SportsTalk: KVA Baseball Plans Alumni Game

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A quick check of the gymnasium at Kerr-Vance Academy will find 20-plus state championship banners hanging there representing a variety of sports the school offers.  Six of those banners are for baseball championships. Those six championships began with the 2003 Spartan team.  While the ’03 team may have won a state championship perhaps their toughest opponent will come this Saturday when that legendary team will face off against the current KVA squad in an alumni fundraising game.

“It’s been in discussion since before Christmas of last year,” said Mike Joyner, KVA Athletic Director, on Wednesday’s SportsTalk. Joyner was approached by Robert Bowen and Tim Purvis, former members of the ’03 team, about the prospects of having the alumni game. “We have a full array of things planned,” Joyner added.

Bowen, Purvis and Joyner all worked together to bring Saturday’s game to the field at Kerr-Vance and money raised at the game will go back to the baseball program including some field improvements.

The 2003 team is now much older and Joyner said there may be some special rules in place to help the old timers out.

The game will take place at 11:30 a.m. at Kerr Vance Academy and admission is $7 for adults and $5 for children.

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SportsTalk: Dean Thomas Discusses The Challenges Of Game Officiating

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“It’s all about judgement” is the assessment of Dean Thomas when it comes to officiating ball games.  Thomas, a 1985 graduate of Vance Senior High School, has made many during his career as a baseball coach at Southern Vance, Head of Transportation for Vance County Schools, as a principal at E. M. Rollins and on the field as an official.

Thomas says officiating, like many other areas, is suffering from staff shortages. “Not a lot of young folks are getting into officiating,” Thomas said on Thursday’s SportsTalk.  Thomas says there is a move underway to encourage younger people to come in and do the work.  Thomas thinks that one of the reasons it’s been hard to find people to officiate athletic events is a lack of respect for those who umpire and referee games.  “Over the last 10 or 15 years it has gotten worse,” Thomas added. Thomas officiates four different sports including baseball, softball, volleyball and football.

He also sees a change in the kids playing too due to technology.  He said kids lack interpersonal skills because they are always on the phone texting. When they are face to face, “They don’t know how to talk to each other,” Thomas said.

Despite the challenges that come with officiating games Thomas says, in the end, “We are out there to do what’s right for the kids and what’s right for the game.”

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SportsTalk: Mize Leads The Fun In Fungo Baseball

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Brad Mize, the son of the late Howard and Lisa Mize of Oxford and former student at J.F. Webb in Oxford, certainly has his hands full.  He is an assistant baseball coach at Heritage High School in Wake Forest and the General Manager for Wake Forest’s Fungo Baseball team which will begin its season on May 27th.  Fungo features college players from a variety of colleges including UNCW, UNCG, College of Charleston, Hofstra, Elon, Mt. Olive, Louisburg and more.

“Between June 2nd and July 28th we will play fifty games,” Mize said on Thursday’s SportsTalk.  That’s a lot of baseball.  The team plays in Flaherty Park in Wake Forest and Mize said it’s a great fun atmosphere and cheaper than seeing the Mudcats or the Bulls play.  “Tickets are only $7 and kids under 12 get in free,” Mize said.  Special events are scheduled throughout the season like Thirsty Thursday, Hometown Heroes honoring local police and fire departments and the Centennial Weekend June 23rd through June 25th celebrating 100 years of baseball in Wake Forest.

It’s not all about baseball for Mize as part of his job is helping players find housing for two months.  “We are blessed to have local families that support us and take in players during the season,” Mize explained.

The first game for Fungo is an away game on May 27th.

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SportsTalk: Local AD’s Preparing For Playoffs

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The life of an athletic director at any level can be busy.  This time of year not only are there sporting activities, but there are proms, graduation and other end of school year events taking place to add to the load ADs face. Both Ray Noel at Vance County High School and George Hoyle Jr. at Thales Academy certainly have full plates.

Noel says the Vance County Vipers are about at the halfway point for baseball, softball and soccer.  Playoffs for baseball and soccer will begin in the first week of May with soccer following in the second week of May.  The baseball and softball teams are coming off wins against Granville Central and the girl’s soccer team, which is described as young by Noel, has now started to win some games with two conference victories under their belt.

The baseball team is down a player at the moment according to Noel.  “Chris Jones is in California for an All-Star Football game,” Noel said.  Jones, a star on the Viper’s football team, is also a big part of the baseball team as well. Noel also said the Isman Alston Jr., another Vipers football standout, has just signed with St. Augustine.  He also plays on the baseball team.

Over at Thales Academy in Rolesville, Henderson’s George Hoyle Jr. is the athletic director, and he is as busy as Noel. He also has a young soccer team with only one senior and a tough non-conference schedule has now resulted in a couple of conference wins, with the team having won its last two games.  His softball team is in the same position, young but improving with a 3-5 record. Varsity baseball is definitely on the upward track at Thales as they are now 6-3.  Thales’ is set to be good for the foreseeable future as well. “Our middle school talent is ridiculous,” Hoyle said on Thursday’s SportsTalk.  The school, which started in 2007, has shown tremendous growth as they are now a 3A school and could soon be a 4A.

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SportsTalk: Swartz Looking For A Future In Pro Basketball

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It’s the dream of most basketball players to play in the pros after their college career comes to an end and that’s exactly what Georgia Tech’s Cameron Swartz hopes to do. Swartz, who is the great granddaughter of Leon and Rebecca Frazier of Bear Pond, here in Vance County, is finishing up her college career and is now turning her attention to playing either overseas or in the WNBA.

“I have some international offers,” Swartz said on Thursday’s SportsTalk.  “Most likely I will play in Spain.  It’s a great way to travel and see the world,” Swartz added.  The WNBA is also not out of the question.  “I could be drafted in the second or third round,” Swartz added.  However, she thinks playing in Spain is her most likely destination.  She will work on improving her game and hopefully draw attention from the WNBA.

At the moment, Swartz is rehabbing a knee. Swartz played for three years at Boston College before transferring to Georgia Tech and has become a strong three point shooter and a scrappy player.

Once her playing career finishes she plans on staying involved in basketball in some form. “I’d like to be a college coach or go into broadcasting,” Swartz commented.

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SportsTalk: Mark Packer Remembers His Father, Billy Packer

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Enjoy this post of Mark Packer speaking about his father, legendary basketball announcer Billy Packer.

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Crossroads Christian School

SportsTalk: Richardson Oversees Success Of Spring Sports At Crossroads

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Spring is a busy time for athletics at Crossroads Christian and that means Scottie Richardson, the school’s athletic director, is also busy. For the most though, Richardson has a smile on his face since his teams are performing well. “Spring sports are wide open,” Richardson commented on Thursday’s SportsTalk.

The varsity baseball team is 3-1 and is currently on a three game winning streak. The team has been more fortunate than some of the other area schools which have been unable to get in games due to poor weather. While poor weather hasn’t been much of a concern for the baseball team, the lack of officials has. “We had to cancel a game against Warren County because there were no umpires,” Richardson said.

Girl’s soccer has an identical record to the baseball team, 3-1, and that team has also won three in a row. Girl’s soccer, with coach Tony Bennett at the controls, is also 2-0 in the conference.

Additionally, the school’s golf team is undefeated at 3-0, but Richardson is unhappy with how the state has structured the divisions. 1A and 2A schools are now in what is called Division III forcing Crossroads to play much bigger schools. Richardson says they may have twice as many golfers as Crossroads which currently only has five players. One of those is a 7th grader. Still, Richardson is happy with the team which is currently 10th in the state.

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SportsTalk: Henderson Native Kaci Roberson Staying Busy With Softball At Pembroke

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Confidence on the softball field is something that Henderson native Kaci Roberson certainly doesn’t lack.  She is a senior at UNC-Pembroke and has spent most of her life playing softball.  “Softball was my number one sport growing up.  I’ve been playing since I was four years old,” Roberson says.  All of those years on field has certainly been a factor in building that confidence.

Roberson, the daughter of Henderson’s Mike and Tina Roberson, played three sports at Oxford Prep from where she graduated in 2019.  She played basketball and volleyball but softball has always been here favorite she said on Wednesday’s SportsTalk.  One reason she didn’t pursue other sports is due to her short stature.  At 5′ 2″, she is much better suited for softball.

UNC-Pembroke is off to a 3-1 conference record so far this year and Roberson thinks they will have a very good season.  The team is coming off an historic comeback against Belmont Abbey.  Pembroke was trailing 13-1 going into the fifth inning but turned the game around and eventually won in eight innings, 15-14.  “We just said to keep it simple and get the ball in play,” Roberson said of the comeback.  “I knew we could do it,” she added.

Roberson started off in the outfield for Pembroke but now plays infield either at third base, second base or at shortstop.

When she’s not on the field playing softball, which she said is a year round commitment, she is busy hitting the books which doesn’t leave much time for family and friends except for holidays. “I push myself in the fall and take the most challenging courses then because we are on the road so much in the spring,” Roberson said of her studies.

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SportsTalk: Local High School Programs Struggling With Bad Weather

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Talk to Ray Noel, Athletic Director at Vance County High School, or Mike Joyner, Athletic Director at Kerr Vance Academy, and both men will tell you the same thing.  Weather has slowed Spring sports to a crawl.  “We need games,” said Ray Noel on Thursday’s SportsTalk.  “The weather has been unforgiving,” Noel added.  Vance County’s softball team is currently 1-4 but failed to get in games with Louisburg High this week because of the wet conditions. The baseball team has only played one game this season, a win against Triangle Science and Math over a week ago.

Rain is not the only problem.  Wet conditions that persist long after the rain stops is also an issue for those on the baseball or softball diamond.  The cool cloudy conditions have not allowed for much drying of the fields this week.  Soccer at Vance County can deal with some wet conditions and the Vipers’ girls soccer team is 0-2 in the conference but are playing hard.  The squad has two seniors and are coming off of a split with Louisburg High School in non-conference play.

Noel also looks forward to the beginning of track season.  The Vipers’ track team has it’s first meet scheduled for March 29th.

Meanwhile, over at Kerr Vance Academy the boys’ baseball team is 1-2.  “We are young but we will be ok,” Joyner said.  The school’s first conference game is scheduled for Friday.  KVA has already had two baseball games rained out.  Soccer has had one game rained out, and the golf team has yet to tee it up this year due to inclement weather.

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SportsTalk: Downey Losing Eight Seniors From 2022-23 Team

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Even though Vance Charter’s boy’s basketball team didn’t win a state championship, Coach Taron Downey is proud of the team’s achievement of going to the state playoffs for the last two consecutive years.  It’s also nice to be recognized for the hard work!  Downey was voted as Coach of the Year for the Triangle North Conference.  “It’s an honor and a privilege to be a coach,” Downey said on Thursday’s SportsTalk.

The off season now gets started with conditioning and weight training, but Downey has a little recovering to do himself after his own injury on the basketball court.  While his injury may not be serious, he is getting some serious ribbing from his players.

Speaking of his players, next season Coach Downey will have to replace eight seniors.  “While we are losing those players, we have a core group of four or five players who will be returning,” Downey says. He also expects to pick up quite a few JV players next season for the Vance Charter Squad.

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