CHAPEL HILL– The North Carolina High School Athletic Association announced today the winners of its 11th annual NCHSAA Student Services Sportsmanship Awards.
East Bladen High School and Hendersonville High School share the honor among 1-A schools for the 2005-06 academic year, while West Bladen was the overall winner in 2-A and Triton earned the award for 3-A schools. All of these will be recognized in acknowledgement of the sportsmanship initiatives in place at their schools.
To be eligible for the Student Services Sportsmanship Awards, schools had to meet three criteria. First of all, the school could have no players or coaches ejected from any athletic contest during the course of the 2005-2006 academic year. The school also had to receive an overall positive rating from the game officials and booking agents who actually work with the school’s athletic program. Finally, the school must submit an outline or written action plan of how it attempts to promote sportsmanship and positive behavior at its events, and those plans are evaluated by a special committee.
Mark Dreibelbis, assistant executive director of the NCHSAA and director of the Association’s Student Services Division, noted that a total of 165 schools, close to half of the NCHSAA membership of 361 during 2005-2006, went ejection free during the year. That was just four short of the all-time record of 169 from 2004-05. The number is up from 157 in 2003-04 and 149 schools in 2002-03.
The trend has generally been steadily upward since the inception of the program. There were 114 ejection-free schools during the 2001-2002 year and 92 schools were ejection free in both 2000-01 and 1999-2000. A total of 82 schools were ejection-free in 1998-99, and 75 schools went without an ejection during the 1997-98 year. The guidelines record ejections for unsportsmanlike acts such as fighting, taunting, profanity, obscene gestures or disrespectfully addressing or contacting officials.
“We are certainly pleased to recognize these schools for their positive programming,” said Dreibelbis. “It is part of our continuing commitment to provide opportunities and recognize schools which are promoting the kind of behavior we want to see as part of a wholesome athletic environment.”
Several other schools continued long streaks without a single player or coach ejected. Among 1-A schools, Highlands completed its 12th year without an ejection, while the North Carolina School for the Deaf in Morganton finished 10 years and Midway nine. Nantahala has had eight straight years ejection free.
In the 2-A classification, Southwest Onslow is working on a string of seven consecutive years. Mitchell and Northwest Halifax each have had six straight unblemished years.
At the 3-A level, Mooresville has been without an ejection for six straight years while North Gaston and Shelby Crest have enjoyed five consecutive ejection-free years.
Among 4-A schools, Winston-Salem R.J. Reynolds completed six consecutive ejection-free years.
All schools with no ejections for the year will receive a certificate of recognition. Those schools include:
Region 1 (14 schools):
Bear Grass
Columbia
Creswell
Currituck
Gates County
Hertford
Holmes, John A.
Manteo
Mattamuskeet
Ocracoke
Perquimans
Plymouth
Southside
Williamston
Region 2 (22 schools):
Croatan
Dixon
East Duplin
Eastern Wayne
Goldsboro
Greene Central
Havelock
Hoggard, John T.
Jones
James Kenan
Kinston
Lejeune
Midway
North Duplin
North Lenoir
Pamlico County
Pender
Richlands
South Brunswick
South Lenoir
Southwest Onslow
Swansboro
Region 3 (25 schools):
Athens Drive
Bunn
Cedar Ridge
Durham School of the Arts
East Chapel Hill
East Wake
Enloe, W.G.
Franklinton
Garner Senior
Jordan. Charles E.
Middle Creek
Millbrook
North Edgecombe
North Johnston
Northampton-East
Northern Vance
Northwest Halifax
Orange
Raleigh Charter
Riverside
Smithfield-Selma
Southern Durham
SouthWest Edgecombe
Wakefield
Warren County
Region 4(14 schools):
Britt, Jack
East Bladen
East Columbus
Fairmont
North Moore
Overhills
Red Springs
South Columbus
Southern Lee
Triton
West Bladen
West Columbus
West Montgomery
Whiteville
Region 5 (27 schools):
Atkins
Bartlett Yancey
Carver
Central Davidson
East Forsyth
Eastern Guilford
Glenn, Robert B,
Graham
Grimsley
Jordan-Matthews
Lexington
J.M. Morehead
North Stokes
Northeast Guilford
Northwood
Page
Parkland
Ragsdale
Randleman
Reagan, Ronald
R.J. Reynolds
South Stokes
Southwest Guilford
Thomasville
West Davidson
Western Guilford
Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy
Region 6 (20 schools):
Ashbrook
Butler, David
Cherryville
Concord
Crest
East Gaston
Forest Hills
Forestview
Garinger
Hopewell
Lincoln Charter
Lincolnton
Myers Park
North Gaston
North Stanly
Northwest Cabarrus
Providence
Robinson, Jay
Vance, Zebulon
West Rowan
Region 7 (25 schools):
Alleghany
Avery County
Davie
East Burke
East Surry
East Wilkes
Elkin
Freedom
Hibriten
Hickory
Lake Norman
Maiden
Mooresville
Mount Airy
Newton-Conover
North Carolina School for the Deaf
North Wilkes
South Caldwell
South Iredell
Statesville
Watauga
West Caldwell
West Iredell
West Wilkes
Wilkes Central
Region 8 (18 schools):
Asheville
B lue Ridge
Enka
Hayesville
Hendersonville
Highlands
Hiwassee Dam
McDowell
Mitchell
Nantahala
North Buncombe
North Henderson
Pisgah
Polk County
Reynolds, A.C.
Swain County
West Henderson
