The Northwestern 6A/7A Conference recently announced its all-conference teams for each fall sport, as voted upon by league coaches, and a total of 19 Freedom student-athletes were recognized.
Davis
Branch
Headlining that group were Patriots football seniors Kaden Davis and Eddie Branch, who were named the NWC offensive player of the year and special teams player of the year, respectively.
Davis, who was also earlier this month named the Burke County co-player of the year, was the county’s leading passer for a third straight season and ranked second locally in rushing yardage (667) and first in rushing touchdowns (15).
The three-time All-NWC selection who already has one collegiate offer completed 138 of 193 pass attempts for 2,440 yards and 30 touchdowns with just three interceptions. Davis’ 45 total TDs on the season established a new county record, as did his 71.5 percent completion rate.
He also became one of four players in county history to tally seven TDs in a single game when he passed for six TDs and rushed for another in a September home win over A.C. Reynolds.
Branch, meanwhile, averaged 39.3 yards per punt, and the back-to-back All-NWC honoree did enough from his linebacker spot (46 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, seven sacks) to earn all-county status on defense for a second straight season. He also caught two passes for 45 yards and a TD.
Those two were joined by the Patriots’ Kobe Johnson, who took home a third straight All-NWC honor, as well as by Jaiveon Belin, Isaiah Greene, and Zaydrin Hausley, who all repeat as All-NWC picks.
Also earning All-NWC football honors were Freedom’s Ty Adkins, Xylan Davis, Julius Dominguez, Justice Dominguez, Daivyon Feaster-Hicks, Jayden Simmons, and Nate Surratt.
Freedom’s other fall sports all-conference athletes included: Noah Semple and Luis Solis in boys soccer; Kaitlyn Hagmann in volleyball; Zofia Losada in girls tennis; and Leighton Beck and Frank Harrelson in cross country.
Sawdy
Patton’s Sawdy named all-state in XC
Patton sophomore Elise Sawdy was recently named to the 2025 all-state cross country team by HighSchoolOT.com, the only Burke County runner to appear on this year’s list.
Sawdy was an honorable mention selection on the list after she won the NCHSAA 3A state championship with a time of 19:04.92 on Nov. 1 at Ivey Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville.
That was Sawdy’s fifth individual event win of the season and eighth time finishing a race in either first or second place after she was also the 3A West Regional and Western Piedmont 3A/4A Conference champion.
Sawdy’s performances helped lead Patton to both county and conference team titles plus a runner-spot at regionals and fifth-place finish at state as a team.
After qualifying for state last year as a freshman in cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track, Sawdy’s time this fall was nearly two and a half minutes faster than her state performance in 2024.
She earned three top-five state showings in track last year and already has a win in the 3200 meters this winter in the indoor season.
Watauga rolls to 2nd state football title
The Watauga football team trailed just once, using four unanswered touchdowns spanning the halves to build an insurmountable lead en route to a 47-25 victory over Apex Middle Creek in the NCHSAA 6A state championship game at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill on Dec. 12.
It was the eight-time reigning NWC champion Pioneers’ second all-time state championship in the sport and first since 1978.
Watauga senior quarterback Cade Keller was named offensive MVP after he completed 22 of 26 passes for 277 yards and two touchdowns and added five rushes for 41 yards. John Wilson Mills of Watauga notched a game-high 13 tackles (10 solo) and was named defensive MVP, while the Pioneers’ Evan Burroughs totaled 200 yards from scrimmage (149 receiving, 51 rushing) and scored five TDs (three rushing, one receiving, one on defense).
That state title win was one of five by West football teams versus the East’s three titles this year. The West’s other titles came via Shelby (3A), Crest (5A), Grimsley (7A), and Hough (8A). Reidsville, who is typically in the West but was in the East bracket this season, won the 4A championship.
Of note, Shelby topped Kinston, 84-41, in the highest-scoring title game in history. The Golden Lions’ 84 points ranked third all-time and was the highest scoring total by one team in a title game in nearly 100 years.
Watauga’s gridiron title was one of five this fall which were won by teams who are members of conferences which contain Burke County high schools. Aside from NCSSM-Morganton’s girls tennis and girls cross country titles, the others included Watauga’s girls cross country title and Thomas Jefferson’s 1A boys soccer title. (Watauga was also state runner-up in volleyball.)
Other state titles locally were claimed by the Hickory volleyball team in 5A, the East Lincoln girls tennis team in 5A, and the Avery County girls golf team in 1A/2A.
East Burke wins 3 team archery titles
East Burke High won the team portion of two National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) tournaments this month, and East Burke Middle won one as well.
Both won at the inaugural Tinsel and Targets 10/15-meter state qualifier tournament hosted by Heritage Middle School on Dec. 5-6, and EBHS also won at the 2025 Startown Christmas Shootout 10/15-meter event hosted by Startown Elementary School from Dec. 11-15.
In Valdese, East Burke freshman Aubree Garris (283, 18 10s) tied for second place among all boys and girls in the high school division. EB also got standout performances via senior Hudson Lentz (282; high school boys champion), Natalie Bell and Conner Kerley (277; tied for seventh), Carter Seagle (273), and Brielle Hubler (272).
Also in the high school division, Freedom did not post a team score but was led by Hunter Buchanan (269).
Raiders eighth grader Maggie Mace (284; 17 10s) was overall middle school champion, while teammates Miles Seagle (277), Joshua Whitesides (275), and Jaxon Blumke (274) were also inside the top 10. Fourth-place Table Rock was led by Hudson Weathers (278; third place), while third-place Heritage was led by Zeke Bean (268).
Drexel was elementary school division runner-up, and Glen Alpine was third. Drexel’s Dawson Crowe (254), Halen Stephens (238), Malachi Cunningham (234), and Elsa Xiong (224) all posted top 10s, and Glen Alpine was led by Kendrick Hughes (209).
The Cavaliers made it back-to-back team titles in Newton, led individually by high school boys champion Luke Duncan, a freshman (288; 20 10s), while Garris (285, fourth), Lentz (282, seventh), Kerley (281, eighth), and Bell (280, ninth) also posted top-10 efforts.
For fifth-place Freedom, freshman Simon Hefner (286; 19 10s) placed third overall among high schoolers.
In middle school, East Burke took third, led by Whitesides (279) in second, and Table Rock was fifth, led again by Weathers (268).
And in elementary, Icard placed second as a team, led by Henry McClure (251) in fifth as he was also named an academic archer. Drexel did not produce a team score, though Crowe (275) was the individual elementary champ and teammate Sophia Brewer (254) took fourth.
Three-peat champ at Rudolph tourney
Silver Creek Golf Club hosted its annual Rudolph from the Reds tournament on Dec. 13, and the team of Jeff Shelhart, Woody Allen, and Mechelle Kuld — who this year played alongside first-time competitor Seth Gullet — won the title for a third consecutive year.
The foursome put on a dominant performance with an impressive 15 birdies and three eagles, finishing at an outstanding 21-under par with a round of 51. Three other teams tied for second place with rounds of 54.
The shot of the day came from Billy Rudisill, who carded an ace at the par 3 third hole to also claim closeup honors for the day at that hole. Other closeups were won by Terry Rogers (No. 8). Todd Martin (No. 13), and Mark Pitts (No. 17).
Paul Schenkel can be reached at 828-445-8595 or paul@thepaper.media.
