Tag Archive for: #vancecountyfootball

SportsTalk: Vipers Ready for Season Opener

/by

UPDATE – FINAL SCORE 

Vance County 13 

Warren County 12 

RECAP MONDAY ON SPORTSTALK 

••••••••••••••••••••••••• 

Tonight’s County Line Clash pits the Vance County Vipers against neighboring county rival Warren County Eagles. It’s a non-conference game, but Vipers Head Coach Aaron Elliott said his squad is ready to kick off the season in a big way.

“The energy these kids have, they’re ready for Week 1,” Elliott said.

Despite the fact that the Vipers and Eagles are in different conferences – the Vipers are a 6A and the Eagles are a 2A, Elliott said he expects the season opener to be competitive.

“I like it because it fires up the kids for Week 1 and gets them ready,” Elliott said on Thursday’s Sports Talk with WIZS’s Scout Hughes and George Hoyle. “We try to tell them to treat it as a normal game, but it’s hard to do,” Elliott said. The first game of the season against a rival, even though it’s a non-conference game, brings with it a lot of emotions and nerves, the head coach said.

“We’ve got to limit the mistakes, win the turnover battle,” Elliott said. If the Vipers can do that, “I really feel like we’ll be excited in the fourth quarter.”

Last season’s matchup was a close one – with the Vipers leading 7-0 at the half. The Vipers pulled away in the fourth quarter to finish out with an 18-0 win.

Warren County’s team is young, but they’re a seasoned group that’s seen some good playing time.

Elliott said he’s counting on Warren County to bring their best effort to Viper Stadium for the 7 p.m. kickoff. “They’re ready to play football. They’re going to test us a little bit.”

Elliott said he got a chance to see them in action at the recent Jamboree in Louisburg, noting that they’re a “typical Warren County team – well coached, giving 100 percent on every play, with plenty of energy and effort.”

But Elliott said the Vipers are up for the challenge. With Senior Marcus Thomas at quarterback and Aiden Foster, the team’s “Swiss Army knife,” showing up on defense and offense, he said this team is going to be fun to watch.

And then there’s the depth at running back – there are five or six guys at that position, none of them seniors, Elliott noted.

Aiden Labra is back this season to add to the kicking game. Labra gets his kicks in on the football field, then heads over to soccer practice. Elliott said the Viper kicker got a personal best on Wednesday with a 47-yard field goal.

“We practice special teams every single day,” Elliott said. “If you want to be good at it, you’ve got to practice.”

The team starts out each practice with special teams, when they’re fresh, so they’ll be ready at the end of the game. “We’ve got to do everything right when we’re tired too,” he said.

Elliott and his coaching staff installed a new defense that he hopes will work well for this year’s team.

“The kids love it,” he said. “It allows them to fly around and make plays…we’re interested to see how that plays out and works for us.”

There are 14 seniors on the varsity roster, and Elliott said this season’s Vipers team includes a dozen players from the Early College, one from Vance Virtual Academy and a couple of homeschooled students.

CLICK PLAY!

SportsTalk: Warren County Sets Its Sights on the Vipers

/by

Friday’s County Line Clash pits the Vance County Vipers against the Warren County Eagles in the opening game of the fall football season.

Last season’s matchup was a close game, said Doc Ayscue, with the Vipers clinching it in the fourth quarter for the 18-0 victory over the Eagles.

And he and Scout Hughes are looking for another good game Friday. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at Viper Stadium.

“It’s going to be an interesting game this year,” Ayscue said. The two schools are in different conferences following a reorganization last year – Vance County High School is 6A and Warren County is 2A, but

that doesn’t seem to bother Eagles Head Coach Victor Hunt.

Beginning his seventh year as head coach, Hunt said the off-season has been pretty good and he’s looking forward to going head-to-head with non-conference teams like the Vipers.

“We accept all the challenges,” Hunt said. “We want to win a state championship,” he said. “You do that by playing playoff caliber teams.”

If that results in some non-conference losses, so be it. Hunt sees them as learning experiences for his team, which, although young with a small group of seniors, has seen a good deal of playing time.

The Eagles participated in the recent Louisburg Jamboree, and Hunt said he saw a lot of good things on the field and some things to work on.

Friday’s game is going to be physical, he said. “That’s what we want…just being tough – that’s our brand of football.”

Penalties hurt them last season against the Vipers, he said, so limiting penalties and turnovers Friday will be key, he pointed out.

“The practice is always exciting Week 1,” he said, noting that there’s a little added pressure – especially for the seniors.

“It is a rivalry game, but it’s not going to determine any championships,” Hunt said. And his players are up for the challenge.

They’re rising to the occasion in guiding the underclassmen with their leadership and holding each other accountable for plays on the field.

holding each other accountable.

For Hunt, coaching is a blessing. “I think I have the greatest job in America. I love our kids. I love our community. It’s so much bigger than football…it’s about the family we’ve built here.”

Former players are returning to talk to this year’s team, working with them and offering encouragement.

“It means everything,” Hunt said. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

CLICK PLAY!

Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Vipers Prepare for Southern Nash Scrimmage

/by

SportsTalk 12:30 p.m. M-Th

Vance County Head Football Coach Aaron Elliott joins SportsTalk to discuss the scrimmage that the Vipers will have on Thursday night when they travel to Bailey to take on Southern Nash. The guys also inquire about the offseason and how it has gone for Vance County.

Click Play!

SportsTalk: Vipers Preseason Jamboree in the Books

/by

SportsTalk 12:30 p.m. M-Th

Scout Hughes and Doc Ayscue recap the High School Football Jamboree that took place at Vance County High School last Friday. The guys also talk about the NFL Preseason Games over the weekend.

Click Play!

TownTalk: Vance County Friday Night Football A Month Away

/by

The Vance County Vipers 2025-26 football season kicks off Friday, Aug. 22 with a 7 p.m. home game against non-conference opponent Warren County.

Head Coach Aaron Elliott and his staff are preparing for the upcoming season that puts them in a new conference, thanks to a huge realignment back in March by the N.C. High School Athletic Association. As part of the realignment plan, the NCHSAA expanded from 1A to 4A classification to an 8A classification. VCHS is in the 6A classification.

VCHS is one of six schools in the Northern Six conference, along with 6A Franklinton High School, and four 7A Wake County high schools: East Wake, Heritage, Knightdale and Wake Forest.

WIZS’s Scout Hughes discussed the upcoming season with SportsTalk regulars Doc Ayscue and George Hoyle on Tuesday’s TownTalk. The first game of the season is just one month away, and the trio chatted about this year’s team and the opportunities that lie ahead.

“I’m ready for some football,” Hoyle said, adding that he’s looking forward to the new season and getting off to a strong start in a new conference.

Ayscue said he’s interested in seeing new faces and new names on the field “and how they improve as year goes along – how you start and how you finish,” he said.

Hoyle said that although the team will miss some key contributors from last year, he is hopeful that the Vipers will hold their own in conference play.

The Wake County schools are newer schools, he said. “Hopefully, we’ll be right there with them,” he said of the Vipers’ competitiveness.

WIZS’s longtime game announcer Bill Harris phoned in with a question about how the lack of local teams on the schedule may affect attendance.

“With this schedule, there’s no Oxford Webb, no Louisburg, Bunn,” Harris said that would ordinarily draw local interest.

“Football is a sport that brings a lot of ‘gate,’” he said.

Indeed, J.F. Webb is not on the schedule, but the Vipers are set to play Granville County’s other high school, South Granville, in an away game on Aug. 29.

Ayscue said he hoped Webb would return to the schedule.

Both Granville County high schools are classified as 5A.

The non-conference teams included in this season’s lineup all made the playoffs last year, it was noted.

Hughes said, “Coach Elliott is trying to make them better, more prepared for the post-season” with the schedule that he’s built.

Last year’s regular-season game against Rocky Mount, for example, was a hard-fought battle that ended with a 23-22 W for the Vipers on the road.

Hughes’s prediction: Folks who follow Vance County football are going to be “very excited” about the prospects for this season.

 

 

Here’s the complete schedule for the Vance County Vipers football season:

Aug. 22 – Warren County (home)

Aug. 29 – South Granville (away)

Sept. 5 – Jordan (home – Military/First Responders Appreciation Night)

Sept. 12 – Rocky Mount (home – Homecoming)

Sept. 19 – Northeastern (away)

Oct. 3 – Wake Forest (away)

Oct. 10 – Knightdale (away)

Oct. 17 – Heritage (home – Breast Cancer Awareness Night)

Oct. 24 – East Wake (away)

Oct. 31 – Franklinton (home – Senior Night)

Click Play!

Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Vipers Schedule from Then to Now

/by

SportsTalk 12:30 p.m. M-Th

Scout Hughes and George Hoyle talk about the Vance County football schedule for 2025, in comparison to 2024. The guys also discuss a few of Vance County’s opponents from a historical perspective.

Click Play!

Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Vipers Release 2025 Football Schedule

/by

SportsTalk 12:30 p.m. M-Th

Vance County Football Head Coach Aaron Elliott joined SportsTalk with Scout Hughes and Doc Ayscue to reveal the entirety of the 2025 Football Schedule for the Vipers. The schedule was already partially filled in, when conferences were announced last month, putting Vance County in a conference with Franklinton and schools from Wake County. Coach Elliott has been working hard with his team throughout the offseason and is excited for the season in the fall.

The Vance County 2025 Season Schedule:

Week 1, 8/22/25 – Vance County vs. Warren County

Week 2, 8/29/25 – Vance County @ South Granville

Week 3, 9/5/25 – Vance County vs. Jordan (Durham)

Week 4, 9/12/25 – Vance County vs. Rocky Mount

Week 5, 9/19/25 – Vance County @ Northeastern (Elizabeth City)

Week 6, 9/26/25 – Bye Week

Week 7, 10/3/25 – Vance County @ Wake Forest*

Week 8, 10/10/25 – Vance County @ Knightdale*

Week 9, 10/17/25 – Vance County vs. Heritage (Wake Forest)*

Week 10, 10/24/25 – Vance County @ East Wake (Wendell)*

Week 11, 10/31/25 – Vance County vs. Franklinton*

*Indicates Conference Opponent

Scout Hughes, Doc Ayscue, and WIZS are excited for the 2025 season, and we can’t wait to broadcast these games this fall!

Go Vipers!

Click Play!

SportsTalk: National Signing Day For Vance County Football

/by

SportsTalk 12:30 p.m. M-Th

For four of Vance County’s Football Seniors, Wednesday was a major stepping stone to make their dreams a reality. Wednesday was National Signing Day, where athletes all across the nation sign their Letter of Intent to play football at the collegiate level.

The official signing ceremony took place at the Vance County High School Media Center, where VCHS Athletic Director Philip Weil kicked things off. “This is a big milestone for Vance County High School and for our student-athletes.”

Head Football Coach Aaron Elliott spoke on his players just before the signing went underway, “They have all been leaders…we always talk about doing things the right way. My family is here. My kids wanted to get out of school early because these players have treated my family just as I have treated them…we talk about how this is not just a 4-year plan this is a 40-year plan. There is life outside of football. You guys are going to be great, no matter where you end up at.”

First to sign his letter of intent was Camarion Ragland, known as CJ. CJ will play football at North Carolina A&T as a Tight End. But Ragland also says, “They are actually looking at me to play both ways on defense as well.” Ragland also stated that, “I’m not from Henderson, but when I moved here everyone always treated me like family. This is always going to be a place that I can come back to and call home.”

Second to put the pen-to-paper was Antione Doyle Jr. Antione will suit up for the Braves of UNC-Pembroke where he will be a linebacker. Doyle Jr. says he will major in accounting and “hopefully double-major in business as well. I’m hoping to go four years and see where it takes me. Maybe go to The League (NFL), but if not then I’ll get a job in accounting.” Antione is also not from Henderson but he expresses the same gratitude towards VCHS and the community. “I came here last year and played here for two years…everybody just felt like a family atmosphere.” Doyle added that, “Everybody here made me enjoy coming to school every day.”

The third student-athletic to make his commitment official was two-way player Javion Vines-Holder, known as ‘Juice’. Vines-Holder will wear the Rams Helmet when he goes to Winston-Salem State for his collegiate career. Javion will be playing safety while nodding the Red and Black. “I plan to major in Sports Medicine,” said Vines-Holder. The senior had many to thank for this moment. “My supporters, my four years of high school, life in general has played a big important part of my life. Thank you.”

To round out signing day at Vance County High School was Maurice Jackson Jr. He has made his commitment to Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia. Maurice will be a defensive lineman while playing for the Panthers. Jackson Jr. will join the reigning CIAA Conference Champions when he steps foot on campus. Maurice will study health sciences and plans to become an athletic trainer. He is grateful to his family, his coaches, and his fellow teammates for where he is now. For Jackson Jr., the 252 holds a special place in his heart. “I want to thank Henderson. I’m not from here, but the last two years y’all have took me in and have shown me ‘home’. Thank y’all!”

There was one more senior who already made his commitment. Taeshawn Alston signed his letter of intent to play at the University of South Carolina during Early Signing Day back in December. Alston is now enrolled at South Carolina and is already with the Gamecocks Squad.

What these student-athletes have shown during their time at Vance County is absolutely remarkable. During their time at the varsity level, this group has compiled a record of 19-3 on the field. Two playoff appearances. A Northern Lakes Conference Championship in 2023. Along with the first 10-win season from any team in Vance County since Southern Vance met the mark in the 2007 campaign.

We congratulate these amazing student-athletes and wish them the best of luck in college! Go Vipers!

From left to right. CJ Ragland (NC A&T), Javion Vines-Holder (Winston-Salem State), Maurice Jackson Jr. (Virginia Union), and Antione Doyle Jr. (UNC-Pembroke).

CLICK PLAY!

 

SportsTalk: 2024 Season Recap For Vance County Football

/by

The Vance County High School Vipers didn’t go as deep into the playoffs as they had hoped, but a third year with nine wins or more is evidence that Coach Aaron Elliott is not just putting together a team – he’s building a program.

The 17-seed Vipers traveled to 16-seed Western Alamance Friday night for the first round of 3A state playoffs, but came up short and lost 36-31.

Doc Ayscue and WIZS’s Scout Hughes agreed that it was one of those back-and-forth games and whichever team had the ball last would come away with the W. “They were right there ‘til the end,” Ayscue said. “It was one of the best high school games I’ve seen.” When the winning score is made with 12 seconds left, you know it’s a tight game, he said on Monday’s SportsTalk.

Vipers Senior Javion Vines-holder made the highlight reel when he took a kickoff return 95 yards for a TD.

Western Alamance staff apparently had done their homework and were trying to keep the ball out of Vines-holder’s hands. But after the kicker had put the ball on the tee and turned his back to get ready for the kickoff, Vines-holder and teammate Tyler Wheeler switched places, so the ball went to Vines-holder and he took off for the end zone.

Ayscue said Western Alamance’s #5, James Newton, was the best player the Vipers faced all season. Newton rushed for 151 yards and scored five touchdowns Friday night.

“It’s hard to tell on film how quick he is, how fast he is – he had that quick acceleration,” Ayscue said.

For the season, three Vipers rushed for more than 500 yards. Senior Jontavious Nile ran for 1,237 yards and had 69 rushing yards against Western Alamance.

Then there’s Antoine Doyle, Jr, who racked up more than 500 yards in receptions.

“He’s a terrific athlete – offense and defense,” Ayscue said. When the play was “jet down the field and we’re going to throw it as far as we can,” it was Doyle’s number that was usually called.

But it was Vines-holder who, going into the game Friday, was tied for first place among all public high schools in the state for most interceptions. He had eight interceptions – but not in his role as quarterback – these interceptions are the kind that coaches like to see their defense make.

Ayscue said last season Coach Elliott regarded Vines-holder as possibly the best defensive back on the team. Then he took over as quarterback this season, Ayscue said, and became a great contributor on offense, too.

“He did it on both sides of the ball,” Ayscue said. Staff would “sneak him in (on defense) on obvious pass situations,” he added. “He did a great job – not just intercepting balls…he would chase (opponents) down and tackle them before they got too much” yardage.

Viper Senior Taeshawn Alston, who committed to play football at the University of South Carolina back in June, is the lone Viper whose season is extended by one game – Alston will represent Vance County and North Carolina in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas. That game takes place in Spartanburg, SC on Dec. 21. Kickoff is 1 p.m.

SportsTalk on WIZS 12:30 p.m. M-Th 

CLICK PLAY! 

SportsTalk: Vance County vs. Western Alamance Preview

/by

UPDATE – FINAL SCORE 

Western Alamance 36 

Vance County 31 

Vipers finish the season at 9-2 

RECAP MONDAY ON SPORTSTALK 

••••••••••••••••••••••••• 

SportsTalk on WIZS 12:30 p.m. M-Th 

Scout Hughes and George Hoyle sit down on SportsTalk to talk about the upcoming playoff game between Vance County and Western Alamance, in addition to other playoff games happening in our area. The guys also take a look at the new ADM numbers that came out on Wednesday and see where Vance County lines up.

Vance County travels to Western Alamance for the first round of the North Carolina 3A Football State Playoffs on Friday, November 15th 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!