Kings Mountain Herald

Screen shot 2026 10 08 at 3.49.07 pm — Kings Mountain Middle Linebacker Myles Parks (#12) puts pressure on North Gaston Quarterback Rylan Barber to get rid of the ball in their game from October 2. (Photos courtesy of Scott Meade)

Mountaineers breeze past North Gaston

By Jimmy Black

With the score being 35-0 in favor of Kings Mountain after one quarter of play, you knew that the rout was on! On Friday, October 2, the Mountaineer varsity football team took a bus ride over to Dallas and quickly disposed of the home standing North Gaston Wildcats. The final score was 63-0 in Kings Mountain’s favor, but it could have been much worse. It was 42-0 at halftime with a running clock for the rest of the night.
Mountaineer quarterback Jordan Jenkins had another big night on the field. The freshman completed 7 of his 11 passes for 194 yards and 5 touchdowns including a 66-yard TD pass to Kavion Byers. Jenkins also ran for 11 yards in the game.
Eight different Kings Mountain players scored touchdowns in the lopsided victory. Xavier Hutches had 2 TD receptions to lead the way. Others with receiving touchdowns included Kavion Byers, Devin Hopper and Tony Boyd. On the ground, the Mounties had three players cross the goal line – Eli Long, Anijai Nash and Khareem Coleman. Jaheim Kirk returned a North Gaston pass attempt 42 yards for a touchdown. Also contributing to the scoring for the Mounties was Kicker Cyrus Smith who scored 9 points while converting all 9 of his extra point attempts.
On defense, Kings Mountain was led by Mal’achi Powell who had 4 tackles, including 2 tackles for losses. For the game, Kings Mountain recorded a total of 33 tackles. The Mountaineers recorded 5 sacks on the night including one each by Christian Jarrett, Mal’achi Powell, Kingston Moore and Jace Connely. Christian Adams and Devon Petty also contributed with a half sack each. Braylon Brown and Camren Houser each had an interception for the KM defense.
With the win, Kings Mountain improved to 5-1 on the season, 2-0 in the Big South 5A/6A Conference. North Gaston dropped to 0-7 overall, and to 0-3 in the conference. This was the fifth win in a row for the Mounties. During this winning streak, they have averaged scoring 48 points per game while surrendering just over 5 points per contest. Next up for Kings Mountain is a home contest this Friday evening against the Ashbrook Green Wave. Game time is set for 7:00 pm. Come support the team as they go for their sixth straight win. North Gaston will be on the road at South Point for a 7:00 pm kickoff.

KM cross country teams
compete at Wendy’s Invitational

By Jimmy Black

The Kings Mountain men’s and women’s cross country teams competed last Saturday, October 4, in the Wendy’s Invitational at the Larry McAfee Course in Charlotte. 155 runners participated in the Men’s race. The North Lincoln Knights captured the Men’s team title with a score of 77 points narrowly defeating the second-place South Rowan Raiders who accumulated a score of 82 points. The Carrboro Jaguars took third place honors with a score of 104 points.
Individually, Eli Rush from North Lincoln had the fastest time with a mark of 16:08.23. Caleb Trotter, also from North Lincoln, came in second with a time of 16:08.93. Charles Kohn of A.C. Reynolds rounded out the top three with a time of 16:13.15.
The Mountaineer Men’s Team placed 12th in the 28-team field with a score of 297 points. They were led by David Johnson who came in 33rd place in the meet with a time of 17:56.09. Luke Howell came in 34th place just behind Johnson with a time of 17:57.78. Kaiden Hawkins finished in 59th place with a mark of 18:46.65. Here are the Men’s individual and team results.
In the girls’ event, 138 runners participated from a field of 24 teams. The Lake Norman Charter Knights came out on top of the Women’s standings with a team score of 48 points. The Pine Lake Prep Pride finished a close second with a score of 56 points, and the Lincoln Charter Eagles came in third with a score of 83 points.
The Women’s individual champion was Aimery Coffey from Lake Norman Charter who turned in a time of 18:25.16. In second was Maya Little from Pine Lake Prep with a time
of 18:34.56. Then in third place was Emma Faulkner from George Wythe with a time of 19:13.42.
The Kings Mountain Women were led by Alyson Shelton who posted a time of 27:56.72 and coming in 105th place. She narrowly edged out teammate Kakadance Early who came in 106th place with a time of 27:56.97. Naomi Zuniga came in 128th place registering a time of 31:43.89. Here are the Women’s individual and team results.

Screen shot 2026 10 08 at 3.49.44 pm — Mountaineer Midfielder Ashton Hall (#7) attacks the goal as Hunter Huss Defender Enrique Bonne (#6) hangs on tight. (Photo courtesy of Scott Meade).

Varsity soccer comes up short in past two games

By Jimmy Black

Kings Mountain men’s varsity soccer team dropped a pair of games last week. On Monday, September 28, the Mountaineers hosted the Hunter Huss Huskies at Gamble Stadium. The Huskies came away with a 3 to 1 victory over the Mountaineers. Yair Avila had a hat trick, scoring all three goals for Hunter Huss. Amari Gonzolez had 2 assists, and Leilan Fanene had 1 assist for the Huskies. Hunter Huss improved their record to 6-5 for the 2026 campaign. Kings Mountain fell to 2-14-1.
Then on Wednesday, September 30, the Mounties paid a visit to the Crest Chargers, and Crest came out on top by a score of 2-0. The Chargers now have a record of 4-8-1 on the season. This week, Kings Mountain will host the Stuart Cramer Storm on Thursday, and on Monday, they will visit the North Gaston Wildcats. Both matches begin at 6:30 pm. Crest will host the South Point Red Raiders tonight starting at 6:45 pm.

Screen shot 2026 10 08 at 3.49.40 pm — Hayes Laney of the Mountaineers chips out of the bunker on to the green at the KMCC. (Photo courtesy of Scott Meade)

KM women’s golf competed
in two matches last week

By Jimmy Black

It was a busy week for the Kings Mountain women’s golf team. The Lady Mountaineers hosted an event on Monday, September 28 at the Kings Mountain Country Club, and then the next day, Tuesday, September 29, they traveled to the Lincoln Country Club in Lincolnton for a match that was hosted by North Gaston.
In the match held at the Kings Mountain Country Club, the South Point Red Raiders took team honors by shooting a score of 150, narrowly defeating the Forestview Jaguars by three strokes. The Crest Chargers came in third with a score of 163. Samantha Clements from South Point was the medalist. She shot a round of 42.
For the Mounties, they were led by Bella Laughridge who shot a 59. Hayes Laney shot a 61, while Ella Kiser also shot a 61. The team logged a mark of 181 for the match, good enough for sixth place.
Then, for the match held at the Lincoln Country Club, Crest took the team honors with a score of 150. South Point was second with a 154, only four strokes behind, and Forestview came in third with a score of 161. The medalist for this event was Cooper Lancaster from Crest. She shot a round of 44.
Kings Mountain was once again led by Bella Laughridge with a score of 55. Hayes Laney fired a 57 and Ella Kiser shot a 60. The Mountaineers came in fourth place in the match with a team score of 172.
The Lady Mountaineers played in a conference match yesterday at the Cherryville Country Club that was hosted by South Point. We will have coverage of that match in next week’s paper.

KMHS football season resumes
Friday at 7 p.m. at North Gaston

After an open date last week, Kings Mountain’s Mountaineers will hit the turf again Friday at 7 p.m. against the North Gaston Wildcats in Dallas.
Kings Mountain goes into the game with a 1-0 Big South Conference and 4-1 overall mark. North Gaston is 0-2 in the Big South and 0-6 overall.
The Wildcats are young overall with 18 sophomores, seven juniors and just six seniors. They are led by senior quarterback Rylan Barber. He leads all rushers with 79 yards in 37 carries and has hit 15 of 32 passes for 246 yards.
Kings Mountain will answer with a balanced offensive attack. Freshman quarterback Jordan Jenkins has passed for 13 touchdowns with Devin Hopper catching six, Nazire Davis three and Xavier Hutchens two.
Khareem Coleman leads the rushing attack with an average of 76 yards per game, followed by Jenkins with 39 and Daeshawn Camp 23.
The Mountaineers will be back in John Gamble Stadium the following Friday to take on a tough Gastonia Ashbrook eleven. All conference games begin at 7 p.m.

Screen shot 2026 10 02 at 12.15.39 pm — And they're off! The Men's Cross Country Conference event at Kings Mountain on September 22 has begun! All the men runners take off at the starting line. (Photo courtesy of Scott Meade)

KM men’s Cross Country team
places second in conference meet

By Jimmy Black

The Kings Mountain Men’s Cross Country Team finished in second place in the Conference Meet it hosted on Tuesday, September 22. West Lincoln came out on top of the boys’ competition with a score of 37. The Mountaineers finished a close second with 48 points. Four out of the top eight individual runners were from Kings Mountain.
The Mounties were led by David Johnson who narrowly defeated teammate Luke Howell for the individual honor. Johnson’s time of 18:33.5 just barely beat Howell’s time of 18:34.1. Also placing in the top 10 for Kings Mountain was Kaiden Hawkins who came in fifth place with a time of 19:30.2, and Peyton Hallman who finished eighth with a time of 20:05.7. There were nine men’s teams in the event.
In the girls’ competition, South Point took home the team title with a score of 23. West Lincoln came in second with a mark of 33. Emma Waters from West Lincoln won the girls’ title. She had a time of 25:55.4 narrowly holding off Rowen Trexler from South Point who had a time of 25:55.7.
For the Kings Mountain girls, they were led by Alyson Shelton who finished thirteenth with a time of 28:32.3. Other Mountaineer times include Naomi Zuniga who placed twenty-second with a time of 32:18.6. Nakadance Earley came in twenty-third with a time of 32:27.0, and Jazmine Wilson finished twenty-fourth with a time of 32:29.2. Eight teams competed in the women’s division.
The Men’s and Women’s Cross Country team will compete in the Wendy’s Invitational this Saturday at McAlpine Park in Charlotte. Times for this event will be boys at 10:30 am, girls at 11:00 am, and boys at 11:30 am. Here are the individual and team scores from the Kings Mountain meet.

Screen shot 2026 10 02 at 12.15.54 pm — The Kings Mountain Women’s Team gather together for a team photo before their match with Forestview on September 22. (Photo courtesy of Scott Meade)

Mountaineer Women Cruise
to victory over Forestview
in tennis action

By Jimmy Black

The Kings Mountain Women’s Tennis Club continued their winning ways on Tuesday, September 22 as they hosted the Forestview Jaguars. The Lady Mountaineers thoroughly dominated the match and won by a score of 8-1. After the victory, the Kings Mountain squad sits with a record of 4-1 on the season and are in first place in the Big South 5A/6A Conference standings.
Coach Rick Henderson talked about the final week of conference play coming up. He said, “Our starters are going to have to stay healthy this week for us to close out our conference play. I’ve been saying all season that we have a real good chance of winning three consecutive conference championships, but we still have some unfinished business to take care of come Tuesday and Wednesday. But I have lots of faith in these girls because I know they’ll let their tennis racquets do the talking for them!!!”
The Lady Mounties were also scheduled to take on the Hunter Huss Huskies on Thursday, September 24, but that match got rained out. It has been rescheduled for today at 4:00 pm at home. The women played host yesterday to the Crest Chargers. We will have coverage of both the Hunter Huss and Crest matches in next week’s paper.

Screen shot 2026 10 02 at 12.25.51 pm — You might say that Defenseman Corbin Butler (#18) is just a little excited after scoring a goal. Way to go, Corbin! See more photos on page 2B (Photo courtesy of Scott Meade)

Men’s soccer drops pair of games last week

By Jimmy Black

It was another tough week for the Kings Mountain Men’s Soccer Team. The Mountaineers dropped a pair of games last week. On Monday, September 21, Kings Mountain lost a heartbreaker at home to the Ashbrook Green Wave by a score of 3-2, and on Wednesday, September 23, the Mounties lost on the road at Forestview 6-1. Kings Mountain now stands at 2-12-1 on the season.
In the matchup against Ashbrook, all the scoring was done in the first half. Juan Tinoco and Corbin Butler both scored goals for the Mountaineers, but it wasn’t quite enough to overcome the Green Wave. Ever Guzman had five saves as goaltender for the Kings Mountain squad.
For Ashbrook, they were led by Roosevert Norveus who had two goals and one assist. Others contributing for the Green Wave were Hamsley Lormejuste with a goal, and Carlos Hernandez and Jackson Purdum who each had an assist. With the win, Ashbrook now has a record of 2-8.
Then on Wednesday, September 23, the Mountaineers traveled to Gastonia to face a well-rounded Forestview team. The Jaguars offense was too much for the Mounties in the 6-1 defeat. Forestview only led 2-1 at halftime, but they scored four unanswered goals in the second half to wrap up the victory. The Jags were led by Justin Matinez who had a monster game with three goals, and by Zach Janik who had a goal and an assist. With the victory, Forestview now stands at 8-4 on the season.
The Kings Mountain ball club heads on the road tonight to face the Crest Chargers at 6:30 pm. Then on Monday, the Mountaineers will go to Belmont to take on the South Point Red Raiders for a 6:30 pm contest. Forestview will also be on the road Monday night as they take on the Ashbrook Green Wave at 6:30 pm.

American Legion World Series set

By Richard Walker

The field has been set for the 2026 American Legion World Series that begins in Shelby on Thursday, August 13. Here are the pairings:
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, Miss.), Central Plains (Lincoln, Neb.), Western (Fairfield, Calif.)

Thursday, August 13
Bedford, NH vs. Midland, Mich., 10 a.m.
Lincoln, Neb. vs. Fairfield, Calif., 1 p.m.
Jacksonville, Fla. vs. Portland, Ore., 4 p.m.
Whitehouse, NJ vs. Tupelo, Miss., 7:30 p.m.

Friday, August 14
Bedford, NH vs. Portland, Ore., 4 p.m.
Jacksonville, Fla. vs. Midland, Mich., 7 p.m.

Saturday, August 15
Whitehouse, NJ vs. Fairfield, Calif., noon
Tupelo, Miss. vs. Lincoln, Neb., 3 p.m.
Jacksonville, Fla. vs. Bedford, NJ, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, August 16
Whitehouse, NJ vs. Lincoln, Neb., 1 p.m.
Midland, Mich. vs. Portland, Ore., 4 p.m.
Tupelo, Miss. vs. Fairfield, Calif., 7 p.m.

Monday, August 17
Semifinals: Stripes winner vs. Stars runner-up, 4 p.m.
Semifinals: Stars winner vs. Stripes runner-up, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, August 18
Championship: Monday winners, 6 p.m.

Screen shot 2026 08 13 at 3.07.49 pm — KM Mountaineers defeated Myers Park Mustangs 21-7. See more photos on page 2B. (Photo courtesy Scott Meade)

Cleveland County Football Jamboree

By Jimmy Black

The Cleveland County Football Jamboree was held on Friday night, August 7 at Gardner Webb’s Ernest W. Spangler Stadium. All four county teams saw action in the two-quarter scrimmage.
In the opener, the Crest Chargers defeated the Monroe Redhawks by a score of 10-7. K.J. Bell guided the Chargers on their lone touchdown drive of the night. Senior Brock Melton later engineered a crucial late-game drive that set up the game-winning field goal.
In the second contest, the Burns Bulldogs defeated the South Mecklenburg Sabres 19-6. Burns gave up a touchdown on South Mecklenburg's opening drive before their defense locked in for the rest of the game. All-conference offensive linemen Gage Camp, Beau Harrill, and Jesse Bryant dominated upfront to pave the way for the Bulldog ground game. Max Davis and Romelo Wells each rushed for touchdowns for the Bulldogs.
In the third contest, the Shelby Lions defeated the Corvian Community Cardinals out of Charlotte by a score of 13-7. Cruz Scott and Kendrick Raper both shared snaps at quarterback and the Shelby defense was strong in the victory.
And then in the nightcap, the Kings Mountain Mountaineers defeated the Myers Park Mustangs 21-7. Daeshawn Camp had 2 touchdowns on the evening, and Jordan Jenkins played well in his first high school action.
Regular season action gets underway for all four high schools on August 21 as Kings Mountain travels to Shelby and Crest heads to Lawndale to take on Burns. Both games start at 7:30 pm.

KMHS Marching Band And Color Guard

Kings Mountain marching band and color guard are working hard, practicing early mornings to beat the heat. See more photos on page 3B in this week's KM Herald (August 5, 2026) (Photos by Scott Meade)

KINGS MOUNTAIN HIGH SCHOOL Game Day Themes

It is almost time for Friday Night Football! The first game is coming up on August 21. Above is a list of game day themes for the upcoming year. (Photo/KM Touchdown)

KM Sports Hall of Fame BBQ Tickets now on sale

By Jimmy Black

The annual Kings Mountain Sports Hall of Fame BBQ sale will take place on Friday, August 28, at Barnes Auditorium from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. This fundraising is used for upcoming KMHS Senior Scholarships!!!
If you need tickets prior to August 28, you can contact any of the following members of the KM Sports HOF Committee: Butch Blalock,
Carl Burris, Ron Byers, Marlon Byers, Hannah Clark, Monte Deaton, Rick Henderson, Dale Hollifield, Paul Ingram, Terry McClain, Curtis Pressley, Jay Rhodes or Larry Sipe.
Tickets are $10 per plate and if you have an order of “8” plates or more, we’ll be more than glad to deliver them without charge.
Any questions please feel free to contact Rick Henderson at 704-460-8066 or at rehenderson066@gmail.com.

KMHS fall sports tryouts

Attention all Kings Mountain High School Athletes! It is time for tryouts for the fall sports programs. Here is a list of the sports and when tryouts are going to be held.
Men’s Soccer: July 29-30, 6:00-7:30 pm. Meet behind Brinkley Field House.
Women’s Tennis: August 12-14 and August 17, 3:30-5:00 pm, KMHS Tennis Courts.
Football: July 29, 6:00-8:15 pm, Brinkley Field House.
Men’s and Women’s Cross Country: July 29-31, 7:00 pm, KMHS Track.
Volleyball: July 29-30, 5:30-8:30 pm, Donald Parker Gym.
Women’s Golf: August 12-13, 3:30-5:15 pm, Kings Mountain Country Club.
All athletes must have a valid physical to tryout.

KM Women’s tennis tryouts

Tryouts for the Kings Mountain Women’s Tennis Team will take place on Wednesday, August 12, Thursday, August 13, and Monday, August 17 from 3:30 to 5:00 pm at the KMHS Tennis Complex.
All student athletes are required to have their tennis gear, water bottle, etc. with them. They are also required to have an up-to-date physical before they can participate in tryouts and in all practice sessions.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Coach Rick Henderson at 704.460.8066, or email him at rehenderson066@gmail.com.

KM Family YMCA fall youth coed soccer 2026

It’s not too late to sign up for Fall Youth Coed Soccer at the Kings Mountain YMCA. Late registration will be held from August 24 until August 28. The cost is $40.00 for members and $70.00 for non-members. If you register late, the cost will be $50.00 for members and $80.00 for non-members.
Practices will start the week of August 31. They will be held on Weekday evenings (excluding Wednesdays) and there may be some Saturday morning/afternoon practices. The times for practice will be at 6:00, 7:00, or 8:00 PM. Saturday practices will be available for coaches by request and could start as early as 9:00 AM and as late as 3:00 PM!
Games will begin on September 26 and will end by November 14. The games will be held on Saturday mornings/afternoons and, if necessary, Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Also, the games will be played at the Kings Mountain YMCA Fields and potentially the Dover YMCA. Teams will play an eight-game season. There will be no playoffs or bowl games for any age group.
If you have any questions, please contact Marty Lovingood, Sports Director for the Cleveland County Family YMCA. His e-mail address is mlovingood@clevecoymca.org.

Photo Gallery

Gamble Stadium Press Box Update – Work is moving right along on the improvements at John Gamble Stadium. The home opener for the football team is August 28 against the Burns Bulldogs. Everything should be complete by that time.
These photos show the progress being made on the stadium. (Photos/courtesy of KM Touchdown Club)

YMCA Summer Sports Camps

By Jimmy Black

Summer is here, and that means it’s time for Summer Sports Camps at the Y!
The Y is excited to offer a wide variety of fun and engaging camps designed to keep kids active, learning, and having a blast all summer long. From volleyball and pickleball to fishing and other exciting sports opportunities, our camps give children the chance to try new activities, build confidence, make friends, and develop lifelong skills in a positive and encouraging environment. Whether your child is brand new to a sport or already loves being active, our camps are all about growth, teamwork, and fun!
Camps will run weekly throughout the summer and take place either from 8:00 AM–12:00 PM or 6:00 PM–8:00 PM depending on the camp. Different sports and activities will be offered each week, giving kids plenty of opportunities to explore new interests and stay moving all summer long. Morning camp participants should bring water, a snack, and lunch, and all campers should come ready to learn, play, and have fun!.
Registration must be completed before each camp begins, and financial assistance is available to help make camp accessible for all families. Don’t wait—spots may fill quickly, so register today and give your child a summer full of adventure, friendship, and unforgettable memories at the Y!

YMCA Girls Basketball Camp

By Morgan Smith

It is time once again for the Girls Basketball Camps to be held at the three YMCA locations in Cleveland County. Campers will be coached by an elite local staff featuring Kings Mountain Middle School Head Coach, Kee’Aira Gaines, a 2024, 2025, and 2026 Tri-County and Cleveland County Champion coach, a
with Assistant Coaches Morgan “Mo” Smith, Fredia Lawrence-King, and Khalia King.
Coach Lawrence-King is the all-time leading scorer and rebounder in women’s basketball history at Gardner-Webb University, while Coach King is a proud member of the Kings Mountain High School 1,000 Point Club. Together, this experienced staff is committed to helping every camper grow as a player and person while creating an unforgettable summer basketball experience.
Camp dates and times are shown on the diagram below.

Screen shot 2026 07 02 at 12.32.35 pm — Dameon “Day Day” Wilson

Dameon Wilson joins KM football staff

By Jimmy Black

Kings Mountain Football Alumni and East Carolina University graduate Dameon “Day Day” Wilson is joining the football staff of coach Strait Herron at Kings Mountain High School.
Coach Wilson brings a wealth of knowledge, passion, and Mountaineer pride back to Kings Mountain. As a former player who understands the tradition and expectations of the program, he is committed to helping develop the student athletes both on and off the field.
His experience at the collegiate level, combined with his dedication to mentoring young men, will be a tremendous asset as Kings Mountain continues to build a culture of discipline, leadership, and excellence.
Welcome back home Coach Wilson to Mountaineer Football!

All-district players announced

By Jimmy Black

The NCSCA 2026 Softball All-District players were released on Thursday, June 25. Kings Mountain High School had 6 athletes achieve this honor. Including the All-District Pitcher of the year Madeline Huffman, other members of the team are Addison Carpenter 2nd, Avery Cruise SS, Madeline Huffman P, Katie Huffman C, Kayla McSwain 1B, and Anna Wooten OF. All-State honors will be released on Friday July 3.

Screen shot 2026 04 16 at 12.06.19 pm — KM baserunner Jordan Buckner dives back safely into first base ahead of the tag by Burns first basemen Gage Camp.

KM baseball places sixth in Shelby Easter Tournament

By Jimmy Black

The Kings Mountain varsity baseball team placed sixth in the Shelby Easter Tournament last week. The Mountaineers lost 2 out of 3 three games in the tourney.
On Tuesday, April 7, Kings Mountain lost a heartbreaking game to the Tuscola Mountaineers by a score of 2-1 on a walk-off double by Jonas Jones that scored the winning run.
Both teams were strong on the mound. The Tuscola pitchers struck out nine, while the Kings Mountain hurlers sat down two. Hits were few and far between in the game as Tuscola managed 4 hits while Kings Mountain only had 2 hits. August Fama, Sean Gilliland, Landry Webb, and Jonas Jones each collected a hit for Tuscola, while Aiden Smith and Luke Heavner accounted for the Kings Mountain hits.
Sean Gilliland and Jonas Jones were tough to handle back-to-back in the lineup, as each drove in one run for Tuscola. The Tuscola Mountaineers also turned one double play in the game. For Kings Mountain, Jordan Buckner stole home, which tied the game at one in the top of the fourth.
Mason Harrell earned the win for Tuscola. The starting pitcher surrendered two hits and one run over six and two-thirds innings, striking out nine and walking three. Wesley Turner took the loss for Kings Mountain. He went six and one-third innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits, striking out two and walking one in the complete game effort.
Then on Wednesday, April 8, tournament action continued as Kings Mountain took on the Piedmont Panthers from Monroe. The Mountaineers came out on top by the score of 6-5.
Finally, on Thursday, April 9, Kings Mountain played in the fifth-place game against their very familiar rivals, the Burns Bulldogs. Unfortunately for the Mountaineers, they came up on the short end of the stick and lost to the Bulldogs by a score of 2-1.
Burns got on the board in the bottom of the first inning as Yates Toney hit a sacrifice fly, scoring one run. The Bulldogs then extended the lead to 2-0 in the second on another RBI single by Toney. The Mountaineers scored their only run on an RBI single by Jordan Buckner in the top of the sixth inning. Buckner went 2-for-3 on the afternoon.
Brian Buttrick earned the win for Burns. The hurler allowed three hits and one run (zero earned) over seven innings, striking out 10 and walking three. KJ Bell took the loss for Kings Mountain. He went four innings, surrendering two runs (zero earned) on three hits, striking out six and walking five. Braeden Morrissette pitched the fifth and sixth innings for Kings Mountain, retiring all six batters he faced.
With the loss, Kings Mountain falls to 8-8 on the season, while Burns improved to 12-3. The Mountaineers played at Crest last night, and they will host the Forestview Jaguars on Friday night at 7:00 pm.

KM women’s softball team
dominates at the beach!

By Jimmy Black

While school was out for Easter break last week for students, the Kings Mountain women’s softball team went to the beach and won three hard-fought games at the NMB Sports Complex in Little River, SC, in the Grand Strand Classic.
On Monday, April 6, the Mountaineers took on the Point Pleasant Big Blacks from Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Maddie Huffman took the mound for Kings Mountain and she did not disappoint! Huffman pitched a perfect, complete game no-hitter, while striking out 15 Big Blacks batters.
The Mountaineers were also steady at the plate, collecting 10 hits for the game. The offense was led by Katie Huffman, Anna Wooten and Ezra Lynn who each had 2 hits. Ezra Lynn had 3 RBI, while Anna Wooten and Chloe Gregory had 2 RBI each.
Ryan MacKnight took the loss for Point Pleasant. For the game, she struck out 5 Kings Mountain batters while walking only 1. With the loss, Point Pleasant sits at 10-5 on the season.
Then on Tuesday, April 7, Kings Mountain went up against the Fluvanna County Flucos out of Palmyra, Virginia. Once again, the Mountaineers prevailed by a score of 8-3.
Kings Mountain collected 11 hits for the game, led by Addison Carpenter who had 3 hits and Anna Wooten and Maddie Huffman who had 2 hits each. Addison Pruett had 3 RBI and Maddie Huffman drove in 2 runs. Hailey Dixon-Valez and Anna Wooten also drove in a run each for the Mountaineers. Addison Carpenter had 4 of the team’s 8 stolen bases in the contest.
On the mound, Kings Mountain had another solid pitching performance. Anna Wooten pitched 4 and 2/3 innings, giving up 4 hits and 1 earned run while striking out 7 Flucos batters and walking only 1. Maddie Huffman was brilliant once again! Huffman pitched 2 and 1/3 innings yielding no hits and striking out all 7 batters she faced. For the game, Wooten and Huffman struck out 14 Fluvanna County hitters.
With the loss, Fluvanna County now has a record of 6-2.
That brings us up to the finale in the Grand Strand Classic. On Wednesday, April 8, the Kings Mountain team took on the Keyser Golden Tornado from Keyser, West Virginia. Just like in the previous two games, the Mountaineers came up victorious by a score of 12-1.
For the third consecutive day, Maddie Huffman was outstanding on the mound. Huffman pitched another complete game surrendering 4 hits and 1 run while striking out 17 Golden Tornado batters and walking only 1. For the tournament, Huffman struck out 39 batters over the course of 3 games!
   Kings Mountain had 17 hits in the contest. They were led by Addison Carpenter who had 5 hits and 2 RBI. Anna Wooten had 4 hits while driving in 6 runs. Other Mountaineer batters who had multiple hit games include Kayla McSwain with 2 hits and 2 RBI, Addison Pruett with 2 hits and 2 RBI, and Maddie Huffman who had 2 hits. Kayla McSwain also had 2 of the team’s 5 stolen bases. And on top of that, not one Kings Mountain hitter struck out in the game!
   For the Golden Tornado, Sophie Lambka took the loss. She pitched 5 innings while giving up 10 hits, 6 earned runs, and issuing 2 walks. In the hitting department, Kailynn Burns, Bibs Felton, Leighton Johnson and Tavery Lyons each had a hit for the Golden Tornado.
   All-in-all, it was a very successful trip to the beach for the Mountaineers! Kings Mountain’s record now stands at 12-3 on the season, while Keyser dropped to 10-3. The Mountaineers played Crest last night in Boiling Springs, and they will be at West Lincoln on Thursday night, at home against Forestview on Friday evening, and at Chase on Monday.

Cayleigh Marlow makes the
2026 NC All-State Cheer Team

Kings Mountain High School cheerleader Cayleigh Marlow has made the 2026 North
Carolina All-State Cheer Team! This marks the fourth year a KM Cheerleader has earned this incredible honor. What an amazing tradition of excellence! Congratulations to Cayleigh for your hard work and dedication. (Photo/KM High School Cheerleaders)

KM JV baseball
defeats Cherryville

Wyatt Benfield drove in four runs on three hits to lead the Kings Mountain Junior Varsity Mountaineers past Cherryville 6-4 on Friday at home. Benfield doubled in the third inning scoring two runs, singled in the fourth scoring one, and singled in the sixth scoring one more.
Kings Mountain took the lead, 5-3, in the bottom of the fourth thanks to singles by Bryson Ciaschini, Casey Hendrick, and Wyatt Ben-field.
Wyatt Benfield earned the win for the JV Mountaineers. The hurler gave up four hits and three runs over four innings, striking out three and walking four. Ethan Johnson took the loss for the JV Ironmen. The hurler went four innings, giving up five runs (three earned) on seven hits, striking out five and walking three. Braeden Morrissette also pitched three innings for Kings Mountain.
The JV team will continue play this week at East Lincoln on Thursday at 4:15 pm.

KMHS women’s softball
throttle Forestview

By Jimmy Black

The Kings Mountain High School women’s softball team won their third straight game with a dominating 19-0 win over the host Forestview Jaguars in a game that was called after only three innings.
The Mountaineers scored the most runs in a game so far this season. Addison Carpenter led the Kings Mountain offense as she had three hits in the game to go along with 2 RBI and 4 runs scored. Anna Wooten had two hits in addition to 5 RBI. Kayla McSwain had two hits and 3 RBI, and Maddie Huffman also had 3 RBI. For the game, the Mountaineers had 12 hits as a team. Emily Lowrance had the only hit for Forestview.
In the pitching department, Anna Wooten pitched two innings yielding one hit to go along with four strikeouts. Maddie Huffman continued her solid pitching by going one inning and striking out all three batters she faced.
With the victory, the Kings Mountain Ladies’ record now stands at 3 wins and 1 loss on the season.

KMHS softball winning streak ends at 3 games

By Jimmy Black

The Kings Mountain High School girls’ softball team took a trip down Highway 74 last Thursday night to Monroe. Unfortunately, they came back with a loss to snap their three-game winning streak. The Piedmont Panthers defeated the Mountaineers by a score of 9-4. The Mounties now stand at 3-2 on the season.
Ashlyn Pressley pitched 5 strong innings for the Panthers, giving up only 2 earned runs. Aly Mills had 3 hits to go along with 3 RBI, while Abby Brooks also contributed 3 hits on the night. Piedmont had 12 hits total as a team.
The Lady Mountaineers were led offensively by Addison Carpenter who had 2 hits and 1 RBI. Anna Wooten took the loss on the mound for Kings Mountain yielding 9 runs (3 earned) while pitching a complete game.
The Kings Mountain girls hosted North Gaston in a conference game last night. They also have games this week at home against Robbinsville on Thursday night, and on the road at Ashbrook on Friday night.

KMHS tennis team defeat Hunter Huss!

By Jimmy Black

The Kings Mountain High School boys’ tennis team soundly defeated another opponent! Just like the previous week against Shelby, the Mountaineers defeated the Hunter Huss Huskies by a score of 9-0 at the KMHS Tennis Complex last Thursday.
Coach Rick Henderson had high praise for his team after the match. Henderson said, “Our Mounties overpowered Hunter Huss and I couldn’t have asked for anything more.”
With the win, the Kings Mountain boys improved to 2-0 on the season. Below are the results from the match against Hunter Huss.
Singles Results:
1) Dom Allen (KM) def. L. Lafar; (HH) 6-0, 6-1
2) Landon Webster (KM) def. C. Benitez; (HH) 6-0, 6-0
3) Camden Morris (KM) def. L. Fanene; (HH) 6-0, 6-1
4) Marquis Thomas (KM) def. C. Buntyn (HH) 6-1, 6-1
5) Eli Propst (KM) def. A. Lafar; (HH) 6-3, 6-0
6) KM wins over Hunter Huss by default.

Doubles Results:
1) Allen/Webster (KM) def. Fanene/Benitz (HH) 8-0
2 Wyatt Freeman/Eli McComas (KM) def. Lafar/Buntyn; (HH) 8-1
3) KM wins over Hunter Huss by default.

Screen shot 2026 03 26 at 4.12.41 pm — KB Richards delivering a pitch to a South Caldwell batter. Photo by Scott Meade)

KMHS Varsity baseball team splits four games
last week

The Kings Mountain Varsity baseball team had an up-and-down week last week winning two games while dropping two games.
On Friday, March 13, Kings Mountain welcomed Crest to their campus. The Chargers defeated the Mountaineers 10-4, thanks in part to six runs in the fifth inning.
Kings Mountain opened the scoring in the first after KJ Bell singled, scoring one run. But a double by Caleb Costner gave Crest the lead, 2-1, in the top of the third. Then a double by KB Richards gave Kings Mountain the lead, 3-2, in the bottom of the third.
Crest flipped the game on its head in the top of the fifth inning, scoring six runs on five hits to take the lead, 9-3. The biggest blow in the inning was a single by Caleb Costner that drove in two.
Hudson Lund earned the win for Crest. The pitcher surrendered seven hits and four runs (one earned) over six innings, striking out four and walking four. Wesley Turner took the loss for the Mountaineers.
Then on Thursday, March 19, Kings Mountain entertained the South Caldwell Spartans. Unfortunately, the Mountaineers couldn’t keep up with the visitors from Hudson and they fell by a score of 13-1.
South Caldwell jumped out in the lead in the top of the first inning after JP Smith hit a grand slam to center field, and an error scored two runs. The Spartans added to their early lead in the top of the third inning after Nate Hall walked, Kori McCall was hit by a pitch, and JP Smith hit a sacrifice fly, each scoring one run.
Jacob Perkins earned the win for South Caldwell. The starter gave up three hits and one run over five innings, striking out eight and walking none. Gavyn Manion took the loss for Kings Mountain. Manion went two and one-third innings, surrendering nine runs (four earned) on six hits, striking out four and walking two.
On a brighter note, the Kings Mountain Varsity Team won over Hunter Huss 15-0 on March 10, and they defeated Forestview 13-2 on March 17. The Mountaineers record as of March 19 is now 4-3 overall, and 2-1 in the Big South 5A/6A Conference.

Screen shot 2026 03 13 at 9.26.02 am — KM Mountaineer players celebrated Wednesday night as they defeated the Charlotte Catholic Cougars by the score of 68 to 61 at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory. (Photo by Scott Meade)

Mountaineers, AKA Road Warriors,
going to state championship game

Once a Mountaineer always a Mountaineer, but a more fitting name recently has been the Kings Mountain Road Warriors.
Andrew Fann and his varsity basketball team have caught fire in the post-season and will be going to Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem Thursday at 7:30pm to battle Northern Nash for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state championship.
Kings Mountain will go into the game as an underdog to a Northen Nash team with a 24-3 record. The Mountaineers, who went 10-12 during the regular season, have now posted impressive 6A playoff victories over St. Stephens 67-44, fifth-ranked Freedom, 65-58, fourth-ranked TC Roberson 63-61 and top-ranked Ben L. Smith 69-68
The Mountaineers, with four sophomores and one junior in the starting lineup, led all the way to win the Western Regional’s 68-61 over a Charlotte Catholic team that wore them out in an early season non-conference game.
“We played our home games at the Middle School,” noted coach Fann, “because the KMHS gym was undergoing a major fixer-upper.
“Freedom was a five-seed and Asheville a four-seed, so we had to practice on Sunday to get ready for the playoffs.
“In the St. Stephens game we led all the way,” he said. “The turning point was the third quarter against Ben L. Smith. We were down nine points against the number one ranked team in the third quarter to go up 12 in the fourth. We had some fouls but held on.
“The third quarter turned everything around,” he noted. “We lost to Catholic by 18 in the regular season to play them totally different. That was the best game we had.
‘They were strong and had a seven-footer. Handling them, we knew we were capable of beating anybody. They had good size.
“The last time Kings Mountain made it this far was in 1990,” Fann noted. “They made it to the Regional finals. Larry Sipe was the coach and he talked to our boys before we played Catholic. We had five wins in nine days. I am extremely proud of the kids. They really wanted this.”

Cinderella Is Going to the Ball!

The clock has not struck midnight yet for the team in black and gold as the magical postseason run for the Kings Mountain boys’ basketball team keeps rolling on! The Mountaineers defeated the Charlotte Catholic Cougars by the score of 68 to 61 this past Wednesday night at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory. Kings Mountain led by as many as 12 points in the game while never trailing! The victory was the seventh straight for the Kings Mountain basketball squad. The team’s record now stands at 16 wins against 12 losses.
   With the win, Kings Mountain avenged an earlier loss to Catholic. On December 5th, the Cougars defeated the Mountaineers in Charlotte by a score of 70 to 52.
   The Mountaineers were led in scoring by Micaiah Daniel who pumped in 22 points. Ethan Daniel had 18 points, while Silas Tate had 11 points for the victors. Charlotte Catholic was led by Jack Siegel who scored 26 points. For the game, Kings Mountain shot 54 percent from the field compared to 42 percent for Catholic. The Cougars outrebounded the Mountaineers by a margin of 26 to 25.
   Next up for the Mountaineers will be the Northern Nash Knights out of Rocky Mount in the NC State 6A Championship Game. Northern Nash is a member of the Big East 5A/6A Conference. The Knights come into the contest with a record of 24 and 3, along with a six-game winning streak. All of their victories in the state playoffs have been by double figures. The championship game will be played at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum on the campus of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem.
   This is the first time since 1990 that the Kings Mountain boys have played for the NC State Championship.

Screen shot 2026 03 05 at 4.35.46 pm — KM MIDDLE SCHOOL LADY PATRIOTS BASKETBALL TEAM

Lady Patriots Claim Tri-County Championship – 3-Peat Complete!

The Kings Mountain Middle School Lady Patriots capped off a historic season with a hard-fought 42-34 victory over R-S Middle School in the Tri-County Championship game. Both teams entered the matchup undefeated, setting the stage for an intense battle with everything on the line.
With back-to-back undefeated championship seasons already under their belt, the Lady Patriots were determined to make it three in a row — and they delivered.
Harper Hollifield led the charge with an outstanding 25 points and 10 steals, dominating on both ends of the floor. KayNila Waller added 10 points and 3 rebounds, providing key contributions in crucial moments. It was a total team effort, with relentless defense and composure down the stretch securing the win.
With the victory, the Lady Patriots finish the season a perfect 14-0 and officially claim their third consecutive championship — a true 3-peat and a legacy of excellence.

Learn More

KMHS Wrestling Team 2026 Conference Champions

(Photo/KMHS Wrestling FB)

2026 KMMS Boys Basketball game summary: (Games 5 and 6):

Game 5:
5th Quarter: KM vs WL
The KM played the Chiefs of West Lincoln, the young scrappy.
The Patriots played hard-nose defense as Austin Carpenter and Aiden Nash pulled down four rebounds.
The KM Partitos hosted West Lincoln, and the first quarter saw the Chiefs take a 9 to 6 lead before Carlos Boyce's elbow jumper cut the lead to 9 to 8 as the home team was down one heading into the second period.
KM went on a 10-to-0 run as Lewis Byrd (4 points) and Boyce (4 points) helped keep the at two as the Patritos were down 20 to 18 at half.
The visitors extended their lead to 26 to 18 before KM mounted a furious comeback, as they went on another 10 to 0 run, making five of their last six shots, to take their first lead since 6 to 4, at 28 to 26.
KM extended their hot shooting, hitting their first 5 shots of the quarter as Espn Carpneter’s back-to-back 3-pointers and Boyce’s dunk completed a 29 to 0 run for a 47 to 28 lead. The final score was 48 to 32.
KM Stats:
Carlos Boyce 23 points (10 for 16 shooting, 6 rebounds, 2 steals)
Bryce Wilson 10 points (7 rebounds, 6 assists)
Lewis Byrd 8 points (3 for 5 shooting, 6 rebounds, 2 BS)
Espn Carpenter 6 points (2-3 pointers)
Chris Carthen 1 point
Jalen Littlejohn (4 rebounds, 3 steals)
KM Team Stats:
10 steals and 10 assists
Forced 19 turnovers
32 rebounds
Shot 17/35 from inside the arc, 48.6%
Made 10 of 11 during a 29 ot 0 run, 91%
Game 6:
5th Quarter: KM vs EL
The KM played the Falcons of East Lincoln, the Patriots scored a season-high as Michael Rice, Ayden Adams, and Junior Smith all scored to pace the visitors. Caden Ross had two steals.
KM was back on the road as they took on East Lincoln. KM scored 13 first-quarter points, as Carlos Boyce (6 points), Bryce Wilson (2 points), Jayden Jones (3 points), and Lewis Byrd (2 points) helped the visitors to a 13 to 7 lead.
The Falcons were able to cut the lead to 3 at 15-12, before Kherian Little’s 5 points and Espn Carpenter’s 3 -pointer, helped maintain a slim 5-point lead at halftime (23 to 18).
Lewis Byrd picked up the offensive tempo by scoring 5 points in the quarter to help extend the visitors' lead to stop a Falcon run as the Patritos took an 11-point lead heading into the final period.
Boyce scored 8 of his game-high 17 points to preserve the 12-point coast-to-coast victory at 48 to 36. This is the 5 straight double-digit win for Kings Mountain.
KM Stats:
Carlos Boyce 17 points (8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals)
Lewis Byrd 7 points (3 for 5 shooting, 7 rebounds)
Jayden Jones 7 points (3 steals)
Kherian Little 5 points (2 for 2 shooting)
Espn Carpenter 5 points (3 steals)
Christian Carthen 5 points (3 for 4 from FT line)
Bryce Wilson 2 points (3 steals)
KM Team Stats:
KM only committed 6 turnovers
KM caused 20 turnovers
KM made 17 free throws
KM had 23 rebounds (13 offensive)
Season high 13 steals
15 points form the bench
Offensive(s) Player of the Week:
Lewis Byrd (15 points, 6 for 20 shooting, 13 rebounds, 3 BS)
Defensive(s) Player of the Week:
Jayden Jones and Jalen Littlejohn combined for 7 steals
Sixth-Men of the Week:
Kherian Litlle and Espn Carpenter combined 16 points off the bench (4-3-pointers)
5th Quarter Player of the Week:
Austin Carpenter and Michael Rice
KM is 6 and 0 and 4 and 0 in division play
KM is at home next Modnay versus Lincolnton

Lady Patriots defeat Burns

The Kings Mountain Middle School Lady Patriots continued their dominant run with a convincing 40–7 victory over the Burns Lady Eagles in their fifth regular-season conference game. It was a true team effort, as the Lady Patriots delivered a balanced performance on both ends of the floor, setting the tone early and never letting up defensively.
Alayla Padgett led the way with 10 points and 3 rebounds, while Harper Hollifield added 9 points and 3 steals. Sienna Black also chipped in with 9 points, highlighting the depth and unselfish play that has defined this team all season.
With the win, the Lady Patriots improve to 7–0 overall and 5–0 in conference play. They’ll look to keep the momentum going as they prepare for their next matchup at home against Lincolnton.

KM Middle School boys basketball
off to big start

Game #3:
KM vs Lincolnton
Basketball
The KM Middle School boys’ basketball team got off to a blazing start as they out-scored the Wildcats of Lincolnton 17 to 0 in the first four minutes. Carlos Boyce went 4 for 4 from the field, scoring 8 points, and Bryce Wilson and Espn Carpenter combined for 9 points to round out the first quarter scoring as the Pats took a 17 to 5 lead, shooting 61.5 percent from the field to start the game (8/13). KM’s defense forced 8 first turnovers.
The visitors' hot shooting cooled off a bit in the second period, but Boyce’s 8-second quarter points kept the lead at 10 as they took a 27 to 17 lead into halftime.
With four minutes to go in the third, the host Wildcats went on an 8 to 0 run ot cut the lead to 30 to 26 before Jalen Littlejohn’s 3-pointer extended the lead to 7 and Lincolnton never got closer.
KM scored 25 points in the fourth quarter to put the game away as Boyce scored 12 of his game-high 34 points. Lewis Byrd
(4points) and Ayden Adams (3 points) chipped in with 7 points, for a final score of 66 to 41.
KM Stats:
Carlos Boyce 34 points (14 for 16 from the field, 7 rebounds, 8 steals)
Bryce Wilson 11 points, (5 for 10 from the field, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals)
Espn Carpenter 5 points (3 steals)
Lewis Byrd 4 points (7 rebounds, 5 BS)
Kherian Little 4 points
Jalen Littlejohn 3 points
Ayden Adams 3 points
Jayden Jones 2 points
KM Team Stats:
8 KM players scored
6 BS
26 forced turnovers
17 steals
12 assists
27 rebounds
24-38 FG’s (63.1%) inside the arc
27/51 Overall FG’s (52.9%)
KM bench scored 12 points
5th Quarter:
• The KM boys basketball team 5th quarter got its season started as they took on the Lincolnton Wildcats. Ayden Adams scored 5 points, and Junior Smith had an assist and a steal. The defensive tandem of Michael Adam left s, Aiden Nash, and Caden Ross limited the Wildcoats to 3 points.

Game #4: KM vs North Lincoln
KM’s Carlso Boyce and Bryce Wilson combined for 11 first-quarter points to give the Pats a 12 to 2 lead after one period of play versus the Panthers. KM defense forced 6 NL turnovers.
NL cut the lead to five at 14 to 9 with just under five minutes to go in the second, but KM went on a 13 to 2 run as Espn Carpenter’s two assists and Lewis Byrd's solid defense led the spark for a 27 to 11 Patriots halftime lead.
The third period saw KM extend its lead to 27 as Chris Carthen’s 3 points and great defensive play, and Boyce's buzzer-beater 3 gave the Pats a 44 to 17 lead heading into the final period. KM only turned it over once in the quarter and forced 7 NL turnovers.
TJ Dawkins' free throw finished the KM scoring for a 51 to 25 victory.
KM stats:
Carlos Boyce 22 points (9 for 14 from the field, 8 rebounds, 3 steals)
Bryce Wilson 12 points (6 for 12 from the field, 4 rebounds)
Jayden Jones 9 points (4 for 7 shooting)
Chris Carthen 3 points (2 steals)
Espn Carpenter 3 points (2 assists)
Jalen Littlejohn 1 point (2 offensive rebounds)
TJ Dawkins 1 point
KM Team Stats:
KM shot 14/29 (48.2%)
KM shot 4/9 from 3’s (44.4%)
KM had 27 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 BS
KM caused 18 turnovers
Offensive Players of the Week: Carlso Boyce and Bryce Wilson (79 points, 34/52 shooting, 23 rebounds, 11 assists, 11 steals)
Defensive Player of the Week: Lewis Byrd (11 rebounds, 8 BS) and Kherian Little (2 rebounds, 2 steals)
Sixth Men of the Week: Espn Carpenter and Chris Carthen
5th Quarter Player of the Week: Ayden Adams
KM is 4 and 0 overall and 2 and 0 in the division
KM is at home versus West Lincoln on Thursday.
5th Quarter:
KM went on the road to face the Panthers of North Lincoln. KM’s 5th quarter team got things started as Ayden Adams scored 4 points, and KM forced 3 steals. Michael Adams had an assist.

MS Lady Patriots
scalp Chiefs 62-8

The Kings Mountain Middle School Lady Patriots delivered another commanding performance in their third regular-season conference game, defeating the West Lincoln Lady Chiefs 62–8.
The victory was fueled by a balanced team effort, with the Lady Patriots making their presence felt both offensively and defensively from start to finish. Harper Hollifield led the scoring with 12 points and 3 steals, while Alayla Padgett followed closely with 11 points and 2 steals. Maliyah Surratt also made a strong impact, contributing 10 points and 3 steals as the Lady Patriots’ depth and defensive pressure set the tone.
With the win, the Lady Patriots improve to 5–0 overall and 3–0 in regular-season conference play. They were scheduled to face East Lincoln Tuesday.

Mountaineers open indoor season with strong showing at Tryon International

The Kings Mountain High School indoor track and field team opened the 2026 season with an impressive performance at the Tryon International Invitational, competing against 19 programs from across North Carolina and South Carolina at the state-of-the-art 200-meter banked indoor facility.
The Mountaineer boys team finished 4th overall with 49 points, narrowly missing a podium finish in a highly competitive field. The girls team placed 7th overall with 26 points, showing strong early-season depth across relays, sprints, and field events.
Event Champion
Senior Colton Willyoung led the way for Kings Mountain, capturing the boys pole vault championship with a winning clearance of 11 feet, 9 inches. Willyoung also added a top-five finish in the high jump.
Relay Strength on Display
Relay events proved to be a major highlight for the Mountaineers.
The boys 4x800 relay team of Matthew Saenz-Gutierrez, Layton Hester, Kaiden Hawkins, and Luke Howell earned a second-place finish with a time of 10:04.39. Howell also delivered a strong individual performance, placing 4th in the 3200 meters (10:42.18).
On the sprint side, the boys 4x200 relay team — Ja’Mareon Thurman, Zaire Jeter, Ayven Ingram, and Camren Houser — claimed third place in 1:42.64.
The girls 4x800 relay team of Kallie Hope, Amya Hennion-Adams, Alyson Shelton, and Naomi Zuniga matched the boys with a runner-up finish, clocking 12:51.09.
Meanwhile, the girls 4x200 relay team — Princess Strain, Jazz’Lynn Hullender, Vaida Jones, and Kieanna Ellis — secured third place with a time of 1:59.61.
Individual Standouts
Senior Jazz’Lynn Hullender continued her strong field presence by earning third place in the long jump with a mark of 15 feet, 8.5 inches.
In the jumps, Trenton Pettis placed 4th in the triple jump (37’3”), while David Johnson recorded a 4th-place finish in the high jump (5’4”).
Sprinter Kieanna Ellis led the girls sprint group with a 6th-place finish in the 300 meters (47.42), while freshman Vaida Jones posted an encouraging early-season mark of 8.16 in the 55 meters.
Distance Depth
Kings Mountain’s distance squad showed promising depth. In addition to Howell’s top-four finish in the 3200, Kaiden Hawkins, Emerson Bishop, and Peyton Hallman all placed in the top ten of the event.
A Strong Start
The meet featured several perennial state contenders, including Providence Day, Franklin, Pisgah, and Brevard. Against that level of competition, Kings Mountain’s top-four boys finish and balanced scoring across event groups signal a strong foundation for the indoor season.
The Mountaineers return to competition Saturday, January 24, at the ASICS Fast Track Invitational at JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, NC. The meet will begin at 10:00 AM.

KM women fall
in tournament

Kings Mountain High’s women’s basketball team was edged by East Burke 67-63 in last week’s Freedom Christmas Tournament.
The Lady Mountaineers jumped out to an early lead and were ahead 11-6 after the first period and 34-25 at halftime. East Burke came back to tie the game at 61-all at the end of regulation and then outscored KM 6-2 in overtime for the win
KM (63) – Garner 8, Twitty 23, Gaines 14, Fortenberry 7, Martin 2, Dixon-Velez 5, Cannedy 4.
EB (67) – Clay 8, Brittian 16, Bradley 18, S. Pyatte 2, Fung 2, K. Pyatte 17, Spry 4.

Screen shot 2025 11 26 at 1.33.23 pm — The Lady Patriots celebrated a victory against the Burns Eagles. (Photos provided)

KMMS volleyball beats East, Burns

Kings Mountain Middle School’s volleyball team opened its season last week with victories over East Lincoln and Burns.
The Lady Patriots used strong ball control and balance by all players in a 25-12, 25-16 over East Lincoln.
Haylee Patton anchored the back row with 25 passes. She kept rallies alive by stabilizing serve receives under pressure. Georgia Cruise added 13 passes while Natalie Hedgepath and Harper Hollifield contributed five each to give KMMS steady coverage throughout the match.
On the attack, The Lady Patriots spread the scoring out. Hedgepath powered her way to 10 kills to lead all hitters. Cruise followed with eight and Zyah Norman added five from the outside. Cheyenne Cooke chipped in with three and Charley Burgess and Harper Hollifield had one kill each.
Setters Charley Burgess and Harper Hollifield kept the offense organized, finishing with 12 and 13 assists, respectively. Georgia Cruise had two assists from out of system plays.
The service line gave KM a boost as Charley Burgess delivered five aces, Landry McDaniel and Haylee patton two each, and Georgia Cruise and Harper Hollifield one each.
The Lady Patriots traveled to Burns Thursday and whipped the Eagles 25-6, 25-13 behind a balanced team performance.
Hedgepath led the attack with eight kills and five aces, making an impact from both the service line and the front row. Cruise added five kills and seven receptions and was steady in serve receiving to give KM a reliable scoring option,
Charley Burgess turned in a strong all-around match with four kills, 10 assists, two aces and three receptions.
Haylee Patton controlled the back row with a match high 11 receptions to keep the offense in rhythm.
Cheyenne Cooke had four kills, and Harper Hollifield had a kill and 11 assists.

Screen shot 2025 11 26 at 1.33.08 pm — KM finished their football season at the State Playoffs on Friday against Northern Guilford. Photo by Charlie Smith

Northern Guilford
eliminates KM 37-7

Kings Mountain High’s 2025 football season came to an end in the third round of the NCHSAA 6A state playoffs Friday in a 37-7 loss to a strong Northern Guilford team in Greensboro.
The hosts took a quick 14-0 lead in the first quarter and continued to roll the rest of the way to end the Mountaineers’ season with an 8-5 overall record.
Camren Houser scored the Mountaineers' only touchdown early in the second quarter to cut Northern’s lead to 14-7. The hosts went on to take a 21-7 into the half and continued to roll in the final two quarters.
The Northern defense limited KM quarterback KJ Bell to just 68 yards passing on 11 completions in 27 attempts. KM’s top receiver, Tex Vaughn, was held to just 30 receiving yards
Northern will take on another Big South team this week as the Ashbrook Green Wave tries to keep their state championship hopes alive.

Screen shot 2025 11 13 at 3.12.34 pm — KMHS JV 2025 BIG SOUTH FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS (Photo by TPS Photography)

JV Mountaineers’ Perfect season:
A blueprint for dominance

By Jocelyn Christenbury

History isn't always written under the Friday night lights. Sometimes, it's forged on Thursdays, in front of smaller crowds, where the foundation for future greatness is laid. The Kings Mountain High School
junior varsity football team knows this better than most, having just capped off a flawless 2025 season with a 9–0 record and a Big South JV Football 6A/5A Conference championship. This undefeated run wasn't just a streak; it was a promise kept to a program built on a strong tradition, extending the JV's winning streak to an incredible 17 consecutive games over two seasons.
From the very first whistle against Shelby to a tense, season-ending shutout victory over county rival Crest, the young Mountaineers operated with a skill level and tenacity that defined their identity. It was an exercise in pure dominance, powered by a suffocating defense that produced five shutouts, including a 41–0 road rout of Hunter Huss that was part of a three-game shutout stretch.
While the defense earned its reputation, the offense was a clinic in efficiency. Quarterback Amir Parker completed 71.7% of his passes, consistently finding his top receiver, freshman King Moore, who averaged 45 receiving yards per game. On the ground, freshman Elijah Long was a workhorse, leading the team with 71.8 rushing yards per game and scoring 10 total touchdowns, including eight rushing scores.
This was a complete team effort, exemplified by the tough, defensive-minded 6–0 victory against Crest to secure the perfect season. That win required the team's resilience to shine brightest in its most crucial moment.
But behind every great season is a great coaching staff. The leadership and commitment of head coach Shane Cole and assistants Nate Blanton and Jacob Lineberger fostered a winning culture that prepares these young players for the next level. Their focus on player development, both on and off the field, is the real long-term win here.
This 2025 squad has not only cemented its place in school history but has also sent a resounding message: the future of Kings Mountain football is incredibly bright. These young Mountaineers, with an 18–1 record over the past two seasons, have laid a powerful foundation of experience and winning tradition for years to come. The mountain has been defended, and the next wave of varsity talent is more than ready.

KMHS JV 2025 BIG SOUTH
FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS

Scenes from this season's JV games.
(Photos by Scott Meade)

Screen shot 2025 11 13 at 3.13.22 pm — KM Mountaineer Varsity team celebrated a 28-14 victory over Ben L. Smith last week. (Photo by Scott Meade)

Mountaineers defeat Ben L. Smith,
travel to TC Roberson Friday night

Kings Mountain’s Mountaineers opened the state playoffs last week with a 28-14 victory over Ben L. Smith and will hit the road this coming Friday to take on TC Roberson.
KM improved its record to 7-4 overall but the 2-9 Smith eleven stayed with them for the first half, 21-14. KM tacked on another TD in the second half to seal the victory.
Although the Rams came to town with a 2-8 record, they were a good team. They play in one of the toughest conferences in the state and in the regular season faced powerhouses such as Southern Guilford, Charlotte Country Day, Western Guilford, Greensboro Dudley, Ragsdale, Greensboro Page and Greensboro Grimsley.
The Mountaineer backs and receivers got good blocking from their offensive line, allowing them to run up some good individual totals. Quarterback K.J. Bell hit 20 of 25 passes for 211 yards. Tex Vaughn caught eight of them for 109 yards and a touchdown.
Khareem Coleman led the rushing attack with 81 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown. Bell also hit Kavion Byers with a TD pass. Xavier Hutchens had a kickoff return for a TD and Camren Houser added a rushing touchdown.
Roberson battled a couple of KM’s biggest foes during the regular season. They started out slow but have become much stronger during the stretch run.
In two of their first three games, TCR defeated Hunter Huss 12-10 and lost to South Point 34-6. KM also defeated Huss and lost to South Point.
Roberson’s other early losses were to Watauga 42-0 and Freedom 20-14. After the Freedom loss, they ran the table in their conference with wins over South Caldwell 40-6, an always strong Asheville team 41-20, North Buncombe 40-0, Erwin 42-22 and AC Reynolds 21-14.

Screen shot 2025 10 17 at 10.17.43 am — Pictured left: Blake Shelton was the winner for ages 9-13 (standing with YMCA Staff member Alex Auten) Pictured right: Bowen Gibson was the winner for ages 5-8 (standing with YMCA Staff member Alex Auten)

15th Annual
Golf tournament

The 15th annual YMCA Golf Tournament was held on September 26 at the Kings Mountain Country Club from 11 am - 12 pm.
There were 32 teams and 128 golfers that participated in the event whic began with the Kids Putt-Off and was followed by the adult competition.
Blake Shelton was the winner for ages 9-13 yr olds and Ken Bowens was winner in the 5-8 yr olds.
"Each year, the YMCA hosts this event, among other events like it to help raise the nearly $100,000 donated to community programs.
This particular golf event raised $25,000," said Kevin Osborne, YMCA, VP / Sr. Executive Director.(Four area YMCAs.
Some of the programs noted by Osborne were -The Career Proram, The Afterschool Program, Summer Camp, swim lessons, and membership grants.
The following winning results were supplied by Kevin Osborne:
1st Place team (-200): Matt Bradley, Jake Scruggs, Steve Sherman and Frank Helton
2nd Place team (-17): Grayson Smith, Trevor McDaniel, Maning Burton & Will Meekins
3rd Place team (-16) representing City of Kings Mountain: Mayor Rob Wagman, TBD, TBD, TBD,
4th Place team (-15): Wil Sellers, Keith Olmack, Ryan Hodge & Jeremy Walker.
Closest to Pin winners: Rodney Bumgardner (5) Trevor McDaniel (8) Matt Bradley (12) Brad Wilson (16) Alex Roberts (17)
Longest Drive Winners on hole 2: Eric Sanders (Men), Steve Sherman (Seniors)
Longest Drive Winners on hole 11: Bobbie Gales (Women), Wayne Auton(Senior), Wil Sellers (Men)
There were 32 sponsors and multiple volunteers that made the event a success and the main sponsirs were Albermarle Co and City of Kings Mountain.

KM Elite shines on Homecoming Saturday

K.M. Elite hosted its annual Homecoming Game at Kings Mountain High School’s John Gamble Stadium, welcoming the Southern Masterminds in a full day of BSYFL youth football action. The event celebrated excellence both on and off the field, highlighted by strong performances across all divisions and the crowning of the 2025 KM Elite Homecoming Queen Court. Pictured are various scenes from their special day.

Lady Mountaineer volleyball
continues run through BSC

Kings Mountain High’s women’s volleyball team won three games last week.
On Tuesday, the JVs swept South Point 25-12 and 25-17 and the varsity followed with a 25-20, 25-16, 25-17 victory.
Avery Cruise led the JVs on both offense and defense. Avaclair Moss also stood out on offense and Masey McDaniel on defense.
The varsity got outstanding performances from several ladies, including:
-Camden Pasour with 26 serve receptions, 19 assists, nine digs, two kills, two blocks and two service points.
-Denet Houey with 21 kills.
-Ava Tipton with eight serve receptions, 16 digs and five service points.
-Abigail Hedgepath with 18 assists, six digs and 15 service points.
Ruby Osborne with seven kills and two blocks.
On Wednesday, the ladies swept East Lincoln with the JVs winning 25-19 and 25-16 and the varsity 25-20, 25-19, 15-23 and 25-15.
Avery Cruise and Elyn Phongsa both had outstanding performances on offense and defense and Skylard Garner and Caroline Lane led the offense.
Camden Pasour had another big game for the varsity with 36 serve receptions, 13 digs, nine kills and five service points.
Ava Tipton had 13 serve receptions, 17 digs and 10 service points.
Denet Houey was strong on the nets with 20 kills.
Abigail Hedgepath dished out 27 assists to go with three kills, six digs and two service points.
Ruby Osbornehad 11 kills and Kenzlie Morris eight.
The Lady Mountaineers swept Hunter Huss in a Big South Conference battle on Thursday. The JVs won 25-7 and 25-9 and the varsity 25-3, 25-3 and 25-2.
Denet Houey registered 25 kills to go with a block
Camden Pasour had 33 assists and 12 service points.
Abigal Hedgepath had 18 service points, three kills and eight service points.
Coleman Lane had seven kills.

KM falls 43-7
to Green Wave

Kings Mountain drew first blood on a one-yard touchdown run by quarterback K.J. Bell but that’s all the Mountaineers could do against a strong Ashbrook team in a 43-7 loss Friday in Gastonia.
The Mountaineers return to Gaston County Friday to face the South Point Red Raiders. They will be at home for their final two regular season games against Hunter Huss on October 24 and Crest on October 31.
After Bell’s opening TD, the Mountaineers marched downfield again and got into scoring range but missed a field goal attempt. They wouldn’t threaten again and Ashbrook rolled up the next 43 points to remain undefeated and tied for first place in the Big South with Crest.
Martino Smith led the Green Wave attack with two touchdowns, including a 74-yard TD run, and former Mountaineer and now Ashbrook QB T.J. Armstrong threw a touchdown pass to Tyler Morgan. The Green Wave also booted two field goals.
Bell hit 10 of 13 passes for 170 yards to lead the KM offense.

Screen shot 2025 10 10 at 1.27.12 pm — KM registers big homecoming win over Wildcats, faces highly-talented Ashbrook team away Friday

KM registers big homecoming win over Wildcats,
faces highly-talented Ashbrook team away Friday

Kings Mountain’s Mountaineers dominated the North Gaston Wildcats 65-0 in the KMHS homecoming game Friday night at John Gamble Stadium but will face a very talented and undefeated Ashbrook team this Friday in Gastonia.
The Green Wave is off to its greatest start in several years with a perfect 2-0 Big South and 6-0 overall record.
Kings Mountain is also 2-0 in the Big South with wins over Forestview and North Gaston. The Mountaineers’ only loss was 28-21 to perennial North Carolina power Charlotte Catholic in a non-conference game.
“We played really well,” Coach Strait Herron said of last week’s victory. “We got an early lead and it was a good win. We’re still dealing with some players banged up but nothingserious.”
The Mountaineers scored on all of their possessions last week and played the entire second half under the running clock rule. They were up 17-0 after the first period, 45-0 at the half, 58-0 after three quarters and tacked on another TD and PAT in the fourth period.
Quarterback K.J. Bell threw three touchdown passes and also had a four-yard run for a TD. He hit 10 of 13 passes for 174 yards.
Devin Hopper scored a pair of TDs on runs of four and one yards, Isaiah Branch had a 27-yard touchdown reception, Devin Hopper had a 15-yard touchdown run and a one-yard TD reception, Khareem Coleman had a 15-yard touchdown run, Xavier Hutchens had an 11-yard TD reception and freshman Elijah Long scored on a 14-yard run.
Looking to this week’s trip to Ashbrook, Coach Herron said “we will have our hands full.”
“They mix it up but they run the ball more than they throw it,” he said. “They have a very good quarterback and good running backs. They have a lot of skilled athletes.”
Coach Herron said he hopes the Mountaineers will be healthy.
“A few of our players are still banged up,” he noted. “We’ll still be missing a couple players but I hope we’ll be okay.”
The Mountaineers will take another trip to Gaston County next week to face the South Point Red Raiders. They will complete their regular season at home with games against Hunter Huss and Crest.
All games begin at 7:30.

Women’s tennis closing in on
BSC championship

The Lady Mountaineers tennis team is well on its way to winning another Big South Conference Championship this fall by going undefeated in conference play so far with a 4 - 0 record.
The team only played six conference matches now that Stuart Cramer has dropped out of the Big South Conference because of realignment.
KMHS defeated Forestview 9-0 on September 11. Winners in singles were Katherine Frye, Seanna Simon, Kayla McSwain, Elizabeth Bolt, Cindy Tipton and Grayson Howell. Winners in doubles were Frye/Simon, McSwain/Bolt and Tipton/Howell.
Kings Mountain defeated North Gaston September 18 9 - 0.
Winners in singles were Frye, Simon, McSwain, Bolt, Tipton and Howell. Winners in doubles were Frye/Simon, McSwain/Bolt, and Shiloh Bridges/Lillie Bolt.
=Kings Mountain defeated Ashbrook on September 23 9-0. Winners in singles were Frye, Simon, McSwain, Bolt, Tipton and Howell. Winners in doubles were Frye/Simon, McSwain/Bolt and Tipton/Howell.
KM defeated South Point 7-2 on September 24. Winners in singles were Frye, Simon, McSwain, Bolt, Tipton and Howell. Winners in doubles were Frye/Simon, McSwain/Bolt, Tipton and Howell.
The Lady Mountaineers will be traveling to T.C. Roberson in Asheville to participate in the Pre-Regionals. Players who qualify will advance to the Regionals October 17-18 at Belmont Abbey.

KM cross country teamscompete at Wendy’s Invitational

Varsity soccer comes up short in past two games

KM women’s golf competedin two matches last week

KMHS football season resumesFriday at 7 p.m. at North Gaston

KM men’s Cross Country teamplaces second in conference meet

Mountaineer Women Cruiseto victory over Forestviewin tennis action