By Richard Walker With Shelby’s N.C. 2A championship game on Saturday, local high schools can now focus on high school basketball which has been underway for a month for some teams. League play in the Big South 3A and Western Foothills 3A conferences began on Friday. With that in mind, here’s preseason projections for the […]
By Richard Walker Despite being without seven players, the Charlotte Hornets edged the Sacramento Kings in a 124-123 shootout victory on Friday night at the Spectrum Center. The Hornets were without starting guards LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier, starting center Mason Plumlee and reserves Jalen McDaniels and Ish Smith due to health and safety protocols […]
By Richard Walker Cramerton Middle School finished a 12-0 seasons as the Eagles’ boys soccer team won the Gaston County county title. Cramerton edged Belmont 1-0 for the second time in eight days – this time in the championship game – as Aiden VanderMeer scored the goal in the first half on a Brody Dyer […]
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 Cramerton will be hosting both the boys soccer and volleyball Gaston County Conference championship games on Thursday. Since both games are being played at Cramerton and a 3:30 p.m. school dismissal, all fans are encouraged to park at Life Church. The game time for boys soccer is 3:45 p.m. with volleyball slated […]
By Richard Walker Crest won three top awards and Cramer, Kings Mountain and South Point got one top honor apiece in All-Big South 3A Conference football honors that were announced on Monday. Crest’s Mari Adams (offensive player of the year), Eli Hall (defensive lineman of the year) and Nick Eddins (coach of the year) helped […]
By Richard Walker Cherryville High School won its 10th N.C. High School Athletic Association state championship in the 19 years cheerleading competition has been held. This year, Cherryville won the Varsity Game Day D2 title and the Small Varsity D2 division. Cherryville has also competed for the N.C. Cheerleading Coaches state title since it began […]
By Richard Walker A huge second quarter propelled Shelby to its 29th state championship football game in school history with a 45-13 win over East Surry on Friday night in the Western N.C. 2A championship game. South Point wasn’t as fortunate as Greensboro Dudley returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and the momentum never […]
By Richard Walker State championship pairings will be finalized for N.C. High School Athletic Association football teams after Friday’s regional finals across the state. The state announced earlier this week the following state championship times, dates and sites: Class 1A: Dec. 11 at noon (Kenan Stadium, North Carolina) Class 2A: Dec. 11 at 3 p.m. […]
By Richard Walker Earlier this season, Seattle Seahawks linebacker Tanner Muse became the second South Point High product to play in the NFL. Tanner Muse’s younger brother Nick Muse earned an invitation to a prestigious postseason game that has him on the path to becoming the third Red Raiders’ NFL player. Nick Muse, a 6-foot-5, […]
By Richard Walker One of the most popular American Legion baseball regular season events will return in 2022 after two seasons off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cherryville’s Fraley Field will be the site of the 14th North-South Challenge that pits three teams from North Carolina against three teams from South Carolina on June 24 […]
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 The Carolina Panthers’ 2021 season is spiraling downward after Sunday’s 33-10 loss at the Miami Dolphins. Not only are the Panthers 5-7 overall, but they now have a week off to hear rumors of imminent change that could include Carolina’s second-year head coach Matt Rhule. After a Miami blocked punt gave the […]
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 After the COVID-19 pandemic limited last year’s high school baskeball season, it has returned with a full schedule for this season. While many games have already been played, the most common opening date is Tuesday for Gaston and Lincoln counties. Cleveland County’s first basketball game isn’t scheduled until next week. Five doubleheaders […]
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 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 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 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 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 […]