Published: August 15, 2008 11:05 am            

Hailey returns to ERHS

RAMSEUR — After posting a successful stint as the Eastern Randolph High School boys basketball coach a few seasons ago, Lucious Hailey is returning to the helm of the Wildcat program.

Earlier this year it was announced that ER boys coach, Rick Larrick, was stepping down after many seasons as a basketball coach.

He spent the past four years leading the Wildcats but was forced to resign because of health reasons.

Always carrying a love of coaching, it was a perfect fit for Hailey to return to the sidelines at Eastern Randolph.

From 2001 until 2004, Hailey was the Wildcat boys varsity coach and led the team to some of its most successful seasons.

Hailey said, “I have always had a passion for coaching and I hated to leave, but left for personal reasons.”

During his first tenure at Eastern Randolph, Hailey had the Wildcats on the winning track as they became serious challengers in the conference and posted upset wins over basketball powerhouse Trinity.

But that wasn’t enough for Hailey.

“My goal when I came to Eastern Randolph was to win a state championship,” he said. “We made big strides in that direction when I was there, but I never did accomplish the goal I set out to do, of winning a state title at ERHS, and that’s one of the reasons I want to return.”

Hailey plans to install the same type of high-powered offense that he taught the Wildcats during his first term. The run-and-gun attack “will be exciting,” he promises.

Having been gone the past four seasons, Hailey will be looking at a new and different group of players, and in a sense will be starting from scratch.

“I really want to teach my players how to play,” he said. “We will be starting from the ground level. I can’t promise you how successful we are going to be, but we will be competitive.”

In 2001, Hailey took over the reins of the ERHS program after serving the two previous seasons as a jayvee coach and assistant coach with Coach Kelly at Trinity High.

He left to take a job with a juvenile detention center in Greensboro as a counselor, then accepted a job with Therapeutic Alternatives in Randleman.

Following a standout high school career, Hailey earned a basketball scholarship at Middle Tennessee State, making an appearance in the NCAA tournament. From there, he was a fourth-round draft pick of the NBA Utah Jazz.

It is from that hardwood experience that Hailey plans to build a successful program at ERHS, teaching his players the game and how to have fun learning, playing and winning.

Along the way, he hopes to capture a state championship.



Monroe signs with Catawba Valley CC

RAMSEUR – Macon Monroe, a standout athlete at Faith Christian School for three seasons, recently signed a letter of intent to play basketball at Catawba Valley Community College. Monroe closed out his senior season with the Eagles on a high note, averaging 26 points and 10 rebounds per game.

His play earned him a number of hardwood awards, including a spot on the All-Region team his junior and senior seasons as well as Most Valuable Player at FCS.

An all-around athlete, Monroe was a leader on the Eagle baseball and soccer squads. He also excelled in the classroom, named to the FCS academic honor roll.

        

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