Rare honor for Bladen athlete or coach to be an East All-Star

Congratulations to East Bladen’s Iveonna “NeNe” Ward and Jakie Medina-Leal for being selected to play in the N.C. Coaches Association’s East-West All-Star games in Greensboro.

Ward will be in the girls’ basketball game on Monday, July 21 and Medina-Leal will participate in the girls’ soccer game on Tuesday, July 22.

It’s truly an honor for both athletes to be selected and is a testament to their talents developed over years of hard work and dedication. We have witnessed the great plays that Ward and Medina-Leal have made over the past four years, but it’s what we don’t see that has made each a successful high school athlete, whether on the court or the pitch.

Did you know there have only been 24 athletes and seven coaches from Bladen County chosen to participate in July’s East-West All-Star games? The football and boys’ basketball games began in 1949, girls’ basketball was added in 1975 and the two soccer games were first played in 1992.

Think about all of the high school athletes and coaches who have been at Bladen County schools since each game began, then realize that less than three dozen have been chosen to be an East All-Star. If you presume there have been 50,000 athletes and coaches on Bladen County high school rosters since each game began, then only 0.00062 percent have participated in these games.

A truly remarkable achievement for NeNe, Jakie and all of the former Bladen County athletes and coaches who have been in these All-Star games that are held in conjunction with the annual N.C. Coaches Association Coaching Clinic.

Here is the list of Bladen County athletes and coaches who have participated in East-West All-Star games, according to the N.C. Coaches Association.

Boys’ basketball

Coach Sam Boger, East Bladen, 1985

Trelonnie Owens, Bladenboro, 1990

Jearwaun Tuck, East Bladen, 1992

Sakrid Dent, East Bladen, 2001

DeAndre Mason, West Bladen, 2012

Sayaun Dent, West Bladen, 2017

Girls’ basketball

Pamela Hammond, East Bladen, 1981

Ann Hancock, East Bladen, 1988

Coach Patty Evers, East Bladen, 2010

Courtney Melvin, East Bladen, 2011

Courtney Thompson, West Bladen, 2014

Iveonna “NeNe” Ward, East Bladen, 2025

Football

Pat Jessup, Elizabethtown, 1963

Richard McKenzie, Elizabethtown, 1971

Cliff Hester, East Bladen, 1974

William Jessup, East Bladen, 1980

Coach Bob Lewis, East Bladen, 1980

Ellis Williams, Clarkton, 1983

Coach Lenon Fisher, East Bladen, 1992

John Lewis, East Bladen, 1992

Tyrone Mathis, East Bladen, 1992

Robbie Pait, Bladenboro, 1996

Coach Jake Smith, Bladenboro, 1996

Tyrell Godwin, East Bladen, 1997

Coach Kim Cain, West Bladen, 2014

Boys’ soccer

Gabe Barber, East Bladen, 2020

Garrett Melvin, East Bladeen, 2021

Coach Jay Raynor, East Bladen, 2022

Jaime Delgado, East Bladen, 2024

Girls’ soccer

Maya McDonald, East Bladen, 2022

Jakie Medina-Leal, East Bladen, 2025

• Countdown to the high school sports season is underway. Practices for football, volleyball, boys’ soccer, girls’ tennis and cross country officially begin Wednesday, July 30.

The official opening day of practice doesn’t have the same feel as it did years ago since near year-round optional workouts are allowed. While these off-season training sessions are deemed optional, a Fayetteville coach said it best a few years ago when he told his team something like, “I can’t require you to come to these practices, but I’m also not required to play you in the game.”

• Wednesday was a big day for me. The Carolina Hurricanes released their 2025-26 schedule. As a season ticket holder, I can’t wait for October 9 when the New Jersey Devils come to Lenovo Center. Go Canes!