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Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Vipers Football Week 5 Recap

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Scout Hughes and Doc Ayscue recap Vance County’s football game against Northeastern last Friday. The guys also talk about other games that happened in high school, college and the NFL.

High School Scores for Week 5:

  • Northeastern 40 Vance County 8
  • Franklinton 35 Riverside Durham 7
  • Hillside Durham 20 Wake Forest 7
  • Holly Springs 23 Heritage 7
  • Knightdale 38 South Granville 35
  • Cary 38 East Wake 20
  • Warren County 28 Nash Central 8
  • Louisburg 23 Beddingfield 18
  • Wake Prep 48 North Edgecombe 0
  • Greensville County (VA) 14 Mecklenburg County (VA) 13

College Scores for Week 4:

  • Central Florida 34 North Carolina 9
  • Duke 45 NC State 33
  • Virginia 48 Stanford 20
  • Virginia Tech 38 Wofford 6
  • BYU 34 East Carolina 13
  • Rice 28 Charlotte 17
  • NC Central 62 NC A&T 20
  • Louisburg College 27 Sussex County CC 9

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SportsTalk: Vipers face off against Northeastern for Friday Matchup

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UPDATE – FINAL SCORE 

Northeastern 40

Vance County 8

RECAP MONDAY ON SPORTSTALK 

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The Vance County Vipers are on the road Friday to face the Northeastern High School Eagles in Elizabeth City.

Vipers Head Coach Aaron Elliott said he and Northeastern Head Coach Antonio Moore have known each other for awhile, and he expects a good matchup.

The 1-3 Vipers, however, are right where Elliott wants them to be as they get ready for conference play.

In preparing for the Eagles, Elliott said this week’s practice has been good. “We’ve had another good week. I really feel like the kids have bought in,” he said. Using data and statistics from the first four games, Elliott and the coaching staff have shown the players how they’ve improved week over week.

“They want to get better, so that’s a positive,” Elliott said.

In last week’s game against Rocky Mount, Elliott said he saw definite improvement. The Vipers had their biggest game on offense so far – a “plus” in the coach’s view, thanks in part to an improved passing game.

“We knew that we had a passing game, we just were waiting for the right time for it to click, Elliott said.

The Vipers’ coaching staff is keen to keep everybody healthy come conference time, and Friday’s game with Northeastern is the last non-conference matchup before the conference games kick in.

If the Vipers can get a couple of stops and get its offense rolling, Elliott said he thinks things will go well Friday.

The Eagles’ quarterback is a real weapon for the Eagles to be aware of. “After Week 4, he’s still the number one quarterback in the state as far as passing,” Elliott said. “They throw the ball real well, so we’ve worked on being able to cover and work on our defensive coverage.” They’ll run when they have to, but ultimately “they like to throw the football and take advantage of what you give them.”

With four games under their belts, the Vipers need to play four quarters of football to put some games in the W column. Elliott said they played a good first half against Rocky Mount but couldn’t keep the momentum going after halftime.

But Elliott isn’t fazed by his team’s record. “We set up this schedule to be tested,” Elliott said. “Getting tested before conference play is important to us. I’ve been telling my guys, we won’t face another team as good as Jordan. We’ve seen the best of the best.”

 

Vance County travels to Northeastern High School for Week 5 of the 2025 season on Friday, September 19th and you can hear all the action on WIZS 1450AM, 100.1FM, and online at wizs.com with pregame starting at 6:50 p.m. and kickoff at 7:00 p.m.

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SportsTalk: Northeastern HS Eagles Host Vance County Vipers Friday Night

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The Vance County Vipers travel to Elizabeth City Friday to play the Northeastern High School Eagles. The Vipers will have a lot of time to think about the 7 p.m. matchup against the 3-1 Eagles – it’s close to a three-hour drive to get to Pasquotank County, tucked up in the northeast corner of the state about 30 miles from the Virginia border.

That’s where Head Coach Antonio Moore is from, it’s where he played college football and that’s where he’s stayed to teach and coach.

Moore told WIZS’s Scout Hughes and Doc Ayscue Wednesday that he’s familiar with teams from Vance County, and he’s positive they’ll come ready to play.

The Eagles have a pretty good quarterback, junior Zak Ishman. “He’s one of the leaders in the state in passing,” Moore said on SportsTalk. The team also has a good D-Line and a host of receivers. “I’m really excited about this team,” he added.

Coming off a win last week, Moore said the team has had one of the best weeks of practice this season to get ready for the 1-3 Vipers.

He and his coaching staff have been preparing the team for the physical game that he said the Vipers will bring.

“They’re very physical, athletic, had a lot of enthusiasm on the sidelines,” Moore said of Vance County teams he’s faced in the past. “The kids play extremely hard. I don’t expect anything less Friday night.”

His team must limit turnovers and penalties if they are to come out with a victory, Moore said. “Our penalties have been off the charts lately.”

Moore said the Eagles’ loss to D.H. Conley a couple of weeks ago may have been just what the team needed to begin creating its own identity. The Eagles lost 22 seniors from last year’s team and had not lost a regular-season game since 2022.

“I think that loss did it for us,” he said. “I’m kinda grateful for that loss. We’re in a good place right now.”

 

Vance County travels to Northeastern High School for Week 5 of the 2025 season on Friday, September 19th and you can hear all the action on WIZS 1450AM, 100.1FM, and online at wizs.com with pregame starting at 6:50 p.m. and kickoff at 7:00 p.m.

 

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SportsTalk: Louisburg College Football Back in the Top 5

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Louisburg College Football Head Coach joins SportsTalk to recap the win against Hudson Valley CC that puts the Hurricanes back in the Top 5. Scout Hughes and Steve Lewis also recap the weekend that was with Minor League Baseball around the state and go over the MLB playoff picture as the season is in its final stretch.

NJCAA DIII Football Rankings:

  1. College of DuPage
  2. North Dakota State College of Science
  3. Minnesota West Community & Technical College
  4. Louisburg College
  5. Hudson Valley Community College

Friday MiLB Scores:

  • Durham Bulls 5 Norfolk 3
  • Omaha 10 Charlotte 1

Saturday MiLB Scores:

  • Double Header
    • Durham Bulls 6 Norfolk 2
    • Norfolk 3 Durham Bulls 1
  • Omaha 8 Charlotte 3

Sunday MiLB Scores:

  • Norfolk 7 Durham Bulls 5
  • Charlotte 8 Omaha 0

Tuesday Games Today:

  • Durham Bulls vs. Charlotte Knights – 6:35pm

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Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Vance County Football Week 4 Recap

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Scout Hughes and Doc Ayscue recap Vance County’s Week 4 game vs. Rocky Mount, as well as some of the other high school games in our area. The guys also talk about the college and NFL games that happened over the weekend.

High School Scores from Week 4:

  • Rocky Mount 41 Vance County 14
  • Louisburg 28 Franklinton 8
  • Wake Forest 42 Wakefield 7
  • Burlington Williams 24 Heritage 0
  • Sanderson 42 Knightdale 39
  • East Wake 28 Bunn 26
  • J.F. Webb 28 Eden Morehead 0
  • Warren County 13 South Granville 6
  • Wake Prep 49 ALA-Johnston 14
  • Amherst County (VA) 19 Mecklenburg County (VA) 0

College Scores around the area in Week 3:

  • NC State 34 Wake Forest 24
  • North Carolina 41 Richmond 6
  • Tulane 34 Duke 27
  • Virginia 55 William & Mary 16
  • Old Dominion 45 Virginia Tech 26 
  • ECU 38 Coastal Carolina 0
  • Charlotte 42 Monmouth 35
  • Southern Miss 38 App State 22
  • North Carolina Central 49 Fayetteville State 19
  • Louisburg College 38 Hudson Valley CC 10

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SportsTalk: Vipers Football gets ready for Rocky Mount

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UPDATE – FINAL SCORE 

Rocky Mount 41

Vance County 14

RECAP MONDAY ON SPORTSTALK 

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As long as your team’s racking up wins, the little mistakes on the field don’t amount to much. That’s what Vance County Vipers Head Coach Aaron Elliott said he and his coaching staff talked about this week – those little mistakes take on greater significance when there are more L’s than W’s.

The 1-2 Vipers host the Rocky Mount Griffons tonight at 7 p.m., and Elliott said practice this week has been good. “The spirit of the guys has been good,” he said. “These kids that we have now, they’re not really used to losing. “

After a tough loss last week to Jordan, Elliott said the team has worked hard in practice to get ready for tonight’s game.

“They’ve done a good job fighting through the adversity and wanting to get better, and wanting to be coachable every day,” he said.

“We just need to clean up the mistakes that we made the last three weeks,” Elliott said. If the team focuses on getting better each week and minimizing the mistakes – like the three turnovers in last week’ game – Elliott is confident that the Vipers will be in good shape tonight.

One player is in a concussion protocol from last week’s game, and Elliott reports that he’s doing well. Other than a sprained ankle, “we kinda got out of there fairly healthy – minus that one scare,” Elliott said, referring to the player who sustained the concussion.

Zion Thornton, who was injured in a pre-season scrimmage, is returning to play.

“He has had a heckuva week of practice,” Elliott said, but his specific role in this week’s game is unclear. Elliott said he wants to limit Thornton’s play just so he can have time to fully heal.

In reviewing film of their next opponent, Elliott said the Rocky Mount roster is loaded with returning starters, which means they’ll be “bigger, faster, stronger.”

The Vipers’ practice included working on keeping the edges contained and playing forced football.

Elliott predicts the Griffons to continue to be a run-heavy team. “I think we did a good job preparing for the run and having an answer for the passes if we need to,” he said of this week’s practice sessions.

Rocky Mount Head Coach Jason Battle is no stranger to Elliott. “I’ve known Coach Battle for a long time,” he explained, adding that they talk over the summer and during football clinics. “Rocky Mount is going to come in well coached, so we’re definitely prepared for that.”

Vance County hosts Rocky Mount for Week 4 of the 2025 season on Friday, September 12th and you can hear all the action on WIZS 1450AM, 100.1FM, and online at wizs.com with pregame starting at 6:50 p.m. and kickoff thereafter at 7:00 p.m.

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SportsTalk: Louisburg College Football vs. HVCC Preview and other Week 3 College Games

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Scout Hughes and George Hoyle have an interview with Louisburg College Football Head Coach Quinderra Spellman to preview their next game against Hudson Valley Community College. The guys also talk about some of the other college games going on for week 3.

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SportsTalk: VCFNF Week 3 Recap

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Scout Hughes and Doc Ayscue recap Week 3 in the High School Football Season. The guys also go over scores from college and the NFL.

High School Scores for Week 3:

  • Jordan 52 Vance County 0
  • Franklinton 26 South Granville 14
  • Millbrook 48 Wake Forest 7
  • Leesville Road 50 Heritage 3
  • Panther Creek 24 Knightdale 21
  • Southeast Raleigh 52 East Wake 7
  • Bunn 71 J.F. Webb 32
  • Louisburg 42 Northampton County 0
  • Wake Prep 54 Pamlico County 8
  • Hopewell (VA) 16 Mecklenburg County (VA) 14

College Scores around our area for Week 2:

  • North Carolina 20 Charlotte 3
  • Illinois 45 Duke 17
  • NC State 35 Virginia 31
  • Wake Forest 42 Western Carolina 10
  • East Carolina 56 Campbell 3
  • App State 20 Lindenwood 13
  • Vanderbilt 44 Virginia Tech 20
  • Old Dominion 54 NC Central 6
  • Presbyterian College JV 39 Louisburg College 29

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SportsTalk: 1-1 Vipers Ready to Face Jordan Falcons Friday

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UPDATE – FINAL SCORE 

Jordan 52

Vance County 0

RECAP MONDAY ON SPORTSTALK 

••••••••••••••••••••••••• 

Vance County Vipers Head Coach Aaron Elliott was able to find something positive in last week’s 33-6 loss to South Granville High School, and that’s enough to keep him and the team focused on Friday’s matchup against the Jordan Falcons.

The offense racked up “a considerable amount of yards,” Elliott told WIZS’s Scout Hughes and George Hoyle. “We improved from the week before. We’re not where we want to be, but we improved offensively.”

Elliott said there will be a half dozen or so JV players dressed out, mainly because of some lingering injuries hanging around.

“I’ve never had the injury bug hit us like it’s gotten us the last two weeks,” he said. Zion Thornton is still nursing an ankle injury he sustained in a pre-season scrimmage, for example.

“Our main goal with him – and everybody really – is to get them healthy for conference time,” Elliott said.

But he’s not looking past Jordan, which he said is a good team with a solid coaching staff. They’re 2-0 in the young season, and Elliott said the Falcons beat two good teams – a 22-20 victory over Leesville Road and a 30-7 romp over cross-county rival Southern School of Energy and Sustainability (formerly known as Southern Durham).

“I’ve told my guys all week, if we’re prepared and (we) do not make mistakes – if we play a mistake-free ball game, we can definitely compete,” he said.

Keys to the game are making sure the players are playing assignment football and executing the plays.

“We’ve talked all week about executing,” he said. “I think we’ve got a good game plan, we’ve just got to execute. We’ve got to line up right defensively and we’ve got to do all the small things offensively,” he added.

The Labor Day Holiday meant a shortened week of practice for the Vipers, but Elliott said the team has had a couple of really good days. At the team meeting, Elliott and his staff addressed first thing all the missed assignments and alignments that hampered the Vipers against South Granville.

“We made too many mistakes,” Elliott said of his team’s performance last week in Creedmoor. “The very first play on defense we lined up wrong.” But he’s not one to wallow too long in what could have been.

He told his team not to let that game define who they are as a team. “We want to win. We want our best out there, but we have to think about us being healthy going in to conference play.”

“We built this schedule to make us better…the next three weeks are going to be tough,” Elliott said, but that’s ok because it will only help toughen up the team for what Elliott hopes will be  strong conference play that extends through the regular season and in post-season play.

And, just for the record, the last time Vance County took the field against Jordan was in Elliott’s first year as head coach. After a lackluster first half performance, Elliott was able to rally his team for a second half surge and ultimately a W with a 28-27 final score.

“I’ve definitely learned, especially from that season, that these kids are going to fight to the end,” Elliott said. “Our kids didn’t fold.”

Vance County hosts Jordan on Military and First Responders Appreciation Night for Week 3 of the 2025 season on Friday, September 5th and you can hear all the action on WIZS 1450AM, 100.1FM, and online at wizs.com with pregame starting at 6:50 p.m. and kickoff thereafter at 7:00 p.m.

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SportsTalk: Minor League Baseball Update and AP Top 25 Release after Week 1

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Scout Hughes and Doc Ayscue give an update on Minor League Baseball here in North Carolina. The guys also speak on the AP Top 25 Poll for College Football that recently released.

Friday MiLB Scores:

  • Durham Bulls 5 Worcester 3
  • Nashville 5 Charlotte 4
  • Wilmington 2 Greensboro 1
  • Hub City 8 Asheville 0
  • Rome 2 Winston-Salem 1
  • Delmarva 6 Carolina Mudcats 2
  • Kannapolis 10 Salem 7
  • Hickory 6 Columbia 5
  • Fayetteville 8 Myrtle Beach 1

Saturday MiLB Scores:

  • Durham Bulls 7 Worcester 2
  • Nashville 10 Charlotte 0
  • Asheville 9 Hub City 4
  • Wilmington 6 Greensboro 2
  • Rome 7 Winston-Salem 6
  • Hickory 6 Columbia 1
  • Delmarva 3 Carolina Mudcats 2
  • Kannapolis 9 Salem 6
  • Myrtle Beach 5 Fayetteville 3

Sunday MiLB Scores:

  • Worcester 10 Durham Bulls 1
  • Nashville 7 Charlotte 0
  • Winston-Salem 5 Rome 0
  • Hub City 4 Asheville 2
  • Greensboro 7 Wilmington 1
  • Delmarva 1 Carolina Mudcats 0
  • Columbia 1 Hickory 0
  • Fayetteville 12 Myrtle Beach 3
  • Kannapolis 4 Salem 1

Labor Day MiLB Scores:

  • Durham Bulls 4 Gwinnett 1
  • Salem 8 Fayetteville 5
  • Kannapolis 10 Augusta 6

Tuesday MiLB Scores:

  • Jacksonville 6 Charlotte 1
  • Hudson Valley 4 Greensboro 0
  • Winston-Salem 1 Greenville 0
  • Bowling Green 2 Asheville 1
  • Carolina Mudcats 9 Fredericksburg 5
  • Hickory 3 Charleston 2

Wednesday MiLB Games Today:

  • Fredericksburg 4 Carolina Mudcats 3
  • Durham Bulls vs. Gwinnett – 7:05pm
  • Double Header
    • Charlotte vs. Jacksonville – 5:05pm
    • Charlotte vs. Jacksonville – after game 1
  • Greensboro vs. Hudson Valley – 6:05pm
  • Winston-Salem vs. Greenville – 6:30pm
  • Asheville vs. Bowling Green – 7:35pm
  • Fayetteville vs. Salem – 6:35pm
  • Hickory vs. Charleston – 7pm
  • Kannapolis vs. Augusta – 7:05pm

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