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Schools might schedule fewer nonrevenue events next season following a suggestion by the governing body of scholastic sports in North Carolina.

The board of directors for the N.C. High School Athletic Association "strongly encourages local school systems and NCHSAA member schools to consider voluntary reductions in regular-season contests, especially in junior varsity nonconference games and nonrevenue sports," it said in a release.

Que Tucker, deputy executive director of the NCHSAA, said Wednesday that local school systems could trim sports schedules or find other cost-cutting options as early as August.

Tucker said the state playoffs, which are run by the association, would likely not be affected until the 2010-11 season.

JOYNER COACH OF THE YEAR: If it takes a village to be successful, as Darlene Joyner likes to say, she sure spends a lot of time recognizing the village people.

Joyner, who met her husband at Northwest Guilford 30 years ago and is now the school's longest tenured coach, will be recognized as the NCHSAA's female coach of the year at its annual meeting today at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill. The award, named for NCHSAA Hall of Fame coach Doris Howard of Fayetteville, is presented annually to one coach "who has done the most for high school athletics."

"It's nothing I've done," Joyner said. "I was blessed to have great mentors to start with, and I keep getting great kids."

Former Dudley baseball coach and althletics director Roy Turner, now at Wilmington Ashley, will be honored as Athletic Director of the Year, and WGHP's Kevin Connolly will be recognized as the Media Representative of the Year.

Joyner joined the Northwest staff in 1987 and quickly embraced the teachings of veteran coaches Sandy Gann and Bob Yow. "I was trained the old-fashioned way," she said. "To do the simple things well."

Between basketball, volleyball and slow- and fast-pitch softball, Joyner has compiled a 723-158 record in 22 seasons. That includes the 1996 state championship for slow-pitch softball.

She gave up coaching softball in 2002 because her two daughters, Ashley and Whitney, were on Northwest's soccer team at the time and "I didn't like arriving late to watch my own kids play," she said. She still coaches basketball and volleyball -- both conference champions this season -- and though she says the groomed athletes of today are a little bit more challenging to coach, she still feels the same calling to the job she did when she started.

"The day it becomes not so much fun to coach will be the day I give it up," she said. "I'm not there yet."

WHIRLIE PICKS GARDNER-WEBB: Grimsley forward Keith Manley, the Metro 4-A player of the year, has settled on Gardner-Webb to continue his basketball career. A first-team All-Area selection who averaged 19 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks a game, Manley also considered Elon and the Air Force Academy among others before putting an end to a long recruitment.

"It feels great to know exactly where you're going to go," said the 6-foot-5 Manley, who said he will play mostly small forward in college.

BISHOP STAR STAYS IN-STATE: Bishop McGuinness guard Ross Diachenko, who helped lead the Villains to their first state championship this season, has committed to Methodist University. Diachenko averaged 18.9 points a game as a senior and finished seventh on the school's all-time scoring list. Methodist, a Division II program in Fayetteville, also features former Eastern Guilford standout Mark Jernigan, who was recently named to the All-USA South Tournament Team.

MORE SIGNINGS: Northwest Guilford all-conference golfer Calvin Wyrick has signed a letter of intent to play for Chowan College.

Bo Rein, a right-handed pitcher from Southwest Guilford, has given a verbal committment to N.C. A&T.

Five Ragsdale athletes signed letters of intent Wednesday: Dorian McInnis for women's basketball at Wiley, Ian Chamberlain for swimming at Pfeiffer, Wally Jones for men's basketball at Lincoln Memorial, Carlie Pendleton for swimming at Lenoir-Rhyne and Catherine Wood for tennis at Davidson.

Former Grimsley girls basketball standout Jasmine Alston has transferred from UNC-Wilmington to Johnson C. Smith. Alston, a 5-foot-10 shooting guard, appeared in three games this past season for the Seahawks and will be a sophomore at Johnson C. Smith in the fall.

Contact Tom Keller at 373-7034 or tom.keller@news-record.com

Contact Robert Bell at 373-7055 or robert.bell@news-record.com