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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.
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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. 
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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.

KMHS volleyball
sweeps Ashbrook

Kings Mountain High’s volleyball teams remained unbeaten in the Big South Conference last week with a sweep of Gastonia Ashbrook.
The JVs won 25-1, 25-9 before the varsity defeated the Green Wave 25-5, 25-9 and 25-2.
Denet Houey was strong along the nets with 19 kills.
Camden Pasour dished out 21 assists to go with five serve receptions, eight service points, five digs and two kills.
Abigail Hedgepath had 13 assists, two kills, five digs and five service points.
Ruby Osbornehad seven kills.
The JVs were 14-2 and the varsity 26-1 heading into a Tuesday game at South Point.

 

KMHS Volleyball News

KM volleyball
sweeps North
Kings Mountain High’s volleyball teams returned to conference action Monday night with a sweep of the North Gaston Lady Wildcats.
The JVs won 25-5, 25-9 in the opener and the varsity followed with a 25-5, 25-12, 25-6 victory.
Several ladies turned in big numbers in the varsity victory.
Denet Houey was strong along the nets with 20 kills.
Camden Pasour had 12 serve receptions, seven digs, two kills, 25 assists and five service points.
Ruby Ozborne and Kenzlie Morris finished with eight kills each.
Abigail Hedgepath had 15 assists, a kill, three digs and 24 service points.
Avery Cruise and Elyn Phongsa led the JVs on both offense and defense.
The varsity boasts an 8-0 conference record and 25-1 overall mark heading into a home game Thursday against Ashbrook. The JVs are 13-2 overall and 8-0 in the conference.

Lady Mountaineers sweep
Mountaineer Invitational

Kings Mountain High’s women’s volleyball team went 5-0 to sweep its own Mountaineer Invitational over the weekend at Parker Gym.
They defeated Hickory 25-13, 24-26,15-9; Community School of Davidson 20-25, 25-17, 15-13; Polk County 25-15, 25-18; Ayden-Grifton 24-26, 25-16, 15-11; and Hickory 25-23, 25-19.
Several ladies had exceptional games.
Camden Pasour had 130 serve receptions, 25 assists, 46 digs, 11 kills, five blocks and 28 service points.
Denet Hoey had 50 kills, four blocks and 13 digs.
Ruby Osborne had 38 kills, five blocks, 12 digs and two service points.
Abigail Hedgepath had 80 assists, nine kills, three blocks and 30 service points.
Ava Tipton had 32 serve receptions, four assists, 55 digs and 19 service points.
Kenzlie Morris had 30 kills, two blocks and nine digs.
Campbell Benton had 36 kills, two blocks and 13 digs.
Madison Broome had 23 serve receptions, 31 digs, one assist and 17 service points.

 
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Scenes from the KM Mountaineer vs. Foresview Jaguars Big South Conference game on Friday night in Gastonia. KM defeated Forestview 49-0. (Photos by Charlie Smith)

KM Mountaineers shutout Forestview
49-0 in Big South Conference opener

Kings Mountain’s Mountaineers scored early and often to defeat the Forestview Jaguars 49-0 in their opening Big South Conference game Friday in Gastonia.
The Mountaineers, 4-1 overall, will take this week off and return to BSC action October 3 at John Gamble Stadium against the North Gaston Wildcats.
After the KM defense held the Jaguars to three-and-out on the game’s opening possession, it took the offense just three plays to light up the scoreboard on a 48-yard touchdown pass from quarterback KJ Bell to William Vaughn.
Just 34 seconds later Vaughn returned an interception for a TD and a 14-0.
Moments later, Christian Jarrett recovered a bad snap and Camren Houser took a screen pass 20 yards for a 21-0 lead
The Mountaineer defense held the Jaguars again and forced a punt. During the return the Mountaineers were penalized and had to start at the Forestview 49. A 29-yard reception by Branch set up a 20-yard TD reception by Vaughn and a 28-0 halftime lead.
Kings Mountain took the second half kickoff and with a good mixture of running by Khareem Coleman and catches by Xavier Hutchens and Vaughn hiked the score to 35-0.
Coleman scored again early in the fourth period to run the margin to 42-0 and the Mountaineers tacked on a 50-yard TD with 1:14 remaining for the final score.
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KM JV football team scored their first victory over the Forestview Jaguars on Thursday night. (Photos by Charlie Smith)
JV Mountaineers blank
Forestview 37-0 Thursday
The Kings Mountain JV football team scored its first Big South victory of the year over the Jaguars of Forestview Thursday at John Gamble Stadium 37-0.
The Mountaineers marched 61 yards on their opening drive, capped off by a 7-yard touchdown run by Elijah Long.  Marquis Thomas added the extra point for a quick 7-0 lead.
The KM kick-off team pinned the Jags deep in their own territory, and KM’s Javen Wilson was able to tackle the Forestview runner for a safety for a 9-0 lead.
KM added two more touchdowns before the half as Long took an Amir Parker pass 15 yards and Long added his third touchdown of the night from four yards out. Thomas kicked the extra point for a 23-0 halftime lead.
 KM scored on its first two possessions of the second half as Myles Parks scored from two yards out, and Jarrett Linder’s 8-yard run made the score 37-0.
The Kings Mountain defense held the visitors to minus 23 total yards, limited the Jags to one first down, and had seven sacks and 10 tackles for losses to stifle Forestview’s offense.
 KM is 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the Big South Conference.  KM is on the road on October 2 to battle the Bunker Hill JV team. Game time is 7 p.m.

Good Bandys team to test
Mountaineers here Friday

Coming off two tough games with county rivals Shelby and Burns, Kings Mountain will face another test from Bandys Friday night at John Gamble Stadium.
Bandys is off to a strong start and posted an impressive 38-19 victory over the St. Stephens Indians last week.
“They remind me a little like Burns,” Mountaineer coach Strait Herron said after watching them on film over the weekend. “They have some scrappy, hard-nosed players. Their quarterback is a playmaker. He can run and get outside. They’re very sound. They’re very sound on defense. They’re very good at what they do.”
Coach Herron said one of the big keys for the Mountaineers will be for the offense to “get guys blocked and stay on the block.
“They have some big guys up front, and three linebackers who are very active. They get to the ball quick,” he said.
Bandys is also strong on offense, he noted. “They’re a well-known team. They’ll bring a big crowd.”
The leaders of their offensive attack are Tanner Stewart, who had a career-high four rushing touchdowns last week, and quarterback Brady Swett who threw for 221 yards and a touchdown and competed 75 percent of his passes.
The Trojans’ defense has been strong as well. It puts a lot of pressure on the opposing quarterback and picked off four passes in last week’s win.
“We’ve got some big games facing us,” Herron said. “We’ve got to make improvements. We have to play better.”
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KM Mountaineers were the victors at Friday night’s game against Burns Bulldogs. This is their second win in the new season. (Photos by Charlie Smith and Zach Smith)

KM Mountaineers defeat Burns 40-34
to go 2-0 versus Cleveland County rivals

Kings Mountain’s Mountaineers got past another tough Cleveland County foe Friday night when they defeated the Burns Bulldogs 40-34 at Burns.
With victories over two of their Cleveland County rivals (Shelby and Burns) to open the season the Mountaineers will wait until the final regular season game to face their other county rival, Crest.
The Bulldogs were blown out by Crest the week before but they gave the Mountaineers a tough battle from the get-go.
“They were missing some players versus Crest and had some players that we hadn’t seen,” said Mountaineer head coach Strait Herron. “They played extremely hard. They gave us a run for our money. They’re well coached.”
Coach Herron noted that the Mountaineers had some players hurt last week and “we’ll be a little banged up probably. But I was real pleased with our running game and the offensive line did a decent job.”
The Mountaineers were led offensively by Jarlon Drye, who finished with four rushing touchdowns.
“We had a lot of penalties but I was real pleased with our running game,” Herron added. “The offensive line did a decent job. Drye ran the ball hard and had a great game.
“I was pleased with the running game but we’ve got to complete some of those easy throws,” he noted. “We will get better with experience.”
The Mountaineers took a 6-0 lead on their first possession with quarterback KJ Bell hooking up with Tex Vaughn for a 29-yard TD. But the lead didn’t last long as Burns came right back down the field to go up 7-6.
The Mountaineers answered quickly, driving 51 yards to score on Jarion Drye’s first of four TDs, 13-7.
After recovering a Burns fumble at the Bulldogs’ 44, Bell hit William Vaughn with a pass to go up 20-7.
Burns answered quickly to cut the margin to 20-14 but Silas Tate’s pick six made it 27-14 at the half.
Burns wouldn’t go away, though, and Davis scored from five yards out to cut the margin to 27-21.
The Mountaineers answered with a 60-yard drive with Drye scoring from 20 yards out to go up 34-21. Burns later got a 37-yard field goal to make it 34-24. The Bulldogs scored on a screen pass at the 10:33 mark of the fourth quarter to make it 34-31.
The Mountaineers answered with a 69-yard drive capped by Drye’s one-yard TD to account for the final margin.
Drye led the rushing attack with 31 carries for 172 yards and four TDs. Bell finished with 12 for 19 passing for 198 yards and one TD. The passes went to four different receivers with sophomore Xavier Hutchens catching three for 66 yards, junior Devin Hopper three for 48 yards, senior Tex  Vaughn with three for 46 yards and junior Isaiah Branch with three for 38 yards.

KMHS volleyball
defeats Forestview in BSC opener

 Kings Mountain High’s women’s volleyball teams swept Forestview in their Big South Conference opener last week.
The varsity won 25-14, 25-10, 25-13 after the JVs won 25-12, 25-10.
The varsity was led by Camden Pasour with 29 assists, 19 serve receptions, nine service points, a kill, 14 digs and two blocks.
Denet Houey had 16 kills.
Abigail Hedgepath dished out 14 assists to go with four kills, seven kills and eight service points.
Ruby Osborne and Campbell Benton had seven kills each.
For the JVs, Avery Cruise and Elyn Phongsa stood out on offense and defense and Caroline Lane had a big offensive game. The JVs improved to 4-2 heading into a September 3 game at West Henderson.
In non-conference action last Tuesday, the varsity swept Sun Valley 25-21, 25-21 and 26-24.
Pasour had 20 serve receptions, 12 assists, 10 digs, a kill and three service points.
Denet Houey was strong along the net with 16 kills and a block.
Abigail Hedgepath dished out 20 assists to go with five digs, a kill and four service points.
Ruby Osborne had seven kills, two blocks and four service points.
Ava Tipton had 14 serve receptions, 10 digs and seven service points.
On Wednesday, the ladies swept East Lincoln with the JVs winning 25-14, 26-24 and the varsity 25-18, 25-16 and 25-15.
The JVs were led on offense and defense by Avery Cruise and Elyn Phogsa.
For the varsity, Camden Pasour had 21 serve receptions, four kills and18 assists.
Denet Houey had 13 kills and a block.
Ruby Osborne had seven kills, four service points and two blocks.
Abigail Hedgepath had 13 digs, 10 assists, two kills, nine service points and a block.
Ava Tipton added 15 digs, four serve receptions and 11 service points.
The Lady Mountaineers go to West Henderson today and will host North Gaston September 4. They are scheduled to go to Mountain Island Charter on September 8 and Ashbrook on September 9. They will host South Point on September

General admission tickets
provide access to all 15 games of the ALWS Aug. 14-19

General admission tickets for the 2025 American Legion World Series are available for purchase online.
Each general admission ticket includes admission to all 15 games of the 98th ALWS, Aug. 14-19 at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, N.C. Tickets are available at ALWS.us for $37.89.
Day passes will be available for purchase at Keeter Stadium when the games begin.
The 98th American Legion World Series will pit eight regional champions from across the nation through four days of pool play, with the top two finishers in each division advancing to the Aug. 18 semifinals. The semifinalists will face off in the championship game on Aug. 19.

 
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KMHS ranked No. 1 volleyball team
in HSOT's 704 preseason rankings

HighSchoolOT's 704 Top 15 ranks Kings Mountain High School’s Volleyball Team the best of all high school volleyball teams in the greater Charlotte area. It is now considered a 6A program.
HSOT has two sets of rankings: a statewide Top 25 and top 15s for each of North Carolina's six area codes.
The 704 area code region consists of these counties: Anson, Cabarrus, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Stanly, Union.
Kings Mountain, which just came off a 27-3 overall campaign last year, is the preseason No. 1 team in the 704.
Here is how the 704 teams rank:
1. Kings Mountain (27-3)
2. Marvin Ridge (34-3)
3. Weddington (17-10)
4. North Iredell (28-3)
5. Cox Mill (21-4)
6. Hough (23-7)
7. Cuthbertson (21-7)
8. Jesse Carson (27-6)
9. Charlotte Country Day (18-3)
10. Lake Norman Charter (22-3)
11. Community School of Davidson (24-5)
12. East Rowan (21-10)
13. Pine Lake Prep (20-5)
14. Highland Tech (26-2)
15. North Stanley (25-7)
That is an impressive feat and should make for an exciting season this year! According to KMHS’ Sports Website, the Kings Mountain’s Varsity Volleyball Team has its first game on Tuesday, August 26, at 6:15 p.m. at Sun Valley High School.
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Grover Elementary YMCA program

 Kings Mountain Family YMCA is excited to welcome students back starting August 13, 2025, through May 27, 2026. And, the YMCA is bringing after-school care directly to Grover Elementary — making it more convenient for families and fun for kids!
The program runs from school dismissal until 6:00 PM, with early dismissal included in the fee.
     Important details for parents:
• Weekly Rate: $52 (same for members & non-members)
• Financial assistance is available upon request.
• Rates are adjusted if the week is shorter than 5 days.
    What the Y provides:
• Homework Help
• A Healthy Snack
• Indoor & Outdoor Activities
• And much more!
• Held onsite at Grover Elementary – no need to worry about transportation!
Contact Director of Family Programs Ranata Wingo at (704) 669-3685  or wingo@clevecoymca.org, or register online at clevecoymca.org.
 
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Fall healthcare interns available through CCS/CTE

Cleveland County Schools and Career Technical Education encourages local healthcare providers to partner with them to empower the next generation of healthcare heroes through its internship program, connecting our youth, building your workforce, strengthening our community, and shaping the next generation of healthcare professionals. Internships are offered for fall, spring, and summer semesters.
The program currently partners with 16 healthcare organizations, and students covered under CCS insurance. There is a 120-hour requirement, and students earn one credit towards graduation, offering experience and career clarity for future healthcare leaders.
If you are interested, contact Cleveland County Schools Work-Based Learning Coordinator Cortney Doster at cmdoster@clevelandcountyschools.org, calling 704-473-1592, or by visiting https://cteintern.clevelandcountyschools.org/

 
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Clev. Co. Schools now enrolling
new students and transfers

By Loretta Cozart

On July 22, Cleveland County Schools announced that online enrollment for the 2025–2026 school year is now open.
Whether you’re enrolling a new student or transferring between CCS schools, now’s the time to get started!
Enrollment is open for:
• New students
• Students transferring to a different CCS school
   The Parent Portal is currently under construction; however, you can begin the enrollment process by visiting https://goteamccs.org/enrollccs.
If you are new to the district, visit https://www.clevelandcountyschools.org/ or call (704-476-8000. School starts on August 13.
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Fall into YMCA sports

By Loretta Cozart

Kings Mountain Family YMCA announces registration for Fall Sports at the Y! Sports Director Marcus Campbell shared that registration is open for children 3 – 17, for Volleyball (Girls), baseball, Flag Football, and Soccer now through September 8—members: $40, non-members: $70.
Late registration, September 9 through 13, costs more, so register early: members: $50, non-members: $80. Financial assistance is available, and Kings Mountain residents receive a discount.
Volunteer coaches are needed.
“If you have children or if you’re interested in coaching, please come into the branch and check us out,” Marquis said.
The Y’s mission is to help all people reach their God-given potential in mind, spirit, and body. Athletics helps with youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.
For more information, contact Marcus Campbell at mcampbell@clevecoymca.org or 704-669-3687.  For more on skills nights, parent and coaching meetings, visit www.clevecoymca.org.

 

CCS and GWU
2025 High School
Football Jamboree

Cleveland County Schools is pleased to announce the 2025 High School Football Jamboree, scheduled for Friday, August 8, at Spangler Stadium on the campus of Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. This annual event will bring together student-athletes, families, and the broader community for an evening of competitive high school football in a collegiate setting.
Ceveland County Schools is proud to partner with Gardner-Webb University in hosting this event. University representatives recently met with district coaches and athletic staff to finalize planning efforts, ensuring a first-class experience for all participants.
The district also extends its sincere appreciation to Sharonview Federal Credit Union, the event’s title sponsor, for their continued commitment to supporting youth programs and community engagement initiatives throughout Cleveland County.
“This event reflects the spirit of collaboration between our schools, local partners, and community supporters,” said David Pless, Executive Director of Auxiliary Services, Cleveland County Schools. “We are proud to offer our students this unique opportunity to compete in a collegiate venue and thank Sharonview Federal Credit Union for their generous support.”
Event Details:
•  Date: Friday, August 8, 2025
•  Location: Spangler Stadium, Gardner-Webb University, Boiling Springs, NC
•  Gates Open: 5:00 PM
• Kickoff: 6:00 PM
•  Admission: Tickets will be available soon
•  General Parking - $10
    The evening lineup is as follows:
•  6:00 PM – Burns High School vs. Corvian Community School
•  7:00 PM – Shelby High School vs. South Mecklenburg High School
•  8:00 PM – Kings Mountain High School vs. Monroe High School
•  9:00 PM – Crest High School vs. Myers Park High School

Four Lady
Mountaineers honored

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Dive into adult swim at the KM YMCA

Ready to make a splash? Adult Swim Lessons at the Kings Mountain Family YMCA are perfect for beginners or anyone wanting to sharpen their swimming skills!
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to improve your technique, our classes are designed for adults of all levels.
Classes run Monday through Thursday, starting at 7 p.m.
Contact the Kings Mountain Family YMCA at (704) 739-9631 for more information! It is located at 211 Cleveland Avenue, Kings Mountain.  Don’t wait… dive in today! s
Sports
KMHS softball coach Kevin Cruise and players Maddie Huffman and Avery Cruise participated in the recent state games.

KMHS softball players
have good off-season

Kings Mountain High had numerous players shining in off-season competition recently.
Numerous players made the all-district team and four players competed in the state games.
Coach Kevin Cruise also served as head coach for the region in last week’s Body Armor State games. Region Six finished as the silver medalist, losing the gold medal game 1-0 in eight innings.
Participants in the state games were Maddie Huffman and Avery Cruise.
The all-district players were also announced by the NC Softball Coaches Association and numerous KM players were selected. They were Avery Cruise, Paige Fleming, Maddie Huffman, Kayla McSwain and Annie Wooten.

 

KM Sports Hall of Fame
38th Annual
Banquet May 17

The Kings Mountain Sports Hall of Fame will hold its thirty-eighth annual banquet and induction ceremony Saturday May 17, 2025.
Central United Methodist Church in Kings Mountain will host the event in the Christian Activity Center at 6 pm.
 This year's inductees include wrestling champion Victor Bell, KMHS's all-time leading scorer in basketball Hannah Clark, one time state record holder for 3-point field goals Bryan Leftwich and a highly recruited football player from 1975 Carl Roseboro.
State Champions Will Varner and Max Thompson will be recognized along with Distinguished Service Awards to Andrew Brown and Larry McDaniel. Ten KMHS student- athletes will receive a $1,000.00 scholarship for their contributions in the classroom and on the field.
Tickets for the event are $15.00. They may be purchased at the door, at Ingrams Barber Shop in KM or from Commitee Members.
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Pictured L-R: CCC Athletic Director Dr. Andy Gardner, Head Coach Jabarr Adams and President Dr. Jason Hurst. (Photo provided)

Jabarr Adams named New Head Coach of Yetis Men’s Basketball

In a recent press conference , Cleveland Community College President Dr. Jason Hurst officially announced Jabarr Adams as the new Head Coach of the Yetis Men’s Basketball program. Adams succeeds former head coach Grayson Pierce.
Adams, who joined the Yetis in 2024 as Associate Head Coach, brings a dynamic blend of collegiate and high school coaching experience, coupled with a passion for mentoring student-athletes and fostering success on and off the court.
“Coach Adams is not only an exceptional coach, he is an outstanding leader and educator,” said Dr. Hurst. “His dedication to student success, both academically and athletically, aligns perfectly with the mission of Yetis Athletics and Cleveland Community College.”
Coach Adams’ coaching résumé spans over a decade, including:
• Nine years as an NCAA assistant coach, competing in top-tier conferences such as the Peach Belt and Mid-American.
• Five NCAA Division II tournament appearances.
• Development of 16 all-conference collegiate players.
• Seventeen athletes who have gone on to sign professional basketball contracts.
Before transitioning to the college ranks, Adams made a significant mark in high school basketball:
• Seven years as a head coach at West Cabarrus and Mallard Creek High Schools.
• One year as assistant head coach at Ashbrook High School.
• Ten all-conference players coached during his high school tenure.
In addition to his coaching duties, Adams serves as an instructor in the Health and Physical Education department at Cleveland Community College, further reinforcing his commitment to holistic student development.
Adams now steps into the head coach role with a clear vision for the future of Yetis Basketball.
“I’m honored and excited to lead this program,” said Adams. “We have a strong foundation and a talented group of student-athletes who are hungry to grow. My goal is to build a culture of discipline, respect, and resilience—values that extend to the classroom and far beyond the hardwood.”
As the Yetis turn the page to a new chapter, the program is poised for continued growth and competitive excellence under Adams’ leadership.
“Coach Adams has an incredible ability to connect with student-athletes and bring out the best in them—both as players and as young men,” said Andy Gardner, Athletics Director at Cleveland Community College. “His experience at every level of the game, combined with his integrity and leadership, make him the right choice to lead Yetis Men’s Basketball into its next chapter. We’re proud to have him at the helm and expect continued success in the classroom and on the court.”
Please join us in congratulating Coach Jabarr Adams on his new role as Head Coach of the Yetis Men’s Basketball team. We are excited to see where he will take the program in this new era of Yeti pride.

Lady Mountaineers whip
Cramer and Forestview

Kings Mountain High’s women’s softball team defeated Stuart Cramer and Forestview in Big South 3A Conference games last week but dropped a non-conference game to a talented West Lincoln team.
Maddie Huffman struck out 19 batters to lead the KM ladies in last Tuesday night’s win over Stuart Cramer in Cramerton.
Kayla McSwain led a 13-hit KM attack with 3-for-4 and three runs batted in. Kings Mountain amassed 13 hits with McSwain, Paige Fleming and Avery Cruise each collecting multiple hits.
Huffman threw an immaculate inning in the sixth, striking out the side on nine pitches.
The Lady Mountaineers came up one run short to a strong West Lincoln team Wednesday at home. The visitors scored five runs in the first inning to get the early jump.
Kayla McSwain homered in the bottom of the first and Paige Fleming also had a solo home run in the sixth.
Anna Wooten took the tough luck loss for the Lady Mountaineers, going three innings and striking out four. Maddie Huffman came on in relief and gave up just one hit while fanning 10 and walking none.
Avery Cruise led the Lady Mountaineers with a 2-for-3 effort at the plate and assisting in a 6-5-4 double play.
The ladies returned to conference play Friday at home and defeated Forestview 7-1. Huffman pitched a two-hitter and struck out 20 Lady Jaguars.
Huffman also had a big night at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one RBI.
Avery Cruise went 2-for-4 with one RBI and Dixon-Valez, Anna Wooten and Paige Fleming added a hit apiece.
KM broke a scoreless tie with a run in the fourth, five in the fifth and one in the sixth. Forestview finally scored in the seventh.
Kings Mountain was scheduled to host Ashbrook last night and is scheduled to go to South Point Thursday. After that, they will be on spring break and return to action on April 25 in a 6 p.m. contest with Crest at KMHS. The ladies will end the regular season with a home game against Hunter Huss on April 29 and a road game at North Gaston on May 2.

Mountaineers sweep Jaguars

Kings Mountain High swept Forestview 13-1 and 9-3 in games played last week.
The Mountaineers broke a 1-1 tie with six runs in the second inning to break open Tuesday’s contest. KM finished with six runs in the fourth and sixth innings.
The Mountaineers outhit the Jaguars 12-4.
Carter Roberts led the Mountaineers at the plate. He went 3-for-3, including five runs batted in and a home run.
Lawson Kennedy was 2-for-4 with a triple and three runs batted in. Austyn Clark was 2-for-3 with a double.
Luke Heavner went 2-for-5. Jordan Buchanan was 1-for-2 with a double, Luke Heavner 2-for-5, KB Richards 1-for-2 and Wesley Turner 1-for-4.
Gavyn Manson pitched one inning, fanning three, and Wesley Turner worked the final five innings. He gave up just four hits and struck out eight.
Benjamin Denton had four of Forestview’s hits.
In Friday’s game, the Mountaineers were led by KJ Bell and Luke Heavner with two hits each. Cole Groves had a hit and two runs batted in and Carter Roberts, Vance Johnson and Lawson Kennedy had a hit apiece.
Manson worked two innings and fanned four. KJ Bell pitched five innings and allowed just two hits while fanning eight.

Sports News

KM bombs Huss 25-0
Kings Mountain’s Mountaineers scored nine runs in the bottom of the first inning and went on to defeat Hunter Huss 25-0 in a 4 ½ inning Big South Conference game last Tuesday at Lancaster Field.
The Mountaineers added six runs in the second inning, five in the third and five in the fourth  and outhit the Huskies 19-1.
Gavyn Manion pitched four innings for the Mountaineers. He gave up three hits and struck out nine.
Wesley Turner went 3-for-3 with four runs batted in and Cole Groves went 3-for-3 with three runs and one RBI.
Austyn Clark was 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBIs. KJ Bell went 3-for-5 with three runs and one RBI.
Carter Roberts was 1-for-2 with four runs and two RBIs, and Lawson Kennedy was 1-for-5 and two RBIs.

KM High softball  wins 6th straight
Kings Mountain defeated Cherryville in six innings Wednesday.
It was the sixth straight victory for the Lady Mountaineers.
Maddie Camp led the hitting with 3-for-4, including her first career home run.
Paige Fleming added a two-run home run in the top of the third inning.
Anna Wooten, Avery Cruise, Fleming and Camp all collected multiple hits for the Lady Mountaineers.
Maddie Huffman continued to dominate in the circle. She worked all six innings, surrendering just one hit and striking out 18.

Smith, Bell no-hit Huss in 12-0 win
Kings Mountain High pitchers Aiden Smith and KJ Bell combined for a no-hitter in a 12-0 victory over Hunter Huss Friday.
Smith worked two innings and recorded three strikeouts and freshman Bell hurled five innings with eight strikeouts. The three Huss base runners got aboard on walks.
Kings Mountain got off to a 3-0 start in the top of the first inning and added two each in the third, fourth and fifth and three in the seventh.
The Mountaineers stole 13 bases, including four by Carter Roberts, two each by Cole Groves, Luke Heavner and Vance Johnson and one each by Jordan Buchanan, Lyric Phonephet and Wesley Turner.

Huffman fans 17 in KM win
Kings Mountain High’s women’s softball team shutout South Point 6-0 in a Big South 3A Conference game last week.
Maddie Huffman was dominant in the circle with 17 strikeouts. She allowed just three hits over seven innings.
The Lady Mountaineers were led on offense by Huffman and Kayla McSwain. The ladies accumulate nine walks on the evening by showing great plate discipline.

KM golfers finish third
Kings Mountain finished third in a Big South Conference golf match last week at Kings Mountain Country Club.
Stuart Cramer won the event with a 292 score, followed by South Point at 325 and KM at 332. Crest was fourth at 346 followed by Forestview 354, North Gaston 432, Ashbrook 448 and Hunter Huss 472.
Thomas Spicer led the Mountaineers with an even par 72. Josh Gillespie shot 74, Noah Rhodes 93, Joseph Johnson 93 and Grant Moorehead 95.
The Mountaineers were scheduled to play Tuesday at Lincolnton Country Club.

Mountaineers Defeat Ashbrook
Kayla McSwain collected 3 hits in 3 at bats as the Mountaineers defeated Ashbrook 19-0. Anna Wooten earned the win for the mountaineers in the circle allowing 1 hit and zero runs over 3 innings of work striking out 5 and walking none. The Mountaineers piled up 10 hits on the evening McSwain and Avery Cruise led the charge with 3 hits on the night, as well as Priscilla Medina going 2 for 2 at the plate with 2 RBI’s. Next up for Kings Mountain are the Red Raiders of South Point at home on Tuesday night.

KM baseball loses to SC
Kings Mountain fell to South Caldwell 6-1 last week in a non-conference baseball game.
South Caldwell broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the fifth inning and put three insurance runs on the board in the sixth.
Wesley Turner hurled all six innings for the Mountaineers. He gave up eight hits and struck out four.
Aiden Smith and KJ Bell each had a hit for the Mountaineers.

KM tennis sweeps Huss
Kings Mountain High’s tennis team opened Big Souith Conference play last week with two wins over Hunter Huss and one over North Gaston.
The Mountaineers swept Huss 9-0 in both outings and edged North Gaston 5-4.
Singles winners over Huss were Tristan Wright, Dom Allen, Carter Jarvis, Aidan Robinson, Joey Safrit and Marquise Thomas and doubles winners were Wright and Allen, Jarvis and Robinson and Safrit and Thomas.
In the second meeting with Huss, winners were Wright, Allen, Jarvis, Robinson, Safrit and Elijah Propst.
Against North Gaston, singles winners were Wright, Allen, Jarvis, Safrit and Thomas.
Doubles winners were Allen and Robinson and Safrit and Thomas.

 

KM YMCA Basketball

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These players on the Girl’s League pause for a photo after the game.

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The coach takes a moment to talk to the team. Photos KM Family YMCA

KM YMCA winter
basketball game scores

Kings Mountain Family YMCA finished its weekly winter basketball games from January 28 to February 1 and posted the following scores.

1/28/2025
(13-15)

The Glazers 38
The Rizzlers 36

KMMS 62
The Bulls 43

No limit 33
Team Strike out 30

1/30/2025
(9-10)

Knicks 27
Cheetahs 9

Warriors 19
Hurricanes 16

(11-12)
Hornets 37
Aces 23

No Mistake 33
The Nets 20

2/1/2025
(5/6)

Team Stitch 16
Team Blue Devils 32

Basketball Bears 14
Cheetahs 8

(Girls 10-12)

KM Flamez -32
Shelby Burns- 8

(Girls 7-8)

Team Starz-26
Team Heart 18

(7-8 Boys)

Mounties 14
Underdogs-16

Team Dynamite 18
Hornets- 38

(9/10)

Hurricanes 27
Cheetahs 12

Bucks 18
Knicks 11
(13-15)

KMMS Girls 69
76ers- 63

No Limit 27
The Glazers 54

KMMS Boys 57
The Rizzlers 53

Kings Mountain
shines at 11th Annual Mountaineer Relays

On Wednesday, March 12, Kings Mountain High School hosted the 11th annual Mountaineer Relays, welcoming talented teams from Ashbrook, North Gaston, Northwest Cabarrus, Shelby, and Statesville High Schools. Both the Mountaineer men's and women's track and field teams delivered impressive performances in front of a home crowd.
The Mountaineer men's team stayed undefeated on the season, turning in a dominant team victory with 118.5 points, outpacing second place Shelby by 32 points. Multiple athletes stepped up in nearly every event on the track and in the field.
Senior Max Thompson was named Mountaineer of the Meet for his outstanding effort and versatility, contributing a total of 32 points across four grueling events. Thompson ran the lead leg of the winning 4x400m relay, the third leg in the record-breaking distance medley relay, anchored the second place 4x800m relay, and ran the third leg in the fourth place sprint medley relay.
Two school records fell during the relays:
Distance Medley Relay (11:49.06, first place, new school record):
David Johnson (1200m), Jayden Gash (400m), Max Thompson (800m), Isaiah Watts (1600m)
Sprint Medley Relay (1:39.26, fourth place, new school record):
Jayden Williams (100m), Travis Padgett (100m), Barry Moore (200m), Max Thompson (400m)
Other notable performances on the track:
First place: 110m Hurdles: Tyler McIntyre.
First place, 4x400m Relay: Max Thompson, David Johnson, Isaiah Watts, Jayden Gash.
First place: 4x200m Relay: Barry Moore, Travis Padgett, Darreon Dixon, Jayden Williams.
Second  place: 4x100m Relay: Barry Moore, Quashard Ingram, Tyler McIntyre, Jayden Williams.
Second place: 4x800m Relay: Luis Cedillo, Luke Howell, Isaiah Watts, Max Thompson.
Second place: 4x100m Throwers’ Relay: Josiah Hill, Jamel Lee, Tristian Pressley, Eli Lipscomb
Field events:
First place: Pole Vault: Colton Willyoung.
Second place: High Jump: J’myun Huskey.
Second place: Long Jump: Barry Moore.
Second place: Triple Jump and 3rd in Long Jump: Tyler McIntyre.
Third place: Shot Put: Josiah Hill.
Final team scores (Women’s Division):
Kings Mountain – 118.5 points
Shelby – 86.5 points
Ashbrook – 62 points
Northwest Cabarrus – 56 points
North Gaston – 47 points
Statesville – 44 points
Lady Mountaineers earn third place with multiple event wins and podium finishes
The Lady Mountaineers earned a third place team finish, racking up 85 points, just behind strong teams from Northwest Cabarrus (122 points) and Statesville (97 points).
Senior London Brown was named Lady Mountaineer of the Meet after claiming 1st place in the High Jump, now just 2 inches away from breaking a school record set in 1993. London also competes as a key member of the 4x200m relay team, along with running the 200m dash and participating in long jump, making her an integral part of the squad.
Highlight performances for the Lady 
Mountaineers included:
1st Place: Throwers’ 4x100m Relay: Addison Burris, Rihanna Roseboro, Reagan Phillips, Taylor Sengsavang
2nd Place: Distance Medley Relay (1200m-400m-800m-1600m): Tippy Johnsonbaugh, Brooke Waseman, Isabella Symonds, Kallie Hope
2nd Place: 4x800m Relay: Kallie Hope, Kinley Putnam, Tippy Johnsonbaugh, Isabella Symonds
1st Place: High Jump: London Brown
1st Place: Pole Vault: Alanna Snelson
2nd Place, Pole Vault: Kinley Putnam
Alanna Snelson’s additional standout finishes:
3rd in High Jump
3rd in Triple Jump
4th in Shot Put
Final team scores (Women):
Northwest Cabarrus – 122 points
Statesville – 97 points
Kings Mountain – 85 points
Shelby – 55 points
Ashbrook – 48 points
North Gaston – 6 points

Mountaineers
roll Wave 6-3

Kings Mountain High’s baseball team opened Big South Conference play last week with a 12-2 victory over the Ashbrook Green Wave.
The Mountaineers were led at the plate by Lyric Phonephet with 2-for-3 and two runs batted in and freshman Jordan Buckner with 2-for-3 and one RBI.
Carter Roberts, Cole Groves, Lawson Kennedy and Luke Heavner had a hit apiece. Roberts and Groves each drove in two runs.
Sophomore Gavyn Manion went the distance on the mound. He struck out five.

Bell, Mountaineers
beat Ashbrook 13-3

Kings Mountain’s Mountaineers scored eight runs in the first inning and rolled to a 13-3 victory over Gastonia Ashbrook Friday. The game ended after five innings on the 10-run rule.
KJ Bell went four innings to get the win. He struck out five and allowed just one hit while fanning six. He also collected two hits in three trips to the plate, including a three-run double.
Aiden Smith pitched the final inning, giving up just one hit.
Luke Heavner went 4-for-5, including a double.
Carter Roberts was 1-for-2 with a three-run double.
Brayden Parson scored two runs.
Wesley Turner went 2-for-4 with two runs batted in and Lyric Phonephet went 1-for-3.
The Mountaineers were scheduled to host Hunter Huss Tuesday and will go to South Caldwell Thursday for a 6:30 contest. They will go to Hunter Huss March 21 at 5 p.m. and host North Gaston March 25 at 7 p.m.

Mountaineers dominate first track and field meet

Kings Mountain’s Mountaineers dominated its outdoor track and field season opener last week with a 60-point victory. The KM ladies took second place highlighted by a new school record by Alanna Snelson in the pole vault.
Snelson vaulted 10’6” to surpass her own 9’6” mark set in 2024. She was also first in the triple jump with a personal best 32 feet even, third in the shot put with her personal best 25’8.5” and third in the high jump.
Other top performers for the KM ladies were:
-Reagan Smith, third in the 100 meter hurdles.
-The 4x200 relay team of Brooke Waseman, Amya Hennion-Adams, Kienna Ellis and London Brown, second place.
-4x800 relay team of Sarah Eagle, Kallie Hope, Kinley Putnam and Hailey Freeman, third place.
-Lz’zya Byrd, second in the triple jump.
-Kinley Putnam, second in the pole vault.
-London Brown, third in the long jump.
The men dominated from start to finish, winning with 184 points. Tristian Pressley was named Mountaineer for the Meet for his outstanding performance in the field events, which included first in the long jump with a personal best 19’9” jump; third in the triple jump (a personal best 38’10”, fifth in the high jump and sixth in the shot put.
Other standouts included:
-Colton Willyoung, first in the pole vault with a 13 feet even personal best, and fourth in the high jump with a personal best of 13’7” which narrowly missed a school record.
-Isaiah Watts, first in the 1600 meter run, part of the winning 4x400 meter relay team and third in the 4x800 meter relay.
-Max Thompson, ran the lead leg of the winning 4x400 relay and was second in the 800m and fifth in the 400m.
-David Johnson, a member of the 4x400 meter relay, third with a personal best in the 800 meters, and fifth in the 1600 meters.
-Jayden Gash, was the anchor in the winning 4x400 meter relay team, second in the 400 meters and part of the fifth place 4x200 meter relay team.
-Tyler McIntyre was third in the 100 meter hurdles, fourth with a personal best in the 300 meter hurdles, second in the triple jump and fifth in the lnog jump.
-J’myun Huskey, third in the high jump with a personal best 5’8”.
-Joakim Shorts, third in the pole vault with a 10’6” vault which was three feet over his previous best, and an impressive fifth in the 400 meter dash, winning his heat in his debut at the distance.
“Both teams demonstrated toughest and resilence in cold and windy conditions, overcoming adversity to post multiple personal records, event wins and a school record,” said Coach Haley Spearman. “With such a strong start to the season, the Kings Mountain track and field teams are poised for continued success as they move into the heart of the outdoor schedule. Congratulations to all athletes on a great opening meet.

KMHS track teams compete
in WNC Polar Bear meet

The Kings Mountain Indoor Track & Field team traveled to Western North Carolina on Saturday, February 1st, to compete in the WNC Polar Bear Championship. The two-venue meet began at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, NC, where athletes competed in the 55m Dash, 55m Hurdles, and all field events. The competition then moved to Polk County High School in Columbus, NC, for the remaining track events. With 25 teams in attendance, the Mountaineers delivered an outstanding performance, setting 18 new personal records (PRs) and tying one PR.
Lady Mountaineers Standout Performances Leading the way for the Lady Mountaineers was Alanna Snelson, who secured a 1st place finish in the Pole Vault. The 4x200m Relay team of Princess Strain, Brooke Waseman, Amya Hennion-Adams, and Kieanna Ellis also made a strong showing, finishing in 3rd place.
Mountaineer Men Claim 2nd Place Overall The Mountaineer Men had an exceptional day, finishing 2nd among all competing teams. Key performances included:
• Tyler McIntyre: 2nd place in both the 55m Hurdles and Triple Jump
• Jayden Williams: 2nd place in the 55m Dash
• 4x200m Relay Team (Barry Moore, Jayden Williams, Tyler McIntyre, Travis Padgett): 2nd place
• Barry Moore: 3rd place in the 300m Dash
With a strong showing across multiple events, Kings Mountain continues to make a name for itself in the indoor track & field circuit. The team looks forward to building on this momentum as they prepare for the upcoming NCHSAA 3A State Indoor Championship and outdoor season.
Mountaineers fall
to Ashbrook 84-66
Kings Mountain fell big to unbeaten Big South leader Ashbrook 84-66 last week.
KM kept the game close in the first half, trailing by just 20-17 after the first quarter and 32-28 at the half but a 30-19 third quarter Ashbrook advantage put the game on ice.
KM was down by just 52-47 late in the third before the Green Wave went on a 10-0 run to put it out of reach.
The Lady Mountaineers fell in the opener, 60-32. Ashbrook led 15-10 after the first quarter, 33-16 at the half and 49-25 going into the final chapter.
In another BSC game last week, the Mountaineers defeated Stuart Cramer 82-58. Kee’donn Linney and Christian Hill scored 3 points each, Silas Tate had 12 points and six assists and Xavier Hutchens scored 11 points.
Cramer won the girls game 62-18. KM was down 30-5 after the first quarter, 49-10 at the half and 58-14 going into the fourth period.
In a non-conference game last week, the Mountaineers defeated Burns 59-16.
KM trailed 16-9 after the first period but rallied to go ahead 30-27 at the half. Burns rallied in the third quarter and took a 46-37 lead into the final quarter.

GRLS GAMES
KM (18) – Miller 3, Pettis 2, Byrd 4, Dixon-Velez 4, Williams 5.
SC (62) – McDowell 1, Hall 6, Womack 18, Holland 24, Humphrey 9, Floyd 4
KM (32) – Miller 8, Martin 7, Pettis 8, Byrd 3, Dixon-Velez 2, Williams 4.
AB (60) -Jackson 3, Hayes 2, Morales 2, Hardin 16, McDowell 4, Miller 13, Sadler 18, Sumter 1.
BOYS GAMES
KM (59) – Daniel 23, Tate 14, Linney 12, Hutchens 6, Clinton 3, Huskey 1.
Burns (54) – Beam 16, Putnam 11, Clay 8, McGowan 7, Surratt 5, Poole 4, Self 3.

KM Mountaineers maul North Gaston 102-74, ladies get first Big South Conference win 45-32

Kings Mountain High’s basketball teams swept North Gaston last week in a Big South 3A Conference twinbill.
The Mountaineers joined the 100-point club with a 102-74 win over the Wildcats after the Lady Mountaineers posted their first BSC win with a 45-32 victory.
Four of the five Mountaineer starters hit double figures, led by Kee’donn Linney with 27 points. Ethan Daniel added 24, J’Myun Huskey 17 and Silas Tate 13.
Markell Carothers led the Wildcats with 25 points and Jalen Howard had 19.
The Mountaineers led by just 23-17 after the first quarter and 49-43 at halftime. They began pulling away with a 27-point third quarter that put them up 76-61 heading into the final chapter.
The Lady Mountaineers jumped out front 12-7 in the first quarter and led 23-21 at the half and 36-25 going into the fourth quarter.
Byrd and Dixon-Velez led the scoring with 14 and 11 points, respectively.
GIRLS GAME
KM (45) – Miller 9, Pettis 6, Byrd 14, Ford 1, Dixon-Velez 11, Williams 2, Symonds 2.
NG (32) – White 9, Holmes 6, Watkins 14, Ortiz 3.
BOYS GAME
KM (102) – Linney 27, Daniel 24, Huskey 17, Tate 13, McClain 6, Hill 5, Clinton 4, Charles 4, Spicer 2.
NG (74) – Carothers 25, Howard 19, Cunningham 10, Mason 9, Hill 6, Rivera 5.

KM Mountaineers
edge Jaguars 65-61

Kings Mountain High’s varsity basketball teams split a Big South doubleheader with Forestview Friday. The Lady Mountaineers’ 54-34 loss in the opener was followed by a 65-61 Mountaineer victory in the nightcap.
Kee’donn Linney led the Mountaineers with 28 points. J’Myun Huskey added 14 and Ethan Daniel 10.
Forestview jumped out to a 16-3 first quarter lead in the girls game and was up 37-20 at the half and 51-29 going into the fourth period.
GIRLS GAME
KM (34) – Martin 15, Byrd 9, Dixon-Velez 7, Williams 3.
FV (54) – Thompson 12, Iyerbele 5, Neely 7, Baker 1, Springs 3, McCorkle 26.
BOYS GAME
KM (65) – Linney 28, Huskey 14, Daniel 10, Tate 9, Hutchens 2, Jarrett 2.
FV (61) – Hart 21, Helton 16, Rybczyk 10, Young 10, Patton 2, Thompson 2.

 

KM Middle basketball
unbeaten in conference play

Kings Mountain Middle School’s Patriots remained undefeated in conference play and ran its overall record to 4-1 with wins last week over North Lincoln and West Lincoln.
Coach Shane Cole’s Patriots were 3-0 in the East Division and 4-1 overall heading into a game against East Lincoln yesterday. They host Burns on Thursday.
The Patriots defeated North Lincoln 46-23 on Monday.
The Pats took a 4-0 lead as King Moore took Amir Parker’s opening tip in for a layup; and two possessions later when Antonio Gomez’s pass found a wide-open Moore for his second layup of the quarter.
Gomez’s three from a Carlos Boyce pass closed out the scoring 8-8 at the end of the first period.
KM picked up its defensive intensity, holding North to just one field goal in the second period. Kavion Byers’ two steals helped KM extend its lead to 18-11 at the half. Boyce led the first half scoring with seven points.
KM went on a 13-2 run to start the second half and increase the lead to 33-17. Parker’s and Moore’s three pointers led the way.
The fourth quarter saw seven Patriots get into the action. Myles Parks and Aja Fagan led the team on a 13-6 run to account for the final score.
KM had 10 assists and a season-high 15 steals. KM’s role players once again came through with 12 points.
“This was the best defensive game we played all year,” Coach Cole noted. “To have 15 steals as a team means everyone is making an effort.”
The Patriots followed that victory with a 56-7 win over West Lincoln.
After West scored the first basket, KM’s Kavion Byers sparked a 16-0 run as KM ended the quarter up 16-2. The Pats were 7 for 10 inside the arc.
KM continued its offensive onslaught by scoring the next 13 points to go up 29-2. Myles Parks (two steals) and Desmond Noland (three rebounds and a steal) led the run as 10 Pats scored in the first half for a 33-4 lead.
In the third period, the Pats starting five scored six quick points before going to the role players. Carlos Boyce, Amir Parker and Gomez rounded out the lead to 39-4 heading into the fourth quarter.
During the fourth period the visitors finished on a 13-3 run as eight Patriots finished off the scoring. Jaden Byrd hit the only three of the night. Mani Andeson had two points and two assists during the run for the final score of 56-7.
Kavion Byers scored 10 points on four for six shooting and also had five rebounds and three steals.
Carlos Boyce had seven points on 3 for 4 shooting to go with four boards and two steals.
Bryce Wilson had six points on 3 for 4 shooting and also had three rebounds and two assists. Jaden Byrd scored five points, King Moore four, Amir Parker four points on 2 for 2 shooting, Myles Parks four points on 2 for 2 shooting, four boards, three assists and one blocked shot; Antonio Gomez four points, four rebounds, three assists and four steals; Aja Fagon four points, Mani Anderson two points, three assists and two steals, and Elijah Long two points.
KM shot 25 for 45 from inside the arc, had a season high 15 assists and 18 steals, and 33 rebounds. All 12 KM players scored and reserves scored 33 points.
Offensive Player of the Week was King Moore with 16 points on five for five shooting, and four steals.
Defensive Player of the Week was Myles Park with six points on three for three shooting, four rebounds, three assists, three steals and a blocked shot; and Kavion Byers with 12 points on 5 for 8 shooting, 10 rebounds, five steals and a blocked shot.
Sixth Men of the Week were Ajay Fagan with six points and three rebounds; Desmond Nolan with four points, five rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots; and Mani Anderson with two points, two boards, three assists and two steals.
“We had a total team effort with all 11 players contributing,” said Coach Cole. “We are starting to come together.”
KM was 3-0 and in first place in the East Division and 4-1 overall heading into this week’s game.
Making its season debut, the KM fifth quarter team won 11-2. Leading the way was King McClain with five points on two for three shooting and two steals. Bryce Wilson had four points and six rebounds, TJ Dawkins scored two points and Kherian Little and Michael Rice played solid defense. The team hit five of 10 shots inside the arc.

Kings Mountain shines in Polar Bear Meet
 

Kings Mountain High’s track and field teams delivered dominant performances in the 2025 KM Polar Bear Meet Wednesday.
Competing against Ashbrook, Burns, Davidson Day and Hunter Huss, both the KM men’s and women’s teams showcased their strength and determination despite less than ideal weather conditions.
The Lady Mountaineers had a tremendous day, securing nine first place finishes, six second places and achieving several personal records from six individuals.
Alanna Snelson was a standout, contributing an amazing 28 points. She earned top spots in the pole vault and high jump and was second in the shot put.
Jaylee Woodward finished first in the 55 meter hurdles with a personal record, second in the long jump with a personal record, and third in the high jump. She totaled 24 points.
Sarah Eagle finished first in the 3200 meters, 1600 meters and as part of the 4x800 relay team, earning 22.5 points.
The Lady Mountaineers decisively outpaced their competition with a final team score of 166 points. Ashbrook finished with 53, Burns 38, and Davidson Day and Hunter Huss did not score.
The KM men dominated as well with 132 points. Ashbrook finished with 71, Huss 34, Davidson Day 33 and Burns 13.
Reigning 3A state 800 meter champion Max Thompson and two other Mountaineer standouts, Isiah Watts and David Johnson, were competing in the VA Showcase in Virginia Beach over the weekend. The next scheduled meet is February 1 when the Mountaineers will compete in Polk County High’s WNC championship.
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ALWS Bat Kids wanted for 2025

By Loretta Cozart

Get ready to step up to the plate! The American Legion World Series Executive Committee is on the hunt for awesome kids to be the official bat boys and bat girls for the 2025 ALWS! If you’re between the ages of 10 and 12 as of August 1, 2025, this is your chance to shine! Don’t strike out—make sure to get your application in by April 15, 2025!
   All applicants are required to play in an organized baseball or softball program for the 2025 season. (Little League, Dixie, City Parks, and Recreation program). Bat kids are determined by a live drawing held on Veterans Field at Keeter Stadium during the Wake Forest vs Appalachian State game on April 29, 2025. There are a total of 16 bat kids and 2-4 alternates drawn for these prestigious roles. (The Executive Committee reserves the right to appoint two bat kids before the drawing) Bat kids can apply and serve for multiple years if their name is selected, provided they fulfill the age and application criteria.
The American Legion World Series action happens August 14-19, 2025, at Keeter Stadium, located on the Shelby High School campus. Bat kids play a crucial role in supporting the players and coaches. Some of their duties involve:
• Retrieving bats left in the dugout or on the field
• Collecting arm and shin guards dropped by batters
• Participating in team pregame warm-ups as directed by the coach
 Being a bat kid is an honor. With this honor comes big responsibility and a huge time commitment. The fun kicks off Sunday before the games begin and continues through the series end. Out-of-town families are required to send proof of hotel accommodation during the series to ensure availability for participation. Two Bat Kids are assigned to each team and will remain with that team throughout their team’s eligibility. (Each team is guaranteed at least three games).
There is no application process for Shaggers.  Shaggers are typically boys and girls 13 years old or older as of August 1, 2025, who have previously served as bat kids and have demonstrated exemplary skills/knowledge/leadership and safety awareness of being on the baseball diamond. Shaggers are selected by committee and are contacted separately from the applicants for bat kids.
Jean and Chris Horne coordinate the bat kids and shaggers each year. Jean Horne says their experience is as memorable as the experiences of the boys and girls. “The players become like big brothers to some of the bat boys/girls and continue their friendship even after the World Series, through social media. We hope some of these players will make it to the big leagues and that many of the bat kids’ dreams will be realized as well.”
The application for bat kids can be found on the ALWS website, www.alws.us, and on the ALWS Facebook page. Questions can be directed to the ALWS office at 704-466-3103. (9:00 AM – 5:00 PM weekdays)

Mountaineers
beat East,
lose to Gaston Day

Kings Mountain’s Mountaineers split their first two games in their annual Holiday Tournament and were scheduled to take on Palisades in the final round Monday.
The Mountaineers defeated East Rutherford 75-24 in the opening round before falling to Gaston Day 66-59.
Kee’donn Linney led the scoring against East Rutherford with 20 points. Ethan Daniel added 14.
J’Mun Huskey scored 17 and Linney 13 in the loss to Gaston Day. Braylen Todd led the winners with 18.
The Mountaineers will resume regular season play at Shelby on Friday. They begin Big South 3A Conference play at Ashbrook on January 7 and will host Hunter Huss on January 10.

 

Mountaineers fall to Robinson,
end season with a 9-3 record

 
J.M. Robinson scored on its opening possession and rolled to a 41-14 victory over Kings Mountain in the second round of the state 3A playoffs Friday night at Robinson.
The loss ended Kings Mountain’s season with a 9-3 record. The Mountaineers were Big South 3A Conference co-champions with the South Point Red Raiders who also fell out of the playoffs last week with their second loss of the year to Gastonia Ashbrook.
Robinson returned a fumble for another TD to go up 13-0 after the first period, then scored again twice more in the second quarter for a 27-0 halftime lead.
The Mountaineers got a touchdown reception by Tex Vaughn to cut the margin to 27-7 with just over a minute left in the third period.
Eli Lipscomb caught a TD pass for a 22-yard TD to cut the margin to 27-14 but Robinson scored twice more to put the win in the bag.
Robinson advances against a powerful Greensboro Dudley team this week. Ashbrook and Crest will continue as the only BSC teams still in the running for a state crown.
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Carter Roberts has signed to play baseball with North Carolina A&T. Pictured front row L-R: Mandy Roberts (mother), Carter Roberts, Rickson Roberts (father). Back row L-R: Trey Robinson (Asst. Principal), Wil Sellers (KM Coach), Hudson Roberts (brother) and Matt Bridges (Athletic Director).

Roberts signs to play with NC A&T

Carter Roberts has signed to play baseball with North Carolina A&T. Pictured front row L-R: Mandy Roberts (mother), Carter Roberts, Rickson Roberts (father).  Back row L-R: Trey Robinson (Asst. Principal), Wil Sellers (KM Coach), Hudson Roberts (brother) and Matt Bridges (Athletic Director).
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KMHS head coach Strait Herron talks to his players after a big win over East Lincoln Friday night at Gamble Stadium in the opening round of the NCHSAA 3A playoffs. Kings Mountain travels to Jay M. Robinson Friday for a tough second round match. Photo by Charlie Smith

Kings Mountain advances with win over East Lincoln,
travels Friday to face a super talented Jay M. Robinson

Kings Mountain’s Mountaineers cleared their first hurdle in the NCHSAA 3A football playoffs Friday night at John Gamble Stadium, defeating East Lincoln’s Mustangs 38-28 but they will face a much bigger challenge Friday night when they travel to Jay M. Robinson for a 7 p.m. second round contest.
The Mountaineers trailed the Mustangs for most of the first half last week but scored on a Josiah Hill touchdown and Matt Rhom PAT with 20 seconds left in the second quarter to tie things up at 21-21.
The Mountaineers added two TDS in the third period to open a 35-21 lead that the Mustangs couldn’t overcome.
“It was a big win against a good team,” noted Coach Strait Herron. “I’m really proud of our players. We made some defensive mistakes early. We had to play four quarters and I was really pleased with our players. We lost our defensive end Semaj Odems in practice last week with a broken leg. That hurt us and will hurt us down the road. It was a good win even without him and I am proud of our effort.”
The visitors took a 7-0 lead on their first possession after stopping the Mountaineers at the East 17 yard line. A steady dose of running by Chris Daley, who gained 32 yards in six carries, set up an eight-yard pass reception by Jaxon Dollar at the 3:33 mark of the first period.
Kings Mountain took advantage of two pass interference penalties and got a 15-yard touchdown pass from TJ Armstrong to Josiah Hill, followed by a Matt Rhom PAT, to tie the score at 7-all.
That score stood until the end of the first period but the visitors scored again on a touchdown reception by Jalen Fletcher-McClain to go back up 14-7.
William Vaughn returned the ensuing kickoff to the KM 42 and eight plays later Armstrong scored from two yards out and Rhom added another PAT to tie things up at 14-all. After a change of possession the Mustangs scored with 1:10 left in the half on a reception by Javon Dollar for a 21-14 lead.
Kings Mountain answered quickly, though, driving 63 yards to tie the game on a 13-yard reception by Hill and Rhom’s point after with 20 seconds left in the half. Along the way Vaughn caught three passes for 19 yards, Jayden Gash one for two, Antonio Armstrong one for 24 and Josiah Hill one for 13 and the TD. Rhom’s PAT sent the teams to the halftime break at 21-all.
Kings Mountain’s defense came up big in the second half and so did the offense. After the D held the visitors to a three and out to open the third period, the Mountaineers drove 74 yards and ate more than 10 minutes off the clock to take the lead for good at 28-21 on a five-yard run by Armstrong. Hill had an 11-yard run and freshman Xavier Hutchens had a big catch for 14 yards to get things going. Hill would carry the ball seven times for 40 yards, Gash carried twice for 16 yards and Armstrong went the final five yards for the TD. Rhom added the PAT.
KM’s defense got some big stops from Eli Lipscomb, Jayden Gash and others and the visitors had to punt the ball away. The punt went for just five yards and the Mountaineers took over at the East 44. A 32-yard pass reception by Hutchens gave the Mountaineers a first down at the eight yard line and two runs by Hill and Rhom’s PAT put the Mountaineers ahead 35-21 with 14.1 seconds left in the third.
A Lipscomb interception in the end zone at the 10:53 mark of the fourth quarter set up a long KM drive that didn’t end with a touchdown but did take almost six minutes off the fourth quarter clock. Taking over at the 4:19 mark, the Mustangs were able to get off a four-play drive sandwiched around a 15-yard roughing the passer penalty and Beam scored from 27 yards out to cut the margin to 35-28.
Antonio Armstrong recovered an onside kick at the East Lincoln 49 and KM ran the clock down to 1:09 before Rhom came on to kick a 32-yard field goal to end the scoring. Along the way Hill carried the ball four times for 34 yards to set up.
Quarterback sacks by Eli Lipscomb and Lathan Feemster secured the win. Lipscomb would finish with 16 tackles and Feemster 11. Antonio Armstrong came very close to double-digit tackles with nine.
“They had us down 21-14 with 1:10 left in the half and our offense goes seven plays in 50 seconds and tied the game. That gave us momentum going into the second half,” Coach Herron said. “In the second half we got some big plays from freshman Xavier Hutchens who had two big catches (for 46 yards) to keep a drive going and we got a field goal to seal it.”
Hill finished with 182 yards rushing on 22 carries and also caught three passes for 30 yards. Armstrong hit 12 of 22 passes for 115 yards and two TDs.
Herron said the Roberson offense will be a huge challenge for the KM defense.
“Their quarterback is really good and they’ve only had one loss in two years,” he noted. “One of the keys for us will be the defense stepping up and getting stops. Last week we gave up three easy touchdowns. We can’t do that.
“Our offense needs to control the game and get first downs. East Lincoln did give us some problems but our players stuck it out and I’m really proud of them.”

Mountaineers end BSC with win at North,
host East Lincoln Friday in state 3A playoffs

Kings Mountain’s Mountaineers defeated the North Gaston  Wildcats 54-6 Friday night in Dallas to complete their regular season as Big South Conference co-champions with the South Point Red Raiders.
The Mountaineers will begin the 3A state championship playoffs Friday night at home against an old nemesis, East Lincoln, at 7:30 p.m. at John Gamble Stadum.
The Mustangs have been a thorn in the Mountaineers side several times in the past but Coach Strait Herron hopes his troops will come out fired up and ready to put the Mustangs back in the stable.
“East Lincoln came down here and beat us in 2020-21,” Herron recalled. “They’ve got a good team. This is a tough draw for a first round game. They’re 7-3 and a pretty good football team. Their quarterback throws the ball well and they have several good receivers. They’re good on defense, too.
“I just think, number one, we have to have good pass coverage. That’s going to be a big factor.
“This is going to be a good challenge. They have a good receiver who is hard to stop.
“We’ve got to score points and keep the ball away from them.”
The winner of this game will have another tough test next week against the winner of the Robinson and Northeast Guilford game.
“AC Reynolds and Dudley are also in our bracket, so we have a pretty tough road ahead of us,” Herron said. “But we’ve got to get this one first. East Lincoln is very good. It’s not like you’re the home team when you play a team like them in the first round.”
Kings Mountain had little trouble with North Gaston last week. The Wildcats have had an outstanding season under new head coach and former KM assistant Darrell Wilson.
“We talked before the game and they had some guys missing so going in we felt pretty good,” Herron said. “We had a game that was tough but all of our starters got us off to a good start and that allowed us to put a lot of other guys in the game.
“TJ Armstrong was 5 of 8 passing for 147 yards and a 26 yard touchdown, and Jayden Gash had four catches for 96 yards and a touchdown.
“In the second half we got good scoring from a lot of other guys. Freshman Cam Houser had nine carries for 53 yards and a touchdown.
“We did some great things,” he added. “Defensively we got off to a good start and we pretty much did what we wanted to do.”
The Mountaineers took charge from the beginning, returning the opening kickoff to the North 48 and scoring in just six plays on a run by Jayden Gash and PAT by Matt Rhom.
They went up 14-0 on their second possession on a Gash TD.
After another North three and out, William Vaughn scored on a 51-yard pass down the left side and it was 21-0.
A partially blocked punt put the Mountaineers on the North 20, and after a holding call Josiah Hill scored to make it 28-0 with still 1:41 left in the first period.
After the kickoff, the Wildcats had a high snap which KM recovered for a 35-0 lead. Another TD, followed by a safety when North snapped a ball over the punter’s head, ran the tally to 44-0 at the 3:25 mark of the second period.
The Wildcats finally got on the board late in the second period and KM scored a TD and field goal in the second half to wrap things up.
The win left the Mountaineers and South Point still in a tie for first place with 6-1 league marks, followed closely by Crest and Ashbrook at 5-2 each.
Heading into Friday’s game, Armstrong has 1,652 yards passing and Hill has 846 rushing. William Vaughn has 831 yards receiving and Jayden Gash 705.
Hill leads the scoring with 132 points and Rhom has 58 points kicking.
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Patriot wrestlers
win opener 78-24

 The Kings Mountain Middle wrestling team opened its season with a 78-24 win over North Lincoln.
 Winning matches for KM were Christian Ward, Ayden Smith, Ezra Barber, Devin Hord, Marvin Moore, Lecrea Toney, Timahzje Phillips, Joziah Montgomery, Hunter Stinchcomb, Brantley Lawson, Kavion Byers, Yazeem Williams, Daniel Martinez, and Jamarion Williams.
 KMMS is 1-0 on the year and will face West Lincoln at home on Thursday!

 

Mountaineer JVs run
the table in BSC with
win over Forestview

Kings Mountain High’s JV football team completed an unbeaten season against Big South Conference teams and finished with a 9-1 overall record with a 14-6 win over the Forestview Jaguars Thursday night at John Gamble Stadium.
It didn’t come easy, though, as the visitors took an early 6-0 lead and played tough the entire game but not good enough to get into the end zone again.
The Jaguars stopped the Mountaineers at their own 32-yard line in the opening series and after a KM punt drove 67 yards to take a 6-0 lead.
After Ivey Ingram returned the ensuing kickoff to the 49-yard line the Mountaineers went on 17-play drive to take a 7-6 lead on a two-yard run off left tackle by Khareem Coleman and an extra point by Refugio Gonzalez. Coleman carried eight times for 34 yards during the drive and AJ Parker caught three passes for 20 yards. That scored held until the second half.
Forestview answered with a decent drive that reached the KM 42 but the Mountaineers’ Silas Tate intercepted a pass to end it.
Kings Mountain had another drive going late in the third quarter but lost a fumble at the Jaguars’ 11 yard line.
The Mountaineer defense wouldn’t budge and took possession on a Jaguar bad snap on a punt attempt at the Jaguars’ 33. The offense was able to make to the Jaguars’ 11 with a first down but fumbled the ball away with 1:05 left in the quarter.
The fourth quarter began with the Jaguars at their own nine. A delay penalty pushed them back to the four and they were forced to punt with 9:36 left on the clock. Silas Tate returned the kick to the Jaguars’ 25 and four plays later KJ Bell hit Ethan Tran with a 28-yard touchdown pass to complete the scoring.
Forestview managed to get back to KM 43 late in the game but a pass interception by Ingram with 30 seconds left wrapped things up.
Kings Mountain’s only loss this year was 14-8 to 4A Cox Mill in the second game of the season. The Mountaineers swept their Cleveland County non-conference opponents (Shelby 39-12 and Burns 28-0) and their BSC opponents Huss 26-6, North Gaston 40-0, South Point 7-0, Cramer 38-6, Crest 23-6 and Forestview 14-6.

KMHS Winter Sports

WRESTLING

NOVEMBER
13 – Vs. Olympic, Mountain Island and West Charlotte at Olympic. (Time TBA).
16 – Plowboy Individual at Chase, begins at 9:30 (14 teams, individual opponents TBD).
19 – at Shelby vs. Shelby, East Burke, and Lincoln Charter. (Times TBD).
23 – at Bandys 8-team tournament, matches and times (begin at 9 a.m.
27 – Tri-County Invittional at Ashbrook, (18 teams).

DECEMBER
 3- KM quads (Teams TBD).
13 and 14 – at Newton Conover (10 teams).
23 – at Reindeer Rumble in Lincolnton, begins at 9:30.
JANUARY
 3-4 – at Bear Cat Brawl Invitational at Rock Hill (numerous teams involved).
8 – Mt. Pleasant at KM
 10 – at North Gaston
17 – at North Gaston vs. North Gaston, Huss, South Point and Ashbrook.
22 – BSC quads at Stuart Cramer
25 – BSC tournament (site TBD).

FEBRUARY
1 – 1st and 2nd founds of  dual team tournament, site TBD.
5 – 3rd and 4th rounds of dual team tournament.
8 – Dual team state tournament, site TBD.
14 -15 – 3A West Regionals, TBD.
20, 21, 22 – Individual state tournament, Greensboro Coliseum, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro.

BASKETBALL
(All games begin at 4:30 for JVs followed by varsity girls and boys unless otherwise noted).

DECEMBER
3 – at  Cox Mill (JV and varsity)
6 – Lincolnton
7 – Clover (girls only), time TBD
9 – Burns
11 – Shelby
13 – South Point
14 – vs. Bandys at Maiden (varsity boys only).
19 – at Stuart Cramer
26 – 28 - at Freedom Christmas tourney (varsity girls only).
27, 28 & 30 – Mountaineer Classic (varsity boys only).

JANUARY
3 – at Shelby
7 – at Ashbrook
8 – at Carson (Varsity girls only).
10 – Hunter Huss
14 – North Gaston
17 – Forestview
21 – at Crest
24 – at South Point.
28 – Stuart Cramer
29 – at Burns (boys only).
31 – Ashbrook

FEBRUARY
4 – AT Huss
7 – at North Gaston
11 – at Forestview
14 – Crest (Senior Night).
25 – 1st round playoffs (TBA)
28 – 2nd round playoffs TBA)
MARCH
4 – 3RD round playoffs (TBA)
7 – 4th round playoffs (TBA).
10-13 – Western Regional playoffs (TBD).
14-15 – State championship (TBD).


SWIMMING

NOVEMBER
14 – North Gaston, South Point and Crest at KM
21 – Cramer, Highland Tech and Crest at KM.
DECEMBER
5 – Huss, Ashbrook and Crest at KM.
JANUARY
7 – Cleveland County championship, site TBD
9 – Forestview and East Gaston at KM.
FEBRUARY
1 – Regionals at Mecklenburg Aquatic Center.
6 – State championship in Cary
INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
DECEMBER
7 – Cool Wave Kickoff in Gastonia, Time TBA.
13 - at Northwest Cabarrus Invitational, Winston-Salem.
JANUARY
11 – at Polk County Polar Bear Meet, begins at 4 p.m.
15 – KM Polar Bear Meet, 4 p.m.
25 – at WNC championship for field events, 10 a.m. at Tryon Equestrian Center in Mill Springs.
27 – at WNC championship for running events, at Polk County High in Columbus, NC.
FEBRUARY
14-15 – 3A Indoor championship, teams TBA.
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JV Mountaineers
beat Crest,
host Forestview Wednesday

Kings Mountain High’s JV Mountaineers can run the table in the Big South 3A Conference when they host the Forestview Jaguars in their regular season finale at 7 p.m. tonight at John Gamble Stadium.
The Mountaineers overcame a 20-7 deficit after Crest scored its final touchdown by L.C. Bradley with 7:14 left in the third quarter.
Silas Tate returned the Crest kickoff to the Mountaineers’ 37 and Xavier Hutchens ran the ball twice for a first down at the Chargers’ 47. A holding penalty set the Mountaineers back to their own 43 but on third and 20 Hutchens scored on a 43-yard pass reception and Khareem Coleman ran a two-point conversion to cut the margin to 20-15.
Kings Mountain’s defense then began taking control of the game and held the Crest offense to three and out. After Crest punted KM took over at the Chargers’ 40 with 2:09 left on the third period clock. Two runs by Coleman and a 9-yard run by Houser for a first down at the Crest 27 sparked a drive that ended with KJ Bell’s touchdown and two-point conversion reception to give the Mountaineers a 23-20 lead with 9:48 left in the game.
The Mountaineer defense had the Chargers backed up to their own 19 yard line facing a fourth and six. Their punter shanked his kick out of bounds at the KM 30 with 6:25 left on the clock and the Mountaineers were able to run all but 2:51 off the clock before turning the ball over.
Again, the KM defense came up big and Crest was forced to try a fourth down pass from its own 33 with 1:17 left.  The Mountaineers sacked the Chargers’ quarterback at the Crest 24. Crest had already used up all of its timeouts so the Mountaineers took a knee three times to end the game.
Before the late heroics the Mountaineers drove the opening kickoff 68 yards16 plays to basically eat up the first quarter clock. Khareem Coleman scored from a yard out at with 46.4 seconds on the clock and Refugio Gonzalez added the point-after for a 7-0 lead.
Crest answered with a 78-yard, 13-yard drive to tie the score at 7-all on a five-yard keeper by QB Malachi Gamble.
KM’s second half kickoff went out of bounds and Crest took over at its own 35. Gamble immediately circled left end and the Chargers went up 14-7.
The Mountaineers couldn’t get anything going and had to punt from their own 25 and the Chargers took possession at their own 48. On first down, QB CJ Bradley circled left end and went the distance to  the Chargers were up 20-7. That would be the last time they hit paydirt.
Silas Tate returned the ensuing kickoff to the KM 37. Two carries by Hutchens put the Mountaineers at Crest 47. After a penalty, the Mountaineers faced third and 20 from their own 43 but Bell found Hutchens wide open for a 57-yard touchdown. Coleman added a two-point conversion to give the Mountaineers a 20-15 lead that they wouldn’t relinquish.