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Coach’s Corner 10/02/20: Angell Talks Tar Heels Return to the Football Field

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Host Trey Snide speaks with Jones Angell, play-by-play announcer for the UNC Tar Heels.

After a three-week hiatus due to the cancellation of the September 19 football game against the UNC-Charlotte 49ers due to coronavirus, the Tar Heels return to ACC play with a game at Boston College on Saturday, October 3, 2020.

Playing their opening game of the season against Syracuse on September 12, the Heels emerged victorious with a 31-6 win.

“I’m excited the Tar Heels are going to be back on the football field,” Angell said. “It feels like it’s been a long time with that cancellation of the Charlotte game a couple of weeks ago and the inability to get a game scheduled for the Tar Heels last weekend. So, really excited to see them back on the field. I know the guys are ready to go.”

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UNC Football: Coach’s Corner with Jones Angell 9-18-20

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Coach’s Corner Show for 18 Sept, 2020. Host Trey Snide speaks with Jones Angell, play by play announcer for the UNC Tar Heels. Angell discusses the cancellation of Saturday’s scheduled game against Charlotte due to a player contracting COVID-19. Angell says that the pandemic may further disrupt the football schedule and could become particularly challenging. He also says the Tar Heels were not as sharp during some of last Saturday’s game against Syracuse, and the team must address the issue of staying sharp throughout the season.

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SportsTalk Audio: 9-14-20 UNC & Panther

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WIZS is your local home for UNC Tar Heel games and The Carolina Panthers!

SportsTalk Audio: 9-14-20 highlighted the UNC Tar Heels win over Syracuse and the Carolina Panthers game against LV Raiders.

SportsTalk; M-F at 1:00 p.m. on WIZS 1450 AM / 100.1 FM / Listen Live Online

Click Play for Monday’s SportsTalk broadcast

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Coach’s Corner 08/28/20: George Marshall on Henderson Collegiate Men’s Basketball

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George Marshall, head men’s basketball coach and athletic director for Henderson Collegiate, appeared on the WIZS Coach’s Corner Friday.

As the reigning 1-A Men’s Basketball State Co-Champions, Marshall said his team faces an entirely different season for the 2020-2021 school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Currently, the first practice for the team is scheduled for December 7, 2020. The first game of the season is scheduled for January 4, and the last game is scheduled for February 19, 2021. The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) has set a season limit of 14 games for basketball, with a weekly limit of two games.

For a team accustomed to three or four games a week, Marshall this will be quite the change of pace. “I’m hoping it gives us more rest. Our schedule is usually so challenging out of conference every single year. To be honest, I don’t know what the schedule is for January yet – whether it be all conference games or out of conference games. We know the game limit at this point, and we know there will be some form of conference and state playoffs.”

After a summer that was “dramatically impacted” by the lack of the usual skills development sessions, team camps and relationship-building experiences, Marshall said the team is doing what it can to keep its spirits up and to stay in contact.

“Like most teams, we are going to try to stay in as much contact as we possibly can,” said Marshall. “When you’re not in person, it makes things more challenging in terms of workouts. The biggest thing we are trying to do right now, as a school, is to make sure the kids understand how much we love and care from them. This time is very challenging for kids.”

Click here for the NCHSAA’s amended 2020-2021 sports calendar or visit the NCHSAA homepage at www.nchsaa.org.

Listen to today’s Coach’s Corner audio in its entirety by clicking the play button above.

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Coach’s Corner 08/28/20: J.F. Webb Men’s Basketball Coach Alex Tharp

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Click here for a press release on J.F. Webb High School’s new men’s basketball coach Alex Tharp.

Click the play button below to hear today’s Coach’s Corner segment with Tharp in its entirety.

 

Alex Tharp

JF Webb Names New Head Basketball Coach

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-Press Release, Granville County Public Schools

J.F. Webb High School recently announced the hiring of its new high school basketball coach, Alex Tharp.

A native of Orange, Virginia, Coach Tharp played high school basketball at Orange County High School. After graduation, he attended Shooting for Greatness Academy in Raleigh, North Carolina for one year of post-graduation play. During his year at Shooting for Greatness, he excelled in both the classroom and on the basketball court. This led to a scholarship to continue his basketball career at Chowan University in Murfreesboro, North Carolina.

J.F. Webb High School recently announced the hiring of its new high school basketball coach, Alex Tharp (pictured above). Photo courtesy GCPS.

He transferred to St. Andrews University in his junior year, had a successful season and was looking forward to a promising senior year. During the second game of his senior year, he broke his ankle. This injury ended his playing career, but it opened the door to his coaching career.

Alex graduated with a degree in Elementary Education and began his teaching career in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. He also served as the assistant varsity men’s basketball coach at Pasquotank County High School.

In 2018, Coach Tharp accepted a position as an assistant basketball coach at Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky. He shared that while the college coaching experience was exciting, it was not the right fit for him. He wanted to return to coaching high school athletes. This led him to Granville County.

Alex is a fifth-grade teacher at Tar River Elementary School and was an assistant basketball coach at Granville Central High School last year. Granville Central’s head coach, Michael McDaniel, shared, “he has a great basketball mind, and I think he could be a great fit at Oxford Webb.”

Coach Tharp is excited about the opportunity to become the head basketball coach at J.F. Webb. He shared, “I am ready to bring a new energy to the Warriors basketball program while getting the opportunity to work with a group of amazing young men. My goal is to help these young men be prepared for the next phase of their lives after high school, whether that be continuing their basketball career at the college level, going to college as a student to obtain a degree, or going into the workforce to immediately impact society. I cannot wait to get to work and help these young men reach their full potential on and off the court.”

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Coach’s Corner 08/14/20: Chad Wilson Named Head VCHS Boys Basketball Coach

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Press Release, Vance County High School

The Vance County Board of Education has approved Chad Wilson as the next head boys basketball coach at Vance County High School. He teaches physical education at the school. 

Coach Wilson is a Vance County native who graduated from Northern Vance High School before continuing his basketball career at Louisburg College and Livingstone College. Following his collegiate playing career, Wilson became an assistant coach for Vance-Granville Community College for three seasons before returning to his high school alma mater to serve as varsity assistant and head JV coach under long-time coach Wilton Baskett, whom he played for. 

Wilson has compiled a record of 79-17 in five seasons as head JV basketball coach at Northern Vance and Vance County, including a 37-1 stretch from 2017-2019. Notably, he also has a record of 13-0 as interim head varsity basketball coach at Vance County, filling in for Wilton Baskett for a portion of the 2018-2019 season that saw the Vipers win the Northern Carolina Conference championship and make a run to the 4th round of the NCHSAA tournament. Wilson was also an assistant when Northern Vance won the 2017-2018 Northern Carolina Conference championship. 

“Coach Wilson has proven that he is an effective coach who can bring out the best in his players,” Athletic Director Joe Sharrow said of Wilson. “He has a passion for teaching and coaching, has demonstrated the ability to establish positive relationships, and is a tremendous role model for our students. Coach Wilson is a valued member of the Viper family and has earned this opportunity to lead our boys basketball program.”

Wilson will replace his former high school coach and coaching mentor, Wilton Baskett, who retired in March after a 37-year coaching career that saw him surpass the 400-win mark this past season. 

“It is a great honor to become the next head basketball coach at Vance County High School,” Wilson said in a statement. “I am from Vance County and grew up dreaming about the opportunity to work with and coach the kids from my hometown. I have been a part of the culture that we have established here and look forward to continuing the growth of our program and giving back to the kids who now play on the same courts and in the same gyms where I fell in love with the game of basketball.” 

The Vipers are hopeful to begin the 2020-2021 season on December 4, as outlined by the amended calendar released by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.

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Coach’s Corner 08/07/20: Vance Charter’s Nadia Simmons Heading to NC Wesleyan

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Nadia Simmons, basketball player and recent Vance Charter School graduate, appeared on WIZS Coach’s Corner Friday.

A power forward for Vance Charter’s Women’s Basketball, Simmons plans to continue playing the game she loves at NC Wesleyan College this fall.

“I went for a visit, and it just felt like home,” said Simmons of her decision to attend Wesleyan. “I met up with some of the players, and everything just felt right. I feel like it’s the right decision.”

In a previous discussion with WIZS, Vance Charter Coach Brian Howard said that Simmons is “one of the best athletes I’ve ever had the privilege of coaching.”

Averaging 20 points per game in high school, Simmons said she is “determined and ready to work hard [at Wesleyan].” She continued, “Going in, you have to work hard, have a good mindset and be ready to rock-and-roll.”

Listen to today’s Coach’s Corner audio by clicking the play button below.

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Coach’s Corner 07/31/20: Interview With Granville Central HS Basketball Player Terence Harcum

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Granville Central High School student-athlete Terence Harcum, a junior who plays point guard on the varsity basketball team, talks to WIZS about his love for the game, experiences with coaches and other players and his upcoming college announcement.

Press the play button below to hear more from Harcum: