Local programs impacted by conference shuffling
Jul. 17—HENDERSON — Monday marked the beginning of the week-long dead period for NCHSAA schools and athletes, giving the spotlight to the NCISAA.
Although seasons have yet to officially begin, schools are preparing for campaigns on the pitch and inside on the court.
The likes of Crossroads Christian and Kerr-Vance Academy will look to build off of successful athletic years in 2022 and 2023 with a strong start in August.
For the Spartans, who will support a boy's soccer, a girl's tennis and volleyball program in the fall, their schedules will look different. While KVA will remain in the Coastal Independent Conference, it will become an even larger 1A/2A split league, adding two new members for the 2023-2024 academic year.
Fayetteville Academy and Harrells Christian Academy will join the conference as 2A classification members, expanding the league to seven schools.
Both programs were previously members of the now defunct Coastal Rivers Conference alongside Cape Fear Academy.
Harrells Christian Academy, which has earned 21 state titles across all sports, will field both boy's soccer and volleyball in the fall, while competing in the Big East Independent Conference in football.
Fayetteville Academy will produce a girl's tennis team in addition to fielding both boy's soccer and volleyball rosters.
On the pitch, Kerr-Vance has yet to face-off with either foe, making for highly anticipated matchups this season.
In volleyball, the Spartans have squared off against Fayetteville Academy twice, dropping both contests to the Eagles. Both matchups came over 10 years ago in 2012 and 2010, but Kerr-Vance will have a chance to even the all-time series with two contests this season.
Their first matchup will take place on Sept. 7 in Harrells before the Crusaders visit Henderson to close out the season series on Oct. 5.
Neither the soccer or volleyball programs have released their full schedule, but each team will now boast a 12-game conference slate.
While Kerr-Vance prepares for new faces on the schedule, the two local programs in the Northern Lakes Athletic Conference of the NCHSAA will also welcome a new member to their conference.
Vance County and J.F. Webb, who both enter their third season in the 2A/3A split league, will see a familiar face in the form of Louisburg join the league.
With conference realignment settled through the 2024-2025 season, the Warriors seem primed to compete in the NLAC for multiple seasons.
Unlike the Spartans and their newfound opponents in Fayetteville Academy and Harrells Christian Academy, the Vipers and Warriors have an established history with Louisburg.
On the gridiron, Louisburg has faced off against Webb seven times, while competing against the now defunct Southern and Northern Vance High School's a combined 14 times.
Louisburg will travel to Henderson for a matchup with the Vipers on Sept. 22 and will welcome Webb to town a week later.
Vance County has yet to match up with the Warriors in football, but they have taken on the new conference foe on the pitch on five separate occasions. While they maintain a 4-1 record over Louisburg, Webb is winless in six tries.
Volleyball has seen the three programs square off on numerous occasions, making what was once a non-conference contest, all the more important. Webb and Louisburg have matched up in six straight years, while the Vipers and Warriors played for the third time in 2022.
On the NCISAA side, fans will likely need to learn the names and mascots of the two new programs that will battle local schools. However, for the likes of Vance County and Webb, supporters have long known about Louisburg and their athletics.
