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The headline was like a punch in the mouth to Toni Wheeler and the entire West Rowan athletic family.
But on June 6, there it was, blaring out on the front page of the Post:
West Rowan teacher charged with 21 counts of sex offenses.
Almost two months later, no one really talks much about the accusations surrounding West’s successful girls basketball coach Angie Waddell. Most just keep their opinions to themselves.
But once it became news, sports fans wanted to know who would take over the girls basketball job?
Rather, who wanted it?
Toni Wheeler wanted it — and she got it.
Wheeler said as much earlier this week while coaching the West girls in the Catawba College basketball camp. Principal Henry Kluttz said as much this morning.
“She will be the coach,” he confirmed. “She’s a great one. I’m looking forward to it.”
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With no Waddell, Wheeler proved how loyal she was to the school and players by stepping forward this summer and taking the reins.
It didn’t take long for her to make her decision to be the head coach.
“Basically, I told (Kluttz) that I’d think about it,” Wheeler said of a recent talk with the principal. “I worked with the girls for the first month and decided I would because I figure I’ll never get this opportunity again, especially at such a basketball school.”
One of Wheeler’s biggest fans, Doug Wilson, who happens to coach one of West’s foes, Kannapolis, said Kluttz’s decision on Wheeler wasn’t a difficult one. It was a no-brainer.
“He’s not going to spend energy to find a coach when he’s already got somebody of that caliber,” said Wilson, who admired Wheeler’s job throughout the week at camp. “He’s lucky to have somebody like her to step right in.”
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If anyone could step into this shocking situation and continue what has become a very good tradition, it’s Wheeler. Don’t forget, she was the head coach before Waddell.
From 1995-1997, her Falcons were 42-13 overall and 26-2 in the last two years of the Yadkin Valley Conference. There were two first-place finishes.
Then, suddenly, Wheeler gave it up, handed the program over to Waddell and became her assistant.
Waddell won 79 games in four years but at least once, Wheeler caught that coaching fever. This past season, when Waddell missed the Northwest Cabarrus game due to a death in the family, Wheeler stepped in and led the Falcons to an inspiring win over a team that usually had West’s number.
Did that fuel Wheeler’s fire? It didn’t hurt when making the decision to take over for Waddell.
“After sitting back and watching for four years, I decided it was something I wanted to do,” she said.
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Waddell didn’t appear to have missed a beat while coaching this week at Catawba.
She didn’t have many of the athletes that made up a fantastic freshman class because they’re out trying to win national softball titles. So she gushed over her other youngsters.
She was quick to point out that the incoming freshmen could rival the last class of diaper dandies. Brittany Roberson, a 6-1 transfer from Sacred Heart, is on board and already wowing her coach. Wheeler was even talking about rising eighth graders destined for stardom.
These will be her girls.
“The girls that Angie came up with are gone,” Wheeler said of the Sloops, Scearces and Wansleys. “It’s like a whole new group here.”
Her players, like Wilson, seem to think the promotion is a no-brainer too.
“A couple of girls said, ‘I really want you to do this,’” Wheeler noted. “That helped my decision.”
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The only downside is replacing a friend.
“We really haven’t talked about the situation a whole lot,” Wheeler said. “I like Angie and I enjoyed working with her. But it was kind of weird to step in her place like that, especially since I know how much she loved what she was doing.”
But Wheeler also has a love for the game she once starred in at South Rowan. And on the court, everything again appears A-OK at the basketball factory known as West Rowan.
“West couldn’t be in better hands,” Wilson said. “She’ll do a great job.”
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Contact Ronnie Gallagher at 6704-797-4256 or rgallagher@salisburypost.com
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