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Rep. Robin C. Hayes

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and pay tribute to the Concord High School girls basketball team for winning the North Carolina State Championship this year. Lady Spiders ended a 31 win and 2 loss season by defeating Beddingfield 77-62 on March 15, the first girls championship in the school history and the fourth State championship for the school in the last 5 years.

Concord's Nyshia Hammond was named Most Valuable Player, and T.T. Belcher won the Most Outstanding Player Award for the Spiders. Concord's coach and school Athletic Director, Angela Morton, was also named the 2008 Associated Press women's basketball Coach of the Year for North Carolina. Morton has coached the team for five seasons, during which she led them from a 0-24 season, to a State championship title.

The athletic program at Concord High is one of the great traditions that dates back even further than my years. The nickname, Spiders, came from the athletic field at the old high school, named after Principal and School Superintendent A.S. Webb. Concord's first title was won in

I am extremely proud of the hard work and dedication of these young women from my hometown. Congratulations, Coach of the Year, Angela Morton; Assistant Coaches, JarMark Parker and Samantha Bedford, and the Lady Spiders on your successful season and State championship victory.