C.B. Aycock leads Wachovia Conference Cup chase

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on November 8, 2006 1:47 PM

• Print
• Email

PIKEVILLE -- Four points separate the top three teams that combined to either share or outright claim seven Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference championships during the fall sports season.

Charles B. Aycock emerged the Wachovia Conference Cup leader with 68.5 points after taking ECC titles in women's tennis, men's soccer and women's golf. The Golden Falcons finished third in volleyball, and recorded top-three performances in the season-ending men's and women's cross country championship meets.

"Our coaches have done a great job and our athletes have done a great job," said Aycock athletics director Charles Davis. "We've been well-represented in the playoffs, and that's a tribute to our coaches and our athletes.

"We're happy so far with our fall season."

Aycock isn't done, however. The Golden Falcons travel to West Brunswick for a first-round game in the N.C. High School Athletic Association 3-AA (large-school) playoffs on Friday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Wilson Hunt earned a share of the varsity football title and swept the cross country competition to end up second with 66.5 points.

Eastern Wayne turned in record-setting performances in two women's sports -- volleyball and tennis.

The Warrior spikers posted a 17-win season, tied perennial power Wilson Beddingfield for ECC regular-season supremacy and emerged the league's tournament champion. They advanced to the third round of the NCHSAA playoffs under the direction of sixth-year head coach Bruce Burridge.

The Warrior netters, led by veteran coach Nancy Dawson, collected 13 dual-team victories and wound up second behind C.B. Aycock in conference play. They reached the third round of the NCHSAA dual-team playoffs.

Coach Scott Waller fielded his youngest women's golf team in recent memory, and placed second behind two-time champion C.B. Aycock during regular-season and tournament play. Led by freshman Jasmine Reeves, the Warriors posted a 17th-place finish in the recently-contested NCHSAA 1-A/2-A/3-A Championships at Buies Creek.

"Some of our traditionally-strong sports didn't have the high finish that we are accustomed to," said Eastern Wayne athletics director Robert Peele. "But injuries to key people in both men's and women's cross country at the point of the conference meet cost us in what had been a strong performance up to that point.

"Having only two seniors on a traditionally-strong soccer team made the difference in a number of very close losses during the season. A positive for our fall season is that all of our teams advanced to postseason play, and performed well."

Eastern Wayne's football team recorded a program-best, third-place finish with fourth-year head coach Jeff Price. The Warriors fashioned their first seven-win campaign since 1997 and open the NCHSAA playoffs on the road Friday at Burlington Williams.

Wilson Beddingfield, which shared conference titles in volleyball and varsity football, is fourth overall with 59 points. Southern Wayne is fifth with 47.5 points, followed by Kinston with 26.

The Wachovia Conference Cup, sponsored annually by Wachovia and the N.C. High School Athletic Association, recognizes high school sports programs that achieve the best overall performance within their respective athletic conferences.

The Cup -- formerly known as the Wachovia Trophy -- is a companion to the Wachovia Cup, a statewide award given to schools with the best overall interscholastic athletic performance in each of the state's four classifications.

In most conferences, points are awarded based on participation and standings in conference play. Each conference determines its own method of awarding points.

Wachovia has sponsored the conference awards program since 1980.