news-record.com

Interesting side note here at halftime of the Bishop McGuinness-East Surry girls game: East Surry head coach Brent Long has to be the least tenured coach to ever make it this far.

Try two games.

His predecessor, 22-year veteran of the program Robert Smith, decided before the season that this would be his last at the helm. Smith's retirement became effective Feb. 28, right after the Cardinals advanced to the regional round. He offered to work as a volunteer for the rest of the season, but state law prohibits any official contact in order to still draw retirement benefits. Long, an assistant coach, assistant principal and father of Cardinals guard and conference player of the year Kelsey Long, took over for Wednesday's regional semifinal.

"That was the risk I took," Smith told the Winston-Salem Journal, "and of course now I come out looking really dumb."

"I've enjoyed the last three days I've got to spend with them," Long said after the game.
"I've always had the dream of being here."

Also of note: The East Surry student section's postgame chant of "public champs!"