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EARL'S
PEARLS 2023-2024
(CityViewNC.com)
(Follow Earl Vaughan Jr. on Twitter: @EarlVaughanJr)
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After 50 years, it's time to say goodbye (City View - 4/16/24) April 11
Jack Britt girls’ basketball coach Nattlie McArthur announced her
retirement on social media this week after 25 years.
She was a standout player at South View under Brent Barker and spent
nine years on the bench as his assistant before trying her own hand as
a head coach at Britt.
In her farewell announcement she thanked Barker and all the assistants
and players she worked with over the years.
“To everyone who has supported us along the way, I am forever
grateful for you,’’ she said.
April 4
Major League Baseball season is underway and a trio of Fayetteville
players are still continuing their respective careers, all currently
holding spots on their team’s 40-man rosters but not all are in the
majors or at full speed just yet.
The one player not currently on a big league roster is former Terry
Sanford star D.J. Herz. Herz is with the Triple A Rochester Red Wings,
a Washington Nationals farm team.
Gavin Williams of Cape Fear and the Cleveland Guardians began the
season on the injured list but is expected to return shortly.
Austin Warren of Terry Sanford, who was traded from the Angels to the
San Francisco Giants, is still on the mend from Tommy John surgery.
According to published reports, the Giants have good history bringing
players back from that operation.
We suspended Athletes of the Week this week as the Cumberland County
Schools are on spring break. Please save any outstanding performances
from this week and make sure to nominate them for next week’s awards
by noon on Wednesday, April 10.
March 28
More than a dozen high school basketball players from Fayetteville
will be at Rose High School in Greenville Saturday to take part in
all-star games pitting uncommitted players from various area codes
against each other. The object is to give them exposure to college
recruiters.
The Clash of the Area Codes features boys and girls teams from the
910, 252, 919 and 336 area codes in a series of contests starting at
10 a.m. and lasting until 8 p.m. Admission is $15 and there’s a $5
parking fee.
There will also be 3-point shooting contests for girls and boys.
The 910 girls play 336 at 11 a.m. Third place and championship games
are at 1 and 2 p.m. respectively.
The 910 boys face 336 at 5 p.m. Third place and championship games
are at 7 and 8 p.m. respectively.
The following Fayetteville area players will be taking part:
BOYS: Harold
Lee, Berean Baptist; Linwood Rowe, Trinity Christian; Derrick Green,
Fayetteville Academy; Daniel Mbaeteka, Berean Baptist; Mylon
Campbell, Seventy-First; Micah Dowdy-Isom, Seventy-First.
GIRLS: Jayla
Blue, South View; Kayla Starling, Cape Fear; Janna Tupuola, E.E.
Smith; Mariah Massey, Seventy-First; Nahmiah Atkins, South View;
Princess Canady, Westover; R’Mani Robinson, Westover.
The 910 teams will be coached by Robert Wilkerson of Seventy-First
for the boys and Travis Lemanski of South View for the girls.
***
E.E. Smith High School will hold the induction of the 2024 class of
its alumni sports hall of fame on Sunday, May 26.
The following are scheduled for induction: Billy Bristow, 1961;
Chris Corders, 1987; Juan Corders, 1972; Sabrina Gregory, 2004;
Edgar Farmer Jr., 1965; Kenneth Haywood, 1990; James McLinnaham,
1986; Terence Murchison, 1969; Vandelia Wood McAdoo, 1936; Anquell
McCollum, 1992; Junior Smith, 1991; Bernard Timmons, 1986; Lakeisha
Williams, 1958; Tillman Newkirk, Contributor; 1967 State
championship football team; 1968 State co-championship football
team.
The N.C. Basketball Coaches Association has named a pair of
Fayetteville standouts to its 2023-24 All-State girls basketball
team.
Jayda Angel of Cape Fear was selected to the first team while
Breonna Roaf was picked to the third team. Angel is a senior while
Roaf is a junior.
Earlier, the NCBCA announced its all-district teams for boys and
girls.
Making the team for the boys were Ari Fulton of Westover, first
team; Malachi Allen of Westover, second team; DeAndre Nance of
Seventy-First, second team and Mylon Campbell of Seventy-First,
third team.
For the girls, Jayda Angel of Cape Fear was District 4 Player of the
Year. Breonna Roaf of Terry Sanford made first team along with
R’Mani Robinson of Westover.
Others on the squad were Zahara Gerald of Jack Britt, second team;
Jahriell Murchison of E.E. Smith, second team and Jainism Blake of
Terry Sanford, third team.
Cape Fear’s Brian Graham was District 4 Coach of the Year.
March 15
Dr. Karissa
Niehoff, chief executive officer of the
National Federation of State High School Associations, penned a
disturbing column this week about a Fox Sports plan to increase live
television coverage of college football on Friday nights.
For some time ESPN has been encroaching on the Holy Grail of Friday
night high school football with its prime time telecasts of games.
Now according to the Niehoff column, Fox is looking to air games
featuring teams from the Big Ten and Big 12 Conferences.
My former sports editor Doug Mead has frequently told me that I need
to give up this crusade against Friday night college football on
television, saying the ship has sailed and it’s a fruitless gesture.
He’s probably right. But I’m not going to keep talking about what
a horrible injustice it is, that the college football coaches who
thrive on plucking the best high school talent from rosters across the
nation to build their teams are party to draining the life blood of
high school sports.
People who sit at home and watch college games on Friday night
aren’t buying a ticket to a high school game or a bag of popcorn and
a soft drink from the concession stand.
That hurts the total sports program because high school football money
is used to pay for athletic expenses in all sports.
I’m a proud voice in the wilderness fighting against this disrespect
of the game that I love, and I will continue doing it as long as I can
talk and type.
March 1
When I was
in high school, trying to supplement my
meager income from being a flunky in the Salisbury-Rowan Hospital
kitchen, I found a way to earn extra bucks.
Writing contests.
I entered more than a few as my journalism interest grew, and one
where I had a memorable experience was the Ability Counts essay
contest. It was statewide, and the topic was how to promote the hiring
of the disabled.
I enlisted the aid of a dear family friend, the late Joyce Brown, who
helped me connect with various personnel managers at local businesses
to talk about the job the state was doing to promote the hiring of the
disabled.
Whatever I said must have pleased someone because I wound up finishing
in the top four and traveling to Raleigh to be honored by Gov. Bob
Scott. Jim Graham, who was N.C. Commissioner of Agriculture, also
stopped by the ceremony since he was a member of my dad’s church
near Cleveland, North Carolina, and grew up down the street from our
house.
Now, more than 50 years after that experience, I have a unique
appreciation for those words I wrote long ago. I’m still writing
thanks to CityView, but I’m also a living example of what I wrote
about a lifetime ago. I’m disabled and spend a good portion of my
days in a wheelchair.
But I still have a passion for high school sports, and I want to do
everything I can to promote the coaches and athletes in Fayetteville
and Cumberland County who actually make it happen.
Looking back, I now appreciate the significance of those words,
ability counts.
Years ago, as a joke, I posed in a Superman costume, leaping off an
office desk and being captured on film hanging in midair. My late dear
friend Steve Aldridge snapped the picture.
I’m no longer leaping buildings in a single bound. Not even close.
But I have a working mind, fingers still nimble at a keyboard, and
with the modern reach provided by a smartphone, streaming TV and
social media, I can communicate with anybody, anywhere, watch games
and try to tell as many stories as I can.
I want to take a moment to thank my bosses at CityView, Tony Chavonne,
Bill Horner III and Maydha Devarajan, for allowing me to continue
doing what I love.
And I want to thank you, the readers, for perusing my work and sharing
it with others.
I long ago adopted the favorite saying of the great D.T. Carter,
longtime football coach and athletic director at E.E. Smith High
School, who no matter how tough a day was, reminded me the sun is
going to rise tomorrow.
And with each sunrise, I’m ready to tackle the new day with vigor
and enthusiasm. I hope you’ll join me.
Time is
running out to purchase tickets for this
year’s Fayetteville Sports Club Hall of Fame banquet.
The banquet is scheduled at 6 p.m. Friday, March 8, at the Tony Rand
Student Center Multipurpose Room on the campus of Fayetteville Tech.
Tickets are $65 per person. A group ticket is also available for
children.
To purchase tickets call Ashley Petroski at 910-323-9195 or email ashley@npfp.com.
Scheduled for induction are former South View girls’ basketball
coach Brent Barker, E.E. Smith and Wake Forest football great Aaron
Curry, Jack Britt and Appalachian State football standout Marques
Murrell, former Terry Sanford and Campbell University basketball star
Tammy Brown Tew and the late Ray Williams, a baseball and football
standout at Reid Ross and Clemson.
February 16 McPhail tried out for the track team, made it, and said he had a pretty decent performance throwing the shot in his first real meet. “I just felt it was a good way to show my strength, see how far I could throw a metal ball,’’ McPhail said. At last Saturday’s NCHSAA indoor state track and field meet, McPhail did it better than anyone else competing at the JDL Fast Track facility in Winston-Salem. Of 21 competitors, McPhail was the only one to break the 50-foot mark, hitting a winning throw of 54-7.5 on his final attempt. It was a step up from last year’s NCHSAA outdoor meet when he placed second in the state. McPhail also competes with the Fayetteville Flyers track team, and it was there he was introduced to the importance of adding weightlifting to his training program. “I’ve only been doing it one year and it improved it a lot,’’ he said. He added he felt nervous at the state indoor meet, but the energy was there for his final throw and he wanted to go home with at least a personal record. “I started like a clap and everybody was clapping in the track stadium,’’ he said. “I went all out on my last throw.’’ The throwing area at the JDL Fast Track is in the middle of the facility, so McPhail felt he was in the spotlight. “It builds confidence,’’ he said. He’s set big goals for himself when the outdoor season begins in a couple of weeks, including hitting a throw of better than 60 feet. “I’m looking forward to it,’’ he said, “and being consistent.’’ • Congratulations to longtime Westover men’s basketball coach George Stackhouse, who earned the 400th win of his successful head coaching career with a 62-46 victory at home against Overhills this week. The Wolverines are 21-1 overall and 13-0 in the All-American Conference with their final game of the regular season set tonight at home against E.E. Smith. Westover’s only loss of the season was to Seventy-First in the Holiday Classic by a 59-57 score. Westover later beat the Falcons 70-59. The Wolverines currently have a 15-game winning streak. • Congratulations to Westover’s Ari Fulton and Cape Fear’s Jayda Angel, who were named to the boys and girls teams for this year’s Carolina Classic All-Star basketball game pitting the top senior boys and girls from North Carolina and South Carolina. Veteran Jack Britt coach Nattlie McArthur will serve as assistant coach for the North Carolina girls team. The game will be held at John T. Hoggard High School in Wilmington on March 23. According to the latest MaxPreps statistics, Fulton is averaging 18.7 points per game for Westover while hitting 55% of his shots from the field. He leads Westover in rebounds with 10.9 per game while handing out 2.7 assists. He also leads in steals with 1.6 and blocks with 0.7, and is hitting at a 76% accuracy rate on free throws. Angel averages a whopping 34.2 points per game, shooting 62% from the field. She also pulls down a team high 8.6 rebounds and hands out 5.6 assists and has 7.1 steals per game. She hits 71% of her free throws and 51% of her 3-point attempts. • The NCHSAA individual wrestling championships began Thursday in Greensboro. Congratulations to the following Cumberland County athletes who will be competing this weekend. An asterisk indicates a wrestler who was the regional champion in his or her weight class. Boys Jack Britt - Brycen Blaine. Pine Forest - Jayvion Johnson*, Nyrell Gaskin-Brantley, Jacaden Brown, Samuel Gantt*, Jack Kancler, Jiwaun Fleming. South View - Shamari Thompson, Christopher Ehrman, Kwa’Shawn Moore. Westover - Connor Dean, Cory Cooper, NaZiah Rice. Cape Fear - Tye Johnson*, Samuel Aponte*, Landon Sargent. Terry Sanford - Troy Shannon. Seventy-First - Donovan Frederick*. Girls Jack Britt - Isabella Hernandez, Sumaiya Aamoud*, Sophia Ozanich, Victoria Shepherd. Terry Sanford - Amelia Pranka. Pine Forest - Alyssa Miller. E.E. Smith - Lianna Davis. February 9
I’ve been through multiple realignments of the state’s conferences
by the N.C. High School Athletic Association and there’s one
universal truth every time it’s done. There is no way to please
everybody, period. But they do keep trying.
Earlier this week, the NCHSAA released some models for possible
realignment dealing with how schools might be divided in the new eight
classification setup.
One calls for eight equally divided classes. The other two would put
the biggest 32 or smallest 32 schools at opposite ends of the
realignment.
I don’t have a personal preference this early in the game, but
getting as much input as possible never hurts. Just be advised, with a
state this big and so many different sizes of schools in metro and
rural areas, somebody is going to get the fuzzy end of the lollipop
when it’s over.
Congratulations to
the following Cumberland County Schools female wrestlers who earned
berths in the NCHSAA wrestling championships Feb. 15-17 at the
Greensboro Coliseum Complex.
An asterisk by a name indicates a wrestler who was a champion in
regional competition:
January 26
A Holiday Classic final loss to Seventy-First is the only blemish on
the record of the Westover mens’ basketball team this season. The
Wolverines more than erased that memory from their minds Wednesday
night with a 70-59 nonconference win over the visiting Falcons.
Ari Fulton and Malachi Allen led the way for Westover with 18 and 17
points respectively. Allen didn’t play in the 59-57 Holiday Classic
loss to Seventy-First. Kaylen Miller rounded out the double figure
scoring for Westover with 12.
Westover built a 10-point lead at the end of the first quarter, but
put the game away by outscoring the Falcons 22-11 in the third period.
“We try to stay focused on our process,’’ Westover coach George
Stackhouse said. “Hopefully it yields positive results. We were able
to kind of do a decent job of executing.’’
Westover has a commanding lead over the rest of the All American
Conference. They are 6-0 in the league and no other team has fewer
than two league losses. Of the eight teams in the conference, only the
Wolverines, Triton and Pine Forest currently have records over .500.
But Stackhouse isn’t focusing on the problems of the rest of the
league. “We concentrate a lot on us getting better, trying to be
more consistent with what we do, offensively and defensively.’’
He felt his team could have played better against Seventy-First in
spite of the win. “We’ll go out and try and get better today in
practice,’’ he said.
January 18
From the first day he took the job as the student activities director
for Cumberland County Schools, David Culbreth said it was all about
doing right by the kids, and that he has always been about people.
But after a three-year run, and a distinguished career as both an
athlete and coach, Culbreth has decided to move on. He recently told
the Cumberland County Board of Education he plans to step down on
April 1.
But Culbreth is definitely no April Fool, and he has the resume to
prove it. He was a state champion wrestler at his alma mater
Seventy-First.
He would return to the school as head wrestling coach, and built what
are still considered of the greatest high school wrestling teams not
only in the county, but the entire state back in 1999 and 2000, twice
winning state titles.
His 1999 team won the dual team and individual state titles, crowned
five individual champions, and set a state record at the time for most
points scored in a championship meet, 191.
He later moved into administration, serving as athletic director at
South View then principal at Pine Forest before taking the reins of
county high school athletics.
But recently he felt pulled by both internal and external forces to
step aside and allow younger blood to take control of things while at
age 54 he looks at the next chapter of his life.
“I wanted to do something that I felt like would have some
purpose,’’ he said of his decision to teach and coach. He said
legendary county educator Mary McDuffie told him she wanted teachers
willing to coach, not coaches willing to teach.
Culbreth replied that he wasn’t saying he didn’t want to teach,
but he knew he wanted to coach wrestling, and he was hired.
“I just always knew trying to do the best by kids in every decision
that you make each day makes it in the best interest of the
kids,’’ he said.
But Culbreth said the landscape of high school sports is undergoing
vast changes. He didn’t mention specifics, but he alluded to the
upheaval caused by the General Assembly and recent legislation it
passed that dramatically limits the ability of the N.C. High School
Athletic Association to oversee high school sports.
Culbreth said he recalled a teacher telling him that when you don’t
want change, that’s the time you should look to get out and do
something else.
“I think it was some of that for me,’’ he said. “I don’t
know that I agree with all of the changes that are being proposed with
high school athletics.’’
As he goes, he’s aware that schools are all about instruction, with
good reason. But he said it’s important to keep in mind the role of
athletics in the total school package, and try to hire people who will
enhance it.
That’s especially true when it comes to athletic administration.
Culbreth said you can’t just plug anybody into that job.
“It’s got to be somebody that wants to do it,’’ he said.
“You’re talking about somebody who might work 14 hours a day.
You’ve got to have somebody that wants to do it with a
passion.’’
The thing he will miss most is the relationships with the students and
the atmosphere and camaraderie of the school building.
“It’s an exciting place to be,’’ he said. “I always tell the
kids, you keep me young, you keep me on my toes.’’
His immediate future plans aren’t set in stone. He wants to spend
more time with his parents and might finally take the time to learn
how to play the piano, which would fit well with his reputation as a
gifted singer.
He’ll also continue to stay busy as a high school wrestling
official. “I’m young,’’ he said. “I’ve been blessed.’’
I’ve been
reading the various stories about plans to build
a new E.E. Smith High School, with a proposal recently put forward
to construct the new building on property at Fort Liberty where
Stryker Golf Course used to be.
I respect there are various logistical challenges in building on the
existing property, and that finding land near the current campus has
been difficult to impossible thus far.
But I’m afraid the people involved in making this decision just
don’t fully appreciate the passion the E.E. Smith community feels
for the structure at 1800 Seabrook Road.
This goes way beyond a physical plant. This is people, emotions and a
rich history. Especially when you bring athletics into the mix.
Some of the greatest athletes and coaches in the history of
Fayetteville walked the halls, the fields and the gym at Smith.
I keep the picture attached to this article in my telephone. It’s
the monument near the end zone of the football field erected in memory
of the late, great D.T. Carter, one of the finest coaches and
gentlemen it was my privilege to meet.
Coach Carter beat a lot of challenges in his career, and it’s time
for the Smith community and the folks with the county schools to take
a page from him and work this problem out.
Don’t just say there’s no land or we can’t compromise. There has
to be some middle ground, some option that will honor the Smith
tradition and keep the legends of the Golden Bulls a little closer to
home.
Put your heads together and find them, so as Coach Carter was so fond
of saying, “The sun is going to come up tomorrow.’’
Congratulations
to Coach Chris Green and his Pine Forest
High School wrestling team. They recently earned their third
consecutive All American Conference championship with a 58-16 victory
against Overhills.
On Friday,
Feb. 9, South View High School will hold a
ceremony to retire the basketball jersey of former Tiger star Jeff
Capel.
Capel, who went on to play for Mike Krzyzewski at Duke and is
currently head basketball coach at Pittsburgh, led South View to the
state 4-A championship in 1993 under the late Ron Miller.
The ceremony will be held in conjunction with South View’s annual
Senior Night celebration prior to the boys’ varsity game at
approximately 7:30 p.m.
The Tigers are scheduled to play Gray’s Creek that evening
January 11 A number of Cape Fear wrestlers turned in outstanding performances over the recent holiday break. • Mac Johnson, a freshman at 106 pounds, is 25-0. He won three tournaments and is No. 1 in his weight class in the 3-A classification. • Tye Johnson, 113 pounds, is 31-2. Another freshman, he won three tournaments and is also No. 1 in his class in 3-A. • Samuel Aponte, 120 pounds, is 32-0. The senior won three tournaments and the No. 1 wrestler in his class in the state in all classifications. • Landon Sargent, 215, is 25-0. He won three tournaments and is No. 1 in 3-A and soon expected to be the top-ranked wrestler in his class in all classifications. The Wilmington Star-News had a disturbing story about former South View High School basketball standout Chinyere Bell earlier this week. Bell, who is the head women’s basketball coach at Laney High School, announced she is stepping down immediately just 11 games into the season. According to the newspaper, Bell said problems with the parents of her players were behind her decision. A former player at UNC-Wilmington, Bell had a career record of 22-16 during her years with Laney. December 15
I’ll repeat a comment I shared on social media shortly after the final score for that contest was posted. This team left it all on the field and made no excuses. Congratulations to Duran McLaurin and his Falcons on an outstanding season. Best wishes for a great 2024.
November 30
On Thursday, Dec. 14, at the Greensboro Coliseum, college football coaches from any school are invited to come and meet with potential recruits from the East-West team. Colleges interested can arrive and set up at 6:30 p.m. The East-West players will meet with the college scouts at 6:45 p.m. At 7:30 p.m., any high school coach who would like to come can show up to promote his players for the scouts. Coaches are asked not only to bring names of graduating senior prospects but also from the next two graduating classes. Anyone planning to attend the recruiting fair needs to email ncca@nccoach.org by Dec. 7. November 22 I’ve long had an issue with the way some conferences chose their all-conference teams, especially in sports like football where you have multiple players at various positions. I appreciate the need to recognize athletes for an outstanding season, but I also feel you can go too far. This week, the All American Conference announced its 2023 all-conference football team. They not only went too far, they practically left the galaxy. Football, for those who don’t know, has 22 first team positions on offense and defense. If you throw in a spot for a placekicker and a punter, which is reasonable, that lifts the number to 24. Care to guess how many players made first team in the All American Conference? Nearly triple that number. Counting the three players who won Player of the Year awards and are not included on the main team, there are 63 players honored. Forgive me folks but this isn’t a recreation league. We’re not supposed to be handing out participation trophies. Making all conference should mean something, but if you’re handing out awards to everyone that’s a starter it dilutes the significance. I know why coaches do this though. There was a time I sat in all-conference meetings and counted votes. Year after year, I would see coaches emotionally invested in their players and trying to reward them for what they accomplished. I certainly appreciate the significance of that bond. But when they hand out the Heisman Trophy, they don’t give it to one guy from each school. Handing out prizes to everyone because folks don’t want to make tough decisions waters it down for the truly deserving. A reminder that now that the winter sports season is underway, CityView Athletes of the Week will resume with the email newsletter of Dec. 1. All performances that took play since the winter sports season began will be eligible for nomination the first week. Parameters will change for the remainder of the winter sports season. Please remember to send a head and shoulders photo of the athlete, not an action picture, along with a summary of his and her accomplishments for a single performance or multiple performances. The weekly deadline will remain noon on Wednesday. First nominations for the winter will be closed on Nov. 29. November 17
Due to early deadlines for next week’s copy because of the
Thanksgiving holiday, we’ll delay resuming Athletes of the Week for
another week. Please plan to start submitting nominations beginning
with the week of Monday, Nov. 27.
All performances from the start of the fall sports season until
Tuesday, Nov. 28, will be eligible for nomination that week. As usual,
you can nominate an athlete for a single performance or for multiple
performances during the nominating period.
November 10
Horne had the second-best score for Terry Sanford in this year’s state 3-A finals, shooting 72-76-148 to Paschal’s 71-69-140. Horne was named first-team all-conference each of the past three seasons.
Athletes of the Week will resume as soon as the winter sports season begins later this month. November 3
In the 4-A tournament at Pinehurst No. 6, Pine Forest’s Alexis Paquin turned in the lowest score among the county contingent with an 83-87-170. The 3-A tournament was held at Foxfire Resort Red Course. Kate Wilson of Cape Fear had the low round among county golfers with a 90-95-185. Teammate Gracey Horne shot 94-101-195. Charlize Carr of Terry Sanford had a 102-96-198. Abbey Bullard of Cape Fear shot 117-108-225. As a team, Cape Fear shot 301-304-605.
Pine Forest head coach Bill Sochovka will be head coach of the East team, with Terry Sanford assistant coach Jeff Morehead serving on the East staff. County players chosen include Rico McDonald and Landon Sargent of Cape Fear, Juan Hernandez of Pine Forest and Kamal Thames of Terry Sanford. Tickets to the game are available at https://gofan.co/event/1188054?schoolId-NC86378. October 27 Terry Sanford’s women’s tennis team is still alive in the state 3-A dual team playoffs. The Bulldogs defeated Carrboro 6-3 in their latest match Wednesday. They will advance to Monday’s Eastern semifinals against Greenville Rose at Terry Sanford. The match will begin at 4 p.m. Terry Sanford is 16-0, while Rose is 14-1. Cape Fear’s women were eliminated 5-4 by Rocky Mount.
In the first round, Cape Fear’s Anna Piland and Terry Sanford’s Annie Lieberman will both be facing players from Lake Norman Charter. Piland meets Luci Falls, while Lieberman plays Kate Champion. In doubles, the Terry Sanford duo of Pauline Bui and Loren Galaviz meet Abigail Cope and Grace Blair of Montgomery Central. Cape Fear’s Shea Bieniek and Andi Brinker face Moriah Harris and Aileen Huynh of Lake Norman Charter.
The academy lost 2-0 to Carolina Day, while Caldwell Academy beat Fayetteville Christian 2-0.
The lone 4-A competitor is Alexis Paquin of Pine Forest, who will be in the state 4-A tournament at Pinehurst No. 6. Paquin shot a 79 to tie for seventh in the 4-A East Regional golf tournament at Emerald Golf Club in New Bern. Jordan Blanton lost on a scorecard playoff after finishing in a seven-way tie for the final individual playoff spot with a 91. The Trojans shot 266 as a team, missing the last team qualifying spot by 26 strokes. The state 3-A tournament will be at Foxfire Resort. Competing there will be Charlize Carr of Terry Sanford and Kate Wilson, Gracey Horne and Abbey Bullard of Cape Fear. In last week’s 3-A East Regional at Wedgwood Golf Course in Wilson, Carr shot 85; Wilson, 89; Horne, 96; and Bullard, 99, all qualifying as individuals. Cape Fear placed fifth as a team with 284. October 20
Terry Sanford blanked Cumberland County rival Seventy-First 6-0, while Cape Fear earned a forfeit win over Dixon. Both teams move to the second round Monday. Terry Sanford will host either Triton or South Johnston while Cape Fear hosts either Orange or Cedar Ridge. Both teams will be in action this weekend in the Mideast individual regional tournament at the Burlington Tennis Center. October 13
Terry Sanford is ranked No. 2 in the N.C. High School Tennis Coaches Association 3-A poll of Oct. 8 while Cape Fear, the two-time defending dual team state champion, is No. 4. The dual team brackets will be announced on Monday, Oct. 16, with the first round set for Wednesday, Oct. 18. The first round of state individual regional competition is Friday, Oct. 20.
October 6
A publication called “Yardbarker” named Woolford as the 10th-best football player in Clemson history. Woolford played for the Tigers from 1985 to 1988. He was consensus All-American and a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the top defensive back in college football. His 10 career interceptions are among the most in school history. He was also a top punt returner, running back two for touchdowns in 1987.
On a stormy night on Oct. 5, 1973, a nervous teenager stepped into the old press box at E.E. Smith High School to cover his first high school football game. I had kept football statistics as a student at West Rowan, under the tutelage of classmate Bob Rathbun, now the play-by-play announcer for the Atlanta Hawks. But on this night, I would be keeping stats and writing a story for other people to read. The Golden Bulls beat Richmond Senior 21-0. I interviewed Smith’s legendary coach D.T. Carter after the game, who was gracious to the new kid as he lit up one of his traditional White Owl cigars to celebrate. But Carter also taught me and his players a valuable lesson about defeat. He reminded me it’s just a game we play, not life or death, and his motto, win or lose, was always, “The sun is gonna come up tomorrow.” It’s been coming up for me ever since that night, and 50 years later I’m glad to still be writing about high school sports. September 29
In one of its actions earlier, the legislature forced the N.C. High School Athletic Association to cut the penalty for being ejected from a contest for fighting from missing two games down to one. Through Sept. 14 of this season, ejections have shown a sharp increase. A total of 156 athletes and seven coaches have been ejected from high school contests. The number of fighting ejections tops the list with 67, all athletes.
Bieniek has raised in quite the athletic family to go with his years at Mac Williams. His daughter Brooke Bieniek was an state doubles tennis champion for Cape Fear, and his younger daughter Shea is a current member of the team.
In that vein, I’ll still report the announcement made during regional meetings this week of changes coming to some NCHSAA sports during the coming school year. Women’s wrestling is now a full-fledged state championship sport. Regionals for the ladies will be Feb. 2-3, 2024, with regionals set for the Mideast, Midwest, West and East. Jack Britt High School could be a candidate for the Mideast Regional. The state championship will be held in conjunction with the men’s wrestling finals. Women’s wrestling will join 1-A, 2-A, 3-A and 4-A boys at the Greensboro Coliseum Feb. 15-17.
The tentative plan is to hold the regional finals and state championship the week of March 11-16. There will be four games a day for regionals Monday through Thursday. State finals will be held on Friday and Saturday. This will require some games during the school day, something many other states are already doing. It was noted the state of Georgia plays its state football championship games at 10 a.m. The probable site for the regionals and state finals is Lawrence Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem.
Only 20 states are using the shot clock now, a number that will rise to 27 by 2024-25. The main problem remains cost, which is an average of $5,000 per school. There are other issues to consider, like having to tear up the gym floor to install the wiring, along with connecting the shot clock to an existing clock. That problem is complicated if the current clock in a school is older than 2018. Another challenge is training someone to operate the clock and paying them. If the shot clock is ever approved, it will be phased in over a multiyear period. September 21
In voting conducted recently by the N.C. Baseball Coaches Association, Guy shared the Region 4 Coach of the Year honors with Coach Bill Kennedy of North Moore High School. Hall was named the winner of the Region 4 Assistant Coach of the Year award. September 15
According to a story by Kamari Faison of the Cape Fear News Network, members of the football team have been cleaning the road near the high school at least twice a year every year since 2013. They do one cleanup during the team’s bye week and a second during the final week of the spring conditioning period. The Vander Fire Department also pitches in to escort the team during the cleanup. The team has been previously recognized for its work by the N.C. Department of Transportation and Gov. Roy Cooper.
Through two weeks of the season, Wilson leads the conference with a nine-hole stroke average of 46.0. Also under 50 strokes for the season from Cumberland County is her teammate Alex Serbio with 48.7. August 18
Paschal competed in the U.S. Amateur at famed Cherry Hills Country Club in Colorado. Paschal qualified for the Round of 64 by shooting 3 under par, including a round of five under the final day. He tied for 17th place in stroke play. In the Round of 64, he fell 6 and 4 to Connor Gaunt. Horne announced his commitment to play golf for Georgia Southern. The Eagles have won 10 conference titles and made 21 appearances in the NCAA championship final. Horne tied for sixth in the state 3-A finals won by Terry Sanford. He shot 72-76-148.
The Bulldogs hold the No. 2 position in the first poll while the two-time defending 3-A dual team champion Colts are No. 4. The teams are in different conferences and are not scheduled to meet in the regular season.
Two teams, E.E. Smith and Terry Sanford, will have crews that will call all their varsity games. For Smith, it will be WIDU, 1600 AM, with the main voices being Glenn Adams and Jimmy Harvey. Trey Edge and Mark Heil will again call Terry Sanford games on WFNC, 640 AM. Lastly, the Mid-South Sports crew including Charles Koonce, Steve Driggers and Chris Koonce will continue their game-of-the-week format, broadcasting various county games on Sunny 94.3 FM. August 11
He has been involved in a number of business ventures since finishing his education. He took a swing at politics with terms as mayor of Spring Lake and a run for the U.S. Senate from North Carolina. But recently, he accepted what might be the biggest challenge of his life. Rey will become president of Barber-Scotia College in Concord. The school has a rich history, ranking as the second-oldest historically Black college in the state behind Shaw University. It is the 17th-oldest historically black college in the nation. The school has distinguished alumni, most notable among them Mary McLeod Bethune, famed educator and adviser to President Franklin Roosevelt. But the school fell on hard times in 2004 when the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools stripped its accreditation, accusing it of awarding degrees to some students who had not fulfilled the proper requirements. Since then, the college has fallen in debt. Although the situation might appear hopeless to many, Rey said it is an opportunity he felt compelled to take on. “I believed it would be a disservice not to at least try,” he said. “These types of institutions have provided a way of life for many folks, specifically in the African-American community. “HBCUs create an ecosystem that helps not just Black folks, Brown folks, white folks; it just creates a more equal system that really helps individuals find their path and their way.” One of Rey’s biggest mentors was the late Congressman John Lewis, who was at the forefront of the civil rights movement and a close associate of Martin Luther King Jr. Lewis campaigned for Rey during his runs for mayor of Spring Lake. Before Lewis passed away, Rey said, he passed the baton to him and gave him a charge to do his part for his generation and the world. Rey visited Barber-Scotia while he was at East Carolina. “I’m going to use my talents and my national and international network to save this college,” he said. “I know it’s a big mountain. But mountains are made to climb.” He has already kicked off a fundraising campaign for the school and plans to expand its curriculum to offer study in what he calls niche programs like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and the many applications for using airborne drones. His big selling point for now is how affordable an education at Barber-Scotia is, costing only $12,000 in tuition for four years. He is reaching out to companies, individuals and nonprofit organizations to establish 300 scholarships he can offer to prospective students. “Those will allow me to recruit people to come here,” Rey said. His promise to them will be that while Barber-Scotia is not accredited now, it will be within the four years it will take them to graduate. “We want to be that institution that provides that opportunity for those individuals in areas of learning that other institutions aren’t focused on,” he said. Rey admits he doesn’t yet have all the answers to what some of those degree programs will look like, but he hopes the affordability of the school will set Barber-Scotia apart. “It’s going to be one of the things that will make us an option for a lot of folks,” he said. August 4
Williams played on one of the best Reid Ross football teams in 1981, leading the Cougars to the short-lived NCHSAA Division II 4-A title with a 21-7 win over High Point Central in the championship game. He was a rare two-sport athlete in college, playing football and baseball for the Tigers. His name is still in the Clemson record books in both sports. He is sixth all-time in kickoff return yards and sixth in stolen bases. In 2013, he was inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame. A long battle with diabetes led Williams to undergo a liver transplant. He eventually had his right leg amputated. He devoted the final years of his life to recruiting 1,000 people to become registered organ donors. To support his efforts and register as a donor, go to RegisterMe.org/RayWilliams.
Dorsey won the 800-meter run for girls in the 15-16 class, running for the Fayetteville Flyers. She posted a time of 2:09.10. Dorsey also took fourth place in the girls 15-16 400-meter dash with a time of 56.67.
Cross is a cheerleader and soccer player for the Bears. She is also active in student government and works with younger cheerleaders and a local nonprofit charitable organization. July 28
Perry spent years working as a coach at Spring Lake and later with student activities at Fayetteville Technical Community College. He was also a standout football player at Pine Forest High School. Beyond that, Perry was a kind-hearted soul who never met an enemy and was a great friend to me during my days at The Fayetteville Observer. Congratulations, old friend, on a well-deserved honor. July 21
Steil is the author of the book “Running in Silence” and came to share with the coaches her experience with an often overlooked problem in high school sports. Steil has been a runner since the age of 5 but developed an eating disorder in college. At first, she thought she was just displaying discipline and power, until the problem began to take over all aspects of her life. Her only concern became running faster, and it left her battling a host of injuries. Three years into college, she shared her story on her website, runninginsilence.org. Her book was published in 2016. In it, she details her personal story, including her battles with losing weight and binge eating. She details how her problem affected her relationships and what the recovery process was like. She tells the story from the perspective of an athlete. After the book was published, she took on speaking engagements and realized other athletes needed to hear her story. She said most people who have eating disorders don’t know it, and there isn’t much guidance available for coaches to offer help to their athletes who suffer from disorders. She noted many schools have mandatory concussion training for coaches, which she fully supports, but that there’s no guidance on eating disorders. “Concussions affect 10% of athletes, which is a high number,’’ she said. “Yet 13.5% have eating disorders.” The more she got into coaching, the more Steil realized coaches need to know what to do about eating disorders and how to find helpful resources in their communities. While statistics show runners have a higher risk for eating disorders than most athletes, Steil said about one in eight athletes will struggle with the problem. “I’ve had soccer players reach out to me, long jumpers, basketball players,” she said. While the book focuses on Steil’s story, she prompts all coaches and athletes who read it with questions at the end of each chapter on how to apply what they’ve read in their own lives. She stresses the three R’s of eating disorders: recognizing, receiving help and recovery. The book helps advise coaches how they can support their athletes and help prevent eating disorders without going outside their lane of expertise. For more information on Steil’s work and her book, visit her website, runninginsilence.org.
Terry Sanford coach Bruce McClelland was an East All-Star assistant this week as the East team scored a 14-0 win over the West. This December, Pine Forest head coach Bill Sochovka and Terry Sanford assistant coach Jeff Morehead will serve on the coaching staff for the East. The N.C. Coaches Association moved the game to December at the request of football coaches who feel it will allow more of the best players to be available for the game. Traditionally, the East-West game was held in mid-July as part of the N.C. Coaches Association Clinic in Greensboro. But when colleges began getting football recruits to enroll in summer school immediately after graduating from high school, it cut down on the number of star players available for the All-Star game. The new December date will put the East-West game in competition for the annual Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas for players, but the football coaches seem to feel the pool to pick from will be larger in December since most players will still be in high school. July 14
The winners were Terry Sanford in the All American and Cape Fear in the United 8. Terry Sanford survived a tough battle with second-place Harnett Central, winning with 605.5 points to 602.5 for Harnett Central. The Bulldogs were boosted by conference titles in boys soccer, girls tennis, baseball, girls soccer, boys tennis and boys golf. Other season point totals in the conference were Pine Forest, 585; Overhills and Triton, 555; Western Harnett, 507.5; E.E. Smith, 350; and Westover, 305. Cape Fear scored a 25-point win over second-place Jack Britt, 905-880. The Colts took championships in volleyball, girls tennis, girls golf, girls basketball, boys and girls swimming, baseball, softball, girls soccer, boys tennis and boys golf. Other season point totals were Gray’s Creek, 795; Lumberton, 720; Purnell Swett, 610; South View, 555; Seventy-First, 420; and Douglas Byrd, 250.
The schedule at E.E. Smith is as follows:
The schedule at Douglas Byrd is:
Playing at Dataw Island Club’s Cotton Dike course earlier this week, Paschal earned one of five available qualifying spots by shooting a seven-under-par 137. Paschal tied for third place in the final scores with rounds of 70 and 67, finishing three shots behind the co-leaders. June 30
This Saturday, Gilbert will wrap up an impressive debut with the Pittsburgh Maulers of the USFL by playing in the league’s nationally televised championship game at 8 p.m. on NBC. The Maulers, 4-6 in the regular season, will take on the Birmingham Stallions, coached by Skip Holtz, in the title game. Birmingham is the defending USFL champion and went 8-2 in the regular season. According to stories written recently by Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot and Alan Saunders of Steelers Now, Gilbert has enhanced his stock considerably with his play for the Maulers and could be reunited with the Steelers when training camp begins later in July. Gilbert is the cousin of former New York Jet great Darrelle Revis. Gilbert was slowed by injuries in his years at Duke but managed to land a spot on the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad in 2021. He eventually made the Detroit Lions roster and played eight games for the Lions, but he wound up playing for the Maulers in the USFL this season. Gilbert led the USFL in interceptions with four and was chosen All-USFL in his first season in the league. Saturday’s USFL title game will be played on the same field Gilbert played for the Maulers, Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. The stadium is next door to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. June 23
The N.C. High School Athletic Association was beginning to phase out slow-pitch in the early 1990s in favor of fast-pitch, which was more popular nationally and took over completely in the late 1990s. Spurred on by the motto “Heart makes it happen” from a hit song by the late Kenny Rogers, Coach Eddie Dees’ Tigers surged to a 27-1 record, the only defeat coming in the 13th game of the season by a 12-10 score at home to perennial 4-A power Richmond Senior. The Tigers got a break in the state playoffs, playing all but one postseason game at home, including the best-of-three title series with Hickory. Their closest postseason win was 5-4 over Hickory in the first game of the state finals. Yexenia Ugarte, MVP of the title series, was a defensive whiz against Hickory. Kim Johnson crushed a game-winning solo homer in the seventh. The next day, the Tigers exploded for six runs in their first at bat and cruised to a 10-4 win and the title. Jessie Marsh, starting outfielder and a sophomore that year, said the whole season was amazing. “Once we stepped on the field, it was like we were in our own little bubble,” she said. “We had this bond of a love for the game, a love for each other.” In the middle of it all was Dees, part coach, part philosopher, all softball. He was also a gifted communicator. “If you got tagged out running to third when he told you not to run, he’d turn his hat sideways and make this funny face,” Marsh said. “You knew without him screaming at you that’s not something you would do again.” Marsh said she still remembers teammate Heather Dawson making the catch for the final out that sealed the win, followed by celebrating with her in the outfield. “We were a bunch of girls full of heart, and we knew what we wanted to do,” Marsh said. “We just wanted to do what Mr. Dees taught us to do.” June 9 Baseball stars recognized on All-State baseball team A number of Cumberland County high school baseball players were honored this week by the N.C. Baseball Coaches Association. Three were named to the 3-A All-State team. They are Ethan Nobles and Josh Mozingo of Terry Sanford and Mason Hughes of Cape Fear. Also honored was Pine Forest’s Isaiah Pinero, who was chosen NC tip BCA All-Region 3 and 4 team. Terry Sanford golf team ranked No. 1 in state
The Bulldogs were rated ahead of 4-A champion Pinecrest (No. 6), 2-A champion East Surry (No. 2), 1-A champion Mitchell (unranked), NCISAA Division I champion Charlotte Latin (No. 5), Division II champion Greensboro Day (unranked) and Division III champion Gaston Day (No. 3). Terry Sanford High School interim Principal Rhonda Hill, at the school’s graduation exercises, was proclaimed Teacher of the Year Steven Barbour. June 2 E.E. Smith Hall of Fame E.E. Smith High School recently held the induction ceremony for the second class of members in the school’s sports hall of fame. The induction was at the Crown Coliseum Complex. Here’s a capsule look at the members who were added: Ida Askew: Teacher and coach from 1963-81. Won a state title in girls track in 1981. Henry A. Black: Football and men’s and women’s basketball coach from 1929-40. His 1939 men were runners-up in the National Black High School basketball tournament. Milton Butts: Head football coach for 15 years. Led team to six state playoffs runs, two conference titles and two 4-A Eastern finals Joyce Vaughn Battle: Lettered in three sports. Played college basketball at Winston-Salem State and Fayetteville State universities. Robert Brickey: Named North Carolina’s Mr. Basketball in 1986. Earned scholarship to Duke and helped the Blue Devils to three Final Fours and one NCAA championship game. Allen Cole: All-State and Shrine Bowl running back. All-CIAA at Johnson C. Smith. Alexander Cole: All-State running back. Benjamin Cole: Lettered in three sports. Star running back and leading scorer on basketball team. Batted .375 as a senior. Lamb Cole: Lettered in three sports. All-State running back. All-State sprinter and long jumper. Nettie Toomer Council: Restarted girls basketball in 1946. Organized the first program for exceptional children and was the first principal of Walker-Spivey School. Carl Galbreath: All-State in football and basketball. Four-time All-CIAA in football at North Carolina College. Had distinguished career in Canadian Football League. Angela W. Hill: All-Conference in volleyball, basketball and track. Star basketball player at North Carolina A&T State. Carey Hughley: All-State football and East-West All-Star game selection. Football standout at Hampton University. Samara Dobbins Johnson: Standout in basketball and track. Basketball scholarship to North Carolina A&T State. Three-year starter there. Connell Maynor: Three-year letterman, football and basketball. MEAC offensive player of the year twice at North Carolina A&T State. Won two CIAA championships as head football coach at Winston-Salem State. Played 12 seasons of Arena Football. Earl McNeill: Started in three sports. Played basketball and baseball at Fayetteville State. Two-time All-CIAA in baseball. Brandon Wallace: Twice school athlete of year. Four-time All-State wrestler. Garvin Stone: Three-year letterman in football, basketball and baseball. Led 1968 football team to state title. Football star at North Carolina Central. Led MEAC in passing and total offense in 1973. Bobby Earl Williams: All-State in football and baseball. Earned football scholarship to North Carolina A&T. Colette Williams: Four-time school female athlete of the year. State triple jump and 100 meter hurdles champion. Track standout at South Carolina State. Roszella Major Williams: Earned letters in three sports. Team MVP in three sports. Earned track scholarship to East Carolina. Four-time conference track coach of the year. Also honored were the following teams: 1939 men’s black basketball tournament finalists and men’s 1950 state basketball champions.
Rabun Gap is a private boarding school that is a member of the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association. Led by Quinn, Seventy-First was 14-1 last year, only losing 23-22 to Northern Nash in the 3-A East Regional finals. Quinn rushed for 2,450 yards, averaging 8.78 yards per carry while scoring 29 touchdowns. May 26
Lucas took over the Cape Fear girls program in 2015 and guided the Colts to state 3-A team titles in 2021 and 2022. The doubles team of Brooke Bieniek and Anna Piland won the 3-A state title in 2021. In a statement posted on social media, Lucas said his goal is to work with boys tennis coach Lee Osbourne to grow the sport by making elite tennis accessible for all the students in the area and to encourage the players to have high expectations for themselves and their teammates. In a tribute she posted on social media, Piland wrote, “Thank you for being the coach that inspired us to dream big and gave us the confidence to succeed and give it all on the courts.”
It’s been reported by Cumberland County Schools that Jones received 10 bona fide scholarship offers with a total value of $3,130,115. May 19
The Mustangs finished the 2023 season with a 12-0 record, but that’s just part of their accomplishment. Their closest game was a 6-0 win over John Griffin Middle School. They scored in double digits 10 of the 12 games. They allowed one unearned run, the only run they gave up, to Gray’s Creek Middle School. In 72 innings, their pitchers recorded 123 strikeouts with just 10 walks. Leading hitters were Luke Clevidence at .652, Brycen Talley at .615 and Landon Underwood at .611. Logan Rayburn was 6-0 with 42 strikeouts in 21 innings. Bryce West was 3-0. The team’s ERA was zero and they allowed seven hits for the year. The defense committed three errors. Oh, and the two-year record at Mac Williams is 23-0.
Freedom, seeded No. 2 in the seven-team field, faces top-seeded Wayne Christian School. Wayne is 18-7, and Freedom is 12-8. Today’s game is at 6 p.m. with the second game at 3 p.m. Saturday. A deciding third game will follow if needed.
Dr. Keith Meister, who is the team orthopedic surgeon for the Texas Rangers, performed the surgery. He has previously operated on other Angels pitchers. Warren is expected to miss the rest of the season recovering from the operation.
Boys
Girls
According to NCRunners.com, Terry Sanford’s Dorsey has the best time in the 3-A 400 meters this year. JaMeesia Ford of Britt has the top time in the 4-A 400 meters. May 12
This year’s game is scheduled for July 18 at Macpherson Stadium in Bryan Park near Greensboro.
Hedgecoe is the No. 1 seed from the Mideast Regional and faces Julian Stolevski of West Henderson in today’s first round. Pham was the No. 4 regional seed and plays Drake Gallian of West Henderson.
Finley’s boys team finished 11-8 this season, losing to Carrboro 17-3 in the second round of the 3-A state playoffs. * Karl Molnar announced the field this week for the annual MLK Dream Jam basketball tournament. Public school boys’ teams include Terry Sanford, E.E. Smith, Gray’s Creek, Pine Forest, South View, Westover, Overhills and Douglas Byrd. Private schools include Trinity Christian, Fayetteville Academy, Berean Baptist, New Life, Wayne Country Day, Northwood Temple, Fayetteville Christian and Freedom Christian. Public school girls teams include Terry Sanford, Pine Forest and Richmond Senior. Private schools are Trinity Christian, Wayne Country Day and Cape Fear Christian. Pairings will be announced later.
There was no bigger supporter of Douglas Byrd High School athletics, especially during the school’s football heyday under the late Bob Paroli. Wilson was a regular along the Byrd sidelines every Friday night cheering them on. Prayers are offered for his family and many fellow Eagle friends and teammates. April 14
Yates was previously recognized as a CityView Athlete of the Week. Yates currently leads the United Eight Conference in scoring with 35 goals and 11 assists. * Terry Sanford won its Easter baseball tournament, defeating East Bladen 12-9 in the championship game. Ethan Nobles was named tournament MVP. He was 4-for-7 with a pair of doubles. The Bulldogs earlier beat Midway 4-0 and Pinecrest 6-5. They are 17-2 overall and 10-0 in the All American Conference. They have a nonconference game at home with Lee County on Saturday, then wrap up the conference regular season with four games, home and away meetings with both Pine Forest and Westover.• Douglas Byrd High School is hosting a wrestling tournament for boys and girls of all ages on April 22. Two-time NCAA champion Austin O’Connor of the University of North Carolina will be at the tournament. There will be Greco, freestyle and folkstyle competition. One style is $25, two is $30 and three is $35. To register, visit the Douglas Byrd wrestling page on Facebook and scan the QR code displayed on the page.
At least 75% of the more than 400 member schools in the association must cast a ballot for the vote to be valid.
One of them, Sen. Tom McInnis, is a primary sponsor of the bill. The addresses are as follows: Charles.Smith@ncleg.gov, Diane.Wheatley@ncleg.gov, Val.Applewhite@ncleg.gov, Marvin.Lucas@ncleg.gov and Tom.McInnis@ncleg.gov. April 7
After seeing grim forecasts for rain this weekend, Bulldog baseball coach Sam Guy finally made the tough decision to move the annual Bulldog Easter tournament to Monday through Wednesday, April 11-12. As usual, this year’s tournament will feature some solid competition, with multiple teams in the field ranked in various statewide and regional high school baseball polls. Monday’s games include South View vs. Pinecrest at 10 a.m., Terry Sanford vs. Midway at 1 p.m., Richmond Senior vs. Wayne Country Day at 4 p.m., and East Bladen vs. Western Harnett at 7 p.m. On Tuesday, the losers of the first two games meet at 10 a.m.; losers of the second two games play at 1 p.m.; the first two winners battle at 4 p.m.; and the second pair of winners meets at 7 p.m. Consolation games will be at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Wednesday, with the third-place game at 4 p.m. and championship game at 7 p.m. Guy said he’s tried to match the teams up as best as possible to avoid mismatches and also to keep teams in the same conference from facing each other until the championship game if possible. “For the most part, I think we do a good job to provide good baseball games for fans,’’ he said. “Our concession stand is awesome.’’ Guy said next year, he’s considering a family-oriented fundraiser one day to invite parents and children to the field to enjoy the concession stand while offering children a chance to play catch or run the bases. “It helps our booster club and our team,’’ Guy says of the tournament. “That’s what it’s all about from a fan perspective: enjoying the atmosphere.’’
Since stepping down seven years ago, May spent some time coaching the Pine Forest girls, and for the past four years he has served as an assistant coach for Jimmy Peaden. Peaden has decided to step down to spend more time with his family, opening the door for May to take the job again. “The principal and the athletic director asked if I would do it,’’ May said. “I started thinking about it and said, ‘Let’s give it another shot.’ Here I am.’’ He comes to the job with eyes wide open and realizes some things have changed since his last stint as head coach. “We have to do the best we can with what we’ve got,’’ May said. “Hopefully the kids will want to stay. It’s a challenge. You never know what’s going to come in and what’s going to go out.’’ He doesn’t think the success of a team has any major influence on a player’s decision to go to another school. “I think it has to do with kids seeing opportunities,’’ he said. “The system one school runs might be better for them than the other. Parents get upset about playing time. It could be a whole bunch of stuff.’’ He feels Peaden left the Trojan program on solid ground and thinks the future is bright. “Pine Forest is going to be Pine Forest,’’ he said. “I think we’re one of the better programs in the county.’’ May said he adjusts to the situation but keeps a core of things he likes to do as a coach. “I’m excited about it,’’ he said. “We’ll see what happens.’’ March 31
David Culbreth, student activities director for Cumberland County Schools and a newly appointed member of the association’s board of directors, said a reminder about an important upcoming vote on the bylaws of the N.C. High School Athletic Association was a major topic at the meeting. Each of the member schools in the NCHSAA gets one vote, to be cast by the school’s principal, on making a major change in the bylaws of the association. Current policy divides member schools into four classifications based largely on daily enrollment but also incorporating other factors. The proposed bylaw change could create as many as seven or eight classes, each with a maximum of 64 schools per class. What class you fall in would be determined by the average daily enrollment at each school and nothing else. Culbreth said the importance in each school voting for the change was stressed. At least 75% of the schools must respond for the vote to be valid. In addition to discussing the proposed bylaw change, the athletic directors handed out several awards to their members and a number of the winners were from Cumberland County. Longtime Athletic Director Troy Lindsey, now serving at Gray’s Creek, was honored with induction into the NCADA Hall of Fame. Lindsey also serves on the board of directors of the NCHSAA. Another major honor went to former Cumberland County Schools Student Activities Director Vernon Aldridge, who was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Former Terry Sanford principal and county schools Superintendent William Harrison received a distinguished service award. Jack Britt Athletic Director Tracie Taylor earned a citation award.
March 24
Colon played in the Unsigned Senior Game, and Giles-Jones played in the All-Star Classic. Colon scored 4 points in helping lead the Purple Unsigned Senior team to a 74-56 win over the White team. Giles-Jones scored 7 points for the All-Star Purple team, which fell to the White team 75-69.
Angel led the United 8 Conference in scoring with 29.3 points per game. She was named Player of the Year in the United 8. March 17 * The annual Fayetteville Sports Club Hall of Fame induction banquet will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 29, at Highland Country Club. This year’s inductees include basketball player Courtney Willis Colborne, soccer player Rachel Yepez Rogers, basketball player LaToya Pringle Sanders, basketball player Kenny Wilson, distance runner Marsha Kouba and football coach Gary Weller. Tickets are $65 each and can be purchased by contacting Ashley Petroski at 910-323-9195 or ashley@npfp.com. To continue the tradition of the annual banquet, the club is offering the general public the opportunity to become Friends of the Sports Club. For a fee of $100, individuals will receive one ticket to this year’s or next year’s banquet and be recognized individually or corporately during the banquet.
Jack Britt coach Ike Walker will be head coach for the North Carolina team, with James Scott of E.E. Smith on the North Carolina boys roster. Scott led the All-American Conference in scoring last season with a 22.5 average.
The boys were 26-4; the girls, 26-2.
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