Pender High School’s Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) program is a well run program, and a proud one. The program, ran by Senior Army Instructor LTC. Willie Themes, and Assistant Army instructor SGM. David Shaw, is well disciplined, with many outstanding cadets, and some even more outstanding accomplishments. Take the Pender High School Raider team for example. Not only are they well trained, and spectacularly able athletes, but they are time and time again victors. Last year, during the 2025-2026 school year, the boys Raider team won first place at the Best Of The Best competition, held at Fort Bragg, in Fayetteville, North Carolina, while the girls won second place overall, for which they were recognized on the local news. So far this year, they have placed in each and every one of the meets they have attended, winning no less than second place overall in each one. They are an exemplary team, and they have shown such.
This year's first raider meet was held at West Bladen high school, located in Bladenboro, North Carolina. The schools in attendance were West Bladen High School, Clinton High School, Topsail High School, Heide Trask High School, and our Pender High School raider team, who took first place overall. This year’s second meet was held at Carroll County High School, located in Hillsville, Virginia. The schools in attendance were Carroll County High School, Buckingham County High School, Chatham High School, Olympic High School, and Pender High School, who took second place overall. The Carroll County Raider Meet was notably a ‘Best of the Best’ qualifier, though the date, and location has yet to be determined. Because of their place on the podium during the last meet, they have earned a spot at the best of the best, though this meet won’t be the last qualifier.
By - M. Lippard