NCSSM-Morganton receives Wells Fargo Cup

Despite only being open since 2022, NCSSM-Morganton has already accomplished a lot.

In fact, one of NCSSM-M’s most recent achievements was winning the 2025-26 1A Wells Fargo State Cup, as announced by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) in June. The Dragons were one of only eight athletic programs in the state — one in each classification from 1A to 8A — to claim a Wells Fargo Cup.

NCSSM-M received the physical trophy — which since 1980 has annually been presented to schools that achieve the best overall interscholastic athletic performance within each of the NCHSAA’s classifications — during a ceremony at the school last month. All schools that qualify for the state playoffs receive Wells Fargo Cup points, and points are also awarded to schools that finish in the top eight positions (plus ties) in an NCHSAA state championship event.

The Dragons totaled 572.5 Wells Fargo Cup points during the 2025-26 school year, highlighted by state championships in girls tennis and girls cross country last fall, as they finished ahead of runner-up and fellow Catawba River 1A/2A/3A Conference member Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy. NCSSM-M also made state semifinal appearances in boys soccer and boys tennis, while the school’s girls track and field team finished third in the state.

“This is a significant accomplishment and one that all of us can share,” said Ian McMichael, who serves as athletic director at NCSSM-M, during the August ceremony. “The Wells Fargo Cup is not an individual award, (and) it’s not a single team award. It represents the collective success of our entire athletic program: teams, student-athletes, and coaches working together for this achievement.”

NCSSM-M students, faculty, and staff were on hand for the ceremony, as were representatives from Wells Fargo and the NCHSAA. And one of the other speakers was NCSSM-M Vice Chancellor and Chief Campus Officer Kevin Baxter, who noted that the Dragons had to travel for all of their sporting events, even their home contests, although some were held at the adjacent North Carolina School for the Deaf.

“Yet it did not slow us down,” Baxter said. “Y’all just kept on running faster in whatever sport you were competing in, and you did it as a community, and you did it for our community here at NCSSM and across the region.

“What we appreciate most is the collective that’s gathered here and those that surround you on the field of play. So, keep doing what you do best, which is thriving, supporting one another, and making us exceptionally proud of the effort and the way in which you carry yourselves as ambassadors of our school and our state.”

Other 2025-26 Wells Fargo Cup winners included Hoggard (8A), Cardinal Gibbons (7A), Charlotte Catholic (6A), North Lincoln (5A), Lake Norman Charter (4A), Pine Lake Prep (3A), and Community School of Davidson (2A).

NOTE: NCSSM Communications Specialist Brian Faircloth contributed to this story.

Good Samaritan Smash Pickleball Tournament

Bones Jones Burgers and Butchery will be the site of the second annual Good Samaritan Smash Pickleball Tournament on Saturday, Sept 12.

At 3221 N.C. 126 in Morganton, Bones Jones has eight outdoor pickleball courts behind the restaurant, and all proceeds from the upcoming doubles tournament there will benefit the Good Samaritan Clinic of Burke County, a Morganton-based nonprofit that provides more than $5 million in free medical care and prescriptions each year to Burke residents in need.

Online registration continues through Sept. 7 at bit.ly/gscburke-2026, and the cost to sign up for the tournament is $70. Multiple skill levels (3.0, 3.5, 4.0) are available for both men and women.

Additional information regarding the tournament — which is scheduled to begin around 9 a.m. and end by approximately 6 p.m. — is available at the aforementioned link. Food will be provided as well, while raffles will take place and participants can also compete in a serve speed contest.

Visit gscburke.org for more information about the Good Samaritan Clinic of Burke County.

Caldwell Chamber Fall Golf Classic

Registration is currently underway for The Caldwell Chamber’s 2026 Fall Golf Classic, which will be held on Friday, Oct. 2, at Cedar Rock Country Club in Lenoir.

The cost to sign up as an individual golfer and be placed on a team is $150, the cost to register a team of four is $495, and the registration form can be found online at tinyurl.com/yk2e2mbt. All proceeds support The Caldwell Chamber’s future events, initiatives, and programs.

Registration can also be completed starting at 10 a.m. the day of the tournament, while lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m., a hole-in-one competition will take place at 12:45 p.m., and the tournament will begin with a shotgun start at 1 p.m.

For team registration, sponsorship information, or additional details, contact Amber Clement at amber@thecaldwellchamber.com or 828-726-0616.

Jimmy Littlejohn Memorial Ride

The ninth annual Jimmy Littlejohn Memorial Ride is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 10, in Lenoir.

The cost to participate in the motorcycle ride is $25, with all proceeds going to Cole Rollins, a former dirt bike rider who has beaten cancer multiple times but still has a lot of medical expenses. Donations can be made via PayPal (tinyurl.com/ym337vzj) or in cash the day of the race.

Participants will meet at Littlejohn United Methodist Church (4120 Littlejohn Church Road), and the ride will begin at 10 a.m. After several stops, the ride will end at Littlejohn Cycle Shop (2005 Valway Road NW), where food will be provided and there will be games to play.