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.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1116580
24 UCW MAY 15-21, 2019 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS Terry Sanford keeps top award in Cumberland County by EARL VAUGHAN JR. Cape Fear recaptures Maxwell/Wells Fargo Cup by EARL VAUGHAN JR. Cumberland County Schools made history at last week's North Carolina High School Athletic Association annual meeting in Chapel Hill at the Dean E. Smith Center. For the first time, the same school system captured the NCHSAA's coveted Exemplary School Award in consecutive years. Cape Fear won the honor in 2019, and Terry Sanford made it two straight by winning this year's award. They are the second and third county schools to take the honor. Jack Britt won it in the 2009-10 school year. Vernon Aldridge, student activities director for Cumberland County Schools, said the award means much more than athletic success. He said the award also recognizes the number of nationally certified coaches a school has on its staff. "On the academic side, they look at testing scores and the number of students taking advanced place- ment honors classes, as well as how students do on advanced placement exams,'' he said. "It's an all-around award, truly recognizing a school that has embraced the idea of the student- athlete.'' Terry Sanford athletic director Liz McGowan said it's great for the school to be recognized by both its peers and a statewide organization like the NCHSAA. "It's not just coming to school and doing a good job,'' she said. "It's my coaches taking extra classes, my kids going to leadership conferences they are invited to. My kids' grade point averages are awesome, working hard inside the classroom as well as on the field.'' Terry Sanford principal Tom Hatch said the award validates what the school's coaches do every day, as well as the work they do beyond the athletic field. Retired Cumberland County student activities director Bill Carver often referred to high school ath- letics as the front porch of the school. Hatch said he agrees with that philosophy. "Athletics allows people who graduated from a school or live in that community to come around and watch a lacrosse match or a wrestling match, football or basketball, talk about what's happening with their child,'' he said. ''Athletics is the front porch of the school, and our front porch looks pretty good right now.'' For the second time in three years, Cape Fear High School has won the Patriot Athletic Conference Maxwell/Wells Fargo Cup for overall athletic excellence. The Colts took the cup back from last year's winner, Terry Sanford, which finished second in this year's chase for the honor. The award is based on points awarded to each school for order of finish in official conference sports. Cape Fear had 150.5 points to 145.5 for Terry Sanford. The Colts used a strong finish in the spring sports season to wrap up the trophy. They shared the regular-season title in soft- ball with Gray's Creek and won boys golf while placing second in boys tennis and boys track. The Colts took third in baseball. Other championships won by Cape Fear this season were volleyball, girls golf, wrestling and boys and girls swimming. Terry Sanford also had a strong spring, winning girls soc- cer, baseball and boys tennis, with a second-place finish in girls track. Terry Sanford's other championships this year were in boys soccer and girls tennis. Pine Forest finished third with 132 points. The Trojans won conference titles this season in football and boys basketball. The Trojans didn't win any championships in the spring but took second in girls track, boys golf and girls soccer. Other conference titles for the year were won by South View in boys and girls cross country and boys and girls track. E.E. Smith won girls basketball. Cape Fear and Gray's Creek shared the conference regular-season title in softball. Other point totals for the conference were Gray's Creek 128.5, South View 125, Overhills 99, E.E. Smith 87.5, Westover 53.5 and Douglas Byrd 32.5. EARL VAUGHAN JR., Sports Editor. COMMENTS? EarlUCWSports@ gmail.com. 910-364-6638. Left to right: Vernon Aldridge, Cumberland County Schools student activities director; Joe Franks, NCHSAA Board of Directors member; and Liz McGowan, Terry Sanford athletic director Cape Fear athletic director Matt McLean arrives at Terry Sanford with a dolly to reclaim the Wells Fargo Cup. Fayetteville's Neighborhood Pet Store Full-Service Grooming • Self-Wash Room Healthy Pet Foods • Gourmet Treats • Toys Collars & Leashes • and Much More! 1216 Fort Bragg Rd (910) 860-1200 @WoofGangFay BRAD LOASE | OWNER WWW.EXPRESSPROS.COM/FAYETTEVILLENC 815 STAMPER ROAD FAYETTEVILLE, NC 28303 (910) 437-5959 It's heating up for the Summer, and so are our employees. We have people ready to go!