New Bern’s State 4-A High School Championship Win Forfeited, No Official Champion Declared
Last year, New Bern’s football team made headlines when they played against Grimsley for the state 4-A high school championship and emerged as the victors. However, their championship win has now been forfeited, leaving no official champion declared for the 2022 season.
The N.C. High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) recently announced that New Bern would have to vacate its championship title due to the use of ineligible players on their championship team. This decision came as a result of an investigation carried out by the association.
The New Bern Bears had defeated the Grimsley Whirlies 40-28 on December 9, 2022, in Chapel Hill to claim the championship. Grimsley had finished the season with an impressive record of 15-1 overall and a perfect 7-0 in the Metro 4A Conference. New Bern, on the other hand, had an undefeated season with a 16-0 overall record and 6-0 in the Big Carolina 3A/4A Conference.
With New Bern’s win now vacated, many wondered if Grimsley would be recognized as the official 4-A champion. However, according to Brandon Moree, the communications and media relations director for the NCHSAA, in situations where a championship is vacated, the official record books do not list the runner-up as the champion. This means that there will be no official state champion listed for the 2022 season.
The repercussions of the association’s investigation were felt beyond the football field. Torrey Nowell, the head coach of the Bears, decided to leave the school in June and accepted a position at Jordan High School in Durham. Furthermore, Jerry Simmons, New Bern High’s principal, was suspended in late May and later retired.
To ensure fairness and accountability, the football program at New Bern is now under new leadership with Tarrance Saxby, the former head coach at Hertford County High School, taking over as the new head coach. It’s important to note that the team is currently on probation this season.
The allegations against New Bern’s football team surfaced in May, with claims that players had received passing grades in classes without meeting the requirements for passing. The Craven County school system, in a statement released on Tuesday, expressed their commitment to student achievement and the expectations outlined in Board Policy 3620.
As the aftermath of the investigation unfolds, New Bern’s forfeited championship win serves as a reminder of the importance of compliance and fair play in high school sports. While there may be no official champion for the 2022 season, the focus should now shift towards fostering a culture of integrity and supporting the student athletes in their pursuit of excellence.
In unrelated news, some residents of Greensboro have noticed a change in the color of street signs. Several signs have transitioned from green with white letters to brown with white letters. However, the City of Greensboro has clarified that this change is not citywide but rather specific to certain locations. The brown street signs are being used to designate historic districts, as seen in the recently installed signs in the College Hill area, which was a joint project between College Hill residents and the City’s Planning Department. The transition to brown signs is limited, and not all street signs will be replaced with these decorative brown signs.
