THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 26, 1996 TAG: 9605260057
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY JEFF ZEIGLER, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: 93 lines
With the deadline for making a decision on joining a conference for the 1997-98 school year rapidly approaching, two northeastern North Carolina high schools face tough decisions this week.
Manteo High School and Gates County High School have to decide by Thursday where they will go in the state's conference realignment. Because of geographical and personal preferences, neither school has an easy choice.
The conflict developed when schools across the state were reclassified by size, as they are every four years. Manteo, which has been rated a 2A school, now is one of the smallest 3A schools. Gates' 1A ranking didn't change, but the Albemarle Conference to which it belonged was broken up and it hasn't found a new home.
The North Carolina High School Athletic Association has told Manteo that it cannot play 2A without restrictions. The Redskins will have to play at least 3A. These are the possibilities:
Manteo could play in the 1A-2A Northeastern Conference, making it a 1A-2A-3A conference, the first of its kind in the state. Manteo would be grouped with Perquimans County, Williamston, Roanoke, Currituck County, Plymouth, Edenton-Holmes and Northside.
In individual sports such as track, Manteo athletes would be eligible for 3A postseason competition every year because these sports are based on individual times, not team records. In team sports such as basketball and football, Manteo would be eligible for the 3A playoffs two of the four years. It would go into the 3A playoffs an automatic conference champion, even if it had a losing record.
Manteo could join the 3A Big Eight conference, making it the Big Nine Conference. The Redskins would be grouped with Bertie County, Hertford County, Wilson Fike, Wilson Hunt, Wilson Beddingfield, Southern Nash, Southwest Edgecombe and C.B. Aycock.
Manteo could jump up to play 4A and join the Big East Conference with Northeastern, Greenville Rose, Northern Nash, Rocky Mount, New Bern and D. H. Conley.
Manteo officials have met with officials from the Big Eight Conference and that conference has been receptive to letting the Redskins join. However, Manteo would have to travel a minimum of two hours to get to its nearest conference opponent. There was a proposal on the table that would cut down on the travel, but Big Eight leaders were not receptive. Manteo asked if it could take its record against 3A and 4A teams and compare it to the last playoff position in the Big Eight Conference in exchange for not having to play the schools farthest away.
``Manteo has the most unusual situation in the state,'' said Jerry McGee, athletic director at Northeastern High School and a member of the Realignment Committee.
Manteo basketball coach Bud Hendrix said the school does not want to play with restrictions in the 1A-2A conference.
``Historically, that is a heartbreaker. Personally, I don't want to play down,'' Hendrix said. ``If we do play down, there's going to be some heartaches. I hate it for the kids. If you ask the athletes, they are ready to travel if they have to.''
Hendrix said playing in the Big Nine would have drawbacks as far as travel.
``I'm most worried about the kids. It will limit the amount of sports they can participate in. We're probably going to lose some kids,'' Hendrix said. ``Every coach out here knows we can't come in at 3 a.m. and go to school at 8 a.m. the next day.''
Hendrix said there has been some suggestion that the conference could play some weekend games. This would eliminate long trips on Tuesday nights, a traditional evening for basketball. Another possibility would be doubleheader football games on Friday nights. Traditionally, JV teams play on Thursday nights. A JV/varsity doubleheader on a Friday night would eliminate long trips for the JV program on a school night.
Hendrix said joining the 4A Big East Conference is not out of the question. ``We're just trying to figure out a way not to have playoff restrictions,'' he said.
Gates County is in a similar situation. The Red Barons can join the 1A-2A conference, a move that athletic director Clark Harrell is not in favor of, or join a league in which they would have to travel. Right now, Gates is grouped with Northampton East, Northampton West, Weldon, Louisburg, Bunn, Franklinton and North Edgecombe.
``Franklinton is really upset about it,'' Harrell said. ``They have some petitions going that say they don't want to have to come this far (to Gates County). They've made it known that they are upset.''
Harrell is adamant about his school not joining the 1A-2A conference. ``The state initially said that they weren't going to allow splits,'' Harrell said. ``I talked to people who have played in split conferences and not one has told me anything good about them. We're 1A and we want to play 1A. Gates County has never been in any conference but the Albemarle Conference. And now it's gone.''
Harrell said he would favor a league with Roanoke, North Edgecombe, Weldon, Gates, Northampton East and Northampton West, or keeping the Albemarle Conference intact.
``There are 18 1A schools in northeastern North Carolina. I don't see why we can't have two conferences of nine, or three six-team conferences,'' he said. ``My preference is that I would like to see the Albemarle Conference stay as it was.'' by CNB