MCCARGO NAMED NEW GIRLS BASKETBALL COACH – Matthew McCargo (third from left) was introduced yesterday as the new Halifax County High School varsity girls basketball coach. From left, HCHS Athletic Director Allen Lawter, McCargo’s wife, Dorothy McCargo and HCHS Principal Albert T. Randolph. (G-V Photo/Joe Chandler)

McCargo Named HCHS Girls Basketball Coach

By Joe Chandler
Sports Editor
Matthew McCargo, who has served as the head coach of the Halifax County High School junior varsity girls basketball team for the past three seasons, was named yesterday as the school’s new head varsity girls basketball coach.
McCargo succeeds Ray Reaves who resigned from the post earlier this spring.
“We’re very proud that he has taken the job,” Halifax County High School Principal Albert T. Randolph said during a press conference yesterday morning.
“He comes from a family of tremendous athletes who have competed for this school and have represented this community extremely well. I have had the opportunity to observe him and work with him here with our jayvee program. I think he has brought a lot to our programs already.”
Randolph thanked Reaves for his service and dedication to the girls basketball program.
“We want to praise Mr. Reaves for what he did for the program,” Randolph said.
“We think we made some steps forward there and think we can make some further steps forward as we continue in our process of improving our girls basketball program.”
McCargo, a former standout basketball player for Halifax County High School, went on to attend and play basketball at Lees-McRae Junior College. He earned all-conference honors playing basketball for Lynchburg College and Averett University.
The new Comets coach will continue to hold his current job as the director of the South Boston Department of Parks and Recreation.
“I have had the opportunity to speak with the Town Manager (Ted Daniels) and he gave his blessing to it,” Randolph said.
“He was just super to work with. I know Mr. Daniel very well and we indicated we will work closely together so that he (McCargo) can continue his present job and also provide the needs that are here with our girls basketball program.”
McCargo said he is pleased to have the opportunity to lead the Halifax County High School girls basketball program.
“I’m really happy about being able to be the head coach,” McCargo said.
“I always wanted to be a part of the program. A dream of mine was to coach and I thought that dream had passed me by. Then, this opportunity came along to be able to coach at the high school level. I was content doing it in the rec leagues. I think it was also a blessing that I didn’t get it (a high school coaching opportunity) early because I got to learn a lot from coaching kids.
“You have kids that come into the (rec) program that have no fundamental skills. You have to teach them from the ground level and bring them up and do it in the short time frame that you have from the time that you draft your team and start the season,” he added.
“That experience helps.”
McCargo’s coaching philosophy is a two-fold approach – one of keeping things simple and putting people in positions where they can succeed.
“I try to keep it simple so they can all understand,” McCargo explained.
“I also believe in putting people in a position where they can succeed.”
McCargo cited several examples, one of them citing Comets varsity player Lauren Daniel, who is noted as a good shooter from the outside.
“If I have a shooter and the other team is playing a zone, Lauren Daniel is a pure shooter, I want that person in the game,” he said.
McCargo said one of his biggest influences in basketball and in coaching was the late Hugh Moore. Moore, a longtime community sports writer, served as a coach in the South Boston Midget Basketball League for many years.
“He said every time you pick up this ball and you’re around it, you will get a little bit better,” McCargo recalled.
“I took it a little more than what he meant because I actually carried a ball around with me for four or five days thinking I would automatically get better,” he added with a smile.
“Mr. Moore took me on when I got into the midget program and I played for him. I got to travel all around with the Comets because he covered all the games for the newspaper and he would often take me with him. I got to see Coach Thompson (late former Comets coach Don Thompson), Coach Lloyd (former Comets coach Wayne Lloyd) and all of those coaches and got to see the players. I got to see tradition. That was the biggest thing. They were winning and were expecting to win. I can still remember how close all the players were. Before home games, the players would come in together and sit together.They were all buddies.”
McCargo says he feels the Comets girls basketball program is heading in the right direction and that he feels the Comets will soon be able to be competitive with other teams in the Western Valley District.
“Coach Reeves had it going in the right direction,” McCargo said.
“Some of the coaches before Coach Reaves had it going in the right direction. There is a lot of potential there and girls there with a lot of athleticism. I think we’re right there. As far as doing it in Year One, I think we can compete, but even when you get to that level, you have to learn how to win in close ballgames and do it against seasoned teams.
“We have the athleticism and we have the players at every position,” McCargo added.
“We still need an experienced point guard. That’s going to happen in time. We’re not going to be able to develop a point guard the first year. We know that going in. We have a good, young, strong JV team and the middle school continues to provide good players. I think we ‘re going to get to the point pretty quickly to where we can compete with these (Western Valley District) schools.”