20-21 Draughn Athlete of Year (Adam Manns award): Haley Lowman

• Athlete of Week

#27 Girls Soccer (Spring 2020)

3 goals (1 vs Alexander Central, 2 vs West Lincoln)

#41 Girls Basketball

19 points vs East Burke, 12 points vs West Iredell

#47 Girls Soccer

goal vs Patton

#51 Girls Soccer

4 goals vs Bunker Hill

#58 Girls Tennis

NWFAC Tournament doubles runner-up (w/ Katie Cozort)

• Girls Tennis

All-Conference

NWFAC Tournament: runner-up doubles (w/Katie Cozort)

• Girls Basketball

All-Conference

11.3 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 3.1 assists, 3.1 steals, 1.3 blocks

• Girls Soccer

NWFAC Player of Year

school record 30 goals (55 career)

• Favorite Memory

"(soccer) Senior Night, the underclassmen made the night very special for the seniors"

• Favorite Sport

Soccer

• Favorite Coach

Jamie Ward, Chris Cozort

• What you've learned in four years at DHS

"I have learned that four years fly by fast"

• Future Plans

"I am attending Lees McRae to continue playing soccer and get a degree in exercise science"

• Coach's Quote

"Haley is one of the best all-around athletes I have ever coached. I have never been around a more driven athlete."

"She is a hard worker, an unbelievable competitor, and most importantly an outstanding young lady. Watching her succeed in three sports has been an honor"

-Chris Cozort

• Teammate's Quote

"She's a hustler and had a positive attitude, she just doesn't let anybody beat her"

-Regan Winkler

(James Lynch Jr, Morganton News Herald)

20-21 NWFAC All-Conference

VOLLEYBALL

Draughn: Chloe Gary, Georgia Goulding, Alexis Crump (honorable mention)

East Burke: Kayleigh Icard, Danielle Foxx, Erin Newton (honorable mention)

Player of Year: Ella Gragg (Patton), Michelle Thao (Foard)

Coach of Year: Meredith Lombardi (Foard)

CROSS COUNTRY

Draughn: Reed Farrar, Andrew Albright, Ambria Blalock, Regen Bridges

East Burke: Meah Walsh, Piper Strong, Kylie McFalls, Madison Fowler, Luke Elliott, Caleb Johnson-White, Janie Ennis (honorable mention), Davin Price (honorable mention)

Girls Runner of Year: Madison Clay (Patton)

Girls Coach of Year: Chris Collins (Patton)

BOYS BASKETBALL

Draughn: Luke Rector, Marshall Byrd (honorable mention)

East Burke: Aasin Lor, Trey Ward (honorable mention)

Player of Year: Caleb Castle (Patton)

Coach of Year: Dennis Brittain (Patton)

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Draughn: Ella Abernathy, Haley Lowman, Shea Owens (honorable mention)

East Burke: Aubree Grigg, Ally Moore (honorable mention)

Player of Year: Addison Wray (Bunker Hill)

Coach of Year: Maury Patterson (Hibriten)

BOYS SOCCER

Draughn: Tino Fernando, Aiden Hunt (honorable mention), Manuel Velasquez (honorable mention)

East Burke: Josh Aguirre, Chimoua Yang, Alexis Hernandez (honorable mention), Gannon Stotts (honorable mention)

Player of Year: David Franquiz (Hibriten)

Coach of Year: Jim Blanton (Hibriten)

FOOTBALL

Draughn: Nigel Dula, Desmond Hedrick, Beckett Nelson, Zach Poteet, Elijah Pritchard, Luke Rector, Nick Rhoney, Donnell Wilkins, Thomas Lambert (Honorable Mention), Will Price (Honorable Mention)

East Burke: Blane Fulbright, Spencer Goins, Landon Langley, Michael Magni, Noah Rooks, Matthew Smith, Matthew Vue, Carter Crump (Honorable Mention), Cash Norman (Honorable Mention)

Player of Year: Daren Perry (Hibriten)

Offensive Player of Year: Jackson Lewis (Hibriten)

Defensive Player of Year: Kaden Robinson (Bunker Hill)

Special Teams Player of Year: Griffin Bryson (Hibriten)

Coach of Year: Sam Mackey (Hibriten)

SOFTBALL

Draughn: Chloe Gary, Katie Cozort, Maddie Crouch, Regan Winkler (honorable mention), Dakota Melancon (honorable mention)

East Burke: Danielle Foxx, Kaylee Paige, Taylor Bostain (honorable mention)

GIRLS SOCCER

Draughn: Alexis Diaz, Ada Caballero, Yadira Casteron, Ambria Blalock, Cora Hunt (honorable mention), Savannah Gentieu (honorable mention)

East Burke: Meah Walsh, Chloe Cook, Serenity Powell (honorable mention), Abigail Wall (honorable mention)

Player of Year: Haley Lowman (Draughn)

Defensive Player of Year: Emma Sacchetti (Patton)

BOYS GOLF

East Burke: Sam Mace, Peyton Smith

Player of Year: Maddox Whittington (Hibriten)

Coach of Year: Kevin Abee (West Caldwell)

GIRLS GOLF

Draughn: Lindsey Hodge

Player of Year: Allie Witherspoon (Patton)

Coach of Year: Matt Baker (Patton)

BASEBALL

Draughn: Marshall Byrd, Gabe Strickland, John Robert Abernathy, Trey Jensen (honorable mention), Brayden Schutt (honorable mention)

East Burke: Ben Elkins, Jake Bevins

Player of Year: Casey Knighton (Bunker Hill)

Pitcher of Year: Lane Essary (Foard)

Coach of Year: Todd Setzer (Bunker Hill)

TRACK & FIELD

Draughn: Reed Farrar, Ambria Blalock, Bella Williams

East Burke: Noah Rooks, Luke Elliott, Taylor Bostain, Hannah Parker, Piper Strong, Haylie Evans, Janie Ennis, Meah Walsh

Boys Field Athlete of Year: KJ Byrd (East Burke)

Girls Field Athlete of Year: Lariyah Clark (West Iredell)

Boys Distance Runner of Year: Ben Trimm (Foard)

Girls Distance Runner of Year: Karina Coulter (Foard)

Boys Sprinter of Year: Chadz Stevenson (Bunker Hill)

Girls Sprinter of Year: Alaya Gillespie (West Iredell)

Boys Coach of Year: Robert Ogle (Foard)

Girls Coach of Year: Cameron Capps (Hibriten)

GIRLS TENNIS

Draughn: Haley Lowman, Katie Cozort, Kaitlyn Kincaid (honorable mention)

East Burke: Daisy Jantes, Taylor Bostain (honorable mention)

Player of Year: Alexis Wolgemuth (Foard)

Coach of Year: Lynn Bruton (Hibriten)

WRESTLING

Draughn: Luke Rector

East Burke: Caleb Johnson-White, Zeke Pierce (honorable mention)

Wrestler of Year: Landon Foor (Foard)

Coach of Year: Mike Carey (Foard)

20-21 East Burke Athlete of Year (Tyler Shatley award): Danielle Foxx

• Athlete of Week 

#31 Volleyball

7 kills vs West Iredell, 9 kills/2 blocks vs Hibriten, 5 blocks/3 kills/2 digs vs Foard

#51 Softball

2 RBI vs Hibriten, 3 runs vs Patton

• Volleyball

NWFAC all-conference

64 kills, 35 blocks, 16 digs, 6 assists

• Softball

NWFAC all-conference

.340 batting average, 13 runs, 17 hits (4 doubles, 1 triple), 7 RBI, 5 stolen bases, .926 fielding percentage

• Favorite Memory

"During softball season when the whole team worked together to win the Patton game, I felt like it was the first time we all truly worked as a team to come out with a win"

• Favorite Sport

"My favorite sport is softball, I've enjoyed playing it as long as I can remember"

• Favorite Coach

"All of my coaches throughout the years have pushed me to be my best and helped shape me into the person I am today"

• What you've learned in four years at EBHS

"My time at East Burke has taught me that all plans can change, even those that seem set in stone. My junior and senior years were nothing like I thought they'd be, COVID changed everything. I went from going to school and practice on the regular to being stuck at home wondering if I was going to get a senior year. During this time, I realized how important it was to trust in God's plan because a normal tomorrow may not come"

• Future Plans

"I plan on going to college to become a Dental Hygienist"

• Coach's Quote

"Dani was a pleasure to coach, anything she was asked to do you could always expect her very best"

-Mark Hildebran

• Teammate's Quote

"She has always been a great teammate since we were little, she takes good advice and always tries her hardest at anything she does"

-Kayleigh Icard

Foothills Power 5 (2021 Baseball FINAL)

T-1st East Lincoln (15-2) NCHSAA 2A 3rd Round

T-1st McDowell (14-2) NCHSAA 4A 3rd Round

#3 St Stephens (11-4) NCHSAA 3A 3rd Round

#4 Bunker Hill (13-2) NCHSAA 2A 1st Round

#5 Foard (12-3) NCHSAA 2A 1st Round

EB wrestling claims two state qualifiers

Canton- The East Burke wrestling team claimed two state qualifiers freshman Grayson Phillips (120, 4th) and junior Caleb Johnson-White (138, 3rd) Tuesday at the 2A regional tournament hosted by Pisgah High School.

With no consolation rounds in this season's tournament, Phillips and Johnson-White wrestled into the semifinals when both Cavalier grapplers were dropped into the third-place matches.

Phillips (9-5) started off with a 12-3 major decision over West Wilkes' Jett McNeil and followed with defeating the top-seeded 120 lb wrestler Zeke Grabowski of Owen by a 5-4 decision.

The semifinal match was a 10-2 major decision loss to eventual regional champion Josiah Honer of Hibriten followed by a pinfall loss to Fred T. Foard's Spencer Bechtol.

Johnson-White (14-1) earned a first-round bye then won by a 15-0 tech fall over Hibriten's Chase Trivette.

His semifinal match was a loss by decision to R-S Central's Zachariah Lewis but rebounded with a 9-2 win by decision over Lincolnton's Quinlan Harris to claim the third-place triumph.

Recent graduating senior Elijah Hess (220) opened with a pinfall victory over Lincolnton's Bernard Wingate but was eliminated by pinfall to Foard's Amorion McAfee finishing with a 9-4 mark.

The Cavaliers finished with 25.5 total points to finish in 12th place.

Foard won the team regional championship with 238 points followed by West Lincoln (130.5) and Pisgah (114).

Foothills Power 5 (2021 Baseball #6)

#1 McDowell (12-1, 10-1) Northwestern 3A/4A Champs

Hickory 14-6 W

#2 East Lincoln (13-1) South Fork 2A Champs

Newton-Conover 12-2 W/10-8 W

#3 North Lincoln (11-3)

Bandys 13-3 W/8-2 W

#4 Bunker Hill (13-1) Northwestern Foothills 2A Champs

Foard 6-1 L/6-0 W

#5 Foard (12-2)

Bunker Hill 6-1 W/6-0 L

Honorable Mention:

Patton (10-4), St Stephens (8-3), Maiden (9-5), Draughn (8-6), South Caldwell (8-6, 7-5), Watauga (8-6, 6-6)

Post 21 softball splits home opener

Morganton- The Burke County Post 21 American Legion softball team hosted their first home game in quite some time Tuesday, after taking a season off due to the Covid outbreak.

Post 21 split with Shelby Post 82 in a rain delayed contest as Shelby dominated in the opener 12-0 while Burke rebounded with a 7-2 nightcap win.

Maddie Crouch and Ashlyn Castle each got on base once in game one off fourth inning walks as opposing pitcher Mackenzie Hayes pitched a no-hitter with five strikeouts.

Game two started off on the right foot for Burke as Crouch led off the nightcap with a walk and scored off a Castle RBI groundout.

Post 21 followed with two runs in the second inning and four in the third inning distributed by Maddison Powell (2 runs, RBI), Hailey Snodgrass (run, RBI), Regan Winkler (RBI), Katie Cozort (run), Elle Tanner (run), and Crouch (run).

Crouch led at the plate with two singles and Snodgrass adding a second inning triple with Powell being issued a walk twice.

Tanner started both games in the pitchers circle with Bridget Patrick being a reliever in game one.

  

6/8 Burke County FCA Scoreboard

BASEBALL

Draughn 6, Patton 4

Brayden Schutt (2/4, 2 runs, 2 RBI)

Thomas Lambert (2/3, 2 runs)

Gabe Strickland (1/4, RBI)

Marshall Byrd (1/4, run, RBI)

Logan McGee (1/3, RBI)

Tanner Woody (0/2, run, walk)

WP: Byrd (5 inn, 2 H, 4 R, 4 K)

East Burke 3, West Iredell 1

Jake Bevins (1/3, run, RBI)

Dalton Teague (1/3, run)

Will Wiedner (1/3, RBI)

Luke Bumgarner (1/2, RBI)

Ben Elkins (0/2, run, walk)

WP: Colin Eckard (7 inn, 5 H, 1 R, 13 K)

WRESTLING

Hibriten 30, East Burke 18

138: Caleb Johnson-White Forfeit

170: George Mackay Pinfall

220: Elijah Hess Pinfall

Foard 75, East Burke 3

138: Caleb Johnson-White Decision (5-2)

EBHS: 4-8, 3-4 NWFAC

6/1-3 Burke County FCA Scoreboard

BASEBALL

Draughn 12, West Iredell 2 (6)

Draughn 16, West Iredell 4 (6)

East Burke 4, West Caldwell 3

East Burke 1, West Caldwell 0

American Legion Softball

Rutherford Post 423 2, Burke Post 21 1

Burke Post 21 8, Rutherford Post 423 1

Burke Post 21 6, McDowell Post 56 0

Burke Post 21 10, McDowell Post 56 6

Burke Post 21 JR Team McNeil 8, Burke Post 21 JR Team Clontz 2

Burke Post 21 JR Team Clontz 10, Burke Post 21 JR Team McNeil 4