Area Sports

Ryan Newman hospitalized after last lap crash By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service   DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – With the car of Ryan Newman sliding upside-down trailing sparks behind him, Denny Hamlin joined elite company on Monday night in the second-closest finish in Daytona 500 history. Hamlin beat Ryan Blaney to the finish line at Daytona…

  By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service   DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Rain stopped the Daytona 500 after 20 laps of a scheduled 200 Sunday afternoon, forcing postponement of the Great American Race until Monday afternoon at 4 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania…

Wrestling history was made on Saturday, February 9, when Alexander Central sophomore Alysha Earley became the first female wrestler from the school to compete in the NCHSAA Women’s State Wrestling Invitational.  The event was held at Carolina Courts in Concord, NC in conjunction with the USA Elementary and Middle School state tournament.  Earley finished 2-2…

Lowrance nets game-high 23 to lead ACHS Men By D.N. PENNELL, Jr. The Alexander Central JV and Varsity Basketball Teams headed to Boone on Tuesday, January 28, to face the Watauga Pioneers in four NW 3A/4A contests. The day was a successful one for the Cougars as the visitors claimed three wins in four contests.…

Cougars drop league pair to talented Patriots clubs By D.N. PENNELL, Jr. Alexander Central’s Varsity Basketball Teams made the trip to Morganton to face the talented Freedom Patriots squads in a NW 3A/4A twinbill on Tuesday evening, January 14. The Patriot squads grabbed a sweep over the visiting Cougars, winning both contests by double figures.…

Three ACHS teams improve to 2-0 in NWC By D.N. PENNELL, Jr. The Alexander Central JV and Varsity Basketball Teams recorded four total wins on Tuesday, January 7, when the Cougars hosted North Iredell and St. Stephens for games in Taylorsville. Alexander’s JV Women grabbed a win over North Iredell, while the JV Men and…

Tournament dates are December 27, 28, & 30 The Hickory Metro Sports Commission has announced the pairings for the 33rd Annual Dick’s Sporting Goods Classic Tournament scheduled for Friday, December 27th, Saturday, December 28th and Monday, December 30th, 2019.  The tournament will feature the men’s and women’s teams from eight area high schools competing in…

 First-year Head Coach looks to rebuild program The 2019-20 Women’s Basketball season at Alexander Central is underway and first-year Head Coach Jon Presnell is looking to rebuild the Lady Cougar program after the team won just two games last season. Presnell’s tenure as the ACHS coach got off to a splendid start last Friday evening,…

Bolick, Fox, Gwaltney, Odom, and Thomas join prestigious group By D.N. PENNELL, Jr. The Alexander County Public Education Foundation held its Eighth Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Monday night, November 25, at the Alexander Central High School Auditorium  in Taylorsville. A crowd of more than 200 family, friends, and sports lovers converged on…

Lady Cougars win in Presnell’s coaching debut By D.N. PENNELL, Jr. Alexander Central High School tipped off the 2019-20 basketball season with a four-game set against the visiting North Iredell Raiders on Friday evening, November 22, in the Cougar Den in Taylorsville. ACHS took three of four games on the night. The Cougars swept the…