Tag Archive for: #sportstalk

SportsTalk: Mangum Lights It Up For The Bulls

/by

Jake Mangum, Outfielder for the Durham Bulls, discusses his success this season.

 

When the lights come on, the stars shine brighter. On Wednesday night that’s what happened
when the Durham Bulls beat the Nashville Sounds in an epic Minor League matchup 10-9 in
extra innings. This, thanks to Jake Mangum who stole third base in the bottom of the 12th inning
and scored the game-winning run, thanks to a throwing error by Nashville pitcher Blake Holub.
Jake Mangum appeared on WIZS’s SportsTalk with Bill Harris, Scout Hughes, and George Hoyle
to discuss it all.

Jake Mangum comes from a sports family. Mangum’s grandfather was an All-American Football
Player at Southern Mississippi, Jake’s father was an All-American Football Player at Alabama,
who played for the Chicago Bears. His uncle played football for Ole Miss and the Carolina
Panthers, so it’s clear that Mangum’s family is in sports history. With everyone playing football
Jake says that, “At an early age I just fell in love with it (baseball)…at an early age, baseball just
seemed like the right fit for me.”

Mangum is currently batting with an average of .328 with three home runs and 37 RBI’s and he
gives credit for his success in the minor leagues to a lot of things, “I’m pretty much live pitch-by-
pitch, prayer-to-prayer. Every pitch I’m asking help from the Big Man Upstairs. Growing up, I did
a ton of work with my Dad. He really helped me prepare and work to be the best baseball
player I can be. I’ve had so many great teammates, so many great coaches. There’s a long list of
things that have helped me. It definitely wasn’t me alone, I can promise you that. It’s a very
challenging game, but I’ve had a lot of help along the way to help me navigate that the best I
can.” Jake plans to turn his success in the minor leagues into making his dreams become reality, “I
would love to get an opportunity in the big leagues. But other than that (for right now) I’m just
gonna control what I can control and try to be the best baseball player that I can be, one day at
a time.”

This is the first year that Mangum has been a Durham Bull. Even though he’s only been in the
Bull City for a short time, Mangum believes that the Research Triangle is a viable location for a
Major League Baseball Franchise, “Seeing how our crowds are in Durham…there is a lot of
baseball support in the state of North Carolina. I see absolutely no reason as to why that they
couldn’t support a major league baseball team.” He also states that there is a void of Major
League Baseball with the southeastern part of the United States, “I think the southeast of
America has a big gap of no Major League Baseball team…it’s all Atlanta Braves fans.”

Best of luck to you Jake and you’ll have a group from Henderson and Vance County rooting for
you.

After Jake Mangum left the show, the guys transitioned into the Vance County Football
Scrimmage that took place on Wednesday at Vance County High School. Where the Vipers took
on Southern Nash and Hillside Durham. Bill, Scout and George all agreed that playing schools
such as Southern Nash and Hillside Durham even in a scrimmage will make Vance County Football better in the long run. The Vipers scrimmage once again on Saturday August 17th from
Wake Forest High School at 6:00pm against Jordan High School from Durham.

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!

Vance County High School

Vance County Vipers Football Jamboree Moved to Wednesday, Aug. 14

/by

The Vance County High School football Jamboree has been rescheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 14 at 6 p.m., but Head Coach Aaron Elliott is trying to look on the bright side and make the best of the situation, brought on by the approaching Tropical Storm Debby and forecasts of heavy rains.

In the “plus” category, Elliott said it will allow players to get in a few extra days of practice before that first scrimmage. The team has had just one day of contact practice, so a few additional days will be good.

Another positive is that the game field is in good shape. With recent rains, Elliott said “It’s all been Mother Nature – we’ve got the game field looking real good.” The field drains really well, he said, although Tropical Storm Debby’s contribution may result in some sideline ponding situations. A few extra days after the storm moves past should be enough time for sufficient drying.

In the “minus” category, however, is the number of teams available to attend the Jamboree. Franklinton and Wakefield had been on the list, but once the event was rescheduled, they had to drop out because they have other scrimmages going on that day.

Bunn is still in the mix, however, and Elliott said he’s in talks with a couple of other schools to see if they can participate to bring the total field to between 4 and 5 teams.

As far as a scouting report of the Vipers thus far, Elliott said his guys are doing a good job with the X’s and O’s but need to button down a bit with regard to being more disciplined on the field. Not the type of discipline that goes along with bad behavior, but the discipline that comes with knowing your job, remembering routes and not jumping offsides.

Cleaning up those little things will mean a lot as the Aug. 23 season opener approaches.

Be sure to listen to WIZS all season long for Vance County Friday Night Football and for coach interviews on Thursday SportsTalk programs at 12:30 p.m.

CLICK PLAY!

 

Oxford Prep School

SportsTalk: Oxford Prep Prepares For Fall Sports

/by

The start of high school sports for the 2024-25 athletic year is officially upon us here in Kerr-Lake Country. Oxford Prep Athletic Director John Hammett joins SportsTalk with Bill Harris and George Hoyle on Thursday to talk all about it. In regards to the season itself, Oxford Prep athletics starts August 12 when volleyball scrimmages at South Granville. That same day, soccer with travel to Granville Central but Hamett says that they will scrimmage against three other schools that day.

Oxford Prep opens its doors for the academic year this upcoming Wednesday, August 7th. This may seem like a quick turnaround for Oxford Prep but Hammett isn’t as concerned about that, “Most all of our team workout in the summer with voluntary workouts…”. What Hammett is worried about though is that the seasons are extended so much, “I think the seasons are too long. I think they should reduce them back to 20 instead of 23, so we wouldn’t have the overlap.” This overlap is referring to fall sports interfering with winter sports and winter sports with spring sports.

George asks a tough question about NIL (Name, Image, & Likeness) in North Carolina High School Sports. Hammett says, “The State School Board now has authority over athletics from the legislature and they decided that we would not have NIL in publics (public schools). But then the private school association decided that they would allow it…the number one tight end in the country is at Reidsville (NC) and transferred to a private school in Charlotte, and he’s gonna get a big NIL deal.”

 

CLICK PLAY!

 

 

Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Elliott Readies Vipers For Practice

/by

Where will you be at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, July 31? If you want to play JV or varsity football in a Vance County High School Vipers uniform, the correct answer is: at football practice.

Head Coach Aaron Elliott said high schools can officially start practice on July 31 and the players are looking forward to the late-night tradition that Elliott began his first year as coach.

“This is the third year,” Elliott said on Thursday’s SportsTalk with Bill Harris and George Hoyle. The players “absolutely love it and look forward to it – we’re gonna keep it going.”

The workouts and practices they’ve had over the summer have been well attended, , but they’re not mandatory, so Elliott said the Tuesday night/Wednesday morning session will get things started in earnest. He figures he’s talked with 85 or so young people who want to play this season.

He’s especially pleased about the number of younger players – “that’s going tohelp the JV team out,” he said.

There’s one incoming freshman, however, who has probably already got a spot on the varsity squad, Elliott noted. He said he got the chance to catch a Vance County Middle School game and witnessed a particular player score touchdowns three different ways – on a kickoff return playing special teams, intercepting a pass on defense and scampering across the goal line for six on offense.

Making a mental note to keep an eye on this young man, Elliott said he had the chance to speak with him and about being a part of the program. “He’s been with us all summer – hasn’t missed a practice,” Elliott said. Chances are, he’ll be starting on defense when the season opens.

Elliott said he’s talked with other coaches and they’re experiencing an uptick in interest in high sports, which is encouraging.
“As much as we want to put COVID in the past, it’s still affecting high school sports,” he said. The football team graduated 10 players last year; that number is set to rise to 14 this year and if the trend continues, next year’s team will have 29 graduate. For Elliott, those numbers have a direct correlation to decreased numbers during the COVID pandemic.

The Wednesday practice will last about an hour and 45 minutes, Elliott said and then they’ll have a more normal practice time on Thursday at 5 p.m.

There’s a Jamboree on Aug. 9, and another exhibition-style game on Aug. 17 before the season opener away again Warren County High School on Aug. 23.

 

CLICK PLAY!

 

Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Alston Signs With South Carolina

/by

Taeshawn Alston has one more season to suit up in the green and white uniform as a Vance County Viper before he trades those colors for the garnet and black of the University of South Carolina.

As of Tuesday, Alston has committed to play football for the SEC school located in Columbia, SC.

Alston and Vipers Coach Aaron Elliott were on Sports Talk Wednesday to talk about the recruiting process and what led to Alston’s decision to become a Gamecock.

“Coach Beamer is amazing,” Alston said, referring to Head Coach Shane Beamer, son of legendary Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer, adding that it “felt like home, then and there,” when he paid a visit to the school. “It just clicked with me.”

He’d been on their radar since April 2023, and Alston said he liked everything about the coaching staff – how they treat the players and how, in turn, the players treated recruits like him who were visiting.

And then there’s the “Game Day atmosphere,” he said, surrounding the famed Williams-Brice Stadium, home of the Gamecocks.

Being the focus of coaches’ attention during the recruiting process was fun, Alston said. “It was good, (but) sometimes it was stressful.” He named UNC-CH, Virginia Tech and Rutgers as other schools that were interested in what he could bring to their programs.

As a coach, Elliott said he encouraged Alston to “find a place that best fits him – a place that’s going to show him love, that wants him to be there…and wants him to grow as a player.”

When schools contact Elliott about his players, it’s always “measurables” that they want to know about: How fast can he run? How tall is he? How does he move? What are his grades like?

“Taeshawn checks all those boxes,” Elliott said. “It was easy for me to talk to coaches about Taeshawn,” he explained, which shows “he’s doing what he needs to be doing on the field and in the classroom.”

When Alston takes the field this fall for his final season as a Viper, he’ll be playing linebacker and EDGE. He likes both positions, so he’s happy to go in any direction his coaches decide.

The coaching staff at USC has said they’d like for him to get a little bigger, something that Alston has taken to heart. For the record, he’s listed now at 6-foot-4 and about 230 pounds.

Alston has a good idea about what USC will give him – a chance to play against top-level opponents in the SEC and a quality education. But what are the Gamecocks getting from him?

“They’re getting a great athlete, a great academic student,” Alston said. “I feel like they’re getting a monster, on the field and in the classroom.”

CLICK PLAY!

 

Vance County High School

SportsTalk: It’s Football Season

/by

It might be a strange think to say a week before June but it’s football season!  At least at Vance County High School.  Head football coach Aaron Elliott was a guest on Thursday’s SportsTalk to explain why football is happening.

“Our spring game was last Friday,” Elliott said.  After practicing for ten straight days the Vipers took the field in an offense versus defense match up that saw the game end with the very baseball like score of 5-0.  “What I took away from the game was competitiveness,”  Elliott said.

The team now prepares for summer workouts and a trip to the FCA football camp at NC Wesleyan in Rocky Mount.  At $185 per player, it was expensive but Coach Elliott had help.  “Clearview Church helped out tremendously by paying for the entire camp,” Elliott said.

While the boys are preparing for next fall, the girls are taking the field tonight against Southern Durham for the first ever girl’s flag football team.  “We have lots of female athletes who can get it done,” Elliott said of the lady Vipers.  Next week the Vipers will take on Louisburg.   Elliott thinks by next season the sport will be fully sanctioned and they will have a full season.

CLICK PLAY!

 

 

SportsTalk: Youth Lead KVA Baseball To Championship Game

/by

Mike Rigsbee, Kerr-Vance Academy baseball coach, is proud of his young team.  With only two seniors in the lineup, the team advanced all the way to the state championship series this past week.

Unfortunately, KVA lost two games out of three to Lawrenceville Academy.  “Our goal was to get there,” Rigsbee said on SportsTalk Wednesday.

KVA lost the first game 5-4, rebounded in the first game Saturday by winning 3-2 but lost the second Saturday game by the score 10-0.  “It was a great season overall,” Rigsbee stated.  “I knew we could make a run,” the coach continued.

Rigsbee has already started preparations for next season.  Schedules are being prepared now, and he fully expects that KVA will be back in the running for a championship next year.

Click Play!

 

Oxford Prep School

SportsTalk: Oxford Prep Looking For Playoff Success

/by

High school teams from all across our area are now in the state playoffs, and Oxford Prep is no exception.  The school’s athletic director, John Hammett, was on SportsTalk Thursday to discuss how his school is doing.  “Our baseball team is young,” he said.  Despite the youthfulness of the squad, Oxford Prep came from behind in the seventh inning to secure an 8-7 win over Clover Garden earlier this week to afford them the opportunity to go on the road to take on Pinetops. “Pinetops is an athletic school that does well in all sports,” Hammett said.

Meanwhile, the softball team is also on the road but with a much shorter trip as they will play Vance Charter at Oxford Park Friday afternoon at 5 p.m.  Oxford Prep is coming off a convincing 16-0 win in three innings this week at Northwest Halifax.  The Vance Charter game is a huge rivalry.  “Everybody knows everybody.  Vance Charter plays hard and hits the ball well,” Hammett said.  Expect a huge turnout in Oxford for that game Friday afternoon.