North Lenoir's Historic State Games Send-Off: What It Takes to Build Something That Lasts

North Lenoir High School is sending six student-athletes to compete in the BODYARMOR State Games of North Carolina, marking the first time in school history that three sports—baseball, men's soccer, and women's soccer—will represent the school at the event. The six athletes earned spots on East region teams competing in North Carolina's largest multi-sport festival, which drew more than 11,000 athletes across over 25 sports in 2026. For a 2A school with 989 students in rural La Grange, Lenoir County, this represents institutional persistence as much as athletic achievement.

Maddox Smith, an upcoming senior with a 4.34 GPA, represents North Lenoir in both men's soccer and baseball, playing center attacking midfielder in soccer. Smith was selected from 51 high school players who tried out for the men's soccer East Team and went on to win a gold medal—the team's fourth consecutive. Griselda Perez Cortez became the first female athlete from North Lenoir women's soccer to play in the State Games, competing as a forward and attacking midfielder. The baseball contingent competed under Cam Sherrer, who was selected as head coach for the Region 2 baseball team, and North Lenoir boys earned a silver medal.

What makes this possible is the unglamorous work few notice until it produces something no one expected.

North Lenoir offers 15 varsity sports across fall, winter, and spring seasons despite serving a 100% economically challenged student population. With only grades 9–12 and a 2A classification, the school draws from limited athlete pools, increasing reliance on multi-sport participation like Smith's dual involvement. All students face financial barriers that can limit access to equipment, travel costs, or extracurricular fees, making sustained competitive athletics a heavier lift.

Sherrer represents coaching continuity, bringing institutional knowledge from head baseball coach to State Games regional coach. He has acknowledged the depth beneath him: "The culture of North Lenoir baseball goes back, before Cam Sherrer". The school's athletic foundation includes state championships in 2005 and 2006, when both softball and baseball won 2A state titles, a legacy current programs build upon.

The context that makes this matter is the context that makes it fragile.

North Lenoir itself was born from consolidation in 1964, when La Grange, Moss Hill, and other local schools merged. Lenoir County lost 8,000 jobs in tobacco and textiles during the late-to-mid-1990s. The county lost 9.8% of its population from 2000–2020 and currently has an annual population loss rate of -4.3%. Kinston, the county seat, has the highest income inequality in North Carolina, with the top 1% earning 23.5 times more than the bottom 99%.

In this landscape of exodus and closures, institutions that continue to open their doors, field teams, and send athletes to state competitions become rare anchors. That six athletes earned spots competing against pools from larger, better-resourced schools demonstrates that persistence can produce tangible results.

Sherrer's philosophy reflects the mindset required: "We lost some key players, but we have a strong group of seniors who have been through the fire. They know what it takes to win". His trust in the system extends to the field: "I know I have the best defense in the state. All I gotta do is go in there and throw strikes and just trust my defense".

The six athletes represent the compounding effect of incremental investment—coaching hires, facility maintenance, season-to-season continuity. Perez Cortez's breakthrough signals program growth and expanded opportunity, not just maintenance. The BODYARMOR State Games aim to promote fitness, sportsmanship, and a drug-free environment for North Carolinians of all ages and skill levels—values that require local institutions to deliver.

In a region defined by what has been lost, six athletes on a stage in Greensboro become evidence of what endurance can still build.