Here is the schedule for tryouts for Kings Mountain Middle School sports for the fall 2021 season. In order to participate, you must have an up to date physical. Golf – Tryouts August 25-27 at 3:30 p.m. at Kings Mountain County Club. Softball – Tryouts August 23-25 from 3-5 p.m. Boys soccer – Workouts August 16-20 from 3-4:30 p.m. Tryouts August 23-25 from 3-4:30 p.m. Football mini camp – August 2-5. First official practice is August 9. Cross country – Tryouts/practice August 30 from 3-4:15 p.m.
Volleyball scrimmage Saturday at KMHS
Kings Mountain High volleyball fans can get a first look at their 2021 Lady Mountaineers when they host their annual all-day scrimmage Saturday from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Games will be played in Donald L. Parker Gymnasium and the mini gym. Admission is $5. All of the KMHS games will be in Parker Gym. Some of the visiting teams include Shelby, Cherryville, Ashbrook, North Henderson, Highland, South Point, RS Central and East Rutherford. KM’s games will be during the afternoon session (12:30-4 pm). Coach Heather Pasour will take her ladies to North Henderson Thursday, Aug. 12 for another multi-team scrimmage before opening regular season action Tuesday, Aug. 16 at home against Highland. The Lady Mountaineers are the defending Big South 3A Conference champions and have their sights set on a repeat.
Mountaineers put on pads today, go full contact Monday
High school football practice will get serious today as teams in North Carolina begin heavy practice in preparation for the 2021 fall season that begins August 19-20. For the first time in many years Kings Mountain’s Mountaineers will begin their season against arch-rival Shelby. Those two teams have the longest rivalry in the state dating back to the early 1920s. The JV Mountaineers will be traveling to Shelby on Thursday, Aug. 19 for a 7 p.m. game. The varsity Mountaineers will host the Lions on Friday, Aug. 20 at 7:30 at John Gamble Stadium. The JV schedule will probably see some changes because many schools on their schedule will probably be dropping JV games because of low player turnouts. North Carolina teams began official pre-season practice Monday with light drills in helmets only. They can put on pads today and go to full contact drills next Monday. The Mountaineers have non-conference games against Shelby, Asheville and Burns and will have a bye on September 9 and 10 before beginning Big South 3A Conference play against Hunter Huss on September 16 and 17. The Mountaineers had a mini-camp last week where they broke off in groups and simulated some plays. While most teams’ turnouts have been low so far this summer because of COVID, on most days Kings Mountain has had a turnout of about 75 to 80 JV and varsity players. The varsity lost 20 seniors from last spring’s team including many that will be freshmen on college teams this fall. The Mountaineers will be working hard in the next few weeks to settle on a starting lineup. Some of the returning starters include running back Caleb Holland, defensive back/wide receiver Jake Lloyd, junior linebacker AJ Richardson, defensive back Robert Kendrick, kickers Jaden Ellis and Hunter Whisnant, defensive lineman Jason Feemster, and lineman Tykel Smith whose fumble recovery in the end zone clinched the Mountaineers’ second straight victory over arch rival Shelby.
Coach Ted Trahan oversees conditioning
Coach Lineberger keeps close eye on his men
Coach Williams keeps close eye on players
David Caldwell, the Cleveland County area’s Broad Riverkeeper, preparing to canoe one of the
rivers in his area. (photos provided)
Mountaineers get loose during conditioning last week
Coach Wilson directs defensive linemen
Kickers split the uprights
Recent Kings Mountain High graduate Javari Rice-Wilson has been selected as the North Carolina High School Football Defensive Player of the year and is now in the running for National Player of the Year.
Rice-Wilson in running for National Athlete of Year
Recent Kings Mountain High graduate Javari Rice- Wilson has been named the North Carolina USA Today High School Sports Football Athlete of the Year award winner for the 2021 spring football season and is now in the running for National Player of the Year. He is the first athlete in the 100-plus year history of KMHS sports to be nominated for National Player of the Year. KMHS began playing organized sports in the early 1900s and began playing football in 1922; however, they did not play in 1943 because of World War II. The winner will be announced on the USA Today High School Sports Awards show, hosted by Michael Strahan and Rob Gronkowski, at 8 p.m. EDT Thursday, August 5. The telecast can be watched on any smart device through the USA Today Sports Wire and News Wire channels, available on Roku, Samsung, Amazon Fire and most smart TVs. Viewers can also stream the show on demand on the USA Today High School Sports Awards website or through You Tube. In addition to football, the awards honor national winners in baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, hockey, lacrosse, polo, soccer, softball, swimming/diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball and wrestling. Rice-Wilson was the Defensive Player of the Year in the Big South 3A Conference after leading the Mountaineers with a school record 23 sacks which ranked third in the entire United States. Wilson’s feat is even more impressive in that he did it in nine games as the North Carolina High School Athletic Association trimmed its regular season to just seven games as compared to 11 in the past because of Covid 19. Kings Mountain won the Big South and went two rounds in the state playoffs so Wilson averaged 2.5 sacks per game. In many regular season games, he and other starters left the game shortly after halftime because of big leads. The star defensive end will be continuing his football career this fall at Fordham University in New York City.
KMHS Sports & Band
Kings Mountain High’s cheerleaders are working on their routines for the upcoming football season.
Kings Mountain High band members in the shade of Barnes Auditorium working on some of their music for the upcoming football season.
Kings Mountain High soccer players work out at the soccer field at Kings Mountain Middle School.
Cleveland County Host Softball Team pictured font row, L-R: #33 Sierra Crocker, #4 Alexis Shope, #6 Riley Parker, #19 Maura Pendleton, #1 Makenzie Clark, and #17 Morgan McCurry. Middle row, L-R: #16 Savannah Center, #2 Kamryn Spangler, #3 Sara Warlick, #8 Mackenzie Hayes, #10 Jaylen Ledbetter, #14 Peyton Cook, and #44 Hunter Morgan. Back row, L-R: Assistant Coach Gary Spangler, Assistant Coach Kyle Warlick, Head Coach Thomas Pruett, Assistant Coach Carlie Patterson. Not Pictured: #21 Taylor Black, # 24 Laney Jo Patterson, and #31 Sage McCurry.
Legion Post 82 to host 2021 State Legion Lady fastpitch tournament
The American Legion Post 82 Senior softball team will host the 2021 State Legion Lady Fastpitch Tournament on August 2-4. The tournament features five teams: four regional championship teams from North Carolina and the Shelby host team. The tournament will be held at Crest High School softball field. The Crest Diamond Club and Legionnaires from Post 82 have worked many hours preparing the ballpark for visitors. The stadium received a fresh coat of paint, new crushed brick dust was added to the infield, and the outfield grass was vertical-cut and fertilized. The four out-of-town teams will stay at AmericInn in Boiling Springs. The three-day tournament will feature eight games. The City of Boiling Springs and Boiling Springs Tourism Development Authority are the Platinum Sponsors of the Tournament.
Schedule for tryouts at KM Middle School
Here is the schedule for tryouts for Kings Mountain Middle School sports for the fall 2021 season. In order to participate, you must have an up to date physical. Golf – Tryouts August 25-27 at 3:30 p.m. at Kings Mountain County Club. Softball – Tryouts August 23-25 from 3-5 p.m. Boys soccer – Workouts August 16-20 from 3-4:30 p.m. Tryouts August 23-25 from 3-4:30 p.m. Football camp – August 2-5. First official practice is August 9. Cross country – Tryouts/practice August 30 from 3-4:15 p.m.
Girls tennis tryouts begin Aug. 2 at KMHS
Kings Mountain High School women’s tennis tryouts will take place at the new KMHS tennis complex beginning Monday, August 2 from 5-6:45 p.m. All interested rising freshmen from Kings Mountain Middle School are encouraged to attend. All participants need an up to date physical on file before they can practice. All participants need to take their racquets and appropriate tennis apparel. Contact KMHS tennis coach Rick Henderson at 704-460-8066 or Rick.Henderson2@duke-energy.com for more information, questions or concerns.
Recent Kings Mountain High graduate Chance Cannon will be playing outside linebacker for the West team in tonight’s annual East-West All-Star football game at Greensboro’s Grimsley Stadium. Game time is 8 p.m. Except for last year when the game was cancelled because of COVID 19, the game has been played every July on the final day of the North Carolina High School Coaches Clinics. Many players from past games have gone on to make their marks in college and professional football. The first all-star football game was played in 1949. Coach Bob Jamieson, Director of the NCCA, received the keys to the stadium from the contractor at 4 p.m. on the day of the game. Coach Jamieson then went onto the field at his school and coached the West team against the East’s Leon Brogden, Wilmington’s legendary coach. The football game has featured hundreds of future NCAA Division I stars and many have gone on to successful careers in the NFL. Over 3,400 North Carolina boys have had the chance to wear the royal of the East or the scarlet of the West. Cannon was one of the key players for the Mountaineers in one of their most successful runs in their 99-year history. During the spring 2021 season which was cut to seven regular season games because of the COVID epidemic, he and his teammates went undefeated through the Big South Conference and finished 8-1 overall. Players and coaches to represent KMHS in the East-West Game: 2021 – Chance Cannon 2020 – Quintin Davidson, James Ussery. 2019 – Kaylon Wade, Jeremiah Brown. 2018 – Jerdon Pressley. 2017 – Head coach Greg Lloyd 2017 – Darian McClain 2017 – Cooper Short 2011 – Cedric Thompson 1999 – Julius Curry 1999 – Frank Hopper 1988 – Coach Dennis Hicks 1986 – Edwin Sherer 1980 – Kevin Mack 1973- Mark George 1967 – Coach Bill Bates 1965 – Hubert McGinnis
Football mini-camp will be held at KMHS
Kings Mountain High football coaches will be holding a mini-camp Monday through Thursday July 26-29 from 5:30-8 p.m. for all persons interested in playing football for the Mountaineers this fall.
KMHS football will be streamed
Kings Mountain High School and the Kings Mountain Touchdown Club will continue to stream games this upcoming football season. The streaming began last year due to limited COVID attendance and was a huge success for people who could not watch the game because of health, age, etc. David Brinkley, president of the Touchdown Club, noted that the first several games were a test and after purchasing a new camera the quality was substantially better the rest of the year. “Overall, we had tremendous success in households watching the games,” he said. “We had upwards of 1,000 households watching every Friday night. With that success, our sponsors had broad exposure to advertise their business along with our supporters who also participated financially in this endeavor.” Because the streaming reached so many people, especially those who are unable to personally attend games, Brinkley said the KMTD decided to continue the streaming this season and is asking for sponsors. Sponsorships for individuals and businesses are as follows: Title sponsor - $2,000 (two available), includes all packages listed below. Bug sponsor - $500 (no limit on availability), includes electronic logo display on a 15-second rotation. Coaches show - $1,000 (5 available) includes Bug, Tuesday night interviews after the previous game with Coach Lloyd and players. Pregame show - $1,000 (five available) includes Bug, Pregame interviews with Coach Lloyd. Halftime show - $1,000 (one available) includes Bug, recap of the first half and coverage of special events. Scoreboard - $1,000 (one available) includes Bug, local games scores updated during the KM game. Players of the Game - $2,500 (one available), includes Bug, local games scores, updated during KM game (offensive, defensive and special teams player of the game). Donations – Donate based on ticket prices. Example: tickets are $7 x 3 fans = $21 x 7 games = $147. Make your tax deductible checks payble to KMTD, PO Box 2017, Kings Mountain, NC 28086. Payment is due before August 1. All of the money raised will be used for KMHS athletics. For more information call David Brinkley at 704-739-4689.
Women’s tennis tryouts at KMHS
Kings Mountain High School women’s tennis tryouts will take place at the new KMHS tennis complex beginning Monday, August 2 from 5-6:45 p.m. All interested rising freshmen from Kings Mountain Middle School are encouraged to attend. All participants need an up to date physical on file before they can practice. All participants need to take their racquets and appropriate tennis apparel. Contact KMHS tennis coach Rick Henderson at 704-460-8066 or Rick.Henderson2@duke-energy.com for more information, questions or concerns.
Schedule for tryouts at KM Middle School
Here is the schedule for tryouts for Kings Mountain Middle School sports for the fall 2021 season. In order to participate, you must have an up to date physical. Golf – Tryouts Augsut 25-27 at 3:30 p.m. at Kings Mountain County Club. Softball – Tryouts August 23-25 from 3-5 p.m. Boys soccer – Workouts August 16-20 from 3-4:30 p.m. Tryouts August 23-25 from 3-4:30 p.m. Football mini camp – August 2-5. First official practice is August 9. Cross country – Tryouts/practice August 30 from 3-4:15 p.m.
KMHSfootball will bestreamed
Kings Mountain High School and the Kings Mountain Touchdown Club will continue to stream games this upcoming football season. The streaming began last year due to limited COVID attendance and was a huge success for people who could not watch the game because of health, age, etc. David Brinkley, president of the Touchdown Club, noted that the first several games were a test and after purchasing a new camera the quality was substantially better the rest of the year. “Overall, we had tremendous success in households watching the games,” he said. “We had upwards of 1,000 households watching every Friday night. With that success, our sponsors had broad exposure to advertise their business along with our supporters who also participated financially in this endeavor.” Because the streaming reached so many people, especially those who are unable to personally attend games, Brinkley said the KMTD decided to continue the streaming this season and is asking for sponsors. Sponsorships for individuals and businesses are as follows: Title sponsor - $2,000 (two available), includes all packages listed below. Bug sponsor - $500 (no limit on availability), includes electronic logo display on a 15-second rotation. Coaches show - $1,000 (5 available) includes Bug, Tuesday night interviews after the previous game with Coach Lloyd and players. Pregame show - $1,000 (five available) includes Bug, Pregame interviews with Coach Lloyd. Halftime show - $1,000 (one available) includes Bug, recap of the first half and coverage of special events. Scoreboard - $1,000 (one available) includes Bug, local games scores updated during the KM game. Players of the Game - $2,500 (one available), includes Bug, local games scores, updated during KM game (offensive, defensive and special teams player of the game). Donations – Donate based on ticket prices. Example: tickets are $7 x 3 fans = $21 x 7 games = $147. Make your tax deductible checks payble to KMTD, PO Box 2017, Kings Mountain, NC 28086. Payment is due before August 1. All of the money raised will be used for KMHS athletics. For more information call David Brinkley at 704-739-4689.
TRACK TROPHY WINNERS
Front row Alexis Jackson, Big South Field MVP and all-conference in high jump and triple jump. Back left to right, Thalia Kushman, 1600m and 4x800; Parker Wilson, 4x800, Neveah Brown, track MVP, All-Conference in 4x100; Nyardin Phillips 4x100, Janiya Hunt, 4x100 and Taylor Smith, Coach’s Award. Not pictured Bailey Ledford, pole vault; Rayna Brown, pole vault; Divinity Ervin 3200m and 4x800, Ashley Gural 4x800, Leilani Clark 4x100, Jailen Moore shot put.
MORE TROPHY WINNERS
Left to right, Dwayne Black, 100, 4x100 and 4x200; Jaden Fields, 4x100, 4x200 and Coach’s Award; Titus Phillips, Big South and West Regional Field MVP, State Champion in the long jump and All-Conference in long jump, triple jump and high jump; Marcus Odums, Team MVP field and All-Conference in long jump and triple jump; Jaylen Mims, Big Souith MVP in track and All-Conference in 100m, 200m, 4x100 and 4x200m; Jeramie Thurman team MVP track and All-Conference in 4x100 and 4x200m. Not pictured, Dillon Messenger, pole vault, and Ethan Capps, pole vault; Dameon Wilson discus, and Andrea Willis 110 high hurdles and 300m hurdles.
Lady Mountaineer basketball star Trina Hamrick to be inducted into Kings Mountain Hall of Fame
Trina Hamrick had no intentions of playing basketball when she entered Kings Mountain Junior High School in 1980. But seeing how tall she was, coaches Candy Albergine and Becky Summit took an immediate interest in her. “They were my P.E. teachers and asked me to come out for the basketball team,” Hamrick recalled. “I went out not so much for the fun of playing, I just wanted to go to the games. I had no clue I would ever be successful with it. I couldn’t even do a lay-up. But they worked with me and I ended up really loving the game. They were excellent coaches.” Hamrick was so successful in basketball, she is the third-leading scorer in KMHS history and her 1,160 points came in just three years as the high school back then was 10th through 12th grades. Her career point total is third best in school history behind Shonda Cole’s 1,326 and Tameeka Anderson’s 1,235 and they were four-year varsity players. “At first, I didn’t like basketball,” Hamrick recalled recently while taking a break in her hair salon in Kings Mountain. “Coach Albergine and Coach Summitt made us run suicides ‘til it just tired us out. But, after they worked with me and saw that I could play the game I fell in love with it. They’d make us run suicides if we missed a foul shot or lay-up, and it paid off.” Hamrick was an instant success at KMHS where she played for David Brinkley and Nancy Scoggins. Hamrick and her teammates led Scoggins’ 1983 team to the Southwestern Conference championship, the school’s first in the “modern” era. She averaged 21 points and 10 rebounds per game. “Nancy Scoggins was a really, really good coach,” Hamrick recalled. “She made us do a lot of pushups but it paid off because we won the conference. We had some awesome coaches in David Brinkley and Nancy Scoggins.” The ’83 team finished with a 22-5 record, one of the school’s best-ever in girls basketball. She was named the Conference Player of the Year and was KM’s first female basketball player selected for the prestigious North Carolina East-West All-Star game. She scored 70 points in three games in the SWC tournament and had a season high 31 points in a Christmas tournament win over West Mecklenburg. But, probably her most memorable moment was when the Lady Mountaineers’ game with East Rutherford was stopped after she scored her 1,000th career point and Scoggins presented her with the game ball. The team had a big party afterward. “When they stopped the game I had no idea what they were doing,” she noted. “I saw my mom and dad in the gym and wondered what was going on. Then they announced it and gave me the game ball, and I just thought ‘wow, this started as fun and ended a blessing.’” Hamrick had numerous offers from colleges, but she loved cosmetology and that was her life’s dream. It has continued to be for years as she owns a beauty salon in downtown Kings Mountain and is a teacher and consultant for a beauty college in Charlotte. “I knew that’s what I wanted to do and it has given me a good life,” she said. “I took cosmetology three hours a day in high school under the late Vivian Whitworth; now I’m walking in my calling.” Basketball’s still in her blood, but as a fan watching her granddaughters play in Gaston County. “My memories of high school are still there, though,” she said. “Crest and Shelby were always our big rivals. It felt like when it came to Shelby we got intimidated. Shelby had some bullies. They had three on me elbowing me all night. That was the first game I ever cursed. Jimmy Curry was in the stands and he told me afterward, ‘Trina, you cursed.’ I’ve never been one to curse but they were bullies and I got intimidated.” She credited Mrs. Whitworth, her coaches, and teachers Eugene Bumgardner and Steve Baker for encouraging her. Hamrick said except for some recreation league softball, she hasn’t actively participated in sports since high school. “I worked two jobs for 11 years, at my shop and in cosmetology education in Charlotte,” she noted. “Now I’m a career planning specialist and plan to move to Belmont soon to be closer to my work. “Life has been good to me,” she said. “COVID came along and I had double pneumonia and was in ICU for five days and in the hospital for 10. It was a sad situation. The doctors didn’t think I would make it, but God…” After that, Hamrick said she had to re-think her life. “I sold my home in Grover and got rid of some responsibilities I didn’t need,” she said. “I just wanted life, peace, happiness and to be free. God has given that to me. I am in a good place.” She said being selected unanimously for the Hall of Fame is a blessing. “I want to thank everybody that believed in me,” she said. “I greatly appreciate this honor. It is a great feeling to be thought of in that manner. I am ecstatic.
Trina Hamrick, leading scorer on KMHS’s championship 1983 girls basketball team, now a successful businesswoman in Kings Mountain and Charlotte.
Trina Hamrick’s parents look on as their daughter accepts the game ball from head coach Nancy Scoggins after Trina scored her 1,000th career point in a game against East Rutherford in 1983 at Donald L. Parker Gymnasium.
Trina Hamrick was also an All-Southwestern 3A Conference volleyball player for the Lady Mountaineers.
Touchdown Club golf tournament set for Aug. 13 at KMCC
The 14th annual Kings Mountain Touchdown Club golf tournament will be held Friday, August 13 at Kings Mountain Country Club. It is a four-person Captain’s Choice and is limited to the first 30 registered teams. There is a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. Entry fee is $70 per player and includes one mulligan per player, one red tea per player and one string per team on hole 15. There will be prizes for closest to the pin on all four par 3 holes; and longest drive for men, women and seniors on #2. The tournament will be flighted at the end with first place prizes in each flight. Entry forms and checks should be made out to KM Touchdown Club and mailed to PO Box 2017, Kings Mountain, NC 28086 by July 31. Sponsorships are also available for individuals, businesses and industry. A diamond sponsowrship is $1,000, platinum $500, gold $250 and silver $100. Make checks payable to KM Touchdown Club and mail to the above address. There will also be an online raffle. Details will be available soon.
Crest nips Mountaineers 5-4 for BSC championship
Crest scored in the bottom of the seventh inning to edge Kings Mountain 5-4 Thursday night at Crest to complete an undefeated regular season and nail down the Big South Conference championship. A win by the Mountaineers would have given them a share of the top spot. KM’s only other BSC loss this year was a 3-2 decision to the Chargers. Zane Brockman went the distance for the Mountaineers, allowing just four hits and fanning 10. Two of the Chargers’ hits were home runs. Tucker McSwain and Colby Humphries shared pitching duties for the Chargers. Brockman led the KM plate attack with 3-for-3. Jacob Hamrick was 2-for-3 and Caleb Broome, AJ Wylie, Boone Cartee, Peyton Fisher and Charlie Melton added a hit apiece. Kings Mountain left eight men on base.
Zane Brockman handled the pitching duties for the Mountaineers in their final conference showdown at Crest.
Cole Irby battles Crest pitching in last week’s first place showdown at Crest.
Kings Mountain High’s senior baseball players for 2021. Left to right, Dalton Gunter, Chris Ruffalo, Parker Richards, Jaxson Bolin, AJ Wylie, Boone Cartee, Devin Pressley and Trey Crawford. Photo by Gary Smart
KMHS Senior Baseball Players for 2021
Kings Mountain High’s senior baseball players for 2021. Left to right, Dalton Gunter, Chris Ruffalo, Parker Richards, Jaxson Bolin, AJ Wylie, Boone Cartee, Devin Pressley and Trey Crawford. Photo by Gary Smart
Wilson, Hamrick, Deaton selected for Hall of Fame
The Kings Mountain Sports Hall of Fame will have a two-year induction ceremony Saturday, Oct. 16 at Central United Methodist Church. The 2020 ceremony had to be postponed because of the corona virus, and it will be held with the 2021 ceremony. After that the Hall of Fame committee will begin planning the 2022 event which hopefully will be held next May. The 2021 inductees include professional baseball player Will Wilson, former KMHS basketball star Trina Hamrick and the man who is probably the winningest coach in Kings Mountain sports history, Monty Deaton. Deaton currently serves as golf and girls basketball coach at Kings Mountain Middle School but he has also coached in the city youth leagues and is a former head football coach at Kings Mountain Middle. Wilson was all-star baseball player for the Kings Mountain Mountaineers and was an All-American at NC State University. He is currently playing pro baseball in the San Francisco Giants organization. Hamrick was a standout basketball player at KMHS where she led the Lady Mountaineers to their first modern day conference championship in 1983 and was KM’s first female to make the East-West All-Star game. The Hall of Fame 2020 class, originally announced more than a year ago, includes Joseph Bell, Marquiz Williamson, Jim Medlin, Tim Riddle, David Ray Robinson, Diane Williams and the 1999 KMHS boys track team that won every regular season meet and finished second in the state 3A meet. Johnny Gamble, longtime coach in Kings Mountain youth leagues and currently head JV baseball coach at KMHS, will receive the 2020 Distinguished Service Award. Julie Rikard, retiring principal of Kings Mountain High School, will receive the 2021 Distinguished Service Award.
Will Wilson, KM’s highest-ever draft pick, to be inducted into KM Sports Hall of Fame
Former Kings Mountain High and NC State baseball great Will Wilson, now making his mark in professional baseball in the San Francisco Giants organization, will be inducted into the Kings Mountain Sports Hall of Fame Saturday, Oct. 16 at Central United Methodist Church. The other inductees for the 2021 class are Trina Hamrick Kimble, former basketball star at KMHS, and Monty Deaton, former KMHS standout and KM’s all-time winningest coach in school sports. Wilson is one of many former Mountaineers to play in the professional ranks. He hopes to be the second joining the late Jake Early, an all-star catcher for the Washington Senators in the 1930s and ‘40s, to make it to the major leagues. Wilson is KM’s highest-ever major league draft pick, going 15th in the 2019 draft. He was an All-American all three seasons at NC State. He graduated after his junior year. He played second base as a freshman and shortstop as a sophomore and junior, helping lead the Wolfpack to three great seasons. He mostly plays shortstop in the pros, but plays second base one game every two weeks. At the time of this writing, he had played in 71 games including 46 his rookie year of ’19 and 25 this season. His career stats at that time included 41 runs, 80 hits, 137 total bases, 19 doubles, four triples, 10 home runs, 32 RBI and a .281 batting average. He has been a winner at every level. His parent club now, the Giants, are leading their division and are considered to be a strong threat for the National League pennant. Looking back over his career, Wilson said he was fortunate to play on good teams with good coaches. “My favorite year at Kings Mountain was my senior year when we made a playoff run,” he noted. “We made it to the third round of the state 3A tournament. That was fun to be a part of. It was a special team.” Unfortunately, the Mountaineers did not win a conference championship during that time, always finishing second to a very good Crest team. Nothing’s changed since as the Chargers are still the team to beat every year in the Big South Conference. His tradition of playing with winners continued in college. “We had a really talented ball team at NC State,” he noted, going to the NCAA tournament all three years under veteran coach Elliott Avent. “He is a good man and a great coach,” Wilson said. “It was a lot of fun to play for him. I played for Matt Bridges all four of my years at Kings Mountain.” Wilson was an All-Conference shortstop his junior and senior years with the Mountaineers, and All-State his senior season. “We had a great group of guys,” he said. “We put in a lot of hard work and we had a lot of help and support from the community.” Some of the other players on that talented team were Thomas Lavin, Matt Absher, John Bell, Bryson Bailey and Brian Lysek. “It was a solid team,” Wilson said. “We made a strong push for the conference championship but never got it. It was always Crest first and Kings Mountain second.” Even though last season was cancelled due to COVID, Wilson said his pro experience has been great so far. “I had a decent start in 2019 with the Angels (the team that originally drafted him) and I was getting the feel of competing at this level and we were playing well,” he said. “But my first full year, 2020, when we were in spring training we got sent home because of the Coronavirus.” Wilson did get to participate in the Giants alternate training site and the Giants invited him to spring training in 2021. Overall, Wilson said his pro experience so far has been very good. He’s currently hitting .290 and has hopes that he will be in the majors soon, possibly as early as next season. “I had a decent start in 2019 with the Angels,” he noted. “I was getting the feel of competing at this level and we were playing well.” This season will end on September 16, so Wilson hopes he will be able to attend his Hall of Fame induction ceremony. “We have an Instructional League for a month or so,” he noted, “and in October we have a fall league. I don’t know if I will be involved in that. I hope I would be called up to the big leagues, but more realistically that would probably be next year.” Wilson said he is excited to be selected to the Kings Mountain Hall of Fame. “It’s unbelievable,” he said. “It seems that it wasn’t long ago that I was getting to see Robbie (his uncle) and my dad (Brad) being inducted. I want to thank everybody for selecting me and I hope to be there for this special moment.”
Will Wilson, now, in the San Francisco Giants farm system.
Will Wilson was an All-American at NC State University.
Will Wilson during his playing days at Kings Mountain High School.
Touchdown Club golf tournament set for August 13 at KM Country Club
The 14th annual Kings Mountain Touchdown Club golf tournament will be held Friday, August 13 at Kings Mountain Country Club. It is a four-person Captain’s Choice and is limited to the first 30 registered teams. There is a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. Entry fee is $70 per player and includes one mulligan per player, one red tee per player and one string per team on hole 15. There will be prizes for closest to the pin on all four par 3 holes; and longest drive for men, women and seniors on #2. The tournament will be flighted at the end with first place prizes in each flight. Entry forms and checks should be made out to KM Touchdown Club and mailed to PO Box 2017, Kings Mountain, NC 28086 by July 31. Sponsorships are also available for individuals, businesses and industry. A diamond sponsorship is $1,000, platinum $500, gold $250 and silver $100. Make checks payable to KM Touchdown Club and mail to the above address. There will also be an online raffle. Details will be available soon.
Wilson, Hamrick, Deaton selected for Hall of Fame
The Kings Mountain Sports Hall of Fame will have a two-year induction ceremony Saturday, Oct. 16 at Central United Methodist Church. The 2020 ceremony had to be postponed because of the corona virus, and it will be held with the 2021 ceremony. After that the Hall of Fame committee will begin planning the 2022 event which hopefully will be held next May. The 2021 inductees include professional baseball player Will Wilson, former KMHS basketball star Trina Hamrick and the man who is probably the winningest coach in Kings Mountain sports history, Monty Deaton. Deaton currently serves as golf and girls basketball coach at Kings Mountain Middle School but he has also coached in the city youth leagues and is a former head football coach at Kings Mountain Middle. Wilson was an all-star baseball player for the Kings Mountain Mountaineers and was an All-American at NC State University. He is currently playing pro baseball in the San Francisco Giants organization. Hamrick was a standout basketball player at KMHS where she led the Lady Mountaineers to their first modern day conference championship in 1983 and was KM’s first female to make the East-West All-Star game. The Hall of Fame 2020 class, originally announced more than a year ago, includes Joseph Bell, Marquiz Williamson, Jim Medlin, Tim Riddle, David Ray Robinson, Diane Williams and the 1999 KMHS boys track team that won every regular season meet and finished second in the state 3A meet. Johnny Gamble, longtime coach in Kings Mountain youth leagues and currently head JV baseball coach at KMHS, will receive the Distinguished Service Award.
Youth tennis clinics set at new KMHS complex
Tennis clinics for boys and girls are being held each week until school starts. Clinics are for beginners and advanced players, including middle school, high school and others. Clinics will be limited in size so players can have more individual coaching. Players will work in small groups, mid-sized groups, and individually to develop strokes, strategies, conditioning techniques and playing skills. Clinics are being conducted by Ed Guy, former Kings Mountain High School men’s and women’s tennis coach. Instruction will be from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. If players need to be dropped off earlier, contact Ed Guy for arrangements. If a player is unable to attend all days due to vacations or other events, it will be OK. Just let Coach Guy know your schedule. “Our goal is to encourage tennis in Kings Mountain and to support the middle school and high school programs,” Guy said. “I would like to encourage interested boys to sign up as we need more participation with them.” Starting dates will be Monday and Wednesdays, starting June 13 for the advanced group, and Tuesday and Thursday, June 14 for the beginner group. There is no fee; however, a parent must provide six cans of Penn or Wilson tennis balls to be used by all. Players should take water and a towel. They should have an upper grade tennis racquet, tennis shoes and light weight clothing. “I will have a limited number of borrowed racquets to start those who do not have one,” Guy said. “The new tennis building bathrooms will be available for the clinic.” Persons interested may contact Coach Guy by email, text or phone for more information. His phone and text number is 704-473-3608 and his email address is eguy@carolina.rr.com “We realize that many parents work, so if a player pickup is a problem, contact me for solutions,” Guy said.
Charlie Melton rips a base hit in Kings Mountain’s win over Ashbrook.
Mountaineers beat Ashbrook, qualify for state 3A playoffs
Kings Mountain’s Mountaineers clinched a state 3A playoff berth with an 11-6 victory over Ashbrook last week in Gastonia. The Mountaineers were scheduled to host Gastonia Forestview in their final regular season home game last night and will close out the regular season Thursday night at Crest. The state playoffs begin June 15. Opponents will be announced at the conclusion of the regular season. Kings Mountain built an early 6-0 lead at Ashbrook but saw the Green Wave battle back to come within 6-5. The Mountaineers scored three runs in the fourth inning to go up 9-5 and put the win in the bag. The Mountaineers got their bats going early with a two-run home run over the center field fence by Charlie Melton. Zane Brockman had walked to get things started. The Mountaineers went up 6-0 with four runs in the top of the second inning. Jaxson Bolin singled and Caleb Broome was hit by a pitch. After a balk moved both runners into scoring position, Jacob Hamrick hit a hard ground ball that the Ashbrook shortstop couldn’t handle. Both runners scored to make it 4-0. With two outs, Cole Irby laced a two-run single to left to give KM a 6-0 lead. Ashbrook answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning. The rally was sparked with a double by Meeks. After a couple of walks loaded the bases, Ashbrook coaxed a pair of two-out walks to get within 6-2. The Green Wave kept their rally going in the third, scoring three more runs on four consecutive singles to make the score 6-5. That would be as close as they would come, though, as the Mountaineers took control at the bat and on the field. The Mountaineers added three runs in the fourth. Caleb Broome led off with a walk and AJ Wylie followed with a single up the middle. Jacob Hamrick’s bunt single loaded the bases. Cole Irby’s sacrifice fly to deep center scored Broome. With two outs, Melton helped his own cause with a two-run single scoring Wylie and Hamrick to make it 9-5. KM tacked on its final two runs in the seventh when Zane Brockman’s single to center drove in Broome and Hamrick. Wyatt Davis came on in relief to pitch the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. He allowed only one hit and struck out four. Brockman pitched final inning, giving up one unearned run on two KM errors. He didn’t allow a hit or walk and struck out two. Melton picked up the win on the mound to improve his record to 5-1. KM finished with 12 hits. Jacob Hamrick led the way with three and also scored three runs. Melton was 2-for-3 with four RBIs and a run scored. Peyton Fisher added two hits and Brockman, Irby, Richards, Bolin and Wylie had one each.
ALWS Tickets on sale soon
NC Gov. Roy Cooper’s lifting of capacity restrictions allows for a full Keeter Stadium
N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper announced Friday, May 14, that most restrictions put in place to control the spread of COVID-19 were lifted immediately. The decision allows indoor and outdoor facilities to be at full capacity. The local planning committee for The American Legion World Series (ALWS) breathed a collective sigh of relief. The decision allows for the sale of all seats in the 5,500-seat Keeter Stadium, home of the annual tournament played each August. “We had not printed any tickets for the 2021 series because we did not know how many seats we would be able to sell,” says Committee Chairman Eddie Holbrook. “Now we can let our reserved seat, box seat and rocking chair seat holders know that they will ALL have a place to watch the games. We are especially pleased because we are celebrating the 10th year of having the ALWS played in Shelby-Cleveland County.” The ALWS games are scheduled for Thursday – Tuesday, Aug. 12-17, with the first game at 10 AM Aug. 12. Ticket sales have grown substantially since Shelby became the official home of the tournament in 2011. In 2018, ticket sales reached 128,157 – a record – and fell only minimally to 127,798 in 2019. With special recognitions planned for the 10th anniversary, organizers hope to set another ticket sales record. Gov. Cooper said in part that mandatory capacity, gathering limits and physical distancing requirements had been lifted. Masks will be mandatory only on public transportation, in childcare, in schools, in prisons and in certain public health settings. Anyone who purchased any type of reserved seat for the 2019 ALWS will receive a letter offering the same seats for 2021. After those wanting to renew have paid for their tickets, the remaining reserved seats will go to persons on a waiting list maintained by the ALWS staff. General Admission tickets are available for purchase, also, with the price of $35 for all 15 games; these tickets go on sale June 21. Day passes for adults ($10 each) and for students ($5 each) will be available only at Keeter Stadium once the games begin. www.americanlegionworldseries.com . 704-466-3103 . info@alws.us
KMHS Football Awards
Summer football workouts begin June 7 at 7:30 a.m.
Kings Mountain High School will begin summer football workouts on June 7 at 7:30 p.m. All returning players and new players should be in attendance. The summer workouts will go Monday through Thursday until the week of July 4, which is a dead period. There will also be a dead period during the week of July 20 for the NCHSAA Coaches Clinic in Greensboro. The first official day of practice is August 2. Kings Mountain is trying to schedule a scrimmage for August 11. The Mountaineers will compete in the Cleveland County Jamboree on August 13 and will open the regular season at home against Shelby on August 20. The Mountaineers will lose many of the starters off last year’s team that won the Big South 3A Conference and went two rounds in the state playoffs. But, Coach Greg Lloyd said they will have some good returning starters as well as some reserves that he expects to step into key roles.
Mountaineers blank Cats 3-0
Kings Mountain got a one-hitter from three pitchers and timely hitting to defeat North Gaston’s Wildcats 3-0 in a Big South Conference baseball game Tuesday night at Lancaster Field. Charlie Melton started and worked five innings to get the win, allowing no hits while striking out five. He did walk two batters and hit one. Wyatt Davis came on in the sixth and gave up the lone hit, an infield single over the pitcher’s mound. He walked one and struck out three. Zane Brockman came on in the seventh to retire the Wildcats in order on a couple of infield fly balls sandwiched around a strikeout. A walk to AJ Wylie and run-scoring doubles by Brockman and Boone Cartee staked the Mountaineers to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning. The Mountaineers scored their final run in the fifth when a North Gaston throwing error on Brockman’s infield grounder followed Wylie’s double to left and Jacob Hamrick’s infield single. Cartee was the only player with two hits. Melton, Brockman, Wylie and Hamrick added one apiece. Bryson Walker went the distance for the Wildcats.
Mountaineers bomb Huskies 18-2, Burns here Friday for Senior Night
Kings Mountain High’s baseball team bombed the Hunter Huss Huskies 18-2 in a Big South 3A Conference game Thursday at Hunter Huss. The Mountaineers were scheduled to go to Gastonia Ashbrook last night and will host Burns in a non-conference contest Friday at Lancaster Field. This will be the Mountaineers Senior Night and last regular season home game. They close out the regular season Tuesday at Crest in a battle that will decide the conference championship. Coach Brad Melton used three pitchers at Huss. Zane Brockman started and pitched the first inning, giving up just one hit and no runs. Devin Pressley pitched two innings, striking out four and allowing no runs on one hit. Caleb Broome pitched the last two innings, giving up two runs on three hits while striking out five. Offensively, the Mountaineers collected 12 hits. Charlie Melton had a double and triple and Parker Richards had a single and double. Jacob Hamrick, Dalton Gunter, Boone Cartee, Cole Irby, Chris Ruffalo, Jaxson Bolin, Trey Crawford and AJ Wyile had one hit each.
KMHS track tunes up for conference meet
With the Big South Conference championship coming up this week, four teams met at Kings Mountain’s John Gamble Stadium last Tuesday for a “tune-up.” Kings Mountain’s women remained undefeated with a 13-0 record while the Mountaineers took another first place for a 12-1 mark. Kings Mountain women finishing first included Alexis Jackson in the triple jump, Taylor Smith in the shot put, Bailey Ledford in the pole vault, Sindy Ulloa in the two-mile run and the 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams. Finishing first for the KM men were Dameon Wilson in the discus, Titus Phillips in the high jump, Marcus Odums in the long jump and triple jump, Jeramie Thurman in the 100 meter dash, and the 4x100m and 4x200m relay teams.
KM Middle School girls win conference crown
Kings Mountain Middle’s girls scored four runs in the seventh inning to erase a 3-2 deficit and defeat Crest 6-3 Tuesday for the Tri-County Conference championship. The Lady Patriots were led on the mound by Maddie Huffman, who pitched a complete game. She allowed no walks, just three hits and struck out 11. Huffman also had a big day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Anna Wooten was 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs, Ava Tipton 2-4 and one run, Kayla McSwain 1-for2 with two RBIs and two walks, and Paige Fleming 1-for-3 with an RBI. The Lady Patriots finished the season with an overall 7-2 record. Huffman had an amazing season on the mound, striking out 87 batters and allowing just one walk in six starts.
Summer football workouts begin June 7 at 7:30 a.m.
Kings Mountain High School will begin summer football workouts on June 7 at 7:30 p.m. All returning players and new players should be in attendance. The summer workouts will go Monday through Thursday until the week of July 4, which is a dead period. There will also be a dead period during the week of July 20 for the NCHSAA Coaches Clinic in Greensboro. The first official day of practice is August 2. Kings Mountain is trying to schedule a scrimmage for August 11. The Mountaineers will compete in the Cleveland County Jamboree on August 13 and will open the regular season at home against Shelby on August 20. The Mountaineers will lose many of the starters off last year’s team that won the Big South 3A Conference and went two rounds in the state playoffs. But, Coach Greg Lloyd said they will have some good returning starters as well as some reserves that he expects to step into key roles.
Dameon Wilson presented Career Achievement Award
All football awards at Kings Mountain High School are special, and most have been given since 1954 when the Lions Club sponsored the very first banquet. But, perhaps the most special award anyone can receive – The Career Achievement Award - is one that is not given every year but just when someone has done something extra special. Dameon “DayDay” Wilson of Grover is not just one of a very few people to start all four years of his high school career, but is the only one to establish the school record for most games played. For his brilliant career, Coach Greg Lloyd presented him his framed #10 jersey at the annual football awards ceremony Monday at Barnes Auditorium. In the early years of football there were some players that started for four years. But, none came close to Wilson’s string of 53 games. That’s because he and his teammates over the past four seasons have taken the Mountaineers deep into the state playoffs. During that time, the University of Missouri-bound Wilson made well over 300 tackles. “He is one of the best players to ever come through here,” head coach Greg Lloyd said. “It’s going to be cool to watch him play on TV and in the Southeastern Conference.” Wilson is one of just a few Mountaineers in the school’s almost 100 year history to be chosen to the North Carolina Shrine Bowl squad. He’s been All-Big South Conference each of the past three years, and when this year’s All-State team is released you can be sure he’ll be one of the linebackers chosen. Wilson also received the Linebacker of the Year Award, given in memory of Coach Jeff Putnam. Many others received awards as well, and all JV and varsity players were recognized. Others taking home the hardware included: Defensive Back Award – Logan Patrick. Defensive Line Award – Chris Ruffalo. Fred Plonk Blocking Trophy – Tykel Smith. Wide Receiver Award – Chance Cannon. Offensive Back Awards – Ethan Reid and Rashaard Brooks. Special Teams Player of the Year – Jamie Wilson. Coaches Awards – Devin Pressley (offense) and AJ Richardson (defense). Donnie Mace Toughman of the Year Award – Colby Carroll. Defensive Player of the Year – Javari Wilson. Offensive Player of the Year – Blake Davis. All-Conference – Javari Wilson, Tykel Smith, Ethan Reid, Logan Patrick, Rashaard Brooks, Chris Ruffalo, Blake Davis, AJ Richardson, Dameon Wilson. Conference Players of the Year – Blake Davis, Javari Wilson, Chris Ruffalo. Weightlifter of the Year – Javari Wilson. Players of the Week – Dameon Wilson, Javari Wilson, Trey Crawford, Peyton Fisher, Tykel Smith, Caleb Holland, Devin Pressley, Ethan Reid, Jaylen Mims.
Mountaineers edge Cramer 3-2
Kings Mountain’s Mountaineers bounced back from their first loss of the season to Crest by edging Stuart Cramer 3-2 Thursday night in the new Fuse District Stadium in Gastonia. Zane Brockman pitched six innings to pick up his fourth win of the season. Caleb Broome pitched the seventh and retired the Storm on just seven pitches. Stuart Cramer grabbed an early lead when Peyton Martin singled home Mason Craig for a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Kings Mountain took the lead in the top of the third. Jacob Hamrick singled and Brockman walked. Boone Cartee’s double to center field drove in Hamrick with the tying run, and Cole Irby followed with a sacrifice fly to center field to put KM on top 2-1. The Mountaineers added another run in the top of the fourth. Devin Pressley singled and stole second. The throw went into centerfield and Pressley took third. The center fielder then made a wild throw that allowed Pressley to score for a 3-1 lead. Stuart Cramer added its final run in the bottom of the fifth. Jonathan Groves singled with two away, then scored all the way from first base when a pickoff attempt went all the way to the right field bullpen. Charlie Melton led the KM offense with 2-for-2. He had a double and triple and a walk. Jacob Hamrick, Boone Cartee and Maddox Brown also had hits. Kings Mountain was scheduled to host North Gaston last night. The Mountaineers travel to Hunter Huss Friday and Ashbrook Tuesday. Their next home game is a non-conference encounter with the Burns Bulldogs on June 4 at 7 p.m. They play their final regular season home game on June 8 against Forestview and then end the regular season June 10 at Crest.
Crest nips Mountaineers 3-2 in battle for first place in BSC
The two top-ranked 3A baseball teams in North Carolina faced off Tuesday night at Lancaster Field with the #2 Crest Chargers knocking off the #1 Kings Mountain Mountaineers 3-2 to take over sole possession of first place in the Big South 3A Conference. The Chargers’ senior first baseman Luke Reynolds sent a 3-2 Charlie Melton fast ball over the left-center field fence for a two-run homer in the fourth inning and that held up for the winning runs. Crest got its other run and hit off Melton in the top of the first inning on an RBI single to left by Drewery. Kings Mountain rallied with two runs in the bottom of the first to take the lead. Zane Brockman reached on an error with one away and Boone Cartee followed that with a double. Cole Irby’s infield grounder plated Brockman with the tying run and the Mountaineers got their only lead of the game when Peyton Fisher singled to right. Ben Hodge went the route on the mound for the Chargers. Melton worked 6 2/3 innings before reaching his 105-pitch limit and had to be replaced. With the bases loaded on three walks, fireballer Zane Brockman came to the mound and struck out Colby Humphries but the Mountaineers were retired in order in the bottom of the inning. Both teams threatened on other occasions but good pitching and defense kept them at bay. Kings Mountain collected eight hits led by Cartee and Fisher with two apiece. The Mountaineers were scheduled to host North Gaston last night but their next home game won’t be until June 4 when they host county rival Burns in a non-conference game. Their final home game is June 8 against Forestview and they round out the regular season June 10 at Crest.
Mountaineersblank Cramer, North Gastonto open season
(May 5, 2021 Issue)
Kings Mountain High’s baseball team is off to a fast start in Big South Conference play with wins over Stuart Cramer and North Gaston. They were scheduled to host Hunter Huss last night at Lancaster Field and Ashbrook will visit the Mountaineers Friday at 7 p.m. The Mountaineers opened their season last Tuesday with a 7-0 win over Cramer at Lancaster Field, then traveled to Dallas Friday and shutout North Gaston 4-0. Good pitching and defense were the keys, just as head coach Brad Melton was looking for in preseason practice. In those first two games the Mountaineers did not commit an error and got good pitching by committee. The Mountaineers took advantage of a lot of their opponent’s pitching and fielding mistakes in their win over Cramer. The North Gaston game was much tougher as KM saw two of the best pitchers in the Big South in Jairo Oseo and Devin Toney, but got good pitching from their own Zane Brockman and Wyatt Davis as well as timely hits that broke the game open late. Brockman worked five and two-third innings to get the win and Davis came on in relief and did a great job also. Brockman fanned nine batters and Davis two. “Our pitching was really good,” said Coach Melton. “The pitchers have been spot-on in these first two games and (at North Gaston) we manufactured some runs when we had to.” Jacob Hamrick had two hits for the Mountaineers and AJ Wylie, Brockman, Boone Cartee and Charlie Melton added one each. The big hit was a two-run single by Peyton Fisher that put the Mountaineers up 3-0 in the sixth inning. KM had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the first and capped off the win with a sacrifice fly by Cartee in the seventh. “Zane’s pitching was really good, but he didn’t really have his A game going,” Melton noted. “But he competed enough to throw a solid game through five innings. That’s a good sign when you are not on your game but can still compete like that. North Gaston has two really good pitchers and it’s good to get a win like that. It really felt good to beat them. We had only seven hits but we had three or four balls hit really well but right at somebody. We had good pitching and hitting and I was proud that we didn’t make any errors.” KM-CRAMER Kings Mountain got only one hit but took advantage of Stuart Cramer mistakes to score four runs in the first inning on the way to a 7-0 win over the Purple Storm Tuesday night at Lancaster Field. Parker Richards’ bases loaded single – his first of three hits for the game – plated AJ Wylie with the Mountaineers’ first run of the season. Wylie had actually struck out to lead off the home half of the first but reached first safely on a passed ball. Walks to Zane Brockman and Boone Cartee loaded the bases for Richards. KM went on to score on a passed ball, Charlie Melton’s sacrifice fly and a wild pitch to complete the four-run inning. Melton started on the mound and gave up three hits while fanning five batters over a 3.1 inning stretch. Wyatt Davis, Caleb Broome and Zane Brockman also took turns on the mound and the foursome combined for 13 strikeouts. Broome and Brockman had three each and Davis two. Wylie’s solo home run over the left field fence and Richards’ RBI single to left made it 6-0 in the second inning. KM’s final run came in the sixth on a single to left by Richards. Cramer’s three pitchers combined for six walks and seven strikeouts.
Kings Mountain High’s softball team defeated Forestview last week to finish second to unbeaten Crest in the Big South Conference and earn a berth in the state 3A playoffs. Photos by Gary Smart
KM softball beats Forestview to qualify for state 3A playoffs
(May 5, 2021 Issue)
Kings Mountain High’s women’s softball team was scheduled to open play in the NCHSAA state tournament Monday at Monroe Piedmont. A win there would set up a possible Kings Mountain at Crest battle Wednesday. The Lady Chargers go into the tournament as the #1 seed from the West while the Lady Mountaineers are nine. Crest defeated KM twice during the regular season but had to go to the bottom of the seventh inning to win 1-0 in the final conference battle Wednesday. Jenna Ramsey collected the Lady Mountaineers’ only hit while the Lady Chargers got seven hits off KM pitcher Kali Weaver with Addie Beaver getting two hits and scoring the only run. Mackenzie Hayes went the distance for Crest, striking out 15 batters and issuing just one base on balls. The Lady Mountaineers wrapped up the second seed from the Big South Conference last Monday with a 10-9 victory over Forestview. The Lady Mountaineers led 5-1 after two innings, 7-1 after four and 8-4 after six before the Lady Jaguars rallied to take a 9-8 lead in the top of the seventh. In the bottom of the seventh, the Lady Mountaineers got a pair of walks and a single by Jenna Ramsey to load the bases with two away. Alayna Patrick stepped to the plate and won the game with a two-run single. Patrick finished with 3-for-5 with three runs batted in and pitcher Kali Weaver went 3-for-5 with one RBI while striking out 13 batters. Ramsey, Andrea Melton and Austyn Dixon added two hits each.
Jaylen Mims is too quick for the Robinson defense in first round of NCHSAA 3A state playoffs.
Mountaineers rout JMR 49-6
(April 21, 2021 Issue)
Kings Mountain dominated in all three phases of the game to defeat Jay M. Robinson 49-6 in the opening round of the state 3A championship playoffs Friday night at John Gamble Stadium. A large home crowd saw the Mountaineers build a quick 21-0 lead before the visitors were able to score, then KM broke the game open early in the second half and played the entire fourth quarter under the running clock rule. While the Mountaineers were running up 369 yards total offense, the defense except for one catch and run 65-yard touchdown by J-Rob’s Joshua Grant Jr. was holding the visitors to three-and-out on most of their possessions. “We played pretty well, but it wasn’t one of our best nights,” noted head coach Greg Lloyd. “It wasn’t bad but we have to play much better.” Robinson was successful in stopping a Mountaineer touchdown bid on the game’s opening drive, forcing a punt from the Robinson 37. KM’s Jamie Wilson downed it inside the visitors’ one and they had a hard time getting out of the hole. With AJ Richardson making tackles on the first two plays, and DayDay Wilson on the third, the KM defense forced a punt from the Robinson seven and it was downed on the 33. Six plays later Caleb Holland scored from 10 yards out and Jaylen Ellis kicked the point-after and the rout was on. Another three-and-out followed by another short punt put the Mountaineers in business at their own 43 and a 43-yard catch and run by Jaylen Mims put them on the J-Rob 15. Holland carried twice for 14 yards to set up an Ethan Reid sneak for the TD and a 14-0 advantage. KM forced another 3-and-out, and this time the Mountaineers took over at the visitors’ five after a botched punt attempt. A couple penalties set them back to the 21 but Reid hit Chance Cannon wide open across the middle for a 21-0 lead. The visitors rallied for their only TD, moving 82 yards in five plays, the last one a 68-yard catch and run TD by Joshua Grant. That would be one of just two serious threats by the visitors as the KM defense, led by the likes of AJ Richardson, DayDay and Javari Wilson, Chris Ruffalo, Trey Crawwford and others kept the heat on all night. Pass interceptions by Marcus Odums in the end zone to end the first half, and Deandre Hoyle early in the fourth quarter were big. The Mountaineers went up 28-6 when Mims broke a 26-yard TD run to cap a 63-yard drive that was aided by a pass interference penalty on Robinson. Robinson got the ball to open the second half and picked up a first down before having to punt from its own 47. The short kick was downed at the KM 35. Reid hit Odums with a 65-yard bomb for a 35-6 lead. After tackles by Jake Lloyd and Javari Wilson for minus 13 yards forced a J-Rob punt, it took just two plays to score with Holland going right up the middle of the field for a 41 yard TD and a 42-6 lead. KM took possession again with 2:13 to go in the third, and on the first play of the fourth quarter Reid hit Cannon with a 24-yard touchdown pass to put the running clock rule into effect. “I thought our offensive line did a great job and the defense tackled well,” Lloyd said. “The backs ran hard and Ethan (Reid) threw the ball well. We were a little undisciplined and had some untimely penalties that can get you beat against a good team. But we played good in all three phases and were glad to win. “The defense played well. They’ve been good all year. Other than that one touchdown play we dominated them. We have to keep that up.”
HOW THEY DID IT FIRST QUARTER 6:46 – KM – Caleb Holland 10-run (Jayden Ellis kick).33-yd. drive after short J-Rob punt. Mims 1-5 rushing, Holland 5-28 rushing. 3:13 – KM – Ethan Reid 1-run (Ellis kick). 57-yd., 5 plays following J-Rob 3 and out. Key play 43-yard catch and run by Mims to J-Rob 15. 0:26.1 – KM - Chance Cannon, 21 pass from Reid (Ellis kick). Third play after tackling J-Rob punter on five, followed by two KM penalties for 15 yards.
SECOND QUARTER 10:05 – JMR – Joshua Grant, 65-pass from Monroe. (Run failed). 6:58 – KM – Jaylen Mims 26 run (Ellis kick). 63-yd. drive, 6 plays. Key plays 16-yard reception by Orlando Odums and pass int. call on Robinson.
THIRD QUARTER 8:54 – KM – Odums 65 pass from Reid (Ellis kick).First play following J-Rob punt. 5:41 – KM – Holland 41 run (Ellis kick). Second play following short J-Rob punt. FOURTH QUARTER 11:54 - Chance Cannon, 24 pass from Reid. (Ellis kick). 50-yard, 7-play drive following J-Rob punt. Mims 3-14 rushing, Odums 8-yd. reception, Holland 4-run. KM RUSHING – Mims 15-58, Holland 14-106, Reid 3-3, Smith 4-3, Black 4-0, Team 1-(-11). KM RECEIVING – Sel Randolph 1-5, Orlando Odums 3-89, Chance Cannon 4-45, Jaylen Mims 1-43, Devin Pressley 1-28. KM PASSING – Ethan Reid 9-14-205. Jonah Patrick 1-1-5.
Putnam’s 74 field in KMCC golf match
Kings Mountain High finished second to Stuart Cramer in a Big South golf match Monday at KM Country Club, 313-335. KM’s Cooper Putnam was medalist with a one over par 73. Other KM scores were Caleb Marr 80, Baylor Benton 85, Seabron Echols 97 and Hunter Cruise 100. KM’s Emma Short shot a 56 in a nine-hole girls match. Kings Mountain and all Big South Conference schools will battle in the annual conference championship match April 26 at Riverbend.
Women’s soccer blanks Huss 7-0
Kings Mountain’s women’s soccer team shutout Hunter Huss 7-0 Wednesday at Huss. Melia Myers led the Lady Mountaineers with two goals. Maggie Honeycutt, Mary Grace Hogue, Emma Goff, Emma Herndon and Sage Wright had one goal apiece. Emma Goff had two assists and Sage Wright, Megan Carley and Emma Herndon added one each. Kennedy Barnes was in goal for the shutout.
KM women’s soccer blanks Ashbrook 4-0
Kings Mountain shutout Ashbrook 4-0 in a Big South Conference soccer match Monday night at Ashbrook. Emma Herndon led the Lady Mountaineers with two goals. Melia Myers had one goal and an assist and Maggie Honeycutt scored the other goal. Taylor Buchanan and Megan Carley each had an assist. Kennedy Barnes was in goal for the shutout.
Sports physicals set at KM High
Free annual sports physical days will be May 12 and May 20 at Kings Mountain High School. Each student must have a physical form with medical history completed and signed by a parent in order to be seen on their assigned dates. Boys physicals will be on May 12 and girls physicals on May 20, immediately after school. Students should check their email for further details Physicals are open to rising ninth through 12th grade students. For more information contact Ms. Gaddis at 704-473-1239.
Tough Monroe team at KMHS for round two
Kings Mountain football coach Greg Lloyd says his Mountaineers face their toughest test of the season Friday night when the Monroe Red Hawks come to town for a second round game in the state 3A playoffs. Monroe brings a 6-2 record to John Gamble Stadium but Kings Mountain players and fans should not look at that record and feel comfortable. Those two losses were to two of the best football teams in the state, defending 3A state champion Charlotte Catholic and defending 3AA state champion Weddington. “We have to play our best game this week,” Lloyd says. “They are very dangerous. This is the best team we’ve seen this year. They’re the most athletic team we’ve seen.” Just like the Mountaineers, the Red Hawks have put up some big numbers. They’ve scored in the 30s and 40s in all of their victories. And, needless to say, when a team scores big numbers it has a lot of players putting up big numbers as well. “They’ll put a lot of great athletes on the field,” Lloyd said. “They’re much better than they were last year” when the Mountaineers had to come from 20-0 down to beat them 35-20 in a non-conference game. “They run and pass very well and they are stingy on defense,” Lloyd noted. “This is a big test. “They’re very impressive and I’m sure they will come to play,” he said. “They have some of the best players I’ve seen. Their number 1 (wide receiver/free safety Shalek Knotts) is one of the highest recruited players in the state. He’s tall and he’s fast.” Knotts has hauled in 20 passes for 422 yards and three touchdowns and is just one of three outstanding receivers on the team. Jordan Black has 17 catches for 330 yards and Elliott Reid 24 for 388. That trio has the bulk of quarterback Khamoni Robinson’s 1,271 yards and 13 touchdowns passing. The Red Hawks also have a strong and balanced running game led by Jack Crump with 89 carries for 679 yards and six touchdowns. QB Robinson is also a running threat with 283 yards and four TDs in 33 carries. “We have to be disciplined,” Lloyd noted. “We need to put pressure on the quarterback and not give up any big plays. “Offensively, we have to establish the run and choose when we can pass the ball. And, we have to have good special teams play. “Monroe’s going to be a hand full,” he added, “and we have to play much better than we did last week.” The winner of Friday’s game will meet the winner of the AC Reynolds-Charlotte Catholic game for the Western Regional championship and a spot opposite the Eastern champion for the state championship.
We Are The Champions!
Mountaineers blast Crest for Big South crown,Robinson here Friday to open state 3A playoffs
Mountaineers blast Crest for Big South crown, Robinson here Friday to open state 3A playoffs
FIrst unbeaten regular season since ‘64
Kings Mountain’s Mountaineers did something Friday night that only one other team in the 98-year history of KM football has done, and that was to complete the regular season with an undefeated, untied record. The Mountaineers’ impressive 28-7 victory over Crest at John Gamble Stadium gave them an unshared Big South Conference championship, not to mention a sweep of Cleveland County on both the varsity and JV levels. The only other Mountaineer eleven to post an unbeaten, untied regular season was the 1964 team that went 10-0. That team was upset 6-0 by Hickory in the opening round of the Western NC Activities Association playoffs. The Mountaineers played an almost perfect game in all phases Friday. The offense got exceptional blocking from Isaiah Eskridge, Michael Blanton, Chris Richardson, Tykel Smith and Blake Davis and that allowed the offense to roll up 228 yards on the ground and 162 through the air. While they were doing that, the defense was turning some outstanding Crest backs and receivers every way but loose except on an 83-yard touchdown run by quarterback T.J. Ruff in the final minutes. In fact, it was a pass interception by Marcus Odums on the second play of the second quarter that got the rout started from the KM 40 yard line. With Rashaard Brooks carrying the running load and Ethan Reid hitting Chance Cannon for a 10-yard pass for a first down at the Crest 45, and Devin Pressley catching passes of 10 and 16 yards for first downs at the 31 and 13 yard lines and Jaylen Mims going 12 yards to the one, Reid sneaked into the end zone and the rout was on. “We both had an opportunity and then Odums intercepted that pass and it seemed to drive us,” noted Mountaineer coach Greg Lloyd. “We scored twice more and that turned the tide for us.” After that TD, the KM defense held Crest to 3-and-out on its next two possessions and the Mountaineers turned both of those defensive gems into points. Taking over at their own 40 with 6:06 left in the half and Brooks out with an injury, Reid hit Chance Cannon with a seven yard pass and Mims took charge and gained 34 yards on four straight runs to set up a six-yard run by Caleb Holland for a 14-0 lead with 3:23 on the clock. “Holland (143 yards rushing) came in and played great for us after Brooks got hurt,” Lloyd noted. “He ran the ball hard. He’s fast and he stepped up big time. Mims is still not a hundred percent but he’s fast and he made some big plays, too. We hope he will be better this week. “I thought the line blocked really well for our running and passing,” he added. “We had a lot of players that had their best game and they picked a good time to have a big game.” Big hits by Dameon Wilson and Chris Ruffalo, Trey Crawford, Jake Lloyd, and Ty Ledbetter forced another Crest three and out and KM took possession at its own 26 with just over a minute until halftime. On a third and three from the 46, Reid threw a lateral pass to Chance Cannon who threw to Blake Emory all alone down the home sidelines for a 54-yard touchdown and a 21-0 halftime lead. While KM’s stingy defense was holding Crest to just seven plays in the third quarter, it was obvious the Mountaineers were going to wrap up the BSC. With Holland carrying the rushing load, the Mountaineers marched 71 yards in 12 plays with Holland scoring from 10 yards out for a 28-0 lead with 2:36 left in the third. KM began a 14-play, eight minute and 55 seconds drive that began with 25 seconds left in the third and didn’t end until the 3:30 mark of the fourth quarter when an incomplete pass in the end zone on fourth down gave Crest the ball on its own four. Three plays later Ruff broke through the middle of his line and rambled 83 yards for the Chargers’ only score. After Sel Randolph recovered an onside kick, the Mountaineers ran the clock out. “On defense, we tackled very well and got through the conference undefeated,” Lloyd noted. “I’m proud of all of them. I think everybody did a great job. Both lines played really well and I thought our tight end Devin Pressley blocked good. It was a good team effort. “We did a great job on Ruff. We had that long drive and when we didn’t score the defense had been over there on the sidelines for a while. He had the bulk of their yards on that one play.” For the game the Chargers had only 153 yards. They had only seven plays in the second half and 29 for the game. HOW THEY DID IT SECOND QUARTER 8:29 – KM - Reid 1 run (Ellis PAT). 60-yd. drive following Marcus Odums int. Key first down passes to Cannon for 10 yards, Pressley for 10 and 16 yards. 3:23 – KM - Holland 6-run (Ellis kick). 60-yd. drive following Crest 3 and out. Mims 4-33 rushing, Holland 2-13. 0:13.6 – KM – Blake Emory, 54-pass from Can
Softball beats North, travels to Huss tonight
(April 21, 2021 Issue)
Kings Mountain High’s softball team defeated North Gaston 7-2 Monday night at Lancaster Field and will be in action again Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Hunter Huss. Kali Weaver went the route against the Lady Wildcats, surrendering just five hits while striking out nine. Monica Head, Keegan Irby and Austyn Dixon had multiple hits for the Lady Mountaineers and each of them had two runs batted in.
