By John Clark
In my article on the ending of the Bladen County high school sports season Tuesday night, I short-changed the county on the number of Four County Conference Players of the Year from Bladen Schools.
I failed to remember that East Bladen senior Abbey Norris was the Four County Conference Player of the Year for Volleyball. So with Norris, Lacey Suggs in Women’s Basketball and Farrell Murchison in Football, the Eagles have the Conference Players of the Year in 3 different sports, and West Bladen’s Rahu Purdie in Men’s Basketball gives Bladen County four Conference Players of the Year.
Norris hammered in 232 kills (13 kills per game) and fired in 40 aces and 131 service points to lead Coach Jennifer Hair’s Lady Eagles to a berth in the Class 2-A play-offs.
Abbey also earned national recognition for herself and East Bladen when she was named one of 20 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame US Army Award of Excellence.The Award of Excellence is chosen from the nation’s top scholars, athletes, and community involved students and will be presented during Hall of Fame Enshrinement weekend at the Hall of Fame in Canton, OH in August.
Norris was also selected as the recipient of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s 2015 Clary Medal Award for an outstanding female student-athlete which includes a $2,000 scholarship to further her education.
So out of 13 Four County Conference sports that Bladen schools compete in, Bladen athletes were the Conference Players of the Year in four of those sports.
Abbey Norris is pictured with her US Army Award of Excellence plaque.
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