SL's Gavin Brock Named ECC Player of the Year; Vance Wade Named Coach of the Year

Brock, Wade Earn Top Honors After South Lenoir’s Conference Title Run

South Lenoir junior Gavin Brock has been named the East Central 3A/4A Conference Player of the Year, and head coach Vance Wade was selected as the league’s Coach of the Year following the Blue Devils’ championship season.

Brock, a three-year starter, averaged 18.1 points per game this winter while establishing himself as one of the top guards in the area. The 6-foot-2 junior has steadily elevated his production each season — improving from 11.9 points per game as a freshman to 13.7 as a sophomore before making the jump to 18.1 this year.

A true two-way player, Brock’s size allows him to score at multiple levels while also defending opposing guards and wings. His consistency and growth were key factors in South Lenoir’s rise to the top of the conference standings.

Wade’s Coach of the Year honor reflects one of the more notable turnarounds in the conference. South Lenoir finished 15-8 overall and 9-2 in East Central 3A/4A play to capture the program’s first conference championship since 2005.

The title comes after the Blue Devils went a combined 9-37 over the previous two seasons. Wade also served on the coaching staff for South Lenoir’s 2005 championship team, making this year’s accomplishment a full-circle moment for the program.

South Lenoir will now turn its attention to the 3A state playoffs, which begin next week.