×

8-15-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, basketball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball, High school football and soccer, Middle school football, softball, golf

By Richard Walker The U.S. Army Parachute team, “The Golden Knights,” were featured performers during Saturday’s USAA Military Appreciation Day at Shelby’s Veterans Field at Keeter Stadium. Eight jumpers entered the stadium during about a 15-minute program before Saturday’s final contest. Earlier, all U.S. military were recognized and honored by the ALWS and Shelby American […]

8-14-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, basketball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball, High school football and soccer, Middle school football, softball, golf

By Richard Walker Postponed on Thursday by rain and lightning, the 2026 American Legion World Series “Parade of Champions” was presented before Friday night’s finale. Here are the 2026 ALWS pairings and results: -American Legion World Series (at Shelby NC) Stars division: Northeast (Bedford, N.H.), Southeast (Jacksonville, Fla.), Great Lakes (Midland, Mich.), Northwest (Portland, Ore.) […]

8-13-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, basketball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball, High school football, volleyball and soccer, Middle school football, softball, golf

By Richard Walker The NBA released the Charlotte Hornets’ schedule on Thursday. The regular season begins on Oct. 21 and concludes on April 11. The preseason starts on Oct. 6. Here is the full schedule for the 2026-27 season: (Preseason) Oct. 6 Brooklyn (at Spectrum Center), 7 p.m. Oct. 11 Milwaukee (at Spectrum Center), 7 […]

8-12-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, basketball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball, High school football, volleyball and soccer, Middle school football, softball, golf

By Richard Walker The 2026 American Legion World Series begins Thursday at Shelby’s Veterans Field at Keeter Stadium. And the field is comprised of seven teams with previous ALWS experience and one newcomer. Midland is the most frequent participant as Post 165 is making its 13th ALWS appearance and was a 2009 champion and 2014 […]

8-11-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, basketball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball, High school football and soccer, Middle school football, softball, golf

By Richard Walker A week after signing a free agent contract with the Detroit Lions, former South Point standout Nick Muse didn’t have to wait long for a new team. The Atlanta Falcons signed the 27-year-old tight end on Tuesday after the Lions released him on Monday. A 2017 South Point High graduate, Muse has […]

8-10-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, basketball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball, High school football and soccer

By Richard Walker Nick Muse has another NFL opportunity after being signed by the Detroit Lions. The Lions signed Muse after rookie Miles Kitselman suffered a leg injury in training camp. Muse, a 27-year-old 2017 South Point High graduate, has appeared in 16 career NFL games in three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings from 2022 […]

8-9-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, basketball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball, High school football and soccer

By Richard Walker The field has been set for the 2026 American Legion World Series that begins in Shelby on Thursday. Here’s the 2026 ALWS pairings: -American Legion World Series (at Shelby NC) Stars division: Northeast (Bedford, N.H.), Southeast (Jacksonville, Fla.), Great Lakes (Midland, Mich.), Northwest (Portland, Ore.) Stripes division: Mid-Atlantic (Whitehouse, N.J.), Mid-South (Tupelo, […]

8-8-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, basketball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball, High school football and soccer

By Richard Walker American Legion regional championship Sunday is upon us in Gaston County. Winners will be crowned and will move on to nearby Shelby for the 2026 American Legion World Series that begins on Thursday and runs through Aug. 18. Here are the results and pairings for the two regionals being held in Gaston […]

8-7-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, basketball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker We’re down to the Final 4 teams in both the Southeast Regional at Cherryville’s Fraley Field and the Mid-South Regional at Gastonia’s Sims Legion Park following Friday’s results. Here are the results and pairings for the two regionals being held in Gaston County: Region 3 (Southeast) Fraley Field, Cherryville, N.C. Wednesday’s results […]

8-6-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, basketball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker Host Cherryville American Legion Post 100’s season ended in the Southeast Regional on Thursday while the Mid-South Regional at Gastonia’s Sims Legion Park got underway. Here are the results and pairings for the two regionals being held in Gaston County: Region 3 (Southeast) Fraley Field, Cherryville, N.C. Wednesday’s results Game 1: Harrison […]

8-5-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, basketball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker Host Cherryville suffered a heartbreaking one-run defeat in the finale of Wednesday’s opening round of the Southeast American Legion baseball regional at Fraley Field. Post 100 plays again in the eight-team, double-elimination regional on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. against defending American Legion World Series champion Chesapeake, Va., Post 280. Also on Thursday, […]

8-4-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, basketball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly will become the second-youngest Pro Football Hall of Famer on Saturday when he is inducted in his home state of Ohio. It’ll also conclude a busy weekend for his team. When the Cincinnati native is inducted, the 35-year-old Kuechly will be the second-youngest inductee behind Chicago Bears […]

8-3-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, basketball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball, High school football, basketball

By Richard Walker Four coaches with area ties have been honored by the N.C. Coaches Association with two selected to coach in the East-West All-Star games and two others to coach in the Carolinas Classic. Shelby’s longtime offensive coordinator Chris Emery has been named as an assistant for the West team in the December 2026 […]

8-1-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, basketball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker The Carolina Panthers are staying in Charlotte for the foreseeable future – and the naming rights to Bank of America also will remain for a long time. The Panthers unveiled a $1.3 billion, multi-year renovation of the venue that will modernize the 30-year-old venue while also turning it into a year-round entertainment […]

7-31-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, basketball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker Injuries continue to be the story of the 2026 Carolina Panthers’ training camp. So even a few players sitting out could be cause of concern for the team – and so much so that player transactions are being decided because of it. In their first appearance at their home stadium since losing […]

7-30-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, basketball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball, College football

By Richard Walker The 2025-26 College Football Playoff runner-up Miami has been selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference football championship, according to the media’s predicted order of finish after a vote of 188 media members that were credentialed at this year’s ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte. The Hurricanes received […]

7-29-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, basketball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker Garner won its fifth N.C. American Legion baseball state championship on Wednesday as it capped an unbeaten 4-0 record in the nine-team tournament at Gastonia’s Sims Legion Park with a 10-5 victory over Union County. Garner, which previously won state titles in 1999, 2004, 2021 and 2023, improved to 27-2 and will […]

7-28-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, basketball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker Unbeaten Garner and Union County are the finalists for the 2026 N.C. American Legion baseball state championship game on Wednesday at Gastonia’s Sims Legion Park. Union County eliminated the Gaston Braves and Cherryville in back-to-back games on Tuesday, including an 11-6 nightcap over Cherryville that didn’t finish until 11:56 p.m. N.C. state […]

7-27-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker Four teams remain in the 2026 N.C. American Legion baseball state tournament – including Cherryville and the Gaston Braves – with two more days left in the event. N.C. state tournament pairings and results (at Gastonia Sims Legion Park): (Friday, July 24) Game 1- Host/Gaston Braves 12-13 vs. Area 4 No. 2/Shelby […]

7-26-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker Six teams remain in the 2026 N.C. American Legion baseball state tournament after five more games on Sunday – including Cherryville and the Gaston Braves – with three more days left in the event. N.C. state tournament pairings and results (at Gastonia Sims Legion Park): (Friday, July 24) Game 1- Host/Gaston Braves […]

Legion update (thru July 25)

Area IV standings Area Overall/Playoffs Cherryville Post 100 15-1 17-4/7-1/1-0 State Shelby Post 82 11-5 14-8/6-2/0-1 State Asheville Post 70 10-6 13-8/4-4 Caldwell County Post 29 9-7 9-7/1-3 Gaston Braves Post 144-266 9-7 9-9/3-4/1-1 State Rutherford County Post 423 6-10 6-10/1-3 Gastonia Post 23 5-11 5-11/0-3 Hickory Post 48 4-12 4-12/1-3 Burke County Post 21 […]

7-25-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker The Gaston Braves honored their past on the first full day of the 2026 North Carolina American Legion baseball state tournament at Gastonia’s Sims Legion Park. Art Shoemaker, Phil Tate and Darrell Van Dyke threw out ceremonial first pitches before the fourth and final game on Saturday. Each was instrumental in the […]

7-24-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker The N.C. American Legion state tournament got underway Friday afternoon and the nine-team field attended a banquet at Sandy Plains Baptist Church where seven men were inducted into the N.C. Legion Hall of Fame. The host Gaston Braves knocked off Shelby 10-3 in Friday’s tournament opener before Guy Fisk of Asheville Post […]

7-23-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker Three area teams begin their pursuit of a N.C. American Legion baseball title this weekend as the host Gaston Braves meet Area IV runner-up Shelby on Friday to begin the 2026 state championship tournament at Gastonia’s Sims Legion Park. Area IV champion Cherryville begins play at 1 p.m. on Saturday against Area […]

7-22-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball, College basketball

By Richard Walker Former Lincolnton multi-sport athlete Brett Carey has a new coaching home. A longtime college basketball assistant, Carey has been named associate head coach at Gardner-Webb University by head coach Jeremy Luther. Carey comes to Gardner-Webb after one year at UNC Charlotte. A former All-Big South player at UNC-Asheville who played professionally, Carey […]

7-21-26 roundup: Pro football, basketball, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball, College baseball

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 […]

7-20-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker The pairings are now set for the 2026 N.C. American Legion baseball state tournament that will be held at Gastonia’s historic Sims Legion Park. The five most frequent state tournament participants lead the field as Wilmington (19th state tournament), Cherryville (17th), Garner and Rowan County (16th) and Shelby (12th) are a part […]

7-19-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball, High school athletics

By Richard Walker The return of high school athletics is less than a month away as athletes will begin practice the last week of July. Here is the 2026-27 N.C. High School Athletic Association schedule by sport for the upcoming school year: Cross Country First Practice: Jul. 29 First Contest: Aug. 10 Regionals: Oct. 30-31 […]

7-18-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball, College baseball

By Richard Walker In its sixth year as a program, Cleveland Community College’s baseball recently had its first Major League Baseball draft pick. Jackson Nash, a right-handed pitcher, was selected in the 12th round of the 2026 draft by the Texas Rangers with the 357th overall pick on July 12 out of Longwood University. A […]

7-17-26 roundup: Pro football, basketball, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker Cherryville American Legion Post 100 extended its N.C. Area IV championship total to 22 on Friday with a 9-4 win over visiting Shelby in the one-game 2026 N.C. Area IV championship game. Post 100 improved to 24-5 and will have the No. 1 seed for Area IV in next week’s state tournament […]

7-16-26 roundup: Pro football, basketball, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker A pair of recent Burns High baseball standouts have had a big week as Joseph Webb signed a major league free agent contract with the Seattle Mariners and Colby Putnam made his a successful first pitching start in the prestigious Cape Cod League. Webb, a 2022 Burns graduate, was signed out of […]

7-15-26 roundup: Pro football, basketball, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker Pairings have been released for the 2026 N.C. American Legion baseball tournament that will be played at Gastonia’s Sims Legion Park. For the second time in the 26-year history of the event, nine teams will be in the field. The host Gaston Braves will open the tournament on Friday, July 24 at […]

7-14-26 roundup: Pro football, basketball, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker The 2026 N.C. American Legion junior state tournament begins on Saturday at Cherryville’s Fraley Field after some teams declined their bids to the 25th annual event. And there’s a good chance of a first-time winner as host and Area IV champion Cherryville is the only team in the field with a previous […]

7-13-26 roundup: Pro football, basketball, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker Major League Soccer has announced the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge roster. Set for 7:30 pm ET on July 28 at Truist Field in Charlotte, North Carolina, and broadcast live on Apple TV, the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T will once again feature a dynamic lineup of competitions designed to test […]

7-12-26 roundup: Pro football, basketball, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker Cherryville American Legion Post 100 won its fourth N.C. Area IV junior Legion championship on Sunday afternoon with a 4-1 victory over Shelby at Veterans Field at Keeter Stadium. Cherryville, which improved to 15-5 and coached by Stan Haynes, trailed 1-0 before scoring twice in the sixth and seventh innings to take […]

7-11-26 roundup: Pro football, basketball, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball, High school football

By Richard Walker Four area teams are considered state championship favorites by longtime N.C. high school football observer Deana King in 2026 preseason rankings. Defending champions Shelby and Crest are ranked No. 1 in Class 3A and 5A, respectively. And Lincolnton (3A), Cramer (4A), East Lincoln (5A) and Ashbrook (6A) also received top rankings. Here’s […]

7-10-26 roundup: Pro football, basketball, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker The Knothole Foundation of Charlotte is proud to announce the return of one of its signature events — the 7th Annual Diversity in Baseball HBCU Showcase — which will take place August 5–6 at the Richard “Stick” Williams Dream Fields & Education Center in Charlotte. Now in its seventh year, the annual […]

7-9-26 roundup: Pro football, basketball, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker The N.C. Area IV American Legion baseball semifinals will begin on Saturday – and Gaston County continues to show its longtime dominance in the sport. Since the current playoff format was adopted in 1953, at least one Gaston County team has advanced to the semifinals 68 times out of 73 years. Only […]

7-8-26 roundup: Pro football, basketball, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker The Carolina Panthers announced on Wednesday the team’s annual Fan Fest Powered by Verizon will take place on Friday, July 31, at Bank of America Stadium. Fans will have the opportunity to attend the team’s open practice and enjoy performances by Panthers entertainment teams as well as a fireworks finale and laser […]

7-7-26 roundup: Pro football, basketball, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball, High school softball

By Richard Walker Twenty six local athletes have been named to the N.C. Softball Coaches Association’s all-state teams. The honors were highlighted by Kings Mountain’s Madeline Huffman, who was named Class 6A pitcher of the year, and North Lincoln’s Mayden Reames, who was named Class 5A co-pitcher of the year. Here’s the all-state selections from […]

7-6-26 roundup: Pro football, basketball, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker Charlotte Hornets President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson announced Monday that the team has signed center/forward Hannes Steinbach and guard Christian Anderson Jr. to rookie-scale contracts. The Hornets selected Steinbach with the 14th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. A native of Würzburg, Germany, Steinbach averaged 18.5 points, a Big Ten-leading […]

7-5-26 roundup: Pro football, basketball, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball, College athletics

By Richard Walker The Atlantic Coast Conference has announced the dates and locations for its 27 ACC Championship events for the upcoming 2026-27 academic year. “We are looking forward to another incredible year in the ACC and are dedicated to providing first-class championship events for student-athletes, coaches, programs, alumni and fans,” ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips […]

7-4-26 roundup: Pro football, basketball, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball, High school football

By Richard Walker The 2026 high school football season starts in late August. Here are the schedules for schools in Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties by conference with league games in all caps: -Big South 5A/6A Ashbrook Aug. 21 Palisades Aug. 28 Berry Academy Sept. 4 Northwest Cabarrus Sept. 9 at Marvin Ridge Sept. 18 […]

7-3-26 roundup: Pro football, basketball, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker The Charlotte Hornets have announced their 2026 Las Vegas Summer League roster. It includes 2026 first round picks Christian Anderson and Hannes Steinbach, 2025 first round picks Sion James, Ryan Kalkbrenner and Liam McNeeley and 2024 first round pick Tidjane Salaun. Here’s the complete roster with name, position and school/country: Michael Ajayi […]

7-2-26 roundup: Pro football, basketball, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker Cherryville is the top seed entering the N.C. Area IV American Legion baseball playoffs after the regular season ended on Thursday night. Post 100 finished 14-1 in Area IV action to win the title. Cherryville will meet No. 8 Hickory in the opening round, with No. 2 Shelby facing No. 7 Gastonia, […]

7-1-26 roundup: Pro football, basketball, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker The National Basketball Association announced that the Salary Cap for the 2026-27 season has been set at $164.961 million. The Tax Level for the 2026-27 season is $200.428 million. The Salary Cap and Tax Level go into effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on Wednesday, July 1. Teams are permitted to begin negotiating […]

6-30-26 roundup: Pro football, basketball, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker After completing the regular season on Tuesday night, Burns and North Wilkes will be the top seeds in the N.C. Area IV American Legion junior playoffs that begin on Wednesday. Burns won the South Division title and North Wilkes the North Division. Defending state champion South Caldwell is No. 4 in the […]

6-29-26 roundup: Pro football, basketball, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball, High school athletics

By Richard Walker Cherryville American Legion Post 100 pitcher Collin Chappel made history and moved his team closer to a divisional title in Monday’s 15-0, 5-inning victory over Shelby at Fraley Field. Chappel, who retired 15 of 17 batters, threw the 22nd no-hitter in Gaston County Legion baseball history – and fourth in Post 100 […]

6-28-26 roundup: Pro football, basketball, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball, College basketball, baseball, football, wrestling and tennis

By Richard Walker Five individuals and a state championship-winning wrestling team will be honored at the 2026 Mount Holly Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. They will be inducted on July 18 at the Mount Holly Municipal Complex at 6 p.m. Tickets are available at David’s Detailing, from MHSHOF committee members and online at fametothename.org […]

6-27-26 roundup: Pro football, basketball, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball, College basketball, High school baseball

By Richard Walker Charlotte 49ers director of athletics Kevin White announced that Charlotte’s 1977 Men’s Basketball Final Four team will be inducted into the Charlotte Athletics Hall of Fame. Charlotte will celebrate the team during the 50th anniversary of its historic season with a Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremony during the 2026-27 basketball […]

6-26-26 roundup: Pro football, basketball, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball, College basketball

By Richard Walker Lincolnton’s L.J. Smith has already begun his college basketball career. The former two-year Lincolnton High standout who spent last season at Oak Hill, Va., Academy recently re-classified in order to graduate high school early so he can enroll at Ohio State University. Smith recently participated in offseason drills for the Buckeyes, for […]

6-25-26 roundup: Pro football, basketball, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker The Charlotte Hornets have made big news with a pair of transactions – and rumors of more. Thursday morning, ESPN reported the team is trading former All-Star guard LaMelo Ball and reserve guard Josh Green to the Minnesota Timberwolves for veteran Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps […]

6-24-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker Ever since American Legion baseball fundamentally changed the rules of how it’s game would be played before the 2018 season, scores of games have dropped nationwide. Certainly, dropping nine-inning games in favor of seven-inning games provides a common sense for lowered scoring since there were less opportunities. But in addition to lowering […]

6-23-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, basketball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker Coming off its best season in 10 years, the Charlotte Hornets added talent to their roster with a pair of first round picks in Tuesday’s NBA Draft. The Hornets selected Hannes Steinbach at No. 14 and Christian Anderson at No. 18. Charlotte went 44-38 last season and won their first postseason game […]

6-22-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, College baseball, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker The ACC’s tradition of runner-up finishes continued Monday after Oklahoma won the 2026 College World Series two games to one. It dropped the ACC to 2-7 all-time in CWS championship games – and North Carolina to 0-3. The Tar Heels, who had previously lost in the 2006 and 2007 CWS finals, lost […]

6-21-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, College baseball, Legion baseball, High school basketball

By Richard Walker Already the state’s highest girls high school basketball scorer, Cramer’s Oshauna Holland was named to her third all-state team by the website HighSchoolOT.com. Also named to a third straight all-state team is East Lincoln’s Emma Montanari. Holland, who finished with 3,252 career points, was selected to the first team for a second […]

6-20-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, auto racing, hockey, soccer and rodeo, College baseball, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker The Carolina Hurricanes had already set North Carolina history 20 years ago. By winning a second NHL Stanley Cup title on Sunday, the Hurricanes solidified their spot even more with their second major sports title. That championship was celebrated in a big way in downtown Raleigh on Saturday. That celebration of arguably […]

6-19-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, College baseball and football, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker Two of Lincoln County’s most highly-recruited football players in history have committed to out-of-state football programs. Nearly two months after East Lincoln’s five-star tight end Jaxon Dollar committed to play at the University of Georgia, Lincolnton’s four-star linebacker Jalaythan Mayfield committed to Indiana University on Friday. Dollar is a 6-foot-5, 222-pound two-sport […]

6-18-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, College baseball, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker One of the state’s top annual American Legion baseball events returns to Shelby’s Veterans Field at Keeter Stadium this weekend when the North/South Challenge is played. The event that started in 2007 pits three North Carolina Legion teams against three South Carolina Legion teams in a round robin scheduling format over three […]

6-17-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, College baseball and softball, High school basketball, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker For the second straight year, a local high school basketball star is transferring away from the area as Huss sophomore Jaleel Smith is transferring to Oak Hill, Va., Academy. The Charlotte Observer basketball player of the year in the 2025-26 season after he led the Huskies to their first state championship in […]