Here is the exact ballot I sent to the voters here at The Free Press for the top 10 sports stories of 2006. I’d love for you to vote; place your votes in the comments section, or you can e-mail them to me at bhanks@freedomenc.com. I will run your tally here on the blog and in our special recap on Jan. 1…
To make it easier on me, just LIST the top 10 stories in order instead of copying and pasting the results in the comments or e-mail. I need your votes by 9 a.m. on Sunday.
Top sports stories of 2006 ballot
Please rank the top 10 stories from 1 to 10, with 1 being the most important…
_____ Ralph “Rocket” Wheeler inducted into Kinston Pro Baseball Hall of Fame
_____ Mt. Calvary Christian Academy wins NCCSA 2A basketball championship
_____ Parrott Academy wins NCISAA state titles in swimming, golf and girls’ softball
_____ John Alphin pitches no-hitter in first varsity start for North Lenoir in win over Spring Creek
_____ LCC baseball team reaches the No. 1 ranking in the NJCAA D-II poll for the first time in school history
_____ South Lenoir’s baseball team wins second straight Ray Avery Easter Tournament at Ayden-Grifton
_____ North Lenoir fires basketball coach Paul Dunn III after only two seasons and a 39-16 record; later hires John Eric Waters
_____ LCC baseball team scores six runs in bottom of ninth inning to force extra innings, then knocks off longtime nemesis Louisburg College, 12-11, in 10th inning
_____ LCC pitcher and former South Lenoir star Paul Novicki throws a no-hitter against Southeastern CC to win 8-0. He is later named the NJCAA D-II pitcher of the week for the effort
_____ LCC finishes with a school-record 44-12 mark, but loses in the NJCAA D-II District Tourney, a win short of the World Series
_____ Lee Atkins resigns as South Lenoir football coach to go to Raleigh Wakefield HS and is later replaced by former assistant Casey Corey
_____ South Lenoir softball team advances to NCHSAA 2A championship series
_____ Kinston football coach Ken Whitehurst resigns to take Greenville Conley position; later replaced by longtime assistant Tony Edwards
_____ North Lenoir wins second consecutive NCHSAA 2A baseball championship
_____ Former Kinston HS baseball star Chris Hatcher is drafted in fifth round by Florida Marlins
_____ Six Kinston Indians (Trevor Crowe, Wyatt Toregas, Brian Barton, Scott Lewis, Chuck Lofgren and Joe Ness) named to Carolina League All-Star team; Lofgren starts on the mound for CL
_____ K-Tribe win first-half CL South title in record-breaking fashion (47-23)
_____ Kinston’s Jerry Stackhouse helps lead Dallas Mavericks to NBA Finals
_____ Kinston HS incoming freshman Josh Lovick wins second national title in Pepsi Pitch, Hit and Run 14-and-under competition (he also won 12-and-under two years ago). He ended up being the best of 575,000 competitors at 3,800 sites
_____ North Lenoir coach Wayne Jackson and Ayden-Grifton fullback Matt Tripp represent area at East-West All-Star football game in Greensboro
_____ Kinston basketball team finishes second in prestigious East Coast Invitational in Jacksonville
_____ South Lenoir coach Jimmy Smith selected to coach East in 2007 East-West All-Star basketball game in Greensboro
_____ K-Tribe’s Jordan Brown named Carolina League MVP
_____ Kinston wins second annual Freedom Cup by sweeping North and South Lenoir in football; would prove to be Vikings’ only wins of season
_____ K-Tribe wins Mills Cup championship by sweeping all five games in playoffs
_____ Jones Senior finishes a school-record 9-5 and advances to the third round of the 1A football playoffs for the first time in school history
_____ Parrott Academy catcher Brittany Robinson signs to play softball at North Carolina
_____ North Lenoir’s trio of Sthil Sowers (East Carolina), Brandon Sutton (Appalachian State) and Andrew Manning (ASU) sign Division I baseball scholarships
_____ South Lenoir boys’ basketball team sweeps North Lenoir for the first time in a decade
_____ East Carolina gives football coach Skip Holtz a two-year contract extension worth $4 million
_____ East Carolina football team advances to first bowl game since 2001, finishes 7-6
_____ Longtime LCC baseball/basketball announcer and Kinston sports fan Rock Anderson dies at the age of 63
Blogging with Bryan C. Hanks 
December 27, 2006 at 8:44 pm |
LCC baseball team reaches the No. 1 ranking in the NJCAA D-II poll for the first time in school history–GO LANCERS!!
South Lenoir boys’ basketball team sweeps North Lenoir for the first time in a decade
Longtime LCC baseball/basketball announcer and Kinston sports fan Rock Anderson dies at the age of 63-He will be severely missed
South Lenoir softball team advances to NCHSAA 2A championship series
LCC finishes with a school-record 44-12 mark, but loses in the NJCAA D-II District Tourney, a win short of the World Series
Jones Senior finishes a school-record 9-5 and advances to the third round of the 1A football playoffs for the first time in school history
LCC baseball team scores six runs in bottom of ninth inning to force extra innings, then knocks off longtime nemesis Louisburg College, 12-11, in 10th inning–i was at that game!
LCC pitcher and former South Lenoir star Paul Novicki throws a no-hitter against Southeastern CC to win 8-0. He is later named the NJCAA D-II pitcher of the week for the effort
Lee Atkins resigns as South Lenoir football coach to go to Raleigh Wakefield HS and is later replaced by former assistant Casey Corey
South Lenoir coach Jimmy Smith selected to coach East in 2007 East-West All-Star basketball game in Greensboro
December 27, 2006 at 9:17 pm |
^not biased at all^
December 28, 2006 at 9:45 am |
hahahahhahaha….nope not at all joel…
December 28, 2006 at 12:22 pm |
1. North Lenoir wins 2nd straight 2AA Baseball Title! Go Hawks!
2. John Alphin tosses no hitter in first vasity start!
3. LCC finishes with school record of 44-12, nice job!
4. LCC’s Paul Novicki tosses a no-hitter, Paul is a CLASS ACT!
5. LCC scores 6 runs in the bottom of the 10th to beat Louisburg!
6. LCC’s #1 Ranking in the poll for the first time ever!
7. Chris Hatcher drafted by the Marlins in the 5th Round! Congrats Chris!
8. K-Tribe winning the Mills Cup AGAIN!!!
9. North Lenoir Trio, of Sowers, Sutton, & Manning sign D1 scholarships!
10. The sad passing of longtime LCC baseball/basketball announcer Rock Anderson at 63!
December 28, 2006 at 8:41 pm |
NLHS 2 Time Winners
K Tribe Mills Cup
Jones Sr. Football
ECU Bowl Game
Jordan Brown MVP
NL Fires Paul Dunn
LCC Record of 44-12
Josh Lovick
Chris Hatcher
SL Softball
(You can’t say this one is biased…)
December 28, 2006 at 10:31 pm |
North Lenoir wins second consecutive NCHSAA 2A baseball championship
South Lenoir coach Jimmy Smith selected to coach East in 2007 East-West All-Star basketball game in Greensboro
LCC baseball team reaches the No. 1 ranking in the NJCAA D-II poll for the first time in school history
East Carolina football team advances to first bowl game since 2001, finishes 7-6
Jones Senior finishes a school-record 9-5 and advances to the third round of the 1A football playoffs for the first time in school history
Former Kinston HS baseball star Chris Hatcher is drafted in fifth round by Florida Marlins
LCC pitcher and former South Lenoir star Paul Novicki throws a no-hitter against Southeastern CC to win 8-0. He is later named the NJCAA D-II pitcher of the week for the effort
Lee Atkins resigns as South Lenoir football coach to go to Raleigh Wakefield HS and is later replaced by former assistant Casey Corey
K-Tribe wins Mills Cup championship by sweeping all five games in playoffs
South Lenoir boys’ basketball team sweeps North Lenoir for the first time in a decade
December 28, 2006 at 11:00 pm |
1. nl state champs-again
2. lcc ranked #1
3. Indians win title
4. parrott wins titles
5. Josh lovick wins -again
all others a tie!?
December 28, 2006 at 11:27 pm |
North Lenoir wins second consecutive NCHSAA 2A baseball championship
Mt. Calvary Christian Academy wins NCCSA 2A basketball championship
Parrott Academy wins NCISAA state titles in swimming, golf and girls’ softball
Kinston HS incoming freshman Josh Lovick wins second national title in Pepsi Pitch, Hit and Run 14-and-under competition (he also won 12-and-under two years ago). He ended up being the best of 575,000 competitors at 3,800 sites
LCC baseball team reaches the No. 1 ranking in the NJCAA D-II poll for the first time in school history
South Lenoir coach Jimmy Smith selected to coach East in 2007 East-West All-Star basketball game in Greensboro
Former Kinston HS baseball star Chris Hatcher is drafted in fifth round by Florida Marlins
East Carolina football team advances to first bowl game since 2001, finishes 7-6
K-Tribe wins Mills Cup championship by sweeping all five games in playoffs
North Lenoir’s trio of Sthil Sowers (East Carolina), Brandon Sutton (Appalachian State) and Andrew Manning (ASU) sign Division I baseball scholarships
I would say these would be the top 10 biggest newsmakers……
December 29, 2006 at 10:22 am |
1. NL 2-time champs
2. LCC reaches #1
3. Hatcher goes pro.
4. Lovick 2-time champ.
5. JS to playoffs.
6. Novicki throws no-hitter.
7. K-tribe Brown MVP
8. SL advances to championship.
9.NL trio signs D-1.
10. Rock leaves us.
December 29, 2006 at 11:22 am |
1. Paul Novicki no-hitter
2. John Alphin no-hitter
3. Josh LOvick wins 2nd pitch -hit-run
4. NL wins repeat
5. LCC reaches #1
6. Jones Senoir football
7. SL sweeps NL
8. Trio NL signs D-1
9. Lee Atkins departs SL
10. Paul Dunn fired at NL
December 29, 2006 at 12:31 pm |
1. Josh Lovick wins 2nd national title
2. LCC ranked first nationally for the first time in school history
3. NL wins second straight state title in baseball
4. Paul Novicki pitches no-hitter and named NJCAA DII pitcher of the week
5. John Alphin pitches no-hitter in first varsity start
6. Jimmy Smith picked to coach East in 2007 East-West All-Star game
7. SL softball team finished second in state
8. Chris Hatcher drafted in fifth round
9. K-Tribe wins Mills Cup
10. Jones Sr. sets school record
December 29, 2006 at 6:33 pm |
hanks, where is “jwade wins first annual blog pick’em”?
December 29, 2006 at 6:39 pm |
JWade…I give you all sorts of pub…I post pictures of women you want up here…and now I’m supposed to do this, too??? Doggone it, man! Just joking. OK…where would you bloggees rank JWade’s accomplishment? I’m thinking around 32 or 33? Heh heh
December 29, 2006 at 6:49 pm |
i am just messing with you man. i would probably rank it ahead of the k-tribe winning the mills cup though. would you guys believe hanks and i have never even met?
December 30, 2006 at 9:22 pm |
ktribe RULES!!!! yes I am Bias!!!