7 home win over the New Orleans Saints could have the Carolina Panthers thinking big already this season. Not only did it give the Panthers a 2-0 for only the eighth time in the franchise’s 27-year history but it also ended a four-game losing streak to […]
By Richard Walker How important is winning your conference football opener? In the Big South Conference, it’s imperative if you want to win the league championship. How so? With Friday featuring six teams opening their league slate – Crest beat North Gaston 42-16 last week – none of the previous league champions or co-champions have […]
By Richard Walker Holbrook and Southwest stayed unbeaten in Gaston County Conference middle school football action after wins on Wednesday. Holbrook defeated Mount Holly 36-6 to improve to 4-0 and Southwest edged Southwest 6-0 to improve to 5-0. Grier (3-0) also is unbeaten in the Gaston County Conference. Here are Wednesday’s Gaston County Conference results: […]
By Richard Walker Charlotte is off to its fourth 2-0 start in the school’s nine-year football history. Coach Will Healy said during his weekly news conference that 2-0 won’t mean anything if the team doesn’t finish strong – and that starts with this week’s 7 p.m. game at Georgia State. “Every week I say this […]
By Richard Walker Former South Point High baseball standout Dawson Gause will be playing on one of the biggest stages in all of college baseball this spring when he pitches for six-time national champion LSU. A 2018 South Point High graduate, Gause will be a 6-foot-4, 215-pound redshirt sophomore for the Tigers after transferring from […]
By Richard Walker They may have started slow – and drew a few boos in the process – but the Carolina Panthers reversed a recent opening-game trend on Sunday with a 19-14 win over the New York Jets on Sunday. Sam Darnold completed 24 ot 34 passes for 279 yards and one touchdown in his […]
By Richard Walker There was no letdown for the Charlotte 49ers as they rolled to a 38-10 win over Gardner-Webb on Saturday night at Richardson Stadium. One week after Charlotte’s first-ever home game and victory over a power five major college football conference – the 49ers beat Duke 31-28 – Charlotte never trailed as it […]
By Richard Walker A shootout at Shelby’s Blanton Memorial Stadium between two of the Carolinas winningest programs ended with South Pointe of Rock Hill, S.C., holding off Shelby 51-37 on Friday night. South Pointe scored 34 straight points in the first half to take a 37-7 halftime lead before the host Golden Lions outscored the […]
By Richard Walker On Saturday, a former Crest High quarterback will make his head coaching debut against the ACC when Dawson “Tyrone” Odums leads his Norfolk State team into its first game at Wake Forest at noon. Odums, a 1992 Crest High graduate, played quarterback in high school and defensive line at North Carolina Central […]
By Richard Walker Former South Point High standout Tanner Muse has a new NFL home. Muse, a 2015 South Point High graduate, signed to play on the Seattle Seahawks practice squad on Wednesday. It comes two days after the Las Vegas Raiders released Muse from their roster. Muse had made eight tackles with half a […]
By Richard Walker Former Forestview and Gaston Day standout Nate Hinton has a new NBA team. Hinton signed a contract with the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday. Indiana’s new head coach is Hinton’s former Dallas Mavericks’ coach Rick Carlisle. A 2018 Gaston Day graduate who was an undrafted free agent signee out of the University of […]
By Richard Walker Quarterbacks at Charlotte and Gardner-Webb, a Gardner-Webb receiver and Gaston County’s all-time leading high school football rusher were among those honored with top conference awards for their play in the opening week of the 2021 college football season. Charlotte’s Chris Reynolds was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week after he […]
By Richard Walker Former North Gaston High standout Blake Brown was promoted by the Philadelphia Phillies to its Class AA affiliate on Sunday. A 2016 North Gaston High graduate, Brown went 2-1 with eight saves with a 3.15 ERA in 33 appearances for the Class A Jersey Shore Blue Claws before being promoted to the […]
By Richard Walker Gardner-Webb put a scare into traditional power Georgia Southern in the 2021 college football opener for both teams. The visiting Bulldogs scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns and drove to the Georgia Southern 29 in the closing seconds before losing 30-25 at Paulson Stadium. Gardner-Webb quarterback Bailey Fisher completed 27 of 45 passes for […]
By Richard Walker The Charlotte 49ers set history Friday night. The 49ers scored late and survived a Duke rally for a 31-28 victory in front of 14,125 fans at Richardson Stadium. It marks Charlotte’s first win over an ACC school in the 49ers first home game against an ACC opponent. In a game with six […]
By Richard Walker High school football’s third week continued Thursday with non-conference games that include rivalry matchups like Burns-Kings Mountain, Cramer-East Gaston and East Lincoln-Lincolnton. There’s also been four game cancellations – Blacksburg, S.C., at Cherryville, Central Cabarrus at Huss, Foard at West Lincoln and South Point at R-S Central – with South Point picking […]
By Richard Walker After the COVID-19 pandemic completely disrupted high school football in the 2020-21 school year, it continues having an impact on the 2021 fall schedule. On Wednesday, the Crest at Shelby game that was scheduled for Friday will be postponed with school officials saying they are “working to reschedule.” It is the fourth […]
By Richard Walker The Carolina Panthers roster is at 53 after a flurry of moves on Tuesday. On Tuesday, the team waived linebacker Josh Bynes, wide receiver Omar Bayless, running back Spencer Brown, quarterback Will Grier, defensive lineman Frank Herron, offensive lineman Mike Horton, cornerback Jalen Julius, wide receiver Keith Kirkwood, outside linebacker Christian Miller, […]
By Richard Walker Four local high school products are currently on NFL rosters following the 2021 preseason – former Crest standout Jonathan Bullard, former South Point standout Tanner Muse, former East Lincoln standout Chazz Surratt and former East Lincoln and Lincolnton standout Sage Surratt. Here is a look at how each player is doing: Bullard: […]
By Richard Walker High school football teams into the third playing date of the season this week. One game, South Point at R-S Central, has been cancelled due to COVID issues at R-S Central but South Point is trying to find another opponent. Here is Friday’s current schedule for schools from Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln […]
By Richard Walker Shelby honored the greatest football player the city has ever produced on Saturday with “Bobby Bell Day.” Bell, a 1959 graduate of the old Cleveland Training School, went on to become an Outland Trophy winner at the University of Minnesota, a Super Bowl winner for the Kansas City Chiefs and was inducted […]
By Richard Walker High school football moves into its second week highlighted by three of the oldest rivalries in the area when Crest visits Burns, South Point plays at East Gaston and West Lincoln visits Cherryville. Here’s a look at each of the matchups in Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties: Alexander Central at North Gaston […]
By Richard Walker Wednesday’s inclement weather played havoc on the first Gaston County Conference middle school football games in two years. Only two games were played long enough to be completed as Cramerton won 24-8 at W.C. Friday and Grier defeated visiting Stanley 8-0. In Cramerton’s win, Tristan Holt had three touchdowns and L.J. Watson […]
By Richard Walker After a year or disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, middle school football returns to the area with conventional schedules for both area leagues. In the Gaston County Conference, action begins on Wednesday in its 11-school league with five games. Gaston County didn’t play any football in the 2020-21 school year. And […]
By Richard Walker After the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the Gaston County Conference football schedule and altered the Tri-County Conference football schedule, both leagues will run full slates for the 2021 season. In Gaston County, it’ll mark the first action since the 2019 season. And in Cleveland and Lincoln counties, the teams will play a full […]
By Richard Walker Crest High School’s first girls soccer championship team since 2011 took three of the top honors on the 2021 All-Big South 3A Conference team this spring. The Chargers, who won the league with a 11-1 record, took offensive player of the year (Madison Setzer), defensive player of the year (Olivia-Claire Wall) and […]
By Richard Walker Thirteen players and two coaches highlight the area’s professional baseball players for the 2021 season. Last month, former Gardner-Webb and Belmont Abbey standout Emilio Pagan and former South Point and Appalachian State standout Jeffrey Springs began their seasons as pitchers for the San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays, respectively, in the […]
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 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 The 2021 baseball and girls soccer season begins on Monday. Here’s a look at the teams: Baseball previews Belmont Head coach: Sam Pruitt (11th year) Assistant coaches: Doug Waters, Ron Ensley Returning players: Gavin Gibson, Patrick Blee, Landon King, Carsten Green, Ty Detweiler, Zeke Pruitt, Brody Crawford, Walker Spargo, Aydan Bradley, […]
By Richard Walker Charlotte 49ers head coach Will Healy can’t wait to get back on the field with his team as a 15-session spring practice will begin on Thursday. But Healy has learned through nine game postponements or cancellations last fall and some recent contact tracing issues that nothing is guaranteed. “We’re excited about getting […]
By Richard Walker Sunday and Monday a trio of local athletes were honored and/or showcased for their talents on the football field. Robert Washington, a 2016 East Gaston High graduate and a former Charlotte 49ers standout, continues to shine at Valparaiso College and on Sunday was named Pioneer Football League offensive player of the week […]
By Richard Walker Home sweet home. Well, sort of for Ashbrook High’s football team in this unprecedented winter and spring season caused by the COVID pandemic. The Green Wave of first-year coach Darius James rallied late to win for the second time this season on Cramer’s turf field. This time, Ashbrook beat Cramer 35-27 in […]
By Richard Walker South Point High’s all-time leading receiver will be moving on to another college. Ray Rose announced via his twitter account at 6:09 p.m. on Thursday that he was entering the transfer portal and leaving the University of North Carolina football program. A 6-foot-1, 215-pound wide receiver, Rose played in one game during […]
By Richard Walker Boys soccer preview capsules Belmont Head coach: Sam Pruitt (15th year) Assistant coaches: Doug Waters, Jenn DelCastillo Returning players: Luke Wesolowski, Patrick Blee, Isaac Contreras, Dominic Fedunic, Aiden Crill, Justin Koehler, Brandon Cunningham, Landon King, Garrett Tidd, Zeke Pruitt, Brody Crawford Chavis Head coach: Michelle Cuomo (1st year) Returning players: Javier Moran, […]
By Richard Walker The Gastonia Honey Hunters have added another Gaston County product to their roster as they prepare for their inaugural 2021 season in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. The Honey Hunters announced on Tuesday they had signed former Forestview High standout Reilly Hovis. A 2012 Forestview High graduate, Hovis was an ACC […]
By Richard Walker East Lincoln advanced to the N.C. 2A quarterfinals for a third straight season with a 4-1 second round playoff win over visiting Salisbury on Thursday. The Mustangs (12-1-1) will play the winner of the Hibriten-Hendersonville second round match on Saturday. If Hibriten wins, the game would be at Hibriten. If Hendersonville wins, […]