By Nick Stevens, Managing Editor of HighSchoolOT
Raleigh, N.C. – Throughout the year, we covered a number of high school sports stories throughout North Carolina. Some of them are feel-good stories, some are hard news, many celebrate success, and some provide insight and take away from our staff.
Here are some of the most read and most discussed high school sports stories of 2022.
Stories that uplift
‘Deaf people can do what they want’: Don’t tell Williams High School senior Jordan McDowell he’s at a disadvantage because he’s deaf. McDowell is a multi-sport athlete at Williams and an inspiration to his coaches and teammates. In the fall, he decided to play football for the Bulldogs. He has an interpreter who accompanies him to team meetings, practices and games, and his teammates help him know when the referees are blowing the whistle to stop a game. See the article : Dolphin Scandal: Investigating the Consequences of the NFL Inquiry. “Deaf people can do whatever they want,” Jordan communicated. “Whatever decision they make, they can play football, wrestling, soccer, basketball, whatever. People can still do good things with a positive attitude.”
Woolard Wall: On Jan. 2, Pinecrest baseball assistant coach Roger Woolard died, but his presence lived on through a special season for the Patriots. The left field wall — where Woolard’s son plays for Pinecrest — was raised six feet, honoring his No. 6 jersey from his playing days. “Woolard Wall” is now printed across the left field. This spring, the Pinecrest baseball team took a picture with the regional championship trophy in front of the Woolard Wall.
Win for Winstead: The Tarboro baseball team wanted to win just like any other team, but the Vikings had more to play for this spring. J. T. Winstead wore No. 16 for the Tarboro baseball team. He was killed in a car accident in Greenville when a truck lost control and hit the car he was driving head-on. His teammates gathered, wearing No. 16 on their caps, and played in honor of their teammate and friend who had gone too soon.
Mixed feelings about homecoming: Western Harnett’s Ian Bristow was a three-sport star as a junior, playing basketball, football and baseball. But after an accident following his final exam in his junior year, Bristow was paralyzed from the chest down. He patrolled the sidelines in his camouflage all-terrain wheelchair. And at homecoming in the fall, Bristow was crowned homecoming king.
Hough honors UVA shooting victim
The impact of coaches
Clarence Inscore retires: The longest-tenured football coach in Wake County announced his retirement in the first few days of 2022. Clarence Inscore, a Millbrook High School graduate and head coach of the Wildcats for 21 seasons, told his team that he was stopping and withdraws from teaching.
Football coaching giant dies: Longtime high school football coach Bob Paroli, one of the winningest high school football coaches in North Carolina history, died in February at the age of 90. He spent most of his career coaching in the Fayetteville area, including 25 seasons at Douglas Byrd High School, where his teams appeared in three straight state finals and where the stadium is named in his honor. On the same subject : JP Estrella: Here’s Why I’m Committed to Tennessee. Paroli won his first state championship in 2008 while coaching at Seventy-First High School.
Leesville sends legendary soccer coach off: Longtime Leesville Road soccer coach Paul Dinkenor has coached his final game for the Pride. Dinkenor is stepping down as coach after 30 years leading both the girls and boys soccer programs. Dinkenor started the program at Leesville Road when the school opened in 1993, making him the only football coach the Pride have ever had.
5-time champion Mike Brodowicz retires: Charlotte Catholic football coach Mike Brodowicz announced his retirement from coaching earlier this month. He has been the head coach of the Cougars since 2014, winning five state championships and a 110-15 record.
Chris Danehower picks up 300th win: A Triangular girls basketball coaching veteran, Chris Danehower, now coaching the team at Leesville Road, picked up his 300th win earlier this month. The Pride defeated Heritage 40-32. Danehower built a powerhouse at Athens Drive, posting a 161-79 record with three conference championships and four conference tournament titles. He then opened Cleveland High School, where he won three straight conference titles and posted a 125-102 record.
Garner’s Thurman Leach Retires: After 34 years coaching high school football in Wake County, Garner football coach Thurman Leach announced his retirement after the 2022 season. Leach, who was a longtime assistant at Garner before taking over as head coach in 2013, led the Trojans to a 75-46 record in ten seasons.
Poobie Chapman makes Enloe move up: Poobie Chapman was a standout basketball player at Enloe High School before playing at N.C. Central University, but in 2018, Chapman Enloe became the basketball coach. The Eagles have struggled in recent years, but Enloe made noticeable improvements last season. That momentum has clearly carried over into this season as the Eagles currently sit at 10-1.
Celebrating success
Nivar named McDonald’s All-American: Apex Friendship High School senior guard and Stanford commit Indya Nivar was named to the McDonald’s All-American Game in January. Nivar was a five-star recruit and led his team to an appearance in the 4A state championship game. On the same subject : The best sports moments of 2022. She was then named the Gatorade North Carolina Player of the Year.
Jaybron Harvey’s 28-sack season: During the spring football season, we caught up with Southern Durham defensive end Jaybron Harvey, who was coming off a national-best 28-sack season. Harvey fielded numerous offers and went on to sign with UNC.
Cardinal Gibbons gets rings: Cardinal Gibbons’ football team won the school’s first football state championship in 2021. They got a lot of attention after literally walking to the state championship game from the school — a short walk across the street to Carter-Finley Stadium. Earlier this year, the Crusaders made the same trip back to Carter-Finley where they received their state championship rings.
Bigger things at stake for Douglas Byrd: Early in the football season, Douglas Byrd lost a game to Goldsboro by a score of 6-4. Two safeties and a touchdown. It sparked many jokes about the baseball score on social media, but for Douglas Byrd, there’s more at stake. The Eagles are trying to rebuild their athletic department. Byrd hasn’t had a winning season since 2013, and in the nine seasons since, they’ve won just 11 games. So every small step forward is progress. Starting the season 1-1 was progress.
Terry Sanford’s miraculous catch: One of the most memorable plays in playoff football came in the second round when Terry Sanford defeated Scotland on a walk-off Hail Mary. On fourth down and with just seconds left, senior Patrick Shook made the biggest catch of his high school career.
Pride of the Pride: Laney Choboy is a talented libero at Leesville Road, but she hasn’t played for her high school in recent years. Choboy has been playing with the national team, meaning she could not play for Leesville Road. That changed this season when she suited up for Pride.
Football’s “Big I” mark: Independence football coach Darryl McFadden quarterbacked the Patriots’ state championship teams in 2005 and 2006 — the last two teams to win state titles at Independence during the school’s historic run of seven straight. Independence fell on hard times, but McFadden, who took over the program two years ago, has things back on track.
Alumni news
Former NC players in Final Four: Duke and UNC met in the Final Four in what was a historic meeting between the two, but there was another headline: 12 different North Carolina high school basketball alums played in the Final Four this year. UNC had seven players from North Carolina, Duke had four, Kansas had one, but Villanova had none. Bobby Pettiford of South Granville won a national title with the Jayhawks.
From community college to the SEC: Paul Gervase was a high school baseball player at Harnett Central High School. He went on to play college baseball at the Division III and Community College level, but in his final season he was a standout pitcher for LSU in the SEC.
9 former NC players selected in NFL Draft: The number of former North Carolina high school football players on NFL rosters continues to rise. This past spring, nine players who played high school football in North Carolina were selected in the NFL Draft, led by Ikem Ekwonu of Providence Day, who was selected sixth overall by the Carolina Panthers.
East Forsyth’s Xavier Isaac selected in 1st round of MLB Draft: East Forsyth first baseman Xavier Isaac was selected in the first round of the MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays with the 29th overall pick. As a senior for the Eagles, Isaac hit .578 with 12 home runs and 28 runs scored.
Dexter Lawrence’s jersey retired: Wake Forest High School held a ceremony to retire the jersey of Dexter Lawrence, one of the best football players to ever come out of Wake County. Lawrence went on to play at Clemson, where he was a national champion, and was then drafted by the New York Giants. He was selected to his first Pro Bowl this season.
Our takes and insight
We should embrace the NIL: In what may have been one of the most controversial columns on HighSchoolOT this year, I argue that the writing is on the wall — the NIL is coming to high school sports and we should embrace it. By getting in front of it and setting rules around it now, we can prevent a wild west scenario like we’re seeing in the NCAA. There is also precedent. Many other state associations already allow NIL in high school sports.
A quick fix required for postponed match policy: Football matches suspended due to bad weather must be completed or a team will lose. It is the only sport that is handled this way. J. Mike Blake explains the current policy, why it is the way it is, and how it should be changed.
What Sport Could Be Next?: We know girls wrestling is coming as a sanctioned sport next year, but what sport could be next? J. Mike Blake explores the possibilities.
Losses Shouldn’t End Two Teams’ Seasons: During the volleyball season, we saw two teams in Fayetteville eliminated from the playoffs due to one team loss. J. Mike Blake explains how it happened and what needs to be done to prevent it in the future.
Small town sports
Whiteville: the baseball capital of NC: What Kinston is to boys basketball and Tarboro is to football, Whiteville is to baseball. Whiteville has a population of about 5,300, but 14 players who have played professional baseball and 12 who have been drafted.
Can Pisgah Go Home Again?: In 2021, the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred caused devastating flooding in the mountain town of Canton. The flood destroyed many of the sports facilities at the school, including the football stadium. Pisgah hasn’t had a home game in two years and it could be a while before they have another.
The power of positivity in Harnett County: In a county that has never won a state championship in any sport, Overhill football coach Kerry Bacon knew he had to change his approach after coaching in Durham and Guilford counties. Bacon said he is focused on positivity and getting kids to believe in each other. “Things are changing here,” Bacon said. J. Mike Blake has the story.
Montgomery Central finds its identity: After merging two high schools into one, Montgomery Central has struggled to find its identity. In his second year as football coach, however, Chris Metzger is starting to see that change. Metzger helped lead Pinecrest from the brink of ending its football program to one of the top programs in the 4A East. Now he hopes to help Montgomery Central find similar success.
Mattamuskeet’s “Heroes of Hyde County”: Getting football back at Mattamuskeet High School wasn’t easy, but this fall, with one last chance, they did it. Mattamuskeet played 8-man football this season, something that hasn’t been done in the NCHSAA since the 1960s. The school had not fielded a team since 2017, and if it didn’t happen this year, it was ready to throw in the towel.
New schools, new teams, new sports
The Pumas of Palisades: The newest high school in North Carolina unveiled a unique mascot – the Palisades Pumas. The Palisades opened this fall in Charlotte, located in the southwest corner of Mecklenburg County. The school opened for only 9-11. classes this year.
Willow Spring gets first football win: Willow Spring picked up its first ever varsity football win in early September, defeating Seaforth 49-0 on a Thursday night. Willow Spring is the newest high school in Wake County.
John Paul II switches to 11-man football: As a member of the NCISAA, John Paul II will switch from playing eight-man football to 11-man football. The change will take place in autumn 2023, the school announced. Head coach and athletic director Sean Murphy told HighSchoolOT it was a progression as the program continues to grow.
Southeast Alamance Stallions: There will be a new high school joining the NCHSAA in the fall of 2023. Southeast Alamance High School released its logo and mascot. The school is nicknamed Hingste.
Volleyball is an easy sport to learn and play if you have the right amount of strength. Easy to play as it requires no equipment and you can have fun just randomly hitting the ball. Difficult to play at a high level, requires a lot of fitness and a lot of athleticism. Easily the easiest sport on the planet.
What sport has the lowest accident rate?
Swimming is the safest sport to participate in. It’s easy on the joints and can aid in recovery from injury, making it the safest sport in America….Below are the five safest sports we’ve found to be involved in .
- Swimming.
- Cheerleading. …
- Golf. …
- Track and Field.
- Baseball.
What is the least safe sport? Sports with the most injuries Basketball, football and soccer overall have the most injuries, but the number of injuries varies with each age group. Soccer is the most dangerous sport for children aged 5-14, while basketball has the highest number of injuries among people aged 15-24.
What is America’s most liked sport?
American football (or simply soccer) is the most popular sport in the United States. Although the sport is unique to the country, it evolved from two other sports, football and rugby. In 1869, two college teams, Princeton and Rutgers, played the first football game.
What is the number 1 popular sport? Soccer/Football 250 million people play the sport in 200 different countries and there are around 3.5 billion fans worldwide. The next three most popular sports are field hockey, which has 2.2 billion fans globally, basketball, and cricket, which has 2.5 billion fans (2 billion).
What is the number 1 watched sport in America?
Most watched sport in the US According to research recently published by Statista, the most popular sport in the US is soccer. According to the respondents, 74.5 percent of Americans follow soccer.
What is the top 3 sports in America?
The most popular team sports in the United States are American football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, and soccer.
What are the 3 major sports? The MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL are commonly referred to as the “Big Four”. Each of these is the richest professional club competition in its sport worldwide and, together with the English Premier League, form the top five sports leagues by revenue in the world.
What is America’s No 1 sport?
Soccer remains the most popular sport in the United States. According to Gallup.com, 37% of US adults chose football as their favorite sport to watch. Football has been the favorite since 1972.
