Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Vipers Hope To Keep Winning Once They Return To The Field

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The life of football coach can be filled with great joy and equally great frustration. Vance County High School Head Football Coach Wilbur Pender has seen both in the last three weeks. After winning the opening game of the season against Warren County, the Vipers were shut out by Roanoke Rapids but rebounded last Friday night with a 47 – 36 victory over Durham Riverside in what turns out to be the team’s first win over a 4A school. With quarterback Nazir Garrett dialing up 5 Touchdown passes and the ground game chewing up 200 years, the Vipers were looking forward to Friday night’s game against Northern Durham. Did we mention frustration? Yes, and that frustration is, of course, due to Covid. A Covid exposure will push the Northern Durham game back to a bye week and the following week’s game against Jordan has been cancelled.

“We can only control things we can control,” said coach Pender on Thursday’s SportsTalk with Trey Snide. While the coach might not be able to tackle Covid, he can be pleased with his team’s performance this past Friday night and he feels the Roanoke Rapids loss is what paved the way for the win over Riverside. “That loss helped focus the team,” Pender said. After an excellent week of practice Pender said the team was confident and executed the prepared game plan paving the way for the victory.

“I’m never going to say I’m satisfied. I’m always looking for improvement,” Pender said of his team. He doesn’t feel the team has hit its stride yet, particularly on defense. His defensive team is young with quite a few freshmen and those players are making freshmen mistakes. Pender says they need to work on tackling and creating more turnovers so his offense has more opportunities.

With Covid in the picture Pender says his biggest worry is that the team will have a fall off once they return to the field. “It’s like building a plane as you are flying it,” Pender said of the challenges of his first year coaching the Vipers. Hopefully, the remainder of the season will see more of the joy and less of the frustration once the Vipers are back on the field.

 

Vance County High School

Vance County High School Cancels Upcoming Football Games

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While Kerr Vance Academy has suffered few disruptions due to Covid, Vance County High School is not as fortunate. According to the school’s athletic director, Joe Sharrow, this Thursday night’s scheduled JV Football game and Friday night’s varsity game and next week’s JV and varsity football games have all been cancelled due to a Covid exposure. The school hopes to be able to make up the games at some point in the near future.

SportsTalk: Sam Feaver Settles in as KVA Athletic Director

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George Hoyle has left some big shoes to fill as Kerr-Vance Academy’s Athletic Director. The school has had numerous state championship teams over the years and now Sam Feaver will try and fill those shoes. Feaver has a lot on his plate and says the community has been great and thanked George Hoyle for making the transition smooth.

Coming from Crescent in Durham where he also served as AD, Feaver knew that athletics were a huge part of Kerr-Vance Academy. Feaver was surprised, though, at how much student’s families are invested in the athletic programs.

While most athletic directors also double as a head coach, Feaver is not coaching any of the school’s teams at the moment but is open to it. “I have experience with boy’s basketball and soccer, and I’m open to stepping in.”

One of the big issues Feaver faces as KVA AD is finding coaches. At the moment the school has an opening for a varsity boys, middleschool and JV coach and will either need a varsity girls soccer or softball coach.

Feaver says that things have been going well so far in regards to Covid with little in the way of interruptions. The fall season has been a safe one so far for KVA.

 

SportsTalk: Vance Vipers FB Coach Pender Previews Roanoke Rapids

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Click to Play Audio Preview of VCHS at Roanoke Rapids

Vance County Vipers over Warren County Eagles Recap

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A GAME ONE VICTORY FOR THE VIPERS OF VANCE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

34 TO 26

OVER THE WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL EAGLES

FRIDAY NIGHT, AUGUST 20, 2021

REMEMBER YOU CAN LISTEN TO THE VIPERS’ GAMES LIVE AND FREE ON WIZS EACH FRIDAY NIGHT

HERE’S YOUR GAME 1 AUDIO RECAP

Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Frances Excited About Fall Sports at Vance County High

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“I was surprised at the offer,” new Assistant Athletic Director Christine Frances said about Vance County High School after they contacted her about the position. In fact, the position didn’t even exist until recently.  With Athletic Director Joe Sharrow also taking on the Assistant Principal’s job at the school the athletic programs needed an extra set of eyes and Frances was chosen.

Frances says that in addition to football, which kicks off Friday night, the school has women’s volleyball, cross country, women’s golf, men’s soccer and cheerleading either underway or about to be.

“Coaches are thrilled to be back to something close to normal,” she said. Many sports last year struggled during a season dominated by Covid. She said this year should be better and that it will “feel more like a sports season.”

Fans will be allowed to games this year but Frances stressed that social distancing as much as possible is one way to keep everyone safe. She also said masks should be worn particularly in the ticket and concession areas. Safety is a top priority of the school.

Frances also took a moment during her appearance on SportsTalk with Trey Snide to congratulate Joe Sharrow.  Sharrow was named as a NIAAA Certified Athletic Administrator this week.

For complete details and audio click play.

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.

For complete details and audio click play.

 

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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

For complete details and audio click play.

 

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.