Two local varsity boy’s teams won their respective conference tournaments during the 2009-2010 season.

After finishing second in the regular season, the Bertie High School Falcons rolled to a win in the Northeastern Coastal Conference tournament championship game to claim that league’s title.

The same was true for the Warriors of Lawrence Academy who finished second in the regular season and knocked off league champion Hobgood Academy to win the Tarheel Independent Conference tournament and secure an automatic bid to the state playoffs.

While those two teams claimed the highest honors, there was an abundance of talent throughout the Roanoke-Chowan region.

Keon Moore – Bertie High

When it came to leading by heart and example, few could match Bertie High School’s Keon Moore. The senior was exactly the role model second-year Falcon mentor Lester Lyons said he needed.

Those attributes along with his scoring prowess and defensive aggressiveness led to Moore being chosen the All-Roanoke-Chowan Player of the Year.

“He is the type of athlete whose talent and work ethic are good examples for our younger players,” Lyons said. “Keon is a good kid and his work ethic inspires the others around him to work hard as well.”

Moore said he has enjoyed his playing career at Bertie and has especially been proud of returning the Falcons to a top-tier program in the Northeastern Coastal Conference.

“It’s been a really good experience to play at Bertie,” Moore said. “Ever since I moved to Bertie County, I knew I wanted to help change the basketball program. I’ll never forget it.

“I am proud of being part of the teams who brought the winning tradition back to Bertie,” he added.

During his senior season, Moore led the team in scoring and steals and placed second in assists and third in rebounding.

Moore averaged 17.4 points per game and scored a total of 487 during his senior campaign. He made 169 field goals, 55 of which were of the three-point variety. He also had 61 assists, 24 blocked shots, 157 rebounds and 59 steals.

“A lot of times this season, we went like Keon went,” Lyons said. “When Keon played well, Bertie played well. We’re going to miss him.”

Moore will likely be playing at the next level, having already received several offers, but said he is not certain where his next stop will be.

Shane Tripp – Bethel Christian Academy

Being a coach’s son, Shane Tripp has learned basketball the hard way.

He grew up playing against varsity teams from the time he was in sixth grade and that has helped him learn to play against top-notch competition. It is also one of the main reasons the sophomore was chosen Best Offensive Player in the Roanoke-Chowan area after averaging 27.1 points per game this season.

“My dad was coaching at Lawrence when I was in the sixth grade and I would go out and play with the varsity at practice,” Tripp said. “I always played against older competition and I had to learn to shoot.

“I worked hard to get better at shooting because I was going against bigger and better competition,” he added.

Tripp shot 46 percent during the season and scored a total of 732 points while making 261 field goals, including 23 that were three-pointers. He added 57 assists and 94 offensive boards.

“Shane was pretty dominant for us this season,” said veteran Bethel Christian Academy Coach Joe Mizelle. “He played against some good competition and handled himself well, even as a sophomore.

“He’s also a great kid who listens well and is very coachable,” Mizelle added.

Trevon Daye, Northampton-East

The opportunity to play was a key component for Trevon Daye’s concentration on defense.

The junior said he knew that in order to get on the floor, he would have to work hard on his defensive skills. Because he was able to do just that, Daye became a standout specialist on that end of the court which led to his selection as Best Defensive Player for the Roanoke-Chowan region.

“I had to work on my footwork,” Daye said. “I don’t play much on the offensive end, so I had to do well on the defensive side. I pride myself in working hard on defense.”

In nominating him for the award, Northampton-East Head Coach Jeff Ramsey said Daye was a hard worker on the defensive end.

“Trayvon really works hard on defense,” Ramsey said. “He gives you everything you can ask for.”

First Team

The All-Roanoke-Chowan First Team selections hail from five schools throughout the region. Three of those schools placed two players on the team.

The following are the First Team Selections:

Bertie High School – Keon Moore, WyKevin Bazemore

Gates County High School – Corey Davis, Akeem Lassiter

Hertford County High School – Antonio Vaughan, Dontez Tyler

Bethel Christian Academy – Shane Tripp

Lawrence Academy – Shabazz Atkins

Second Team

The following are the Second Team selections for the region.

Bertie High School – Norman Cherry

Bethel Christian Academy – Kyle Freeman

Hertford County High School – Jordan Jones

Lawrence Academy – Trace Larabee

Northampton-East – Jamar Williams, Trevon Daye

Northeast Academy – Jud Smith

Ridgecroft School – Michael Byrum