East Burke’s Houston signs with CVCC for baseball
East Burke senior Rhett Houston on Feb. 13 signed to play baseball at Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory starting in the spring of 2027.
East Burke High School senior Rhett Houston on Feb. 13 signed with Catawba Valley Community College to play baseball starting in the spring of 2027.
The news was shared by the East Burke High School Athletics page on Facebook.
Houston as a junior last spring totaled 11 hits including three doubles, drove in 11 runs, and scored seven runs, adding three stolen bases. He had a two-run single and later scored a key run in the championship game as the Cavaliers won the Tony Causby Classic at Patton last spring, becoming the first Burke County team to win the event in its seventh year.
Houston, a first baseman and catcher, helped EB to a 15-9 season, its most wins since moving to the 2A classification prior to the spring of 2010.
As a sophomore, Houston had 11 hits including a double with five runs and three RBIs. He fielded .972 as a sophomore and has committed only two errors in both of the last two seasons.
Houston also played for the Burke County Post 21 American Legion ball club this past summer.
CVCC finished 43-18 last season on the diamond, winning the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Region 10 Conference tournament title and reaching the NJCAA D-II World Series. The Red Hawks are 4-6 entering this weekend.
Waters
Patton’s Waters selected for all-star game
Patton boys basketball senior guard/forward Nathan Waters was recently selected to play in the 2026 Rankings Report WNC All-Star Game, according to the PHS basketball page on Instagram.
The sixth annual event will take place March 28 at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, with the boys contest starting at 8 p.m. Waters is the first boys player from Burke County selected to play in this year’s game and will be Patton’s first-ever participant (boys or girls).
He will be joined by county athletes Belle Gwyn and Kara Brinkley, who were selected to play in the girls contest.
A third-year Panthers starter who was an all-conference and first-team all-county selection last year when he posted averages of 14.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game, Waters this season has recorded two triple-doubles and a slew of near triple-doubles.
Through Tuesday, he was averaging 14.1 points per game (tied for sixth among county players) as the Panthers sported a 15-10 record, having won four consecutive games.
BodyArmor State Games back in Greensboro
The annual BodyArmor State Games will again be held in Greensboro, it was announced on Tuesday. The games represent the state’s largest multi-sport, amateur athletic sporting event with over 11,000 athletes expected to compete.
Sites will include Guilford College (soccer, softball), the Greensboro Sportsplex (basketball), and Ivey Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville. Baseball competition will be held at three sites: First National Bank Stadium, UNC Greensboro, and Truist Point Stadium in High Point.
High school teams compete against each other in select sports, but individuals typically represent regions of the state in most sports.
The games are being held in Greensboro for a second straight year after calling the Charlotte area home for most of the previous decade.
All prep athletes who have not yet graduated by this summer are eligible to compete. The games officially run from May 30-June 28. To register or for more information, visit bodyarmorstategames.org.
Silver Creek announces tournament, lessons
Silver Creek Golf Club recently announced that its 2026 spring match-play event will be held March 27-28. The two-day team tournament serves as a fundraiser for the Silver Creek Players Association and its efforts to complete an outdoor firepit and seating area behind the 18th green.
Teams will each play two best-ball, nine-hole matches on day one starting at 1 p.m., followed by three nine-hole matches starting at 9 a.m. on day two.
Teams may consist of two men, two women, or mixed teams, and a current USGA handicap (GHIN) is required for all players. Flights will be determined by handicap.
All men under age 50 will play from the blue tees, while men 50-59 will play the whites, men 60 and over will play the golds, ladies under 60 will play the reds, and ladies over 60 will play the tiffany blue tees.
Cost is $80 for members or $125 for non-members and includes golf, food, prizes, and cart fee both days.
Silver Creek also recently announced it will start a five-week “Green-to-Tee” ladies clinic series on Thursdays starting March 12. Morning sessions (10-11:30 a.m.) and afternoon sessions (4:30-6 p.m.) will be offered, and cost is $100 for the full series or $25 per session.
Instruction will include putting, chipping and pitching, bunker and wedge play, irons and hybrids, and driver and course strategy. Space is limited to 20 participants per session.
To register for either event, visit screekgolf.com or call 828-584-6911.
Morganton Rec Department 2026 schedule
The Morganton Parks and Recreation Department on Facebook recently announced its 2026 athletic calendar.
After youth diamond sports and adult golf (detailed in previous editions of The Paper), the next set of signups will be for adult softball (April 13 to May 13). Adult sand volleyball signups start May 18, youth flag football and outdoor soccer signups start June 29, and plans for an adult fall softball league are in place with no signup dates yet announced.
Youth volleyball signups start Aug. 10, youth basketball signups start Oct. 5, and adult basketball signups start Oct. 19.
For more details about any of the sports offered, call 828-438-5371.
