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Culler will play in East-West game
Mac Heffner
Staff Reporter
TOAST - Whitley Culler's high school career just got extended by another game.
Culler, a North Surry senior standout athlete in basketball and volleyball, has been named to the West roster for the East-West all-star girls' basketball game at the Greensboro Coliseum in late June.
The entire rosters have not been released, but North Surry girls basketball coach Shane Slate confirmed that Culler, the school's all-time leading scorer, will play for the West and head coach Tim Epley (T.C. Roberson).
According to the East-West record book, Culler will be the first North Surry girls basketball player to compete in the long-standing event, that also includes boys basketball, football, girls and boys soccer and cheerleading teams.
“We felt she had a good chance for this,” Slate said Friday afternoon. “She's been seen by a lot of coaches and has had a lot of exposure so we were hoping she would be on the team. Coach Epley has seen her play several times over the years and we played them twice earlier in her career.”
Culler said she's excited to have another chance to play in an all-star game against some of the best in North Carolina. The North senior played in the Carolinas All-Star Classic on April 5 in Charlotte, where she scored six points, had three rebounds and two assists for North Carolina in a loss to South Carolina.
“The first game was a good experience and it will help me be more prepared for this time,” Culler said Friday. “I know what the level of play will be and I'll be more ready for it this time.
“You have to go in there and learn to play with new people and find out what they do and see what you can bring and add to that. At North, I've played with the same girls for years and I knew what they could do. This is more of a run-and-gun style of play. It's more like what I will do in the fall in college.”
While at North, Culler led the Greyhounds reach the Class 2-A Sectional 1 final this year, was the Mountain Valley 2-A Conference tournament MVP three times and was MVC Player of the Year twice. She will play for the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears this fall.
North has been represented in football and boys basketball in past years. Craig Hiatt (1969), Ben Norman (1974), Ricky Thomas (1977), Fletcher Martin (1978), Danny Martin (1980), Kelly Holder (1988), Jeff Allen (1994) and Kammon Hiatt (1996) played on the West football teams, while Kevin Strickland (1984), Kemp Phillips (1986) and Marcus Allen (1988) played on boys' basketball teams.
This year, East Surry football coach David Diamont will be the West head coach, while Mount Airy head coach Kelly Holder will serve on his staff, giving the four-day event a Surry County flavor.
Culler said she expects to see some familiar names when the rosters are released for the game. Culler said having one last high school game means a lot to her.
“After the first game (in Charlotte), it made me look back at my North career and realize some things I took for granted,” Culler said. “Now, I'm thinking about that first all-star game and I plan to give this all I've got. It will be a game with a bunch of great athletes and it will let me compare myself to them.
“This is probably the last high school achievement for me. I went from a freshman who had to work for everything to this point. Next year, it will be the same deal again. I'll start over and work my way up. You really learn from playing, but the second best thing you can do is watch other good players and improve from them. This is a good chance to do that. You can learn something from everybody.”
Slate said he's happy to see Culler rewarded for her hard work during the last four years.
“To be in something like this, you have to have skills, but you have to also work hard or things like this don't happen,” Slate said. “This isn't something I've given her where there is a bias involved. She's earned it all on her own.
“It's another step in getting her ready for the next level. It's a bonus from that standpoint. It's also another chance for me to watch her play when I'm not coaching her. She played well in the last one and I expect she will do the same in this one.”
Contact Mac Heffner at mheffner@mtairynews.com, or at 719-1921.
Staff Reporter
TOAST - Whitley Culler's high school career just got extended by another game.
Culler, a North Surry senior standout athlete in basketball and volleyball, has been named to the West roster for the East-West all-star girls' basketball game at the Greensboro Coliseum in late June.
The entire rosters have not been released, but North Surry girls basketball coach Shane Slate confirmed that Culler, the school's all-time leading scorer, will play for the West and head coach Tim Epley (T.C. Roberson).
According to the East-West record book, Culler will be the first North Surry girls basketball player to compete in the long-standing event, that also includes boys basketball, football, girls and boys soccer and cheerleading teams.
“We felt she had a good chance for this,” Slate said Friday afternoon. “She's been seen by a lot of coaches and has had a lot of exposure so we were hoping she would be on the team. Coach Epley has seen her play several times over the years and we played them twice earlier in her career.”
Culler said she's excited to have another chance to play in an all-star game against some of the best in North Carolina. The North senior played in the Carolinas All-Star Classic on April 5 in Charlotte, where she scored six points, had three rebounds and two assists for North Carolina in a loss to South Carolina.
“The first game was a good experience and it will help me be more prepared for this time,” Culler said Friday. “I know what the level of play will be and I'll be more ready for it this time.
“You have to go in there and learn to play with new people and find out what they do and see what you can bring and add to that. At North, I've played with the same girls for years and I knew what they could do. This is more of a run-and-gun style of play. It's more like what I will do in the fall in college.”
While at North, Culler led the Greyhounds reach the Class 2-A Sectional 1 final this year, was the Mountain Valley 2-A Conference tournament MVP three times and was MVC Player of the Year twice. She will play for the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears this fall.
North has been represented in football and boys basketball in past years. Craig Hiatt (1969), Ben Norman (1974), Ricky Thomas (1977), Fletcher Martin (1978), Danny Martin (1980), Kelly Holder (1988), Jeff Allen (1994) and Kammon Hiatt (1996) played on the West football teams, while Kevin Strickland (1984), Kemp Phillips (1986) and Marcus Allen (1988) played on boys' basketball teams.
This year, East Surry football coach David Diamont will be the West head coach, while Mount Airy head coach Kelly Holder will serve on his staff, giving the four-day event a Surry County flavor.
Culler said she expects to see some familiar names when the rosters are released for the game. Culler said having one last high school game means a lot to her.
“After the first game (in Charlotte), it made me look back at my North career and realize some things I took for granted,” Culler said. “Now, I'm thinking about that first all-star game and I plan to give this all I've got. It will be a game with a bunch of great athletes and it will let me compare myself to them.
“This is probably the last high school achievement for me. I went from a freshman who had to work for everything to this point. Next year, it will be the same deal again. I'll start over and work my way up. You really learn from playing, but the second best thing you can do is watch other good players and improve from them. This is a good chance to do that. You can learn something from everybody.”
Slate said he's happy to see Culler rewarded for her hard work during the last four years.
“To be in something like this, you have to have skills, but you have to also work hard or things like this don't happen,” Slate said. “This isn't something I've given her where there is a bias involved. She's earned it all on her own.
“It's another step in getting her ready for the next level. It's a bonus from that standpoint. It's also another chance for me to watch her play when I'm not coaching her. She played well in the last one and I expect she will do the same in this one.”
Contact Mac Heffner at mheffner@mtairynews.com, or at 719-1921.
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