REALIGNMENT: Goldsboro, Spring Creek ready to appeal

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on February 6, 2016 11:38 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

Will Goldsboro and Spring Creek, separated by 14 just miles, renew their rivalry from their old Carolina 1-A Conference days?

Or will they go their separate ways?

Administrators from the two schools, along with officials from Wayne County Public Schools, plan to address that situation during Monday's realignment meeting at the Murphy Center on the East Carolina University campus.

The appeals begin at 10 a.m.

More than a month ago, the N.C. High School Athletic Association released its initial realignment based on the new 20-30-30-20 model which reconfigured average daily membership (ADM) numbers. The proposal raised a few eyebrows, and not to mention blood pressure, among the Wayne County Schools.

Goldsboro and Spring Creek were placed together in the same conference along with heavyweights James Kenan, Wallace-Rose Hill, East Duplin, East Bladen, West Bladen and Midway. SC athletics director Heath Whitfield and Goldsboro athletics director Dwight Sutton immediately voiced their concerns over travel budget and lost classroom time.

Bladen County is a 1-hour, 45-minute trip -- one way -- from Wayne County.

School officials and administrators in Wayne County put their heads together and wrote a different proposal before the Association's January deadline. Dean Sauls asked that Goldsboro and Spring Creek join the three Lenoir County schools - North, South and Kinston; Greene Central, Ayden-Grifton and West Craven.

West Craven would be the longest drive.

Sauls received the blessings from the athletics directors at each school and submitted the proposal to Association Commissioner Que Tucker and Tra Waters for consideration.

"(Wayne County Superintendent) Dr. (Michael) Dunsmore liked how I wrote the letter and explained the importance of keeping Wayne County's schools together. Lenoir County Superintendent Brent Williams said he would enthusiastically support it," said Sauls, assistant superintendent of WCPS.

"Wayne Barwick (North Lenoir) and Jim St. Amand (South Lenoir) were on board with the proposal. I sensed that Greene Central and Ayden-Grifton wanted West Craven last time instead of Midway. (The Association) seemed determine to keep Midway in Wallace's conference."

The proposal met some resistance, it seems.

The Association, instead, placed Goldsboro into a conference with Nash Central, Beddingfield, North Johnston, SouthWest Edgecombe, Washington and West Craven the second time around.

Spring Creek didn't move.

Sutton didn't seem to mind the Association's decision and said he will accept his program's fate should Sauls' proposal gets vetoed.

Sauls, meanwhile, vowed to continue to fight. He called Tucker, who suggested he re-submit his proposal to the Association and present it at the regional meeting.

"I did my homework. I did it on geography. I think it would be a good little conference," Sauls said. "It's a compact league ... just makes sense."

It's the "four more years" scenario for the split-classification Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference. Eastern Wayne, Charles B. Aycock and Southern Wayne's playoff battle will become a five-team race once J.H. Rose and D.H. Conley drop to the 3-A ranks.

New Bern and South Central will remain 4-A.

Union becomes the newest Carolina 1-A Conference member. No replacement for Spring Creek means ADs will need to find an additional football game to fill their respective schedules. Neuse Charter does not play football.