AG trio make college announcements Wednesday

On Wednesday, Ayden-Grifton had three student-athletes sign to schools, from left, Jordan Atkinson, Jalen Hardy and James Richardson. Atkinson is headed to Methodist to play basketball and baseball, Hardy is going to N.C. Wesleyan for track and Richardson committed to Davidson Community College for basketball. Photo by Junious Smith III / Neuse News

By Junious Smith III

AYDEN — A trio of Charger athletes are committed to their next stages.

Jordan Atkinson, Jalen Hardy and James Richardson signed their letters of intent Wednesday in a ceremony at Ayden-Grifton High School. Atkinson will be heading to Methodist University for baseball and basketball, Hardy committed to N.C. Wesleyan on a track and field scholarship and Richardson is Davidson Community College bound for basketball.

Atkinson, who plans to study athletic training at the Fayetteville college, said his decision was based on a great opportunity.

“Methodist was the only school who showed interest in both schools,” Atkinson said. “I wasn’t ready to choose which sport to play and I’m excited about having this opportunity. I’ve grown a lot as a player and the coaches (at Ayden-Grifton) have definitely helped me.”

In basketball, Atkinson led the Chargers in scoring (18.0 ppg) and steals (1.5 spg), while in baseball, he was tied for the team lead in home runs with three and was second in RBIs with 21.

Ayden-Grifton baseball coach Corey Skinner said Atkinson has been a great addition for the team since transferring from Oakwood during his junior season.

“Jordan was a perfect fit here and he’s got a great situation at Methodist,” Skinner said. “They have the program he wants to major in and has the chance to play two sports? There’s nothing better for him. He came in junior year and really produced for us offensively — it was addition without having to ruffle feathers because the guys were comfortable with him after growing up with him in middle school.”

Chargers basketball coach John Moye said Atkinson’s role grew between seasons and he accepted it.

“He really stepped up between his junior and senior seasons, going from averaging about seven points a game to 18, and we really needed it,” Moye said. “He worked on his shot and we were fortunate for his ability to contribute.”

Hardy was part of the Chargers’ state-qualifying relay teams this season, as the 4x100 team finished sixth and the 4x200 team went fifth in last week’s NCHSAA 2A championships. Hardy, who plans to major in exercise science at N.C. Wesleyan, is preparing to run those events, along with the 200 meter dash, in college.

“I felt like this was a great school with great people and I can’t wait to go,” Hardy said. “I plan on doing the same things I learned (at Ayden-Grifton): hard work, dedication, keeping a mindset to succeed and just going out there to get it.”

Ayden-Grifton girls’ track-and-field coach Linda Bryant said Hardy has progressed well during her high school career.

“She’s been a great asset for us and has been tremendous over the past four years,” Bryant said. “She’s a hard worker and she’ll do well at the next level.”

Richardson played for three years at the varsity level for the Chargers, leading the team in assists (4.2 apg) and rebounds (4.0 rpg) and going second in points (14.4 ppg) in the 2018-19 season. Richardson, who plans to major in kinesiology and minor in business, said he will use the time at Davidson CC to hone his craft.

“It’s a blessing to have the opportunity to play college basketball, so I’ll take advantage,” Richardson said. “I really like the coach here, and he showed me letters of DI and DII players from junior college, and I look at this school as a place where I can develop my game to become a better player.”

Moye said Richardson has taken on different responsibilities throughout his career and handled them well.

“I saw him for the first time in middle school and was excited to see him come up here,” Moye said. “He was on our JV team as a freshman, and he got better each season in varsity — he went from a distributor his sophomore year to a distributor, scorer and a captain this year. It’s a proud moment as a coach to see him and Jordan do well and head out to college.”