By DAN BISER
Sports Editor

Robbie Allen closed out his 18-year coaching career at Whiteville’s Waccamaw Academy with a fourth straight NCISAA state 1A baseball championship and his 10th state title since becoming Warrior head coach and athletic director.

“It’s been an unbelievable experience for me,” said Allen, following his team’s 2006 state-title clinching 17-7 victory over Lawrence Academy last May at Fleming Stadium in Wilson. “I have really been blessed.”

The Warriors won the state title against a Lawrence team with much more experience and depth, and they were pushed to the limit in the state tournament on thread-bare pitching. Allen’s squad rapped out 20 hits in the final to bring home another title.

“Our kids did what they had they to do,” Allen said. “It was a season of ups and downs but once again we managed to come out on top.”

The Warriors, paced by seniors Dustin Williamson and Ben Rouse, posted a season record of 17-14 with the bulk of the losses coming against teams from larger public schools.

Allen, who was an All-ACC shortstop at Clemson and went on to play nine seasons of professional baseball in the L.A. Dodger organization, resigned his position from Waccamaw Academy to enter private business and to consider other coaching possibilities.

The Warrior “Four-Peat” was one of the big sports occurrences in Columbus County during 2006.

Another strong coaching legacy came to an end when Whiteville High boys basketball coach Glenn McKoy stepped down from his position after posting a record of 536 wins and 157 losses in 27 seasons at the Wolfpack helm.

McKoy coached the Wolfpack to state 2A championships in 1999 and 2000, and state runnerup finishes in 1985 and 1995. His WHS teams won 15 conference championships and never endured a losing season.

Another big baseball milestone was reached when the West Columbus Vikings posted a 27-4 record while winning the Southeastern Conference championship and advancing to the state 1A finals in early June.

Coach Ricky Young’s Vikings fell to Chatham Central in the third and deciding game of the state title series, but it was still the most rewarding WCHS baseball season in more than three decades. The Vikings were paced by a strong group of seniors -- Daniel Britt, Ryan McCleney, Zack Andrews, John David White, Devon Brown and Brett Godwin,

The season included a perfect game pitching performance by Britt in a key 2-0 victory over Southeastern Conference rival St. Pauls. Britt, who signed with Elon prior to the season, also homered in the victory.

In early March, the Whiteville High School girls basketball team carried an unbeaten record to the Eastern N.C. 2A regional tournament at Greenville’s Rose High School. In the opening round, Coach Keith Jordan’s Lady Wolfpack defeated First Flight of Nags Head 59-40 to put its record at 25-0. In the regional final, the WHS girls bowed in overtime to Farmville Central 68-63 in overtime. Farmville Central went on to defeat Salisbury in the state 2A championship game a week later.

The Lady Wolfpack’s heart-breaking loss in the regional final marked the final game in the sensational four-year career of guard/forward Shannon McCallum. McCallum, who signed with the University of South Carolina, was a three-time All-Stater who also played on the winning teams in the Carolinas Classic and N.C. East-West all-star games.

Other highlights of the years were:

-- another state championship for the Columbus County Dixie Boys (ages 13-14) Baseball All-Stars.

The Columbus County squad won the state tournament at Shallotte, and advanced to DB World Series play in Grand Prairie, Texas.

- the Columbus County Dixie Pre-Majors (ages 15-16) All-Stars won the state Pre-Majors title and competed in the Pre-Majors World Series at Thomasville, Ala.

-- a first-ever state championship for the East Columbus County Dixie Angel (ages 9-10) Softball All-Stars.

The team won the district tournament at Burgaw and the state tournament at Vale to earn a berth in the Angels World Series in Sulphur Springs, Texas.

- the South Columbus All-Stars won the first-ever North Carolina Dixie Youth (ages 11-12) O-Zone Baseball Tournament at Riegelwood and advanced to the first-ever DY O-Zone World Series in Dothan, Ala.

- the East Columbus High basketball team won its first-ever Waccamaw Conference basketball championship and also won the conference tournament. Coach Mark Bridger’s Gators went unbeaten against all conference opposition.

-- the West Columbus High boys basketball team won the Southeastern Conference Tournament after finishing runnerup in regular-season play. Coach Michael Powell’s Vikings advanced to the sectional finals in Kenansville where they fell to eventual state 1A champion Wallace-Rose Hill.

- Whiteville and South Columbus battled to a tie in the Waccamaw Conference baseball race. Each had two losses in conference play.

- the East Columbus High School girls track and field team, paced by sprinter/jumper Jasmine Young, finished eighth in the state 1A track and field meet, the best finish in ECHS track history.

- the Whiteville American Legion baseball team advanced to the Area 2-West League playoff finals, knocking off regular-season champion Scotland County in the opening round before bowing to Fayetteville Post 4.

- the South Columbus High School girls tennis team claimed its second straight Waccamaw Conference championship and qualified six players for the regional tournament.

- the Whiteville High School football team scored in the game’s final minute on Nov. 3 to claim its first victory over South Columbus since 1994 and its first outright conference championship since 1992. The 21-15 victory came on the final night of regular-season play. South Columbus had gone 11 straight seasons without losing to a fellow Columbus County opponent.

Columbus County athletes who competed on college teams during 2006 follow:

BASKETBALL

Joseph Thompson (Whiteville), The Citadel

Michael Pierce (Whiteville), Coker College

BASEBALL

Chris Baker (East Columbus), Appalachian State University

T.J. Spivey (South Columbus), Appalachian State University

Carlton Floyd (Waccamaw Academy), Campbell University

Brad Smith (Waccamaw Academy), St. Andrews College

Bradley Strickland (South Columbus), UNC-Pembroke

Chris Russell (West Columbus), Pfeiffer University

Jonathan Spivey (South Columbus), Methodist College

Dustin Proctor (South Columbus), Methodist College

Alex Lively (Waccamaw Academy), North Carolina Wesleyan College

Corey Blackwell (Whiteville), Louisburg College

Justin Batchelor (Whiteville), Southeastern Community College

Brian Sykes (South Columbus). Southeastern Community College

Chris Blackmon (Whiteville), N.C. State University club team

Anna Williamson (East Columbus), UNC-Wilmington

TENNIS

Amy Hardin (West Columbus), UNC-Pembroke

Jennifer McPherson (West Columbus), UNC-Pembroke

TRACK AND FIELD

Darrot Johnson (South Columbus), UNC-Pembroke

FOOTBALL

Jess Powell (Whiteville), Wake Forest University

Bryan Dixon (South Columbus), UNC-Chapel Hill

Greg Elleby (South Columbus), UNC-Chapel Hill

Ricardo Crawford (West Columbus), University of Georgia

Brian Williamson (Whiteville), College of William & Mary

Britt Leggett (West Columbus), Coastal University

D.J. Anders (Whiteville), UNC-Pembroke
J.J. Bellamy (South Columbus), UNC-Pembroke

Elaun McMillian (Whiteville), UNC-Pembroke
Garrett Ward (South Columbus), UNC-Pembroke

Dee Brown (Whiteville), Garden City (Kans.) Community College