Vipers celebrate a season of achievement at Spring Banquet
May 17—HENDERSON — Vance County High School hosted its annual Spring sports banquet on Thursday. The event featured a hodgepodge of star athletes and elite coaches recognized for their sacrifice and dedication to their respective crafts.
Some of the sponsors of Thursday night's event included: TNT Laundromat, Davis-Royster Funeral Service, BTL Entertainment and McDonald's.
"Overall I think it was a great event, celebrating the students' achievements and team success," said Vance County Principal Dr. Nealie Whitt.
Whitt said for many athletes things start to slow down when not in season for their main sport, but emphasized the importance of supporting their peers across all different sports.
As a former student-athlete himself — Whitt broke a conference championship record at NCCU for longest discus toss back in 2012 — he understands the value of peer recognition and the power of school spirit.
In his podium speech, Whitt promised to return Vance County to the athletic powerhouse of the old days, while instilling education as a core pillar of success.
"It hits home, I just think we need to keep emphasizing student first, not the other way around," Whitt told the Dispatch.
The emphasis on academics is already being felt. Vance County football coach Aaron Elliott announced during his speech that his team's average GPA will have improved significantly by the time the season starts.
After a few words from first-year athletic director Phil Weil and members of Clearview Church, everyone was invited to eat. Kittrell Grocery catered barbeque chicken platters — and everyone made sure to get their fill.
Once everyone was done eating, awards for every team were announced and players received plaques for their extraordinary efforts.
The football team's Defensive Player of the Year Award went to Antoine Doyle, who had the most tackles on the team at the linebacker position. Doyle also qualified for regionals as a wrestler and was one match away from a berth in the State Championships.
Doyle's teammate, all-conference wrestler La'Nautica Johnson, took home the MVP award for girls' wrestling and cross country and the extra effort awards for both sports.
Another fellow wrestler, Maurice Jackson, took home the Athlete of the Year Award and was declared the "strongest man at Vance County High School."
"It felt like all the hard work I put in in the weight room isn't going unnoticed," Jackson said.
The female Athlete of the Year award went to Jakhiyah "Chicken Noodle" Evans, who brought home a toolbox full of medals and awards, nabbing all-conference honors in volleyball, softball and basketball — even earning an MVP award for volleyball.
But the unanimous fan favorite of the evening was Coach Sheila Gill, who received a roar of applause when called up to receive her Coach of the Year award. Gill also won the award two years ago in 2022 when she was nominated by her peers.
"I'm just doing my job, and what I'm supposed to do," said Gill.
"I know hand in hand what it's like to walk these halls, to play sports, and I know what these kids are going through. I'm going to be that coach that's willing to help. It's a respect thing from the other coaches that know I'm going to step up."
This year, Gill was also nominated as Mid-Carolina Conference Coach of the Year for her job with the girls' basketball team making it to the second round of the state playoffs.
