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Nothing fills my voicemail like the All-Area sections. Why wasn't Player X on the list? You hate X County, don't you? Why isn't X Files still on the air?

Let me try to clarify as best I can.

First things first - I have nothing to do with the voting process, other than being the bean counter. I e-mail coaches and ADs soliciting nominations, compile those names/stats/awards on a ballot and send it back to coaches to vote. A lot of people correctly point out that coaches might not see a lot of other teams in the county, so how can they accurately gauge if Player X is better than Player Y? However, I'd like to think coaches have a way better understanding of talent in the area than I do, seeing as I'm lucky to see each team once a season. Trust me, you don't want more power in my hands.

While we have included Alamance and Randolph counties in years past, we decided this year to scale back to Guilford and Rockingham counties and Kernersville. This was not a slight to the talent in other areas, just an effort to be more localized in our coverage.

The goal of this package is to recognize as many kids as possible, so every nomination we receive is included in the paper in some capacity. If someone deserving was left off, it was because I never received a nomination from the school. I sent out multiple reminders and we generally got very good response, but inevitably a few worthy kids fall through the cracks. We did our best to keep that number as small as possible.

It's an imperfect science, but we're always looking for ways to improve. This was the first time we ran track and golf teams, and we would have done tennis as well if we hadn't received next-to-no response from coaches. If you can think of a way to make the honor more meaningful and inclusive, please let me know. And in keeping with the inclusion theme, here are the bios that didn't make it in the paper for all the honorable mention athletes. May Googling yourself still lead you here when you're 35.

BASEBALL

Brock Hudgens, P/OF, Sr., Southwest Guilford: An All-Conference selection and State Games participant, he hit .342 and went 5-1 with a 2.00 ERA.
Justin Lassister, OF, Sr., High Point Central: Two-time All-Metro 4-A hit .385 with six home runs and 25 RBIs.
Luke Dunlap, OF, So., East Forsyth: The Eagles’ leadoff hitter finished above .400 for the second straight year, including 15 extra-base hits. He drove in 26 runs and was successful on all nine of his steal attempts.
Shane Dickerson, P/INF,  Jr., East Forsyth: He went 7-3 with a 1.98 ERA and struck out 59 against 15 walks. “He hates to lose,” head coach Allen Plaster said.
Matt Rembielak, So., Bishop McGuinness: His speed is apparent in a .382 batting average, six stolen bases and a conference-best seven triples. He’s also “the best defensive player I’ve ever coached,” head coach Glen Hunt said.
Will Shaw, Soph., Bishop McGuinness: Hit .416 with 23 RBIs and was named to the Northwest 1A All-Conference and All-Tournament teams.
Zac Reffey, INF, Sr., Page: He hit .370 with a .500 on-base percentage and a .593 slugging percentage. He’ll play at Belmont Abbey.
Anthony Todino, DH, Sr., Page: Depsite being limited to the DH role because of a torn rotator cuff, he hit .333 with six stolen bases and is “the smartest baseball player I have ever coached,” head coach William Hardin said. Will attend Emery Riddle Aeronautical University.
Johnny Brown, INF, Soph., Page: Missed the last three weeks of the season with an injury but hit .349 and slugged .465.
Nico Mancuso, SS, Fr., Caldwell Academy: Hit .538  with 23 RBIs and 16 stolen bases to lead the Eagles to a school-record 10 wins.
Ethan Satterfield, OF, Sr., McMichael: A two-time all-North State 2-A honoree, the Phoenix’ center fielder holds the county record for stolen bases (52) and triples (eight). He hit .427 with eight home runs and 20 steals this year and was MVP of the 2-A state championship series. He’s headed to Catawba.
Corey Shelton, C, Sr., McMichael: Three-time all-conference catcher hit .396 with 28 RBIs and will attend UNC on a full academic scholarship.
Tommy King, C/P, Jr., Greensboro Day: With a .510 batting average, .642 on-base percentage and six home runs, he was an easy choice for  the NCISAA All-State team. Head coach Buddy Walker: “If you had 10 of him, you would be unbeatable.”
Will Nance, C, Fr., Morehead: Hit .394 with four home runs for the Panthers. “Excellent fielding catcher,” head coach Rick Lane said.
Mark Noles, IF, Morehead: N.C. A&T-bound infielder hit .343.
Chase Radford, Jr., Morehead: 3.50 ERA
Conner Scarborough, P, Sr., High Point Christian: The Cougars’ ace went 11-1 with a 1.00 ERA and struck out 118 in 70 innings. A four-time All-TAC and three-time NCISAA All-State choice, he’ll play at Gardner Webb. “Awesome attitude,” head coach Corey Gesell said. “He wants the ball in tough situations.”
Andrew Barnett, SS/P, Jr., High Point Christian: Hit .427 with 46 runs, 30 RBIs and 20 stolen bases and was equally dangerous on the mound, finishing 8-1 with a 1.24 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 45 innings. “Plays the game the right way,” head coach Corey Gesell said.
Noah Blackmore, OF, Sr., High Point Christian: Hit .381 with seven home runs, 32 RBIs, 42 runs and 26 stolen bases.
Casey Jones, SS/P, Soph., Western Guilford: A unanimous All-Conference choice, he hit .426 BA with 38 runs scored and 11 extra-base hits.
Benigno Marrero, P/SS/OF,  Soph., Western Guilford: Twice voted All-Triad 3-A, including a unanimous pick this year, Marrero hit .544 with a .749 on-base percentage, 40 runs and 11 stolen bases.
Joe Turkson, OF, Jr., Western Guilford: He made opponents pay for pitching around Macon Smith, smashing a conference-leading 11 home runs to go with 40 RBIs and a .387 average. Two-time All-Triad 3-A.
Tevin Neal, P/IF/OF, Dudley: Neal went 8-3 with a 1.35 ERA on the mound and hit .387 while playing all over the field. He’s also one of the top students in his class with a 4.5 GPA. Head coach Larry Farrer: “I referred to Tevin as a bulldog because he would never back down from a challenge and always wanted the baseball in his hand.”
Brandon Burkes, P/IF/OF, Dudley: The Panthers’ cleanup hitter batted .456 with 13 extra-base hits, went 3-1 with a 2.12 ERA on the mound and played every position at one point in the season.
Corey McKinney, SS, Jr., Northwest Guilford: All-Metro 4-A honoree hit .407 with 29 runs and 16 extra-base hits in the leadoff spot.
Robbie McIntosh, P/3B, Sr., Northwest Guilford: Despite tendinitis in his arm that limited him to a relief role, he went 3-1 with a 2.86 ERA and struck out 41 against eight walks in 22 innings. Hit .345 with 31 RBIs and will play for UNC-Asheville.
Zack Leddon, C, Jr., Eastern Guilford: Hit .479, including a .700 mark with runners in scoring position. Slugged .764 and drove in 14 runs.
DeSean Anderson, OF, Jr., Ragsdale: Hit .394 with 32 runs scored, 19 RBIs and 17 stolen bases. He’s committed to South Carolina but is a candidate to get drafted next season.
George Carter, P/1B, Soph.,  Northern Guilford: The rocket-armed left-hander has already committed to UNC.

GIRLS SOCCER

Megan Roberson, GK, Fr., East Forsyth: Posted 111/2 shutouts and earned All-Region honors as a freshman. “Great communicator. Reads the game very well,” head coach Chad Lorentz said.
Reed Pomeroy, D, Jr., Southeast Guilford: The Falcons’ defensive stopper was voted All-Conference for a second straight year.
Haley Lewis, MF, Jr., Southeast Guilford: With 10 goals and 11 assists, she was an all- conference and all-region honoree.
Erica Barber, MF, Jr., Glenn: Scored the game-winning goal for the Bobcats in their first-round playoff victory against Trinity.
Emily Ciriano, MF, Jr., Bishop McGuinness: Of her team-leading 20 goals, eight were game-winners. She also added 10 assists and was an All-State honoree.
Stephanie DeGuzman, MF, Soph., Bishop McGuinness: An all-conference and all-region honoree, she’s “tough as nails” and has the “ability to keep us in close games,” head coach Melissa Anderson said.
Kelly Tessitore, MF, Jr., Northern Guilford: A two-time All-Region honoree, she posted 11 goals and eight assists this year. “Kelly controls the field of play for our team and is one of the most coachable players,” head coach Andrew Hultberg said.
Shelby Orlowski, F, Jr., Northern Guilford: The catalyst of the Nighthawks’ offense recorded 10 goals and five assists and earned All-Triad 3-A and All-Region honors. “Shelby plays aggressive, fearless soccer,” head coach Andrew Hultberg said.
Katie Burch, MF, Jr., Northeast Guilford: Finished with 12 goals and eight assists splitting time between midfield and forward. She’s been All-Conference all three years at Northeast. “Katie is a tireless worker and does an excellent job of controlling the midfield and distributing the ball,” head coach Jim Pielow said.
Bailey Coffey, F, Sr., Greensboro Day: “A pure take-on artist,” she posted five goals en route to All-Region honors. Head coach Kim Burroughs: “She was forced to play in the midfield in addition to her up top role for the Bengals this year and never complained. She is a pure team player.”
Miriam Brown, D, Jr., American Hebrew Academy: She moved from her natural midfielder position to anchor AHA’s defense and was “a huge weapon for the Eagles not only defending set pieces and corners but for attacking set pieces as well,” head coach Mike Johnston said. “In addition to her role on the field she has developed into a great leader for AHA and is a captain in every sense of the word.”
English Nethery, D, Sr., Western Guilford: Battled back from injury to anchor the Hornets defense, which allowed 13 goals in the regular season. “Demonstrated determination and sticktoitiveness,” head coach George Kennedy said.
Tori Huffman, MF, Soph., Morehead: An All-Triad 3-A selection and the Panthers MVP, she has “a great work ethic and can play any position including keeper,” head coach Ken Price said.
Bekah Page, MF, Fr., Caldwell: She controlled the field for the Eagles and posted two goals and five assists en route to All-TAC honors.
Katie Robinson, F, Fr., Caldwell: She led the Eagles in scoring as a freshman, finishing with 11 goals, five assists and All-TAC honors.

SOFTBALL

Jessica Becher, P, Jr., Southwest Guilford: The Piedmont Triad 3-A Pitcher of the Year went 11-10 with eight shutouts and 102 strikeouts despite dislocating her shoulder and knee before the season. She allowed six runs in conference play and also rode a 13-game hit streak to a .435 batting average. Head coach Jon Chambers: “She rises in the face of adversity.”
Kelsey Rumley, 2B, Soph., Eastern Guilford:  All-North State honoree hit .373  with a .627 slugging percentage and “works extremely hard on her game,” head coach Randall Clapp said.
Anna Caudle, P, Fr., Page: Hit .360 and was one of the Pirates’ anchors on the mound. “She constantly pushes herself and her teammates to do better and does not truly realize how good she is,” head coach April Katz said.
Carmen Rodriguez, 3B, Page: Posted a .440 on-base percentage and was a big-play threat for the Pirates. “Nothing scares her and she is always ready for the next challenge,” head coach April Katz said.
Sarah Hoffman, 3B, Sr., Bishop McGuinness: The Villains’ do-it-all third baseman hit .290 and was “a leader on the field,” head coach Chris Kurtz said.
Alexis Boyle/P/Fr., Bishop McGuinness: Hit .357 with a .514 on-base percentage and was 7-for-7 in stolen base attempts.
Theresa Brown, 1B, Jr., Bishop McGuinness: She was perfect on nine stolen base attempts and committed only two errors for a .977 fielding percentage.
Selena Ashley, P, Soph., East Forsyth: Made big strides in the Eagles’ rotation by posting a 9-2 record with 80 strikeouts and a 1.35 ERA in an All-Metro 4-A season.
Mandi McCullough, P/OF, Jr., Morehead: Struck out 64 and walked 10 in 50 innings, and hit .450 with 34 RBIs. “Very softball smart,” coach Gerald Ellis said.
Elizabeth Ferguson, OF, Sr., Rockingham County: A two-time All-Triad 3-A honoree, she had a .969 fielding percentage for her career and threw out more than 20 baserunners from center field.
Lindsay Inman, SS, Jr., Southern Guilford: The Storm’s top offensive weapon hit .485, including a steady dose of extra-base hits.
Chloe Ellen Johnson, OF, Sr., High Point Central: A four-year starter, she hit .345 and earned All-Metro 4-A honors this season. Head coach Kim Foust: “She knows what it takes to be a winner.”
Morningskye Starr, C/SS, Soph., High Point Central: Nicknamed “Doughnut,” she hit .403 and earned All-Metro 4-A honors. Head coach Kim Foust: “She is young yet she has the key components to be an outstanding player.”
Kristen Terry, OF, Fr., Glenn: Morphed into a leader as a freshman by hitting .519 and stealing 32 bases.
Heather Baker, P, Jr., Northern Guilford: On top of hitting .500 with 27 RBIs, the two-time All-Triad 3-A honoree posted a 0.75 ERA and struck out 135 in 110 innings. Head coach Erica Brown: “She never shows emotion on the mound no matter what the situation.”

I'm in the process of tracking down mugshots for our All-Area honorees, who will be revealed in the paper this weekend (softball and track on Saturday, baseball and golf on Sunday, girls soccer on Monday...tennis coaches disappointingly AWOL).

I just shot an e-mail to Grimsley soccer coach Herk DeGraw seeing if he'd had any luck locating one for one of his players. He wrote back in seconds: "I had the phone in my hand to call her just now."

I responded: "I'll stop reading your mind then."

He stuck the landing: "Short read!"

This has usually been when Jimmy Teague's heaviest workload has started, those early summer months spent preparing Reidsville's football program for another run of dominance. But now that Teague has moved up to the college ranks as Greensboro College's offensive coordinator, there's not much to do this time of year until the team reconvenes later in the summer.

"I've been saying for a long time I wanted to do something different," Teague said. "Well, this is different."

He said it gave him a chance to cut his grass the other day, a simple pleasure he's long delgated to his sons.

"They came home and saw the yard was mowed, and they couldn't believe it," he said with a chuckle.

After Hornets girls soccer coach George Kennedy publicly questioned his players' effort following an 8-0 loss in the state semifinals this week, we started hearing in the comments section and later by e-mail from some people who thought it wasn't appropriate to pile on the team after such a tough loss and such a great season. Here's what one e-mailer wrote:

I read Tom Keller's May 28 article on Western High's women's soccer state semi-final with rapidly increasing and substantial dismay. In my view, Mr. Keller allocated a great deal of the available space to enabling a selfish and minority view, albeit from a key source, Western's coach, Mr. George Kennedy. As a decade long fan of the Western High athletics program, I was happy to attend Wednesday evening's state semi-final. In addition to supporting the hornets, I looked forward to seeing Jacksonville-White Oak, the three-time defending state champions. I will suggest with great confidence that the result of the game was more about the soccer talent, general athleticism, conditioning, and finely honed tactics of Jacksonville's lady vikings than about any lack of effort on the part of any Western players. Mr. Kennedy certainly has the right, and obligation for that matter, to speak with any of his players about a perceived lack of effort. The time and place to do so should be private. Instead, Mr. Kennedy, with the help of Mr. Keller, used the News and Record to express tremendously negative opinions about the efforts of a group of young ladies that deserved much better. In my view, the News and Record has always reported results for the area's student-athletes with the positive tenor that high school sports deserve. What happened here?

What do you think? Should Coach Kennedy have made those comments publicly? Should I have repeated them in the article? I can tell you it wasn't like this was 30 seconds of a 20-minute interview taken out of context. There aren't many ways for a coach to sugarcoat an 8-0 loss.

I believe we do try to highlight the positive side of what's going on in the vast, vast majority of cases. These are, after all, teenagers playing for little more than the love of the game. They don't have multi-million dollar contracts to justify. But they are representing something bigger than themselves when they put on that uniform, and when Coach Kennedy, one of the longest-tenured and, in my dealings, most genuine coaches in the area tells me he didn't feel like his team fulfilled that responsibility to the best of its ability, I have a hard time pretending I didn't hear it. Here was my response to that e-mailer:

Thank you for taking the time to write in. This was a very unsatisfying story on many levels, mostly because it was such an unsatisfying result. I have spoken with Coach Kennedy many times before, and he has always struck as me as one of the most knowledgeable and honest coaches in the area. He is certainly one of the best advocates for his players, being one of very, very few coaches to e-mail me throughout the season when good things happen. I spoke with him for at least 20 minutes following the White Oak loss, and it was clear that he was disappointed more by the way in which his team was defeated than by the result. Certainly, sometimes 100% effort isn’t enough against a team as skilled as White Oak. But when Coach Kennedy, who presumably knows these girls better than anyone but their families, says he’s disappointed in the way his program represented itself, I have to take him at his word.

Trust me, I was hoping to write a winning story, as well. But my obligation is to convey what happened as accurately as possible. On this night, that was not a fun job.

Understandably, Northwest Guilford softball coach Jason Tew had a few other things on his mind before returning my call after his team was bounced from the playoffs with a 10-0 loss at North Davidson last night.

"There wasn't a dry eye in that last team meeting," Tew said.

I had conceded Tew's call for the night and was in my kitchen cooking some pasta when my phone rang around 11 p.m.

"Sorry I'm just getting back to you now," Tew said. "Wish I had better news to report."

Not wanting to lose the story or my dinner, I scrambled around my kitchen drawers for anything with which to dictate.

The only thing I could find was a box of crayons and a "Memo from the Desk of The Assistant to the Regional Manager Dwight K. Schrute" notepad...which allowed me to unconventionally take down Tew's comments and sneak this in today's paper. 

The Vikings' third-round opponent is North Davidson, which head coach Jason Tew jokingly called "The Compound" last night. The Knights are a perennial state title threat and consistently churn out Division I prospects, and their stadium feels as much like a college crowd as a high school one. Tew, whose team went on a miraculous five-run rally in the final two innings to upend Davie County 6-5 last week, "can't wait until the sixth or seventh inning" tonight, Tew said. Take a look at the damage caused by an errant fastball from North Davidson's Tess Swing:

Word from North Davidson is that the game is on as planned despite rain in the area. Ditto for McMichael's sectional final baseball game against West Stokes.

We got a call from someone this morning who saw a skirmish at the Ragsdale-Lake Norman boys tennis 3-A district final yesterday afternoon at Hester Park.

I called Ragsdale AD Glen Locklear, who explained it like this: "My coach said it was basically a disagreement between two Lake Norman parents — I don't really know about what, neither does she. When one of the (Lake Norman) kids lost, he got upset, threw some stuff around and broke a bathroom stall."

The incident occurred with Ragsdale leading 4-2, but after a brief delay, Lake Norman came back to win all three doubles points and the match. Locklear said his coach didn't think the outburst had any effect on the match. Anybody else there to see what happened?

The Charlotte Observer raises the idea.

From Phillip Gardner at the Gaston Gazette:

Forestview coach Dan Ghent expressed sadness for the Northern Guilford players and said the decision to vacate the title was fair.

"I hate it for the (Northern Guilford) kids because they played hard and it's a shame that it comes down to that," Ghent said. "I'm sure the kids didn't really pick which schools they wanted to go to. It's the adults that create the situation."

Although Ghent was sure some Forestview fans would be upset that the NCHSAA did not hand the title to Forestview, he had no problem with the association's policy of vacating the title. He pointed out the fact that Northern Guilford defeated five teams in the playoffs on its way to the state title game.

"Anybody that they played previously would have the same claim to the title," Ghent said. "It's the only thing they can do, so it's the fair thing to do and I think it's the right thing to do."

In the wake of the local football legend's recent passing, please enjoy this beautiful 2007 multimedia piece from our own Jerry Wolford, who was, in his words, "a tackling dummy" on Gregory's 1981 state championship Tigers team.