ATLANTIC BEACH – The North Carolina Independent School Athletic Association Board of Managers met here last week.

Among them was Doug Cobbs, the Athletic Director of Ridgecroft School, who represented the Tarheel Independent Conference. The TIC is made up of Roanoke-Chowan area schools Lawrence Academy, Northeast Academy and Ridgecroft School as well as Albemarle Academy, Hobgood Academy, Pungo Christian Academy and Terra Ceia Christian School.

Cobbs said the meeting was productive and said there were several items that would affect the schools of the Tarheel Independent Conference and other eastern North Carolina leagues.

One of the key components will be holding a larger percentage of 1-A state championships in the eastern part of the state.

&uot;From now on 80 percent of the 1-A tournaments will be in the east because that’s where most of the 1-A schools are located,&uot; Cobbs said.

This had been an issue during several recent state championship tournaments, including Lawrence Academy’s run to the NCISAA state softball title earlier this year.

Lawrence, located in Merry Hill, traveled to Charlotte to face off with Albemarle (Elizabeth City), Halifax Academy (Roanoke Rapids) and Faith Christian School (Rocky Mount). Attempts to have the state tournament moved because all four schools were in the east were rebuffed.

In another matter related to tournament scheduling, the 2003-2004 state basketball championships will be held in Charlotte.

One of the three divisions will play at Charlotte Latin while another will play at Wayne Country Day School and a third at Providence Day School. All six state championship games will be played Providence Day School.

One team that will not be participating in the NCISAA state basketball tournament will be five-time defending NCISAA 1-A girls champion Victory Christian Center School. The school withdrew its girl’s basketball team from competition in the state tournament.

One

pressing issue that has dominated discussion throughout the NCISAA community is that of recruiting. The issue was discussed at the winter meetings of the Board of Managers.

At this meeting, however, there was no discussion on the topic, according to Cobbs. He said the board did appoint a new committee to review the issue because the head of the former committee, John Fencik, left Lawrence Academy at the end of the school year.

&uot;I thought everything was good, was positive,&uot; Cobbs said. &uot;People know we have some things to correct and we’ll do that. I’ve made it clear the TIC is in a wait-and-see year regarding those issues.&uot;

In other business, the board:

* voted not to allow Northwood Temple and Cape Fear Christian Academy to leave the SEIC.