LaVon Matthews named new varsity softball coach at C.B. Aycock

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on November 9, 2015 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

PIKEVILLE -- A loyal graduate and fixture in the athletic program is the new head softball coach at Charles B. Aycock.

School administrators officially named LaVon Matthews as Emily Burke's successor late last week. Burke stepped down after giving birth to a daughter last spring and accepting a teaching position at Wayne School of Engineering.

Matthews is the program's sixth head coach since 2000. An assistant coach has not been selected at this time.

"He knows the girls, he knows how we do things here. It just made sense to promote him," CBA athletics director Charles Davis said. "He's been very loyal to this softball program, he's been very loyal to this school, he's a graduate of here. We feel good about him leading our softball program.

"I don't think we'll miss a beat."

The 67-year-old Matthews has worked with the softball program the past nine seasons.

"It's going to be an honor. I give all the glory to God and the power that he has blessed me with and my health to be able to do this," Matthews said. "I'd really like to thank (CBA Principal) Dr. (Earl) Moore and Coach Davis for having enough faith in me - I'm not going to say run the program, but to be a participant in the program.

"It's not my team, it's the girls' team."

Aycock returns all 16 players off of last year's team that finished 14-9 and lost to Topsail in the east 3-A semifinals. This year's squad will have just four seniors -- left-handed hurler Allie Phillips, utility player Abbie Walton, shortstop Madison Walton and third baseman Keeley Fulghum. They'll be joined by 12 underclassmen who all saw significant playing time.

The Golden Falcons finished third in the Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference in 2015, which snapped a string of four consecutive regular-season championships. Matthews helped guide Aycock to the program's first-ever state championship in 2012 and a state runner-up finish in 2014.

Since 2010, the Golden Falcons have compiled a 115-39 record on the softball diamond.

"They've always had a good program here," Matthews said. "I hope to continue that (tradition)."

And he also wants to restart the JV program. With an already- full varsity roster, the younger players may not see much time on the field. Matthews wants to find a way to give them some playing time.