By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
Amy Surratt is leaving Southern Alamance to coach girls’ basketball at soon-to-open Southeast Alamance.
She’ll have some familiar players on the new team.
Surratt, who has spent 10 seasons as Southern’s coach, said going to the neighboring school was a difficult decision.
“It’s just bittersweet for me,” she said. “I’ve loved Southern Alamance, and it has been a wonderful 10 years.”
Southern Alamance’s record with Surratt as coach was 124-121, according to yearly records on MaxPreps. The Patriots finished with a 20-9 record during the past season, reaching the second round of the Class 4-A state playoffs.
Southeast Alamance will play on the varsity level in the first year.
“I’m excited about starting a team, building a team,” Surratt said.
Four Southern Alamance freshmen, including three on the varsity team, from the 2022-23 season will be at Southeast Alamance with the new district lines.
Freshmen Shaniya Paylor (9.8) and Clara LaChapelle (8.8) were second and third on the team in scoring and received all-conference recognition in the DAC-VII Conference. LaChapelle’s 6.5 rebounds were second-best among the Patriots. Another freshman, Inysia McIver, was a starter for some games.
Outgoing senior MeiLani Patterson led the Patriots in scoring (16.1) and rebounding (10.1).
With the new school opening and district lines shifting, changes are coming around Alamance County.
“I would have loved to keep the group together,” Surratt said. “But obviously that wasn’t possible.”
Surratt’s first season at Southern Alamance was the best under her direction with a 23-4 record.
Surratt is a former player at Mars Hill. She was coach at Wake Forest-Rolesville (which is now two separate schools) prior to taking the Southern Alamance jobs as physical education teacher and basketball coach.
She’ll also teach physical education at Southeast Alamance.
