Monday, October 5, 2026
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Cherryville, NC (WNN) - The John Chavis Middle School Wolverines of Cherryville added another chapter to their historic softball legacy on Thursday, October 1, 2026, as they defeated W.C. Friday 11-1. The Chavis girls captured their second consecutive regular-season and Gaston County championships while going undefeated in both seasons. Their opponent in the Championship game, W.C. Friday of Dallas, is no slouch either. The Cavaliers also had a tremendous season, finishing the regular season 7-2 and 8-3 overall, including the playoffs. Two of the three losses were to Chavis. They won 5 games by virtue of the run rule, and 3 were shutouts.
Coach Lance Beam is fortunate to coach a very special team, one that is accomplishing things coaches only dream of. The Wolverines pulled off an astonishing feat at any level of play. They not only went undefeated but also did so without playing a single complete game. All their games, including the playoffs, were won by the mercy rule, with one forfeited game included. I don’t have access to school or county records; however, I find it hard to imagine that it has ever happened or will ever be repeated. During their 11-0 season, the Wolverines allowed 7 runs in the regular season and 3 runs in the playoffs for a total of 10 all season! Six games were won by shutout.
The most recent regular season and County Championships were the second consecutive for Chavis Middle School. They went undefeated in both seasons (22-0) and are on a 22-game winning streak. Cramerton holds the all-time record, set from 2000 to 2003. The longest streak for Chavis is 30 sets from 1998 to 2000. Thursday’s County title was the 15th for the Wolverines, which has long held the record. Mt. Holly comes in at a distant second with 5 titles.
Throughout the season, Chavis rode the arm of Joselyn Poston. During the semifinal game against Belmont on September 28, she struck out 9 over 4 innings in a 17-2 four-inning victory. She was also strong on offense as she collected 3 hits and 3 RBIs. Harper Lovelace was also a force at the plate with 2 hits and 4 RBIs. Brynlee Capps added 1 hit and 3 RBIs, Sophia Willis had 1 hit and 2 RBIs, and Lydia Williams had 1 hit and 1 RBI. In the championship game against W.C. Friday on October 1, Joselyn again struck out 9 batters and threw a 3-hitter in a 6-inning game. She also added 3 hits of her own. Harper Lovelace drove in the most runs with 4 RBIS on 2 hits, Savannah Woods had 2 hits and 3 RBIs, Emma Blake 2 hits and 2 RBIs, Sophia Willis 2 hits, Hailey Canipe 2 hits, Lydia Williams 1 hit and Brynlee Capps also had 1 hit. Madeline Mulkey and Raelynn Rayfield led the Cavaliers with 1 single each, and Addie Sams hit a triple and collected an RBI. The Friday girls came to play, despite the final score. They kept the game scoreless through 3 innings and took a 1-0 lead before the Chavis bats woke up. Once the Wolverines began to hit, they found their stride, which was unfortunate for the Cavaliers, who had played so well for over half the game.
Chavis 14 Stanley 0 (5innings)
Chavis 16 Mt. Holly 0 (3 innings)
Chavis 7 Grier 0 (Forfeit)
Chavis 14 Cramerton 1 (5 innings)
Chavis 10 Bessemer City 0 (5 innings)
Chavis 18 Southwest 2 (3 innings)
Chavis 21 Holbrook 0 (3 innings)
Chavis 10 W.C. Friday 0 (5 innings)
Chavis 19 Belmont 4 (3 innings)
Chavis 17 Belmont 2 (4 innings) – Semifinals
Chavis 11 W.C. Friday 1 (6 innings) - Championship
See the tournament gallery here!
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