EYES WIDE-OPEN
By Rodd Baxley
Staff writer FAYETTEVILLE OBSERVER
It’s been a busy week for Reggie Raynor.
Raynor, a 6-foot-6 senior forward at Northwood Temple Academy, committed to UNC Greensboro on Wednesday before seeing himself in a commercial Thursday morning and playing in a playoff game Thursday night.
“Honestly, this week has been crazy, but it’s just opened my eyes,” Raynor said after scoring 20 points to help the Eagles earn a 79-51 win against Neuse Christian in the NCISAA 1-A playoffs.
“It’s really a blessing and I’m just thankful for everything that’s happening and unfolding. It’s showing that my hard work is paying off.”
Known for his Pogo Sticklike leaping ability, Raynor got to show off his hops in Fayetteville-raised rapper J. Cole’s latest Puma video titled
“The DREAMER,” which was released Thursday morning. In the short film, Raynor is shown throwing down a pair of dunks.
Raynor is a dreamer to a point, but there’s action behind those ambitions. He doesn’t see them as unrealistic fantasies because he’s working every day to make them a reality.
Becoming a part of that commercial and committing to play Division I basketball are the latest steps on his journey.
“I hope one day, I know one day, I’ll be in the same shoes as J. Cole,” Raynor said with confidence.
“I’m just going to let it keep going, keep working hard, and everything will take care of itself. It just motivates me because when I see he can do it, I know I can do it. And I know the people around me can do it.”
MOTIVATED BY MOM, LATE FATHER
But Raynor’s primary source of motivation comes from his family, particularly his mother, Patrica Daniels-Wright, and his late father, Reginald Raynor Sr., who died when Reggie was a child.
“What really motivates me is getting out of Fayetteville and getting my mom, and my whole family, in a better situation,” he said. “That’s the plan.” As a reminder of the plan, Raynor has “RIPDAD” in his Twitter bio.
“Me being me, I just know I want to be better,” he said.
“When my dad passed, that just motivated me to do more and just put a chip on my shoulder. That’s why I play with high energy and everything. It keeps me going.”
He’s learned to deal with that loss through his faith and help from his family.
“It’s been stressful and long,” Raynor says of the journey.
“But all I know is my mom teaches me to keep faith, keep working hard, and even when nobody’s looking, just work hard and it’s all gonna come together.”
“High energy” is the phrase Northwood Temple coach James Strong repeated when discussing Raynor’s first and final season with the Eagles.
“He’s a great kid to coach,” Strong said.
“Not only his athleticism on the court, but his character and his hard work. He’s never gave me a face or talked back to me. The kid is just special, on and off the court. Reggie’s got a bright future ahead of him because of his work ethic.”
That drive drew the attention of UNCG coach Wes Miller, who played at North Carolina under Roy Williams.
“He just tells me that I’m a dog,”Raynorsaidwhenasked about his conversations with Miller.
“He feels like when I come in, I can play at an impact level. I love to play defense and I love the system that they run. I feel like I fit perfectly in the system.”
DUNK CONTEST WINNER
The athleticism is apparent whenever he’s on the court.
Raynor won the dunk contest at the Hoops and Dreams Showcase at Methodist University last November and skied toward the rim for a twohanded slam to open Thursday night’s game. In the third quarter, he had a poster dunk, finishing an alley-oop over a defender that got his teammates and fans on their feet.
But he’s more than a leaper. A consistent two-way player with four 30-point outings and 12 double-doubles, Raynor is averaging 19.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game this season. His play helped him earn NCISAA Sandhills Player of the Year honors.
“He’s accomplished a lot in a short period of time,” Strong said.
“When he first said that he wanted to come to Northwood, he thought I could make him better and put him on a platform that he could display his talent. I’m so blessed and so excited for him because he accomplished it. It wasn’t anything that I did. I just told him to be who he is, to be himself.”
AIMING FOR STATE TITLE
Raynor hopes to help the Eagles get back to the NCISAA 1-A state championship this year. Behind Josh Nickelberry, a freshman at Louisville, Northwood made its first state title appearance in program history last season, losing 68-67 to Greenfield School.
“I kind of explained to him the experience that I had,” Strong said. “I’ve been coaching a long time but that was my first time getting to that point. I think sometimes we have to learn how to lose before we can get over the hump and know how to win.”
Raynor is the primary piece of the puzzle and his leadership ability, Strong says, will be key for a team that has several underclassmen in vital roles.
“He’s taking on the challenge; He wants to get there,” Strong added. “If he gets there, I think you’re going to see an even more special player. I think he’s going to take it to another level.”
No matter where he’s been or the success he’s had to this point in his career, including shooting a commercial with J. Cole, it’s evident Raynor won’t stop working until his other dreams become a reality.
“He wants more,” Strong said with a smile. “Maybe a ring on his finger or something like that.”
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver. com or 910-486-3519.
By Rodd Baxley
Staff writer FAYETTEVILLE OBSERVER
It’s been a busy week for Reggie Raynor.
Raynor, a 6-foot-6 senior forward at Northwood Temple Academy, committed to UNC Greensboro on Wednesday before seeing himself in a commercial Thursday morning and playing in a playoff game Thursday night.
“Honestly, this week has been crazy, but it’s just opened my eyes,” Raynor said after scoring 20 points to help the Eagles earn a 79-51 win against Neuse Christian in the NCISAA 1-A playoffs.
“It’s really a blessing and I’m just thankful for everything that’s happening and unfolding. It’s showing that my hard work is paying off.”
Known for his Pogo Sticklike leaping ability, Raynor got to show off his hops in Fayetteville-raised rapper J. Cole’s latest Puma video titled
“The DREAMER,” which was released Thursday morning. In the short film, Raynor is shown throwing down a pair of dunks.
Raynor is a dreamer to a point, but there’s action behind those ambitions. He doesn’t see them as unrealistic fantasies because he’s working every day to make them a reality.
Becoming a part of that commercial and committing to play Division I basketball are the latest steps on his journey.
“I hope one day, I know one day, I’ll be in the same shoes as J. Cole,” Raynor said with confidence.
“I’m just going to let it keep going, keep working hard, and everything will take care of itself. It just motivates me because when I see he can do it, I know I can do it. And I know the people around me can do it.”
MOTIVATED BY MOM, LATE FATHER
But Raynor’s primary source of motivation comes from his family, particularly his mother, Patrica Daniels-Wright, and his late father, Reginald Raynor Sr., who died when Reggie was a child.
“What really motivates me is getting out of Fayetteville and getting my mom, and my whole family, in a better situation,” he said. “That’s the plan.” As a reminder of the plan, Raynor has “RIPDAD” in his Twitter bio.
“Me being me, I just know I want to be better,” he said.
“When my dad passed, that just motivated me to do more and just put a chip on my shoulder. That’s why I play with high energy and everything. It keeps me going.”
He’s learned to deal with that loss through his faith and help from his family.
“It’s been stressful and long,” Raynor says of the journey.
“But all I know is my mom teaches me to keep faith, keep working hard, and even when nobody’s looking, just work hard and it’s all gonna come together.”
“High energy” is the phrase Northwood Temple coach James Strong repeated when discussing Raynor’s first and final season with the Eagles.
“He’s a great kid to coach,” Strong said.
“Not only his athleticism on the court, but his character and his hard work. He’s never gave me a face or talked back to me. The kid is just special, on and off the court. Reggie’s got a bright future ahead of him because of his work ethic.”
That drive drew the attention of UNCG coach Wes Miller, who played at North Carolina under Roy Williams.
“He just tells me that I’m a dog,”Raynorsaidwhenasked about his conversations with Miller.
“He feels like when I come in, I can play at an impact level. I love to play defense and I love the system that they run. I feel like I fit perfectly in the system.”
DUNK CONTEST WINNER
The athleticism is apparent whenever he’s on the court.
Raynor won the dunk contest at the Hoops and Dreams Showcase at Methodist University last November and skied toward the rim for a twohanded slam to open Thursday night’s game. In the third quarter, he had a poster dunk, finishing an alley-oop over a defender that got his teammates and fans on their feet.
But he’s more than a leaper. A consistent two-way player with four 30-point outings and 12 double-doubles, Raynor is averaging 19.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game this season. His play helped him earn NCISAA Sandhills Player of the Year honors.
“He’s accomplished a lot in a short period of time,” Strong said.
“When he first said that he wanted to come to Northwood, he thought I could make him better and put him on a platform that he could display his talent. I’m so blessed and so excited for him because he accomplished it. It wasn’t anything that I did. I just told him to be who he is, to be himself.”
AIMING FOR STATE TITLE
Raynor hopes to help the Eagles get back to the NCISAA 1-A state championship this year. Behind Josh Nickelberry, a freshman at Louisville, Northwood made its first state title appearance in program history last season, losing 68-67 to Greenfield School.
“I kind of explained to him the experience that I had,” Strong said. “I’ve been coaching a long time but that was my first time getting to that point. I think sometimes we have to learn how to lose before we can get over the hump and know how to win.”
Raynor is the primary piece of the puzzle and his leadership ability, Strong says, will be key for a team that has several underclassmen in vital roles.
“He’s taking on the challenge; He wants to get there,” Strong added. “If he gets there, I think you’re going to see an even more special player. I think he’s going to take it to another level.”
No matter where he’s been or the success he’s had to this point in his career, including shooting a commercial with J. Cole, it’s evident Raynor won’t stop working until his other dreams become a reality.
“He wants more,” Strong said with a smile. “Maybe a ring on his finger or something like that.”
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver. com or 910-486-3519.
