EB tennis opens season with back-to-back wins over Draughn

The East Burke boys tennis team defeated Draughn in each of its first two matches a year ago, and the Cavaliers repeated that feat during the opening week of the 2025 season, earning an 8-1 home victory over the Wildcats on Monday before beating them by a 7-2 score on Thursday in Valdese.

In Monday’s season opener, EB received singles wins from No. 1 Luke Borders (6-0, 6-0), No. 2 Haiden Dale (via forfeit), No. 4 Noah Ramsey (6-0, 6-0), No. 5 Wyatt Stotts (6-0, 6-0), and No. 6 Keng Yang (via forfeit). The Cavs were also victorious in all three doubles contests, as No. 1 Borders/Dale (8-2), No. 2 Leejohn Yang/Ramsey (8-0), and No. 3 Stotts/Keng Yang (via forfeit) collected wins.

The lone winner for Draughn on Monday was No. 3 singles Tray Powell, who won 6-2, 3-6, 10-8.

As for Thursday’s match, it saw EB (2-0) get singles victories from No. 1 Borders (6-0, 6-1), No. 2 Dale (2-6, 6-1, 10-4), No. 3 Leejohn Yang (7-5, 6-4), No. 4 Ramsey (6-2, 6-1), No. 5 Stotts (6-1, 6-1), and No. 6 Keng Yang (6-2, 6-4) to go with a doubles win from the No. 2 duo of Dale/Stotts (8-2). On the other side, Draughn received victories from the teams of Braxton Kirkland/Fil Petiluna (8-4) and Kevin Lee/Jordan Rivera (8-4) at No. 1 and 3 doubles, respectively.

The Wildcats (0-2) were also scheduled to visit Hibriten on Wednesday, although no score was available at presstime.

Also this week, NCSSM-Morganton (1-1) won by a 9-0 final at Hibriten on Monday before losing to South Caldwell by a 5-2 score on Wednesday in Sawmills.

Against the Panthers, the Dragons got singles wins from No. 1 Julian Monzavifar (6-1, 6-2), No. 2 Josh Banchik (6-0, 6-0), No. 3 Nash Taylor (6-3, 7-5), No. 4 Sam Evans (6-0, 6-0), No. 5 Andy Quach (6-1, 6-2), and No. 6 Anish Battineni (6-0, 6-2), while the No. 1 doubles duo of Monzavifar/Banchik (8-1), the No. 2 tandem of Evans/Quach (8-0), and the No. 3 team of Battineni/Taylor (8-0) also cruised to victory.

Monzavifar and Banchik were also victorious on Wednesday, winning 8-5 and 9-8 (10-4) at No. 1 and 2 singles, respectively.

BASEBALL

Cavaliers, Panthers nab intra-county triumphs

East Burke opened the season with a 9-3 loss to Hickory on Monday in Icard but bounced back with a 5-1 road win over Draughn on Wednesday as it evened its record at 1-1.

The Cavaliers trailed just 3-2 through four innings on Monday before the Red Tornadoes scored six runs in the top of the fifth to pull away. EB also committed five errors to aid Hickory’s cause.

Freshman Maddox Mosteller had a double, two singles, and an RBI against Hickory, while Gabe Wittenberg (single, RBI), Jonas Weidner (single, run), Colt Butcher (RBI), Rhett Houston (run), and Cayson Mooneyham (run) were EB’s other offensive standouts.

On Wednesday, senior Mason Mosteller provided the Cavs with five innings of scoreless, one-hit ball during which he struck out seven and walked two en route to earning the win. Meanwhile, Butcher tossed two innings of one-run, one-hit relief during which he had five strikeouts and two walks.

At the plate, EB was led by another three-hit performance (all singles) from Maddox Mosteller, who also had three RBIs. The Cavs also received two singles, an RBI, and two runs scored from Weidner to go with a single apiece from Wittenberg (RBI, SB), Mason Mosteller (run), and Cannon Morrison (run), with Nathan Fortenberry scoring their remaining run.

The Wildcats (0-2), who also suffered a 10-0, five-inning road loss at the hands of East Rutherford on Monday — Jacob Mull had two singles in that game to go with a single apiece from Griffin Stephens, Chase Yambor, and Gage Dula — were paced by two singles, two walks, and a stolen base from Tate Jensen on Wednesday. Draughn also got hits from Dula (single, RBI) and Yambor (single), while Mull scored its only run.

Only five of the runs allowed by the Wildcats over their first two games were earned.

In other action this week, Patton (1-0) defeated visiting Freedom by a 6-2 score on Tuesday. The Patriots (1-1) also traveled to West Caldwell on Wednesday and came away with a 12-1 victory in five innings.

The Panthers’ Cohen Christian was the winning pitcher on Tuesday thanks to five innings of hitless ball during which he allowed an unearned run. Christian struck out 12, walked one, and hit a batter during his time on the mound before giving way to Laine Barrier, who gave up one run on two hits with a strikeout and two walks in two innings of relief.

Offensively, Patton got a single, two RBIs, and a stolen base from Barrier to go with a double and an RBI from both Christian and Brady Davis and a single, an RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base from Landry Duvall. Wyatt Hullette added two runs scored, while Preston Lane, River McCrary, and Aaron Duncan each scored once.

Freedom’s Brooks Snipes and Kaden Michaels each singled against Patton before the Pats recorded seven hits against the Warriors. Michaels had a home run, a single, three RBIs, and two runs scored in that contest, while Carson Wells finished with a double, a single, three RBIs, and a run scored.

Other offensive standouts for Freedom on Wednesday included Cam Uren (single, three runs), Jacob Moretz (single, two runs), Trenton Walker (single), Zach Carson (RBI, run), Snipes (RBI), Zaydrin Hausley (run), and Kyle Self (run), while Luke Miller picked up the win after throwing four innings of scoreless, two-hit ball with 10 strikeouts and two walks. Cooper Wall also pitched for the Pats, allowing one run on one hit with a strikeout, a walk, and one hit batter in an inning of relief.

SOFTBALL

EB outlasts Hibriten in extra innings

After blowing a three-run lead against host Hibriten to force extra innings in both teams’ season opener on Tuesday, East Burke (1-0) scored four runs in the top of the ninth on its way to an 8-4 win.

Amanda McLean (homer, two singles, two RBIs, run) and Raegan Carter (two doubles, single, RBI, two runs) led the Lady Cavaliers’ offensive attack, while Kyndal Morrison (triple, single, two RBIs, run), Karlie Micol (single, two RBIs, run, SB), Hayden Lowman (single, RBI), Hermione Garro (single, two runs, SB), Sarah Angel (single), and Abigail Steele (run) also contributed. Furthermore, Addy Fortenberry was the winning pitcher thanks to three innings of scoreless, hitless relief during which she had two strikeouts, no walks, and one hit batter.

Heaven Waycaster started in the pitcher’s circle for EB, surrendering four runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and a walk.

Also this week, Patton (0-1) lost by a 7-3 score at West Caldwell on Tuesday and Freedom (0-2) suffered a pair of road defeats, falling by a 15-5 final in five innings on Monday at R-S Central before losing to North Lincoln by a 9-0 score on Wednesday.

Kara Redwine hit a solo homer for the Lady Panthers on Tuesday, while Alex Maines had two singles and a run scored, Lexi Dale registered a double, and Jolann Buff (single, run) and Ellie Shuping (single) tallied Patton’s remaining hits.

As for the Lady Patriots, they got a triple, a single, four RBIs, and a run scored from Kaylee Skinner on Monday to go with two singles from Addison Webb and a single apiece from Keileigh Clontz (two runs, SB), Lani Campbell (two runs), Daniell Robinson, and Kadance Ward. However, no individual statistics were available from Wednesday’s contest.

GIRLS SOCCER

Three county teams win twice apiece

Freedom, Patton, and NCSSM-Morganton all started the year at 2-0, with the Lady Patriots winning at West Wilkes (9-0 on Tuesday) and versus East Burke at home (6-2 on Thursday), the Lady Panthers winning at Draughn (3-0 on Tuesday) and versus West Caldwell at home (8-0 on Thursday), and the Lady Dragons winning at South Caldwell (5-1 on Monday) and East Burke (9-0 on Wednesday).

Yoselin Rodriguez scored four goals for Freedom on Tuesday, while Maria Perez Rodriguez tallied two goals, Jessenia Chavez finished with one goal and one assist, Drew Rogers and Valeria Lozana Arandia each had one goal, Leah Kirksey supplied three assists, and Jessielen Morales-Bacerra registered one assist. In addition, freshman goalkeeper Aura Andres-Tomas recorded a clean sheet.

The Lady Pats also got three goals from Yoselin Rodriguez, one goal and two assists from Chavez, one goal apiece from Morales-Bacerra and Abby Beam, one assist each from Rogers and Kirksey, five saves from Andres-Tomas, and two saves from Alleigh Pearson on Thursday, while the Lady Cavaliers (0-2) received one goal each from Gracie Kaylor and Addison Baldwin, an assist from Victoria Villegas, and four saves from keeper Cayden Robinson.

Patton’s Ana Velasquez finished with two goals on Tuesday, while Jaxyn Nolen found the back of the net once, Ana Sic dished out two assists, and Brenda Lopez-Ortiz had one assist. Furthermore, Michelle Beckmann and Jincy Gibby recorded one save apiece in goal.

And during their victory over West Caldwell, the Lady Panthers got three goals from Velasquez, two each from Lopez-Ortiz and Lorely Tzul, and one from Bella Johnson. Tzul also had Patton’s lone assist, while keepers Beckmann and Gibby again combined for a clean sheet.

As for NCSSM-M, it received two goals apiece from Colette Stokas and Zoe James against South Caldwell, with Hannah Xu adding one goal and two assists, Ananda Verling also supplying a pair of assists, and Elizabeth Fleury playing all 80 minutes in goal. Stokas also had three goals on Wednesday to go with two goals and one assist from Xu, two goals from Lauren Yu, one goal and five assists from James, one goal and one assist from Verling, and a clean sheet from Fleury in goal.

Finally, Draughn (0-2) lost to Maiden by a 3-1 final on Wednesday in Valdese, although no individual stats were available.

LACROSSE

Patton girls take season opener

Patton’s girls and boys lacrosse teams each started the 2025 season by hosting conference foe Watauga on Tuesday, with the Lady Panthers nabbing a 14-4 win and the Panther boys falling by a 15-4 final.

In girls action, Patton received six goals and one assist from Julia Civitello, five goals from Elliott Wilson, three goals from Camber Buzze, and seven saves from goalie Emma Hardin. Meanwhile, Greyson Bonfield scored three goals for the Patton boys to go with one goal from Sam Coffey, 15 saves from Gator Thompson, and three saves from Ayden Davis.

Both of the Panthers’ squads also hit the road on Thursday for conference matchups with St. Stephens, with the Patton girls (1-1) losing by a 9-7 score and the Patton boys (0-2) falling by a 16-2 final. No individual stats were available from either contest.