Tag Archive for: #crossroadschristian

Crossroads Christian School

SportsTalk: John Eason Jr. Letter Of Intent Signing

“I’m not going to play against him” was one of the comments John Eason Sr. had about his son, John Eason Jr.  The younger Eason will be playing next season at Central Carolina Community College now that he is wrapping up his senior season at Crossroads Christian. He signed his letter of intent at the school today (Wednesday) continuing a journey that began when the senior Eason taught him how to hold a basketball over his head at age five.

“He feels like a son to me,” Crossroads basketball coach Scottie Richardson said. “He’s one of those guys you love to have in the locker room,” Richardson continued. Richardson said Eason does the little things needed to win and described him as a team player. Eason started the season on the bench but by the end of the season he had worked his way into the starting lineup.

Central Carolina Community College coach Lamont Whitaker was on hand for the signing and said his interest in Eason stemmed from a call from Richardson who told him there was someone he needed to see. Whitaker watched Eason play three times when he decided he had seen enough and felt Eason was someone Central Carolina needed. “He has the physique. He gets after it and gets rebounds,” Whitaker said of what he saw in those three games. Eason was also impressed by Central Carolina as he liked the atmosphere, the school and the campus.

While the senior Eason may have helped him learn the moves and skills of being a basketball player, his mother was not about to be left out of helping her son either.  Beverly Eason also played basketball and played with her son. She tried to help him with his hook shot hoping he would be as good at it as the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar but she joked that her son hasn’t quite got the shot down to her satisfaction yet.

John Eason Sr. also said that the education side of college is equally as important as basketball. “Get the book work together and you can go anywhere you want to go.”

Before Eason signed his letter of intent he told WIZS’ Trey Snide that without Crossroads Christian he wouldn’t be in the position he is now. Then with a stroke of the gold pen brought along for the occasion, Eason signed his letter of intent with thunderous applause from his team, friends and family. Congratulations to John Eason Jr. on signing to play college basketball with Central Carolina Community College.

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Crossroads Christian School

SportsTalk: Gladieux Signs To Play For Trine University

“If somebody gives you an opportunity to follow your dream, that’s amazing,” Ryan Gladieux said at his son’s Letter of Intent signing at Crossroads Christian as part of today’s SportsTalk show on WIZS.  Mason Gladieux, a 6’3″ senior guard with the Colts, will be playing college ball next season for Trine University in Angola, Indiana.

Two years ago, Mason was at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh. He and his family had never heard of Henderson or Crossroads Christian but when Cardinal Gibbons made a “no school, no sports” decision because of Covid 19 his family decided to look for another school so Mason would not miss a year of basketball.  After Mason’s father, who is former player at Stetson, did some research, met with Crossroads Head Coach and Athletic Director Scotty Richardson, and visited the school, it was decided that Mason and Crossroads would make an excellent fit. It was Richardson’s idea of not wanting to win today but to have someone to build a program around that convinced the Gladieux’s that Crossroads was the right school for Mason.

“He’s the model player. He can play all five positions,” Richardson said of Gladieux. “His impact on campus and in basketball and crosscountry is tough to put into words,” Richardson continued. Gladieux won a state championship in crosscountry this past season at Crossroads and now he and the team are looking to do the same thing in basketball. Crossroads will first have to bring home the conference championship. That tournament begins in a few days. A state championship would be a great way for Gladieux to end his high school career but he has to battle through an ankle injury that has hampered him this season.

“I loved the campus,” Mason said of Trine University. His mother, Brittney, said the family has roots in Indiana and that with Mason choosing Trine it feels somewhat like he is going home. She said Trine feels a lot like Crossroads. Trine is a division 3 school but that isn’t a concern for Mason’s father, Ryan. “This school isn’t offering you a destination. They are offering you a beginning,” Ryan said.  Trine was the number two team in the country last season in Division 3 basketball.

Congratulations to Mason Gladieux on signing to Trine University.

SportsTalk can be heard Monday through Friday at 1pm on WIZS 1450am, 100.1fm and online at wizs.com.