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 July 23, 2020  Cory Smith  Sports  4 73.4 °F Rain Showers East Surry grad leads discussion on growing up a 70 °F 92 °F minority in Surry County By Cory Smith [email protected] 69 87 69 87 68 87 FRI SAT SUN

10:01 AM Thu Jul 30 W

Kevin Cokley, Ph.D., led a Zoom discussion with East Surry faculty Thursday morning on  the struggles of a growing up as a minority in Surry County. ADVERTISEMENT https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 1/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News     ADVERTISEMENT

Kevin Cokley, Ph.D., can’t help but be amazed by how much his hometown NASCAR Schedule has changed in certain aspects. In others, not so much. Date Race/Location Winne It’s been more than 20 years since Cokley was a resident of Pilot Big Machine Mountain, where he played Cardinal Hand football with the likes of current East Sanitizer Surry coaches Randy Marion, David Johnson and Andy Jessup. Cokley also 400 was a talented track star, dedicated Powered by Originally from Pilot Mountain Jul.05 Kevin Ha member of the marching band, senior Big Machine and a 1987 graduate of East class president and voted as the most Records / Surry High School, Kevin Cokley, athletic and most talented member of Ph.D., was named one of the class of 1987. Indianapolis Relevant Magazine’s 25 essential Motor Black voices on mental health Cokley isn’t able to return to Pilot Speedway and wellness. Mountain nearly as much as he’d like since he lives more than 1,000 miles Quaker State Submitted Photo away. He serves as a Distinguished 400 Teaching Professor of African and Presented African Diaspora Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. Jul.12 Cole Cus by Walmart /

Despite the distance, Cokley’s still able to make an impact in the community Kentucky of which his parents still reside. The opportunity came in the form of a Speedway message from his childhood friend Marion, who also serves as East Surry’s athletic director. NASCAR Open / Bristol Jul.15 FS1 Marion reached out to Cokley, whose family used to take Marion to and M from football practice, in hopes that the professor would share some of his knowledge with coaches at East Surry High School. Marion didn’t ask for CIRCULARS advice on football or track, both of which Cokley excelled in, but rather requested Cokley lead a discussion on something far more important: the life of a minority student residing in Surry County.

Cokley made time in his hectic schedule to speak with East Surry coaches, administrators and members of the Surry County Schools Board of Education via Zoom on Thursday morning.

“We are now at a historical moment where people are having these  conversations,” said Cokley, who was named one of Relevant Magazine’s 25 https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 2/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News essential Black voices on mental health and wellness. “As a Black psychologist and as a professor, I have never been in more demand than right now.”

Due to the current state of race relations of the United States in 2020, Cokley, who earned his Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Georgia State Hover for Circular Hov University in 1998, has served as a consultant for just about every person, school or organization that’s requested it.

For example, Cokley said he’s recently spoke with lawyers about the role that implicit bias has in criminal justice and law, large groups of mental health professionals that want to understand how racism might impact their abilities to do work as therapists, various corporations and, of course, his students at UT Austin. NATIONAL VIDEO

“A brother has been busy…and I’m tired. I’m really tired,” Cokley joked. “But Summer Must-Haves when Randy approached me about this opportunity, I said, ‘you know what, Inform as tired as I am, I have to take advantage of this opportunity.’”

“This is really special to me. I’ve been a professor for about 22, 23 years or so and have never forgotten my roots or where I come from.”

Marion said his motivation for contacting Cokley was to gain a better insight and understanding of the needs of minorities in the community.

“I just want you all to know that it means the world to me that you are taking time out of your schedules to hear from me because it is important to me that our young student-athletes of color feel like they have coaches

that love them, that care about them and that are willing to have these very More videos: difcult conversations that the entire country is having,” Cokley said.

Cokley talked about how, growing up in Pilot Mountain, it was sort of taboo to talk about things such as race, religion and politics. He recalled a time when he was in high school and said that something such as interracial dating often attracted a lot of attention. Even though no one publicly said it, there was a commotion when it occurred.

Conversations about topics once considered tabooare being held more often in today’s world than when he was growing up, Cokley said. There are stories his mother and father, who were raised in Mississippi and Georgia respectively, just now tell him about.

“My dad was telling me just the other day about how, when he and my mom were dating, they would go to restaurants and they weren’t allowed to  go through the front door. They would have to go through the back of the https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 3/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News restaurant just to get food. They never told us these kinds of stories Pro Football News growing up.”

Another instance of this was when the miniseries, “Roots,” was released Chargers' Lynn during Cokley’s childhood. He was intrigued by the series and wanted to heads into camp watch it, but his mother forbade it. He said he didn’t understand at the time happy with Bosa why she wouldn’t let him watch it. on board 12 hrs ago It’s something that’s become clearer over time to him as he’s been able to empathize with his parents’ decision. Malcolm Jenkins doesn't stop working to create change “I’ve come to understand that the miniseries hit too close to home for her,” 14 hrs ago Cokley said. “Again, being from Mississippi and everything she went though, she did not want us to be exposed to that history. While I disagree with that Roethlisberger's stance now as an educator, I understand emotionally for my mom why she return raises didn’t want us to watch that and see what Black people went through.” expectations in Pittsburgh Cokley said sometimes what he says or writes is not exactly what people 14 hrs ago want to hear and that can have repercussions. He recently authored an article about the Black Lives Matter movement that was published by USA Today. With Marlins battling In the article, he used the example of a conversation he had with his 11- virus outbreak, will year-old son. While his son played Fortnite with a group of friends in which they play again? he was the only person of color, there was an in-game protest due to the 15 hrs ago murder of George Floyd.

“When his friends sort of brought this up, my son said to them, ‘well, Black Lives Matter,’ because that’s what he’s heard and he knows who his daddy is, whatever,” Cokley said. “One of his friends responded by saying, ‘All Lives Matter,’ and so my son, for reasons that he couldn’t really articulate, that kind of bothered him.” ADVERTISEMENT

His son approached both his father and mother, who is also a professor who teaches about race and gender, to discuss why it bothered him so much. After talking things over with their son, Cokley’s wife contacted the parents of the friend in question.

She just expressed to them that she was really disappointed that their son would say this to our son and how it sort of minimized the message of Black Lives Matter. The parents were mortied and they talked to their son and contacted us back to let us know that this was not something that they had conveyed to him. He didn’t really understand that the message that he POLL said was really minimizing to the Black Lives Matter movement. 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation  4/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News The point of that anecdote was not to politicize anything, Cokley explained, How often do you  mistakenly leave your but rather to illustrate the type of conversations Black parents had to have house without a mask / with their children. face covering? 

Another conversation Cokley was forced to have with son revolved around Very often the video of George Floyd’s death. The discussion sparked after his son saw Somewhat often the video on social media. Not often at all “How did you feel when you saw that video,” Cokley asked his son. “He got I do not wear masks / Does so emotional and he was crying as he was trying to nd his words to not apply explain what he felt looking at that video. Among other things, he said he didn’t understand why people who were there didn’t try to help George NEXT Floyd.”

“Probably the most painful thing that he said that I’ll never forget, and I still get emotional just thinking about it, he said that had he been there, ADVERTISEMENT and he’s 11 years old now, he would’ve tried to push that police ofcer off of George Floyd even if it meant dying. Now, no 11-year-old kid should ever have to be put in a position where they have to think about dying, particularly because of something like that.”

The morning after he published the article mentioning that story, Cokley said he woke up to an email that had the N-word as the subject line. The body of the email was just the same word typed 192 times.

No matter how uncomfortable these conversations might make someone, Cokley stressed just how vital they are to our youth. Avoiding conversations about race helps no one and can be detrimental in the long run.

“Given everything that’s happened, particularly this summer with the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, followed by the murder of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman who was in her apartment and who was gunned down by police ofcers who were mistaken. and then, of course, followed by George Floyd,” Cokley said. “I don’t know how you could not have these conversations with these young people about what’s going on in our country right now because you best believe they’re talking about it, and their families are talking about it.”

“So, you’ve got to nd a way to approach this conversation from a place of humility because you don’t understand sort of what they’re feeling and what they’re experiencing, but you want to show that you want to understand.”

The last portion of the meeting gave members of the East Surry staff a  chance to ask Cokley questions. This part of the discussion was condential https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 5/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News and specics will not be covered.

Cokley did illustrate one nal point to everyone in the call.

“I want to be clear…this is not about politics,” he said. “This is about connecting with people on a very human level. “

Reach Cory on Twitter @MrCoryLeeSmith

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Sponsored He saved a lot of money! Body shops and garages don’t want you to know about this amazing trick with boiling water Tips And Tricks Kiser named All-West by HSOT 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 8/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News

July 28, 2020

Softball teams from Surry and Stokes counties have been among the state’s best over the past two decades.

Four players that had a lot to do with their team’s recent success graduated from their respective schools last spring. However, they can add one nal honor to their high school resume before closing the book on it.

East Surry’s Grace Kiser and North Stokes’ Autumn Martin, Reid Hawkins and Carley Gravely are all members of HighSchoolOT’s All-West Softball team.

Based in Raleigh, HighSchoolOT released All-East rosters for various high school sports in the past. This is the rst year of All-West rosters.

For fall and winter sports, HSOT selected the top athletes in each sport regardless of grade. The site decided to only honor seniors for spring sports since the class of 2020 was unable to complete it’s nal season of athletics. It’s because of this that an athlete’s entire body of work was used as reference as opposed to just one season.

HSOT All-East and All-West teams are open to students from all classications of public, charter and private schools in the state. That said, North Stokes and Topsail High are the only schools with three members on one of the HSOT teams.

Kiser

Grace Kiser was selected to the North Carolina Softball Coaches’  Association All-State and All-District teams in 2019 after a sensational https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 9/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News junior season.

She nished with a batting average of .507 on 88 plate appearances. Only nine other players in the state’s 1A division had a higher BA and more plate appearances than Kiser. Only eight others with more plate appearances had a higher on base percentage (.602).

Kiser became well-known as a power hitter for East Surry. She was ninth in the state with eight home runs last season, nishing with 13 in her shortened career. She added two grand slams to go along with four doubles, 32 RBI and 23 runs scored. Kiser was struck out just ve times and was walked 17 times.

For her career, Kiser has a .398 BA, 90 hits, 79 RBIs, 20 doubles, three triples 13 HRs and 60 runs scored.

Defensively, Kiser nished with a elding percentage of .903 as the Cardinals’ shortstop. Her reliability dates back to her freshman year. Coach Randy Marion said Grace has started every game at shortstop since she’s been in high school.

Her career elding percentage is .897. Out of 234 total chances, Kiser nished with 68 put-outs, 142 assists and helped force 18 double plays.

Grace will continue her softball career at the NCAA Division I level with Elon University.

Hawkins

Reid Hawkins was a four-year starter for a North Stokes team that went 71- 10 during her time with the Vikings. This was highlighted by a 29-1 junior season that ended with North Stokes winning the 1A State Championship.

Hawkins was named to the Northwest 1A All-Conference squad her rst three years with the team and had favorable odds to go 4-for-4 as a senior. She was also named to the All-District 5 team in 2018 and 2019 and 1A All- State team during her junior campaign.

In 26 games as a junior, Hawkins had a .532 BA, .578 OBP, 41 hits, 23 RBIs and 36 runs scored.

During her time with the Vikings, she had a career .452 batting average with 81 runs scored, 94 hits, 49 RBIs, and 24 doubles as a left-handed slapper. 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 10/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News The career second baseman carried a career .956 elding percentage.

Hawkins will continue her softball career at the NCAA Division I level with Western Carolina University.

Autumn Martin

Autumn Martin never had a chance to defend her title as 2019 1A All-State Pitcher of the Year.

In North Stokes’ historic season 2019 season, Martin had 14 wins, one save and no losses on the mound. Autumn was one of only two pitchers in the state with at least 14 wins (all divisions) to have a perfect record.

She had the sixth-most strikeouts in the division (132) while splitting pitching duties with teammate Sierra Hubbard. Martin shared the honors for Northwest 1A Conference Player of the Year with teammate Lora Wood that year.

Martin was just a dangerous behind the plate. She led the 1A division with 16 home runs, a mark that was just one shy of leading the entire state. In fact, her 23 career homers were the most of any player on the All-West team.

For her career, Martin had a 1.47 ERA and 227 strikeouts in 161.2 innings. At the plate, she had a career .495 BA, 90 hits, 89 RBIs, 15 doubles and scored 60 runs.

Gravely

Carley Gravely earned NW1A all-tournament, all-conference, all-district and all-state honors in each of her rst three years with North Stokes.

Gravely crossed home plate 40 times last season, which was the ninth-most of all 1A players. She led the Lady Vikings in plate appearances with 99. Of those, she had 81 at bats, 36 hits, 23 RBI and three home runs. She also stole 13 bases.

The most important of her 36 hits came in game three of the West Regional Final. After losing their rst game of the season, North Stokes returned home to host the tie-breaking game against Robbinsville with a shot at the state championship on the line.

Gravely was up to bat with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning  down 2-0. With two runners on and facing a 1-2 count, Gravely crushed a https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 11/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News hit out of the park to win the game.

Gravely graduated with a .435 career BA, 104 hits, 72 RBIs, 24 doubles, 11 HRs and 102 runs.

As starting shortstop, Gravely nished her career with a .931 elding percentage, recording 77 put outs and 72 assists on 160 total chances.

Gravely will continue her softball career at the NJCAA Division II level at Patrick Henry Community College.

Starting the conversation

July 23, 2020

Kevin Cokley, Ph.D., can’t help but be amazed by how much his hometown has changed in certain aspects. In others, not so much.

It’s been more than 20 years since Cokley was a resident of Pilot Mountain, where he played Cardinal football with the likes of current East Surry coaches Randy Marion, David Johnson and Andy Jessup. Cokley also was a talented track star, dedicated member of the marching band, senior class president and voted as the most athletic and most talented member of the class of 1987.

Cokley isn’t able to return to Pilot Mountain nearly as much as he’d like since he lives more than 1,000 miles away. He serves as a Distinguished Teaching Professor of African and African Diaspora Studies at the University  of Texas at Austin. https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 12/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Despite the distance, Cokley’s still able to make an impact in the community of which his parents still reside. The opportunity came in the form of a message from his childhood friend Marion, who also serves as East Surry’s athletic director.

Marion reached out to Cokley, whose family used to take Marion to and from football practice, in hopes that the professor would share some of his knowledge with coaches at East Surry High School. Marion didn’t ask for advice on football or track, both of which Cokley excelled in, but rather requested Cokley lead a discussion on something far more important: the life of a minority student residing in Surry County.

Cokley made time in his hectic schedule to speak with East Surry coaches, administrators and members of the Surry County Schools Board of Education via Zoom on Thursday morning.

“We are now at a historical moment where people are having these conversations,” said Cokley, who was named one of Relevant Magazine’s 25 essential Black voices on mental health and wellness. “As a Black psychologist and as a professor, I have never been in more demand than right now.”

Due to the current state of race relations of the United States in 2020, Cokley, who earned his Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Georgia State University in 1998, has served as a consultant for just about every person, school or organization that’s requested it.

“A brother has been busy…and I’m tired. I’m really tired,” Cokley joked. “But when Randy approached me about this opportunity, I said, ‘you know what, as tired as I am, I have to take advantage of this opportunity.’”

“This is really special to me. I’ve been a professor for about 22, 23 years or so and have never forgotten my roots or where I come from.”

Marion said his motivation for contacting Cokley was to gain a better insight and understanding of the needs of minorities in the community.

“I just want you all to know that it means the world to me that you are  taking time out of your schedules to hear from me because it is important https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 13/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News to me that our young student-athletes of color feel like they have coaches that love them, that care about them and that are willing to have these very difcult conversations that the entire country is having,” Cokley said.

“My dad was telling me just the other day about how, when he and my mom were dating, they would go to restaurants and they weren’t allowed to go through the front door. They would have to go through the back of the restaurant just to get food. They never told us these kinds of stories growing up.”

Another instance of this was when the miniseries, “Roots,” was released during Cokley’s childhood. He was intrigued by the series and wanted to watch it, but his mother forbade it. He said he didn’t understand at the time why she wouldn’t let him watch it.

It’s something that’s become clearer over time to him as he’s been able to empathize with his parents’ decision.

“I’ve come to understand that the miniseries hit too close to home for her,” Cokley said. “Again, being from Mississippi and everything she went though, she did not want us to be exposed to that history. While I disagree with that stance now as an educator, I understand emotionally for my mom why she didn’t want us to watch that and see what Black people went through.”

Cokley said sometimes what he says or writes is not exactly what people want to hear and that can have repercussions. He recently authored an article about the Black Lives Matter movement that was published by USA Today.

In the article, he used the example of a conversation he had with his 11- year-old son. While his son played Fortnite with a group of friends in which he was the only person of color, there was an in-game protest due to the murder of George Floyd. 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 14/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News “When his friends sort of brought this up, my son said to them, ‘well, Black Lives Matter,’ because that’s what he’s heard and he knows who his daddy is, whatever,” Cokley said. “One of his friends responded by saying, ‘All Lives Matter,’ and so my son, for reasons that he couldn’t really articulate, that kind of bothered him.”

She just expressed to them that she was really disappointed that their son would say this to our son and how it sort of minimized the message of Black Lives Matter. The parents were mortied and they talked to their son and contacted us back to let us know that this was not something that they had conveyed to him. He didn’t really understand that the message that he said was really minimizing to the Black Lives Matter movement.

The point of that anecdote was not to politicize anything, Cokley explained, but rather to illustrate the type of conversations Black parents had to have with their children.

Another conversation Cokley was forced to have with son revolved around the video of George Floyd’s death. The discussion sparked after his son saw the video on social media.

“How did you feel when you saw that video,” Cokley asked his son. “He got so emotional and he was crying as he was trying to nd his words to explain what he felt looking at that video. Among other things, he said he didn’t understand why people who were there didn’t try to help George Floyd.”

“Probably the most painful thing that he said that I’ll never forget, and I still get emotional just thinking about it, he said that had he been there, and he’s 11 years old now, he would’ve tried to push that police ofcer off of George Floyd even if it meant dying. Now, no 11-year-old kid should ever have to be put in a position where they have to think about dying, particularly because of something like that.”

No matter how uncomfortable these conversations might make someone,  Cokley stressed just how vital they are to our youth. Avoiding conversations https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 15/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News about race helps no one and can be detrimental in the long run.

The last portion of the meeting gave members of the East Surry staff a chance to ask Cokley questions. This part of the discussion was condential and specics will not be covered.

Cokley did illustrate one nal point to everyone in the call.

“I want to be clear…this is not about politics,” he said. “This is about connecting with people on a very human level. “

Wildcats names Chris Johnson coach

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https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 16/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News July 23, 2020

KING — For the rst time since 2002, someone other than Jimmy Upchurch will lead the West Stokes football team out of the tunnel on Friday nights.

On Tuesday, West Stokes High School announced that Chris Johnson would be the school’s new head coach.

Interviews were conducted in the weeks following Upchurch’s retirement on June 27. Johnson was approved to be West Stokes’ fourth football coach in the school’s 21-year history at a closed Stokes County Board of Education meeting on July 20.

“I’m feeling pretty good right now,” Johnson said with a chuckle. “I’m going to a great place with great community support. I’ve always been envious of the support Jimmy (Upchurch) has had and what he has accomplished since coming to the school. He has done a phenomenal job and built a winning mentality with the program. You can see the community and businesses are very proud of their Wildcats as you ride through King and see the yard signs out everywhere. He has made West Stokes a very desirable job of the football community, and I’m happy to now be a part of that.”

Johnson started his coaching career at McDowell High School a year after graduating from Western Carolina University in 1996. He then joined an all- star coaching staff at Surry Central in 1997 that included Monty Southern, the current head coach for the Golden Eagles; Kelly Holder, who went on to become the the all-time leader in career wins at Mount Airy; and none other than Jimmy Upchurch himself.

After serving as an assistant coach at Central for two years, Johnson left with Holder in 1999. Johnson served as the Granite Bears’ defensive coordinator under the new head coach. He stayed 11 years and helped the Bears reach consecutive state championships in 2008 and 2009.

The Bears won the state title in 2008 and nished as state runner-up in 2009. Johnson coached a defense that allowed less than 10 points a game over a four-year stretch (2006-2009).

He accepted the Forbush job in 2010 and coached the Falcons into the state playoffs one year later. In his 10 seasons with the Falcons, Johnson accumulated an overall record of 44-67 with ve playoff appearances.

Last season, Forbush nished 7-5 overall and tied for third in the Western Piedmont Athletic Conference behind champion West Stokes and North 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 17/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Surry. The Falcons lost in the rst round of the state playoffs to eventual 2A state champion Reidsville.

The seven wins were the most victories the program has had since 2004, when the school nished 11-2 under Pat Mitchell.

“We are excited to have Coach Johnson join our athletic department as our next head football coach,” said West Stokes athletic director Travis Gammons. “His knowledge and passion for the game is contagious. Being conference opponents, we have had an opportunity to see how hard, prepared and disciplined his teams compete and are extremely happy that he is now a Wildcat.”

Johnson met with the current staff on Tuesday and said he hopes to keep as many of them who will stay.

“Jimmy had a great staff last year and you don’t start 1-3 and make it to the regional nals without the support of your coaching staff,” added Johnson. “The team was head and shoulders above everyone in the league for the past two seasons and that is a tribute to what Jimmy had built with his coaches and players.”

Johnson is set to meet his new players at Thursday’s workouts. He is hopeful the Wildcats will actually have a season in 2020 since schools are opening with online classes and all athletics have been delayed until at least September 1.

“For the kid’s sake, not mine, I certainly hope we can play,” said Johnson. “I think our communities are ready and want sports back. I have my ngers crossed that it will happen.”

Johnson and his wife of 13 years, Kelly, reside in Mount Airy with their 9- year-old son, Charlie. Kelly Johnson works for Mount Airy City Schools as a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) coach at the elementary level. Coach Johnson said they are both very excited to be Wildcats.

2019-20 College Signing Roundup

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heir of distinction • 4 days ago • edited An educated idiot. The problem with the blacks is that they want all white people to "have a conversation" about race and how it affects black people. But if at the end of that conversation a white person still thinks the blacks are wrong, (which they are) all hells gonna break loose. The guy needs a hair cut too. 1 △ ▽ 1 • Reply • Share ›

Numanic • 4 days ago So a man who has clearly done well for himself and his wife has also is saying the system is wrong? It's interesting that he used intimidation toward anyone who didn't agree with him. You know a lot like the clan did. Same tactics. △ ▽ 1 • Reply • Share ›

Terry Hill • 6 days ago • edited I suppose Mr Cokley sees what I'm seeing- white people protesting for black lives matter while black people are killing each other. I'm seeing that every day. 1 △ ▽ 1 • Reply • Share ›

mpjeep • 6 days ago All Lives Matter!  PREVIOUS NEXT  Autumn Leaves Festival called off Police reports

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The Hill2 hrs, 6 mins ago John Lewis: 'Now it is your turn to let freedom  ring' https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 7/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News

July 21, 2020

The 2019-20 school year saw local student-athletes experience the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.

Some shattered records and took home championship hardware. Others, however, waited all year for their sport to roll around only for a pandemic to cancel the season after just two weeks of competition.

A total of 220 student-athletes from the ve local public high schools graduated in 2020. For most of them, high school will be the last time they compete in an organized sport.

A select few of these graduates, 15% to be exact, will continue their academic and athletic careers at the collegiate level. Many of the 33 student-athletes have already begun summer workouts with their new school. Others are waiting to see how the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), National Junior College Association (NJCAA) and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) proceed during the pandemic.

This is the third year I’ve covered college signings for The Mount Airy News and the number of college commits has steadily decreased each year. There were 41 signings from the class of 2018 and then 35 from the class of 2019. It’s worth noting that the absence of a spring sports season in 2020 may have hurt the chances of spring athletes on the fringe of being recruited.

Football was the sport most represented for the third-straight year. There were 16 signings in 2017-18, seven in 2018-19 (tying with baseball) and 11 in 2019-20.

Baseball nished second this year with ve signings, followed by soccer and  softball with four each, volleyball with three, and basketball, cheerleading, https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 19/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News golf, swimming and indoor track and eld with one each. One particular athlete from Surry Central will compete in both volleyball and softball.

The school with the most signees has changed each year. North Surry led the way in 2017-18 with 15, followed by 13 from Mount Airy, 10 from East Surry and three from Surry Central. Then in 2018-19 it was Mount Airy out front with 11, Surry Central and North Surry with nine each, East Surry with seven and Surry Homeschool with one.

East Surry led the pack this year with 12 signees. Mount Airy was next with 10, followed by Surry Central with seven and North Surry with four.

Even though the class of 2020 had the fewest overall signees of the past three school years, it tied the class of 2018 with the most NCAA Division I student-athletes with eight. Six of these came from East Surry, while North Surry and Surry Central each produced one.

It’s important to note that East Surry graduate Elle Sutphin was scheduled to graduate with the class of 2020 before reclassifying last summer, allowing her to enroll at North Carolina State a year early. As such, she has been added to the class of 2019.

In addition to the eight NCAA DI signees, there were 11 for NCAA DII schools and six for NCAA DIII schools. Of the eight remaining student- athletes, seven will compete in the NJCAA and one in the NAIA.

Surry Community College is the most popular destination with seven signees. UNC-Chapel Hill was next with three signees, and Winston-Salem State University, Lenoir-Rhyne University and Guilford College each had two.

From East Surry: Landon Stevens, Stephen Gosnell and Jefferson Boaz signed with UNC-Chapel Hill for football (NCAA DI-FBS), Dillon Mosley signed with N.C. State for football (NCAA DI-FBS), Joshua Joyce signed with Elizabeth City State University for football (NCAA DII), Quincy Smith signed with Fayetteville State University for football (NCAA DII), Elijah Wright signed with Lenoir-Rhyne University for football (NCAA DII), Seth Keener signed with Wake Forest University for baseball (NCAA DI), Grace Kiser signed with Elon University for softball (NCAA DI), Allie Bruner signed with Surry Community College for softball (NJCAA DII), Avery Tucker signed with Barton College for swimming and diving (NCAA DII) and Landon Barnes signed with Guilford College for golf (NCAA DIII).

From Mount Airy: Johnathon Smith and Jackson Tumbarello signed with  Winston-Salem State for football (NCAA DII), Jaedon Hill signed with https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 20/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Methodist University for football (NCAA DIII), Bryan Valadez signed with Lenoir-Rhyne for soccer (NCAA DII), Liam Overby signed with St. Andrews University for soccer (NAIA DII), Baelin Watson signed with Eastern Mennonite University for soccer (NCAA DIII), Colby Baker and Evan Dorsett signed with Surry Community College for baseball (NJCAA DIII), Emma Dowell signed with Newberry College for cheerleading (NCAA DII) and Kalie Mabe signed with Surry Community College for volleyball (NJCAA DII).

From Surry Central: Sarah Brown signed with UNC-Charlotte for track and eld (NCAA DI), Abigail Johnson signed with Surry Community College for volleyball and softball (NJCAA DII), Madison Goins signed with Lees-McRae for volleyball (NCAA DII), Jordyn Coe signed with Surry Community College for volleyball (NJCAA DII), Nolan McMillen signed with Mars Hill University for soccer (NCAA DII), Trent Shumate signed with Greensboro College for football (NCAA DIII) and Payton O’Rourke signed with Surry Community College for baseball (NJCAA DIII).

From North Surry: Brett Johnson signed with UNC-Asheville for baseball (NCAA DI), Hannah Moxley signed with Catawba College for basketball (NCAA DII), Olivia Jones signed with Averett University for softball (NCAA DIII) and Kiersten Walker signed with Guilford College for softball (NCAA DIII).

Martin joins Ohio Bobcats coaching sta



https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 21/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News

July 21, 2020

Success has followed Lee Martin at each stage of his basketball journey.

One of the top prep coaches in the country, Martin recently announced his move to the Division I college ranks. Martin, a 2008 graduate of North Surry High, ofcially accepted a position as an assistant men’s basketball coach at Ohio University.

Martin served as head coach of the Hargrave Military Academy basketball program for three seasons beginning in 2017. Prior to that he served as the associate head coach for two seasons and as an assistant coach for two years before that under. As an assistant, Martin coached under A.W. Hamilton, who now heads the men’s basketball program at Eastern Kentucky University.

“We are very excited to welcome Lee and his wife, Meredith, to the Bobcat family,” said Jeff Boals, head men’s basketball coach at Ohio University. “Lee comes from Hargrave Military Academy and has had great success as a player, assistant coach and head coach there. Lee has great character, is a 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 22/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News hard worker and has many relationships throughout the country. He will come in and make a positive impact on our program.”

Martin will be reunited with Lamar Thornton (assistant coach) and Jake Ness (director of Basketball Operations) on the Ohio University staff. Both Thornton (‘15- ‘16) and Ness (‘15- ‘17) were assistant coaches at Hargrave with Martin.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to join a staff that will already feel like family,” Martin said. “Coach Boals is one of the best basketball minds, but also one of the best people in the entire country. His programs are always tight-knit and competitive; I’m eager to learn and grow under his tutelage.”

In Hargrave’s prestigious history, Martin leaves behind a three-year run of success that cemented his name among the top in the profession. He ends his Hargrave career with a 113-12 overall record in three seasons, during which the program’s home winning streak surpassed 100 straight wins. His winning percentage at Hargrave (.904) puts him in exclusive company, lining up with the successful runs of Hamilton and current N.C. State head coach Kevin Keatts.

Martin’s teams advanced to the National Tournament each year of his tenure. This includes an Elite 8 appearance in 2019 and a Final Four appearance in 2020.

Under his watch, Hargrave broke the school record for points in a single game with a staggering 173 points scored on March 1st, 2019. Martin’s teams nished in the top four of the nal national poll each year of his tenure.

Twenty-eight of Martin’s players went on to the Division I level in his three years as head coach. During his entire seven-year career at Hargrave, he played a role in 69 of his players continuing on to play DI ball – including nine that were ranked as top 100 recruits. Players from Martin’s teams went on to some of the top college basketball programs in the country including teams from the ACC, SEC, Big Ten and Big 12.

Martin was a standout athlete before beginning his coaching career. He starred at North Surry High School, earning all-conference nods three times and was named All Northwest and First-team All-District in 2008.

He ranks sixth on the North Surry all-time scoring list with 1,244 points. He was fourth on the list when he graduated. Martin is also 11th in North Surry history for steals in a season with 47. He was inducted into the North  Surry High School Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019. https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 23/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News After North Surry, Martin enrolled at Hargrave for a postgraduate year in 2009. He played under then-head coach Keatts and assistant coach A.W. Hamilton that season and helped guide the Tigers to a 27-2 record and an appearance in the National Championship game.

“My time at Hargrave, both as an athlete and a coach, stand out as some of the most important years of my life,” Martin said. “I can’t adequately thank the entire Hargrave community for their support behind the scenes. The faculty and staff, COL Brown, Mr. and Mrs. Davenport and the Board of Trustees have truly become a second family to me.

“I also need to thank my wife Meredith for all of her sacrices and support over the years. I’m excited to join the Bobcat nation, but Hargrave will always hold a special place in my heart as the place that shaped me into the man that I am today.”

Martin earned multiple Division I offers after his year with Hargrave, eventually signing a full basketball scholarship with Catawba College. He helped lead his Catawba team to a conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in the 2009-10 season and was named team MVP following the 2012-13 season.

No football, but marching bands a maybe

July 18, 2020

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — High school football won’t be played this fall across Virginia, and might not be in Surry County, but marching bands could be  ne. https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 24/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News The National Federation of State High School Associations, which oversees such groups as the NCHSAA that makes rules in North Carolina, recently commissioned a study to see what dangers could come of blowing air into wind instruments used in school bands, such as those used in halftime shows at football games.

Teaming up with the NFHS are the College Band Directors National Association, the National Association of Music Merchants, the D’Addario Foundation and more than 125 performing arts organizations.

Initial results of this aerosol study have yielded data that could help prevent the cancellation of performing arts activities amid the COVID-19 pandemic, says the NFHS.

This is the rst of three stages of results for the study, which was launched in May. More ndings incorporating a wider range of activities are expected to be released later this month.

Researchers are using respiratory emissions analysis on subjects playing four different musical instruments – clarinet, ute, horn and trumpet – as well as a soprano singer to identify aerosol release pathways and to measure particle size and concentration.

Similar tests will now be run to nd aerosol rates for additional music instruments and activities, as well as speech, debate, theater and an aerobic simulation.

Condensation inside brass instruments such as the trumpet and trombone can build up enough to cause a warbling sound during playing. Therefore the instruments have a uid release lever, commonly called a spit valve.

Because this condensation could include virus-laden water molecules, the study suggested using absorbent oor coverings such as puppy house- training pads where the players are seated.

Other common sense rules would apply such as non-breath performers such as percussionists and the conductor would wear a mask at all times. And musicians would face forward when playing and not aim sideways toward their fellow students.

Teachers can reduce their own emissions by using a portable amplier to keep their voices at a low conversational volume.

Where possible, existing HVAC systems in activity rooms should be tted  with HEPA lters, which will increase air ltration appropriate to the size of https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 25/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News the rehearsal space.

Also, many instruments can use a mute in practice that not only lowers the sound of the instrument, but blocks the ow of air going directly outward. The study found that bell covers – ideally fashioned from multi-layered, high-denier nylon material and placed over the bell of an instrument – made a substantial impact on performers’ aerosol pathways.

“This endeavor, which has brought together an unprecedented number of music organizations, is seeking scientic solutions to keep music alive in the classroom through the pandemic,” said Mark Spede, CBDNA president and Clemson University director of bands.

And by allowing the schools to continue rehearsal in their band rooms, the bands can prepare for outdoor marching events, if any are held.

“This study is the rst of its kind and will be able to supply scientic data to allow us to nd ways to return to the performing arts classrooms and performance halls,” said Dr. James Weaver, NFHS director of performing arts and sports, who co-chairs the study with Spede. “We have brilliant researchers and a global coalition that are working hard to nd science- based solutions to return to activities during a global pandemic.”

These preliminary results are to be used strictly for general consideration and will be updated as new information becomes available. To view a full report of the preliminary results, please visit: www.nfhs.org/articles/unprecedented-international-coalition-led-by- performing-arts-organizations-to-commission-covid-19-study.

Thanks to a handy risk estimator tool developed by UCB, administrators and band directors who wish to assess the aerosol transmission risk relative to the unique elements of their rehearsal spaces can do so here: https://tinyurl.com/covid-estimator. (Note: scientic input values will change as the study develops.) 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 26/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Cards, Bears make preseason top-20

July 16, 2020

One of the biggest traditions of the high school football preseason is everyone projecting how the upcoming season will turn out.

Let’s be honest — some of us have been doing this since December. We try to factor in all the unknowns with varying levels of speculation to make predictions. One could argue that this has been even more prevalent in 2020 with essentially a three-month break from all sports (R.I.P. to the XFL).

Until an announcement is made regarding the state of high school sports in North Carolina, student-athletes and the journalists that cover them will proceed as normal.

NCPreps was one of the rst sites to release statewide power rankings. With only 1A and 2A schools in Surry County, I decided to focus on those polls.

NCPreps.com ranked the top 20 schools in each division. No local 2A schools were included, but three county 1A teams were as was a fourth from the Northwest 1A Conference.

Teams are listed with their 2019 nal record and team accomplishments.

1A 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 27/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News 1. East Surry (15-0) 1AA State Champion, 1AA West Regional Champion, Northwest Conference Champion

2. Tarboro (14-1) 1AA State Runner-up, 1AA East Regional Champion, Coastal Plains Conference Champion

3. John A. Holmes (12-1) 1A East Regional Runner-up, Albemarle 1A Conference Champion

4. Murphy (10-3) Smoky Mountain Conference Runner-up

5. Robbinsville (15-0) 1A State Champion, 1A West Regional Champion, Smoky Mountain Conference Champion

6. Mountain Island Charter (11-3) Southern Piedmont Conference Champion

7. Swain Co. (11-3)

8. Northampton Co. (11-4) 1A State Runner-up, 1A East Regional Champion, Tar Roanoke Conference Runner-up

9. Mitchell (12-2) 1AA West Regional Runner-Up, Western Highlands 1A/2A Conference Champion*

10. North Rowan (9-4) Yadkin Valley Conference Champion

11. Rosewood (11-2) Carolina 1A Conference Champion

12. Elkin (10-3) Mountain Valley 1A/2A Conference Champion*

13. Winston-Salem Prep (8-5)

14. North Stanly (7-6) Yadkin Valley Conference Runner-up

15. Manteo (11-3) Albemarle 1A Conference Runner-up

16. Mount Airy (8-4) Northwest 1A Conference Runner-up

17. Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy (12-2) 1A West Regional Runner- up, Southern Piedmont Conference Runner-up

18. North Edgecombe (10-4) 1A East Regional Runner-up, Tar Roanoke Conference Champion  19. Princeton (10-2) Carolina 1A Conference Runner-up

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 28/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News 20. Gates County (9-5)

1. Shelby (14-1) 2AA State Champion, 2AA West Regional Champion, Southwestern Conference Champion

2. Burns (12-3) 2AA West Regional Runner-up, Southwestern 2A Conference Runner-up

3. Reidsville (15-1) 2A State Champion, 2A West Regional Champion, Mid- State 2A Conference Champion

4. Northeastern (12-4) 2A State Runner-up, 2A East Regional Champion, Northeastern Coastal Conference Runner-up

5. Hibriten (11-2) Northwestern Foothills Conference Champion

6. Salisbury (13-3) 2AA State Runner-up, 2AA East Regional Champion, Central Carolina Conference Runner-up

7. Eastern Randolph (10-3) PAC 7 Conference Runner-up

8. North Lincoln (12-2) South Fork Conference Champion

9. Hertford Co. (11-3)

10. Brevard (11-3) Mountain 6 Conference Champion

11. Clinton (12-2) 2A West Regional Runner-up, East Central Conference

12. Oak Grove (10-2) Central Carolina Conference Champion

13. North Davidson (7-6)

14. Mountain Heritage (11-2) Western Highlands Conference Champion*

15. Southwest Edgecombe (12-2) Eastern Plains Conference Champion

16. East Duplin (7-6) East Central Conference Runner-up

17. Wallace-Rose Hill (7-5)

18. Randleman (13-1) 2AA East Regional Runner-up, Pac 7 Conference Champion 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 29/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News 19. Southwest Onslow (10-3) Coastal 8 Conference Champion

20. Newton-Conover (8-5)

*Won their division of a 1A/2A split conference

While staying safe, kids need sports

July 15, 2020

It’s decision time in our nation’s schools.

Will the 56 million-plus students in K-12 schools be able to return to the classroom for the rst time since March or continue with their distance- learning format from home? And, will the 12 million participants in high school activity programs be able to take the eld, court or stage? If only there were clear-cut answers to these questions. 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 30/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News State association, education and government leaders are having a difcult time answering these questions as there is no one-size-ts-all solution. During the past four months, we have seen different parts of the country affected more than others at any given time, so one state’s plan may look different than another based on the current spread of the virus.

Although there will be areas of the country where a return to the classroom and to activity programs may be delayed due to spiking COVID-19 cases, we believe the resumption of in-person classes, sports and other activities is crucial to the growth, development, and mental and emotional wellness of our nation’s youth.

In March, as difcult as it was, a complete shutdown of activities was necessary to slow the spread of the virus while mitigation efforts were put in place. However, the cessation of in-person classes and education-based sports and performing arts – a cocurricular endeavor – has come at a cost. With the health and safety of everyone at the forefront, students need to return to schools.

In a study conducted by the University of Wisconsin’s School of Medicine after the March shutdown of schools, 68% of the state’s student-athletes reported symptoms of depression by May. Dr. Tim McGuine, University of Wisconsin researcher who serves on the NFHS Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, said about 65% of Wisconsin student-athletes reported anxiety symptoms due to COVID-19 closures.

This study conrms that involvement in high school sports and activities is absolutely vital to the social, emotional and mental health of high school students. So, with the realization that another shutdown would bring much pain and grief to our nation, how do schools continue to provide in-person learning opportunities amid the COVID-19 pandemic?

First, there must be a realization that the pandemic is far from over. As a result, in order to conduct sports and other activity programs in a safe manner, it will take a resolve on the part of everyone to keep going and keep trying. Things will not look the same as in the past.

And there should be an abundance of care for coaches, administrators, ofcials and others who are more susceptible to the virus than the students.

But a return to play must be done with a positive and informed perspective to keep these programs going. We need to be in the moment and working  together.

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 31/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Our member state associations deserve a shout out for their tremendous effort in working with governors and local and state health leaders. Currently, there are eight states that have pushed back the start of the fall season – some due to mandates from state government – but they are all committed to offering some type of activities this fall if possible. While the high-risk sports may have to be delayed, state association leaders are trying to nd the safest ways for students to be involved in activities this fall.

As we mentioned a couple of weeks ago, this will only happen together and united. Masks must be worn, and social distancing must be enforced at all times. But if we work together and united and think about the other person, we can provide students a chance to return to these vital activities.

Virginia: No football, volley this fall

July 15, 2020

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – While fall sports in Surry County are still up in the air, plans revealed Wednesday in Virginia show Carroll and Patrick counties  won’t be playing any football or volleyball in the next few months. https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 32/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News The executive committee of the Virginia High School League met in Charlottesville in a special session for the purpose of discussing the fall sports season.

The committee unanimously voted 35-0 to meet on Monday, July 27, to vote on one of the three recommended models presented at the meeting for reopening sports and activities. The committee also voted to delay the beginning of fall sports until a nal decision is made that day.

None of the three plans on the nal list for approval include allowing football, volleyball or cheerleading this fall.

One of the plans would cancel those activities altogether for the 2020-21 school year. Two of the three plans would push these fall activities out until the spring semester to see if they can be possible by then.

“It’s important to remember that in all these models playing sports in the high-risk category depends on being out of the current Phase III guidelines. All our efforts will continue towards advocating for the opening of sports and activities in a safe and reasonable way that will protect athletes, activity participants, coaches, ofcials and the public,” said Dr. John “Billy” Haun, VHSL executive director.

“The VHSL will continue making judgments based on the best available information and directives provided by the governor, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), and the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE),” said Haun, whose doctorate is in education administration and supervision.

Shannon Butler, VHSL executive committee chairwoman and principal at York High School, said, “The goal in all our discussions has been to provide our student-athletes and activity participants the best opportunity to return to the playing elds, courts, track and stages during this school year in as safe an environment as possible.

“Our decision today will allow members of the executive committee to collaborate with the regions and groups that they represent to make a decision on July 27 that is in the best interest of our students. Moving forward, our ultimate goal would be to have for all of our student-athletes the opportunity to safely represent their schools on the playing eld during the 2020-2021 school year.”

The three models for the opening of sports/activities are as follows: 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 33/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Model 1 – Leave all sports in current season. Low- and moderate-risk sports that would be allowed to play are golf and cross country. High-risk sports that would not be played are eld hockey, football, volleyball and cheer. A fall activity that would be allowed is theater.

Model 2 – Switch the fall and spring seasons. Low- and moderate-risk spring sports that would be allowed to play in the fall are track and eld, tennis, soccer, baseball and softball. High risk sports that would not be played are boys and girls lacrosse. Spring activities that would be allowed are theater, forensics/debate and lm festival.

Model 3 – Delay all VHSL sports as well as move fall events to late winter, part of the Condensed Interscholastic Plan. All sports would remain in their same season where they are currently aligned.

• Season 1 (Winter) would start practices Dec. 14, with the rst contest no sooner than Dec. 28. The season would end Feb. 20;

• Season 2 (Fall) would begin Feb. 15, rst game March 1, with the season ending May 1;

• Season 3 (Spring) April 12, rst game April 26, sending ending June 26.

Last week, Que Tucker, commissioner of the N.C. High School Athletic Association, was asked about a similar idea to Model 2 of ipping fall and spring sports.

She said one issue is that fall sports teams have already been holding voluntary workouts this summer, and the spring sports have not, so the athletes might not be physically t and mentally prepared for a fall season.

And, it’s not just about moving football to a better time, but whether other sports would be willing to move, too.

“What do our softball coaches say? What are our baseball coaches saying? What about those natural spring sport coaches and principals of those member schools? So, I understand football coaches lobbying, but that’s not going to be what tips the scale for me,” Tucker said.

———

In other news, The VHSL committee suspended the July-August dead period for 2020 which means schools can continue out-of-season practice activities at this time. 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 34/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News County seeks bike trail survey

July 13, 2020

DOBSON — Surry County Parks and Recreation is reassessing the mountain bike trail system at Fisher River Park by seeking the public’s input through a 3-5 minute survey.

“We would like input on the existing trail system and proposed improvements,” said Daniel White, Surry County Parks and Recreation director. “We hope to make improvements that will provide an exceptional trail experience, increase use and attract visitors and events.”

“Even if citizens do not ride the trails at Fisher River Park, their input is still extremely valuable,”he said. “Please take time to ll out the survey by clicking this link: www.surveymonkey.com/r/FisherRiverPark. “

The survey is also posted on the Surry County Parks and Recreation Facebook page.

East Surry gearing up for repeat run

July 12, 2020 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 35/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Tye Needham may not be facing real opponents yet, but the senior works to get his footwork just right for the upcoming season at a workout.

Junior Benji Gosnell runs with the Cardinal offense at a workout on July 9. Gosnell is the fth-ranked tight end in the country for the class of 2022 according to 247Sports.

East Surry head coach Trent Lowman sports his state championship t-shirt and Cardinal-themed mask at Thursday’s summer workout.

Sophomore Stephen Brantley looks to take on a larger role on the varsity Cardinals team in 2020.

Levi Bowman powers through a run up and down East Surry’s bleachers.

East Surry strength and conditioning coach Rusty Slate motivates junior Isaiah Arrington during the nal stretch of summer workout.

Ethan Faw practices his route-running at an East Surry summer workout.

East Surry sophomore Folger Boaz watches as coach Trent Lowman breaks down the Cardinal offense.

Cards, Bears make preseason top-20

July 12, 2020 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 36/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News One of the biggest traditions of the high school football preseason is everyone projecting how the upcoming season will turn out.

Until an announcement is made regarding the state of high school sports in North Carolina, student-athletes and the journalists that cover them will proceed as normal.

NCPreps was one of the rst sites to release statewide power rankings. With only 1A and 2A schools in Surry County, I decided to focus on those polls.

NCPreps.com ranked the top 20 schools in each division. No local 2A schools were included, but three county 1A teams were as was a fourth from the Northwest 1A Conference.

Teams are listed with their 2019 nal record and team accomplishments.

1. East Surry (15-0) 1AA State Champion, 1AA West Regional Champion, Northwest Conference Champion

2. Tarboro (14-1) 1AA State Runner-up, 1AA East Regional Champion, Coastal Plains Conference Champion

3. John A. Holmes (12-1) 1A East Regional Runner-up, Albemarle 1A Conference Champion

4. Murphy (10-3) Smoky Mountain Conference Runner-up

5. Robbinsville (15-0) 1A State Champion, 1A West Regional Champion, Smoky Mountain Conference Champion

6. Mountain Island Charter (11-3) Southern Piedmont Conference Champion

7. Swain Co. (11-3)

8. Northampton Co. (11-4) 1A State Runner-up, 1A East Regional Champion, Tar Roanoke Conference Runner-up 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 37/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News 9. Mitchell (12-2) 1AA West Regional Runner-Up, Western Highlands 1A/2A Conference Champion*

10. North Rowan (9-4) Yadkin Valley Conference Champion

11. Rosewood (11-2) Carolina 1A Conference Champion

12. Elkin (10-3) Mountain Valley 1A/2A Conference Champion*

13. Winston-Salem Prep (8-5)

14. North Stanly (7-6) Yadkin Valley Conference Runner-up

15. Manteo (11-3) Albemarle 1A Conference Runner-up

16. Mount Airy (8-4) Northwest 1A Conference Runner-up

17. Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy (12-2) 1A West Regional Runner- up, Southern Piedmont Conference Runner-up

18. North Edgecombe (10-4) 1A East Regional Runner-up, Tar Roanoke Conference Champion

19. Princeton (10-2) Carolina 1A Conference Runner-up

20. Gates County (9-5)

1. Shelby (14-1) 2AA State Champion, 2AA West Regional Champion, Southwestern Conference Champion

2. Burns (12-3) 2AA West Regional Runner-up, Southwestern 2A Conference Runner-up

3. Reidsville (15-1) 2A State Champion, 2A West Regional Champion, Mid- State 2A Conference Champion

4. Northeastern (12-4) 2A State Runner-up, 2A East Regional Champion, Northeastern Coastal Conference Runner-up

5. Hibriten (11-2) Northwestern Foothills Conference Champion

6. Salisbury (13-3) 2AA State Runner-up, 2AA East Regional Champion,  Central Carolina Conference Runner-up

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 38/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News 7. Eastern Randolph (10-3) PAC 7 Conference Runner-up

8. North Lincoln (12-2) South Fork Conference Champion

9. Hertford Co. (11-3)

10. Brevard (11-3) Mountain 6 Conference Champion

11. Clinton (12-2) 2A West Regional Runner-up, East Central Conference

12. Oak Grove (10-2) Central Carolina Conference Champion

13. North Davidson (7-6)

14. Mountain Heritage (11-2) Western Highlands Conference Champion*

15. Southwest Edgecombe (12-2) Eastern Plains Conference Champion

16. East Duplin (7-6) East Central Conference Runner-up

17. Wallace-Rose Hill (7-5)

18. Randleman (13-1) 2AA East Regional Runner-up, Pac 7 Conference Champion

19. Southwest Onslow (10-3) Coastal 8 Conference Champion

20. Newton-Conover (8-5)

*Won their division of a 1A/2A split conference

Picking my top Duke squad

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https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 39/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News

July 12, 2020

In Friday’s edition of The Mount Airy News, I wrote a column about what the ultimate Duke-Carolina basketball game might look like.

I put together a rst team and a second team of UNC players from my own viewership (which dates back to 1982). So sorry to greats like Phil Ford and Mike Gminski, but I never saw them play in college and can’t comment on them myself.

To see my UNC picks, here is a link to that column: https://bit.ly/2ANJpMh.

Duke is a harder team to pick. Every single player on the Carolina roster played at least two seasons in light blue. However, Duke has become the leader of the one-and-done era. So many great athletes have left after a lone season. How do you compare that to a Trajan Langdon who was good for a long time, but never amazing?

So for my Duke team, to even be considered on my rst or second team, a one-and-done player had to have performed well enough to earn All-  America status. This means six players in the past seven seasons. https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 40/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Duke

First Team

PG: Bobby Hurley, Jay Williams

SG: Johnny Dawkins, J.J. Redick, Trajan Langdon

SF: Grant Hill, Shane Battier

PF: Danny Ferry, Zion Williamson

C: Christian Laettner, Sheldon Williams, Carlos Boozer

Second Team

PG: Chris Duhon, Nolan Smith

SG: Jon Scheyer, Luke Kennard

SF: Kyle Singler, Chris Carrawell, Jabari Parker

PF: Mark Alarie, Mason Plumlee, Marvin Bagley III

C: Elton Brand, Vernon Carey Jr.

First Team

Hurley is the all-time NCAA leader in assists with 1,076. He also tallied 1,731 points, 202 steals and 306 rebounds. People forget he also shot 40.5% from deep despite a shaky freshman year.

Jay Williams scored 2,000 career points in only three seasons to go with 644 assists, 395 rebounds and 235 steals. He shot 39.3% on 3’s and 51.4% on 2’s. His 313 3’s made are ninth in ACC history in just three seasons; he is 12th in steals in three seasons and was on pace to be in the top four in both categories with a senior year.

Dawkins held Duke’s career scoring record for years until J.J. Redick came along. He nished with 2,556 points (without a 3-point line for three seasons), plus 555 assists, 536 boards and 168 steals.

Redick scored 2,769 points, aided by an ACC-record (and third in NCAA history) 457 3-pointers at a rate of 40.6%. He also shot 91.2% at the foul  line, making 662 (good for fth-best in ACC history).

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 41/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Trajan Langdon scored 1,974 points with 42.6% shooting from deep, 48.6% on 2’s, 86.2% from the line and 342 career 3’s made.

Grant Hill had 1,924 points, 769 rebounds, 461 assists, 218 steals and 133 blocks. He shot 53.2%, including 61.1% in Duke’s 1991-92 title year. He hardly shot any 3’s until his senior year when he suddenly made 39 out of 100. He was ACC player of the year in 1994 and the NABC defensive player of the year in 1993 (2.5 steals and 1.4 blocks).

Shane Battier was a three-time NABC defensive player of the year. He was co-player of the year with UNC’s Joseph Forte in 2001 — he should have won it in 2000 as well, but Coach K lobbied all season for folks to pick senior Chris Carrawell (and it worked).

Battier nished with 1,984 points, 887 boards, 266 steals, 254 blocks and 239 assists. He is sixth in ACC history in steals and 10th in blocks and the only player in league history to top 250 in both categories.

Ferry became a good player as a junior and then to great as a senior, scoring 22.6 points, shooting 54.4% on 2’s and 42.5% on 3’s to go with 7.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.6 steals. He is 12th in ACC history in scoring and 10th in rebounding.

Zion Williamson gets a spot despite only one season because he shot an astounding 74.7% on his 2-point tries. He averaged 22.6 points, 33.8% from deep, 8.9 boards, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks. Quite a year.

Laettner was the leader on a team that went to three straight NCAA title games, winning twice. He scored 2,460 points with 1,149 boards, 243 steals and 145 blocks. As a senior he shot 58.0% on 2’s and a whopping 55.7% on 3’s.

He is fth in ACC history in scoring, sixth in boards, ninth in steals, third in free throws made, and stands second in true shooting percentage (which weights 3’s higher) to fellow Blue Devil Carlos Boozer.

Sheldon Williams was a two-time NABC defensive player of the year. He scored 1,928 points with 1,262 rebounds, 422 blocks, 161 steals, while shooting 57.2% from the eld. He is second in ACC history in rebounds and third in blocks.

Carlos Boozer leads the ACC in true shooting percentage (tracked since 1985). He is second to Antawn Jamison in career win shares for any early- entry candidate for the NBA Draft. Tracked since 1985, he is the ACC’s eld  goal leader at 63.1% (well ahead of Wake’s Eric Williams at 59.3%). https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 42/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Second Team

Combo PG/SG Nolan Smith was hard to leave off the rst team. He was the 2011 player of the year (20.6 points, 50.1% shooting on 2’s, 35% on 3’s, 5.1 assists, 4.5 boards, 1.2 steals). He nished with 1,911 points, 406 assists and 398 boards.

Chris Duhon had 1,268 points, 819 assists, 300 steals and 489 rebounds. He made the ACC all-defensive team twice and was fourth in ACC history in steals.

Jon Scheyer scored 2,077 points and played PG his senior year. He shot 38% from 3’s three straight seasons and 86.1% at the line.

Luke Kennard’s sophomore campaign saw him scored 19.5 points on 52.5% shooting on 2’s, 43.8% on 3’s and 85.6% at the line to go with 5.1 boards and 2.5 assists.

Kyle Singler scored 2,392 points (6th in ACC history) with 1,015 boards (18th), 293 assists, 168 steals and 107 blocks. He is fourth in career win shares since 1995.

Carrawell was ACC player of the year and an all-defense performer in 2000. His senior year he averaged 17 points, 6 boards, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block.

Parker was a post player for Duke, but showed enough outside game to put him on the team at SF for my purposes. In 2014 he averaged 19.1 points on 50.4% for 2’s and 35.8% from deep with 8.7 boards.

Alarie scored 2,136 points, shooting 55.0% and 79.7% at the line. He had 833 boards, 121 steals and 104 blocks.

Mason Plumlee totaled 1,384 points (on 57.4% shooting), 1,088 boards, 115 steals and 199 blocks.

Bagley in 2018 averaged 21.0 points on 64.7% shooting on 2’s and 39.7% from deep. He also collected 11.1 rebounds.

Before he played his rst game, Brand was called the best post player he’d ever recruited by Coach K. Brand scored 972 in just a season and a half on 61.2% shooting with 8.9 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.9 blocks.

Jahlil Okafor in 2015 scored 17.3 points on 66.4% shooting with 8.5 boards  and 1.4 blocks. https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 43/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Current rookie of the year Vernon Carey Jr. averaged 17.8 points., 8.8 boards, 1.6 blocks and 0.7 steals — in only 25 minutes played. He shot 59.0% on 2’s and 38.1% on 3’s.

Who Wins?

In a hypothetical Duke/UNC game, here are how the matchups would shake out.

At the PG spot you would have Hurley and Williams against Ty Lawson/Ed Cota. The edge goes to Duke.

At SG, Dawkins couldn’t stop Michael Jordan in the 1980s and can’t do it here. Edge: UNC.

Jerry Stackhouse and George Lynch are good, but Battier and Hill are special. Edge: Duke.

At PF are Antawn Jamison, Rasheed Wallace and Brice Johnson against Ferry and Zion. Rasheed might be the only one who could slow Zion down. And Jamison was a beast. Edge: UNC

At center is Tyler Hansbrough, Sam Perkins and Brad Daugherty against Laettner, Sheldon and Boozer. Hansbrough couldn’t dominate against the muscular Williams, and Laettner’s long shooting is a matchup nightmare. Edge: Duke.

With three of the ve spots going to Duke, I have to give the win to the Blue Devils, but we all know to never count out His Airness.

I give the Second Team honors to UNC because of all the experience that squad would have over Duke’s one-and-doners.

Alright, 2K Sports, give me a video game version so we can settle this once and for all.

County trails, rivers, oer outdoor escape

July 11, 2020

DOBSON — Surry County ofcials recently announced that July is Parks and  Recreation Month. https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 44/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News “Surry County Parks and Recreation has a wide array of outdoor recreational opportunities that meet social distancing requirements,” the county said in a written statement issued Friday.

Among the facilities available for public use are Fisher River Park, with more than 1.5 miles of walking trails, more than 6.5 miles of mountain bike trails and a new disc golf practice range. “Surry County Parks and Recreation is also accepting reservations for family picnic shelters and ball elds by calling 336-401-8235,” the county said.

According to the release, there are more than 500 miles of cycling trails on the Surry County Scenic Bikeway and disc golfers are welcome to play the 9-hole course at Shoals Community Recreation Disc Golf Course.

The following public river accesses allow for kayaking, canoeing, tubing and shing:

Yadkin River

• Roaring River Access, which is in Wilkes County

• Ronda Access, located in Ronda, which is in Wilkes County

• Crater Park in Elkin

• Burch Station, Greenwood Circle off Highway 268, where Yadkin and Mitchell rivers meet

• Yadkin/Shore Access, off Highway 601 across Yadkin County line

• Shoals Access, off Shoals Road in Yadkin County

• Donnaha Access, off Highway 67 in Yadkin County, near Forsyth County line

Fisher River

• Fisher River Park in Dobson

• Old U.S. Highway 601 access, near Dobson, off U.S. Highway 601

• Hamlin Ford, near Dobson, off Hamlin Ford Road

• Bray Ford, near Dobson, where Rockford and Bray Ford roads meet 

Ararat River https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 45/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News • Riverside Park in Mount Airy

• HB Rowe Environmental Park in Mount Airy

• Tharrington Park in Mount Airy

• Highway 268 East Access, between Pilot Mountain and Level Cross

Mitchell River

• Mountain Park access at Zephyr-Mountain Park Road

• Burch Station, Greenwood Circle off Highway 268, where Yadkin and Mitchell rivers meet

The Old U.S. Highway 601 river access construction project is funded by a non-matching grant of $90,844 from Duke Energy Water Resources Fund and being built by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. The Highway 268 East river access was built for $72,712 from Duke Energy Water Resources Fund and was designed by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

Mount Airy Parks and Recreation maintains access points at Riverside, HB Rowe Environmental and Tharrington parks. Elkin Recreation and Parks oversees the Crater Park river access. Surry County Parks and Recreation maintains all local river access points outside of municipalities. The access points located outside Surry County are maintained by their respective county or municipality.

For more information about these recreation options, log onto www.co.surry.nc.us, scroll over “Departments” and click on Parks and Recreation.

NFHS Network providing schools with livestream cams

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July 11, 2020

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — As high schools nationwide continue to deal with the fallout from COVID-19 and make plans for the restarting of activities this fall, the NFHS Network – which offers streaming live and on-demand high school sports – has announced an offer for schools that are facing possible attendance restrictions at events during the 2020-21 school year.

Through its High School Support Program, the NFHS Network is offering up to two free Pixellot automated-production units for schools that lack production capabilities to stream events on the NFHS Network.

The offer of two Pixellot units – one for indoor events and the other for outdoor contests – has been extended to all 19,500 high schools in the 51 NFHS member state associations. The NFHS Network is a joint venture of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), its member state associations and PlayOn! Sports.

In addition to receiving two free Pixellot production units, schools will receive a larger percentage of subscription revenue generated from their events, effective August 1, in an effort to offset revenue losses from reduced attendance.

“We recognize that the next several years will be challenging for our high schools and state associations,” said Mark Koski, CEO of the NFHS Network. “Many are facing budget cuts and reduced resources, and attendance at athletic and other school events may be restricted. From the NFHS Network’s inception seven years ago, we have been driven by the goal to create a platform that showcases every high school event across every sport and every level of competition. Consistent with this goal, we want the High School Support Program to demonstrate our continued commitment to help  our partner schools manage through the inevitable complications created by COVID-19.” https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 47/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News The Pixellot automated production solution was introduced to high schools three years ago and has quickly become an integral component of the NFHS Network’s offerings. The Pixellot solution allows every event to be streamed live without requiring personnel to produce the games. There are currently more than 5,000 Pixellot units in high schools across the country which will produce in excess of 250,000 live games this upcoming school year with no human involvement.

In addition to livestreaming 27 different sports, the NFHS Network also covers performing arts, graduations, award ceremonies and other school events. To date, the NFHS Network has distributed more than $25 million back to participating high schools and state associations.

For more information about the High School Support Program, please visit nfhsnetwork.com/supportprogram

Schools wishing to sign up for free Pixellot units should visit nfhsnetwork.com/pixellot

Tucker addresses ‘ip-op’ rumors

July 09, 2020

It seems like just yesterday that spring sports teams played what ended up as their nal games of the school year.  Seasons projected to last until mid-May were cut short in early March due to COVID-19. Seniors were unable to take part in senior night or have any https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 48/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News type of closure in their respective sports.

The season, which really only consisted of about two weeks of competition, was unlike anything the N.C. High School Athletic Association had ever seen. That may continue into the fall as schools still await further instruction from the ofce of Gov. Roy Cooper.

NCHSAA Commissioner Que Tucker addressed the issue in a July 8 press brieng via Zoom, saying the return of athletics was dependent on students being in classrooms this fall.

“We can tell you that we believe that the governor, unless he feels that conditions will allow students to return to some form of in-person learning safely, it is difcult to imagine that high school athletics will be able to resume any type of competition at our member schools,” Tucker said. “If it is unsafe for our students to be in school, then certainly the idea is that it would be unsafe for our students to be playing in those athletic venues.”

“We know everyone wants the decision about whether or not fall sports will start on time. We know that everyone wants to know in particular will the Friday night lights be on for our schools across the state starting in August or would it be in September? But we simply cannot give you that answer at this time.”

There has been a higher level of concern regarding the return of football specically. However, this uneasiness actually encompasses all sports.

For most, if not all, N.C. public high schools with a football team, football helps fund the other two dozen or so athletic teams. It’s nothing against the other sports.

Think about how many fans attended the North Surry-Mount Airy game last year. The fanbases are in such close proximity that Wallace Shelton Stadium was standing room only well before the game kicked off. Or how about East Surry’s West Regional Final game in which people were reserving spots in the bleachers 24 hours before the game.

The football gate is traditionally what pays for the other varsity sports, so a school year without football could be catastrophic.

Because of this, it’s understandable why schools want to ensure a football season happens in some form. In that vein, a rumored proposal to the NCHSAA circulated social media earlier this week that suggested the association take an unprecedented action and switch fall and spring sports  for the 2020-2021 school year. https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 49/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Tucker was asked about this during the press brieng.

“I haven’t heard those lobbyists calls,” Tucker said. “So, if they’re lobbying, they must be lobbying to you guys (the media).”

She went on to explain the logistics of switching seasons and why it was more complicated than just having teams play at different times. The rst issue deals with preparation, as only fall sports are even allowed to work out right now. It would likely take weeks for the hypothetical proposal to be approved, leaving spring sports participants inactive until August.

The turnaround would leave student-athletes unprepared for a season. This doesn’t even account for the time it would take to reschedule a semester’s worth of games or prepare elds.

The NCHSAA is considering a number of options based on which course of action the governor makes. But with so many variables changing daily, Tucker said it’s too early to make any kind of decision.

“So, what do we do if we go ahead and bring in the spring sport athletes on board to try to play in the fall and then we shut them down again? So, we’re thinking about those things as well,” Tucker said. “I can honestly tell you that that’s a buy-in that … our membership would have to want to do.”

“It’s one thing for football coaches to want to do this, but what do our softball coaches say? What are our baseball coaches saying? What about those natural spring sport coaches and principals of those member schools? So, I understand football coaches lobbying, but that’s not going to be what tips the scale for me.”

On the surface, the idea seems as if it might work. Most fall sports involve a lot of close contact between participants such as football, volleyball, boys’ soccer and cross country. Girls’ tennis and golf are the exceptions.

Many spring sports can be played with social distancing in mind, specically baseball and softball. Add in boys’ tennis and golf and the proposal makes sense … until one considers a few monumental problems.

This rst deals with the sports that don’t t perfectly into this equation in a straight-up switch. Girls’ soccer and parts of outdoor track and eld are close contact, so how would they be held in the fall? Under current guidelines, they wouldn’t, so would those just be sacriced?

The idea also implies spring sports like baseball or softball would be safe  empirically. However, think about how close a batter, catcher and umpire https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 50/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News are to one another. What about when a runner is on rst and the baseman is set up to pick him off? Also, where would players congregate since dugouts would likely not be allowed?

If the big reason for a switch is to generate football money, these lobbyists would need to consider the fact that, as of right now, the NCHSAA isn’t sure how to handle the issue of allowing fans at games.

“We’ll get guidance from the governor to see if we’re able to play football, or if we were able to play volleyball, what would be our allowances in terms of the number of fans that could be in the stands?” Tucker said. “We would hope that at the least we could have fans that would be at least half of the capacity of the stadium so that they could spread out and social distance. That’s at least. Now, our membership would have to give us guidance again on this.”

“Will they be able to play if they know that the spectators are limited in terms of the number that can be in the stands? Will they be able to play? Will the nances be such that they can play in that setting? It would be my hope that our schools can say, ‘Yes, if we can get some fans in the stands, we’ll gure out how to play.’ But that is problematic. But we are hopeful that we can play with some fans in the stands.”

Tucker also said Aug. 1 is still the target date for sports to ofcially begin. The NCHSAA is, however, preparing for situations where that date is pushed back two weeks or two months.

“Here’s my thought: if it’s Oct. 1 and we get the go ahead that our schools could play some sports, it would be incumbent upon us a staff to put together something for our schools that those fall sports teams could play … even if it’s for a month, a month and half and there are no playoffs,” she said, also proposing that seasons could feature only conference competition. “So, we’ve got everything on the table, no lines really drawn in the sand right now except that we know that Aug. 1 is approaching quickly, and so a decision will be made… probably sooner rather than later.”

“But again, we’re not going to be rushed into a decision because it’s not fair to our students. It’s not fair to coaches to try to preclude or to preempt what the governor is trying to do and what his teams surrounding him, what they’re trying to do to keep all of us, rst and foremost, safe as North Carolinians.”

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https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 51/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News SCHS football holds summer workouts

July 09, 2020

Surry Central head football Monty Southern leads the Golden Eagles in a summer workout on Thursday.

Wyatt Burton gives his all during a drill at Surry Central’s football workouts.

Avery Wilmoth soars through the air as the Golden Eagles take standing long jumps.

Rising senior Brady Woods rounds a turn at Rex Mitchell Track.

Kade Norman digs deep to nish a sprint.

Chase Holt (left) and Logan Priddy practice their footwork around practice dummies.

Amarion Fields jumps out of his hat at Surry Central’s football workouts Thursday.

Tucker still eyeing Aug. 1 start 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 52/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News

July 08, 2020

CHAPEL HILL — N.C. High School Athletic Association Commissioner Que Tucker hosted a press brieng Wednesday morning to answer questions regarding the state of North Carolina athletics.

Tucker quickly killed any rumors of a major announcement, stating that any big announcement would rst be told to the 421 member schools.

Instead, she said the brieng via Zoom was intended to give the media, “an opportunity to get rsthand information from the association and to ask any questions you may have.”

“We’re still getting numerous requests for interviews each week, sometimes on a daily basis, and unfortunately are just not able to accommodate all of these requests,” Tucker said, announcing that the association plans on holding these press briengs more often in the coming weeks.

Many school systems in the state began summer workouts either this week or had already done so before the NCHSAA’s mandatory dead period during the week of June 29 – July 3. The Association sent out a survey on July 7 asking district athletic directors whether or not they’ve started allowing workouts for fall sports.

As of 7:00 am on July 8, 72 of 162 total districts responded. Of the 72 respondents, 53 percent have started workouts. Thirty-six percent of athletic directors indicated that they have not started workouts, but do have a date set in the near future.

Student-athletes are required to be given frequent wellness evaluations if he or she participates in an optional workout. Tucker said that only four  cases of student-athletes with COVID-19 have been reported to the https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 53/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News NCHSAA, and even those were traced back to a location outside of the workout itself. For example, two of the cases were traced back to the student-athletes’ recent trip to Myrtle Beach.

“So, what we’re nding right now is that yes, there have been a few, but they were not spread by virtue of being in the workout sessions. So that’s a good thing,” Tucker said.

With so many schools projected to be holding workouts by the end of the month, many coaches, student-athletes and fans are anxiously awaiting the decision of whether or not school will start on time this year and in what capacity. Tucker reiterated that the NCHSAA will follow the orders of Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration.

“As you all know, Gov. Roy Cooper and his team, they have delayed the decision on how schools will reopen for the 2021 school year,” Tucker said. “We believe that education comes rst and that athletics is an extension of the classroom, supporting and accentuating the lessons that are being learned in those classrooms.”

“We can tell you that we believe that the governor, unless he feels that conditions will allow students to return to some form of in-person learning safely, it is difcult to imagine that high school athletics will be able to resume any type of competition at our member schools. If it is unsafe for our students to be in school, then certainly the idea is that it would be unsafe for our students to be playing in those athletic venues.”

Fall sports are currently slated to begin ofcial practices Aug. 1. A lot could change in the coming days and weeks, so Tucker wants to hold off on making life-altering decisions such as pushing the start date back.

“We’re not going to do anything that will compromise the health and safety of these young people,” Tucker said. “So, are you asking me are we prepared to move the start of false sports? Absolutely. We’re prepared, but we’re not moving it today because we don’t know what the reason to move it would be today.”

“Will I know next week? Perhaps. Will I know in two weeks? Hopefully so, and then we’ll make those decisions. But I’m not today, July 8, going to tell you that Aug. 1 is off the table. Because if I tell you that the next question is, ‘Well, if you’re not going to start Aug. 1, when will you start?’ I’m not going to tell you Aug. 1 is off the table until I can put another date in its place.” 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 54/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News As programs move forward into even more uncertainty, Tucker offered up an anecdote she took away from her time coaching with legendary N.C. State women’s basketball coach Kay Yow.

“One of the things that Coach Yow used to say a lot is that, you know, life is a journey. It’s not a destination, and I think there’s so many people that think that this particular moment in time is what I’m really focused on. So, my message is that if you are one of the school systems and you’ve started and you don’t have all of your teammates out there, just enjoy this moment – but that knowing that there is more to come. When will it come? We really don’t know. Enjoy each moment that you have.

“And if you happen to be one of those students and your school system has not allowed you to begin workouts yet, still enjoy the moment and to recognize that there are those people who are looking out for your best interest and trying to make decisions that will be the best for you.

So, I think it’s incumbent upon our young people to perhaps do more than even we as adults do. I think it’s our adults who get so anxious and we’re worried about this, we’re worried about, ‘give me a date – tell me something.’ Let’s just live in the moment … you know there is still more to come. I’m on a journey, and as athletes in high school this is a journey. And that this, what we’re going through right now, is tough on all of us. But it’s going to pass, and life, hopefully it will continue. And how prepared will we be because of how we reacted to what we’re going through now?

“And so, I think that, you know, as individuals and us as the adults, we’ve got to be adults, and we have to role model what we believe to be the best decision making and to be the best behavior right now. And I think that’s why we’re in the problem we’re in. The situation we’re in right now is because we don’t own our own actions and we won’t do the things that we need to do. And until that happens, I think we’ll struggle.”

Working together to bring back sports

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https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 55/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News

July 08, 2020

Since the shutdown of high school sports and performing arts programs in mid-March, there have been more questions than answers – When will schools re-open? Will states be able to conduct spring championships? When will schools begin summer activities? And the latest burning question – Will schools be able to conduct sports and other activities this fall and, if so, what will they look like?

That question – and other issues related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on high school sports and performing arts programs – was discussed by the NFHS and its 51 state association members in a rst-of- its-kind meeting this week.

One year ago, the National Federation of State High School Associations celebrated its Centennial in Indianapolis at the 100th NFHS Summer Meeting. This week, the NFHS held its 101st Summer Meeting in a virtual format during three days of Zoom meetings. What a difference a year makes! 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 56/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Like state high school association activities and championships that were cancelled this spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual in-person meeting of leaders of high school sports and activities, which was set for Denver, Colorado, was also a victim of the national health crisis.

Despite the online setting, leaders of these 51 groups that direct education-based activities across the country were able to connect and gain encouragement for the tasks ahead. Decisions will be different in each state, but in each case, decisions have to be made in concert with local and state health and education departments.

One of the themes heard repeatedly during the three days of meetings was the realization that data related to the virus changes every day. While states and individual schools have established varying plans for fall sports, the reality is that new information can quickly change those plans.

And there is also the challenge of potentially conicting information. Earlier this week, while there are rising cases of the virus in more than 30 states which has halted some early phases of re-opening plans, the American Academy of Pediatrics said “the academic, physical and mental upsides associated with returning children to schools outweigh the risks (of contracting the virus).”

The AAP statement also noted that “reopening is essential for the country’s most vulnerable students, including poor students and students of color, who often rely more heavily on the multitude of services schools provide.”

Everyone in the high school athletics and performing arts communities wants to see these programs back on the eld, the court and the stage this fall. In addition to the benets of returning to school noted by the AAP, the benets of sports and activities are perhaps even greater.

On the ip side, Dr. Michael Koester, chair of the NFHS Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, continually reminds us that we are still in a pandemic. So, how do we bring these two together and keep moving forward? We do it TOGETHER and UNITED.

If we want to stage high school sports and performing arts during the 2020-21 school year before a vaccine is in place, selsh attitudes must end. Everyone – students, parents, coaches, ofcials, administrators, fans – must work TOGETHER for the good of all.

First and foremost, masks and social distancing must be practiced in all applicable situations. While younger people are less susceptible to 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 57/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News becoming sick when they are infected, masks should be worn to protect coaches and ofcials.

We can do this – TOGETHER and UNITED. Fall sports may not start on time. All sports may not be able to be conducted in the fall because of risk of infection. Some participants in sports or performing arts activities may have to quarantine if they test positive. But if we work TOGETHER and think about the other person, we stand a chance of providing students a chance to return to these vital activities.

Athletic blast from the past

July 07, 2020

The Surry County Sports Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor has worked to enshrine the greatest local sports gures ever since its inaugural class was announced in 2006.

More than 130 county athletes, coaches, teams, administrators and inuential community members have been honored as members of one of the two exclusive groups.

With last year’s induction of six men and women, the Hall of Fame now features 94 members. The Hall is dedicated to individuals and his or her respective accomplishments. Members of the Hall of Fame include a slew former college athletes, coaches that are renowned statewide, some of 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 58/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News which are still active, and administrators that helped promote athletics of all kinds.

The Ring of Honor can feature either individuals or a group. This includes record-setting teams of the past century as well as individuals that promoted athletics outside of a coaching or administrative role.

Two new members have been introduced to the Ring of Honor each year since 2015, with as many as four per year before that. The RoH currently includes 38 members.

The Surry County Parks and Recreation Department recently opened applications for the Hall of Fame and Ring of Honors classes of 2020. As the county looks for new faces to immortalize, let’s take a look back at those previously inducted into each category.

HALL OF FAME

• 2006 — John Charles, Barry Hall, Jerry Hemmings, Jerry Hollingsworth, Ron King, Rex Mitchell, Wallace Shelton, Kevin Strickland

• 2007 — Charles D. Atkins, Delmer Atkins, Tom Childress, Richard Grissom, Charles Moir, Sam Moir, Tony Searcy, Terry Strickland

• 2008 — Angela Harbour Mayeld, Benny Moss, Bobby Atkins, Fred Folger Jr., Jerry Steele, John Hamilton, John Yokley

• 2009 — Jack Childress, Todd Greenwood, Wayne Motsinger, Natalie Nester, Richard Patterson, Bobby Timmons

• 2010 — James Edwin Holleman, Sara White McMillen, Judy Vaughn Johnson, Mike Cooke, Billy Cox, Benjamin Callahan III, Larry McCann, James (Jimmy) Hiatt

• 2011 — James Brim, Dennis France, Jeff Hayes, Derrick Hill, Randy Dale Joyce, Amber Watson Reid, Jim Wilmoth, Bernie Young

• 2012 — John B. Anderson, Ed Callaway, Donald Davis Sr., Blois “Bud” Grissom, Richard Hauser, F.A. Martin, Ben Norman, Kelly Jack Swift

• 2013 — John Charles Jr., Mike Chatham, Gordon Jones, James Daniel Lynch, Jarret Martin, Robert “Doc” Wall

• 2014 — Alfred “Chubby” Dean, Deane Hall, Tina Lane Heafner, Melanie  Bledsoe Hudspeth, Robert Smith https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 59/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News • 2015 — William Hawks, Faye Danley Hudson, Tony Martin, Tyler Sanborn, Brent Steelman, Linda Steelman

• 2016 — Brenda Wall Bledsoe, Steven Caudill, David Diamont, Tony George, Vickie Hardy, Will Holthouser

• 2017 — Johnny Coble, Rebel Good, Neal Joyner, Michael Richardson, Frank “Shine” White, Keith Whitman

• 2018 — James Blackburn, Keri Whitehead Campbell, Scott Hauser, Harry Monday, Sarah Parker Stroud, Willard Lee Swift

• 2019 — Ernie Beamer, Lonnie Bledsoe, Chadwick Casstevens, Tony Duncan, James Hayes, Kelley Karns

RING OF HONOR

• 2006 —1963 East Surry High School football team, Tom York, Ronald Johnson, 1989 North Surry High School basketball team

• 2007 — Gary York, 1946-1950 Mount Airy Graniteers, 1967 North Surry High School basketball team, Floyd Rees

• 2008 — Dr. Skip Whitman, Eddie Wilmoth, Barney Hall, 2003 East Surry Little League Senior Softball World Series champs

• 2009 — Charles Earnest, Terry Pruett

• 2010 — Ronald Boyles, 1965 Surry Central High School football team, 1964 East Surry High School basketball team

• 2011 — Fred Patterson, 1967 Elkin High School football team, Chatham Blanketeers

• 2012 — 2002 Mount Airy High School boys basketball team, Robert H. Moody, Al Peavy, Keri W. Campbell, Christie Sanders

• 2013 — 1934 Dobson High School basketball team, 2003 Elkin High School football team

• 2014 — 1935 Dobson High School basketball team

• 2015 — 1933 Dobson High School basketball team, Roy Vernon  • 2016 — 2001 East Surry High School girls basketball team, David Beal https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 60/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News • 2017 — Wayne Edmonds, Jimmy Miller

• 2018 — Ann Hollar Garner, Jim Hemric

• 2019 — Catrina Alexander, Linda Davis

Sports Hall of Fame nominations now open

July 06, 2020

DOBSON — Sports fans are impatiently awaiting the full return of professional, college and high school athletics after pauses of up to three months.

The void of athletics due to COVID-19 has slowly been lled as NASCAR and professional soccer have resumed play via a modied version of their respective sports. However, other sports are still on the sidelines for the time being.

The pandemic has these fans desperate for sports content looking to the past for entertainment i.e. The Last Dance and re-runs of old championship games.

The Surry County Parks and Recreation Department looks to honor local sports gures of the past in the form of the Surry County Sports Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor. Nominations for the 2020 class are now open and will be accepted through 5 p.m., Sept. 14.  Both the Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor were created in 2006 to honor the best and most inuential sports gures in county history. https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 61/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News The Hall of Fame recognizes individuals for outstanding achievements in the eld of athletics as a player, coach or administrator. Only individuals may be nominated for the Hall of Fame. The individual must be of good character and reputation and must have completed their athletic achievement or service at least ve years immediately preceding the date of induction. The ve year period may be waived by the Committee under special circumstances. The maximum number for each annual class will be six, who may be living or posthumously honored.

Criteria for inductions into the Surry County Sports Hall of Fame are different for athletes, coaches and administrators.

Athletes: An athlete who has received local, state or national recognition must meet at least two of the following criteria: 1. was born or raised in Surry County, 2. attended at least two years of high school in Surry County, 3. had two years of athletic achievement while a resident of Surry County and 4. made a signicant impact on sports in Surry County.

Coaches: A coach who has received local, state or national recognition must meet at least two of the following criteria: 1. was born or raised in Surry County and had ten years of coaching achievement while coaching either inside or outside of Surry County, 2. was not born or raised in Surry County but had ten years of coaching achievement while coaching in Surry County and 3. made a signicant impact on sports in Surry County.

Administrators: An administrator who has received local, state or national recognition must meet two of the following criteria: 1. was born or raised in Surry County and had ten years of administrative achievement either inside or outside of Surry County, 2. was not born or raised in Surry County but had ten years of administrative achievement in Surry County and 3. made a signicant impact on sports in Surry County.

Ring of Honor nominations recognize individuals, teams, corporations/companies or organizations that have made a signicant impact on sports through contributions in the eld of athletics.

The Surry County Sports Hall of Fame class of 2019 featured: Ernie Beamer, Lonnie W. Bledsoe, Chadwick Casstevens, Tony Duncan, James Hayes, Kelley Karns. The Ring of Honor class of 2019 saw the induction of Catrina Alexander and Linda F. Davis.

As of the last class of inductees in 2019, the Hall of Fame now includes 94 members and the Ring of Honor includes 38. 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 62/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Nominations will be accepted at the Surry County Parks and Recreation Department, 122 Hamby Rd. Dobson 27017 (Central Permitting Building). Nomination forms can be found:

• On the Surry County Parks and Recreation website at co.surry.nc.us >Parks and Recreation

• At the Surry County Parks and Recreation Department

• By contacting a member of the Hall of Fame Committee.

Hall of Fame Committee members are Paige Badgett, Myra Cox, Donald Davis, Dave Diamont, Ronnie Eaton, Lin Hamilton, Rodney King, John Lawson, Darren Lewis, Adam McComb, Scott Reynolds, Tony Searcy, Robert Smith, Eddie Wilmoth and Jim Wilmoth.

To nd out more about the criteria for nominations and the Surry County Sports Hall of Fame, please contact the director of Surry County Parks and Recreation, Daniel White, at 336-401-8235.

SCC pushes V-ball camp back

July 04, 2020

DOBSON – Due to COVID-19, the Surry Community College Volleyball Camp has been pushed back two weeks to July 20-23 at the Surry Community College gym on the Dobson campus. 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 63/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News The camp, which will be held in two separate sessions, was originally slated for July 6-9 but is being delayed two weeks because of the pandemic.

“We moved it back thinking that maybe we would have a better chance of being able to host it if we pushed it back to the latter part of July. We are doing everything we can to be able to have it,” said SCC head coach Caleb Gilley.

Gilley said the camp will be conducted in accordance with proper social distancing guidelines.

The rst session, which will be held each day from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m., is for rising 1st to 5th grades. The second session, noon to 3 p.m., is for rising 6th to 8th grades. The camp is open to all individuals in the rising rst to rising eighth grades with a cost of $50 per child ($40 for multiple campers in same family) which includes a camp T-shirt.

Camp registrations will begin at 7:30 a.m. (Session I) and 11:30 a.m. (Session II). For more camp information or to request a camp brochure, please contact Coach Caleb Gilley at (336) 408-3278 or [email protected], or Athletic Director Mark Tucker at (336) 386-3217 or [email protected].

WATN: Chris Griggs – Part Two

July 02, 2020 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 64/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Part two of three

Life is more about the journey and less about the destination.

If I were to talk about Chris Griggs’ playing days and then immediately jump to the present day, it oversimplies how he got to this point. It’s because of his experiences, both positive and negative, that he’s reached his current state.

The rst part of this three-part installation on Griggs detailed his time as a high school superstar at East Surry. His 6,897 career rushing yards and 100+ touchdowns are still atop Cardinal football rankings today. Part one illustrated just how dominant Griggs and the East Surry teams of the early 2000s were.

Griggs will always be known as an East Surry legend, but it’s important to realize his legacy goes well beyond Pilot Mountain.

Never applied myself

Griggs described his time after high school as “a scramble.”

It looked for a while as if he might follow a path similar to that of his archnemesis, T.A. McLendon. McLendon went on to play Division I ball at N.C. State University, where he was named 2002 Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year and even tied the ACC record for single-season TDs as a rookie with 18.

David Diamont, Griggs’ high school football coach at East Surry and current head coach at South Stokes High, believes to this day that the sky was the limit for Chris.

“He should be playing on Saturdays and Sundays, he’s that good,” Diamont said. “Probably would’ve been a better defender because he just had no fear.”

Unfortunately, Griggs’ plans were often derailed for one reason or another. In some cases, his struggles were a result of his academic standing.

“I was a smart kid; I just never applied myself for whatever reason,” he said. “My parents were on my butt all the time about it.”

“He just didn’t take care of the academic side,” Diamont recalled. “His mother and I had several discussions about things he should be doing, and  I had to discipline him a little bit.” https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 65/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Ups and downs

In an attempt to raise his GPA, Griggs’ rst stop after graduating from East Surry in 2003 was Hargrave Military Academy. Hargrave is an all-male military boarding school in Chatham, Va.

He tried out and earned a spot on the team. He was one of four running backs on the team, joined by D.J. Ware, Darrell Blackman and Keon Lattimore.

Ware played at the University of Georgia and won an SEC Championship in 2005, later winning two Super Bowls with the New York Giants.

Blackman switched to wide receiver and return specialist at N.C. State then later signed with the Detroit Lions.

Lattimore, the half-brother of NFL Hall of Famer Ray Lewis, played at the University of Maryland at College Park and spent time on the Dallas Cowboys.

Griggs led Hargrave in rushing touchdowns and tied for the second-most yards rushing. His time at Hargrave made him eligible to play NCAA football.

He went on to enroll at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va. He wasn’t made an active member of the roster, though, but was instead redshirted.

In high school, Griggs was a star player on a team that came close to winning the ultimate prize before falling just short. Then in college, he wasn’t able to play his rst year – though success did follow him. James Madison went on to win a share of the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship and later the school’s rst NCAA Division 1-AA National Championship.

Griggs was still thrilled to be part of such an electric season with JMU despite not playing. This excitement diminished later in the school year as his academics got him in trouble.

“You hear people talk about ups and downs in this world,” Griggs said. “I ended up picking a school that won the Division I-AA National Championship my redshirt freshman year … then end up having to transfer out the next spring because of grades.” 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 66/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Griggs took a hiatus from football in late 2005 in order to become academically eligible. This led him to Louisburg College, a private school north of Raleigh, where he spent the fall semester.

Transfer again

Even though Chris was three years removed from high school in 2003, he was still considered to have the eligibility of a freshman because he redshirted at James Madison.

Knowing he still had time to prove himself as a Division I or II caliber player, Griggs opted to attend Lackawanna Junior College in Scranton, Pa., beginning in the fall of 2006. This also kept his dream alive of one day reaching the NFL.

There have been plenty of JuCo products to nd themselves in the League. A few years prior in 2002, a young man by the name of Bryant McKinnie was drafted No. 7 overall by the Minnesota Vikings. McKinnie played two years at Lackawanna before becoming an All-American offensive lineman. McKinnie went on to play in the NFL for more than a decade, winning a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens in 2013.

Lackawanna gave Griggs his rst opportunity to shine at the college level and he didn’t disappoint. He helped Lackawanna to its rst undefeated season in school history while capturing the Northeast Football Conference Championship. The regular season went like this:

28-0 vs. Bucknell Jayvee, 23-20 (OT) vs. Hudson Valley Community College, 70-0 vs. Berean Institute, 14-13 vs. Nassau Community College, 30-6 vs. Erie Community College, 36-21 vs. Delaware Valley, 7-6 vs. US Naval Academy Prep, 40-0 vs. Alfred State College and 28-7 vs. Dean College.

Griggs led the team in rushing touchdowns (10) and was the team’s second- leading rusher (460 total yards) despite only playing in seven of the nine regular season games. He tied for 15th in the National Junior College Athletic Association in rushing TDs.

The only player to average more yards of offense for Lackawanna was quarterback A.J. McKenna.

The undefeated season put the Lackawanna Falcons in the 2006 Valley of the Sun Bowl. Their opponents: the defending NJCAA National Champions, Glendale Community College. 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 67/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Glendale won the Valley of the Sun Bowl nine times from 1981-2005, while Lackawanna had never won a bowl game.

That didn’t stop the No. 7 Falcons from upsetting No. 5 Glendale 17-16 to cap off the 10-0 season. Griggs was named MVP of the win and Lackawanna jumped to the No. 2 spot in the country in the nal NJCAA rankings.

Griggs was on top of the world. Things nally seemed to be going his way after coming so close time after time.

Then, history unfortunately repeated itself.

“That spring semester, what happens? I end up not concentrating on grades and I have to transfer again,” Griggs said. “Athletically, I knew I was good. I always played on teams and ended up elevating them to conference championships … but academically struggled.”

Chris landed at himself at Dean College in Franklin, Massachusetts, for the 2007-08 school year. Dean was a junior college in the same conference as Lackawanna at the time. The school is actually set to join the NCAA’s Division III in September 2020.

Griggs was the team’s leader in total yards rushing (575) as well as rushing TDs (8), which tied for 17th in the national NJCAA standings. A few spots down the list was East Mississippi Community College’s LaGarrette Blount, who went on to win three Super Bowls and lead the NFL in rushing TDs in 2016.

Griggs was also used sparingly as a receiver, nishing with 140 yards receiving and two receiving TDs.

Dean College was the latest program to experience success with Griggs on the team. The Bulldogs started the year with nine-straight wins: 33-7 vs. Assumption College JV, 41-20 vs. Springeld JV, 26-8 vs. Bryant University JV, 48-6 vs. Berean Institute, 33-0 vs. Bridgewater State JV, 34-28 vs. Alfred State College, 44-7 vs. Erie Community College, 17-13 vs. Nassau Community College and 25-10 vs. Hudson Valley Community College.

The 9-0 start gave Dean College its rst Northeast Football Conference Championship in school history. This meant Griggs won a conference championship in all but one season of football since middle school.

Dean had a shot at the Junior College National Championship game if it  were able to win its nal game of the season, which just so happened to be https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 68/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News against Griggs’ former school Lackawanna. Lackawanna, 5-3 at the time, upset Dean to spoil Griggs’ championship aspirations and give him his only college loss.

End of school

Griggs was set to return to Dean College for what would be his junior year of eligibility in 2008.

He needed to complete 22 credit hours over the summer to be eligible to play that fall. The feat was doable; however, Griggs wasn’t convinced staying at Dean was his best option.

For starters, he was pushing 23 years old at the time, which was already older than most players looking to get drafted. Second, Chris was never a fan of schoolwork, so the pathway of focusing on just football was even more appealing.

“I was good at test taking, I just never wanted to do the work; never wanted to do the things that came with it,” Griggs said.

So, Chris left college in 2008 and began trying out for Canadian Football League teams such as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Calgary Stampeders and Toronto Argonauts. Just like his college career, he experienced ups and downs in his pursuit of a professional career as well.

Part One of this trilogy detailed Griggs’ time as a superstar in high school. Coaches, both his own and those attempting to stop him, were blown away by Chris’ all-around athleticism. He continued to stand out in a crowd of college athletes regardless of the university.

While academics caused him problems in college, when he attempted to play professional football it was his athleticism that became the issue for the rst time.

He hadn’t regressed since he left college. Instead, the problem was that every man trying to make the pros was a superstar athlete. Chris never had to push himself in the weight room until then and that hurt him.

“People that really know me will know this: I never worked out,” Griggs said. “This is all God-given ability, and that’s what pushed me to be good in high school and in college. I never even worked out in college.”

Diamont recalls never learning just how much Griggs could lift because he  didn’t like being in the weight room. https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 69/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News “We never had found out what he could do on bench press or even what his 40 time was,” Diamont said. “I want to say he had maybe a high 4.5 at Hargrave, but I’m not sure. I just know he never ofcially ran it in high school.”

Griggs said his backup in college played seven years in the CFL, while he never sniffed training camp.

“It’s just as much mental as it is physical at that point,” Griggs said. “At that age, everyone’s big, everyone’s fast and everyone’s got the accolades, whether that’s DI or DIII.”

Giving back

Chris spent more than a year of bouncing around training camps.

He was training in Chicago, where his parents and sister moved after his high school graduation, in 2009 when his son Jayden was born.

“With me having to prioritize being a dad and try out for pro teams, I wasn’t as focused and didn’t put in the time and effort into what I know now it takes to be an elite athlete,” Griggs said. “That’s when I gave up the dream of playing and started coaching. I’ve always loved the game of football … and been around good people growing up in a good community like Pilot Mountain. I decided to coach and give back.”

The third and nal part of Where are they now: Chris Griggs takes an in- depth look at his life after retiring from football, including his coaching and business careers.

Dirtbags win Summer Shootout



https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 70/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News

July 01, 2020

MOCKSVILLE — 2020 hasn’t exactly been the most conventional year for the Pilot Mountain Dirtbags.

The 13U Nations Baseball team took part in its rst tournament of the year over the weekend. The Dirtbags returned just ve players from the 2019 team, and one of those players, Carter Motsinger, competed in a cast thanks to a broken wrist.

Even after Dirtbags coach Vinny Pannutti was able to ll the roster, the team faced another curveball in the form of COVID-19. The Dirtbags only completed a handful of indoor practices at the Backward K Academy in King before the pandemic forced shutdowns.

Pannutti said the team has yet to step on a middle school eld this year and has only been practicing outside sparingly and on little league elds.

Even with everything seemingly going against them, the Dirtbags delivered under pressure and emerged as champions of the 13U Summer Shootout.

“I loved what I saw, and anyone that was at these games had fun watching some good baseball,” coach Pannutti said.

The Dirtbags were one of ve 13U teams competing in the tournament. The Pilot team was joined by the Diamond Deacons of High Point, Knuckleheads of Advance, P413 of Advance and Rowan Rattlers of Salisbury.

“We came into the weekend hoping to get an idea of what kind of team we’d be,” coach Pannutti said. “I knew we had the pieces in place, we just  needed to make sure they knew that, too.” https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 71/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News The tournament got off to a rough start as the Dirtbags faced the Knuckleheads in the rst of its two pool games on Saturday. The Knuckleheads won the game 11-2.

Later that day, the Dirtbags played P413 in Pilot’s second and nal pool game. After trailing for most of the game, Pilot Mountain rallied to even the score at 5-5. The game was ruled a tie due to time constraints before the Dirtbags could take the lead.

“After the disappointing results of the games on Saturday, we sat down with the boys and put it on them to nd out if they wanted to win, bust there butt in the sun and play as a team, or think about what time they could get to the pool,” coach Pannutti said. “We found out that answer really quick the rst game [on Sunday].”

The Dirtbags received the No. 4 seed for the bracket rounds and played the No. 5 ranked Rowan Rattlers in the play-in game.

It was win or go home, and the players made it clear they weren’t ready to go home empty-handed.

“The team showed up at the ballpark at 11:30 with a re that I haven’t seen in these boys before,” coach Pannutti said. “Before I knew it, we were nishing up a 7-inning game at 10:15 p.m. winning the whole deal.”

Pilot sped through the rst game by run-ruling Rowan 11-0 in four innings. Six different players scored in the win: Mason Jewell, Hatcher Hamm, Lucas Johnson, Vincent Pannutti, Braxton Davis and Landon Galyean. Vincent Pannutti, Luke Bruner and Colton Andrews each had multiple RBIs in the win.

Pitchers Carter Motsinger and Zach Keener split time on the mound, with each throwing two innings. The duo combined for four strikeouts and allowed just two hits and two walks.

With no time to rest, the Dirtbags next faced the top-seeded Diamond Deacons in the seminals. Pilot jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the rst and added another run in the top of the second. The Deacons tied it up in the bottom of the fth, but the Dirtbags went back to work by piling on four more runs in the top of the sixth.

Pilot held on to win the game 8-5 to advance to the tournament championship. Bruner and Johnson combined for six strikeouts in the win. Jewell led Pilot with three hits, followed by Vincent Pannutti and Andrews  with two each and Davis, Keener and Sid Sutphin with one each. https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 72/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News The seminal win set up a rematch with the Knuckleheads in the championship. The No. 3 Knuckleheads upset No. 2 P413 16-3 in the other seminal game.

It was deadlocked until the third inning. The Knuckleheads were the rst on the board, putting up four runs in the top of the inning. The Dirtbags came right back by scoring four runs of their own in the bottom of the third. Vincent Pannutti hit a deep shot to center that scored two and evened the score at 4-4.

The Knucklehead slipped another run in the top of the fourth but wouldn’t score again. The Dirtbags added three runs in the bottom of the fth and held on for the 7-5 win.

“It was a complete team effort,” coach Pannutti said. “Every one of these boys sacriced themselves for the team. It was like watching a scripted movie. We put the pressure on them and they actually responded.”

Johnson and Bruner handled pitching duties in the nal game of the tournament, combining for two strikeouts and allowing eight hits.

Jewell, Hamm, Johnson, Vincent Pannutti, Michael Fischer and Keener all scored in the championship.

Wildcats’ Jimmy Upchurch retires

 June 30, 2020

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 73/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News KING — “You will never win at West Stokes High School. Don’t take the job!”

Jimmy Upchurch heard that statement many times as he was debating on whether to apply for the vacant position of head football coach at West Stokes in 2003. It’s safe to say he proved the doubters wrong.

After 17 seasons, 137 wins, a state championship, a regional championship, a regional runner-up, three conference championships, and more than 70 football players sent to the next level, Upchurch’s time under the Friday night lights has come to an end. This past week, Upchurch informed the school of his retirement from not only coaching but teaching as well.

“West Stokes has been a special place to me and my family and it always will be,” Upchurch said. “I’ve met a lot of good people and had the honor and privilege of coaching a lot of great kids. This wasn’t an easy decision, but it was the right decision.

“I could have continued teaching, but I didn’t think it was fair for me to hold up a PE position when the school may need it to hire a football coach. I’m not made that way. With the help of my coaches and some really important community guys, we built a foundation of West Stokes football that I want to see carried on.”

Upchurch and his wife Crystal own a restaurant and bar named The Tilted Ladder in Pilot Mountain. The Upchurches partnered with Jimmy’s longtime assistant coach and friend Harrell Bowen and his wife Jan to open The Titled Ladder during the summer of 2019. Last fall, Jimmy and Crystal bought out the Bowens’ share of the company.

The time and commitment to the restaurant increased as it became more and more successful.

“It was hard teaching and coaching and then going straight to the restaurant after school and practices every day,” Upchurch said. “I really depended on my wife during football season last year and I couldn’t let her continue working at the doctor’s ofce, get off there and stay at the restaurant until after midnight every night and then go back to work the next morning. It wasn’t fair to her.

“The last several months have been hard, and it made me realize that if we wanted to be successful then I needed to retire fully from the school and give this the time it needed.

“Our surrounding communities and customers have been very generous in  doing their part and helping us keep the doors open during this COVID-19 https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 74/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News pandemic and we appreciate it very much. This is our future and I need to fully give my commitment and time to it.”

Upchurch took over the West program in 2003. The Wildcats only won four games under two different head coaches in the school’s rst four years. The team went 3-8 in Upchurch’s rst year, but this included a 21-20 overtime loss to West Iredell, a 12-9 defeat against East Davidson and a 42-41 ve- OT thriller against South Iredell. That’s three very winnable games that would have propelled the Wildcats into the playoffs in Upchurch’s rst season.

After that rst season, his teams successfully made the state playoffs for 16 consecutive years with only three losing regular seasons with identical 5-6 records in 2005, 2006, and 2007.

“Coach Upchurch accepted the challenge of changing the culture of the football program at West Stokes,” said West Stokes athletic director Travis Gammons. “To go from four wins to a state championship in 2011 is remarkable. The past two years has resulted in 22 wins, two conference championships and a nal four appearance.

“His knowledge on both offense and defense is second to none and is one of the best football coaches in the state. He has done a lot for West Stokes High School and the surrounding communities. We are very appreciative of what he has meant to the school and our student athletes.”

The freshman class of 2008 would help solidify Upchurch’s legacy at West Stokes. A young quarterback named Austin Fleming took over the starting position midway through his rookie year and helped the Cats win four of its last ve games. This included the school’s rst playoff victory.

Over the next three years, Fleming and his teammates won 31 games and grabbed the school’s rst conference championship in 2011 along with the 2AA State Championship with an unblemished 16-0 record.

“That was a special group of young men and an exciting time,” remembered Upchurch. “That class was unbelievable with their work ethic and commitment to excellence. That was a group of kids that got along with one another, they were very coachable, and loved going to battle with each other every day. They had each other’s back no matter the cost, and that is what it took to change that losing mentality at West Stokes into a winning one.”

Over the next eight years, Upchurch’s teams advanced to the second round  of the playoffs seven times. In his nal ride with West Stokes in 2019, https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 75/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Upchurch and the Wildcats reached the West Regional Finals against former North State Conference foe and eventual state champion, Reidsville. In fact, when the Wildcats and Rams were in the same league, Reidsville won three consecutive state championships and are considered the ‘Football Capitol’ of high school football with 20 career championships in the 60-year history of the school.

“Coach Upchurch created a winning football mentality in our community that has previously been non-existent,” praised principal Kevin Spainhour.

“From his creation of the Prowlers organization and his dedication to the players through the years, his impact and legacy has not been matched with any football coaches in our county. He has been special and his knowledge of football is tremendous. I hope our community appreciates his contributions in building the foundation that our football program will stand for years on end. Thank you, Coach Upchurch!”

NFHS preaches ‘Together as One’

June 30, 2020

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — To help elevate high school marching band eld show performances and ease the nancial burdens facing performing arts programs in the wake of COVID-19, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has collaborated with several organizations to produce “Together As One – One Nation,” a comprehensive eld show performance package that can be used free of charge by schools across the country. 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 76/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News “Together As One” is powered by Varsity Performing Arts, a division of Varsity Spirit, in partnership with the NFHS and in coordination with United Sound – a nonprot organization that provides musical performance experiences for students with special needs. The aptly named program includes a six-minute, fully arranged, designed and choreographed marching band performance that equips bands, cheer and dance teams with all the necessary elements to execute in unison.

“The NFHS is proud to partner with Varsity Performing Arts in the ‘Together As One’ marching band project,” said Dr. James Weaver, NFHS director of performing arts and sports. “Over the past several months, it has been a pleasure to work with an incredible group of nationally-renowned composers, arrangers and choreographers to provide this amazing marching band show.”

“As our country recovers, young people will need school spirit now more than ever before,” said Bill Seely, president of Varsity Spirit. “‘Together As One’ is designed to help bring school spirit back into America’s schools in a powerful way, with the collaboration of the cheerleaders, dance team, band programs, and any group in the school that wants to be included. Our hope is that this will help ignite a strong sense of school spirit and community in the fall when our schools need it most.”

In addition to Weaver and executives from other national music organizations, “Together As One” utilizes contributions from a world- renowned cohort that includes design coordinator David Starnes and composer/music coordinator Robert W. Smith, along with 21 other individuals who are among the very best arrangers and choreographers in the eld.

Spring is the most active time of the year for high school marching band fundraisers, meaning the vast majority of programs lost most – if not all – of their opportunities due to the pandemic. With eld show arrangement costs often totaling multiple thousands of dollars, “Together As One” will not only serve to unite marching bands, cheer and dance teams around the country, but will provide schools with a much-needed cost-effective option for the upcoming season.

“We’re excited for this program to be provided to all schools for free with the hope of creating a sense of unity throughout the United States and all of our music programs,” Weaver said. “As we return to the classrooms, elds, rehearsal rooms and performance halls, we hope we all return ‘Together As One.’” 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 77/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News More information on the “Together As One” project can be found on Varsity Spirit’s website at: https://bit.ly/2NEXG0K.

Band directors and performing arts leaders who would like to register for access to “Together As One” digital materials including sheet music and online video choreography can do so at: https://bit.ly/2CX6jlb.

A Tar Heel Born and Bred

June 29, 2020

There are some things in life that never seem to lose their magic.

Certain experiences lose their luster over time, especially if one comes across said experience multiple times. However, a person can consider themselves blessed if he or she uncovers something that provides the same euphoric feeling time after time.

Surry Central graduate Mallory Wilmoth (‘16) is one of lucky few that had the opportunity to live out a lifelong dream dozens of times.

The moment goes a little like this: Wilmoth emerges from the home locker room in the Dean E. Smith Center only to be greeted by the roar of nearly 22,000 fans. This, partnered with the rally songs performed by The Marching Tar Heels band, covers her arms with goosebumps as she emerges from the tunnel to a sea of Carolina Blue.

It’s a moment that many would pay handsomely to experience. While this  was just another day at the ofce for Wilmoth as a varsity manager for the https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 78/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News UNC-Chapel Hill men’s basketball team, it never failed to take her breath away.

Wilmoth is a lifelong UNC fan that grew up idolizing the basketball team. Her parents and grandparents were all Carolina fans and spent decades watching from the sidelines or the other side of the TV.

Mallory became the rst member of her family to attend UNC-Chapel Hill following her graduation from Surry Central in 2016. The year she spent as a manager was life-changing; however, it’s not something she expected to happen as an underclassman or even as a junior.

During her rst two years at UNC, Wilmoth’s only connection to the men’s basketball program was attending home games “religiously.” She rst got involved with the program in the summer of 2018 when she worked at the Roy Williams Carolina Basketball Camp.

Wilmoth then served as a manager for the men’s JV team her junior year. Things quickly accelerated the next summer when she took on a more responsibilities at Williams’ camp.

“They completely caught me off guard,” Wilmoth said. “They wanted me to be super energetic and take on bigger role during camp between my junior and senior years. It never crossed my mind that I would be moved up. It’s not common to just do something junior year and then be pulled up the next year.”

Even after the 2019 camp, Wilmoth planned to return to the JV team for her nal year of school. This remained the plan up until the head of the manager’s program asked to meet with her the day before classes started in the fall of 2019.

Some of Mallory’s friends proposed the idea that maybe she was being called up to the varsity squad.

“There’s no way,” was her response.

She had never been so happy to be wrong.

“It was wild because the it happened so fast; I didn’t really have time to process it. I just called my parents immediately,” Wilmoth said. “Then it was rst day of class senior year. I didn’t have as much time to really go crazy about it because we started working that day.” 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 79/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Wilmoth met the other varsity managers then. There were six of them in total, and many of the managers had been part of the team for years.

After meeting the managers, in walked the cornerstone of the UNC basketball team: coach Roy Williams.

“I really thought I would be someone he wouldn’t really know,” Wilmoth said. “I remember thinking he had a lot of other important stuff to take care of. But he quickly remembered my name and always greeted me in the hallway. I really felt like I was part of the family.”

Wilmoth also formed a bond with the players that day.

“We were connected and knew we were all in that together. From then on, they were all my friends.”

What followed was months of hard work and late nights. The managers were in charge of practice setup, game day prep, practice statistics, assisting with practice, food orders and traveling, just to list a few.

She got her rst taste of the hectic travel schedule associated with college sports when the season rolled around in November. The Tar Heels stayed local for the rst few weeks before taking off for the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis on Paradise Island, Bahamas.

“I got to spend Thanksgiving with my ‘family away from my family’” Wilmoth said. “It was a really good bonding experience because it was the rst big trip with the managers. This kind of kickstarted the whole season.”

“Beating Oregon on the last day was super fun. We went out after and got to enjoy the day. The whole experience was a little overwhelming, going 0- to-100 like that.”

Wilmoth has been involved in sports her entire life. She played four years of varsity tennis and basketball at Surry Central and made all-conference in both as a senior. She knew what it took to succeed there, but said it was an entirely different world at the college level.

“It gave me a lot of respect for our guys, seeing that change from high school to college,” Wilmoth said. “It takes a whole ’nother level of dedication to do what they do.”

Being a manager was certainly no picnic. Wilmoth and her fellow managers followed the same strict travel routines as the players. Even after big road 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 80/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News wins, the team had to get everything packed on a bus, get on the plane and get back to Chapel Hill. This was all piled on top of school work.

Becoming a manager as a senior was a blessing of sorts according to Wilmoth. Academically, she had three years to adjust to a college workload and schedule.

“My rst three years I didn’t quite know how to manage my time,” she said. “We had to organize study schedules and set time to do homework on the road. I honestly don’t know if I could have done that as a freshman or sophomore.”

Wilmoth worried her professors might not be as exible with her because she wasn’t an athlete, but she was happy to report her professors were very understanding and everything worked out. Mallory graduated this past spring with a degree from the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media.

COVID-19 complicated Wilmoth’s last semester of school as well as the job market. She was enrolled in career prep classes and had networking events either cancelled or moved online.

The pandemic has given her time to think, and during that time Wilmoth decided it would be best for her to continue her education with hopes of one day working for a college or NBA team.

“Something I love that I’m very passionate about is the players themselves and that they are taken care of and given the best possibilities to succeed,” Wilmoth said. “As of now, and this could 100% change, I think I’d like to work in player relations or maybe basketball operations. Who knows where I’ll end up? I do want to have player-rst mentality. Hopefully grad school will help narrow that down.”

As she takes a break from planning for the future, Wilmoth reects on the past year of her life and how things changed.

“Obviously, it was a rough season with a lot of injuries that were so hard to watch our guys go through,” Wilmoth said. “But I learned so much from Coach Williams, the other coaches, players and managers. It really was just special to be behind the scenes helping my favorite program.”

“I could pick the smallest thing and it could be my favorite memory. Anything from working after practice or eating in the meal room, joking with players. It was just such a great experience.” 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 81/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Goins signs with Lees- McRae

June 28, 2020

DOBSON — Madison Goins is a competitor, plain and simple.

In the realm of high school athletics, Goins went all out to elevate not only herself but those around her as well. This made Goins a coach’s dream as both a player and leader.

“Madison is such an amazing player and person,” said former Surry Central volleyball coach Brittany Tolbert, who coached Goins for two seasons. “The thing I love most about her is that she’s so determined. She wants to do good and wants to bring up her team up all the time. That’s just the way she is.”

Goins constantly strived to be the best, and because of her work ethic and resilience success often followed her at Surry Central. She helped usher in a level of success not seen in the Golden Eagle volleyball program for more than a decade. Though individual accolades came second to the team’s success, Goins racked up all kinds of accolades during her senior season.

Now, Goins has an outlet in which to continue her evolution as a competitor at the next level. The process was postponed a few months due to COVID- 19, but Goins ofcially put pen to paper on Saturday to become a collegiate volleyball player. 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 82/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News In the company of her friends and family at Fisher River Park, Goins signed her NCAA National Letter of Intent to play volleyball at Lees-McRae College on Saturday.

“It means a lot to me; I’ve always wanted to sign to play somewhere and continue to play the sport I love,” Goins said. “I want to exceed expectations that people set for me and I felt like I did that. My goal is to go above and beyond.”

Goins’ picked up volleyball in fth grade. She didn’t come into the sport with the goal of eventually playing in college or even high school for that matter.

“It’s crazy because, at rst, one of my former high school coaches that isn’t coaching anymore just reached out and I did it,” Goins said. “I didn’t really know what to expect. Thankfully, the coaches really helped me along.”

Fast forward a few years and Goins is holding the trophy for Western Piedmont 2A Conference Co-Player of the Year as Central’s setter.

“She’s an all-around great player,” Tolbert said. “If I would’ve had another setter as consistent as her, Madison could’ve been playing just about every position. She was even a really good attacker despite not being the tallest player. She was a very smart hitter with deadly placement.”

Her reliability made Goins one of the top setters in the state. Goins reached 1,000 career assists in October of her spectacular senior season. She was inspired to reach the 1,000-mark in high school volleyball after seeing Cassidy Joyner (Surry Central class of 2014) record her 1,000th career kill.

Goins nished the 2019 season with 789 assists. This was the sixth-most of any player in the 2A division and 23rd overall in the state.

In addition to being a consistent setter, Goins had one of the deadliest serves around. She was a talented server in her rst two years on varsity as a sophomore and junior, but Tolbert said Goins made a huge leap between her junior and senior seasons.

“She always put in the work and it showed,” Tolbert said.

Madison recorded 112 of her 207 career aces in 2019. This was the second- most in the 2A division and eighth in the state. Even more impressive was Madison’s 25.1% ace percentage. She led the 2A division in serve percentage (min. 305 attempts) and was third overall in N.C. (min. 420  attempts). https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 83/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News “Whenever she was up to serve, I knew it was going to either be an ace or put the other team’s rotation out of system,” Tolbert said.

“I hardly ever served past the net when I started,” Goins said. “When I went to Champion my eighth-grade year, coach said I was never allowed to serve on the ground.”

Her individual accomplishments are special, but Goins put more value in the team’s success.

Prior to the 2019 season, Surry Central had reached the postseason in all but one season but only made it out of the rst round twice in the 2010s. That changed when Central surpassed the 20-win mark and nished 12-2 in the WPAC.

The Eagles won their rst home playoff game in seven years by defeating East Burke 3-2 in the rst round. Next up was the seemingly impossible task of facing No. 3 West Wilkes on the road. West Wilkes was 20-0 at the time and had only lost two sets all year. That didn’t stop Central from pulling off the 3-2 upset.

“I’m so grateful to have the team I was given and the coach I was given,” Goins said. “I think that it was just a once in a lifetime opportunity to have a good team that owed so great together and a coach to put everything together like a puzzle. Each one of us tried to get better every single day on the court and I think that was amazing. I’ve never had that type of team before.”

The West Wilkes win was just one of Goins’ best memories of high school volleyball. She also mentioned beating 4A Ronald Reagan in 2019, recording her 1,000th assist and her senior night as moments she would never forget.

“Even though we didn’t win senior night, it was amazing to see the girls give everything they had in that match,” Goins said.

Goins hasn’t been able to meet with her new team yet due to COVID-19 restrictions, but said the team has a group chat in which they discuss daily workout plans in preparation for the upcoming season.

“I’m really looking forward to more competition and growing as a player,” Goins said. “I know going to college and playing Division II is going to push me to try and be better.” 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 84/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Based on discussions Tolbert had with Lees-McRae coaching staff, she reported that Goins will be the No. 2 setter on the team behind a senior. That way Goins can learn behind the experienced player and have a shot at starting as a sophomore.

“I would really like to thank my family for always supporting me, especially my immediate family for always being there and pushing me to do my best,” Goins said. “When I felt like I didn’t do by best, they pushed me and inspired me to be better.”

‘Social distance soccer’ still kicking

June 26, 2020

The Mount Airy Parks and Recreation is dedicated to putting on safe activities to keep locals active during the pandemic.

Even with Gov. Roy Cooper’s recent announcement that North Carolina will remain in Phase 2 of the reopening process, state residents are still  permitted to exercise in public so long as they meet guidelines outlined by the CDC. https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 85/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Mount Airy Parks and Rec embraced the guidelines by hosting social distancing soccer clinics for local youth. The department began offering these clinics in early June.

Athletics supervisor Peter Raymer reported that the rst eight sessions of the clinic were very successful, both in providing an outlet for soccer fans during the pandemic and adhering to CDC guidelines. After one week off and another of limited sessions, Raymer said the clinics are returning to normal again next week.

“We’re really just trying to provide ways for people to get out of the house and exercise safely,” Raymer said.

Each clinic is meticulously planned in advance in order to keep every participant and spectator socially distanced. Participants never have to handle equipment with their hands, and drills are conducted with at least 6 feet between players.

Players worked on footwork, dribbling and shooting.

“We’ve had to be a little creative with the exercises, for sure,” Raymer said. “I’m glad we’ve got a big enough eld that we can host this. We make sure to be very safe while also trying new drills to keep it fun and interesting.”

Participants are encouraged to bring their own soccer ball. If needed, a sanitized ball will be provided.

The clinics are offered for three age groups: 6-7, 8-10 and 11-13.

There are four sessions scheduled to take place this week:

Tuesday, June 30, at 9:15 a.m. (ages 8-10)

Tuesday, June 30, at 10:45 a.m. (ages 11-13)

Thursday, July 2 at 9:15 a.m. (ages 6-7)

Thursday, July 2 at 10:45 a.m. (ages 8-10)

In order to reserve a spot those interested must call Reeves Community Center at (336) 786-8313 one day prior to each clinic. At this time there are only 10 spots per session and so far each session has been at or near capacity. 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 86/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News A waiver/registration form will be required for all participants. The department asks participants to print the form and bring it to the clinic with payment. Cost is $10, and cash and check payments will be accepted in exact amounts only on the day of the clinic. A drop box for payment and registration will be on site.

Parents/guardians must remain on site during the clinic. Check the Mount Airy Parks and Recreation Facebook page for weather updates.

Stokes Juniors win in last at-bat

June 26, 2020

LEXINGTON — Stokes County’s Junior American Legion team started its summer season off with a 3-2 nail-biting win over Wampuscats, a team made up with players from Lexington and Davidson County high schools, on Sunday afternoon.

Stokes was able to score the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh inning on a single by East Surry’s Evan McCreary.

“It felt great to get back on the eld with my guys,” said Stokes coach Tanner Lomax. “It was tough for all of us being away from the game for so long. I was very pleased with the way we hit the ball as a team and Skylar Roberts and Evan McCreary did well for us on the mound. We denitely have room to grow and things we need to work on, but that’s all part of  getting these guys back in the swing of things from being away for so long.” https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 87/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News The team had just four practices together with only one being outside because of the rain; two of those came with Lomax absent because of the high school dead period rule. Still, the team was able to pound out 10 hits against Wampuscats.

West Stokes’ rising senior Brighton Berthrong led the game off with a hit and then stole second, putting him in scoring position with another Wildcat player, Evan Cecile, at the plate. Cecil walked and then moved to second when he and Berthrong performed a double steal, setting the stage for North Stokes’ Bryson Bennett. Bennett hit a line drive to right-center eld, pushing Berthrong and Cecile across home plate for a 2-0 lead.

The Wildcats’ Skylar Roberts pitched the rst three innings for Stokes County giving up no runs on one hit, but struggled with control, giving up ve walks and allowing runners in scoring positions in both the rst and third innings.

McCreary entered the game in the fourth inning and he also had some control issues; but once he knocked the rust off his pitching arm, he was able to nd the plate. He walked the rst two batters and then the ninth batter reached on an error. The Wampuscats’ top of the lineup provided two singles that knotted the score at two until the seventh inning.

Cecil hit a one-out double in the top of the seventh for Stokes Legion. He swiped third base and then McCreary singled, scoring the go-ahead and eventual winning run. The East Surry pitcher struck a batter, then gave up a single to put a runner in scoring position. However, he shut the door on Wampuscats with two strikeouts and a y ball.

Cecil led Stokes going 2-for-3 with two runs scored, two steals, a double, and a walk. Berthrong and Bennett also contributed two hits each with Bennett adding two RBIs.

Tyler Pegram, Kaden Fuller, Tyler Moran, and McCreary all had one hit each.

McCreary got the win from the circle on three hits, ve strikeouts, two walks, two runs, but no earned runs over four innings. Roberts gave up one hit, no runs, but walked ve in three innings.

“I have very high expectations for this group,” added Lomax. “We have a good mixture of older and younger guys which is great. A few varsity guys who have had that experience and play the game the right way is good to have for your younger guys to look up to. We want to win, but mainly get our guys some games in and help them grow as players and young men. It’s  going to be a good summer.” https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 88/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Graham is new Bears tennis coach

June 24, 2020

Mount Airy High School recently announced the hiring of Mr. Luke Graham as head coach of both the girls’ and boys’ tennis programs.

Though just now taking a head coaching role at the school, Graham, a 1993 graduate of Mount Airy High, has been involved with tennis in the Granite City for nearly two decades. He’s served as a hitting partner for some of school’s most successful male players such as Brandon Frazier, William and Nick John, Matt and Mitch Kessler, Hunt Harrison and Emory Bray.

“I’m proud to be a part of the tradition of the tennis program at Mount Airy and if I can make a difference going forward and hopefully build on that – I feel compelled to do it,” Graham said. “No disrespect to any other school or community, but I wouldn’t want to coach anywhere else.”

Graham ofcially joined the boys program as an assistant to then-head coach Rodney Pell prior to the 2018 season. Pell stepped down prior to the 2020 boys season and Graham was approached about taking over the program. Graham opted to stay an assistant to Cody Simpson, who served as girls head coach last fall.

“I thought it made more sense with my work schedule to continue to assist  Coach Simpson,” Graham said. “I was impressed with what he did with the https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 89/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News girls program in his rst year, and I enjoyed working with him briey with the guys.”

However, when Simpson announced earlier this year that he was stepping down from both coaching positions due to a career move, Graham felt compelled to accept the job.

“He (Simpson) got a great job opportunity he didn’t feel like he could pass up. I know he’s excited and I’m genuinely happy for him as well,” Graham said. “It’s a difcult balance at times with my work schedule, but I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity when asked again.”

Graham wasn’t born a Granite Bear, moving to Mount Airy in the fourth grade, but he quickly acclimated to the city’s culture. He was introduced to tennis by his mother and grew up taking lessons from Polly Cox at Cross Creek Country Club.

Graham went on to play in United States Tennis Association (USTA) junior tournaments as a teenager and later competed for coach James Hayes at Mount Airy High. He also played basketball for the Granite Bears.

After graduating high school in 1993, Graham attended UNC-Wilmington. It was here that he earned a Business Management degree. He returned to Mount Airy after receiving his degree to work for his father Scott’s asphalt paving company. Graham is still employed by the construction contractor that acquired his dad’s company back in 1999.

His dad later ran for ofce and became a city commissioner before succumbing to cancer in 2014.

Graham’s wife Ashley also bleeds blue. She also graduated from Mount Airy in 1993 and currently works at Mount Airy Middle. Their son, Ryan, grew up in the Mount Airy City School System and in 2018 graduated from the high school, where he played basketball and tennis. Ryan recently completed his sophomore year at Appalachian State University.

“I’m extremely proud to be a graduate of Mount Airy High School,” Graham said.

Graham is excited to start working with the girls’ program as well as take on a larger role with the boys.

“I hope to create some competition and unity between the two, with regards to workouts, when COVID-19 guidelines loosen up,” he said. “I’m  obviously familiar with the boys we’ll have returning next spring and I’ve https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 90/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News worked with multiple girls that are going to be on the varsity this year, so a lot of familiarity there as well.”

“Not being able to share tennis balls is obviously going to limit the live ball hitting, drilling and serving we’re going to be able to do. Our focus will be primarily on conditioning, technique and footwork.”

NFHS gives schools recruitment warning

June 24, 2020

Understandably, the COVID-19 pandemic has dominated every facet of our lives the past three months – so much so that the challenges that were our focus earlier this year are distant memories.

Similarly, the high school sports world is singularly focused on a safe return to play this fall. Every day, there are new reports from state high school associations as to when summer activities can begin – and in some cases a general plan for the resumption of competition this fall.

Earlier this week, however, a headline of a different nature took us back to a pre-pandemic issue that must continue to be addressed as student-athletes resume their high school careers – the ability of college athletes to make money off their name, image and likeness (NIL).

What does the opportunity for college athletes to make money from their NIL have to do with high school sports and high school student-athletes? Potentially a lot, as the erosion of amateurism as we’ve known it at the  college level creeps closer to education-based high school sports. https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 91/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) addressed this issue last fall after California became the rst state to approve legislation – to take effect in 2023 – allowing college athletes in that state to make money from their NIL. About a month after this ruling, the NCAA voted unanimously to permit students participating in athletics the opportunity to benet from the use of their NIL in a manner consistent with the collegiate model.

Colorado and Florida have since passed legislation to permit college student-athletes in those states to earn money from their NIL, with effective dates of January 2023 and July 2021, respectively, and numerous other states have legislation pending. By January 2021, the NCAA’s three divisions are expected to adopt NIL rules to take effect at the start of the 2021-22 academic year.

Finally, [last week], a lawsuit was led against the NCAA to prevent the organization from restricting the amount of NIL compensation available to athletes, and the suit also seeks damages based on the share of television- rights money and social media earnings it claims athletes would have received if the NCAA’s current limits on NIL compensation had not existed.

At this point, our concern is not to debate the merits of college athletes making money from their NIL, which seems a foregone conclusion. However, as the parameters of NIL are developed, whether it be from Congress, the NCAA or individual state laws, this process – or even mere mention of NIL – must not occur until student-athletes are fully enrolled at an NCAA college or university.

Very simply, the notion of luring a high school student-athlete to a particular college based on the student’s increased chance to earn money from his or her NIL must not be a part of the recruiting process. Parents pushing their kids into specialization in the ght for scholarships would only be exacerbated as families considered the “best offer” from colleges.

The NFHS and its member state associations have made great strides to bring the recruiting process back into the schools and away from agents and other third parties. Recruiting a high school athlete with a promise that he or she could eventually earn money at a particular college is a slippery slope that moves education-based high school sports in the wrong direction.

There is nothing more sacred and fundamental to the past – and future – history of high school sports in the United States than the concept of  amateurism. While we cannot stop college athletes from earning money

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 92/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News from their NIL, we will do everything to protect amateurism in education- based high school sports.

Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff is in her second year as executive director of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) in Indianapolis, Indiana. She is the rst female to head the national leadership organization for high school athletics and performing arts activities and the sixth full-time executive director of the NFHS, which celebrated its 100th year of service during the 2018-19 school year. She previously was executive director of the Connecticut Association of Schools-Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference for seven years.

Meredith honored by NEC

June 23, 2020

SOMERSET, N.J. — East Surry graduate Scott Meredith (Class of 2014) ended his career as a Division I student-athlete with a bang on Tuesday.

Meredith, a native of Pilot Mountain, recently completed his nal year of NCAA eligibility in men’s basketball at Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pa. He was named one of two Northeast Conference Male Scholar-Athletes of the Year, joined by fellow Red Flash student-athlete Gregory Heider.

According to a release on the SFU Athletics website, the NEC Scholar- Athlete of the Year award is in its 14th year. The award is sponsored by the league’s Faculty Athletic Representatives and is presented to the male and female student-athletes who have exhausted their athletic eligibility, graduated and compiled the highest grade-point average in the Conference at the conclusion of the academic calendar. 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 93/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News The two tied for the highest grade-point average among all male student- athletes in the Northeast Conference. Both men and the two female Scholar-Athletes of the Year, Delaney Beck of Wagner College and Adriana Forcucci of Sacred Heart University, also nished with matching 4.0 cumulative GPAs.

“I’m highly impressed by this quartet of student-athletes and their remarkable accomplishments,” said NEC Commissioner Noreen Morris. “It takes an incredible amount of commitment and ability to come close to a 4.0 GPA while also meeting the demands of Division I athletic competition. Speaking on behalf of the entire NEC, we are so proud of what this group has accomplished and can’t wait to see what the future holds in store for them.”

Meredith is a four-year letter winner and two-time CoSIDA Academic All- District honoree. He made 90 appearances for the Red Flash, seeing action in 13 games as a freshman, 26 as a sophomore and all 31 games as a junior.

Scott missed the 2018-19 season due to injury. He took a redshirt year and enrolled in Saint Francis’ Masters of Business Administration program for his nal year of eligibility.

Meredith logged 20 appearances during the 2019-20 season, aiding a Red Flash team that advanced to the NEC Championship Game for the third time in his ve years. He will fulll an accounting role for Ernst and Young, a business management consulting rm in Pittsburgh, and is set to begin his professional career in September.

“What a great way for Scott to end his career at SFU,” said head basketball coach Rob Krimmel. “He will go down as one of the hardest workers on and off the court that SFU basketball has ever seen. His passion for being great in all that he does is a quality that we will miss. His work ethic and dedication will no doubt lead him to be successful in life. I am proud of all that Scott accomplished during his time at SFU. He was the true denition of a ‘student-athlete’.”

Before his college days, Meredith was a two-time member of the North Carolina All-State team (2013 and 2014) and was named 2014 Northwest 1A Conference Player of the Year for East Surry. He set the career scoring record for the Cardinals with 1,351. Meredith’s record stood for nearly six years and was just recently broken in January 2020.  After basketball season was over, Meredith went on to become the co- winner of the Conference Player of the Year Award for baseball, along with https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 94/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News teammate Tyler Marion, on a team that went 31-0 before losing in the state championship series.

He went on to play one season at Hargrave Military Academy, setting the single-game scoring record there with 55 points on the strength of 18 3- pointers.

Tumbarello an Academic All-American

June 22, 2020

Anyone that grew up with a brother or sister understands the magnitude of a friendly sibling rivalry.

Recent Mount Airy graduate Jackson Tumbarello (class of ‘20) spent three years of his high school career with his older brother, Austin (class of ‘19), as a teammate in three different sports: soccer, wrestling and outdoor track and eld.

As teammates, they led the Bears soccer team to its rst Regional Final appearance in school history, won multiple conference championships in wrestling and won a state championship in track.

In addition to the team success the duo helped to accomplish, Austin and Jackson also experienced tremendous athletic success as individuals. The brothers each earned All-State honors in all three sports.

In 2019, Austin set the bar high by becoming coach Cody Atkins’ rst  wrestler to be named an Academic All-American by the National High https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 95/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News School Coaches Association (NHSCA).

Atkins was thrilled to report that, like the rst, his second Academic All- American selection was also named Tumbarello.

“Those boys are something else,” Atkins said. “Their parents gave them great work ethics, would teach and push them. Even when they were younger, my dad would see them running with their dad on the side of the road.”

Their older sister, Micaela, also was an all-state performer in track and eld. In 2015 she was part of the 4×400 relay team that nished second in the state, just 2 seconds off the previous state record for the event. And she made the Northwest All-Conference Team in swimming.

According to the NHSCA website, student-athletes must carry at least a 3.6 grade point average on a 4.0 scale and be a state tournament place-winner or be selected as all-state athlete at least once during their high school career to receive Academic All-American Honors.

Jackson placed fourth in the N.C. High School Athletic Association 170- pound state wrestling championship as a sophomore and second in the 195 class as a senior. He was set for a big performance in the 2019 state tournament as a junior, but was sidelined due to an injury in the regional round. He nished the 2020 season with a record of 42-5 and a career record of 103-19.

“Some guys will come through and are really good at sport, but aren’t great in academics,” Atkins said. “If that’s the case, colleges may not want to take chance on them. That’s just the reality of life. That’s why we try to stress the importance of both to the kids. Sometimes they listen and sometimes, unfortunately, they learn the hard way.”

Jackson had a 4.0 unweighted GPA and a 4.3 weighted GPA. He graduated No. 10 in his class.

“I’ve been really fortunate to have good wrestlers that are successful in the classroom, but to do to what he did is incredible,” Atkins said. “I’m proud of him. He denitely deserves it, and it’s a great honor.”

Atkins said he hopes to see more of his student-athletes achieve this honor in years to come now that Austin and Jackson broke the door down.

Austin recently completed his rst year at UNC-Chapel Hill, and Jackson is  set to attend Winston-Salem State University on a football scholarship. https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 96/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News “It’s good to see guys have athletic success, but it makes me even happier to see these guys get college degrees,” Atkins said. “Both Austin and Jackson should be successful in whatever they do.”

Hill signs NLI with Methodist

June 20, 2020

High School football coaches are constantly shifting the players available to them to assemble the best possible lineup under the Friday night lights.

This often requires coaches to use their best athletes in multiple positions based on the team’s needs. This is especially seen in 1A football, where a wide receiver could double as a cornerback or a placekicker might also lead the team in tackles.

Versatility is one of the top qualities a high school football player can possess, especially when being recruited at the next level. This is why Mount Airy coach J.K. Adkins knew it was only a matter of time before 2020 graduate Jaedon Hill would be picked up by a college program.

COVID-19 restrictions postponed the process, but Hill made it ofcial June 11 when signing his NCAA National Letter of Intent to play football with Methodist University.

“It means a lot,” said Hill, who pointed out his end goal was always to play  college football. “I’ve been playing football since I was about 6. Playing in high school was a big step, and now I’m here.” https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 97/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Adkins, who was hired as Bears head coach prior to the 2018 season, knew Hill was a special type of player upon arrival.

“With his size, speed and athleticism we knew from the beginning that he had the potential to be a college football player,” Adkins said. “He’s going to be a big asset for Methodist.”

Hill spent most of his freshman year on JV. Then-coach Kelly Holder pulled Hill up to varsity for the Bears’ conference schedule and deep playoff run his sophomore season. Hill ‘s versatility was immediately utilized as Holder used him as both a running back and linebacker.

He moved into a larger role on both sides of the ball when his junior season came around.

“He’s played a little bit of everything for us,” Adkins said. “Jaedon’s great; he’s the kind of player that does everything that is asked of him and then some. Great kid. Dependable. Hard worker.”

Mount Airy had a plethora of weapons on its high-powered offense. Three seniors from that team went on to play in college: Donavon Greene (Wake Forest), Greg Greene (Lenoir-Rhyne) and Cole Shelton (Barton). Hill operated as a slot receiver as well as the backup running back to fellow 2020 graduate Johnathon Smith. He scored six times as a running back and twice at receiver.

On defense, Hill nished the year with 48 total tackles — 38 of which were solo tackles. He also had a sack and an interception. Mount Airy went on to win the Northwest 1A Conference Championship and reach the regional seminals of the state playoffs that season.

Seeing so many of his lifelong teammates signing to play college ball, Hill said it made his dream seem a little more real.

Hill split time on all three phases once again as a senior. As was the case the year prior he was a staple of the return unit.

Offensively, Adkins used Hill primarily in the slot once again and when needed at halfback. Hill was second on the team for both receptions and yards receiving.

Adkins said Jaedon was best suited to be an outside linebacker, but was used as strong safety some of the time. He racked up 54 total tackles in 2019, including 44 solo. Hill also had an interception, two pass deections,  one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 98/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Mount Airy nished with a 34-6 overall record in Hill’s three seasons on varsity. This included a pair of conference championships and a state championship appearance.

“The best part of high school was playing football for Mount Airy — making friends and growing closer to people on the team,” Hill said. “The support we had was crazy.”

In addition to football, Jaedon was a three-year member of the Granite Bears’ varsity basketball team. He grew up playing a variety of sports.

“It helped me with coordination a lot being able to play multiple sports,” Hill said. “You get a lot of different levels of competition and can build different skill sets.”

Hill’s decision to sign with Methodist was motivated by athletic and academic reasons. He wanted to choose a school that would allow him to earn an industrial engineering degree, which brought him down to Emory and Henry College and Methodist.

“I’m so proud of him that he can get a four-year degree and use football as an avenue for that,” Adkins said. “He’s a great kid and we were lucky at Mount Airy to have him. We’re extremely proud of what he’s accomplished and excited to see where he goes in the future.”

Jaedon thanked his parents for supporting him through the years and helping him through injuries. He also extended thanks to his coaches, from little league all the way through high school.

East Surry’s Whitt asks Gov. Cooper to open schools



https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 99/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News

June 18, 2020

Sam Whitt planned on using this summer to train as East Surry prepared to defend the 1AA Football State Championship.

Instead, Whitt nds himself unsure of whether or not the Cardinals will have a season at all. A rising junior, Whitt used Twitter to send a letter to Gov. Roy Cooper and North Carolina Superintendent Mark Johnson.

Whitt (@SamWhitt_52) writes: “Dear @NC_Governor and @MarkRJohnsonNC, I hope this nds you well and please take into consideration my concerns.” Attached to the tweet are screenshots of the letter.

The letter reads:

“Hello Governor Cooper and Superintendent Johnson. My name is Sam Whitt, and I am a rising junior at East Surry High School in Pilot Mountain. I come to you today as a student and athlete in the great state of North Carolina. The past four months have been unlike anything we as children have ever seen. We saw friend’s parents lose jobs or our favorite diner have to shut down due to lack of business. This is alot for our already immature teenage minds to process. I, like so many of my peers, began to look for a sense of normalcy in this new frightening world. The common thread among all of us was school and athletics. We held on to that sentiment of seeing our friends in the hallways or playing our favorite sport in the fall. But as the past few days have shown, in-person schooling and athletics are yet another part of our lives that hang in the balance. In the last few days, it has become evident from news and press conferences that there is a  chance we will not be in school as normal in August. However, many colleges in the state have already set reopening plans for the fall and the https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 100/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News NCAA came out today with a statement saying how college teams will resume practices and workouts in the coming weeks. For example, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and NC State have set their academic calendars to begin the fall semester August 10th and end at Thanksgiving. I nd it hard to understand how colleges with larger student bodies composed of students from all over North Carolina and the United States have concrete start dates as well as the resumption of athletics, while K-12 schools appear to be headed in the opposite direction. Not surprisingly, studies have shown that kids and teens benet from social interaction in the classroom and on the athletic eld to enhance their physical and emotional well-being. In addition, schools and athletic teams represent a place of safety, belonging, and love for students who have a fractured homelife. These are the only places some students receive the love and care we all desperately need. While learning in the main objective of schooling, I feel we often ignore the social needs of our students.

As an ambitious student in the classroom and on the eld, I push myself to excel in order to gain a college scholarship to continue my dreams. This is the same for most of my peers who have aspirations of education after high school. If sports and academics can’t gain a sense of normalcy again soon, I worry student’s aspirations for further education may become impossible, especially those in the upcoming senior class. As you probably already know, distance learning is difcult for students and teacher who yearn to be in the classroom and challenge each other. Distance learning is difcult for both the high-achieving student who wants to be challenged as well as the student who needs help with harder concepts. These struggles could be alleviated with the opening of our schools with the least restrictive environment as possible. Consequently, sports and extracurricular activities would be able to resume in a somewhat normal fashion. I applaud the NCHSAA and our local Board of Education for getting us back to a modied plan for summer workouts and a return to sports. My fear is that unless schools are open in the fall with little to no restrictions, sports as we know them will not be a reality. I feel this would be detrimental to students, athletes, teachers, and coaches all over North Carolina. We need to be in school in order to be taught by our talented teachers in person, see our friends in the hall, join our teammates for practice after school, and truly live our lives as teens should. I understand that you are trying to keep the citizens of NC safe from this horrible pandemic, but I implore you to please think of the health of the whole child. We have to look at how an extension of this time without school and sports could drastically affect the students and the future leaders of our great state in a negative way. Thank you for listening to me, and I hope and pray you will take my suggestions into consideration. 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 101/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Sincerely,

Sam Whitt

East Surry High School

Class of 2022”

Surry places 24 on All- Academic team

June 18, 2020

DOBSON — Surry Community College had 24 student-athletes receive spring Academic All-Region honors for their performance in the classroom.

All-Academic honors are presented to Region 10 student-athletes who achieved at least a 3.0 grade point average while earning a minimum of twelve credit hours and participating in a spring semester sport. SCC offers three spring sports: baseball, softball and golf.

“We are excited to have several of our student-athletes honored by Region 10 for their academic performance,” said Surry Athletic Director Mark Tucker. “Our student-athletes have had a very successful academic year in the classroom. It is very disappointing that many of our seasons were cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Regardless of the situation, we are extremely proud of our student-athletes for their commitment and perseverance. Our coaches are great with emphasizing the importance of academics to our student-athletes on a daily basis.”

SCC’s baseball team led the way with 15 players earning All-Academic honors: Bryson Beeber (South Rowan), Noah Caldwell (Bandys), Dillon Draughn (Starmount), Brantley Durham (Newton-Conover), Colby Guy (East Surry), Alex Hooker (Surry Central), Lemonte Johnson (New Manchester), Josh Maddux (McDowell), John Marion (East Surry), Ethan McLain (Blacksburg), Logan Philemon (East Lincoln), Mitchell Picton (Lincoln Charter), Dylan Poplin (McDowell), Josh Reynolds (North Forsyth) and Clay Taylor (Mount Airy).

Both Reynolds and Taylor posted a perfect 4.0 GPA for the entire academic year. 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 102/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Five total members of the Surry golf teams were recognized. Zeke Eaton (White Plains Christian), Evan Marion (North Surry), Austin Smith (North Surry) and Will Zeller (Mount Airy) were named from the men’s team. Alysaa Cox (Mount Airy) was recognized from the women’s squad.

Four SCC softball team members were recognized: Taylor Fowler (Branham), Courtney Mullins (South Rowan), Shea Triplett (Starmount) and Makara Woodbury (North Surry).

Surry ranked sixth among North Carolina’s community colleges with 24 spring recipients. The Knights also placed nine members on the fall semester All-Academic team with six members from the volleyball team along with three student-athletes from the golf team. Surry volleyball player Abbey Johnson posted a perfect 4.0 grade point average for the academic year.

A total of 739 student-athletes from 32 member colleges in Region 10 were honored this spring.

Where are they now: Chris Griggs

June 18, 2020

PILOT MOUNTAIN – Nearly two decades before East Surry football’s high- ying style set all kinds of school and state records, the Cardinal offense  was feared statewide as a dominant rushing team.

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 103/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News It was those teams, led by Surry County Hall of Fame coach David H. Diamont, that set seemingly unbreakable records and experienced unprecedented success for the red and white. The Cardinals’ success put East Surry on the map in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

At the center of the East Surry offense was a young man by the name of Chris Griggs: a versatile tailback who has a genuine case for being one of the top football players in school, county and perhaps state history.

Griggs graduated in 2003 with 6,897 career rushing yards, the third-most in state history at the time and currently No. 10 on the list. He scored 85 rushing touchdowns in four years. If throw in his receiving TDs, pick-sixes, kickoff and punt returns that number grows to more than 100 total TDs.

Griggs’ journey in football, both during and after high school, didn’t always have the storybook ending he hoped for. There were times in his football career that Griggs looked to be closing in on the mountaintop only for an obstacle to send him back down.

Now, Griggs is an entrepreneur, a coach and, most importantly, a father.

To fully understand where Griggs is now, it’s important to highlight how he reached his current position. Part one of this three-part installation will cover Chris’ life through high school. Part two details his football career from the moment he left East Surry up through his retirement as a player. Finally, part three will illustrate how his experiences in football shaped Griggs into the man he is today.

‘Oh, we’ve really got something special here.’

Chris Griggs moved with his parents, Marie and Winston Griggs, and sister Krisey from Texas to Winston-Salem, N.C., in 1989. His family, now a little bit bigger with the addition of his baby sister Porsché, later moved from Winston-Salem to Pilot Mountain in 1994.

Chris got involved with the Pilot Mountain Cardinals youth football team shortly after the move to Surry County. This is where he met many of the guys that would eventually be his middle school and high school teammates.

One of these teammates was Drew Eanes, who was a grade above Griggs. Drew’s father, Tom Eanes, coached at East Surry from 1992 to 1998. Tom never ofcially coached Griggs, but played a tremendous role in fueling young Chris’ love for football. 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 104/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News “I learned a lot about the game of football from Tom Eanes,” Griggs said.

The Eanes’ got Griggs in the habit of watching game lm when he was in sixth grade. Not many 11 and 12-year-olds would have the patience to study lm, but it’s something that helped Griggs gain a mental edge in games.

“That was just something that we did and that was the reason I was really good at football,” Griggs said. “I kind of knew what the opponents were going to do beforehand.”

Griggs recalls leaving school early as an eighth grader to travel with Eanes to East Surry’s rst round playoff game in 1998. The 8-3 Cardinals were the No. 10 seed in the Class 1A State Playoffs and faced No. 7 Albemarle (9-2). Albemarle won the game 52-14 behind a strong performance from freshman sensation T.A. McLendon.

McLendon and Griggs would eventually cross paths three years later.

Eanes ended up leaving East Surry before Griggs’ freshman year. East Surry’s Athletic Director at the time, Barry Hall, reached out to middle school coach David Diamont and asked if he would like to return to the high school to teach and coach.

Diamont had previously coached at East Surry from 1977 through 1989. He then coached at Mount Airy High from 1991-1995, leaving before the 1996 season to run for State Superintendent. Diamont accepted a position at Pilot Mountain Middle after falling in the Democratic Primary, later returning to East Surry prior to the 1999-2000 school year

Success started early as Griggs lost just three games in junior high. This included an undefeated eighth-grade campaign. Diamont knew he was a talented player in middle school, but it wasn’t until his freshman year that Griggs truly morphed into an unstoppable force.

“Our running back actually, if I remember correctly, had an appendectomy or something and had to miss some time,” Diamont said. “I remember in practice giving the ball to this ninth grader, Chris Griggs, [that was] about 160/165 pounds. He gained a few yards and got hit pretty well. He got up and said, ‘is that all you’ve got?’ and walked back to the huddle. I thought, ‘oh, we’ve really got something here.’”

‘He could play anything he wanted to play’ 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 105/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Griggs was part of a group Diamont simply referred to as “phenomenal,” that included players such as Andrew Stone, Chase Smith, Jeffrey Stein, Ricky Love, John Francis, Nathan Reddick, Dustin Baker and Daniel Lynch to name a few.

The class of 2003 nished with a four-year overall record of 48-6. Griggs and his classmates lost just two regular season games in four years at East Surry and both took place his freshman year.

The rst was a 28-21 game against North Surry, that nished 9-3 that year, and the other was a 28-7 game against Starmount, that went 12-1 on the season. The loss to Starmount was Griggs’ only conference loss in high school. He won the next 25 conference games to win three undefeated conference titles.

“I would just say he was a coach’s dream,” Diamont said. “Especially if you’re going to run the football because he at out could do that. He’d stiff arm you like crazy or he’d just run over you. He did not dodge contact. As a matter of fact, he thrived on contact. He was a competitor.”

From 1961 to 1998, East Surry had three seasons of 10 wins or more and one with at least a .900 win percentage: 1962, when the Cardinals nished 10-1-1); 1963, when East nished 10-2 and won the NCHSAA Regional Championship; and 1983, when Diamont had his rst season of double- digit wins by going 10-1.

Griggs’ group had the most career wins (48) of any East Surry class. This includes the class of 2020 that went to back-to-back state championship games. The class of 2003 nished 10-3 in 1999, 11-1 in 2000, 14-1 in 2001 and 13-1 in 2002.

“I look back on kids I’ve had playing for me and that group of young men, that was a special group,” Diamont said. “They got pissed off when a team got a rst down. They really had a lot of pride and they were tough, tough kids. They all got along together, which I think was the key.”

Griggs primarily played running back but also spent time at safety, wide receiver and on the return team.

“Anybody that played against Chris Griggs or tried to defend him knew that it was practically impossible,” Diamont said. “He could play anything he wanted to play. I remember he had such humongous hands. He could carry the ball with one hand away from his body. That would always tick me off; I couldn’t get him to hold it high and tight.” 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 106/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Diamont pointed out that he thought Chris would have made an excellent defender because of his fearlessness. When asked why he didn’t play more on defense, Griggs laughed and gave a rather straightforward answer that spoke to the overall talent on the team:

“I didn’t really need to. Besides, I didn’t play in the second half of most games.”

His freshman year, nine of the team’s 10 wins came by at least two scores. The next year, East Surry increased its points per game average from 26.92 to 27.25 while decreasing points allowed from 17.08 to 8.25.

“I remember there was a highlight one night on one of the TV stations,” Diamont said. “I forget which year, but he just ran over a kid in the secondary and literally stepped on his chest and went and walked right into the end zone. He handed the ball to the ofcials just like it was how he’s supposed to do it.”

‘I think right now we can win the state championship’

The Cardinals came into the 2001 season prepared to play through December.

The year prior, East Surry was the top-ranked team in the West at 11-0. The Cards looked to have a legitimate chance to reach the title game, but were upset in the rst round by No. 16 Polk County by a score of 16-14.

East Surry only allowed an opponent to score more than eight points in a game once in the 2001 regular season. This includes six shutouts ranging from 20-0 to 41-0. No team since has recorded more than three shutouts in a season. East did this all while averaging 31 points per game.

East Surry’s regular season played out like this in 2001: 29-0 vs. West Stokes, 27-0 vs. West Montgomery, 25-7 vs. Mount Airy, 43-7 vs. Alleghany, 27-0 vs. South Stokes, 30-0 vs. Starmount, 30-6 vs. Elkin, 41-0 vs. East Wilkes, 36-21 vs. Surry Central, 20-0 vs. North Stokes, and 33-7 vs. North Surry.

Griggs nished the regular season with 1,868 yards rushing, which ranked No. 6 in the state at the time.

The Cards continued to pick apart opponents in the rst three rounds of the playoffs, which had been separated into 1A and 1AA for the rst time ever. As a No. 3 seed, East Surry defeated No. 14 Cherryville 56-7 in the rst  round. https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 107/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Before the second-round game against No. 6 Hendersonville, Andrew Pearson of the Times-News, a community newspaper located in Hendersonville, said the following in a November 22 article:

“Hendersonville hopes East Surry tailback Chris Griggs and his team’s water cooler are best friends by Saturday morning. That’s because if things [go] as planned for the Bearcats, the East Surry junior will guzzle plenty of uids Friday on the sidelines as the Bearcats upset their way through the second round of the 1-AA playoffs.

Hendersonville’s coach at the time, B.J. Laughter, added to the article by saying:

“If we play like we did in midseason we could get in trouble, we’re going to have to control the football and keep (Griggs) on the sidelines sipping water. Even though they haven’t given up a lot of points this season, we still feel like we can move the ball.”

When Griggs was informed of the comments made 19 years ago, he simply laughed. He had reason to laugh them off as East Surry would defeat Hendersonville 21-7 at home.

East Surry went on to defeat No. 2 Murphy on the road, 17-13, to advance to the West Regional Final. Murphy made it inside the Cardinals’ ve-yard live twice in the second half, but was stopped both times. Griggs led the Cardinals with 129 yards rushing and a touchdown on 21 carries.

In the December 1, 2001 edition of the Winston-Salem Journal, Griggs expressed his extreme desire to defeat the Smoky Mountain Conference powerhouse. From 1973 to 2000, the Smoky Mountain Conference captured 18 1A Football State Championships. No other conference had more than three in that span. The Northwest Conference only had one state champion during that time: Starmount in 1998.

“We just wanted to say to respect the Northwest 1-A conference, because everybody doubted us because the Smoky Mountain Conference has a strong tradition. I think right now we can win the state championship.”

‘That’s about the only accomplishment I didn’t achieve on the football eld’

The No. 1 seed in the West, Maiden, was upset in the regional seminal round by No. 5 Albemarle, meaning East Surry would host the regional championship. 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 108/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News “It may have been the biggest crowd for a high school event in Surry County ever,” said Diamont, looking back at the 2001 Regional Final. “At least I thought it was. It was just ungodly packed.”

Diamont said he remembers Albemarle bringing ve buses full of fans on a roughly 90-mile journey to Pilot Mountain. Fans poured into East Surry’s stadium, that would be named after Diamont 17 years later, to see the battle of two schools that had never competed for an outright state championship.

On any other night, Chris Griggs was considered to be the most talented tailback on either team. Most teams wouldn’t even try to debate that fact. But on the biggest stage of his career, Griggs came face-to-face with one of the only men in state history that would beg to differ. This was the same player that Griggs saw eliminate East Surry three years prior: T.A. McLendon.

The immense popularity of the 10-part documentary The Last Dance has sports fanatics of all ages reminiscing on the insane career of the one and only Michael Jordan. Specically, it reminds fans of a direct effect Jordan’s dynasty of championships with the Chicago Bulls had on the league: the number of all-time greats His Airness prevented from winning the ultimate prize in the 1990s.

Reggie Miller, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Gary Payton, Patrick Ewing, John Stockton, Shawn Kemp, Tim Hardaway, Mark Price and Penny Hardaway are just a few members of the long list of star players that wished MJ would’ve played at any other time in history.

For Griggs, T.A. McLendon was his Michael Jordan.

McLendon was a freshman on the Albemarle team that Griggs saw eliminate East Surry in the ’98 playoffs. Griggs graduated with the third- most rushing yards in NCHSAA history, while McLendon’s 9,038 yards rushing was a state record through 2004 and now ranks third all-time.

McLendon’s senior season was otherworldly: 3,070 yards rushing, 15 games of at least 100 yards rushing, the NCHSAA record for points in a single- season with 428 and 71 total touchdowns. Albemarle scored an NCHSAA record 898 points in 16 games that season (56.13 per game). For comparison, East Surry’s 2019 championship team scored 799 in 15 games (53.27 per game) and Mount Airy’s 2008 championship team scored 845 in 16 games (52.81 per game). 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 109/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Albemarle nished the West Regional Final with 542 yards of total offense in a 54-19 win over East Surry. McLendon had 21 carries for 233 yards rushing and ve touchdowns.

Albemarle went on to win the 2001 state championship, defeating Wallace- Rose Hill 66-28, as well as the 2002 and 2003 championships.

“I was convinced after seeing Wallace-Rose Hill that we could’ve beaten them pretty well too,” Diamont said.

Griggs’ senior year saw the Cardinals continue to dominate competition, just not to the level of the previous year. Diamont’s squad nished undefeated for the third-straight season, defeated opponents by an average of more than 20 points and posted three shut outs.

The Cardinals came into the postseason as the No. 2 seed in the 1AA West behind only Albemarle. East Surry defeated No. 15 East Montgomery 37-14 in the rst round and No. 7 Hendersonville 35-12. No. 3 Maiden came to Pilot Mountain for the third round. A win would’ve given East Surry a rematch with Albemarle in the Regional Final, but the Cardinals were upset by Maiden, 31-6.

“I didn’t win a state championship – that’s about the only accomplishment I didn’t achieve on the football eld,” Griggs said. “But I was blessed to be a part of the good group of kids that I played with when I moved to Pilot Mountain.”

MACS cautious in sports’ reopening

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June 17, 2020

Mount Airy City Schools became the rst local schools system to reopen facilities for athletic activities by allowing student-athletes to resume activities Monday.

“We are excited to have students back on our campus for the rst time since mid-March,” said Mount Airy City Schools Superintendent Dr. Kim Morrison. “We know that our staff have safety as their rst priority. Helping our students return to some normal activities they enjoy is important, and we know that athletics helps students with motivation, team work, and physical tness.”

The N.C. High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) announced Monday, June 8, that the current dead period on education-based athletics would be lifted June 15.

Following the NCHSAA’s announcement, Morrison met with local superintendents before speaking with coaches. The Zoom call with coaches was used to discuss nal details of the plan the school system had been preparing for weeks in anticipation of summer athletic workouts. 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 111/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Morrison and the Board of Education worked with local health ofcials and used NCHSAA guidelines to create these procedures. The NCHSAA guidelines were created with recommendations from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

“We are condent that we have prepared for a safe return of our staff, coaches and student athletes. We have solid processes in place as our student athletes begin summer workouts,” said Dr. Sandy George. George is on the Board of Directors for the NCHSAA and is the Executive Director for Auxiliary Services for Mount Airy City Schools.

The process the city schools have put into place during the NCHSAA’s Athletic Phase One include:

– Temperature checks on all staff and student athletes

– Wellness Questionnaire that is kept in a daily database

– Masks are required of all coaches and staff all the time

– Masks are required of all student athletes when coming to practice and leaving practice

– Entrances and Exits are separated so large groups of students aren’t in the same place at the same time

– Adherence to groups of 25 outside and 10 inside with social distancing (includes coaches or anyone else)

– Closed practices – no public, parents, spectators

– Hand sanitizer provided

– Individual water bottles for every child

– No touch equipment and no contact sports

– Locker rooms and weight rooms are still closed

– Focus on all sports conditioning and work outs (all social distance)

– Student athletes are allowed one 90 minute workout daily

A full list of NCHSAA guidelines was featured in the June 10 edition of the  News and can be found online at https://bit.ly/3cUosfB. These guidelines https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 112/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News regulate everything from pre-workout screening to permissible types of physical activity at the start of summer workouts.

“We will continue to work with health ofcials to make sure our campuses are the safest place for students to be during this crisis.”

Pilot Little League gearing up

June 17, 2020

The crack of bats and the cheers of youngsters will soon be returning to Pilot Mountain baseball elds as the East Surry Little League prepares to begin play.

Practices are underway with games scheduled to begin on Monday, June 29. Traditional opening day ceremonies, which normally attract a large gathering, will not be held this year.

According to East Surry Little League board member and coach Adam Cardin, sign-ups for the season had been completed and practices were underway before plans for the season were halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We needed to pause, but we were ready to pick back up and continue as soon as we received the go-ahead for baseball to safely resume,” he said.  Cardin said that go-ahead has been received from N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary and Dr. Mandy K. Cohen. https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 113/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Cardin noted that several safety measures are being incorporated for all children. A limit of three players will be in the dugout with spacing between each. Outside the dugout, bat bags will mark spacing for players at 6-feet intervals. On the eld, he noted, the nature of the game encourages spacing.

Sanitizing spray will be used in dugouts and each player will bring their own drink to be kept in their own bag. There will be no sharing from water coolers.

Parents were asked to take part in a preseason survey and Cardin notes an atmosphere of excitement with both adults and youngsters.

“It’s great that our youth are going to have a chance to get back outside and participate in athletics,” Cardin said. “They need to enjoy some summertime fun more than anyone. They miss being outside and seeing their friends. We’re seeing the smiles on their faces, and they’re looking forward to getting started.”

NC Coastal Ride Returning to Little Washington

June 17, 2020

DURHAM – North Carolina Amateur Sports announced that the 18th-annual Cycle North Carolina Coastal Ride will return to Little Washington on April 23-25 next year.

Cycling routes of varying lengths from 5 miles to 100 miles will be offered to celebrate the start of the spring cycling season.

Washington will host the Coastal Ride for the sixth time, allowing participants to camp along the waterfront in downtown or inside the Civic Center. Many other participants will ll the hotels, bed and breakfast inns and vacation homes for the weekend.

The fun-lled weekend will offer three days of cycling and feature some great Coastal Carolina food, music and festivities. The CNC Coastal Ride will also include many off-the-bike recreational activities in the Washington area. Historic walking tours, kayaking, boat cruises, great local restaurants and live entertainment will ll time away from the bike and provide a taste of spring in Coastal North Carolina. Click here to see highlights from the  2018 CNC Coastal Ride in Little Washington. https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 114/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News The Cycle North Carolina Coastal Ride is fully supported with vehicles available to aid cyclists who experience physical or mechanical breakdowns. Rest stops will be set up every 10-25 miles along each route for riders to get off their bikes and explore, while quenching their hunger and thirst. Cycling routes will include attractions such as Goose Creek State Park, Historic Bath, Acre Station Meat Farm, Belhaven and Aurora Fossil Museum to name a few.

In this year, the Cycle North Carolina Mountain Ride will take place in Forest City Aug. 7-9, and the Mountains to Coast Tour is set to kick off on Oct. 3rd.

The Mountains to Coast event will traverse the state, making overnight stops in Sparta, Mount Airy, Reidsville, Roxboro, Henderson, Smitheld, Clinton and North Topsail Beach. Registration is still available for the entire week, or for shorter options. Please visit www.ncsports.org for more information.

Cycle North Carolina is presented by the N.C. Department of Commerce’s Division of Tourism. Partner organizations of Cycle North Carolina include: Powerade, Capitol Broadcasting Company, Harris Teeter, the N.C. Department of Transportation and Cycling Spoken Here.

North Carolina Amateur Sports is a 501c(3) nonprot charitable organization that annually organizes the Powerade State Games of North Carolina and Cycle North Carolina. NCAS is dedicated to the promotion of the spirit of amateur sports, physical tness and health to all ages and skill levels through the participation in organized events which enrich the state of North Carolina. For more information on NCAS and its events, please access www.ncsports.org.

Sports, Arts Essential to Student Health

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June 16, 2020

The question this week has been, “How do we move forward and begin to see our world through a different lens?”

We know that each person, each group, each organization must do their part to end racial injustice in our nation, and the National Federation of State High School Associations stands ready to do its part.

And, rst and foremost, with high school sports and performing arts grounded since mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the rst step in the process of making a difference, creating change and doing our part is the safe and healthy return of students to these programs.

Education-based sports, performing arts and other activity programs are essential to the health and well-being of high school students. More than ever before, these programs are crucial and can be a way for students, coaches, parents, fans, ofcials and others to heal and move forward.

In fact, during the stressful times of the pandemic, many high school students have demonstrated the healing power of performing arts. In the “Arts Education is Essential” statement signed by the NFHS and 52 other national organizations recently, the value of these programs during the national health crisis was highlighted.

The healing and unifying power of the arts has been evident as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the country. We have seen and heard it play out through works of art on sidewalks, shared musical moments from porches, in plays and dance performances, and every other imaginable iteration of art making. As states and  schools work through multiple challenges in the years ahead, arts education

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 116/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News must remain central to a well-rounded education and fully funded to support the well-being of all students and the entire school community.

We are cautiously optimistic that very soon after three months on the sidelines, talented arts students and students in athletics programs will be back in action. In fact, the rst steps back will occur next week when high school baseball and softball contests return in Iowa.

As state associations are formulating their timelines for the return of activities, they must balance the enthusiasm for return of competition, and the health and safety of not only the students, but coaches, ofcials and others.

Many states are developing a phased-in approach to resuming athletics and activities, and we applaud the efforts of all state associations as they work toward a safe return to these programs. At the school level, in addition to devising safety guidelines for activity participants, there is another potential challenge looming.

Undoubtedly, at some point, schools will be impacted by the economic downturn from the pandemic that has affected every American in some fashion. We have seen extensive cuts of sports at several universities, and there have been a couple of reports of high schools considering trimming sports from the school budget.

Perhaps it has been said by previous leaders, but sports, performing arts and other activities are needed by high school students now more than ever before. Activities maximize the social growth of students, and we urge school superintendents and school boards to retain these programs. High school students need these programs, and communities across the country need these programs.

As we said last week, there is no better national voice than high school sports and performing arts programs, where opportunities exist for boys and girls of all races, all religions, all levels of ability to work together, to trust each other and to eventually make a difference in our nation.

Brown, Mauck named All- West

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June 15, 2020

Sarah Brown and Kathlyn Kathlyn spent most of their high school athletic careers raising the bar both guratively and literally.

The two multi-time state champions entered their nal season of high school athletics with lofty expectations. Both had a gold medal around their neck at the conclusion of the 2019 Outdoor Track and Field State Championships last spring and were favorites to repeat before COVID-19.

Neither had the chance to end their high school careers how they imagined, but that didn’t stop the accolades from pouring in.

Mount Airy High School named Kathlyn the winner of the Delana Chilton Award in May. Brown was selected as the 2019-20 Surry Central High School Female Athlete of the Year.

Even with the outdoor track and eld season cancelled, both young women received statewide recognition for their past success. HighSchoolOT named both members of the inaugural N.C. All-West Outdoor Track and Field team.

Based in Raleigh and produced by the NBC-afliate WRAL, HSOT named a number of All-East teams for the 2018-19 school year. The site began naming All-West teams following the 2019 fall sports season.

The All-West Outdoor Track and Field team exclusively honored seniors this year because of the pandemic. As such, an athlete’s entire body of work was used to make a decision.

Sarah Brown 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 118/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Sarah played the role of King Midas during her time at Surry Central by turning everything she touched into gold.

Sarah graduates with ve state championship rings in pole vaulting. In eight seasons track and eld seasons (four indoor, four outdoor), she never nished lower than third in the state championship meet.

As a freshman, Brown was one of only two competitors to clear 9 feet at the 1A/2A indoor championship. She took silver at 9-00 even and the gold medalist won with a vault of 9-08. She improved to 9-06 by the outdoor season, but she nished with a bronze medal after two other competitors cleared 10-00.

After nishing behind Draughn’s Leanna Seagraves in back-to-back seasons, Brown won her rst gold medal by setting a new 1A/2A state record at 11- 00 (indoor championships were combined 1A/2A/3A from 2007-2013). Seagraves came into the meet ranked higher than Brown, but would nish second.

From 1999-2018, only one other girl in 2A history had cleared 11-00. Brown became the second by replicating her 12-00 mark from the previous indoor season. This gave Brown the 2A record for outdoor track.

Brown set new records in each sport once again as a junior. She won indoor at 11-06 and outdoor at 12-06.50. Her outdoor mark of 12-06.50 would’ve won a state championship in any division. Only four other girls have vaulted higher in state history and all four competed in 4A.

Finally, Sarah won her fth state title at the 2020 indoor championships. Her mark of 12-00 would’ve won the state title in all classications. Brown had a good shot at challenging for the overall state record of 13-03.00 in the 2020 outdoor season.

Kathlyn Mauck

Like Brown, Kathlyn Mauck never nished off the podium when competing in her best event, the girls high jump, for Mount Airy High School.

As a freshman, Kathlyn attended Millennium Charter Academy and won her rst state championships there. MCA competed in the Carolinas Athletic Association for Schools of Choice (CAASC) at the time.

Kathlyn took home a gold medal in high jump and another as part of the Lions’ 4×400 relay team. 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 119/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News She transferred to Mount Airy for her sophomore year. Because of her transfer from CAASC to the N.C. High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA), several of Kathlyn’s previous performances weren’t considered when it came time to seed competitors for the 2018 indoor championships.

Kathlyn came into that year’s championships ranked 24-of-31 entrants. This didn’t slow her down as she tied for the highest leap at 5 feet, 2 inches. Kathlyn and Franklin’s Kennedy Conner went to a jump-off which Kathlyn eventually won.

That same day, Kathlyn nished 10th in the 4×400 relay (second in 1A) and eighth in pole vault (fourth in 1A).

Spring rolled around and Kathlyn qualied for the outdoor state championships as expected. She came into the state meet with a broken arm and still managed to leap 5-02. This once again tied for the best jump in the meet, but she fell in the jump-off this time to take silver.

As a junior, Kathlyn once again took home a gold and silver medal. Except this time her silver was in indoor track and gold was in outdoor. She leapt 5-02 in indoor, which was the highest of any 1A competitor, but settled for silver after a 2A competitor beat her by two inches.

Kathlyn delivered in her rst NCHSAA outdoor state championship with two healthy arms. Her 5-02 mark when uncontested as she captured her fourth high school gold medal.

Kathlyn’s nal state championship appearance ended up being in the 2020 indoor nals, where she once again had the highest 1A jump. She nished third overall behind a pair of 2A competitors.

She was never able to defend her outdoor championship due to COVID-19.

Cropps calls it a career

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June 13, 2020

Mount Airy High School announced Friday that longtime coach Clarence Cropps has retired after more than 30 years with the school.

A member of the 2018 class for the Greater Mount Airy Sports Hall of Fame, Cropps left a positive impact on his student athletes, fellow coaches and anyone with an appreciation for cross country and track and eld.

“I’ve been doing this a long time and just felt the time was right to make a change,” Cropps said. “I just want to thank everybody. I’d love to put all the names out there, but there are just too many.”

When exactly his career with Mount Airy began is a mystery.

“Oh gosh … I don’t really know for sure,” Cropps said. He did state that it was more than three decades ago.

He started running seriously at the age of 26 as a way to stay in shape. This was after he tried to play basketball and “found out I wasn’t any good at that.”

Cropps wanted to shift to an individual sport and fell in love with running. He started competing in various races and realized how competitive he was.

He wasn’t just competitive — he was good.

In April fellow runner Steve Driver died in a bike accident at age 71. Darren Lewis, director of Reeves Community Center mentioned Cropps when he said that Steve and Clarence were in a class by themselves among area runners competing not just locally, but in regional events. 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 121/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Even in recent years Cropps has been regularly one of the top nishers in his age group in local 5K runs.

He got started in coaching when his cousin, Ron Snow, started the Meter Masters Track Club.

Suddenly, Cropps went from running on his own to coaching between 60 and 70 kids ranging from age ve to 18. The Junior Olympic club even went on to send a few competitors to the national competition.

“I gure I helped him for about 10 years,” Cropps said. “I just enjoyed helping the kids that really did want to be there, helping them improve and staying in touch to motivate them.”

Building relationships with the young runners led into Cropps becoming a constant presence at the school track. He said he would hang out and give pointers to anyone who asked on a voluntary basis. The track coach at the time was Sandy George, who later received her Doctorate of Educational Leadership and served as principal of Mount Airy High from 2002-2018 before moving into the central ofce.

“I’m really thankful for Mrs. George for letting me help and not running me off,” Cropps joked.

After years of volunteering, track coach Chris Johnson proposed Cropps ofcially become part of the coaching staff.

“Coach Chris Johnson really helped me stay involved at the high school level,” Cropps said. “He (Johnson) told me, ‘Coach, you spend a lot of time out here so I’m going to see if I can get you on as a coach.’ So, I became the assistant coach.”

Cropps served as assistant track coach for nearly two decades before taking over as head coach in 2009. Johnson left the position in order to coach football at Forbush.

Cropps also took over the cross country program in 2015.

As head coach, Cropps focused on helping kids reach their full potential. This is something he adapted from Jim Grow, who coached at the high school and middle school for several years. Cropps cited Grow as a big inuence to his own coaching style.

“If you’re a coach you can see the talent in someone, you’ve just got to nd  a way to maximize it,” Cropps said. “If I can give a kid some information or https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 122/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News instruction on something to do, it’s something I need to do. It’s a big positive for me if see this kid grow and get better each year. It keeps me motivated.”

“It’s not all about winning state or conference titles for me. At the beginning of the year I see where you are at the rst meet, and my goal is to help you improve by end of the year.”

He recalled one student athlete from his past that started the year with a 10-minute mile. He took on the challenge of helping her improve and, by season’s end, she had cut more than 90 seconds off that time.

“She was tickled to death and that’s a plus in my mind,” Cropps said. “If you believe in them and get them to believe in themselves there’s nothing they can’t do.”

Cropps desire to help others wasn’t exclusive to student athletes.

Monty Southern has spent the past 13 years as the head football coach at Surry Central High School. But if you rewind a few years you would see Southern wearing Mount Airy blue.

After graduating college one December, Southern was hired to teach math at Mount Airy High for the spring semester. He recalled that he was asked in his interview about coaching girls track and eld. Southern was told if he wasn’t able to coach, there likely wouldn’t be a team that spring.

Southern had a baseball background, but said Scott Carter was the coach at the time and had things under control. So, he was hired to teach and also agreed to coach track.

“They knew I didn’t know what I was doing,” Southern said.

Two key relationships helped Southern survive the track season. The rst was with longtime Surry Central coach Rex Mitchell (himself a member of the Surry County Sports Hall of Fame), and the other was a man he still refers to as Mr. Cropps.

“[Cropps] helped me more than he could ever know,” Southern said. “He just made himself available. I learned two key things from him: that he knew what he was talking about and he was so unselsh. He was always positive, very encouraging and a steady inuence on me and the kids.”

Southern only coached track for that one season, but it gave him a new  respect for the coaches and all the work that goes into it. https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 123/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News “It was such a neat experience as a young coach,” Southern said. “He pushed them all, but at the same time he was extremely positive and never had an ill word to say about anyone. He would never try to big time anyone.”

“From then on, I was sure to always try and make it to any meet I could, especially if I knew Mr. Cropps was going to be there. We still stay in contact and he always speaks to me at meets.

The decision to step away from coaching wasn’t an easy one, especially with the 2020 outdoor season not taking place due to COVID-19.

“This program has grown really well,” Cropps said. “I hate we didn’t get to nish this past year. We had a really strong team in boys and thought we could do well in states.”

Cropps was the coach when the Mount Airy boys won their rst team state championship in outdoor track and eld in 2016. The boys repeated in 2017, only this time Cropps was the assistant coach and James Simmons was head coach.

He’s guided numerous athletes to individual state championships over the years. The most recent of which is Kathlyn Mauck, a 2020 graduate of Mount Airy. Mauck won the indoor state title for high jump in 2018 and the outdoor high jump title in the spring of 2019.

“Oh, I’ve had a lot of them,” Cropps replied when asked about his most successful athletes. “One thing I would love to do is go back and see all the kids I have helped coach and see what they’re doing now. I want to see what kind of inuence I had on them.”

Cropps said he still sees kids he coached 10-15 years ago on occasion. Now that he’s retired, he’s hoping he’ll be able to see more of them.

He planned to start traveling with his free time before the pandemic came along. Cropps also wanted to spend a lot more time in the bowling alley.

“Those can wait, hopefully.”

One thing he plans on doing for certain when things return to normal is watching cross country and track meets as a fan. As a coach, Cropps said, you don’t get to sit back and enjoy things as they’re happening.

He may not ofcially be Coach anymore, but Cropps said he’s still willing to  help anyone that asks. https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 124/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News County schools to begin sports on July 6

June 11, 2020

DOBSON ―Sports are slowly but surely making their way back into the world.

It may still be a few months, or longer, before sports look like they did before COVID-19. Various leagues are making do with the knowledge and resources possessed at this time.

The NBA already announced it will resume later this summer with only 22 teams and games held in Florida. NASCAR, which made its return to the track back in May, will allow a limited number of fans to attend the upcoming Cup race at Talladega.

The N.C. High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) gave local athletes a glimmer of hope earlier this week by announcing the current dead period would end June 15. This announcement comes nearly three months after all education-based athletics were suspended on March 13.

The NCHSAA released guidelines for its member schools on Monday, which highlighted everything a school must do in order for athletics to return. The guidelines, featured in the June 10 edition of the News and online at https://bit.ly/3cUosfB, regulate everything from pre-workout screening to permissible types of physical activity at the start of summer workouts. 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 125/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News The NCHSAA also specied that even though the dead period was ending June 15, Local Education Agencies (LEA) would be in charge of their respective districts.

On the day of the announcement, Dr. Travis Reeves, Surry County Schools superintendent, said high school principals would meet Tuesday with the county Board of Education and members of the Return to Learn Task Force subcommittee to decide the fate of athletics in the area.

In a Thursday press release, it was revealed that Surry County Schools would allow middle and high school summer workouts to resume Monday, July 6.

“The Surry County School System’s Return to Learn Task Force has been working on a safe return to our school campuses for the past four weeks,” the release stated.

“The task force’s Subcommittee on Health, Safety, Support, and Extracurricular Activities has reviewed and considered the NCHSAA’s guidance and guidance from state and local health ofcials while working on our Surry County Schools plan, initially for the beginning of fall sports.”

The release explains that the decision to delay the restart of athletics by three weeks was made “out of an abundance of caution and to keep the health and well-being of all of our student athletes and employees rst.”

“Our primary focus is to ensure the proper safety measures, practices, and protocols are in place for all athletes and coaches to have a safe and healthy return when workouts begin for the 2020-2021 school year. This will give us time to nalize all safety protocols in coordination with local and state health ofcials to ensure we open safe schools, safe facilities, and safe spaces for all of our athletes and coaches.”

The July 6 restart date was chosen specically because it is the rst day athletics are permitted to take place in July. The current dead period may end June 15, but an already scheduled dead period will take place June 29 – July 5. The NCHSAA chose to keep this dead period intact when restructuring the calendar of summer activities.

The NCHSAA Board did eliminate the dead period scheduled for the week of July 20 – July 26.

These sessions will look much different than either coaches or student athletes are used to. Just as they have been for months at home or in the 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 126/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News park, students will have to get creative with summer workouts. It won’t be easy, but this is a big step in the right direction for sports’ return.

This also allows coaches and players to reconnect, which is something so many of them having been longing for since early spring.

NCHSAA sorts sports by risk level

June 11, 2020

CHAPEL HILL — The N.C. High School Athletic Association’s decision to end the current dead period didn’t come without strict limitations.

In addition to a long list of preparations that NCHSAA member schools are required to follow, the association also categorized each sport as a lower or higher infection risk activity. Each sport was given guidelines on how its summer workouts could take place under the Phase One umbrella of the NCHSAA’s plan.

The NCHSAA denes a lower infection risk sport as an athletic activity that can be done with physical distancing or individually with no sharing of equipment or the ability to clean the equipment between use by competitors. This includes cross country, golf, baseball, softball, swimming, diving, tennis and track and eld. 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 127/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Several of these sports will only remain low-risk activities if certain measures are taken. For cross country and track and eld, runners must stagger starts and clean any equipment or mat used in a eld event after each use. In swimming, relay participants must maintain social distance when waiting for his or her leg of the race.

Higher risk activities are those that involve close, sustained contact between participants, lack of signicant protective barriers and have a high probability that respiratory particles will be transmitted between participants. This includes football, cheerleading, lacrosse, basketball, soccer, wrestling and volleyball.

Some sports, like golf, only require student athletes to remain 6 feet apart. Any drills that adhere to this standard are fair game. Others, like wrestling or volleyball, will require some creativity on behalf of the coaching staff.

Lower-risk activities

Cross Country: Runners must maintain at least 6 feet of distance between individuals, no grouping (i.e. starts or nishes).

Golf: Maintain appropriate physical distancing of at least 6 feet.

Baseball: Conditioning and “tee” or pitching machine work. Players must not share gloves or bats or throw a single ball that will be tossed among the team. A single player may hit in cages, throw batting practice (with netting as backstop, no catcher). Prior to another athlete using the same balls, they must be collected and disinfected individually. Dugouts must be closed in Phase One.

Softball: Conditioning and “tee” or pitching machine work. Players must not share gloves or bats, or throw a single ball that will be tossed among the team. A single player may hit in cages, throwing batting practice (with netting as backstop, no catcher). Prior to another athlete using the same balls, they must be collected and disinfected individually. Dugouts must be closed in Phase One.

Swimming & Diving: Maintain appropriate distance of at least 6 feet.

Tennis: Conditioning; no sharing of balls; each player may use their own can of balls to serve. Ball machine use by individuals only. Players may do individual drills, wall volleys and serves. Disinfect rackets and balls after use. 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 128/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Track & Field: Runners must maintain at least 6 feet of distancing between individuals, no grouping (i.e. starts and nishes). No sharing of implements/equipment (e.g. relay baton, shot put, discus). Padded equipment/landing pits/poles must be disinfected between use.

Higher risk activities

Football: Wearing protective equipment is prohibited during Phase One. Conditioning and individual drills only. A player must not participate in drills with a single ball that will be handed off or passed to other teammates. Contact with other players is not allowed. Tackling dummies/donuts/sleds must be disinfected after each use.

Cheerleading: Conditioning and individual technique or choreography work is permitted. Students cannot practice or perform partner or group stunts. Chants, jumps, dance, tumbling without contact are permissible with 6 feet of distance.

Lacrosse: Wearing protective equipment is prohibited during Phase One. Conditioning and individual drills. Contact with other players is not allowed. There can be no sharing of equipment.

Basketball: Conditioning, individual basketball skill drills; no contact or sharing of balls. A player may practice shooting and must retrieve own ball. A player must not participate in drills with a single ball that will be handed off or passed to other teammates.

Soccer: Conditioning, individual ball skill drills, each player has own ball which is disinfected at the end of practice. Feet only (no heading/use of hands); no contact.

Wrestling: Mat room closed in Phase One. Conditioning, mirror drills with spacing, no contact. Wrestlers may skill and drill, without touching a teammate, with 6-foot distancing.

Volleyball: Conditioning, individual ball handling drills, each player has own ball. A player must not participate in drills with a single ball that will be bumped, served, or passed to other teammates.

NFHS to host Leadership Conf. online 

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June 10, 2020

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — The National Federation of State High School Associations hopes to reach thousands of high school students from across the nation July 20-22 with its rst virtual National Student Leadership Summit (NSLS).

This year’s summit marks the 13th national conference for high school student leaders sponsored by the federation since the inaugural event in 2001. The group planned to host the summit in Indianapolis this summer; however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the summit will be broadcast in a virtual setting on the NFHS Network, which annually streams more than 100,000 high school events online at www.NFHSNetwork.com.

“The NFHS is excited and thrilled to be able to offer leadership training in a virtual setting for our students who participate in athletics and performing arts,” said Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of sports, sanctioning and student services and coordinator of the National Student Leadership Summit. “This is obviously an unusual year, but we are in desperate need to develop adaptable and pliable leaders. Our young people are ready to lead. They need training, honing of their skill sets and a chance.”

Despite the circumstances, hosting the summit virtually presents several advantages. Since the summit will be offered at no cost to the students, it allows more student leaders to receive instruction on improving their leadership skills and realize the privilege and power of their inuence in their school, community and state. The students will receive instruction from a panel of content experts and two featured speakers.

Julie Carrier, who serves as this year’s opening general session speaker, is an award-winning speaker, Emmy nominated TV personality, author, 2002  Miss Virginia USA, and a senior leadership consultant to the Pentagon. https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 130/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Deanna Singh, who hails from Wisconsin, serves as the closing general session speaker. She is the author of three books, and she was recently recognized among the country’s Most Inuential 40 under 40. In addition to being a gifted communicator and entrepreneur, Singh was recently mentioned in the Forbes Magazine feature, “An Awesome Black Woman Everyone Should Know.”

“As an organization, we have taken immense pride in the speakers we put in front of our young leaders. We feel that Julie Carrier and Deanna Singh could occupy a couple of spots on the speakers’ Mt. Rushmore,” Hopkins said. “These women are extremely talented and accomplished. With their talent, passion and communication skills, they could easily be Fortune 500 CEOs if they chose that career path. Carrier has shared her message of condence, empowerment and self-esteem with millions. What makes Deanna so special is her skill to help people build bridges to each other. She is an excellent storyteller and an impactful example of determination.”

The content speakers include Deb Hult, a nationally recognized presenter in relational and motivational leadership and co-founder of Core Trainings who will speak on relationship building and maintenance; Gregory A. Dale, Ph.D., director of sport psychology and leadership programs for the Duke University Athletics Department, who will speak on effective communication with team, bandmates and adults; Omari Pearson, an author, speaker, facilitator, mentor and consultant, who will speak on “Brain Mapping (Goal Setting in the 21st Century)”; and Singh, who will discuss inclusion and perspective.

The virtual NSLS will take place via the NFHS Network each day at 12:45 p.m. EDT. Once registered, students will a receive a link to the Network’s coverage, which will be accessed each day, and can be shared with fellow students. Following highlights from past summits at 12:45 p.m., and general introductions, the content experts will make presentations at 1:10 p.m. and 1:50 p.m. each day.

The rst day of the Summit features Carrier as the opening session speaker followed by Pearson with his “Brain Mapping” session. Hult opens day two of the summit followed by Singh, who also presents on the last day with her closing remarks. Day three begins with Dale’s workshop on effective communication for student-athletes. The summit will conclude at 2:30 each day.

“Considering what students have just gone through with canceled sports seasons, proms, graduations and other high school dening events, it is  clear to us that this group of young people are resilient and extremely unique,” Hopkins said. “This is not the rst world-changing event we have https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 131/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News encountered in our history, and we doubt that it will be the last. The difference will be how prepared our young leaders will be when the next event arrives, how well they thrive and lead through it. We now have the possibility to reach tens of thousands of high school student leaders with our virtual summit setting. The scale and the breadth of this opportunity to positively inuence these like-minded young people is staggering.”

The NFHS started the NSLS in 2015 after previously hosting the National Student Leadership Conference seven times (2001-03, 2007-10). As the national leadership organization for high school sports and performing arts, member associations felt the NFHS should continue its role in developing and nurturing the leadership skills of high school students.

For more information on the NSLS, visit https://bit.ly/2Algj6D

NCHSAA Guidelines for Reopening

June 09, 2020

CHAPEL HILL — The N.C. High School Athletic Association is taking a multi- phased approach in reopening interscholastic athletics.

The Association is proceeding cautiously in order to gauge the effectiveness of its new guidelines. Phase One contains a set of general requirements that apply across all sports, with specic requirements for each sport.

The NCHSAA created these guidelines by working alongside it’s Sports  Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC) and utilizing information available https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 132/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News from the CDC and N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. This includes rulings on pre-participation evaluation forms, mandates on hygiene and instruction on what to do if a player/coach is diagnosed with coronavirus

Limited COVID-19 testing availability, lack of resources for contact tracing and expanding knowledge of COVID-19 transmission could all result in signicant changes to this guidance according to the NCHSAA. The Association will monitor these key data points and will disseminate more information as it becomes available, and prior to moving from phase to phase.

Administrators and coaches must emphasize the need for all coaches and participants who have signs or symptoms of illness to stay home to decrease risk of viral transmission, as they may transmit the virus to vulnerable individuals. Vulnerable individuals are dened as, but not limited to: people age 65 years and older and others with serious underlying health conditions, including high blood pressure, chronic lung disease, diabetes, obesity, asthma, and those whose immune system may be compromised by treatment such as by chemotherapy for cancer, certain medication for rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions requiring immune suppression.

Current pre-season conditioning and acclimatization models assume that athletes have deconditioned during the stay at home orders. Therefore, the intensity and duration of training must be moderated and monitored upon return. Towards that end, time limits will be indicated for each phase. It is strongly recommended that student athletes participate in only one session per day during Phase One.

Guidance for Phases Two and Three will be distributed in the coming weeks in consultation with state leaders.

The NCHSAA stated on its website that “It is recognized, however, that the information and circumstances concerning COVID-19 remain uid and variable. Therefore, these guidelines are subject to change in conjunction with new knowledge of COVID-19 or changing social conditions.”

Due to the possibility of recurrent outbreaks in the coming months, administrators must be prepared for periodic school closures and the possibility of some teams having to isolate for two or more weeks while in- season. The NCHSAA will work to develop policies regarding practice and/or competition during temporary school closures, the cancellation of  contests during the regular season, and parameters for the cancellation or premature ending to post-season events/competitions. https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 133/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Guidelines

Pre-participation evaluation:

Due to the timing of the Stay at Home Order and restrictions some areas may have participated in mass Preparticipation Physicals as has they have in the past. In May, the NCHSAA recognized this issue and allowed for a one-year extension for many student athletes. The approved regulation now states: All student athletes who had a valid Preparticipation Examination (PPE) form dated anytime between March 1, 2019 – May 1, 2020 (used for the 2019-2020 seasons) will be granted a temporary one- year extension through the end of the 2020-2021 academic year. If the student does not have a valid form from these dates, they will need an updated physical form prior to any summer workout or season participation. Please be reminded that the student-athlete/family medical history portion of the PPE Form is required annually and must be completed and signed by the parent or legal custodian prior to participation during the 2020-2021 academic year. There is no waiver or extension applied to this requirement.

Facilities Cleaning

Adequate cleaning schedules must be created and implemented for all athletic facilities. Bathrooms, if opened, must be disinfected after use. Prior to an individual or groups of individuals entering a facility, hard surfaces within that facility must be disinfected (chairs, furniture in meeting rooms, weight room equipment, bathrooms, athletic training room tables, etc.). Hand sanitizer (containing >60% ethanol or >70% isopropanol) must be plentiful and available to individuals as they move from place to place. Appropriate clothing/shoes must be worn at all times to minimize sweat from transmitting onto equipment/surfaces. Any equipment such as weight benches, athletic pads, etc. having holes with exposed foam must be covered. Students must be encouraged to shower and wash their workout clothing immediately upon returning to home. Once facilities are cleaned – individuals must wash their hands for a minimum of 20 seconds with water and soap; or, in the absence of a hand washing station, hand sanitizer may be used before touching any surfaces or participating in workouts. 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 134/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Entrance/Exit Strategies

Must develop a plan to prevent groups from gathering at entrances/exits to facilities to limit crossover and contact, including staggering starting/ending times.

Limitations on Gatherings

Workouts/conditioning limited to no more than 90 minutes in Phase One. Gatherings in outside venues are limited to no more than 25 people. Gatherings in gymnasiums are limited to no more than 10 people. The gathering numbers, as mentioned above, include coaches, managers, trainers, etc. Workouts should be conducted in “pods” of students with the same 5- 10 students working out together weekly (same grouping each day) to limit overall exposures. Records must be maintained of the groupings to facilitate contact tracing, if required. Smaller pods can be utilized for weight training. There must always be a minimum distance of six feet between each individual. If this is not possible indoors, then the maximum number of individuals in the room must be decreased to obtain a minimum distance of six feet between each individual

Pre-Workout Monitoring

All coaches and students must be screened daily for signs / symptoms of COVID-19 prior to participating, including a temperature check. Anyone with a temperature of 100.4° F or higher, or who reports any COVID-like symptoms must not be allowed to participate; must be sent home; and, should be directed to their primary care practitioner (Family Medicine, Pediatrics or Internal Medicine) for evaluation and potential need for further testing. Responses to screening questions for each person must be recorded and stored The head coach (or designee) is responsible for collection of the data from each day’s screening. Ideally this would be the same individual each day for consistency. Students or coaches who have a positive pre-workout screening must not be allowed back until they have a note from their healthcare provider indicating that they do not need to be tested or that their symptoms are not due to COVID-19. Students, coaches, staff considered vulnerable individuals, or those  concerned with contracting COVID-19 must not supervise or https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 135/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News participate in any workouts during Phase One.

Exposure of an athlete, coach or staff member to a person who tests positive for COVID-19:

If a person on the team tests positive for COVID-19, all members of that pod and those who had close contact with that individual should: 1. Quarantine (stay at home) until 14 days after your last exposure, unless you have a negative PCR COVID-19 test. 2. Check your temperature twice a day and watch for developing symptoms of COVID-19. 3. If possible stay away from people who are at higher- risk for getting very sick

Athlete or coach who tests positive for COVID-19:

The local public health authority must be notied by the head coach (or designee) to help with contact tracing. TO RESUME WORKOUTS, an athlete or coach must meet each of the following criteria: 1. No fever for 72 hours without fever reducing medications, since recovery. 2. Resolution of respiratory symptoms. 3. At least 10 days have passed since symptoms rst appeared. 4. A note of clearance from a licensed medical provider (MD, DO, NP, PA).

Face coverings:

State, local or school district guidelines for acceptable cloth face coverings must be strictly followed. There is no need to require or recommend “medical grade” masks for physical activity. Coaches, staff, managers, etc. are strongly recommended to wear cloth face coverings at all times and maintain 6-feet physical distancing. Athletes are strongly recommended to wear a cloth face covering when not actively engaged in physical activity and maintain 6-feet physical distancing. Face masks should not be worn during activities that inhibit breathing, (i.e. swimming, distance running, or other high aerobic activity) Face masks must not be shared. Plastic shields covering the entire face will not be allowed during participation due to the risk of unintended injury to the person wearing the shield or to others. Articial noisemakers such as an air horn or a timer system with an alarm, can be used as a signal in place of a traditional whistle.

Hygiene practices: 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 136/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use hand sanitizer often, especially after touching frequently-used items or surfaces. Sneeze or cough into a tissue, or the inside of your elbow. Avoid touching your face, eyes, and nose. Dispose of all tissues. Disinfect frequently-used items and surfaces between use. No spitting! – e.g. sunower seeds, tobacco, phlegm.

Hydration/Food

No sharing of water bottles. All students must bring their own water bottle, clearly marked with their name. Food must not be shared. Hydration stations (water troughs, water fountains, etc.) must not be utilized by individuals. Designate one person to rell water bottles when needed.

Team travel

No team travel is permitted during Phase One

Locker rooms and athletic training areas

Locker rooms are closed during Phase One. Students must report in appropriate attire and immediately return home to shower after participation. No students are allowed in the athletic training room. (If an emergency, LAT must be present and appropriate disinfecting must occur afterwards.)

Spectators

Spectators are not allowed during Phase One. Parents can remain in their cars, if desired. However, there must be no congregating allowed in the parking lot or on adjacent elds.

Physical activity and athletic equipment

There must be no sharing of athletic equipment —towels, clothing, shoes, or sports specic equipment— between students. Students must wear their own appropriate workout clothing (do not share clothing); Individual clothing/towels must be washed and cleaned after every workout. All athletic equipment, including balls, must be cleaned after each  individual use and prior to the next workout. https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 137/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Individual drills requiring the use of athletic equipment are permissible, but the equipment must be cleaned prior to use by the next individual. Physical contact such as high-ves, st/elbow bumps, and hugs are not allowed.

NFHS: Marching Band Guidelines

June 09, 2020

INDIANAPOLIS, IN —Similar to the guidance released last month for the nationwide reopening of high school athletics and activities, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has announced suggested procedures for a safe return to high school marching band activities.

The NFHS Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC) – a 15-member advisory committee composed of medical doctors, certied athletic trainers, high school coaches and ofcials, research specialists and state high school association executives – teamed with the nine music educators and administrators on the NFHS Music Committee to produce an eight-page document for state associations to consider when planning a return to marching band participation.

As reopening scenarios vary based on the impact of COVID-19 in individual states, the information found in the guidance document is to be used strictly for consideration and is not a suitable replacement for collaboration  with states’ respective Sports Medicine Advisory and Music Committees.

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 138/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News “Marching band is an important activity for millions of students around the United States,” said James Weaver, NFHS director of performing arts and sports and liaison to the NFHS Music Committee. “As we return to activity, it is essential we nd ways to keep our students, directors, adjudicators and spectators safe while engaging in music education and performance.”

Among its “Points of Emphasis,” the document presents well-established social-distancing practices including limiting exposure to respiratory droplets and the use of face coverings by students, directors and adjudicators. Additionally, instituting policies for school closures and canceled events and scheduling contests that reduce travel time are strongly recommended measures.

The return to marching band activities is included under the “Conduct of Conditioning and Rehearsal Sessions” heading of the “Areas to Address” and is detailed in three distinct “phases.” Each phase is broken into four categories – “Pre-Rehearsal/Contest Screening,” “Limitations on Gatherings,” “Facilities Cleaning” and “Hydration” – with recommendations in each category becoming gradually less stringent as the phases progress. Other section headings include information pertinent to preparticipation physical evaluations, mandatory education for AED/CPR and First Aid, contests and athletic training services.

Hygiene-related recommendations, which include washing hands, avoiding hand-to-face contact, frequently disinfecting used items and surfaces, and the wide availability of hand sanitizer are listed in the document’s nal sections.

“We are greatly indebted to the NFHS Sports Medicine Advisory Committee and the NFHS Music Committee for their work in formulating this guidance for a safe return of high school marching band activities,” said Dr. Karissa Niehoff, NFHS executive director. “It is important to be clear that this is guidance for individual states to consider as they return to marching band activities this fall. States will utilize the guidance in this document as it best ts their state after consulting with local and state health departments.”

To view the full “Guidance for a Return to High School Marching Band” document, please visit: https://bit.ly/37dwBuC.

For additional NFHS Performing Arts COVID-19 Resources, visit: https://bit.ly/3gZSPVg. 

https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 139/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News Best of the Best

June 09, 2020

CHAPEL HILL – The North Carolina High School Athletic Association is pleased to announce the winner of the Male Athlete of the Year for the 2019-2020 School Year.

The award is in its 35th year and winners receive the Pat Best Memorial Trophy.

This year’s Male Athlete of the Year is Jefferson Boaz from East Surry. The winner, nalists and seminalists were chosen from nominations received from coaches, media and school administrators.

Boaz led the East Surry Cardinals to the school’s rst Football State Championship in spectacular fashion, defeating Tarboro 56-28 while setting a new State Championship Game neutral site records for most passing yards, most completions and most touchdown passes. Boaz completed 33 of 42 passes for 478 yards and seven touchdowns in the game and was selected as the 1AA Championship Most Valuable Player.

For the season, the quarterback threw for 4,615 yards, which was sixth in the nation according to MaxPreps.com, and 65 touchdowns. Boaz was selected for the 2019 Shrine Bowl, NC Preps All-State, Associated Press NC Offensive Player of the Year and the 2019 Small School All-American Football Second Team.

For Boaz, his accomplishments did not stop on the gridiron. He led the  Cardinals basketball team to an 18-7 record, averaging 23.9 points per https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/88601/starting-the-conversation 140/141 7/30/2020 Starting the conversation | Mt. Airy News game and 11.1 rebounds per contest. He is East Surry’s All-Time leading scorer and was the Northwest 1A Conference Player of the Year, earning the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association’s District 11 Player of the Year honors.

In the COVID-19 shortened baseball season, Boaz had started the year 2-0 as a pitcher without allowing an earned run while striking out 13 in just eight innings of work. He is committed to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to continue his football and academic career.

CONTACT

Phone: 336-786-4141 Fax: 336-789-2816 Address: 319 N. Renfro Street, Mount Airy NC, 27030



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