The Vikings dominance in the 1A East is more about geopolitics than it is anything. Tarboro specifically and Edgecombe County as a whole was decimated when Sprint moved Carolina Telephone and textiles moved out in the 90’s. Until that point, Tarboro was playing at 3A. So many good paying jobs left the area in such a short period of time. The only thing the folks in this town really had to take pride in was HS football. Even as the numbers declined, the passion for football in Tarboro never wavered. The Vikings are still better than 90-95% of 2A programs in the state. It’s part of the fabric of who we are.
So I’m sorry, Wilson Prep. Three years of collecting local talents and throwing them out there with their hair on fire isn’t going to make up for years of preparation, tradition and investment in a program that represents the heart and soul of a community.