Thursday, October 1, 2026
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Cherryville, NC (WNN) - Spring sports are now in full swing; however, other athletic and performing arts activities are also happening. Coach Carrie Dalton has announced her intention to retire as girls' basketball coach, the band participated in MPAs, and the combined Cherryville and Bessemer City winter guard squad, known as Iron-Guard, has been busy preparing for an upcoming showcase.
On March 18, Carrie Dalton announced her retirement as coach of the Cherryville High School Lady Ironmen basketball team on social media. She has spent the past 11 seasons as head coach. Her decision has not been easy after having poured her heart into the program. Although she still loves coaching and the game, she has decided to step away to be more present in her kids' lives. Eldest son, Talon, will begin his college baseball career in 2026-2027, and her youngest son, Trevor, will enter his final year of high school athletics. She wants to be there for these important events.
Coach Dalton reflected in her retirement statement, "Coaching here has been more than just a job; it's been a privilege watching these young ladies grow both on and off the court, celebrating victories, learning from losses, and building lifelong friendships has been the greatest reward I could ask for."
Dalton's final two seasons were challenging, having lost a standout player each of those seasons to injury. This past season, Raylei Gidney went down with an ACL tear during a preseason scrimmage. Making the situation even more daunting was having a team composed mainly of sophomores and freshmen, with only a handful of upperclassmen. Her best season was 2018-2019, when the team went 7-3 in the Southern Piedmont 1A Conference. No replacement has been named. Whoever takes over the reins will inherit a very young team that gained valuable experience this past season due to injury and illness, giving them extended playing time not usually available to such young players. Unfortunately, leading scorer Emily Allen and all-conference selection Kate Bookout are graduating at the end of this school year. Coach Dalton leaves behind a solid foundation to build upon.
"I will carry these memories from the court with me forever. Here's to all the hoops we've hit, the laughs we have shared, the lessons that we have learned, and the love of the game that brought us all together. Once an Ironman, always an Ironman!" - Coach Carrie Dalton
The Cherryville High School concert band participated in a music performance assessment on March 23, 2026. The Ironmen concert band received straight superior ratings. Scores are rated from poor to superior. Cherryville achieved the highest rating possible. The MPAs are organized at the district and state levels by the North Carolina Music Educators Association. It is often considered the state-level standardized evaluation for musical ensembles, similar to academic testing.
How are bands evaluated? A panel of experts presides over a formal adjudicated event in which bands usually play three prepared pieces and perform a sight-reading segment. Sight reading is the process of playing a selection of music that is seen for the first time at the event. These events are useful to students and directors, as they receive professional feedback on the fundamentals they have been able to showcase. This is a great opportunity to increase motivation and confidence. The superior ratings are a testament to the band's and the director's talent and hard work.
Stuart W. Cramer High School will host the Gaston County Winter Guard Showcase on Monday, March 30, at 6 pm. The combined teams from Cherryville and Bessemer City High Schools, known as Iron-guard, will perform alongside Forestview and Stuart Cramer High Schools. This is a great opportunity for fans to see these unique visual art presentations through music and dance. The team is under the direction of Megan Wright and Gabbie Wall. Tabitha Alysworth runs technical, and the captains are Makenzie Lago and Kayla Mull.
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