KM visits
Forestview
Thursday


Two Big South teams will drop out of a tie for first place this week and Kings Mountain’s Mountaineers hope Forestview will be one of them.
While Crest and South Point are also battling to keep a share of the conference lead, the Mountaineers will be on the road for the second straight week Thursday at 7:30 p.m. on the Jaguars’ field in Gastonia. The game has been rescheduled because of predictions for heavy rain Friday.
Thus far, the Mountaineers have taken down Hunter Huss 42-16 and North Gaston 56-0 while the Jaguars have a 20-0 victory over North Gaston and a 24-21 win last week over a good Gastonia Ashbrook eleven. In earlier non-conference games the Mountaineers defeated Shelby, Asheville and Burns while Forestview lost to Burns and East Lincoln but knocked off an always strong Morganton Freedom eleven to begin its three-game winning streak.
The Jaguars have a well-balanced offense led by 6-4 junior quarterback Jaxson Hill who has hit 46 of 86 passes for 405 yards.
 Sophomore running back Christian Holland leads a good running attack with 75 yards rushing per game and Hill has several good receivers in sophomores Trey Meeks and T “va” Aldridge and senior Tanner Zill. Some of their top defenders are 6-2 senior cornerback Chris Cathcart, who has an interception and a sack to his credit; 6-2, 283-pound tackle senior tackle Christian Mixter, who leads the team in tackles and sacks, and 6-2, 275-pound defensive end Myles Jackson.
“They’re definitely playing their best football of the year so far,” noted Mountaineer head coach Greg Lloyd. “They beat a very good Ashbrook team last week and they’re on a roll with three wins in a row. They have a good running game and their quarterback can throw the ball.
“They’re very tough on their home field,” he said noting that the Jaguars have beaten the Mountaineers several times in the past over there. “We’ll have to play extremely well.”
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KM QB Lamont Littlejohn gets good blocking from Alex Jackson (57) on a scramble in last week’s Big South victory over the North Gaston Wildcats. Photos by Gary Smart

Mountaineers rout
North Gaston 56-0

His blockers opened a lane wide enough to drive a couple of 18-wheelers through, so Caleb Holland hauled the opening kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown to get the Kings Mountain Mountaineers rolling to a 56-0 victory over the North Gaston Wildcats Friday night in Dallas.
The Mountaineers went on to score six more times to carry a 49-0 lead into halftime. The reserves took over in the second half and tacked on the final TD.
“We got off to a good start,” noted Mountaineer head coach Greg Lloyd. “We got our nerves out early. We dominated in all three phases of the game. We tackled well, we blocked well and we made plays. Everybody (49 players) got to play and they all did a good job.”
Kings Mountain’s defense, which would hold the Wildcats to minus 22 yards rushing and just 44 passing for the game, held them to minus seven on their first possession. With the Cats taking over at their own 20 after KM’s kickoff went into the end zone, AJ Richardson’s quarterback sack left the hosts facing a fourth and 13 at the NG 19 and their punt only went 22 yards to the 41. After a two yard loss, KM quarterback Lamont Littlejohn threw a pass to Xzorion Lenair for 18 yards, then hit Ja’Qualyn Sanders for a 25-yard touchdown and Jaden Ellis’ PAT made it 14-0.
The KM defense held the ‘Cats to another three and out and Lenair returned a punt 15 yards to the North 44. A Littlejohn pass to Bryson Brown plus a five-yard NG penalty put the Mountaineers at the North 20. Littlejohn hit Sanders with a 12-yard pass and Teddy Jeffries’ run covered the final eight yards for a 21-0 lead.
Aided by a 15-yard penalty against the Mountaineers, the ‘Cats were able to get to the KM 33 yard line but a fourth and eight sack by Eli Lipscomb stopped them at the 42. The Wildcat defense was able to stop the Mountaineers’ first unit on downs for the only time and forced a punt.
Taking over at the North 30 following a punt, it took KM just three carries by Kendrick – the final one for three yards – to go up 28-0.
A Micah Ward fumble recovery at the North 26 set up a 20-yard pass to Brown, followed by a three-yard burst up the middle by AJ Richardson for another TD. The extra point made it 35-0 with 9:35 still left in the half.
North had to punt from its own eight and KM took possession at the ‘Cats 41. KM went to a wildcat offense and two runs by Kendrick resulted in a first down at the 23, from which point Zay Smith took it to the house for a 42-0 lead with 4:52 still left in the half.
“Zay got nicked up a little bit but I think he’ll be ready to go this week,” Lloyd noted.
Simpson, Richardson and Antonio Armstrong sacked the NG quarterback to force a punt which Lenair returned 45 yards for a TD at the 3:08 mark to send the Mountaineers into halftime with a 49-0 lead.
North Gaston had just as tough a job moving the ball on the KM backups as it did while the starters were on the field. Facing fourth and two on their own 20 after their longest run of the night - 11 yards by JJ Gordon - the Cats went for the first down but a pass fell incomplete. KM’s Micah Ward covered the distance in two carries and Max Thompson kicked the point-after to end the game.
 
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Josiah Hill (5) runs behind the blocking of Izaiah Jones (52) in KM JV’s 48-16 win over North Gaston Thursday night at John Gamble Stadium. Photos by Gary Smart

JV Mountaineers skin
‘Cats 48-16,
host Forestview Jaguars Wednesday

A pass interception by Jayden Watkins to stop North Gaston’s game-opening possession at the KM 38 yard line got the Mountaineers going to a 48-16 victory over the Wildcats in Thursday’s junior varsity football game at Gamble Stadium.
The win kept the Mountaineers undefeated with a 4-0 record. They’ll be at home again Wednesday at 7 p.m. against the Forestview Jaguars.
After the INT, it took the Mountaineers just nine plays to score on a one-yard sneak by quarterback Vance Johnson. Josiah Hill had three carries for 36 yards, Tyler McIntyre two for 20 and Dom Davis two for 10 to set up Johnson’s sneak.
Kings Mountain went on to lead 28-0 at the half and 48-8 after three quarters. The final quarter was played with a running clock.
Josiah Hill scored from 15 yards out and Tyler McIntyre ran for a two-point conversion to put the Mountaineers up 14-0.
The Wildcats punted on the second play of the second period. McIntyre got off a 52-yard run to the North six and Hill took it in the end zone on the next play. The PAT made it 21-0.
After forcing another punt, the Mountaineers drove 56 yards to score on a three-yard run by McIntyre. With 0:51 left in the half. Johnson’s PAT made it 28-0 at the break. A 17-yard run by Hill and an offside penalty on North Gaston gave KM a first and goal at the 10, and an offsides penalty on the Wildcats set up McIntyre’s TD.
The Mountaineers recovered an onside kick at their own 48 to start the second half. Hill immediately swept right end for a 22-yard gain, followed by a North personal foul penalty which set the Mountaineers up at the North 27. Two plays later Hill circled right end for a 24 yard TD and Johnson’s PAT made it 35-0.
North Gaston finally got on the board on a nine-yard TD reception by Kameron Dial and a two-point conversion pass. Kings Mountain answered with a Vance Johnson kickoff return to the 45, followed by a Jayden Watkins 55-yard TD run for a 41-8 KM lead.
On North’s first play following the ensuing kickoff, KM recovered a fumble at the North 10 and Kamari Coleman took it in the end zone on the first play from scrimmage to make it 48-8.
With the clock running, North took advantage of a pass interference call on KM, followed by a pass reception of 17 yards by Carter Mason which was followed by a 15-yard late hit penalty on the Mountaineers. KM was flagged for interference again, resulting in a first down at the eight and North’s Isaiah Ewing caught a pass for the TD and another for the two-point conversion to account for the final score.

KMHS volleyball sweeps Crest to take first in Big South

Kings Mountain High’s women’s volleyball team is all alone in first place after an impressive 3-0 victory over Cleveland County rival Crest Thursday in Boiling Springs. The win left the Lady Mountaineers as the only undefeated team in the Big South Conference with a 7-0 record.
Several ladies turned in spectacular performances in the 25-13, 25-22, 25-14 sweep. Camden Pasour dished out 20 assists to go along with 14 service points, four digs and a kill. Paige Bagwell added 18 assists, four kills, seven service points and five digs.
Meile Songaila had her usual all-around game with 14 kills, 11 serve receptions, five digs and two service points.
Myracle Davis also turned in an outstanding all-around effort along the nets with 21 kills and two blocks.
The Lady Mountaineers’ JV team had a tougher match but still came out on top, 25-23 and 25-23.
Ruby Osborne had four blocks and three kills.
Brooke Hamrick had five kills, two serve receptions, three digs and five service points.
Abigail Hedgepath contributed 15 assists.
Ava Tipton had four service points, seven serve receptions and five digs.
The Lady Mountaineers tuned up for their rivalry game with the Lady Chargers last Tuesday with a 25-17, 25-14, 25-9 sweep of Stuart Cramer in Cramerton.
Songaila had an outstanding overall effort with 12 serve receptions, two blocks, 17 kills, 12 digs and 15 service points.
Davis contributed two blocks and 15 kills.
Bagwell dished out 22 assists to go with five kills, three digs and 13 service points.
Pasour had 20 assists, three kills, four digs and seven service points.
Caroline Barber had 12 serve receptions, 13 digs and seven service points.
The JVs swept their match, 25-15, 25-10.
Abigail Hedgepath had four service points, two kills, 19 assists and five digs.
Ava Tipton had three service points and 10 serve receptions.
Brooke Hamrick produced 10 service points, seven kills and three serve receptions.
Ruby Osborne was strong along the net with eight kills and a block.
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Kings Mountain running back Caleb Holland (3) turns the corner on the Hunter Huss defense in Friday’s game at Gamble Stadium. KM won 44-14. Photos by Gary Smart

KM rebounds from opening
kickoff return to beat Huskies

The son of a former Kings Mountain football player returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown to give visiting homecoming foe Hunter Huss an early lead of 7-0 but the Mountaineers rebounded for a 44-14 victory in their first Big South 3A Conference game Friday at John Gamble Stadium.
The Huskies, who came to town with less than 30 players and would lose a few more from injuries during the contest, stayed right with the home team for the first half after sophomore Jayden Gash, whose father Daryl played for the Mountaineers in the early nineties, made that early stunner.
The Huskies’ defense held the Mountaineers to three and out on their first possession but the KM defense began turning the tide moments later when it blocked a Huss punt which Robert Kendrick recovered at the Huskies’ 38. Teddy Jeffries had three straight carries behind good blocking by the O-line to set up a three-yard touchdown run by big AJ Richardson and Jaden Ellis split the uprights for the tying extra point. Kings Mountain didn’t trail again but Huss was still in the game until late in the third quarter when the Mountaineers broke away from a 22-14 halftime lead to put its fourth straight win in the bag and drop the Huskies to 1-3.
“Everybody was slow getting going,” noted KM offensive coordinator/line coach Kevin Cruise. “We didn’t play our best but we got a lot better in the second half.”
The Mountaineers took the lead for good after the second Huss possession. After Ellis’s kickoff was returned to the Huskies’43 the Huskies were penalized 25 yards for holding and a late hit on the same play. Facing third and six from the Huss 18, KM’s Jason Melton sacked Huss QB Javorion Brown to force a punt which gave KM the ball at the Huss 45. A 28-yard Lamont Littlejohn to Jake Lloyd pass gave the Mountaineers a first down at the Huss 17 and Caleb Holland covered the distance on just two carries to put the Mountaineers up 13-7.
The Mountaineers covered 65 yards in less than two minutes to take a 19-7 lead on consecutive catch and run pass plays from Littlejohn to Xzorion Lenair for 37 yards and 25 yards and the TD to Teddy Jeffries.   The Huskies dialed long distance again, though, as Headley got loose for a 75-yard TD to make it 19-14.
Kings Mountain moved the ball steadily down field behind the running of Holland and Jeffries and a big sweep of left end by Zay Smith to the Huss nine. Ellis came on to kick a 28-yard field goal to put the Mountaineers up 22-14 at intermission.
The defense came up big with a blocked punt at the 6:58 mark of the third quarter that set up the Mountaineers at the Huss 13. Holland had runs of six and 12 yards sandwiched around a five-yard illegal procedure call and Ellis again was true on the PAT for a 29-14 lead.
With Huss attempting to go for it on a fourth and 10 from their own 45 to get back in the game, KM’s Curtis Simpson and Eli Lipscomb sacked Headley. Littlejohn’s scrambling pass of 12 yards to Jake Lloyd and Zay Smith’s first down run of 10 yards for a first down at the Huss 12 set up a Jeffries’ two-yard TD run and a two-point conversion pass from Bryson Brown to Simpson for a 37-14 lead with 10:18 left.
With Huss facing third and 23 from its own 15, Simpson and Eli Lipscomb combined for a sack and the Huskies had to punt. Xzorion Lenair returned it from the 50 to the Huss 11. Smith got off a 10-yard run for a first and goal at the one. Huss was able to come up with two tackles for minus four yards before Robert Kendrick scored from five yards out and Ellis kicked the PAT to round out the scoring.
“It was good to get off to a 1-0 start in the conference,” said Mountaineer head coach Greg Lloyd. “Huss came to play. They were improved and we were impressed. They played really hard and they have good team speed.”
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Lady Mountaineer Kaliyah Watson tees off in Monday’s BSC golf match at Kings Mountain Country Club.

Watson shoots 49
in BSC golf match

Kings Mountain’s Kaliyah Watson shot a 49 to finish third in Monday’s Big South Conference golf match at Kings Mountain Country Club.
South Point won with a 132, followed by Crest 168, Forestview 194 and Ashbrook 200.
South Point’s Madison Pruden was the medalist with a 42.
The BSC teams play Monday at Riverbend Golf Course in Shelby.
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Camren Houser scores for the Patriots in last week’s game at Gamble Stadium. Photos by Lizzie Ingram

Patriots rout West Lincoln
in first conference game

Kings Mountain Middle School’s football team opened conference play Wednesday at John Gamble Stadium with a 42-0 win over West Lincoln. The win gave the Patriots a 1-1 overall mark heading into a game yesterday at North Lincoln.
Christian Jarrett returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and Dakota Smith added a two-point conversion to get the rout underway.
Nazir Davis had three TD receptions as well as a two-point conversion run.
Devin Hopper had a pair of TD caches and Xavier Hutchens added another receiving score.
Camren Houser also had a rushing touchdown.
Defensive standouts included Malachi Powell with a forced fumble that was recovered by Graylon Koontz; and Brandon Ayers and Jarrett Linder each had a sack.
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Meile Songaila

KM’s Songaila
MaxPreps NC Player
of the Week

Kings Mountain High junior outside hitter Meile Songaila was named North Carolina’s Outstanding Volleyball Player of the Week for the week of August 22-28 by MaxPreps.
MaxPreps is an American website that specializes in coverage of American high school sports. This siite is owned by Paramount Global and is a division of CBS Sports. Founded on August 1, 2002, the company has covered up to 29 sports including boys, girls and co-ed sports. MaxPreps is currently headquartered in El Dorado Hills, California.
Songaila’s statistics for the week were 79 kills, 5.27 kills per game, 55 digs. 3.67 digs per game, 68 receptions, 4.53 receptions per game, five assists, three aces and five blocks.
Kings Mountain High volleyball is undefeated in the Big South Conference.

Kings Mountain cross country
sweeps county meet at CCC

The host Kings Mountain High men’s and women’s cross country teams rolled to victory in the annual Cleveland County meet held last week at the new 5K course at Cleveland Community College.
The Mountaineers compiled 26 points to Shelby’s 44 and 55 for Crest. Burns competed but did not score as a team.
The Lady Mountaineers won by 15 points over Shelby, 32-37. Crest was third with 73 and Burns did not score as a team.
Kings Mountain’s Isaiah Watts was the individual champion with a personal best time of 17.49. Shelby’s Damon Cook took second in 18:49. KM’s Max Thompson was third in 19:49 and Marty Lovingood fifth in 20:52.06. Hunter Cruise ran eighth and Nathan Inthavong ninth to give the Mountaineers five top ten finishes.
Nicholas Horn ran 17th, Nathaniel Kiser 21st, Marcus Williams and Luis Cedillo tied for 23rd, Hayden Huss ran 27th and Eric Bell 28th.
Shelby’s Aly Hollifield edged KM’s Divinity Ervin in 21:30 for first place in the women’s race. But Kings Mountain had four runners in the top five and six in the top ten. Brooke Waseman was third in 23:59, Nicole Poston fourth in 25:33, Sarah Eagle fifth in 25:35, Sindy Ulloah eighth in 26:30 and Kallie Hope 10th in 27:02.
Other KM runners were Kinley Putnam who finished in the top 15 with a time of 27:26, Alyssa Deal 22nd in 32:41, Wren Ballard 23rd in 32:42, and Emily Phelps tied for 25th.
Kings Mountain will travel to Freedom High in Morganton today for the annual Freedom Invitational.

KM volleyball continues unbeaten
with wins over Raiders and Jaguars 

 Kings Mountain High’s volleyball team continued its Big South 3A Conference unbeaten string last week with 3-0 wins over South Point and Forestview. The Lady Mountaineers will have their biggest test Thursday when they travel to Cleveland County rival Crest and they will stay on the road next Tuesday at Gastonia Ashbrook.
The Lady Mountaineers defeated Forestview 25-13, 29-27 and 25-15 last Tuesday. Meile Songaila was strong along the nets with 24 kills and also provided eight service points and 11 serve receptions.
Camden Pasour dished out 20 assists to go with four service points, one kill and seven digs.
Paige Bagwell had 14 assists, seven service points and three kills.
Myracle Davis provided 13 kills and three blocks.
In JV action, KM won 25-23, 21-25 and 15-8.
Abilgail Hedgepath had three kills, 18 assists, nine digs and three service points.
Kenzlie Morris had six kills, two digs and eight service points.
Megan Harris had nine kills, five serve receptions and four service points.
Ava Tipton had 18 serve receptions, 11 digs and 12 service points.
The Lady Mountaineers swept both matches against South Point with the JVs winning 25-6, 25-6 before the varsity won 25-14, 25-8, 25-10.
Songaila had 15 service points, 20 kills, five serve receptions and 14 digs.
Davis had 22 kills and two blocks.
Pasour provided seven service points, two kills, 22 assists and nine digs.
Bagwell added 13 service points, one kill, 18 assists and eight digs.
Caroline Barber had seven service points, six assists, 20 serve receptions and 19 digs.
Hedgepath led the JVs with 17 assists and four digs.
Ruby Osborne had four kills and a block.
Brooke Hamrick had seven kills and six digs.

Next up:
Wildcats
in Dallas

Kings Mountain’s Mountaineers will end the first half of their regular season Friday night when they travel to Dallas to take on the North Gaston Wildcats.
The Mountaineers go into the Big South Conference game with an unbeaten 4-0 overall record while the Wildcats are 0-4. But just like KM’s opponent last week, the Hunter Huss Huskies, the Wildcats have some really good players who can be hard to contain.
Leading the pack for new head coach Dan Rothwell is sophomore running back JJ Gordon who is their leading rusher and scorer. Junior quarterback Tj Belton is also impressive as a runner and passer. He has some good receivers in Jurnee Lattimore and Isaiah Banks.
The Wildcats have been in every game except a 65-14 defeat to a very good Chase team. North was in every other game early but fell in the second half to East Gaston 28-8, 4A Alexander Central 17-8 and Big South Conference foe Gastonia Forestview 20-0 last week.
“In a lot of ways, North Gaston is similar to Hunter Huss,” noted Mountaineer head coach Greg Lloyd. “Their numbers are not great but they have some people with good speed. Their quarterback is a dual threat and they played very good defense against Foerestview. They only gave up 20 points. They’re very capable of making big plays. We have to put in four good quarters.”
“They have a new coach and he’s trying to put his stamp on things,” noted KM line coach and offensive coordinator Kevin Cruise. “They have several good athletes.”
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Caroline Barber bumps the ball for the Lady Mountaineers in last week’s sweep of Hunter Huss at Parker Gym. Photos by Gary Smart

Lady Mountaineers volleyball still unbeaten in BSC

Kings Mountain High’s women’s volleyball team posted two impressive victories in Big South Conference play last week, defeating Hunter Huss 25-7, 25-6, 25-3 Tuesday and North Gaston 25-10, 25-7, 25-8 Thursday.
Meile Songaila and Myracle Davis were strong along the nets Tuesday with 10 and eight kills, respectively. Songaila also had a block and nine service points.
Camden Pasour dished out 17 assists to go along with two kills and seven service points.
Paige Bagwell was strong overall with 15 assists, seven kills and 20 service points.
Caroline Barber had 10 serve receptions and eight service points.
Against North Gaston, Songaila provided four serve receptions, 14 kills, one block, three digs and 12 service points.
Pasour had 21 assists, 19 service points and three kills.
Bagwell had 11 assists, five kills, a block and six service points.
Davis had 16 kills and two blocks.
Barber had 11 serve receptions and seven digs.
The Lady Mountaineers were scheduled to go to Gastonia Forestview yesterday and will host South Point Thursday before hitting the road again to play at Stuart Cramer on September 20 at 4:30 and Crest in Shelby on September 22. They continue on the road for games at Ashbrook on September 27, Hunter Huss on September 29 and Cox Mill on October 3 before hosting North Gaston on October 4 at 5:30.
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KM senior quarterback Lamont Littlejohn Jr. fires a pass in recent 27-0 victory over Burns. The Mountaineers are coming off a bye week to face seven Big South opponents to complete the regular season. Photo by Gary Smart

Huskies here Friday for BSC
opener, KMHS homecoming

Kings Mountain’s Mountaineers open Big South 3A Conference action against the much-improved Hunter Huss Huskies Friday night at 7:30 at John Gamble Stadium. It’s also KM’s homecoming game.
The Huskies, who didn’t win a game last year when they started sophomores at almost every position, are looking for a good season in the BSC this time around.
True, they come in with a 1-2 record but their two losses were to two very good football teams, 32-27 to Central Cabarrus and 45-0 to a Hickory Ridge team that could be one of the best in the state.
In between those two contests, the Huskies defeated perennial mountain power Hibriten 49-42.
Kings Mountain comes in with a 3-0 mark with impressive wins over county rivals Shelby and Burns sandwiched around a victory over mountain power Asheville. But that’s all in the past and Coach Greg Lloyd’s staff and players will be focused on going through what should be a very competitive conference race.
“Hunter Huss is a much improved team,” Lloyd noted. “They are more mature than they were last year and it’s really paying off for them. They have good speed and their quarterback is very good and they have four or five guys that are really fast. We can’t look past them. We definitely have to play better against them.”
Several Huskies have put up some impressive numbers as they have a balanced running and passing attack. Quarterback Javarion Brown is hitting 50 percent of his pass attempts with a 99-yard per game average and five touchdowns. He has several good receivers such as Gene Neely and fast runners like Neely, Jayden Gash and Talik Chambers.
Their defense is also much improved, led by free safety Zamarius Gladden and defensive end James Taylor each with an average of 10 tackles per game. Quashaun Mack is averaging two sacks per game.
Of course, the Mountaineers have put up some great stats as well. Quarterback Lamont Littlejohn has hit on 31 of 49 passes so for 439 yards and six TDs and has spread the passes around to the likes of Jake Lloyd, Caleb Holland, Bryson Brown, Teddy Jeffries, Ja’Qualyn Sanders and Robert Kendrick. They also handle a lot of the rushing load along with big AJ Richardson who is the go-to guy in short yardage situations, especially inside the opponents’ 10-yard line.
Many of the above-mentioned standouts are also defensive leaders, including Lloyd who is averaging 8.5 tackles per game and Curtis Simpson and Richardson with seven and four sacks, respectively.
The Mountaineers will go into this week’s game – and hopefully the rest of the season – in top shape.
“During the off week we worked basically on ourselves,” Coach Lloyd said. “We worked a lot on the kicking game and I feel like it’s going to be better. Overall, we want to see some improvement and just keep doing what we’ve been doing and get better at it every week. We want to keep the ball in front of us.”
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Myracle Davis gets one of her 15 kills in last week’s Big South season opening win over the Ashbrook Green Wave at Donald L. Parker Gymnasium. Photos by Gary Smart

Lady Mountaineer volleyball opens BSC with big wins

Kings Mountain High’s women’s volleyball team opened Big South 3A Conference play Friday at Donald L. Parker Gymnasium with a sweep of the Ashbrook Green Wave.
The varsity won 25-4, 25-9, 25-5 after the JVs won 2-0 with identical 25-8 scores.
Camden Pasour had a big night for the varsity ladies with 27 assists and 14 service points.
Meile Songaila registered 15 kills and also had a block and four serve receptions. Myracle Davis added 12 kills, Paige Bagwell eight kills and three assists and Caroline Barber 14 service points, eight serve receptions and four digs.
In the JV game, Abigail Hedgepath had 16 assists, Brooke Hamrick five kills and seven service points and Ava Tipton eight serve receptions and seven service points.
In a non-conference match with a good Hickory team on Tuesday, the varsity won 25-20, 25-19, 20-25, 26-24 and the JVs won 25-7, 25-14.
All of the Lady Mountaineers had a good all-around game. Songaila had 16 kills, 16 digs, 19 service points and two blocks. Davis added 22 kills and five blocks. Pasour had 15 service points, 25 assists, three kills, 10 digs and one block and Bagwell provided 13 assists, 11 kills, two service points and five digs.
The JV ladies won 25-7, 25-14. Ava Tipton had six serve receptions, five digs and three service points. Abigail Hedgepath added two digs, six kills, 11 assists and three service points; and Brooke Hamrick had five kills, one block, two digs and nine service points.
Kings Mountain was scheduled to host Hunter Huss yesterday. The Lady Mountaineers will travel to North Gaston Thursday and Forestview September 13 before returning to their home court on September 15 against South Point.
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KOBE PAYSOUR

KM’s Kobe Paysour stands out
in Carolina’s 63-61 win at ASU

Former Kings Mountain High School football star Kobe Paysour stood out in several Mountaineer victories during his prep days and Saturday was a big factor in another Mountaineer team – the Appalachian State Mountaineers – losing one of the highest scoring games in North Carolina collegiate football history.
The redshirt freshman wide receiver helped his North Carolina Tar Heels edge Appalachian State 63-61 in Boone.
Playing in the place of UNC All-American wide receiver Josh Downs, who was injured in Carolina’s game the week before, Paysour caught all eight passes that quarterback Drake Maye sent his way for 92 yards and a touchdown. His longest catch was for 21 yards.
The Tar Heels fell behind 21-7 early but made a huge comeback and the lead changed hands numerous times the rest of the way.
Paysour started his freshmen through junior seasons at KMHS and set school records with 71 receptions for 1,596 yards and 26 touchdowns. Before his senior season, Cleveland County Schools were closed because of COVID and he played his senior season at Gaffney High School and led the Indians in receptions and yardage. He returned to KMHS after Gaffney’s season ended and had the grades and credits to enter Carolina in the spring semester. He spent last football season as a redshirt.
He was a High School All-American his sophomore year at KMHS when he caught 60 passes for 1,138 yards and 16 touchdowns. For his prep career he caught 195 passes for 3,912 yards and 51 touchdowns, including 37 passes for 534 yards and five TDs in seven games at Gaffney. He was All-Conference all four years of his high school career and was an All-American his sophomore year at KMHS.
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Kings Mountain’s Curtis Simpson (9), Rodney Unnash (40) and Javier Currie (33) sack Burns quarterback Ben Mauney in Friday’s game at KM’s Gamble Stadium. Photos by Gary Smart

KM Mountaineers shutout Burns Bulldogs 27-0,
idle Friday before beginning BSC play next week


Kings Mountain’s Mountaineers completed their non-conference play Friday at Gamble Stadium with an impressive 27-0 victory over the previously unbeaten Burns Bulldogs. The Mountaineers have an open date this week and will begin Big South Conference play at home on Friday, September 16 against the Hunter Huss Huskies.
The Bulldogs, who had two big victories over their other 3A non-conference opponents Forestview 42-0 and Crest 35-12 coming in, kept the game close in the first half and trailed just 7-0 at the break.
But with good blocking by linemen like Alex Jackson, Michael Lubas, Isaiah Eskridge, Dalton Smith, and Treston Spikes the Mountaineers put two more touchdowns on the board in the third period and scored again in the fourth stanza to put the game away.
“We played really well,” noted KM head coach Greg Lloyd. “We won both lines of scrimmage. We controlled the clock and kept their defense on the field. It was a good night. That was our second shutout in a row and we’re really proud of that.”
Kings Mountain had a balanced offensive attack with 138 yards in the air and 204 on the ground. Burns had a good night in the middle of the field but the KM defense came up big in scoring situations. The Bulldogs finished with 116 yards rushing but the Mountaineers held their talented passing quarterback Ben Mauney to a season low 78 yards.
“We wanted to get after him early and make sure he didn’t have time to throw because his receivers are really dangerous,” Lloyd said. “They have good running backs. I thought AJ Richardson and Curtis Simpson, our defensive ends, put a lot of pressure on them.”
Kings Mountain’s defense set the tone for the game shortly after the opening kickoff when a Burns punt was partially blocked and the Mountaineers took over at the Burns 22. On KM’s fourth offensive play, quarterback Lamont Littlejohn hit Thomas Fair with a 12-yard pass for a touchdown and Jaden Ellis kicked the point-after with 5:45 on the clock.
The Mountaineers would threaten again on their next possession, driving from their own five following a Burns punt to the Burns 24 but the Bulldogs’ Lamont Wilson intercepted a pass. And, they drove from their own seven to the Burns 26 late in the half but a field goal attempt missed with five seconds on the clock.
Kings Mountain had back-to-back scoring drives that ate up most of the third quarter to take a 21-0 lead. Taking over on their own 44 after Caleb Holland’s kickoff return, the Mountaineers covered the 56 remaining yards in eight plays to take a 14-0 led on Holland’s 13-yard run off tackle and Ellis’s PAT with 7:48 on the clock.
After the ensuing kickoff, Burns put the ball in play at its own 22 and, on first down, Mauney fumbled while being sacked by Simpson. Richardson scooped the ball at the nine and took it in the end zone, giving KM two TDs in just 21 seconds.
KM’s final TD drive began at the 11:23 mark of the fourth quarter  when  the
KM defense forced a three and out. Taking over on their own 33, the Mountaineers covered the distance in just eight plays with the big one being a 42-yard reception by Jake Lloyd for a first down at the Burns five to set up a three-yard TD run by Richardson.
Burns took over at its own 22 and found itself in another deep hole as KM’s Rodney Unnash sacked Mauney for a seven yard loss. They had to punt with 5:32 left and wouldn’t touch the ball again until just 32 seconds remained on the clock.
“I think we won all three phases of the game,” Lloyd said. “I thought our special teams were really good and did a good job. It was a good night and our second shutout in a row and we’re really proud of that. We came out in good shape. We didn’t get anybody hurt and we should be healthy when we start conference play.”
With an open date this week, Lloyd said the Mountaineers will work on “fundamentals and our passing game. We’re off to a good start but we can get much better. We’ll probably work some with new guys and try to improve overall.”
 
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After sluggish start, Mountaineers
roll to big 24-0 win over Asheville

The lightning that sent teams and fans out of John Gamble Stadium for 45 minutes Friday night was nothing like the yellow flags flying all over the place in the first quarter of the Mountaineers’ non-conference game with Asheville.
But, things finally settled down and the Mountaineers rolled to their second straight win 24-0.
“We were behind the chains starting out,” Coach Greg Lloyd noted. “We were out of rhythm but the more we got into the game it was cleaner. We were shooting ourselves in the foot with some penalties and turnovers.”
The Mountaineers got going early in the second quarter after a Jaden Ellis kickoff into the end zone made Asheville’s offense start on its own 20. Backed up on their 10-yard line following a Curtis Simpson sack, the Cougars had to punt and it traveled just 19 yards and KM took over on Asheville’s 33 yard line. A roughing the passer flag on the Cougars gave KM a first down at the 22 and an 11-yard pass from Lamont Littlejohn to Bryson Brown and three rushes by Teddy Jeffries put the Mountaineers into the end zone. Jaden Ellis’ PAT made it 7-0 with 7:24 left in the half.
With 44 seconds left on the first half clock, Simpson blocked a punt and KM took over on the Asheville 17. Three KM passes fell incomplete, but Ellis came on to boot a 34-yard field goal to send the Mountaineers into halftime with a 10-0 lead.
The flags didn’t fly as much in the second half and the Mountaineer offense did a good job of running the clock. The defense continued to shine as it would hold the Cougars to 51 yards total offense – 24 on the ground and 27 in the air on just four of 14 completions. Kings Mountain finished with 199 yards total offense. Sanders caught four passes for 53 yards, Brown and Zay Smith two each for 17 yards each, and Jeffries one for four. Jeffries and Caleb Holland led the rushing with 36 and 35 yards, respectively.
“Everybody played hard,” Coach Lloyd noted. “We were able to keep the ball away from them. After a tough one at Shelby it was a good win for us. We are happy to be where we are.”
After the Asheville punter dropped the snap on a punt attempt midway of the third period, the Mountaineers marched 49 yards in 11 plays to go up 17-0 on a five-yard touchdown run by Holland and Ellis’s PAT. Facing fourth and one at the Asheville 40, big AJ Richardson plowed two yards for a first down at the 38 and two runs by Kendrick made it first and ten on the 25. A face mask penalty on Asheville resulted in a first down at the 15 and three straight runs by Holland put the Mountaineers in the end zone with 29 seconds left in the quarter
Once again the KM defense came up big as Micah Ward’s tackle for a two-yard loss forced a 21-yard punt by the Cougars. Taking over at the Asheville 49, the Mountaineers continued to work the clock. Smith made a remarkable sideline catch for a first down at the Asheville 36 and Holland carried three times for 11 yards to set up a 25-yard TD pass from Littlejohn to Sanders who made an over the shoulder catch in the end zone for the final TD with 6:56 remaining. The defense held the Cougars to another three and out and the KM took over with just 5:15 remaining. Led by the running of Feemster and Ward and a 10-yard reception by Sanders, the Mountaineers ran the clock down to 51 seconds before Asheville intercepted a pass. But it was too little, too late.
The Mountaineers were without one of their top players, senior Jake Lloyd who developed a mild case of COVID after turning in a strong all-around effort in the Mountaineers’ opening win at Shelby the week before, but his replacements played very well.
“Jake looks fine and I think he may be able to play Friday,” Coach Lloyd said. “We’ll just have to wait and see.”

KMHS band entertains the crowd at football home opener

 Kings Mountain High’s football team played its first home game of the season Friday night. After a 45-minute lightning delay the Mountaineers squared off against Asheville and posted an impressive 24-0 victory. Not only did the team play its usual exciting game, the band did as well before a packed home crowd. The Mountaineers and the band will be back on the Gamble Stadium turf Friday with a big county rivalry game with the undefeated Burns Bulldogs.

Photos by Gary Smart
Band mountainee
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KM’s Watts first, KM teams
second in opening XC meet

Both Kings Mountain teams ran second to South Point in the Mountaineers’ first cross country meet last week – a two-mile scrimmage- at KMHS but the Mountaineers’ sophomore Isaiah Watts ran first with a time of 11:23. He finished 23 seconds ahead of second place Mason Braswell of South Point in 11:46.
It was the only home meet scheduled for the Mountaineers this season.
The Mountaineers’ only other top ten finisher was Hunter Cruise, who was 10th in 13:07. Nathan Inthavong was 16th, Marty Lovingood 19th, Elliot Habel 20th, Nicholas Horn 24th, Nathaniel Kiser 39th, Marcus Williams 40th, Hayden Huss 49th and Eric Bell 51st.
South Point’s girls finished with 34 points to KM’s 38. Forestview was third with 56. In the boys’ race, South Point had 37 to KM’s 63. Forestview was third with 75, followed by Crest 99, Hunter Huss 114 and West Lincoln 150.
The Lady Mountaineers were led by Divinity Ervin, who finished second to South Point’s Lexi Birtwistle  14:01 to 14:29. KM’s Thalia Kushman was third in 14:40.
Kings Mountain’s only other top 10 finisher was 10th place Brooke Waseman in 16:16. Sindy Ulloa ran 13th in 17:00, Kinley Putnam 16th in 17:22, Nicole Poston 17th in 17:26, Kallie Hope 24thin 18:15 and Emily Phelps 36th in 24:03.
Kings Mountain travels to York, SC September 1 for a 5 p.m. start. The Mountaineers will go to Ashbrook on September 6 and compete in the county meet with Burns, Crest and Shelby on September 13 at the Cleveland Community College course.
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Kings Mountain High’s women’s cross country team, left to right Alyssa Deal, Brooke Waseman, Thalia Kushman, Divinity Ervin, Sindy Ulloa, Nicole Poston, Kinley Putnam, Kallie Hope, Sarah Eagle, Parker Wilson. See more photos on page 4B.
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Kings Mountain High’s men’s cross country team, Front row, left to right: Nate Kiser, On ground Marty Lovingood and Nic Horn (hand on Marty’s head). back row left to right: Marcus Williams, Elliott Habel, Hunter Cruise, Nathan Inthavong (flexing), Isaiah Watts, Eric Bell and Hayden Huss.

Burns bringing
powerful team
to KMHS Friday

Kings Mountain’s Mountaineers have opened their 2022 football season with a pair of impressive wins over perennial North Carolina powers Shelby and Asheville, but their toughest game so far comes Friday night when a powerful Burns team comes to John Gamble Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.
The Bulldogs’ come to town with an impressive resume with blowout wins over the Forestview Jaguars and Crest Chargers. They have tons of experience and are led by one of the area’s – if not one of the state’s – best quarterbacks in 6-3 Ben Mauney who is averaging 388 yards passing per game.  They also have a strong running attack, led by Jeremiah Norris with 111 yards per game.
“Burns is definitely an improved team,” says Mountaineer coach Greg Lloyd. “They have tons of skill players who make big plays. They’re very aggressive and they are the best team we’ve seen to this point.
“They are really good in all areas of the game,” he added. “They’re strong on both sides of the ball. Their quarterback is a returning starter and they have a lot of seniors that have had good success. I’d say they are one of the top two or three 2A teams in the state. They are a state championship caliber team.
“This will be a big test for us,” he said. “We’ll have to earn everything we get. We need to stay on the field, pick up first downs and not have turnovers. They have a lot of seniors that started their sophomore and junior years. Their receivers are really tall and talented and skilled athletes.
“They’re going to be a challenge. Their quarterback is a junior and is starting for his second year. We have to be ready. This is our third tough game. We’d like to get finished up non-conference with everybody healthy. Then we’ll have an open date before we start conference play. But we can’t think about anything but Burns right now.”
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Quarterback TJ Armstrong fires a pass in KM JVs season opening win over Shelby Thursday night at Gamble Stadium. Photos by Gary Smart

KM JVs open season with
35-6 win over rival Shelby

A scoop and score by the Mountaineer defense on the first series of the game sparked a 35-6 victory over rival Shelby in the opening JV game Thursday night at Gamble Stadium.
The Mountaineers won the opening coin flip and opted to go on defense. Facing fourth and 12 at the KM 48, Shelby’s Santana London fumbled and Kings Mountain’s Zavion Wilson scooped up the ball and rambled 55 yards for a touchdown.  Vance Johnson kicked the point-after and the rout was underway.
The defense came up big again on Shelby’s next possession as freshman Izaiah Jones sacked the Shelby QB for a 14-yard loss at the Lions’ 25. After a five-yard delay of game penalty on the Lions, they attempted a fourth and 24 punt from the 20 but a bad snap went into the end zone and KM’s Kameron Adams recovered it for a safety and a 9-0 lead. Shelby’s free kick from the 20 was returned by KM’s Kameron Adams for a 60-yard TD and a 14-0 lead.
The defense showed its stuff again on Shelby’s next possession as Dom Davis blocked a Lions’ punt and returned it 15 yards to the Lions’ one yard line. Quarterback TJ Armstrong scored on a sneak and Vance Johnson’s PAT made it 21-0.
The KM defense came up big again as back-to-back sacks by Davis and Semaj Odems forced a Shelby punt. KM took over on its own 34 and Kameron Adams picked up 10 yards on the final play of the first period to spark an 8-play, 66 yard touchdown drive. After a seven yard run by Adams, Shelby was penalized 15 yards for a horse collar penalty and the Mountaineers had a first and 10 at the Lions’ 35. Facing fourth and 15 from the 25, Armstrong found Lanair behind the Shelby D in the end zone and hit him for the TD. Johnson’s PAT made it 28-0 with 6:22 on the first half clock.
Shelby was able to get its only TD of the night when Calvin Ramseur took the ensuing kickoff 90 yards to the end zone.
Led by good blocking and the running of Hill and Adams, the Mountaineers drove 60 yards to score on a 31-yard pass from Armstrong to Xzorion Lenair with 1:12 left in the half. Johnson’s PAT split the uprights and KM went into the break with a 35-6 lead.
Feeling comfortable that it would hold, the KM coaching staff used the second half to work most of – if not all – their players into the game. Shelby was able to get to the Mountaineer 31 late in the third period but a 9-yard sack by KM’s Zavion Wilson and Dom Davis stopped the Lions dead at the KM 40. After that, the Lions stayed deep in their own territory the rest of the night.
The JVs will be road warriors for a while now. They go to Asheville this Thursday, then to Burns on September 1. They will have a bye on September 8 and go to Hunter Huss on September 15. After that they will be back in Gamble Stadium for back-to-back home games against North Gaston and Forestview.

Very good
Asheville
team here
on Friday

Kings Mountain’s Mountaineers will probably remember last week’s big win over the Shelby Lions for the rest of their lives, but it would be a mistake to dwell on it the rest of the season.
The next two Friday nights could produce more nail-biters as the Mountaineers will host two other state powers in 4A Asheville and 2A Burns.
Asheville comes to town Friday with a team that is ranked among the best in the state, and the Cougars appear to be even stronger than they were last year when the Mountaineers barely got by them in Asheville.
“Asheville is going to be one of our toughest games,” says head coach Greg Lloyd. “They are very good. They have an excellent defense and offense. They won their conference last year. They won their first game last week (against Robbinsville) and they’re coming in here on a high note.”
The Cougars had some almost unbelievable individual accomplishments in last week’s win. Freshman quarterback Meek Slydel hit 14 of 21 passes for 197 yards, including a 71-yard TD pass to freshman Monty Mosley.
The defense turned in a strong effort, also, with 113 tackles.
“It’s going to be a very tough home game,” Lloyd said. “And, then we have another good Burns team coming in the next week. These first three games are going to help get us ready for the regular season.
“We need to shore up some things on both sides of the ball. As always, the key is good blocking and tackling. We need to get over this big win (over Shelby) and move on. We’ve got to move forward.”
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Kings Mountain’s AJ Richardson (15) puts the pressure on Shelby quarterback Daylin Lee in Friday’s season opener at Shelby. Photos by Gary Smart

What a way to begin 100th year of KMHS football!
Mountaineers lead wire to wire to beat Shelby 28-26

Kings Mountain’s Mountaineers opened their 100th season of football Friday night with a victory that will be remembered for a long time. They went across Buffalo Creek and defeated their longest and toughest rival Shelby 28-26.
“It was a big win for us,” said KM head coach Greg Lloyd. “It was very exciting. We played well against one of the top teams in the state and didn’t have any turnovers. We cramped some in the second half and that hurt us, but on Shelby’s last drive our defense got enough stops.”
The Lions, who had trailed 21-6 at the half, rebounded in the third quarter and got within 21-13. KM quarterback Lamont Littlejohn, who threw for all four MountaineersTDs, hit Jake Lloyd with a short toss and he followed great blocking from the left side of the Mountaineer line to score on a 14-yard play. Jaden Ellis booted his fourth straight extra point to put the Mountaineers up 28-13, and it would prove to be big because Shelby’s offense wasn’t through. They got two quick TD’s to make it interesting at the end.
Following a punt return to the KM 36, it took just four Daylin Lee passes to pull the Lions within 28-20 with 6:12 remaining. The Shelby defense stood big, forcing a KM three and out, and Shelby took over after a KM punt was downed on the Lions’ 32. Back-to-back penalties on the Mountaineers moved the ball to the 42 and Lee went to the air and pulled the Lions to within 28-26 but the KM defense stopped their two-point conversion attempt with 2:35 left.
KM took possession at its own 20 and the Mountaineers got their second wind. A first down run by Teddy Jeffries went for 22 yards to the 42 and then the offensive line and big Mountaineer senior AJ Richardson took charge. Two totes by Richardson gave the Mountaineers a first down at the Lions’ 46. The Lions took their final time out with 1:35 left and Richardson carried twice more to the 37. KM intentionally took a five-yard delay of game penalty with 11 seconds left, and Littlejohn took a knee to end the game.
“After their last score we were really expecting an onside kick,” Lloyd noted. “We were laying for it. But Jeffries got us out of the hole and AJ played very well. Both our blocking and running was very good even though they were a little tired.”
Littlejohn had one of – if not his best – games in his second year as KM’s starting QB, hitting 14 of 20 passes for 221 yards. He did not throw an interception. He hit Ja’Qualyn Sanders with a short pass and Sanders broke two tackles and rambled 42 yards for the game’s first TD in the opening period. Jaden Ellis booted the point after for a 7-0 lead.
Shelby battled back and scored but missed the point-after, and on the second play of the second period Littlejohn hit Bryson Brown for a 53-yard catch and run to make it 14-6.
With 3:14 left in the first half, the Mountaineers began a 60-yard scoring march which included Littlejohn passes of six yards to Sanders and 22 to Lloyd for a first down at the Shelby 15. He hit Robert Kendrick for an eight-yard TD pass with 7.5 seconds on the clock and Ellis added the PAT for the 21-6 halftime lead.
Even though some Mountaineers cramped up some, Lloyd gave Shelby credit for the big second half comeback.
“It was good play on their part,” he said. “They have 22 starters back (11 on offense and 11 on defense) and a lot of our players were going both ways. They have a very good team and we had to dig deep.
“I thought we played really well in the first half. They usually score 40 to 50 points on most teams but we chewed up some clock and played really well.
“I thought our blocking and running was really good in the last three minutes.”
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Meile Songaila and the KMHS women’s volleyball team are off to another great start.

KM volleyball
stays unbeaten

Kings Mountain High’s volleyball team continued to roll last week with non-conference 3-0 wins over East Lincoln and St. Stephens.
The Lady Mountaineers defeated East Lincoln 25-21, 25-14, 25-14 and St. Stephens 25-20, 25-15, 25-23.
In the win over East Lincoln, Meile Songaila provided nine serve receptions, nine digs, 17 kills and seven service points. Camden Pasour had 16 assists, eight digs, three kills and eight service points. Paige Bagwell had 10 assists, five digs, nine kills and eight service points; Caroline Barber five assists, 16 serve receptions, 16 digs and six service points; and Myracle Davis 10 kills.
In JV action, KM won 25-10 and 25-20. Megan Harrison had eight kills and three service points, Brooke Hamrick four kills and nine service points and Abigail Hedgepath eight service points and 16 assists.
Against St. Stephens, Songaila had 10 kills, nine digs, one block, nine service points and 17 serve receptions. Davis had 10 kills and five blocks, Pasour three kills, 16 assists, two blocks and 12 service points; Bagwell nine kills, 11 assists and 14 service points and Barber 22 digs, four service points and 19 serve receptions.
The JVs won 25-21, 25-19. Ava Tipton had 11 serve receptions, 14 digs and four service points. Brooke Hamrick added seven kills and seven service points, Ruby Osborne three kills and two blocks and Abigail Hedgepath three kills and 17 assists.
The Lady Mountaineers were scheduled to host Polk County Tuesday and will go to Weddington Thursday, Chesnee, SC Saturday and Hickory Tuesday. They open Big South Conference play September 1 at home against Ashbrook.
Heraldbsection

2022:
Celebrating 100 years
On The Gridiron

See Special Section in this week's KM Herald  (August 17, 2022)

Mountaineers to host Cleveland County Jamboree Friday,
then start getting ready for 100th season opener at Shelby

The opening of the 100th season of Kings Mountain High School football is right around the corner and fans have a chance to see what’s to come when the Mountaineers host the annual Cleveland County Jamboree Friday night at John Gamble Stadium.
All four county teams will be facing good competition. Crest takes on Newton-Conover at 6 p.m., followed by Burns and Cox Mill at 7, Shelby and Reagan at 8 and the Mountaineers and Monroe at 9.
Kings Mountain’s game may be the best as the Mountaineers and Monroe have been involved in barn-burners every time they’ve met. In their last outing at Monroe the Mountaineers won but in their last meeting here in the 2020 “spring” season Monroe knocked them out of the playoffs to end their perfect 8-0 regular season.
“Monroe is going to be very good,” says Mountaineer coach Greg Lloyd. “They have a three-year starter at quarterback. He was their starter as a sophomore when they beat us in the first round of the playoffs in the COVID spring season. He is a dual threat.
“They have a ton of speed,” he added. “They are a top tier team that’s going to be a very good team for us to play.
“And the first three games (Shelby, Asheville and Burns) will be really good, too,” he added. “All of our county teams are going to be real good competition. We’re going to have to play at a very high level.”
Lloyd said his main goal going into the jamboree is to see how much his team has improved during early practice.
“We have a lot of players back,” he noted, “but we will be working on getting new guys in and seeing what they can do. We’re going to try to get all of our young guys some good competition.”
The Mountaineers had wa ton of sophomore and junior starters last season so if all goes as planned and they avoid injuries they could go a long way.
“We’ll have AJ Richardson and Jake Lloyd as our only seniors returning on defense, so we will be super young overall there,” he said. “Our linebackers are young and we have a couple new on the offensive line that need game experience. And, it’s a good chance to get special teams out there because we have to get ready in a hurry.”
Offensively, they will return several starters including quarterback Lamont Littlejohn, running backs Robert Kendrick and Caleb Holland and receivers Jake Lloyd, Zay Smith and Bryson Brown,
Lloyd said the Mountaineers have the highest numbers in the county with 45 players on varsity and 55 on JVs. “But, we’re going to try to watch the other games because we’re going to have four good teams in Cleveland County. It’s going to make it very interesting this season.”
Tripped up
Wilsin rule changes def
Somebody gets nailed again
Cruise rule changes off
Kennedy point across
Kennedy tackle drills
Cruise ol block drills
Breaking to outside
Backs work on run game
Block drills

Kings Mountain Middle School football workouts 

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Ormand descendants gathered for the photo at the Old Furnace in Bessemer City on Saturday, July 30 for the 125th reunion. Due to the lens used, the distortion makes the furnace appear smaller and the people on the edges of the photo appear larger. (Photo provided)
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KM Touchdown Club’s
online auction
August 11-13

The annual Kings Mountain Touchdown Club auction will be held August 11 and 12 through 6 p.m. Sat., Aug. 13.
Once again, the TD Club has an abundance of outstanding offers including Carolina Panther tickets, credits toward Braves tickets and golf items.
Sign up through the website KMTouchdownClub.com.
The auction is open to the public. All proceeds go to Kings Mountain High School athletic programs.
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Kings Mountain High’s state champion
recognized by KM Touchdown Club

Kings Mountain High’s state champion tennis players were recognized by the Kings Mountain Touchdown Club by having state championship plaques added at the KMHS tennis facility. TD Club president David Brinkley, center, and the state championship players (left to right) Natalie Lutz, Madeline Frye, Jackie Houston and Bryan Jones accepted a check to the tennis program from the Albemarle Foundation.
                                                                                  Photo by Gary Smart

New coaches hired
at KM High School

Kings Mountain High School has announced numerous coaching changes for the 2022-23 school year, and some others will probably be coming on board soon as well.
Alex Rowe has been selected as the new men’s soccer coach.
Timothia Guest has been hired as the new women’s basketball coach, replacing Nicholas Inman who resigned recently to accept a teaching position at Cleveland Community College. Inman may also help out with the women’s basketball program there.
While at Kings Mountain, Inman became just the second coach in modern history to lead the Lady Mountaineers to a conference championship, and he did it twice in 2019 and 2022. The only champion prior was in 1983.
Hailey Raza-Spearman has been named women’s track coach. She has held previous coaching positions at the school.
KMHS is currently in search of a new head wrestling coach. Anyone interested in applying should email Principal Dustin Morehead or Athletic Director Matt Bridges.

Men’s soccer 
meeting July 18 
at high school 

Kings Mountain High School will have a men’s soccer greet and interest meeting July 18 at 6 p.m. in the Brinkley Field House.
All players interested in trying out for men’s soccer are invited. Parents can attend also.
Informatoin about summer workouts and fall tryouts will be given at the meeting.
“We are excited to announce Coach Alex Rowe as our new men’s soccer coach as he has also joined our staff at KMHS in the history department,” said Mountaineer athletic director Matt Bridges.
Anyone not able to attend the meeting can contact Coach Rowe at sarowe@clevelandcountyschools.org.

County Jamboree
set for August 12
at Gamble Stadium

Kings Mountain High School will host the annual Cleveland County Football Jamboree August 12 at John Gamble Stadium.
Action begins at 6 p.m. with Crest taking on Newton-Conover. Burns faces Cox Mill at 7 p.m., and Shelby plays Reagan at 8 p.m. Kings Mountain and Monroe will close out the action with a 9 p.m. start.
The Mountaineers will be practicing July 18 through the first of August at 5 p.m. August 1 is the official first day of practice.
The Mountaineers will host their annual Black and Gold scrimmage City Stadium on August 8 and will go to Polk County for a scrimmage on August 10. Times will be announced later.

County Jamboree
set for August 12
at Gamble Stadium

Kings Mountain High School will host the annual Cleveland County Football Jamboree August 12 at John Gamble Stadium.
Action begins at 6 p.m. with Crest taking on Newton-Conover. Burns faces Cox Mill at 7 p.m., and Shelby plays Reagan at 8 p.m. Kings Mountain and Monroe will close out the action with a 9 p.m. start.
The Mountaineers will be practicing July 18 through the first of August at 5 p.m. August 1 is the official first day of practice.
The Mountaineers will host their annual Black and Gold scrimmage City Stadium on August 8 and will go to Polk County for a scrimmage on August 10. Times will be announced later.
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Financial assistance and scholarships available because Everyone Belongs at the Y!

By Kevin Osborne

The Kings Mountain Family YMCA is here for the community. We’re part of a nonprofit organization of over 2,700 Ys located in 10,000 communities across the United States dedicated to strengthening the communities that they serve. With a focus on developing the potential of youth, improving individual health and well-being, and giving back to and supporting communities, your participation brings about meaningful change not just within yourself, but also in your community.
   Financial assistance and/or scholarship is available for all programs: summer camp, youth sports, sports camps, memberships, swimming lessons, etc. Call your local YMCA at 704-739-9631 to find out more. CleveCoYMCA.org
The mission of the Cleveland County Family YMCA is to help all people reach their God given potential in spirit, mind, and body.
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KMHS Football Workouts

Kings Mountain High football players go through early morning preseason workouts yesterday at John Gamble Stadium.

Everyone belongs at the Y!

The YMCA is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all. Guided by our core values of caring, honesty, respect, faith, and responsibility, the Y is dedicated to giving people of all ages, backgrounds and walks of life the opportunity to reach their full potential with dignity. Cleveland County Family YMCA has branches in Kings Mountain, Shelby, and Boiling Springs.
Youth and Family Programs March 1 - August 1:
2022 Summer Day Camp:  Spend your summer at the YMCA and discover what camp is all about. Each week is jam-packed with swimming, group games, field trips, crafts and SO MUCH MORE. Our summer camp program is about building character, teaching responsibility, honesty, faith, and care for others. Your child will discover fun, friends, and themselves! We offer traditional day camp, as well as sports camps (see sports section) for ages 5-12. Day camp is Monday - Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Parent’s Night Out & Family Events: Parent’s Night Out events take place every third Friday of the month. The event lasts from 6pm to 9pm. Registration can be completed online or at the Welcome Center. The cost is $10.00 for both members and non-members. This includes dinner! Be sure to ask about the 2022 Father Daughter Dance! Grab the princess in your life and accompany her to our annual dance. You will enjoy an event of dinner, dancing, and memories that will last a lifetime! This annual event will take place in the spring at the Trinity Barn in Kings Mountain, N.C.
Child Watch Programs: In Child Watch, we welcome your children to visit our drop-in childcare so that you can achieve your wellness goals. This is a benefit for family members. We accept ages 8 weeks to 8 years old Monday - Friday from 9am - 12pm, Monday - Thursday from 4pm -7pm & Saturday from 8:30am to 7:30pm. Contact: Ranata Wingo, Family Director rwingo@clevecoymca.org 704.669.3685.

Youth & Adult Sports:
Volleyball Session 1 -  June 6 - 10, Session 2 July 18 - 20, Ages 7 - 13

Soccer Session 1 -  June 13 - 17,  Session 2 July 11 -15 Ages 5 - 16

Basketball Session - 1 June 20 - 24, Session 2 July 25 - 29, Ages 5 - 16

Speed & Agility Session -  June 27 - July 1, Ages 7 - 13

Multi-Sports Session - July 5 - July 8 Ages 7 - 13

Golf Session - August 1 - 5 Ages 7 – 13

KM Swim Lessons 2022
   Swimming is a life skill as well as great exercise and challenging sport. We use a variety of fun methods to help kids overcome fears, build confidence in the water, and develop skills that last a lifetime. The YMCA has over 100 years of experience teaching kids and adults how to swim, providing a safe and rewarding place to enjoy aquatics. Believe it or not, now is the perfect time for you or your child to learn how to swim! YMCA swim lessons are progressive, so everyone continues enhancing their skills in each lesson.
Group Swim Lessons (Ages 3-6) – June 6 – July 21
Group Swim Lessons (Ages 7-14) – June 6 – July 21
Private (1 on 1 Ages 3-6) – June 6 – July 28
Private (1 on 1 Ages 7-13) – June 6 – July 28
Private (1 on 1 Ages 14-99) – June 6 – July 28
Adult Sports:
Adult Basketball: We offer a recreational league and a competitive league. Registration is from February 28 - March 27 and late registration will be from March 28 - April 1 at Kings Mountain Family YMCA.
Adult Volleyball: Come join us for a co-ed, recreational adult volleyball league at the Y! Registration will be from June 27 to July 31. Late registration will be August 1 to August 5. Captain’s meeting: Monday, August 8 at 6:30pm Kings Mountain Family YMCA.
Health, Well-Being & Fitness: We know that staying healthy involves more than working out. Our programs and services focus on the entire family’s health, while providing a variety of fitness and wellness programs to serve a person’s unique needs.
See YMCA, Page 4B
From Page 1B
At the Y, we provide educational programs to promote healthier decisions so you can know the best ways to stay fit. With a recently updated free-weight room as well as upgrades to our upstairs wellness area, we have everything you need to start your journey. We offer the latest fitness classes, personalized training programs, sports leagues for all ages and SO MUCH MORE.
Trainer Tip Tuesday & Thursday: Our trained YMCA staff are happy to assist you in as many ways as we can. Keep an eye out on our social media pages for Trainer Tip Tuesday & Thursday. Our trained staff¬ will be recording short videos on various tips and tricks in the fitness industry. From diet to technique, we are here to help. New content will be uploaded weekly.
Personal Training: YMCA Personal Training is a one-on-one session with a personal fitness trainer. Our trainers are educated professionals often with years of experience who can help any YMCA member including working professionals, new moms, seniors, and triathletes. YMCA personal trainers come from as many different backgrounds and walks of life as our members do, and we take great care in matching members with the right personal trainer.
Group Exercise: Group exercise is one of many ways the Y supports members in achieving their health and wellness goals. The YMCA Group Exercise Programs improve health, encourage social interaction and with motivating music, are one of the most enjoyable ways to move and feel great. Highly trained staff¬ members lead the programs and often tailor them to the specific needs of the community. Each month a new schedule is produced with the Group Exercise classes offered for that month.
Wellness Orientations: Are you new to the YMCA? Come in and meet with one of our experienced Wellness Coaches for an orientation. We will guide you through the proper use of equipment along with demonstrations of various exercises. We can also give general recommendations on your diet, along with how to begin your fitness journey. Call or drop by to schedule your appointment. Classes are free for members.
LIVESTRONG: LiveSTRONG at the YMCA is a free program designed for cancer survivors 18 years and older who have become de-conditioned or chronically fatigued from their treatment or disease. Participants receive a FREE 12-week Family Membership Plus and may use YMCA facilities at any time. This program is free to all members and nonmembers. Lil’ Ninjas Awaken potential, build focus, confidence, and develop self-control in your child without  Lil’ Ninjas Self Defense Class: Class meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4:30 p.m., and each class lasts 45 minutes.
The LOFT Functional Training Center: This diverse space is about building community and enabling achievement for all ages and abilities. Functional fitness trains your muscles to work together and prepares them for daily tasks by simulating movements you might do at home, at work or in sports. It trains your whole body while emphasizing core stability. The LOFT is currently only available for personal training sessions, group exercises, and bootcamps. Check our website for updates on classes and bootcamps.
For more information, contact the Kings Mountain Family YMCA at 704-739-9631.
Hours of operation are:
Monday - Thursday 5:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Friday 5:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Saturday 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Sunday 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
   The Cleveland County YMCA is a 501(C)(3) Non-Profit Organization. Donations are tax-exempt.
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Soccer Camp at the YMCA. Photos provided
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Kings Mountain’s three senior baseball players were honored prior to Friday’s game with Ashbrook at Lancaster Field. Left to right are Charlie Melton, Peyton Fisher and Maddox Brown. The trio handled the pitching duties in a 10-0 victory. Photos by Gary Smart

Mountaineers shutout Ashbrook on Senior Night,
host Chargers Friday for Big South Conference title

Senior Night could not have gone any better for Kings Mountain High’s baseball team Friday night at Lancaster Field. The team honored its three seniors – Charlie Melton, Maddox Brown and Peyton Fisher – before the game and the trio teamed up to pitch the Mountaineers over the Ashbrook Green Wave 10-0 in a 4 ½ inning contest stopped by the state’s 10-run rule.
While that victory was sweet in front of a huge home crowd, the most important games of the conference season take place this week when the Mountaineers face county rival Crest to decide the Big South championship. Heading into last night’s game in Boiling Springs the Mountaineers had a one game lead over the Chargers and could clinch the title with a win. A loss would mean the championship would be decided Friday when the Chargers come to Lancaster Field for a 7 p.m. contest that completes the regular season. After that, both teams will await the state 3A seeding and first round opponents for Tuesday, May 10.
Melton worked the first four innings to get the win over Ashbrook. He fanned five batters along the way. Brown struck out one and Fisher two in the top of the fifth to seal the victory.
The Mountaineers got home runs from Zane Brockman in the second inning and Cole Irby in the third to go with singles from Bebe Moore, Brown and Jacob Hamrick. They also benefited from seven walks and three hit batsmen.
The Mountaineers got on board 2-0 in the bottom of the first as wildness by Ashbrook pitchers showed up early. After Moore’s hit, Hamrick was walked and an out later Brown’s single to left plated the first run. Another out later, Cole Irby was hit by a pitch to load the sacks and Fisher drew a walk to plate the second run.
The Mountaineers increased the lead to 4-0 in the second on Brockman’s high blast over the centerfield fence after Moore had reached base on a fielder’s choice.
KM closed out the scoring with six runs in the third inning. Irby’s home run over the left field fence also plated Ellis, who had been hit by a pitched ball, to run the score to 6-0. Three walks loaded the bases and an infield hit by Hamrick and another walk to Brockman produced two more runs to make it 8-0. The final two runs came on a fielder’s choice and error.
The previous Tuesday in Gastonia, the Mountaineers defeated Ashbrook 8-0 behind the two-hit, 13 strikeout performance from Brockman who also went 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI.
Caleb Broome led the KM plate attack with 3-for-4 and two RBI. Ellis went 2-for-3 with a RBI and Hamrick 1-for-3 with a walk and two RBI.
Kings Mountain took a 2-0 lead in the first inning and broke the game open with one run in the fifth, three in the sixth and two in the seventh.
Colton Mayes relieved Brockman in the seventh inning.

Mountaineers shutout Ashbrook on Senior Night
host Chargers Friday for Big South Conference title

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Cole Irby is greeted by his teammates after his long home run in Kings Mountain’s 10-0 win over Ashbrook Friday at Lancaster Field. Photos by Gary Smart
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KM’s Jacob Hamrick slides head first into third base in Friday’s 10-0 victory over the Ashbrook Green Wave at Lancaster Field. (Photos by Gary Smart)
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KMHS GOLF TEAM

KM golfers win Big South Conference,
Will Spicer individual champ and POY


King Mountain High’s golfers wrapped up the Big South 3A Conference title last week and were playing in the Western Regional championship match Monday at Riverbend Golf Course near Shelby with individual and team spots for the state 3A championship match on the line. The top three teams and the top nine individuals not on one of the qualifying teams will advance to the state tournament.
Heading into the final regular season match the Mountaineers had a three shot advantage over a good Stuart Cramer team and beat the Storm by six strokes 290 to 296 to wrap up the championship. The host Crest Chargers finished third at 298 followed by Forestview 318, South Point 325, Ashbrook 326, North Gaston 353 and Hunter Huss 493.
The victory wrapped up the Mountaineers’ second conference championship in six years. (One of those years, the golf season was cancelled because of COVID). Their last championship year was 2017 when current University of Kentucky player Alex Goff was Player of the Year and finished high in the state tournament. Other members of the team were Dawson Adams, Carson Bailey, Joey Blanton and Tyler Withers.
Just like in 2017, Kings Mountain didn’t just have the championship team but had the conference championship player Will Spicer. Spicer’s low season score of 65 made him the match medalist and his season stroke average of 69.8 earned him the Conference Player of the Year award. For the year, he had a stroke total of 419.
Three other Mountaineers made the All-Conference team, including:
Cooper Putnam, who shot a 71 to finish sixth in the conference;
Thomas Spicer, who shot a 77 to finish ninth in the conference;
And, Caleb Marr who shot a 77 to finish 12th in the conference.
Josh Gillespie’s 78 rounded out the KM scoring.
The Mountaineers had a team score of 2,143 for the seven conference matches, followed by Stuart Cramer at 2,152, Crest 2,257, Forestview 2,361, Ashbrook 2,389, South Point 2,467, North Gaston 2,726 and Hunter Huss 2,979.
“This is a good, young team,” noted Coach Kevin Moss. “We have one senior, three sophomores and two freshmen in the top six. This is a special group. It’s always good to have good young players. There were some very good teams in the conference this year such as Stuart Cramer, Crest and Forestview so winning it was a big accomplishment.”
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Kings Mountain High’s baseball team went 3-0 to win last week’s Shelby Easter Tournament at Shelby’s Veteran’s Park. Photos by Gary Smart

Mountaineers go 3-0 to win Shelby Easter Tournament

Kings Mountain High junior right hander Wyatt Davis, who has been a valuable closer for the Mountaineers all season, got the start against Crest in the championship game of the annual Shelby Easter Tournament last week and turned in a performance that he and many others may never forget.
Davis had a no-hitter going with one out in the seventh inning before giving up a single to the Chargers’ Colby Humphries. He finished with a one-hitter and 8-0 victory against a Charger team that is always in the thick of the running for the Big South Conference and state 3A championships. Peyton Fisher came on to retire the final two Crest batters.
Davis walked only two men and struck out 14.
“He threw really well,” said Mountaineer head coach Brad Melton. “He started against Burns earlier in the season but his primary role has been in relief. He is so good coming in and has been lights out all season. He has not had a bad outing yet. Every pitcher on our staff was dominant in the tournament. Charlie (Melton) went six innings in our first tournament game and Zane Brockman did a good job against Burns.”
Caleb Broome, who just returned to the starting lineup after an injury, came back with a roar leading the Mountaineers at the plate with 2-for-2 and two runs scored. Colton Mayes and Brockman each had a hit and two runs batted in.
Melton gave up just four hits and struck out nine in six innings as the Mountaineers defeated Bandys 7-1 in the opening round.
Fisher carried the big stick for the Mountaineers with a three-run home run, and got plenty of help from many other KM hitters.
Maddox Brown had a hit, two runs batted in and scored twice. Cole Irby had a hit and RBI and Jackson Toney had a hit and RBI. Kenyon Moore, Jacob Hamrick, Brockman and Hunter Ellis also had hits.
Brockman shook off a shaky start to hurl the Mountaineers past the Burns Bulldogs 9-2 in the semi-finals. Burns loaded the bases in the first and fifth innings but Brockman and his defense worked their way out of the jam.
Brockman finished with five strikeouts and also had a big day at the plate. His run-scoring hit in the third inning got the Mountaineers off to a 1-0 lead. The Mountaineers got a lot of breathing room in the fourth, scoring six more runs with the help of four Burns errors.
Hamrick and Irby led the Mountaineers at the plate. Both had two hits and two runs batted in. Broome had a hit and RBI and Moore and Brown added a hit apiece.
“Hamrick had a really good tournament,” Coach Melton noted. “He led us with five hits. Brockman had a big week and Brown got some good hits. No one person really stood out, the whole team played well. We moved runners around. It was really a great effort by the whole team. Everybody hit the ball well.
“Defensively, we made some very good plays. The defense was really solid.
“The last two weeks our bats have been coming around,” he noted. “We’re cutting out strikeouts. We outscored our opponents 24-3 during the three-game series. That’s pretty good against three good teams. The three teams we beat finished 2-1 in the tournament, with their only loss coming to us. We played very well.”

KMMS Lady Patriots

Scenes from last week's KM Middle School soccer game.
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Olivia Carrilo moves the ball down the field for the Lady Patriots in last week’s game at KMMS. (Photos by Gary Smart)
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Addison Carpenter takes a shot at goal for the Lady Patriots in last week’s soccer game at Kings Mountain Middle School. 
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Sarah Johnsonbaugh moves the ball up field for the Kings Mountain Middle soccer team in last week’s game at KMMS.
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Alayna McDaniel gets the ball to a teammate in last week’s Lady Patriots’ soccer game at Kings Mountain Middle School. 

Dixon’s homer sparks KM
over Forestview

 Austyn Dixon’s two-strike, two-run homer on a 3-2 count in the top of the fifth inning erased a 4-3 deficit and gave the Kings Mountain High’s women’s softball team the lead for good in an 8-4 victory over Forestview Wednesday.
Dixon went 4-for-4 to lead the KM plate attack. She singled in the first and third innings, and after her fifth inning home run she singled again in the sixth.
The Lady Mountaineers got on the board in the first inning when Dixon singled on a 3-2 count .
Kali Weaver toed the rubber for the Lady Mountaineers. She went seven innings, allowing five hits while striking out six and walking none. Upton was in the circle for Forestview. She went the distance and registered eight strikeouts.
Andrea Melton also homered for the KM ladies, who finished with 12 hits. Dixon, Paige, Flemming and Karlee Nantz all had multiple hits.
In a Tuesday game the KM ladies were shutout by North Gaston 13-0. Weaver took the pitching loss. She struck out five and gave up nine hits.
Dixon and Reynolds had a hit apiece for the Lady Mountaineers.
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Kings Mountain Middle School’s tennis team completed its season last week with a 9-0 win over R-S Central, giving the Patriots a 4-2 record in their first season under Coach Ed Guy.

KMMS tennis beats RS,
finishes with 4-2 record

Kings Mountain Middle School’s tennis team shutout RS Central 9-0 last week to end its first season under new head coach Ed Guy with a 4-2 record.
The Patriots had good singles play from Katherine Frye, Seanna Simon, Elizabeth Bolt, Kayla McSwain, Jasmyn Adams and Jacob Baker as they clinched the victory early.
The Patriots finished third in the Tri-County Conference.
“We had a great group of young people who worked hard to improve,” said Guy. “I see continued growth for next year from our beginning players. We will miss our eighth grade players including Katherine Frye, Elizabeth Bolt, Kayla McSwain, Jacob Baker, Jasmyn Accor, Olivia Deloera, Raylee Clark, Caroline Pyne and Sadie Mauney. These players will give the Kings Mountain High teams additional help for next year.
“I would like to thank the parents of all of our student athletes for their support this year,” Guy said. “They all pitched in to give the team and families a great end of the season cookout. I would like to give our thanks to the administration, staff and Jason Bridges of KMMS and KMIS for their help and support. Thanks to the Kings Mountain Touchdown Club for their support.
“A final thanks to some of the KMHS tennis players and especially to my grandson, Adam Guy, for always being there and helping with tennis instruction.”
Singles:
Katherine Frye (KM) d. Edward Barrea 8-1; Seanna Simon (KM) d. Tinley Hill 8-1; Elizabeth Bolt (KM) d. Kelly Huddleson 8-1; Kayla McSwain (KM) d. Ryan Whitesides 8-3; Jasmyn Accor (KM) d. Owen Howard 8-3; Jacob Baker (KM) d. Jack Brown 9-8.
Doubles:
Frye/Simon (KM) d Hill/Barrea 8-3; D. Allen/C. Tipton (KM) d. Huddleson/Whiteside 8-6; C. Pyne/D. Deloera (KM) d. Howard/Brown (default injury).

KM sweeps Cramer, alone in first in BSC

 Kings Mountain High’s baseball team went into spring break in first place in the Big South Conference after sweeping Stuart Cramer 6-2 Tuesday in Cramerton and 7-0 Wednesday in Kings Mountain.
The Mountaineers, now 9-1 in the conference, went into their final pre-Easter game tied with Crest for first place but the Chargers fell to Forestview 2-1 to drop into second place with an 8-2 mark. Both teams are playing in the annual Shelby Easter tournament this week and will end the regular season this week and next. Kings Mountain was scheduled to go to Ashbrook last night and will host the Green Wave Friday at 7 p.m.
The regular season championship could go down to the final two games of the season when the Mountaineers travel to Crest on May 3 and host the Chargers on May 6. State playoffs will begin on May 10.
Kings Mountain got good pitching performances from aces Zane Brockman and Charlie Melton in last week’s victories over Stuart Cramer. Brockman went six strong innings and had the 7-0 lead before reaching the pitch limit and leaving the mound in Tuesday’s road win. He gave up only one hit and struck out 11.
Hunter Ellis had a big night at the plate for the Mountaineers, going 3-for-4 with a double and RBI. Kenyon Moore had a single and RBI, Maddox Brown a single and RBI and Jackson Toney a hit.
The Storm was in trouble from the beginning Wednesday at Lancaster Field. With runners on first and second with just one out in the bottom of the first, the visitors were able to pull an inning-ending double play.
But with Charlie Melton fanning the side in the top of the first two innings, the Mountaineers got going on offense and scored twice in the bottom of the second to nail down the victory early. Ellis ripped a single to left to get things going. After a walk and wild pitch got him to third, he scored on a grounder by Ethan Guy and Irby later came home on a wild pitch.
The offense kept things going in the third, scoring three more runs to go up 5-0.  Moore’s single to left got things going. After Brockman walked Moore scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-0. Brown walked and Ellis singled to right to make it 4-0. After Cramer made a pitching change, Irby hit a sacrifice fly to left to make it 5-0.
The Mountaineers added their final two runs in the fourth. Toney walked, Moore singled to center and Hamrick walked to load the bases. Brockman’s sacrifice fly to left brought home the sixth run, and Brown’s groundout to second produced the final tally.
Melton and relief ace Wyatt Davis finished with 16 strikeouts. Melton fanned 13 and gave up just three hits over the first six innings. Davis didn’t give up a hit and struck out three in the seventh.

KM
men’s track
county champs

Kings Mountain High’s men’s track team won the annual Cleveland County championship Wednesday at John Gamble Stadium.
The Mountaineers compiled 104 points to defeat Burns with 84, Shelby 65 and Crest 18.
The Mountaineers had two triple medalists and two double medalists.
Parker Key’s triple included a 4.56 in the mile, 11.32 in the two-mile and the anchor leg of the winning 4x800 relay team which included Hunter Cruise, Max Thompson and Isiah Watts.
Andre Willis was also a triple medalist with a 15.83 in the 110 high hurdles, 43.29 in the 300 hurdles and part of the winning 4x200 relay team.
Dwayne Black was a double medalist with a 22.85 in the 200 meter run and a part of the 4x200 relay with Jeramaine Thurman   and   Zavion  Smith.
Nicholas Harris took first with a personal best 11’0” in the pole vault.
D’Andre Hoyle double-medaled with a 40’7” triple jump and a 19’6” long jump.
The Mountaineers will be competing in the Porter Relays at Hibriten High School on April 26.

Mountaineers 
13-4 winners
at Blacksburg

Kings Mountain sent 13 batters to the plate in the top of the sixth inning to score seven runs and break open a 4-4 tie and defeat Blacksburg 13-4 in a non-conference game last week in Blacksburg, SC.
The Mountaineers had five of their 11 hits during that inning and also took advantage of two walks, two Blacksburg errors and a hit batsman.
Jacob Hamrick got the rally going when he reached on an error by the Blacksburg shortstop. Zane Brockman followed with the first of his two sharp singles to right during the rally and the Wildcats called Kolby Capps to the mound. He issued a walk to Brayden Patrick to load the sacks and Maddox Brown ripped a two-run single to center for a 6-4 lead that would turn out to be the winning runs. After Charlie Melton was hit by a pitched ball the sacks were full again, and Hunter Ellis drew a walk to make it 7-4.
After another pitching change, Moore ripped a double which was booted in center field and Hamrick singled to left and all of a sudden it was 11-4.
The Mountaineers added their final two runs in the top of the seventh. With one out, Wyatt Davis drew a base on balls, Ellis got an infield hit and they moved to second and third on a wild pitch and scored on a single to left by Ethan Guy.
Blacksburg used six pitchers who combined for 12 walks. Their starter, Lucas Earls, pitched three strong innings giving up just one run and two
hits and left with a 4-1
lead. Freshman Jackson Toney started for the Mountaineers. Sophomore Colton Mayes came on in the fourth to put down a potential Blacksburg rally and was the beneficiary of a KM two-run rally in the top of the fifth that tied the score at 4-all.
Brockman drew a walk to lead things off and the Wildcats called Isaac Westmoreland to the mound. After a strikeout, he walked Brown and Melton bunted for a base hit to load the bases. Hunter Ellis singled to center to bring the Mountaineers to within 4-3, and Guy lifted a sacrifice fly to tie the score.
Kings Mountain had scored its first run in the top of the first on an RBI single to center by Brown. Blacksburg took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the second on a walk, infield single by Jacob Gilfillan and a two-run single to center by Kolby Capps.
Levi Barrett hit a home run high over the fence in dead center to put the Wildcats up 4-1 in the third.
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Will Spicer led the Mountaineers with a 35 in last week’s win over South Point at Kings Mountain Country Club.

KM golfers beat Raiders

 Kings Mountain High’s golf team defeated South Point 148-172 in a nine-hole match last week at Kings Mountain Country Club.
Will Spicer led the Mountaineers with a one-under par 35. Caleb Marr shot 37, Baylor Benton 38, and Thomas Spicer 38.
Since there were no other teams involved, the Mountaineers and Red Raiders were able to let all of their players participate.
Other Kings Mountain scores were Michael King
41, Josh Gillespie 42, Cooper  Putnam 42, Gabe Short 45, Bruce Brown 50 and Alex Browning 52.
All Big South 3A Conference teams were scheduled to play at Cramer Mountain yesterday in a match hosted by South Point. BSC teams will end their conference season Monday, April 25 at 1 p.m. at Riverbend.
The Western Regional tournament will be held on May 2 and the state championship on May 9-10.
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KMHS Golf Team wins numerous matches 

Kings Mountain High’s golf team for the spring 2022 season has won numerous matches and is in the running for the Big South Conference championship.  Front row, left to right, Josh Gillespie, Cooper Putnam, Caleb Marr and Alex Browning. Back row, left to right, Michael King, Bruce Brown, Gabe Short, Baylor Benton, Will Spicer, Thomas Spicer and Coach Kevin Moss.                                                                                                                                                Photos by Gary Smart
 

KM Mountaineers’ bats come alive,
pound South Point Raiders 9-2

South Point grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but Kings Mountain came back for a big 9-2 win over the Red Raiders in a Big South 3A Conference game Wednesday night at Lancaster Field.
Starter Zane Brockman and relief pitcher Wyatt Davis held the Raiders to just four hits and sent nine men back to the dugout via the strikeout route while the Mountaineers were having their best hitting night so far this spring. Brockman gave up just three hits and fanned seven in six innings of work. Davis gave up a hit and struck out two in the seventh.
Things didn’t look good for the Mountaineers in the top of the first inning as the Red Raiders took advantage of two walks and a single by Carson Shell to go up 1-0.
But things changed quickly. Kenyon Moore led off the KM first with a walk, Jacob Hamrick followed with a single, and after a passed ball moved both runners up Brockman and Cole Irby produced back-to-back RBI singles to put the Mountaineers on top for good, 2-1.
Kings Mountain really got going in the bottom of the second, scoring four more runs on five hits to take a 6-1 lead and put the game out of the Raiders’ reach. The Mountaineers’ first three batters – Maddox Brown, Colton Mayes and Charlie Melton – singled to load the bases. Jackson Toney ripped a double to right-center to make it 4-1, and Moore followed with  a triple for the 6-1 margin.
By that time, Brockman and the KM defense had the game in hand but the offense was nowhere near through.
A leadoff walk to Peyton Fisher and a Brown single to right chased Raider starter Camden Ashe. Lefthander Wyatt Triplett took the mound but couldn’t slow the KM assault. Charlie Melton’s double to deep center put the Mountaineers up 8-1, and following a single by Toney the Mountaineers added their final run on an infield out.
The Mountaineers finished with 11 hits, led by Brown, Melton and Toney with two each. Hamrick, Brockman, Mayes, Moore and Fisher added one apiece.
The Mountaineers were scheduled to go to Blacksburg, SC Monday and Stuart Cramer Tuesday. Cramer comes to Lancaster Field Thursday at 7 p.m.
Kings Mountain will compete in the Shelby Easter Tournament next week. Their first game is Tuesday, April 19 against Bandys. They will also play there on April 20 and 21.

KM rallies for 5-1 win

The late New York Yankee great Yogi Berra said it, and it’s still true today:
“It ain’t over til it’s over.”
South Point’s Red Raiders had a 1-0 lead with two outs in the top of the seventh inning but the Mountaineers came back for a 5-1 victory to remain in a tie for first place in the Big South Conference Friday night in Belmont.
With Jacob Hamrick on second after a walk and stolen base, Peyton Fisher had two strikes on him but ripped a triple to the gap in right-center to tie the game at 1-all.
Kings Mountain struck for four more runs to put the win in the bag. After Hunter Ellis reached on an error, Jack Toney walked and Kenyon Moore singled to left to drive home Charlie Melton, who was running for Ellis. Hamrick bunted for a single and an error put the Mountaineers up 3-1. After Zane Brockman was walked intentionally, Cole Irby reached on a fielder’s choice and the
 final two runs scored on a double by Fisher.
 Wyatt Davis turned in another strong relief performance to get the win, ending the game on a strikeout. He pitched the final 2.1 innings with five strikeouts and no walks.
“He pitched really well for us,” said KM Coach Brad Melton.
Charlie Melton worked the first 5 2/3 innings, giving up just the one South Point run while fanning seven. Fisher relieved him to get the final out.
“This one was a nail-biter,” noted Coach Melton. “It was a big win for us.”
The Mountaineers were scheduled to go to Blacksburg, SC Monday night for a non-conference game. They were scheduled to face Stuart Cramer in the Gastonia Honey Hunters’ Fuse Stadium last night and will host the Storm Thursday at 7:15.
Kings Mountain will compete in the annual Shelby Easter Tournament next week.