FIRST ON 3: Ken Cross leaving West Bladen for East Bladen

BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — West Bladen basketball coach Ken Cross has resigned in order to accept the vacant head coaching position at rival East Bladen High School, pending approval from the Bladen County School Board. (UPDATE 9:00 p.m.)….The Bladen County School Board approved the move Monday night.

Cross will replace Alton Hill at East Bladen High School. Hill resigned as the Eagles head coach two months ago after just one season at East Bladen.

Cross began his coaching career at St.Luke’s in New Jersey in 1968. Seven schools later he moved to North Carolina in 1990 after accepting the head basketball coach position at Tar Heel High School in Bladen County. Tar Heel and Bladenboro High consolidated in 2001 to form West Bladen High School.

Cross was named the West Bladen coach in 2001. His 2007-2008 West Bladen team won the 2-A state basketball championship. Over the last four years West Bladen had a record of 101-13. This past the Knights finished with a 23-4 mark.

Patty Evers is the East Bladen director of athletics. She worked with Cross at Tar Heel High School when Cross was the boys coach and Evers was the girls basketball coach.