Caleb Mathis catches a shell after firing at a target.

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By Mike Barnhardt
Enterprise Record

ADVANCE – Caleb Mathis can walk down the streets of Mocksville and not be recognized.
But put him in a WalMart late at night somewhere in Arkansas, and things change.
Caleb, 21, was on one of the trap shooting adventures his family takes several times a year. And his grandmother needed some medication. Being a gentleman, he went into that Arkansas WalMart with her.
While she was standing in line at the pharmacy, a man confronted Caleb and said: “It’s you. I know who you are.”
Caleb was startled and taken aback. The man saw he was uneasy, and explained.
The man at the Arkansas WalMart follows trap shooting, and recognized Caleb from photos of his exploits online on The Tar Heel Trap Facebook page. He had his photo made with Caleb to show his son, and paid the nickel for his grandmother’s medicine.
Caleb is that good.
To print the number of titles and perfect and near-perfect shoots he has would take up a page in this newspaper. (It’s more than 271 titles, but who’s counting?)
And his little brother, Connor, is following right along, winning awards and making a name for himself in the trap shooting community. Even dad Shannon participates in some of the shoots. Every summer, mom Stephanie and sister Aubrey pack into an RV and head out to compete in a state tournament somewhere in the United States. They’ve been to more than 17 states so far. Usually, grandparents Baron and Leesa Church travel along in their own RV, and sometimes great-grandmother Mona Potts goes along.
Caleb, an engineering student at UNC Charlotte, remembers his first trap shoots through Davie 4-H and the school system.
“I had done a little shooting, maybe at some cans in the backyard,” he said.
Not only was he good at shooting, he enjoyed it.
“I’m just a really competitive person … and the camaraderie is special. Even those shooting against you are pulling for you.”
In addition to his ability, is known for catching the spent shells and putting them in his pocket, and for his cool demeanor, even if he misses a shot (a rare occurrence).
“It’s such a mind game. The mechanics are pretty simple. If you get upset when you miss a target, you can’t be thinking about that the next time around,” Caleb said.
The state championships are drawn-out affairs, with shooting starting mid-week and carrying on until Sunday. The family, as do most others, camp on the sites. Expansive, they use a golf cart to get around.
And the tournaments go on despite the weather. The family has competed in driving rain, extreme heat, and in cold winds. Always, they try to see some of the historic or fun sites near the places where they shoot, or going to and from a shoot.
To say that good shooting goes in the family is an understatement. Caleb has a trophy named after his brother, Connor. This trophy is always named for the previous year’s winner, so next year, Connor could win a trophy named after Caleb.
And young Aubrey is showing some interest. She’s in her own world at the week-long meets, greeting people and making friends with every dog in site. She already has a toy pink gun in her collection, and is asking for a camo pink shotgun when she gets a bit older.
Members of the American Trap Association and the Blue Ridge Clays, Connor and Caleb realize they’re in a lifetime sport. People of all ages participate.
Caleb doesn’t try to explain his hobby to most classmates in college, many wouldn’t understand and some even have a hatred of guns. He had told one friend, and when that friend visited the Mathis’ home for his first chicken stew, he was amazed at the awards Caleb had amassed. Trophies, $100 bills, mugs, chairs, hats, cutting boards … the prizes vary and almost fill his bedroom.
And no, Caleb doesn’t hunt.
But local turkeys and deer may want to worry about Connor, who loves that sport, as well.