Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Vipers Preparing For A Southern Durham Rematch

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“We feel good. I would put them up against any team in the state,” Vance Vipers Head Coach Aaron Elliott said on Wednesday’s SportsTalk with Bill Harris.  The Vipers have advanced to round two of the state high school football playoffs after a 28-26 road win against highly touted West Carteret last Friday in Morehead City.  The Vipers were underdogs last week and may be so again Thursday night against conference rivals Southern Durham, who have already beaten the Vipers once this year.

Coach Elliott likes being an underdog.  That, he says, eliminates the team having a target on its back. “As long as we are healthy, we can go a long way in the playoffs,” Elliott added. Right now the Vipers are healthy.  An unexpected week off for the Vipers helped tremendously to get kids back after a round of flu contributed to the Southern Durham loss a few weeks ago.

All season long Coach Elliott has worked to instill the importance of practice with the Vipers and that has seemed to pay off this season, and he said this week has had great practices despite a shortened week.  The game has been moved to Thursday night at Southern Durham with a kick off time set for 7:30 p.m. due to remnants of Nicole making an appearance in North Carolina.  The Vipers and the Spartans may still have to work through some rain Thursday night, but everything is set for a rematch between two great teams looking to advance to round three.

Airtime Thursday night is at 7:20 p.m. with kickoff at 7:30 p.m. from Southern Durham.

Listen Local and Listen Live at 1450 AM / 100.1 FM and online here – https://player.listenlive.co/53101

CLICK PLAY to hear Coach Elliott!

 

SportsTalk: Remembering Eddie Hicks

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Doc Ayscue, George Hoyle and John Rose remember Eddie Hicks, Vance County sports legend and community advocate who died on Monday.

Click Play Below

 

Threat of School Shooting Cancelled Vance vs Webb; Vipers In Playoffs Now

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Vance County High School’s rival, senior night football game against conference opponent J.F. Webb High School from Oxford was canceled last Friday night.

A social media post Friday threatened a school shooting, according to Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame.

Brame told WIZS News on Saturday that his office had identified the person responsible. He said, “Due to the responsible party’s age, we can’t release his/her name.”

This week’s game will feature the Vipers in the first round of the state playoffs.

Vance County will compete as a 25 seed and will face eighth seeded West Carteret, which is located in Morehead City.

A total of 64 teams make the state playoffs. Conference champions from each conference are seeded first by their RPI, then any second place automatic qualifiers and all at-large teams are seeded.

Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Vipers Prepare For Last Regular Season Game

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Update — The game was cancelled.  The Vipers will find out Saturday about who and where they play in the state playoffs.  Tune in Monday at 12:30 p.m. for SportsTalk.

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We’ve been hearing about flu and colds and viruses over the last several weeks.  It seems like we’ve all come down with something recently and the Vance Co. Vipers football team is no exception.  With six players, including quaterback Nazir Garrett, suffering from flu and flu-like symptoms, the Vipers struggled a bit against conference rival Southern Durham.  The Vipers did not win last week and Coach Aaron Elliott said that even though he wouldn’t make excuses for the teams loss, the illnesses did play a roll in the game.

Unless Southern Durham has an uncharacteristic slip up against Carrboro, the Vipers will be the number 2 seed in the conference for the playoffs but before that the Vipers have one more game in the regular season and that’s at home Friday (tonight) against JF Webb.  Webb only has one win on the year and would seem like an easy win for the Vipers but this is a long standing rivalry and Coach Elliott knows Webb will be coming to play.  “They have nothing to lose,” Elliott said of the Warriors. “They have good athletes. This is not going to be the same old Webb team,” Elliott continued.

It’s also Senior Night and Elliott wants it to be a big deal.  “It’s important to me,” Elliott commented on SportsTalk on WIZS Thursday afternoon.  He would like to start a new Senior tradition with his team as well to make the last year a special one for his players.  With 14 seniors on the Viper squad this season that will take some work.

The Vipers will play JF Webb tomorrow night at Viper Stadium for the final regular season game.  Airtime on WIZS is 6:50 with kick off at 7pm.

 

Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Vipers Go For Conference Championship Friday Night – Tune In!

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After another huge victory last week against Granville Central, the Vance County Vipers are poised to win a conference championship this Friday night.

In Henderson, listen local at 1450 AM / 100.1 FM and anywhere with your connected device or speaker listen here – https://player.listenlive.co/53101. Or tell Alexa to “Listen to WIZS.com on Tunein.”  Or say, “Hey Google, Listen to WIZS.com on Tunein.”

The 6-2 Vipers have been on a roll the last several weeks, but the competition stiffens this week as the Vipers have to hit the road for another trip to Durham to face the defending conference champs Southern Durham.

“We’ve never beaten Southern Durham. We’ve never won a conference championship,” said coach Aaron Elliott on SportsTalk on Thursday.  Southern Durham is 4-4 so far this year but played a tough early schedule and has been winning as of late.  Right now the Vipers control there own destiny and with a win on the road will secure the school’s first conference championship while a loss muddies the picture considerably.

Southern Durham cannot be taken lightly according to Coach Elliott.  “They have athletes on both sides of the ball,” he said. Elliott hopes the Vipers’ speed will be a deciding factor along with the continued strong play of the defense. He also feels if the Vipers can score early and get a lead and can be balanced on offense, then they will be in good shape Friday night.

Airtime on WIZS for Vance County vs. Southern Durham is at 6:50pm with kickoff at 7pm.

 

UNC Executes Fourth-Quarter Comeback to Defeat Duke 38-35

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— text and picture by Patrick Magoon freelance writer for WIZS

Tens of thousands of energized football fans in the vicinity of The Triangle gathered at Wallace Wade Stadium on Oct. 15 to witness the annual Duke-UNC clash. While the game remained close for much of the game, and both teams exchanged the lead multiple times, the resiliency displayed by a Drake Maye-led offense late in the fourth quarter propelled UNC to victory.

In a game of inches, UNC’s offense took advantage of multiple miscues by Duke’s offense late in the fourth quarter. A chop-block penalty eliminated a 15-yard touchdown catch by Duke receiver Jalon Calhoun. Then Duke kicker Charlie Ham missed a 45-yard field goal, and UNC’s offense took over with 2:09 on the clock.

Maye stepped up when it mattered. His 74-yard game-winning drive lasted nine plays, and it took less than two minutes to reach the end zone. The final drive yielded an 8-yard touchdown catch by wide receiver Antoine Green. Maye threw for a career-high 380 yards and rushed for 70 more.

Although UNC’s offense flourished at times, we must not discredit the work of Duke’s stout defensive front. The unit recovered two fumbles, deflected two passes, and applied continuous pressure to force Maye outside the pocket. Duke’s strong defensive effort, led by junior captain DeWayne Carter, amassed three sacks and four tackles for a loss.

Despite an unfavorable result, Duke’s offense advanced the ball efficiently. Quarterback Riley Leonard accumulated 245 yards through the air and earned an additional 130 yards with his legs. Leonard’s exciting 74-yard touchdown run in the second quarter helped to secure a Blue Devils lead at the half.

“I told our kids: I couldn’t be more proud with the way we battled,” first-year coach Mike Elko said.

UNC extended its series win streak to four to keep possession of the Victory Bell. With a win Saturday night, UNC is also the front-runner in the Coastal Division.

UNC vs Duke Football – Listen Here

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Click here to Listen Live online within 75 miles of Henderson.  Listen Local in Henderson at 1450 AM / 100.1 FM.

— written by Patrick Magoon freelance writer for WIZS

Almost 134 years ago, a North Carolina-based higher education rivalry was born. The deep-rooted rivalry, located in the vicinity of the Research Triangle, includes The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) and Duke University. Both esteemed institutions are working towards advancing their football programs to the next level.

The Victory Bell: A Yearly Tradition

The two football teams met for the first time on November 27, 1888. Since 1922, the Tar Heels have clashed with rival Duke yearly.  Each year, the teams compete for the Victory Bell, a trophy awarded to the winner of the annual Duke-UNC game. The Tar Heels received the first-ever Victory Bell in 1948 after a shutout victory in Chapel Hill.

The trophy, deriving from an idea introduced by cheerleaders Loring Jones of Duke and Norman Spear of UNC, fuels the growing intensity of this fierce rivalry. When the Tar Heels possess the Victory Bell, before kickoff, the cheerleaders and Rameses, the team’s mascot, wheel out the bell while simultaneously ringing it. Then the bell is placed in front of the students’ section for display. In the past, the winning team customized the base of the bell to include their school colors.

A Photo That UNC Fans Will Never Forget

In 1989, former Duke head coach Steve Spurrier, in his last game at Kenan Stadium, led his team to a stunning 41-0 victory in Chapel Hill. Immediately after the game, Spurrier celebrated the monumental ACC win by posing with his players near the scoreboard, an image that UNC fans and some former employees will never forget. To this day, Spurrier keeps a copy of the photo in his office.

Now, roughly 33 years after that photo was released by Duke, the scoreboard at both institutions is immediately shut off when the game clock hits zero.

A Head-to-Head Duke-UNC Comparison

Since 1948, The Tar Heels lead the series 46-25-1. The Tar Heels’ longest win streak of 13 games occurred from 1990 to 2002. In comparison, Duke’s series-high seven-game win streak lasted from 1950 to 1956. Considering Duke won just seven games over 35 years from 1959 to 1984, the rivalry briefly lost some of its appeal. However, a recent coaching change at Duke facilitated new energy and philosophy that reenergized both fanbases.

As of October 9, 2022, The Tar Heels’ top-performing offensive assets through six games include wide receiver Josh Downs and running back Omarion Hampton. The assets have amassed 643 yards and 12 touchdowns. Duke’s best offensive performers, including wide receiver Jalon Calhoun and running back Jaylen Coleman, have accumulated 692 yards and six touchdowns.

SportsTalk: Vipers To Celebrate Homecoming Against Granville Central; Listen Here

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Live Play by Play Friday Night at 1450AM / 100.1 FM / and by clicking Listen Live at WIZS.com (or click here https://player.listenlive.co/53101)

With only three games left on the regular season schedule, the Vance County Vipers are 5-2 heading into homecoming week this Friday night against an 0-6 Granville Central team.  While it may look like a mismatch on paper Coach Aaron Elliott says that Vance County can’t take the night off. “We almost lost last year. They made it a close one,” Elliott said referring to a game the Vipers should have won easily. Elliott expects Granville Central will try to pressure quarterback Nazir Garrett in much the same way as South Granville did last week.

With homecoming also taking place Friday night, it’s a big game for the Vipers.  “Most coaches will tell you they hate homecoming week,” Coach Elliott said on Thursday’s SportsTalk. He said the opportunities for disruption can be a challenge but at the end of the day they have to go out and play a football game Friday night.

Ray Noel, Vance County Athletic Director, was also on Thursday’s SportsTalk and said there will be an expanded half time and more food than usual to accommodate the growing crowds.  Food trucks will on site for Friday’s game and he encourages everyone to arrive early.  Noel said at recent games the concession stand has been cleared out by the third quarter with nothing left to sell but cold drinks.

You can hear all of the action of Vance County Friday Night Football beginning at 6:50 tomorrow night with kickoff at 7pm here on WIZS.

 

Listen to Vipers Football – Coach Elliott And Vipers Building Confidence

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Listen Local at 1450 AM / 100.1 FM or anywhere on your connected device or speaker at WIZS.com and Tunein.

Say “Alexa” or “Hey Google” and then “Listen to WIZS.com on Tunein.”  Or click here with any device to Listen Live online (https://player.listenlive.co/53101).

You can hear the growing confidence in his voice.  Vance County High Head Football Coach Aaron Elliott has reason to be confident; in the last 6 quarters, the Vipers have allowed only 7 points while putting 82 on the scoreboard.  The Vipers shut out Carrboro last week 54-0. Elliott attributes the win to practicing. “We had our best week of practice all season last week,” Elliott said. One thing that has helped his team understand the importance of practice was having a Duke University linebackers coach talk to the players about its importance.

Even though Elliott and his players have confidence, he couldn’t foresee the Vipers rolling up 54 points against Carrboro. “You couldn’t predict that they would play as well as they did,” Elliott said.  Quarterback Nazir Garrett threw seven touchdowns in the game which ties him for third all-time in the North Carolina high school record books.

The Vipers will have to put that win behind them and focus on this week’s opponent, South Granville.  The Vikings are 2-4 and coming off a 7-6 win against Southern Durham. “They have a great running back averaging over 175 yards per game,” Elliott said.  While the Vikings pose a challenge, Elliott still feels confident that the Vipers are where they need to be. “We are playing together, everything is clicking,” stated Elliott on Thursday’s SportsTalk on WIZS.

Vance County Friday Night Football on WIZS begins at 6:50 p.m. Friday night with kickoff from Creedmoor at 7 p.m.

Click Play for SportsTalk

Offense and More Offense

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— text and picture by Patrick Magoon freelance writer for WIZS

Duke’s potent offense, once again, got off to a hot start, scoring multiple touchdowns in the first half. An impressive display of offensive efficiency and strong tackling on defense helped Duke end a 13-game Atlantic Coasting Conference losing streak. Duke earned its first win against the visiting Virginia Cavaliers since 2014. The Cavaliers have yet to win a road game this season.

Duke, averaging 35 points per game, now sits at the top of the division and continues to propel itself further ahead of the competition. They are showing no signs of slowing down.

“Excited to get ACC win No. 1,” said head coach Mike Elko. “But I just told (the players) the expectations around here are changing.”

Riley Leonard completed 18 of 24 pass attempts and ran the ball nine times for 59 yards, scoring twice with his legs. Duke’s top rushers, led by junior running back Jaylen Coleman, averaged 5.2 yards per carry and ran for a combined 248 yards. In comparison, Virginia’s ground attack accumulated 93 yards on 48 attempts, averaging 3.7 yards per carry.

Even in inclement weather, Duke’s offense didn’t miss a beat. The group maintained a strong grip on the football to avoid unnecessary turnovers. Duke’s offense also dominated in time of possession, holding onto the ball for just over 36 minutes.

Duke’s dominant defense forced two turnovers, including a fumble and interception. The defense, led by senior linebacker Shaka Heyward, collectively amassed 70 tackles (six for a loss) and one sack. Virginia’s defense, on the other hand, compiled 98 tackles (seven for a loss) and one sack.

What’s next?

Duke (4-1) will travel to Atlanta for a matchup against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (2-3). The Yellow Jackets are averaging 16.2 points per game. Both teams won on Saturday, October 1, scoring at least 26 points and allowing 21 or fewer points.