Tag Archive for: #sports

SportsTalk: Vance County’s Coach Elliott talks Warren County Game

/by

SportsTalk on WIZS 12:30 p.m. M-Th

With football season in the Tar Heel State ramping up tomorrow night, high schools all across the state are looking forward to finally getting back on the field for the 2024 campaign. Vance County’s head man Aaron Elliott joins SportsTalk with Scout Hughes and George Hoyle to talk about Vance County’s matchup tomorrow night against Warren County.

Coach Elliott feels better about the season opener against the Eagles now that they have a few scrimmages under their belt. “At the Jordan Scrimmage we made a lot of mistakes mentally. Just as for like not lining up right and just being in a bad position to make plays. I told the kids after the game, if we would’ve done everything right, it wouldn’t have given us anything to work on going into the season. It really helped us expose some of our weaknesses against a good team.”

Even though Coach Elliott is in his second season at the head of the Vipers program, he has had a lot of encounters with Warren County Head Coach Victor Hunt. “We’ve been playing each other for just about my whole coaching career. Even when I was at Louisburg, we played Warren County every year. Coach Hunt has a big respect from us. He does a good job with low numbers each year. We’ve played some tight ball games back and forth. With this rivalry, at the end of the day it’s like Duke and Carolina.”

Week 1 starts a season of what could be a great year for Vance County. Especially after achieving the first 10-win season by any team from Vance County since Southern Vance won 13 games in 2007. Coach Elliott wants Vance County to go to higher heights in 2024 and beyond. “We’ve been talking about it ever since the end of the year last year, you know having a championship mindset. That’s been our main goal and main focus coming into this season, thinking about the future a little bit. Thinking about what we gotta do to be able to compete for a state championship. We’re not satisfied after the end of last season with Terry Sanford knocking us out in the first round. It put a sour taste in our mouths.”

In preparation for Warren County on Friday, Coach Elliott states that practice went well this week. “We have been really, really drilling these kids talking about the mindset aspect of the game…we’ve got to have consistent days of practices that are great. This week even though it’s a rivalry game and they love playing this game against Warren County…this week has been a great week of practice.” Coach agrees with WIZS’ George Hoyle that you have to practice like you’re going to play. No injuries have plagued the Vance County squad Elliott says, which is always a good thing.

Warren County, a member of the Tar-Roanoke Conference, is a 1A school and since Vance County Schools consolidated, the Vipers have beaten the Eagles every time they’ve played each other. Coach Elliott wants to make sure that his team doesn’t overlook their opponent this week. “That game (Vance County vs. Warren County) has came down to the last play of the game or even the last drive of the game every year…I want to put an emphasis on our mindset and that we don’t feed into the hype as much. We focus on what we’re doing and what we’ve got to do to get better for ourselves. Minimizing mistakes and everybody doing their job.”

Coach Elliott is excited to get the season started and said, “Come out and support the Vipers. After last year, everybody is excited to see how we respond and rebound off of that early playoff loss. We have a good returning class, a lot of returners back on both sides of the ball. Everybody is excited to watch us play football.”

Vance County travels to Warren County for Week 1 of the 2024 season Friday, August 23rd 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.

Click Play!

SportsTalk: Margaret Foster, who helped NBC Sports in Paris, stopped by WIZS

/by

If NBC gave out medals for production assistants who went “above and beyond” to make sure the Summer Olympics broadcasts went smoothly, Margaret Foster surely would have brought home a Gold.

Foster, a 2023 graduate of UNC-CH, put her political science and French degree to good use during her three-week stint working behind the scenes at the beach volleyball venue.

It was during a study abroad semester in Paris that Foster decided she wanted to play a role.

“I saw the city preparing for the upcoming Olympics,” she said on Wednesday’s Sports Talk.

Her dad, Lee Foster, who grew up in Henderson, had some friends with ties to the business. One friend, Lance Stewart, was a big help, she said.

“He really helped me network with some of his former colleagues,” the younger Foster said, and she applied to be a production assistant/runner for the network.

Part of the job entailed being a liaison between the NBC crew on the ground and celebrities who visited the venue. Think Snoop Dogg, Al Roker and Hoda Kotb.

Starstruck moments? Foster said the employees sat in on seminars that spelled out the way to behave when big names were near. “We’re supposed to act professional,” she said, adding that she did manage to sneak some selfies.

But it also involved the logistical work of making sure that things were all set on the technical side. “It was 12-15 hours that first week, setting up everything,” she said.

But she also got to use her language skills and enjoyed being a bridge between the NBC English-speaking crew and the local French-speaking crews.

Foster characterized the work as “madness and a blur,” with crazy hours. Some of the beach volleyball matches, for example, began at 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., Paris time.

Towards the end of the Games, however, especially during the medal matches, things settled down a bit and it wasn’t so hectic.

One of her more hectic moments came when Snoop Dogg, the unofficial Olympic mascot, came to the beach volleyball venue. She said she was on her feet from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., at least. And she found herself sprinting down the street to get a bag of ice and a Coca-Cola for the singer-turned Olympic cheerleader.

When Snoop wants a Coke – in a plastic bottle – that’s what he gets. And when he was visiting her venue, it was Foster’s job to make sure he got it.

As a poli sci major at UNC, Foster didn’t really envision a future in television. But with her Olympics experience under her belt, she’s giving it some thought. She’ll be moving to New York City in a few weeks to live with a best friend from college. And while she’s not sure what the future holds, she’s got some stories to tell about three weeks in Paris.

 

CLICK PLAY!

Coach's Corner Logo

Coach’s Corner 11/13/20: Fresh Off Win Against Duke, Tar Heels Face Wake Forest

/by

100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

Jones Angell, the voice of UNC Football, joined Trey Snide on the WIZS Coach’s Corner Show Friday to discuss the Tar Heel’s impressive win over the Duke Blue Devils and to provide a preview for the upcoming match against Wake Forest.

“Most of the attention, and probably deservedly so, was on the offense because it was so good,” said Angell. “Carolina’s offense has been good and has been getting even better as this year has gone along. For them to score on their first seven possessions of the game is pretty impressive.”

Jones continued, “The offense was relentless, but I did think the Carolina defense took some steps. As the defense and special teams continue to grow, the more consistent these sides of the ball can be, and the better chance Carolina has of being a really, really good team.”

The Tar Heels play the Demon Deacons at home on Saturday, November 14 at 12 p.m.

Click Play to Hear More From Angell on the Tar Heels:

Coach's Corner Logo

Sports Talk 11/12/20: Granville Central’s Terence Harcum Signs With App State

/by

100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

After signing his letter of intent to play basketball at Appalachian State University, Terence Harcum, a senior from Granville Central High School, joined WIZS’ Trey Snide and Ron Noel to discuss what the day meant to him and his family.

Click play to hear the Sports Talk audio…

Coach's Corner Logo

Sports Talk 11/3/20: VCHS Phases-In Sports; KVA Women’s Tennis Wraps Season

/by

100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

Joe Sharrow, assistant principal and athletic director for Vance County High School (VCHS), and Cameron Breedlove, head coach for Kerr Vance Academy (KVA) Varsity Women’s Tennis, joined WIZS Sports Talk on Tuesday.

In the first segment, Sharrow discussed the staggered phase-in of athletics at VCHS (click here for schedule).

In the second segment, Breedlove discussed her first season as coach of the KVA Spartans.

A KVA alumna, Breedlove said she was proud of her team of five, including two new players, who finished the season with a 3-8 record.

“I’m excited to see all of them grow and continue to develop as players, especially the two who were brand new,” said Breedlove. “It was really cool to see them go from not knowing anything about the sport to being able to play matches by themselves.”

Click play to hear the Sports Talk audio…

Coach's Corner Logo

Coach’s Corner: Tar Heels Face Virginia Away After Win Against NC State

/by

100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

Jones Angell, the voice of UNC Tar Heel Football, joined Trey Snide on the WIZS Coach’s Corner to discuss the team’s 48-21 win over NC State last week and to preview tomorrow’s game at Virginia.

“I was really impressed,” Angell said of Carolina’s win against State. “I thought it was maybe Carolina’s best performance, in total, of the season.”

Angell continued, “The offense was moving at a high level again as we’ve become accustomed to seeing the Tar Heel offense do. It was the rushing attack that really started that – pounding out 326 yards on the ground – and the Heels were able to throw it effectively as well. Then you mix in the defense picking up for turnovers and a positive day for the special teams as well. Just a quality performance all the way around.”

Click Play to Hear More From Angell on the Tar Heels and predictions for Saturday’s game against Virginia:

Coach's Corner Logo

Coach’s Corner: Tar Heels Face NC State After Seminoles Loss

/by

100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

Jones Angell, the voice of UNC Tar Heel Football, joined Trey Snide on the WIZS Coach’s Corner to discuss the team’s 31-28 loss against Florida State last week and to preview tomorrow’s game against NC State.

In discussing the loss to the Seminoles, Angell said the first 30 minutes of the game had to be a disappointment to the Tar Heels. “I think that’s the most frustrating part for Carolina leaving that game. Carolina didn’t give itself the best chance to win.”

Angell continued, “There’s no doubt that the Tar Heels are in a better place than they were a couple of years ago and that this is a program that’s growing and taking positive steps. But, it’s not a team that can afford to play well below its capabilities and expect to win a game.”

Click Play to Hear More From Angell on the Tar Heels:

Crossroads Christian School

Sports Talk: Crossroads Christian AD Discusses Men’s Soccer Playoff

/by

100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

Scottie Richardson, athletic director of Crossroads Christian School, joined WIZS Sports Talk yesterday to discuss the upcoming Men’s Soccer playoff matchup against Ridgecroft School.

The Colts are seeded #2 in the region going into this matchup against Ridgecroft, and the winner will move on to the Final Four and a chance to play in the State Championship game.

Click Play to Hear the Sports Talk Segment:

 

Coach's Corner Logo

Coach’s Corner 08/28/20: George Marshall on Henderson Collegiate Men’s Basketball

/by

100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

George Marshall, head men’s basketball coach and athletic director for Henderson Collegiate, appeared on the WIZS Coach’s Corner Friday.

As the reigning 1-A Men’s Basketball State Co-Champions, Marshall said his team faces an entirely different season for the 2020-2021 school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Currently, the first practice for the team is scheduled for December 7, 2020. The first game of the season is scheduled for January 4, and the last game is scheduled for February 19, 2021. The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) has set a season limit of 14 games for basketball, with a weekly limit of two games.

For a team accustomed to three or four games a week, Marshall this will be quite the change of pace. “I’m hoping it gives us more rest. Our schedule is usually so challenging out of conference every single year. To be honest, I don’t know what the schedule is for January yet – whether it be all conference games or out of conference games. We know the game limit at this point, and we know there will be some form of conference and state playoffs.”

After a summer that was “dramatically impacted” by the lack of the usual skills development sessions, team camps and relationship-building experiences, Marshall said the team is doing what it can to keep its spirits up and to stay in contact.

“Like most teams, we are going to try to stay in as much contact as we possibly can,” said Marshall. “When you’re not in person, it makes things more challenging in terms of workouts. The biggest thing we are trying to do right now, as a school, is to make sure the kids understand how much we love and care from them. This time is very challenging for kids.”

Click here for the NCHSAA’s amended 2020-2021 sports calendar or visit the NCHSAA homepage at www.nchsaa.org.

Listen to today’s Coach’s Corner audio in its entirety by clicking the play button above.