2 from Foard, 1 from Bandys, 1 from Newton-Conover sign to play for Hickory-area colleges

Bandys High School senior Caroline Drum signed her National Letter of Intent to play softball for Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute last week.

Drum has been the anchor of a young Bandys team this year. The senior hit 304 with seven extra base hits and 16 RBIs this season. She also moved to shortstop to anchor the defense.

At Fred T. Foard, Noah Hedrick and Damarion Gaither-Walton both signed to play basketball for Catawba Valley Community College. Hedrick and Gaither-Walton led the Tigers to their best finish since the 2019-20 season. Hedrick led the team with 12.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game while hitting 54 3-pointers on the season. Gaither-Walton added 11.9 points per game and led the team in steals.

Newton-Conover senior baseball player Zevion Williams signed to play baseball with Caldwell Community College. Williams hit .268 as a senior this spring and led the team with 12 stolen bases.

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published May 14, 2026 at 5:49 AM.