High School Sports Returning to WFJA/WWGP…Finally

The broadcasting of high school sports on local radio has been silent since the spring of the 2019-2020 school year.   Basketball finished its season last winter and baseball got in a couple of games before the COVID plug was pulled on all high school sports in North Carolina.   No baseball season last spring.   No football in the fall of 2020.    The NCHSAA would gradually phase in sports with volleyball and track in the late fall of 2020.   

Now, we are all cautiously getting ready for a tightly packed spring of sports like we’ve never seen before.   It starts with a 7-week basketball season on January 5^th that will end on February 19^th.   Football will follow with a 7-game schedule on February 26^th and finish the regular season on April 9^th.   Baseball will follow in late April through early June.   Each sport will have shortened playoffs (one less round) and sports seasons will certainly overlap at some schools.

While we at WFJA & WWGP Sports are excited to be back on campus broadcasting high school sports, we understand challenges will lie ahead and that cancelled or postponed games may be the norm during the early spring months.   WFJA/WWGP will do our best to keep our listeners up-to-date with all schedule changes, game times, and results on the WFJA website.

While changes will be determined and made as we go, as of now spectators will not be allowed to attend basketball games other than a limited number of family members.   There will be additional COVID protocol for those inside the gymnasium.  We fully expect our microphones will be behind a plastic shield and that we will not enjoy our usual vantage point at floor level mid court – just feet away from the opposing coaches and teams.   We understand that our high school broadcasts on WFJA & WWGP will be the only way for many to listen and keep up with the games.   We will take this responsibility seriously and will do all we can on the air and through our website to keep listeners updated with our local schools and the Tri-County 3A Conference.

Our tentative Sanford Area Basketball Schedule is below.   All games are Tri-County 3A conference matchups and feature Lee County & Southern Lee in a 10-game schedule.

Basketball Schedule

#1 – Tuesday, January 19        Lee County vs. Triton

#2 – Friday, January 22           Lee County @ Union Pines

#3 – Tuesday, January 26*      Southern Lee vs Union Pines

#4 – Friday, January 29           Lee County vs Western Harnett

#5 – Tuesday, February 2*      Lee County @ Southern Lee

#6 – Friday, February 5           Southern Lee vs western Harnett      

#7 – Tuesday, February 9        Lee County vs Union Pines

#8 – Friday, February 12         Southern Lee @ Union Pines

#9 – Tuesday, February 16*    Southern Lee vs Harnett Central

#10 – Friday, February 19       Southern Lee @ Lee County

*These games will air on WWGP 1050 Am & 95.1 FM

• Sanford Area Basketball will primarily air on WFJA 105.5 FM.   Three* (3) of the 10 games conflict with our commitment to air UNC Basketball and those 3 Tuesday night games will air on WWGP 1050 AM & 95.1 FM.   ALL Sanford Area basketball games will stream on WFJA.

• All Lee County Football games will air on WFJA 105.5 FM.  All Lee County games will also stream on the station website under WFJA – Listen Live.

• All Southern Lee Football games will air on WWGP 1050 AM & 95.1 FM.  All Southern Lee games will also stream on the station website under WWGP – Listen Live.

• Sanford Area Baseball will feature both Lee County and Southern Lee in a 10-game schedule.  All baseball games will air on WFJA 105.5 FM.

We at WFJA & WWGP are ready.   We know the kids and the coaches can’t wait to get back to the competitions.   It has been a long 9 months and a ton of virtual workouts.    Time is here and we are hoping for good, safe competitions.   But we enter this cautiously, careful, and optimistic that this will all work, and we can achieve our goal of being able to safely bring you sports once again.

WFJA begins its 19^th season of Sanford Area Basketball.    February will begin the 59^th season of Yellow Jacket Football on WFJA Sports and the 60^th season will come this fall.   WWGP has been privileged to air Cavalier Football since its opening and the 15^th Cavalier Football season will start in February.