Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Vipers Introduce New Defensive Coordinator

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The Vance County Vipers first football game is against Warren County in two weeks, and Coach Aaron Elliott is busy getting the team ready to take the field.  Camp was this past weekend, and Elliott called it a success.  “Camp went well, but we were tired on Monday,” Elliott said on Thursday’s SportsTalk.  He expects to have about 75 kids on the team, meaning that fewer players will have to play both offense and defense.  Some will still see action on both sides of the ball. “We have to put our best athletes on the field,” Elliott said.
Elliott also took the opportunity to introduce the Viper’s new defensive coordinator, Thomas Oothoudt.  He played for Elliott at Louisburg High School and was defensive coordinator at Corinth Holders in Johnston County. So far, Oothoudt has liked what he has seen of the Vipers.  “I have been impressed by the athleticism,” he said of the Vipers.  “We have to play with full effort and play with fundamentals,” he continued.
The first game will be at 7 p.m. on Friday, August 18th at Viper Stadium.  You can hear the game live over WIZS Radio if you cannot attend or if you take your radio to the game.  Fans who are not in range of the terrestrial radio station can click on Listen Live at WIZS.com.

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Oxford Prep School

SportsTalk: Oxford Prep Prepares For Fall Sports

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Fall sports are beginning to ramp up at schools around the area, and Oxford Prep is no exception.  The school’s athletic director, John Hammett, has a full plate as the school’s varsity volleyball team will be scrimmaging twice next week ahead of opening the season.  Also, Coach Kevin Grant’s soccer team kicks off the season on August 14th against Granville Central.  The volleyball team will have no seniors meaning that the team will have, ideally, no changes over the next two seasons.  The soccer team will only have two seniors out of 21 players.

In addition, other fall sports are also gearing up.  “Cross Country, women’s golf and middle school teams all start next week,” Hammett said on Thursday’s SportsTalk.

While academics come first at Oxford Prep, Hammett hopes sports can play a role in the lives of students.  He added that when it comes to expectations, his biggest goal is for the students at Oxford Prep enjoy the experience.

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SportsTalk: Stallings Prepares Vance Charter For Fall Sports

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After taking off the month of June to unwind and enjoy a bit of family time, Vance Charter Athletic Director Lance Stallings is back at work getting the Knights’ athletic programs ready for fall activities.  Stallings was a guest on Thursday’s SportsTalk with Bill Harris and George Hoyle.

Stallings says that tryouts for volleyball and men’s soccer will get underway on Monday.  “We have about 20 to 22 kids expected for soccer and enough girls for volleyball that we will have a JV program,” Stallings said.  Volleyball and soccer are just the beginning for Stallings and the Knights.  Vance Charter’s cross country program starts on August 2nd, women’s golf and tennis gets going on August 9th and middle school tryouts will be August 14th.  This will be the first year Vance Charter will field boy’s and girl’s tennis at the middle school level.

It won’t be long before the first games are here with volleyball opening the season on August 15th, and men’s soccer will start the day before with a game against Falls Lake.

The secret for Stallings when juggling this busy time of year? “Get ahead in July and stay there,” Stallings said.

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Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Elliott Expects Big Things From Vipers On The Football Field

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With the first game less than a month away, Vance Co. Vipers head coach Aaron Elliott is looking to have a very successful season.  In Elliott’s first season as head coach, he took the Vipers to the playoffs and fully expects to be back this year.  “I think we have a great shot at a 10-win season,” Elliott said on Thursday’s SportsTalk.

The Vipers have been participating is numerous 7 on 7 camps over the last several weeks, and Elliott has been happy with what he has seen.  “We have a team full of athletes,” Elliott said.  He has been impressed with Javion Vines-Holder, the team’s quarterback.  “I started working with him in December and he has been terrific,” Elliott stated.

While the team will be a bit on the young side this year, Elliott said his offensive backfield will return intact and his receivers will be a strength for the Vipers.  The offensive line lost only one starter from last year’s team.

The Viper’s open the season at home on August 18th against Warren County.  Follow the Vipers all season long with play by play live on WIZS.

 

SportsTalk: Wake Forest Fungo Baseball Finds Success

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Brad Mize, General Manager of the Wake Forest Fungo Baseball Team, discusses the club’s success.

 

SportsTalk: JF Webb’s Burnette To Play College Lacrosse At Sewanee

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Henderson’s Beau Burnette’s list of activities and accolades while at JF Webb High School is quite impressive. He played five sports: lacrosse, golf, baseball, football and basketball.  Burnette was the Triangle North Conference Player of the Year his junior and senior seasons, academic all conference all four years, all conference in lacrosse, football and golf and was awarded the Tony Cullen Scholarship Award.  While this was happening, Burnette developed a love of history and maintained a 4.29 GPA.

Burnette, the son of Scott and Caroline Burnette, will take his love of lacrosse to Sewanee, whose official name is The University of the South, in Sewanee, Tennessee – where he has received a scholarship. He appeared on Thursday’s SportsTalk to discuss his high school career, love of lacrosse and his upcoming college experience.

While not playing summer travel ball, Burnette isn’t taking the summer completely off. “I’m lifting weights and running,” Burnette said as he prepares for the start of his college career on August 19.

So how does a young man handle five sports and academics?  “I try to keep a good balance between practice and grades,” Burnette said.  While he played many sports at JF Webb, Burnette will limit his college career to just lacrosse while in college.  He said he enjoyed the camaraderie of the other sports he played but the speed of lacrosse combined with the physicality of the sport is what he loves and that’s what he will concentrate on as well as his academics.

Burnette will major in history at Sewanee.

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SportsTalk: Ellington Participates In Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament

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Most of us have spent a little time at a local pond, river or Kerr Lake trying to catch a fish for fun or for supper. An eight pound bass can sometimes put up a good fight and be difficult to reel in so imagine what it’s like to have a 500-pound fish on the line.  Oxford’s Mark Ellington knows all about trying to land that big fish.  He has just recently competed in the 65th Annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament in Morehead City trying to catch the big fish and some big prize money.

“I’ve fished that tournament for seven years,” Ellington said on Thursday’s SportsTalk. He typically participates in around four tournaments a year, but for Ellington fishing really takes 365 days a year. “I go to check on the boat every other week,” Ellington said.  The boat is a 58-footer that Ellington built himself.  “It took four years to build,” Ellington stated.  During tournaments he takes two mates and a captain.  Even with the extra hands, Ellington said he spends 20 percent of his time worrying about the boat instead of worrying about the fish.

Ellington said his interest began as a kid going to Harker’s Island with his father and seeing the boats docked there.

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Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Sharrow Named Athletic Director Of The Year

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Joe Sharrow spent 10 years between Southern Vance High School and Vance County High School as athletic director.  He was also an assistant principal at Vance County High School, and those years in Vance County have paid off for Sharrow.  He is now AD at one of the biggest schools in the Triangle, Jordan High School.  Sharrow has been named Athletic Director of the Year by NC High School OT and WRAL.

Sharrow was a guest on SportsTalk Wednesday and gave plenty of credit to Vance County for the award, which Sharrow received after his tenure in Vance County but after just one year in Durham. “This is every bit a Vance County award.  Vance County helped me become the person I am today. I love and appreciate Henderson and Vance County,” Sharrow said.

Jordan High School is a bigger school and with that it brings bigger responsibilities. “We have 2,200 students and 700 student athletes,” Sharrow said.  Jordan offers 27 varsity athletic programs.  “It’s a different animal at Jordan compared to Vance County,” Sharrow added.

Even with his success and love for Jordan, Sharrow said he will always bleed black and green, the colors of the Vance Co. Vipers and his roots will always be Columbia blue and white –  the colors the Southern Vance Raiders wore during their existence.

Jordan High School has played the Vipers on a number of occasions over the years but, no games are on the schedule for the upcoming school year.  Congratulations to Joe Sharrow on his success!

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Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Vance County High Prepares For Football Season

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School may be out for the summer, but that doesn’t mean Vance County High School Athletic Director Ray Noel is taking it easy.  Camps are taking place in the coming weeks for soccer, basketball and volleyball.  This week the Viper’s football team is participating in a 7 on 7 camp at NC State.

“It’s an opportunity to work on passing and defense,” Noel said.  One of the teams Vance County has faced is Sanderson.  The Vipers prevailed in that contest but they also have to face Northern Durham and Chambers from the Charlotte area.  It’s a great opportunity for the kids to get some touches on the football according to Noel.  Turnout for these offseason camps and workouts has been strong. “We’ve had good numbers at workouts with 50 to 60 kids,” Noel said.

While losing their starting quarterback to graduation, Noel said to expect big things from Taeshawn Alston and Javon Vines-Holder this season.  Upcoming 7 on 7 camps will be held at Winston-Salem State and St. Augustine’s.

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SportsTalk: Oxford’s Adcock Called Up to the Majors

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Oxford’s Ty Adcock has been called up to pitch for the Seattle Mariners.  The South Granville High School Graduate made his Major League Baseball debut Monday night in relief during the Mariners 8-1 win over the Miami Marlins.  Adcock pitched two innings and gave up no hits, no runs and no walks.  The 26 year old pitcher is the son of Keith Adcock and Jennifer Strickland Adcock. He played college ball at Elon.

The road to the majors has been a long one for Adcock. While at Elon, Adcock developed a back injury in his freshman year, fracturing his L5 vertebra, and shoulder issues hampered his senior season.  After being drafted by the Mariners, the team kept him off the field in 2019 to rehab.  In 2020 Covid took care of the season. In 2021 Adcock tore his UCL ligament in his elbow while facing his 6th batter of the season during a stint in the Mariner’s farm system.  That injury resulted in Tommy John surgery and 17 months of rehab.

Adcock was called up to the Mariners after an injury to pitcher Penn Murfee.