GREENSBORO — Jay Raynor, veteran coach at East Bladen High School, has been chosen to lead the East boys soccer squad in the 2022 East-West All-Star Game put on by the N.C. Coaches Association.

The annual midsummer classic series of games includes girls and boys contests for basketball on Monday, soccer on Tuesday, and a football game on Wednesday. Next year’s event is July 11-13, with soccer on July 12.

“I’m honored,” Raynor said. “It’s out of the blue. I’ve never set it as a ‘win this’ and check the box off. There are some prestigious people that have coached in it. This program and the community have done something to be recognized.”

Jim Blanton, of Hibriten in the Caldwell County city of Lenoir, will coach the West team.

Nominations from his peers will flow in after the season, around December.

“You know the players,” Raynor said, “and your peers in coaching.”

The coach has had two players chosen to the East-West boys game in consecutive seasons. Gabe Barber didn’t get to play in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic; Garrett Melvin played 65 minutes in last week’s 3-2 triumph.

Raynor coaches the boys and girls programs at East Bladen. He’s 271-166-13 in both, with a 129-66-11 mark in boys play and 142-100-2 ledger leading the girls.

The East Bladen boys’ 10th year under Raynor’s direction ended with a 9-2 record in March. The Eagles reached the second round of the 2-A state playoffs.

Raynor in May completed his 14th season leading the Lady Eagles, taking them to an unprecedented advance in the state playoffs. East Bladen lost to eventual 2-A state runner-up Carrboro in the quarterfinals after ruling the Three Rivers Conference for the third time in four years; the 2020 season was lost to COVID-19.

Watching Melvin’s process, he said, gave him a view of what takes place.

“Just being able to participate,” he said of what he expects to enjoy the most. “It’s definitely student-centered. It’s very meaningful. From top to bottom, it’s very organized.

“It’ll be good to meet the players, the parents, their coaches. It’ll be good to have conversations, and get that nugget to take away.”

Raynor said his journey to such an honor would not be possible without the coaches he’s been around at East Bladen, starting with his father, retired dentist Dr. Ray Cross.

“He’s a huge influence,” Raynor said, adding praise for longtime mainstays Patty Evers, Robby Priest, Lenon Fisher and the late Russell Priest.

“If it wasn’t for being around them,” he said, “I wouldn’t be in this position. It wasn’t all my doing.”

No other coaches in East Bladen’s most recent league or its new league were named to the all-star game staffs.

In the other games:

• Girls soccer: Justin Schatz of Wilmington Hoggard coaches the East, and Josh Martin of T.C. Roberson the West.

• Football: Reggie Lucas of Wake Forest coaches the East, assisted by Brian Batchelor of Southern Nash, Chris Hall of Cape Fear, Luke Little of Wilmington Laney, Andy Tew of South Central, and Bryan Till of Richmond County. Darryl Brown of Greensboro Grimsley coaches the West, assisted by Tiesuan Brown of Mount Tabor, Randall Gusler of Statesville, Brian Hampton of Ashe County, Al Hendricks of Reidsville, and Joe Nixon of Mooresville.

• Girls basketball: Chris Bradshaw of Kinston coaches the East, assisted by Adrienne Gale of Wilmington Ashley. Brad Mangum of North Lincoln coaches the West, assisted by Frank McNeil of Greensboro Dudley.

• Boys basketball: Larry Williford of Farmville Central coaches the East, assisted by Chris Davis of Raleigh Millbrook. Andrew Muse of Mount Tabor coaches the West, assisted by Duane Lewis of North Mecklenburg.

Coaches were also named for the Carolinas Classic basketball games. The girls will be led by Myers Park’s Barbara Nelson and assisted by Jamie Willoughby of Tarboro, and the boys will be led by Brad LeVine of Shelby Crest and assisted by Chris Cherry of South Central.

Alan Wooten can be reached at 910-247-9132 or awooten@bladenjournal.com. Twitter: @JournalBladen.