North Carolina

Vote: Who was the top sophomore football player in North Carolina in 2024?

Published

1 year ago

January 5, 2025

Press Room

Vote: Who was the top sophomore football player in North Carolina in 2024?

With the 2024 high school football season complete, it’s time to look back at who was the top sophomore.

There were plenty of good sophomore players. Here are 15 candidates for your consideration.

The 5-foot-9, 140-pound defensive back corralled seven interceptions, returning two of them for touchdowns. Batiste recorded 45 tackles.

Nichols, a dual-threat quarterback, led the Lions to the 3-A state championship. The 5-foot-10 star threw for 2,633 yards and 29 touchdowns with 4 interceptions. He had 614 yards and 9 touchdowns rushing.

Ingle threw for 2,966 yards and 35 touchdowns with 8 interceptions. In addition, he ran for 285 yards and 9 touchdowns.

Roberts caught 46 passes for 914 yards, averaging nearly 20 yards a reception, and 11 touchdowns for the Rams.

Clem ran for 1,747 yards and 26 touchdowns for the Bulldogs. A highlight of his season was a record-tying 99-yard touchdown run. Clem also saw time on defense, making 15 tackles a and breaking up two passes.

Eatmon ran for 1,139 yards and 15 touchdowns while averaging 9.04 yards per carry. He also made 18 tackles.

Hammock caught 51 passes for 881 yards and 8 touchdowns. The 5-foot-11, 180-pounder also had a pair of rushing touchdowns.

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound edge was spectacular with 26.5 sacks, 31 hurries and 123 tackles, including 35.5 for loss. Streets also blocked four punts and forced two fumbles.

Helms had 7 interceptions, 13 pass breakups and made 28 tackles. The two-way starter had 29 receptions for 344 yards and 4 touchdowns.

The 5-foot-10, 165-pounder had a superb season, going 14-of-17 on field goal attempts, with his longest being 49 yards. Fehling was a perfect 25-of-25 on extra points and had 27 touchbacks on 44 kickoffs.

Agee had a stellar season on both sides of the ball. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder ran for 1,043 yards and 17 touchdowns while averaging 9.9 yards a carry. He also caught 3 passes for 144 yards and 3 touchdowns. On defense, Agee had 53 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery.

Coley caught 49 passes for 775 yards and 13 touchdowns.

The 6-foot-7, 240-pound edge had a dominant season with 23 sacks, 29 hurries and 76 tackles, including 34 for loss. Dudley has college offers from North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky and Liberty.

Dillon did just about everything for his team. The 6-foot-2, 182-pounder caught 38 passes for 798 yards and 7 touchdowns, ran 14 times for 204 yards and 2 touchdowns and threw for 270 yards and a touchdown. Dillon also made 16 tackles.

The two-way starter had 46 receptions for 650 yards and 12 touchdowns. Curry had 8 interceptions, 5 pass breakups and 38 tackles as well.

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North Carolina

The North Carolina Arboretum’s “Spring Into the Arb” returns for year two

Published

9 hours ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

The North Carolina Arboretum’s “Spring Into the Arb” returns for year two

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — The North Carolina Arboretum has announced a new season of “Spring Into the Arb!”

The “Spring Into the Arb!” is in its second year, with its series of plant shows and sales, science and nature activities, music, and art, allowing people to reemerge and reconnect with nature.

The season begins with Nature Play Day on Saturday, March 14, continuing through April, May, and June with new activities every weekend.

TROLLS DRAW LARGE WEEKEND CROWD, FORCING N.C. ARBORETUM TO TEMPORARILY CLOSE

According to a news release, throughout the season, guests can enjoy the following:

Asheville Orchid Festival, annual Ikebana and Rose shows
Purchase plants at the Spring Plant Sale and Market
Get back to their native roots with Native Azalea Day, Mountain Science Expo, and Nature Play Day

The series culminates with Bonsai in the Blue Ridge in June, according to the release.

The release says guests and members are invited to drop in on the newly-opened Arbor Eatery in the Arboretum’s Education Center, which is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Hours extend to 5 p.m. beginning April 1.

Spring Into the Arb events and programs are included with the regular Arboretum parking fee of $25 per vehicle. Arboretum Society Members get in free.

NC ARBORETUM MARKS BIRD DAY WITH WALKS, DEMOS AHEAD OF GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT

According to the release, additional admission is required for the Asheville Orchid Festival and Bonsai in the Blue Ridge.

A full list of the Spring Into the Arb 2026 events includes:

Nature Play Day: March 14
Asheville Orchid Festival: March 28 to 29
Music in the Mountains Day: April 4
Arbor Day Celebration: April 11
Native Azalea Day: April 18
Mountain Science Expo: April 25
World Bonsai Day: May 9
Change of Seasons: Spring into Ikebana: May 16 to 17
The Asheville-Blue Ridge Rose Society Exhibition: May 22 to 24
The Arb in Focus: 40 Views for 40 Years: Opening May 23
Spring Plant Sale and Market: May 29 to 30
Bonsai in the Blue Ridge: June 4 to 7

For more information, visit here.

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North Carolina

Michael Jordan North Carolina “Sports Illustrated” cover sells for record $229k

Published

21 hours ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

Michael Jordan North Carolina “Sports Illustrated” cover sells for record 9k

A copy of Michael Jordan’s 1983 “Sports Illustrated” cover debut sold for $229,360 on Saturday night at Goldin, obliterating the previous record for a graded magazine.

Before Saturday, the previous record was the $126,000 paid for Jordan’s 1984 SI debut in a Bulls uniform entitled “A Star Is Born.”

“Sports Illustrated” magazines are very common and people kept them, but collectors narrowed the category by making rarer newsstand copies most collectible, and graded condition of those copies to narrow the most desirable down further.

Then, in July, came PSA to challenge CGC in the grading space.

The record UNC Jordan, with teammate Sam Perkins on the cover, was the only PSA 9.6. The question is, with PSA’s grading just beginning, are there others our there?

It’s possible, but that Jordan issue presents a challenge because it has a gatefold that makes it more challenging to press out defects.

The big price will likely create a group of opportunists who will now take raw subscription copies of this issue and get them graded for potential arbitrage.

But it won’t be that easy. A CGC 8.0 newsstand edition sold for $4,636 in October.

Whether the big price also creates more grading and selling of rare magazines remains to be seen, but PSA’s entrance into the space has definitely turned heads.

PSA has graded more than 50 of this particular issue, the second most commonly graded after the “Star is Born” issue.

Darren Rovell is the founder of cllct and one of the country’s leading reporters on the collectibles market. He previously worked for ESPN, CNBC and The Action Network.

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North Carolina

End of 2025-26 NC ski season: Resorts announce closing dates

Published

1 day ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

End of 2025-26 NC ski season: Resorts announce closing dates

Warmer temperatures are bringing North Carolina’s ski season to a close, with several mountain resorts announcing closing dates. Beech Mountain will close after its annual Pond Skim on March 14, while Appalachian Ski Mountain plans to stay open through March 15 for its Meltdown Games.

Web Editor : Mark Bergin
Reporter : Eric Miller

Posted 2026-03-07T23:04:58-0500 – Updated 2026-03-07T23:04:58-0500

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