Tag Archive for: #sportstalk

Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Vipers Prepare For Last Regular Season Game

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Update — The game was cancelled.  The Vipers will find out Saturday about who and where they play in the state playoffs.  Tune in Monday at 12:30 p.m. for SportsTalk.

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We’ve been hearing about flu and colds and viruses over the last several weeks.  It seems like we’ve all come down with something recently and the Vance Co. Vipers football team is no exception.  With six players, including quaterback Nazir Garrett, suffering from flu and flu-like symptoms, the Vipers struggled a bit against conference rival Southern Durham.  The Vipers did not win last week and Coach Aaron Elliott said that even though he wouldn’t make excuses for the teams loss, the illnesses did play a roll in the game.

Unless Southern Durham has an uncharacteristic slip up against Carrboro, the Vipers will be the number 2 seed in the conference for the playoffs but before that the Vipers have one more game in the regular season and that’s at home Friday (tonight) against JF Webb.  Webb only has one win on the year and would seem like an easy win for the Vipers but this is a long standing rivalry and Coach Elliott knows Webb will be coming to play.  “They have nothing to lose,” Elliott said of the Warriors. “They have good athletes. This is not going to be the same old Webb team,” Elliott continued.

It’s also Senior Night and Elliott wants it to be a big deal.  “It’s important to me,” Elliott commented on SportsTalk on WIZS Thursday afternoon.  He would like to start a new Senior tradition with his team as well to make the last year a special one for his players.  With 14 seniors on the Viper squad this season that will take some work.

The Vipers will play JF Webb tomorrow night at Viper Stadium for the final regular season game.  Airtime on WIZS is 6:50 with kick off at 7pm.

 

Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Vipers Go For Conference Championship Friday Night – Tune In!

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After another huge victory last week against Granville Central, the Vance County Vipers are poised to win a conference championship this Friday night.

In Henderson, listen local at 1450 AM / 100.1 FM and anywhere with your connected device or speaker listen here – https://player.listenlive.co/53101. Or tell Alexa to “Listen to WIZS.com on Tunein.”  Or say, “Hey Google, Listen to WIZS.com on Tunein.”

The 6-2 Vipers have been on a roll the last several weeks, but the competition stiffens this week as the Vipers have to hit the road for another trip to Durham to face the defending conference champs Southern Durham.

“We’ve never beaten Southern Durham. We’ve never won a conference championship,” said coach Aaron Elliott on SportsTalk on Thursday.  Southern Durham is 4-4 so far this year but played a tough early schedule and has been winning as of late.  Right now the Vipers control there own destiny and with a win on the road will secure the school’s first conference championship while a loss muddies the picture considerably.

Southern Durham cannot be taken lightly according to Coach Elliott.  “They have athletes on both sides of the ball,” he said. Elliott hopes the Vipers’ speed will be a deciding factor along with the continued strong play of the defense. He also feels if the Vipers can score early and get a lead and can be balanced on offense, then they will be in good shape Friday night.

Airtime on WIZS for Vance County vs. Southern Durham is at 6:50pm with kickoff at 7pm.

 

SportsTalk: Vipers To Celebrate Homecoming Against Granville Central; Listen Here

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Live Play by Play Friday Night at 1450AM / 100.1 FM / and by clicking Listen Live at WIZS.com (or click here https://player.listenlive.co/53101)

With only three games left on the regular season schedule, the Vance County Vipers are 5-2 heading into homecoming week this Friday night against an 0-6 Granville Central team.  While it may look like a mismatch on paper Coach Aaron Elliott says that Vance County can’t take the night off. “We almost lost last year. They made it a close one,” Elliott said referring to a game the Vipers should have won easily. Elliott expects Granville Central will try to pressure quarterback Nazir Garrett in much the same way as South Granville did last week.

With homecoming also taking place Friday night, it’s a big game for the Vipers.  “Most coaches will tell you they hate homecoming week,” Coach Elliott said on Thursday’s SportsTalk. He said the opportunities for disruption can be a challenge but at the end of the day they have to go out and play a football game Friday night.

Ray Noel, Vance County Athletic Director, was also on Thursday’s SportsTalk and said there will be an expanded half time and more food than usual to accommodate the growing crowds.  Food trucks will on site for Friday’s game and he encourages everyone to arrive early.  Noel said at recent games the concession stand has been cleared out by the third quarter with nothing left to sell but cold drinks.

You can hear all of the action of Vance County Friday Night Football beginning at 6:50 tomorrow night with kickoff at 7pm here on WIZS.

 

Listen to Vipers Football – Coach Elliott And Vipers Building Confidence

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Listen Local at 1450 AM / 100.1 FM or anywhere on your connected device or speaker at WIZS.com and Tunein.

Say “Alexa” or “Hey Google” and then “Listen to WIZS.com on Tunein.”  Or click here with any device to Listen Live online (https://player.listenlive.co/53101).

You can hear the growing confidence in his voice.  Vance County High Head Football Coach Aaron Elliott has reason to be confident; in the last 6 quarters, the Vipers have allowed only 7 points while putting 82 on the scoreboard.  The Vipers shut out Carrboro last week 54-0. Elliott attributes the win to practicing. “We had our best week of practice all season last week,” Elliott said. One thing that has helped his team understand the importance of practice was having a Duke University linebackers coach talk to the players about its importance.

Even though Elliott and his players have confidence, he couldn’t foresee the Vipers rolling up 54 points against Carrboro. “You couldn’t predict that they would play as well as they did,” Elliott said.  Quarterback Nazir Garrett threw seven touchdowns in the game which ties him for third all-time in the North Carolina high school record books.

The Vipers will have to put that win behind them and focus on this week’s opponent, South Granville.  The Vikings are 2-4 and coming off a 7-6 win against Southern Durham. “They have a great running back averaging over 175 yards per game,” Elliott said.  While the Vikings pose a challenge, Elliott still feels confident that the Vipers are where they need to be. “We are playing together, everything is clicking,” stated Elliott on Thursday’s SportsTalk on WIZS.

Vance County Friday Night Football on WIZS begins at 6:50 p.m. Friday night with kickoff from Creedmoor at 7 p.m.

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Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Elliott Pleased With Come Back Win

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20-0.  That was the half time score last Friday night and the score wasn’t in favor of the Vance Co. Vipers.  By the time the whistle blew the Vipers had turned the game around and walked off the field with a 28-27 comeback victory to move to 3-2 on the season.  Head Coach Aaron Elliott attributes the win to players trusting the plan that the coaches had laid out for them.  “We made zero adjustments at half time,” Coach Elliott said.  He felt that if the team would work together they could turn the game around.  “The mood was down and a lot of finger pointing was going on at halftime,” Elliott said.  Coach Elliott said he felt that at halftime that the coaches wanted the win more than the players.

That changed in the second half when Nazir Garrett began to connect on passes in his first game back after a two week absence due to a concussion.  Garrett had struggled in the first half as had the Viper defense but it all worked out for the Vipers as they scored 28 points in the second half.  “It was an emotional win,” Elliott said.  Now the Vipers have a week off before taking on Carrboro on Oct. 30th in the first conference game of the season. Elliott gave his team a couple of days off to enjoy the victory but are now focused on a Carrboro team that Elliott says is better than there record would indicate. The extra week off means that players like Sean Alston, who has been injured will be able to return to the Viper lineup.

You can catch all the action next Friday night, Oct. 30 as Vance Co. takes on Carrboro at Viper Stadium. Airtime on WIZS is 6:50pm with airtime at 7pm.

 

Vance County High School

Vance County Defeated Jordan Friday Night By One Point

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Vance County defeated Jordan Friday night 28 to 27.  The Vipers trailed 20-nothing but fought back and took their first lead inside a minute to go.  Vance County High School thwarted Jordan’s final drive with excellent defense to secure the win.  The Vipers move the 3-2 on the year and start conference play this week.  Tune in Monday at 12:30 p.m. on SportsTalk for a full recap.

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SportsTalk: Elliott And Allred Preview Vipers Vs. Jordan

After losing the last two games to powerful Durham schools, 2-2 Vance County makes another trip down I-85 to battle 1-3 Jordan High School in the final non-conference game of the season. While no coach likes to lose, Vance Co. Head Coach Aaron Elliott felt much better about his team after last week’s 28 – 20 loss to Northern Durham. “We went toe to toe with a good Durham football team,” Elliot said on Thursday’s SportsTalk. “We were able to establish a run game,” Elliott continued. The Vipers had been a heavily pass oriented team, but with the loss of quarterback Nazir Garrett, the Vipers had to find a running game. Last week they did. Elliott feels there is a good chance that Garrett may be back for the game tomorrow night and, if so, the Vipers will have a better balanced offense that won’t have to rely exclusively on Garrett to throw the ball.

Jordan Coach Justin Allred, who was also on SportsTalk Thursday, alluded to the Viper’s double threat. “It’s like watching two different teams,” Allred said. Jordan is coming off a 34-14 loss to Southeast Guilford, but he feels the tough non-conference schedule has helped. “It’s a chance to test our squad,” said Allred. Jordan is also a very balanced team capable of both running and throwing the ball, but he says his biggest concern about the Vipers is team speed which he described as incredible. Jordan does have one thing in its favor other teams haven’t and that is Athletic Director Joe Sharrow.  Until this year, Sharrow had been athletic director at Vance County High School, and Coach Allred has been able to use Sharrow’s knowledge to help him prepare for Friday night’s matchup.

Airtime is 6:50  p.m. with kickoff at 7 p.m. for Vance County Friday Night Football here on WIZS.

Listen Local on 1450 AM / 100.1 FM or click on Listen Live at wizs.com (https://player.listenlive.co/53101).

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Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Elliott Reflects On Vipers’ First Loss And Prepares For Northern Durham

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Last week as Vance County High School prepared for Riverside, Coach Aaron Elliott commented his team had not had a great week of practice, and last Friday Vance County was handed its first loss against a powerful Riverside team by the score of 42-13. Not only was it the Vipers’ first defeat of the season, they also lost starting quarterback Nazir Garrett to a concussion.  Now the Vipers will have to hit the road to take on Northern Durham which is coming off of a double overtime win at Franklinton.

Without their starting quarterback and a banged up team, Friday night’s game will be a challenge. “We have to be ready to play four quarters,” Coach Elliott said on SportsTalk on WIZS Thursday.  “I asked the guys a question after the game. I asked if they know how important practice is during the week,” Elliott continued. After getting an answer in the affirmative, Elliott said practice this week was much better.

While praising the team’s defense and their ability to stop the run against Riverside, Coach Elliott was surprised at how much they threw the ball.  Northern Durham is another team that does both well, and with the offense hobbled not having Garrett in the lineup, it will put more pressure on the Viper defense to step up.  With the injury bug hitting the Vipers it will also mean there are opportunities for back up players to make an impact.

The Vipers and the Knights kick off Friday night at 7pm at Durham County Stadium. Airtime is 6:50pm on WIZS Radio 1450 AM / 100.1 FM / via live internet stream at https://player.listenlive.co/53101.

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Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Vance County Looks To Move To 3-0 Friday Night

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The first two weeks of the high school football season have been good for the Vance Co. Vipers as they sit at 2-0.  This week they take on Riverside, which is coming off a 42-0 blowout of Southeast Raleigh after an opening season 18-14 loss to #15 ranked Cape Fear. Both Riverside Head Coach Cory Lea and Vance County Head Coach Aaron Elliott were guests on Thursday’s SportsTalk and discussed this week’s matchup.

Both teams are strong defensively. “Vance County’s defensive ends scare me to death,” Lea said of the Viper’s strong defense. “It’s one of the best defensive lines I’ve seen during my time coaching,” Elliott said of the Vance County Defensive Unit.

With all this talk of how strong the Viper’s defense is one would think defense is the key to this game, but not so according to Elliott. He said,  “The key to the game will be scoring. I’d like to score on every possession. We need to improve the most on offense.” Elliott has a few new offensive wrinkles up his sleeve for Friday night that will hopefully get the Vipers in the end zone a few more times.

Coach Lea lost only three seniors from last year’s team. “Our babies have grown up,” Lea said referring to his team which features many juniors.  “We hang our hats on defense,” Lea continued summarizing his team’s strength.

The Vipers have cut down on mistakes and Coach Elliott has encouraged his team to stay hungry and stay focused. Elliott said the team didn’t have a great practice on Monday, but they have settled down the rest of this week and are playing together.

Friday looks like another defensive battle as the Vipers host Riverside. Airtime on WIZS is 6:50 p.m. and kickoff is at 7 p.m. Join Bill Harris and Doc Ayscue for all of the action of Vance County Friday Night Football.

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Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Vance County High Welcomes Roanoke Rapids Friday Night

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The first football game of the season tends to be a little ragged around the edges, and according to Vance County High School Head Football Coach Aaron Elliott, this was true of the Vipers in their season opening four point win over the rival Eagles in Warren County last Friday night.  Twelve penalties totaling 95 yards is something the Vipers can ill afford to have happen this week when the school hosts Roanoke Rapids who beat Northampton County last week by the score of 48 -16.

“They are very disciplined,” Elliott said of Roanoke Rapids. Elliott said that after looking at the film of the Northampton game, the Vipers can expect to see a Wing-T offense and a heavy dose of the running game.  This might be good for the Vipers as they held Warren Co. to minus 46 yards rushing last week.

Click to hear full audio of Coach Elliott – SportsTalk: Vance County High Welcomes Roanoke Rapids Friday Night

Elliott said the Warren County game was very emotional at kick off, as it was his first as head coach, but after the game and the victory, despite the mistakes, it was very fulfilling. Those mistakes cannot be repeated Friday night if the Vipers want to move to 2 – 0 on the season. “We have to keep players accountable for mistakes,” Elliott said.  In addition to the penalties, Vance Co. muffed a punt that gave Warren Co. a short field and a touchdown. In contrast, Roanoke Rapids had a total of three penalties last week.

Roanoke Rapids nor Vance Co. suffered any injuries and both teams should be a full strength when they hit the field at 7pm Friday night. Vance Co. Friday Night Football will broadcast the game live beginning at 6:50pm with the pre-game show.

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Crossroads Christian School

SportsTalk: Crossroads Fall Schedule Keeps Richardson Busy

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Send in the clones!  Scottie Richardson may likely need one in the upcoming days. The Crossroads Christian Athletic Director finds himself rather busy this time of year with fall sports including volleyball, soccer and cross country. All three sports have kicked off their schedules which puts Richardson in high demand at the school where he has served as AD for the last five years.

The Colt’s men’s soccer team is hoping to return again this year to the state final four. “Men’s soccer is coming off a good win against Henderson Collegiate,” Richardson said.  Earlier in this young season, Crossroads defeated Pungo 5 – 0.  Kerr Vance Academy is the opponent this afternoon (Thursday) and Lee Christian tomorrow (Friday).

Soccer isn’t the only thing on Richardson’s plate as volleyball is underway as well. Last year the lady Colts had their first season of double digit wins in 12 years. So far, the team is 2 – 0 on the season and they are also schedule to play Kerr Vance Academy this afternoon (Thursday) and Lee Christian tomorrow (Friday).

When combined with JV games, Richardson will be keeping an eye on five different games tomorrow (Friday). To add to that, the school’s cross country team, which is the defending state champion, will conduct four meets on Friday as well.

Richardson, who was on SportsTalk today (Thursday) on WIZS, said his school’s success on the field and on the court comes down to one thing. “We’ve changed the culture over the last five years,” Richardson said. When he started at the school five years ago, the school had only had two all state players in the previous 13 years.  Last year the school boasted 12 all state players in five different sports. “We’ve achieved some success but, we have to sustain it,” Richardson says. Maybe a clone could help!

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