Tag Archive for: #jfwebbhighschool

SportsTalk: Thomas Works At Rebuilding JF Webb Sports

During his first year as athletic director for J.F. Webb High School, Keith Thomas has certainly faced some challenges.  The school was unable to field a baseball team this season due to a lack of players but Thomas is hopeful this will change.  “We have a JV team this year and next year those kids can move up,” Thomas said on Thursday’s SportsTalk.

Building J.F. Webb’s programs back up is all about relationships Thomas said. “Community outreach and putting a good product on the field will help us build relationships,” Thomas added. “We want to win but win the right way,” he continued.

The track team is doing well this season.  “I like our kids.  They have a positive attitude,” Thomas said.  He was with the track team in Louisburg for a meet on Thursday.

Softball is also on its way back after two years without a team and the numbers are growing.  Football is also bringing in more student athletes as well.  Thomas was an assistant football coach with the Warriors before taking over as athletic director.  This is Thomas’ first AD job and he says it has been an interesting learning experience.  “I’ve picked up a lot on the fly,” Thomas said of his first year.

 

 

Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Vipers Tangle With Warriors For Final Regular Season Game

With the Vance Co. Vipers assured of a playoff spot and at least a share of the conference championship, one could think that the Vipers would be taking it easy in the final regular season finale Friday night against the J.F. Webb Warriors. One could also be wrong. Coming off a dominant performance last week at a rain soaked Carrboro, the Vipers want to finish the regular season at 10-0 and not share the conference championship but win it outright. “We’ve had a good week of practice,” head coach Aaron Elliott said on Thursday’s SportsTalk. That may be a bit of “coach speak” that one expects but Coach Elliott isn’t letting the Vipers relax. “We needed to clean some things up on defense,” Elliott said referring to how Carrboro was able to use a short passing game to move the ball. Win or lose, the Vipers are in the playoffs. “We won’t know who we are playing until lunchtime on Saturday,” Elliott stated. The Vipers can’t look past an improved J.F. Webb team though. “They are disciplined, it’s Senior night and it’s a rivalry,” said Elliott.

J.F. Webb Head Coach Keionte Gainey echoes Elliott’s feelings about the rivalry. He knows, even in his first year at Webb, that the rivalry is important. Gainey only has a handful of seniors on his team and has, much like Coach Elliot has done at Vance County, turned the J.F. Webb program around. Webb is 5-4 this season. “It’s the most wins we’ve had since 2010,” Gainey said on Sports Talk Thursday. While that is impressive, what may be more impressive is that his players have increased their GPA from 1.9 to 3.0. He credits the team’s improvements both on and off the field to players, teachers, administration and community buying into his program.

Expect a packed house Friday night at J.F. Webb High School in Oxford. WIZS’ live coverage will begin around 6:50 p.m. immediately following the Joy Christian Center broadcast with Bill Harris and Doc Ayscue on Vance County Friday Night Football.

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SportsTalk: Mize Goes Out On Top At Webb??

While Lisa Mize is definitely on top, the question is whether she is actually going to retire. Mize was a guest on SportsTalk on Thursday, and she said it is not yet set in stone, but her plans are to fold up the volleyball net. Mize was recently named as North Carolina 2A Volleyball Coach of The Year at J.F. Webb High School. The Warriors made it into the second round of the state playoffs this season.

Mize has served as JV and varsity head coach at Webb for many years, and she’s watched the girls grow up. “I’ve taught some of them in elementary school,” Mize said.”  She continued, “The seniors are why I came back this year.”  She was recently honored for her achievements by the Granville County School Board for her service in the school system.

“It’s very hard to step away.  I’ll miss the girls, but I won’t miss the long hours,” Mize said. She said she will keep up with her players and expects a few road trips to watch some of them play in college, but when pressed about whether she will actually retire she said, “Nothing’s final. Nothing is in stone.”  While she may have ideas of retirement, her players have other ideas. “They are begging me to stay,” Mize said.

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TownTalk: Webb Boosters Raise Funds, Brick By Brick

A pile of bricks has sat outside the J.F. Webb High School gym for the last couple of years, but they’ll soon serve their purpose, according to Webb Booster Club member Caroline Burnette.

That pile of bricks is becoming the foundation for a fundraiser that had been put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Burnette spoke with John C. Rose on Tuesday’s TownTalk to explain the project, which involves the purchase of engraved bricks.

The booster club is raising money for the school’s athletic teams and Burnette encourages Webb alumni, businesses and others in the community to be a part of the project.

Visit polarengraving.com/jfwebb to learn more or contact the booster club at jfwebbboosterclub@gmail.com.

Webb’s masonry students are going to install the donated red bricks outside the gymnasium. As the gray-colored bricks are purchased and engraved, a red brick will be taken up and replaced with the engraved brick, Burnette said.

“We can sell as many as we want,” she said, adding that once the first space is full, the plan is to move to areas near the football field and the baseball field on campus.

“This is a lasting opportunity – it’s going to be there for a really long time,” she said.

There are three price levels, depending on the size of brick purchased, she explained.

A 4 x 8 brick is $100, an 8 x 8 brick is $150 and the largest size brick is $225. In addition to having names engraved, there are hundreds of different images to choose from as well.

Burnette said some of the school’s sports teams are in dire need of new equipment and uniforms and this fundraiser will help to address some of those needs.

“It’s time to really support our kids,” Burnette said. “Please support our students at J.F. Webb.”

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SportsTalk: Tharp Has Settled In As AD Of JF Webb

It was Alex Tharp’s long-term goal to become athletic director at JF Webb High School in Oxford, but he thought that might happen a couple of years down the road. “The opportunity came earlier,” Tharp said. Tharp replaces Mike Carroll who is still at the school helping Tharp in his new position.

Of course, like so many ADs, Tharp is also a coach. He’s the head man for Webb’s varsity men’s basketball program. The Warriors are currently 7-9 on the season. The team started off hot but cooled recently. A win this week over Science and Math by the score of 77-47 has Tharp feeling good about the program. “We put it all together for an entire game,” Tharp said of the Warrior’s victory.

Some of the recent losses were to bigger 4A schools and that was by design according to Tharp. The idea was to schedule tough games early so the team would sharpen its skills for conference play. “We are figuring stuff out,” Tharp said of the Warriors.  That fits in with his goal for the season of stringing together a few wins which likely will come with the improved play Tharp hopes to see through the remainder of the season.

Friday, January 14th will see the Warriors taking on county rival Granville Central in a conference match up. Tharp says Granville Central is playing well. It should be a terrific 32 minutes of basketball tomorrow night in Granville County.

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Area Students Make All-Conference Teams in Multiple Sports

The Northern Lakes 2A/3A Athletic Conference has announced All-Conference awards for football, volleyball, cross-country and men’s soccer.  Several local student-athletes have been honored for their athletic accomplishments. For football Vance County High School’s Omari Allen was named Lineman of the Year as well as All Conference. Other Vance County High All Conference players were Isman Alston, Davion Vines Holder, Israel Terry, Taeshawn Alston and Nazir Garrett. Carl Stephens III, Nathaniel Durham and Chris Jones were honorable mentions.  Granville Central won the sportsmanship award and Ashton Applewhite and Trenton Harrington received all conference honors with Corey Baird, Ryan Johnson and Isaiah Sasser receiving honorable mentions. South Granville’s Malachi Batchelor, Khawan Bobbit, Neo Hunter, Ian Lipsey and Micah Wilkerson were named to the all-conference team and JF Webb’s Javon Bullock, Ikeem Hunt and Jaheim Hartsfield also made the all-conference team with Kaelen Smith, Logan Bowen and Alex Bridges receiving honorable mentions.

For Volleyball, Courtney Williams of JF Webb took player of the year honors with Granville Central winning the sportsmanship award. All Conference players for JF Webb, in addition to Williams, were Chapman Burnette, Megan Newton, Carly McGhee and Hailey Cowan with Terri Sanford and LaShawnti Howard receiving honorable mentions. South Granville’s Samantha Piotrowski, Megan Ellis and Madison Staton made the all-conference team with Destini Bland receiving an honorable mention. Vance County High School’s Jalea Taylor was the only Viper to make the volleyball all conference team. Granville Central also only had one all-conference player, Alexa Riley with Hannah Lynch and Ayani Bagley receiving honorable mentions.

In Cross-Country, Vance County High School won the Sportmanship Award. Boy’s all-conference runners were Lane Prochaska and Derek Morales from Granville Central while Nataly Diluccia, also of Granville Central, was named to the girl’s cross-country all-conference team.

In Men’s soccer, Granville Central received the Sportsmanship award with Timothy King Navez, Jeffery Castro and Kevin Rios all representing the school on the all-conference team. Connor Rice and Terrance Alston represented JF Webb.  Jason Carroll and Carter Scott, from South Granville and Fernando Martinez Zuniga and Waseem Hadi of Vance Co. High School rounded out the local players on the men’s soccer all conference team.

Vance Charter School’s Men’s soccer team also received awards from their conference: Matthew Breedlove was named Co-keeper of the year. Hagan Hill, Ryan Parker, Jacob Seaman and Wyatt Yount were all named to the all-conference team with honorable mentions going to Braydan Earnhardt, Christian Lopez and Davis Suther. Vance Charter also received the sportsmanship award.

Congratulations to all of the players on their accomplishments this year.

JF Webb High School Hires Lamont Robinson as Head Football Coach

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-Press Release, Granville County Public Schools

JF Webb High School recently announced the hiring of its new high school football coach, Mr. Lamont Robinson. A Washington D.C. native, Lamont Robinson played high school football at H.D. Woodson High School, before he transferred his junior year to Duval High School in Lanham, MD.

JF Webb High School recently announced the hiring of its new high school football coach, Mr. Lamont Robinson. (Photo courtesy GCPS)

After his high school graduation, Coach Robinson served two years in the United States Navy. He was stationed on the USS Eisenhower based out of Norfolk, VA, and he served in the Aviation Fuels Division. After completing his military obligation, Coach Robinson enrolled in Prince George’s Community College and then transferred to Salisbury University where he majored in English and Education. At SU, Coach Robinson was a four-year letterman on the Seagulls football team.

After his college graduation, he became a teacher and head junior varsity football coach at Amelia County High School in Amelia, VA. Since then, Coach Robinson has served in a variety of coaching roles in North Carolina, including Saint Augustine’s College, S.E. Raleigh High School, Riverside High School and Warren County.

In 2008, Coach Robinson also became the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Phoenix, a member of the Independent Women’s Football League (IWFL). Lamont Robinson will be entering his twentieth year as a football coach this season.

Coach Robinson is excited about the opportunity to become the head football coach at J.F. Webb High School. Coach Robinson is also a father of a 12-year-old son, Mason Robinson.

JF Webb High School Principal Amy Rice offered her remarks, stating, “We are so excited to welcome Coach Robinson to the Warrior family. We look forward to the leadership he will provide our students on and off the field. We anticipate many successful seasons with him in this role.”

J.F. Webb Wrestling Team to Hold Fish Fry Fundraiser

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The J.F. Webb Wrestling team will hold a Fish Fry Fundraiser in the Roses’ parking lot in Oxford, NC, on Friday, October 18, 2019. Fish plates will be available from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.

The $8 plates include two pieces of fish, boiled potatoes, green beans, bread and drink.

Tickets are available for purchase prior to or day of the event.

Please call George Kittrell at (434) 446-3921 or Rebecca Kittrell at (919) 690-5687 with additional questions or to purchase tickets.

A New Look for JF Webb High School’s Mascot & Logo

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-Press Release, Granville County Public Schools

Big changes are underway at JF Webb High School.  New staff, newly renovated facilities, and a new instructional focus are all on the way. These updates, new ideas and student-focused changes will bring exciting new opportunities for the community.  But something folks may notice first is the school’s new look…

A school’s mascot can mean a lot, and not just to current students and past alumnae, but to the community at large. A high school mascot often embodies the spirit and personality of a school, depicting a real sense of what a school is about.

For more than 50 years at JF Webb High School, the mascot of the “Warrior” has come to signify courage, strength and overcoming adversity. Being a warrior means being tough and triumphant. While this meaning has stayed true, the actual artwork or logo that represents the warrior has seen some changes over time.

J.F. Webb High School graduates prior to 2004 know that the Warrior mascot was a Native American Warrior. If you ask the most recent 2019 Webb graduates to describe what their Warrior looks like, the majority would be unable to do so. They would likely tell you their school’s logo is simply the letters “JFW.”

Most are unfamiliar with “Wally” the futuristic Warrior that replaced the Native American Warrior around 2004 when most schools in the state of North Carolina, in an effort to be more culturally sensitive, redesigned their Native American Warrior mascots. Over the years, “Wally” has faded into the background and Webb’s logo became its initials.

When the school board voted to merge J.F. Webb and J.F. Webb School of Health and Life Science in 2020-21, a redesign committee consisting of administrators, teachers, students and parents was created. One of the first suggestions that the redesign committee made was to design and select a new Warrior mascot/log design.

Mrs. Amy Rice, Principal of J.F. Webb shared, “I believe it was important to the committee, especially the students, to move forward with a new mascot design that embodies the pride that we want all students and our community to have in J.F. Webb.  We wanted a mascot and logo that students and athletes would proudly wear and promote.”

After reviewing a variety of possible ideas, Webb narrowed down its mascot and shield logo ideas with help from a graphic design company that has experience working for school districts on similar projects.

With the help of 1988 JFW alumni Grey Blackwell, some final touches were added to provide the finished product that everyone on the committee was pleased with.

While the school campus is receiving extensive physical upgrades, including a new HVAC system, fresh paint, new furniture and security upgrades, big changes are underway on the academic side as well. All of the current Biomedical Science courses offered through JFW HLS will continue, with plans for expanded offerings in Career and Technical courses, as well as college level courses offered through VGCC.

As part of the overall redesign of the school, Principal Rice looks forward to rolling out the new Warrior look, explaining, “I’m a proud graduate of J.F. Webb, and I hope that our new mascot and logo will help all of our students hold dear to the phrase ‘Warrior Pride.’ JF Webb High School is on the move!  If you haven’t stopped by recently, come give us a visit and I will be happy to give you a personal tour of the NEW and IMPROVED Warrior Country.”

2019 Salute to Student-Athletes Big Success For NCSHOF

-Press Release, Granville County Public Schools

A total of 219 student-athletes from all over North Carolina and their chaperones were among the participants in the 2019 North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame’s Salute To Student-Athlete Program.

The program recognizes students from across the state and exposes them to the many positive lessons to be learned from North Carolina’s outstanding sports heritage.

A total of 31 different schools from 21 different counties across the state were represented by the student-athletes who attended the program. Eight students from JF Webb High School attended the event and were sponsored through the Oxford Rotary Club on behalf of Bart Cleary, DDS and Joe Johnson of Builder’s Services.

Eight students from JF Webb High School attended the 2019 North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame’s Salute To Student-Athlete event. The participants were sponsored through the Oxford Rotary Club on behalf of Bart Cleary, DDS and Joe Johnson of Builder’s Services. (Photo courtesy Granville Co. Public Schools)

The two-day event included a special reception and attendance at ceremonies where the newest class of inductees to the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame was inducted at the Raleigh Convention Center. The following day, the student-athletes toured the state’s hall of fame exhibition at the North Carolina Museum of History and participated in a seminar involving some of North Carolina’s most celebrated sports figures.

Speakers at the seminar included former UNC-Chapel Hill basketball star Phil Ford and current major league baseball umpire Joe West. There was also a special panel discussion featuring several members of the NCSHOF, including Ford, West, Dee Kantner, Eddie Bridges and Paul Miller.

The student-athletes were invited to sign up for Hall Pass, a free program that offers special opportunities. Each Hall Pass member receives interesting information about the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame and the state’s sports heritage, including a monthly newsletter and special features in advance before the general public. Any student-athlete can sign up to become a Hall Pass member by visiting www.ncshof.org and clicking on Hall Pass.

North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame members inducted this year included golfer Davis Love III, NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt, Jr; former pro football player and renowned artist Ernie Barnes, former high school coaches Thell Overman and Willie Bradshaw, hunting and fishing icon Eddie Bridges, college football coach Rod Broadway, athletic administrators Gene Corrigan and Neill McGeachy, high school and college wrestling coach Steve Gabriel, basketball official Dee Kantner and college football standout Paul Miller.