Historic Draughn softball playoff run ends in 3A Final Four round

The 2026 Draughn softball team rewrote Burke County history, becoming the first team to ever reach the West Regional championship series.

The fifth-seeded Lady Wildcats (21-7) did so in dramatic fashion, walking off with a 4-3, 10-inning victory over visiting No. 8 Union Academy — the 2025 1A state champion — in the fourth round of the NCHSAA 3A state playoffs on May 15.

But in this week’s West title series, Draughn ran into a No. 2 seed West Wilkes squad that was on a mission for a second straight title after winning last year’s 2A state crown.

West Wilkes (25-1) defeated Draughn by a 19-3 margin in three innings at home in Game 1 on Tuesday before ending the teams’ best-of-three series via sweep thanks to a 4-1 win in Game 2 on Wednesday in Valdese.

“Not the ending we wanted, but, man, what a ride,” Draughn third-year head coach Chris Powell said. “There was never a doubt that this group would keep fighting through any battles faced, and tonight was no different. What was accomplished this year is something each of you will remember the rest of your life.

“You took our program to places we’ve never before been. But more importantly, the character, integrity, and way you represented this program will carry you much further. Thank you to our players, parents, administrators, and fans for all your support.”

In last Friday’s win, Draughn allowed the first two Union batters of the game to reach and score before senior pitcher Avie Helton worked out of a jam to keep the deficit at 2-0.

The Lady Wildcats were scoreless until Ava Aldridge reached on an error in the bottom of the fourth and scored on Helton’s single one batter later.

Then still trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth, Maria Medrano reached on a fielder’s choice for the second out before junior catcher Lindsey Hensley sent a 2-2 offering over the left-field wall for a two-run home run and a 3-2 Draughn lead.

Union knotted the game at 3-all with two outs in the top of the seventh before the Lady Wildcats loaded the bases with no outs in their half of the frame but came up empty.

Three tense innings later, Hensley led off with a single to left, stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error on a pickoff attempt, and scored on an Aldridge RBI groundout to second base.

“I just remember thinking I’ve gotta hit the ball,” Hensley said of her fifth-inning home run. “Swing level, get on base. If I can get on base, I know I’m getting home. And then when I swung all the way through and the ball left that bat, I knew it was gone. It was emotional and exciting to give our team the lead.

“(My mindset in the 10th inning was) get on and steal first pitch. Then when I got to second, I knew they were wanting to get out of (the inning) quickly, so I knew if I was off the base enough, she would throw down and I would be gone to third. … To be able to be part of history at Draughn is exciting. I don’t have any words for it. It’s beyond believable.”

Helton worked all 10 innings from the circle for Draughn, striking out eight while scattering nine hits and three walks with the three earned runs.

“She’s tough. She’s got grit, toughness, and heart,” Powell said of Helton. “I love that girl to death and what she means to this team. We gave away a couple in the first, and she had a lot of things not go her way tonight. But she just kept bowing her neck. And when you’ve got a kid that don’t wanna come out of the game — she told me, ‘I got this’ — what else can you say about her?”

Powell, who also guided the Draughn football team to the state semifinal level three years ago, was emotional after the game as he reflected on what the team means to him in the wake of his father’s unexpected death last spring.

“It’s special,” he said as he teared up. “These girls have worked so hard this year, and this group of seniors means a lot to me. They’ve helped me through some of the darkest days of my life by being there for my family, and to see them reap the benefits of that hard work, I’m so happy for them.”

Draughn carried over that momentum for a half-inning on Tuesday, leading 2-0 as Hensley drew a one-out walk and Helton and Aldridge followed with RBI doubles.

But West Wilkes’ second batter in the bottom of the first, Kelsey Madden, launched a towering solo homer to center, and the wheels fell off from there, as Draughn allowed 10 runs in the frame off seven hits, four walks, and one error.

Hensley walked again in the third and scored DHS’ final run via a Maddy Hudson infield single, but the hosts had scored five more times in the second and went on to plate four runs in the third to end it early.

The host Lady Wildcats made things much tougher on West Wilkes in Game 2 but sputtered with the bats, managing just four hits.

Draughn’s lone run came when Hensley led off the fourth with a single to left before stealing second and scoring on a Helton two-out single. But West Wilkes still led 2-1 afterward and scored its final two runs a half-inning later in response.

Medrano and Hudson also singled in the loss, while Helton tossed the complete game, allowing nine hits, one walk, and three earned runs with three strikeouts.

West Wilkes advanced to the state championship series to face the East champion, either No. 2 McMichael (23-4) or No. 4 Heide Trask (16-5), while the loss ends the careers of DHS seniors Helton, Medrano, Aldridge, Cydnee Deal, and Aubrey Childers.

BASEBALL

Panthers’ run ended by top seed on road

Following a home shutout of Draughn in the opening round and a pair of late-inning rallies on the road in rounds two and three, No. 12 seed Patton’s comeback attempt fell short against No. 1 North Stanly on May 15 in New London as the Panthers lost by a 6-3 score in the fourth round of the NCHSAA 3A state playoffs.

The loss brought an end to Patton’s deepest postseason run since it reached the fourth round in 2013. Additionally, thanks to a final record of 17-11, the Panthers finished with their highest win total since posting an 18-10 mark under Kurt Reid during the aforementioned season.

“I feel like we spotted them a few (runs) early and were kind of playing from behind, but I was really proud of them for continuing to fight after getting down early,” Patton third-year coach Matt Baker said. “I feel like we’ve fought this whole playoff season, other than the Draughn game we’ve had to battle back every game, twice going into the seventh inning and having to battle back late. And we were a hit or two away from making this one real interesting, but I’m just really proud of them for the way they battled all year.”

After an RBI single from Ryder Sheffield gave the Comets a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, a leadoff home run from Jarrett Hinson in the second doubled the hosts’ advantage before Aiden Hamilton scored on a two-out error to make it 3-0. However, Patton starter Landry Duvall (5 IP, 5 ER, 10 H, 2 BB, HBP, 2 K) was ultimately able to leave the bases loaded by recording a strikeout moments later.

North Stanly added another run in the fourth when Charlie Shaver and Sheffield notched back-to-back doubles with one out, although the Panthers responded with a run of their own in the top of the fifth. Trevor Throneburg led off with an infield single that saw him make it to second on a throwing error, while an infield single from fellow senior Cohen Christian plated Throneburg to get Patton on the board.

From there, a two-run homer from Nolan Ellington in the bottom of the fifth put North Stanly up 6-1 before a bases-loaded, two-out single from Christian in the sixth allowed seniors Brady Davis (single) and Wyatt Hullette (single) to cross the plate with the final runs of the night.

Patton registered four of its six total hits in the sixth, with its other base knock coming on Throneburg’s second infield single in as many innings just before Christian added his second hit of the contest. Furthermore, Davis tossed a scoreless bottom half of the frame as he struck out one and worked around a leadoff walk.

In addition to Throneburg, Christian, Davis, and Hullette, six other Panthers also completed their prep careers: Cole Attaway, Laine Barrier, Reece Irvine, Gavin Johnson, Colsyn Queen, and Nathan Waters.

“They’re good baseball players and even better young men,” said Baker of his 10 seniors. “... They’re gonna do great at whatever they do, whether it’s baseball or college or work. They’ve got bright futures ahead for sure.”

GIRLS SOCCER

Patton eliminated in third round again

The No. 8 seeded Lady Panthers (16-4-1) ran into a brick wall on Monday in Mooresville, falling to No. 1 seed Pine Lake Prep in the third round of the NCHSAA 3A state playoffs by a 9-0 margin for a second consecutive season.

The Pride led 4-0 at halftime and tacked on five second-half goals to win by mercy rule. Three Pine Lake Prep players scored multiple goals, led by freshman Peyton Peterson’s hat trick, and six players supplied an assist apiece, led by sophomore Eva Smith’s three.

Pine Lake Prep advanced to host No. 12 Union Academy in round four late Thursday, while the loss ends the PHS careers of seniors Nataly Morales-Sale, Adisyn Smith, Jincy Gibby, and Jocelyne Castro-Say, whose class won more matches over its final two seasons than any previous PHS graduating class.

Patton again played minus sophomore Becca Velasquez, who missed about the last half of the season with an injury. Velasquez broke the program single-season scoring record last spring as a freshman and was on pace to eclipse her own record this season prior to the injury.

“Wanted to share some love to Becca,” Lady Panthers first-year coach Will Singley posted on Facebook with a team photo after the contest. “We missed having you out there with us tonight. Thank you ladies, for a great season.”

TRACK AND FIELD

Freedom’s Davis wins state long jump

Freedom senior KeAndre Davis certainly saved his best for last.

After a fourth-place regional finish the weekend before had barely qualified him for the NCHSAA 6A state championship meet at N.C. A&T University’s Marcus T. Johnson Track on May 16, Davis won the long jump at state, becoming just the fifth Patriot boys individual state champion in the sport all-time and the first since Lito Alejo claimed the 4A pole vault title in 1996.

Davis’ best jump measured 23 feet, 8 inches as he won by nearly a foot over runner-up Chase Little of Southeast Guilford.

His distance was also less than a foot from back-to-back state champion Leon Johnson’s county record set in 1992.

Also at the meet, the Freedom boys 4x100-meter relay squad of Justice Dominguez, Trenton Davis, Jusian Perkins, and Bryson Chapman placed seventh in a time of 43.05 seconds.