Draughn’s Powell named district softball co-coach of year

The Draughn softball team recently received one last accolade after its record-setting 2026 spring season as third-year head coach Chris Powell was named the N.C. Softball Coaches Association’s District 7 co-coach of the year.

Powell won the award among all District 7 coaches, not specifically for the 3A members of the district, as the all-district individual player awards are given out.

Powell, who’s also the Wildcats ninth-year football head coach, has guided the Lady Wildcat softball program to an overall record of 53-25 (29-9 in conference games) including at least one state playoff win each season.

The 2026 club reached the NCHSAA 3A West Regional final, marking the first time a Burke County team had ever enjoyed a postseason run that long in the sport.

Draughn has finished no lower than third place in its conference in any of Powell’s seasons.

The district superlative was Draughn’s second this postseason, as senior Avie Helton was named 3A district player of the year.

It was also the seventh total 2026 individual award that the program has claimed as in addition to those two, Helton was named Burke County pitcher of the year, Ava Aldridge was named conference player of the year and county slugger of the year, and Lindsey Hensley and Braylen Clontz split county player of the year honors.

Freedom, Patton 2026-27 athletic passes

Freedom and Patton high schools both recently joined Draughn and East Burke (who had already done so) in announcing pricing information and other details on 2026-27 season sports passes.

At Freedom, an athletic family pass for four runs $350, with add-ons available at $75 each. An all-sports individual athletic pass is available for $150, with add-ons also available at $75 each.

A football-only individual pass is $42, with add-ons available at $30 each. A soccer-only or volleyball-only individual pass is $75, with add-ons available for each sport at $40 each.

Single-game admission for football is $10 per person ($5 for students) or $8 for other fall sports ($4 for students).

Tickets will be available for purchase soon at the school office. Winter passes go on sale in October. Cash or checks (made payable to Freedom High Athletics) will be accepted.

At Patton, an athletic family pass for four runs $350, an all-sports individual athletic pass is available for $125, and a student all-sports pass is $50.

And at both schools, a senior all-sports athletic pass (which covers games at all four Burke County high schools) for ages 50 and older is available for $50.

Passes do not cover state playoffs, holiday tournaments, or preseason scrimmages. Contact either school for more information.

Burke Rec youth outdoor soccer signups

Signups are underway now for the Burke County Parks and Recreation Department’s youth outdoor soccer league, which again this year features four age divisions (5-6, 7-8, 9-10, and 11-12).

The age cutoff in each division is Aug. 31, regular-season games will start in mid-September, and the playoffs in the oldest three age groups will be held in late October or early November.

Games traditionally are scheduled for Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings, with sites in the past including Mountain View Elementary School, Drexel’s R.O. Huffman Center, East Burke’s Spring Park, and Glen Alpine’s Simpson Park.

Confirmed programs participating this year include Christ Classical, Drexel, Forest Hill, George Hildebrand, Glen Alpine, Hillcrest, Mull, Morganton Day, Mountain View, New Dimensions, Oak Hill, Ray Childers, Salem, and W.A. Young.

All children living in Burke County are eligible to participate, including those who are homeschooled. Call 828-796-4806 or search for the “Burke County Parks and Recreation” page on Facebook for more details about where and how to sign up.

Hickory FC coach Carlos Rubio resigns

Hickory FC third-year semi-professional men’s soccer team head coach Carlos Rubio recently stepped down from his sideline role, transitioning instead to become the club’s new sporting director.

Rubio guided Hickory FC to a 9-2-2 record in its inaugural season of 2024, a 15-1-1 record in its National Premier Soccer League national title season last summer, and to a 9-4-2 mark in the recently-completed 2026 campaign, with the team missing the playoffs in its first year in the USL (United Soccer League) League Two.

His teams won two conference titles and made two NPSL playoff appearances, and Rubio was named NPSL 2025 national coach of the year.

In his new role, the club says that Rubio will oversee its playing philosophy, recruitment, player identification, and coaching development. One of his first tasks will also be to work with club ownership to find and appoint a new head coach.

Rubio also served as Lenoir-Rhyne University’s head men’s soccer coach during most of that span until resigning in February after guiding the Bears to two league tournament title match appearances.