Smith: Can we get some public/private school games going?
By Junious Smith III / Sports Editor KINSTON FREE PRESS
Posted Nov. 4, 2015 at 1:02 PM
Updated Nov 4, 2015 at 1:04 PM
This has been something that I’ve wondered since I even knew where Kinston was on the map.
In 2011, I was doing a feature story in Fayetteville for the Observer on Trinity Christian’s basketball team, who won a state championship. One of the first things Crusaders coach Heath Vandevender asked me was why there wasn’t nearly as much coverage for the private schools as there were for public schools — especially for a team that had seven or eight guys play Division I basketball — and how he has tried to schedule games or scrimmages with public schools, who declined. Of course, I was just a correspondent, so I couldn’t answer his question and we went along with the interview.
Four years later, I’m covering North Lenoir in a second-round volleyball playoff match against Franklinton and noticed three players from Arendell Parrott’s Coastal Rivers Conference championship team watching the contest. Considering my title improved a bit since Fayetteville and I’ve seen plenty of public and private school games this fall, I could only wonder what it would be like to catch a Lady Patriots vs. Lady Hawks contest.
Really, this could apply to just about any sport. With boys’ soccer, the Eastern Carolina conference had three local champions — North Lenoir, South Lenoir and Greene Central. I could legitimately see Bethel Christian at least holding its own with any of those champions, if not beating at least one of them. Depth may be an issue which would ultimately hold the Trojans down, but after witnessing each of the three squads, the Motley Crue could’ve been a problem. We won’t know though.
(I can say this: when I do my All-Free Press teams, don’t be surprised when you see players from private schools in there. Maybe even a Player of the Year or two. Stay tuned.)
In volleyball, if Bethel Christian played in the ECC, they would finish third at minimum and could easily steal a game from either of the co-champions — North Lenoir and South Lenoir — if the Lady Trojans were taken lightly. Arendell Parrott definitely has the skill to beat anyone in our coverage area and I could go back and forth with my decision on whether the Lady Patriots or the Lady Hawks were the best team in The Free Press area. One game could settle it, but it won’t happen.
What about a North Lenoir or Greene Central versus Arendell Parrott tennis match. Or a boys’ cross-country matchup with the Blue Devils against the Patriots. Maybe a girls’ match between Ayden-Grifton’s Halei Ward and Arendell Parrott’s Lauren Dicktel?
For the record, I didn’t discuss football because there’s no way Arendell Parrott is staying on the field with Kinston or Greene Central in 11-man football or 8-man football. I still believe the Patriots will get a state title though.)
Now, I’m staying away from the winter sports and spring sports because I don’t know jack about them right now save for the East Coast Invitational games I caught in Jacksonville back in July. I really appreciate what Wells Gulledge has done with that tournament, giving Arendell Parrott and other private schools the opportunity to play against top-notch competition, but the Patriots were the only NCISAA school competing (and they held their own for the most part against 2A, 3A and even 4A opponents.)
Let’s take it a step further: how crazy would it be if the 2014-15 Kinston basketball team played a private school with its own touted prospect last season? It was great seeing Brandon Ingram flourish in the McDonalds All-American game and several other competitions, but you think the environment wouldn’t have been amazing for a Kinston-N.C. Wesleyan game (with Harry Giles, Kwe Parker and Brandon Childress)? Wouldn’t you have liked to see how the Vikings stacked up against Vandevender’s Trinity Christian squad (with Dennis Smith Jr.?)
Now, there are usually arguments involved with public and private schools interacting, with the level of competition being the biggest factor due to school size and how private schools can expand outside of the city to bring people in (such as Oak Hill or Word of God.) My reply is this: if these games could be played as exhibitions or early season matches, wouldn’t that at least give a team a barometer to where they are toward being great in their own division and organization? One school might have the bragging rights, but another could propel the motivation into winning a state title. Just saying.
We’ve seen plenty of great accomplishments this season and numerous champions in the public and private schools. If only we could see a couple matches for complete area supremacy.
Junious Smith III can be reached at 252-559-1078 and Junious.Smith@Kinston.com . Follow him on Twitter at @JuniousSmithIII.
By Junious Smith III / Sports Editor KINSTON FREE PRESS
Posted Nov. 4, 2015 at 1:02 PM
Updated Nov 4, 2015 at 1:04 PM
This has been something that I’ve wondered since I even knew where Kinston was on the map.
In 2011, I was doing a feature story in Fayetteville for the Observer on Trinity Christian’s basketball team, who won a state championship. One of the first things Crusaders coach Heath Vandevender asked me was why there wasn’t nearly as much coverage for the private schools as there were for public schools — especially for a team that had seven or eight guys play Division I basketball — and how he has tried to schedule games or scrimmages with public schools, who declined. Of course, I was just a correspondent, so I couldn’t answer his question and we went along with the interview.
Four years later, I’m covering North Lenoir in a second-round volleyball playoff match against Franklinton and noticed three players from Arendell Parrott’s Coastal Rivers Conference championship team watching the contest. Considering my title improved a bit since Fayetteville and I’ve seen plenty of public and private school games this fall, I could only wonder what it would be like to catch a Lady Patriots vs. Lady Hawks contest.
Really, this could apply to just about any sport. With boys’ soccer, the Eastern Carolina conference had three local champions — North Lenoir, South Lenoir and Greene Central. I could legitimately see Bethel Christian at least holding its own with any of those champions, if not beating at least one of them. Depth may be an issue which would ultimately hold the Trojans down, but after witnessing each of the three squads, the Motley Crue could’ve been a problem. We won’t know though.
(I can say this: when I do my All-Free Press teams, don’t be surprised when you see players from private schools in there. Maybe even a Player of the Year or two. Stay tuned.)
In volleyball, if Bethel Christian played in the ECC, they would finish third at minimum and could easily steal a game from either of the co-champions — North Lenoir and South Lenoir — if the Lady Trojans were taken lightly. Arendell Parrott definitely has the skill to beat anyone in our coverage area and I could go back and forth with my decision on whether the Lady Patriots or the Lady Hawks were the best team in The Free Press area. One game could settle it, but it won’t happen.
What about a North Lenoir or Greene Central versus Arendell Parrott tennis match. Or a boys’ cross-country matchup with the Blue Devils against the Patriots. Maybe a girls’ match between Ayden-Grifton’s Halei Ward and Arendell Parrott’s Lauren Dicktel?
For the record, I didn’t discuss football because there’s no way Arendell Parrott is staying on the field with Kinston or Greene Central in 11-man football or 8-man football. I still believe the Patriots will get a state title though.)
Now, I’m staying away from the winter sports and spring sports because I don’t know jack about them right now save for the East Coast Invitational games I caught in Jacksonville back in July. I really appreciate what Wells Gulledge has done with that tournament, giving Arendell Parrott and other private schools the opportunity to play against top-notch competition, but the Patriots were the only NCISAA school competing (and they held their own for the most part against 2A, 3A and even 4A opponents.)
Let’s take it a step further: how crazy would it be if the 2014-15 Kinston basketball team played a private school with its own touted prospect last season? It was great seeing Brandon Ingram flourish in the McDonalds All-American game and several other competitions, but you think the environment wouldn’t have been amazing for a Kinston-N.C. Wesleyan game (with Harry Giles, Kwe Parker and Brandon Childress)? Wouldn’t you have liked to see how the Vikings stacked up against Vandevender’s Trinity Christian squad (with Dennis Smith Jr.?)
Now, there are usually arguments involved with public and private schools interacting, with the level of competition being the biggest factor due to school size and how private schools can expand outside of the city to bring people in (such as Oak Hill or Word of God.) My reply is this: if these games could be played as exhibitions or early season matches, wouldn’t that at least give a team a barometer to where they are toward being great in their own division and organization? One school might have the bragging rights, but another could propel the motivation into winning a state title. Just saying.
We’ve seen plenty of great accomplishments this season and numerous champions in the public and private schools. If only we could see a couple matches for complete area supremacy.
Junious Smith III can be reached at 252-559-1078 and Junious.Smith@Kinston.com . Follow him on Twitter at @JuniousSmithIII.
