December 2020 Meeting Minutes

ENCFCA December 2020 Minutes: 

Attendance: 

Head Coaches: 

4A: 

Ashley- Wilson Helms (Virtual)

Conley- Nate Connor 

South Central- Andy Tew 

Wakefield- James Ward (Virtual)

3A: 

Aycock- Steve Brooks

Havelock- Allen Wooten

Hunt- Juan Jackson 

Rose- Will Bland

Northern Nash- Andrew Farris 

Southern Wayne- Ronnie McClary 

West Brunswick- Brett Hickman (Virtual)  

2A: 

Ayden-Grifton- Todd Lipe 

Kinston- Ryan Gieselman

James Kenan- Ken Avent Jr. 

North Johnston- Michale Barnett 

South Lenoir- Jeremy Joyner 

West Craven- Mike Twitchell 

1A:

Edenton Holmes- Paul Hoggard

Goldsboro- Tim Ray 

Jones- Lewis Hampton (Virtual)

Pamlico- Ron Cook

Riverside- Asim McGill (Virtual) 

Athletic Directors: 

North Pitt- Matt Goddard 

Rose- Clay Medlin 

Assistant Coaches: 

Jon Blank- Farmville Central (Virtual)

Caleb King- Rose

Bob Sabdo- Havelock

Tony Wray- Havelock

Kenny Frazier- Havelock

Garrett Wingate- Rose

Greg Greene- Vance County

Brian Yarbrough- Vance County

Jamal Bullock- Vance County

Tim Graddy- James Kenan

Lee Pate- James Kenan

Tyler Pugh- James Kenan 

Bud Vincent- South Central

Jordan Smith- Conely

Jack Curlings- Edenton

Chris Hughes- NC Preps 

Meeting Agenda: 

6:53pm- Meeting called to order by Allen Wooten

January meeting location and agenda will be determined later this month 

In January we will also elect new officers for the 2021-2023 term

Jeremy Joyner

Topic 1: Endowment Games and Schedule 

• At the February meeting in Greensboro, they mentioned 12 weeks to play 11 games to playing 10 games in 11 weeks, with the endowment being the 11th game. As Joyner understood it. 
• The NCHSAA released last week that it will be 10 games with the 10th game being the endowment 
• Joyner thinks that hurts the schools that depend on football the most. 
• A school will lose a home game every other year
• Paul Hoggard- It used to be years ago that you had 11 weeks to play 11 games and then the state quickly changed the decision to play 11 games in 12 weeks.  The pressure to shorten the season has not gone away.  Essentially they will force you to play the endowment game. 
• Joyner- 25% of the endowment game goes to the association and then the gate is split from there between the two schools.  Thinks this is a slap in the face to football.
• Allen Wooten- Until you know the conference realignment you may not know anything.  For example, if you are in a 9 team conference and then you have to play New Bern and West Craven (which is a big gate) and then have to split one of those gates with the state and the other school.  Scotland and Richmond were talking about the same situation and losing alot of money. 
• Joyner- We should be a voice and talk to your NCFCA representatives 
• Farris- Have they released the playoff situation? 
• Joyner- Not sure if we will have 10 weeks to play 10 games or 11 weeks to play 10 games. 
• Brett Hickman- Craig Underwood thinks 10 weeks with no endowment and using the first week of the playoffs.
• Joyner- We need to support our game and be a solid voice to the state
• Have winter and spring sports been shorted a week? 
  • Not that we know of
• Joyner- Football is not valued as much as it should be. 

Topic 2: Realignment

• Joyner- Alot of changes.  Kinston will now be a 1A and wants to be a 2A.  There are no 1A schools around.  Believes there may be political maneuvering to get to 5 or 6 classifications since no one voted earlier this year.
• South Carolina has 5 Classifications with only 285 schools and NC has 429.  
• Hoggard- There has been alot of pressure from other sports to subdivide playoffs because of football.  Subdividing began in 2001 for 1A and 2002 for everyone else. 
• Joyner- Thinks there is alot of difference between football and other sports and playoffs 
• Hoggard- The next NCFCA meeting is on December 12th. 
• Andy Tew- How do we reach out to the board with our concerns? 
  • Email is on the NCFCA Website.  Find your Regional Representative
  • http://www.ncfca.net/board-of-directors.html
• Hoggard- Feels very positive that there will be a proposal sent from the NCFCA to the Board of Directors.  The people that make ANY decision is the Board of Directors.  There are 18 votes and they are all made by the Board. 
  • Link to Board Members 
• Nate Connors- If we can create a solid proposal we can present it to the NCFCA on Saturday
• Hoggard- The proposal would go in conjunction with the NCFCA.  The Board are the ONLY people who make any decisions
• Chris Hughes- Can you describe the dynamics of the 3 day Board of Directors meeting?  How do people go in opposed to something and it still be a 18-0 vote?
• Hoggard- Most of the Board are Principals and Superintendents that may or may not understand the game of football and the implications it may have.  The Board is broken down into committees such as officials, finance, sports, etc.  They go in one day and discuss all those items with a lawyer present.  At night after it is done, there is an area to go and lobby for what you want to happen.  There is a preliminary vote before the media is there and then the final vote. 
• Wooten- As an association do we think 5-6 classifications?
• Brett Hickman- Conversation with Craig Underwood was about the endowment
  • Why not take another dollar off the top of the 1st round of the playoffs and everyone still gets the same 5 home games.
  • There will be an extra round of the playoffs and the same amount of schools will make the playoffs
  • Underwood said that has been discussed amongst a few people
  • The state is trying to have their cake and eat it too while losing a home game.  We all don’t play playoff games and could lose money.
  • The state will make more money. 
• Hoggard- It’s always touchy when you increase ticket prices 
• The goal is to try and to get the 5th home game gate back
• Wooten- Its already bad because they are taken away money when our budgets will be slashed from covid. Alot of schools will have to cut sports.  

Topic 3: Eligibility 

• A proposal was submitted by Coach Hickman to the State Board of Education
• Hickman- Proposal Link
  • We need to find ways to help students be eligible 
  • Coaches could choose where the athletes may play or not play 
  • If there are 4 DB’s ineligible for competition it could hurt a team, so the coach could choose which games they sit
  • The suspension would be per sport, which means football cant sit out in basketball and it count. 
• County AD in Lenoir wonders if they will put the eligibility back on the LEA and that could make the playing field uneven and open up Pandoras Box. Every County would be different. 
• Todd Lipe- If you were eligible to start the year you should still be eligible.  You cant make a kid sit out cause you told them not to come to school.  Failure rates are up astronomically. 

Topic 4:  College Recruiting

• Todd Lipe- Have we heard anything about college recruiting?  Are they taking all scholarships?
• Nate Connor-  Next year colleges have to be back down to 85 scholarships.  This year they can be above 100.

Topic 5:  East/West Game 

Coaching staff will remain the same as 2020

• Paul Cornwell: Head Coach- OL/Specialists. cornwep@pitt.k12.nc.us
• Steve Wright- Cardinal Gibbons- OC/QB/RB. StevenWright@cghsnc.org    
• Jake Thomas- Cape Fear- DC/LB. JacobThomas@ccs.k12.nc.us
• Ryan Gieselman- Kinston- DB. jgieselman@lenoir.k12.nc.us
• Russell Dove- South Columbus- DL grdove@columbus.k12.nc.us
• Greg Williams- Richmond- WR gregwilliams@richmond.k12.nc.us

• Nomination process starts Feb 1st and will go through April 1st
• The selection meeting will be on April 17th
• The team will be selected and chosen by end of April
• Be thinking ahead: Start sending in nominations now to respective position coaches
• Coaches have to be members of the coaches association in order for kids to play
• Nominate as many as you want but only 2 can play per school
• Coaches are responsible for equipment for players
• Looking for D2 or lower players, but nominate everyone you think can play, the “tweeners” between D1 and D2

Next Meeting: 

• Next Meeting we will elect new officers for the 2021-2023 term. 
• If anyone wants to serve in a position or you want to nominate someone, please do it in this Google Form. 
• There are no prerequisites to serve as an officer
• Winter Clinic- We are working on the details for all of that now.  If nothing else we will have a regular meeting.  
  • Hoggard- As of right now we still have the NCFCA February meeting but he thinks that will be canceled.  
• Hoggard- Shrine Bowl team will be announced on December 19th.  They will not play but the team will be announced. 
• Wooten- There should be a better way to vote to change the NCHSAA Constitution.