Current Hickory High School football coach Joe Glass, a Morganton native, recently was named to the North Carolina coaching staff for the 88th annual Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas.
Glass
Glass is a 1995 Freedom High School alum who was part of Patton High School’s first coaching staffs in the sport before taking over as Panthers’ head coach in 2012 and 2013.
He since has served as head coach at Concord’s Jay M. Robinson (2014-17), Eastern Guilford (2018), Lincolnton (2019-21) and Hickory (fall 2021 to present).
Glass’ career record as a head coach is 89-60 and includes a current win streak of 22 games with the Red Tornadoes, last year’s NCHSAA 3A state champions who have started this season at 6-0.
Glass is in his 23rd total season coaching prep football. This year’s other Tarheel assistant coaches include Butch Carter of Alexander Central, Kennedy Tinsley of Mallard Creek, Jeff Snuffer of Western Alamance, Bill Sochovka of Pine Forest, and Scott Loosemore of West Brunswick.
The head coaches are Richard Bailey of Scotland County and Reggie Kennedy of Manning (S.C.). The annual contest pitting the Tarheels and Sandlappers, whose rosters include the top senior players from both states, is set for Dec. 21 at 1 p.m. at Spartanburg (S.C.) High School.
Stilwell gains 2nd collegiate offer
Stilwell
Senior guard Braelyn Stilwell recently picked up her second collegiate offer, this one from NAIA program Montreat College, the East Burke Women’s Basketball page on Facebook announced Wednesday.
Stilwell, who was previously offered by NCAA Division II program Lees-McRae College in August, is the reigning county, conference, and district player of the year.
The 5-foot-5 point guard, who was also named to the all-state third team as a junior, led the county in points (22.9), assists (6.9), and steals (6.9) per game for a second consecutive season, also averaging 4.3 rebounds and shooting 56 percent from the field, including 53 percent from 3-point territory, and 84 percent at the free-throw line.
She also eclipsed 1,000 career points during the season and moved into first place on the school’s all-time assists list as EB won a program-record 31 games and reached its first-ever state championship game.
Montreat posted a 16-13 overall record in 2023-24, including a 13-9 mark in Appalachian Athletic Conference play.
Brinkley rising in recruiting ranks
Brinkley
East Burke junior wing Kara Brinkley recently appeared on Major Movez Media’s Hot 5 Prospects list among all North Carolina girls basketball players for her graduating class of 2026.
Brinkley, who landed at the No. 5 spot, already has collegiate offers from NCAA Division I program Manhattan College as well as nearby D-IIs Lenoir-Rhyne, Wingate, and Lees-McRae.
The versatile 5-foot-11 Brinkley averaged 15.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.4 steals per game as a sophomore, earning all-county, all-conference, and all-district honors. She was also named all-state honorable mention by HighSchoolOT and was the West Region Most Outstanding Player for her 28-point, 19-rebound state championship game effort in a loss to North Pitt.
NCHSAA’s realignment timeline
The North Carolina East-West All-Star Games’ Facebook page recently detailed the NCHSAA’s timeline for realignment, which will divide the state’s high school athletic teams into eight classifications for the first time ever (up from four) and set new conferences starting in the 2025-26 school year.
The social media post states that the information came from Joe Franks, executive secretary of the N.C. Coaches Association (which oversees the East-West Games) who is an affiliate member of the NCHSAA’s realignment committee, and as such, has been in on discussions to date.
The NCHSAA is set to receive schools’ average daily membership (ADM) numbers by late this month or by early November and likely announce its first draft of realignment by December. After an appeals process, a revised draft will come out in February 2025. Realignment is then expected to be finalized the following month (March 2025) and take effect in August 2025.
Still to be determined is whether the new conferences will be effective for the typical four-year cycle or be reset every two years as per a recommendation from the NCHSAA’s bylaw task force committee this past spring due to more schools likely changing classes with double the number of current classes in place.
According to last year’s ADMs, Freedom projects to be a 6A school starting next fall, while East Burke would be 4A, Draughn and Patton both 3A, and NCSSM-Morganton still at 1A.
Mozeley Chick-Fil-A fundraiser
A fundraiser will be held at Chick-Fil-A in Morganton on Oct. 29 for Daphne Mozeley, a Heritage Middle School teacher assistant and former head volleyball coach who has been battling stage 4 breast cancer since May 2021. The fundraiser will be held from 5-7:30 p.m.
Mozeley is in her 12th year with Burke County Public Schools. After receiving treatment for several years at the Hope Cancer Center in Asheville, Mozeley is now both participating in a clinical trial and undergoing regular rounds of chemotherapy at UNC Chapel Hill. Mozeley has been told by doctors that her cancer is not curable but rather treatable.
Mozeley and her husband, RJ, are both East Burke graduates and former athletes. The couple’s son, Mason, plays baseball at UNC Greensboro, and one of their daughters, Bailey, plays volleyball at Draughn.
GA Sports HOF inductions postponed
Organizer Bob Duckworth on Wednesday announced that this year’s 13th annual Glen Alpine Sports Hall of Fame induction banquet would be postponed. The reason for the change is that the venue, the Glen Alpine United Methodist Church fellowship center, is no longer available that evening.
“Coupled with some other issues, we have decided to postpone our event,” Duckworth said. “Most likely, we will reschedule on a Saturday in January 2025. There are some other options that are being looked into for hosting our event, but none have been decided upon at this time.
“Please communicate to those that have purchased tickets, bought advertising, or donated toward the event that we apologize for any inconvenience, but Hurricane Helene has caused much grief in more ways than one.”
The 2024 class of inductees includes Norvin Clontz, Raymond McDowell, Vic Poteat, and Una Smith Reep.
Silver Creek Helene relief tournament
Silver Creek Golf Club last week announced a fundraiser tournament to be held Oct. 26, with all proceeds going to Hurricane Helene victims.
The captain’s choice tournament will begin at 9 a.m. Registration cost is $400 per team, plus $20 per mulligan. Winners of both the closest to the pin and longest drive contests will receive $50 cash prizes. To register, contact Mack Mobley at 828-455-2104 or mackmobley4@gmail.com.
Youth, adult hoops signups ongoing
The Valdese Parks and Recreation Department started signups for micro basketball (ages 5 and 6) this week, while adult and youth basketball signups are either underway or will start soon for the Morganton Parks and Recreation Department’s winter leagues as well.
Registration for the Valdese league runs through Nov. 15 and can be completed online at valdeserecdesk.com. Contact Jonathan Carter at 828-874-6736 or jcarter@valdesenc.gov for more details.
Youth hoops signups in Morganton (ages 4 to 10) are underway, and adult signups (ages 18 and over) start this Monday, Oct. 14. Both run through Nov. 13, with both leagues’ organizational meetings held the following day, and signups can be completed in person at the Collett Street Recreation Center. Contact Jesse Bunton at 828-438-5371 or jbunton@morgantonnc.gov for more details.
Most rec sports still in holding pattern
The three Morganton recreation fall sports leagues (adult softball, youth flag football, youth soccer) and at least one of the two Burke County recreation fall sports leagues (youth football) are still waiting to resume games following flooded ball parks and more damage from Hurricane Helene on Sept. 27.
Teams in all five leagues have been idle for more than two weeks, since at least Sept. 25, though county soccer teams were allowed to resume practices last week and will start their seasons next week starting Monday and continuing with Tuesday and Thursday evening games. There has been no announcement as to when or where any of the other leagues will resume action. Morganton’s leagues are likely to return later than the county’s since their venues are limited to the flooded sites of Shuey Park, Catawba Meadows Park, and the Catawba River Soccer Complex.
While part of Freedom Park re-opened on Oct. 4, through mid-week, Catawba Meadows, the Morganton Greenway, and Drexel Heritage Park were all still closed until further notice.
Monster X Fall Nationals at HP Park
The Monster X Fest Fall Nationals are coming to HorsePower Park next Saturday, Oct. 19, at 1:30 p.m. Monster trucks expected to be on hand for the event include USA1, Quad Chaos, Heart Breaker, and more.
The mega horsepower event will include monster-truck racing and side-by-side off-road racing, with a pit party, trick-or-treat with the drivers, and Halloween costume contest from noon to 1 p.m. There will also be food trucks on site, power wheel races, and bounce houses. Advance tickets are available online at horsepowerpark.com, and prices start at $20 for adults (ages 13 and up) and $10 for children (ages 3 to 12); same-day tickets are $5 to $10 more on site, but there is no fee for parking. Children under 2 are admitted free.
Inaugural Zombie Run canceled
The Rotary Club of Morganton’s first-ever Zombie Run 5K & One-Mile Family Fun Run, which was scheduled for Catawba Meadows Park today (Oct. 12) has been canceled. A note was posted by organizers on the race registration website on Oct. 6.
It stated, in part, “Due to Hurricane Helene, and the devastation it inflicted on parts of Morganton, specifically Catawba Meadows Park and the Greenway, we are not only unable to use this venue on (Oct. 12), but also for the foreseeable future. If you have already registered for this event, you will receive an email from the event organizers with further details.”
Paul Schenkel may be reached at 828-445-8595 or paul@thepaper.media.
