VGCC honors sophomore Vanguard basketball players

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The Vance-Granville Community College Vanguards men’s basketball team honored their departing sophomores on Feb. 17 at Aycock Recreation Center in Henderson. The result of the “Sophomore Night” game was a narrow 98-93 loss for the home team to Patrick Henry Community College. The hard-fought contest marked the last home game of the regular season for the Vanguards.

At halftime, VGCC head coach DeMarcus Oliver recognized four players completing their second and final seasons on the team — forward Antonio Adams of Oxford (a J.F. Webb High School graduate), guard Michael Henderson of Henderson (Northern Vance High School), guard Chris Pernell of Raleigh (East Wake High School), and point guard and Team Captain TyQuon Reid of Goldsboro (Durham Hillside High School).

Two of those sophomores, Reid and Pernell, led their team in scoring, with 26 and 25 points, respectively. Freshman NiQuan Cousins was not far behind, putting up 23 points while leading the Vanguards in both rebounds (17) and blocks (3). Reid also contributed 7 assists, and Pernell recorded 5 rebounds. Henderson posted 12 points. Adams had 3 points and 3 rebounds.

Pernell had been on a hot shooting streak going into the Patrick Henry game. On Feb. 9, he led the Vanguards in scoring, with 27 points, helping VGCC defeat Fayetteville Tech Community College at home, 96-93. In that game, Cousins was second in scoring (17 points) while Kenneth Finley, Jr., was third (16). Cousins led in rebounding, with 17.

Pernell was also the top scorer in the Vanguards’ 96-76 loss on Feb. 15 to Catawba Valley Community College. He put up 28 points that night, while also contributing 5 rebounds. Cousins recorded 18 points and 15 rebounds.

On Feb. 22, VGCC lost on the road to nationally-ranked Richard Bland College, 101-71. Cousins had the most points (24) and rebounds (14). Reid added 17 points and 7 assists. Pernell scored 11 points.

VGCC will compete in the NJCAA Division II Region X conference tournament, which starts March 4 at Richard Bland College in Petersburg, Virginia.

–VGCC–

H-V Recreation and Parks Department to hold Coaches Meetings

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February 6, 2017

To youth league baseball/softball coaches,

This is to inform you about the youth baseball/softball coaches meetings.  These meetings will take place at the Aycock Recreation Complex in the meeting room which is located on the second floor of the Baseball/Softball Concession Building.  These meetings are scheduled for the following dates and times:

  1. All Softball Leagues (8U/10U/12/U/16/U/18U) Monday, February 13 at 6:30pm
  2. Minor/Major/Junior/Senior Baseball Leagues Thursday, February 16 at 6:30pm
  3. Rookie Baseball League/T-Ball Co-Rec. League Monday, February 20 at 6:30pm

At these meetings we will distribute last year’s rosters so that you can call all of your players to remind them about registration.  Rules will be discussed, skill evaluation times, start of practice dates, and the start of the regular season dates.  At this meeting we will get you to fill out information that will be used to perform a background check.

You must be present at this meeting in order to reserve your team.  If for some reason you are not there, you must let us know by the day of your scheduled meeting.  If we do not hear from you and you are not at the meeting, someone else may be assigned your coaching spot.

If you are planning to coach please call me at 438-2670 or email: sosborne@ci.henderson.nc.us to let me know which league and team you are interested in coaching.  Please remember that a coach who coached last year has first priority for his/her team again this year.  Second priority goes to any assistant coaches of that team, third priority goes to coaches who are moving up or down, and last priority goes to newcomers.  You must also fill out a coach’s application and coach’s code of conduct even though you coached last year.  These are included with this letter.  If you have any questions please call me.

Thank you for your time.

 

Steven W. Osborne

HVRPD Program Superintendent 

Crossroads Christian School Names January Athlete of the Month

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Congratulations to Noah Brantley, our January Athlete of the Month! The son of Patrick and Christy Brantley of Henderson, he is an 8th grader who excels both on and off the court. Noah is one of the nicest young men you will ever meet. He exemplifies what it means to be a stellar student athlete.

Noah is having a phenomenal year on the MS basketball team and is averaging double figures with respect to both points and rebounds. More impressive than this, however, is Noah’s character. He treats people with dignity, respect and kindness. He sets a great example for all those around him.
Our January Athlete of the Month goes to a great athlete (basketball and soccer) and a great young man: Mr. Noah Brantley!
— Athletic Director, Jamie Parker

VGCC Vanguards win another game on the road

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Ten days after defeating the University of North Carolina junior varsity team in Chapel Hill, the Vance-Granville Community College Vanguards men’s basketball team picked up another road victory, this time in Hampton, Va., over Thomas Nelson Community College, 94-83, on Jan. 28.

Sophomore sensation TyQuon Reid had a standout performance for the Vanguards, with 36 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 block. Reid was ranked in the top five nationwide in points per game, free throw shooting and steals, as of Jan. 31.

VGCC freshman NiQuan Cousins led his team in rebounds (16) and blocks (6) while also contributing 18 points, 3 assists and 1 steal. As of Jan. 31, Cousins was leading the nation in rebounds per game and in total rebounds.

Michael Henderson, a sophomore, put up 16 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals in one of his best games this season.

Freshman Jaylen Jones was second in rebounding for VGCC (11) while also posting 5 points, 4 steals, 2 assists and 2 blocks.

Stats for other Vanguards were as follows: Antonio Adams had 6 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1 steal; Chris Pernell had 5 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist; Kenneth Finley, Jr., had 3 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist; Isaiah McCaffity had 3 points, 5 rebounds and 1 steal; Darius Buford had 2 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist; and Mitch Beck had 3 rebounds and 1 steal.

After some more road trips, the Vanguards return home on Thursday, Feb. 9, hosting Fayetteville Tech Community College at 7 p.m. at Aycock Recreation Center in Henderson. Admission is free.

–VGCC–

VGCC Vanguards upset JV Tar Heels with 106-100 victory

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The Vance-Granville Community College Vanguards men’s basketball team achieved one of the most stunning upsets in program history on Jan. 18, defeating the University of North Carolina junior varsity team by a score of 106-100 at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill.

This was VGCC’s second trip to Chapel Hill and the team’s first win over the JV Tar Heels, who were undefeated this season before the contest.

Henderson-based radio station WIZS 1450 AM provided live coverage of the game, just as in the first meeting of the two programs in 2016. “In what was going to be an incredible experience in and of itself for the VGCC Vanguards, they came out more ready to play than the Tar Heels,” reflected Kevin Bullock, who called the game for WIZS. “The Vance-Granville locker room was electric before the game, while the UNC JV locker room was all but silent.”

The Vanguards got off to a strong start, trading leads with the Tar Heels and settling on a 51-51 tie at the half. The back-and-forth continued through the second half toward a nail-biter of a conclusion. After taking a five-point lead and then falling behind by as many as five in the second half, the Vanguards fought back to tie the Heels with two minutes to go.

With 20 seconds left on the clock, the Vanguards pulled away from a 100-100 tie and never looked back, making four straight free throws to seal the victory.

Key to VGCC’s win was a balanced offense that featured six players scoring in double figures: NiQuan Cousins (30 points), TyQuon Reid (22), Chris Pernell (16), Jaylen Jones (11), Calvin Malik Manley (11) and Kenneth Finley, Jr. (10). Cousins was also the Vanguards’ leading rebounder (14). He leads the nation in rebounds per game (14.5) for NJCAA Division II. Cousins recorded three assists and three blocks, as well. Manley contributed seven rebounds to the winning effort. Jones led in steals (4).

The Tar Heels were led in scoring by Lucas Bouknight of Greensboro, with 21 points. An article in the student newspaper, the Daily Tar Heel, concluded that the JV “basketball team wasn’t just outplayed — UNC was outworked.” The article quoted Hubert Davis, the former Tar Heel guard and 12-year NBA veteran who coaches the JV squad, as saying, “Congratulations to Vance-Granville Community College. They earned it….I just felt like the entire game they were the tougher team. They were the team that worked the hardest, that wanted it more.”

Bullock, the WIZS sportscaster, concluded that “Carolina was hampered by poor free throw shooting and live ball turnovers. Vance-Granville was able to capitalize on those opportunities and shot the ball better than they had all season. It was the UNC JV team’s fourth game in nine days, which allowed the Vanguards to get out and run on Carolina and wear them down in the second half. NiQuan Cousins, Jaylen Jones, TyQuon Reid and the rest of the Vanguards will never forget the day they went to Chapel Hill and beat the Tar Heels.”

VGCC’s next home game is set for Saturday, Jan. 21, at 3 p.m., when the Vanguards face a conference opponent, Guilford Tech Community College, at Aycock Recreation Center in Henderson. Admission is free.

 

VGCC Vanguards to play JV Tar Heels at Dean Dome

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For the second year in a row, the Vance-Granville Community College Vanguards men’s basketball team will soon travel to the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill to face the University of North Carolina Tar Heels junior varsity team.

The JV game is set for Wednesday, Jan. 18, at 7:30 p.m.

Henderson-based radio station WIZS 1450 AM will once again provide live coverage of the game starting at 7:15 p.m. Even for those outside the range of the radio station, the broadcast can be streamed online at wizs.com or on a smart phone with the free “TuneIn Radio” app. When WIZS covered the first contest between the two basketball programs in 2016, it was the first time in history that a UNC JV basketball game had been broadcast live on the radio.

The Vanguards compete in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II, which includes 11 two-year colleges in North Carolina and Virginia.

The UNC JV squad has several community college teams on its schedule this year, including one of VGCC’s Region X conference rivals, Wake Tech Community College.

Admission is free to the UNC JV game. For more information, call the Smith Center at (919) 962-2296.

Krzyzewski Undergoes Successful Lower Back Surgery

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DURHAM, N.C. – Duke University head men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski underwent successful lower back surgery on Friday, Jan. 6, to remove a fragment of a herniated disc.

The procedure was performed by Dr. Allan Friedman at Duke University Hospital. The anticipated recovery time for Krzyzewski is up to four weeks.

“Surgery went exactly as planned,” said Friedman. “Coach is in terrific physical shape and we expect a full recovery.”

Krzyzewski has won a Division I men’s basketball record 1,056 games in 41-plus seasons as a college head coach, owning a 1,056-323 overall record and a 983-264 mark in 36-plus seasons at Duke. He has led Duke to five NCAA championships (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015), the second-most national titles by a coach in NCAA history.

Krzyzewski guided the United States National Team to an 88-1 record and seven total medals (six gold) as head coach from 2005-16. He is a seven-time USA Basketball National Coach of the Year and the only coach – men’s or women’s – to lead a country to three consecutive Olympic basketball gold medals.

Krzyzewski was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001.

#GoDuke

Cory Walton

Senior Associate Sports Information Director

Duke Athletics

Kerr Vance Academy Holiday Basketball Tournament Complete Schedule

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KVA HOLIDAY BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Friday, December 16 (teams in bold will be the HOME team on Friday)

Small Gym – JV

Game JV1  5:30  Lighthouse JV Boys vs. John Paul II HS JV Boys

Game JV2  7:00  Kerr-Vance JV Boys vs. Franklin Academy JV Boys

Main Gym – Varsity

Game V1    4:00  Lighthouse Girls vs. John Paul II HS Girls

Game V2    5:30  Kerr-Vance Academy vs.  Franklin Academy Girls

Game V3    7:00  Lighthouse Boys  vs. John Paul II HS Boys

Game V4     8:30 Kerr-Vance Academy Boys vs. Franklin Academy Boys

Saturday, December 17

Small Gym – JV

Game JV3  1:00  JV Boys Consolation Game

Game JV4  2:30  Winner from Game JV1 vs. Winner from Game JV2

AWARDS CEREMONY

Main Gym – Varsity

Game V5    12:00 Varsity Girls Consolation Game

Game V6    1:30   Varsity Boys Consolation Game

Game V7    3:00    Winner of Game V1 vs. Winner of Game V2 Girls

AWARDS CEREMONY

Game V8    5:00    Winner of Game V3 vs. Winner of Game V4 Boys

AWARDS CEREMONY

 Carolina Accepts Bid To Hyundai Sun Bowl

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North Carolina has accepted an invitation to play in the 2016 Hyundai Sun Bowl vs. Stanford in El Paso, Texas, on Friday, Dec. 30. The game will kick off at 2 p.m. ET (noon local time), and will be televised nationally by CBS.

The 2016 game will mark the 83rd anniversary of the Sun Bowl game and the 49th consecutive broadcast on CBS.

“We’re excited to represent the University of North Carolina and the Atlantic Coast Conference in the Sun Bowl, a game with so much history going back more than 80 years,” says head coach Larry Fedora. “Our team is looking forward to a terrific experience in El Paso with the opportunity to finish the season with positive momentum. Stanford consistently competes for the Pac-12 championship and this will be a tremendous challenge for our team.”

Sun Bowl tickets will be on sale beginning Sunday, Dec. 4. Rams Club members and 2016 football season ticket holders will receive an email Sunday evening with an opportunity to purchase tickets. The priority seating deadline for Rams Club members and 2016 season ticket holders is Tuesday Dec. 6 at 5pm. Tickets will also go on sale to the general public on Sunday evening at GoHeels.com.

This is Fedora’s eighth bowl appearance in nine seasons as a head coach. The Sun Bowl is Carolina’s 33rd all-time bowl game, and first in Texas since the 1994 Sun Bowl. Carolina has played in the Sun Bowl on four previous occasions with a 2-2 record.

Carolina In The Sun Bowl
1972 – Carolina 32, Texas Tech 28
1974 – Mississippi State 26, Carolina 24
1982 – Carolina 26, Texas 10
1994 – Texas 35, Carolina 31

Carolina is 8-4 overall and finished 5-3 in the ACC’s Coastal Division. UNC is averaging 442.4 yards of total offense.

Stanford is 9-3 overall and 6-3 in the Pac-12. The Cardinal is ranked No. 16 in both the Associated Press and Coaches Poll.

About the Hyundai Sun Bowl:
Since the first Sun Bowl played on January 1, 1935, as a fundraising event for a local service club, the game has grown into El Paso’s number one national attraction. With its picturesque stadium nestled between two mountains it has become a piece of the Southwest and a lesson in history. Through the years, 38 Sun Bowls have been decided by a touchdown or less, including six of the last 11 games. Through its first 82 years, the Hyundai Sun Bowl has featured 78 different programs, more than any other bowl in the nation.

OCS to hold 2017 rules meeting and banquet

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Attention All Competitors in ALL Divisions:

The 2017 Rules Meeting will be held on Sunday, December 18th at 1:30pm. V-8 Cars: Late Model & Limited Sportsman & Street Stock will meet @ 1:30pm. All 4 cylinder divisions will meet at 2:30 and all other divisions will meet immediately following the 4 cylinder meeting. Please bring positive thoughts & positive solutions that are in the best interest of competitors, the race track and fans.

The 2016 OCS Banquet will be held on Saturday, January 21st at the Festival House at Homestead Steak House. Details will be coming next week: ticket pricing, times, etc.

CONGRATULATIONS to all 2016 Champions:

Terry Dease – Late Model Stock

Boo Boo Dalton – Limited Sportsman

John Barilka – Grand American Modified

Jared Gillis – Street Stock

Danny Winstead – Pure Stock

Dennis Capps – Mod 4

John Comstock – Super Mini Trucks