Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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28 UCW OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 6, 2018 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS EARL VAUGHAN JR., Sports Editor. COMMENTS? EarlUCWSports@ gmail.com. 910-364-6638. Gray's Creek opens doors to special needs students by EARL VAUGHAN JR. Simmons lone local player picked for Shrine Bowl by EARL VAUGHAN JR. When Earl "Early Bird" Horan IV was announced as homecoming king at Gray's Creek High School's homecom- ing game recently, it was just a small sign of the overwhelming support the Gray's Creek family has showered on special needs students like Horan and his counterparts. Earl Horan III, Horan's father, is a spe- cial education teacher at Gray's Creek and has been a first-hand witness to how open and supportive the school has been of its special needs population. "They have jumped in with both feet,'' the senior Horan said. He and his son came to the Gray's Creek com- munity four years ago, and Early Bird immediately began hanging out with the football players and making friends on the team. His father also involved him in the school's wrestling program where he made more friends. Eventually, the elder Horan approached football coach David Lovette about getting his players involved with young Earl's Buddy Football team. The Buddy sports program helps promote activities for special needs youngsters. The Gray's Creek football team has continued its involvement with Buddy football ever since. Coach Jeff Nance, who coaches the Gray's Creek baseball team and is the school's adaptive physical educa- tion coach, has been involving his team with the Very Special Arts Festival every year. Meanwhile, bowling coach Sam Bullard has two of Horan's autistic students on the Gray's Creek bowling team. Non-sports groups like Future Farmers of America and the school chorus have also incorporated spe- cial needs students into their programs. But one of the biggest steps forward took place last year when Vernon Aldridge, student activities direc- tor for Cumberland County Schools, began promot- ing the idea of offering Unified Sports programs. Unified Sports is a project promoted by Special Olympics that helps partner athletes with intellec- tual disabilities with traditional athletes who help their partners compete in select events in sports like track and field. Last year, the first Unified Sports athletes from Cumberland County took part in local track meets. "We had tons of volunteers and over 20 students on our team,'' Horan said. He said Gray's Creek athletic director Troy Lindsey made sure the team members had everything they needed to compete. In other developments, the school has part- nered with Terry Sanford High School soccer coach Karl Molnar, who with his wife Kim has founded an organization called Miller's Crew that offers opportunities for special needs students to become more functional in society. They have opened small businesses operated by the special needs students at West Bladen and Jack Britt High Schools. Gray's Creek will soon open a coffee shop in the former teachers' lounge. Horan said the experience is heart- warming because the students have so much to give. He said a doctor once told him that special needs children are God's exam- ple of how things should be on Earth. "They've got the purest souls, the sweetness,'' he said. "They lift every- body up by being around them. They are innocent.'' When Early Bird was named home- coming king, Horan said the students treated his son like a rock star. "He was bum-rushed before he got off the football field,'' Horan said. Asked what he enjoyed most about the experi- ence, Early Bird said talking to the girls and waving to the crowd while he rode around the field in a convertible wearing his crown and cape. "We don't just put them in a hut like we did back in my day,'' Horan said of the special needs young- sters. "I think Cumberland County Schools is doing everything correctly. They are in the forefront of inclusion of the special needs population. It's real- ly heartwarming.'' South View's Emery Simmons is the lone Cumberland County football player chosen to appear in this year's Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas high school all-star football game. The annual contest that pits the top senior football players from North and South Carolina against each other is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 15, at Gibbs Stadium on the campus of Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. Simmons has put together a personal highlight reel of catches this season, includ- ing a spectacular one-handed grab in South View's only loss of the season so far against Terry Sanford. According to statistics at ncprepsports.net through Oct. 23, he led Cumberland County Schools receivers in total yards and touchdown catches with 40 total receptions for 775 yards and 12 scores. Already committed to Penn State, Simmons said he's been taking the season game by game, putting in his best effort to impress the coaches who picked this year's Shrine Bowl team. "Not many people get to say they play in an all-star game like this, the longest-running all-star game in the country,'' Simmons said. "It's a blessing and an honor to be a part of it.'' South View coach Rodney Brewington said Simmons has gone from being a running back in middle school to a 6-foot-2 receiver with loads of athletic ability and a work ethic to match. "From a work ethic standpoint, I can't say I've coached a kid who works as hard as he works,'' Brewington said. "From an athletic standpoint, he puts you in the mind of Eric Ebron, who had athletic ability you couldn't coach.'' Ebron played for Brewington when Brewington coached in Greensboro and is currently the tight end for the Detroit Lions. On the field, Brewington said one of Simmons' greatest gifts is his aggressiveness. "He's a kid that doesn't wait for the ball to come to him,'' Brewington said. "He goes to get it. He can dunk a basketball from a standstill. That's a coach's dream to have him as a receiver.'' Simmons is one of six wide receivers chosen for this year's Shrine Bowl team, but Brewington has no doubt he'll have no trouble seeing his share of passes in the game. "If they want to win, he's going to have a lot of touches,'' Brewington said. Earl "Early Bird" Horan IV (left) and his dad, Earl Horan III (right), hold a Unified Sports banner. Gray's Creek principal Lisa Stewart (left) poses with Horan, homecoming king (right). Emery Simmons