Davis, Johnson, Hagmann named Freedom athletes of the year

Freedom High School recently announced that a trio of senior multi-sport standouts — Kaden Davis, Kobe Johnson, and Kaitlyn Hagmann — are the Patriots’ 2025-26 athletes of the year.

Johnson and Davis are the FHS male co-athletes of the year and are familiar with sharing awards, having been named the 2025 Burke County high school football co-players of the year in December.

The female athlete of the year Hagmann, meanwhile, adds to a resume that already included All-Northwestern 6A/7A Conference volleyball and All-Burke County basketball honors this school year.

Johnson, who repeated as county football player of the year, also shared the county basketball player of the year award this past winter.

In football, Johnson leaves Freedom as the county record holder with 33 career touchdown receptions. His 25.1-yard average per reception as a senior is also a county record, and he set some single-game county history in a jaw-dropping home performance versus A.C. Reynolds in September.

In that contest, Johnson had seven catches for county records of 249 yards and six touchdowns, with the TD mark tying for third place in NCHSAA history for a single game, one shy of the all-time record.

He added a fumble return for a TD in that game as well as two interceptions, a pass breakup that resulted in a FHS interception, and a two-point conversion reception.

Johnson also tied the all-time county record with 18 TD catches this fall, doing so on just 37 catches that went for a county-best 930 yards. He also added 71 rushing yards for the year on just two attempts.

On defense, Johnson totaled 43 tackles (25 solo) including three for loss plus two interceptions and two forced fumbles.

On the hardwood, Johnson matched his all-conference football season and added a third straight all-county nod as he averaged 15.1 points per game plus team highs in rebounds (6.3 per game) and steals (1.8 per game) to go with 1.5 assists per contest.

He shot nearly 49% from the field and was the top free-throw shooter for the Patriots at 79%, cracking the 1,000-point career milestone late in the year as the team won the NWC regular-season title.

Patriots hoops coach Clint Zimmerman told The Paper earlier this year that Johnson was equally impressive away from the sphere of athletics.

“What people don’t see except for the teachers and the people in the building (is) the kind of kid (he is) from 8 o’clock to 3 o’clock,” Zimmerman said. “... If (he) did not play basketball or football, (he) would still make the school a better place. That is the best compliment I can give.

“I can point to Kobe … and I can bring my own sons in and say, ‘This is how I want you to behave.’”

Davis capped a stellar three-year career as Patriots starting quarterback on the gridiron as he led all county players for a third straight year and established new career highs with both his 2,440 passing yards and 30 TDs on 138 of 193 attempts with only three interceptions.

His 71.5% completion rate established a new county record, as did the 45 total offensive TDs for which he accounted.

Davis also rushed 117 times for 667 yards this past fall, ranking second among all county players with his legs, and he added a county-leading 15 rushing TDs.

He and Johnson became the first county teammates — and just third and fourth county players all-time — to produce seven-TD efforts on the same night in the win over Reynolds.

Davis was also named all-state in football by HighSchoolOT.com and played in the North Carolina Coaches Association’s East-West All-Star Game in Greensboro after the season. He will attend East Carolina University and attempt to walk on to the Pirates football team.

Together, Davis and Johnson helped Freedom to both its first 10-win season and first NCHSAA state playoff victory in football since 2015.

“Kobe and KD are very different individuals,” Freedom football coach JK Adkins said. “But it was the shared commonality of competitive drive that made them both great. Winning was the bond that drove each to a very high level. It is also what made them great teammates.”

Davis wasn’t done, also keying Freedom’s basketball success as a senior. He averaged 5.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game, starting all 20 games in which he played and shooting 40% from 3-point range.

On the girls side, Hagmann also starred in hoops after playing volleyball and before her first season of softball as a Lady Patriot. (She also previously participated in track and field at FHS.)

As an outside hitter in volleyball, Hagmann posted team-high totals of 337 kills and 58 aces to go with 323 serve receptions, 227 digs, and 44 blocks.

Hagmann in late April announced that she will continue her education and volleyball career at Lander University in Greenwood, S.C., starting this fall.

“Kaitlyn is the type of all-around student that not only plays a key role in athletics, but also excels in the classroom, clubs, and organizations she is a part of,” said Megan Treadway, Hagmann’s volleyball coach at FHS as well as with the Burke Elite Volleyball Club (BEVC) Kryptonite club team.

“She has the drive and determination to put in the extra work, break through obstacles, and do whatever it takes to improve her skills and lead a team to success. When she is on the court, she is dialed in, pushing herself and her teammates, and finding ways to achieve goals.”

In basketball, the back-to-back all-county selection averaged 7.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game, also being one of just three county girls players selected for the WNC All-Star Game.

“It has been an honor to coach Kaitlyn the past four seasons,” Freedom girls basketball coach Amber Reddick said. “I think the main keys to her success lie in her willingness to always do what’s best for the team. She was always willing to take on whatever role or job that the team needed her to do. She placed the success of the team over herself without fail.

“In addition, Kaitlyn’s attention to detail was one of the most impressive I have ever coached. This showed in the way she led our team and in the way she practiced and played. She was always prepared and always thinking one step ahead. She was a tremendous asset and teammate to multiple teams at Freedom, all while maintaining a rigorous academic schedule and being involved in her school and community. I just think the world of her.”

On the diamond, Hagmann finished her prep athletic career with two extra-base hits, three runs, and three RBIs while starting in right field and making 19 putouts and two assists defensively for a FHS team that won its first state playoff game in over a decade.