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LISA PRICE / THE PAPER
Ground game, defense pace Liberty football
Liberty Middle School football player Aiden Jones (1) finished
with 134 rushing yards and a touchdown as the Knights defeated
Heritage by a 12-8 final on Wednesday in Valdese. Bentley Kincaid
had the other TD for the Knights (2-1 in Foothills Athletic
Conference) on a 1-yard run, while the defense sacked the Eagles
(0-2) on three occasions.
Page B9 | e-Edition | The Paper
LISA PRICE / THE PAPER
Ground game, defense pace Liberty football
Liberty Middle School football player Aiden Jones (1) finished
with 134 rushing yards and a touchdown as the Knights defeated
Heritage by a 12-8 final on Wednesday in Valdese. Bentley Kincaid
had the other TD for the Knights (2-1 in Foothills Athletic
Conference) on a 1-yard run, while the defense sacked the Eagles
(0-2) on three occasions.
LISA PRICE / THE PAPER
Draughn’s Maddox Rector (left) and Bryson Seagle (right) try to
bring down an R-S Central ball carrier during a varsity football
game on Sept. 18 in Valdese. The Hilltoppers defeated the Wildcats
(0-5, 0-1 Western Piedmont 3A/4A Conference) by a 42-0 final, but
Rector (four tackles) and Seagle (six tackles) combined for 10
tackles and each player had a tackle for loss. Seagle also had nine
carries for 19 yards, a 7-yard reception, and two kickoff returns
for 55 yards, while Fore Putnam completed 9 of 20 passes for 80
yards and Titus Dodd (four catches, 36 yards) was Draughn’s leading
receiver.
Hilltoppers prove too much for Wildcats on gridiron
Page B9 | e-Edition | The Paper
LISA PRICE / THE PAPER
Draughn’s Maddox Rector (left) and Bryson Seagle (right) try to
bring down an R-S Central ball carrier during a varsity football
game on Sept. 18 in Valdese. The Hilltoppers defeated the Wildcats
(0-5, 0-1 Western Piedmont 3A/4A Conference) by a 42-0 final, but
Rector (four tackles) and Seagle (six tackles) combined for 10
tackles and each player had a tackle for loss. Seagle also had nine
carries for 19 yards, a 7-yard reception, and two kickoff returns
for 55 yards, while Fore Putnam completed 9 of 20 passes for 80
yards and Titus Dodd (four catches, 36 yards) was Draughn’s leading
receiver.
Hilltoppers prove too much for Wildcats on gridiron
FOR THE PAPER
Draughn High School junior Makenzie Powell (left) announced last
week on Facebook that she has verbally committed to play softball
at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute after she
graduates in 2028. An infielder/pitcher who has received all-county
honorable mention accolades each of her first two years at the prep
level, Powell batted .302 this past spring with 16 hits including
four doubles and a triple, and she also had seven RBIs, scored 15
runs, and stole four bases. Additionally, she was 1-1 with a 3.87
ERA and 16 strikeouts against five walks in 25 1/3 innings across
eight pitching appearances (three starts), and she recorded a save
as well as she helped the Lady Wildcats finish 21-7 and reach the
North Carolina High School Athletic Association 3A state
semifinals. Pictured with Powell is Caldwell Tech head coach Scott
Triplett.
Draughn’s Powell commits to Caldwell Tech for softball
Page B9 | e-Edition | The Paper
FOR THE PAPER
Draughn High School junior Makenzie Powell (left) announced last
week on Facebook that she has verbally committed to play softball
at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute after she
graduates in 2028. An infielder/pitcher who has received all-county
honorable mention accolades each of her first two years at the prep
level, Powell batted .302 this past spring with 16 hits including
four doubles and a triple, and she also had seven RBIs, scored 15
runs, and stole four bases. Additionally, she was 1-1 with a 3.87
ERA and 16 strikeouts against five walks in 25 1/3 innings across
eight pitching appearances (three starts), and she recorded a save
as well as she helped the Lady Wildcats finish 21-7 and reach the
North Carolina High School Athletic Association 3A state
semifinals. Pictured with Powell is Caldwell Tech head coach Scott
Triplett.
Draughn’s Powell commits to Caldwell Tech for softball
TOWN OF VALDESE / FOR THE PAPER
The 2026 Le Phare des Alpes (LPDA) State Invitational Bocce
Tournament took place on Sept. 19 at the clay-court venue on Laurel
Street in Valdese. The winning team was (pictured from left) Steven
Christie, Barry Remington, Dennis Barus, and Matt Brown.
Local foursome captures LPDA state bocce crown
Page B9 | e-Edition | The Paper
TOWN OF VALDESE / FOR THE PAPER
The 2026 Le Phare des Alpes (LPDA) State Invitational Bocce
Tournament took place on Sept. 19 at the clay-court venue on Laurel
Street in Valdese. The winning team was (pictured from left) Steven
Christie, Barry Remington, Dennis Barus, and Matt Brown.
Local foursome captures LPDA state bocce crown
JAMES LYNCH JR. / THE PAPER
Table Rock Middle School football player Kaycen Powell ran for
four touchdowns in the Falcons’ 38-8 road win over East Burke on
Wednesday, while Brentley Lowery ran for a pair of scores, Sirr
Brawley and CJ Johnson recovered fumbles, and Kakou Yang had a
team-high seven tackles as Table Rock improved to 3-0 in Foothills
Athletic Conference play and the Raiders fell to 0-3. Notably,
Walter Johnson’s Ja’Zion Davidson-Burgess also scored four TDs (two
rushing, two passing) and had more than 200 rushing yards as the
Yellow Jackets (3-0) earned a 26-6 home win over West McDowell on
Wednesday, with Bo Wright and Nas Corpening each hauling in a TD
pass.
Powell scores 4 TDs in Table Rock win
Page B9 | e-Edition | The Paper
JAMES LYNCH JR. / THE PAPER
Table Rock Middle School football player Kaycen Powell ran for
four touchdowns in the Falcons’ 38-8 road win over East Burke on
Wednesday, while Brentley Lowery ran for a pair of scores, Sirr
Brawley and CJ Johnson recovered fumbles, and Kakou Yang had a
team-high seven tackles as Table Rock improved to 3-0 in Foothills
Athletic Conference play and the Raiders fell to 0-3. Notably,
Walter Johnson’s Ja’Zion Davidson-Burgess also scored four TDs (two
rushing, two passing) and had more than 200 rushing yards as the
Yellow Jackets (3-0) earned a 26-6 home win over West McDowell on
Wednesday, with Bo Wright and Nas Corpening each hauling in a TD
pass.
Powell scores 4 TDs in Table Rock win
JAMES LYNCH JR. / THE PAPER
After suffering its first loss of the season the previous week,
the Freedom varsity football team got back in the win column with a
14-7 road victory over A.C. Reynolds on Sept. 18 in a contest that
saw Julius Dominguez (left) and Christian Chapman (right) —
pictured here in a file photo from Aug. 28 — score touchdowns for
the Patriots. Dominguez caught a 38-yard TD pass from Ryder Huffman
to even the game at 7-all at halftime, while Chapman’s 43-yard
scoring run midway through the fourth quarter broke the tie. With
the win, Freedom completed the nonconference portion of its
schedule with a 4-1 record.
Freedom football bounces back at AC Reynolds
Page B9 | e-Edition | The Paper
JAMES LYNCH JR. / THE PAPER
After suffering its first loss of the season the previous week,
the Freedom varsity football team got back in the win column with a
14-7 road victory over A.C. Reynolds on Sept. 18 in a contest that
saw Julius Dominguez (left) and Christian Chapman (right) —
pictured here in a file photo from Aug. 28 — score touchdowns for
the Patriots. Dominguez caught a 38-yard TD pass from Ryder Huffman
to even the game at 7-all at halftime, while Chapman’s 43-yard
scoring run midway through the fourth quarter broke the tie. With
the win, Freedom completed the nonconference portion of its
schedule with a 4-1 record.
Freedom football bounces back at AC Reynolds
SILVER CREEK GOLF CLUB / FOR THE PAPER
Skip Lisdero (left) and Phil McDowell finished first overall
during the 2026 member-guest tournament at Silver Creek Golf Club
in Morganton from Sept. 18-20. Lisdero and McDowell competed in the
fourth flight, while other flight winners were as follows: Steve
Jetter and Josh Jetter (first flight), Corey Antweiler and Bradley
Wyatt (second flight), Jeremy LeMaster and Ryan Wilder (third
flight), Alan Weiler and Matt Weiler (fifth flight), and Tom
Chapman and James Franzen (sixth flight).
Lisdero, McDowell win 2026 Silver Creek member-guest
Page B9 | e-Edition | The Paper
SILVER CREEK GOLF CLUB / FOR THE PAPER
Skip Lisdero (left) and Phil McDowell finished first overall
during the 2026 member-guest tournament at Silver Creek Golf Club
in Morganton from Sept. 18-20. Lisdero and McDowell competed in the
fourth flight, while other flight winners were as follows: Steve
Jetter and Josh Jetter (first flight), Corey Antweiler and Bradley
Wyatt (second flight), Jeremy LeMaster and Ryan Wilder (third
flight), Alan Weiler and Matt Weiler (fifth flight), and Tom
Chapman and James Franzen (sixth flight).
Lisdero, McDowell win 2026 Silver Creek member-guest
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