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Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Vance County Football 2026 Season Recap

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Aaron Elliott, Head Football Coach of the Vance County Vipers, joins SportsTalk with Scout Hughes and George Hoyle to recap the 2026 season as the team looks forward to 2027.

Area High School Football Games for Round 1 of NCHSAA Playoffs:

3A Playoffs:

  • 13Louisburg vs. 20Ayden-Grifton 
  • 16Wake Prep vs. 17Greene Central

4A Playoffs:

  • 15Bunn vs. 18Anson

5A Playoffs:

  • 12South Granville vs. 21South Brunswick
  • 19J.F. Webb @ 14Montgomery Central
  • 22Person @ 11Saint Pauls

6A Playoffs:

  • 12Franklinton vs. 21Terry Sanford

7A Playoffs:

  • 15Heritage vs. 18North Brunswick
  • 24East Wake @ 9D.H. Conley

VHSL Regular Season Week 11:

  • Mecklenburg County, VA (2-7) @ Tunstall, VA (4-5)

College Football Games for Week 10:

  • North Carolina @ UConn
  • Duke @ NC State
  • 16Wake Forest vs. Merrimack
  • Virginia Tech @ SMU
  • East Carolina vs. USF
  • Charlotte @ Alabama-Birmingham
  • App State vs. Georgia State
  • NC Central @ Norfolk State
  • 2Louisburg College vs. Central Georgia Tech

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SportsTalk: Vipers Travel to Franklinton for Regular Season Finale

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UPDATE – FINAL SCORE 

Franklinton 43

Vance County 22

RECAP MONDAY ON SPORTSTALK 

••••••••••••••••••••••••• 

The Vance County Vipers wind down the 2026 regular season Friday as they travel to Franklinton for a conference matchup against the Franklinton High School Red Rams. With a 1-8 overall record, Head Coach Aaron Elliott said it’s been a long season, but his Vipers are ready.

The Vipers coughed up four turnovers last week against East Wake, and Elliott said the team needs to protect the football and avoid turnovers in the red zone this week if they want to try to post another W in the win column.

Finishing drives and putting points on the board is something they worked on in this week’s practices, he said.

They call the practice tactic the Red Zone offense, and Elliott described it as trying to put as much pressure on the offense as possible, “to try to make it chaotic,” and letting the offense score from the 20-yard line.

The Franklinton team, 7-2 and 2-2 in conference play, has an explosive offense, thanks largely to a couple of veteran receivers and a quarterback that’s mobile in the pocket.

Elliott said the Viper defense has to dial in the coverage to keep Franklinton off the board.

With the playoff picture still fuzzy, Elliott said this may be the last opportunity for the team, especially the 10 seniors, to take the field in a Viper uniform.

“They’re excited and ready to play,” Elliott said.

The team is ready to leave “it all out on the field,” he said.

 

Area High School Football Games for Week 11:

  • Vance County (1-8, 1-3) @ Franklinton (7-2, 2-2)
  • Wake Forest (7-2, 4-0) @ Heritage (5-4, 4-0)
  • East Wake (3-6, 1-3) vs. Knightdale (0-9, 0-4)
  • J.F. Webb (4-5) vs. South Granville (5-4)
  • Warren County (9-0) @ Northwest Halifax (5-4)
  • Louisburg (7-2) @ Wake Prep (5-4)
  • Bunn (5-4) @ Roanoke Rapids (4-5)
  • Person (2-7) @ Burlington Williams (5-2)

Bye Week:

  • Mecklenburg County, VA (2-7)

College Football Games for Week 9:

  • North Carolina vs. Miami
  • Duke vs. Boston College
  • NC State vs. California
  • Wake Forest vs. Virginia
  • East Carolina vs. Temple
  • Charlotte vs. Tulane
  • App State @ Georgia Southern
  • North Carolina Central vs. Howard
  • Louisburg College vs. Nassau CC

Vance County travels to Franklinton to take on the Red Rams in Week 11 of the 2026 season on Friday, October 30th 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: Football Weekend Rewind

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Scout Hughes and Doc Ayscue recap the weekend that was with High School Football. Scout and Doc also address Dave Doeren’s Firing from NC State Football. The guys also talk about some college football games and NFL Games that happened over the weekend.

High School Football Scores from Week 10:

  • East Wake 26 Vance County 6
  • Wake Forest 49 Franklinton 10
  • Heritage 31 Knightdale 6
  • Seaforth 66 J.F. Webb 20
  • Orange 15 South Granville 14
  • Warren County 52 KIPP Pride 0
  • Bunn 12 Louisburg 6
  • Nash Central 14 Wake Prep 2
  • Southeast Alamance 56 Person 31
  • GW-Danville, VA 57 Mecklenburg County, VA 12

Area College Football Scores for Week 8:

  • Syracuse 31 North Carolina 30  OT
  • Duke 19 Virginia 16
  • Stanford 31 NC State 28
  • Virginia Tech 20 Clemson 16
  • Memphis 41 East Carolina 34  OT
  • App State 34 James Madison 31  OT
  • NC Central 31 Delaware State 12
  • Louisburg College 61 Hocking College 6

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SportsTalk: VCHS to Honor Gridiron Seniors Friday

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UPDATE – FINAL SCORE 

East Wake 26

Vance County 6

RECAP MONDAY ON SPORTSTALK 

••••••••••••••••••••••••• 

The Vance Vipers host the East Wake Warriors Friday on Senior Night. Viper Head Coach Aaron Elliott said his team has had a good week of practice and he’s hopeful they’ll be able to put another W in the win column and make it an evening to remember for the 10 seniors who will be honored in a pre-game ceremony.

The Vipers beat East Wake last season, and Elliott said the defense must defend the passing game to shut down the Warriors. Their quarterback has thrown some interceptions this season, and Elliott said the Viper D can create more opportunities for turnovers Friday.

The Vipers lost at Heritage last week, but Elliott said he has confidence in his offense.

“If we keep doing what we’ve been doing,” Elliott said, “I think we’ll be fine.”

“We let one slip away,” he said of last week’s 40-7 loss to the Huskies.

The Vipers, now 1-7 for the season, need to capitalize off key moments, Elliott said, create positive plays and turn turnovers into points.

East Wake, now 2-6, lost last week to Franklinton.

Elliott said he hopes the Vipers take advantage of being back on their home turf and give the seniors a good sendoff.

“We’ve got a good chance at winning if we do everything right,” he said.

 

Area High School Football Games for Week 10:

  • Vance County (1-7, 1-2) vs. East Wake (2-6, 0-3)
  • Franklinton (7-1, 2-1) @ Wake Forest (6-2, 3-0)
  • Heritage (4-4, 3-0) @ Knightdale (0-8, 0-3)
  • J.F. Webb (4-4) @ Seaforth (7-1)
  • South Granville (5-3) vs. Orange (4-4)
  • Warren County (8-0) vs. KIPP Pride (3-5)
  • Louisburg (7-1) vs. Bunn (4-4)
  • Wake Prep (5-3) @ Nash Central (2-6)
  • Person (2-6) vs. Southeast Alamance (8-0)
  • Mecklenburg County, VA (2-6) vs. GW-Danville (7-0)

College Football Games for Week 8:

  • North Carolina vs. Syracuse
  • Duke @ Virginia
  • NC State @ Stanford
  • Virginia Tech @ Clemson
  • East Carolina @ Memphis
  • App State vs. James Madison
  • NC Central @ Delaware State
  • Louisburg College @ Hocking College

Vance County hosts East Wake for Senior Night in Week 10 of the 2026 season on Friday, October 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.

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SportsTalk: Football Weekend Recap

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Scout Hughes and Doc Ayscue recap the weekend that was with High School Football. The guys also talk about some college football games and NFL Games that happened over the weekend.

High School Football Scores from Week 9:

  • Heritage 40 Vance County 7
  • Franklinton 32 East Wake 7
  • Wake Forest 42 Knightdale 6
  • J.F. Webb 54 Cedar Ridge 0
  • Seaforth 20 South Granville 10
  • Warren County 54 Weldon 0
  • Louisburg 15 Roanoke Rapids 12
  • Nash Central 14 Bunn 13
  • Southern Alamance 65 Person 24
  • King William, VA 48 Mecklenburg County, VA 14

Bye Week:

  • Wake Prep (5-3)

Area College Football Scores for Week 7:

  • North Carolina 24 Duke 20
  • Wake Forest 41 California 7
  • SMU 23 Virginia 13
  • Virginia Tech 34 Georgia Tech 24
  • Alabama-Birmingham 30 East Carolina 17  OT
  • Charlotte 38 Temple 31
  • App State 35 Coastal Carolina 32
  • Louisburg College 74 Myrtle Beach Prep 8
  • Stanford 34 Elon 7

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SportsTalk: Vipers Looking for Conference Win at Heritage

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UPDATE – FINAL SCORE 

Heritage 40

Vance County 7

RECAP MONDAY ON SPORTSTALK 

••••••••••••••••••••••••• 

The Vance Vipers and Coach Aaron Elliott hope to build on last week’s Homecoming win as they head to Wake Forest to take on the Heritage Huskies.

Elliott said last week’s 27-13 win over Knightdale was special – special because it was the team’s first win of the season and special because of the several thousand partisan fans in attendance.

The team’s performance “opened our eyes as to how well we could play as a team,” Elliott said on Thursday’s SportsTalk with WIZS’s Scout Hughes and George Hoyle. “We needed that.”

Coming off a win helped the team have a great week of practice, Elliott said, adding that he is looking for his Vipers to finish out the regular season on a positive note to have a good chance to get to the playoffs.

But the Vipers have to get past the Huskies first, and Elliott said the Heritage team plays pretty good on both sides of the ball. They’ve got a mobile quarterback, so the Viper defense has to be ready.

The teams’ running games match up pretty well, and Elliott said Viper QB Aaden Trowbridge will need to establish his passing game against the Huskies’ defense.

It’s been a few weeks since Trowbridge returned after being in a concussion protocol. Elliott praised his quarterback’s performance against Knightdale. He’s not only strong – spending a lot of time in the weight room – but he’s also smart, Elliott said. That academic excellence translates well to Friday nights, “making decisions on the field that show it,” Elliott said.

Area High School Football Games for Week 9:

  • Vance County (1-6, 1-1) @ Heritage (3-4, 2-0)
  • Franklinton (6-1, 1-1) @ East Wake (2-5, 0-2)
  • Wake Forest (5-2, 2-0) @ Knightdale (0-7, 0-2)
  • J.F. Webb (3-4) vs. Cedar Ridge (0-5)
  • South Granville (5-2) vs. Seaforth (6-1)
  • Warren County (7-0) @ Weldon (0-6)
  • Louisburg (6-1) vs. Roanoke Rapids (3-4)
  • Bunn (4-3) vs. Nash Central (1-6)
  • Person (2-5) @ Southern Alamance (5-2)
  • Mecklenburg County, VA (2-5) @ King William, VA (5-1)

Bye Week:

  • Wake Prep (5-3)

College Football Games for Week 7:

  • North Carolina @ Duke
  • Wake Forest @ California
  • Virginia @ SMU
  • Virginia Tech vs. Georgia Tech
  • East Carolina @ Alabama-Birmingham
  • Charlotte @ Temple
  • App State @ Coastal Carolina
  • Louisburg College vs. Myrtle Beach Prep
  • Elon @ Stanford

Vance County travels to Heritage in Week 9 of the 2026 season on Friday, October 16th 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: Huskies to Welcome Vipers in for Friday Night Conference Game

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Wallace Clark, Head Coach of the Heritage High School Football Team, joins SportsTalk with Scout Hughes and George Hoyle to preview the game between Vance County and Heritage, from the Huskies point of view.

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SportsTalk: High School Football Week 8 Recap

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Scout Hughes and Doc Ayscue recap the weekend that was with High School Football. The guys also talk about some college football games and NFL Games that happened over the weekend.

High School Football Scores from Week 8:

  • Vance County 27 Knightdale 13
  • Heritage 35 Franklinton 32 
  • Wake Forest 41 East Wake 0
  • Orange 29 J.F. Webb 28
  • South Granville 42 Carrboro 6
  • Warren County 35 Northampton County 0
  • Louisburg 36 ALA-Johnston 12
  • Bunn 17 Wake Prep 14
  • Person 32 Burlington Cummings 0
  • Magna Vista, VA 58 Mecklenburg County, VA 6

Area College Football Scores for Week 6:

  • North Carolina 21 Pittsburgh 17
  • Georgia Tech 28 Duke 25
  • Wake Forest 38 NC State 14
  • Virginia 28 Syracuse 25
  • California 25 Virginia Tech 20
  • East Carolina 28 Rice 12
  • North Texas 50 Charlotte 10
  • Old Dominion 10 App State 3
  • William & Mary 17 North Carolina Central 14
  • Louisburg College 34 JD Trenches Academy 0

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SportsTalk: Vipers Looking for Homecoming Victory Friday Night

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UPDATE – FINAL SCORE 

Vance County 27

Knightdale 13

RECAP MONDAY ON SPORTSTALK 

••••••••••••••••••••••••• 

The Vance County High School Vipers welcome the Knightdale Knights Friday for a conference matchup on Homecoming Weekend.

Locals will be pulling for the Vipers to get  their first W, but they may be sporting colors from their own high schools, from Henderson High and Vance Sr. High to more recently, Northern and Southern Vance high schools as alumni return for Homecoming festivities.

Coming off last week’s loss to conference leader Wake Forest High, Viper Head Coach Aaron Elliott said he and his coaching staff worked with the players this week on looking forward to Knightdale.

“We spent more time focusing on the game coming up this week that we know we should win,” Elliott told WIZS’s Scout Hughes and George Hoyle on Thursday’s SportsTalk. Both teams are winless with 0-6 seasons so far.

He said he expects the Knights to come in and play hard-nosed football. If the Vipers can match the physicality, he said the home team should be in good shape.

The game may be the highlight of the day, but there are other Homecoming activities taking place Friday, including some tailgating and the opportunity to purchase apparel from some of those previously mentioned high schools, as well as Eaton-Johnson and Henderson Middle schools.

Elliott said he wouldn’t mind finding a Southern Vance jersey from when he played football there – #59, to be specific.

He didn’t get to keep his jersey, but he makes sure that his seniors get their own personal jerseys to wear on Senior Night and to keep as a reminder of their Viper careers.
The last time he checked with the AD, more than 20 groups had reserved spots to tailgate before the game.

The Recreation and Parks Dept. Seahawks will run out with the Vipers as part of Little League Night, too.

Area High School Football Games for Week 8:

  • Vance County (0-6, 0-1) vs. Knightdale (0-6, 0-1)
  • Franklinton (6-0, 1-0) vs. Heritage (2-4, 1-0)
  • Wake Forest (4-2, 1-0) vs. East Wake (2-4, 0-1)
  • J.F. Webb (3-3) vs. Orange (2-4)
  • South Granville (4-2) @ Carrboro (1-5)
  • Warren County (6-0) vs. Northampton County (1-5)
  • Louisburg (5-1) @ ALA-Johnston (1-5)
  • Bunn (3-3) @ Wake Prep (5-2)
  • Person (1-5) vs. Burlington Cummings (1-5)
  • Mecklenburg County, VA (2-4) @ Magna Vista, VA (5-0)

College Football Games for Week 6:

  • North Carolina @ Pittsburgh
  • Duke @ Georgia Tech
  • NC State vs. Wake Forest
  • Virginia vs. Syracuse
  • Virginia Tech @ California
  • East Carolina vs. Rice
  • Charlotte @ North Texas
  • App State vs. Old Dominion
  • North Carolina Central vs. William & Mary
  • Louisburg College vs. JD Trenches Academy (SC)

Vance County hosts Knightdale for Homecoming and for Little League Night in Week 8 of the 2026 season on Friday, October 9th 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: Knightdale Travels to Henderson for VCFNF

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First-year Head Coach Marcell Johnson brings his Knightdale Knights to Henderson Friday to face the Vance Vipers.

Johnson, who played football at Knightdale and was on the coaching staff for six years or so before being named head coach, said he’s looking forward to the matchup, which also is VCHS’s Homecoming game.

Coming off a loss to Franklinton last week, Johnson told WIZS’s Scout Hughes and Doc Ayscue that practice has gone pretty well this week. There may be some new numbers on the sidelines and some numbers may be missing, but Johnson was a little cagey about specific players’ availability for Friday’s contest.

He watches a lot of film, he said, and called Head Coach Aaron Elliott’s Vipers “athletic, gritty and relentless.” He expects the Vipers will show a variety of formations on offense, but said the Vipers probably haven’t an offense like the Knights’ will bring.

Johnson didn’t sugar-coat his first year as head coach – he’s the third head coach in three years – but chalks it up to the sport.

“That’s the name of the game,” he said. “That’s what makes winners winners and great coaches great coaches.” It’s all about facing challenges, adapting and making adjustments, he added.

“I’m here for the long haul,” Johnson said.

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