Granville Chamber to host 3rd annual golf tournament

/by

The Granville County Chamber of Commerce is hosting its 3rd Annual Golf Tournament Thursday, June 9th, at Henderson Country Club, 300 Country Club Drive, Henderson.  Registration will begin at 12 noon, with a 1:00 pm shotgun start for the 4-man Captain’s Choice tournament.

Corporate sponsorships of $450 offer a hole sponsorship and a 4-man team.  Hole sponsors are $100, and individual players pay $100 to play.  All players receive 18 holes of golf w/cart, dinner and concessions.  Mulligans and tee busters will be $10 per player.

There will be contests for 50/50 raffle, closest to the pin challenge, longest drive and hole-in-one shootout.  Prizes and participant goodie bags are being provided by local Chamber members. Volunteers are needed throughout the afternoon of June 9th, beginning at 12 noon.  Time slots are 12 noon ‘til 2:30 pm and 2:30 ‘til 5 pm.  Come enjoy the afternoon with golfers, Henderson Country Club staff and other Chamber volunteers for this, the third annual event.

Please contact the Chamber to play in the tournament or to volunteer – Toni Anne at 919.528.4994, tawheeler@granville-chamber.com or Wanda at 919.693.6125, wanda@granville-chamber.com.

 

Kersey Coordinator of BB Officials @theACC

/by

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 19, 2016
@theACC

https://theacc.co/mbb16kersey0419

ACC NAMES BRYAN KERSEY COORDINATOR OF MEN’S BASKETBALL OFFICIATING

GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference announced today that long-time collegiate basketball official Bryan Kersey has been named the league’s Coordinator of Men’s Basketball Officiating.

For the past 30 years, Kersey has served as an NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Official, and has been a regular in both the ACC and NCAA Tournaments. Overall, he has officiated in 20 NCAA Tournaments, including six Regionals, three Regional Finals and the 2015 NCAA Final Four. He has officiated 27 years in the ACC and has worked 21 ACC Tournaments, including seven championship games, and has called four NIT Finals.

“I am pleased to have Bryan step into this role as he brings a wealth of on court experience, superb knowledge surrounding all aspects of officiating the college game, and excellent professional business and management experiences,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “He grew up around officiating as his dad, Jess, was a 33-year official in the NBA. He is a man of integrity and has earned great respect throughout the ACC and nationally from his peers, coaches and administrators. He has the opportunity to further enhance our officiating program from a technology perspective, a teaching perspective, and most importantly, on the floor.”

“Bryan has demonstrated throughout his career a caring and respectful attitude towards college basketball and its communities,” said Paul Brazeau, ACC Senior Associate Commissioner for Men’s Basketball. “His long-time love for the game, and officiating in particular, remains evident. The ACC and all those affiliated with college basketball will be strengthened through Bryan’s stewardship and dedication.”

In addition to his ACC affiliation, Kersey has also officiated in the Big East, Big 12, American, Atlantic 10 and Colonial Conferences. A resident of Carrollton, Virginia, he is the president of Kersey, Sealey, Clark & Associates in Newport News, Virginia.

About the ACC

The Atlantic Coast Conference, now in its 63rd year of competition and 15 members strong, has long enjoyed the reputation as one of the strongest and most competitive intercollegiate conferences in the nation. ACC members Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest continue to build upon the cornerstones on which the league was founded in 1953 with a consistent balance of academics, athletics and integrity. For more information, visit theACC.com and follow @theACC on Twitter and on facebook.com/theACC.

Brunnhoelzl Wins NWSMT Race; Thaxton, Bowling Split LMSC Twinbill

/by

George Brunnhoelzl III picked up his second win of the season on the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour Saturday afternoon, winning the South Boston 150 at South Boston Speedway.

The West Babylon, New York resident took the lead from Andy Seuss with 26 laps to go and sped to a 1.237-second win over Burt Myers of Walnut Cove, North Carolina.

Seuss, of Hampstead, New Hampshire, finished third, with Kyle Bonsignore of Bay Shore, New York and Danny Bohn of Freehold, New Jersey rounding out the top five finishers.

There were six lead changes among four drivers, with Brunnhoelzl leading 68 of the race’s 150 laps.

Brunnhoelzl averaged 77.060 mph in the race that was slowed by three cautions that consumed 14 laps.

Thaxton, Bowling Top Field In Late Model Stock Car Division Twinbill

Defending South Boston Speedway NASCAR Whelen All American Series Late Model Stock Car Division Champion Matt Bowling of Ridgeway, Virginia and South Boston, Virginia resident Austin Thaxton split wins Saturday in twin 75-lap NASCAR Whelen All American Series Late Model Stock Car Division races.

Bowling now has won three of the season’s first five Late Model Stock Car Division races at South Boston Speedway, with Thaxton having won the other two.

Thaxton started fifth in the first race and took the lead from Bobby McCarty of Summerfield, North Carolina on lap 49 and survived two restarts in the last four laps to hold off McCarty for the win.

Defending NASCAR Whelen All American Series National Champion Lee Pulliam of Alton, Virginia was battling McCarty for second place on the final lap when contact between the two cars sent Pulliam’s car into a spin in the second turn, forcing the oncoming cars behind him to have to scramble to avoid hitting him.

Former NASCAR Whelen All American Series National Champion Peyton Sellers of Danville, Virginia avoided Pulliam’s spinning car and finished third, with Mark Wertz of Chesapeake, Virginia and Danny Willis Jr. of South Boston, Virginia rounding out the top five finishers.

Pulliam’s car was not damaged in the mishap, and he recovered to finish 13th.

Bowling started eighth in the second race after having finished in that spot in the opener, and threaded his way through the pack to take the lead from four-time NASCAR Whelen All American Series National Champion Philip Morris of Ruckersville, Virginia on lap 63.

With no cautions to hinder the action the rest of the way, Bowling held on and sped across the finish line .760-second ahead of Morris to take the win.

Pulliam started 13th in the nightcap and raced his way to a third-place finish, with Thaxton finishing fourth and Landon Huffman rounding out the top five finishers.

There were four lead changes among four drivers in the first 75-lap race and three lead changes among four drivers in the second 75-lap race.

Garnett Wins Hornets Division Race

Todd Garnett of Drakes Branch, Virginia took the lead from Kevin Currin of Chase City, Virginia on the fifth lap and won Saturday’s 15-lap Budweiser Hornets Division race.

Kenny Mills of Alton, Virginia finished second, with Drew Dawson of Nathalie, Virginia, Currin and Justin Dawson of Nathalie, Virginia completing the top five finishers.

Next Race At South Boston Speedway

An action-filled seven-race card will be featured when NASCAR racing returns to South Boston Speedway Saturday night, April 16, with the NASCAR Late Model 100 racing program.

A 100-lap race for the NASCAR Whelen All American Series Late Model Stock Car Division competitors headlines the seven-race card that includes twin 25-lap Limited Sportsman Division races and twin 15-lap Pure Stock Division races. Fans will also see a 50-lap Modified race and a 15-lap Hornets Division race.

Registration opens at 2:30 p.m., pit gates open at 3 p.m. and practice will start at 4 p.m. Grandstand gates open at 5:30 p.m., qualifying starts at6 p.m. and the first race gets the green flag at 7 p.m.

Adult General Admission tickets are $10 each, with youth ages 7-12 admitted for $5 and kids ages six and under being admitted free with a paid adult.

For additional information about the NASCAR Late Model 100 racing program or any other events at South Boston Speedway, please visit the speedway’s website at www.southbostonspeedway.com or telephone the speedway at 434-572-4947 or 1-877-440-1540.

Allen to Return for Junior Season #GoDuke

/by

April 6, 2016

DURHAM, N.C. – Sophomore All-American Grayson Allen will return to Duke University for his junior season in 2016-17, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski announced Wednesday.

In 71 games in a Duke uniform, Allen has averaged 13.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 40.3 percent from outside the arc and 83.9 percent from the free throw line. He will enter the 2016-17 campaign just 68 points shy of becoming the 65th 1,000-point scorer in program history.

“I talked with my parents and prayed about this decision, and I had the feeling that it was right,” Allen said. “I love Duke and I’ve made relationships with my teammates that will last forever. Coming back next season to play with them is important to me. Earning a Duke degree has always been a dream of mine, so I’ll also be working to get closer to that goal.”

Named a second-team All-American by The Sporting News, a third-team honoree by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and a John R. Wooden Award All-American following his stellar sophomore season, Allen is one of 31 Duke players to earn All-America honors under Krzyzewski’s tutelage.

A psychology major from Jacksonville, Fla., Allen was also honored as a second-team CoSIDA Academic All-American during the 2015-16 campaign.

He is the sixth Duke student-athlete to earn on-court All-America honors and Academic All-America recognition in the same season, joining Mike Gminski (1978, 1979, 1980), Jim Spanarkel (1978, 1979), Shane Battier (2000, 2001), Mike Dunleavy (2002) and Mason Plumlee (2013) in that exclusive group.

“We are thrilled that Grayson will be back with us next season,” said Krzyzewski. “Following the season, he put a lot of thought into an important decision that will impact the rest of his life. In the end, he chose to remain at Duke, where he will pursue an undergraduate degree and develop even more as a man and basketball player. Grayson’s passion and commitment to our school and his teammates have been very apparent in our discussions with him.

“On the court, Grayson is a warrior, as I’ve said many times,” Krzyzewski continued. “He has untapped potential, both on and off the basketball court. I have loved coaching Grayson and I’m going to love coaching him next season.”

Allen led Duke and ranked fifth among major-conference players in scoring with an average of 21.6 points per game. His +17.2-point scoring improvement from a year ago set a new ACC record for year-to-year scoring increase. He scored in double figures 34 times in 36 games this season, including 19 20-point efforts and four games with more than 30 points.

He finished the season on a streak of 25 consecutive games with double-figure points and was not held to fewer than 15 points in 18 regular-season ACC games this season. Allen’s 779 points in 2015-16 were good for seventh place on Duke’s single-season scoring chart, and his scoring average of 21.6 was the 15th-best in a single season in program history.

With 779 points, Allen turned in the second-highest scoring season by a sophomore in Duke history, trailing only the 841 that Jason Williams scored as a sophomore in 2001.

Allen shot 46.6 percent from the floor, a team-high 41.7 percent from three-point range and 83.7 percent from the free throw line. He averaged 4.6 rebounds to go along with team highs of 3.5 assists and 1.3 steals per contest. He averaged 36.6 minutes per game in 2015-16, playing 1,317 minutes to rank 10th on Duke’s single-season chart.

He ranked second in the ACC in scoring, third in minutes played, fourth in three-point percentage and three-pointers per game (2.50), fifth in free throw percentage, eighth in steals (1.31) and 10th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.76).

Allen was just the ninth Duke player to lead the Blue Devils in both scoring and assists in the same season, as well as just the seventh Duke player to average better than 20 points per game and hand out 100 assists in a season. He averaged 7.0 free throw attempts per game on the season, and his 211 made free throws on the campaign tied for the sixth-most in a single season in Duke history.

Allen was named a first-team All-ACC selection by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association (ACSMA) on March 6, giving Duke a first-team all-league member for the 19th time in the last 20 seasons. The following day, he secured first-team All-ACC and Co-Most Improved Player honors from the league’s coaches.

Allen was named a finalist for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, awarded to the National Player of the Year by the USBWA, as well as the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award. He was recognized as an All-District III performer by the USBWA and an All-District 2 honoree by the NABC.

One of the breakout performers of the 2015 NCAA Tournament, Allen helped lead Duke to its fifth NCAA championship with an average of 12.5 points on 50.0 percent shooting in two Final Four games. He was named to the Final Four All-Tournament Team after scoring 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting in the national championship game against Wisconsin, sparking a Duke rally from a nine-point deficit to its second national title of the decade.

For full comments from Grayson Allen, please click here.

#GoDuke

(Press Release provided by Cory Walton, Senior Associate Sports Information Director | Duke Athletics)

Orange County Speedway Media Day 2016 Press Release

/by

Welcome to Orange County Speedway. We are starting our 10th season under the current management, and are pleased to announce exciting renovations that are underway. The main office is being renovated as well as the souvenir stand. OCS will have a new walk-in souvenir stand to offer fans the opportunity to have easy access to touch and feel the products they may want to purchase. We will also be offering a better selection of merchandise to appeal to all ages.

Track owner Melvin Stanley, and Operations Manager, Terry Deal, are making several upgrades to the track to make it a place where fans will have the most enjoyable experience and competitors will appreciate and enjoy their experience as well. “We want to make it a place enjoyable for everyone and a place where everyone will want to return,” said Deal.

Many local favorites are returning in 2016, such as 2014 Late Model Champion Chris Denny. Former champions Chuck Lawson and Terry Dease will throw their hat into the mix in 2016. Also returning is former Late Model competitor Tripp Massengill. Defending champion Craig Moore will be making periodic appearances throughout 2016, along with Layne Riggs.

Chris Elliott, Daniel Schadt, Dennis Sargent, Daryl Carver, and the Gray brothers are just a few names which will be running in the Limited Sportsman division. Defending Street Stock champion Jared Gillis will be returning to run for another Street Stock championship. Other Street Stock notables are the Purnell brothers and Jeffrey Martin, who is moving up from Super Mini Trucks, along with local favorite Scoot Hayden.

The Pure Stock and Super Mini Truck classes are growing and Orange County Speedway is expecting new competitors from Virginia and North Carolina. Danny Winstead has announced that he will be defending his Pure Stock title.

OCS is pleased to announce that the Modified Four Cylinder division will be running seven races this year with series sponsorship from Smokey Dave’s BBQ.

We are also running an open-wheel modified division with series sponsorship to be announced soon.

With new divisions, sponsorships, staff members, competitors, and renovations, everyone at OCS is excited about the 2016 season.

The first race of 2016 for Orange County Speedway is this Saturday, April 9th. Qualifying begins at five, and the first race begins at seven.

VGCC to hold 32nd Benefit Golf Tournament on May 3rd

/by

Vance-Granville Community College’s 32nd Annual Endowment Fund Golf Tournament, presented by Union Bank, will be held at the Henderson Country Club on Tuesday, May 3, 2016. All event proceeds support the mission of the college, the Endowment Fund and student scholarships.

With the support of numerous golfers and sponsors, the annual event has raised more than $650,000 since its inception in 1985. The 2015 tournament alone generated a record-breaking $100,318.

This year’s morning and afternoon rounds will begin with shotgun starts at 8 a.m. and at 1 p.m. The afternoon round is sold out, but there are openings in the morning round.

The format is four-person “Captain’s Choice Super Ball.” Golfers can form their own teams of four, or sign up and be put on a team. Teams will be handicapped based on handicaps supplied by each player. Trophies will be awarded for first through third place teams in both rounds. Other awards will be given for “closest to the pin” and “longest drive.”

A hole-in-one on Hole 9 will be rewarded with a 2016 Toyota Avalon, courtesy of Toyota of Henderson, while a player who hits a hole-in-one on Hole 16 will win a 2016 Mahindra 1533 Tractor with Loader, courtesy of Vanco Outdoor Equipment.

Other special bonus prizes for both holes-in-one include PING golf clubs and bag (Hole 4), an iPod Touch and gift card (Hole 9) and an HDTV (Hole 11). Even if there is no hole-in-one, there will be special prizes for the golfer who comes closest to the pin on these holes.

The cost for one golfer to enter the tournament is $150. In either round, that fee includes greens fees, cart, meals, gift bag, and practice balls.

A light breakfast, lunch, and dinner (immediately following the afternoon round) will be served in the HCC clubhouse. A silent auction and door prize drawings will be held in conjunction with dinner.

Businesses and individuals can take advantage of sponsorship opportunities at various levels. Businesses may also donate products or premium items featuring the company’s logo to be placed in golfers’ gift bags, or to be given as door prizes.

For more information, contact Kay Currin at currink@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3409.

Former Dallas Cowboy addresses VGCC students

/by

A former NFL defensive lineman visited the Main Campus of Vance-Granville Community College on March 16 and spoke to students, faculty and staff about his experiences and the keys to success.

Greg Ellis spoke in the VGCC Civic Center for an hour-long presentation that was sponsored by the college’s Male Mentoring Program. That program’s co-coordinator, VGCC Academic and Career Coach Anthony Pope, was Ellis’ middle school football coach in Wendell, his hometown.

Ellis recalled that Pope “was the first coach who saw athletic potential in me” and that middle school was where his football career began. Ellis graduated from East Wake High School and went on to become an All-ACC player and second team All-American at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He graduated as the school’s all-time sack leader, even surpassing Lawrence Taylor. He earned a degree in communications studies at UNC.

Drafted as the eighth pick in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, Ellis was later selected for the 2007 Pro Bowl. He suffered an Achilles tendon injury that was thought to be a career-ender, but returned to the field and was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2007. Ellis played his final season with the Oakland Raiders before retiring in 2010. Today, he is the father of three children and CEO of his Texas-based multimedia production company, Play Now Enterprises.

In his remarks to VGCC students, Ellis started by focusing on “RTP,” which for him stand not for Research Triangle Park, but for “Rules, Tools and Preparation.” He explained that we all must take the time to learn the rules that govern any endeavor in order to succeed. Second come the tools. “I believe that God has put tools in all of us that will allow us to be successful,” Ellis said. “It’s up to us to figure out what those tools are, and then be willing to develop those tools. You want to become a master at whatever you are doing.” Finally, success requires preparation. “Are you willing to prepare?” Ellis asked. “That’s where most people get lost. They’re not willing to put the time and effort into becoming a good football player or a good student or a good coach or whatever it is you want to do. Most people aren’t willing to pay the price.”

Ellis went on to outline for his audience the stages of motivation, inspiration and manifestation. “Motivation is not enough,” he said. “Motivation helps us to get started, but it won’t propel us to the end.” Motivation can turn into inspiration, he explained. “Inspiration means you sacrifice and work hard, and that’s what makes you successful,” Ellis said, citing the example of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. “Jerry functions out of inspiration,” he said. “He’s a man who’s willing to burn the midnight oil.” Only through inspiration can anyone experience the manifestation of success, Ellis maintained.

One of his recent projects has been “Carter High,” a feature film based on a true story of a high school football team in Texas. Ellis was the executive producer of the movie, which stars Charles S. Dutton, Vivica Fox and David Banner. He played the film’s trailer for the VGCC audience. “It’s not just about football, it’s about making the right choices and the consequences of the decisions you make,” Ellis explained.

Supported by a grant from the N.C. Community College System, the VGCC Male Mentoring program involves an active, intensive, and engaging process of academic coaching and case management to help male students succeed. For more information on the mentoring program, contact Anthony Pope at popea@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3395, or Greg Nash at nashg@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3305.

Bowling Sweeps South Boston Speedway Opener

/by

Matt Bowling had a big day in Saturday’s season-opening Danville Toyota NASCAR Whelen Late Model Twin 100’s racing program – a very big day.

The defending South Boston Speedway NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stock Car Division champion swept both of the day’s 100-lap NASCAR Whelen All American Series Late Model Stock Car Division races on a day that saw 31 cars take the green flag for the opening race, the largest field of cars for an opening-day race in several years.

Bowling survived a dramatic three-wide battle with South Boston, Virginia resident Austin Thaxton and C.E. Falk of Virginia Beach, Virginia to claim the first race after being in third place in the running order with seven laps to go.

Bobby McCarty of Summerfield, North Carolina finished second, a scant .635-second behind Bowling, with Thaxton finishing third, Danny Willis Jr. of Cluster Springs, Virginia finishing fourth and Peyton Sellers of Danville, Virginia rounding out the top five finishers.

In the nightcap, Bowling started sixth after a drawing for an inverted start and drove through the field to challenge Thaxton after the halfway point of the race. Twice Bowling appeared to have a run on Thaxton for the lead only to have his effort thwarted by lapped traffic.

Lapped traffic ultimately was Bowling’s friend as he was able to use the car driven by Charles Barnes as a pick to help him get by Thaxton on lap 93. Defending national champion Lee Pulliam of Alton, Virginia, who started 18th in the second race after having finished 18th in the first race as the result of a late-race tangle with Falk, also took advantage of the slower car to slip past Thaxton and took over second place.

Pulliam attempted to run down Bowling at the end, but came up short, finishing .685-second behind Bowling. Thaxton finished third, Josh Oakley of Rougemont, North Carolina finished fourth and Sellers finished fifth.

Throckmorton Wins Limited Sportsman race

Joey Throckmorton of South Boston, Virginia got his 2016 season off to a good start by winning the 50-lap NASCAR Limited Sportsman Division race.

Throckmorton won the pole, lost the lead briefly to Calvin Meadows of Martinsville, Virginia, but regained the lead from Meadows on the 20th circuit and held the top spot the rest of the way.

Mason Diaz finished second, just over a second behind Throckmorton, with David Latour, Jr. of Advance, North Carolina, Tommy Peregoy of Clarksville, Virginia and Daniel Moss of Danville, Virginia completing the top five finishers.

Layne Takes Win In Budweiser Pure Stock Division

Johnny Layne of Nathalie, Virginia got a leg up on the start of his season Saturday, taking the win in the 30-lap race for the Budweiser Pure Stock Division.

Layne led all but the opening lap en-route to scoring his first victory of the season. Bruce Mayo of Halifax, Virginia took the runner-up spot, with Scott Phillips of Halifax, Virginia, Tyler Conner of Scottsburg, Virginia and Jimmy Wade of Halifax, Virginia completing the top five finishers.

Humblet Wins Modified Division Opener

Former South Boston Speedway Modified Division Champion Jimmy Humblet of Shiloh, North Carolina won the season-opening 50-lap Modified Division race.

Humblet took the lead on lap 26 and drove to a 1.485-second win over Robert Conner of Colonial Heights, Virginia. Matt Slye of Williamsburg, Virginia finished third, with Robbie Babb of Chesapeake, Virginia and Chris Humblet of Shiloh, North Carolina completing the top five finishers.

Kirstin Simmons Scores First Career Win In Hornets Division

For Kirstin Simmons of LaCrosse, Virginia, Saturday’s season-opening race at South Boston Speedway marked a milestone.

Simmons scored her first career win in the Budweiser Hornets Division, and did it in style, going flag-to-flag for the victory.

Justin Dawson finished second, with Kenny Mills, Jr. of Alton, Virginia finishing third.

Next Race At South Boston Speedway

NASCAR racing returns to South Boston Speedway Saturday afternoon, March 19, with the NASCAR Late Model 100 racing program. A 100-lap race for the NASCAR Whelen All American Series Late Model Stock Car Division highlights the seven-race program.

The afternoon’s seven-race card includes twin 25-lap races for the Limited Sportsman and Modified Divisions, a 30-lap race for the Budweiser Pure Stock Division and a 15-lap race for the Budweiser Hornets Division.

Registration opens at 9:30 a.m., pit gates open at 10 a.m. and practice runs from 11 a.m. until 12 noon. Grandstand gates open at 12:30 p.m., qualifying starts at 1 p.m. and the first race gets the green flag at 2 p.m. Adult admission is $10, with youths ages 7-12 admitted for $5. Kids ages six and under are admitted free with a paid adult.

For additional information about the NASCAR Late Model 100 racing program or any other events at South Boston Speedway, please visit the speedway’s website at www.southbostonspeedway.com or telephone the speedway at 434-572-4947 or 1-877-440-1540.

(The preceding was a press release from South Boston Speedway)

 

VGCC Vanguards to play JV Tar Heels at Dean Dome

/by

For the first time, 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.

Playing against the prestigious program in one of college basketball’s most well-known arenas has been a longtime goal for VGCC head coach Michael Woody, now in his third season. The JV game is set for Saturday, Jan. 16, at 9 a.m. Later that day, the varsity Tar Heels will take on the N.C. State Wolfpack.

Henderson-based radio station WIZS 1450 AM will provide live coverage of the game starting at 8:45 a.m. Even for those outside the range of the radio station, the broadcast can be streamed online at wizs.com/listennow/ or on a smart phone with the free “TuneIn Radio” app.

The Vanguards compete in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II, which includes ten 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. The Tar Heels defeated the Wake Tech Eagles on Dec. 6 by a score of 83-73. Likewise, the Vanguards beat the Eagles by the same margin, 67-57, in VGCC’s season opener on Nov. 6.

VGCC is 1-1 versus the junior varsity squads from four-year schools so far this season. The Vanguards beat the University of Mount Olive JV team on Nov. 8, but lost to the St. Andrews University JV squad on Nov. 16.

Coincidentally, one of the stars of the UNC varsity team, junior Isaiah Hicks, is a former teammate of VGCC sophomore Tyrek Beverly from their days at J.F. Webb High School in Oxford.

Admission is free to the UNC JV game. Attendees must present a valid North Carolina driver’s license at Entry Gate “B” to enter. For more information, call the Smith Center at (919) 962-2296.

Beverly returns to leading role with Vanguards

/by

Vance-Granville Community College sophomore Tyrek Beverly of Oxford scored 23 points Jan. 5 as the Vanguards men’s basketball team faced the University of South Carolina-Salkehatchie. He and his teammates fought hard, but the visiting squad eked out a narrow win, 74-71, at Aycock Recreation Center in Henderson.

As a freshman in 2014-15, Beverly was often the team’s leading scorer, but at the beginning of this season, he was sidelined by an injury and only started to get back on the court in late November. His strong performance versus the USC Salkehatchie Indians marked a return to form for the J.F. Webb High School alumnus. Beverly had three rebounds and two steals, as well. Also scoring in double figures were Raekwon Hall of Raleigh, with 15 points, and Ty’Quon Reid of Durham, with 11. Donal Gooch of Raleigh had the most rebounds (8) for the Vanguards.

VGCC’s last three games of 2015 were also losses. On Nov. 24, the Vanguards fell to the reigning national champions, the Statesmen of Richard Bland College, by a score of 102-81 in Petersburg, Va. Hall and Reid led their team in scoring, with 27 and 25 points, respectively. Reid posted 6 rebounds to lead the Vanguards in that statistic.

On Dec. 2, VGCC returned home and played area rival Louisburg College in the second annual “Vanguard Night” game. Festivities included a DJ, prize drawings and performances by the Vanguard Spirit Pep Squad and a step team from a Granville County youth organization, “Un-Rappin’ the Gift.” After a close first half, the Hurricanes pulled away in the second, winning 89-77. Reid’s 30 points made him the Vanguards’ top scorer. Hall contributed 18 points. Gooch recorded 6 rebounds.

The calendar year ended with a 117-111 double-overtime loss to Central Carolina Community College in Sanford on Dec. 8. Hall put up 35 points, while Beverly showed improvement by scoring 22, just one more point than Reid. Gooch again led in rebounding, with 9.

Upcoming VGCC home games at Aycock Recreation Center are scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 7, at 7 p.m., versus Lenoir Community College, and Wednesday, Jan. 27, at 6:30 p.m., versus Catawba Valley Community College. Admission is free.