Stiles: 13 people who will define Robeson sports in 2025 | Robesonian

As the calendar turns to 2025, everyone will be wondering what will happen in the new year.

In the domestic sports arena, there are many questions that need to be answered in the next 12 months. This includes who will continue to be successful, and which teams that have struggled in previous years will have a better year this season.

While there are many unknowns to be found in the 365 days that will make up 2025, it’s fun to speculate what it might be, and to think about what some of the most important people in local sports are. who will they be.

Below is a list of 13 individuals – one player and one coach from UNC Pembroke and five area high schools, as well as one of the founders of Robeson Community College’s athletic program as it prepares to enter in the field – which will help define which is the home. what the games will look like in 2025. Colleges are listed first, followed by high schools in alphabetical order.

UNC Pembroke

Bradlee Haskell – The top scoring senior for the UNCP men’s basketball team, Haskell averages 17.9 points per game. As the Braves attempt to win their fourth straight Conference Carolinas championship and attempt to repeat as conference tournament champions, Haskell’s play will be crucial.

Kendra Samuels-Eaton – The UNCP women’s basketball team is looking for its third straight Conference Carolinas Tournament title, but it’s doing so with a different voice on the sidelines. The Lady Braves enter 2025 at 10-3 in Samuels-Eaton’s first season as head coach following the retirement of John Haskins; How will the team look under his leadership during the tournament in March?

Robeson Community College

Jake “Jiggy” Jones — The RCC player has not been included on this list since the school’s baseball and softball teams began playing outdoor competition until the spring of 2026. But the baseball coach and athletic director Jake “Jiggy” Jones is tough. at work to get commitments for the first team, and will continue building the team until those players arrive on campus in August to begin classes. It’s off to a good start, with two engagements already.

Fairmont

Taniya Simms – The Fairmont senior will graduate in 2025 at Winston-Salem State, where she has signed to play college basketball. But the two-time Robeson County Shootout MVP will begin the year by finishing his career with the Golden Tornadoes, with a team trying to win the Southeastern Athletic Conference title again after sharing the regular season title the past two seasons. last season and won the tournament title last season. . He and the Golden Tornadoes will also be looking for a deep playoff run after reaching the third round in 2023 and the second round in 2024.

Football coach TBD – After Fairmont parted ways with football coach Jeremy Carthen in November, the Golden Tornadoes will have a new coach leading the program in 2025 – their fifth in seven seasons ago. Fairmont hasn’t won more than two games in a season since 2019. With most of the team returning, will the new coach have more success? In time, will he provide much-needed stability to the program?

Lumberton

Jaiden Shephard – Fresh off a Robeson County Shootout title, the Lumberton boys basketball team continues into 2025. Only senior, wing Jaiden Shephard, is the team’s leading scorer and rebounder (19.0 points, 16.0 rebounds per game) and was tournament MVP in the Pirates’ Gunners victory; How far will you take the Pirates in the United-8 Conference playoffs and beyond?

Taurius Baker – Lumberton football’s 4-6 campaign in 2024 marked the program’s most wins since 2016. That improvement came with a young Pirates team; With many key players expected to return in 2025, can Baker lead the Pirates to their first winning season since 2011?

Purnell Swett

Josie McLean – Purnell Swett high school girls soccer player Josie McLean may be entering a rare atmosphere this year, as she has the potential to become a four-time Robeson County Player of the Year. More importantly, the Rams have a chance to build on their shared United-8 Conference title from last year, with almost everyone returning from the team. their 20th win in 2024. Winning the conference outright and advancing to the state playoffs will be the Rams’ goals this year.

Edmund Locklear – New coaches often take over a struggling program, but that’s not the case for new Purnell Swett baseball coach Edmund Locklear. Jeff Lamb was fired after an 18-9 season and second-place United-8 last season, leaving Locklear to try to preserve the program’s recent success, which includes a shared title with United -8 in 2023 and a third-round national playoff game in 2021.

Red Springs

TJ Ellerbe – Ellerbe’s inclusion on this list is two-fold: after a 30-steal season on the baseball diamond, he will be a major part of the team’s assets this season. The junior is also coming off a football season with 1,035 receiving yards and was also a key safety for the Red Devils; the numbers may be even bigger in his football season next fall.

Tim Ray – The Red Springs football coach enters the 2025 season, the school’s fourth, with a chance to post his best season with the Red Devils. The team won one less game in 2024 than last year, when Red Springs reached the state playoffs, but with Ellerbe and other key players back the team could take a big step forward.

St. Pauls

Yoshua McBryde – After a 1,602-yard, 14-touchdown junior season, Yoshua McBryde will be the biggest offensive threat returning to St. Louis. Pauls as the Bulldogs attempt to defend their 2024 Southeastern Athletic Conference championship. With Theophilus Setzer graduating at quarterback, McBryde’s role will be even greater.

Ted Gaskins – 2024 saw the revival of a coaching career that began in 1979 when Gaskins returned to the St. Pauls. It’s been a struggle so far, with just one win heading into conference play, but Gaskins says his system has some time to adjust and he hopes his team will improve. He also feels that they will be better next season, which should be mentioned in the column about the entire year 2025 when the next basketball season will start.