Vance County High School

Vance County High School Announces Changes to Basketball Schedule

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According to Vance  County High School Assistant Principle and Athletic Director Joe Sharrow the following changes are taking place to the Vance County Basketball schedules:
– Tonight’s home game vs. Northern Durham will be Varsity Girls only at 5:00.
– Tomorrow’s home games (JV Boys, Varsity Girls, Varsity Boys) vs. Warren County are all postponed to February 9.
– Friday’s away games (JV Boys, Varsity Girls, and Varsity Boys) at Wakefield are going to be postponed until the schools are able to agree on a rescheduled date.
– Next Monday’s (12/6) home game vs. Franklinton will be Varsity Girls only at 5:00.
– Next Wednesday’s away games (JV Boys, Varsity Girls, and Varsity Boys) (12/8) at Warren County have been postponed until January 19.
– Next Friday’s away game (12/1) at Rolesville will be girls only at 6:00.
WIZS had planned to  carry tonight’s game between Northern Durham and Vance County. Due to the boy’s game cancellation, WIZS will now broadcast the game between Crossroads Christian and Cape Fear Christian.  Air time will be 7:00 p.m. with Trey Snide on the call.

Area Students Make All-Conference Teams in Multiple Sports

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The Northern Lakes 2A/3A Athletic Conference has announced All-Conference awards for football, volleyball, cross-country and men’s soccer.  Several local student-athletes have been honored for their athletic accomplishments. For football Vance County High School’s Omari Allen was named Lineman of the Year as well as All Conference. Other Vance County High All Conference players were Isman Alston, Davion Vines Holder, Israel Terry, Taeshawn Alston and Nazir Garrett. Carl Stephens III, Nathaniel Durham and Chris Jones were honorable mentions.  Granville Central won the sportsmanship award and Ashton Applewhite and Trenton Harrington received all conference honors with Corey Baird, Ryan Johnson and Isaiah Sasser receiving honorable mentions. South Granville’s Malachi Batchelor, Khawan Bobbit, Neo Hunter, Ian Lipsey and Micah Wilkerson were named to the all-conference team and JF Webb’s Javon Bullock, Ikeem Hunt and Jaheim Hartsfield also made the all-conference team with Kaelen Smith, Logan Bowen and Alex Bridges receiving honorable mentions.

For Volleyball, Courtney Williams of JF Webb took player of the year honors with Granville Central winning the sportsmanship award. All Conference players for JF Webb, in addition to Williams, were Chapman Burnette, Megan Newton, Carly McGhee and Hailey Cowan with Terri Sanford and LaShawnti Howard receiving honorable mentions. South Granville’s Samantha Piotrowski, Megan Ellis and Madison Staton made the all-conference team with Destini Bland receiving an honorable mention. Vance County High School’s Jalea Taylor was the only Viper to make the volleyball all conference team. Granville Central also only had one all-conference player, Alexa Riley with Hannah Lynch and Ayani Bagley receiving honorable mentions.

In Cross-Country, Vance County High School won the Sportmanship Award. Boy’s all-conference runners were Lane Prochaska and Derek Morales from Granville Central while Nataly Diluccia, also of Granville Central, was named to the girl’s cross-country all-conference team.

In Men’s soccer, Granville Central received the Sportsmanship award with Timothy King Navez, Jeffery Castro and Kevin Rios all representing the school on the all-conference team. Connor Rice and Terrance Alston represented JF Webb.  Jason Carroll and Carter Scott, from South Granville and Fernando Martinez Zuniga and Waseem Hadi of Vance Co. High School rounded out the local players on the men’s soccer all conference team.

Vance Charter School’s Men’s soccer team also received awards from their conference: Matthew Breedlove was named Co-keeper of the year. Hagan Hill, Ryan Parker, Jacob Seaman and Wyatt Yount were all named to the all-conference team with honorable mentions going to Braydan Earnhardt, Christian Lopez and Davis Suther. Vance Charter also received the sportsmanship award.

Congratulations to all of the players on their accomplishments this year.

SportsTalk: WIZS Player Of The Week Honors

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Two young athletes are the winners of this week’s player of the week honors on WIZS. According to Cammy Simmons, Assistant Head Coach at Crossroads Christian, Abby Taylor makes everyone around her better whether that’s on the basketball or volleyball court or in the classroom. Simmons cited Taylor’s leadership abilities and her work ethic as strengths that Taylor posseses. She is our Varsity girls player of the week.

For boys varsity our player of the week is Joseph Knott, a senior at Kerr Vance Academy.  Sam Feaver, Kerr Vance Athletic Director, says Knott was the focal point of the school’s soccer team this year and lead the team in scoring. He started off the basketball season in similar fashion scoring 27 points in the opening game of the season this week against St. Thomas. Feaver says, that like Abby Taylor, Knott also possesses excellent leadership skills.

Congratulations to Crossroads Christian’s Abby Taylor and Kerr Vance Academy’s Joseph Knott. WIZS Players of the Week.

 

Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Pender Reflects On First Season At VCHS

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Wilbur Pender was hired as Vance County High School’s head football coach only four weeks before the season started, and the team’s season was disrupted for two weeks due to Covid but none of that really mattered as the Vipers posted a 7-3 record this season making it to the state playoffs. They lost in the first round 48-6 to Westover High School in Fayetteville. Pender says that game, “Let us know where we are, I saw a lot of deficiencies show up.”
The Vipers, according to Pender, are a close team but, “We just didn’t play good enough to win that game. I hate to say it but the best team won,” Pender added. Looking back on the season Pender said the Vipers did their best to control what they could control, and he tried to give his team the best chance at a positive outcome.
While losing seniors like Omari Allen, who will be moving on to East Carolina next season, Pender says there will be a good group of players returning and he is encouraging his players to play other sports that will help make them better athletes when next season begins.
He expects to continue to grow the program at Vance County and would like to see a rebuild of the Jay-Vee program which, because of the pandemic, did not happen this year.

 

Crossroads Christian School

SportsTalk: Richardson Tips Off Crossroads Basketball Season Friday

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Scottie Richardson has two hats. One hat is his Athletic Director’s hat and the other is his Head Basketball Coach hat.  Friday night he will be wearing his basketball hat as Crossroads Christiam kicks off the 2021 basketball season against Oxford Prep.  In his 4th year as coach Richardson says there is a system in place for the team which will have 14 players including five seniors, anchored by All State player Andreas Prince who averaged 22 points per game and made 44% of three point attempts last season. On Tuesday Crossroads will face Henderson Collegiate in a game that can be heard live on WIZS beginning immediately following the Joy Christian Center broadcast.

Richardson says that he is expecting good things from the basketball program but also praised other sports at the school, “It’s the best athletic season in school history,” Richardson stated on Thursday’s SportsTalk with Trey Snide. The school’s soccer team, which started 0-4 on the year finished the season with the most wins in school history for the program with 15. The previous record for men’s soccer was four. The soccer team finished ranked 3rd in the state losing in the final four by one point.  The cross country team, which had not had a full roster in nine years, won the state championship this season. Girls volleyball posted 10 wins this year, the most victories since 2010.

“We got the right coaches on the bus and the wrong ones off,” Richardson said of the success of the school’s athletic programs.

 

Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Pender And The Vipers Head To Fayetteville For State Playoffs

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Burnout was a concern for Vance County Head Football Coach Wilbur Pender. With the 2020 season getting moved to the spring of 2021 due to Covid and then right back on the field in August it was a valid concern for the Viper’s coaching staff.  Vance County was up to the challenge for the most part finishing with a 7-2 regular season record and 4-1 in the Northern Lakes Athletic Conference which put them second behind Southern Durham and good enough to put the team into the playoffs.

Vance County will be on the road tomorrow night as they head to Fayetteville to play the 8th seeded Westover Wolverines who bring an 8-1 record to the contest. The Wolverines have a strong passing and running game and will give the Vipers all they can handle. “Hopefully, we can put it all together,” said Coach Pender Thursday on SportsTalk with Trey Snide.  “Being in the top 32 teams in the state is an honor but not where we want to be,” added Pender who hopes the Vipers can advance further than just the first round. “Playoff football is the expectation but, we don’t want to get bounce early,” Pender said of the Viper’s playoff hopes.

While players like Nazir Garrett, Dave Vines-Holder and Carl Stephens got much of the attention this season Coach Pender also singled out Omari Allen, Nate Durham and Jasir Gamble, all linemen, for their excellent play this season.  They will need all of them and then some if they hope to get past the Wolverines.

The Vance Co. Friday Night Football broadcast can heard on WIZS 1450am, 100.1fm and on wizs.com beginning immediately after the Joy Christian Center Broadcast at approximately 6:50pm. Trey Snide and Doc Ayscue will have all of the action from Fayetteville tomorrow night.

 

Vance County High School

J. F. Webb forfeits game to Vance County High School

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According to Joe Sharrow, Assistant Principal and Athletic Director at Vance County High School, tonight’s (Oct. 29) scheduled football game between Vance County and J. F. Webb has been canceled.  J. F. Webb has forfeited the game. This is the second game this year Webb has forfeited.  A game against Franklinton earlier this season suffered the same fate.  No reason was given for the cancellation and forfeit.  Vance County will now play in the state playoffs beginning next week. The opponent for the first round playoff matchup has yet to be determined.

Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Vipers Look To Rebound Against Webb

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Shocked is the word Vance County High School Head Football Coach Wilbur Pender used to describe his and his coaching staff’s reaction to the 48-0 loss to Southern Durham last Friday night. “We knew it was going to be a mountain climbing experience,” Pender said. “We didn’t make enough plays and put our defense in bad situations,” Pender added about the Viper’s performance.  Despite the great week of practice the Vipers just couldn’t get the job done against Southern Durham. “It was the perfect storm for them and a great learning experience for us,” Pender said in summation of the loss.

Even with that loss Pender feels that the Vipers have been better than expected and that he’s put a good product on the field. He’ll need it tomorrow night for the final regular season game against J. F. Webb in Oxford.  The Warriors feature Javon Bullock who has torched defenses for over 1200 yards this season and the Vipers will have to shut him down and play better offense to walk off the field with a victory. With playoffs looming for the Vipers a victory against the Warriors to wrap up the regular season will add some momentum going into round one of those playoffs next week.

 

SportsTalk: Success On The Field Keeps Vance Charter AD Lance Stallings Busy

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#1 in women’s volleyball, #2 in men’s soccer, a great cross country season and women’s golf coach and player of the year have certainly put a smile on Vance Charter’s athletic director Lance Stallings. “Kudos to the coaches and the kids,” Stallings said on Thursday’s SportsTalk with Trey Snide. “It’s great to get back to normal and I’m lucky to be a part of it all,” Stallings added.

Women’s golf at Vance Charter has been a great success with second year head coach Tyler Woodside being named Coach of the Year and golfer Grace Stovall grabbing Golfer of the Year honors this season. Three other golfers finished in the top ten for the school.

Men’s soccer is #2 in the Triangle North Athletic Conference and Vance Charter’s team will get a bye going into the tournament and will play on Monday at 4:30pm. If they come away with a win they will play for the conference championship later next week.

Meanwhile, volleyball also has their tournament going on and Vance Charter will begin tournament play this Saturday at 3pm taking on Carrboro. It all adds up to a busy fall sporting season for Vance Charter and AD Lance Stallings.

 

Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Vipers Prepare For Southern Durham

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128 points…sounds like what a high school basketball team might score over a couple of games but, that is not the case here. This is what Southern Durham has scored in their last two football games and the high powered Southern Durham offensive show is coming to Henderson this week to take on the Vance Co. Vipers in what will most likely determine the champion of the Northern Lakes Athletic Conference.

Both teams are 3 – 0 in the conference and while Vance Co. boasts an overall better record at 6 -1 to Southern Durham’s 4-4, the Spartan’s have played a much more difficult schedule and Vance Co. is coming off a poor performance in a 21 – 8 win over Granville Central last week that saw the Vipers struggle on offense against a winless team.

Coach Wilbur Pender felt his team didn’t have their best offensive game last week but thought the defense may have turned in its best performance.  “We couldn’t get out of our own way,” Pender said of the Viper’s offense. This week Pender and Vipers are working on those mistakes. “Let’s stop being our own worst enemy,” is what Pender has stressed to his team.

Pender says the key Friday night is to tackle, stop the big play and don’t allow Southern Durham to score on special teams. Practice has been much better this week so Pender hopes that will result in slowing the Southern Durham offensive machine down and will lead to a victory and likely conference championship.

WIZS will have live play by play of the games beginning immediately after the Joy Christian Center broadcast about 6:45pm with kickoff at 7pm.