10 NC counties are under alert.

As the number of juvenile offenders climbs, the state is looking at alternatives crowded detention centers to make sure young people already convicted of crimes can turn their lives around. 

Education, skills and rehab focus easing burden on NC juvenile justice system

Inside the juvenile justice system

Siren will officially begin her career as a therapy dog at the Durham Police Department on Friday. 

Durham Police Department welcomes new therapy dog Siren

Durham Police Department therapy dog Siren

All assets associated with the tag: Story of the Year

HSOT Story of the Year Coverage

Page interim girls soccer coach Jeff Bateson and Page athletic director Matthew Harder spoke with HighSchoolOT's Triad reporter Zack Adams to reflect on the season that the girls soccer team went through following the passing of its head coach Tim Nash in early April.

<p>joined by page a girl soccer coach, Jeff Basin as well as page athletic director. Matthew harder. The first question is for y'all both and coach Basin, you can take the lead page. Girl soccer is up for high school. She honors story of the year for winning 14 games after head coach 10 ashes, unfortunate and sudden passing. Just how did you learn about the nomination and just how special is this for the group? Especially high rallied together as the girls soccer season rolled along. Uh, I learned really through an email for coach charter just sent it out that, you know, all the categories and we were nominated as one of them and then um, read through it and felt it to be quite appropriate, quite appropriate on her and then sent it out to news up to the rest of the team and the parents and I know they were pretty excited about it and to piggyback on that coach. Basin usually when I send them emails, he's usually the first one to respond. I was by the, uh, when we had the opportunity to be nominated for this award, that he could get that information out to our team. And you know, I know there's a lot of observing candidates and teams out there for the same award and you know, we're just humbled and honored to be mentioned with the same stories. Absolutely. It's the coach charter. I was a coach, tim nash passing away. I was shocking in a very difficult news for everyone in the page community happened towards the start of the girls soccer season. I believe two or three games were in the books. So just what you remember about the days following, trying to name coach based in his interim and I just handle the emotions coming with coaches law. Uh, it was a very challenging situation. As you can imagine. Um, Tim was a good friend of mine as well as he was that many people in navigating that piece was challenging. Um and I think with the girls, um and he had so many relationships with them and the parents growing up through various club activities and travel soccer. So it was tough. Um I really felt uh for our our young women being put in that situation where, you know, it's difficult is an adult to deal with, but then, you know, starting your season with the promising year ahead of you in such a tragic loss and losing tim, it was, it was a lot to navigate, but I couldn't be more proud of our girls in the way they handled themselves. We had some really, really strong senior leadership with that group that kind of rally and brought everybody together and um they did some really neat things for um tim nash, his wife Sherry and um it's as sad as it was you have to look at and whatever positive you can get out of it. And I think the soccer community, especially in the triad, really came together, different schools came together and um did a lot of great thanks to honor to national soccer legacy that he left in our area. Mhm. So coach Payton kind of on the flip side of that, you had just finished up the boys soccer season because they were sort of back to back there. Um coach did have a pretty tight friendship before his sudden passing. Um uh but why did you feel that it was right to be at the interim girls soccer coach and kind of I continue what he started trying to get the most out of girls. Um you know when I first heard the news after being just shocked and sand, um First one of the first people I reached out to actually was was uh coach harder and then uh principal as well and mr Niggli and just said, look, is there anything I can do or whatever I can do, let me know and it didn't even involve my thoughts anyway, coaching the team, I just wanted to help out or what could the boys do or or whatever, so uh when he asked if I was interested in coaching the team, it was kind of a no brainer really. Um one just to um make sure the girls had some uh someone there, someone, you know, to solidify moving forward and then also just to do it for tim uh tim would have tim would have done the exact same thing uh in the same shoes for for anybody, so um I felt it was just right, you know, getting into it, I had no idea what to expect. Um you know, I really didn't know too much about the girls, I knew they were a good team and knew they were good people and obviously had a good mentor on the mentor ship under tim, but I didn't know too much about him and and really just um kind of started the first week or two with that in mind. Hey look girls, I'm just here to help you guys out, get to know you over the first week or two, keep you moving forward. They were good enough group of players and kids and they kind of knew what they were doing on the field anyway for the most part, and it was just a matter of just sort of figuring them out, then figuring me out and get to know each other and um you know, once that first week or two happens and all that came together, it was a great season, Girls were great, they were awesome. Yeah, so I kind of piggybacking off that previous question, coach bates, and um I was at the first game with you as an interim coach versus Ragsdale, the Pirates were victorious and afterwards you told me the girls would need some time to adjust to your coaching style. So at what point did you see the team start to quote unquote a buy in or I get comfortable? Um buy in maybe after the first week, get comfortable? Probably, I don't know if they ever really did get comfortable, um you know, just losing the coach and a friend and a mentor ship, like tim probably wasn't easy and it was very uncomfortable throughout the year, but the girls bought into uh really their own goals, uh wasn't anything new. They just bought into the fact that that they were good enough to make, you know deep run and they did. Um I mean, I can pinpoint the moment, I think a lot of them realized it was okay, it's just during the Grimsley game, couple, maybe the week and a half in, two weeks in and they were just playing really well and we scored and you know, during the water break, which are kind of like timeouts, I just made a comment to them. Like, look, just don't give it up, don't get scored and get out there and keep going. And there were other ways of saying it, but they really bought in at that point, they were like, you know what, you're right, we can't do this. And I think I told you that very first game, because Ragsdale is once the ball hits the field, the emotions of, you know, tim situation can move, can move to the side a little bit and soccer just happens and and that's what did happen the rest of the season. They kept him in their mind and they just played soccer and they played for him to, for his memory. Mhm. And so coach harder, the girls soccer team had to overcome tons of adversity, like losing 2020 after the shutdown, living through a pandemic, finally being able to get season in 2021. Um, a handful of injuries. I remember seeing a couple of games I covered. There are plenty of girls absent from the lineup, losing their head coach and I'm just trying to play through all these obstacles at once. Just from an 80's perspective though, what was it like to see a student athletes really rally and I've become quite successful in the end. Uh, there's no doubt about it that they had their, from their fair share of interesting moments over the last year and a half of just life and pandemic and obviously the loss of tim and uh it's been really special to watch the resiliency that they have collectively as a team and how they've all come together to push through those various circumstances. And I was talking to coach Basin about filling in his interim, I said these are some some of the most high character girls and motivated girls and just funder to be around. And I think there's Basin saw a lot of that throughout the year when, when he took over. But um, as an A D watching, Yeah, kids persevere through such a challenging situation and handle it with, um, handled the way that they did. There's really not much more I could ask for is that they did. And I think something coach basin would echo the cinnamon as well the way they handled themselves. I mean, I just, I'm extremely proud of and I can't, I can't overstate that enough. It kind of help doc, whoa, Other people deal with the process of losing tim as well. It's the way that they handled it and um, how they went on to play for him and honor him and the little things that they would do that, uh, to remember him and his sayings and everything. It just seems like they were playing for him. Um, and they're playing for each other as well. And I think that, you know, it's a beautiful thing about sports is that, um, it can help bring so many people together, it's an outlet. It can help people grieve and whatnot and the way that they came together collectively to, to honor him. But to be there for each other was truly special. I honestly couldn't be prouder of him. Coach bates and page ended up 14 and for a girl and a second place and the final metro for a conference standings explore some factors, especially on the playoff run to the, for a western regional championship game, to having that record and nearly having an opportunity for the state championship. Well, the factors were the heart and dedication, determination of the girls. You know, the draw certainly helped. I mean, I don't know how many other people know this, but we were supposed to go up to play it, you know, in Hickory area first round on camera for monday or Tuesday, but the game got rained out, Tuesday, the game got rained out Wednesday, we drive over there and the bus almost broke down and kind of pull off side of the road, We got there a little bit late. Um, and they won that game, had to play the next day and then play the next day after that. Um, you know, so the factors in terms of the deep run, we're just the girls, great determination also there, um, their camaraderie, their friendship, you know, they all really played for each other for the last probably three weeks. They really came together, played for each other, came for that common goal. Um, and they knew they were good enough by that point, You know, they knew it, you know, we were finished second disappointing to lose the northwest at second time, which kind of solidified the second place, but they knew they were good enough to make the run and, and they did in in all credit to, to Myers Park 100% credit to Myers Park. But that could, again, that game could have gone either way. And I think the winner of that game, um, no matter who it was, would have won the state championship. So, um, you know, they feel a little bit, um, you know, upset I guess about not getting to the state finals and having a chance, but um, the memories and the emotions that they have and will have forever for that season and that run that they made. Uh, those are, those are special moments. So I coach harder. I know you are on the sidelines at a few games that I can cover. But did you notice any players in particular that I took on more of a leadership role as other season continues? I think there were several, uh, but a couple of our senior leaders, Caroline hunt Eva heck, um stand out lily stevens as well. But it was really, um, a collective effort with everybody involved in, you know, those first few days were challenging as we all know. And really there's not a whole lot you can say to make people feel better, but I was really impressed uh, with, with how they came together and so Caroline hunt and really rallied our players and um, kind of like I mentioned earlier to, you know, washing them handle the situation with as much grace as they get. Um, it was inspirational for adults as well to watch just truly what kids are capable of and how they can rally there, even some of the most challenging and toughest situations that they dealt with. Um, you know, it gives you, it gives you hope that it's gonna be okay as well and um all that coach bates and chime in on a couple of those other um leaders, but um Caroline Hunting ever did a tremendous job of keeping the team together and pushing forward and stressing that common goal and and that idea of playing for tim and making the most of the situation and the hand they were dealt. Yeah, I agree with those um those names for sure. Every player played their own little role in the leadership and moving forward and and everything from freshman Sienna upfront, senior Areva Hecht, I should say in goal and everybody in between, but I will point out in particular, Caroline Hunt in her leadership on the field Uh and off really hurt just leadership. The short time I've known her, probably one of the best leaders I've been around in 25 plus years of coaching lily stevens the same thing, certainly on the field, but more importantly, off this real little things that she did and the things that she said, the players and a little, I guess Mementos towards TM and everybody else. What a great group of girls. Unbelievable. So the question is for y'all both and that coach harder. I will begin with you. Uh, since Pedro soccer is a finalist for story of the year, Just how a special would that be for at high school teachers? I've later this month to remember coach Nash and I just recognized other group of girls for just playing through the roller coaster of a movement. And just as we mentioned earlier, just humbled and honored, needed in contention for that uh, with following the, the other stories that are in that category. Um, yeah, it's just, I think it's great for for our girls too to, to go on what they've gone through and to deal with the emotions and the roller coaster of the year. They had to be in consideration for that. Have their efforts recognized. I think it's a really special thing uh, because basically I got to see it first hand, just like the rest of our page community, but it really was a special sight to see um, what are girls were able to accomplish and how they came together. I'm watching them grow throughout the season, but I think it would mean a lot to them. Um, you know, I think with tim, I think you have been really pleased with the effort and the, what are girls did this year and what they accomplished. I think they honored him the best way that they possibly could. And as I mentioned two times in this interview, I could be prouder of him. Yeah, same. I think you said it right there, coach. Um, the way they solidified not only themselves and the memory of Tim and everything else, but the way everybody else in the page community and really the local community came together and rallied around him was it was really special. And you know, I know Tim would be or is looking down and um is proud of the girls, couldn't couldn't care less about his part of it, you know, and in terms of awards, but it would be all about the girls and and that's what I think would mean the most.</p>

Jeff Bateson and Matthew Harder: It was really a collective effort with everybody involved

Story of the Year

Two rivals meeting in the state playoffs lifts the rivalry to a new level, but two rivals playing for a state championship is on a level all by itself.

Green Hope, Panther Creek win Story of the Year after volleyball teams meet in state finals

Green Hope v Panther Creek - November 3, 2018 at Reynolds Colise

Green Hope and Panther Creek became the first two Wake County schools to compete against each other for a team state championship. 

HSOT Story of the Year Coverage

Jeff Bateson and Matthew Harder: It was really a collective effort with everybody involved

Green Hope, Panther Creek win Story of the Year after volleyball teams meet in state finals

Story of the Year: Rivals Green Hope, Panther Creek meet for volleyball state championship