SportsTalk: Pender Ready to Kick the Football Season Off

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It’s an exciting time of year for new Vance County High School Head Football Coach Wilbur Pender. Friday night kicks off the 2021 season against long-time rival Warren County. Going into the contest Pender is looking forward to the atmosphere and for plenty of fans to show up in the stands at Viper Stadium.  Last season most teams played with no fans or a very few fans in the stands due to Covid, but it will be different Friday night, and Coach Pender is looking for those fans to be loud and help create the atmosphere that will help notch the first “W” of the season against the Eagles.

Pender has only been at the school for three weeks, and his first practice with the team was August 2nd. Off season was solid but not as long as Pender would have liked. He feels the team would have benefitted from more 7-on-7 practices to allow the timing on both sides of the ball to be better. Despite his late arrival to the Vipers, he is still enthusiastic. “I am excited to see all the players,” Pender said. He spotlighted running back Carl Stephens and QB Isarael Terry as two players who will play a big role for the Vipers this season.

Pender says the Vipers have kids who can run and kids who can catch and that he and his staff, which includes some new faces mixed in with returning staff, have to put the players in a position where they can be successful. He’s also looking to have some fun along the way. “Football should not be a job or a chore. We want the kids to love being here,” Pender said.

While Pender certainly has his eyes on the Won – Loss column, he says there is more to it than victories on the field. “My philosophy is to build great young men for life, preparing kids for almost anything they will encounter.”

The Vipers will take on Warren County at 7pm Friday night at Viper Stadium.  If you cannot attend, but sure to tune it to 1450 AM / 100.1 FM or click on Listen Live at wizs.com.

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SportsTalk: Hairston Readies Granville Central For Football

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“I’m very excited,” says new Granville Central Football Coach Travis Hairston. He’s only been on the job a week and half but has already identified a core group of players who are working hard to help the team turn around last year’s 1-5 record. He looks to bring his extensive knowledge of defense to the team and says defense will be a priority this season.

Hairston’s experience includes defensive coordinator positions at several schools in North Carolina and Maryland including Sanders, East Wake and Rolesville High Schools. His defensive philosophy is simple: “Score points and not allow them to score.” He also emphasizes preparation and expects the Granville Central team to be prepared every week. “I believe we are going to win some games and be competitive,” Coach Hairston says.

He will have to get prepared quickly as Granville Central takes on Ravenscroft in the first game of the season a week from Friday. Ravenscroft has a diverse offense and gets after the ball on defense. Ravenscroft will not be the only tough team Granville Central will face this season as later on this year the will play South Granville in an in-county rivalry game and Carrboro.

 

Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Pender Announced As New Vance County High Football Coach

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Henderson, N.C. – The Vance County Board of Education has approved Wilbur Pender as the new Head
Football Coach at Vance County High School.

Coach Pender is a Franklin County native who graduated from Franklinton High School before continuing his football and academic career at Catawba College. Following his collegiate playing career as a defensive lineman, Pender pursued a career in education and coaching where his experience includes positions as a Math teacher and assistant football coach at East Montgomery High School, Northern Vance High School, Olympic High School, and Clover High School (South Carolina).

He will be joining Vance County High School after most recently serving as the Head Football Coach at
Granville Central High School this past school year. “Coach Pender is a great leader and role model who takes his responsibilities as both a teacher and a coach very seriously” said Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Joe Sharrow of Pender. “He is extremely intelligent, has a passion for teaching, and has demonstrated the ability to establish positive relationships with students, staff, parents, and community members. Having grown up in the area and having previously taught and coached at Northern Vance High School, he is familiar with our schools and community and we are very excited to welcome him back. I have no doubt he will be a strong addition to the Viper family.” Pender will replace Hunter Jenks, who coached the Vipers for just one season.

“I am beyond excited to get started at Vance County and really dive in and invest in the future of the program.” Pender said in a statement. “I’m grateful for the opportunity from Principal Horner, Athletic Director Sharrow, and Vance County Schools for trusting me to lead the Vipers. I loved my time at Northern Vance working with the kids then and now with both schools as one I feel this place is set up for sustainable success on and off the field. There are not many one high school counties left in the state and it’s truly the best situation to have. I can’t wait to get the youth program and middle school program involved with us because we are one family. Go Vipers!”

The Vipers are set to begin the 2021 season at home on August 20th in the County Line Clash rivalry game with Warren County High School

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SportsTalk: Chris HInes is Bowling His Way to Success

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For many years local bowlers made Carolina Lanes their home.  The Henderson bowling facility was operated by Benton Hight for many years but in September of last year Chris Hines purchased the building. It took six months to remodel but on March 5 of this year Before the First Frame opened welcoming bowlers back to Henderson.

Hines said that when Hight, whom he’d known for many years, decided to step back from Carolina Lanes he reached out to him. “When the opportunity presented itself, it was a no brainer,” Hines said about purchasing Carolina Lanes. Hines has been involved in bowling for many years operating and managing pro shops, facilites and is a championship bowler himself. He thought ownership was the next logical step and never really looked beyond the former Carolina Lanes facility once he decided ownership was the path for him to take.  Hight wanted the facility to continue to be used for bowling which made it easy for Hines and Hight to work toward Hines’ dream of owning his own facility.

Since last September Hines has completely remodeled the building, making it feel bigger,  expanded the food menu and brought back summer bowling leagues.  “Business has been better than anticipated,” Hines said. He also says support from the community has been great since reopening in March.

Hines has also just finished with the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) championship in Las Vegas where his group took the championship this year. 7600 teams and around 60,000 people participated in the tournament from May until July. His group has been together for 10 years and he calls the Las Vegas tournament one of the most prestigious bowling events held.

Hines also says he has lots of future plans for Before the First Frame in the future but says none of this would have been possible withouth his family’s support. He called his wife an “unsung hero”.

For more information about Before the First Frame, located on US 158 bypass in Henderson, check out their Facebook page where you will find plenty of information including league schedules for the upcoming fall season.

 

 

SportsTalk: Pollard proud of Blue Devil’s 2021 team

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“I felt like we were a fragile team,” Duke Blue Devils head baseball coach Chris Pollard said on Thursday’s SportsTalk with Trey Snide. The Blue Devils were at a crossroads having lost to Louisville. Pollard had watched his team fall behind and not demonstrate the toughness he felt the team needed to turn the 2021 season around. He had a long talk with his team after that loss hoping to instill that sense of toughness. The next game found the Blue Devils fall behind early to Wofford and Pollard’s team, who had not had a come from behind win all season, fought through the early mistakes to win and begin a winning streak that would ultimately continue for 12 games.

While Pollard was pleased with the victory, he felt the team was in a fragile state. Confidence would be built after another come from behind win against Virginia Tech but Pollard says, “Confidence is fleeting. It comes and goes.” Pollard felt that confidence is good, competitiveness is better and that’s what the Blue Devils needed. Duke’s confidence and competitiveness continued to increase and Duke not only found itself in the ACC Tournament, which wasn’t a guarantee earlier in the season, but winning the tournament championship, the first ACC Baseball Championship in the schools history.

That tournament victory propelled Duke into a second seed in the NCAA tournament. However, Pollard feels like the Blue Devils were a spent force physically and emotionally after the ACC Tournament. They ran into a hot Liberty team that beat the Blue Devils in both games. Pollard said he was not happy with how the team performed and says Duke was “not ready.” However, Pollard also says he is very proud of what the Blue Devils accomplished this season.

Even though the season didn’t end with a bang, having five draft picks taken in the first twenty rounds of the Major League Baseball draft gives his program at Duke validation. The team’s players are also working over the summer in different summer leagues to improve and be ready for next year. Pollard feels there are areas that Duke can improve. While technology now exists to help players become better hitters, he says that has taken away from teaching fundamentals. Pollard says he and other coaches need to get back to working on basics like base running. He also says players need to practice. Pollard explains that many players “play but don’t practice enough.”

Pollard is also concerned that players have become year round baseball players. Players should play other sports and not just concentrate on baseball for the entire year. He wants to see kids step away from that mentality.

Pollard has been Duke’s head baseball coach since 2013 compiling a 278-199 record. He reached 100 wins faster than any other coach in the history of Duke Blue Devil baseball.

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SportsTalk: Khalil Watson to be a highlight of Saturday’s Home Run Derby

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If you love baseball then Saturday’s Home Run Derby is for you! Wake Forest’s Fungo baseball team, part of the NC Amateur Basball Club, is putting on the event beginning at 1pm on Saturday at Heritage High School in Wake Forest. Fungo General Manager and Oxford native Brad Mize says he hopes “to put on a show and earn fans,” during the event. The NC Amateur Baseball Club consists of 16 youth teams from North Carolina and Virginia including Granville County’s Carolina Thunder.

This is the first home run derby and, according to Mize, the germ of the idea was to do something special for the players, something for them to remember. Mize hopes this will become an annual event. With that in mind, Mize has done everything he can to make the event a special one. Khalil Watson will be attending. Watson was the 16th overall pick in the recent Major League Baseball draft. Watson attended Wake Forest High School and NC State. He was drafted by the Marlins and he will be available for autographs and photos at the event. Additionally, Mize says concessions will be available and a raffle will also be held for everyone in attendance.

While a lot of fun is to be had on Saturday, baseball still has to be played and Mize’s Fungo team has compiled a 21-10 record this season which is good enough to propel them to the league’s Western Division championship and will be heading into the playoffs next week. Many of the players who have passed through the NC Amateur Baseball Club have moved on to the major leagues including Oxford’s Ky Adcock who was drafted by the Mariners in 2019.

The NCABC organization is unique to Wake County as the only travel community to provide diamond time and professional training from ages 7 through college. Not only does NCABC provide Baseball and Softball travel teams for young athletes (7U-15U), it is home to two Legion affiliate teams at the HSU level (Post 187 & Post 297 Senior), 3 Legion Lady affiliate teams (Post 187 Jr & Sr and Post 297 Jr), and boasts the CVCL College FUNGO woodbat team. All levels of NCABC athletes are professionally coached with a hybrid professional/parent coach model at the younger levels. In addition to travel teams, NCABC’S mission is to provide athletic and character development to all area baseball and softball athletes through professionally coached academies, camps/clinics, consulting, and private lessons. Based in Raleigh, NC, NCABC is the full package travel and development organization for athletes and their families.

For more information email them at ncabcfungo@gmail.com.

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SportsTalk: Armanti Edwards makes a name for himself in the CFL

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Armanti Edwards is a North Carolina sports legend. He would lead Appalachian State to consecutive NCAA Division I Football Championships in 2006 and 2007 as a quarterback.  When he was signed by the Carolina Panthers he trained as a quarterback and a wide receiver but never quite lived up to his potential with the Panthers and eventually an injury along with management changes meant Edwards’ days in Charlotte were numbered. He moved on to the Cleveland Browns and then to training camp with the Chicago Bears but never found a place in the NFL. Edwards NFL stats were underwhelming only throwing three passes, catching six and running the ball three times. He also had fifteen kick-off returns and forty punt returns. He never scored a single touchdown during his four NFL seasons.

Out of football for a couple of years, Edwards has made a remarkable turnaround in the Canadian Football League. Armanti, who spoke with WIZS’ Trey Snide on Thursday’s SportsTalk said it was an easier transition to the CFL than to the NFL. His NFL experience was what made this transition easier as he was more prepared than when he first came out of Appalachian State.  He also credits much of his success to his mentor, Ricky Proehl who was an assistant coach with the Panthers. “Proehl made a difference by teaching me the position’s skills,” Edwards said.

In 2016 Edwards made his debut with Saskatchewan in the CFL playing in four games and grabbing nineteen passes for 231 yards and a touchdown but it was 2017 where Edwards really showed his abilities. Having been signed by Toronto, he helped the team when the CFL Championship 83 receptions, 962 yards and four touchdowns. In 2019 he had over one thousand yards receiving.

This years Edwards has taken his talents to the Edmonton Elks who kick off their season on August 5th. “I’m ready for the first hit,” Edwards says of the first game. “We are looking good on paper,” Edwards added about the Elks chances this season.

While we may remember him most for his quarterbacking skills at Appalachian State, he has certainly caught on, pun intended, in the Great White North of Canada.

 

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SportsTalk: Duke athletics has a long and distinguished history

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Granville County author and historian Lewis Bowling knows a thing or two about Duke University’s rich athletic history. Not only has he been a fan of the Blue Devils all of his life, he has also written two books, Wallace Wade: Championship Years at Alabama and Duke in 2012 and Duke Basketball: A Pictorial History in 2014. Bowling has also taught sports history and is a staff writer for Go Duke The Magazine. 

He remembers being able to walk up to the box office at Cameron Indoor Stadium 15 minutes before tip off and to purchase a ticket, something you could not do today. Bowling says, “I like to remind people that Duke basketball has a rich history before Coach K.” He cited contributions from many earlier Duke basketball coaches for establishing that history beginning with Wilbur “Cap” Card who was the first coach in 1905 when Duke was still known as Trinity College. That first team also featured Thad Stem Sr., father of the well known author Thad Stem Jr., as the team’s very first captain. Stem Sr. would go on to become a prominent lawyer and mayor of Oxford.

In the 1920’s Eddie Cameron took over the Blue Devils, and he coached until the 1940’s. Cameron Indoor Stadium is named for Cameron, who also coached football at the school in the early to mid 40’s. “He didn’t get the recognition he deserved,” Bowling says. This is in spite of the fact his name is on Duke’s basketball arena. “Cameron isn’t remembered for the various contributions over the years,” Bowling continued.

Bowling credits Bill Foster for bringing Duke basketball back to prominence in the late 1970’s and feels the team will be in good hands when Mike Krzyzewski steps down after the upcoming season. Assistant coach Jon Shyer will take over, and Bowling says he will add to the Duke basketball tradition.

Bowling says Duke football is equally deep in tradition. Wallace Wade had won three national championships at Alabama when he was offered the job at Duke for the 1931 season. “He shocked the nation by taking the job,” Bowling said. Duke was not known as a football school at the time. Wade led the team to two Rose Bowls. The first, in 1939, saw a Duke team that had not been scored on the entire year and was undefeated lose to Southern California 7 – 3. Duke would return to the Rose Bowl in 1942 and would also come up short as the undefeated Blue Devils lost 20 -16 to Oregon State. The game was moved to Durham that year due to World War II.  Wade would join the military in 1942 and turn the program over to Eddie Cameron who coached the team until Wade returned from military duty in 1945. Wade would remain until 1950. Duke’s football stadium is named for Wade.

Wade’s successor was Bill Murray, who was hand picked by Wade. Murray led the team to a Cotton Bowl victory in 1961 and would coach the team through the 1965 season. Bowling said that between 1931 and 1965 Duke’s won-lost record was as good as any team in the country.

Bowling said the Duke football program began to slip after 1965 and would struggle for over 20 years to return to prominence. In 1987 Steve Spurrier took over as head coach and turned the program around. Bowling says the football program is currently in great hands with David Cutcliffe and despite only winning three games last year should be a much stronger team this year. Bowling says Cutcliffe keeps a bust of Wallace Wade in his office and late at night Cutcliffe can almost hear Wade talking to him.

Bowling’s two books on the history of Duke athletics can be purchased at Amazon.

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SportsTalk: Ray Noel and Granville Central Look Forward to New Conference

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Granville Central High School Atletic Director Ray Noel was obviously disappointed at his school’s 3 – 1 loss at the hands of Perquimans County on Wednesday night in the Eastern finals of the state baseball playoffs but is looking forward to a new conference for the upcoming school year.

Perquimans County had won its previous playoff games by scores of 13 – 0, 10 – 0 and 10 – 0 but Granville Central held them to only 3 runs and was leading in the bottom of the 5th inning but came up short in the end as they were unable to put together a rally at the end.  Graduation will certainly have an impact next season. “We’ll lose three seniors and two of our top hitters are seniors,” Noel said. However, Noel feels that next season’s team has an excellent chance of having a good year.

Next year will find Granville Central playing Oxford Webb, South Granville, Vance County, Carrboro, Southern Durham and the Durham School of the Arts in a new conference. While the School of the Arts does not participate in football the other schools will present a challenging schedule. It should be a football season that is closer to normal than last season when the team only played six games in the spring due to the pandemic.

Covid has also pushed spring sports back with programs such as track and wrestling still playing. The track team will finish this weekend in the state championship.

Like so many other schools in the area Granville Central is a small school that shares players among its athletic programs which impacts activities like basketball workouts. There have been no basketball jamborees or camps this spring because so many of the players are involved in other sports.

Noel said that the boy’s soccer team, which won last year’s conference championship is poised to have another strong season and he feels good about the growth that soccer has seen in recent years. He also feels the football team will also be competitive next season and looks forward to seeing big crowds at games this year which began to return with Granville Central’s playoff run in baseball.

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SportsTalk: Richardson has Crossroads Christian in preparation for next year

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Crossroads Christian Athletic Director Scottie Richardson is deep into the school’s Summer Season, which consists of workouts for the various athletic programs and figuring out how to plan work out and practice times. “We have an internal master Excel-Google spreadsheet,” Richardson joked about how the school’s coaches stay on top of things during the off season. Since Crossroads is a small school the various programs tend to share players and Richardson said one of the challenges is time management and organizing schedules so there is no overlap.

Richardson said that basketball camps have seen excellent participation over the last couple of weeks and that all sports are currently engaged in preparations. “Hopefully, it will pay off end-season,” Richardson said of all the work that coaches and students are currently putting in. “We try to make it a year round program,” Richardson added.  The boy’s basketball team has been especially busy travelling to UNC-Charlotte and UNC-Pembroke to participate in basketball camps playing nine games in three days and then following that up with a home and away Summer exhibition versus Oxford Prep. Richardson said it was a great experience for his team.  Last Covid prevented the team from engaging in any type of off season workouts and camps.

Not only did Covid take a toll on schedules but there was also a financial impact on the school. Richardson said that $15,000 was lost in concession sales last year. Volleyball and basketball are the big revenue sports for the school and Richardson hopes this year will be a return to normal.

Richardson said that this year teams are also engaging in activities together off the court and fields as well helping them to develop a unity that will transfer to games during the upcoming school year.

Richardson added he is looking forward to fans and students returning to stands and bringing a renewed school spirit to the games.

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