6sports
wingspan • june 4, 2010
moving on
Senior athletes sign to play at the collegiate level
Head football coach resigns; assistant coach promoted
T Alex Stewart - volleyball UNC-Asheville
Katie Carpenter - softball Montreat College
“I like the fact that UNC-Asheville is close to home. I played for the assistant volleyball coach there and was able to meet other members of the team, and they’re all great girls.”
“I like the coaches, and it’s a good college with a beautiful campus. It’s going to be a lot of hard work. It’ll be tough to find a balance between academics and softball.”
Meredith Foster - volleyball UNC-Asheville “I really like all the girls on the team, and I feel like I have an opportunity to do well there. They also said that I could high jump for their track team, and I wanted to play multiple sports.”
Taylor Reeves - baseball Belmont Abbey College “I wanted to go to a Division II college; I didn’t really want to give up hitting. I’m really excited about it, but it’ll be hard playing baseball and keeping up with my schoolwork.”
Delfino Islas - soccer Louisburg College “I chose Louisburg because I wanted the chance to play at a good Division I school with a quiet campus; it’s a good fit for me because it is a lot like home.”
Bryce Danielson - baseball Wingate University “I like the size. It’s small, but not small enough where you feel like you know everyone. It’s medium-sized, but you’re not overwhelmed by the number of kids there.”
Brandon Harrison - wrestling UNC-Pembroke “I got into their honors program, and it felt more appropriate than my other choices. The opportunity seemed just as good without having to go nine hours away for college.”
Summer Kremer - volleyball East Tennessee State University “I chose East Tennessee because when I visited, it felt like the right place for me. I anticipate that it’s going to be a lot of hard work, but it’ll also be fun and really rewarding.”
Kaitlyn Burton - volleyball Lenoir Rhyne University “Lenoir-Rhyne gave me a lot of scholarship money, and I really like their campus. It’s going to be very difficult juggling schoolwork and volleyball at the same time.”
Jacob Harris - golf North Greenville University
Niall Courtney - swimming Lenoir-Rhyne University
“It just seemed like the right choice at the time because it’s a great school and my major’s pretty big there. I anticipate a lot of hard work and a focus on the same routine on a daily basis.”
“I got to meet the swim coach, and he’s a really easy-going guy; we really liked him. This will be the first ever men’s swim team at Lenoir-Rhyne, so it’ll be great to be a part of history.”
Anna Padgett - golf North Greenville University
Shane Courtney - swimming Lenoir-Rhyne University
“North Greenville had the right kind of degree that I was looking for, and I was offered a golf scholarship to attend there. I’ve been golfing for about four years.”
“I fell in love with the campus when we visited there; everyone was so welcoming. I like the distance from home; I’m far enough away, but close enough if there’s an emergency.”
endless summer
Kaitlyn Reddy Asst. Feature Editor
hinking back to all the memories of the past six years, Head Football Coach Jeff Bailey can recall one moment that touched his heart the most. One of Bailey’s players had called him, thanking him for everything he had done and telling him how much his coaching meant. “It’s moments like those that are always special; that’s one that is going to stick with me for the rest of my life,” Bailey said. Bailey recently announced to the football team that he would be resigning as head coach and starting his next coaching season at Brevard High School. “I have come to know Coach Bailey on a professional and personal level,” Assistant Principal Kent Parent said. “I know that he works incredibly hard to ensure our athletes are successful, making an enormous amount of personal sacrifices. He has a genuine love for the students as well as for the assistant coaches that work with him.” Bailey recalled his past coaching experience and transitional times throughout his coaching career. “I’ve gone through some tough years, recordwise,” Bailey said. “My first year as a head coach I had 17 football players and that was at North. At that point, you’re not going to be very successful. That was a transition year and we had a lot of discipline problems to deal with.” From the beginning, Bailey told his team that he was interviewing for a position at Brevard. Bailey wanted the team to hear the news from him instead of rumors. “I wanted them to know they could be up front with me and that they could approach me with anything,” Bailey said. “There are mixed emotions from the football team about my leaving. You’ll always have some that are probably glad, and some that feel heartbroken or hurt. Anytime you tell kids that there will be a change, they get upset because there is uncertainty.” Bailey is a 1988 graduate of Brevard. He has been a football coach for nine years, six at West. “It’s the best job I have ever had from eight to three,” Bailey said. “The kids are very respectful, very enjoyable. That will always stand out to me.” Bailey said he made several accomplishments as head coach. His first achievement was in 2005 when West had its first home playoff game in 15 years. “We have been to the playoffs four of the six years,” Bailey said. “We have been in the second round twice in the playoffs. We have had some playoff experience, and we have been a competitive team.” Bailey said he has mixed feelings about leaving and will miss the kids he has taught as well as all of the friends he has made. Timing was a bit of an issue as well. It was a tough decision to make. “West has been a good place to me — the administration, the coaching staff and the kids,” Bailey said. “Timing is the hardest part. I’m not sure if there is ever a good time to leave, but this time of year it makes it a little tougher.” Bailey is excited to take the job at Brevard, yet he says he regrets leaving his current position at West. “The things I will miss most about West are the kids and the friends that I have made here,” Bailey said. On May 27, Parent announced that Assistant Coach Paul Whitaker will take over for Bailey as head football coach. “His experience, knowledge, ability to connect with the players and coaches, and the fact that he is a true Falcon and West graduate all led to the decision to name Paul Whitaker as head football coach,” Parent said Whitaker is a 1987 graduate of West and has been an assistant coach for 17 years. He said he is positive for the future of last year’s 6-6 Falcon team. “The excitement is here thanks to the foundation Coach Bailey built with turning the corner. We have a good group of seniors coming up and we are looking forward to next season,” Whitaker said.
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